Editorial: Why Coronavirus Cannot Kill Aviation

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  11 juin 2018 | International, Terrestre

  France to double military vehicle order, asking for multiple variants

  By: Pierre Tran VERSAILLES, France ― France is to double its order for the Light VBMR reconnaissance vehicle, a key element in the French Army's €10 billion (U.S. $12 billion) Scorpion modernization program. An additional 420 Light VBMR units are to be ordered, taking the total to 978, according to Erwan, the director of the Scorpion modernization program at Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office. Erwan, whose last name is not used for security reasons, spoke to the press May 16. A first delivery of the Light VBMR is due in 2022, with 489 shipped by 2025. In addition to the highly equipped 489, there will be a further 200 units ordered, with the latter more lightly equipped units, according to the annex of the draft multiyear military budget law for 2019-2025. That raises the total of Light VBMRs to 689 delivered by 2025. After 2025 and out to 2032, there will be a further 978 ordered for Scorpion, and 1,060 ordered outside of the program, with a total of 2,038 for that period. A first delivery of an armored personnel carrier version of Light VBMR is due in 2021, a reconnaissance model in 2022 and a communications variant in 2023. A wide spectrum of missions will be covered, as there will be 16 versions of the vehicle, with 10 of the APC, two for recon and four for comms. Nexter will design, build and service the vehicles, while Texelis will supply the chassis and driveline. Nexter's factory at Roanne, central France, will build the Light VBMR, adding to the workload generated by orders for the Griffon troop carrier and the Jaguar combat and reconnaissance vehicle. The Light VBMR weighs 15-17 tons, can reach a speed of 100 kph and has a range of 600 kilometers. That weight compares to the French Army's initial requirement for a 10-ton vehicle, before industry called that unrealistic. One of the vehicles can be airlifted on a C-130, while two can fit on the A400M transport aircraft. Regarding the latter, the vehicles can be fully equipped for combat and still be successfully loaded. The vehicle is armed with a remote controlled 7.62mm machine gun, a minigun at the rear and self-protection with a Galix smoke dispenser. The vehicle can carry 10 people ― eight troops, a driver and a gunner. France is also to order an upgrade for 200 Leclerc main battle tanks, with a first delivery of a modernized tank in 2021, Erwan said. Sensors and the Bull SICS battle management system, or Scorpion Information Communication System, will bring the tank into the Scorpion's so-called collaborative combat concept, which seeks to heighten teamwork on the ground and with commanders at the regimental level. An order for the Griffon multipurpose troop carrier is to be raised to ”a target“ of 1,872, up 150 units from a previous total, Erwan said. A first delivery is due by the end of the year, with certification in the second quarter of 2019. Some 936 units are due by 2025. Contracts for those increased orders are expected to be signed later this year after the French Parliament formally adopts the draft military budget law, expected in July. That boost in orders follows the Army's call for a speedy introduction of the new armored vehicles, to replace an aging fleet of VAB troop carriers. There is a 2,700-strong fleet of VABs, which are some 40 years old. The briefing by Erwan was on a press trip organized by Gicat, the French trade association for makers of land weapons, ahead of the Eurosatory trade show, which runs June 11-15. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/eurosatory/2018/06/08/france-to-double-military-vehicle-order-asking-for-multiple-variants/

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  6 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  Triumph and Embraer Collaborate to Demonstrate Advancements in Thermoplastic Structures

  Berwyn, Pa., November 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Triumph Group (NYSE: TGI) and Embraer announced today a cooperative agreement to jointly develop and demonstrate the airworthiness of a thermoplastic primary structure in flight. Triumph Aerospace Structures has been developing a thermoplastic elevator assembled using induction welding. The primary detail parts for the elevator structure will be made of unidirectional carbon reinforced thermoplastic material, a first for the industry. "Triumph has made great progress in the innovation of thermoplastic structure joining," said Dave Dennison, Vice President of Engineering for Triumph Aerospace Structures. "We are excited to demonstrate the major leap in the technical maturity we have developed in large thermoplastic primary structures and induction welding." Embraer will integrate the thermoplastic elevator structure in an aircraft platform and perform in-flight tests to demonstrate the technology readiness. "Working with Triumph to achieve a certifiable component has been a rewarding experience. Thermoplastics manufacturing and integration can certainly add value to our products, said Richard S. Oliveira, PhD, Composites Specialist for the Chief Engineering Office, Embraer S.A. Triumph has made significant investment in thermoplastic technology, and an in-flight testing of the elevator will demonstrate the technology is ready to progress from the lab into production. About Embraer A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer celebrates its 50th anniversary with businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales. Since it was founded in 1969, Embraer has delivered more than 8,000 aircraft. On average, about every 10 seconds an aircraft manufactured by Embraer takes off somewhere in the world, transporting over 145 million passengers a year. Embraer is the leading manufacturer of commercial jets up to 150 seats and the main exporter of high value-added goods in Brazil. The company maintains industrial units, offices, service and parts distribution centers, among other activities, across the Americas, Africa, Asia and Europe. About Triumph Group Triumph Group, Inc., headquartered in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, designs, engineers, manufactures, repairs and overhauls a broad portfolio of aerospace and defense systems, components and structures. The company serves the global aviation industry, including original equipment manufacturers and the full spectrum of military and commercial aircraft operators. More information about Triumph can be found on the company's website at www.triumphgroup.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/triumph-and-embraer-collaborate-to-demonstrate-advancements-in-thermoplastic-structures-300950054.html SOURCE Triumph Group View source version on Triumph Group: http://ir.triumphgroup.com/file/Index?KeyFile=400806303

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  14 mai 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Special Operators Predict AC-130J Will Be 'Most Requested' Aircraft

  Military.com 9 May 2018 By Oriana Pawlyk HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. -- "That's the sound America makes when she's angry." That's how Col. Tom Palenske, commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing, characterized the AC-130 gunship after two aircraft fired hundreds of rounds from their 40mm and 105mm cannons and 25mm Gatling gun in the skies above A-77, a range specially made for target practice. Palenske, also the installation commander here, says crews can't wait for the next best thing: the AC-130J Ghostrider. "It's going to be awesome. It's our big gun truck. It's going to have more powerful engines, a more efficient fuel rate, and also has a more precise fuel capability so you know exactly how much gas you've got on board," he said. Palenske caught up with Military.com during a tour of Air Force Special Operations Command aircraft and a live-fire training exercise on ranges used by Hurlburt and neighboring Eglin Air Force Base as part of Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson's recent trip to AFSOC. "You can keep the sensors on the bad guys longer," Palenske said, referring to the J-model's ability to stay airborne longer due to better fuel management. Along with the 105mm cannon the U-models sport, the AC-130J will be equipped with a 30mm cannon "almost like a sniper rifle ... it's that precise, it can pretty much hit first shot, first kill," he said. "It's also going to have AGM-176 [Griffin] missiles on the back, so you can put 10 missiles on the back of them. And two of the tubes are reloadable, so those missiles, they're sitting in the tube backward so the tail's pointing out, [and] they eject out of the airplane, right-side themselves and shoot like a forward-fired missile," Palenske said. The J-model will have the ability to launch 250-pound small-diameter bombs (SDB), GPS- or laser-guided, he added. The aircraft is expected to carry AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, interchangeable with the SDBs on its wing pylons. The model achieved initial operational capability in September. The fourth-generation J is slated to replace the AC-130H/U/W models, with delivery of the final J- model sometime in 2021, according to the Air Force. The service plans to buy 32 of the aircraft. Crews here expect the J to be deployed in late 2019 or early 2020 and are optimistic about its progress. In January, the Pentagon's Office of the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation said fire control systems associated with the plane's left-hand-side 30mm GAU-23/A cannon had issues, including being knocked out of alignment when fired and needing to be re-centered repeatedly by an operator. The AC-130W Stinger II and J-model are the only variants of the gunship to use the Orbital ATK-made cannon. "That was drastically exaggerated," Palenske said in response to the problems cited in the report. Officials said some of the issues were already being fixed by the time the report was made public. Now, "all of the gun actuating systems are electric as opposed to hydraulic. Hydraulic's sloppy," Palenske said, referring to the gun mounts that previously used hydraulics to aim the weapons. "And remember, we're just bringing this thing online. You can't expect to slap this thing together ... and have that thing come out perfect," he said. "From soup to nuts, it's all run by computers and computer programs. But it's going to [be] the most lethal, with the most loiter time, probably the most requested weapons system from ground forces in the history of warfare. That's my prediction," Palenske said. There are two electro-optical/infrared sensor/laser designator pods on the gunship, a significant upgrade from the U-model. The U-model "has an older Raytheon ALQ-39 and a L3/Wescam MX-15," Lt. Col. Pete Hughes, an AFSOC spokesman, said in a follow-up email. The J-model has two L3/Wescam MX-20 electro-optical/infrared sensor/laser designator pods. "The upgraded sensors provide greater resolution at longer distances," he said. The new sensors can zoom in well enough to identify a shoe on the ground and will be able to share information with fifth-generation aircraft such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, officials said. In the future, AC-130 crews also hope to incorporate a high-energy laser aboard the gunship. Palenske said the laser will be the ultimate ace in the hole, making disabling other weapons systems easier. "If you're flying along and your mission is to disable an airplane or a car, like when we took down Noriega back in the day, now as opposed to sending a Navy SEAL team to go disable [aircraft] on the ground, you make a pass over that thing with an airborne laser, and burn a hole through its engine," he said. Palenske was referring to Operation Nifty Package to capture and remove Panamanian leader Manuel Noriega from power in 1989, during which a SEAL team "disable[d] his aircraft so he couldn't escape." With a laser, "it's just like that. And you just keep going on, and there's no noise, no fuss, nobody knows it happened. They don't know the thing's broken until they go and try to fire it up," he said. The transition to the J-model will happen simultaneously in the AC gunship community and the MC-130 Combat Talon special mission community, as older C-130 models are divested "in an elegant ballet" to make sure commandos and ground forces are covered, Palenske said. The Air Force is procuring more MC-130J models -- used for clandestine missions; low-level air refueling for helicopter and tiltrotor aircraft; and infiltration, exfiltration, and resupply of special operations forces -- but is still using H-models in deployed locations. Palenske said having a standard aircraft in not only the gunship community but also the MC community will be less of a strain on maintainers. "Imagine the efficiency in the parts supply [for] the maintainers. You can keep less people in harm's way because the people that are going to maintain the systems on [both of] those, they can do it," he said. https://www.military.com/dodbuzz/2018/05/09/special-operators-predict-ac-130j-will-be-most-requested-aircraft.html