25 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial

The U.S. Navy’s New Drone Could Team Up With Stealth Fighters

The U.S. Navy is spending $13 billion buying 72 MQ-25 Stingray tanker drones for its 11 aircraft carriers. The idea is for the Boeing BA-made MQ-25s to refuel manned fighters, extending their range while also relieving the fighter squadrons of their own tanking duties.

But the MQ-25 always had potential to be more than just an aerial-refueler. With its stealthy airframe and high endurance, it could be a surveillance plane and even a light strike platform, too.

At least one fleet community isn't waiting for the Navy and Boeing to adapt the MQ-25 to other missions. The fleet's airborne command-and-control weapons school at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, California, already thinks of the Stingray as more than a tanker.

Robbin Laird, a military analyst and writer, spoke to Cmdr. Christopher Hulitt, the head of the school, and summarized the conversation at Second Line of Defense.

Laird and Hulitt's main point is that the Navy is acquiring new aircraft with highly-sophisticated communications systems and sensors. The F-35C stealth fighter. The E-2D early-warning plane. The MQ-4C high-altitude drone. And the MQ-25.

Where before, E-2s would fly over a maritime battle, detecting targets and relaying commands to fighters, now a new system is coming together. The F-35C, E-2D, MQ-4C and MQ-25 all possess the qualities of a sensor- and command-and-control platform. So instead of passing information just one way—from an E-2 to a fighter—in coming years info could begin moving in all directions.

An F-35C in stealth mode might detect an enemy ship using its passive sensors and beam, via secure datalink, the target's general location to the nearby MQ-25 that just refueled the F-35C. The MQ-25 could hand off the data to an E-2D. The E-2D crew could instruct the operators of an MQ-4C to steer their drone toward the enemy ship's location.

Once the MQ-4C pinpoints the ship, the E-2D could then pass the targeting data back to the F-35C as well as to other allied vessels and planes, all of which could fire missiles. Imagine this whole process happening in minutes.

“It is about deploying an extended trusted sensor network, which can be tapped through various waveforms, and then being able to shape how the decision-making arc can best deliver the desired combat effect,” Laird wrote.

The Navy hopes to deploy the first MQ-25s as early as 2024.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/05/22/the-us-navys-new-drone-could-team-up-with-stealth-fighters/#9bc4fd875e2e

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21 octobre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

DART acquires key product lines from Aero Design Ltd.
DART Aerospace recently acquired key product lines from Canadian helicopter mission equipment manufacturer Aero Design Ltd., as well as its brand trademark. Based in Powell River, B.C., Aero Design has been developing and manufacturing aerial cargo expansion products since 1999 and has created an extensive catalogue of helicopter baskets, steps, bearpaws and bicycle racks for a wide range of OEMs including Airbus, Bell, MD Helicopters and Robinson. The addition of key Aero Design product lines to DART's portfolio will allow DART to deepen its product offering, acquire over 30 supplemental type certificates (STCs) and optimize its current Canadian operational capabilities to contribute to its overall growth strategy. Following the acquisition, DART will remain the leading manufacturer of helicopter cargo expansion products globally. This is DART's second acquisition of 2019, following its purchase of Portland-based mission equipment manufacturer Simplex Aerospace at the beginning of October. As a result, DART's portfolio has grown from 900+ STCs earlier this year, to over 1,100+ STCs today. “Acquiring Aero Design's key product lines will enable DART to offer baskets to a wider range of aircraft models and gain market share as the main provider of helicopter cargo expansion products worldwide,” said Alain Madore, DART Aerospace's president and CEO. “Alongside our current aerial utility and heli-ski product offering, we are also looking forward to furthering our footprint in the adventure tourism sector with the addition of Aero Design's helicopter bicycle racks.” “The aerospace industry is changing at an astonishingly rapid pace. It is important to adjust our strategies and pool resources so we can help ensure that our industry meets the coming challenges as quickly and effectively as possible. I'm excited to see what comes next as we join the DART family and move forward together,” said Jason Rekve, Aero Design's president and general manager. Jeff Clarke, vice-president and quality assurance manager at Aero Design, added: “For the past 18 years, Aero Design has strived to create innovative, user-friendly products that meet the needs of operators worldwide. This transition to DART is very positive as we have seen their desire to maintain our product lines and their plans to expand on them by integrating the best parts of both companies' capabilities. I am confident that Aero Design's current and past partners will continue to see the quality and features they have come to expect moving forward.” Terms of the transaction have not been disclosed. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/dart-acquires-key-product-lines-from-aero-design-ltd/
24 décembre 2018 | International, C4ISR

The Army wants new tools to sense, disrupt and protect signals
By: Mark Pomerleau The Army will be hosting members of industry in 2019 to discuss opportunities on signals intelligence and electronic warfare, according to a December 2018 notice. The Signals Intelligence/Electronic Warfare (SIGINT/EW) Future Opportunities and Terrestrial Layer System (TLS) Industry Day will be hosted Jan. 23 at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. The Army has charted a path forward that includes integrating signals intelligence and electronic warfare systems into a single tool for greater synergy between the two disciplines. One of the first systems the Army is building on this front is the Terrestrial Layer System, an integrated EW and signals intelligence system that will provide a much-needed jamming capability to formations. The Army is taking a multitiered approach to TLS, leveraging assessments, exercises and even deployments of quick-reaction capabilities to inform how the service will move forward on prototyping and providing much-needed capabilities, such as this one, to units. Officials have noted that this approach differs from acquisition processes of the past. “We hope to go faster, but with the authorities granted by Congress ... we think this rapid prototyping using the buy, try, decide method is going to be great for this rapid acquisition process,” said Col. Jennifer McAfee, director of the Training and Doctrine Command's capabilities manager for terrestrial and identity at the Intelligence Center of Excellence. “Are we going to field this next week? Not necessarily, but we're talking fielding to the force in the next two to three years, not seven to 10 years.” Industry's role will be to help provide prototypes that will reduce the risk of flaws in the final solution. https://www.c4isrnet.com/electronic-warfare/2018/12/21/the-army-wants-new-tools-to-sense-disrupt-and-protect-signals
9 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 08, 2020
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aurora Industries,* Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $53,594,133 modification (P00008) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1128) with three one-year option periods for coats and trousers. This is a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Jan. 10, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. AIR FORCE BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., San Diego, California, has been awarded a $49,620,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification (P00026) to previously awarded FA4600-12-D-0002 for additional Air Vehicle Planning System (APS) support. The contract modification is for a ceiling increase to allow the purchase of continued maintenance and sustainment activities, ongoing development activities, increased onsite support requirements and required modifications to APS for new and modified weapons. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; Bellevue, Nebraska; and San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2024. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $195,000,826. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds; and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being used. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity. Kapsuun Group LLC, Lorton, Virginia, has been awarded a $14,535,027 firm-fixed-price contract for A4/A6 staff support services. Work will be performed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, and is expected to be complete by July 9, 2025. This award is the result of direct award acquisition with one offer being received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,719,657 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Combat Command's Acquisition Management Integration Center, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-20-C-0002). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2052857/source/GovDelivery/

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