29 avril 2021 | International, Aérospatial
15 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Singapore Airshow 2020: ST Engineering unveils Veloce family of fixed wing VTOL UAVs
Singapore defence prime ST Engineering has unveiled the Veloce family of hybrid fixed-wing/vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) at the 2020 Singapore Airshow, which is being held at the Changi Exhibition Centre from 11-16 February.
The company is showcasing two market-ready Veloce variants - the Veloce 15 (V15) and Veloce 60 (V60) - at the event, with both air vehicles centred on a common airframe design comprising a main fuselage pod that supports the type's payload, avionics, shoulder-mounted wings, and a rear-mounted piston engine that drives a two-bladed pusher propeller.
The airframe also features four vertical-lift electric motors housed in booms attached to the underside of the wings, which in turn supports an inverted V-shaped tail assembly. Like other fixed-wing VTOL UAVs produced by manufacturers elsewhere in the world, both the V15 and V60 can be deployed without a runway or a dedicated launch and recovery system (LARS) due to their ability to take-off and land vertically using their electric motors, before transitioning to conventional flight when the appropriate altitudes have been reached.
The V15 will feature a 3.7 m wingspan and a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of between 16-17 kg as well as speed and endurance ranges of between 30-40 kt and 2-3 hours depending on its configuration, although it will typically carry a nose-mounted electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) turret.
In contrast, the larger and more capable V60 will feature a 5 m wingspan and a MTOW of between 50-70 kg, while flying at payload-dependent speeds of between 50-70 kt and staying aloft for 12-14 hours. It will also carry a nose-mounted EO/IR turret with provision for an optional laser rangefinder.
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23 janvier 2020 | International, Naval
Congress should fund new, not used sealift vessels, say former Maritime Administration officials
By: David B. Larter WASHIGTON — Five former Maritime Administration officials have called on Congress to fund the construction of new sealift vessels instead of pushing the plan to buy and convert used ships on the open market. In a letter to the chairs of the House and Senate Appropriations committees, officials from both Republican and Democrat administrations said replacing the nation's organic surge sealift fleet, which has an average hull life of 44 years, is essential to maintaining the ability to send troops and materiel overseas on short notice. The letter, signed by former MARAD Administrator Clyde Hart, as well as four other former MARAD attorneys and policy chiefs, called for Congress to build new ships to spur shipbuilding in the United States and to cut down on maintenance hassles that could spell delays in a crisis. “First, the new ships would be immediately operational,” the letter said, “and the Maritime Administration won't have to spend precious time finding long-obsolete parts, therein delay surge capacity. Second, building ships in the United States creates jobs, spurs spending and strengthens the U.S. shipbuilding industry.” The letter comes in the wake of findings from last year's turbo activation that only about 40 percent of the sealift fleet would be ready to surge in a crisis, and that the force would be “challenged to be immediately ready for a large-scale inter-theater force deployment,” which is its entire raison d'etre. The sealift fleet is composed of 26 Military Sealift Command pre-positioning ships, 46 ships in the Ready Reserve Force and 15 command-owned roll-on/roll-off surge force ships. Many of the roll-on/roll-off ships are steam-operated, and the obsolete equipment is causing significant personnel issues in the pool of qualified civilian mariners needed to operate them. The White House's Office of Management and Budget favors a “buy used” policy for the sealift fleet, which is rapidly aging out. The Army in 2018 sent a warning to the House Armed Services Committee in an information paper regarding the nation's surge sealift capacity — which would be responsible for transporting up to 90 percent of Army and Marine Corps equipment in the event of a major war. The Army said the capacity would fall below its requirement by 2024. “Without proactive recapitalization of the Organic Surge Sealift Fleet, the Army will face unacceptable risk in force projection capability beginning in 2024,” the document said, adding that the advanced age of the current fleet adds further risk to the equation. “By 2034, 70% of the organic fleet will be over 60 years old — well past its economic useful life; further degrading the Army's ability to deploy forces,” the document read. https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/01/22/congress-should-fund-new-not-used-sealift-vessels-former-maritime-administration-officials-say/
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20 octobre 2021 | International, Naval
Canadian defence contractors upgrading NZDF warships locked in legal battle - NZ Herald
Canadian contractors blaming each other for delays and cost blowouts.