11 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

UK F-35s Clear IOC For Land-Based Ops; UK Spending Big on Defense

WASHINGTON: The UK is ready to start deploying the first batch of its new F-35 fighter overseas the country's top defense official said Thursday, while introducing a slew of new cruise and attack missiles for its Typhoon jets.

The announcement of Initial Operational Capability (IOC) for nine F-35Bs comes weeks after the Royal Navy performed its first F-35 landings aboard the new Queen Elizabeth-class of aircraft carrier, built specifically to accommodate the F-35B. The head of Lockheed Martin UK, Peter Ruddock, noted that the IOC pertains to “land-based aircraft.” That seems sensible given that Joint Strike Fighter operations from the carrier just began. But questions surround the overall health of the UK's military, as it embarks on an expansive modernization program that is facing brisk headwinds in the form of an uncertain withdrawal from the European Union and looming budget shortfalls in the coming years.

On Thursday however, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson stood in front of a hangar full of F-35s and Typhoons at the RAF Marham air base, which has just undergone a major facelift to accommodate the F-35 — including new runways and a training center — to declare a new era in UK power projection.

“The incredible F-35 jets are ready for operations, a transformed Typhoon has the power to dominate the skies into the 2040s and we continue to look even further into an ambitious future,” he said. “The RAF has long shown Britain at its great and global best, and today it lifts our nation to even greater heights.”

Alongside the F-35 were Typhoon jets, soon to be equipped with a slew of new capabilities developed under the three-year, $540 million Project Centurion.

Chief among them is the Storm Shadow air-to-ground cruise missile which boasts a range of 350 miles, the precision guided air-to-air Meteor missile with a 62-mile range, and the air-to-ground Brimstone precision attack missile. All of the missiles are made by Paris-based defense firm MBDA, a joint venture between European defense leaders Airbus, BAE Systems, and Leonardo.

Air Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, chief of the Air Staff, added: “The successful integration of Storm Shadow, Brimstone and Meteor on Typhoon completes and enhances the transition of world-class capabilities” from the retiring Tornado jets, which will “offer a step-change in our ability to employ air power around the world.”

After the HMS Queen Elizabeth makes its first deployment in 2021, it will be followed two years later by the HMS Prince of Wales, bringing to a close a gap in carrier capability that Britain has experienced since retirement of the Invincible and Ark Royal.

Royal Navy officials have said they're eager to get back into carrier operations, which will allow the UK to project power with fifth generation aircraft across the Middle East, Pacific, and in the Arctic, which is emerging as a major flash point as Russia and China rush to push assets north.

The deployments will come as a welcome relief for the US Navy, which is struggling with maintenance on its own 11-carrier fleet. The American ships have been strained over the past 17 years of war in the Middle East and growing tensions with China in the Pacific.

But the uncertainties over Brexit hangs over all of these plans.

“Our nation is moving into a new era outside the EU, and our huge achievements in air capability make our commitment to a role on the world stage clear to both our allies and our enemies,” Williamson said.

The UK's Director for Strategic Planning Will Jessett told reporters in Washington earlier this week that the MoD's ability to pump money into new defense programs will be affected by any deal reached between Britain and the rest of Europe, since their defense industries are intertwined.

“Amongst the reasons we started to face this affordability delta in 2017 were because exchange rates did fall, relative to where they were in 2015,” he said. If we get a [Brexit] deal that's OK, I can imagine, personally, exchange rates not just stabilizing but somewhat improving. If not, it is by definition going to add further pressure into this.”

He hastened to add, however, “that's not what we're planning for at the moment.”

In November, the UK's National Audit Office estimated that the Ministry of Defense's defense plans will exceed allocated budgets by an average of 3.7 percent over the coming decade, which would lead to shortfalls of between $8 billion and $18 billion over that timeframe.

https://breakingdefense.com/2019/01/uk-f-35s-clear-ioc-for-land-based-ops-uk-spending-big-on-defense

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1 mars 2019 | International, Aérospatial

Simulation manufacturer expands its footprint in support of Australian Seahawk operations
By: Mike Yeo MELBOURNE, Australia — Synthetic training aids are an integral part of educating the crews that operate Australia's Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk anti-submarine helicopters, as its Navy balances training needs against operational requirements for its helicopter fleet. The Royal Australian Navy, or RAN, operates a fleet of 24 MH-60Rs, known locally as the Romeo, from Nowra, south of Australia's largest city Sydney when the helicopters are not deployed at sea. The helicopters were ordered from the United States under the Foreign Military Sales program in 2011 and delivered to Australia between 2013 and 2016. Australia's MH-60Rs are split among two squadrons at the RAN base at Nowra, HMAS Albatross, with the 725 Squadron primarily assigned to training duties, while its sister unit 816 Squadron handles operational duties. According to Cmdr. Stan Buckham, the commanding officer of 725 Squadron, splitting up the fleet into two squadrons allows each to concentrate on their respective primary tasks, while operating next door to each other means they can interact and support one another. Both units operate out of new, purpose-built facilities at the base designed just for the MH-60R. These facilities include a suite of synthetic training devices that have helped the RAN train personnel while reducing demand on the aircraft. This suite of training devices, operated and maintained on site by the Canadian-based CAE, include two tactical operational flight trainers, or TOFT, a composite maintenance trainer, an avionics maintenance weapons loading trainer, and four other devices to train RAN MH-60R pilots, flight crew and maintenance crew. The two TOFTs, which can be linked so crews can operate together, are certified by an independent simulator evaluation authority to level D, the highest qualification for flight simulators. These have six degrees of freedom and can replicate a variety of day, night and weather conditions. CAE is also due to deliver an aircraft flight control system trainer to the RAN, completing its suite of nine training devices to support the country's MH-60R training program. Buckham describes the MH-60R as a “great capability” and has called the work between the RAN and CAE at HMAS Albatross “a step change in integration with industry.” The company has an extensive footprint across Australia and New Zealand, delivering training and simulator services across 13 sites in both countries. Together, these training devices have enabled the RAN to stand up eight flights of MH-60R crew that are either deployed or ready for deployment. Each flight consists of two sets of flight crews and a maintenance team that totals about 18 personnel. The first RAN MH-60R flight deployed onboard an RAN ship in 2016, and have since made numerous deployments onboard various ships to the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific region. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/avalon/2019/02/25/simulation-manufacturer-expands-its-footprint-in-support-of-australian-seahawk-operations/
24 mars 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Reagan Institute to launch task force on keeping American industries competitive
To find ways America’s manufacturing base can stay competitive as it intersects with national security, the Ronald Reagan Institute has assembled a new task force of lawmakers and business leaders, including Lockheed Martin’s former CEO.
14 septembre 2020 | International, C4ISR

US defense department awards AirMap USD3.3m to develop AirBoss platform
US Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) service provider AirMap a USD3.3 million grant to to commercialize its AirBoss platform. AirBoss is an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) software platform designed for Group 1 UAVs and developed together with Reveal Technology and the DoD's Defense Innovation Unit. The DoD recently announced USD13.4 million in Title III investments to support the domestic small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industrial base and further enhance the US warfighter's situational awareness, improve human-machine teaming, and provide engineering support for aiding the integration of sUAS capabilities into DoD programs. Under this investment, AirMap received USD3.3 million to aid product development and engineering support for integration of sUAS mission planning, post-mission analysis, and unmanned traffic management software. The award coincides with the launch of the AirMap Defense Group (ADG), a defense and security business unit that provides mission-critical technologies to the DoD. AirMap is working closely with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to enhance and field test the AirBoss platform with small quadrotors. Airmap's AirBoss platform supports image mapping and analysis provided by Reveal Technology. Reveal's Farsight mobile application is a 2D/3D mapping and analytical tool for drone imagery, optimized to provide focused, intelligent analytics at the edge. The technology is used to provide intelligence for army squads. “UAS technology delivers critical situational awareness and tactical opportunities,” said Major Steven Norris, ACE Branch Head, Science and Technology, at the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab. “We look forward to further developing Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) technology to enable safer and more efficient UAS operations teaming with personnel and manned aircraft.” “AirBoss equips troops with the tools to collect, process, share, and act on critical visual intelligence in real time,” said Garrett Smith, CEO Reveal Technology. “We are excited to work with AirMap and the DoD to develop a best-in-class platform for our warfighters. https://www.unmannedairspace.info/latest-news-and-information/us-defense-department-awards-airmap-usd3-3m-to-develop-airboss-platform/

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