The Army wants drones that make their own networks

Sur le même sujet

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  2 juin 2022 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Renforcer la coopération pour améliorer la crédibilité européenne en matière de sécurité

  Il existe une opportunité unique de réaliser un « saut quantique » dans la manière dont l'Europe soutient sa base industrielle et technologique de défense selon une tribune d'Alessandro Profumo, président de l'Association des industries aérospatiales et de défense (ASD), et Jan Pie, secrétaire général de l'ASD. Alors que les propositions de la Commission européenne sont encourageantes, comprenant, entre autres, un instrument de passation de marchés conjoints pour les besoins capacitaires les plus urgents, soutenu par un financement communautaire de 500 M€, et un programme européen d'investissement dans la défense. La proposition visant à renforcer le soutien de la Banque européenne d'investissement à la BITDE (Base industrielle et technologique de défense européenne) est également importante, mais les États membres de l'UE doivent prendre des mesures tant au niveau national qu'européen, pour les deux dirigeants. « Nous soulignons la nécessité pour nos dirigeants d'augmenter également les lignes budgétaires de l'UE pour la sécurité et la défense. C'est important pour renforcer la coopération européenne en matière de défense et éviter de retomber dans les solitudes nationales » déclarent-ils. Les initiatives visant à renforcer la BITDE doivent donc viser à améliorer la capacité de l'industrie à remplir ses quatre fonctions : fournir à tout moment et en toutes circonstances les équipements requis et les services connexes ; améliorer les technologies de défense clés et leurs applications ; réagir aux nouvelles tendances et percées technologiques des concurrents et des adversaires potentiels ; et enfin défier les concurrents et les adversaires potentiels. L'Union européenne peut y contribuer avec ses propres politiques, instruments et ressources et en offrant à ses membres un cadre de coopération. Ensemble, l'Union et ses États membres doivent arriver à construire une base solide pour une défense européenne efficace. Euractiv du 1er juin

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  13 septembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Air Force not considering new F-15 or hybrid F-22/F-35, top civilian says

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The two biggest manufacturers of military aircraft have been busy marketing new versions of their fighter jets to the U.S. Air Force, but the service's top official told Defense News in an exclusive interview that it's not actually interested in purchasing either of them at the current moment. This summer, Defense One broke two major stories about sales pitches from Boeing, which is proposing an advanced version of the F-15 to the Air Force, and Lockheed Martin, which has been pushing a hybrid version of the F-22 Raptor and F-35 joint strike fighter similar to what it is reportedly offering Japan. But just because those companies are offering new jets, doesn't mean that the Air Force wants them. In an exclusive Sept. 5 interview, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said she believes the service needs to expend its precious financial resources on stealthy, fifth-generation platforms — specifically the F-35 — and thus buying even an advanced fourth generation fighter like the so-called F-15X is not in the cards. "We are currently 80 percent fourth-gen aircraft and 20 percent fifth generation aircraft,” she said. "In any of the fights that we have been asked to plan for, more fifth gen aircraft make a huge difference, and we think that getting to 50-50 means not buying new fourth gen aircraft, it means continuing to increase the fifth generation.” What about a new fifth generation plane that would combine the F-35 and F-22? Wilson shut down that idea as well, saying that proposal "is not something we're currently considering.” In a statement, a Lockheed spokesman said that the company was focused on the F-35 program but also looking into generational leaps in capability “to ensure our technology, including existing aircraft, remains a step ahead of advancing threats.” Boeing declined to comment on this story. The Air Force secretary's proclamations seem to pour cold water on both Lockheed and Boeing's sales pitches, but it is always possible that others inside the service are in favor of buying the F-15X and F-22/F-35 hybrid — and that they could continue making the case to Air Force leadership, potentially winning them over. Sources that spoke to The War Zone said Boeing was in “very serious” talks with the Air Force over the F-15X, but that the service had shied away from making its interest public so as to not to derail it's number-one procurement priority, the F-35. Defense News has also heard from multiple sources that the Air Force has been in talks with Boeing over the F-15X for over a year, though it's unknown at what levels those conversations currently reside. Experts who spoke with Defense News said it's very likely that the Air Force intends to keep its focus on ramping up F-35 production for the time being, but that alternative platforms could very well be considered in future years. However, it is the F-22/F-35 hybrid, not the F-15X, that they believe stands a better chance of being adopted by the Air Force. Defense One, which broke the story about Lockheed's hybrid offer, wrote that the proposed jet would involve taking the F-22 airframe and outfitting it with some of the F-35's more advanced mission systems, though some structural changes could also be involved. “Every F-22 hybrid or derivative I've seen has been great,” said Rebecca Grant, a defense analyst with IRIS independent Research. The Air Force is in great need of such a stealthy air superiority aircraft because it only procured 183 F-22s, she said. Its other plane that specializes in the air-to-air fight, the F-15C/D, was originally fielded in the 1970s. Grant said she interprets Wilson's dismissal of the F-22/F-35 hybrid as a reflection of near-term requirements and priorities, noting that “job one is acquiring the F-35.” But in the future, that jet could be what the service decides it needs to contend with current and future threats. David Deptula, the dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Power Studies and a retired Air Force lieutenant general, agreed that the service should continue buying F-35s for the time being. However, the F-22/F-35 hybrid might be a good option for the service in the future, when it begins looking for a next-generation air superiority jet, which the Air Force has variously called Penetrating Counter Air and Next Generation Air Dominance. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/air-force-association/2018/09/12/air-force-not-considering-new-f-15-or-hybrid-f-22f-35-top-civilian-says/

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  23 août 2018 | International, C4ISR

  Booz Allen wins $1B contract to protect NASA, USPS and Treasury networks

  By: Justin Lynch Booz Allen Hamilton has won a $1 billion contract from the Department of Homeland Security to protect federal agencies' computer networks, the company announced Aug. 21. The six-year contract is a a $1.03 billion task order, consisting of one base year and five one-year options. It was awarded to support Homeland Security's Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program, which protects the federal government from cyberattacks and hacking attempts. The mitigation program uses sensors to search for known cyber flaws, which allows officials to manage critical risks. The contract will protect the networks of six agencies, including the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury, as well as NASA and the U.S. Postal Service. Booz Allen said in a release their solution secures nearly 80 percent of the .gov enterprise, including 4.1 million network addressable devices, more than 1.75 million users, over 19,700 sites, and 89 individual Federal organizations. Booz Allen will begin by analyzing what and who is on the networks. They will also be charged with monitoring the systems and enhancing data protection. The program is part of the larger Dynamic and Evolving Federal Enterprise Network Defense (DEFEND) program,, which protects the federal government's network against cyberattacks and is valued at as much as $3.4 billion. In February, Booz Allen was awarded a six-year contract to help federal departments and agencies defend networks faster with more greater visibility, according to Marcie Nagel, the firm's leader on its CDM portfolio. https://www.fifthdomain.com/civilian/dhs/2018/08/22/booz-allen-wins-1b-contract-to-protect-nasa-usps-and-treasury-networks