22 avril 2020 | Information, Aérospatial, C4ISR
Nathan Strout
A new satellite that will provide weather data for U.S. military operations has passed its critical design review, Ball Aerospace announced April 20, and the company is now moving forward into full production.
The Weather System Follow-on satellite is meant to fill three vital space-based environmental monitoring gaps identified by the Defense Department: ocean surface vector winds, tropical cyclone intensity and low-Earth orbit energetic-charged particles.
The satellite will include a passive microwave-imaging radiometer instrument for the first two missions, which will provide timely weather collection in support of maneuvering forces. A government-furnished energetic-charged particles sensor will be used for the third mission, which will provide important space weather capabilities such as the ability to characterize operational orbits, space situational awareness and information on the ionosphere.
“Measuring and understanding the physical environment is critical to military operations, from determining tropical cyclone intensity for asset protection and maneuver operations to how wind and sea state play into assured access and aircraft carrier operations,” Mark Healy, Ball Aerospace's vice president and general manager of national defense, said in a statement.
In addition, the WSF satellite will collect information on sea ice characterization, soil moisture and snow depth.
Ball Aerospace is the prime contractor for the entire WSF system, meaning it will deliver the space vehicle along with instrument, spacecraft and system software and algorithms for data products. The company was initially awarded $93,713,423 in November 2017 to design the system, and a year later was awarded an additional $255,418,494 to develop and fabricate the satellite.
According to the Space Force, the WSF satellite is projected for a launch in fiscal 2024.
25 avril 2019 | Information, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
GUIDE À L'INTENTION DES ENTREPRISES QUI SOUHAITENT FAIRE DES AFFAIRES EN FRANCE https://www.desjardins.com/ressources/pdf/c00-entreprendre-le-marche-francais-f.pdf
24 avril 2022 | Information, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
NOUS AVONS BESOIN DE VOUS ! Aéro Montréal lance une campagne de communication inédite pour attirer et retenir les talents dans l'industrie aérospatiale québécoise Chers membres, chers partenaires, L'exercice de planification stratégique d'Aéro Montréal et les nombreux entretiens menés avec l'industrie ont fait ressortir deux attentes majeures de la part de l'industrie aérospatiale québécoise : améliorer la visibilité de l'industrie et trouver des solutions pour attirer et retenir la main-d'œuvre. À l'heure où l'industrie connaît un regain d'activité, le conseil d'administration d'Aéro Montréal n'a pas tardé à se mobiliser pour répondre à ces besoins identifiés par les entreprises. Ses membres ont donné le ton en appuyant financièrement le déploiement d'une campagne de communication massive dont l'objectif sera d'assurer la visibilité du secteur, de stimuler l'attraction de talents et de soutenir la rétention de la main-d'œuvre. Vous avez un rôle à jouer Nous lançons un appel pour engager la contribution de chaque membre de la grappe aérospatiale du Québec : c'est gr'ce à votre soutien financier que nous ferons de cette campagne un succès. Aéro Montréal mandatera une agence pour coordonner une campagne de communication. Aéro Montréal sera garant de représenter la pluralité des pans de l'industrie et s'assurera de véhiculer des messages communs qui répondent aux objectifs des maitres-d'œuvre, équipementiers, sous-traitants et fournisseurs. Toutefois, le succès d'une telle opération ne saurait être garanti sans un investissement de l'ensemble des parties prenantes. Participez à cet élan collectif : nous devons remplir nos programmes de formations en aérospatiale, nous devons nous assurer de maintenir et d'accroître la richesse du bassin d'employés qualifiés disponible au Québec. En offrant de la visibilité au secteur, nous nous assurons de poser les premières fondations qui nous permettront d'y arriver. Chaque entreprise de la grappe est invitée à contribuer financièrement et ainsi soutenir ce projet qui servira l'intérêt collectif. Toutes les contributions comptent ! Ils ont d'ores et déjà dit OUI Ces premières entreprises se sont engagées aux côtés d'Aéro Montréal pour permettre à cette campagne de visibilité de voir le jour. Joignez-vous à elles! Comment contribuer ? Ce projet compte sur la mobilisation de tous les membres de la grappe. Les confirmations d'engagement sont attendues avant le vendredi 6 mai 2022 et l'équipe d'Aéro Montréal met tout en œuvre pour vous proposer des termes de paiement flexibles et échelonnés selon vos besoins. Si vous souhaitez contribuer ou en apprendre davantage sur le projet, vous vous invitons à contacter Léa Guicheteau, Directrice pilier Image et aérospatiale durable (lea.guicheteau@aeromontreal.ca ; 514-550-7494). 380, rue Saint-Antoine Ouest Bureau 3120 Montréal, QC, H2Y 3X7 Téléphone : (514) 987-9330 ENVOYER À UN AMI SITE WEB
13 novembre 2019 | Information, Aérospatial
By: Roberto Guerrero “As a service that provides global reach, global vigilance, and global power, are we thinking globally?” — Gen. David Goldfein, U.S. Air Force chief of staff, at the 2017 Air Force Association Symposium This is a question that keeps me up at night. Are we prepared to defend the homeland and defeat our enemies at any location around the world? If faced against a near-peer or peer competitor, will we have the necessary infrastructure and logistical supply chain to support the lethality we need on the battlefield? More than ever before, the United States depends on the Air Force to complete the mission. In 2018, the congressionally appointed National Defense Strategy Commission concluded that “regardless of where the next conflict occurs or which adversary it features, the Air Force will be at the forefront.” Every year, the Air Force conducts approximately 800,000 sorties and uses over 2 billion gallons of aviation fuel, making it the largest consumer across the Department of Defense. That's 2,200 sorties per day! The Air Force has made some relatively small investments to modernize how we plan, optimize and deliver fuel for the war fighter, but we must do more to maintain dominance in an ever-changing battlespace. Here are four reasons why. 1. Without fuel, there is no fight. We are strategically and tactically dependent on fuel for nearly all of our missions. From delivering cargo and humanitarian aid to transporting our troops and conducting airstrikes, we can't get much done without fuel. As Gen. George Patton famously proclaimed during World War II: “My men can eat their belts, but my tanks gotta have gas.” While I don't recommend eating your belt, our tanks, ships and aircraft still need a ready supply of energy — anytime, anywhere. 2. Fuel is an inherent security risk for our troops. Thirty percent of the causalities in Iraq and Afghanistan during the height of the war were caused by attacks on fuel and water convoys. Transporting fuel — whether by air, land or sea — is a necessary risk. But the more we use, the more of a risk it becomes. If we face external constraints like oil shortages, adversary attacks or interrupted access, our vulnerabilities become even greater. 3. The future fight requires modern fuel logistics. Our adversaries are developing state-of-the-art innovations and technologies to propel fuel logistics into the future, and we need to do more to stay ahead of the game. No longer can we rely on whiteboards and markers to plan complex aerial-refueling operations. We need to provide airmen with 21st century technology that is agile, adaptive and secure — at the “speed of relevance.” 4. Optimizing fuel usage builds readiness for years to come. When we use our assets more efficiently in peacetime, we build a more energy-aware culture that will better prepare our airmen for tomorrow's fight, if and when it happens. Smarter use of fuel means more funds available to invest in our airmen and weapon systems; and when we employ our assets optimally, we reduce stress on airframes and crews. So how do we address these challenges for a secure tomorrow? First, we must get better at understanding how, when and where we use aviation fuel to detect possible efficiency gaps and logistical challenges. To do this we need operational and maintenance data that is integrated, reliable and transparent. Data allows us to make informed decisions on critical issues like basing, fuel logistics, security, maintenance and technology acquisition. We also need to invest in tools and hardware that optimize our fuel demand, such as new drag-reduction technologies and next-generation efficient engines. My office has identified numerous commercially developed products that would result in increased combat capability if adopted across the Air Force. We can also invest in tools that support more streamlined mission planning. For example, agile software tools that help us efficiently plan the “last mile” of fuel delivery — aerial refueling — will provide combatant commanders with greater flexibility and maximize combat air power. Furthermore, we need to improve our understanding of energy and fuel logistics challenges as part of the modern battlespace. Through modeling and simulation, recent war games have identified a number of joint energy risks, and we now have a deeper understanding of how our energy sources, and the troops transporting them, may be jeopardized in future conflicts. However, further work must be done to increase energy supply chain resiliency and protect fuel storage and distribution networks. Right now we have small examples of fuel efficiency gains. It's time to think bigger. It's time to reach for the big efficiency gains and get big war-fighting rewards. We must move toward a more modern and innovative world to get the most of what we already have. We need to be able to compete against our near-peer adversaries — the advantage will not only be in technological advances in weaponry, but in the best, most efficient use of our technology. It is time that fuel becomes a strategic imperative. Roberto Guerrero is the deputy assistant secretary of the U.S. Air Force for operational energy. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2019/11/11/4-reasons-why-fuel-threatens-our-lethality-and-what-we-can-do-about-it/