10 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
By: Sebastian Sprenger
PARIS — Underway in Europe are two high-profile sixth-generation aircraft efforts: the Franco-German-Spanish Future Combat Air System, and Britain's Tempest fighter. But will they converge? Defense News asked the chief executive of the European Defence Agency, Jorge Domecq, for his take on the future of these programs.
It's quite possible the FCAS program by Spain, Germany and France and the British Tempest program will lead to a situation of two fighters. What's your assessment?
We'll have to see, but FCAS is not going to be just one platform. It's going to be a system of systems. It will be a very complex program; it will take many years. It will be very important for it to be sustainable, that it has the economies of scale that are necessary. And at the same time, as we have these three initial member states signing up, I do not exclude this would bring on other member states as we go long.
What will happen with the Tempest project, I cannot say.
But as the person that oversees FCAS, you would like to see some convergence, right?
Europe would probably have to see convergence toward having a single system of systems, but as I underlined, it's not an issue of platform. As always, thinking of the competitiveness of the European defense industry, we have to think of program sustainability. Is the next generation of combat aircraft sustainable with several systems of systems in Europe? I have my doubts.
Speaking of consolidation, there have been calls to consolidate the defense industry. What is the level of urgency for that?
I think the urgency is there. In the next five to 10 years, the defense industry is going to know a real evolution of technology; disruptive technologies are going to change how we do business in defense. That is going to have an impact on the defense industry.
The only way forward for defense in general is cooperation. Cooperation is the only way Europe will remain a credible partner in operational terms but also in technology-related industrial terms.
That requires we pull together to do as many defense cooperation projects in the future. And the consolidation of the industry will happen around those cooperative endeavors.
27 mai 2021 | International, Aérospatial
Participation in Northern Edge in Alaska provided the combined F-15EX Eagle II test team with a chance to wring out the new fighter in a major exercise.
7 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
L'Armée de l'Air royale danoise confie le MCO des moteurs Arriel 1D1 de ses Airbus Helicopters AS550C2 Fennec à Safran Helicopter Engines. Manifestement satisfaite du travail des équipes de Safran Helicopter Engines, l'Armée de l'Air royale danoise vient de confier le MCO des moteurs Arriel 1D1 de 11 Airbus Helicopters AS550C2 Fennec à la filiale du groupe Safran dans le cadre du contrat de soutien "Global Support Package" jusqu'au retrait du service de ce parc d'Airbus Helicopters prévu pour la mi-2030. Le contrat de soutien s'engage à des garanties en matière de budget prévisionnel, de coûts fixes à l'heure de vol et "de partenariat technique avec le constructeur". Safran Helicopter Engines assure déjà depuis juillet 2016 le MCO des moteurs RTM322 des 14 hélicoptères Merlin de l'Armée de l'Air royale danoise. Plus de 75 moteurs bénéficient de ce contrat. La gestion du deuxième contrat est assurée par Safran Helicopter Engines Germany "qui gère le suivi de 280 opérateurs en Allemagne, en Scandinavie, en Europe centrale et de l'Est, en Russie et en Asie centrale. http://www.air-cosmos.com/safran-fera-le-mco-des-arriel-de-la-force-aerienne-danoise-117783
17 juillet 2018 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR
By: Andrew C. Jarocki WASHINGTON--Leonardo announced a host of new defense systems, including a communications intelligence system and a radar array. The Italian contractor unveiled the new offerings at the 2018 Farnborough Air Show in the U.K. The ‘Spider' communications intelligence system promises to “detect, intercept, identify and geo-locate complex target communcations” in real time, according to the company. The array, designed to fit on drones or manned aircraft, weighs less than 20kg (44 lbs) and fits in a 1.5 x 0.5 x 0.5m pod. The Griffo E-Scan system, the latest model of electronically-scanning radars, uses a matrix of hundreds of tiny radar modules to ‘steer' an electronic beam, rather than the radar physically moving to point a beam at a target. This allows the beam to move quickly and for “the radar to perform multiple tasks simultaneously" according to a company announcement. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/farnborough/2018/07/16/from-the-spider-to-the-griffo-leonardo-launches-radar-and-comms-systems/