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/CNW/ - Described as "2021's biggest business networking opportunity for defence, security and Industry 4.0," Canadian Defence Marketplace is expected to...

BAE Systems has tested its Small Adaptive Bank of Electronic Resources (SABER) technology on a total of 11 flights of an EC-130H Compass Call aircraft.

Lightweight RPAS Services Supporting Pollution Response and Multipurpose Maritime Surveillance

Today

Airbus and Dassault Aviation have proposed to the governments of France, Germany and Spain to build a demonstrator under Europe's Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project. The two companies reached an agreement Friday that paves the way for political talks to resume among the governments, a source close to the matter told Reuters. The FCAS program consists of a manned Next-Generation Fighter (NGF) aircraft, accompanied by drones of specialized capabilities, like reconnaissance and strike. It is envisioned as a futuristic air power weapon that will replace the Rafale and Eurofighter fleets in France and Germany beginning in 2040. A so-called combat cloud will pump command-and-control data between all program platforms, essentially creating a flying network of sensors and weapons with the NGF as its hub. The project is expected to cost anywhere between $60 billion and $95 billion until 2040. First floated by German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron in 2017, the program has been dogged by political differences as well as corporate disagreements. Airbus is unhappy being treated as a subcontractor while French jet maker Dassault leads the aircraft development. “Dassault accepts that Airbus will receive a larger overall FCAS workshare but remained ready to pursue a ‘Plan B' if the talks failed,” Dassault boss Eric Trappier said last month. Airbus is, however, spearheading the development of the drones and the "combat cloud" ultrafast communications network that will use artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.

The U.S. arm of Israel’s Elbit Systems has completed its $380 million purchase of Sparton, a critical supplier of sonobuoys to the U.S. Navy and allies.

The 10-year contract includes training, engineering support, specialized test equipment, and more than 1,200 support equipment items to ensure the availability of the F-16 fleet, one of the most versatile...

The German Space Agency at DLR is the national space agency for the Federal Republic of Germany and operates the German Space Situational Awareness Center together with the German Air Force.

Multipurpose coastguard support via remotely piloted surveillance system (RPAS) services is as of this month provided by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), at the request of the Romanian Border Police. The RPAS system will support a number of authorities in the Black Sea area, including the Romanian Naval Authority and National Agency for Fishing and Aquaculture. The mid-sized RPAS craft can stay in the air for up to 7 hours and has a range of up to 200km. It is equipped with a camera capable of day and night operations, a sea surface scanner, a distress beacon detector and a sensor that can detect vessel positions. It can be used for a range of activities, including border control, monitoring naval traffic, search and rescue, and environmental protection. Data from the RPAS can be recorded and transferred to the EMSA RPAS data centre in real time, and then made immediately available to national authorities. The service has been allocated for six months, and will also contribute to specific missions conducted by the Romanian Border Police within the Multipurpose Maritime Operation 2021 in the Black Sea, in coordination with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex),EMSA and the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA). The RPAS integration was carried out in cooperation with the Romanian Air Force and the Romanian Air Traffic Control Service (ROMATSA), which provided specialised support. Later this year, EMSA will add a second RPAS to the region (a light quadcopter), which will operate from the Romanian patrol vessel Stefan Cel Mare. NOTE TO EDITORS RPAS services, offered free to all EU Member States by EMSA, have been developed to assist in maritime surveillance operations, in support of authorities involved in coastguard functions, and can operate in all seas surrounding the European Union. RPAS services can provide support to traditional coastguard functions, including search and rescue, maritime surveillance and pollution prevention and response. The Black Sea service is an important part of EMSA's regional RPAS strategy, which allows multiple coast guard functions in EU Member States to be supported by one or more RPAS services. Further expansion of RPAS regionally is planned in 2021 and 2022. ABOUT EMSA: The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) is a decentralised agency of the EU, based in Lisbon, Portugal. EMSA serves the EU's maritime interests for a safe, secure, green and competitive maritime sector through support for pollution prevention and response, maritime surveillance, safety and security, digitalisation and the provision of integrated maritime services, and technical assistance.