5 novembre 2024 | International, C4ISR, Sécurité
7 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial
L3 Technologies to upgrade Greek F-16s in $28M contract
ByEd Adamczyk
Jan. 6 (UPI) -- L3 Technologies will upgrade the F-16 fighter plane training system of Greek Air Force F-16 in a $28 million contract announced by the U.S. Defense Department.
The Texas-based company will improve Aircrew Training Devices for conversion of Hellenic Air Force F-16s to the new F-16V configuration. The new variant includes add-ons which include electronically scanned array radar, a new mission computer and electronic warfare suite, automated ground collision avoidance system, and various cockpit improvements.
The package can be retrofitted to most F-16s.
The aircraft, in service since 1978 and known as the Fighting Falcon, has been built by General Dynamics and Lockheed Martin. Over 4,600 F-16s, in use by 25 countries, have been built. The "V" suffix indicates the "Viper" package of improvements. The Hellenic Air Force has 154 F-16s in three variants, with the upgrades planned for 84 of the planes.
Work will be performed at L3's Arlington, Texas, facility, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2027, the Defense Department said Friday in a statement. The award completely involves Foreign Military Sales to Greece.
The statement by the Pentagon comes two weeks after Greek Ministry of Defense announced that seven-year maintenance contracts with French companies Dassault Aviation, Safran Military Engines and Thales were signed to similarly upgrade the Mirage 2000-5 combat aircraft by the Hellenic Air Force. Those contracts were valued at $290.8 million.
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21 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
NATO to upgrade its AWACS surveillance aircraft for $1 billion
By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — NATO officials plan to spend $1 billion on upgrades to the alliance's fleet of AWACS reconnaissance planes, according to Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. “I can confirm we will sign a contract upgrading, modernizing the AWACS fleet — $1 billion,” Stoltenberg was quoted as telling reporters ahead of a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Brussels on Wednesday. The news comes coupled with an announcement that the first of five Global Hawk drones making up the Alliance Ground Surveillance program was en route from the United States to its future home base at Sigonella, Sicily. “This reflects how NATO is investing in high-tech capabilities,” NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu wrote on Twitter. The Boeing-made AWACS planes, introduced in 1982, are slated to remain in service until 2035. Their job is to detect enemy missiles and aircraft threatening NATO airspace. Alliance pilots have flown the aircraft to support missions against the Islamic State group and to secure the eastern flank in the wake of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. NATO's website bills the AWACS enterprise as the “largest collaborative venture” and one of the few military assets owned and operated by the alliance. The fleet of AGS drones is based on the Northrop Grumman-made Block 40 Global Hawk of the U.S. Air Force. The primary job of the UAVs will be ground and maritime surveillance for commanders and deployed forces. The two announcements come as the alliance is in dire need of signs of life after French President Emmanuel Macron famously declared NATO “brain dead” in an interview with the Economist magazine some weeks ago. While experts are still debating whether the vivid assessment was constructive in nature or rather an unnecessary dig at an alliance already weakened by trans-Atlantic squabbling, there are signs that key European nations like Germany and France have plans to reanimate the pact. German Foreign Affairs Minister Heiko Maas on Wednesday referred to the alliance as Europe's “life insurance,” proposing a reform commission headed by Stoltenberg. NATO members' heads of state are slated to convene in London in early December. U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to attend the summit, determining in large part whether the alliance will be able to celebrate a revival or witness something of a funeral. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/11/20/nato-to-upgrade-its-awacs-surveillance-aircraft-for-1-billion
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4 octobre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Windsor police unveil new crime fighting drone
TREVOR WILHELM It's a bird. It's a plane. It's the Windsor Police Service. Windsor police officially launched their new drone program Wednesday with a show-and-tell at their Sandwich Street training facility. Before sending one into the sky outside the Major F.A. Tilston Armoury and Police Training Centre, officers stressed they will not be using drones to randomly watch people. “We will not be going out there to do traffic stops,” said Staff Sgt. Sue Garrett, who runs the operational support unit. “We will not be putting it out there for routine policing on a daily routine. It will always have the proper judicial authority in order to use that. We will not be doing random surveillance or anything like that.” Citing operational reasons, police would not reveal how many drones they have. Without giving a reason, they also refused to reveal how much the program costs. They bought the equipment from Aeryon Labs, a company based in Waterloo that makes “unmanned aircraft systems” for military and police use. Six Windsor officers are trained to operate the drone. They will be pulled from their regular units to run it part time as needed. The drone — police call it a Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) — has a two-kilometre range and lasts 50 minutes on a single battery charge. It can fly in light rain and snow, sustained winds of 50 km/h, and wind gusts up to 90 km/h. The aircraft has an optical zoom camera and an infrared night vision camera that pick up movement police can't see on the screen. It is also loaded with software that can reconstruct a crash scene with photos and measurements in 15 to 20 minutes. Other potential uses include search and rescue, taking aerial photos of crime scenes, and helping with marine emergencies. It will also be the eyes for police in dangerous situations such as bomb calls, hostage situations, and hazardous material spills. “The RPAS will assist multiple units within the Windsor Police Service, and it will increase the quality of our investigations as well as help to ensure the safety of our community,” said acting Chief Pam Mizuno. “The RPAS will enhance the Windsor Police Service's response to emergencies and it's going to provide our officers with the ability to lawfully gather intelligence prior to developing safe action plans.” https://windsorstar.com/news/local-news/windsor-police-unveil-new-crime-fighting-drone