13 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

China’s stealth fighter goes into mass production after thrust upgrade

The J-20B has overcome agility problems to finally be considered a fully fledged fifth-generation fighter, military source says
Aircraft still will be fitted with Russian engine but ‘Chinese version could be ready in a year or two'

A modified version of China's first stealth fighter jet, the J-20, has formally entered mass production, with upgrades earning it a place as a fifth-generation fighter jet, according to a military source close to the project.
The moment was marked at a ceremonial unveiling of the modified J-20B stealth fighter jet on Wednesday attended by many senior military leaders including Central Military Commission (CMC) vice-chairman General Zhang Youxia, the source said.
Zhang is the second-ranked vice-chairman of the CMC and is in charge of weapons development for the People's Liberation Army.
“Mass production of the J-20B started on Wednesday. It has finally become a complete stealth fighter jet, with its agility meeting the original criteria,” the source said.

“The most significant change to the fighter jet is that it is now equipped with thrust vector control.”

Thrust vector control (TVC) allows pilots to better control the aircraft by redirecting engine thrust.
In 2018, China debuted its J-10C multirole fighter – fitted with a WS-10 Taihang engine – at the China air show in Zhuhai, putting the aircraft through its paces in a performance that indicated that China had succeeded in thrust technology.

While the TVC technology had been applied to the stealth fighter, the J-20B would still use Russian Saturn AL-31 engines because more work needed to be done on China's WS-15 engine, the source said.
Chinese engineers have been developing high-thrust turbofan WS-15 engines for the J-20, but that work has fallen behind schedule.
“The Chinese engine designed for the J-20s still failed to meet requirements, but its development is going quite smoothly, and it may be ready in the next one or two years,” the source said.
“The ultimate goal is to equip the J-20B fighter jets with domestic engines.”
China was thought to have built about 50 J-20s by the end of 2019, but problems with the jets' engines delayed further production plans.

Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth assembly plant in Texas delivered 134 F-35 stealth fighters in 2019, three more than its target and 47 per cent more than its output in 2018, according to the company.
China's first batch of J-20s entered service in 2017 when the US decided to deploy more than 100 F-35s to Japan and South Korea that year.
The J-20 was meant to be a fifth-generation fighter jet on a par with Lockheed's F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning multirole strike fighters.
Fifth-generation fighters are defined by their stealth technology, supersonic cruising speed, super manoeuvrability, and highly integrated avionics.
But the earlier version of the J-20 was described by Western media as a “dedicated interceptor aircraft” because of its lack of agility.
“The launch of the J-20B means this aircraft now is a formal fifth-generation fighter jet,” the military source said, adding that Chengdu Aerospace Corporation (CAC), which manufactures the J-20s, had received “heavy orders” from the PLA.
CAC set up its fourth production line in 2019, each one with a capacity to make about one J-20 a month.

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/military/article/3092839/chinas-stealth-fighter-goes-mass-production-after-thrust

Sur le même sujet

6 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 05, 2020
AIR FORCE HHI Corp., Ogden, Utah (FA2517-20-D-0011); Pro-Mark Services, Inc., West Fargo, North Dakota (FA2517-20-D-0010); Native American Services Corp., Kellogg, Idaho (FA2517-20-D-0009); and Creative Times Dayschool LLC, Ogden, Utah (FA2517-20-D-0007), have collectively been awarded contracts valued at $422,222,224 in support of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award construction contract. This contract provides for a broad range of design-bid-build/design-build services up to 100% and maintenance, repair and minor construction work on real property along the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming. Work will be primarily performed at Fort Carson Army Base, Colorado, to include Pinon Canyon Maneuver Site, and Pueblo Chemical Depot; Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Schriever AFB, Colorado; United States Air Force Academy, Colorado, to include Farish Memorial Recreation and Bulls Eye Auxiliary Airfield; Buckley AFB, Colorado; and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Work is expected to be completed Feb. 2, 2028. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 32 offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,000 will be awarded to each contractor at the time of award. The 21st Contracting Squadron Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Chico Produce Inc.,* doing business as ProPacific Fresh, Durham, California (SPE300-20-D-P351, $135,000,000), and Coast Citrus Distributors,* doing business as Coast Tropical, Union City, California (SPE300-20-D-S742, $15,000,000) have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE300-19-R-0006 for fresh fruit and vegetable support for the Northern California and Northwestern Nevada zones. These were competitive acquisitions with two responses received. They are five-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are California and Nevada, with an Aug. 5, 2025, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Department of Agriculture schools and tribal reservations. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NAVY General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. – Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $106,923,080, firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of the USS Bataan (LHD 5) fiscal 2020 selected restricted availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of the USS Bataan (LHD 5). This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $130,861,394. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. This is a “long-term” non-docking availability and was solicited on a coast-wide (east and Gulf coasts) basis without limiting the place of performance to the vessel's homeport. General Dynamics NASSCO – Norfolk will provide the facilities and human resources capable of completing, coordinating and integrating multiple areas of ship maintenance, repair and modernization for USS Bataan (LHD 5). Work is expected to be completed by December 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); and 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $106,923,080 will be obligated upon contract award and funds in the amount of $1,816,383 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website and one offer was received in response to Solicitation No. N00024-19-R-4467. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-4467). Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $75,000,000 maximum amount, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity job order contract for construction projects at Camp Lemonnier and Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed in Djibouti, Africa. The work to be performed provides for various renovations, repairs, maintenance, replacements, alterations, demolition and construction projects for Camp Lemonnier and Chabelley Air Field, Djibouti. The construction may include minor alteration, repair of real property (industrial and commercial) and utilities. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months and work is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2020 military operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award for the guaranteed minimum and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N and military construction (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website and six proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Europe Africa Central, is the contracting activity (N33191-20-D-0811). General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. San Diego, San Diego, California, was awarded a $37,195,489, firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of the USS Lake Erie (CG 70) fiscal 2021 Selected Restricted Availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of the USS Lake Erie. This contract includes a base period and options which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $62,991,030. Work will be performed in San Diego, California. This is a “long-term” availability and was solicited on a coast-wide (west coast) basis without limiting the place of performance to the vessel's homeport. National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. will provide the facilities and human resources capable of completing, coordinating and integrating multiple areas of ship maintenance, repair and modernization for USS Lake Erie. Work is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy); and 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $37,195,489 will be obligated at time of award and funds in the amount of $3,633,807 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website and three offers were received in response to Solicitation No. N00024-20-R-4401. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 31, 2020) ARMY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded an $11,916,585 modification (P00001) to contract W58RGZ-20-C-0024 to support the continued system operations and sustainment services and test and training services in support of the Saturn Arch Aerial Intelligence Systems Quick Reaction Capability Program. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia; Bridgewater, Virginia; and Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2024. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,916,585 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. DR Reed and Associates Inc.,* Nederland, Colorado, was awarded a $9,800,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architecture and engineering services for civil works projects at various locations in the Los Angeles District. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-20-D-0032). CORRECTION: It was previously-announced that contract W911QY-20-C-0086 had been awarded on Aug. 3, 2020. The actual award date was Aug. 4, 2020. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2302143/source/GovDelivery/
5 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Northrop, Raytheon team on next-gen interceptor bid
By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies are teaming up to fight for the right to build America's next missile interceptor, the companies announced Monday. The two companies hope to be one of two teams to be downselected by the Missile Defense Agency later this year, as the Pentagon seeks a replacement for the Redesigned Kill Vehicle program, which was cancelled last August after department officials decided the program was too technically challenged to continue. On April 24, the Pentagon formally issued a request for proposals for the new competition, known as the Next Generation Interceptor. The MDA requested $664.1 million in fiscal year 2021 for the NGI program, as part of a $4.9 billion five-year budget plan. “We have the right team, technology and expertise in place to meet our customer's needs for enhanced capabilities, from the identification of a ballistic missile launched by an adversary, all the way to its elimination,” Blake Larson, corporate vice president and president Northrop Grumman Space Systems, said in a statement. “The joining of true experts — with mastery from threat detection to interception — creates a team capable of developing a revolutionary solution that is designed to defeat emerging threats,” added Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles & Defense. The two companies have a depth of knowledge of the current missile defense architecture, with the press release claiming one or the other company currently provides “the interceptor booster, kill vehicle, ground systems, fire control and engagement coordination” systems for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system. In addition, while the RKV program was led by Boeing, Raytheon was the company actually building the kill vehicle as a sub-contractor. Raytheon Technologies, formed via a merger of Raytheon and United Technologies, began trading on the stock market at the start of April. https://www.defensenews.com/space/2020/05/04/northrop-raytheon-team-on-next-gen-interceptor-bid
29 janvier 2021 | International, Naval

Rheinmetall, MBDA building high-energy lasers for Germany’s Navy
By: Vivienne Machi STUTTGART, Germany — Rheinmetall and MBDA Deutschland have officially been tasked to build, test and field a high-energy laser weapon system for the German Navy over the next year. The consortium, dubbed ARGE, was awarded a contract “in the low double-digit million euro range” by Berlin's military procurement office, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). Work will be conducted through the end of 2021, with trials scheduled for 2022 aboard the Navy frigate Sachsen, per a joint press announcement released Thursday. The work is to be split on a “roughly equal basis,” the companies said. Rheinmetall will be responsible for the laser weapon system, the beam guiding system, cooling, and integrating the weapon system with the overall laser source demonstrator. MBDA will focus on the operator console along with tracking technology and command-and-control system integration. Details have yet to be revealed about where the system's development will take place. This latest contract continues the companies' collaboration on high-energy laser efforts, which was first announced in August 2019. Rheinmetall and the Germany military have been testing high energy laser technologies in the maritime domain since 2015, a company spokesman told Defense News. “The contract marks a systematic extension of the functional prototype laser weapon successfully tested in recent years, with the experience gained now dovetailing into one of the most ambitious projects in the field of laser weapon development in Europe,” said Alexander Graf, head of Rheinmetall Waffe Munition's laser weapons program, and Markus Jung, who leads the company's laser weapon development segment. Once the demonstrator is installed, it will be used to test other aspects of the laser weapon system, such as the sensor suite and combat management system, and evaluate rules of engagement, said Doris Laarmann, MBDA's head of laser business development, in the release. The German arm of MBDA announced a restructuring of operations in late 2020, following mixed signals from Berlin regarding the status of the Tactical Air Defense System (TLVS) program. Executives have expressed skepticism that a contract award would emerge soon for the follow-on work of the former Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). In 2015, the German government announced it would use MEADS as the basis for TLVS, which would eventually replace the nation's 1980s-era Patriot air defense systems. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/28/rheinmetall-mbda-building-high-energy-lasers-for-germanys-navy

Toutes les nouvelles