10 octobre 2023 | International, Terrestre
Competing robotic vehicles on display after Army signals new approach
The four companies have until August 2024 to provide the Army with their prototypes for testing
18 juin 2024 | International, Terrestre, C4ISR
The agreement covers the initial provision of over 3,500 SquadNet tactical radios and around 2,500 radios from the SYNAPS product family.
10 octobre 2023 | International, Terrestre
The four companies have until August 2024 to provide the Army with their prototypes for testing
26 avril 2018 | International, Aérospatial
Airbus et Dassault Aviation sont parvenus à un accord de principe autour du développement du futur avion de combat franco-allemand. Un futur avion de combat franco-allemand verra le jour. Airbus et Dassault Aviation ont annoncé mercredi 25 avril être parvenus à un accord de principe autour du développement du futur avion de combat franco-allemand, dont le principe avait été annoncé en juillet 2017 par Paris et Berlin. Airbus et Dassault ont "regroupé leurs forces pour le développement et la production du Système de combat aérien du futur européen (Scaf)" à l'horizon 2040, ont annoncé les deux groupes à l'occasion du salon aéronautique de Berlin (ILA). "C'est un accord de principe. Le premier message est de dire "oui, nous sommes prêts" pour le développement du Scaf", a déclaré le PDG de Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier, lors d'une conférence de presse commune avec le patron d'Airbus Defense and Space, Dirk Hoke, dans la capitale allemande. "C'est un moment historique pour l'industrie" Play Video "Nous sommes prêts et nous disons à nos ministères de la Défense, à nos responsables politiques : nous sommes prêts, à présent allez-y", a-t-il ajouté. "C'est un moment historique pour l'industrie" aéronautique, a complété Dirk Hoke. "C'est un grand pas en avant pour développer les compétences en Europe et assurer la souveraineté européenne", a-t-il ajouté. Paris et Berlin devraient annoncer "une première étape significative" en vue du lancement de ce programme lors du salon, avait indiqué la ministre française Florence Parly, début avril. Les deux capitales se sont entendues l'été dernier pour "développer un système de combat aérien européen" destiné à remplacer à l'horizon 2040 leurs flottes actuelles d'avions de combat, le Rafale pour la France et l'Eurofighter Typhoon pour l'Allemagne. (Avec AFP) https://www.challenges.fr/entreprise/airbus-et-dassault-developperont-un-avion-de-combat-franco-allemand_583065
25 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial
Jan. 22, 2021 | By John A. Tirpak The F-35 Joint Program Office, Lockheed Martin, and Pratt & Whitney are negotiating prices for the 15th through 17th lots of Lightning II fighters and engines, aiming for a deal by the end of September. The contracting strategy is to negotiate a “base year” contract for Lot 15, with “two single-year options (Lots 16 and 17),” a JPO spokeswoman said. While the air vehicles are under negotiation, the “propulsion Lot 15-17 proposal is currently in technical evaluation,” the spokeswoman said. Although Lockheed quotes prices publicly for F-35s with engines included, the government negotiates with the engine maker separately. The Lightning II is powered by Pratt's F135 turbofan. The strategy likely buys time for the F-35 to finally exit engineering and manufacturing development and be declared ready for full-rate production, a milestone postponed last month for the third time by former Pentagon acquisition and sustainment chief Ellen Lord. The Lot 15-17 contracts will also mark the first major deals for the F135 engine conducted with Pratt under the ownership of Raytheon Technologies, which formally took over the engine maker in April 2020. Pratt was previously owned by United Technologies. The program office expects to conclude both the air vehicle and propulsion talks within fiscal 2021, the spokeswoman said. Lot 15 air vehicles “are planned to be fully funded and awarded in FY'21,” but the Lot 16 and 17 options would be exercised in fiscal year 2022 and 2023, respectively, “when funding becomes available.” The Lots 15-17 contracts were originally expected to include a multi-year “block buy” agreement including the U.S. However, by law, the U.S. cannot enter into a multiyear procurement arrangement for a weapon system until it has passed Milestone C, or full-rate production. The F-35 most recently was supposed to clear Milestone C in March, but Lord postponed that declaration until further notice, due to ongoing challenges integrating the F-35 with the Pentagon's Joint Simulation Environment—a wargaming system that helps Pentagon leaders decide on optimum force sizes for various weapon platforms. Lord's move leaves it up to the Biden administration to declare whether and when the F-35 is ready for full-rate production. When the Lot 12-14 contract was announced in October 2019, Lord said the F-35 had completed 90 percent of the tasks necessary to pass Milestone C. U.S. partners in the F-35 program are already participating in a “block buy” arrangement with Lockheed Martin. The $34 billion October 2019 contract, which covered Lots 12-14, achieved Lockheed and the JPO's longstanding goal of getting the unit cost of the F-35A below $80 million a copy. That contract, the largest yet for the fighter, included 478 aircraft; 291 for U.S. military services and 127 for foreign users. It also marked a 12.8 percent drop in the price of the Air Force version of the Lightning II over Lot 11. Engine costs had only declined 3.5 percent versus the previous lot. Lots 15-17 will likely involve a slightly larger number of aircraft. Industry officials said they expect smaller cost reductions in the F-35 from now on, as the production line is nearly at capacity and peak efficiency. The 2019 contract was the “big bang” deal, said one, in which Lockheed “pushed it” to get the unit cost below $80 million. At that price, the fifth-generation F-35 costs less than fourth-generation types like the F-15EX, but its operating cost remains significantly higher. Lockheed missed its delivery quota of F-35s in 2020 by about 20 airplanes, due to delays incurred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Michele Evans, former Lockheed aeronautics vice president, said in the fall the company expects to gradually make up those missed deliveries by around 2023, noting it did not want to disrupt the production enterprise for a brief surge to get back to par. https://www.airforcemag.com/next-f-35-contracts-under-negotiation-deal-expected-by-late-september