27 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR
ByChristen McCurdy
Nov. 26 (UPI) -- NATO and Boeing will formally announce details of a $1 billion contract Wednesday for upgrades to Airborne Warning and Control System planes, the alliance said Tuesday.
The Wednesday contract will be signed in a formal ceremony at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sir Michael Arthur, President of Boeing International in attendance.
Stoltenberg confirmed to reporters last week that NATO was on the verge of inking a deal to modernize the AWACS fleet. He did not say what upgrades were needed.
"I can confirm that we will sign a contract upgrading, modernizing the AWACS fleet," Stoltenberg said last week ahead of a meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs. "This reflects the importance of modernizing our capabilities, including our common capabilities, as the AWACS fleet is."
NATO operates 14 AWACS planes, which detect enemy missiles and aircraft in NATO airspace, were introduced in 1982. The alliance intends to keep them in service until 2035. The alliance has used them to patrol the Mediterranean Sea and in missions against the Islamic State.
NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu also tweeted last week that the upgrades, in addition to receipt of the first of five Global Hawk surveillance drones in Sicily, "reflects how NATO is investing in high-tech capabilities."
While NATO is expected to replace the E-3 fleet after 2035, Stoltenberg did not indicate how that could happen aside from referencing the incoming Global Hawks as part of a modernization.
https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/11/26/Boeing-NATO-to-announce-1B-contract-for-AWACS-upgrades
31 octobre 2023 | International, Terrestre
U.S. defense contractor Leidos Holdings on Tuesday raised its full-year profit and revenue forecasts on the back of strong weapons demand amid rising geopolitical tensions.
18 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Steve Trimble Pratt & Whitney is defining a new engine upgrade option for Block 5 F-35s delivered starting in the 2030s, says Matthew Bromberg, president of Military Engines. The upgrades, the details of which will be defined in about six months, are focused on improvements to the fan and the engine accessories, Bromberg told Aerospace DAILY during a Sept. 17 interview on the sidelines of the Air Force Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference. The intent is to deliver options for improving thrust by more than 10-12%, reducing fuel consumption by more than 5-6%, increasing vertical lift by about 2% and increasing overall power and thermal management capacity, Bromberg says. Those targets are the proposed baseline improvements advertised for the Growth Option 2.0 upgrade, which remains in discussions for insertion in Block 4.4 aircraft delivered starting in 2028, he says. P&W originally proposed a Growth Option 1.0 upgrade package that offered only thrust and fuel improvements, but no extra capacity for power generation and cooling. “We found it didn't resonate because it didn't have power and thermal management,” Bromberg says. The Growth Option and Engine Enhancement Package upgrades all stem from technologies developed under the Adaptive Engine Technology Program, which is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory to design a new engine core. Pratt & Whitney completed the detailed design review of the XA101 demonstrator engine recently, Bromberg says. https://aviationweek.com/defense/pratt-defining-engine-upgrade-package-block-5-f-35
16 novembre 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
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