30 avril 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR
By: Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON ― The Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced this week that it is reducing a surcharge on American defense goods sold abroad from 3.5 percent to 3.2 percent, effectively dropping the price foreign nations have to pay when buying weapons through the Foreign Military Sales system.
The change will go into effect June 1. The funding from the surcharge is used to support the FMS process, by which the U.S. government acts as the go-between for industry and a foreign customer, using the American acquisition system.
The announcement comes days after the Trump administration rolled out a new set of guidelinesfor conventional arms transfers and unmanned systems as part of a broader push to increase American weapon sales abroad.
The U.S. sold $41.9 billion in arms through the FMS process in fiscal 2017, per a DSCA statement. Based on that figure, the U.S. took in roughly $1.46 billion through the 3.5 percent surcharge. Reducing it to 3.2 percent would drop that number to around $1.34 billion.
DSCA head Lt. Gen. Charles Hooper tied the surcharge cut directly to that broader goal, saying in the announcement that the change “will immediately reduce the cost of doing business for our international partners.”
“It demonstrates the Department of Defense's commitment to charge only what is needed in order to support the administration of the FMS program which includes the sale of defense articles, defense services, and military training,” Hooper added.
26 janvier 2023 | International, Terrestre
As Ukraine rapidly burns through 155mm artillery rounds to fight back the Russian invasion, the U.S. Army is scrambling to increase production capacity.
14 septembre 2020 | International, C4ISR
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/
16 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an instrument flight rules (IFR) supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Bell 407GXi. The certification is a requirement for the Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System competition, enabling the Bell 407GXi to replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger as the U.S. Navy's training helicopter. Bell's replacement bid offers a unique combination of capability, ease of transition, and low sustainment costs, giving the best value to the Navy. Should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the U.S. Navy Advanced Helicopter Trainer program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the aircraft in Ozark, Ala. “The team did a great job ensuring the Bell 407GXi achieved the FAA's IFR certification necessary to meet all of the Navy's requirements,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO. “Bell is an instrumental part of the Navy's training program and has been for more than 50 years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for the next generation of naval aviators.” A Bell to Bell transition offers low-risk to the Navy by streamlining instructor pilot and maintainer transition training as well as using common support equipment and infrastructure. The 407 airframe has already proven capabilities as the platform for the MQ-8C Fire Scout for the U.S. Navy. Bell's customer service and support has established capability with cost-efficient and effective helicopter training solutions. Bell proves its mature production and sustainment support capability every day by supporting more than 1,600 Bell 407s globally. These aircraft have nearly 6 million flight hours across the fleet and are actively performing flight training as well as military and para-public missions helicopter mission-set. The 407GXi's Garmin G1000H NXi Flight Deck enhances situational awareness and reduces pilot workload by delivering easy-to-read information at a glance. The Bell 407GXi's new IFR capability will allow all-weather operations while continuing to provide multi-mission capability safely, reliably, and effectively. The Bell 407GXi offers the lowest direct operating costs of any IFR-capable helicopter produced today. Combined with its proven performance, reliability, and ease of transition, the Bell 407GXi is the best value aircraft for U.S. Navy helicopter training. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/bell-407gxi-earns-instrument-flight-rules-certification/