HENSOLDT supplies German Armed Forces with Spotter 42 observation optics

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  8 mars 2023 | International, Aérospatial, Autre défense

  Space Force offers launch pads to companies as commercial demand soars

  The service will allocate launch pads to ABL Space, Stoke Space, Phantom Space and Vaya Space.

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  30 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Air Force Eyes New Industrial Base Model

  7/29/2020 By Connie Lee The Air Force wants to shake up the industrial base and is looking to move away from relying on large, traditional prime contractors and instead bring in new talent, the service's top weapons buyer said. The service needs “a new industrial base model that's not a defense industrial base model,” said Will Roper, the Air Force's assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics. “We have to have a new model that encourages companies to come in and work with [the] military, but not necessarily put them on a path to become a defense prime.” Such an approach would help the United States counter adversaries such as China, which has a larger industrial base, Roper said during a webinar hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The 2018 National Defense Strategy listed China as a great power competitor. “Our defense primes are going to continue to be heavy movers and shakers for us, but we're not going to win against China long term” without bringing in additional industry players, he said. “If they've got a nationalized industrial base, they have access to their entire talent pool. They have access to every company that's within their border. And we are only working with a small subset” of industry. To encourage these changes, the service has been taking steps such as setting up AFVentures.The effort is a collaboration between the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research/Small Business Technology Transfer Program and AFWERX to invest in companies that may have technology useful to the military. Some of the funding is coming from private investors. Over the last year and a half, the service has added over 1,000 companies to its industrial roster, Roper said. Many of these firms are working on research-and-development prototypes, which may lead to contracts for steady work later down the road, he noted. Through AFWERX, the Air Force has been giving out awards and making different levels of “bets” on technology, with small bets totaling between $50,000 to $75,000; medium bets worth between $1 million to $3 million; and big bets from $5 million to $50 million, according to the service. “It begins with getting companies through that front door so that they can move on to steady-state contracts and programs of record supporting the warfighters,” Roper said. Until recently the push to move away from the standard defense industrial base model through AFWERX has only been experimental, he noted. The service must make it the standard practice for acquiring new weapons, he said. “This is the year that we have to make it codified, steady-state across the Air and Space Force,” he said. “It's imperative. It's the bread and butter of winning the competition long term.” https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/7/29/air-force-eyes-new-industrial-base-model

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  26 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  £30-million injection for UK’s first uncrewed fighter aircraft

  The UK's first fleet of uncrewed fighter aircraft is one step closer to reality following a £30-million contract to design and manufacture a prototype in a three-year deal supporting more than 100 jobs in Belfast. Published 25 January 2021 From: Ministry of Defence, Northern Ireland Office, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, The Rt Hon Brandon Lewis MP, and Jeremy Quin MP The uncrewed combat aircraft will be designed to fly at high-speed alongside fighter jets, armed with missiles, surveillance and electronic warfare technology to provide a battle-winning advantage over hostile forces. Known as a ‘loyal wingman', these aircraft will be the UK's first uncrewed platforms able to target and shoot down enemy aircraft and survive against surface to air missiles. In a boost for Northern Ireland's defence industry, Spirit AeroSystems, Belfast, have been selected to lead Team MOSQUITO in the next phase of the Project. Utilising ground-breaking engineering techniques, the team will further develop the RAF's Lightweight Affordable Novel Combat Aircraft (LANCA) concept, with a full-scale vehicle flight-test programme expected by the end of 2023. Northern Ireland Secretary, Brandon Lewis said: This is fantastic news and underlines the distinct strengths in Northern Ireland's economy, through its advanced engineering and manufacturing capabilities. This ground-breaking project will involve significant investment which will not only support local employment, but also reinforce Northern Ireland's contribution to the security of our nation. Team MOSQUITO, which also includes Northrop Grumman UK, will mature the designs and manufacture a technology demonstrator to generate evidence for a follow-on LANCA programme. If successful, Project Mosquito's findings could lead to this revolutionary capability being deployed alongside the Typhoon and F-35 Lightning jets by the end of the decade. Defence Minister, Jeremy Quin said: This is a great win for the Northern Ireland defence industry and will showcase some of the most pioneering engineering work currently being undertaken in the UK. The £30 million project will accelerate the development of the UK's future air power by delivering cutting-edge uncrewed aircraft, maintaining our position as a world leader in emerging technologies. Working with innovative partners from across the UK, Project Mosquito is transforming traditional approaches to combat air to enable the rapid development of technology. By utilising the latest software development techniques and civilian aerospace engineering and manufacturing expertise, the project will deliver dramatic reductions in costs and development timelines, so their innovations can reach the front-line quicker than ever before. This game changing research and development project will ensure the final aircraft design will be capable of being easily and affordably updated with the latest technology so we remain one step ahead of our adversaries. The aircraft's flexibility will provide the optimum protection, survivability and information as it flies alongside Typhoon, F-35 Lightning, and later, Tempest as part of our future combat air system. Air Chief Marshal Mike Wigston, Chief of the Air Staff said: We're taking a revolutionary approach, looking at a game-changing mix of swarming drones and uncrewed fighter aircraft like Mosquito, alongside piloted fighters like Tempest, that will transform the combat battlespace in a way not seen since the advent of the jet age. Director Future Combat Air, Richard Berthon said: Project Mosquito is a vital element of our approach to Future Combat Air, rapidly bringing to life design, build and test skills for next generation combat air capabilities. Autonomous ‘loyal wingman' aircraft create the opportunity to expand, diversify and rapidly upgrade Combat Air Forces in a cost-effective way, now and in the future. As announced by the Prime Minister in November 2020, the UK's Future Combat Air System (FCAS) programme is set to benefit from a portion of the extra £1.5 billion investment into military research and development, which will help ensure our Armed Forces are prepared to meet the threats of tomorrow. LANCA originated in 2015 in Dstl to understand innovative Combat Air technologies and concepts that offer radical reductions in cost and development time and is a RAF Rapid Capabilities Office led project under the Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative (FCAS TI). The UK MOD's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) provides the project management and is the MOD's technical authority for LANCA and Project Mosquito on behalf of the RCO. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/30m-injection-for-uks-first-uncrewed-fighter-aircraft