F-35 Costs Drop for Building Jets But Rise for Operating Them

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  22 octobre 2019 | International, Terrestre

  The field narrows in US Army’s light robotic combat vehicle competition

  By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army has invited four teams to compete to build prototypes for its future light Robotic Combat Vehicle, according to an announcement on the National Advanced Mobility Consortium's website. Out of a large pool of white paper submissions, a Textron and Howe & Howe team, a team of Qinetiq North America and Pratt & Miller, HDT Global and Oshkosh were each issued a request for prototype proposal. The Army plans to procure a light, medium and heavy RCV as part of an effort to bring next-generation combat vehicle capability to the force by 2028. The RCV-Light competition is being managed by the NAMC. While the Army is the decision maker, the consortium is tasked to execute the competition and is also running the RCV-Medium effort. The Army is expected to award up to two contracts toward the end of the second quarter of this fiscal year to deliver four non-developmental RCV-L surrogate vehicles for government evaluation, testing and manned-unmanned teaming experimentation over the course of a year. The RCV-M effort is not far behind the RCV-L as white paper submissions are currently being evaluated for down-select. NAMC also executed a week-long RCV market research demonstration with the Army at Texas A&M's RELLIS campus in May in order to better inform requirements. Out of the companies chosen to move forward, only Oshkosh was not present at the event. At the Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference, Textron and Howe & Howe dramatically unveiled their RCV Ripsaw M5, which is based on Howe & Howe's deep history of building unmanned ground vehicles, but adds technology like scalable armor and suspension and drive options to cope with the challenges expected in the future fight. FLIR Systems is also part of the team, contributing advanced sensors. “Bringing together Howe & Howe, Textron Systems and FLIR Systems really represents a dream team,” Textron's CEO Lisa Atherton, said in a statement released at the show. “We formed this team based on our shared focus to serve this customer with disruptive ideas and proven experience, and we are dedicated to meeting and exceeding their requirements through the RCV program.” The team told Defense News before AUSA that it planned to submit a version of Ripsaw both for the light and medium variant of the Army's RCV. HDT brought its Hunter WOLF to AUSA, and Qinetiq North America announced its partnership with Pratt & Miller at the show. Qinetiq and Pratt & Miller plan to submit a variant of the Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV) tailored for the Army's needs. The offering combines Qinetiq's modular open-architecture control systems with Pratt & Miller's advanced mobility platform. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2019/10/21/the-field-narrows-in-light-robotic-combat-vehicle-competition/

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  15 octobre 2019 | International, Terrestre

  How Army IT modernization is reshaping this cadre of soldiers

  By: Mark Pomerleau The Army's efforts to modernize its tactical networks and information technology are expected to reshape its signal corps, according to service officials. One of the Army's efforts includes creating what is known as “expeditionary signal battalion-enhanced," or ESB-E. Expeditionary signal battalions support units that don't have organic communications capabilities. These groups could include military intelligence battalions, chemical battalions, engineering battalions or air defense artillery branches. However, the Army realized it took too long to get equipment to theater, and the units said the gear performed too slowly on the battlefield, Sgt. Maj. Wendle Marshall, the head of 50th ESB-E, told C4ISRNET during a September trip to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In response, the service adopted a more expeditionary approach, hence the “enhanced.” The Army as a whole is working to be more expeditionary and mobile to stay ahead of potential future threats, which will require units to move rapidly. Mobility extends to the overall tactical network modernization effort, for which the ESB-E is part of the first iteration of development to the force in 2021. The 50th ESB-E is the experimental unit, and three of its companies each received different equipment to test. When the Army receives feedback from those units and makes a decision on fielding, it will retrofit the entire battalion with the same gear. In 2021, the Army plans to outfit three ESB-Es out of 24 total ESBs. The biggest difference between the enhanced version of these battalions? Advancements in technology allow them to be more mobile and use less equipment while proving more capable. Soldiers described to C4ISRNET the difference in equipment between two sister battalions in the same signal brigade — one being an enhanced battalion. Based on the current configuration of a company in a typical battalion, six vehicles are needed to establish communications for a battalion or brigade — three vehicles and three trailers totaling six drivers — and three to seven C-17 planes to transport the vehicles. The enhanced versions can deploy that same company in a single C-17 requiring just a four-seat Humvee and one trailer to house equipment and personal gear. “If we had to get somewhere fast, we would not be able to provide the combat power as effective or fast as the ESB-E would,” Lt. Col. Trey Matchin, commander of 67th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, a sister battalion of the 50th located at Fort Gordon, Georgia, told C4ISRNET. Marshall said the enhanced battalions also aren't constrained to just satellite communications. “This kit's allowing us to change force structure to meet the needs of the Army,” Col. Matthew Foulk, commander of 35th Signal Brigade, which includes the 50th and 67th, told C4ISRNET in August. Moreover, with less equipment, soldiers' loads are lighter, they are more multifunctional and they rely less on contractor support. “ESB-Es being fielded is going to come to an apex at the perfect time. Which is creating a more multifunctional soldier instead of ‘I only do SATCOM [satellite communications] or I only do baseband, I only do radios.' We're getting away from that,” Foulk said. Marshall demonstrated how the motor pool for the 50th is smaller and simplified compared to sister battalions. One prominent example is an operations cell in which soldiers work on their kits as opposed to contractors. This allows war fighters to become proficient on systems ahead of exercises. https://www.c4isrnet.com/show-reporter/ausa/2019/10/15/how-army-it-modernization-is-reshaping-this-cadre-of-soldiers

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  26 février 2024 | International, Terrestre

  Austria converts Pandur vehicles into air defence systems with Sky Ranger

  Rheinmetall serves as a subcontractor to General Dynamics, as it delivers air defence systems to be integrated onto Austria’s new 6x6 Pandur vehicles.