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INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 7, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) received a $48 million engineering services contract to support the integration and qualification of hand-held devices into platform-mounted WiFi systems secured up to secret. Loaded with situational awareness and mission planning applications, the mobile devices will improve air-to-ground communication between combat teams, enhancing situational awareness as the mission unfolds. "We're helping aircrews and ground forces better communicate and collaborate in real time on the battlefield," said Matt Gilligan, vice president at Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services business. "Right now Blackhawk crews and dismounted soldiers rely heavily on voice communications during a mission, and when dynamics are changing in the air and on the ground minute by minute, that's a huge challenge." The contract is part of the U.S. Army's Air Soldier System (Air SS), the service's effort to equip their rotary-wing aircrews with wearable electronics that increase their mission effectiveness and survivability. Under the contract, Raytheon will load mission applications on commercial off-the-shelf phones and tablets to allow air and ground users to access and share current weather updates, friendly force trackers, and secure text messages. To learn more about the program, watch the Tennessee National Guard use the system during a recent FEMA exercise Shaken Fury. About Raytheon Raytheon Company, with 2018 sales of $27 billion and 67,000 employees, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, civil government and cybersecurity solutions. With a history of innovation spanning 97 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration, C5I(TM) products and services, sensing, effects and mission support for customers in more than 80 countries. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Follow us on Twitter. Media Contacts Heather Uberuaga +1.520.891.8421 iispr@raytheon.com View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aircrews-to-get-hand-held-devices-linked-via-secure-wifi-for-improved-air-to-ground-operations-300933119.html SOURCE Raytheon Company

Saint-Cloud, October 8, 2019 - First Indian Air Force Rafale Handover to the Government of India. Ceremony hosted by Eric Trappier, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Dassault Aviation, under the high patronage of the Honourable Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence of India, and the Honourable Ms. Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France. Ceremony held in Dassault Aviation Mérignac facility on October 8th, 2019, in the frame of the celebrations of Air Force Day. Today, Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, hosted the handover ceremony of the first Indian Air Force Rafale in Mérignac, Dassault Aviation's Rafale final assembly facility. The event was placed under the high patronage of the Honourable Shri Rajnath Singh, Minister of Defence of India and the Honourable Ms. Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces of France. The ceremony, 3 years after the signature of the contract in 2016 for the acquisition of 36 Rafale to equip the Indian Air Force, marks the concretization of the strategic relationship between India and France and the celebration of the history of mutual trust between India and Dassault Aviation for more than 65 years. The handover of the first IAF Rafale, materializes the determination of the French Authorities to fulfill the expectations and needs of the Government of India to comfort India's protection and sovereignty and illustrates the exemplary cooperation between Dassault Aviation and the Indian Air Force, one of the most remarkable partner Dassault Aviation's has ever worked with. The setup of the Dassault Reliance JV (DRAL) production facility in Nagpur as well as the significant support of the educational and scientific policy of the Indian Government through the establishing of an engineering center in Pune, the creation of the “Dassault Skill Academy“ and the implementation of a vocational training programme “Aeronautical Structure and Equipment Fitter“, demonstrate Dassault Aviation full commitment to the “Make in India“ and “Skill India“ initiatives in building the foundations for a national aerospace and defence ecosystem to become a worldwide reference of the sector. Supported by Dassault Aviation partners, Thales already present in Nagpur, Safran to inaugurate its facility in Hyderabad as well as the French aeronautics and defence community among which twenty companies are already settled in India, this approach will mutually benefit both Indian and French industries and will contribute to guaranty both countries to meet tomorrow's aeronautical challenges. “I am particularly honored to host this ceremony today as India is part of Dassault Aviation's DNA. The long and trustful relationship we share is an undeniable success and underpins my determination of establishing for the long term Dassault Aviation in India. We stand alongside the Indian Air Force since 1953, we are totally committed to fulfill its requirements for the decades to come and to be part of India's ambitious vision for the future“, has declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation. ABOUT DASSAULT AVIATION AND INDIA: Dassault Aviation aircraft have been an integral part of Indian defence forces for over six decades. The first Dassault Aviation aircraft, Toofani was supplied to India in 1953, followed by the Mystere IV, the naval Alize, the Jaguar (manufactured under license by HAL), and the Mirage 2000. These aircraft have contributed to Indian sovereignty all along and the Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft continues to be the IAF's ‘cutting edge' till date. 36 Rafales fighter aircraft has been acquired on September 23rd 2016 to equip the Indian Air Force. ABOUT DASSAULT AVIATION: With over 10,000 military and civil aircraft (including 2,500 Falcons) delivered in more than 90 countries over the last century, Dassault Aviation has built up expertise recognized worldwide in the design, development, sale and support of all types of aircraft, ranging from the Rafale fighter, to the high-end Falcon family of business jets and military drones. In 2018, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of €5.1 billion. The company has 11,500 employees. dassault-aviation.com PRESS CONTACTS: Corporate Communications Stéphane Fort - Tél +33 (0)1 47 11 86 90 - stephane.fort@dassault-aviation.com Mathieu Durand - Tél +33 (0)1 47 11 85 88 - mathieu.durand@dassault-aviation.com Defence Communications Nathalie Bakhos - Tél +33 (0)1 47 11 92 75 – nathalie-beatrice.bakhos@dassault-aviation.com Photos HD : mediaprophoto.dassault-aviation.com Vidéos HD : mediaprovideo.dassault-aviation.com Attachment PR First Indian Air Force Rafale Handover to the Government of India VA View source version on GlobeNewswire: http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2019/10/08/1926382/0/en/Dassault-Aviation-First-Indian-Air-Force-Rafale-Handover-to-the-Government-of-India.html

The unassuming, sparsely-furnished manufacturing warehouse adjacent to Oklahoma City's Will Rogers International Airport may not exactly communicate “bustling unmanned systems manufacturer,” but looks can be deceiving. “Are we the coolest business in Oklahoma City? I think we're the coolest business in the world,” says a confident Steven Fendley, Unmanned Systems Division President of San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. A closer look at what the company is building in the Sooner State—which will soon have that 101,000 square foot warehouse bursting at its seams—might just have you convinced. In April, as the defense company unveiled its first six unmanned aerial MQM-178 Firejets produced at the same facility, it also announced the coming of the 30-foot Valkyrie, an unmanned aircraft resembling a fighter jet that is capable of long-range flight at high sub-sonic speeds. “Our target aircraft, jet aircraft, unmanned are used for our military to test their defensive systems and their offensive systems against what otherwise would be an enemy aircraft,” Fendley explains. “Title Ten of the U.S. Code states that there's a requirement to operate any of our development systems against a true threat representative system, not just simply a simulation. These aircrafts are representative threats, from a fighter aircraft perspective, from a bomber aircraft perspective, from a cruise missile perspective. They can replicate any of those threats very effectively and provide a realistic training scenario.” Currently at just 20 employees, the Oklahoma City venture will scale to 350-550 during the next three-to-five years, from engineering and design functions to manufacturing. The startup operation is focused on integration, assembly, testing, and client delivery for now, but will produce 350 Firejets per year, including all its parts, as early as the end of the year. For the Valkyrie, its maiden flight was successfully launched in March, signaling the next evolution for Kratos' unmanned aerial tactical systems. "It's basically a manned-aircraft size," Fendley told The Oklahoman. "It has a bomb bay. It can carry ordnance. It can carry sensor systems that allow you to locate the enemy. It's intended to be a wing man." While Kratos develops its own advanced technology, the aircraft must integrate with several other systems for effective deployment and testing, so the company works closely with the likes of Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, all of which have operations in Greater Oklahoma City (OKC) as well. “Oklahoma has a very, very high and supportive focus on the aerospace and defense industry,” Fendley says. “There are a lot of elements of the defense industry and the aerospace industry that exist here. What this really does, I think for us, and we're really proud of this at Kratos, I think we're the first to actually bring the integration and production of a complete aircraft system that will roll out and be produced in Oklahoma. We're very proud of that. We're very excited about that. And what it allows us to do is take advantage of all the technologies that exist here.” An added advantage for Kratos is the proximity to Tinker Air Force Base, the largest single-site employer in Oklahoma with 26,000 military and civilian employees, and home to the nation's largest aircraft and jet engine repair center. The composite work, integration of systems and overall aircraft technology is a shared function between military and private industry, allowing Tinker to cover any overflow capacity for Kratos should the firm need it. Altogether, along with a lower cost structure and more take-home pay for its workers, the combination made the decision to grow in Greater OKC a no-brainer. But can the same be said for Fendley's boast about his company? Can a manufacturer—one with significant work for the U.S. government—really be considered cool, let alone the “coolest in the world?” “You know the old saying, an extrovert engineer looks at your shoes, an introvert looks at his own shoes. So it's always hard for engineers to talk about what they do,” Fendley explains. “It's not hard in this case. Look at it, these are jet, unmanned aircraft that look cool, that sound cool, that are fun to build, that are fun to design, and are really, really important to the community, and to the country at large.” It's hard to argue with that. https://aviationweek.com/what-defense-aviation-manufacturer-is-crafting-in-greater-okc

By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany – The Dutch government on Tuesday announced plans to purchase nine more of Lockheed Martin's F-35 jets, a move that would bring the country's inventory to 46. The envisioned €1 billion acquisition will “lay the foundation” for a third F-35 squadron in the Dutch air force, a plan that government officials first floated in late 2018, according to a statement posted on the defense ministry website. The additional aircraft are expected contribute to the air force's objective of having four jets available for NATO missions while also performing homeland defense operations and accounting for training requirements and maintenance downtime. Fully rounding out a third squadron would require 15 extra planes, however, alliance officials have previously told the Dutch, prompting talk in the Netherlands last year of a potentially higher number eventually. The Dutch want the F-35 to replace their legacy fleet of F-16s. Neighbor Belgium selected the fifth-generation aircraft in the fall of 2018, announcing a planned buy of 34 copies. Dick Zandee, a defense analyst at the Clingendael think tank in The Hague, told Defense News the announced acquisition of nine more F-35s enjoys “broad support” in the Dutch parliament. He said government leaders had already included the new aircraft spending in their annual report to NATO to show momentum in the country's move toward spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on the military. Government officials have told parliament that they want to give the American program office a formal notice to buy the additional jets before the end of the year, Zandee said. The Dutch want F-35s of the newest configuration, he added, which means any changes in the international delivery schedule caused by the recent Turkish expulsion from the F-35 program likely would play no role. The Trump administration has kicked Turkey out of the program over the country's purchase of the Russian S-400 air-defense system. American officials fear that co-locating the two systems could enable Russia to glean valuable intelligence about the planes simply by subjecting them to the S-400′s sensors. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/10/08/the-netherlands-to-buy-nine-more-f-35s-for-11-billion

ARMY Brasfield & Gorrie LLC, Birmingham, Alabama (W912HN-20-D-3000); Gilbane Federal JV, Concord, California (W912HN-20-D-3001); Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Orlando, Florida (W912HN-20-D-3002); Caddell Construction Co. (DE) LLC, Montgomery, Alabama (W912HN-20-D-3003); Archer Western Federal JV, Chicago, Illinois (W912HN-20-D-3004); and M.A. Mortenson Co., Minneapolis, Minnesota (W912HN-20-D-3005), will compete for each order of the $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design, build, construction, rehabilitation, maintenance, repairs, mechanical systems, plumbing, utility systems, structural, electrical, heating and air conditioning, instrumentation, security and safety areas of Government facilities. Bids were solicited via the internet with 20 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 3, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico, has been awarded a $92,980,000 cost-reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Playas Electronic Attack & Cyber Environment research and development. This contract will define, develop and deploy cyber electronic warfare (EW) capabilities for research and development, evaluation, test and training in support of employment of cyber EW effects. This effort will provide a unique and enduring environment to support Department of Defense assets for the employment of cyber and EW effects. Work will be performed in Playas, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 7, 2026. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $5,298,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-D-1888). Linde Services LLC, New Providence, New Jersey, has been awarded a $77,000,000 hybrid firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (FA7022-20-D-0002) with a cost reimbursable line item, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the processing separation, and radio assay of atmospheric gas samples for elemental determination of sample components. This contract provides for laboratory analytical services and support services, including but not limited to, sample analysis, analytical technique advancement, special projects, computer software support. The location of performance is New Providence, New Jersey. The work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2027. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $6,998,924 is obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Detachment 2 Operation Location, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Olgoonik Technical Services LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a maximum $13,314,408 modification (P00033) exercising the fourth one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SP3300-16-C-5001) with four one-year option periods for warehousing and distribution support services. This is a fixed-price-incentive contract with cost-reimbursement line items. Locations of performance are Alaska and California, with an Oct. 15, 2020, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. NAVY Schuyler Line Navigation Co. LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, is awarded an $11,803,500 modification under a previously awarded firm, fixed-price contract (N32205-18-C-3508) to fund the first one-year option period. The option will continue to provide one U.S. flagged vessel (SLNC Goodwill) in support of the Department of Defense Logistics Agency Energy for the transportation of clean petroleum products in the Far East region. The current contract includes a 12-month base period, three 12-month option periods and one 11-month option period. Work will be performed in the Far East region, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 14, 2020. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $2,950,875 will be obligated at time of award and each quarter thereafter and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2021 working capital funds will be funded for the remainder of the option. Military Sealift Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-18-C-3508). https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1983019/source/GovDelivery/

Dassault Aviation et Airbus ont appelé lundi Paris et Berlin à lancer «sans plus attendre» les études menant à la conception d'un démonstrateur pour le Système de combat aérien futur (SCAF), remplaçant des Rafale et Eurofighter. «Il importe à présent de faire avancer concrètement le SCAF», affirment les deux groupes dans un communiqué commun. Il s'agit notamment de notifier aux industriels les contrats pour les études menant à la construction d'un démonstrateur en 2026. «Le prochain conseil des ministres franco-allemand doit servir de catalyseur à cette volonté commune d'aller de l'avant par le lancement rapide de cette phase de démonstrateurs et par l'engagement des nations partenaires sur un plan de financement fiable pour confirmer le caractère pérenne et cohérent de ce programme de développement européen», ajoutent-ils. «Nous appelons les responsables politiques à tout mettre en oeuvre pour lancer le plus rapidement possible ces démonstrateurs, étape clef pour mettre cet ambitieux projet en marche», affirment le PDG de Dassault Aviation Eric Trappier et le président exécutif d'Airbus Defence and Space, Dirk Hoke, cités dans le communiqué. La ministre française de la Défense Florence Parly se rendra mercredi à Berlin pour préparer le futur conseil des ministres franco-allemand. Paris, Berlin et Madrid ont signé le 17 juin lors du salon du Bourget un accord-cadre structurant les trois pays autour du SCAF. Au coeur de ce système se trouve le futur chasseur (NGF, Next Generation Fighter) destiné à remplacer les actuels Rafale et Eurofighter à l'horizon 2040. «Les technologies futures doivent être développées dès maintenant pour être ensuite testées et qualifiées en vol» par le biais de ce démonstrateur, arguent Dassault et Airbus, qui rappellent avoir pour leur part «su rapidement trouver des accords et se mettre en ordre de marche». «On espère notifier les contrats d'ici la fin de l'année» a-t-on indiqué à l'AFP au ministère des Armées, où l'on se dit «raisonnablement confiants» sur le fait d'avoir «un démonstrateur du NGF qui vole en 2026». Mi-septembre, le patron de Dassault avait imputé ce retard de notification de contrats à des règles «d'exportabilité» du futur SCAF à définir entre Paris et Berlin. Selon une source gouvernementale française, un accord sur la question des exportations est en passe d'être conclu. http://www.lefigaro.fr/flash-eco/avion-de-combat-du-futur-dassault-et-airbus-appellent-paris-et-berlin-a-avancer-sans-plus-attendre-20191007

ByEd Adamczyk Oct. 7 (UPI) -- The Pratt & Whitney division of United Technologies Corp. was awarded a potential four-year, $325.2 million contract for aircraft maintenance equipment for the F-35 fighter aircraft. The contract, announced by the Defense Department on Friday, calls for UTC to provide material and support equipment for depot maintenance facilities, as well as non-recurring sustainment activities, supplies, services and planning for depot activations. It also includes two F135 full-scale mockup engines and four modules for test activities in support of the F-35 Lightning II Program. Work will be performed largely at UTC's Oklahoma City facility, as well as in several other locations within the United States and in foreign countries, and is expected to conclude in 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement funds of the Navy, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as those of non-Defense Department agencies and foreign buyers of the F-35, will pay for the contract, the Pentagon said. The F-35 has been in service since 2015 and is currently in the fleets of, or with purchases planned by, 12 nations. Built by Lockheed Martin with UTC as a major subcontractor, the plane is a single engine, fifth-generation stealth combat aircraft designed for ground-attack and air-superiority missions. Currently regarded as the world's most advanced fighter plane, its F135 engine delivers over 40,000 lbs. of thrust and has been included on each of the 425 F-35s manufactured thus far. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/10/07/United-Technologies-nets-3252M-contract-for-F-35-depot-maintenance

By: Jeff Martin WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is now at an inflection point: After years with little urgency to extend the range of ground-launched missiles and cannons, the Intermediate Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty is no more and countries like Russia, China, and North Korea have built up capabilities of their own systems. That's led to what many call a “range gap." Find out more below. More details : https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2019/10/07/outgunned-and-outranged-why-the-army-must-get-more-from-cannons-and-missiles

By DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN It's not much of a surprise that defence and security issues aren't a factor in this federal election. Despite the concerns of various commentators and analysts, the political parties can safely ignore those topics. Even though billions of dollars are to be spent on the future purchase of military equipment, and Canada is engaged in training missions in Ukraine, Latvia and Iraq, the average Canadian doesn't appear to care all that much about such topics. That doesn't mean that such a viewpoint is right. But it's typical of recent elections. The parties have touched briefly on defence and security in their platforms. Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has noted he would improve relations with the U.S. and join the U.S. missile defence program. His government would buy new submarines and improve Arctic sovereignty. The Conservatives haven't discussed what it would cost to join the American missile defence system and there is no price tag for new submarines designed to operate in the Arctic. The subs, in particular, could be costly. In 2016 Australia announced its program to acquire 12 new subs with a price tag of $50 billion. Earlier this year Scheer vowed that a Conservative government would take the politics out of defence procurement, equipping the Canadian Forces with only what it needs. But even as he re-emphasized that point on the campaign trail, Scheer promised to order a second naval supply ship to be built at Davie shipyards in Quebec. While that would create jobs in the province and potentially generate support for the Conservatives, the leadership of the Royal Canadian Navy is adamant the second vessel is not needed. Liberal party defence promises have fewer details. Once again the Liberals have promised to increase support for the United Nations. But that's a repeat from the 2015 election campaign and many defence analysts point out that the Liberals didn't really deliver on that in their first mandate. There was the Canadian Forces mission to Mali, finished after only a year, and the assignment of a transport aircraft for UN use. But little else. The Liberals have a new promise to use the Canadian military's expertise for climate-related disasters, but again there are few details. They've also resurrected another of their 2015 election promises, which was to reform the defence procurement system. Little was done over the past several years to improve the system to purchase billions of dollars of military equipment. This time around the Liberals are promising to create a Defence Procurement Agency but it is unclear how that would be set up. The Green party has promised stable funding for military equipment and training, deployment of military personnel to deal with climate change disasters and pollution in the Arctic, to sign a treaty to abolish nuclear weapons and to cancel a deal with Saudi Arabia for light armoured vehicles. The NDP stated they would hold a fair competition for new fighter jets, keep shipbuilding procurement on time, stop the privatization of services at military bases and put more focus on peacekeeping. While defence and security issues are important, and can be costly to taxpayers, they don't seem to appear at the forefront of voter concerns. Most of the time they don't even register. Despite the thousands of words written and spoken by politicians and defence analysts about aging fighter jets, Canadians aren't marching in the streets to demand replacements for the RCAF's CF-18s. Scheer's promise to spend $1.5 billion to buy new medical imaging equipment for hospitals across Canada is more directly relevant to the average Canadian – who likely knows someone who has had to wait months for a MRI – than his promise to have Canada join the U.S. missile defence shield. The lack of interest by Canadians on defence matters has not been lost on politicians in power, particularly when they need to cut spending. By realizing that defence issues concerned only a small portion of the electorate, Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper – who counted himself as a politician firmly behind the Canadian Forces – was able to chop the military's budget. At the heart of that issue is the lack of connection to and knowledge of the Canadian military by most Canadians. That was illustrated by a July 2018 report commissioned by the Department of National Defence which concluded that, “Awareness of and familiarity with the [Canadian Forces] was generally very low; virtually non-existent among those in the younger age group.” Only 26 per cent of those surveyed had some awareness of what the Canadian Forces had been doing over a year-and-a-half period. They couldn't even name what types of missions the military did at home, despite the high profile responses by the Canadian Forces to natural disasters such as floods and forest fires. Participants in the study were even surprised the learn the Canadian Forces operated in the Arctic. It's a situation that doesn't bode well for the future of the Canadian military. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/with-canadians-tuned-out-on-defence-political-parties-can-safely-ignore-the-topic-at-election-time