USAF Should Downsize, Avoid Stealth For Future Tanker, Study Says

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  10 août 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR

  Experiment over: Pentagon’s tech hub gets a vote of confidence

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — In the early days of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter stressed that the “experimental” part of the unit was vital, a sign that the Silicon Valley outreach hub could remain flexible. “DIUx is, after all, an experiment, as well as a pathfinder,” Carter said in 2016, following a relaunch of the group after a frustrating first year. “We created it so we could try new approaches, learn what works and what doesn't, and iterate until we get it right. And we'll keep iterating together and learning from each other as we go forward.” Now, three years after its founding, it appears the experiment is over. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on Thursday announced that the office will now be known only as the Defense Innovation Unit, formally dropping the “experimental” part of the title. In a memo, Shanahan called the group a “proven, valuable asset” for the department and said the name change is a testament to my commitment to the importance of its mission.” “Removing ‘experimental' reflects DIU's permanence within the DoD. Though DIU will continue to experiment with new ways of delivering capability to the warfighter, the organization itself is no longer an experiment,” Shanahan wrote. “DIU remains vital to fostering innovation across the Department and transforming the way DoD builds a more lethal force.” It's a vote of confidence that will be welcomed by the now-DIU team and its supporters, after a year where many wondered about the future of the office. Since its creation, DIUx reported directly to the defense secretary — until February of this year, when it was rolled under the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. Raj Shah, who led the group for the last two years, stepped down earlier this year as the office's leader; a search for his full-time replacement is ongoing. And three years after the office was formed, some have questioned what exactly the group has accomplished. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2018/08/09/experiment-over-pentagons-tech-hub-gets-a-vote-of-confidence/

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  12 août 2019 | International, Terrestre

  Texas university to build $130M complex to test Army’s combat tech

  By: Kelsey Reichmann WASHINGTON — A Texas university will be home to a $130 million combat development complex used by Army Futures Command. Texas A&M University System's RELLIS campus in Bryan will be the new home to accelerator space, laboratories and offices for the four-star command. The announcement was made in a news release Thursday after the board of regents authorized the contract. The building will cost Texas A&M System $50 million, according to the release. It will also invest $30 million in infrastructure improvements for the new facility. The remaining $50 million was appropriated by the Texas legislature and will go toward an outdoor testing area at RELLIS. The complex will include a kilometer-long tunnel that will make Texas A&M Engineering “the hypersonics research capital of the country,” said M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. The campus held a robotic combat vehicle prototyping competition in May involving six industry teams with a total of eight vehicles. The event came in anticipation of Army whitepapers and request for prototype proposals for ground vehicle robots. Gen. John “Mike” Murray, the head of Army Futures Command, said in the release that the command would develop, test and evaluate technology from industry and universities around the country at the facility. “We are humbled and grateful to the people of Texas, Texas elected leaders, and the Texas A&M University System for the opportunity to further develop our strategic partnership through the establishment of the combat development complex on the RELLIS Campus,” he said. “This effort will certainly prove vital as we work together to discover, develop, and test ideas and concepts that will help our Soldiers, and our future Soldiers, to protect America's tomorrows — beginning today.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/the-americas/2019/08/09/texas-university-to-build-130m-complex-to-test-armys-combat-tech/

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  1 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  La France commande 12 Rafale à Dassault Aviation pour remplacer ceux cédés à la Grèce

  Dassault Aviation a signé, le 29 janvier, avec Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, un contrat pour la vente de 12 Rafale, lesquels remplaceront les 12 Rafale de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace française vendus à l'armée de l'Air grecque. La signature a eu lieu lors d'une visite de la ministre des Armées à l'usine d'Argonay, en Haute-Savoie, où sont produits les systèmes de commandes de vol de tous les avions Dassault depuis 1963. « Ce contrat de 12 avions neufs permet à notre armée de l'Air et de l'Espace de poursuivre sa montée en puissance Rafale en attendant la cinquième tranche, dont les livraisons sont prévues entre 2027 et 2030, a déclaré le PDG de Dassault Aviation et président du GIFAS, Eric Trappier. C'est une grande satisfaction pour Dassault Aviation, Thales, Safran et les 500 entreprises françaises associées au programme, dans le contexte particulièrement difficile que traverse notre secteur aéronautique avec la crise de la Covid-19 ». Ensemble de la presse du 29 janvier 2021