US Special Operations Command chooses L3Harris' Sky Warden for Armed Overwatch effort

Sur le même sujet

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  12 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  US State Dept. approves UAE’s purchase of F-35 jets, MQ-9 drones

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department on Tuesday cleared a massive package of F-35 fighter jets and MQ-9 unmanned systems for the United Arab Emirates, making official a potential sale still opposed by many congressional Democrats. In a statement, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced that the package, which comes with an estimated price tag of $23.37 billion, includes up to 50 F-35s worth $10.4 billion, 18 MQ-9Bs worth $2.97 billion, and $10 billion worth of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. “This is in recognition of our deepening relationship and the UAE's need for advanced defense capabilities to deter and defend itself against heightened threats from Iran,” Pompeo said. “The UAE's historic agreement to normalize relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to positively transform the region's strategic landscape. Our adversaries, especially those in Iran, know this and will stop at nothing to disrupt this shared success.” “The proposed sale will make the UAE even more capable and interoperable with U.S. partners in a manner fully consistent with America's longstanding commitment to ensuring Israel's Qualitative Military Edge,” he added, referencing a U.S. legal standard that Israel maintain a military technological advantage over its neighbors. The sale was expected ever since the signing of peace agreements between Israel and the UAE. The administration previously informally notified Congress of the sale's details, with leading foreign policy Democrats signaling they would act to block it. Potential foreign military sales notified to Congress are not guaranteed to move forward, and the quantities and dollar figures can often change during final negotiations. But even getting this far is a big win for the UAE, which has long sought the stealthy F-35; it also represents a win for the Trump administration, which has made increasing U.S. weapon exports a key part of its economic platform. https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2020/11/10/uae-purchase-of-f-35-mq-9-officially-cleared-by-state-department/

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  3 juin 2021 | International, Terrestre

  SKorea’s Hanwha pitches K9 howitzer for British mobile fires program

  But the K9 is one of several contenders to replace the British Army’s aging AS90 howitzer, which has been around for about 30 years.

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  4 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  New in 2019: Air Force looks for new bomb designs to fight Russia and China

  By: Kyle Rempfer A growing cohort of Air Force researchers are arguing that the service needs to undergo a munitions revolution if it is to take on a peer-level adversary in open conflict. “We're developing a range of technologies to enable next-generation and improve precision effects on the battlefield,” Col. Garry Haase, who helms the Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate, told an audience at the Air Force Association Annual Conference this fall. In some instances, that will mean more powerful munitions to breach and destroy Russian and Chinese structures in the event of war. “There is now a shift in emphasis away from minimizing to maximizing effects in a high-end fight,” said John Wilcox, vice president of advanced programs and technology at Northrop Grumman, at the conference. “Requirements from our missions directorate say we continue to have to deal with the whole spectrum of threats as we shift to more of a near-peer threat focus,” Wilcox added. “We are looking at larger munitions with bigger effects.” And while neither members of the AFA panel named Russia or China specifically, a recent study by the Mitchell Institute, which is aligned with the Air Force Association, certainly did. In the document, titled “The Munition Effects Revolution," several retired senior Air Force officers argue that the U.S. munitions arsenal is overdue for a shakeup. “The bomb body, a steel shell filled with explosive material, is relatively unchanged across the past 100 years," the study reads. "But some elements of modern munitions have significantly evolved—particularly guidance elements. Munition effects—the destructive envelope of heat, blast, and fragmentation—remain essentially unchanged.” High demand for combat aircraft is a key driver behind the need for enhanced munitions options, according to the Mitchell Institute. “The Air Force is currently operating the smallest and oldest aircraft force in its history,” the study reads. “Additionally, current mission capable rates are low and pilots are in increasingly short supply. To best meet combatant command requirements amidst these constraints, it is crucial to ensure each sortie flown and every bomb dropped yields maximum potential.” https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/01/03/new-in-2019-air-force-looks-for-new-bomb-designs-to-fight-russia-and-china