F-35 jet deliveries can resume following waiver for Chinese-origin alloy, Pentagon says

Sur le même sujet

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  25 avril 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  US, Japan say they’ll get to F-35 wreckage first – concerns China will reach crash site dismissed

  DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Top defence officials from the U.S. and Japan say they are confident they'll reach the wreckage of a F-35 stealth fighter jet before China does, even though there are no indications that country is actively searching for the downed plane. There has been speculation from various media outlets that either Russia or China would seek to recover the parts of the F-35 to better understand its stealth and other technology. At an April 19 joint news conference the U.S. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan and Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya addressed such concerns but dismissed any worries the aircraft would be recovered by any nation other than the U.S. or Japan. “The Japanese have the lead there, and we're working very collaboratively with them,” Shanahan explained. “And we've got a capability if what they have doesn't prove to be sufficient.” Shanahan was asked whether he was concerned China could get to the wreckage first. “No, I'm not,” he responded. Japanese Defence Minister Takeshi Iwaya also expressed confidence. “We don't have such possibility, absolutely no,” he said. “We are conducting surveillance and warning activities so we can identify and find the missing aircraft.” He was speaking through a translator. The F-35 crashed in an area in the Pacific Ocean which is estimated to be around 5,000 feet deep. Japan is using a submarine and other vessels to search for the wreckage. The aircraft went missing on April 9 about 30 minutes after taking off from Misawa air base in northern Japan. The aircraft was flying with three other F-35As in a night training mission. The next day the Japanese military confirmed that the aircraft had crashed and some debris had been recovered. “This is a very important aircraft, so we would like to locate the aircraft as soon as we can and salvage it,” Iwaya added during the joint news conference. “Japan will lead the investigation, but we're hoping and also it is indispensable to have the support of the U.S. So while we do that, we would like to find the root cause of the accident.” Pentagon spokesman Charles Summers Jr. told the Air Force Times last week that the crash had not shaken the American and Japanese militaries' faith in the F-35 program. “The U.S., and all F-35 partners, remain fully committed to protecting all F-35 capabilities and technology,” he added. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/us-japan-say-theyll-get-to-f-35-wreckage-first-concerns-china-will-reach-crash-site-dismissed

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  19 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

  Russian drones can jam cellphones 60 miles away

  By: Kelsey D. Atherton Russia's Defense Ministry announced Nov. 6 that the nation had extended the range on its drone-carried jammers to 100 km, or over 60 miles. Drones as a platform for, and not just the target of, electronic warfare means that the sight of a flying robot overhead could signal incoming strikes as well as a sudden inability to call for help. “Russia has been using a UAV-mounted cellphone jammer for a number of years now,” said Samuel Bendett, a research analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses. The drones operate in a two- or three-vehicle pod with a ground station, collectively grouped as a “Leer-3” system. “When these UAVs fly in teams, one acts as a signal-and-comms relay while another acts as a jammer,” Bendett said. “These Leer-3 systems have been around for about two years at this point.” What is changed is the range of the jammer. The Orlan-10 drones already have a range of 75 miles, which means that, with the latest update on the jammer, the drone pod can interfere with signals up to 135 miles away from where the drone was launched. TASS reports that the 60-mile range is a 3.5 times increase in distance from the initial range. In addition, Bendett said there's a chance this capability, or an earlier version of it, has already been witnessed in conflict. “Ukrainian forces claim to spot Leer-3 systems in eastern Ukraine, while there is potential evidence that Leer-3 was used in Syria as well,” Bendett said. “Russian forces are constantly training with Leer-3 UAVs as they practice adversary signal and cell comms suppression, identification and eventual destruction of the enemy force. In fact, this kind of training is part of the official [tactics, techniques and procedures] in electronic warfare and other forces across the Russian military.” Advancements in electronic warfare are one of the key components guiding the development of autonomous systems for the military. For now, drones are conducting electronic warfare against cellular communications, but it's not hard to imagine the same doctrines applied with new technology. In that scenario, it easy to picture other vehicles transforming into jamming machines on future battlefields ... and maybe even present ones. https://www.c4isrnet.com/newsletters/unmanned-systems/2018/11/16/russian-drones-can-jam-cell-phones-60-miles-away

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  11 octobre 2019 | International, Terrestre

  THEON SENSORS awarded program for NV binoculars for the U.S Marine Corps

  Athens, 10 October 2019 - Press Release - THEON SENSORS conducted a press conference in Athens today, officially announcing the cooperation with ΗARRIS Night Vision USA (now ESA – Night Vision) and the joint-venture contract for the SBNVG solution towards the United States Marine Corps (USMC). THEON SENSORS in collaboration with its strategic ally HARRIS Night Vision USA (recently acquired by Elbit Systems of America) participated in an international tender issued by the US Marine Corps. The outcome of this tender (six submitted proposals) has been successful and resulted on a $249 million USD - 5 year IDIQ contract award, with expected more than 14,000 systems to be delivered. The contract was awarded by the US Department of Defense (see corresponding announcement: https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1954307/) at the beginning of September 2019 with deliveries starting in spring 2020 and concluding in September 2024. THEON SENSORS, as a subcontractor, will provide to its American industrial partner its dedicated night vision binocular NYX in a Semi Knock Down Kit format, where final manufacturing and dissemination of the complete SBNVG solution will be performed at Roanoke Night Vision production facility. In addition, THEON SENSORS will provide its night vision accessories and spare parts throughout the contract term. This strategic collaboration of THEON SENSORS with its US partner and the recent award by the USMC for the Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle (SBNVG) marks also a significant landmark, true success story among the Defense Exports and Cooperation of our countries. THEON SENSORS products are internationally considered and accepted as top ranked; based on their battle proven performance, high technical features, workmanship and quality that can satisfy demanding End Users of the 5Eyes countries (USA, Canada, U.K., Australia, New Zealand). View source version on THEON SENSORS: https://www.theon.com/medias/news/item/63-sbnvg-usmc