22 février 2023 | International, Aérospatial
Estoniaâs drone-buying spree finds local vendors eager for deals
Officials in Tallinn have previously looked abroad when it comes to finding suppliers of high-tech weaponry.
10 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
Air Force wants to house three F-35 squadrons at rebuilt Tyndall, move Raptors permanently
By: Stephen Losey
Nearly two months after Hurricane Michael devastated Tyndall Air Force Base in Northern Florida, the Air Force on Friday said it wants to rebuild the installation — so it can station three squadrons of F-35 fighters there.
But the change in plans, if approved, would mean operational F-22 Raptors from the 95th Fighter Squadron would not return to Tyndall.
The Air Force is asking Congress for supplemental funding to repair Tyndall's damage, the service said in a release. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said the amount of money is still being decided.
A preliminary evaluation showed Tyndall could accommodate up to three F-35 squadrons, the Air Force said. If Congress grants the supplemental repair funds and the F-35 basing is approved, F-35s could be based there beginning in 2023.
The move would mean operational F-22s that were formerly at Tyndall would be permanently moved to squadrons at other bases that are now temporarily housing them: Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska and Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii. Those F-22 squadrons would grow from 21 to 24 fighters apiece to permanently accommodate the Tyndall aircraft.
“We have recommended that the best path forward to increase readiness and use money wisely is to consolidate the operational F-22s formerly at Tyndall in Alaska, Hawaii and Virginia, and make the decision now to put the next three squadrons of F-35s, beyond those for which we have already made decisions, at Tyndall,” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said. “We are talking with congressional leaders about this plan and will need their help with the supplemental funding needed to restore the base."
This decision will allow the Air Force to tailor the new construction at Tyndall to the best fit for F-35s, the Air Force said.
The 325th Fighter Wing, which was comprised of two F-22 squadrons, was located at Tyndall before the Oct. 10 storm. Most Tyndall aircraft evacuated before the storm hit, but 17 Raptors could not be flown and stayed behind, sustaining varying levels of damage that is now being repaired.
Nearly a month after the storm, Wilson said that F-22 training with the 43rd Fighter Squadron would be temporarily moved to nearby Eglin Air Force Base.
The Air Force said it will conduct a formal process to decide what will be the best location for the 43rd and its training mission.
The 95th has 21 F-22s and 36 active-duty airmen, the Air Force said last month, and its associated maintenance units have about 500 airmen.
F-35 basing decisions in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Texas, Utah, Vermont and Wisconsin, which have already been announced, will not be changed.
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23 mars 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
La France, troisième exportateur mondial d'armes
Selon l'Institut international de recherche pour la paix de Stockholm (le Sipri), l'Hexagone est devenu le troisième plus gros exportateur d'armes sur la période 2015-2019, assurant 7,9 % des livraisons mondiales. Seuls les États-Unis (36 %) et la Russie (21 %) font mieux. En revanche, la France dépasse la Chine et l'Allemagne, respectivement troisième et quatrième sur la période précédente (2010-2014). Cela se traduit dans les comptes des entreprises françaises de l'armement, secteur qui totalise 13 % des emplois industriels du pays. En livrant 26 Rafale à l'export l'an passé, Dassault Aviation a vu son chiffre d'affaires bondir de 44 % à 7,3 milliards d'euros. Thales affiche, lui, une rentabilité opérationnelle record de 14 % dans ses activités de défense et sécurité. Selon le Sipri, la France a livré des armes à 75 États entre 2015 et 2019. L'Égypte, le Qatar et l'Inde sont les trois principaux clients captant 54 % des exportations françaises. "Les livraisons de l'avion de combat Rafale [de Dassault Aviation] à ces trois pays représentaient près d'un quart des exportations d'armes françaises en 2015-2019", détaille le Sipri. Le Moyen-Orient compte pour 52 % des exportations françaises, devant l'Asie et l'Océanie (30 %). Et les pays européens pèsent de plus en plus : ils ont représenté 25 % des exportations en 2018 contre 10 % en moyenne les années précédentes. https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/la-france-troisieme-exportateur-mondial-d-armes.N941696
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2 février 2021 | International, Autre défense
Pentagon awards $30 million contract to boost processing of rare earth elements
Andrew Eversden WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department awarded a $30.4 million contract to boost domestic processing of light rare earth elements as part of an effort to become less dependent on China for critical technologies, the department announced Monday, The Pentagon awarded the funds to Lynas Rare Earths Limited, the world's largest rare earth element mining and processing company outside of China. The firm will use the funds to open a processing facility in Hondo, Texas, through its U.S. subsidiary, Lynas USA. The award is part of a broader push by the department to secure its rare earth supply chain, which is threatened by China's dominance in the industry, and move more production to the United States. China is the top producer of rare earth metals, which are a critical piece of defense systems like satellites or the F-35 fighter jet. “The significance of the award is they [the Defense Department] are continuing to march forward and put the pieces of the puzzle back in place so the U.S. will have access to rare earth [elements] to meet national security needs,” said Jeffery Green, president of J.A. Green & Company, a government relations firm that works with the defense industry. If the project is successful, Lynas would be the producer of about a quarter of the world's rare earth oxides, or processed rare earth elements. Increasing domestic production of the metals is critical because they are so widespread. “You'll find these things in almost every major defense system,” Green told C4ISRNET. To counter Chinese dominance, the Pentagon in recent years took steps to bring domestic rare earth production back to the United States. According to Reuters, in April last year the department funded the construction of a Lynas heavy rare earth metals facility in Texas, which it built through a joint venture with Texas-based Blue Line Corporation. In November 2020, the Pentagon announced three Defense Production Act awards with rare earth element producers worth more than $12.5 million in total. The Defense Department's actions on rare earth elements stems from Executive Order 13817, a Trump administration document directing the government to adopt a strategy for critical minerals. “This award aligns with the U.S. government's strategy to ensure secure and reliable supplies of critical minerals under Executive Order 13817 and follows a series of rare earth element actions the Department of Defense has taken in recent years to ensure supply and strengthen defense supply chains,” the department's announcement stated. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2021/02/01/pentagon-awards-30-million-contract-to-boost-processing-of-rare-earth-elements