May 11, 2020 | International, C4ISR
The Army is finishing up a list of requirements for technologies it needs for the next round of its network modernization capabilities, known as Capability Set 23, one of the service's network leaders said May 6.
The Army wants to have research and development contracts for prototypes signed no later than July, according to Maj. Gen. Peter Gallagher, director of the network cross-functional team for Army Futures Command. He added that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has slowed the timeline.
Capability set 23 is a follow-on effort to capability set 21, which is addressing current capability gaps in the Army's network with technology currently available, such as improved network transport capabilities. The service plans to deploy new network tools every two years starting in 2021 as part of a continuous network modernization plan.
“We realized we weren't going to be multi-domain dominant with what we fielded in Cap Set '21,” said Gallagher, speaking May 6 at the C4ISRNET conference.
For Capability Set '23, the service plans to take advantage of emerging technology, with developments from either commercial industry or internal researchers that are part of the Command, Control, Communications, Commuters, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
“The next steps for Cap Set '23 — it's about enhanced capacity in our network backbone,” said Gallagher. “High capacity, low latency communications that are not readily available today, but they're emerging in technology."
The key piece for is medium-Earth and low-Earth orbit satellite constellations, which will provide the Army with significantly more bandwidth and reduced latency.
“In some cases, it's kind of like having a fiber optic cable through a space-based satellite link,” Gallagher said.
Gallagher added that Army plans to prototype the technology over the next year and added that around spring next year the Army plans to be working on the preliminary design review for Capability Set '23.
Capability Set '23 will also expand on tools from Capability Set '21 to increase the resiliency of the Army's network. Gallagher said that the service is looking at advanced networking waveforms that can be effective in a contested environment.
For Capability Set '23, the Army reviewed more than 140 white papers on capabilities and narrowed its selection to 12 papers that they thought would be ready for the second capability set iteration and will help “prototype and make some network design choices," Gallagher said.
The Army then held a “shark tank” style event in March and is now “actively in discussions with vendors,” said Justine Ruggio, director of communications for the Network Cross Functional Team at Army Futures Command.
Meanwhile, the Army is collecting feedback from soldiers on Capability Set '21 pilots and will procure those technologies this year. Initial delivery of the new capabilities to units is scheduled for second quarter of fiscal 2021, Gallagher said.
January 3, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Le ministère de la Défense des États-Unis a déclaré vendredi qu'il avait accordé une modification de contrat de 7,8 milliards de dollars pour les avions F-35 à Lockheed Martin Corp. | 4 janvier 2023
October 11, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Wind Tunnel Test Designed To Validate The Aerodynamic Performance And Flight Mechanics Of Sikorsky's X2 Technology Aircraft The U.S. Army is looking to improve its aviation technology and recently called upon the AEDC National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex at Moffett Field in Mountain View, CA, to advance this effort. Engineers from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and The Boeing Company, in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile Center Army Aviation Development Directorate, recently conducted a series of tests at NFAC to support the development of the SB>1 DEFIANT, a military helicopter being developed for the Army's Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator (JMR TD) program. The goal of this wind tunnel test was to validate the aerodynamic performance and flight mechanics of Sikorsky's X2 Technology aircraft. These configurations, which are being utilized on the SB>1 DEFIANT, include a lift-offset coaxial rotor system, composite fuselage and rear-mounted pusher propulsor that provides increased speed. The SB>1 DEFIANT, which made its first flight in March, is a technology demonstrator for a medium-lift utility helicopter. Future uses of this type of air vehicle could include attack and assault, troop transport or MEDEVAC. The testing was conducted throughout the first half of 2019 and concluded in mid-June. To accomplish the tests, a 1/5 scale model of the SB>1 DEFIANT airframe with powered coaxial main rotors was placed in the NFAC 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel. Measurements included forces and moments on the various components, as well as fuselage, empennage and blade surface pressures. David Wang, NFAC test engineer, said the recent tests expanded on data collected from a JMR wind tunnel entry conducted at NFAC in 2016 by gathering data at faster speed ranges. “From the NFAC perspective, the wind tunnel test was successful,” Wang said. “The test customer was able to collect performance and handling qualities data for their subscale model up to their maximum design flight speed.” Data collected during the recent tests is undergoing review and analysis. It is unknown at this time if there will be future testing of the SB>1 DEFIANT model at NFAC. The full-scale SB>1 DEFIANT flight demonstrator is currently undergoing ground and flight tests at Sikorsky's flight test facility. According to the Sikorsky-Boeing JMR Team, data from SB>1 DEFIANT will help the Army develop requirements for new utility helicopters expected to enter service in the early 2030s. A previous DOD study concluded that upgrades to the aging DOD rotary wing aviation fleet would not provide the capabilities required for future operations. Significant improvement in several attributes of fleet aircraft, such as speed, payload, range, survivability and vertical lift are required to meet future needs. It was determined this improvement could be achieved through application of new technologies and designs. To accomplish its goal, the Army has been executing a science & technology (S&T) effort to mitigate risk associated with maturity of critical technologies, feasibility of desired capabilities and cost of a technical solution. An aspect of this effort is the air vehicle development associated with the JMR TD program. JMR TD is the alignment of Army Aviation's S&T with the Future Vertical Lift initiative, which seeks to develop a new family of system to modernize and replace the government's current fleet of rotorcraft. According to the Army, the intent of the JMR TD is to mitigate risk for the Future Vertical Lift program through means that include the testing of advanced technologies and efficient vehicle configurations. NFAC, managed and operated by Arnold Engineering Development Complex (AEDC), is the largest wind tunnel complex in the world. It consists of both the 40- by 80-foot and 80- by 120- foot wind tunnels. These tunnels, which share a common drive system, are primarily used for aerodynamic and acoustic tests of rotorcraft and fixed wing, powered-lift V/STOL aircraft and developing advanced technologies for these vehicles. Both subscale and full-scale models are tested at NFAC. The speed range of the 40- by 80-foot wind tunnel test section is continuously variable from 0 to 300 knots, while the speed range in the 80- by 120-foot wind tunnel section is continuously variable from 0 to 100 knots. http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=021bcb83-4df9-4253-b7a3-ff3805b7b16a
May 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
La pépite militaire Fichou, spécialiste de l'optique de précision, basée à Fresnes, a été acquise mardi 18 mai par le groupe français HEF (Loire), acteur de l'ingénierie des surfaces. Fichou est un industriel crucial de la base industrielle et technologique de défense (BITD) française, souligne la revue Challenges. Il produit des composants optiques de haute précision, essentiels pour les avions de combat Rafale et les satellites militaires, notamment. « Fichou détient une expertise clé pour l'optique de précision, une technologie décisive pour nos avions et nos satellites », indiquait Florence Parly, en visite sur le site de Fresnes en juillet 2018, évoquant une « vitrine du savoir-faire et de l'excellence industrielle de notre pays ». Challenges et Les Echos du 19 mai