Nouvelles

Cette semaine, le Canada a annoncé l'ouverture du dépôt des propositions officielles pour remplacer sa flotte de CF-18. La semaine dernière, les États-Unis ont expulsé la Turquie du programme du F-35. Deux nouvelles en apparence distinctes, mais qui sont liées et qui vont très probablement voir le F-35 comme successeur au vénérable CF-18. Le F-35 dans la saga du remplacement des CF-18 canadiens Lors de l'élection fédérale de 2015, Justin Trudeau avait promis d'annuler le contrat d'achat des F-35 signé par le gouvernement Harper l'année précédente. Cette promesse peut maintenant être considérée comme partiellement tenue avec l'ouverture officielle cette semaine des appels d'offres pour le remplacement du CF-18. Si quatre fabricants sont toujours la course (Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Boeing et Saab), le F-35 de Lockheed Martin part avec une longueur d'avance qui va vraisemblablement lui assurer la victoire. D'un côté, Saab et Airbus partent avec plusieurs défauts, notamment le fait qu'ils ne sont pas intégrés à la filière industrielle militaire nord-américaine, en plus de présenter une interopérabilité moindre avec les Américains. C'est sans compter que lorsque Dassault a déclaré ne pas participer à l'appel d'offres, des spéculations autour de la participation d'Airbus se sont aussi faites entendre. Il ne resterait alors que Lockheed Martin et Boeing comme choix crédibles. Dans les faits, Boeing part avec deux prises contre lui, en raison de la saga du C Series de Bombardier. De plus, même si le Super Hornet de Boeing est un successeur naturel du CF-18, donc un appareil beaucoup plus facile à intégrer pour l'Aviation royale canadienne, l'establishment militaire canadien est déjà vendu au F-35 depuis longtemps, l'ayant recommandé chaudement au gouvernement Harper. D'ailleurs, lors du dernier spectacle aérien de Bagotville, le F-35 a été mis bien en évidence et sa présentation a été très clairement écrite par Lockheed Martin. L'impact de la Turquie Pour autant, Boeing avait encore une chance de se qualifier, le Super Hornet étant un appareil présentant plusieurs avantages pour le Canada. Mais c'était avant que la Turquie, malgré les pressions américaines, n'aille de l'avant avec l'achat de système antimissile russe. En réaction, les États-Unis ont expulsé la Turquie du programme du F-35, affirmant qu'un allié de l'OTAN ne pouvait pas se procurer de l'armement stratégique russe dans l'état actuel des relations actuelles entre l'Alliance atlantique et la Russie. Le problème avec cette riposte américaine est qu'elle va coûter au-delà de 500 millions $US à la défense américaine pour trouver et signer de nouveaux fournisseurs de pièces et composantes, puisque les fournisseurs turcs sont aussi expulsés du programme du F-35. Face à des coûts militaires imprévus importants à l'étranger, Washington a l'habitude de se tourner vers ses alliés pour l'aider à compenser. Sans que les alliés ne répondent toujours favorablement, ils finissent généralement par aider d'une façon où d'une autre les États-Unis. Le Canada comme sortie de secours pour les Américains et le F-35 On comprend alors mieux pourquoi le F-35 risque de s'imposer comme remplacement au CF-18. D'une part, le Canada est toujours membre du programme de développement du F-35, malgré l'annulation du contrat d'achat initial. Cela permettrait de rapidement trouver des fournisseurs de remplacement aux fournisseurs turcs, probablement à un meilleur coût. D'autre part, le lobbying de Lockheed Martin au Canada a toujours été très important et va certainement s'accentuer dans les mois à venir. C'est sans compter les pressions politiques en faveur du F-35 venant de la Maison blanche, peu importe la présidence, envers le Canada. Avec l'expulsion de la Turquie, il est évident que les États-Unis cherchent une porte de sortie pour continuer le programme du F-35 au meilleur coût possible. Leur regard est clairement tourné vers le Canada. Finalement, l'interopérabilité sera un argument de poids que tant les Américains que Lockheed Martin feront valoir en coulisses. En plus de celle avec les États-Unis, le Canada cherche aussi à maintenir une bonne interopérabilité avec quelques alliés-clé, autant au sein de l'OTAN qu'avec des membres du Commonwealth. À cet égard, les Pays-Bas, le Royaume-Uni et l'Australie possèdent tous des F-35. De plus, l'Australie pourrait être un excellent exemple pour le Canada, l'aviation australienne passant justement du F-18 au F-35. La sagesse populaire veut qu'on ne doit pas vendre la peau de l'ours avant de l'avoir tué. Dans le cas présent, même si l'ours est toujours en vie, il est clairement dans la mire du chasseur... http://www.45enord.ca/2019/07/remplacement-des-cf-18-canadiens-le-canada-pris-entre-les-etats-unis-et-la-turquie/

By Woodrow Bellamy III U.S. federal, state and local government aircraft performing sensitive operations are now permitted to fly with their installed automatic dependent surveillance broadcast (ADS-B) position reporting electronics turned off, according to a new rule published by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Thursday. Under the new rule, aircraft conducting operations related to homeland security, law enforcement, national defense and intelligence that could be compromised by transmitting real-time aircraft position information are permitted to disable ADS-B transmissions after obtaining proper authorization from the FAA. Changes to the FAA's ADS-B Out airspace requirement come following several years of interagency meetings held between the FAA, Defense Department (DOD), Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation and other intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Leadership from those agencies expressed strong concerns about adversaries being able to easily gain public access to real time ADS-B flight identification and positional data. A provision in the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act also prevents the FAA from mandating ADS-B installations on certain DOD aircraft. Security concerns associated with ADS-B Out are not solely caused by the abilities of the ADS-B transponders, but instead by the proliferation and wide availability of new inexpensive ADS-B ground receivers and applications than can track ADS-B equipped flights for 100 to 300 miles. In comparison to older Mode S transponders, ADS-B provides more detailed information including aircraft registration number, longitude, latitude, dimensions and velocity. According to a description of the new policy, several alternatives to the new rule were considered that the FAA ultimately deemed too time consuming to meet the Jan. 1, 2020 ADS-B Out mandate, or required costly investments by DOD and other agencies. One alternative was to mask the identity of ADS-B Out equipped DOD aircraft, which defense officials determined still would not meet their needs because third parties would still be able to identify the aircraft location, velocity and altitude. Other alternatives included the use of encryption for sensitive aircraft or a new exemption process where agencies could petition the FAA for the authority to turn ADS-B Out transmissions off. However, since no encryption solution for ADS-B currently exists and an exemption process requires agencies to submit their requests at least 120 days in advance of the exemption need, these alternatives were also decided against. Through the rule change, the FAA has tasked its system operations security division with accepting requests from each individual agency requiring the authority to turn their ADS-B Out transmissions off. A major goal for the FAA is to avoid coordinating ADS-B Out transmission cancellations on a per-mission basis. Instead, the systems operations division will review requests submitted by the highest possibly agency organization level. “Once an agency has determined the broad mission sets that should be excepted from the transmitting requirement using its internal policies and assessment criteria, it must contact the FAA for authorization to conduct these broad mission sets without transmitting,” FAA officials wrote in the new policy statement. While the new rule is effective immediately, the FAA is allowing comments to be submitted about the rule change through September 16, 2019. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2019/07/23/new-rule-allows-military-aircraft-turn-ads-b-transmissions-off/

By Steve Trimble A crash-preventing upgrade for the Lockheed Martin F-35A is now being fielded after a nine-month test phase, program officials announced on July 24. The Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) is being integrated on the U.S. Air Force variant first, but will also spread to the Navy and Marine Corps variants. Auto-GCAS, which is already fielded on the F-16, prevents crashes caused when a pilot partially or fully loses consciousness during aggressive flight maneuvers. The system can detect an imminent collision, take control and steer the aircraft to a safe heading. The Air Force credits Auto-GCAS for preventing eight F-16 crashes since 2014. “Auto-GCAS is a proven system that is long overdue,” said Lt. Gen. Eric Fick, F-35 program executive officer. https://aviationweek.com/defense/lockheed-martin-fields-safety-upgrade-f-35a-fleet?NL=AW-05&Issue=AW-05_20190725_AW-05_516&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_2&utm_rid=CPEN1000015176279&utm_campaign=20501&utm_medium=email&elq2=71640d6c1c2a404d87e172f000eaa32d

By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's nominee for deputy defense secretary wants the Pentagon to apply data analytics and artificial intelligence to tackle jobs as diverse as technology development, the Pentagon audit and maintenance of the F-35 fighter jet. More broadly, David Norquist, the Pentagon comptroller who for most of this year has served as acting deputy defense secretary, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the U.S. needs to more heavily invest in developing technology to execute the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The strategy focuses on competition with Russia and China. The strategy will be “hampered without appropriate funding, development and timely fielding of emerging technologies, notably cyber, space, artificial intelligence, and missiles,” Norquist said in written responses to questions posed in advance by the committee. He called modernizing the military to compete, deter and, if needed, prevail in a high-end fight one of the job's most significant challenges. Per the 2017 defense policy law, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics was split between new undersecretaries of defense for research and engineering (R&E) and acquisition and sustainment (A&S). The R&E office was stood up specifically to push new technologies forward more quickly. Yet, the Pentagon “has made very little progress” to manifest those “key” changes, meant in part to help the Pentagon better harness advanced technologies, SASC ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., cautioned Norquist. He obtained Norquist's commitment to ensure the department implements the law. SASC Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Reed cited the need to better manage the Pentagon's acquisitions bureaucracy, acknowledging that a pending bipartisan budget agreement has created new headroom and stability. “Today, we find ourselves in a new and different moment in American security,” Inhofe said. “The American people take our military superiority for granted. China and Russia have passed us in a lot of key areas that we have discussed.” “Our overmatch in areas a decade ago was very clear. That overmatch has diminished,” Reed said, adding that the Department of Defense must extend its tech development efforts into academia and the private sector. Norquist also touted the administration's request for a $32 billion increase in research and development, to include cyber, missile range, hypersonics and lasers — but he called out artificial intelligence as unique. “Artificial Intelligence is different because the potential benefits are less clear; you know what you're going to get with a hypersonic missile,” he said. “But artificial intelligence has the potential to change a lot about how we use [unmanned aerial vehicles] and other items. That puts an emphasis on analytical skills, researching and prototyping." In a related exchange, Norquist touted a DoD project to harness AI in disasters to find people in need of rescue through video analysis — and said he wants more work with the private sector on similar projects. Norquist's hearing comes on the heels of the Senate's overwhelming confirmation of Mark Esper, the former Army secretary, as the 27th secretary of defense. Confirmation for Norquist and Esper, who replaces Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, is expected to hasten an end to the vacancies in other top Pentagon jobs. The hearing lasted 100 minutes and went smoothly, with the tone set at the very start, when Inhofe said he would vote for him. Inhofe said he had recommended Norquist to the president as an ideal No. 2 for a Pentagon with more than a dozen open civilian positions at the top. “I remember telling the president it doesn't matter who's secretary of defense,” Inhofe said, “as long as you have Norquist.” https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/07/24/norquist-has-one-word-for-you-analytics/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2007.25.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

La France va investir 700 millions d'euros supplémentaires dans le spatial militaire d'ici à 2025, pour renforcer ses moyens de surveillance et se doter de capacités d'auto-défense dans l'espace. Une somme qui s'ajoute aux 3,6 milliards d'euros déjà prévus pour le spatial de défense dans la Loi de programmation militaire française 2019-2025. « Aujourd'hui, nos alliés et nos adversaires militarisent l'espace. Et alors que le temps de la résilience se fait de plus en plus court, nous devons agir. Nous devons être prêts. » Jeudi 25 juillet, Florence Parly, ministre des Armées, s'est rendue au Commandement de défense aérienne et des opérations aériennes (CDAOA), situé sur la Base aérienne 942 de Lyon Mont-Verdun afin de présenter les grandes orientations militaires françaises dans le domaine spatial. Véritable enjeu, l'espace est devenu un lieu de confrontation de plus en plus militarisé. Indispensables au bon déroulement des opérations militaires, nos satellites et leur sauvegarde constituent un impératif stratégique. C'est pourquoi Florence Parly a annoncé que la France allait investir 700 millions d'euros supplémentaires dans le spatial militaire d'ici à 2025, pour renforcer ses moyens de surveillance et se doter de capacités d'auto-défense dans l'espace. Une somme qui s'ajoute aux 3,6 milliards d'euros déjà prévus pour le spatial de défense dans la Loi de programmation militaire française (LPM) 2019-2025. La stratégie spatiale dévoilée par la ministre des Armées se décline selon trois axes : organisationnel, juridique et capacitaire. Montée en puissance progressive du commandement de l'espace Ainsi, comme l'avait annoncé Emmanuel Macron le 13 juillet, un grand commandement de l'espace verra le jour le 1er septembre à Toulouse. Il sera placé sous l'autorité de l'armée de l'Air qui deviendra l'armée de l'Air et de l'espace. Son rôle : fédérer et coordonner tous les moyens consacrés au domaine spatial de défense. « A terme, il doit conduire l'ensemble de nos opérations spatiales, sous les ordres du chef d'état-major des armées et en lien avec le CPCO à l'instar de l'ensemble de nos opérations », a précisé Florence Parly. Doté d'une équipe de 220 personnes, ce commandement de l'espace montera progressivement en puissance sur la durée de la loi de programmation militaire, d'ici à 2025. Pour mettre en place sa stratégie spatiale, la ministre souhaite une évolution des textes régissant l'utilisation de l'espace pour intégrer la spécificité des opérations spatiales militaires. « J'ai décidé que le ministère des Armées assumerait la fonction d'opérateur spatial »explique-t-elle. « Si nous souhaitons être en mesure de mener de véritables opérations spatiales militaires, il nous faut développer une autonomie d'action. » Enfin, Florence Parly a annoncé vouloir perfectionner les capacités de défense spatiale, par le biais d'un nouveau programme d'armement nommé « Maîtrise de l'Espace ». Celui-ci intègrera deux volets : la surveillance et la défense active. Actuellement, la France est une des rares nations à disposer de ses propres capacités de surveillance de l'espace, gr'ce aux radars Graves et Satam ainsi qu'aux télescopes du CNRS et d'Ariane Group. « Demain, nous ferons appel à des moyens et des services plus sophistiqués encore », a souligné la ministre. « Le successeur de Graves devra être conçu pour déceler des satellites de la taille d'une boîte de chaussures à une distance de 1 500 kilomètres. » Afin de mieux protéger nos satellites, des actions seront menées, comme l'intégration de caméras de surveillance aux satellites de communication Syracuse pour leur autoprotection ou encore l'acquisition de nano-satellites patrouilleurs à partir de 2023. Gr'ce à ces futures capacités de surveillance, une défense active pourra être mise en place. La ministre prévient qu'il ne s'agit que d'autodéfense et non d'une stratégie offensive : « Si nos satellites sont menacés, nous envisagerons d'éblouir ceux de nos adversaires. Nous nous réservons le moment et les moyens de la riposte : cela pourra impliquer l'emploi de lasers de puissance déployés depuis nos satellites ou depuis nos nano-satellites patrouilleurs », a-t-elle précisé. https://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/articles/florence-parly-devoile-la-strategie-spatiale-francaise-de-defense

FORT WORTH, Texas, July 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The F-35 Joint Program Office, U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) have started integrating the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) on to Air Force F-35As in the fleet. Leveraging a rapid, agile development, test and contracting approach, the joint government and industry team successfully fielded the life-saving technology seven years earlier than previously planned. "This is a great day for the warfighter as the Auto-GCAS is a proven system that is long overdue," said Lt. Gen. Eric Fick, F-35 Program Executive Officer. "Expediting this life-saving technology into the F-35 across the global fleet will bring more warfighters home. Over the service life of the F-35 fleet, having Auto-GCAS is estimated to prevent more than 26 ground collisions from happening. It is indeed a remarkable achievement in aeronautics which will improve the performance, efficiency, and safety of the F-35. The time and effort expended to deliver this critical warfighting capability is worth it – it will save lives." Originally developed for the F-16 in partnership with NASA and the Air Force Research Laboratory, Auto-GCAS uses terrain mapping, geolocation and automation to detect and avoid potential ground collisions. When the program recognizes imminent impact, it will prompt the pilot to take action. If the pilot is unresponsive, Auto-GCAS assumes temporary control to divert the aircraft out of harm's way, and then returns control of the aircraft to the pilot once on a safe trajectory. The system has been operating successfully aboard the F-16 for more than five years and has already been credited with saving eight F-16 pilots' lives since 2014. "Early integration of Auto GCAS in the F-35 is bringing game changing safety capability to a rapidly growing fleet. It couldn't have come at a better time as we near full rate production resulting in more aircraft and pilots exposed to rigorous missions," said Lt. Col. Darren Wees of the Air Force's F-35 Integration Office. "Many thanks to the tenacious efforts of many organizations, primarily the Air Force Research Lab, Air Force Test Center, Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office who made this a technical reality, as well as the U.S. services and F-35 Partner Nations that ensured its inclusion in the program. These efforts have already saved lives and aircraft in the F-16, and will save lives in the F-35." Auto-GCAS was originally slated for delivery in the 2026 timeframe. To accelerate the technology, Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin conducted positive feasibility studies and the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin then implemented an agile approach to develop the technology for integration on the F-35. The 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base then completed a rigorous flight testing program to validate its performance and safety, which led to the wing's formal recommendation to field Auto-GCAS aboard the F-35. "The F-35 is the most survivable fighter jet in the world today – and the addition of Auto-GCAS will further enhance safety and save lives," said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin's vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. "The safe and effective acceleration of this technology is a testament to the joint government and industry team partnering in an agile environment to deliver life-saving capability to our men and women in uniform, significantly sooner than planned." U.S. Air Force F-35As are the first to receive Auto-GCAS, and the system will next be integrated aboard the F-35B and F-35C variants. The Auto-GCAS team was recently recognized with the National Aeronautic Associations' 2018 Robert J. Collier Trophy, and received the prestigious award in June 2019. With stealth technology, advanced sensors, supersonic speed, weapons capacity and superior range, the F-35 is the most lethal, survivable and connected aircraft in the world. More than a fighter jet, the F-35's ability to collect, analyze and share data, is a powerful force multiplier that enhances all airborne, surface and ground-based assets in the battlespace enabling men and women in uniform to execute their mission and return home safely. For additional information, visit www.f35.com. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-07-24-Life-Saving-Anti-Collision-Software-Integrated-into-First-F-35s-Seven-Years-Ahead-of-Schedule

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Innovation Associates Inc., Johnson City, New York, has been awarded a maximum $450,000,000 firm‐fixed‐price, indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract for automated pharmaceutical equipment, accessories, maintenance and training under the Patient Monitoring and Capital Equipment Program. This is a five-year base contract with one five‐year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with 36 responses received. Location of performance is New York, with a July 22, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1‐19‐D‐0017). Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, has been awarded a maximum $9,804,501 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-C15B) against basic ordering agreement SPRPA1-17-G-C101, for H-53 hydraulic fluid tanks. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Connecticut, with a Sept. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ARMY ASNA, Santa Ana, California (W911QY-19-D-0045); and Mills Manufacturing Corp.,* Ashville, North Carolina (W911QY-19-D-0046), will compete for each order of the $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase T-11 Personnel Parachute System. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 22, 2019. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind, Raleigh, North Carolina, was awarded a $42,289,265 firm-fixed-price contract for full food services to be provided at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2024. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-19-D-0014). NAVY GCR-MDI LLC,* Pinehurst, North Carolina, is awarded an $8,014,356 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, and outlying areas. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping, pavement clearance, and other related services. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $40,320,917. Work will be performed in Kings Bay, Georgia (99%); and outlying areas (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program; and fiscal 2020 family housing operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $7,527,488 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-D-1725). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1914030//

Le premier des Lockheed Martin C-130H de l'Armée de l'Air doté de la nouvelle avionique Collins Aerospace a débuté sa campagne d'essais en vol et de certification sur la base aérienne de Bordeaux-Mérignac. L'avion est équipé de la solution avionique Collins Aerospace Flight2™ et du double affichage tête haute (HUD), HGS-4500, avec système de vision améliorée multibande, EVS-300, pour améliorer la perception des pilotes de leur environnement. Une caméra infrarouge pour la détection d'objectifs a également été intégrée au HGS. Ensemble, ces solutions permettent d'améliorer les capacités opérationnelles des appareils pour répondre aux besoins spécifiques des missions. “Avec Flight2™, l'Armée de l'Air française dispose d'une avionique de dernière génération et d'une solution optimisée de support et de maintenance pour mener à bien ses missions exigeantes dans le monde entier,” a déclaré Olivier Pedron, directeur général, avionique de Collins Aerospace en France. Après le premier vol et la qualification par la direction générale de l'armement (DGA) des deux premiers appareils rénovés, Collins Aerospace et Sabena Technics fourniront des kits de modification au Service industriel de l'aéronautique (SIAé) pour l'installation en série sur les 12 C-130H restants de la flotte française. Le contrat de modernisation avait été attribué en septembre 2016, par la DGA, à Collins Aerospace pour la maîtrise d'ouvrage, conformément à sa certification FRA-21J, aux côtés de ses partenaires Lockheed Martin et Sabena Technics. Flight2™ permettra aux C-130H français un accès sans restriction à l'espace aérien mondial tel que défini par l'Organisation de l'Aviation Civile Internationale (OACI), leur procurant des capacités tactiques accrues tant sur les thé'tres d'opérations que dans l'espace aérien civil. De plus, il permet une communalité pour le support et la maintenance avec les autres plateformes de l'Armée de l'Air telles qu' E-3, AWACS, et KC-135 ainsi qu'une communalité avec les HUD du C-130J. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/arme-de-lair-campagne-dessai-pour-les-c-130h-moderniss-par-collins-aerospace-21508

Lockheed Martin will modify the F-35 weapons bay to accommodate a very long-range, anti-radiation missile and support a potential future upgrade to carry up to six air-to-air missiles internally, a source close to the program says. The U.S. Defense Department awarded Lockheed Martin a $34.7 million contract on July 18 to complete the weapons bay modifications by July 2022. The contract announcement released by the Pentagon specifically calls for altering the portion of the Station 425 bulkhead inside the weapons to carry “aft heavy weaponry.” A source close to the program says the weapon involved in the modification program is the Navy's Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER). Although the baseline AARGM bears a close resemblance to the AGM-88 High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile, the AARGM-ER removes the mid-body wings and increases the diameter of the missile body. The maximum range of the AARGM-ER is classified. The Air Force is developing a new version of the AARGM-ER, which is called the Stand-in Attack Weapon. The modification to Station 425 also will allow the F-35 to carry six AIM-120 missiles internally, the source says. Lockheed has proposed the so-called “Sidekick” modification to increase the F-35's internal load-out from four to six air-to-air missiles. The Station 425 modification is funded by all three U.S. service branches acquiring the F-35. Although the AARGM-ER is not yet cleared for export, foreign customers also are contributing, supplying about $7 million of funding for the modification program. https://aviationweek.com/defense/f-35-mod-adds-new-missiles-weapons-bay