Pentagon’s strategic capital office to spur investment in defense tech

Sur le même sujet

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  11 juillet 2018 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

  First trans-Atlantic drone flight is set to leave from North Dakota

  By: The Associated Press   GRAND FORKS, N.D. — Officials say the first trans-Atlantic flight by a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft is set to take off from an aviation park in North Dakota. The General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. drone is scheduled to leave from the Grand Sky park at the Grand Forks Air Force Base Tuesday afternoon. The flight will cover more than 3,000 miles before landing in Gloucestershire, England, where the Royal Air Force is holding its centennial celebration. The aircraft is an MQ-9B, which is 38 feet long with a wingspan of 79 feet. The plane recently flew continuously for more than 48 hours. General Atomics spokeswoman Melissa Haynes says the flight is meant demonstrate the technology that allows the plane to fly alongside private and commercial aircraft. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/07/10/first-trans-atlantic-drone-flight-is-set-to-leave-from-north-dakota/

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  24 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre

  Enjeux de l'exportation française d'armements

  A l'occasion du Paris Air Forum, une table-ronde sur la question des exportations françaises a réuni Thierry Carlier, directeur du développement international à la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA), Philippe Keryer, directeur général adjoint, Stratégie, Recherche et Technologie chez Thales, Alexandre Ziegler, directeur de l'international et des relations institutionnelles de Safran, et Cédric Perrin, vice-président de la commission des affaires étrangères, de la défense et des forces armées du Sénat. Thierry Carlier souligne que l'exportation d'armements représente pour la France, qui est capable de fournir l'ensemble du spectre de matériel militaire, la manifestation d'une volonté politique et l'expression d'une politique étrangère. C'est aussi le moyen de garder les compétences et une industrie dans le pays : un point de vue partagé par Philippe Keryer, qui estime que l'exportation permet notamment de lisser les cadences et de rentabiliser l'innovation, tout en maintenant en France de l'emploi qualifié. Pour Alexandre Ziegler, il est indispensable de trouver des clients à l'étranger en l'absence de préférence européenne. Le sénateur Cédric Perrin insiste sur la nécessité de l'exportation pour garantir la pérennité de la BITD, indispensable à l'autonomie stratégique. Les intervenants se sont montrés optimistes sur le développement des programmes européens de défense : le lancement du SCAF ou de l'Eurodrone, notamment, permettront de mettre en place des règles communes, et de gagner en autonomie stratégique. La Tribune du 24 novembre

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  29 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Will the Thai Air Force get more Gripen jets?

  By: Valerie Insinna SURAT THANI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand — The Royal Thai Air Force's Wing 7, home to all of the country's Saab Gripen aircraft, wants more jets. The question is whether the country's defense budget will allow for it, one official said Tuesday. “As operators, we know that this is a very good aircraft, and we would love to have more,” said Group Capt. Prachya Tippayarat, deputy commander of the RTAF's Wing 7. “But it's just that I don't know when. The Air Force will have to think about that.” The RTAF currently operates 11 Gripen C/D fighter jets, bought from the Swedish government and manufactured by Saab. The Air Force lost one Gripen in a 2017 crash that destroyed the jet and killed the pilot. With 11 jets left, it is more difficult to accomplish both training and maintenance, Tippayarat said. “So of course we are looking for the replacement for the 12th one. It's just a matter of when. As the operator, we cannot tell when we are going to have that aircraft,” he said, adding that the service might have other budget priorities. Thailand's 11 Gripen aircraft are operated from Surat Thani Air Force Base, located about 328 miles south of Bangkok. Defense News visited the base Nov. 27-28 and accepted airfare and accommodations from Saab. Surat Thani plays a key role in defending southern Thailand. Although the nation also operates Northrop Grumman F-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16s, Wing 7's Gripens are the Royal Thai Air Force's premier fighters, used primarily for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, and for secondary missions such as reconnaissance, Tippayarat said. The Thai government is also considering an upgrade of the RTAF Gripens' software suite, he added. The jets are currently configured to the MS19 standard, but the potential upgrade to MS20 would bring the jets into the most advanced configuration for the Gripen C/D. The MS20 software adds capabilities that make the Gripen a more formidable jet for air-to-ground attacks, including an electro-optical pod that allows the jet to drop laser-guided weapons, the addition of Boeing's Small Diameter Bomb and MBDA's Meteor missile, and new radar modes. One MS20 enhancement that the RTAF won't need is the addition of Link 16 capability, the data link used by NATO and its partner nations. The RTAF Gripens run on the Thai military's indigenous network, Link T. If Link 16 functionality is needed, the service can use its F-16s, but operating Link T on the Gripen allows Thailand to protect its homegrown capabilities and information, Tippayarat said. Saab delivered the first Gripens to Thailand in 2011. Other Gripen C/D users include Sweden, Hungary, the Czech Republic and South Africa. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2018/11/28/will-the-thai-air-force-get-more-gripens