'Affordable' hypersonics, small business and sustainment lead DoD tech chief's priorities

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  23 juillet 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Boeing Pitches 'F-15X' Fighter Concept to US Air Force: Report

  By Oriana Pawlyk FARNBOROUGH, England -- There may be a new-old fighter jet on the horizon for the U.S. Air Force. DefenseOne reports that Boeing Co. is pitching a new version of the F-15 Eagle as the service defines its inventory mix of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft. Known as F-15X, the fighter would be equipped with better avionics and radars and would carry more than two dozen air-to-air missiles, DefenseOne said, citing unnamed officials with knowledge of the plans. The strategy would mimic what Boeing did with its Block III F/A-18 Super Hornet: taking an old concept, but boosting the jet fleets to be more potent in current and future missions with a larger variety of weapons, extended range, advanced targeting and sensor systems, and better fuel efficiency, among other enhancements. "We see the marketplace expanding internationally," Gene Cunningham, vice president at Boeing for Global Sales for Defense, Space & Security, told reporters at the Royal International Air Tattoo on Friday. "And it's creating opportunities then to go back and talk to the U.S. Air Force about what might be future upgrades or even potentially future acquisitions of the F-15 aircraft." Related content: Misplaced Depot Paperwork Led to F-15 Grounding, Officials Say As UK Showcases Its Next-Gen Fighter, US Stresses Interoperability Military.com Farnborough Airshow Coverage Boeing on Wednesday did not have further comment beyond Cunningham's remarks. The move comes as officials in recent months have considered retiring the older F-15C/D fleet. Last March, officials told lawmakers they were looking at plans to retire the two models as early as the mid-2020s. The service has 212 F-15C and 24 F-15D models, according to the Air Force Association's 2017 aircraft inventory almanac. Air National Guard Director Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice at the time said the service as a total force was in "deep discussions" regarding the retirement, with plans to further assess the F-15 inventory this year. But the service is determining what it may procure for its combat-coded fleet going forward. The Air Force is expected to soon debut its aviation road map on just how many fighter aircraft, and potentially other aircraft, it needs to sustain the future fight. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson in May told Military.com the study may also outline the direction for how it trains and retains pilots for certain platforms. Congress directed the service in the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act to study the number of fighter and combat-coded squadrons it needs to plus-up to in order to remain ready, she said, similar to what the Navyrecently did with its 355-ship plan. "What do we really need for force structure under this National Defense Strategy ... that work is underway now," Wilson said in an interview. "We have a first look that's due in August, and a report due to Congress in March. "We've been directed to prepare for the re-emergence of great power competition," she said. "We have 301 operational squadrons today of all types, but how many do we really need and what types to confront this threat?" https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/2018/07/19/boeing-pitches-f-15x-fighter-concept-us-air-force-report.html

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  25 juillet 2023 | International, Naval

  3rd U212 NFS Unit Commitment Signed

  The activation of the NFS3 Contract Option represents another major step towards the progressive development of the NFS Programme

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  7 septembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR

  No decision on S-400 as US, India sign key defense agreement

  By: Tara Copp NEW DELHI — The U.S. and India signed a critical defense information sharing agreement Wednesday that will allow each country greater access to each others' communications networks, but could not come to an agreement on India's planned purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system. Mattis and Minister of Defense Nirmala Sitharaman signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, or COMCASA, which in practical terms will improve information network access and sharing so that in future weapons acquisition, secure communications links common in U.S. weapons systems, such as Link 16 in U.S. jets, can be included. Until now, those tactical communications capabilities have not been included in India's major weapons purchases. The two sides also agreed to enhanced defense cooperation, to include joint exercises on India's coast in 2019 and the establishment of a hotline between the U.S. and India. Mattis and Sitharaman then joined Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and India's minister of foreign affairs Sushma Swaraj to address Indian and U.S. media. The defense and diplomatic leaders said the agreements were the latest sign of a strengthened U.S.-India relationship, recently underscored through the U.S. renaming Pacific Command to Indo-Pacific Command. But the two sides did not come to a resolution on one of the higher-visibility issues between the two sides, India's planned purchase of five S-400 systems, in a deal worth an estimated $6 billion. Full article: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/09/06/no-decision-on-s-400-as-us-india-sign-key-defense-agreement