Pentagon chooses Australian firm to build hypersonic test aircraft

Sur le même sujet

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  27 mars 2024 | International, Aérospatial

  US Army’s fresh look at watercraft includes unmanned options

  The Army's new plan for watercraft has a joint focus and will use autonomous and robotic technology.

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  19 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  Russia's MiG Developing Drone Wingman Concept for Fighters

  By Oriana Pawlyk SALON DU BOURGET, PARIS -- The Russian government has accepted its first two MiG-35 aircraft, the latest multirole fighter made by MiG Russian Aircraft Corporation that straddles fourth-and-fifth generation capability, according to a company spokesperson. But beyond supplying new MiGs to the Russian air force, MiG is currently designing and developing drones to pair up with the new combat-capable aircraft, said spokeswoman Anastasia Kravchenko. "We are looking for network cooperation of both manned and unmanned aircraft," Kravchenko said through a translator during an interview with Military.com at the Paris Air Show. "And we're going to also use the technologies of artificial intelligence." When asked if this is similar to what other countries like the U.S. are aiming to develop for manned-unmanned teaming, Kravchenko said, "Of course." "Because you know, this is the future. We have already started to use these technologies, even on MiG-35 aircraft," she said. "MiG-35 can be like a command post and control other aircraft," Kravchenko added. "It's one of the key elements of how the aircraft is going to be used in the future." This concept of operations mimics how the U.S. is working to boost its fifth-gen aircraft -- and its proposed future tech -- to pair automated systems or artificial intelligence with a human in the cockpit so that the machine can learn how to fly, gather information, or more. Kravchenko said that "we have drone designs in our company," for the prospective program. But she did not provide more detail because she said "everything depends on the Russian Ministry of Defence" for future development and procurement. "MiG-35 was designed with open architecture" in mind, Kravchenko added. Currently, the Pentagon is working on open architecture, or ways to plug more equipment into the common, networked system for battle management and command-and-control. The MiG-35 itself has been designed to replace its MiG-29s, which entered service in the 1980s. The new "fourth-plus-plus" gen fighter is the direct follow-on to the MiG-29K/MiG-29KUB and MiG-29M/MiG-29M2 model aircraft, with increased engine and thrust power, according to a provided brochure. The MiG-35 was designed as an air superiority fighter that has "[made gains] against fourth and fifth-generation fighters," the brochure said. MiG said it's proposing to incorporate the active electronically scanned phased-array, known as AESA, for all the MiG-35s it produces. The radar, which has extended range, can simultaneously track multiple targets in the air and on the ground. "At the same time, 10 targets can be attacked" from the fidelity and information the radar gives the aircraft, Kravchenko said. "Out of them, six are aerial targets and four are ground targets." The MiG-35 has been in development for well over a decade, with the first reported demonstration flight at the Aero India Air Show in Bangalore in 2007. Its public debut was held in January 2017 at MiG's production plant in Lukhovitsy. "MiG has great experience. We have a lot of design experience," Kravchenko said of the company, which will celebrate its 80th anniversary this year. "And that's why we're completely sure that our new product, MiG 35, will use technologies of fifth-generation." That includes some stealth capabilities, increased maneuverability, electronic warfare and the ability to operate despite jamming. "This aircraft can be modified so that it can be upgraded depending on the requirements of our customers," she added. MiG is expected to deliver six MiG-35 fighter jets by 2023, according to Russia's TASS news. Moscow Times reported this week, however, that the remaining four jets could be delivered by the end of the year. MiG, which is part of the United Aircraft Corporation that includes companies like Sukhoi, among other aerospace defense companies, is separately developing its own fifth-generation fighter. Meanwhile, Russia is already slated to purchase 76 of Sukhoi Su-57 fifth-generation aircraft, which the country says rivals the American-made F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. "We are currently we are working on this," she said of MiG's own next-gen craft. MiG has cooperated with Sukhoi, but it is not planning on forming an official partnership for the project, she said. Kravchenko could not provide additional details for when a new fifth-gen fighter may come online. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/18/russias-mig-developing-drone-wingman-concept-fighters.html

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  25 octobre 2019 | International, Naval

  Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, lance la fabrication d’une série de nouvelles frégates à Lorient

  L'événement s'est déroulé en présence du délégué général pour l'armement, Joël Barre, du chef d'état-major de la marine nationale, l'amiral Christophe Prazuck, de son homologue grec, le vice-amiral Nikolaos Tsounis , et de Hervé Guillou, PDG de Naval Group. Les FDI sont des navires de combat de la classe 4 500 tonnes avec un équipage de 125 marins. Aptes à intervenir dans tous les domaines de la lutte en haute mer, elles intègrent de nombreuses innovations, parmi lesquelles le premier radar à panneaux fixes entièrement numérique au monde. Le programme FDI a été lancé en 2017. La loi de programmation militaire 2019-2025 prévoit que les deux premières FDI seront livrées à la Marine nationale d'ici à 2025. Cinq FDI seront en service au sein de la Marinenationale en 2030. Sur proposition de l'amiral Prazuck, la ministre des Armées a décidé que l'une d'entre elles portera le nom de l'amiral Louzeau, décédé récemment. Le programme FDI participe au renouvellement et au renforcement de la flotte de surface de la Marine nationale, conformément aux conclusions de la revue stratégique de 2017 qui prévoit 15 frégates de premier rang en 2030 : 8 frégates multi-missions (FREMM), 2 frégates de défense aérienne (FDA Horizon) et 5 frégates de défense et d'intervention (FDI). La première FDI a été commandée en avril 2017 par la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) à l'industriel Naval Group associé à Thales et MBDA. Sa livraison à la Marine nationale est prévue fin 2023. Complémentaires des FREMM, les FDI sont des navires de combat d'un déplacement de la classe 4 500 tonnes, polyvalents, endurants, embarquant un équipage de 125 marins. Les FDI intègrent dès leur conception un concentré d'innovations : Elles peuvent intervenir dans tous les domaines de la lutte en haute mer: antinavire, antiaérien, anti-sous-marin. Aptes au contrôle de vastes espaces aéro-maritimes, elles sont aussi capables de se défendre contre les menaces asymétriques et de projeter un détachement des forces spéciales. Pour évoluer dans un monde de plus en plus digital, les FDI disposent nativement d'une protection contre la menace cyber et de deux centres numériques (Data Centers) qui regroupent les capacités de calculs de tous les senseurs et armements du bord. Parmi les équipements de nouvelle génération installés à bord on trouve un radar à quatre panneaux fixes permettant une veille permanente sur 360 degrés, fixés sur une m'ture unique, et des lanceurs capables de tirer plusieurs types de missiles antiaériens en fonction de la menace. Ce sont également les premières frégates à pouvoir embarquer simultanément un hélicoptère et un drone de la classe 700 kg. Conçues pour être évolutives, les FDI évolueront en standards de manière à s'adapter à l'évolution de la menace. Depuis la notification du marché par la DGA au printemps 2017, chaque jalon technique a été franchi dans les temps que ce soit pour la conception du navire ou pour le développement des innovations embarquées, gr'ce à un travail collaboratif en plateau réunissant la DGA, l'industrie et la Marine. *L'amiral Pierre Alexis Ronarc'h, connu pour avoir été à la tête de la « brigade Ronarc'h », brigade de fusiliers marins ayant participé à la défense héroïque de Dixmude en 1914, commandant supérieur de la Marine pour la zone des armées du Nord de 1916 à 1918, un des pères de la lutte anti-sous-marine, puis chef d'état-major de la Marine entre 1919 et 1920. https://www.defense.gouv.fr/dga/actualite/florence-parly-ministre-des-armees-lance-la-fabrication-d-une-serie-de-nouvelles-fregates-a-lorient