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Mise à jour : 14/04/2020 - Direction : AID Cet appel à projets du ministère des Armées, lancé par l'Agence de l'Innovation de Défense (AID), dans le cadre du plan gouvernemental de lutte contre le COVID-19, vise à disposer de propositions pour lutter contre la pandémie de COVID-19. Il porte sur la recherche de solutions innovantes, qu'elles soient d'ordre technologique, organisationnel, managérial ou d'adaptation de processus industriels, qui pourraient être directement mobilisables afin de : protéger la population, soutenir la prise en charge des malades, tester la population, surveiller l'évolution de la maladie au niveau individuel et l'évolution de la pandémie, ou aider à limiter les contraintes pendant la période de crise. Important : les projets devront être d'une maturité technologique suffisante pour être employables pendant l'actuelle pandémie. Ces solutions innovantes devront être facilement et rapidement reproductibles et s'appliquer à l'échelle de l'ensemble du territoire national dans l'enveloppe budgétaire définie. Un budget de 10 000 000€ TTC est prévu pour cet appel à projets, qui vise à financer un à plusieurs projets d'intérêt. Pour permettre le soutien d'un maximum de projets prometteurs, sauf exceptions dûment justifiées, les projets retenus par cet appel à projets ne seront pas cumulables avec les financements flash mis en place par l'UE ou l'ANR : Appel à projets de l'Agence nationale pour la recherche (ANR) : https://anr.fr/fr/detail/call/appel-a-projets-flash-covid-19/ Appel à projets de la Commission européenne : https://ec.europa.eu/info/news/startups-and-smes-innovative-solutions-welcome-2020-mar-13_en Les propositions de réponse sont attendues et évaluées au fil de l'eau jusqu'au 12 avril 2020. Les propositions déposées tardivement, jusqu'au 12 avril inclus, pourront être étudiées mais leurs chances d'être retenues seront fortement réduites. Ce que nous recherchons Nous avons identifié un certain nombre de domaines et de situations concrètes pour lesquels nous pressentons des améliorations possibles : Protections individuelles ou collectives, soignants et populations (e.g. masques, « hygiaphones de fortune », concepts innovants de protection, de barrières, techniques de recyclage, Do It Yourself, etc.) ; Gestion de la distance de sécurité entre individus ; Automatisation de t'ches pour le prélèvement, le nettoyage du matériel ou des salles ; Facilitation du déploiement d'hôpitaux de campagne en soutien aux populations ; Gestion de crise, aiguillage, structuration/modularité des chaînes de prise en charge (e.g. gestion logistique, RH, etc.) ; Production de nouvelles solutions de décontamination pour tout type de surface, pour petits et grands matériels, pour les espaces de vie, etc. ; Capacité de production en masse de solutions de décontamination ; Soutien à la prise en charge médicale (production du matériel ou traitement manquant, concept de recyclage, de détournement ou autre idée permettant de pallier ces manques) ; Détection du virus dans l'environnement ; Diagnostic et autodiagnostic rapide et conduite à tenir associée - dépistage massif - dépistage participatif ; Gestion de l'impact psychologique individuel et sociétal (communication et sensibilisation sur la crise et l'épidémie, amélioration de la perception du risque d'épidémie, gestion de l'après crise, etc.) ; Facteurs de limitation des déplacements et lutte contre la transgression ; Amélioration du travail à distance (outils de continuité numérique, sécurisation, etc.) ; Amélioration de la vie en isolement à domicile (numériques mais aussi hors solutions numériques) ; Autres thèmes dûment argumentés. NOTE IMPORTANTE aux producteurs de masques de protection : Dans le contexte de la crise sanitaire du COVID-19, les autorités gouvernementales ont sollicité l'appui de la direction générale de l'armement (DGA) du ministère des armées afin d'aider à identifier et caractériser des solutions permettant d'accroître la disponibilité de masques de protection face au virus. Nous travaillons en étroite collaboration avec la direction générale des entreprises (DGE) du Ministère de l'économie et des finances. Devant le succès de cette initiative, deux adresses m.él dédiées ont été créées et nous demandons aux entreprises d'adresser toute correspondance à ces deux adresses pour en accélérer le traitement. Adresse mél DGA : dga.Masques-Contact.fct(a)intradef.gouv.fr Adresse mél DGE : masques.dge(a)finances.gouv.fr Une fois l'accord préalable de la DGE obtenu pour la mise en test d'un prototype, les échantillons sont à envoyer à : DGA Maîtrise NRBC 5 rue Lavoisier 91710 VERT-LE-PETIT Nous ne sommes pas seulement intéressés par des technologies nouvelles ; le caractère innovant des propositions pourra consister à réorienter des technologies ou des processus industriels existants (par exemple détourner une usine de production de parfum pour en faire du gel hydroalcoolique). Nous acceptons les propositions provenant de tous types d'opérateurs : académiques, petites, moyennes entreprises, entreprises de taille intermédiaire, grands groupes. Des groupements constitués de ces différents types d'opérateurs seront possibles. En fonction du vecteur de financement ou d'acquisition utilisé, des restrictions sur l'origine ou la taille des opérateurs économiques pourront être appliquées. Les propositions internes des personnels civils et militaires du ministère des Armées sont également les bienvenues. Ce dont nous ne voulons pas Votre proposition ne doit pas proposer une innovation en cours de maturation qui n'a aucune chance d'être employée pour lutter contre l'actuelle pandémie. Contenu de la proposition Compte tenu de l'urgence du projet, la présentation et les justificatifs devront être les plus concis et précis possibles. La proposition doit contenir les documents suivants : le descriptif technique de la solution proposée et le cas d'usage (utilisateur, situation d'emploi) auquel cette solution répond. le plan projet comprenant : Un planning des développements et de la mise en service identifiant les jalons et les livrables permettant de suivre l'avancement du projet ; Une décomposition du prix de la proposition, en distinguant le cas échéant la part financée par le ministère des Armées et d'autres sources de financement. Le déposant pourra utilement proposer des éléments optionnels dans sa proposition. Un document de justification explicitant l'apport du projet pour chacun des 3 critères d'évaluation infra (impact, crédibilité, calendrier). Le dossier total ne dépassera pas 30 pages. Sélection des projets d'intérêt Critères obligatoires Les propositions seront analysées au regard des critères obligatoires ci-dessous : La solution proposée s'inscrit dans le périmètre de l'appel à projets (cf. « Ce que nous recherchons » et « Ce dont nous ne voulons pas ») ; La proposition contient un plan projet ; La proposition justifie l'intérêt du projet pour chacun des trois critères d'évaluation présentés infra. Seules les propositions remplissant l'ensemble des critères obligatoires seront analysées au fil de l'eau lors de la sélection des projets. Critères d'évaluation Un comité d'évaluation impliquant différents experts du ministère des Armées évaluera les propositions au fur et à mesure de leur réception. Les évaluateurs, pourront, s'ils le jugent nécessaire, entrer en contact avec les déposants afin de leur demander des clarifications sur leur proposition. Les évaluateurs ne pourront utiliser les informations contenues dans les propositions qu'aux seules fins de l'évaluation. Cette évaluation sera fondée sur les 3 critères suivants : Impact : les bénéfices anticipés (pour la population, les cycles de décision, les personnels de santé...) ; Crédibilité : tout élément de preuve, scientifique ou technique, permettant de confirmer la faisabilité du projet ; Calendrier : délai de mise en œuvre de la solution. Le choix de financer une proposition est fondé sur les résultats d'évaluation, sur le coût de chaque proposition vis-à-vis du budget disponible et sur des considérations d'ordre stratégique pour la personne publique. Les déposants dont la proposition n'aura pas été retenue pourront demander un avis synthétique sur leur proposition. Modalités pratiques Budget et contractualisation L'AID prévoit un budget total de 10 000 000 € TTC, visant à financer entre un et plusieurs projets. Date limite de remise des propositions Les propositions de réponse sont attendues et évaluées au fil de l'eau jusqu'au 12 avril 2020. Les propositions déposées tardivement, jusqu'au 12 avril inclus, pourront être étudiées mais leurs chances d'être retenues seront fortement réduites. Les propositions émises par les opérateurs économiques (personnes morales ou personnes physiques) doivent être déposées à l'adresse suivante : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/appel-a-projets-aid-covid-19 Les propositions émises par les personnels civils et militaires du ministère des Armées (personnes physiques) doivent être déposées à l'adresse suivante : https://www.demarches-simplifiees.fr/commencer/appel-a-projets-aid-covid-19-innovateurs-minarm Un accusé sera transmis dès réception de la proposition. Important : en remettant son dossier, le déposant accepte sans réserve les conditions de l'appel à projets. Questions Vous pouvez poser toute question relative à l'appel à projets via l'adresse suivante : agenceinnovation.dir.fct(a)intradef.gouv.fr Protection des données à caractère personnel Les données à caractère personnel portées en réponse aux formulaires de dépôt de projet font l'objet d'un traitement mis en œuvre par le directeur de l'Agence de l'Innovation de Défense. Nous traitons vos données dans le but unique de permettre l'évaluation des projets et leur concrétisation éventuelles suite à l'évaluation. Les données seront conservées pendant une période de 6 mois après la date de clôture de l'appel à projet. Pendant cette période, nous mettons en place tous moyens aptes à assurer la confidentialité et la sécurité de vos données à caractère personnel, de manière à empêcher leur endommagement, effacement ou accès par des tiers non autorisés. Conformément à la loi « Informatique et Libertés » du 6 janvier 1978 modifiée et au Règlement Général sur la protection des données (RGPD) en vigueur depuis le 25 mai 2018. Vous bénéficiez d'un droit d'accès et de rectification sur vos données que vous pouvez exercer en contactant l'Agence de l'Innovation de Défense à l'adresse suivante : agenceinnovation.dir.fct(a)intradef.gouv.fr Mise à disposition des moyens du GENCI Les chercheurs académiques et industriels travaillant sur le sujet peuvent avoir accès immédiatement aux moyens de calcul et de stockage de la TGIR GENCI. Créée en 2007 par le MESRI, le CNRS, le CEA, la CPU et Inria, GENCI met à disposition des chercheurs français des moyens de calcul (supercalculateurs) et de stockage, souverains, opérés en France au TGCC (CEA), IDRIS (CNRS) et CINES (Universités) afin d'accélérer les travaux de recherche en modélisation/simulation, traitement de données massives et usage de l'intelligence artificielle (GENCI est une des composantes du plan français AIForHumanity avec la machine Jean Zay qui dispose notamment de 1300 GPU et 35 Po de stockage haut débit).Ces moyens et les services de support des centres sont accessibles gratuitement par le biais d'une procédure accélérée, pour plus d'information sur les moyens mis à disposition par GENCI vous pouvez vous référer ici : http://www.genci.fr/fr/node/1036 ; ou contacter directement Stéphane Requena, Directeur Technique & Innovation : stephane.requena(a)genci.fr Droits : AID

Do you know someone who deserves to be celebrated? VIMY AWARD CALL FOR NOMINATIONS DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO DESERVES TO BE CELEBRATED? Nominations Now Open for the annual Vimy Award presented at the 30th edition of the Vimy Gala. Established in 1991, the Vimy Award recognizes a Canadian who has made a significant and outstanding contribution to the defence and security of our nation and the preservation of our democratic values. It is normally presented as a lifetime achievement award. Past Recipients Her Excellency Adrienne Clarkson The Right Honourable Joe Clark The Honourable Bill Graham MGen Romeo Dallaire 2020 Distinguished Selection Committee Members Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Richard Wagner Chief of Defence Staff LGen Jonathan Vance Deputy Minister Jody Thomas The award honours the bravery and sacrifice of the Canadian soldiers – comprising the four divisions of the Canadian Corps – who were victorious in the battle of Vimy Ridge in April 1917.  The selection committee includes the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada and the Chief of Defence Staff of the Canadian Armed Forces, as well as industry and academic partners of the CDA Institute and members of the Board of Directors. Do you know someone who; Has made a sustained national or international contribution to Canada's National Security, Defence and/or the Canadian Military during his/her professional career. Serves as an inspiration at a national level within the Security, Defence and Military Community, through their leadership, practices, and accomplishments. Has garnered national and/or international recognition for his/her contributions to Canadian National Security, Defence and/or the Canadian Armed Forces. Is a leader whose achievements will be a source of historic and patriotic pride for generations to come. Nominations Deadline: July 1,2020 VISIT VIMY AWARD PAGE FOR FULL DETAILS VIMY GALA The Vimy Award will be presented at the prestigious Vimy Gala held on November 6, 2020 at the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario. The Vimy Gala is a black-tie cocktail and dinner held annually since 1991 in Ottawa to honour Canada's fallen heroes in the context of the Remembrance Day activities held across the country. The Gala brings together active and retired members of the Canadian Armed Forces alongside future officers currently enrolled at the Royal Military Colleges, as well as industry and government leaders and international guests of honour. It will be an evening to remember and to reflect upon the sacrifices many have made for our nation and for the sake of building a more just and prosperous world. It is also a celebration of Canada and men and women who serve. The Gala is also an opportunity for defence professionals to recognize outstanding individuals in our community, whose courage, vision, and achievements inspire us all. To that end, we present the Vimy Award to a Canadian who has made an outstanding, lifelong contribution to our national security and defence and to preserving our democratic values. Past recipients include Her Excellency Adrianne Clarkson, the Honourable BIll Graham, General Rick Hillier, and the Right Honourable Joe Clark,LGen Christine Whitecross and most recently, Richard B. Fadden, O.C. 2019 Richard B. Fadden, O.C Vimy Award Acceptance Speech: 2020 and Beyond: Where Does Canada Fit? ATTEND and/or SPONSOR THE VIMY GALA 15% early bird discounts available The 30th Anniversary Vimy Gala will take place on: November 6, 2020 At the Canadian War Museum, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Contact Jennifer Giguere to find out about booking your Vimy Gala table and/or sponsorship at our 15% early bird special (ends July 1st). Please note that individual seating registration will only open in the fall. Gold Sponsors and above will be invited to a "Chairman's Circle" VIP Cocktail with members of the selction committee and the 2020 award laureate. jennifer@cdainstitute.ca CDA INSTITUTE PARTNERS PREMIER PARTNER STRATEGIC PARTNERS OPERATIONAL PARTNER Conference of Defence Associations Institute | 75 Albert Street, Suite 900, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5E7 Canada

On April 8, 2020, the DARPA Small Business Programs Office (SBPO) pre-released the following SBIR/STTR Opportunities (SBOs): "Seabed Simulation Synthesis", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-04, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-04 "Wearable Laser Detection and Alert System", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-05, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-05 "Open Source Wide Band Software Defined Acoustic Modem", Announcement Number HR001120S0019-06, published at https://beta.sam.gov/search?keywords=HR001120S0019-06 These SBOs will open for proposals on April 23, 2020 and close on May 26, 2020. If you have any questions on the open BAAs or DSIP, please contact the DSIP Help Desk Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET at 703-214-1333 or DoDSBIRSupport@reisystems.com. Thank you for your interest in the DoD SBIR/STTR Program. DoD SBIR/STTR Support Team

Today we launched our Testing Stream (formerly the Build in Canada Innovation Program) Call for Proposals aimed at Canadian innovators who have a prototype that can help Canada combat COVID-19 or similar future outbreaks. This call for proposals is a special edition of our Testing Stream and will be open for a limited time to support the Government of Canada's collective efforts in combating COVID-19. We are calling on innovators across the country who have an innovative solution ready to be tested by the federal government and its provincial, territorial and municipal partners to submit a proposal. You could land a sale of up to $550K, and if your innovation is deemed to be a game changer in the fight against COVID-19, under exceptional circumstances we may provide additional funding to test your innovation. This funding opportunity is open for a LIMITED time only – Apply before April 21, 2020. We are also planning the launch of a Testing Stream open Call for Proposals for any type of innovative prototype in Spring-Summer 2020. You may also be interested in three COVID-19 R&D funding challenges we recently launched: Made in Canada filtration material for the manufacture of N95 respirators and surgical masks Point of Care and Home Diagnostic Kit for COVID-19 Low-cost sensor system for COVID-19 patient monitoring APPLY ONLINE Aujourd'hui, nous avons lancé notre appel à propositions pour le volet de mise à l'essai (anciennement le Programme d'innovation construire au Canada - PICC) destiné aux innovateurs canadiens qui disposent d'un prototype pouvant aider le Canada à lutter contre COVID-19 ou d'autres épidémies futures similaires. Cet appel à propositions est une édition spéciale de notre volet de mise à l'essai, et sera ouvert pour une durée limitée, afin de soutenir les efforts collectifs du gouvernement du Canada dans la lutte contre COVID-19. Nous invitons les innovateurs de tout le pays qui disposent d'une solution innovante prête à être testée par le gouvernement fédéral et ses partenaires provinciaux, territoriaux et municipaux à soumettre une proposition. Vous pourriez décrocher une vente allant jusqu'à 550 000 $, et si votre innovation est considérée comme un facteur de changement important dans la lutte contre COVID-19, nous pouvons dans des circonstances exceptionnelles, vous fournir un financement supplémentaire pour tester votre innovation. Cette opportunité de financement est ouverte pour une durée LIMITÉE seulement - Posez votre candidature avant le 21 avril 2020. Nous prévoyons également le lancement d'un appel à propositions ouvert pour tout type de prototype innovant, au printemps-été 2020. Vous pourriez également être intéressé par trois opportunités de financement sous forme de défis visant la R&D que nous avons récemment lancée : Matériau de filtration fait au Canada pour la fabrication de respirateurs N95 et de masques chirurgicaux Système de capteurs peu coûteux surveiller l'état des patients atteints de la COVID-19 Trousse de diagnostic au point de service et à domicile pour le COVID-19 APPLIQUEZ EN LIGNE

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Last week's deal between Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on a fix for the KC-46 could pave the way for the tanker to refuel other aircraft without a person needed to manually control the process, a top service official said Thursday. On April 2, Boeing agreed to fix the KC-46's troubled Remote Vision System by creating an overhauled RVS 2.0 with new hardware and software. Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper told reporters those changes would include the addition of 4K high-definition cameras that will display imagery in color as well as modern processors and LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) sensors that will help improve depth perception. “A proper RVS like that is right on the doorstep to autonomy,” Roper said. “All you have to do is take that data that tells the world inside the jet the reality of geometries between the airplane and the boom outside the jet. Once you have that, you simply need to translate it into algorithms that allow the tanker to tank itself.” The KC-46's Remote Vision System has been a thorn in the side of the aircraft program since 2017, when issues with the system were first discovered. The RVS is basically a suite of cameras, sensors and software that is supposed to allow boom operators sitting inside the aircraft to safety steer the boom into the aircraft needing fuel. But in certain conditions, the system produces distorted imagery that increases the risk of the boom hitting another aircraft. The new LIDAR system will be key to fixing that problem, said Roper, who likened it to a backup camera on a car that also provides cues to a driver for parallel parking or assessing whether a vehicle is aligned flush to a curb. “We'll have something very similar to that for the boom operators, so telling them are they left, right and how close are they getting to the airplane,” he said. “[It's] something very intuitive and easy to work with, and I think that will help significantly with them understanding their distance [from the other aircraft] because LIDAR is extremely accurate.” Because Boeing is locked into a firm fixed-price contract for the development of the KC-46, it will have to pay for the upgrade to RVS 2.0 out of its own pocket, as the Air Force maintains that the current system does not meet requirements. But the service is so confident in the prospect of using the RVS 2.0 as a stepping stone to an autonomous tanker that it included an option in last week's agreement to fund the development of technologies that enable autonomous or semiautonomous refueling. “We have added an engineering change proposal into the deal with a not-to-exceed threshold of $55 million, so that when RVS 2.0 is done, we can then take the next step beyond 2.0 to develop those autonomy algorithms and install them if we think we can certify them for safe use,” Roper said. “We took that step because, one, we're excited about being on the doorsteps of autonomy and, [two], we wanted to send a clear signal in the deal that this is our tanker for the future,” he said. If the Air Force decides to move forward with those design changes, more will need to be done to hammer out the contractual details, said Jamie Burgess, Boeing's KC-46 program manager. “There was no commitment one way or another on who pays for what. But there's definitely a strong partnership between Boeing and the Air Force as far as developing this technology,” he said. Autonomous refueling capability has been of increasing interest to the Air Force over the past few years, as sensing and artificial intelligence technologies grow by leaps and bounds. Boeing previously signaled it could include such technology as part of a menu of potential upgrade options for the KC-46, as reported by FlightGlobal in 2018. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/04/08/boeings-kc-46-tanker-now-has-a-pathway-for-autonomous-aerial-refueling

Kelsey D. Atherton Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise. Multirotor drones excel at vertical lift and hover, while fixed wing drones are great at both distance and wide-open spaces. In February, Auterion Government Solutions and Quantum-Systems announced a two-pronged approach to the rotor- or fixed-wing drone market, with a pair of drones that use the same sensor packages and fuselage to operate as either the Scorpion Trirotor or the Vector fixed wing craft. “As we started to develop our tactical UAS Platform, our plan was only to develop a VTOL fixed wing solution (like our Vector),” said Florian Siebel, managing director of Quantum-Systems. “During the development process we decided to build a Tri-Copter Platform as well, as a result of many discussions with law enforcement agencies and Search and Rescue Units.” Adapting the fixed-wing fuselage to the tri-copter attachments means the drone can now operate in narrow spaces and harsh conditions. Scorpion, with the rotors, can fly for about 45 minutes, with a cruising speed of zero to 33 mph. Put the fixed wings back on for Vector, and the flight time is now two hours, with a cruising speed of 33 to 44 mph. The parts snap into place without any need for special tooling, and Auterion recommends the drone for missions in rain or snow. Both platforms share a gimbal EO/IR with 10x optical zoom, 720p EO video, 480p IR video, laser illuminator, IR laser ranger. Common between modes is also a tactical mapping tool using a 21 megapixel Sony UMC R10C camera. For the scorpion, there's also the option of a gimbaled electro-optical camera with a 30x optical zoom. Both drones are designed to fit in rucksacks that a person can carry one at a time. While many features are common across Vector and Scorpion, the plan is not to include both rotors or wings in the same kit. Once a team packs into the field with a drone on its back, that's the mode the drone can be used in. Auterion intends to ship the drones by the fourth quarter of 2020, with preorders available. Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise. Vector and Scorpion are built on top of open source code. This includes an operating system capable of programmable autopilot , as well as machine-vision collision prevention and obstacle detection and avoidance. Software for the ground station and cloud data management of the drone are also built on open source code. The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit awarded Auterion a $2 million contract last year to work on the PX4 software to help drive compatibility standards in the drone industry. As militaries across the world look to the enterprise sector for capable drones at smaller profile than existing military models, transparency in code and flexibility in airframe could become more widely adopted trends. In the meantime, there is Vector, and there is Scorpion. https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/03/25/open-source-platforms-flexible-airframes-for-new-drones

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The Air Force is looking for a replacement to the stalwart MQ-9 Reaper and intends to explore options ranging from commercial drones built by emerging tech firms to high-end unmanned aircraft, the service's top acquisition official said Tuesday. Will Roper, the Air Force's assistant secretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, said the service is working on a study that will inform the fiscal 2022 budget and lay out a path for replacing the MQ-9 Reaper made by General Atomics. "The Reaper has been a great platform for us. Four million flight hours, just undeniable overmatch in a low-end uncontested fight, and it is certainly saving lives,” Roper told lawmakers at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. “But as we look to the high end fight, we just can't take them into the battlefield. They are easily shot down.” The MQ-9 Reaper and its precursor, the MQ-1 Predator, have been the Air Force's workhorse drones in the Middle East over the past two decades, providing both real-time video surveillance and the ability to strike targets. But looking forward, the Reaper is ill-suited to a war with Russia and China while at the same time seen by the Air Force as requiring too much money and manpower to sustain for continued operations in low-threat environments. There likely won't be a single, one-size fits all solution for replacing the MQ-9, Roper said. The Air Force may need drones that “are more high-end, military-unique” systems, and “they'll likely be expensive,” he acknowledged. There may also be room for unmanned attritable aircraft, which are reusable but are cheap enough that they can be shot down in battle without incurring massive financial losses. For lower-end missions, the Air Force sees promise in the emerging unmanned systems market, where new entrants have begun creating long-loiter drones for applications in agriculture, communications and the oil and gas sector. “A lot of companies are targeting that market, not thinking about defense because we've been buying Reapers forever,” Roper said, who added that by buying from promising commercial drone makers, Air Force may be able to influence those companies to keep their supply chains out of China and to incorporate military-specific features — potentially even weapons. “I think if we do the program right on the commercial side, we might be able to bring a new entrant into defense without making them a defense prime,” he said, adding that funding from the Air Force could help a commercial company move from making prototypes to building up a stable production line that could further be grown to manufacture drones on a more massive scale. “Working with the Defense Department, you don't need the kind of production capacity that the globe does. So, we're a pretty good first stop,” he said. However, the Air Force may face an uphill battle in getting Congress to support a plan to replace the Reaper. The service in its FY21 budget request has asked for 24 more MQ-9s before ending the programs of record — a move that would curtail the program from 363 to 337 Reapers. The early shutdown of the line would have major financial implications for General Atomics, said Chris Pehrson, the company's vice president of strategic development, in a February interview with Air Force Magazine. “We're actually going out about 22 months ahead of delivery and procuring the long-lead item parts, ... whether it's [satellite communication] equipment or engines ... to negotiate the best prices and get the best deals for the government,” Pehrson said. “Having the rug pulled out from under your feet at the last minute kind of disrupts all your supply chain investments that you're making.” Top generals in the Middle East and Africa have also raised concerns about the demands for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and privately helped stave off retirements of the MQ-9 by the Air Force in FY21. In its unfunded wish list, U.S. Central Command included additional contractor-flown MQ-9 hours as its number one priority, at a cost of $238 million. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/03/12/could-a-commercial-drone-replace-the-mq-9-reaper-the-air-force-is-considering-it

Defence Minister of Ukraine Andriy Taran discussed during a phone conversation with Minister of National Defence of Canada Harjit Sajjan the security situation in Ukraine and around the world amid coronavirus pandemic. “Yesterday, April 7, Defence Minister of Ukraine Andriy Taran had a phone conversation with Minister of National Defence of Canada Harjit Sajjan. The main topic of the dialogue was the discussion of the security situation in Ukraine and around the world in the context of the current epidemiological situation in the armed forces of both countries. The Minister of National Defence of Canada reiterated the continued unconditional support for Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the willingness of the Canadian Defence Ministry to assist in enhancing the military capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. In particular, the parties discussed the continued support for the training mission of Canada in Ukraine and resumption of its activities in full after the completion of measured related to combating coronavirus pandemic,” the press service of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine informs. In the context of enhancing the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Andriy Taran emphasized the invariance of the continuation of consistent defence reform in Ukraine. In turn, Minister Sajjan welcomed the continued reform of the Ukrainian military under NATO standards and assured of support for Ukraine's accession to the NATO EOP and unblocking of the NATO-Ukraine Commission. The Defence Minister of Ukraine confirmed the priority of continuation of the Euro-Atlantic integration policy in the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and also informed the Canadian counterpart about the key goals and priorities of the Ministry's activity. As noted, Harjit Sajjan stressed that the Canadian side was ready to use the Embassy of Canada in Ukraine as a point of contact to promote the mentioned issues among its allies. The parties also discussed a number of issues regarding the continuation of Canada's advisory assistance to Ukraine and the intensification of military and technical cooperation. https://www.ukrinform.net/rubric-defense/3001306-ukraine-canada-defence-ministers-discuss-epidemiological-situation-in-countries-armed-forces.html

Sean Broderick WASHINGTON—The Trump Administration has asked Congress for an additional $250 billion in small-business payroll loan funding, providing more cash to the coronavirus pandemic emergency funding program that many small aerospace suppliers are expected to tap. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin tweeted the news April 7, confirming that, “at the direction of President Trump,” he has asked Democrat and Republican leaders in both the House of Representatives and Senate for more Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding “to make sure small businesses get the money they need!” The PPP, part of the March 27 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, was set up to quickly get funds to eligible businesses to cover eight weeks of payroll costs as well as most rent, utility and mortgage-interest expenses. Companies can apply for a one-time PPP loan of up to 2.5 times their average monthly 2019 payroll, up to a maximum $10 million. So long as 75% of the funds are used for payroll costs, the loans do not have to be repaid, making them de facto grants. The CARES Act allocates $349 billion to the program, but early popularly suggests that more funding may be needed to meet demand. The Small Business Administration (SBA) processed more than $70 billion in loans in PPP's first three days after the program opened April 3, though it did not say how much of that has been funded. Some 250,000 small businesses, out of an estimated 30 million, have applied for PPP funds. Mnuchin said he has spoken with Congressional leaders and is confident that he has bipartisan buy-in. “We look forward to the Senate passing that on [April 9], and the House passing that on [April 10]” Mnuchin told reporters during an April 7 media briefing. Additional funding could be approved quickly. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) said in a statement that he would work with Mnuchin and fellow Senate leaders to approve further funding within days. House Democrats are already working on a larger bill, which leader Nancy Pelosi calls CARES 2, that includes more PPP funding. PPP loan applications, submitted through the SBA Small Business Administration (SBA) and funded by participating lenders, began rushing in as soon as the program opened April 3. SBA Mnuchin said April 7 that more than 3,000 lenders are onboard, with additional institutions expected to participate. The program experienced some early hiccups, due in part to its scale and how quickly it has come together. CARES became law on March 27, and interim rules on how PPP would work were issued late April 2, just hours before applications were set to start. The PPP's broad applicability, lack of requirements for guarantees or other collateral, and de facto grant properties—the loans become forgivable if guidance is followed—have made it a catch-all for many small businesses. The general SBA limit for a small business is 500 employees, but it is based on staff or revenue limits set in the North American Industry Classification System. Many aviation businesses, aircraft and engine parts makers and maintenance providers, have limits above 500 employees. The PPP's potential reach and theoretically streamlined application and fulfillment times mean industry trade associations that represent smaller businesses are urging their members to examine PPP loans. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/aircraft-propulsion/us-small-businesses-may-get-more-covid-19-emergency-funding