31 mai 2019 | International, Aérospatial

Airbus and Spanish Air Force to develop drone and augmented reality inspections for military aircraft

@AirbusDefence @EjercitoAire @FEINDEF_ #Digitalisation #FEINDEF

  • The Research and Development (R&D) project significantly reduces maintenance burden and improves aircraft availability
  • The technology is part of Airbus' commitment to develop its SmartForce digital services for military fleets
  • Spanish Air Force is first to benefit from this Airbus technology as part of its roadmap for the use of digital-based services

Madrid, 29 May 2019 The Spanish Air Force has become the first air force worldwide to support the development of Airbus' drone and augmented reality-based maintenance inspection services, with the aim of drastically reducing maintenance inspections for large military aircraft and increasing overall fleet availability.

This digital innovation technology will initially be trialled on Spanish Air Force A400M aircraft based at Zaragoza Air Base (31st Wing), with options to extend the technology to other aircraft, including the C295 and the CN235.

General José Luis Pardo Jario, Head of the Spanish Chief of the Air Staff office, said: “This technology has the potential to make a major contribution to maintenance tasks for our fleet. Not only is it more time and cost efficient, above all it allows the upskilling of aircraft maintenance personnel, in accordance with the new digital era we all need to contribute towards in order to reap its benefits.”

The technology relies on drones equipped with sensors and high-definition cameras to scan, in a matter of hours and not days, the exterior of an aircraft undergoing a maintenance inspection. A secured connection allows data and information generated to be displayed on tablets and augmented reality glasses, allowing staff to quickly identify and apply maintenance procedures and corrective actions while ensuring all inspection and maintenance procedures are formally and fully recorded on the maintenance log. Not only does this technology reduce the maintenance inspection time, it supports the early detection of defects and helps guarantee quality and post-maintenance airworthiness.

José Antonio Urbano Torres, Military Aircraft R&D Chief Engineer, said: “Innovation and technological development are part of our DNA. Airbus invests considerable human and economic resources in the research and development of new processes, products and services to meet the current and future needs of our customers. We would like to thank the Spanish Air Force for its contribution and commitment to the development and maturity of this system, which is sure to revolutionise military aircraft maintenance.”

The tests with the Spanish Air Force A400M will allow Airbus to use real user data, not only to consolidate the algorithms for safe autonomous flight of the drone around an aircraft thus avoiding the use of scaffolding and heavy mobile equipment that risks damaging the aircraft, but also to process the terabytes of images and data as a deep learning library that allows for the development of a robust Artificial Intelligence-based defects detection system.

Through its SmartForce portfolio, Airbus is continuously developing new technologies and innovative services to help military customers assess, predict and anticipate the needs of their fleets by leveraging big data analytics coupled to secured connectivity to ensure the highest mission readiness.

https://www.airbus.com/newsroom/press-releases/en/2019/05/airbus-and-spanish-air-force-to-develop-drone-and-augmented-reality-inspections-for-military-aircraft.html

Sur le même sujet

  • French military receives initial batch of new Serval armored vehicles

    6 mai 2022 | International, Terrestre

    French military receives initial batch of new Serval armored vehicles

    The upgrades are part of France's multibillion-euro Scorpion program, which aims to field a new set of combat and transport vehicles to the armed forces.

  • GM Defense squad vehicle cleared by Army for full-rate production

    5 avril 2023 | International, Terrestre

    GM Defense squad vehicle cleared by Army for full-rate production

    The 5,000-pound ISV is based on the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 truck and uses 90% commercial-off-the-shelf parts.

  • The US Navy is going to need a bigger boat, and it’s getting ready to buy one

    18 septembre 2018 | International, Naval

    The US Navy is going to need a bigger boat, and it’s getting ready to buy one

    By: David B. Larter WASHINGTON — The U.S. surface Navy is moving rapidly toward buying a new large surface ship that will replace the aging cruisers, a ship that Navy leaders and experts say will need to be spacious to accommodate future upgrades and weapon systems. The office of the Chief of Naval Operations Director of Surface Warfare, or OPNAV N96, has convened a “large surface combatant requirements evaluation team” to figure out what the Navy's next large ship will look like and what it will need to do. The goal, according to the N96 head Rear Adm. Ron Boxall, will be to buy the first cruiser replacement in 2023 or 2024. The acquisition process should kick off formally next year once a capabilities development document is completed, but a few main factors are driving the size requirement, Boxall said. The fleet is pushing towards designs that can easily be upgraded without a major overhaul. To do that, the Navy thinks its going to need a lot of extra power for more energy-intensive weapons in the future, such as electromagnetic rail guns and laser weapons. “You need something that can host the [size, weight, power and cooling], so it's probably going to be a little bigger," Boxall said. "Flexibility and adaptability, the ability to upgrade quickly, is going to be a key requirement capability. It's got to have room to grow. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/09/17/the-us-navy-is-going-to-need-a-bigger-boat-and-its-getting-ready-to-buy-one

Toutes les nouvelles