Boeing nabs $1.7B for 12 KC-46A tankers

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  24 janvier 2024 | International, Aérospatial

  IAV 2024: Thales’ Bushmaster paves the way for Hawkei’s future success

  Thales land team exhibits next-gen Hawkei at the International Armoured Vehicles Conference 2024.

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  5 octobre 2018 | International, Terrestre

  Army testing more effective ghillie suits

  By David Vergun, Army News Service FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- The Army is looking for an improved ghillie suit to replace the flame-resistant, camouflage suit now worn by snipers to keep them from being seen by the enemy. The current ghillie suits are bulky, somewhat uncomfortable and hot in warm weather, said Debbie Williams, a systems acquisition expert with Program Executive Office Soldier, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment. The current suit is known as the Flame Resistant Ghillie System, or FRGS. The replacement the Army is looking for will be called the Improved Ghillie System, or IGS, Williams said. She added that although the term "flame resistant" is not in the new name, the IGS will still have flame-resistant properties. Soldiers will receive most of their protection from the base layer worn under the IGS, such as the Flame Resistant Combat Uniform, or FR ACU. The IGS will be a modular system, worn over the field uniform, she said. It will be modular in that it can be taken apart, with pieces added or subtracted as needed, such as sleeves, leggings, veil, cape and so on. Another change is that the IGS will not come with the accessory kit, like the one supplied with the FRGS, Williams said. It was found that Soldiers were not using a majority of the items in their accessory kit or preferred a different material. Williams said the cost of the IGS will be lower than the current $1,300 FRGS. Mary Armacost, a textile technologist with Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, said the IGS will be made of lighter, more breathable material than the FRGS. Also, the material for the skeins that accompany the IGS will be stiffer than that of the FRGS, thereby making the IGS more effective at camouflaging the Soldier. A request for proposal for the IGS went out Aug. 28 and closed Sept. 24, she said. Vendors must each provide three samples. About 3,500 suits are expected to be produced under the contract for approximately 3,300 snipers in all three Army components, as well as Soldiers in U.S. Special Operations Command, Williams said. After the samples are obtained, lab and field testing will begin at various locations in November, she said. For example, the Army's Night Vision Laboratory will do full-spectrum testing. It will also use night vision goggles to see how well the suits remain hidden in darkened conditions. Daytime testing for visual camouflage effectiveness will take place as well, with sniper-qualified Soldiers at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Williams said. Additionally, acoustic testing will be done by the Army Research Laboratory to determine how much noise the IGS produces in field conditions. ARL will also test the effectiveness of the fabric regarding tear resistance and fire retardant effectiveness, she added. Following all of this, a limited user evaluation should commence next spring using instructors from the Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia. https://www.army.mil/article/211933

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  11 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  U.S. Air Force Announces Tender to Procure 461 Engines for F-15EX Fighter Jets

  The U.S. Air Force has announced plans to buy 461 engines to power their fleet of F-15EX jets. In a February 5 Federal Opportunities notice, U.S.A.F. Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) said it wants to acquire up to 461 engines in order to meet propulsion and aircraft production delivery schedules using full and open competition. The engine delivery period is October 2023 through June 2031. Maiden flight of the F-15EX took place in earlier this month. The service awarded Boeing a contract to build the first lot of eight jets in July 2020. Future plans call for as many as 144 aircraft. The aircraft is an improvement over the F-15 C/D model in that it is a fly-by-wire, digital aircraft; has a powerful new processor; additional wing hardpoints; a new electronic warfare system; and an updated glass cockpit. It is based on the F-15QA, which Boeing is building for Qatar. Boeing said the EX can launch hypersonic weapons up to 22 feet long and weighing up to 7,000 pounds, which gives it an edge over the F-35. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28934#.YCWomGhKiUk