10 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

DSEI : US Navy makes a major breakthrough in autonomous weaponry

LONDON — The U.S. Navy has achieved a major milestone in its efforts to autonomously combat one of the most persistent threats it faces, the service's deputy head of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations' mine warfare office said Monday.

The Navy successfully demonstrated what's known as single-sortie mine hunting, which sends out an autonomous boat to sweep for mines with a sonar system, detect a mine-like object, classify it and then deploy another system that destroys the mine, according to Stephen Olson.

It's a significant achievement in the yearslong effort to “get the man out of the minefield” by deploying robots to perform a job traditionally performed by manned minesweepers and highly trained divers. Beyond the safety benefits, it also quickens the process. The successful test opens up the possibility of having a small cadre of human operators who can oversee whole packs of robots as they sweep minefields on their own.

“That single-sortied, detect-to-engage was a great example of something that would represent supervisory [control of unmanned systems],” Olson said. “It was a small group [of people] who oversaw the entire effort: Multiple systems were in operation together, working together and cueing each other.”

When reached for comment on the successful test, the Navy would not divulge further details.

“Currently the Navy cannot disclose any further details of the test beyond what Mr. Olson described,” Navy spokeswoman Lt. Brittany Stephens said.

The systems under development in the pursuit of single-sortie mine hunting are Textron's Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle, or CUSV, about the size of a bass boat, which deploys Raytheon's AQS-20 sonar system to detect the mines. After an operator authorizes an engagement, the Barracuda Expendable Mine Neutralizer is deployed to autonomously reacquire and destroy the mine.

“If you are familiar with mine warfare, it's painfully slow,” Olson said to an audience at the DSEI conference in London. “When leadership says, ‘We need to clear a minefield,' and you say, ‘How long do I have?,' they look at their watch when they should pull out a calendar. I'm going to tell them it is going to take weeks, and they're going to say: ‘I need it done now.' "

In May, a Raytheon executive told Defense News that the company was closing in on demonstrating the capability.

“All three of these pieces are maturing right around the same time,” Randy Brandenburg, a Raytheon business development executive with its Seapower Capability Systems division, said at the time. “We're working hard to put this together and we'll be demonstrating some of this ... this summer.”

‘Huge vulnerability'

The Navy is also moving in on the ability to deliver an effective counter-mine mission package to the littoral combat ship, albeit more than a decade late.

The mine-hunting mission package for LCS was supposed to achieve its initial operational capability declaration in 2008. But perhaps more importantly, the service may finally have an effective solution to combating a threat that has bedeviled it for years: cheap mines.

“In the past it has been mostly divers — we'd sent [explosive ordnance disposal teams] out to go neutralize mines by putting some kind of charge on it,” said Bryan Clark, a retired submarine officer and analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “It's a hugely complicated, multistage operation with a lot of people involved. So going to single-sortie mine hunting, you are really saving a lot of time, certainly by at least a third the time it takes to clear an area that has mines in it.

“You can now transition to a purely unmanned mine-clearance operation where I have a ship that has the AQS-20 getting towed behind the CUSV, searches for [a] mine and the CUSV can send out a mine-neutralization torpedo.”

The breakthrough with single-sortie will mean the Navy is only limited by how many robots it can buy to do the job.

“It's big not just because it gets people out of the minefield but because it's scalable now,” Clark said. “Once you take the people out the minefield, now you can search as big a minefield as I have unmanned vehicles, whereas in the past you were limited by how many minesweepers I have and how many humans I have to operate them. Scalability was constrained.”

Ultimately, getting this mission right will prove that autonomous systems can have an impact on war fighting, Clark added.

“This is the mission that the Navy absolutely had to get autonomous systems to go do,” he said. “It's crazy to have humans go out and remove mines. It's dangerous, it's not scalable, it takes forever — it's just a huge vulnerability that the Navy [has] that could be exploited by even the most primitive opponents.

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dsei/2019/09/10/the-us-navy-just-had-a-major-breakthrough-with-autonomous-weapons/

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6 août 2019 | International, Autre défense

Joint Statement: Australia-U.S. Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) 2019
Minister for Foreign Affairs Marise Payne and Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds hosted Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper on 4 August in Sydney for the 29th Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) to deepen economic, security, and strategic cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and globally. As Prime Minister Morrison and President Trump reaffirmed at the G20 in Osaka on June 27, Australia and the United States are the closest of allies. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings and the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing: momentous events in our shared history, and emblematic of Australia and the United States' long partnership in war and peace. Minister Payne and Secretary Pompeo agreed that our alliance today is more vital than ever, with our work together in the Indo-Pacific region the clear, shared focus. The Ministers and Secretaries emphasized the need for an increasingly networked structure of alliances and partnerships to maintain an Indo-Pacific that is secure, open, inclusive and rules-based; and where nations conduct themselves in ways that enhance regional stability, reinforce international law, and respect the sovereignty of all countries. Both countries stand ready to work with all nations to strengthen a regional order based on these principles. Australia and the United States underscored their shared commitment to the security, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region. Minister Payne and Secretary Pompeo welcomed ASEAN's recent ‘Outlook on the Indo-Pacific', which shares many of the underlying principles identified in our respective visions for the region, and discussed ways to support ASEAN in implementing its Outlook. Both nations reaffirmed their strong support for ASEAN centrality and the ASEAN-led regional architecture, underlining the value of the East Asia Summit as the region's premier Leaders-led forum for addressing political and security challenges. The principals shared a commitment to deepen cooperation with a range of partners, including with Japan and India, and welcomed the recent Trilateral Strategic Dialogue and Trilateral Defence Ministerial meetings as ways to advance trilateral policy coordination. The Ministers and Secretaries also welcomed the increased engagement in the Indo-Pacific by the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the EU, and expressed their readiness to further boost cooperation on development, infrastructure investment and defense cooperation. Both countries recognized the growing strategic and economic importance of India, and the significance of South Asia and the Indian Ocean region to ensuring an open, rules-based Indo-Pacific. They committed to further collaboration with India and other partners to support regional architecture, including IORA, regional infrastructure, and to deeper engagement with them on a broad range of security issues, including maritime security and oceans governance, cyber security, counter-terrorism and transnational crime. They committed to further support Southeast Asian states, in particular through maritime and other security cooperation, infrastructure development, and good governance. In maritime Southeast Asia they recognized the importance of Indonesia as a maritime axis between the Pacific and Indian Oceans while in the Mekong sub-region, they discussed U.S. and Australian initiatives to improve water governance, address transnational crime, expand connectivity, and support the Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) and the Mekong River Commission. In the Pacific, Australia and the United States intend to strengthen their cooperation with Pacific Island partners to realize the Pacific's vision for a region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion, and prosperity. They pledged to support Pacific partners to advance their economic and security priorities, including those set out in the Boe Declaration on Regional Security. Ministers and Secretaries affirmed support for democratic systems, encouraging strong civil society, countering foreign interference, combatting corruption, and fortifying institutions to help nations attract high-quality private investment and secure their sovereignty. Recognizing the immense demand for infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region, both countries reiterated their commitment to the G20 Principles for Quality Infrastructure Investment, which G20 leaders recently endorsed at the Osaka Summit. They pledged to apply these principles to projects in the region: through the Australia-Japan-U.S. Trilateral Infrastructure Partnership, the new Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, and the U.S. Development Finance Corporation. Minister Reynolds and Secretary Esper emphasized the importance of Australia-U.S. defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region – including through enhanced defense engagement and capacity building with partners in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Minister Reynolds and Secretary Esper underscored the importance of fostering closer industry partnership to safeguard supply chains through programs such as the Joint Strike Fighter. They noted Australia's inclusion in the US National Technology Industrial Base will strengthen their respective industrial bases and collaboration into the future. They also welcomed a major milestone in the Force Posture Initiatives, as the rotational deployment of U.S. Marines in Darwin has reached 2500 personnel in 2019. The principals emphasized the value of Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) in strengthening the alliance, and in deepening engagement with regional partners. Minister Reynolds and Secretary Esper affirmed their commitments to strengthening defense collaboration in science and technology, from research and development to missile defense, as well as coordinating security cooperation with partners in the region through joint training and exercise opportunities. They also noted this year's first iteration of Exercise Pacific Vanguard and looked forward to future exercises including the United States, Australia, the Republic of Korea and Japan. The principals expressed serious concerns at continued militarization of disputed features in the South China Sea. They strongly objected to coercive unilateral actions by any claimant state that could alter the status quo and increase tensions. The Ministers and Secretaries also expressed concern about disruptive activities in relation to long-standing oil and gas projects as well as fisheries in the South China Sea. They emphasized the importance of upholding freedom of navigation, overflight and other lawful uses of the sea and of all States' acting in accordance with international law. They called on all countries to make and pursue their maritime claims in accordance with international law, as reflected in the UN Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS). The Ministers and Secretaries underscored the importance of the July 2016 decision in the Philippines-China Arbitral Tribunal's Award, which is binding on the parties. They called for any Code of Conduct to: be fully consistent with international law, in particular UNCLOS; not prejudice the interests of third parties or the rights of states under international law; and support existing, inclusive regional architecture. The Ministers and Secretaries expressed concern about the potential establishment of new military bases that could undermine stability and sovereignty in the Indo-Pacific region. They exchanged views on recent reports, such as in relation to Cambodia, and undertook to remain in close contact on developments. Both countries reaffirmed the shared objective of North Korea abandoning all its weapons of mass destruction and missile programs as required by multiple UN Security Council Resolutions. Australian Ministers welcomed the United States' commitment to continue talks with North Korea toward the goal of final, fully verified denuclearization of North Korea. The Secretaries and Ministers intend to continue to work together closely, and with other partners, to maintain pressure on North Korea, including by implementing all existing UN Security Council Resolutions. The United States and Australia shared concerns about threats to freedom of navigation and the uninterrupted passage of maritime trade in the strategic sea-lanes in the Middle East, and noted that attacks on civilian shipping were of grave concern and a serious threat to the safety of navigation. Recalling the territorial defeat of ISIS (Da'esh) announced in March 2019, the Ministers and Secretaries reaffirmed their commitment to continuing cooperation under the US-led Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS (Da'esh). Australia and the United States are also working with NATO to ensure Afghanistan never again becomes a base for international terrorism. Both countries underscored the need to remain vigilant to the threat of the dispersal of foreign terrorist fighters across the region, including in Southeast Asia. The United States welcomed Australia's recent announcement of a further contribution of air assets in support of continuing Global Coalition efforts to defeat ISIS (Da'esh) remnants in Syria and Iraq, as well as Australia's financial contributions to support demining and other stabilization programs in Iraq. The principals underscored the crucial role that women play in peace and security work around the globe. Both nations remain committed to collaboration in protecting the human rights of women and girls in fragile and conflict-affected contexts and to promoting meaningful participation by women in conflict prevention, security responses, peacebuilding and relief and recovery efforts. Ministers and Secretaries commended U.S. and Australian leadership on the Global Health Security Agenda. They welcomed new initiatives, such as the U.S.-Australia Military Health Security Summit, and joint support for capacity building activities to mitigate infectious disease threats. The United States and Australia remain committed to realizing an open, interoperable, reliable, free and secure internet, and will increase collaboration, including with likeminded countries and the private sector, to advance this objective. The principals welcomed the recent G20 Leaders' Statement on Preventing Exploitation of the Internet for Terrorism and Violent Extremism Conducive to Terrorism, and reiterated the importance of online platforms stepping up the ambition and pace of their efforts to prevent terrorist and violent extremist content from being streamed, uploaded, or re-uploaded. Both nations also committed to promoting responsible state behavior in cyberspace. The Ministers and Secretaries affirmed the need for a new era in arms control that expands the number of states and weapon systems included in negotiated agreements and increases efforts to reduce nuclear risks. To this end, and without foreclosing the possibility of New START extension, they called on Russia and China to come to the table and join the United States in its efforts to advance a future-oriented agenda on arms control, building on the enduring importance of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Ministers and Secretaries intend to build resilience in sensitive sectors of our respective economies, including critical technologies, infrastructure, systems and minerals. The principals welcomed the strong relationship between the Australian Space Agency (ASA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the first Australia-U.S. Civil Space Dialogue. Both countries remain committed to working constructively with partners in multilateral fora to promote norms for appropriate behavior in outer space. The United States will host the next AUSMIN in 2020. https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1925222/australia-us-ministerial-consultations-ausmin-2019/source/GovDelivery/
6 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval

Forecast: Western Maritime Helicopter Deliveries/Retirements 2020-2029
July 06, 2020 Aviation Week Network forecasts that over the next ten years, 677 new, Western-designed helicopters performing maritime missions will be built, 114 will be re-engined/remanufactured, and 355 will be retired. Aviation Week defines this mission market as helicopters performing search and rescue (SAR) over bodies of water without special equipment, general-purpose helicopters based primarily on ships performing specifically maritime missions, or helicopters carrying specialized technology for anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare (ASW) missions and over-water airborne early warning (AEW) missions. The V-22 is included in the forecast due to the CMV-22B's role performing the traditional helicopter mission of vertical replenishment. The largest procurement of maritime helicopters this decade will be the U.S. Coast Guard's upgrade of its fleet of 95 Airbus MH-65Ds (based on the H155) to the MH-65E standard. The largest new-build procurement of maritime helicopters will be NH Industries NFH90s going to several European countries. While the NH90 still has a customer in Qatar, it has definitively failed to gain wider traction in the Middle East as it struggled to compete with Leonardo and Sikorsky offerings. Very close behind the NH90 is the ubiquitous Sikorsky S-70/H-60, with new-build helicopters in the next 10 years. The two largest procurements of maritime helicopters in the world both belong to the Indian Navy, which has a 123-aircraft Naval Multi-Role Helicopter (NMRH) requirement for anti-submarine warfare helicopters and a 111-aircraft Naval Utility Helicopters (NUH) requirement. Leonardo's continued blacklisting by India has removed its ability to compete for 2/3rd of the worlds yet -to-be-decided maritime helicopters but it remains a strong competitor for much of the remaining helicopters in open competitions and requirements. For more information about the 2020 Forecast and other Aviation Week data products, please see: http://pages.aviationweek.com/Forecasts  https://aviationweek.com/special-topics/vertical-lift/forecast-western-maritime-helicopter-deliveriesretirements-2020-2029
25 juillet 2019 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

David Norquist has one word for you: Analytics
By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's nominee for deputy defense secretary wants the Pentagon to apply data analytics and artificial intelligence to tackle jobs as diverse as technology development, the Pentagon audit and maintenance of the F-35 fighter jet. More broadly, David Norquist, the Pentagon comptroller who for most of this year has served as acting deputy defense secretary, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the U.S. needs to more heavily invest in developing technology to execute the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The strategy focuses on competition with Russia and China. The strategy will be “hampered without appropriate funding, development and timely fielding of emerging technologies, notably cyber, space, artificial intelligence, and missiles,” Norquist said in written responses to questions posed in advance by the committee. He called modernizing the military to compete, deter and, if needed, prevail in a high-end fight one of the job's most significant challenges. Per the 2017 defense policy law, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics was split between new undersecretaries of defense for research and engineering (R&E) and acquisition and sustainment (A&S). The R&E office was stood up specifically to push new technologies forward more quickly. Yet, the Pentagon “has made very little progress” to manifest those “key” changes, meant in part to help the Pentagon better harness advanced technologies, SASC ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., cautioned Norquist. He obtained Norquist's commitment to ensure the department implements the law. SASC Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Reed cited the need to better manage the Pentagon's acquisitions bureaucracy, acknowledging that a pending bipartisan budget agreement has created new headroom and stability. “Today, we find ourselves in a new and different moment in American security,” Inhofe said. “The American people take our military superiority for granted. China and Russia have passed us in a lot of key areas that we have discussed.” “Our overmatch in areas a decade ago was very clear. That overmatch has diminished,” Reed said, adding that the Department of Defense must extend its tech development efforts into academia and the private sector. Norquist also touted the administration's request for a $32 billion increase in research and development, to include cyber, missile range, hypersonics and lasers — but he called out artificial intelligence as unique. “Artificial Intelligence is different because the potential benefits are less clear; you know what you're going to get with a hypersonic missile,” he said. “But artificial intelligence has the potential to change a lot about how we use [unmanned aerial vehicles] and other items. That puts an emphasis on analytical skills, researching and prototyping." In a related exchange, Norquist touted a DoD project to harness AI in disasters to find people in need of rescue through video analysis — and said he wants more work with the private sector on similar projects. Norquist's hearing comes on the heels of the Senate's overwhelming confirmation of Mark Esper, the former Army secretary, as the 27th secretary of defense. Confirmation for Norquist and Esper, who replaces Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, is expected to hasten an end to the vacancies in other top Pentagon jobs. The hearing lasted 100 minutes and went smoothly, with the tone set at the very start, when Inhofe said he would vote for him. Inhofe said he had recommended Norquist to the president as an ideal No. 2 for a Pentagon with more than a dozen open civilian positions at the top. “I remember telling the president it doesn't matter who's secretary of defense,” Inhofe said, “as long as you have Norquist.” https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/07/24/norquist-has-one-word-for-you-analytics/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2007.25.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

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