8 novembre 2023 | International, Naval
Navy surface drone fires its first missile during Middle East exercise
The mini missile fire was part of an exercise by a unit working to develop the Navy's drone and artificial intelligence technologies.
28 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
What the Pentagon should (and should not) get in the next stimulus bill
By: Mackenzie Eaglen
As Washington begins to draft another stimulus spending bill to combat coronavirus, the Pentagon needs a new plan to articulate its needs to lawmakers. Simply submitting unfunded lists whole cloth comes across as tone deaf and opportunistic. A better plan would be to focus on the health, safety and continuity of all the Pentagon's workforce: uniformed, civilian and contractor.
Capitol Hill is (virtually) busy as ever these days, completing another injection of funds into the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act last week. Congress and the White House will now begin formulating a phase 4 bill. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have indicated they would both like to see domestic infrastructure spending inside. Negotiations are just beginning, but this bill will open the spending aperture compared to the CARES Act.
For national defense, this legislation must focus on taking care of people and protecting jobs. Even as the U.S. military mobilizes to support the fight against COVID-19, the disease is hitting the Defense Department and its workforce much the same as the rest of America.
The first order of business is for the Pentagon to ensure health and wellness for service members, their families, civilians and contractors by encouraging safe and flexible work policies. The Pentagon will need additional funding to pay for COVID-19 support deployments, mitigate the effects of stop-movement orders, increase the availability of personal protective equipment and sanitation, and expand its IT infrastructure for telework.
Second, Congress and the Pentagon should provide financial assistance to the thousands of small businesses, subcontractors and suppliers to defense contractors building weapons, conducting maintenance or developing classified software. The defense-industrial base is built for maximum efficiency, not resiliency. Even seemingly minor production pauses of weeks are combining with broader quarantine restrictions to wreak havoc on program schedules.
While the Pentagon has many tools at its disposal — accelerating awards and progress payments as well as lifting contracting restrictions — the acquisition team simply cannot respond to this crisis without more resources available. Absent additional liquidity, contractors face the impossible choice between letting workers go or facing the reality that they will have no jobs to return to.
Small businesses and subcontractors are particularly vulnerable, as they have far less slack to respond to crises. Many live contract to contract, as indicated by a 2018 Department of Defense report on industrial base fragility. These small firms providing needed materials, labor and technology to companies designated as “essential” are struggling with COVID like everyone else. Their employees are either afraid to come to work out of fear of contraction and contagion, or they're sick with the virus. The vicious cycle — where people want to work but can't — means schedules slip. If there is no work, there is no revenue, which means layoffs.
Already around the country, a major defense contractor had to shut down two plants; a shipbuilder is struggling to get employees to show up; another defense firm has laid off employees; and still others can't get to work because classified spaces are off limits.
To ensure workforces remain intact, lawmakers need to move quickly to pay contractors who cannot work because of COVID-19 effects, as delays are now averaging three months. Fixing this is as simple as measuring the impact of COVID-19 on contracts and ensuring a reasonable payment for that delay, which will be billions of dollars, according to acquisition czar Ellen Lord. It's no different than legal remedies for “acts of God.”
Also, the DoD can consider a subset of its unfunded priorities list to get projects on contract that are executable very quickly and inject liquidity into the defense contractor workforce. These unfunded priorities run the gamut, from weapons production to software development. Similarly, there are always “incremental” projects that can be accelerated, like facilities sustainment and depot maintenance. Using unfunded priorities to inject liquidity into the defense-industrial base isn't the ideal tool, but all options must be brought to bear to deal with this crisis.
The majority of defense dollars allocated to the big prime contractors go back out the door to their suppliers and vendors — many of which are small businesses. While many of the easiest financial levers to pull involve getting contracts to primes, Congress and the Pentagon need to emphasize that this money — whether it be new contracts, accelerated contracts or increased progress payments — must be passed on to major suppliers and subcontractors.
If the behemoths of defense industry don't share the wealth and take care of their supply chain, there won't be more money, contracts or authority for additional progress payments from Congress. Contractor leadership must take care of workers — including those of its vendors.
Lastly, Congress can provide Defense Production Act Title III funding to directly target injections of cash to the emergent needs of small businesses and subcontractors, including many up-and-coming innovative firms and single-source suppliers. So far, DPA funding has been focused on contracting for additional personal protective equipment, but the DPA was equally built to protect the defense-industrial base.
The industrial base was already hurt by the Budget Control Act, and it's been busy rebuilding under Trump, only to get whacked again by COVID-19. Employees need to know the work is there, their safety is a priority and their jobs are safe. If the Pentagon and primes don't take care of their suppliers and subcontractors, the defense-industrial base will contract again, losing crucial skills and talents permanently — and possibly seeing those companies bought up by China.
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1 octobre 2020 | International, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
En Lituanie, Macron fustige la dépendance européenne aux équipements militaires américains
Piotr Smolar Lors de sa visite à Vilnius, le président français a appelé de ses vœux la montée en puissance de capacités européennes autonomes de production de matériels de défense, dans un pays dont la sécurité est d'abord garantie par les Etats-Unis. La séquence se voulait télégénique. Elle devait aussi illustrer, de façon pratique, la solidarité promue par Emmanuel Macron avec les pays baltes, la prise en compte de leurs préoccupations sécuritaires. Tel était le but recherché par le président français en se rendant, mardi 29 septembre, sur la base militaire de Rukla, en Lituanie. Depuis juillet, 300 militaires français y servent dans un bataillon de l'OTAN sous commandement allemand, dans le cadre de la « présence avancée renforcée » (eFP) de l'Alliance dans les pays baltes et en Pologne. « C'est aussi notre sécurité qui se joue dans ces confins de l'Europe », a noté M. Macron. Huit pays participent à ce bataillon de 1 200 soldats. La France est la seule à faire des rotations de ses effectifs chaque année entre les pays baltes, depuis 2017. Cette position particulière s'explique notamment par les engagements militaires multiples de la France, qui sollicitent beaucoup ses effectifs, à commencer par le Sahel. Pour Emmanuel Macron, cette visite était tout de même la démonstration de l'engagement inconditionnel de la France aux côtés des Baltes, à la fois Etats-membres et alliés au sein de l'OTAN. Le nom de la menace n'était prononcé par aucun responsable militaire, mais cette opération de l'Alliance, de nature défensive, est clairement organisée pour contrer la Russie. Contrairement aux attentes, cette visite n'a pas été le principal événement d'actualité militaire, dans le programme chargé du président français. Celui-ci a en effet consacré plusieurs minutes très instructives à la question de la défense européenne, au cours de ses échanges avec des étudiants de l'université de Vilnius. M. Macron a placé son intervention à l'aune de la souveraineté européenne, sa préoccupation centrale dans tous les dossiers-clés. « Nous ne pouvons pas accepter de vivre dans un monde qui serait structuré par un duopole, Chine-Etats-Unis, a-t-il dit. Le risque c'est ça, si nous sommes divisés. Si nous sommes divisés, nous aurons le choix entre la technologie chinoise ou américaine, de choisir l'investissement qui apparaît le plus attractif au moment où on le choisit. Nous serons les vassaux ou de l'un ou de l'autre, avec des incohérences (...) L'Europe ces dernières années a construit un chemin qui n'est pas praticable. » Le président a appelé à une mise en commun des capacités, des financements et de l'intelligence Emmanuel Macron a désigné le cyber et le secteur spatial comme deux secteurs essentiels dans lesquels les Européens doivent investir massivement, alors que les acteurs y deviennent « de plus en plus agressifs ». Il a aussi appelé à une mise en commun des capacités, des financements et de l'intelligence, en ne se contentant pas des coopérations, de plus en plus pertinentes, sur un plan opérationnel. Il vous reste 53.79% de cet article à lire. La suite est réservée aux abonnés. https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2020/09/30/en-lituanie-macron-fustige-la-dependance-europeenne-aux-equipements-militaires-americains_6054245_3210.html
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25 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
Elbit Systems Selected by Boeing to Supply Structural Components for the F-15 Aircraft
Haifa, Israel, September 24, 2019 – Elbit Systems Ltd. (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Elbit Systems - Cyclone Ltd. (Elbit – Cyclone), was selected by Boeing Defense, Space and Security (BDS) to supply structural components for the F-15 aircraft. Elbit – Cyclone will supply structural components including detachable fuel tanks, pylons, horizontal stabilizers and adapters to the F-15 aircraft. Yoram Shmuely, General Manager of Elbit Systems Aerospace Division, “Elbit Systems is a long-term supplier of Boeing, especially for the F-15 program, meeting quality, delivery time and cost requirements. F-15 has been a major platform in our portfolio for over two decades and we look forward to continuing our collaborative work with Boeing in the future.” About Elbit Systems Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of defense, homeland security and commercial programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land, and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance ("C4ISR"), unmanned aircraft systems, advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, signal intelligence systems, data links and communications systems, radios and cyber-based systems and munitions. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial applications and providing a range of support services, including training and simulation systems. For additional information, visit: www.elbitsystems.com, follow us on Twitter or visit our official Youtube Channel. This press release contains forward‑looking statements (within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) regarding Elbit Systems Ltd. and/or its subsidiaries (collectively the Company), to the extent such statements do not relate to historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations, estimates, projections and assumptions. Forward‑looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve certain risks and uncertainties, which are difficult to predict. Therefore, actual future results, performance and trends may differ materially from these forward‑looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: scope and length of customer contracts; governmental regulations and approvals; changes in governmental budgeting priorities; general market, political and economic conditions in the countries in which the Company operates or sells, including Israel and the United States among others; differences in anticipated and actual program performance, including the ability to perform under long-term fixed-price contracts; and the outcome of legal and/or regulatory proceedings. The factors listed above are not all-inclusive, and further information is contained in Elbit Systems Ltd.'s latest annual report on Form 20-F, which is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward‑looking statements speak only as of the date of this release. The Company does not undertake to update its forward-looking statements. Elbit Systems Ltd., its logo, brand, product, service and process names appearing in this Press Release are the trademarks or service marks of Elbit Systems Ltd. or its affiliated companies. All other brand, product, service and process names appearing are the trademarks of their respective holders. Reference to or use of a product, service or process other than those of Elbit Systems Ltd. does not imply recommendation, approval, affiliation or sponsorship of that product, service or process by Elbit Systems Ltd. Nothing contained herein shall be construed as conferring by implication, estoppel or otherwise any license or right under any patent, copyright, trademark or other intellectual property right of Elbit Systems Ltd. or any third party, except as expressly granted herein. Visit our Press Relations website for background materials and information regarding Elbit Systems fields of activity. David Vaaknin Vice President, Head of Corporate Communications Tel: 972-77-2946691 Cell: 972-52-8000403 E-Mail: david.vaaknin@elbitsystems.com Dana Tal-Noyman Manager International Corporate Communications Tel: 972-77-294-8809 Cell: 972-54-9998809 E-Mail: dana.tal@elbitsystems.com https://www.epicos.com/article/486074/elbit-systems-selected-boeing-supply-structural-components-f-15-aircraft