Nouvelles

By: Leo Shane III The next few months could decide whether the Defense Department gets another base closing round in the next decade, according to a new analysis from a conservative think tankwarning military officials not to dismiss the potential looming impact on budgets and readiness. Officials from the Heritage Foundation, whose policy priorities have helped influence President Donald Trump's administration, have in the past supported a new base closing round to cut back on excess military infrastructure and more efficiently spend annual defense funding. In the analysis released this week, author Frederico Bartels — policy analyst for defense budgeting at the foundation — said a Pentagon report on the issue being compiled now represents “the best chance for the Department of Defense to make the case for a new round of BRAC” in years, and perhaps the last realistic chance to advance the idea for the near future. “I think it's the last chance of the Trump administration to make an argument for this,” he said in an interview with Military Times. “Even if he gets re-elected next year, I think it will be hard to go back and make the case if they're unsuccessful this time.” The military convened six base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commissions between 1988 and 2005, shutting down dozens of military installations and turning over that land to state and local municipalities. The process has always been fraught with political turmoil, as lawmakers protest any loss of jobs, military personnel and resulting economic benefits in their districts. But the 2005 BRAC round was particularly controversial, as defense officials consolidated numerous service locations into joint bases and massively rearranged force structure in an attempt to modernize the military. As a result, cost saving projections from that process were significantly below past rounds, and members of Congress have strongly opposed any attempts at another round since then. In the fiscal 2019 national defense authorization act, lawmakers did include language for a new military infrastructure capacity report — due next February — where defense officials can make the case for the need for additional closures. Similar Pentagon reports in the last few years have shown excess capacity of between 19 and 22 percent. Bartels said Pentagon leaders have repeatedly supported the idea of another round in recent years, but have done a poor job selling lawmakers on the idea. “The department needs to make the case for a new round of BRAC based on two key tenets: potential savings and the National Defense Strategy,” he wrote. “A new BRAC round could save $2 billion by reducing unneeded infrastructure. Additionally, a new round of BRAC would permit the department to assess its infrastructure against the threats outlined by the National Defense Strategy, providing a holistic look at all of the infrastructure.” He warns that naming specific locations will only exacerbate political tensions on the issue, and said defense officials also need to publicly acknowledge problems with the 2005 base realignment round to win back congressional support. And Bartels argues that the Trump administration must do more to push the issue. Defense officials requested a base closing round as part of their annual budget for six consecutive years before the Trump White House dropped the idea in their fiscal 2019 and 2020 budget plans. If officials fail to request one next spring, or if the planned infrastructure report is delayed by several months, the department risks pushing the idea back at minimum an entire extra budget cycle and likely several more years down the road. Even if approved, the new BRAC round is likely to take several years of research and debate before any recommendations are made. “I think there is still support for this in Congress,” Bartels said. “I think there are enough people that are about good stewardship of government funds that this can move ahead, if (defense officials) make the right argument. At least, I hope those lawmakers still exist.” The full analysis is available on the Heritage Foundation's website. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/08/15/plans-for-a-new-base-closing-round-may-be-running-out-of-time-report/

By Oriana Pawlyk As part of the U.S. Air Force's effort to improve how it prepares to deploy at a moment's notice, the service earlier this month tested how swiftly it could move its premier stealth fighter to a forward operating location in the Middle East. During an exercise called "Agile Lightning," held Aug. 4-7, airmen assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, temporarily deployed to an undisclosed location in the Middle East to train in an austere environment with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to a service news release. "By executing the adaptive basing concepts we have only practiced at home until now, we increased the readiness, survivability and lethality of the F-35A in a combat theater," said Lt. Col. Joshua Arki, 4th EFS commander. "The 'Fightin' Fuujins' of the 4th EFS successfully deployed a small detachment of aircraft and personnel to a forward location, supporting combat operations from that location for a given period of time, and then re-deployed back to our primary operating location," Arki said in the release. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/15/air-force-tests-how-quickly-nimbly-it-can-deploy-f-35-agile-lightning.html

Air Force scientists have announced that they had tested a robot kit that can turn virtually any plane into a self-piloting drone, through a program called ROBOpilot. Why is that important? For starters, planes and drones are expensive. The drone shot down over Iran last month cost $220 million. For years the military has rushed to fund fabulous, exquisite drones of all shapes and sizes. Some, like the $15 million MQ-9 Reaper from General Atomics, are cheaper than manned military aircraft. But the big ones are more expensive than many types of civilian sport aircraft. “Imagine being able to rapidly and affordably convert a general aviation aircraft, like a Cessna or Piper, into an unmanned aerial vehicle, having it fly a mission autonomously, and then returning it back to its original manned configuration,” said Dr. Alok Das, senior scientist with the Air Force Research Lab's, or AFRL's, Center for Rapid Innovation, in a statement. “All of this is achieved without making permanent modifications to the aircraft.” AFRL has partnered with DZYNE Technologies to produce the kit. The system interacts with flight controls just like a human pilot, pushing all the correct buttons, flipping the switches, manipulating the yoke and throttle and watching the gages. “At the same time, the system uses sensors, like GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit [essentially a way for a machine to locate itself in space without GPS] for situational awareness and information gathering. A computer analyzes these details to make decisions on how to best control the flight,” AFRL said in a statement. Once the flight is done, the kit can be pulled out and the plane reconverted to one requiring a human pilot. On August 9, the system completed a two-hour test flight at Utah's Dugway Proving Ground. In theory, the same or a similar technology could be applied to expensive fighter aircraft. And the military has said that the next, sixth-generation fighter will be optionally manned. But the military has expressed reservations about allowing autonomous software to undertake lethal actions, so don't expect to see ROBOpilot doing combat missions anytime soon. https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/08/air-force-tests-contraption-can-turn-any-plane-robot-plane/159211/

Program Will Restore The Pave Hawk Operational Loss Replacement Fleet To Its Authorized Size The first Operational Loss Replacement HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter has been delivered to the U.S. Air Force by the U.S. Army by Alaska Air National Guard Maj. Paul Rauenhorst and Capt. Seth Peterson pilots on Aug. 5, 2019, to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson. Defense Blog reports that the aircraft is a rebuilt low-hour U.S. Army UH-60L Black Hawk aircraft. “It's a much younger airframe,” Rauenhorst said. “These airframes are from 2001 to 2004 models, where ours sitting on the ramp are 1992 models. These are Army Limas rebuilt to be Golf models.” The HH-60 is the primary SAR helicopter deployed by the Department of Defense. Multiple aircraft have been lost in nearly 18 years deployed in combat operations, and the OLR program is designed to bring the Pave Hawk fleet back to its authorized size, according to the report. Chief Master Sgt. Eric Chester, 176th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron superintendent, said that the OLRs will significantly increase the availability for the fleet, as they are lower-time aircraft that will require less maintenance. “The impact of the OLR coming into our wing is huge,” Chester said. “It's a big opportunity for everyone here to be able to take advantage of these new aircraft and reset across the board.” http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=ee00b374-5f9e-4eeb-8664-300e8851226e

A-10s Get New Wings Workers at the Ogden Air Logistics Complex at Hill Air Force Base have installed the last of 173 new wings on A-10 Thunderbolt II aircraft, finalizing a project that started in 2011 with aircraft 80-0173. The ALC's 571st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron swapped wings on 162 A-10s as part of the A-10 Enhanced Wing Assembly replacement program. The remaining 11 were installed at Osan Air Base in the Republic of Korea. The new wings are expected to last for up to 10,000 equivalent flight hours without a depot inspection. In addition, a better wire harness design was created for easier wing removal and to lessen the chance of damaging the wing during the process. “From a warfighter point of view, bringing this program to a successful conclusion was a significant accomplishment for the entire enterprise team,” said Stephen Zaiser, 571st AXMS director. Working on an aircraft that has been flying for nearly 40 years wasn't without challenges. The modifications included having to make new parts for the fuselage and having to bring other A-10 parts up from the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona. “At the end of the program, making sure we had all the pieces and parts that we needed to make that happen required a really significant team effort,” Zaiser said. “I think the fact that we produced the aircraft so successfully is a testament to the whole team, the special program office, Boeing and others that were a part of making it all work.” Lt. Col. Ryan Richardson, 514th Flight Test Squadron commander and A-10 test pilot, flew the functional check flight on the last A-10 to receive the new wings to deem the aircraft airworthy. “It flew great and passed all the FCF checks,” Richardson said. “It's unusual to have an airplane in production for as long as this one was and have it come out and fly as well as this one did.” Introduced into the U.S. Air Force aircraft inventory in 1976, the venerable A-10 is the only production-built aircraft for close air support. The aircraft was made to fly close to the ground in support of friendly ground troops, drop heavy loads of weapons, attacks armored vehicles and tanks, and can be called in to attack enemy ground forces. With heavy stresses put on the wings over the weapon system's lifetime and with its full-service life still unknown, the Air Force decided to replace some of the fleet's wings in order for the weapon system to remain airworthy. In 2007, Boeing was awarded a $1.1 billion contract to build replacement wings at its Macon, Georgia, plant that will allow the aircraft to continue flying into the late 2030s. “The A-10 Special Program Office, in partnership with the Ogden ALC, is poised to keep the aircraft flying for the foreseeable future,” said Michael Hackett, A-10 SPO chief engineer. http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?do=main.textpost&id=e3fe8bb4-6d74-4d69-845e-d6e204fcfbe7

Canadians, tourists and businesses benefit from safe and well-maintained airports. From visiting friends and family, to travelling to medical appointments, or getting goods to market, we rely on our local airports to support and sustain vibrant communities. These airports also provide essential air services including community resupply, air ambulance, search and rescue and forest fire response. Marc Garneau, minister of Transport, announced a Government of Canada investment to purchase a grader at the North Peace Regional Airport. The grader, valued at $223,728, will assist with the essential clearing of ice and snow from runways, taxiways and the apron. Keeping runways, taxiways and aprons free of snow and ice ensures safe usage by aircraft, passengers, and crews, and helps protect costly airport safety assets during airport operations. “Our Government recognizes that local airports are major contributors to the economic growth and social well-being of smaller communities. In addition to supporting travel and tourism, local airports are key connectors for business, health care, social services, and emerging resource development sectors. These investments will improve access to safe, efficient and accessible air transportation options, and will help us deliver on our promise to build safer, healthier and stronger communities across Canada,” explained Garneau. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/government-of-canada-investing-in-safety-at-the-north-peace-regional-airport/ https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/government-of-canada-investing-in-safety-at-the-la-ronge-barber-field-airport/ https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/government-of-canada-investing-in-safety-at-the-kamloops-airport-2/

Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an instrument flight rules (IFR) supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Bell 407GXi. The certification is a requirement for the Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System competition, enabling the Bell 407GXi to replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger as the U.S. Navy's training helicopter. Bell's replacement bid offers a unique combination of capability, ease of transition, and low sustainment costs, giving the best value to the Navy. Should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the U.S. Navy Advanced Helicopter Trainer program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the aircraft in Ozark, Ala. “The team did a great job ensuring the Bell 407GXi achieved the FAA's IFR certification necessary to meet all of the Navy's requirements,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO. “Bell is an instrumental part of the Navy's training program and has been for more than 50 years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for the next generation of naval aviators.” A Bell to Bell transition offers low-risk to the Navy by streamlining instructor pilot and maintainer transition training as well as using common support equipment and infrastructure. The 407 airframe has already proven capabilities as the platform for the MQ-8C Fire Scout for the U.S. Navy. Bell's customer service and support has established capability with cost-efficient and effective helicopter training solutions. Bell proves its mature production and sustainment support capability every day by supporting more than 1,600 Bell 407s globally. These aircraft have nearly 6 million flight hours across the fleet and are actively performing flight training as well as military and para-public missions helicopter mission-set. The 407GXi's Garmin G1000H NXi Flight Deck enhances situational awareness and reduces pilot workload by delivering easy-to-read information at a glance. The Bell 407GXi's new IFR capability will allow all-weather operations while continuing to provide multi-mission capability safely, reliably, and effectively. The Bell 407GXi offers the lowest direct operating costs of any IFR-capable helicopter produced today. Combined with its proven performance, reliability, and ease of transition, the Bell 407GXi is the best value aircraft for U.S. Navy helicopter training. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/bell-407gxi-earns-instrument-flight-rules-certification/

Top Aces Inc. announced that it has broken its own record of 75,000 hours of operational air combat training, reaching an industry leading 80,000 flight hours. No other adversary air provider in the world has delivered this number of flight hours carrying out live air training missions. The milestone came on July 30, 2019, during two-ship Red Air support for German Air Force (GAF) Eurofighters from the Tactical Luftwaffen Wing 71 Richthofen in Wittmund, Germany. The pilots, Elmar “Elmo” Besold and Raimund “Lendi” Lendermann, are among Top Aces' most experienced. A proud provider of advanced and innovative adversary air services to the world's leading air forces in Canada, Australia, Germany, and soon the United States, Top Aces has earned a reputation for its commitment to professionalism, safety, and efficiency. “Our dedication to serving our customers as well as our motivation to always do better have allowed us to reach a record-breaking and unblemished 80,000 flight hours,” said Paul Bouchard, president and CEO of Top Aces. “We are very pleased with this milestone and are committed to continue to deliver the next generation of highly-representative adversary air to all our customers worldwide.” With a current fleet mix of Dornier Alpha Jets, Douglas A-4 Skyhawks, Learjet 35As, Westwinds and a future fleet of F-16s, Top Aces has a flexible offering ready to meet growing client needs. The company has plans for expansion as early as this year. At the prominent Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) in the United Kingdom last month, Top Aces had the opportunity to meet with senior leadership from the world's leading air forces to explore growth opportunities. “We are extremely proud to announce this exciting accomplishment for our company,” said Top Aces' chief commercial officer, Russ Quinn. “Our vision remains to be the most trusted provider of advanced air combat training solutions by delivering industry-leading standards of safety, airworthiness and operational excellence.” https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/top-aces-hits-80000-hours-of-air-combat-training/

Global launch demand and cumulative launch opportunities of $102.52 billion from 2019-2030 will augment growth prospects, finds Frost & Sullivan LONDON, Aug. 14, 2019 /CNW/ -- New market entrants, platforms, services and business models are disrupting the global space industry. To serve an evolving market, value chain players are developing flexible, affordable, dedicated, competitive and complementary solutions for end customers to sustain significant growth opportunities. Frost & Sullivan forecasts the total revenue opportunities for the global satellite manufacturing market to soar past $366.06 billion with global launch demand for 12,766 satellites and cumulative launch opportunities of $102.52 billion for the period 2019 to 2030. "The space industry is rapidly evolving. Not only are satellite platforms becoming more agile and robust with the execution of software-based satellites, electric propulsion systems and spot beam offerings, but competition in the launch services market is lowering prices and new entrants with mega-constellation-based business models are poised to disrupt the connectivity and earth observation market," said Arun Kumar Sampathkumar, Industry Manager, Space at Frost & Sullivan. Currently, there is a clear gap between satellite launch demand and the supply of launch services with an average launch wait period of six months to two years for satellite operators. However, more than 40 global new participants are developing launch vehicles to bridge this gap. "In the small-satellite launch segment, the major unmet needs include on-demand launch, independent mission from the primary launch payload, and launch cost," noted Sampathkumar. "Due to the existing gap between supply and launch, the launch service market is price inelastic. However, with the entry of new vehicles and reusable capabilities, launch supply is likely to increase and will lead the market towards price sensitivity." Downstream data pressures have meant that communication satellites represent the fastest growing market segment, increasing demand for the manufacture of high-throughput and constellation communication satellites. Sampathkumar sees multiple incumbents and new participants looking to install their high-capacity communication satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO), Medium Earth Orbit (MEO), and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) orbits. This will result in both new installation and recurring replacement mission demand for manufacturing communication satellites. Growth opportunities participants should tap into for future successes include: The manufacturing sector utilising COTS technologies, additive manufacturing, Industrial IoT (IIoT), and serial production with systems and satellite platform standardisation. The launch services sector focussing on infrastructure-as-a-service for dedicated launch service providers and vehicle reusability to reduce launch costs. Ground station services players developing a global network of ground stations that utilise automated aggregator platforms as well as standarise mission control processes and systems. Earth observation participants developing affordable standard platforms for value-added service providers. Satellite communication players focussing on network standardisation and integration, including terrestrial and capacities in LEO, MEO, and GEO. 'Consumerisation' of Space has taken a leap forward with end users demanding seamless connectivity, actionable geospatial intelligence, and advanced sensing capabilities to drive new business propositions and solutions. Disruptions impacting the ecosystem are driven by technology, manufacturing processes and business models from traditional players like SES, SpaceX and Airbus, and new space participants like RocketLab, EarthNow, OneWeb and SpireGlobal. Frost & Sullivan latest analysis, Global Space Industry Outlook, 2019 and Beyond explores key questions such as what drives the market? What are the critical shifts to watch? Which best practices are important to note? Who are the emerging players? The space industry within the scope of this study is segmented into satellite manufacturing, launch services, ground stations and satellite networks, and downstream applications including satellite communication, earth observation, navigation, scientific missions, and technology demonstration. Global Space Industry Outlook, 2019 and Beyond is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan's Space research and analysis available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organisations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future. https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/small-satellites-and-downstream-digital-transformation-accelerate-space-industry-evolution-802341560.html