6 mai 2021 | International, Naval

Thales fournira 55 sonars à l’US Navy

Les sonars « Airborne Low Frequency Sonar » (ALFS) de Thales, conçus pour la lutte anti sous-marine, équiperont les hélicoptères MH-60R (Sikorsky) de l'US Navy. 42 seront livrés durant les cinq prochaines années et une option quant à la livraison de 13 systèmes supplémentaires au cours de la sixième année serait prévue. Thales est un partenaire important de l'US Navy puisque 300 sonars ALFS ont déjà été exportés aux Etats-Unis. Ces sonars équipent aussi les MH-60R destinés à l'export.

Air & Cosmos, 5 mai

Sur le même sujet

  • AI’s dogfight triumph a step toward human-machine teaming

    14 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

    AI’s dogfight triumph a step toward human-machine teaming

    By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON ― Human fighter pilots, your jobs are safe for now. Weeks after an artificial intelligence algorithm defeated a human pilot in a simulated dogfight between F-16 jets, the Pentagon's director of research and engineering for modernization said Thursday at the Defense News Conference that it's more likely an AI will team with military pilots than replace them. “I don't see human pilots being phased out, I see them being enhanced, not physically, but I see their work, their effectiveness being enhanced by cooperation with artificial intelligence systems,” said Mark Lewis, who also serves as the acting deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. The AlphaDogfight Trials in August marked the finale of the Pentagon research agency's AI air combat competition. The now-notorious algorithm, developed by Heron Systems, easily defeated the fighter pilot in all five rounds that capped off a yearlong competition hosted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency ― which is overseen by Lewis and the Defense Department's research and engineering shop. “The key takeaway from that was the artificial intelligence system did so well because it wasn't so concerned about self-preservation, it was willing to do things that a human pilot wouldn't do. And that's the advantage of artificial intelligence,” Lewis said. “I think the real answer is teaming AI with a human for the best combination of both. So I'm pretty confident we're going to have human pilots into the future.” The AlphaDogfight Trials were a subset of the Air Combat Evolution program, or ACE, which is one of a few DARPA efforts exploring human-machine teaming, agency spokesman Jared Adams said in an email. ACE is using human-machine collaborative dogfighting to increase trust in combat autonomy, and the goal is for it to scale to more complex multi-aircraft scenarios to pave the way for live, campaign-level experimentation. Fiscal 2023 will see the first in a yearlong series of trials using tactical fighter-class aircraft (currently L-39 trainers), with safety pilots on board to assist in case of trouble. Those pilots would be given “higher cognitive level battle management tasks while their aircraft fly dogfights,” all while sensors gauge the pilot's attention, stress and trust in the AI, Adams said. DARPA foresees a single human pilot serving as a mission commander in a manned aircraft, orchestrating multiple autonomous, unmanned platforms that would all be engaged in individual tactics. ACE would ultimately deliver that capability. “ACE, therefore, seeks to create a hierarchical framework for autonomy in which higher-level cognitive functions (e.g., developing an overall engagement strategy, selecting and prioritizing targets, determining best weapon or effect, etc.) may be performed by a human, while lower-level functions (i.e., details of aircraft maneuver and engagement tactics) is left to the autonomous system,” Adams said. “In order for this to be possible, the pilot must be able to trust the autonomy to conduct complex combat behaviors in scenarios such as the within-visual-range dogfight before progressing to beyond-visual-range engagements.” In announcing the future trials using tactical aircraft on Wednesday, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said: “AI's role in our lethality is to support human decision-makers, not replace them.” “We see AI as a tool to free up resources, time and manpower so our people can focus on higher-priority tasks and arrive at the decision point, whether in a lab or on the battlefield, faster and more precise than the competition,” he added. But Esper warned that both Russia and China were pursuing fully autonomous systems, and drew a distinction between them and what he described as the U.S. military's ethically guided approach to AI. “At this moment, Chinese weapons manufacturers are selling autonomous drones they claim can conduct lethal targeted strikes,” he said. “Meanwhile, the Chinese government is advancing the development of next-generation stealth UAVs, which they are preparing to export internationally.” https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2020/09/10/ais-dogfight-triumph-a-step-toward-human-machine-teaming/

  • Défense spatiale : les grandes lignes du rapport

    17 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

    Défense spatiale : les grandes lignes du rapport

    Par Yann Cochennec Les députés Olivier Becht et Stéphane Trompille viennent de remettre leur rapport sur la stratégie de défense spatiale dont la France doit se doter pour annihiler les menaces actuelles et futures. La France a décidé de se doter d'une stratégie de défense spatiale et la première étape est ce rapport que les députés Olivier Becht et Stéphane Trompille viennent de rendre devant la Commission de la Défense et des forces armées. L'incident du satellite espion russe en a été l'élément le plus médiatiquement visible et a servi d'accélérateur à une volonté qui était d'ores et déjà en gestation. Après la militarisation de l'espace, Olivier Becht et Stéphane Trompille soulignent dans leur rapport "l'arsenalisation de l'espace avec envoi et présence d'armes qui auront vocation à être utilisées dans le cadre d'un conflit". Le tout dans un contexte qui a changé : apparition de nouvelles puissances spatiales, l'arrivée de firmes privées sur le marché du spatial et la révolution "nano", soit la capacité de produire des satellites de plus en plus petits "pratiquement indétectables, qui peuvent être équipés d'une capacité de brouillage, d'écoute, de prise de contrôle cyber ou de charges explosives". Par conséquent : "défendre nos satellites civils comme militaires dans l'espace, être capable de voir, d'éviter, d'agir et de neutraliser un menace devient dès lors un enjeu de souveraineté nationale et européenne", soulignent Olivier Becht et Stéphane Trompille. Pour les auteurs du rapport, cette stratégie de défense spatiale devrait s'orienter autour de plusieurs axes. D'abord en renforçant les moyens de surveillance. Les systèmes de radars GRAVES et SATAM doivent "être complétés par de nouveaux développements" capables de suivre des engins "non-kepleriens" ou "très manoeuvrants et suivant des orbites non habituelles". Solution préconisée : deux nouveaux systèmes de radars de veille en orbite basse installés, l'un en métropole, l'autre en Guyane. Les rapporteurs préconisent aussi la mise en place "d'un système de surveillance des orbites géostationnaires" avec l'achat de trois télescopes supplémentaires (Polynésie, Nouvelle Calédonie) en plus du système TAROT du Cnes. "La surveillance de l'espace devra aussi pouvoir s'effectuer depuis l'espace : emport de capteurs d'approche sur nos satellites, mise en orbite de satellites patrouilleurs, surveillance de nos satellites par un petit satellite de type "chien de garde". Deuxième axe : la capacité de neutraliser une menace dans l'espace. Les deux parlementaires préconisent, plutôt que l'usage de missiles anti-satellites, de développer de nouvelles technologies : laser ionique "affectant les capteurs qui équipent les voies haute résolution visibles du satellite en le rendant momentanément inopérant, laser classique permettant de détruire chirurgicalement un équipement donné d'un satellite; moyens cyber pour brouiller ou détourner un satellite, bras articulés montés sur un satellite ou une mini-navette permettant d'arrimer un satellite hostile, de le dévier de son orbite et de l'envoyer vers les confins du système solaire. Enfin, pour être en capacité de poursuivre les missions "en cas de neutralisation de nos propres satellites", les auteurs proposent les dispositions suivantes : développement de constellations de satellites, "développement de moyens de lancement très rapides de fusées emportant un satellite à partir de drones spéciaux de type ALTAIR développé par l'Onera ou de type Pegasus de Dassault", développement "de pseudo-satellites de haute altitude capables de rendre des services équivalents à un satellite de basse altitude", de type Stratobus de Thales Alenia Space ou Zephyr d'Airbus Defense & Space. Pour mettre en place cette stratégie, le rapport propose la création d'une "Force spatiale" sous l'autorité directe du Chef d'état-major des Armées ainsi que d'une "Haute Autorité de Défense Spatiale" placée directement sous l'autorité du Premier Ministre en lien direct avec le ministre des Armées. http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense-spatiale-les-grandes-lignes-du-rapport-119321

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 12, 2019

    13 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 12, 2019

    NAVY Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a maximum-value $687,090,000 cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for early service life period work on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The purpose of this contract is to support ship repair and modernization during continuous incremental availabilities, planned incremental availabilities, full-ship shock trials and continuous maintenance and emergent maintenance during the ship's early service life period. This contract includes five ordering periods totaling 60 months, with a maximum order value of $687,090,000. Work for the initial delivery order will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2020. Work under all five delivery orders is expected to be completed by June 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,719,107 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-D-4306). The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $62,596,317 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a Submarine Propulsor Manufacturing Support Facility located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by February 2022. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $62,596,317 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N4008519-C-9057). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded not-to-exceed $41,000,000 for delivery order N6833519F0442 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-15-G-0022) to procure 2,763 pieces of peculiar support equipment, support equipment spares and test equipment for the maintenance and repair of F/A-18E/F aircraft for the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $20,500,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Risk Mitigation Consulting, Destin, Florida, is awarded a $10,278,694 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for methodology and field research for evaluating cybersecurity of Navy control systems effort. Works will be performed at places unknown at this time. Places will be defined at a later date based on needs at U.S. naval installations outside and inside the U.S. Work is expected to be completed May 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,808,000 will be obligated at the time of award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-18-S-B001 “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology.” Proposal will be received throughout the year under the BAA, therefore, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-1015). Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions Division, Fairborn, Ohio, is awarded a $9,999,999 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for removable media cartridges (RMC). This procurement is in support of the Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) program. A system upgrade is incorporating requirement changes to increase performance and address obsolescence. Work will be performed in Fairborn, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by October 2024. This contract includes foreign military sales to the United Kingdom. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,351,024; and Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funding in the amount of $1,186,376 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole-source procurement under statutory authority 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-GP55). AIR FORCE LinQuest Corp., Los Angeles, California, has been awarded a $562,302,987 cost-plus-incentive-fee base plus six option years contract for systems engineering, integration and test (SEIT) support. The initial base period award is valued at $118,363,040. This contract provides for SEIT support for the Space and Missile Systems Center, Military Satellite Communications Systems directorate. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be complete by December 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $13,523,792; fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,377,304; and fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $3,770,745 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8808-19-C-0006). U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $194,224,723 cost-plus-fixed-fee type delivery order modification (P00001) under a current contract (W91215-16-G-0001) to procure six renew-build and one new-build MH-47G rotary wing aircraft. This action is required to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft and to mitigate the impact of the MH-47G aircraft availability in light of increased SOF operational demands. Fiscal 2019 procurement, defense-wide appropriations in the amount of $77,360,723; and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $116,864,000 were obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The majority of the work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters, Tampa, Florida is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (SP4702-19-D-0003); BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (SP4702-19-D-0004); and ENGlobal Government Services Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma (SP4702-19-D-0005), are sharing a maximum $124,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SP4702-18-R-0510 for Automated Fuel Systems Installation. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. These are five-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are worldwide, with a June 11, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Defense Logistics Agency, National Guard and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio. CORRECTION: The contract announced on May 31, 2019, for CACI Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Virginia (SP4701-19-C-0024), for $10,760,666 was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is June 3, 2019. ARMY L3 Fuzing and Ordnace Systems Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $51,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Fuze Munition Unit (FMU)-153 A/B Point Detonating/Delay (PD/DLY) fuzes. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2019. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-D-0067). Tetra Tech Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts, was awarded a $46,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer services within the Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) areas of responsibility/mission boundaries. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2019. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0029). Stanley Consultants Inc., Muscatine, Iowa, was awarded a $46,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer services within the Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) area of responsibility/mission boundaries. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 22, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0031). ICF Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $32,216,823 modification (P00026) to contract W911QX-17-C-0018 for the ARL Cyber Security Service Provider (CSSP) program. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of June 15, 2020. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $3,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Massman Construction Co., Leawood, Kansas, was awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for floating plat. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2019. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-19-D-0008). Bristol Design Build Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded an $18,687,206 firm-fixed-price contract for an F-35A missile maintenance facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Eielson, Alaska, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $18,687,206 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska, is the contracting activity (W911KB-19-C-0009). Frazier Engineering Inc.,* Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a $13,157,500 firm-fixed-price contract for building renovation. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2020. Fiscal 2019 developmental test and evaluation, Defense funds in the amount of $13,157,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0020). IBM Corp., Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a containerized machine learning system. Four bids were solicited with three bids received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 2, 2024. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $9,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-19-F-0396). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1874073/source/GovDelivery/

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