DARPA Seeks Tools to Capture Underground Worlds in 3D

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  3 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  Turkey launches F-16 life-extension program amid lack of replacement aircraft

  By: Burak Ege Bekdil   ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's procurement and defense authorities have launched a program designed to increase the structural life of the country's existing fleet of F-16 Block 30 jets from 8,000 flight hours to 12,000, the country's top procurement official announced. Ismail Demir, who leads the Presidency of Defence Industries, wrote in a Feb. 2 tweet that the comprehensive upgrade program would involve revisions, renewals, replacements and body reinforcement. “The upgrades will cover 1,200 to 1,500 parts per aircraft,” Demir said. Caglar Kurc, a Turkish defense analyst, said the upgrade program indicates Turkey's intention to keep the F-16s as its main aerial firepower until the country completes work on its planned indigenous fighter jet. “In addition to the F-16s, [armed and unarmed] drones could be used to support, particularly, anti-terror missions,” Kurc said. Turkey has been seeking options for a new-generation fighter after it was suspended from the American-led, multinational Joint Strike Fighter program that builds the F-35 Lightning II. Turkish Aerospace Industries will perform the structural upgrades for the F-16s as part of an ongoing upgrade program. TAI is currently building 30 new F-16 Block 50+ aircraft for the Turkish Air Force and is running an upgrade program covering more than 160 F-16 Block 30/40/50 aircraft. Turkey's indigenous fighter program, dubbed TF-X (or MMU in its Turkish acronym), has been crawling over the past years due to technological failures and issues with know-how transfers. Turkish engineers must first select an engine for the planned aircraft before finalizing the design phase. TAI has been in talks with British engine-maker Rolls-Royce for engine know-how and co-production, but a final contract has yet to emerge. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/02/02/turkey-launches-f-16-life-extension-program-amid-lack-of-replacement-aircraft/

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  29 octobre 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Demand for New and Refurbished Aircraft and Need for Lightweighting Materials Fuel Aerospace Adhesives and Coatings Sector Growth

  LONDON, Oct. 29, 2018 /CNW/ -- Current and evolving growth prospects in the global aerospace adhesives and coatings market look promising over the next six years. Frost & Sullivan's analysis forecasts the market to reach $1.90 billion by the end of 2024, driven by an increasing need for lighter materials, investment in technically advanced products, evolving regulations, and high-volume demand for new and refurbished aircraft. "While manufacturers are increasingly investing in product development to enhance environmental sustainability and product efficiency, customers are seeking out products that are easy to apply, highly durable, quick drying, lighter in weight, environmentally sustainable, and regulatory compliant," said Christeena Thomas, Senior Research Analyst,Chemicals and Materials, EIA at Frost & Sullivan. For further information on this analysis, please visit http://frost.ly/2vs Merger and acquisition activities are expected to continue, with global companies acquiring small manufacturers to access their products, technical competences, distribution channels, and customer bases. To gain a competitive advantage, Thomas recommends manufacturers invest in developing adhesive formulations that are superior in properties such as durability and UV resistance and compatible with multiple substrates while exhibiting reduced overall weight after application. Key trends creating growth opportunities in the market include: A boost in unmanned aerial vehicle demand in commercial, defence, and general aviation segments due to decreased technology costs High demand for adhesives and coatings in the defence and aerospace segments in the Asia-Pacific and Rest of World countries with increased investments in domestic manufacturing and operations Customer demands for newer, high-performance adhesives and coatings Growth in defense spending in the aerospace sector due to changing global economic conditions Growing demand for adhesive and coatings formulations that are compatible with robotic applications Replacement of traditionally used heavy fasteners with lighter-weight adhesives "Programs such as Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) in the European Union, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are expected to increase the research and development and transaction costs that businesses incur when developing and distributing new types of chemical compounds," noted Thomas. "In addition, extensive testing, verification, and approval cycles delay product launches, resulting in significant time and costs for material suppliers." Growth Opportunities in the Global Aerospace Adhesives and Coatings Market, Forecast to 2024 market intelligence identifies disruptive market and technology trends, drivers and restraints, market share and competitive analysis. Percent unit shipment forecast by technology, application, chemistry, and end-industry for Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific and Rest of World are also provided. Growth Opportunities in the Global Aerospace Adhesives and Coatings Market, Forecast to 2024 is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan's Visionary Science research and analysis available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organisations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future. About Frost & Sullivan For over five decades, Frost & Sullivan has become world-renowned for its role in helping investors, corporate leaders and governments navigate economic changes and identify disruptive technologies, Mega Trends, new business models and companies to action, resulting in a continuous flow of growth opportunities to drive future success. Contact us: Start the discussion. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/demand-for-new-and-refurbished-aircraft-and-need-for-lightweighting-materials-fuel-aerospace-adhesives-and-coatings-sector-growth-698876461.html

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  21 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Pentagon Pumps $3B Into Industry As COVID-19 Delays Loom

  PENTAGON: The Pentagon's acquisition chief today said she expects major defense programs to be delayed by around three months due to COVID-19 closures and disruptions, while DoD rushes to pump $3 billion into the defense industry to bolster programs at greatest risk. Speaking to reporters here this morning, Lord said she expects to have to ask the White House and Congress for “billions” more to reimburse contractors affected by work delays and broken supply chains. “We believe it will cost us something,” she said, declining to get any more specific than “billions” of dollars. The months-long delays to programs will likely be spread throughout the defense industry as small parts suppliers shut down operations for days or weeks at a time. “We're looking at schedule delays and inefficiencies and so forth: this isn't about a particular program.” Lord singled out “a slowdown in the shipyards, to an extent. Aviation is actually the most highly impacted sector we have right now.” It's unclear what programs are at highest risk, but the Navy has been bullish on speeding up its new frigate program to award contracts some time this summer. If work slowdowns continue, that could be pushed further down the road. The Army and Navy have also been moving ahead on their nascent hypersonic weapons program, with a series of critical tests planned this year. Lord pointedly suggested that large defense companies need to start pushing more money into their supplier base to ensure small parts suppliers don't go out of business, further impacting new programs and ongoing maintenance efforts. She did praise Lockheed and Boeing for increasing cash flow to lower-tier suppliers, then not-so-subtly says, she is “hoping for similar public announcements from other major primes.” Last month, Lockheed said it would advance more than $100 million to suppliers hurt by the slowdown, and this week Boeing said it was reopening the Philadelphia-area facility where it makes the Chinook, the V-22 Osprey and other helicopters. The Pentagon is starting to award higher progress payment rates this week, pumping $3 billion dollars in increased cash flow to industry. “We try to anticipate the problems and work with the companies to keep going to the greatest degree possible,” Lord said. As part of that effort, DoD's first priority is the modernization process of the nuclear triad, she said: “we look at the Missile Defense Agency, we look at the critical capabilities. We're looking where the greatest pain points are.” While she singled out Lockheed and Boeing, shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls is making a push to speed up contracts and get money into the hands of sub-tier suppliers early, in order to ensure companies way down the supply base food chain can continue chugging along. In a recent interview, company representatives told me they've reached out to over 2,000 suppliers in 48 of the 50 US states. “We need their products today, but we also need them in 90 days, so we want to help them brave the storm,” said Lucas Hicks, vice president of new construction aircraft carrier programs. “We've actually changed some payment terms on some of our supplier contracts to try to make sure that we can front them what they need to stay afloat. We're doing some creative stuff to try and help them be able to weather the storm.” The Department's efforts to backstop the defense industrial base while taking steps to protect its workforce and purchase critical protective clothing like facemasks is still in its relative stages, despite the COVID-19 pandemic having been with us for months. “We are just really beginning to pick up momentum,” Lord said. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/04/pentagon-pumps-3b-into-industry-as-covid-19-delays-loom