6 février 2024 | International, C4ISR
20 avril 2023 | International, C4ISR
The $145 million contract from the U.S. Space Force continues the modernization and sustainment of critical space infrastructure enabling the Space Force core competency of Space Domain Awareness
12 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial
The first Northrop Grumman B-21 test aircraft in final assembly is “starting to look like an airplane,” a senior U.S. Air Force official said. The first B-21 entered the assembly process last fall at Northrop's plant in Palmdale, California, and continues to make progress. “The first test aircraft is being built, and it's starting to look like an airplane. Suppliers from across the country are delivering parts that are coming together now,” said Randall Walden, director of the Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, which is managing the B-21 development program. But Walden also continued to emphasize that, although the program is proceeding well, the complexity of developing a modern combat aircraft can still cause setbacks. “Aircraft programs will always have a few surprises early on, and we won't be any different, but overall the B-21 Raider is coming along nicely,” Walden said. Walden's quotes appeared in a little-noticed news release issued by the public affairs officer for Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett on Aug. 3. Barrett and Walden had accompanied Defense Secretary Mark Esper on a visit to Northrop's design and development headquarters in Melbourne, Florida. “I am thoroughly impressed by the dedication and progress across the B-21 Raider team,” Esper said. Gen. Timothy Ray, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, also joined the tour. “The progress I saw today further adds to my confidence that the B-21 Raider will preserve our long range strike and penetrating bomber capability,” Ray said. The B-21 is not expected to achieve first flight until 2022 and arrive at operational bases until the mid-2020s. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/first-b-21-starting-look-airplane-usaf-says
9 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial
by Gareth Jennings The US Air Force (USAF) plans to strengthen its Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) fleet, with a further six aircraft to be procured over the coming five years. With the fleet currently comprising three Bombardier Global 6000 regional jet-based E-11A (one of the original four was lost on operations in Afghanistan in 2020) and four Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft, the service disclosed on 5 February that it plans to acquire a further six E-11As through to 2026. “In an effort to boost the fleet, the BACN Program Office is working to procure six E-11A aircraft over the next five years. The team has secured additional funding for the first aircraft, and contract negotiations on a purchase agreement are currently in progress,” the USAF said, adding that it expects to have a contract in place by the end of March. While the announcement said that all six aircraft would be delivered by the end of June, it appears from the previously stated timeline that ‘2026' was inadvertently omitted. News of the proposed boost to numbers came days after the USAF awarded Northrop Grumman USD3.6 billion for continued BACN operations, sustainment, and support. https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/usaf-to-buy-more-bacn