17 décembre 2023 | International, Aérospatial
30 mars 2021 | International, Aérospatial
Lebanon’s Air Force launches public aircraft bids as part of fleet reorg
Three companies have already shown interest in the aircraft.
Sur le même sujet
-
-
18 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
4 questions about innovation with the US Air Force’s vice chief of staff
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Gen. Stephen “Seve” Wilson knows the enemy doesn't sleep. As the U.S. Air Force's vice chief of staff, he's aware of how innovation can be stifled. But that must change as the United States finds itself in an era of great power competition, he argues. Wilson spoke on a panel at the 2019 Defense News Conference on Sept. 4, where he discussed how the government can close the innovation gap, and how the military can improve its relationship with industry. What is the biggest challenge to moving innovative concepts into military operations? What I see arguably as the biggest challenge to innovation and moving it forward is urgency. And today I can't beat that drum hard enough and loud enough about the sense of urgency that the status quo simply isn't acceptable in the world that we live in. The good news is we know how to do this, we've done it before. And I'd go back to a time in our history in the early '60s when President [John F.] Kennedy said: “We're going to go to the moon and back.” In about eight years, we did 36 space launches. We built the biggest rockets ever known. And we did 36 launches in eight years. Today I look at the time frame it takes us to deliver capability, and we're nowhere on that timeline. I think we as a nation need to understand the competition and develop amongst all of us in all of our communities this sense of urgency that we're in this competition, and the status quo is just simply not good enough. So how do you enable that change? I was just at in San Antonio, Texas, visiting the 33rd Network Warfare Squadron. I met a young lieutenant with these bold ideas. He went to his boss and said: “Hey, I think we've got this really hard problem. I think I can solve it. Give me a handful of people in a couple of days and I'll be able to get after [it].” He came back and not once, not twice, but three times he failed. And along the way he asked for more people and time, until he didn't fail, and he solved a really wicked hard problem. There was a courageous lieutenant in this case and a leadership that empowered him to move forward. And then he briefed me — here's the vice chief coming to visit, [and he says]: “Hey vice chief, here's where I failed three times until we didn't.” And he brought the sense of urgency. It was about building a team, a common vision. It's really powerful, and I think it's indicative of what we need to see across all of our forces. We hear how advanced China is in areas of innovation. Just how advanced is it really? I tell people that we're the best in the world and our adversaries know it. But they're catching up. If we don't change, we could lose. We have to do business differently. We're trying. How? We hear government is not always easy to do business with. We're trying to lower those barriers and bring on people quicker and easier. We have some of the most impactful problems for our nation. And if we can get people in the door and expose them to the challenges and let them do what they can do, it's hugely rewarding. We have to make it easy. Can we make it easy where industry could come work with us, maybe even for only a few years, but [long enough] to really make a difference? How can we bring somebody in, let them work and then let them go back to industry? We both benefit from it. We have to find ways because this is about a competition for talent and good ideas. Then what do we do with it? Do we empower them and let them really work at these really hard problems? I think that's what people really want to get after. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/air-force-association/2019/09/15/4-questions-about-innovation-with-the-us-air-forces-vice-chief-of-staff
-
3 juillet 2019 | International, Aérospatial
GA-ASI Announces Streamlined ISR Tools for UAS
Author: Mike Rees General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has unveiled its new Integrated Intelligence Center (I2C), which presents innovative ways to improve the user experience for operators of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) using automation and user experience-based design (UX). “I2C will rapidly transform data into actionable intelligence,” said David R. Alexander, president, GA-ASI. “We see benefits to the warfighter on many fronts, including the reduction of operational cost – whether it's Ground Ops, Air Ops, or Intel Ops. By combining XC2, Automatic Takeoff and Landing, MMC and our single-seat Certifiable Ground Control Station, we will reduce manning by 50 percent.” GA-ASI's modular and open software architecture designs promote horizontal integration of third party software and rapid integration of new capabilities, making the following developments the ideal set of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) tools for streamlined and improved collaboration: eXpeditionary Command & Control (XC2): XC2 laptop leverages GA-ASI's Advanced Cockpit development by porting select capabilities to a ruggedized laptop. A forward-deployed maintainer can use the laptop to employ automated pre-flight and post-flight checklists that reduce setup times by up to 50 percent, and reduces the airlift requirements by eliminating the need for a forward-deployed Ground Control Station (GCS). Certifiable Ground Control Station (CGCS): The CGCS enables single-seat operations to reduce manpower requirements. Its tactical situation display unifies ISR and C4ISR data, as well as mission planning into a single Common Operating Picture (COP). The integrated Collins Pro Line Fusion enables CGCS certifiability for operation in national airspace. Multi-Mission Controller (MMC): The MMC enables a single user to safely control multiple aircraft and perform transit and routine ISR missions using a hand controller. When an aircraft is tasked with performing more dynamic ISR or a strike mission, MMC allows a rapid handoff of the aircraft to a dedicated GCS, where a mission crew can take control. Metis – Automated intelligence Collection Management: Metis is a map-based interface that enables a pre-approved Metis user to request ISR products from the RPA, similar to ordering a car from Uber. Once the Metis user sends a task, it's transmitted to MMC in real time. The MMC user selects the task and an integrated third party auto-router automatically generates a safe route to the requested target. STARE Imagery: The System for Tactical Archival, Retrieval, and Exploitation's (STARE) Common Operation Picture shows aircraft locations, where the operator can look and what they are looking at. The Multi-INT exploitation tool ingests, archives, disseminates and makes ISR data discoverable for imagery analysts to utilize. STARE reduces data exploitation tasks from hours to minutes. Automation of Intel Ops: I2C integrates third party capabilities and software services to make Intel analysts more effective. Automated Activity Alerts – based on Multi-INT data correlation – reduces the need for eyes-on RPA sensor data to pick out significant activity. GA-ASI is partnering with best-of-breed companies specializing in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning with proven AI-based systems deployed across multiple commercial sectors. GA-ASI works with these businesses to train their AI capability with MQ-9, MQ-1C and Predator ISR data. These tools and capabilities are either operationally deployed, undergoing customer operational assessment or are actively flying aircraft. https://www.unmannedsystemstechnology.com/2019/06/ga-asi-announces-streamlined-isr-tools-for-uas/