Israel-Hamas war: What are the US MQ-9 Reaper drones that have been flying over Gaza? | Reuters

Sur le même sujet

• 

  20 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  USAF Opens Bidding Phase Of B-52 Re-Engine Competition

  Steve Trimble May 20, 2020 The U.S. Air Force has kicked off a three-way competition to re-engine the entire 76-aircraft B-52 fleet from 2021 to 2035. The request for proposals (RFP) released on May 19 invites bids from GE Aviation, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce to supply 608 engines to replace each of the eight, 60-year-old, 16,000 lb.-thrust P&W TF33 turbofans on the heavy bomber. GE can choose between the CF34 or Passport engine or offer both. P&W has proposed the PW800. Rolls-Royce will offer a military version of the BR.725. The Air Force RFP lays out a two-step selection process. In step one, companies must submit “virtual” prototypes of their engine, meaning a digital design with integrated models for manufacturing, performance and sustainment. Step 2 calls for the traditional engine source selection process, which will be informed by the data from the virtual prototypes and an integration risk analysis completed in the first step. The Air Force has said the TF33 engines that now power the B-52 cannot be sustained practically beyond 2030. The Cold War jet, meanwhile, is expected to continue operating beyond 2050, outliving the B-2 and B-1B fleets scheduled for retirement in the 2030s. Armed with a new class of hypersonic and long-range missiles, including the nuclear Long-Range Stand-Off Weapon, the B-52 will perform the standoff mission, while the B-21 penetrates into contested airspace. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/usaf-opens-bidding-phase-b-52-re-engine-competition

• 

  30 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Germany walks away from Lockheed, Boeing cargo helicopter offers

  Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — The German Defence Ministry wants to start fresh on a new heavy transport helicopter after finding that offers from American firms Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the Chinook and the King Stallion, respectively, were too expensive, officials announced Tuesday. The surprise decision halts an acquisition race that was scheduled to a see a contract awarded in 2021. The two companies delivered their initial proposals for the program, aimed at replacing Germany's aging CH-53G helicopters, in January 2020. A request for a second proposal was expected by the end of this year. The move comes as the budget implications of the coronavirus crisis are starting to materialize, despite leaders' pledges to keep military spending high. Given that context, other programs are also expected to be on shaky ground, according to sources in Berlin. Officials canceled the helicopter race — locally known as Schwerer Transporthubschrauber, or STH — because the government deemed offers by the defense giants as “uneconomical,” a Defence Ministry statement read. The chance of meeting all requirements while adhering to the envisioned multibillion-dollar budget would be “unlikely,” officials wrote. The STH program was initially planned to be a poster child for a no-frills, off-the-shelf purchase that's easy on the defense budget. But acquisition officials kept piling on requirements to such a degree that it surprised some industry executives associated with the bidders, Defense News reported earlier this year. Also included in the government's requirements was a decades-long maintenance scheme under which contractors had to guarantee certain availability rates. Tobias Lindner, the Green Party's point man in the Bundestag for defense issues, called the helicopter program's a “bitter sign” for Germany's soldiers. He argued the Defence Ministry had been naive in its approach to the much-needed acquisition. “A new competition alone won't solve that problem,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/09/29/germany-walks-away-from-lockheed-boeing-cargo-helicopter-offers/

• 

  8 juillet 2020 | International, C4ISR

  Ozmen’s SNC selected as AC/MC-130J RFCM integrator by U.S Special Operations Command

  Centennial, Colo., July 2, 2020 – Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC), the global aerospace and national security company owned by Eren and Fatih Ozmen, was selected by the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) as the supplier for the AC-130J and MC-130J Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) program. The RFCM suite will provide special operation forces (SOF) operators with accurate and timely situational awareness information and improve aircraft survivability. “We are excited to expand our solutions for SOF warfighters,” said Bob Horky, Senior Vice President for SNC's ISR, Aviation and Security business area. “The aircraft they operate need the protection RFCM provides.” SNC will incorporate Northrop Grumman Corporation's RFCM system on aircraft to provide threat detection, precision geolocation, and active countermeasure capabilities. Advanced system processing and robust spectrum support significantly improve aircraft survivability in the modern threat environment. SNC's approach to aircraft survivability emphasizes full platform integration leveraging platform datalinks, integrated processing, and common tactical display systems. SNC used its electromagnetic and aerodynamic modeling expertise to maximize the performance of the installed system. SNC is a leading integrator for special mission aircraft, including USSOCOM AC‑130J and MC‑130J aircraft. As a significant supplier to the AC-130J Ghostrider Precision Strike Package and the prime contractor for the MC-130J Commando II Airborne Mission Networking systems, SNC brings novel approaches to integrating innovative technology to airborne platforms. SNC is committed to providing customers with full usage rights, breaking original equipment manufacturer (OEM) vendor lock and supporting maximized innovation, enhanced competition and reduced system life-cycle costs. For more information, visit www.sncorp.com About Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Owned by Chairwoman and President Eren Ozmen and CEO Fatih Ozmen, SNC is a trusted leader in solving the world's toughest challenges through best-of-breed, open architecture engineering in Space Systems, Commercial Solutions, and National Security and Defense. SNC is recognized among The Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Space, as a Tier One Superior Supplier for the U.S. Air Force and is the only aerospace and defense firm selected as a 2020 US Best Managed Company. For nearly 60 years, SNC has delivered state-of-the-art civil, military and commercial solutions including more than 4,000 space systems, subsystems and components to customers worldwide, and participation in more than 450 missions to space, including to Mars. View source version on Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC): https://www.sncorp.com/press-releases/snc-selected-as-acmc-130j-integrator-by-ussocom/