Serbia acquires 12 Rafale fighters

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  14 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Helo drone maker unveils new electric aircraft for maritime, covert missions

  By: Seth J. Frantzman JERUSALEM — Unmanned helicopter maker Steadicopter has created two new models of its rotary unmanned aerial vehicles that use quieter electric engines and can perform maritime and covert missions. The Israeli company announced this month that it updated its existing Black Eagle 50 platform to two new models: the Black Eagle 25E and Black Eagle 50E. The coronavirus pandemic spurred focus on these new products, according to Noam Lidor, director of sales and marketing for Steadicopter. With the spread of COVID-19 slowing the global economy, the company found the time to review recent customer requests to develop a system more suitable for local and tactical missions. That resulted in providing the two new electric drones, which can be used for covert missions that require a quieter engine, or for maritime surveillance of facilities such as offshore gas platforms. The Black Eagle 25E weighs 18 kilograms and can carry a payload that increases its maximum weight to 25 kilograms. The 50 and 50E drones can weigh up to 35 kilograms, with the 50 weighing 27 kilograms and the 50E weighing a bit less due to the electric engine. With the lighter engine, the 50E can carry 10 kilograms of payload. Of the three options, the Black Eagle 50 has the longest range, at 150 kilometers, as well as the longest endurance, at 4 hours of flight time. The Black Eagle 50E can reach the highest altitude at 10,000 feet. Steadicopter is based in northern Israel and was founded in 2005. Like many Israeli companies that sell defense or security products, Steadicopter doesn't name customers. The Black Eagle 50 was shown at the Singapore Airshow in February 2020, DSEI in London in 2019 and Eurosatory in 2018. https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2020/09/10/helo-drone-maker-unveils-new-electric-aircraft-for-maritime-covert-missions/

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  21 juin 2019 | International, C4ISR

  Inmarsat awarded $246M contract for satellite services

  By: Nathan Strout Inmarsat Government Inc. has been awarded a contract worth as much as $246 million over five years to provide commercial satellite communication services for the U.S. military. The single-award blanket purchase agreement with the Defense Information Systems Agency was announced June 18. The initial award covers a one-year span from June 19 to June 18, 2020, with four option years. The contract provides for commercial satellite bandwidth for U.S. Africa Command. “The government expects to order Ku-band services sufficient to support airborne intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and command and control missions,” a DISA spokesperson said in an email June 20. According to the announcement, DISA received two bids for the contract. Inmarsat declined to comment on the award until after the protest period was over. The company has faced issues due to protests in the recent past. In September 2015, DISA awarded Inmarsat a potential five-year $450 million contract to provide worldwide commercial telecommunications services on the Ku, Ka and X-Band for the Navy's Commercial Broadband Satellite Program. That award was protested by Intelsat, who successfully convinced the Government Accountability Office that DISA had given different companies different bid requirements. That decision led to a stop-work order on the new contract, though DISA ultimately lifted the stop work order through a contract modification in July 2016. A DISA spokesperson confirmed that the two contracts are not mission related. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2019/06/20/inmarsat-awarded-246-million-contract-for-satellite-services/

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  28 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Commerce secretary tightens restrictions on military technology exports

  BY CHRIS MILLS RODRIGO - 04/27/20 03:55 PM EDT The Commerce Department announced Monday that it is tightening export controls on technology that could have military uses, citing countries like China and Russia. "It is important to consider the ramifications of doing business with countries that have histories of diverting goods purchased from U.S. companies for military applications," Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement. "Certain entities in China, Russia, and Venezuela have sought to circumvent America's export controls, and undermine American interests in general, and so we will remain vigilant to ensure U.S. technology does not get into the wrong hands," he added. The new controls are aimed at limiting China's military equipment from obtaining semiconductor production equipment, Reuters reported. The Commerce Department directed The Hill to the texts of the changes when asked about that report. The new export controls target technology acquired by the countries deemed national security threats through civilian supply chains. The rule change will expand military end-use requirements for China, Russia and Venezuela and remove license exceptions for civilians in those countries. Commerce proposed a related rule change that would force foreign companies shipping certain American goods to China to first seek approval from the U.S. as well as their home nations. Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.), an outspoken China hawk and member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, praised the rule changes announced Monday. “This rule is grounded in two basic truths: Modern war is high tech and China's so-called ‘private sector' is fake," the Nebraska lawmaker said in a statement. "Chairman Xi has erased any daylight between China's businesses and the communist party's military. We didn't win the Cold War by selling cruise missiles to the Soviets, and we're not going to beat China by selling semiconductors to the People's Liberation Army. These rules are long overdue.” https://thehill.com/policy/technology/494884-commerce-tightens-restrictions-on-military-technology-exports