13 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is keeping an eye on the Army's next-generation rotorcraft program, which could fill a gap for agile airlift that might be needed in a fight against Russia and China, an Air Force general said Thursday.
With its large air bases vulnerable to attacks from a near-peer adversary, there's no guarantee that the Air Force will be able to rely on its current processes or equipment to transfer supplies in and out of air bases. In a war with China or Russia, the U.S. Air Force would distribute its assets to bases owned by allies and partners, cutting down the threat to aircraft usually located at the service's large installations.
But that poses a problem for rapidly transporting materiel like spare parts and maintenance equipment to more austere locations in a time of war, said Lt. Gen. Warren Berry, the Air Force's deputy chief of staff for logistics, engineering and force protection.
“We know we're going to have to get after some other things that might be a different way of doing distribution and lift,” he said during a July 9 event hosted by the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “It might be a different way of doing airfield recovery. It might be different equipment that's lighter and leaner that allows us to set up in a more expeditious manner with less fuel.”
“Agility Prime is certainly one [option],” he said, referring to an ongoing Air Force effort to tap into the emerging commercial market for “flying cars” — basically, experimental transport aircraft that the service could use for logistics, search and rescue, or shuttling troops to remote locations.
Another option is the Army's future vertical lift effort, or FVL, Berry said. “That's something that we'll certainly look at, but we know that we need to do lift in a different way.”
The Army intends to break FVL into multiple programs, which could give the Air Force multiple aircraft to pick from if it decides to buy in. The future long-range assault aircraft will replace the UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopter and is planned to be fielded in 2030. As part of the Army's risk-reduction effort, Bell Helicopter is developing its V-280 Valor, while a Sikorsky-Boeing team is working on its own SB-1 Defiant aircraft.
The future attack reconnaissance aircraft would fill an existing capability gap, accomplishing the reconnaissance missions that have been performed by AH-64E Apaches teamed with Shadow drones following the retirement of the OH-58D Kiowa Warrior in 2017. It's currently on track to be fielded in 2028, with Sikorsky and Bell chosen to build prototypes.
Aside from closely watching the Army's FVL effort, the Air Force is also engaging with the Army-led Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office on ways to defend U.S. bases against small drones, Berry said.
“That's going to be a demand signal on this force moving forward that we're going to have to really think through and make sure that we have them [airmen] resourced appropriately to execute that part of the air base air defense mission as well,” he said.
In June, the office rolled out a plan for the Defense Department to consolidate its counter-UAS technologies from about 40 systems to a total of eight. The approved systems were chosen after an Army-led assessment and included fixed, mounted and dismounted solutions. An Air Force system known as Negation of Improvised Non-State Joint Aerial-Threats, or NINJA — which jams radio signals between the UAS and its operator — was among those selected.
“Our goal is to align existing and future counter-UAS technology solutions to best address operational needs while applying resources more efficiently,” said Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, the office's director.
Berry said that the Air Force has embedded some of its personnel within the counter-UAS office to stay synchronized with the Army's efforts. “So far we're happy with where it is and where it's going,” he said.
2 juin 2023 | International, Autre défense
A $16 billion list of lower-priority defense items like tanks, helicopter upgrades and a ship, that would normally be paid for as part of the defense budget, could go unfunded after the U.S. passed a landmark bill that lifts the debt ceiling but curbs federal spending.
4 juillet 2019 | International, Naval
MacGregor has received a contract from Gulf Island Shipyards to supply deck machinery equipment for two new US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) towing, salvage and rescue ships (T-ATS). Gulf Island Shipyards received a contract in May this year to build two additional T-ATS-class vessels for the US Navy. The navy exercised the first two options for the new ships under a previous contract awarded to Gulf Island Shipyards. The original contract includes a total of seven options for additional vessels. The company is building the two new T-ATS-class vessels at its facility in Houma, Louisiana, US. MacGregor will deliver the packages of deck machinery under the latest orders next year. The package includes a main towing and traction winch, in addition to an offshore crane, Triplex shark jaws, pop-up pins, and a stern roller. The company is also required to provide crew training, as well as integrated logistics support. With a combined value of around €8m, the orders come after MacGregor won the first contract in the fourth quarter of last year. MacGregor Advanced Offshore Solutions vice-president Høye Høyesen said: “We are very pleased that MacGregor has again been selected to supply deck machinery equipment for the two T-ATS class vessels, which further demonstrates Gulf Island Shipyards and US Navy confidence in MacGregor's solutions and services.” The company has the potential to win further orders if the navy chooses to exercise the option for a further five vessels. The new class of vessels are expected to replace the existing T-ATF 166 and T-ARS 50 class of ships. The lead vessel of the T-ATS-class will be named USNS Navajo and designated T-ATS 6, while each additional ship will be named after Native Americans or Native American tribes. Last month, the US Navy announced that the second vessel in this class will be named to honour the Cherokee Nation. The service will deploy these vessels for open-ocean towing, supporting salvage operations and submarine rescue missions worldwide. https://www.naval-technology.com/news/macgregor-to-supply-deck-machinery-for-two-t-ats-vessels/
20 mars 2019 | International, Aérospatial
By: Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — The Turkish government is pressuring its defense and aerospace industries to boost exports as part of an aggressive strategy aimed at addressing the country's account deficit and plunging national currency. In an annual ambassadors conference in August, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Turkey's diplomatic missions in more than 150 countries to work harder to win contracts for Turkish manufacturers. The president told Turkish ambassadors to fully utilize diplomacy in marketing homegrown equipment. He has also since repeatedly ordered procurement and industry officials to find new markets to target. “Exports are increasingly important for the sustainability of the [local] industry,” said Murat Ceran, head of the International Cooperation Department at the Presidency of Defence Industries, the government's procurement agency. "Globally speaking, there are three main tiers of exporters: The United States and Russia together account for nearly 60 percent of all exports. The second group consist of exporters like China, France, Germany and the U.K. Turkey, along with Italy, Spain South Korea and Israel, make the third group,” Ceran explained. In recent years, Turkey's defense and aerospace industries reported an average export increase of 8 to 10 percent annually. Only in the past six years, Ceran said, have defense and aerospace exports risen by 61 percent, while Turkey's overall exports rose by 10.5 percent. “We are working to boost exports in a total of 130 countries. We are monitoring over 500 programs in 70 countries,” he said. Turkey's defense and aerospace exports have risen from an annual $1.388 billion in 2013 to $2.035 billion in 2018, according to the Turkish Exporters' Assembly. In comparison, total sales (both foreign and domestic) grew from $5.076 billion in 2013 to $6.693 billion in 2017 (sales growth for 2018 was unavailable via the Turkish Exporters' Assembly by press time). Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2019/03/13/turkey-targets-defense-and-aerospace-exports-to-counter-growing-national-deficit/