7 juin 2023 | International, Naval
Germany’s TKMS signs submarine construction pact with Indian shipyard
TKMS' domestic shipyards are already busy making submarines for the sea services of Germany, Norway, Israel and Singapore.
3 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Lockheed Martin receives $2.3B deal for helicopter parts maintenance
ByChristen McCurdy
Jan. 31 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has received a $2.3 billion contract for parts maintenance for MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters for the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense announced.
The MH-60R -- also called the 'Romeo' aircraft -- has been operational since 2006. The helicopters are jointly built by Lockheed and Sikorsky Aircraft Corp.
According to Lockheed, MH-60R replaces the SH-60B Bravo and SH-60F Foxtrot, and is equipped for combat duty as well as high-risk rescues. Itcan fly at speeds of up to 180 knots while carrying extra fuel tanks or torpedoes and Hellfire missiles.
The MH-60S, also called the Knighthawk, replaced the CH-46 Sea Knight helicopters in 2001 and is used seek out and destroy naval mines from the air.
Both models have a digital cockpit with four flat-panel color display screens that provide the crew access to advanced surveillance and information on weather conditions.
The contract funds approximately 1,049 weapon replaceable assemblies and shop replaceable assemblies associated with both helicopter models.
Forty-eight percent of work on the contract will be performed at various contractor supplier locations throughout the U.S., with 38 percent of work taking place in Stratford, Conn., and Owego, N.Y.
Work should be completed by January 2025, but the contract does include an option that would extend the work through January 2027.
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20 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Lockheed, U.S. government offer to sell 40 F-35As to Swiss air force
By Christen McCurdy Nov. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. government and Lockheed Martin submitted a proposal to the Swiss government offering up to 40 F-35A aircraft and a sustainment and training program. According to Lockheed Martin, the offering also includes an industrial package that would provide Swiss industry with work opportunities in all regions of the country. If the deal goes through, Lockheed said, Swiss industry would have the opportunity to compete for direct production of F-35 components as well as sustainment projects to support the Swiss air force and Swiss autonomy and cybersecurity projects related to the F-35. The offer also includes a six-month sustainment package that would allow the Swiss air force to conduct autonomous operations. The option would permit the assembly of four aircraft in Switzerland to help the Swiss air force and industry partners learn how to maintain the aircraft. "We are confident that our F-35 offer is the best and most affordable solution for the Swiss NFA competition," said Greg Ulmer, F-35 Program vice president and general manager. "We are offering the only 5th generation fighter at the cost of 4th generation aircraft while offering Switzerland an aircraft that will protect Swiss sovereignty for decades to come." Nine nations operate F-35s on their home soil, with more than 585 F-35s in service today, according to Lockheed. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2020/11/19/Lockheed-US-government-offer-to-sell-40-F-35As-to-Swiss-air-force/3561605814292/
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16 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Air Force Tests Contraption That Can Turn Any Plane Into a Robot Plane
Air Force scientists have announced that they had tested a robot kit that can turn virtually any plane into a self-piloting drone, through a program called ROBOpilot. Why is that important? For starters, planes and drones are expensive. The drone shot down over Iran last month cost $220 million. For years the military has rushed to fund fabulous, exquisite drones of all shapes and sizes. Some, like the $15 million MQ-9 Reaper from General Atomics, are cheaper than manned military aircraft. But the big ones are more expensive than many types of civilian sport aircraft. “Imagine being able to rapidly and affordably convert a general aviation aircraft, like a Cessna or Piper, into an unmanned aerial vehicle, having it fly a mission autonomously, and then returning it back to its original manned configuration,” said Dr. Alok Das, senior scientist with the Air Force Research Lab's, or AFRL's, Center for Rapid Innovation, in a statement. “All of this is achieved without making permanent modifications to the aircraft.” AFRL has partnered with DZYNE Technologies to produce the kit. The system interacts with flight controls just like a human pilot, pushing all the correct buttons, flipping the switches, manipulating the yoke and throttle and watching the gages. “At the same time, the system uses sensors, like GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit [essentially a way for a machine to locate itself in space without GPS] for situational awareness and information gathering. A computer analyzes these details to make decisions on how to best control the flight,” AFRL said in a statement. Once the flight is done, the kit can be pulled out and the plane reconverted to one requiring a human pilot. On August 9, the system completed a two-hour test flight at Utah's Dugway Proving Ground. In theory, the same or a similar technology could be applied to expensive fighter aircraft. And the military has said that the next, sixth-generation fighter will be optionally manned. But the military has expressed reservations about allowing autonomous software to undertake lethal actions, so don't expect to see ROBOpilot doing combat missions anytime soon. https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/08/air-force-tests-contraption-can-turn-any-plane-robot-plane/159211/