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  17 novembre 2020 | International, C4ISR

  Spanish Army selected Elbit Systems to supply software-defined radios

  Seth J. Frantzman JERUSALEM — Israeli firm Elbit Systems will provide E-LynX software-defined radios to the Spanish Army after the service awarded a contract to Elbit's partner Telefonica, according to a report in Spain confirmed by Elbit. Elbit said it could not refer directly to the contract's details, but a company spokesperson did say in a statement: “We do acknowledge the media report that the Spanish Ministry of Defense selected the E-Lynx Software Defined Radio in handheld and vehicular configurations as the solution for the Spanish Army.” According to the Nov. 10 report by Infodefensa, the contract was awarded in October by the General Directorate for Armament and Material for €6.5 million (U.S. $7.7 million). “Telefonica explained in a presentation that a part of the components of the E-Lynx radio will be produced and integrated in Spain by the company with the support of other companies such as Aicox, while other equipment will come from Elbit's facilities in Israel,” the report read. Aicox is a telecommunications and technology company in Spain. The contract award comes after other recent orders of Elbit radios in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland. In July 2020, the Swedish Army chose Elbit to supply 1,000 additional systems after an initial contract in 2018. In October 2019, Switzerland's Federal Office for Defence Procurement ordered the same radio for the country's military. In June 2019, the German Defence Ministry chose Elbit's subsidiary in the country to provide the radios in hand-held and vehicular configurations for platoons and company levels of the Army. Local manufacturing of the radios would facilitate “further extensions and capabilities,” the company said at the time. The popularity in software-defined radios has attracted the attention of other Israeli companies, such as Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which has been competing in Europe and sees opportunities across the continent. In Spain, Rafael teamed with Technobit for the Spanish Army contract. The Spanish program required industry competitors partner with a local company. Spain's procurement will take place in phases, with the initial contract for a battalion. Estimates by the Israeli companies put the overall program at hundreds of millions of dollars. This multistep process is common in other European countries, such as Sweden's program. The trend in procurement for software-defined radios will increase the ability of countries and units to effectively speak to each other, a challenge that Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former commander of the U.S Army in Europe, referenced in 2019 when he noted that NATO allies “cannot even talk to each other securely.” Getting tactical radio communications to the next level is an issue militaries have been trying to solve, the U.S. Army said last year. On Nov. 12, Elbit announced the launch of its E-LynxX-Sat, a satellite communications add-on system that uses a terminal to interface with the E-LynX software-defined radio. The E-LynX radio facilitates “advanced networking solutions in both open field and in urban areas,” the company said. “The E-LynX family of radio systems is designed with an open architecture approach, features unique waveforms and enables the adoption with a range of additional European and NATO waveforms.” The SATCOM add-on will enable infantry and maneuvering forces to maintain secure voice and data communications over ranges of “hundreds of kilometers,” the company said. The system was demonstrated during a British Army Warfighting Experiment. https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/11/16/spanish-army-selected-elbit-systems-to-supply-software-defined-radios/

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  14 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  ‘Red Air’ providers prep for a big year of war games

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Last year, the Air Force tapped seven defense companies for a $6.4 billion opportunity for “Red Air” training where contracted pilots pose as aggressors in air-to-air combat. With the fiscal 2020 budget finally approved, those firms are hungry to hear for more information about when and where they start flying. The companies — Air USA Inc., Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), Blue Air Training, Coastal Defense, Draken International, Tactical Air Support and Top Aces Corp. — currently find themselves waiting for the next phase of the competition, when the Air Force will issue individual work orders for a total of 22 bases that will allow contractors to begin flying this year. “I think we've all watched the Air Force program develop over the last two years kind of in awe at the size of it and the ambition, the commitment they're making to have enough adversaries out there to challenge their pilots,” said Russ Bartlett, CEO of Textron Airborne Solutions, which is the parent company of ATAC. “That's great for industry, because the Air Force knows they need to do that.” Unlike major programs for weapon systems, which have a dedicated line item in the budget, the work orders for adversary air services will be paid out of the operations and maintenance account, which is more flexible. While the Air Force's FY20 budget request flags a $151 million increase for “contract air training,” it's unclear how much of that amount will ultimately be set aside for that adversary air services. It will be up to Air Combat Command “to decide how much money they're going to put against the adversary air budget. So we're really just waiting to figure out how that all works,” said Russ Quinn, president of Top Aces. “We and the program office are looking very forward to hearing how Air Combat Command is planning on funding the contract.” Draken International is already conducting aggressor flights at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as part of a five-year contract awarded in 2018. That work is helping the company keep its Red Air planes ready ahead of work at other bases, said Sean Gustafson, Draken's vice president of business development. "We're flying 6,000 to 7,000 hours a year out there right now,” he said. “We're excited for the task orders to come out shortly, looking to expand and set up operations on the East Coast and then supporting those bases.” The Draken pilots, who currently fly the Aero Vodochody L-159E Honey Badger and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, regularly deploy from Nellis AFB and visit other installations, including Hill AFB in Utah, Eglin AFB in Fla., and Holloman AFB in N.M. The company will begin adding Mirage F1s to the mix next month, Gustafson said. “We're very excited about that, because that will be the first radar-equipped, supersonic aircraft in the industry. We have the first three [of 24 total] going out there in February,” he said. The company has also purchased 12 radar- equipped, supersonic Atlas Cheetah fighters that will help cover Air Force requirements outside of Nellis. Meanwhile, the other companies are doing training and modifications necessary to get their aggressor fleets ready to fly whenever the U.S. Air Force decides it needs those planes. Top Aces has purchased 29 used F-16s from an undisclosed user specifically for the Air Force's adversary air contract. Those aircraft are not yet in the United States, but Quinn is confident that the company will have the aircraft in hand in early spring, he said. After that, Top Aces will begin modifying each jet with an open architecture system that will allow the company to more easily outfit the aircraft with a range of radar, sensors, electronic warfare pods or other technologies that increase the capability of Red Air forces, he said. Depending on whether the company wins a contract with Germany for adversary air services, it may also have excess capacity with its Douglas A-4N Skyhawk fleet, which it could also offer to help supplement the U.S. Air Force's needs, Quinn said. ATAC plans to use its new fleet of Mirage F1 jets to meet the Air Force's requirements. So far, the company has fully trained one F1 pilot, who flew the first ATAC Mirage in August. Another two pilots were set to begin training in December, Bartlett said late last year. “On the airplane side, we're in really good shape. Sixty-three airplanes is a huge win for us. There are a lot of economies of scale that we intend to capitalize on,” he said. “The challenge is going to be — of course — hiring and retaining pilots. The services are trying keep their pilots and grow their pilot cadres; the airlines are hiring aggressively and paying lucrative salaries, and this industry is growing by leaps and bounds with just this Air Force program.” So far, recruiting pilots has not been a problem for Draken, Gustafson said. The company has employed 52 aggressor pilots to meet the demands of its contract with Nellis, and has a “stack of resumes” from pilots that jobs as the company expands to other bases. “We're doing well on [hiring],” he said. “Some folks, they don't want to go to the airlines. They recently retired from the military and they want to keep flying fighters.” The company is looking to grow its fleet with new aircraft, as well, he added. “We should have some pretty exciting news about five to six months from now,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/01/13/red-air-providers-prep-for-a-big-year

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  11 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  CAE USA wins competitive recompete of U.S. Air Force KC-135 Training System contract

  CAE announced that the United States Air Force (USAF) awarded CAE USA a contract to continue providing comprehensive KC-135 training services. The eight-year contract, awarded as a one-year base contract with seven additional one-year option periods, is valued at a total of more than US$275 million. CAE USA became the prime contractor on the USAF KC-135 Training System program in 2010 and has now won the competitive recompete to continue delivering classroom and simulator training for KC-135 pilots and boom operators. CAE USA will also continue to provide updates and upgrades to KC-135 training devices, including KC-135 operational flight trainers and boom operator trainers. In addition, the KC-135 Training System contract now includes training support for the Air National Guard's Boom Operator Simulator System (BOSS). In total, CAE USA will support the training of more than 4,500 KC-135 crewmembers annually. “CAE USA did an outstanding job supporting the U.S. Air Force on the KC-135 training program over the past decade, and we are extremely pleased to win the recompete competition and remain the KC-135 training partner,” said Ray Duquette, President and General Manager, CAE USA. CAE USA will be supported on the KC-135 Training System program by a team of industry partners, including Delaware Resource Group (DRG), Cardinal Point, FAAC, and CymSTAR. “The KC-135 Stratotanker plays a vital role in the U.S. Air Force's ability to deliver global reach, and we are honored to contribute to the training and readiness of the KC-135 aircrews who fly these essential tanker missions,” said Dan Gelston, Group President, Defense & Security, CAE. KC-135 Training System Site Background CAE USA will deliver KC-135 aircrew training to USAF active-duty, Air National Guard and reserve crewmembers at 12 sites in the United States and internationally: Altus Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma, which is the site of the formal training unit; Fairchild AFB, Washington; March Air Reserve Base (ARB), California; Scott AFB, Illinois; Grissom ARB, Indiana; MacDill AFB, Florida; General Mitchell Air National Guard Base (ANGB), Wisconsin; Rickenbacker ANGB, Ohio; Pittsburgh ANGB, Pennsylvania; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Kadena Air Base, Japan; Royal Air Force Base Mildenhall, United Kingdom. In addition, the new KC-135 Training System contract includes training support for the Air National Guard KC-135 BOSS, which will be delivered at an additional 12 sites in the United States: Sioux City ANGB, Iowa; Lincoln ANGB, Nebraska; Forbes Field, Kansas; Phoenix ANGB, Arizona; Ronald Wright ANGB, Utah; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Bangor ANGB, Maine; McGuire AFB, New Jersey; Sumpter Smith Joint National Guard Base, Alabama; Selfridge ANGB, Michigan; McGee Tyson ANGB, Tennessee; Key Field, Mississippi. KC-135 BOSS training support will also be provided at Joint Base Pearl Harbor; Pittsburgh ANGB; General Mitchell ANGB; and Rickenbacker ANGB. https://skiesmag.com/press-releases/cae-usa-wins-competitive-recompete-of-u-s-air-force-kc-135-training-system-contract/