26 décembre 2018 | International, C4ISR
By: Justin Lynch
President Donald Trump announced in a Dec. 23 tweet that Patrick Shanahan will become acting secretary of defense Jan. 1, replacing outgoing Pentagon chief Jim Mattis two months early. While it is not clear how long Shanahan will remain in the job, he is on the short list of officials who could become the full-time Pentagon chief.
Regardless of the length of his tenure, Shanahan, the Pentagon deputy since 2017, has been one of the Pentagon's top advocates for stronger contractor cybersecurity and IT acquisition and will lead the department months after it was given expansive and loosely defined authorities to conduct offensive cyber operations.
How Shanahan will handle these greater cyber authorities, even on a temporary basis, remains an open question that will be tested immediately amid evolving challenges, such as an alleged hacking campaign from China.
Unclear views on cyber operations
In August, the secretary of defense was given the ability to conduct offensive cyber operations without informing the president as long as it does not interfere with the “national interest” of the United States, four current and former White House and intelligence officials have told Fifth Domain.
A Pentagon official told Fifth Domain that while there is a general outline of what specific operations may affect the American “national interest,” some details are not explicitly defined.
And a review of his public remarks show that Shanahan has not made significant comments about how America should conduct offensive cyber operations. He has shiedaway from giving detailed responses about U.S. Cyber Command.
“There are two new war-fighting domains, cyber and space, for which we are developing doctrine and capabilities,” Shanahan said Sept. 19.
A spokesperson for Shanahan did not respond to questions from Fifth Domain.
Focus on defense contractors
As deputy, Shanahan has focused on “re-wiring” the Pentagon. He has called good cybersecurity “foundational” to working with the department.
“Cybersecurity is, you know, probably going to be what we call the ‘fourth critical measurement.' We've got quality, cost, schedule, but security is one of those measures that we need to hold people accountable for,” Shanahan said Sept. 19 during an Air Force Association conference.
Shanahan's focus on contractor cybersecurity comes as China is believed to be targeting defense contractors, particularly those on the lower end of the supply chain, in an attempt to steal sensitive American secrets, according to intelligence officials and industry executives.
Shanahan, however, has placed responsibility among the top defense firms.
“I'm a real strong believer that the Tier 1 and Tier 2 leadership has a responsibility to manage the supply chain,” Shanahan said in the Sept. 19 speech.
In October, Shanahan was put in charge of a new Pentagon task force to combat data exfiltration that focuses in part on these defense firms.
“Together with our partners in industry, we will use every tool at our disposal to end the loss of intellectual property, technology and data critical to our national security,” Shanahan told Fifth Domain in October.
A specific area of focus inside the department is finding out which companies are in the Pentagon's supply chain, according to officials involved in the process, but it is not clear if it is specifically part of Shanahan's task force.
Inside the Pentagon, Shanahan has also emphasized the need for smarter IT acquisition.
In an October. interview with Fifth Domain, Shanahan expressed frustration with the Pentagon's procurement process, but said to expect “a number of things that are foundational to being able to achieve enterprise solutions.”
He hinted that those changes are focused on the “right platforms and the right level of integration” that can support high-end computing and artificial intelligence.
“I'm super frustrated that we can't go faster on like basic things like the cloud,” Shanahan said. “Most of everything we do is software-driven.”
Aaron Mehta contributed to this report.
https://www.fifthdomain.com/dod/2018/12/24/how-the-new-acting-pentagon-chief-views-cybersecurity
30 septembre 2022 | International, Naval
The design for the program Plataforma Estratégica de Superficie (‘PES’) is based on the proven design of the SIGMA 10514
12 juillet 2018 | International, Aérospatial
By: Pierre Tran PARIS ― France has completed a range of in-flight tests showing that the Rafale fighter jet could be refueled from underwing fuel pods on the A400M military transport plane, the Armed Forces Ministry said. “After a campaign of flight tests conducted by the Direction Générale de l'Armement with the support from the Air Force, the A400M has just passed a significant milestone in demonstrating its capability to refuel the Rafale from underwing fuel pods,” the ministry said July 9 on its website.. The tests allowed the Direction Générale de l'Armement procurement office to authorize the A400M for refueling the Rafale, while the Air Force is preparing the means to enter the new capability into service. Meanwhile, the A330M will fly in the July 14 Bastille Day parade, marking the first time the multirole tanker transport twin jet will take part in the military showcase. Last year, U.S. Air Force F-16s flew down the Champs Elysées, with U.S. President Donald Trump admiring the parade with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron. The A400M MRTT will fly in French Air Force colors, with the first official delivery due after the summer. In the flight-test campaign, the Rafales took fuel from the two underwing pods as well as from the fuselage from the hose drum unit, which is used to refuel transport and fighter aircraft, the ministry said. The next major test will be refueling of helicopters. The tests included refueling the Rafale at various altitudes and speed, as well as simulated failure of one of the fighter's engines and flight controls, the ministry said. Tests were conducted in day and night, including using night vision goggles, with the fighter flying in different conditions. The Air Force is preparing flight procedure, technical support and training, the ministry said. “The A400M will then offer the capability of in-flight refueling in the theater,” it added. Further test campaigns are due to be held later this year, including the A400M refueling the Mirage 2000 fighter from the pods and other transport aircraft from the hose drum unit, the ministry said. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/07/11/france-proves-midair-refueling-capability-with-rafale-and-a400m/
30 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Par Nathalie Guibert Il a déjà remis une note d'étape à Emmanuel Macron, son rapport sera bouclé à la fin de l'année. Missionné par le président sur le sujet piégé de l'Europe de la défense, l'ancien secrétaire général pour la défense et la sécurité nationale, Louis Gautier (par ailleurs membre du conseil de surveillance du Monde), suggère des décisions fortes. Sa mission s'achèvera en février 2019 après des consultations diplomatiques pour tester les idées retenues par l'Elysée. « En parlant d'armée européenne, Emmanuel Macron permet d'incarner le projet pour nos concitoyens, de secouer la technostructure, de pousser à la clarification des choix, car le moment de vérité arrive pour les Européens », indique-t-il. Tout l'inverse des petits pas symbolisés par « l'initiative européenne d'intervention » avancée par le même Macron en septembre 2017, un concept dit « pragmatique » d'échange stratégique – hors des cadres formels dédiés de l'Union européenne –, sur lequel la ministre des armées, Florence Parly, travaille. M. Gautier considère ce projet comme un pis-aller à court terme, le résultat tangible minimum dans la période de crise politique que connaît l'Europe. « Beaucoup sont déçus par les résultats opérationnels de la défense européenne dans les administrations, aux affaires étrangères comme à la défense. Ils pensent que le militaire restera toujours du ressort national ou de l'OTAN, et que l'Europe ne servira qu'à financer les ... Article complet: https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2018/11/28/europe-de-la-defense-emmanuel-macron-attend-de-nouvelles-propositions_5389767_3210.html