17 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial
PARIS - “Military is where the commercial business was 10 years ago,” says GE Aviation president and GEvice chairman David Joyce. With commercial now set after a decade of renewal (the CF6 replaced by the GEnx, GE90 by GE9X, CFM56 by Leap, CF34 by Passport, and the emergence of the Catalyst turboprop engine), hundreds of engineers and research and development resources are being tasked with creating future generations of military powerplants. Now that the commercial side has proved that new materials such as ceramic matrix composites and technologies such as additive manufacturing are viable, affordable and producible, the military has the confidence to lead the march into new territory.
Technologies developed for commercial engines have enabled new military capabilities; in turn, military research and development will enable even newer commercial engines decades into the future. It's a virtuous cycle, Joyce explains.
GE is on a roll: it has won the U.S. Army's ITEP competition to replace all T700 engines in Black Hawk and Apache helicopters with the ultra-fuel-efficient single-shaft ITEP next-gen helicopter engine, and it won contracts worth a billion dollars to develop its AETD three-stream adaptable fighter engine as far as demonstrating it on the ground in an F-35. Flight tests could follow, as could eventual reengining of the F-35 fleet. But in any case, GE will be ready with an engine for sixth-generation fighters.
In addition, the ubiquitous F404/F414 is being upgraded and continues to win new competitions, including the USAF's new Boeing-Saab T-X trainer and several foreign future fighter programs; the T408 turboshaft powers the new Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion; and a team is working full time on competing to reengine the B-52 bomber. Business is growing “at really good rates” on both manned and unmanned “black” programs, says Joyce, and hybrid electric is being studied for future applications including UAVs, he adds.
He believes GE already has the enabling technologies for the next decade, “but industrializing them is a different thing.” The company has already invested “billions of dollars” in developing a manufacturing and supply chain of materials and technologies for its commercial engines, and this will continue,
“Additive manufacturing may be the most disruptive technology that I've seen in the industry in a long time,” says Joyce, “as it opens up a space for designers and for manufacturing that is on a different dimensional plane. It takes a long time to learn how to design with additive. It takes even longer to learn how to manufacture with additive at speed and high rate from a quality standpoint of view.
“We are jumping in with both feet because the results on the back end when you get it right are extraordinary,” he adds.
“It's going to pay off a whole load more in the next 20 years. This is going to be the best [real return on investment] that we've ever done.”
https://aviationweek.com/paris-airshow-2019/ge-sees-military-driving-next-gen-technology
30 janvier 2023 | International, Terrestre
BAE Systems has received a contract modification from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration to build 20 additional CV90 mortar vehicles
2 juin 2022 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Il existe une opportunité unique de réaliser un « saut quantique » dans la manière dont l'Europe soutient sa base industrielle et technologique de défense selon une tribune d'Alessandro Profumo, président de l'Association des industries aérospatiales et de défense (ASD), et Jan Pie, secrétaire général de l'ASD. Alors que les propositions de la Commission européenne sont encourageantes, comprenant, entre autres, un instrument de passation de marchés conjoints pour les besoins capacitaires les plus urgents, soutenu par un financement communautaire de 500 M€, et un programme européen d'investissement dans la défense. La proposition visant à renforcer le soutien de la Banque européenne d'investissement à la BITDE (Base industrielle et technologique de défense européenne) est également importante, mais les États membres de l'UE doivent prendre des mesures tant au niveau national qu'européen, pour les deux dirigeants. « Nous soulignons la nécessité pour nos dirigeants d'augmenter également les lignes budgétaires de l'UE pour la sécurité et la défense. C'est important pour renforcer la coopération européenne en matière de défense et éviter de retomber dans les solitudes nationales » déclarent-ils. Les initiatives visant à renforcer la BITDE doivent donc viser à améliorer la capacité de l'industrie à remplir ses quatre fonctions : fournir à tout moment et en toutes circonstances les équipements requis et les services connexes ; améliorer les technologies de défense clés et leurs applications ; réagir aux nouvelles tendances et percées technologiques des concurrents et des adversaires potentiels ; et enfin défier les concurrents et les adversaires potentiels. L'Union européenne peut y contribuer avec ses propres politiques, instruments et ressources et en offrant à ses membres un cadre de coopération. Ensemble, l'Union et ses États membres doivent arriver à construire une base solide pour une défense européenne efficace. Euractiv du 1er juin
3 juin 2020 | International, Sécurité
May 28, 2020 - Aviation's Design and Completions (D&C) team in Rome is the first in the world to install Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology on a Viking Air CL-415, also known as a Canadair. The system transmits the aircraft's precise location, speed and direction to control towers and other enabled aircraft, allowing for safer operations and a more efficient flow of air traffic. This important milestone was made official with the Supplemental Type Certificate being awarded by the European Aviation Safety Agency. The technology will become mandatory from 7 June 2020. Babcock provides a national firefighting service in Italy using a fleet of 19 Canadair and over 100 experienced pilots to battle wildfires across Italy. The installation of the ADS-B technology on the largest fleet of Canadair in the world is a vital step to continuing this important service. “We are proud that our team was the first to obtain this precious result, which represents a great achievement for Italy”, said Marco Scarpelli, Head of Design Organisation of Babcock Italia and head of D&C. “It represents a milestone in the technological development of the Canadairs, since this technology will ensure greater safety for the aircraft and air traffic.” View source version on Babcock Italia : https://www.babcockinternational.com/news/babcock-italy-are-first-in-the-world-to-install-ads-b-out-technology-on-canadair/