14 novembre 2024 | International, Aérospatial
29 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Germany walks away from $2.5 billion purchase of US Navy’s Triton spy drones
By: Sebastian Sprenger
COLOGNE, Germany — The German government has canceled plans to buy Northrop Grumman-made Triton drones to the tune of $2.5 billion, opting instead for manned planes carrying eavesdropping sensors.
The decision to buy Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft comes after officials became convinced that the Global Hawk derivatives would be unable to meet the safety standards needed for flying through European airspace by 2025, a target date for Berlin's NATO obligations.
A defense ministry spokeswoman told Defense News the Triton option had grown “significantly more expensive” compared with earlier planning assumptions.
The U.S. State Department in April 2018 cleared Germany's request to purchase four MQ-4C Triton drones for signals intelligence missions under the country's PEGASUS program, short for “Persistent German Airborne Surveillance System.” The program includes a sensor, dubbed “ISIS-ZB” and made by Hensoldt, for intercepting communications and locating targets by their electromagnetic signature.
The German Defence Ministry for years had been banking on the Triton purchase to come with a pre-installed safety-technology package that would be easily approved by European air traffic authorities. But officials saw their hopes dashed as Italy recently issued a military-type certificate for a sister drone — NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance fleet of Global Hawks, stationed in Sigonella, Sicily — that prescribes tight restrictions on flights over the continent.
Manned aircraft like the envisioned Global 6000 are allowed to routinely fly alongside civilian traffic, a prospect that the Germans see as more palatable than dealing with drone-specific airspace corridors.
Berlin hopes to catch the tail end of Bombardier's Global 6000 manufacturing run, as the model is being phased out in favor of an upgrade. While that strategy could yield a better price, Berlin needs to move soon before the production line goes cold, according to officials.
Letting drones fly in the same airspace as civilian traffic remains an unresolved problem, as the requisite sensing technology and the regulatory framework are still emerging. Germany previously tried filling its signals-intelligence gap with the Euro Hawk, but the project tanked in 2013 after spending $700 million because officials underestimated the trickiness of attaining airworthiness qualification.
With the Triton gone, Germany's next ambition for a fully approved unmanned aircraft lies with the so-called Eurodrone, a cooperation with France. Officials have said that the program is designed from the start with manned-unmanned airspace integration in mind.
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1 mai 2020 | International, Terrestre
KBR Wins $64M Recompete to Expand DoD Testing and Training Capabilities for U.S. Warfighter
Houston – April 27, 2020 – KBR (NYSE: KBR) has received a $63.9 million task order from the Department of Defense (DoD) Test Resource Management Center (TRMC) to develop interoperability solutions to expand the U.S. military's testing and training capabilities. KBR will utilize its vast test and evaluation (T&E) expertise to assess and address the unique requirements necessary to incorporate additional test range sites into the DoD's T&E infrastructure. This will streamline and enhance the integration of test and training capabilities for DoD weapons systems. KBR's work will result in developed hardware and software solutions that address the military's T&E needs. KBR will help DoD improve range interoperability and effective reuse of resources resulting in increased capability while reducing development, operation and maintenance costs for test ranges. The company's efforts will also further the important partnership between the Test and Training Enabling Architecture Software Development Activity (TENA-SDA) and Joint Mission Environment Test Capability (JMETC) to expand connectivity and develop enhanced capabilities for test and training facilities. “KBR is proud of our nearly two decades of TENA support, promoting range interoperability and flexibility for the U.S. military,” said Byron Bright, KBR President, Government Solutions U.S. “KBR will continue to use its expertise to develop innovative solutions to fortify and grow the DoD's T&E capabilities.” KBR was awarded this task order under the cost-plus-fixed/firm-fixed fee One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) contract which KBR won a seat on in 2014. This is a one-year task order with four option periods. KBR ensures mission success for customers on land, at sea, in the air, and in space and cyberspace. It has operational and developmental T&E processes designed for corporate, government and military organizations. KBR holds extensive experience evaluating complex systems and technologies ranging from combat vehicles and high-performance aircraft to weapons systems and orbital launch platforms. KBR is engineering solutions for the needs of today and tomorrow, safely and efficiently. About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Solutions and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 37,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full lifecycle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics Technology Solutions, featuring proprietary technology, equipment, catalysts, digital solutions and related technical services for the monetization of hydrocarbons, including refining, petrochemicals, ammonia and specialty chemicals, as well as inorganics Energy Solutions, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, integrated EPC delivery and long-term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. For further information, please contact: Investors Alison Vasquez Vice President, Investor Relations 713-753-5082 Investors@kbr.com Media Philip Ivy Vice President, Global Communications and Marketing 713-753-3800 MediaRelations@kbr.com View source version on KBR, Inc.: https://www.kbr.com/en/insights-events/press-release/kbr-wins-64m-recompete-expand-dod-testing-and-training-capabilities
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4 janvier 2019 | International, Terrestre
New in 2019: Army Europe adds new units, boosts air defense, artillery
By: Todd South The new units the Army plans to add to its troops stationed in Europe are a small but crucial part of its support of allies and force projection on the continent. That ongoing work has seen increases in rotations, a focus on improving ground vehicle lethality and protection, and reactivating units with a European battlefield focus. U.S. Army Europe announced in September that it would add another 1,500 troops to units that would be stationed in the following areas of Germany: Grafenwohr, Ansbach, Hohenfels and Baumholder. Currently there are about 33,000 U.S. soldiers in Germany alone. Though the complete standup and stationing won't conclude until September 2020, according to plans, the base of those units begins building now. And that includes a field artillery brigade headquarters, two Multiple Launch Rocket Systems battalions and supporting units at Grafenwohr, a Short-Range Air Defense battalion at Ansbach and other supporting units at Hohenfels and Baumholder. In addition, existing units will move within the country. That includes one military police brigade headquarters and a battalion headquarters moving in Bavaria, a signal battalion to Baumholder and a truck company to Kaiserslautern. These changes are part of an overall move back to power projection and ally support, which had declined following the peak of U.S. troop stationing in the 1980s, a drawdown through the 1990s and during the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Our number one priority is readiness, which must be sustained through training, personnel and equipment. We set the theater to support operational plans and contingencies throughout Europe and enable an efficient flow of forces as needed, so we must maintain critical capabilities and enhance interoperability,” Col. Joe Scrocca, spokesman for U.S. Army Europe, told Army Times. Beginning in 2016, the Army announced nine-month deployments for an armored brigade combat team in Europe, putting more troops in the region to train with Eastern European allies, especially in Poland, Romania and the Baltics. Today, there are more than 8,000 rotational soldiers in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The Army also is beefing up its equipment in Europe. In late 2017, the first of the Army's upgunned Stryker Infantry Carrier Vehicle-Dragoon — which features a 30mm cannon instead of the previous M2 .50-caliber machine gun — arrived at the 2nd Cavalry Regiment. The same unit was also among the first to receive the Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station capable of firing a Javelin missile, also called the CROWS-J. The initial fielding that began in August included 86 systems across the Army with another fielding planned for late 2020. https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/01/03/new-in-2019-army-europe-adds-new-units-boosts-air-defense-artillery