Northrop, Raytheon team on next-gen interceptor bid

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  30 octobre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  UAE could get up to 50 F-35s in $10B sale

  By: Joe Gould , Aaron Mehta , and Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is backing the sale of as many as 50 F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates in an arms deal worth an estimated $10.4 billion, according to multiple reports. The news came as the Trump administration informally briefed Congress on its plan to sell the advanced F-35 fighter to the United Arab Emirates Thursday. It follows weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes debates about how to structure an F-35 deal with the UAE without cutting into Israel's qualitative military edge. If the sale is permitted by Congress and the UAE opts to buy the full number of F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants covered by the deal, it would have parity with Israel, which has 50 F-35 “Adir” jets under contract, although the country is considering buying 25 more. (The quantities and values of such deals often change from initial estimates.) Amid reports the Trump administration is fast-tracking the F-35 sales, key Democratic lawmakers are continuing to urge a deliberate approach, citing concerns for Israel's security and the security of the warplane's sensitive technology. “This technology would significantly change the military balance in the Gulf and affect Israel's military edge," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., said in a statement. "The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is a game-changing stealth platform boasting advanced strike capability and unique sensor technology. The export of this aircraft requires very careful consideration and Congress must analyze all the ramifications. Rushing these sales is not in anyone's interest.” The consultations came days after Israel said last week it will not oppose the U.S. sale of “certain weapon systems,” widely considered to mean the F-35. That followed an agreement between Israel and the United States to upgrade its capabilities to preserve its edge. Engel said he plans to weigh the U.S. legal obligation to maintain Israel's military superiority in the region, as well the question of whether the sale would drive demands from other Middle Eastern nations to buy the F-35 in exchange for normalized ties with Israel. (The Trump administration recently brokered such a pact between Israel and the UAE.) “Israel currently has exclusive access in the region to the F-35, which has guaranteed its military edge over the last several years. As Congress reviews this sale, it must be clear that changes to the status quo will not put Israel's military advantage at risk,” Engel said. “This technology also must be safeguarded from our greatest global adversaries. With Russia and China active in the region, the American people will require unimpeachable assurances that our most advanced military capabilities will be protected.” For decades, the State Department has informally consulted with the Senate Foreign Relations and House Foreign Affairs committees before formally notifying Congress of sales, which affords lawmakers a chance to block them. Though lawmakers typically consider such deliberations sensitive and rarely speak publicly about them, Engel broke the news Congress had been informally notified. Assistant Secretary Bureau of Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper told reporters Wednesday the department plans to honor that process. Though Reuters has reported there is a goal to have a letter of agreement between the U.S. and the UAE by Dec. 2, Cooper said “there are no dates associated with the work that's being done.” He declined to provide specifics of a potential deal and the State Department declined to comment on Thursday. F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin referred questions to the State Department. Israeli opposition would be fatal to the deal in Congress, where Israel enjoys strong support. Two key Democrats introduced legislation earlier this month that would place restrictions on F-35 sales to Middle Eastern nations to address their concerns about both the Israel's security and the security of F-35 technology. On Thursday, Engel invited colleagues to join him in legislation, “to ensure that the sale of these types of weapons adhere to our most important national security goals.” https://www.defensenews.com/2020/10/29/uae-could-get-up-to-50-f-35s-in-10b-sale/

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  30 octobre 2023 | International, Aérospatial

  What are the takeaways from Ukraine’s fight in the Black Sea?

  Opinion: Today’s struggles in the Black Sea may herald a changing face of naval warfare, in which large warships are increasingly vulnerable.

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  27 juin 2019 | International, Autre défense

  Tired of sweating in your ACUs? Try these new hot-weather cammies

  By: Todd South FORT BELVOIR, Va. – Beginning in July, soldiers in Hawaii and at Fort Benning, Georgia will be able to buy the Army's newest field uniform – the Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. Following the first delivery of 2,000 uniforms to those sites, the Army will roll out more batches of the uniform in six more waves through February 2020 when it will be available at all military clothing stores. Don't sweat it yet. The IHWCU is not a clothing item required for inspections but it is an option that soldiers will have to use how they see fit in hot climates and even in garrison in situations where they would wear the Army Combat Uniform. The IHWCU maintains the same Operational Camouflage Pattern as the current ACU and comes in at about the same price, which runs approximately $100 for the set, depending on sizes, Col. Stephen Thomas, project manager, soldier protection and individual equipment at Program Executive Office-Soldier told Army Times. The most notable change when the two uniforms are side by side is that the IHWCU has no breast pockets. But changes go deeper once a user dons the lighter, more breathable and streamlined uniform built to help keep soldiers cool with improved airflow but also more comfortable with a new material that dries from soaking wet within 60 minutes. Thomas got to experience that firsthand recently when wearing the new uniform to a Pentagon meeting and getting caught in a downpour. “As soon as we pull in, the bottom falls out of the sky,” the career light infantryman said. Walking through security, he was leaving puddles of water but by the time he finished his first meeting he was essentially dry. The seven waves of deliveries will start at 2,000 for the first wave and conclude with a 5,000- to 6,000-uniform wave next year. After that production will depend on demand, Thomas said. If soldiers like them and buy them, then the Army will order up more. The seasoned colonel recalled a more distant uniform change having a certain effect. When he was a second lieutenant, the Army had the standard Battle Dress Uniform, but it was heavier than necessary for hot climates. So, similarly the Army produced a “lightweight” summer BDU, which also was not a required clothing item but quickly became the standard uniform most soldiers wore for comfort. “What ended up happening is it became a uniform of choice,” Thomas said. “I think this will have the same results.” The new uniform uses a 57 percent nylon and 43 percent cotton blend to reduce the weight of the uniform by a pound and increasing drying rates and air flow. Other not immediately recognizable but important additions include reinforced elbow and knee areas, helping to prevent ripping. Changes to contours by designers have used a “raglan” sleeve that is more fitted, less baggy with less bunching or binding as is sometimes common with the current ACU, Thomas said. The knee areas are also better tailored to allow for movement where the ACU can sometimes snag or drag when wet, said Lester Smith, systems acquisitions manager at PEO Soldier. And the crotch gusset allows for the same freedom of movement in the trousers, also preventing drag and keeping the pants in a better position, especially when loaded down with cargo pocket items or wet. How the Army developed the uniform includes laboratory and field testing by scientists at the then-Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts. That work kicked off in 2015, after soldiers pointed out problems with the existing uniform options for hot, wet environments such as those often encountered by soldiers with the 25th Infantry Division in Hawaii and soldiers rotating through the ongoing Pacific Pathways exercises that partners U.S. soldiers with Indo-Pacific region militaries, many in very hot, often jungle environments. The results were pushed to PEO Soldier in 2017, which did a large scale test with 25th Division soldiers and others beginning in January 2018 and which resulted in further changes and adjustments that ultimately became the soon-to-release IHWCU. Along the way, the Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center, 25th Infantry Division, 6th Ranger Training Brigade, Jungle Operations Training Center and Maneuver Center of Excellence contributed to testing and evaluations. Pentaq, NIB, Goodwill Industries and ReadyOne are the companies producing the uniform for military clothing stores. Key features of the new IHWCU include: Blouse Single-breasted Raglan sleeve front with a five (5) button closure Fold-down collar with a fusible interlining Long sleeves with cuffs with one button and three buttonholes for an adjustable cuff tab The top of the button down closure is open to accommodate a pen Front placket has a loop tape for the Rank Patch Coat has two bellow-style top opening upper sleeve pockets and includes an eyelet drain-hole Sleeves have an elbow reinforcement patch Both sleeves have an Identification Friend or Foe tab cover that can be opened and closed using hook and loop fastener IFF tab cover is centered and sewn onto the sleeve above the upper sleeve pocket Double turned and cleaned finished hem Trousers Covered fly with a four (4) button/ buttonhole closure, or three (3) button/buttonhole closure, depending on size Seven (7) belt loops Two (2) side hanging pockets Two (2) front side pleated cargo pockets with three (3) button/ two (2) buttonhole closure flaps High end of cargo pockets at front of pocket rather than rear like ACU Two (2) lower leg side pockets with one (1) button/ one (1) buttonhole closure flaps Side cargo pockets shall have three (3) sewn-in eyelets hidden by the bellows Double needle seat patch and a pleated knee reinforcement incorporated into the pant leg at the knee One (1) piece single gusset Two (2) front side hanging pockets Mesh fabric attached on the inside of the trousers at the bottom of the legs as inner cuffs Bottom of the trousers leg hems, the inner cuffs, and the waistband shall have drawstrings How the IHWCU came to be First they stripped down the ACU and then added the following items: Chest, calf and back pockets were removed to reduce weight and dry time. Blousing strings were eliminated from trousers to allow for airflow and drainage. The elbows, knees and seat were reinforced with 330 denier nylon, a thicker nylon that increases durability and abrasion resistance. Crotch gussets, extra patches of fabric that reduces stress on the seams, were added to prevent blowouts common to the Flame Resistant ACUs. Buttons were used on the ACU blouse instead of a zipper, with the intent to increase air flow. Another hot weather version in early testing incorporated mesh into the uniform design and had all of the same changes as the stripped down ACU except it used a zipper instead of buttons. With this version soldiers didn't need to blouse their boots because a mesh material inside the trouser leg along the ankle. By tucking in the mesh, soldiers could get air flow and also keep insects or leeches from getting at them. Some early testing added a “knit yoke” or wicking material to the back of the trouser waist band. That add-on was to wick away pooling sweat that often accumulates there. Wicking draws moisture away from the body so that it can evaporate. They also looked at two different Army Combat Shirt changes, testing both a cooling material for the torso and collar and also a wicking version. Between 2015 and 2016 the Army conducted four uniform user test evaluations, three of those only on material, not design. The first was a 50/50 nylon/cotton weave with ripstop reinforcement, just like the standard ACU. The second had the same blend but used a “twill weave” to make it stronger and more tear resistant. The third used a 38/38/24 blend of nylon, cotton and PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene: a compound use in Teflon coatings. The fourth version was 100 percent nylon ripstop. Without cotton it takes on less water and weighs less but is still as strong as nylon. The fifth version was a 57/43 nylon/cotton blend, which was the final choice for the current IHWCU. Full article: https://www.armytimes.com/news/your-army/2019/06/26/tired-of-sweating-in-your-acus-try-these-new-hot-weather-cammies/