NATO to buy 1,000 Patriot missiles to enhance Allies’ air defences

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  30 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  These are the technologies the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency needs

  Nathan Strout Analytics and modeling, data management and software engineering are among the top tech priorities for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, according to a document released Wednesday. The 2020 Technology Focus Areas publication is a guide for industry on how the agency is approaching technology broadly. “This document is focused on our needs, rather than specific technologies,” said Mark Munsell, NGA chief technology officer. “The changes we must make cannot only occur within the confines of NGA — they require the innovative spirit of industry to find new and unique solutions to some of our most difficult challenges.” The NGA's five technology focus areas are: · Advanced Analytics and Modeling · Data Management Modern Software Engineering · Artificial Intelligence · Future of Work The publication is an update to one that was first released in 2019. “We published the first NGA Technology Focus Areas as a way to share our technology needs with the larger geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) community. As our needs and expertise continue to grow and evolve, it is incumbent on us to provide an updated document reflecting these changes,” said Munsell in his introduction to the document. The agency also plans to issue its first technology strategy in the coming weeks, which will highlight how NGA plans to change in order to address these technology challenges. “Together, these two products illustrate the direction we are moving NGA's technology efforts. Please read them both; they provide a roadmap to protecting and advancing our nation's GEOINT advantage for years to come,” said Munsell. https://www.c4isrnet.com/intel-geoint/2020/04/29/these-are-the-technologies-the-national-geospatial-intelligence-agency-needs/

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  27 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Northrop Grumman Receives $4.8 Billion Contract for USAF Global Hawk Modernization

  Northrop Grumman has been awarded a $4,800,000,000 contract for Global Hawk surveillance drone development, modernization, retrofit and sustainment activities for all Air Force Global Hawk variants, a Pentagon contract announcement said. This contract provides for management, including program, business and technical areas; configuration management, data management, reliability, availability and maintainability. Technical refresh; studies and analyses; design, development, integration, test and evaluation; contract/production line closeout/shutdown; training; sparing; overseas contingency operations support; fielding; cyber security/information assurance; interoperability support; facilities modifications/renovation; integrated logistics support; requirements management specification management; and quality assurance. Guidance will be included within each individual delivery order/task order statement of work and performance work statement regarding these and other tasks. This contract provides flexibility to accommodate the broad enterprise of activities associated with the Global Hawk program. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2030. Global Hawk drones provide the US Air Force with wide area surveillance. The high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned system provides leading-edge intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capability that is able to deliver near real-time 24X7 situational awareness. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28395#.X8FOaM1KiUk

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  7 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Pilots try out new helmet in F-16V flight tests

  Seth J. Frantzman JERUSALEM — Recent flight tests of the F-16V fighter jet incorporated a new version of the pilot's helmet that introduces a visor with optical inertial trackers and is designed to provide improved durability, accuracy and comfort for long flights. The Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System II is manufactured by Collins Elbit Vision Systems, a joint venture between Collins Aerospace and Elbit Systems of America. The flight tests followed a safety qualification test for the helmet last year meant as a step toward making the JHMCS II the baseline helmet for the F-16 Fighting Falcon Viper (V) Block 70/72, made by Lockheed Martin. The safety test was performed on the ground, and the helmet was subjected to wind blasts. Jeff Hoberg, a co-general manager with the joint venture, said the helmet was specifically created for aircraft like the F-16V and builds on the legacy of the earlier JHMCS variants used on F-15, F-16 and F-18 jets. With an optical inertial tracker, the JHMCS II is more accurate than previous models, and its improved center of gravity mitigates pilot fatigue, as the helmet aligns better with the spine, Hoberg said. The optical tracking is made possible by upgrades to algorithms and software, the placement of a tracking part on the front of the helmet above the eyes, and a reference unit on the dashboard console of the aircraft. “Likewise it has a color display, and when you add color to the display, air crew can absorb more information,” he added. The next step for the helmet, Hoberg explained, is to continue flight tests this year and through early next year, with the expectation that the new variant will be certified as the baseline helmet for the F-16V. The JHMCS II is the only helmet-mounted display integrated and tested on the F-16V. “Flight tests is the next milestone as we partner with Collins Elbit Vision Systems on the JHMCS II, and we look forward to continued collaboration,” said Danya Trent, vice president of the F-16 program at Lockheed. The F-16V aircraft, equipped with an active electronically scanned array radar, are part of a new Lockheed production line in Greenville, South Carolina, announced last year. The company said in a 2019 interview that it expected hundreds of aircraft to be upgraded to the Viper model and up to 500 more to be sold in the next decade, with F-16s estimated to be keep flying into the 2040s. The fourth-generation “V” model first flew in 2015 and is going through a flight test phase. F-16V sales and upgrades to the variant are in the works for Taiwan, Bahrain and Bulgaria, among other countries. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/08/06/pilots-try-out-new-helmet-in-f-16v-flight-tests/