5 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — The Air Force could begin to lay out its vision for a future aerial refueling tanker, previously known as KC-Z, as early as next year, the head of Air Mobility Command said Monday.
The service intends to conduct an analysis of alternatives for an advanced aerial refueling aircraft in fiscal year 2022, AMC commander Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost said during a Defense Writers Group meeting with reporters. That study will help the Air Force determine precisely which capabilities a future tanker will need to to operate in more heavily contested battlefields against the threats posed by nations such as Russia and China.
“We're thinking about the near peer [competition], and what we need for a near peer [competition],” she said.
Key to that discussion is figuring out how much of the aerial refueling process can be performed without a human pilot or boom operator onboard the plane to fly it or give other aircraft gas.
“Is going to be autonomous? Is it going to be pilot on the loop [or] pilot in the loop capability?” asked Van Ovost. “Is it going to be small? Is it going to be large? What kind of [self protection] is it going to have? What kind of electromagnetic spectrum capabilities is it going to have to both protect itself and enhance the lethality of the Joint Force while it's out there?”
In April, Will Roper, then the Air Force's top acquisition official, told reporters that an agreement with Boeing for a new and improved KC-46 vision system could pave the way for autonomous aerial refueling. The addition of 4K high-definition cameras, modern processors and LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) sensors would help the new system accumulate much of the data necessary for a computer to correctly calculate all the variables that need to be solved for safe aerial refueling.
“All you have to do is take that data that tells the world inside the jet the reality of geometries between the airplane and the boom outside the jet. Once you have that, you simply need to translate it into algorithms that allow the tanker to tank itself,” Roper said then.
The Air Force is not the only service interested in automated aerial refueling. The Navy is flight testing the MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drone — which, like the Air Force's new KC-46 tanker, is built by Boeing. The Navy eventually hopes to operate the MQ-25 onboard aircraft carriers, where it will be used to extend the range of fighter jets like the F-35C and F/A-18EF Super Hornet.
Van Ovost acknowledged the Air Force is still years away from being able to hold a competition for the platform formerly known as KC-Z. After the Air Force completes its procurement of 179 KC-46s — which, if its current buy rate holds, will occur around the 2027 timeframe — the service will buy a non-developmental “bridge tanker,” she said.
That effort, which replaces the KC-Y program, will likely be a battle between Boeing and an Airbus-Lockheed Martin team, which joined forces in 2018 to market Airbus' A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport to the U.S. Air Force. Both teams are expected to offer upgraded versions of their current aerial refueling aircraft.
Van Ovost did not say when that competition will begin.
Along with tackling questions about its future tanker, the Air Force is also set to begin a business case analysis whether to pursue contracted aerial refueling to support U.S. military training and test activities across the contiguous United States.
After holding a December 2019 industry day with interested vendors, Air Mobility Command conducted a study into the feasibility and affordability of commercial air refueling services and submitted a proposal to Air Force leadership.
However, Air Force leaders want more information before making a final decision, and have asked for a comprehensive business case analysis that would finalize a requirement for all of the services' needs, Van Ovost said. The study would come up with options for various contracting models — which could include tankers that are leased to the government or contractor-owned and operated — as well as hammer out details on Federal Aviation Administration certification requirements.
“We're working with headquarters Air Force to finalize the parameters for the study, and then likely will be contracting out that study,” Van Ovost said. “And for expectation's sake, it does take a while. These kinds of business case analysis we have seen take 18 months, so we are going to put pen to paper and take a very close look at it.”
22 août 2024 | International, Aérospatial
The Air Force plans to spread out forces during a fight with China, and Gen. David Allvin wants to do more to defend dispersed bases from missile attacks.
11 août 2020 | International, C4ISR, Sécurité
Nathan Strout The Pentagon has cleared 100 megahertz (MHz) of contiguous mid-band spectrum to be used for commercial 5G following a 15-week review, determining that they can share that bandwidth while minimizing impact on military radars. While that 3450-3550 MHz mid-band spectrum is highly desired by commercial 5G developers, it's been historically used by the military for critical radar operations for air defense, missile and gunfire control, counter-mortar, bomb scoring, battlefield weapon locations, air traffic control, and range safety. But now, leaders from the Department of Defense say the Pentagon can continue using the spectrum for those purposes while making it available for commercial development. DoD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said the department will move toward sharing most of that spectrum without limits while setting up a Spectrum Relocation Fund Transition Plan to minimize risks. “DoD is proud of the success of the [America's Mid-Band Initiative Teams (AMBIT)] and is committed to working closely with industry after the FCC auction to ensure timely access to the band while protecting national security,” Deasy told reporters Aug. 10. The White House and Department of Defense established AMBIT to free up spectrum for 5G development quickly back in April. Over a 15-week period, the working group was able to bring together 180 subject matter experts, and ultimately were able to identify 100 MHZ of spectrum used by the military that could be safely shared with commercial 5G efforts.The decision expands the amount of connected mid-band spectrum open for 5G development to 530 MHz. The Federal Communications Commission will auction off the spectrum. One government official said action was expected by the end of this fiscal year. https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/08/10/pentagon-clears-100-mhz-of-spectrum-for-5g-development
27 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Autre défense
By: Kelsey Reichmann WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is hosting an innovation contest for small businesses to improve simulators with technology like artificial intelligence. The Air Force released a list of areas in which it's interested, including interoperability among networked simulators; cloud-based simulators; and performance-based training, data collection and analysis. Maj. Patrick Kawonczyk, who will lead the Simulators Pitch Day event Dec. 4, told Defense News that artificial intelligence can be used “within a learning management system to suggest techniques, tactics or procedures, which need to be practiced more for proficiency.” Kawonczyk added that AI could benefit the service by improving data analysis, conceptual developmental ideas and predictive analysis in maintenance. “AI bridges the gap between the human and machine interface,” Col. Philip Carpenter, the senior materiel leader with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Simulator Program Office, said in an email. “It helps orchestrate the interaction with a student and then presents learning material in response to a student's performance. This allows better customization and can help address the unique needs of each student.” Proposals from industry are due July 1, after which a two-week evaluation process will occur and then a one-week contracting period, according to an Air Force news release. The proposal period will be broken up into two phases. The first will involve awards to small businesses, which can then submit proposals for the second phase. “Select companies with Phase I or Phase II proposals will be invited to present to an Air Force panel at the Simulators Pitch Day event Dec. 4 in Orlando, Florida,” the release said. After the Simulators Pitch Day, all companies involved can present pitches to defense industry executives and venture capitalists at a media event, the release notes. “We are not asking small business to go out and invent something new,” Margaret Merkle, program manager in the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center's Simulators Division, said in the news release. “We are asking if they have technology that we can leverage for the Air Force. Ultimately the idea is to connect with industry which will help us move into the latest technological space faster.” https://www.defensenews.com/training-sim/2019/06/25/us-air-force-looks-to-small-business-for-an-ai-integrated-simulator/