US Army to bring new vehicle protection technologies to fleet as early as 2020

Sur le même sujet

• 

  22 mai 2019 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR

  Boeing to introduce flat satellite antenna to bring high-speed broadband to military aircraft

  WASHINGTON – Boeing Phantom Works, the company's advanced technology arm, is introducing a new flat satellite communications (SATCOM) broadband antenna that would bring high-speed data to military aircraft. Space News reports. 9 May 2019 -- The low-profile electronically steered flat conformal antenna and a multi-channel terminal will be in production next year and the launch customer will be the Navy's future unmanned mid-air refueling tanker, the MQ-25, which Boeing is developing under an $805 million contract. The initial market for the phased array antenna and terminal will be operators of militarized Boeing jets like the Navy's P-8 surveillance aircraft and the Air Force's KC-46 aerial refueling tanker, to bring a smart skin design approach these contemporary aircraft. Compared to airborne command centers such as the president's Air Force One, most military aircraft have limited connectivity. The majority of military aircraft have narrowband terminals that get kilobits of data. A phased array antenna would give them access to government and commercial Ka-band satellites that provide from 10s to 100s of megabits of data throughput, Gathmann said. https://www.militaryaerospace.com/unmanned/article/16711555/boeing-to-introduce-flat-satellite-antenna-to-bring-highspeed-broadband-to-military-aircraft

• 

  3 novembre 2020 | International, Terrestre

  UK government to retake control of its atomic weapons management from industry

  By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain's Ministry of Defence has taken back management control of its nuclear weapons facilities from an industry-led consortium that has been running the operation for two decades. Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said in a statement to parliament that the Atomic Weapons Establishment will become wholly owned by the MoD, with the new arrangement expected to be in place by June 2021. “Under the revised arrangements, AWE plc will become an arms-length body wholly owned by the MoD. It will continue to be managed by a world-leading team and a new board will be appointed by the MoD,” he told lawmakers. Since 1999 AWE has been managed and operated by a Lockheed Martin-led consortium, which also includes Jacobs Engineering and Serco, in a deal which had been expected to run until 2025. The arrangement, won in competition, followed several years of commercial management by Hunting-BRAE. The establishment, based at Aldermaston in southern England, is at the core of British activities toward developing, producing and disassembling nuclear warheads for the Royal Navy's fleet of Trident missile-armed submarines. In February the MoD committed itself to development of a new nuclear warhead to allow the Navy to field an effective deterrent for deployment on the new fleet of Dreadnought-class submarines due to start replacing the existing boats early in the next decade. The MoD owns the AWE sites and facilities. The day-to-day management, operations and the maintenance of Britain's nuclear stockpile are the responsibility of the consortium, which employs the workforce and maintains the nuclear site operating licenses. Wallace said the MoD has been looking at a successor arrangement for the current deal since July last year. “Although the existing arrangements have brought stability to the organization the MoD has concluded that AWE will revert to a direct government ownership model,” said the defence secretary in his statement to parliament. The MoD appears to have left the door open to some degree of commercial involvement in AWE. In his statement Wallace said the new business model will see AWE “continue to draw on private sector specialist support to strengthen capability as well as playing a key role in managing capital projects and contracts.” In a separate statement the defense ministry said removal of the current commercial arrangements would "enhance the MoD's agility in the future management of the UK's nuclear deterrent, whilst also delivering on core MoD objectives and value for money to the taxpayer. “The decision was taken in order to simplify and further strengthen the relationship between AWE and the MoD,” the statement said. AWE Management Limited, the name of the company formed by the consortium to manage and operate the nuclear facilities, only appointed a new chief executive, Alison Atkinson, in May. An industry competition for what is thought to be a three-year transformation program at AWE is already in its early stages. An industry executive who asked not to be named said the MoD had invoked what is known as a “termination of convenience” clause in the contract to prematurely end the deal with the consortium. “It was not performance related. Lockheed Martin and its partners could be due compensation,” said the executive. AWE has not been without its problems though, and, along with the MoD, most recently attracted criticism from the National Audit Office, the government financial watchdog, for its handling of a program known as Mensa to build a facility to assemble and disassemble nuclear weapons. Progress on Mensa has quickened recently but the program is expected to be over six years late and 146 percent over budget, according to an NAO report published in the summer. In a statement, a Lockheed Martin spokesman said the company remains “fully committed to the delivery of the UK's continuous at-sea deterrent. We'll continue to support the UK government, as the Atomic Weapons Establishment transitions to a new operating model and delivers current and future requirements.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/11/02/uk-government-to-retake-control-of-its-atomic-weapons-management-from-industry/

• 

  30 mars 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  COVID-19 Stimulus Includes Aerospace And Defense Industry Assistance

  Jen DiMascio President Donald Trump signed a $2.2 trillion stimulus bill into law March 27, aimed at shielding the U.S. economy from damage done by COVID-19-related closures, and that will also provide assistance to the aerospace and defense industry. In addition to giving businesses numerous incentives to retain employees, the act offers $17 billion in loans and loan guarantees to national security contractors such as Boeing, which had appealed to Congress for $60 billion in relief for itself and its suppliers. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act does attach strings to the loans, restricting companies that accept the money from share buybacks, making increases to executive compensation and instituting layoffs. In a statement issued March 26, Boeing said its CEO and board chairman are giving up their pay, and that the company is extending its dividend and will pause share repurchasing “until further notice.” The law also provides $10.5 billion in new defense spending – primarily for personnel and operations – along with $2.5 billion aimed at maintaining the industrial base. The act “confirms that there is no risk that fiscal 2020 and prior appropriations would be raided to pay for pandemic response costs,” said Byron Callan of Capital Alpha Partners in a note to investors. But he cautioned that analysts and planners have to factor the changes made by the new law when looking toward budgets for fiscal 2021 and beyond. Another stimulus package is likely to follow in April or May, which may include additional funding for defense, Callan added. Industry groups cheered passage of the act. “We encourage federal government officials and lawmakers to continue to support the aerospace and defense industry through the duration of the pandemic and to ensure sector stability during the economic recovery phase,” said the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. “The aerospace and defense contribution to the economy on the other side of the COVID-19 crisis will be crucial for restarting and building the economic engine to its pre-crisis momentum.” The legislation offers “tools and incentives” that will provide support to many small businesses and the supply chain, said Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association. And David Berteau, president of the Professional Services Council, which represents federal government contractors, is looking to the future, saying that as the impact of the pandemic continues, the council will focus on keeping the government working, keeping contractors working and ensuring that contractors and their employees are paid. Lockheed Martin President and CEO Marillyn Hewson made a related announcement about the company's plan to help with COVID-19 relief, saying it will advance $50 million to small- and medium-sized suppliers, donate $10 million to non-profit COVID-19 relief organizations and set aside a $6.5 million relief fund for its own employees. The company will also offer engineering and technical assistance to government officials, and donate corporate aircraft and vehicles for logistical support, facilities for medical supply storage, distribution and COVID-19 testing. “Finally, during this time of economic uncertainty, we will continue our planned recruiting and hiring,” Hewson said. “Given the requirement for social distancing, Lockheed Martin will deploy virtual technology and other techniques to sustain our hiring activity during this crisis period.” https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/covid-19-stimulus-includes-aerospace-defense-industry-assistance