Space Operations Command preps for new shared domain awareness tool

Sur le même sujet

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  7 août 2018 | International, Naval

  The US Navy’s top acquisition priority stumbles out of the gate

  By: David B. Larter The U.S. Navy's $122.3 billion Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program is off to an inauspicious start after faulty welding was discovered in several missile tubes destined for both the Columbia and Virginia-class programs, as well as the United Kingdom's follow-on SSBN program. In all, 12 missile tubes manufactured by BWXT, Inc., are being scrutinized for substandard welds. Seven of the 12 had been delivered to prime contractor General Dynamics Electric Boatand were in various stages of outfitting, and five were still under construction. The Navy and Electric Boat have launched an investigation, according to a statement from Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Bill Couch. “All BWXT welding requiring volumetric inspection has been halted until the investigation is complete,” Couch said. The bad welds came to light after discrepancies were discovered with the equipment BWXT used to test the welds before shipping them to GDEB, according to a source familiar with the issue. The discovery of a significant quality control issue at the very outset of fabrication of Columbia injects uncertainty in a program that already has little room for delays. The issue is made even more troubling because it arises from a vendor with an excellent reputation, and raises questions about whether the Navy can deliver Columbia on time, something the Navy says is vital to ensuring continuous nuclear deterrent patrols as the Ohio class reaches the end of its service life. Full Article: https://www.defensenews.com/breaking-news/2018/08/06/the-us-navys-top-acquisition-priority-stumbles-out-of-the-gate-after-bad-welds-discovered-in-missile-tubes/

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  16 juillet 2018 | International, Naval

  Governments receive plans for industrial tie-up between Fincantieri, Naval Group

  By: Pierre Tran PARIS — France and Italy received in June plans for industrial cooperation from shipbuilders Fincantieri and Naval Group, the spokeswoman for the French Armed Forces Ministry said. “The governments concerned received the proposals from the companies and these proposals are being studied,” Valérie Lecasble said July 12, replying to a question from Defense News. That delivery last month met a timetable for the Italian and French shipbuilders to pitch their plans for an industrial alliance in building warships and cooperating in export sales. Submarines are excluded from that proposed cooperation. Naval Group is pursuing that link up with “great determination,” a company spokesman said. Meanwhile, a 36-page report from ADIT, a partially state-owned company working in economic intelligence, has painted a “highly negative” picture of the compliance and ethics of Fincantieri, business paper La Tribune reported July 12. That ADIT report is circulating in the French Economy and Finance Ministry and the offices of the Armed Forces Minister, the report said. There is also a report from the DGSE foreign intelligence service that cites “doubtful practices” Fincantieri's commercial matters. That DGSE report has been handed to the French prime minister's office, as well as the two French ministries. The business model for the proposed Franco-Italian deal is seen by Naval Group as similar to the partnership between French carmaker Renault and its Japanese ally Nissan, in which there is close cooperation but the two are separate companies. That proposed cross-border collaboration would seek synergies by pooling research, development and the procurement of equipment, and by cooperating on export offers in a bid to cut competition between the two companies.There would also be a cross shareholding of some 10 percent between the two companies. It remains to be seen how the two partners have brought into the plan the French and Italian systems companies Thales and Leonardo, respectively, which supply electronics for warships. Thales holds a 35 percent stake in Naval Group, with the majority of the remainder owned by the French state. https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2018/07/12/governments-receive-plans-for-industrial-tie-up-between-fincantieri-naval-group/

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  16 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  DSEI : Poland cleared to buy F-35 fleet

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has OK'd Poland to buy the F-35, America's most advanced fighter, setting up the country as the newest customer for the fifth-generation jet. The proposed order covers 32 of the conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35A variants, with an estimated price tag of $6.5 billion, according to a Wednesday announcement on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. As with all DSCA notifications, quantities and dollar figures can change during negotiations. While Congress can still act to block the sale, it's expected to run smoothly through Capitol Hill. “This proposed sale of F-35s will provide Poland with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces,” the DSCA announcement reads. “The proposed sale will augment Poland's operational aircraft inventory and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability.” Poland formally sent its request for the F-35 in May with the goal of replacing its legacy MiG-29 and Su-22 fleets. Procuring the F-35 is part of a broader defense modernization effort from Warsaw, which will see the country spend $47 billion by 2026 on new equipment. Along with the fighters, the proposed package includes 33 F135 engines, electronic warfare and C4 systems, access to the fighter's Autonomic Logistics Information System, a full mission trainer, and other support capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the plane, and Pratt & Whitney is the engine manufacturer. The deal will include some form of industrial offset, to be negotiated between the companies and Warsaw at a later date. Lockheed executives said Poland will get planes with the Block 4 package installed. Greg Ulmer, Lockheed's vice president and general manager for the program, has expressed an interest in having Poland take part in the industrial base for the planes. “Once Polish companies are approved as our supplier partners, they could make parts not only for the Polish aircraft but also for those supplied to other countries, such as the U.S. or Japan,” Ulmer said. However, Poland shouldn't get its hopes up about becoming a full-on partner with the F-35 Joint Strike Figher program, as the Pentagon has been adamant that the broad industrial participation program is locked in place. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/09/11/poland-cleared-to-buy-f-35-fleet