23 février 2023 | International, Aérospatial

BAE Systems forecasts more growth on Ukraine conflict boost

BAE Systems , Britain's biggest defence company, said earnings would rise again this year after jumping last year, as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues to drive military spend higher.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/bae-systems-earnings-rise-95-higher-military-spend-2023-02-23/

Sur le même sujet

  • Open source platforms, flexible airframes for new drones

    26 mars 2020 | International, Aérospatial

    Open source platforms, flexible airframes for new drones

    By: Kelsey D. Atherton Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise. Multirotor drones excel at vertical lift and hover, while fixed wing drones are great at both distance and wide-open spaces. In February, Auterion announced a two-pronged approach to the rotor- or fixed-wing drone market, with a pair of drones that use the same sensor packages and fuselage to operate as either the Scorpion Trirotor or the Vector fixed wing craft. “As we started to develop our tactical UAS Platform, our plan was only to develop a VTOL fixed wing solution (like our Vector),” said Dave Sharpin, CEO of Auterion Government Solutions. “During the development process we decided to build a Tri-Copter Platform as well, as a result of many discussions with law enforcement agencies and Search and Rescue Units.” Adapting the fixed-wing fuselage to the tri-copter attachments means the drone can now operate in narrow spaces and harsh conditions. Scorpion, with the rotors, can fly for about 45 minutes, with a cruising speed of zero to 33 mph. Put the fixed wings back on for Vector, and the flight time is now two hours, with a cruising speed of 33 to 44 mph. The parts snap into place without any need for special tooling, and Auterion recommends the drone for missions in rain or snow. Both platforms share a gimbal EO/IR with 10x optical zoom, 720p EO video, 480p IR video, laser illuminator, IR laser ranger. Common between modes is also a tactical mapping tool using a 21 megapixel Sony UMC R10C camera. For the scorpion, there's also the option of a gimbaled electro-optical camera with a 30x optical zoom. Both drones are designed to fit in rucksacks that a person can carry one at a time. While many features are common across Vector and Scorpion, the plan is not to include both rotors or wings in the same kit. Once a team packs into the field with a drone on its back, that's the mode the drone can be used in. Auterion intends to ship the drones by the fourth quarter of 2020, with preorders available. Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise. Vectr and Scorpion are built on top of open source code. This includes an operating system capable of programmable autopilot , as well as machine-vision collision prevention and obstacle detection and avoidance. Software for the ground station and cloud data management of the drone are also built on open source code. The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit awarded the company a $2 million contract last year to work on the PX4 software to help drive compatibility standards in the drone industry. As militaries across the world look to the enterprise sector for capable drones at smaller profile than existing military models, transparency in code and flexibility in airframe could become more widely adopted trends. In the meantime, there is Vector, and there is Scorpion. https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/03/25/open-source-platforms-flexible-airframes-for-new-drones

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 28, 2019

    29 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 28, 2019

    AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $500,000,000, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity single award contract for Qatar Emiri Air Force (QAEF) F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training. This contract will provide F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training to support the QEAF. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri, and moving to Qatar in 2021 and is expected to be completed August 2026. This is a sole-source requirement as the Boeing Co. has been country-designated as the sole-source provider for the F-15QA program, including F-15QA specific training, under the QEAF Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case QA-D-TAH. FMS funds in the amount of $262,147,569 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency/338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-19-D-A007). Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $47,959,610 delivery order (FA8504-19-F-0018) to previously awarded contract FA8504-17-D-0002 for C-130J propulsion long-term sustainment. This order provides funding for Option II. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $47,959,610. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and other various locations supporting C-130J propulsion long-term sustainment and is expected to be completed when the last engines are delivered. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $47,959,610 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $349,014,465 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Phase 2 of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk Rapid Deployment Capability for completion of the Phase 1 design and integration efforts as well as test and evaluation. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (69.3%); Dallas, Texas (6.6%); Boulder, Colorado (5.8%); Walled Lake, Michigan (3.9%); Englewood, Colorado (2.7%); Bristol, Pennsylvania (2.5%); North Logan, Utah (1.9%); Suwanee, Georgia (0.6%); and various locations within the U.S. (6.7%), and is expected to be completed in February 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $44,577,180 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0079). Reyes Construction Inc., Pomona, California, is awarded $21,899,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-5131 under a previously awarded, multiple award construction contract (N62473-16-D-1804) for design-bid-build to retrofit the graving dock at Naval Base, San Diego. The work to be performed provides for the retrofit the graving dock and includes asbestos and lead base paint abatement. The project includes demolition of the graving dock concrete deck; drill, grout and install micro piles; and install new reinforcement bars and cast-in-place concrete forming the sonar pit. Project includes installation of automated in-haul system to provide more precise horizontal control and in-haul of vessels during evolutions. The in-haul system will consist of capstan at end of dry dock for in-haul and a rail on each side of the dry dock with a series of trolleys fastened to mooring lines from the vessel. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2022. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $21,899,000 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. Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, California, is awarded $17,737,397 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-5130 under a previously awarded, multiple award construction contract (N62473-18-D-5853) for the design-build construction of a directed energy integration laboratory at Naval Base, Ventura County. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a three-story building with laboratory and office space, site improvements, and all utilities. The options, if exercised, provide for an additional square footage of administrative space and open laboratory space. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $18,947,274. Work will be performed in Point Mugu, California, and is expected to be completed by January 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $17,737,397 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Teradyne Inc.,* Reading, Massachusetts, is awarded a $14,456,731 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year period of performance, to procure Enhanced Tactical Pod Tester (e-TPT). The e-TPT is a portable operational level test platform system, specifically for the AN/ALQ-99 airborne electronic warfare jamming system, found on EA-6B and EA-18G military aircraft. Work will be performed in Reading, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,594,641will be obligated at the time of contract award, and $247,571 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-WS26). Advanced Technology International, Summerville, South Carolina (N00174-18-D-0009); and PAE National Security Solutions LLC, Fredericksburg, Virginia (N00174-18-D-0008), are each awarded a modification to their respective previously-awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to exercise Option Two for support services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division Demonstration and Assessment Team. This requirement will provide support services to the Demonstration and Assessment Team for coordination of operational forces, to include warfighter workshops and other engagement activities, preparation and facilitation of technology demonstration and assessment planning and readiness meetings, and analysis and reporting of warfighting/warfighter inputs and concepts. Each task order will be competitively procured. Advanced Technology International will be awarded an $8,777,905 modification, which brings the cumulative value of this contract to $25,848,029. PAE National Security Solutions LLC will be awarded an $8,328,452 modification, which brings the cumulative value of this contract to $24,513,838. The location of the work will be determined by individual task orders and is expected to be completed by September 2022. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Wyle Laboratories Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded $8,433,703 for modification P00004 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable contract (N00421-17-C-0056). This modification provides program management services for the F/A-18 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program in support of the government of Australia. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (83%); Whidbey Island, Washington (7%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4%); North Island, California (3%); Amberley, Australia (2%); and Oceana, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2020. FMS funds in the amount of $6,807,165 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY BAE, Kingsport, Tennessee, was awarded a $202,437,733 fixed-price-incentive contract for the production and delivery of explosives and components at Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Tennessee. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-D-0074). Parsons Government Services Inc., Pasadena, California, was awarded a $139,123,690 firm-fixed-price contract for runway repair at Bucholz Army Airfield, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 22, 2022. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $139,123,690 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (W9128A-19-C-0005). FLIR Surveillance Inc., Wilsonville, Oregon, was awarded a $92,875,276 firm-fixed-price contract for repair and refurbishment and logistics support. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W909MY-19-D-0016). Korte Construction Co., St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $63,921,812 firm-fixed-price contract to design and build a KC-46A Depot Maintenance Hangar at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $63,921,812 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-19-C-0015). Diversified Technical Systems Inc.,* Seal Beach, California, was awarded a $38,441,877 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin anthropomorphic test devices. 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. 27, 2019. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-D-0011). The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $33,581,477 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for non-recurring engineering design activities for integrating the Improved Turbine Engine into the AH-64E Apache helicopter. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0054). Valiant Global Defense Services Inc., San Diego, California, was awarded a $10,645,455 hybrid (cost-no-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for Korea Battle Simulation Center operations and wide area networking support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2025. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $4,827,976 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army 411th Contracting Support Brigade, Republic of Korea, is the contracting activity (W91QVN-19-F-0139). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Noble Supply and Logistics,* Rockland, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $90,000,000 firm-fixed-price bridge contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 15-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is the Southeast Region Zone 2 of the U.S., with a Nov. 28, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contract activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E3-19-D-0010). SupplyCore Inc.,* Rockford, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $77,500,000 firm-fixed-price bridge contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 15-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is the Southeast Region Zone 1 of the U.S., with a Nov. 28, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contract activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E3-19-D-0009). A-dec Inc., Newberg, Oregon, has been awarded a maximum $49,500,000 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; 22 contracts have been awarded to date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Location of performance is Oregon, with an Aug. 31, 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-0015). Latina Boulevard Produce LLC,* Cheektowaga, New York, has been awarded a maximum $49,353,705 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a 54-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a Feb. 27, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force and Department of Agriculture schools and reservations. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-P346). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $27,000,000 undefinitized contractual action delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-0LB9) against a five-year base contract (SPRPA1-14-D-002U) with one five-year option period for E-6B repair. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is Oklahoma, with a March 1, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1946835/source/GovDelivery/

  • U.S. Military Exploring eVTOL Solution to Resupplying Troops

    12 mars 2020 | International, Aérospatial

    U.S. Military Exploring eVTOL Solution to Resupplying Troops

    by Nick Zazulia The U.S. military is stepping up its efforts to enlist autonomous eVTOL aircraft for a variety of missions, especially those that would reduce risk to troops, such as moving cargo in combat zones. In early January, the U.S. Air Force issued a request for information to civil eVTOL developers in a bid to evaluate options for investing in the technology. For 2020 alone, the Pentagon has allocated almost $170 million to investigate options for what it calls unmanned logistic system-air (ULS-A) capability. In Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. forces have faced difficulty moving supplies, according to Carmine Borrelli, deputy head for logistics innovation with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. Valuable military aircraft often need to be kept in reserve for higher-priority missions, and even when they are used, high sustainment costs make resupply an inefficient use for them. “They [eVTOLs] have the potential to have a platform that could be cost-effective, that could go far distances and that could carry stuff, potentially, at a lesser cost than what we were doing,” said Borrelli in a press briefing hosted by the Vertical Flight Society on March 10. The Marines are partnering with both the Army and the Air Force on different projects to realize that goal through what it calls small, medium, and large unmanned logistics systems. The Office of the Secretary of Defense is allocating approximately $120 million to the efforts of the Naval Air Systems Command (Navair) with small and medium ULS-A vehicles covered by the program objective memorandum (POM-19). Another $30 million for medium-size ULS-A in combined stakeholder investment and funding from the Office of the Secretary of Defense is being put toward joint capabilities technical demonstrations that need to be completed before the POM funding can be put to use. And the fiscal year 2020 budget from Congress includes $18.5 million to advance autonomous technology, particularly in large aircraft. There is more funding for the smaller ULS vehicles, because the use case is more clearly defined, and the work is further along. Instead of usual rigid requirements, the Marine Corps is now deliberately thinking about possible use cases in terms of range. Borrelli that this approach allows more flexibility in finding the best way to use the burgeoning eVTOL technology. The Department of Defense (DoD) considers “small” ULS to be vehicles with a 60- to 150-pound payload, designed for trips within 10 or 15 miles and a daily throughput of about 1,000 pounds per aircraft. Borrelli said the Marines are finding that it's realistic for vehicles of that size to weigh as much as or less than the payload they're designed to carry. The goal is to use them for squad resupply, leveraging highly automated routines to complete simple operations without requiring much manpower. Early operational capability is scheduled for 2023 with full operational capability on the docket for 2026. A medium ULS carries 300- to 500 pounds anywhere from a 20 to 125-mile combat radius, allowing for carrying up to 5,000 pounds of cargo in a day. As with a small ULS, medium ULS can keep their weight efficient enough that payload about meets vehicle weight, though they will be used for more complicated missions, such as supplying platoons, operations between advanced bases, and more. “We're trying to anticipate the future; potentially that size range could also do casualty evacuation...if these things prove out and they are reliable enough,” Borrelli said. The Marine Corps is working with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory on medium ULS efforts. At the end of January, Navair hosted a tactical resupply unmanned aircraft systems fly-off competition in Yuma, Arizona, won by Survice Engineering's TRV-150 system, which is based on the Malloy Aeronautics tactical resupply vehicle drone platform. Other competitors included Bell, Autonodyne, AirBuoyant, Pacific Aerospace Consulting, and Chartis Federal. Borrelli said medium ULS are targeted to enter service during fiscal year 2024 or 2025, with full operational capability in 2030. The category just finished its first year of successful joint-capabilities technical demonstration flight tests as part of a three-year effort. The large ULS category is still a bit more abstract. Initially, DoD conceived of vehicles with a 2,000- to 6,000-lb payload, in some ways a replacement for Bell Boeing V-22 Ospreys or Sikorsky CH-53 Sea Stallions on shorter trips. However, as the consumer market has defined and taken shape, the military realized that scaling back to vehicles with 1,000- to 2,000-lb payloads will make more sense. “We want to seriously consider and match industry's approach,” Borrelli said. “If the market is moving toward the 1,000-pound platform—a "flying car"—and many [new eVTOL aircraft] are going to be out there, it would be in our best interest to figure out how best we can use that platform to do what we need to do. We look to ride the coattails of industry.” The military is still interested in larger vehicles that can move up to 6,000 lb, but it recognizes that isn't where the bulk of innovation is taking place right now. In the large ULS category, the Marine Corps is working with the Air Force, whose Agility Prime program was started last year to leverage the commercial VTOL industry to find more efficient ways to execute resupply missions than through its high-sustainment-cost aircraft. The military wants to use these larger ULS for company resupply in remote areas with austere landing zones and launched from a new class of small, minimally-manned ships, as well as potentially to transport troops. The vehicles would work in a radius of up to 350 miles, each handling throughputs ranging from 15,000 to 30,000 pounds per day. Early operational capability for large ULS is scheduled for 2023, with full operational capability in 2030. While the military has done less work on large ULS, it hopes to rely more on the investment of the commercial UAM industry. For large ULS, Borrelli said the same weight efficiency won't be possible, so it will take a heavier vehicle to lift 2,000 pounds. Both hybrid and fully-electric propulsion is on the table and, in either case, new propulsion technology brings infrastructure questions with it. “That's something that we have constantly in the back of our minds,” Borrelli said. “So, as we're moving to the rest of the ULS space, the ground and surface and sub-surface, we're considering where those charging stations could be or where a battery inventory would be. If we don't have a charging station, we have to have a battery inventory. It's not going to do us any good to have a considerable amount of inventory unless we can be able to charge efficiently.” https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2020-03-12/us-military-exploring-evtol-solution-resupplying-troops

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