3 avril 2023 | International, C4ISR
The program is one component of the Space Force’s plan to strengthen missile tracking capabilities against threats from Russia and China.
9 septembre 2021 | International, Aérospatial
The continued research and development for a possible F-35 engine replacement is needed, even without a commitment to replace the current F135 powerplant, so the U.S. Air Force can keep the option open and the technology evolving, the top service general said Sept. 8.
30 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Nathan Strout Analytics and modeling, data management and software engineering are among the top tech priorities for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, according to a document released Wednesday. The 2020 Technology Focus Areas publication is a guide for industry on how the agency is approaching technology broadly. “This document is focused on our needs, rather than specific technologies,” said Mark Munsell, NGA chief technology officer. “The changes we must make cannot only occur within the confines of NGA — they require the innovative spirit of industry to find new and unique solutions to some of our most difficult challenges.” The NGA's five technology focus areas are: · Advanced Analytics and Modeling · Data Management Modern Software Engineering · Artificial Intelligence · Future of Work The publication is an update to one that was first released in 2019. “We published the first NGA Technology Focus Areas as a way to share our technology needs with the larger geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) community. As our needs and expertise continue to grow and evolve, it is incumbent on us to provide an updated document reflecting these changes,” said Munsell in his introduction to the document. The agency also plans to issue its first technology strategy in the coming weeks, which will highlight how NGA plans to change in order to address these technology challenges. “Together, these two products illustrate the direction we are moving NGA's technology efforts. Please read them both; they provide a roadmap to protecting and advancing our nation's GEOINT advantage for years to come,” said Munsell. https://www.c4isrnet.com/intel-geoint/2020/04/29/these-are-the-technologies-the-national-geospatial-intelligence-agency-needs/
6 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By Mike Stone, Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department gave Congress notification it plans to sell 18 sophisticated armed MQ-9B aerial drones to the United Arab Emirates in a deal worth as much as $2.9 billion, people briefed on the notification said. The move comes on the heels of last week's notification of a potential sale of F-35 fighter jets to the middle-eastern country. This would mark the first armed drone export since the Trump administration reinterpreted a Cold War-era arms agreement between 34 nations to allow U.S. defense contractors to sell more drones to allies. Reuters has reported that UAE has long shown interest in purchasing drones from the United States and would be among the first customers in line after U.S. export policy changed this summer. A $600 million deal to sell four unarmed but weapons-ready MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones to Taiwan was the first to be formally notified to Congress on Tuesday. This informal notification for the Reaper-style drones is the precursor to the State Department's formal and public notification. The U.S. Senate Foreign Relations and House of Representatives Foreign Affairs committees - whose members have criticized UAE's role in civilian deaths in Yemen's civil war - have the ability to review and block weapons sales under an informal review process before the State Department sends its formal notification to the legislative branch. The U.S. State Department may wait to formally notify Congress of the sale once staff and members are briefed on the potential sale, one of the people said. The formal notification gives Congress 30 days to object to any sales. A U.S. State Department spokesman told Reuters, “As a matter of policy, the United States does not confirm or comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they are formally notified to Congress.” The armed MQ-9B drones will also be equipped with maritime radar and could be delivered in 2024. The package notified to Congress is for 15 with an option for three additional drones, one of the people said. The UAE is also seeking a package of Boeing Co EA-18G Growlers, an electronic warfare version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft, that are capable of jamming radar and other advanced capabilities. Growlers are operated buy the U.S. and Australia. The United Arab Emirates, one of Washington's closest Middle East allies, has long expressed interest in acquiring the stealthy F-35 jets and was promised a chance to buy them in a side deal made when they agreed to normalize relations with Israel. The informal notification for 50 Lockheed Martin Co F-35 jets was made on Oct. 29. But any deal the U.S. makes to sell weapons in the region must satisfy decades of agreement with Israel where the U.S.-made weapon must not impair Israel's “qualitative military edge,” guaranteeing U.S. weapons furnished to Israel are “superior in capability” to those sold to its neighbors. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-emirates-drones-exclusive/exclusive-trump-administration-advances-2-9-billion-drone-sale-to-uae-sources-idUSKBN27M06L