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By Robert Wall Arms makers are targeting the growing menace of drones at airports and on battlefields with a rush to develop new missile systems, radar jammers and laser cannons. U.S. forces, along with Middle East allies and Russian troops, have been forced to confront hostile drone operations. Commercial flights at some of the world's busiest hubs—in New York, London and Dubai—have been grounded in recent months amid concerns that nearby drones could endanger airliners. Complete article: https://www.wsj.com/articles/weapons-makers-declare-war-on-drones-11551627000

(AOF) - La Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) vient de confier à un groupement industriel mené par Airbus et composé de Naval Group et Rohde & Schwarz, le contrat RIFAN 2.1. Ce contrat a été signé pour une durée maximale de 8 ans et un montant maximum de 150 millions d'euros. Le contrat consiste à maintenir et adapter l'actuel Réseau IP de la Force Aéronavale étape 2 (RIFAN 2) aux besoins de la Marine nationale dans les années à venir, à y intégrer de nouveaux b'timents et à traiter les obsolescences des matériels et logiciels. Il permettra ainsi d'intégrer dans le réseau RIFAN 2 les frégates de défense et d'intervention (FDI), futures frégates de premier rang de la Marine nationale, ainsi que les futurs pétroliers-ravitailleurs du programme BRF (b'timent ravitailleur de forces). Les adaptations du réseau porteront tant sur son architecture centrale que sur la mise à jour du système de surveillance et de détection des incidents de cyber-sécurité. 63 b'timents sont équipés du réseau RIFAN 2 : du porte-avions et frégates aux b'timents de soutien et patrouilleurs basés outre-mer, ainsi que des sous-marins. Le programme vise à doter la force navale française, d'un véritable réseau sécurisé à haut-débit. Il est conçu pour échanger entre les navires à la mer et les centres de commandement à terre, des données de différents niveaux de classification allant de " non protégé " jusqu'aux niveaux " secret ". Le réseau permet de transmettre aussi bien les données issues des applications spécifiques à la conduite des opérations aéronavales que celles dédiées à la gestion quotidienne et logistique de la vie à bord, comme celles des systèmes d'information des états-majors de thé'tre embarqués pour la durée d'une opération. RIFAN 2 comprend également une capacité de gestion globale du réseau et de surveillance des incidents de cyber-sécurité. Cette supervision s'exerce à la fois depuis un centre de gestion et de contrôle à terre, que localement à bord des navires, conférant ainsi une certaine autonomie aux équipages afin d'assurer le meilleur emploi du réseau en fonction de la situation opérationnelle. AOF - EN SAVOIR PLUS Les points forts de la valeur - Numéro un européen et numéro deux mondial de l'industrie aéronautique, spatiale et de défense, né de la fusion en 2000 du français Aerospatiale Matra, de l'espagnol Casa et de l'allemand Dasa ; - Activité de 67 Mds€ répartie entre l'aéronautique civile avec Airbus pour 75 %, défense & espace pour 16 % et Airbus Helicopters pour 9 % ; - Excellente visibilité pour un secteur en croissance annuelle de 3 %, bénéficiant de fortes barrières à l'entrée et d'un bon « pricing power » ; - Famille d'avions civils la plus complète du marché, de l'A380 et l'A350 (long-courrier) à l'A330 (15 heures de vol) et l'A320 (10 heures) et numéro un mondial des hélicoptères (47 % du marché civil en termes de livraisons) ; - Carnet de commandes record de 997 Mds€, donnant une visibilité de près de 15 ans de chiffre d'affaires, provenant de l'Asie-Pacifique (29 %), d'Europe (22 %), d'Amérique du nord (20 %), du Proche-Orient (12 %) et d'Amérique latine (7 %) ; - Acquisition sans sortie de cash de 50,01% de C-Series, programme de l'avionneur canadien Bombardier, qui renforce la position d'Airbus Group face à Boeing ; - Trésorerie importante alimentée par les avances sur commandes et retour à un flux de trésorerie élevé, gr'ce à une bonne maîtrise des besoins en fonds de roulement ; - Vers une hausse du taux de distribution aux actionnaires. Les points faibles de la valeur - Retards de livraisons pesant sur l'autofinancement ; - Incertitudes judiciaires avec risques de pénalités entre 1 et 6 MdsE ; - Ralentissement des cadences des programmes A380 et A400M ; - Forte concurrence à venir dans le spatial de la part de Space X. Comment suivre la valeur - Performances étroitement liées à la santé des compagnies aériennes ; - Sensibilité aux parités de change, 60 % des ventes étant facturées en dollars américains pour une base de coûts majoritairement en euros ; - Poursuite du plan « Vision 2020 », initié en 2009 et visant à un équilibre entre l'aviation commerciale et les autres activités, à un doublement à 25 % de la part des services dans le chiffre d'affaires, à un renforcement à l'international avec 40 % des approvisionnements hors Europe ; - Capacité à redresser le programme C-Series et, dans les usines européennes, à diminuer le nombre d'avions retenus au sol pour problèmes techniques ; - Confirmation de l'accélération du rythme de livraison des A320neo ; - Après l'autorisation des autorités européennes pour l'A330-900, attente de celle des autorités américaines ; - Capital réparti depuis juin 2013 entre l'Etat français (11, % via la Sogepa), l'état allemand (11,1 % via GZbv) et l'état espagnol (4, % via SEPI), réunis par un pacte d'actionnaires. Aéronautique - Défense Le secteur aéronautique est soumis à une profonde mutation. A la recherche de relais de croissance et d'une amélioration de leur rentabilité, les acteurs ne se concentrent plus seulement sur leur cœur de métier (design et assemblage des avions) mais se tournent également vers les services. Ces derniers recouvrent aussi bien le service après-vente (maintenance et réparation des appareils) que la transformation d'avions de ligne en avions-cargos, ou la formation des équipages et des mécaniciens, l'aménagement des cabines et l'optimisation des appareils. Cette évolution amène les avionneurs à revoir complètement la conception de leur métier : ils ne livrent plus un produit mais un usage. Selon Boeing, le chiffre d'affaires des services à l'aviation commerciale pourrait ainsi dépasser celui des avions neufs pour atteindre 8.800 milliards de dollars d'ici à 2037. https://www.capital.fr/entreprises-marches/un-groupement-industriel-mene-par-airbus-decroche-un-contrat-de-150-millions-aupres-de-la-dga-1330006

PAL Aerospace is pleased to be awarded a contract to provide aerial surveillance for Canada's inland, coastal and offshore waters on behalf of the Government of Canada. The expanded contract, delivered on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, covers an initial five-year period and includes opportunities for PAL Aerospace to earn contract extensions that increase the life of the agreement to 10 years. PAL Aerospace has been providing this critical service under contract to the government since 1990. “This contract award confirms the Government of Canada's confidence in our company's ability to execute the most advanced maritime surveillance program of its type in the world,” said PAL CEO Brian Chafe. “The program is an excellent example of the successful public-private partnership that continues to drive innovation and support employment in Canada.” Fisheries and Oceans Canada is responsible for the monitoring, control, and surveillance of Canada's fisheries waters, as well as certain international areas, such as the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization Regulatory Area, and the North Pacific. “PAL Aerospace's work on behalf of the Government of Canada will ensure highly skilled employment and important economic benefits from coast to coast,” said Jake Trainor, chief operating officer of PAL Aerospace. “From St. John's to Campbell River, our operations and employees look forward to delivering this important work for Canadians.” PAL Aerospace's critical role in the delivery of Canada's aerial surveillance program provides the Government of Canada with the capability to monitor domestic and foreign vessel activities and detect potential violations. The program also contributes significantly to pollution surveillance, environmental monitoring, and marine security for a number of other federal departments and agencies. “This contract is a significant investment in the Newfoundland and Labrador economy that will support our bright future in the community,” said Derek Scott, vice-president of Program Development for PAL Aerospace. “Ensuring we meet Fisheries and Oceans Canada's service expectations for this contract will push us to improve and expand our already significant core capabilities. In doing so, PAL Aerospace will be better positioned to continue developing and delivering value added Canadian technology and innovative practices to domestic and export markets.” Under the new contract, PAL Aerospace will provide Fisheries and Oceans Canada with service through a combination of Beechcraft King Air B200 medium-range aircraft and Dash 8-100 series long-range aircraft, all associated ground support and other related services. The aircraft will operate from bases in St. John's, N.L.; Halifax, N.S.; and Campbell River, B.C. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/pal-aerospace-wins-government-aerial-surveillance-contract

CarteNav and Sentient Vision are pleased to announce their valuable contribution to PAL Aerospace's winning bid to provide the Government of Canada with aerial surveillance capability for Canada's inland, coastal and offshore waters. The contract, delivered on behalf of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, covers an initial five-year period and includes opportunities for PAL Aerospace to earn contract extensions that increase the total life of the agreement to 10 years. As part of the winning bid, PAL aircraft will operate a specially configured Visual Detection and Ranging (ViDAR) array within the CarteNav AIMS mission system. The seamless incorporation of this world-leading ViDAR technology into the AIMS system is a meaningful complement to the capability of the PAL aircraft that will serve this contract. ViDAR is a wide area optical search system capable of operation unaffected by environmental marine obstacles, such as whitecaps, which detrimentally affect traditional technologies. The system is unique in its ability to detect objects as small as fishing buoys and people in the water over significant areas, allowing aircraft operators to map vast swaths of the ocean in real time. ViDAR autonomously locates objects on the surface of the water, transmits a thumbnail and location coordinate back to the AIMS mission system and prompts the operator to investigate further. “Sentient was excited to work with CarteNav on the integration of ViDAR into the AIMS mission system to support this important contract,” said Simon Olsen, Sentient's director of Business Development, Strategy and Partnerships. “Blending these leading edge technologies into a combined offering marks a significant step forward and will now provide a game-changing ocean surface search solution to the Government of Canada.” Both ViDAR and AIMS have extensive records of accomplishment and are in operation on multiple continents across multiple environments in both military and civilian applications. “CarteNav has worked successfully with Sentient for many years, originally on the implementation of the Kestrel Moving Target Indicator (MTI) feature into AIMS, and most recently on integrating ViDAR,” said CarteNav COO Carl Daniels. “AIMS provides an intuitive interface from which operators can take advantage of the capabilities of the ViDAR persistent wide-area maritime search. The addition of ViDAR reaffirms our focus on operator workflow and mission delivery which has established CarteNav as a leader in mission system solutions.” CarteNav's collaboration with Sentient and valued contribution to the winning PAL bid demonstrates a significant combined operating capacity to deliver leading edge services to customers for a variety of maritime surveillance applications. The successful execution of this contract on behalf of the Government of Canada fortifies CarteNav and Sentient's shared credentials in this area and should open the door to capture additional, mutually beneficial opportunities in the future. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/cartenav-and-sentient-vision-collaborate-on-pal-aerospace-winning-aerial-surveillance-bid

L3 Wescam announced on March 4 the launch of its In-Flight training course as the latest solution in its family of aviation training platforms for MX-Series airborne electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) imaging and targeting systems. L3's In-Flight training program includes theoretical in-class training combined with pre- and post-flight simulation training and in-flight, mission-centric training. With the ability to tailor the training curriculum to match a customer's specific turret configuration and the advantage of both daylight and low-light flight opportunities, the course has been developed to support students of varying levels of skill and experience with conventional flight scenarios and operator experiences. Designed to facilitate student-centric learning, the four-day program includes in-depth training of all sensors, maintenance and organizational-level maintenance tasking, and crew resource management. “L3 is proud to support the development of MX operational and maintenance teams with a comprehensive suite of progressive training solutions that ensures crews are always mission-ready and able to operate their MX product to its full ability,” said JD Richard, vice-president of Customer Service for L3 Wescam. “The curriculum has been built to help students identify first-hand knowledge and operational gaps, and participate in closed-loop, adaptive training to support their personal growth and development, which ultimately helps produce higher-quality and better prepared operators.” “What's so unique about this course is that it is developed and delivered by us, the OEM,” said Brendan McCormick, lead trainer for L3 Wescam. “Train from the source. Learn from the best. We know the MX products, technologies and capabilities better than anyone else – no one is better qualified to teach and train the user community than our team of highly qualified trainers here at L3.” L3's In-Flight training can be purchased as a complete buy-out, where customers book all six seats and have the curriculum fully customized to support their exact turret and configuration. Training can be facilitated using the customer's aircraft and sensor system, or customers can take advantage of L3's extensive inventory of training assets complete with Wescam's latest sensor offerings. Alternatively, L3 offers open enrollment for the purchase of individual seats. The curriculum is delivered using a generic turret configuration. L3 Wescam's Cessna Caravan 208B is one asset used for this practical training – it allows for the installation of a variety of combination turrets as two turrets can be mounted at one time. Courses are hosted from L3's training facilities in the USA. Visit Wescam.com/flighttraining for training dates and availability. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/l3-wescam-launches-in-flight-training-course-for-mx-series-eoir-turrets

By Lee Berthiaume The Canadian Press The federal government will invest billions of dollars less in new military equipment than promised this year, raising concerns about the readiness of the Canadian Forces and the prospect that Canada will fall short on another NATO spending target. The Trudeau government in 2017 released a defence policy that included dramatic increases in the amount of money to be spent on new aircraft, ships, armoured vehicles and other military equipment each year for the next two decades. The investments are considered vital to replacing the Canadian Forces' aging fighter jets, ships and other equipment with state-of-the-art kit. Yet while the government is on track to invest more in new equipment for the second year in a row, budget documents show the Defence Department will still fall short more than $2 billion on the government's plan to spend $6.5 billion. The government spent $2.3 billion less than planned last year, largely because of delays in projects such as the government's huge plan to buy new warships, though also because some things ended up costing less than expected. The department's top civil servant, deputy minister Jody Thomas, told a House of Commons committee last week that about $700 million was because some projects came in under budget and other “efficiencies, so we didn't need that money.” But Thomas acknowledged the department was to blame for some of the other underspending and industry has also faced challenges in delivering on projects – though she said it shouldn't be a surprise there have been some problems given the number of projects underway. “There are going to be some slowdowns by us,” she said, adding: “If money isn't moving quite quickly enough because of a problem with a particular supply chain, a particular supplier, a contract, the way we've defined a project, we work with industry to try to resolve that.” While the fact the department saved money on some projects was seen as a positive development, Conservative defence critic James Bezan said he is nonetheless concerned that hundreds of millions of dollars in promised new investments aren't being realized. “Despite the explanation that was given by officials at committee, we still feel projects are falling behind, promises are going to be broken and ultimately the Canadian Armed Forces will not get the equipment that it needs in a timely manner,” Bezan told The Canadian Press. “The whole idea that they're finding efficiencies is good news. But at the same time, those dollars should be getting re-invested in other capital projects that aren't off the books yet.” Thomas did not say which projects will be affected by the underspending. And the underspending doesn't just mean delivery of some promised equipment will be delayed, said defence analyst David Perry of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute; it also threatens Canada's ability to meet a key NATO spending target. All members of the military alliance agreed in 2014 to spend two per cent of their gross domestic products on the military within a decade – a commitment that has since taken on new importance with U.S. President Donald Trump's demanding all NATO allies spend more. While Canada has long resisted that target and the Liberal defence policy shows spending only reaching 1.4 per cent of GDP by 2024-25, the Liberal government has said it will achieve another NATO target to direct 20 per cent of defence spending to new equipment. “So the military is not getting re-equipped as fast as intended when the defence policy was published,” Perry said in an interview. “And we had basically reassured NATO that we were going to really do a good job at spending on recapitalization, and we're not nearly as far ahead as we should be on that.” https://globalnews.ca/news/5018310/federal-government-military-spending-nato/

Gareth Jennings, London - Jane's Defence Weekly The US Air Force (USAF) has issued a draft request for proposals (RFP) for its Open Skies Treaty Aircraft Recapitalization (OSTAR) requirement. The draft RFP, released on 28 February, sets out the preliminary requirements for two aircraft to replace the USAF's current pair of Boeing OC-135B platforms that have performed the role since 1996. As noted in the solicitation, the aircraft will be a new-build platform that will be equipped with a Digital Visual Imaging System (DVIS), Mobile Digital Ground Processing System (MDGPS), and other mission kit. According to the draft RFP, the OSTAR programme will be delivered in three phases: the first phase covering aircraft production and modification, the second covering delivery of the aircraft and operational testing, and the third covering the aircraft's entry into service. The programme will run from February 2020 to February 2030, and will be valued at no more than USD648 million. A final RFP is due to be released in May. The USAF's current OC-135B Open Skies platforms are crewed by three pilots, two navigators, and two sensor maintenance technicians (the DTRA mission flight crew), one mission commander, one deputy mission commander, two sensor operators, and one flight follower. The aircraft are assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC) at the 55 Wing, 45th Reconnaissance Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska for operations, training, and maintenance. https://www.janes.com/article/86954/usaf-issues-draft-rfp-for-new-open-skies-aircraft

On the eve of the Salisbury Novichok poisoning anniversary, the Defence Secretary has allocated £11million of additional funding to bolster the UK's response to chemical attacks. The range of measures announced by the Defence Secretary include: Developing plans to deploy drones and robots into potentially hazardous areas, putting personnel in less danger and identifying threats faster. Boosting the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's ability to analyse substances, by investing in new technical capabilities. Keeping the UK at the forefront of medical advances to combat the effects of chemical agents. The decision means the UK will remain a global leader in Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) defence. Around the world, there is evidence of these threats increasing and it is vital the UK can meet them. Last year, the Syrian regime launched chemical attacks on its own people, which led to the UK striking several weapons facilities alongside American and French partners. At home, the UK has seen the longest chemical clean-up in living memory, in Salisbury and Amesbury. Unmanned vehicles will conduct more testing and identification, decreasing the risk posed to humans through contact with nerve agents. This capability will be developed over the coming years. The funding will increase the speed and accuracy with which the potential origins of substances can be analysed, helping the authorities identifying attackers faster and improving public safety. It will also allow faster decontamination and recovery of vehicles and assets, as well as improvements to counter radiological and nuclear threats. Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said: After the Novichok attack in Salisbury a year ago, the nation turned to the Armed Forces and expert scientists. From the investigation to the clean-up, the military and everyone involved in the operation have worked tirelessly to decontaminate the streets of Salisbury. Britain and its allies have also demonstrated that they will take a stand against the use of chemical weapons, from the sanctions enforced on Russia following the reckless use of Novichok to the strikes against the chemicals used by Syrian regime. We recognise we need resilience to face evolving threats which is why we have invested £11million into ensuring we have a world-leading capability. Standing Joint Commander (UK) Lieutenant General Tyrone Urch said The decontamination work in Salisbury and Amesbury over the last 12 months has been a complex and daunting challenge for the Armed Forces. All of the personnel involved demonstrated adaptability, professionalism, resilience and courage; they have been absolutely first-class and lived up to their world-leading reputation. This investment will allow us to further improve our expertise and, most importantly, keep the public safe. This funding will be available in the new financial year and invested straight into programmes that will benefit DSTL scientists and the Armed Forces. It is in addition to the £48million announced by the Defence Secretary last year to develop a new Chemical Weapons Defence Centre. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/defence-secretary-announces-11million-boost-to-chemical-defences

By: Mike Yeo MELBOURNE, Australia — Singapore will seek to buy four Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters for a start, with an option to purchase eight more, according to the southeast Asian nation's defense minister. Speaking in Parliament on Friday, Ng Eng Hen said Singapore will submit a letter of request to the United States for the purchase, adding that “Singapore has the endorsement of both the U.S. administration and the Department of Defense for our proposed purchase of F-35s.” He did not disclose which version of the F-35 Singapore will request when asked by lawmakers, although he was quoted as ruling out buying the “aircraft-carrier version” of the F-35, and told Parliament that the unit price of the aircraft “ranges from U.S. $90 million to U.S. $115 million.” The prices he quoted are the respective unit prices of the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing version and the F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing version under the latest LRIP 11 contract signed in September 2018 between the DoD and manufacturer Lockheed Martin. Earlier reports suggested the land-scarce island nation is keen on the F-35B for its ability to operate from short runways. He also told Parliament that the total cost of ownership of an F-35 fleet including maintenance across its lifespan will be similar to Singapore's current fleet of Boeing F-15SG Eagles. He added, however, that the Defence Ministry “will continue to work with the U.S. Department of Defense to optimize operating and maintenance costs.” Singapore currently operates a fleet of 60 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D Block 52/52+ Fighting Falcons and 40 F-15SGs. It wants the F-35 to replace the former, starting from around 2030. The country typically makes its combat aircraft acquisitions in small, incremental batches, so the relatively small order is not much of a surprise. If the option for the additional aircraft is picked up, Singapore will have the numbers to launch a training detachment, likely based in the United States, to train pilots and maintainers. This is similar to the acquisition structure Singapore adopted for its F-15s and F-16s, with the country currently maintaining a joint U.S. Air Force-Republic of Singapore Air Force training unit for each of those aircraft types in the U.S. made up of personnel from both countries, in Idaho and Arizona respectively. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/avalon/2019/03/01/singapore-moves-to-buy-four-f-35s-possibly-eight-more-afterward/