Cubic Wins Contract from US Special Operations Command to Deliver Satellite and Baseband Communications

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  18 février 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  Viola Amherd veut toujours les avions de combat

  Christine Talos/ats Suisse: La nouvelle cheffe de l'armée entend poursuivre l'acquisition de nouveaux jets et d'un système de défense sol-air. Mais elle demande un avis externe supplémentaire. La nouvelle cheffe du département de la Défense, Viola Amherd, ne tire pas un trait sur les futurs avions de combat et le système de défense sol-air de longue portée. Un chantier lancé par son prédecesseur Guy Parmelin. Elle ne veut toutefois pas trancher trop vite. Dans un communiqué, son département fait savoir que la Valaisanne entend poursuivre l'acquisition de nouveaux jets. Néanmoins, est-il précisé, avant de soumettre au Conseil fédéral une proposition concrète, elle souhaite se faire une «image complète» du projet. Raison pour laquelle elle sollicite un avis externe supplémentaire sur le rapport d'experts «Avenir de la défense aérienne» paru en mai 2017. Elle poursuit par ailleurs les entretiens avec des spécialistes de son département. Nouvelle analyse des menaces La ministre demande en outre une nouvelle analyse interne actualisée des menaces pour la comparer aux évaluations précédentes et en tirer toutes les conséquences utiles pour le programme Air2030. Une fois la situation éclaircie, le Conseil fédéral se penchera à nouveau sur le renouvellement des moyens de protection de l'espace aérien. Cela devrait être le cas au cours du premier semestre 2019, précise le département. Il s'agira de déterminer comment répondre à la demande du Parlement, qui veut que le peuple puisse trancher dès que possible sur le principe de l'acquisition de nouveaux avions de combat. La question devrait être tranchée indépendamment du type d'avion et l'achat s'effectuer dans le cadre du budget de l'armée. Projet critiqué L'année dernière, le Conseil fédéral avait opté pour un arrêté de planification pouvant être combattu par référendum. Celui-ci porte sur l'achat de nouveaux jets mais aussi de moyens de défense sol-air de longue portée. Le renouvellement devrait être achevé d'ici à fin 2030. Plusieurs conditions devraient être remplies. La facture totale ne devrait pas dépasser 8 milliards de francs. Les entreprises étrangères avec lesquelles des contrats seront signés devraient compenser le 100% de la valeur des contrats par des affaires compensatoires en Suisse. Lors de la consultation, le projet a été diversement accueilli. Le PLR et le PDC l'ont rejeté. Ils ont notamment critiqué l'idée de lier dans un même paquet l'achat de jets et le renouvellement de la défense sol-air. Les Verts n'apprécient quant à eux pas que l'on se prononce sans connaître encore le type, la quantité ou le coût du matériel qui sera choisi. Pour le PS, les 8 milliards prévus sont trop élevés. La moitié suffirait. L'UDC veut au moins 9 milliards. Chantier ouvert Guy Parmelin a laissé le chantier en passant au Département de l'économie. Il n'en a pas moins déjà fixé les exigences pour le nouveau paquet d'acquisitions. Cinq jets seront évalués. De ce côté-ci de l'Atlantique, on retrouve le Gripen E suédois (Saab), le Rafale français (Dassault) et l'européen Eurofighter (Airbus). S'y ajoutent deux avions américains: le successeur du FA-18, le Super Hornet de Boeing, et le F-35A de Lockheed-Martin. Pour la défense sol-air, trois systèmes sont dans la course: le SAMP/T français (eurosam), l'israélien David's Sling (Rafael) et l'américain Patriot (Raytheon). (nxp) https://www.24heures.ch/suisse/Viola-Amherd-veut-toujours-les-avions-de-combat/story/29101849

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  8 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  Northrop Grumman to Support the Australian Defence Force’s Joint Data Network

  CANBERRA, Australia – November 6, 2019 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract by the Australian Defence Force Tactical Data Link Authority (ADFTA) to deliver tactical data link (TDL) systems and training as part of the development of the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) Joint Data Network. ADFTA ensures TDL-functionality to achieve single, joint and combined TDL interoperability for the ADF. “Northrop Grumman has extensive experience in networking and tactical data links across multi-domain forces, and a robust capability roadmap that will deliver increasingly enhanced data link technology in the years ahead,” said Chris Deeble, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia. “The Northrop Grumman engineers that delivered the F-35 Multifunction Advanced Data Link and communications, navigation and identification technologies will now be developing the ADF's future TDL technology.” The technology at the core of Northrop Grumman's advanced multi-TDL system provides vital connectivity between legacy 4th generation platforms and advanced 5th generation platforms, as well as future data links and networks. This is critical as forces seek to maximize the long term value of existing platforms and systems by making certain that they can interoperate with emergent 5th generation capabilities. As a leading global systems integrator and data link provider, Northrop Grumman's experience includes the software and hardware of individual communication systems; and the architectures, implementation and scalability of TDL systems and services. Awarded earlier this year, the three-year contract advances the long-term relationship between Northrop Grumman and ADFTA. Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews, for more information. View source version on Northrop Grumman Corporation: https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-to-support-the-australian-defence-forces-joint-data-network

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  4 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Astroscale leaps into the satellite servicing fray

  Nathan Strout The American unit of Astroscale Holdings is entering the satellite life-extension market with the purchase of an Israeli company that specializes in developing on-orbit servicing solutions. Astroscale U.S. has acquired Effective Space Solutions, which develops life-extension solutions for satellites in geostationary orbit, or GEO. In addition to adding ESS' intellectual property to its portfolio, Astroscale is hiring all of the company's staff to form Astroscale Israel Ltd., which will remain in that country and serve as Astroscale's research and development group for geostationary satellite life-extension services. Astroscale, a global company based in Japan, is best known for its efforts to remove space debris from orbit. The company expects to demonstrate its end-of-life service later this year, which will see an Astroscale space vehicle capture debris and de-orbit it. But with this purchase the company is scaling up its understanding of — and ambitions for — on-orbit servicing. “Really, we've started thinking about the debris remediation part of the market as a subset of on-orbit services. It's one thing you can do once you have a satellite up there that can rendezvous and dock with other satellites,” said Ron Lopez, president and managing director of Astroscale U.S. “We're bringing all of those resources to bear to move into the GEO life-extension business, to complement what we're doing in [low Earth orbit] LEO on the debris and the situational space awareness side.” Astroscale claims that with its debris removal efforts in LEO and its new GEO life-extension effort, the company is now the only business solely dedicated to on-orbit servicing across all orbital regimes. Eventually, Astroscale could add satellite refueling, repair, upgrading, towing, salvage, situational space awareness and on-orbit manufacturing to its future portfolio for logistics services. But for now, the company is focused on providing life-extension services — supplanting the exhausted fuel reserves of a client satellite with the propulsion provided by an attached space vehicle. ESS' Space Drone platform will be used as the base for Astroscale's first life-extension vehicle. Lopez couldn't give a timeline for when the first life-extension mission would begin, stating that the timeline would be driven by customer demand. He added that he is in talks with potential customers. Astroscale will face some stiff competition as it enters the still nascent satellite-servicing market. SpaceLogistics, a Northrop Grumman subsidiary, successfully docked its own space vehicle with a commercial GEO satellite in February, marking the beginning of the first-ever commercial satellite life-extension mission. SpaceLogistics has also made important inroads with the Department of Defense. The company is working with the DoD to study the feasibility of providing life-extension services to four military satellites. And shortly after the firm's successful docking with a commercial satellite in February, the company announced it will partner with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to field a pair of government-built robotic arms for on-orbit repairs. Astroscale also sees the DoD as an important customer for any GEO servicing efforts. “U.S. strategy right now is very heavily focused on space, specifically on building resiliency and achieving greater operational flexibility, which this kind of capability will allow U.S. government customers to do,” Lopez said. The company does not have any DoD contracts to date, but Lopez said it's in communication with key U.S. government stakeholders and has presented its solution to DoD representatives. Lopez also sees strong commercial interest in on-orbit servicing, which underpins the company's business plan and would allow the government to leverage commercial prices. Ultimately, Lopez believes Astroscale is well-positioned to compete. “Even though we're small, we're nimble and we have a real, meaningful global footprint,” he said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/06/03/astroscale-leaps-into-the-satellite-servicing-fray