1 mars 2023 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR
Air Force advisers study use of satellites for tracking moving targets
The board will consider the risks and challenges associated with using satellites to perform the mission alongside aircraft.
20 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval
American warship, F-35 jets to deploy with British fleet
By: Andrew Chuter
LONDON — U.S. combat jets and a destroyer are to join the British Royal Navy's new aircraft carrier on its maiden operational deployment to the Asia-Pacific region later in 2021, after officials formally approved the deployment Tuesday.
British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and U.S. acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller co-signed a joint declaration approving the deployment of U.S. Marine and U.S. Navy assets as part of a carrier strike group led by the HMS Queen Elizabeth, the British Ministry of Defence announced.
U.S. assets attached to the carrier strike group will include a detachment of Marine F-35Bs and the destroyer The Sullivans, the announcement said.
The U.S. military has been regularly flying its short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing F-35Bs from the deck of the 65,000-ton Queen Elizabeth as the new carrier tests its capabilities. The warship was commissioned in December 2017, and the carrier strike group achieved initial operating capability in December 2020.
The inclusion of Marine combat jets on the warship has long been planned by the two governments, not least because Britain has a modest numbers of F-35Bs available.
The British carrier also will deploy Leonardo-built Merlin helicopters for anti-submarine missions and other duties.
Wallace said in a statement that the U.K. “now possesses a 21st century carrier strike capability, which has been greatly assisted by the unswerving support and cooperation of the US at all levels over the past decade.”
“This deployment embodies the strength of our bilateral ties and reflects the depth and breadth of this vital defence and security partnership,” he added.
The British government has not officially announced where the deployment is expected to take the carrier force, but Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously said the group would be going to the Mediterranean, Indian Ocean and the Pacific region. That's expected to include Singapore, South Korea, Japan and Oman; Britain has a naval support base in the latter.
British officials previously signaled the carrier and its support ships could transit through the South China Sea, where the U.S. regularly conducts freedom of navigation operations in disputed waters claimed by China.
A second carrier, the HMS Prince of Wales, was commissioned in late 2019 and is scheduled to become operational in 2023. It was hit by a serious flooding incident last year, which caused the cancellation of a trip to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard for trials with the F-35B.
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13 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 12, 2019
ARMY Birdon America Inc.,* Denver, Colorado, was awarded a $196,941,052 firm-fixed-price contract for acquisition of M30 bridge erection boats, crew protection kits, stock lists, tools, test equipment, service representative and support, training and storage. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 12, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-D-0093). NAVY Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded $107,353,729 for firm-fixed-price advance acquisition contract modification P00029 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-16-C-0048). This modification procures long lead items for six CH-53K low-rate initial production lot 4 aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in August 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $107,353,729 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded $23,099,311 for cost-plus fixed-fee task order N6931619F4002 against previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-15-G-2304 to accomplish advance planning, material procurement and accomplishment of work in support of the post shakedown availability (PSA) of littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16). This effort encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA. The work to be performed will include correction of government responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period which are not otherwise the building yard's responsibility under the ship construction contract. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be complete by April 2020. Fiscal 2019 and 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $12,199,311 will be obligated at time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. SOLPAC Construction Inc., doing business as Soltek Pacific Construction Co., San Diego, California, is being awarded a $12,111,121 firm-fixed-price task order (N6247319F5055) under a multiple award construction contract for the construction of a Littoral Combat Ship Mission Module Readiness Center at Naval Base San Diego. The work provides for the construction of a facility in a portion of the existing northwest wing of Building 3304. The renovated building will support a variety of functions including administration, conference, fabrication, maintenance, storage, locker rooms, secret and non-classified internet protocol router network telecommunications and a wash rack for the facility. The project includes all pertinent site improvements and site preparations, mechanical and electrical utilities, excavation and grading, foundations, roofing, telecommunications, plumbing, fire protection systems, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The task order also contains two unexercised options and two planned modifications, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $13,102,121. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $12,111,121 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-18-D-5855). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY BMK Ventures, Inc.,** Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $10,500,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with 88 responses received; 20 contracts have been awarded to date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Location of performance is Virginia, with an Aug. 11, 2024, performance completion date. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-19-D-0013). Epic Aviation LLC, doing business as Epic Card,** Salem, Oregon, has been awarded a maximum $7,955,949 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 148 responses received. This is a 43-month contract with a six-month option period. Location of performance is Alabama, with a March 31, 2023 performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE607-19-D-0118). *Small business **Service-disabled, veteran-owned small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1932379/source/GovDelivery/
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29 octobre 2018 | International, Terrestre
La Belgique renonce aux Rafale, mais achète des blindés à la France
[ACTUALISE] Si Dassault et son Rafale n'ont pas su séduire le gouvernement belge, au grand dam d'Emmanuel Macron, la Belgique a annoncé concrétiser l'achat de 442 véhicules blindés auprès d'un consortium français composé de Nexter, Thales et Arquus, pour un montant de 1,5 milliard d'euros. Malgré un niveau de commandes plus faible que prévu. Un pas en avant, un pas en arrière. Si le gouvernement belge a suscité bien de la déception dans l'Hexagone en annonçant le 25 octobre ne pas opter pour le Rafale pour remplacer ses avions de chasse F-16 - Emmanuel Macron regrettant vendredi 26 octobre cette décision, estimant qu'elle va "stratégiquement à contrario des intérêts européens" -, il a malgré tout voulu rassurer en confirmant l'achat de véhicules blindés à un consortium français. Ce contrat avec les industriels français Nexter Systems, Arquus et Thales, avait été annoncé en juin 2017 par le ministre de la Défense belge Steven Vandeput. Il a pourtant vu sa voilure légèrement réduite : au lieu de l'achat de "60 nouveaux véhicules de combat médians du type Jaguar et 417 véhicules de combat légers du type Griffon" promis alors, l'armée de terre belge ne s'arrogerait plus que 60 Jaguar et 382 Griffon, qu'elle devrait mettre en service pour 2025-2030. "Ce partenariat inédit comporte également un volet opérationnel incluant des entraînements, de la formation et le maintien en condition opérationnelle des matériels concernés", annonce le ministère français des armées dans un communiqué du 26 octobre, précisant le montant du contrat: 1,5 milliard d'euros. 382 Griffon et 60 Jaguar Ces blindés ont été développés dans l'Hexagone dans le cadre du programme Scorpion de renouvellement des capacités de combat de l'armée de Terre française, auquel participent notamment Nexter Systems, Thales, Renault Trucks Defense ou encore Safran pour l'optronique. Le Griffon est un véhicule blindé multi-rôle (VBMR) disposant de six roues et pesant environ 25 tonnes. Il va remplacer les véhicules de l'avant blindé (VAB) que ce soit pour des missions de transport de troupes, poste de commandement, observation pour l'artillerie et évacuation sanitaire. Le Jaguar est, quant à lui, un engin blindé de reconnaissance de combat (EBRC). Lui aussi dispose de six roues et pèse près de 25 tonnes, mais il va remplacer les chars légers AMX10RC et Sagaie ainsi que les VAB équipés des missiles Hot. Canon de 40 mm télescopé, missile moyenne portée MMP, ou encore tourelleau téléopéré, vont composer son système d'armement. Du budget restant pour la future Europe de la défense Par ailleurs, en choisissant le F-35 américain de Lockheed Martin pour remplacer ses avions de chasse F-16 après 2023, au détriment du Typhoon d'Eurofighter et du Rafale de Dassault, la Belgique devrait économiser 600 millions d'euros par rapport à ce qui était budgété, a annoncé le Premier ministre Charles Michel le 25 octobre. Ils "pourront être en partie utilisés pour des pré-financements afin de sécuriser les retours sociétaux pour notre pays" alors qu'une autre partie est réservée pour d'éventuels projets futurs en matière de défense européenne, comme le futur système de combat aérien, précise le média belge La Libre Belgique. "L'offre française est arrivé après la clôture", a réagi pour sa part le 26 octobre Emmanuel Macron sur ce dossier. "Je regrette le choix fait. Il n'y avait pas que l'offre du Rafale, il y avait aussi l'Eurofighter, un vraie offre européenne. La décision est liée à une procédure belge, à des contraintes politiques du pays mais stratégiquement va a contrario des intérêt européens". "Je ferai tout pour que dans les appels d'offres à venir, des offres européennes soient promues", a promis le Président de la République, qui doit justement rendre le mois prochain une visite d'Etat à la Belgique, et discuter notamment de l'Europe de la Défense. https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/la-belgique-renonce-aux-rafale-mais-achete-des-blindes-a-la-france.N761104