Next-gen stealth tanker may be unaffordable, Air Force secretary fears

Sur le même sujet

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  21 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

  Why Did Boeing Opt To Fully Redesign The KC-46 Remote Vision System?

  Lee Hudson Why did Boeing opt to fully redesign the vision system on the KC-46 instead of using the Royal Netherlands Air Force KDC-10's reliable and proven technology? Aviation Week Pentagon Editor Lee Hudson answers: The Netherlands' Organization for Applied Scientific Research, Physics and Electronics Laboratory designed the Tanker Remote Vision System in 2006 for the McDonnell Douglas KDC-10. It is used on two tankers that serve in both tanking and transporting missions. The technology supports inflight refueling operators by providing a picture of the air-to-air tanking process, even in bad visual conditions. Boeing was unable to use the KDC-10 Tanker Remote Vision System (TRVS) because the technology does not meet U.S. Air Force requirements for the KC-46. The 1980s design does not support covert aerial refueling missions or operate in all lighting and background conditions. Boeing says that is why it opted to build a system featuring high-resolution cameras, display and processing capability. Some critics believe the Air Force and Boeing would both be better off if the remote vision system outfitting the KC-46 adopted pieces of the TRVS, given the new aircraft has experienced years of delays and cost overruns. Boeing took a $551 million charge in the first quarter because of changes agreed to by both the company and the Air Force in April for the KC-46 Remote Vision System (RVS). The redesign includes high-definition color cameras, updated displays and computing systems. The problem with the initial RVS design is what the Air Force called a “rubber sheet” effect that distorts the image on the visual display used by the boom operator during refueling. To date, Boeing has taken more than $4 billion in charges for the problem-plagued tanker. This is roughly the same amount the company was willing to pay for Embraer's commercial aircraft division before it walked away from that deal. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/why-did-boeing-opt-fully-redesign-kc-46-remote-vision-system

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  19 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  Europe takes new step toward future combat jet

  France, Germany and Spain on Monday unveiled a next-generation combat jet for European air forces, an ambitious project aimed at bringing together the continent's disparate military forces while offering an alternative to American planes. The stealth jet is part of the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), which will also include drones, missiles and so-called "remote carriers" that can be used to deliver munitions, scramble communication networks or divert the attention of enemy defences. French President Emmanuel Macron attended the unwrapping of a full-scale model of the sleek delta-wing aircraft at the opening of the Paris Air Show in Le Bourget, just north of the French capital. The official cooperation accord launching the project was then signed by the French, German and Spanish defence ministers: Florence Parly, Ursula Von der Leyen and Margarita Robles. "This project now has a resolutely European dimension: Spain has officially joined the programme this morning," Parly said. Spain announced its participation earlier this year, but so far no other EU nations have signed on, though officials in Macron's office say talks are underway to bring other nations on board. Airbus and France's Dassault Aviation are leading the plane's development, aiming to have it operational by 2040, when it will replace the current generation of Rafale and Eurofighter jets. France's Safran is also developing a new motor for the plane that may include hybrid electric technologies, making the plane quieter while also lowering its heat signature, making it harder to detect. But Paris and Berlin have still to award an expected 150-million euro ($169-million) contract to begin work on a test plane that could start flying in 2026. Parly told journalists the contract is expected to be finalised by the end of this year. The new plane is a crucial test for Europe's ability to forge a joint operational command that could ensure its military sovereignty at a time of growing tensions with the US under President Donald Trump, who has put the solidity of the NATO alliance into question. Officials will have to win over several EU countries which are longstanding clients of American jets, and which may be tempted by Lockheed Martin's new F-35 stealth fighter. And the new European jet already has a rival on home turf—Britain's Tempest stealth fighter project, which has already garnered the support of Italy and the Netherlands. https://phys.org/news/2019-06-europe-future-combat-jet.html

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  19 juillet 2022 | International, Aérospatial

  Exclusive: Pentagon nears F-35 jet deal worth about $30 bln - sources

  The U.S. Department of Defense is nearing an agreement with Lockheed Martin Corp for around 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years, three sources said on Monday, amid expectations of a price increase for the most common version of the jet due to lower quantities and inflation.