11 décembre 2023 | International, C4ISR
DISA launches cloud-based electronic warfare planning tool
The EMBM-J program supports the Pentagon's pursuit of seamless connectivity, known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control, officials said.
4 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Airbus just beat Boeing to be the first to complete a wholly automated air-to-air refueling operation
Airbus just bested Boeing, achieving a massive milestone in an area that's recently been haunting the American manufacturer: air-to-air refueling.
In the latest match-up in the cross-ocean rivalry between the American and European manufacturers, an Airbus A310 MRTT tanker test aircraft successfully completed an automatic refueling operation with a Portuguese Air Force fighter jet. Boeing has not yet been able to achieve the feat, even with its newest aerial tanker.
Airbus has been leading the charge in autonomous flight operations, with the newly-automated refueling process the latest step in reducing manual control in aerial procedures. In December, an Airbus A350 XWB successfully took off without pilot input, using software integrated to onboard cameras.
The system has plans to be implemented on Airbus' newest tanker, the A330 MRTT, with the certification phase scheduled to begin next year. The Airbus A330 MRTT is the European competitor to Boeing's KC-46 Pegasus.
Currently in use with the US Air Force, the KC-46 Pegasus is Boeing's newest jet but is also proving to be one of its most problematic. Boeing's Pegasus is nowhere near autonomous refueling, with the company needing to fix a key system before autonomy can be discussed, an Air Force official told DefenseNews.
Take a look at how Airbus is making history with its flying gas station.
https://www.businessinsider.com/airbus-a330-achieves-first-aerial-refueling-beats-boeing-2020-4
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26 mars 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Lockheed construit sa relation avec l’industrie belge
Par Benoit Gilson Alors que l'industrie belge manifestait une inquiétude croissante quant aux retours industriels du contrat passé entre la Belgique et Lockheed pour l'acquisition de 34 F-35, le constructeur américain a surtout voulu rassurer, ce jeudi 21, en organisant une séance de signatures à l'impact surtout symbolique. Lockheed, qui a également profité de l'occasion pour rappeler les atouts de son appareil, a ainsi signé des engagements de potentiels partenariats avec 22 industriels belges. S'ouvre ainsi une période d'environ 1 an, durant laquelle les industriels belges concernés vont pouvoir répondre à divers appels d'offres de Lockheed autour du F-35. Des appels d'offres qui ne concerneront pas seulement les 34 appareils de la Composante Air de la Défense belge, mais aussi le reste de la production de F-35, notamment à travers l'introduction de fournisseurs en deuxième ou en troisième source pour un certain nombre de composants. Nous reviendrons sur ces signatures et les perspectives offertes aux industriels belges dans notre prochaine édition. Les industriels belges concernés à ce stade sont : 3D Systems AMI Metals ASCO BEC BMT Additive BMT Aerospace Esterline Belgium Feronyl Hexcel Composites Ignition ! ILIAS Solutions imec inno.com Luciad Prodata Systems Proximus SABCA Sabena Aerospace Safran Solvay Sonaca Thales Belgium http://www.air-cosmos.com/lockheed-construit-sa-relation-avec-l-industrie-belge-121749
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3 décembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Italy lays out plans to buy up to eight new sensor-loaded Gulfstreams
By: Tom Kington ROME – Italy is planning to buy up to eight new Gulfstream signals intelligence aircraft and build a maintenance hub for similar aircraft operated by other nations around the Mediterranean. The plans, which were outlined in documents supplied to the Italian parliament, would reinforce Italy's signals intelligence capability as the Mediterranean becomes a flashpoint for regional tensions with neighbors like Turkey and Egypt tussling over the future of lawless Libya. The Italian acquisition was first mentioned in this year's budget document, released in October, which cited the need for ‘multi-mission, multi-sensor' Gulfstream G-550 jets and listed an outlay of 1.23 billion euros. An illustration of the aircraft in the document resembled Israel's ‘Shavit' Signals Intelligence Gulfstream, while the required capabilities listed included command and control, “electronic superiority” and “electronic protection of forces.” Now, the government has sent parliament a second document giving more details of the plan ahead of a vote by the parliamentary defense commission on the purchase. The document calls for the purchase of two aircraft which have already been converted for Sigint missions and equipped with the required systems before the purchase of a further six G-550 jets ready for subsequent conversion. Analysts have suggested the need to buy the unconverted aircraft quickly is due to the Gulftstream G550 going out of production. The aircraft would be based at the Italian Air Force's Pratica di Mare base south of Rome, which is already home to the two Gulfstream 550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning aircraft Italy purchased from Israel's IAI in 2012. With up to 10 G-550s in its fleet, Italy would build up a maintenance operation which would not only serve its own aircraft but be able to “offer services to the Gulfstream fleet operating in Europe and the Middle East, with about 200 jobs created,” the document stated. No indication was given about which company would be contracted to supply the two converted jets or carry out the conversion work on the other six, but the document stated that “given the complexity” of the program, a non-Italian contractor would be brought in. National offset work would be sought the document stated. Funding for the buy is due to kick off next year and will stretch out to 2056 stated the document, which has been seen by Defense News. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/12/02/italy-lays-out-plans-to-buy-up-to-eight-new-sensor-loaded-gulfstreams