11 décembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
By: Jen Judson
WASHINGTON — Congress wants the Pentagon to produce a five-year plan for the European Deterrence Initiative fund, much like what is required each year when the Defense Department rolls out its base budget request.
In the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill's conference report released Dec. 9, Congress gives the Pentagon a tight deadline to produce a future years plan for the EDI account for FY20 — no later than the end of the year — that covers “not fewer than the four succeeding fiscal years.”
Congress wants the defense secretary and the head of U.S. European Command to submit to congressional defense committees subsequent future five-year plans beginning in FY21 at the same time as budget requests are submitted.
The EDI account — initially called the European Reassurance Initiative — was created to help Eastern European allies deter Russia from further incursion into Europe following its annexation of Crimea from Ukraine and continued military activity in the region.
The U.S. Army's presence at the time of the annexation had dwindled from roughly 200,000 troops in Europe in the 1980s to around 33,000 in 2015. The Army had only two permanently stationed brigade combat teams, had closed more than 100 sites since 2006, and was concentrated in Italy and Germany rather than along NATO's eastern flank.
The plans should contain a description of the “intended force structure and posture” of the assigned forces in Europe for the last fiscal year as well as “the manner in which such force structure and posture support the implementation of the National Defense Strategy,” according to the bill's report.
The plan should also detail infrastructure and military construction investments and the assessment of resources including cost estimates for each project needed to achieve requirements such as increased presence, exercises, training, enhanced pre-positioning of stocks and building partnership capacity, the bill noted.
The Pentagon should also include a timeline to achieve force posture and capabilities to include permanent posture requirements as well as a detailed account of what has changed from the previous year, according to the bill.
Additionally, the Defense Department is required to submit a report no later than the end of November 2020 and each year after summarizing in detail funds obligated for EDI for the past fiscal year, as well as a comparison of funds requested for the following fiscal year.
Under the bill, the Pentagon must also provide an interim briefing no later than the end of March 2021 and each year after covering the status of all matters to be included in the future years plans and reports on EDI.
Funding for EDI has continued to grow since its inception almost five years ago. In FY19, the Pentagon requested $6.5 billion, up from $4.8 billion in FY18 and $3.4 billion in FY17. Only in FY20 did the funding come down, when the Pentagon cut the account by 10 percent.
The Pentagon said the cut accounted for some one-time expenses such as military construction and a look toward increased burden-sharing from allies.
25 juillet 2024 | International, Aérospatial
The F-35 will provide exceptional capability to the Hellenic Air Force, build interoperability between our allies and strengthen the combat effectiveness for all of NATO
11 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial
CAE announced that the United States Air Force (USAF) awarded CAE USA a contract to continue providing comprehensive KC-135 training services. The eight-year contract, awarded as a one-year base contract with seven additional one-year option periods, is valued at a total of more than US$275 million. CAE USA became the prime contractor on the USAF KC-135 Training System program in 2010 and has now won the competitive recompete to continue delivering classroom and simulator training for KC-135 pilots and boom operators. CAE USA will also continue to provide updates and upgrades to KC-135 training devices, including KC-135 operational flight trainers and boom operator trainers. In addition, the KC-135 Training System contract now includes training support for the Air National Guard's Boom Operator Simulator System (BOSS). In total, CAE USA will support the training of more than 4,500 KC-135 crewmembers annually. “CAE USA did an outstanding job supporting the U.S. Air Force on the KC-135 training program over the past decade, and we are extremely pleased to win the recompete competition and remain the KC-135 training partner,” said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. CAE USA will be supported on the KC-135 Training System program by a team of industry partners, including Delaware Resource Group (DRG), Cardinal Point, FAAC, and CymSTAR. “The KC-135 Stratotanker plays a vital role in the U.S. Air Force's ability to deliver global reach, and we are honored to contribute to the training and readiness of the KC-135 aircrews who fly these essential tanker missions,” said Dan Gelston, Group President, Defense & Security, CAE. KC-135 Training System Site Background CAE USA will deliver KC-135 aircrew training to USAF active-duty, Air National Guard and reserve crewmembers at 12 sites in the United States and internationally: Altus Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma, which is the site of the formal training unit; Fairchild AFB, Washington; March Air Reserve Base (ARB), California; Scott AFB, Illinois; Grissom ARB, Indiana; MacDill AFB, Florida; General Mitchell Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Wisconsin; Rickenbacker ANGB, Ohio; Pittsburgh ANGB, Pennsylvania; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall, United Kingdom. In addition, the new KC-135 Training System contract includes training support for the Air National Guard KC-135 BOSS, which will be delivered at an additional 12 sites in the United States: Sioux City ANGB, Iowa; Lincoln ANGB, Nebraska; Forbes Field, Kansas; Phoenix ANGB, Arizona; Ronald Wright ANGB, Utah; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Bangor ANGB, Maine; McGuire AFB, New Jersey; Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Alabama; Selfridge ANGB, Michigan; McGee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee; Key Field, Mississippi. KC-135 BOSS training support will also be provided at Joint Base Pearl Harbor; Pittsburgh ANGB; General Mitchell ANGB; and Rickenbacker ANGB. https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/cae-usa-wins-competitive-recompete-of-u-s-air-force-kc-135-training-system-contract/
30 octobre 2023 | International, Terrestre
The U.S. Army published a request for prototype proposal for the Joint Effects Targeting System II in late 2022.