Nouvelles

By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain's armed forces are investing just over £100 million ($134 million) acquiring equipment to improve sensor-to-shooter capabilities for dismounted troops, the Ministry of Defence announced Jan 21. Under the effort, the UK arm of Israeli-based Elbit Systems has been awarded an £101 million deal to supply the British dismounted joint fires integrators (D-JFI) program. The equipment will give British Army, Royal Marine, special forces and Royal Air Force units improved ability to find, identify and instantly distribute battlefield target information to artillery, aircraft and others. The new kit, based around the latest thermal sight technology, will primarily be used by joint terminal attack controllers and fire-support teams. The contract, which includes support, comes to a close in March 2026, although there is an option to extend it by two years. Elbit Systems UK secured the contract in mid-December, but officials only now announced it. British defense procurement minister Jeremy Quin said the contract “not only delivers the very latest in battlefield technology to our frontline soldiers, but also invests in the British defense industry, sustaining more than 500 jobs across the UK.” In a statement the company said their D-JFI solution will “enable fast and secured transition of target information across the British and allied armed forces, allowing swift and accurate utilization of artillery and close air support.” Several Elbit technologies are being used in the system, including: the TORCH-X battle management application; the HattoriX system for high-precision target marking, the CORAL thermal-imaging system, and the Rattler XR laser designator. This new contract is the latest of a number of deals secured by Elbit Systems UK in recent years, furthering the British Army's digitalization efforts. The company was awarded the £40 million Battlefield Management Application program in 2018 as part of the Morpheus communications modernization program, followed by the Joint Fires Mobile Trainer and the Joint Fires Synthetic Training contract in 2019. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/21/elbit-uk-to-make-new-target-marking-kits-for-british-foot-soldiers/

by David Donald - January 20, 2021, 6:53 AM General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has revealed that it has completed the development and testing of a self-contained anti-submarine warfare (ASW) package, the first such equipment for an unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The package comprises podded sonobuoy dispenser systems (SDS) and a sonobuoy management and control system (SMCS). GA-ASI has been studying unmanned ASW capability for some years, demonstrating sonobuoy remote processing capability from an MQ-9A Reaper in 2017. Subsequently an SMCS has been added, and the SDS has been developed. It employs a pneumatic launch system, and each pod can carry up to 10 A-size sonobuoys or 20 G-size buoys. On November 24 last year GA-ASI carried out a trial at the U.S. Navy's Pacific range in which a company-owned MQ-9A Block 5 released seven SSQ-53G Directional Frequency Analysis and Recording (DIFAR) and two SSQ-62F Directional Command Activated Sonobuoy System (DICASS) sonobuoys, and a single SSQ-36B bathythermograph buoy. Using a General Dynamics Mission Systems-Canada UYS-505 processing system the trial successfully tracked an MK-39 expendable mobile ASW training target (EMATT) for three hours, data being relayed by a satcom link to the Laguna flight operations facility at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. The ASW capability is being developed for the SeaGuardian configuration of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, which can carry up to four SDS pods under its wings. The SeaGuardian is intended to perform as a stand-alone maritime patrol asset or to act with traditional maritime patrol aircraft as part of a manned-unmanned team. A key part of the SeaGuardian mission set is a surveillance radar, and GA-ASI is working with Leonardo to integrate the Seaspray 7500E V2 AESA radar into the UAS's centerline pod. The radar offers a variety of modes, including inverse synthetic aperture radar that works with the automatic identification system (AIS, a form of maritime IFF) to provide accurate identification of detected surface targets. It can spot submarine periscopes and humans in the water during search and rescue operations. A high-definition optical/infrared full-motion video capability is also included. Another option from Leonardo is the SAGE electronic surveillance system. GA-ASI reports that two undisclosed export customers have ordered the SeaGuardian capability, which was included in the recently approved request for up to 18 MQ-9Bs from the United Arab Emirates. In its standard SeaGuardian configuration the MQ-9B has an endurance of more than 18 hours and can mount an eight-hour patrol at a radius of 1,200 nm. Another store that has recently been trialed by GA-ASI is the Legion Pod, in this case, the carrier being the company's jet-powered Avenger remotely piloted aircraft. The Legion Pod, which is carried by F-15 Eagles, features a Lockheed Martin IRST21 infrared search and track sensor in its nose and datalinks to network the sensor and carrier with other platforms. n early January GA-ASI was selected to support the U.S. Air Force's Skyborg Vanguard program that is developing artificial intelligence/machine-learning autonomous capabilities for future combat aircraft. Two company-owned Avengers are being modified with updated links and the Skyborg System Design Agent software to support this activity, which will test the ability of manned aircraft to control the Avengers in flight and to pass critical mission information between them. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2021-01-20/general-atomics-advances-seaguardian-systems

Le Club défense du Centre d'étude et de prospective stratégique (CEPS) a accueilli le député Olivier Marleix, membre du groupe d'études industrie de la défense, pour qu'il intervienne sur les sujets touchant à la souveraineté industrielle et au renforcement de la BITD. L'élu a notamment proposé la création d'un fonds souverain destiné à soutenir les entreprises françaises des secteurs stratégiques. « Le fonds souverain France Investissement bénéficierait de trois types de ressources : d'une part, les participations de l'Etat dans les entreprises actuellement gérées par l'Agence des participations de l'Etat, ainsi que certains actifs gérés par la Banque populaire d'investissement, des émissions obligataires et des actifs collectés à travers des filiales, a-t-il expliqué. A terme, l'objectif est qu'un tel fonds puisse gérer de l'ordre de 300 milliards d'euros. Pour des raisons de souveraineté, il est proposé que le fonds souverain prenne la forme d'un établissement public ». Air & Cosmos du 22 janvier 2021

Le Figaro analyse les enjeux de défense liés à la maîtrise de l'espace, à l'heure où près de 90 États disposent d'au moins un satellite en orbite. Selon le CNES, 2 200 satellites en fonctionnement sont aujourd'hui en orbite autour de la Terre. L'augmentation est exponentielle: en dix ans, le nombre de satellites opérationnels a plus que doublé, notamment sous l'impulsion des acteurs privés du «New Space», tels que SpaceX. La France a établi une doctrine militaire et un commandement de l'espace en 2020, avec deux objectifs : des capacités de connaissance et, à moyen terme, de défense active. « La clé, c'est détecter, identifier, agir », explique le général Lavigne, chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace. Des capacités de suivi sont développées : pour la France, l'approche du satellite franco-italien de télécommunication militaire Athena-Fidus en 2017 a ainsi été détectée par le système GeoTracker, développé par ArianeGroup, équipé de huit télescopes au sol. L'armée veut aussi se doter de moyens de défense active. En 2023, elle doit lancer le démonstrateur Yoda, qui sera capable d'accompagner des satellites en orbite géostationnaire. Au sein du CSpO (Combined Space Operation), la France cherche aussi depuis un an à établir avec ses partenaires des Five Eyes (États-Unis, Royaume-Uni, Canada, Australie, Nouvelle-Zélande) et de l'Allemagne un « code de bonne conduite ». Dans un entretien accordé au Monde, les chercheurs Marc Julienne et Isabelle Sourbès-Verger décryptent par ailleurs la montée en puissance de la Chine dans le domaine de l'espace, et ses enjeux militaires. Le Figaro et Le Monde du 25 janvier

MBDA a procédé à la première démonstration des capacités opérationnelles de LYNKEUS Dismounted, comprenant le système MMP (Missile Moyenne Portée), en liaison radio avec le drone Novadem NX70. « Le drone a permis la détection et l'identification d'un char situé hors du champ de vision de l'opérateur. Les coordonnées de la cible ont ensuite été transférées au poste de tir MMP, selon une séquence illustrant la possibilité d'engager une cible qui n'a jamais été en vue directe du tireur », détaille MBDA. La démonstration s'est conclue par un impact direct sur la cible. Le succès de ce premier tir « vient confirmer les capacités offertes par LYNKEUS de maîtrise et de qualité de la chaîne d'informations allant du drone au poste de tir, et prouve également la précision de l'extraction des coordonnées de la cible », souligne MBDA. Aerobuzz du 25 janvier

Selon une étude publiée jeudi 21 janvier par l'INSEE Bretagne, les effectifs des Armées en cyberdéfense seront en forte augmentation sur le territoire de Rennes Métropole jusqu'en 2025. Le développement des activités de cyberdéfense du ministère des Armées dans l'agglomération rennaise devrait se traduire par la création de 1 800 postes entre 2018 et 2025, et par des recrutements, précise La Tribune. Le quartier de La Courrouze abrite la Cyberdéfense Factory, un incubateur civil et militaire, ainsi que plusieurs groupes industriels de plus de 100 salariés et impliqués dans cet écosystème. Airbus Cybersecurity (protection des gouvernements et des activités vitales), Thales Services, Altran et la CyberSoC d'Orange Cyberdéfense concentrent à eux seuls 70% de l'emploi privé. « La présence du pôle d'excellence cyber permet le développement de synergies entre la recherche, la formation et les acteurs économiques », précise l'INSEE. La Tribune du 25 janvier

RACER-Sim to focus on new computer models to advance autonomy capabilities DARPA's Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency - Simulation (RACER-Sim) project is seeking innovations in technologies that bridge the gap from simulation to the real world and significantly reduce the cost of off-road autonomy development. DARPA invites proposals for promising solutions that support these goals. While the past decade has seen increased use of simulation in developing field robotics, the military off-road environment is especially challenging and complex. Computers need to re-create three-dimensional surfaces, compliant soils and vegetation, and hundreds of obstacle classes. Software also needs to take into account lower fidelity or limited mapping data, unique platform-surface interactions, continuous motion planning, and no defined road networks or driving rules. In addition, modeling high speed off-road performance of sensors/modalities, sensor-to-terrain representations, autonomous platforms, and autonomous control remains a software and processing challenge. “Because these challenges haven't been effectively met, the practical use of current virtual models to advance off-road field robotics capabilities is limited and doesn't yet allow a demonstrable simulation-to-real world capability, said Dr. Stuart Young, RACER program manager. “The large reality gap of current software models and complexities of their use discourage developers and prevent them from leveraging the full benefits of simulation.” Over a four-year timeline, RACER-Sim will investigate technologies that are applicable to the off-road environment in the areas of algorithm development, simulation element technologies, and simulator content generation. Source: DARPA Date: Jan 19, 2021 https://www.asdnews.com/news/defense/2021/01/19/darpa-project-drives-simulation-technology-offroad-unmanned-vehicles

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Sorry, aviation geeks: The first flight of the U.S. Air Force's latest stealth bomber won't be happening this year. The Air Force had once projected the first flight of the Northrop Grumman B-21 Raider would occur in December 2021, but the new bomber will not be ready to roll out until early next year for a flight in mid-2022, said the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office director, Randall Walden, according to a Jan. 15 story in Air Force Magazine. The RCO manages the B-21 program on behalf of the service. Two B-21s are under construction at Northrop Grumman's production facility in Palmdale, California. The first aircraft hasn't made it to final assembly yet but is “really starting to look like a bomber,” Walden told Air Force Magazine. “The second one is really more about structures, and the overall structural capability,” Walden said. “We'll go in and bend it, we'll test it to its limits, make sure that the design and the manufacturing and the production line make sense.” Although information about the B-21 is notoriously limited, with many details of the Raider's cost, appearance and capability classified, Walden offered a couple optimistic notes about the program's progress. For one, production of the B-21 is already becoming more efficient during the build of the second aircraft, he said. Northrop Grumman is using a business jet as a test bed for new avionics and software, allowing those systems to be debugged before they are installed in the B-21 aircraft. While there have been some disruptions to the supply chain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Walden said the program has worked with companies to mitigate changes to the production schedule. “In the last few months, we did another successful end-to-end demonstration to further mature that hardware and software, and it's working quite well,” Walden said. “We're preparing ourselves not just for first flight, but ultimately the subsystem testing that will be required during those flight test phases.” The Air Force has committed to buying at least 100 B-21s, although officials such as Gen. Timothy Ray, who leads Air Force Global Strike Command, said more will be needed to meet the service's future bomber requirements, which could be in excess of 220 aircraft. The service is expected to make a final decision this year on which bomber installations will first host the Raider. In March 2019, the Air Force picked Ellsworth Air Force Base in South Dakota as its preferred location, with Dyess AFB in Texas as an alternate location. A virtual industry day was held Jan. 11 to provide information on contract opportunities for construction projects needed to support B-21 operations. Those facilities could include a “low-observable restoration facility, a wash rack and general maintenance hangar, and a mission operations planning facility,” according to the Air Force. The service expects to begin fielding the B-21 in the mid-2020s. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/01/19/watch-the-skies-in-2022-for-the-first-b-21-bomber-flight/

Publié le 20 Janvier 2021 Copyright © 2021 CercleFinance - (CercleFinance.com) - Thales annonce qu'il va fournir son nouveau radar NS50 pour équiper douze navires de guerre des mines de nouvelle génération des Marines belge et néerlandaise, dans le cadre d'un contrat avec Kership, co-entreprise de Piriou et Naval Group. 'Le radar NS50 permettra à cette catégorie de navires de bénéficier, pour la première fois, de capacités complètes d'auto-défense contre tous types de menaces aériennes et de surface', souligne le groupe français d'électronique de défense.Il offre un temps sur cible maximal, 'permettant d'évaluer l'ampleur de la menace et de mettre en oeuvre les contremesures nécessaires, en offrant un tableau précis de la situation environnante afin de sauvegarder le navire et de protéger les forces alliées'. Copyright (c) 2021 CercleFinance.com. Tous droits réservés. https://www.easybourse.com/aeronautique/news/1393671/thales-radars-ns50-pour-flottes-belge-neerlandaise.html