27 janvier 2021 | International, Terrestre
By: Jen Judson
WASHINGTON — The Army is testing a solution to address overheating and toxic gas production in the newest version of the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle's turret battery, but its release has been delayed by almost a year, the service's program office told Defense News.
The problem was discovered during the Army Test and Evaluation Command-run Full Operational Test and Evaluation at Fort Hood, Texas, where the Bradley A4 batteries were hooked directly into test equipment placing additional strain on them. The Bradley A4 design features a new charger but not new batteries. The new charger did not come with a voltage regulator, which caused the older batteries to overheat and produce the toxic gas during testing.
The command suspended the maneuver portion of the test due to safety concerns related to the batteries overheating in all six test articles, according to a report recently released from the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation.
“All six test article turret batteries overheated and discharged toxic fumes into the turret and crew compartment,” the report states. “This is a safety hazard to soldiers. The program manager was present during test and observed the turret battery issue. He supported the recommendation to suspend the remaining maneuver missions.”
According to the program office, the service is partnered with several vendors that developed Bradley A4 — BAE Systems is the prime contractor — to design and test a solution after determining the problem during the testing process.
The program office now expects to receive a materiel release by January 2022 with field maintenance new equipment training and operator new equipment training beginning at the same time. The original materiel release decision was expected in third quarter of fiscal 2021, the DOT&E report stated.
The first Armored Brigade Combat Team is scheduled to get its new Bradley A4s in September 2022, the Bradley program office said.
The Bradley A4 is an engineering change proposal program that brings in new suspension and track upgrades and upgrades the electrical system and power train to restore lost mobility and integrate new technologies.
The current Bradley, for example, struggled to take on the power needed to run an active protection system. The Bradley won't receive an APS system until A4 is up and running.
The Army reduced its Bradley modifications further in its FY21 budget request after cutting future upgrades beyond its A4 variant in FY20. The service is working to replace the Bradley down the road with an Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program. But the Bradley and its fire support vehicle will remain in ABCT formations until the 2050s.
The FY21 appropriations bill slashed the Bradley program by $161 million due to production delays.
3 décembre 2023 | International, Terrestre
Amazon on Friday said it booked three Falcon 9 launches with Elon Musk's SpaceX to help deploy the ecommerce giant's Project Kuiper satellite network, tapping a rival in the satellite internet business for its multi-billion dollar launch campaign.
21 octobre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
DART Aerospace recently acquired key product lines from Canadian helicopter mission equipment manufacturer Aero Design Ltd., as well as its brand trademark. Based in Powell River, B.C., Aero Design has been developing and manufacturing aerial cargo expansion products since 1999 and has created an extensive catalogue of helicopter baskets, steps, bearpaws and bicycle racks for a wide range of OEMs including Airbus, Bell, MD Helicopters and Robinson. The addition of key Aero Design product lines to DART's portfolio will allow DART to deepen its product offering, acquire over 30 supplemental type certificates (STCs) and optimize its current Canadian operational capabilities to contribute to its overall growth strategy. Following the acquisition, DART will remain the leading manufacturer of helicopter cargo expansion products globally. This is DART's second acquisition of 2019, following its purchase of Portland-based mission equipment manufacturer Simplex Aerospace at the beginning of October. As a result, DART's portfolio has grown from 900+ STCs earlier this year, to over 1,100+ STCs today. “Acquiring Aero Design's key product lines will enable DART to offer baskets to a wider range of aircraft models and gain market share as the main provider of helicopter cargo expansion products worldwide,” said Alain Madore, DART Aerospace's president and CEO. “Alongside our current aerial utility and heli-ski product offering, we are also looking forward to furthering our footprint in the adventure tourism sector with the addition of Aero Design's helicopter bicycle racks.” “The aerospace industry is changing at an astonishingly rapid pace. It is important to adjust our strategies and pool resources so we can help ensure that our industry meets the coming challenges as quickly and effectively as possible. I'm excited to see what comes next as we join the DART family and move forward together,” said Jason Rekve, Aero Design's president and general manager. Jeff Clarke, vice-president and quality assurance manager at Aero Design, added: “For the past 18 years, Aero Design has strived to create innovative, user-friendly products that meet the needs of operators worldwide. This transition to DART is very positive as we have seen their desire to maintain our product lines and their plans to expand on them by integrating the best parts of both companies' capabilities. I am confident that Aero Design's current and past partners will continue to see the quality and features they have come to expect moving forward.” Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/dart-acquires-key-product-lines-from-aero-design-ltd/
27 janvier 2023 | International, C4ISR
An Air Force official said the military must "automate more" in order to remain dominant in a world of advanced computing and quick decisions.