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  18 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  Pratt Defining Engine Upgrade Package For Block 5 F-35

  Steve Trimble Pratt & Whitney is defining a new engine upgrade option for Block 5 F-35s delivered starting in the 2030s, says Matthew Bromberg, president of Military Engines. The upgrades, the details of which will be defined in about six months, are focused on improvements to the fan and the engine accessories, Bromberg told Aerospace DAILY during a Sept. 17 interview on the sidelines of the Air Force Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference. The intent is to deliver options for improving thrust by more than 10-12%, reducing fuel consumption by more than 5-6%, increasing vertical lift by about 2% and increasing overall power and thermal management capacity, Bromberg says. Those targets are the proposed baseline improvements advertised for the Growth Option 2.0 upgrade, which remains in discussions for insertion in Block 4.4 aircraft delivered starting in 2028, he says. P&W originally proposed a Growth Option 1.0 upgrade package that offered only thrust and fuel improvements, but no extra capacity for power generation and cooling. “We found it didn't resonate because it didn't have power and thermal management,” Bromberg says. The Growth Option and Engine Enhancement Package upgrades all stem from technologies developed under the Adaptive Engine Technology Program, which is funded by the Air Force Research Laboratory to design a new engine core. Pratt & Whitney completed the detailed design review of the XA101 demonstrator engine recently, Bromberg says. https://aviationweek.com/defense/pratt-defining-engine-upgrade-package-block-5-f-35

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  24 juillet 2020 | International, C4ISR

  The Department of Defense wants better batteries

  Nathan Strout WASHINGTON - The Department of Defense wants better batteries for its war fighters, and it's partnering with NanoGraf to develop them. “Just like we civilians are increasingly relying on cell phones and tablets and everything else, the modern soldier is also transitioning towards these really power heavy devices in the field, [like] night vision goggles, weapon optics, all of the communications devices, GPS,” said Chip Breitenkamp, NanoGraf vice president of business development. “All of those things require more and more power. “If you take a look at what the soldier has to bring on the field already, between guns, ammunition, water, food, right now the best estimate that I've seen [...] is that every soldier for ever mission goes out with somewhere between 15 and 25 pounds of batteries just to power all of this stuff,” he continued. NanoGraf wants to build energy dense batteries that reduce that weight while allowing war fighters to operate longer without replacing or recharging their batteries. The company recently announced that DoD had awarded the company a $1.65 million Small Business Innovation Research grant to develop silicon anode-based lithion-ion portable batteries to replace the graphite anode lithium-ion batteries currently used by the military. The goal is to develop batteries with a 50-100 percent increase in runtime. “The technology that we have can be applied to any lithium-ion battery, and what it does is it basically gives the soldier more energy, longer runtime, less weight,” said Breitenkamp. He added that better batteries could enable emerging technologies like small drones and augmented reality devices. He noted that the company can currently get about 30 percent more energy density out of their batteries, and their technology is about 12 months away from being available commercially. Under their contract, NanoGraf will be working directly with the U.S. Army over the next two years to improve their technology and prepare to begin manufacturing batteries for use by soldiers. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/07/22/the-department-of-defense-wants-better-batteries/

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  11 août 2020 | International, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Pentagon clears 100 MHz of spectrum for 5G development

  Nathan Strout The Pentagon has cleared 100 megahertz (MHz) of contiguous mid-band spectrum to be used for commercial 5G following a 15-week review, determining that they can share that bandwidth while minimizing impact on military radars. While that 3450-3550 MHz mid-band spectrum is highly desired by commercial 5G developers, it's been historically used by the military for critical radar operations for air defense, missile and gunfire control, counter-mortar, bomb scoring, battlefield weapon locations, air traffic control, and range safety. But now, leaders from the Department of Defense say the Pentagon can continue using the spectrum for those purposes while making it available for commercial development. DoD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said the department will move toward sharing most of that spectrum without limits while setting up a Spectrum Relocation Fund Transition Plan to minimize risks. “DoD is proud of the success of the [America's Mid-Band Initiative Teams (AMBIT)] and is committed to working closely with industry after the FCC auction to ensure timely access to the band while protecting national security,” Deasy told reporters Aug. 10. The White House and Department of Defense established AMBIT to free up spectrum for 5G development quickly back in April. Over a 15-week period, the working group was able to bring together 180 subject matter experts, and ultimately were able to identify 100 MHZ of spectrum used by the military that could be safely shared with commercial 5G efforts.The decision expands the amount of connected mid-band spectrum open for 5G development to 530 MHz. The Federal Communications Commission will auction off the spectrum. One government official said action was expected by the end of this fiscal year. https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/08/10/pentagon-clears-100-mhz-of-spectrum-for-5g-development