Boeing Starts Production of T-7A Weapons Systems Trainers, Operational Flight Trainer

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  1 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Only 20 defense firms sought $17 billion in COVID loans. Now the Trump administration is weighing a fix.

  By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON ― Because fewer than 20 firms sought to apply for $17 billion in federal loans for Defense Department suppliers hurt by the coronavirus pandemic, the Trump administration is weighing how to broaden the eligibility requirements, a top Pentagon official said Thursday. “The challenge is that this $17 billion worth of loans comes with some fairly invasive kind of riders, and I think companies have to think very carefully about whether that makes good business sense for them,” Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord said at a Pentagon news conference. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, whose agency is implementing the loans, is requiring public companies seeking a share of $17 billion in coronavirus-related relief offer an equity stake to the government. “It may not be as interesting as for private companies, so that's one of the differentiators I see,” Lord said. The loans were intended for companies operating top secret facilities and with DX-rated contracts, which means the Pentagon deems them of highest national priority. “I am not sure that companies with DX-rated contracts are the ones that have the most critical needs. They have had a little less than 20 companies reach out to date,” Lord said. The Treasury Department has been in consultation with the Pentagon, and it's been open to ways the loan program could be expanded ― potentially to firms the Pentagon designates, Lord said. “So I'm hoping that early next week, between the Treasury Department and the Department of Defense, we can come back with a little bit more fidelity to the defense industrial base to better identify who might most benefit from this particular money,” Lord said. The agency had set a May 1 deadline for applications. The $17 billion tranche in the CARES Act for COVID-19 relief was widely assumed to be targeted at Boeing, which is a prime defense contractor and had indicated that it might seek assistance. However, U.S. lawmakers have said the loans are intended to span the defense supply chain, said Andrew Hunter, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies's Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group. “I would just say the requirements under that program are pretty strict that," he said. "You have to be really in desperate need for financing and have no access to other forms of financing, you have to accept a lot of limits on how the business operates: [on] share buybacks, dividends, executive compensation. And so it's really been designed and set up as a lender of last resort to firms that really need that assistance.” https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2020/04/30/only-20-defense-firms-sought-17-billion-in-covid-loans-now-the-trump-administration-is-weighing-a-fix/

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  29 juillet 2024 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

  US CENTCOM says it destroyed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle in Yemen

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  11 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Airbus executive: What will be most important this year?

  By: Dirk Hoke This year will show how much the commitments of European governments to a stronger and more autonomous defense capability are worth. The expected discussions on budgets in connection with the heavily burdening COVID-19 pandemic will also test the assertiveness of those who play a role in defense policy. The year 2021 is one of decisive course-setting for the most important future programs of military aviation. We expect Germany, France, Italy and Spain to sign the contract for the European drone in the first half of the year. By creating a European alternative, and even founding a new generation of drones, these four nations are establishing a first, stable cornerstone for the Future Combat Air System. In FCAS, however, not only the medium-altitude, long-endurance segment will play a role, but also several variants of remote carriers, whose technology we intend to test in live demonstrations this year. For this, as well as the other four pillars of the FCAS project, a commissioning of the demonstrator phase 1B by the middle of the year is of utmost importance. FCAS is the most ambitious European defense project in history, and we are all proud to be part of it. But FCAS also has a very ambitious timetable that must be met. If we want to achieve it by 2040, this requires disciplined work from European industry and a realistic assessment of everyone's capabilities. At the same time, political leaders should push the project forward in a pragmatic way. Pragmatism also includes the acceptance of different speeds in joint armament projects. Furthermore, it will be important to open up the concept of defense widely. In a project dedicated to the middle of the century, it must not happen that we leave out the elements of space, networking, data processing and cybersecurity. As comprehensive and multidimensional as the threats are, so must be the options for our countermeasures. This year will also see a winner in two large European fighter aircraft tenders, namely Switzerland and Finland. It will reveal if the time has come for nations to choose industrial and political partnerships within their close neighborhood, or if they still strive for partnerships elsewhere like they did 30 years ago. The Eurofighter jet is the truly European solution and would fit perfectly into both air forces. In particular, its long-term evolution will make it the aircraft of choice for air defense beyond 2060, and also a fully integrated part of FCAS. Another important decision will be made on how Germany and France want to proceed with the future maritime airborne warfare system. The MAWS program, initiated in 2018 by the two ministries of defense, is an important international cooperative project that will add new capabilities and preserve existing ones for Europe's mission readiness. Furthermore, it will be important to open up the concept of defense widely. In a project dedicated to the middle of the century, it must not happen that we leave out the elements of space, networking, data processing and cybersecurity. As comprehensive and multidimensional as the threats are, so must be the options for our countermeasures. This year will also see a winner in two large European fighter aircraft tenders, namely Switzerland and Finland. It will reveal if the time has come for nations to choose industrial and political partnerships within their close neighborhood, or if they still strive for partnerships elsewhere like they did 30 years ago. The Eurofighter jet is the truly European solution and would fit perfectly into both air forces. In particular, its long-term evolution will make it the aircraft of choice for air defense beyond 2060, and also a fully integrated part of FCAS. Another important decision will be made on how Germany and France want to proceed with the future maritime airborne warfare system. The MAWS program, initiated in 2018 by the two ministries of defense, is an important international cooperative project that will add new capabilities and preserve existing ones for Europe's mission readiness. Last year taught us all what matters in the end. This year is when we'll draw the right conclusions. https://www.defensenews.com/outlook/2021/01/11/airbus-executive-what-will-be-most-important-this-year