29 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR
Northrop Grumman has enhanced its Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial system (UAS) with the addition of two new sensors. The MS-177 multi-spectral camera system provides additional high-resolution imaging capabilities, while the increment 1 upgraded AN/ASQ-230 system delivers enhanced signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection.
The MS-177 multi-spectral camera system provides multiple channels of intelligence collection in both visible and infrared bands, giving the Global Hawk collection coverage in areas that cannot easily be reached by other means. Fielding of the AN/ASQ-230 increment 1 enhances Global Hawk's ability to deal with expanded electronic threats.
Global Hawk's combination of autonomy, range, endurance and payload, and an average aircraft age of under nine years, make the UAS a valuable asset for domestic and international customers with critical ISR collection requirements. The system is uniquely positioned for additional missions that connect joint forces as one, including persistent high-capacity backbone, pseudo-satellite communications coverage, and joint all-domain command and control.
Leslie Smith, vice president of the Global Hawk division at Northrop Grumman, commented: “Ongoing improvements to Global Hawk underscore Northrop Grumman's commitment to the United States Air Force's ISR mission and reducing costs through agile development and leveraged solutions. New and improved payloads flying on our young, yet proven fleet of aircraft will allow our partners to deploy high value, networked assets to monitor adversaries while not risking the lives of military personnel well into the 2040s.”
6 novembre 2023 | International, Aérospatial
“We have a responsibility to lead and advance the integration of the joint force," Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told airmen.
28 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Terrestre
By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army plans to conduct a few fly-offs to test possible long-range precision munitions for its fleet of future helicopters, according to the chief of operations in charge of the service's Future Vertical Lift modernization efforts. While the Army has picked Israeli company Rafael's Spike Non-Line-of-Sight missile as an interim solution to deliver long-range lethality from its current and future helicopter fleets, it is also in the market for other options. “The Army has not committed yet to a form factor of long-range precision munitions. If it's Spike, or something else, we have time to work with that. We have time to do one fly-off or more” over the next few years to inform requirements, Col. Matthew Isaacson told reporters during a July 24 briefing. The service is molding a future fleet for the early 2030s, acquiring two manned helicopters, a tactical unmanned aircraft system, air-launched effects, and long-range precision munitions that will be networked together on the battlefield using a common digital, modular, open-system architecture. The Army extensively demonstrated Spike on both foreign and American AH-64 Apache attack helicopters, which led to the decision to buy some to tie the service over until it can assess other capabilities and better refine requirements before developing a permanent solution. The service fired the Spike NLOS missile from AH-64s in Israel and at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona, last year. Defense News was present for one of six multidomain operations-relevant shots fired from an “E” model Apache at Yuma in August 2019. Isaacson says there are a number of vendors with capabilities that could meet the future need. The Army will need to finalize a preliminary design review across the board for assets within its future fleet in the 2023 time frame, so Isaacson said the Army has roughly three years to work with industry to settle on a capability and ensure it is interoperable with platforms “that are still somewhat on the drawing table,” something he said will be challenging. “We are looking at getting outside of the range of our pacing threats,” he said. The Army is “pleased” with Spike's beyond 30-kilometer range, he added, “so any competitor in any future fly-off will have to demonstrate that they can do very similar and get at a long range in a timely manner after our pacing threats.” Isaacson indicated the Army will likely work through cooperative research and development agreements among other means to demonstrate long-range precision munition capabilities at small venues. Then the munitions would be put to the test with soldiers at the brigade level, followed by higher-level demonstrations at venues like the Joint Warfighting Assessment, to inform requirements, he added. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/07/24/army-plans-for-airborne-long-range-missile-fly-offs-for-future-helicopters/
23 avril 2024 | International, Terrestre