5 novembre 2023 | International, Terrestre
"Today, we have a really robust capability to do fires," said Col. Matt Paul, "but it was not built for how we have to share data in the future."
1 septembre 2022 | International, C4ISR
DARPA recently selected 11 teams to help develop an on-orbit satellite communications translator within eight days of releasing a formal solicitation.
29 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna SURAT THANI AIR FORCE BASE, Thailand — The Royal Thai Air Force's Wing 7, home to all of the country's Saab Gripen aircraft, wants more jets. The question is whether the country's defense budget will allow for it, one official said Tuesday. “As operators, we know that this is a very good aircraft, and we would love to have more,” said Group Capt. Prachya Tippayarat, deputy commander of the RTAF's Wing 7. “But it's just that I don't know when. The Air Force will have to think about that.” The RTAF currently operates 11 Gripen C/D fighter jets, bought from the Swedish government and manufactured by Saab. The Air Force lost one Gripen in a 2017 crash that destroyed the jet and killed the pilot. With 11 jets left, it is more difficult to accomplish both training and maintenance, Tippayarat said. “So of course we are looking for the replacement for the 12th one. It's just a matter of when. As the operator, we cannot tell when we are going to have that aircraft,” he said, adding that the service might have other budget priorities. Thailand's 11 Gripen aircraft are operated from Surat Thani Air Force Base, located about 328 miles south of Bangkok. Defense News visited the base Nov. 27-28 and accepted airfare and accommodations from Saab. Surat Thani plays a key role in defending southern Thailand. Although the nation also operates Northrop Grumman F-5s and Lockheed Martin F-16s, Wing 7's Gripens are the Royal Thai Air Force's premier fighters, used primarily for air-to-air and air-to-ground combat, and for secondary missions such as reconnaissance, Tippayarat said. The Thai government is also considering an upgrade of the RTAF Gripens' software suite, he added. The jets are currently configured to the MS19 standard, but the potential upgrade to MS20 would bring the jets into the most advanced configuration for the Gripen C/D. The MS20 software adds capabilities that make the Gripen a more formidable jet for air-to-ground attacks, including an electro-optical pod that allows the jet to drop laser-guided weapons, the addition of Boeing's Small Diameter Bomb and MBDA's Meteor missile, and new radar modes. One MS20 enhancement that the RTAF won't need is the addition of Link 16 capability, the data link used by NATO and its partner nations. The RTAF Gripens run on the Thai military's indigenous network, Link T. If Link 16 functionality is needed, the service can use its F-16s, but operating Link T on the Gripen allows Thailand to protect its homegrown capabilities and information, Tippayarat said. Saab delivered the first Gripens to Thailand in 2011. Other Gripen C/D users include Sweden, Hungary, the Czech Republic and South Africa. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2018/11/28/will-the-thai-air-force-get-more-gripens
23 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — With commerce, travel and international competition in the Arctic region on the rise, the Department of the Air Force will prioritize making investments that will enable greater connectivity among U.S. military assets, the Air Force's top general said July 21. “Missile warning, space capabilities, air capabilities, how you marry up fifth generation and fourth generation [fighter jets]. It's more the case as we look at the future of warfare that data will be the currency that we operate on,” said Air Force Gen. Dave Goldfein at a roll out of the department's new Arctic strategy hosted by the Atlantic Council. “It's access to data, its manipulation at the speed of relevance. ... How we build the networks that we can operate seamlessly on is where you're going to see most of our investment,” he said. In the new strategy, the U.S. Air Force and Space Force commit to enhancing its northernmost missile defense capabilities, exploring new surveillance and communications technologies and updating its dilapidated infrastructure in the region. But the strategy doesn't provide specifics on how much the service is willing to spend to make its goals a reality, and Goldfein, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett and Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond on Tuesday didn't provide much clarity on whether the department's strategic goals will turn into actionable investments. Although the U.S. Navy has a major interest in the region's waterways, the Department of the Air Force maintains the military's largest presence in the Arctic, making up 80 percent of the Defense Department's funding efforts in the region. “We've always valued the Arctic and recognized the importance of its geostrategic location,” Barrett said. However, she added that Russia's recent build-up in region, including “a network of offensive air assets and coastal missile systems,” has led the department to be more aware of the need to recapitalize its own technology in the Arctic. Meanwhile, China — which is not technically an Arctic nation — is attempting to insert itself in the region's affairs as part of its “One Belt, One Road” initiative. That country seeks access to “rare earth minerals, hydrocarbons, and fisheries,” according to the strategy, and has pursued strategic investments that would enhance its air and sea transportation options, such as a failed plan to build an airport in Greenland. The strategy lays out several goals that could result in greater investments in areas like command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C3ISR), space operations and missile defense. It also states that the Air Force and Space Force will work with the other services on an Arctic communications roadmaps that explores current and emerging technologies that could expand connectivity to military forces in the region. It will also work with the joint force on developing data links and ensuring satellite coverage. For missile defense, the strategy states an interest in “continuing to work with Canada to identify materiel and non-materiel solutions to the North Warning System” and updating the missile defense surveillance system in the Northern tier. The Space Force will “develop new technologies and modernize existing assets in the Arctic necessary to ensure access to and freedom to operate in space,” the strategy states, though it does not explain what types of capabilities will be necessary. It will also develop capabilities that can better predict the weather and environmental disturbances. U.S. Air and Space Force operations in the Arctic will have to become more agile, and could involve “expanded fixed bases, unoccupied airfields, or portable radar systems.” But even though the strategy also recognizes the difficulty of moving to a more modular way of operations given the complex nature of supplying installations in remote areas that may be almost completely inaccessible during the winter months, it provides few answers on what a more disaggregated approach to Arctic operations could look like. The department needs to advocate for additional funding to modernize Air Force and Space Force installations in the region, which include major air bases in Alaska like Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Thule Air Base in Greenland, and remote radar sites that make up the North Warning System, the strategy said. “To survive in the region, materials need to meet standards including: high thermal efficiency; long-term durability; tolerance to repeated freeze and thaw cycles; and resistance to permafrost degradation. Infrastructure in many austere locations, like Thule, Greenland, has deteriorated due to extreme environmental factors,” it said. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/07/21/armed-with-a-new-arctic-strategy-the-air-force-seeks-increased-connectivity-in-the-region/