Army to buy more than 1,000 Switchblade drones through Replicator

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  11 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

  A spy satellite revolution?

  By JACQUELINE KLIMAS Small, lower cost satellites are beginning to gain traction among intelligence agencies, says a top industry executive. National security agencies are steadily testing out more small satellites before committing to new constellations of the lower-cost alternatives, according to Bill Gattle, the president of Space and Intelligence Systems at the Harris Corporation. “We're seeing a lot more acceleration, certainly in the intelligence community, on their willingness to adopt it. We've certainly seen some things out of Army,” said Gattle, a former program director of terrestrial communications and director of engineering for defense programs at the Pentagon. “It's moved from ... customers being intrigued to believing it's worthy of a demo.” Small satellites are typically no bigger than a refrigerator and weigh less than 180 kilograms, according to a NASA fact sheet. By comparison, some of the largest satellites are the size of a school bus. The reduced size means small satellites are typically cheaper but less capable than their larger counterparts. To make up for that gap, small sats can be launched in a constellation of tens or even hundreds of satellites, networked together, making the entire system more resilient if one goes offline. At the beginning of 2018, Harris had three customers for its small sats. A year later, it has five government customers under contract for 17 small satellites. One of those is for an Army communications satellite, Gattle said, though the company could not provide additional details. That doesn't mean there's been universal acceptance. Even Gattle acknowledges there are hurdles the small satellite industry needs to overcome to see sustained growth in the military and intelligence market. “How do you get the data quickly from the satellite to the war fighter who needs it?” Gattle said. “It doesn't help you to know a missile landed five minutes ago. You have to have the timeline be very quick and you need need a communications backbone ... which will be pivotal to how fast this grows.” Gattle also talked about the launch of Harris' first small satellite last month, how the company is going on a hiring spree and what 2019 has in store for the industry. Full article: https://www.politico.com/story/2019/01/09/satellites-bill-gattle-national-security-1089126

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  6 mars 2020 | International, C4ISR

  Viasat, Blacktree Technology Sign Agreement to Enhance Support for the Australian Defence Force and Five Eyes Partners

  Canberra, Australia, March 5, 2020 -- Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ: VSAT), a global communications company, today announced it signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement (SAA) with Blacktree Technology, Pty Ltd (Blacktree), an Australian-based communications systems design and integration company, in November 2019. The SAA will enable Viasat and Blacktree to meet the needs of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) requirements, by providing rapid and cost-effective in-country manufacturing and support services for Ultra High Frequency (UHF) satellite communications (SATCOM) systems. Colin Cooper, general manager, Government Systems, Viasat Australia commented, “Our agreement with Blacktree will play a critical role in supporting and expanding UHF support and maintenance resources in Australia, and will provide opportunities to investigate export of UHF products and services to Five Eyes (FVEY) and coalition UHF military SATCOM user nations.” “Blacktree welcomes the formalisation of the alliance with Viasat, which strengthens a relationship that enhances ongoing innovation and development of UHF SATCOM solutions and support for Defence customers in Australia and internationally,” said Joe Nevin, director, Blacktree Technology. Viasat's leadership in critical technology segments such as SATCOM, tactical networks and cybersecurity offers an opportunity for Australia to modernise systems used by the ADF. Viasat is a leader in UHF SATCOM and is working to assure global 25-kHz Demand-Assigned Multiple-Access and next-generation Integrated Waveform (IW) networks and services, enabled by Viasat's Visual Integrated Satellite communications Information, Operation and Networking (VISION) software platform continue to meet military mission requirements. Viasat's Ka-band broadband satellites combined currently offer more bandwidth than any other satellite operator in the world. Viasat is a vertically integrated satellite communications technology and services company, and is a leading provider of highly integrated GEO payloads, components & subsystems, gateway/teleport antenna systems, networking systems, user terminals for fixed & mobile applications, ASICs, MMICS, and/or modules for third party terminal developers. Importantly from a defence perspective, beginning in 2021, Viasat plans to launch a new, global ViaSat-3 constellation of resilient, flexible and agile high-capacity communications satellites that will improve responsiveness of current and emergent defence mission threats. Viasat's Australian Government Systems business is headquartered in Canberra and provides a wide range of defence technology capabilities and sovereign resources to meet Australia's needs. The range of products being developed and supported by Blacktree include high-gain UHF helical antenna's, static and remote-control pedestal systems, filters and diplexers, HPA's, LNA's and RF management components. Blacktree's products are manufactured in Perth, complemented by support teams located in Darwin and Canberra, Australia. About Viasat Viasat is a global communications company that believes everyone and everything in the world can be connected. For more than 30 years, Viasat has helped shape how consumers, businesses, governments and militaries around the world communicate. Today, the Company is developing the ultimate global communications network to power high-quality, secure, affordable, fast connections to impact people's lives anywhere they are—on the ground, in the air or at sea. To learn more about Viasat, visit: www.viasat.com , go to Viasat's Corporate Blog, or follow the Company on social media at: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter or YouTube. ​​​About Blacktree Technology Blacktree Technology is a trusted global supplier of critical communications solutions. For the past 20 years Blacktree has been solving communication problems in challenging and geographically diverse environments for commercial, industrial and Defence customers. Based on the west coast of Australia, the Company is supporting the ADF whilst growing exports to customers in FVEY partner nations. To learn more about Blacktree Technology, visit www.blacktree.com.au, or follow the Company on social media at Linkedin. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbors created under the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include statements that refer to the strategic alliance agreement between Viasat and Blacktree Technology, including the provision of UHF SATCOM systems manufacturing and support services to the ADF, FVEY and coalition nations; and the performance, capabilities and anticipated benefits of the ViaSat-3 class satellite platform, including the expected capacity, coverage, flexibility and other features of the ViaSat-3 constellation. Readers are cautioned that actual results could differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the ViaSat-3 satellite platform; unexpected expenses or delays related to the ViaSat-3 satellite platform; risks associated with the construction, launch and operation of ViaSat-3 and Viasat's other satellites, including the effect of any anomaly, operational failure or degradation in satellite performance; manufacturing issues or delays; contractual problems; regulatory issues; technologies not being developed according to anticipated schedules, or that do not perform according to expectations; and increased competition and other factors affecting the government and defence sectors generally. In addition, please refer to the risk factors contained in Viasat's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov, including Viasat's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made. Viasat undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for any reason. Copyright © 2020 Viasat, Inc. All rights reserved. Viasat, the Viasat logo and the Viasat signal are registered trademarks of Viasat, Inc. All other product or company names mentioned are used for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on Viasat, Inc. : https://www.viasat.com/news/viasat-blacktree-technology-sign-agreement-enhance-support-australian-defence-force-and-five

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  22 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Boeing and Etihad Broaden Sustainability Alliance by Testing Innovations on ecoDemonstrator 787

  Seattle, July 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Boeing [NYSE:BA] and Etihad Airways will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to test ways to reduce emissions and noise as part of the aerospace company's ecoDemonstrator program before the airline accepts delivery of the airplane this fall. The collaboration, which includes extensive sound measurement testing with industry partners, builds on a strategic sustainability alliance Boeing and Etihad formed in November 2019. "This is the latest program under Etihad's industry-leading strategic partnership with Boeing, focusing on innovating real-world solutions to the key sustainability challenges facing the aviation industry," Etihad Aviation Group Chief Executive Officer Tony Douglas said. "The ecoDemonstrator program is founded on innovation and sustainability — and these are core values for Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi and the United Arab Emirates. Etihad and Boeing see a great opportunity to collaborate and share knowledge to minimize the impact of aviation on the environment." The ecoDemonstrator program utilizes commercial aircraft to test technologies that can make aviation safer and more sustainable now and into the future. The 2020 program, which will begin testing in August, is the first to use a Boeing 787-10. "Industry collaboration is a key aspect of Boeing's ecoDemonstrator program that enables us to accelerate innovation," said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. "We're proud to broaden our sustainability partnership with Etihad Airways by testing promising technologies that can reduce emissions, help commercial aviation meet our climate goals, and allow the industry to grow in a responsible manner that respects our planet and its natural resources." Boeing and Etihad will work with industry-leading partners, including NASA and Safran Landing Systems, to conduct aircraft noise measurements from sensors on the airplane and the ground. The data will be used to validate aircraft noise prediction processes and the sound reduction potential of aircraft designs, including landing gear, that are modified for quieter operations. In addition, a flight will be conducted during which pilots, air traffic controllers and an airline's operations center will simultaneously share digital information to optimize routing efficiency and enhance safety by reducing workload and radio frequency congestion. Test flights will be flown on a blend of sustainable fuel, which significantly lowers aviation's environmental footprint. The testing program is expected to last about four weeks before Etihad enters its Boeing 787-10 into service. Contact Saffana Michael Boeing Communications saffana.michael2@boeing.com Mobile: +97150 4590651 Paul McElroy Boeing Communications paul.mcelroy2@boeing.com Mobile: +1 425-283-7740 SOURCE Boeing View source version on Boeing Newsroom: https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2020-07-20-Boeing-and-Etihad-Broaden-Sustainability-Alliance-by-Testing-Innovations-on-ecoDemonstrator-787