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11 janvier 2016 1 11 /01 /janvier /2016 08:50
photo Armée de l'Air

photo Armée de l'Air

 

05/01/2016 CDAOA – Armée de l’Air

 

Dans le cadre des accords de défense aérienne unissant la France et l’Italie, les deux pays ont organisé, mardi 16 décembre 2015, un exercice transfrontalier baptisé APEX.

 

Menés régulièrement, ces entraînements ont pour objectif d’éprouver les procédures communes de police du ciel, ainsi que la coordination opérée entre les deux pays dans le but de protéger leurs espaces aériens nationaux respectifs. L’exercice APEX était bâti autour d’un scénario simulant le déroutement d’un avion de ligne par un pirate de l’air.

 

Dans les faits, un A320, simulé par un avion Piaggio Avanti, se dirige en direction de la France. À bord, un pirate de l’air projette de détourner l’appareil vers Paris, contrairement au plan de vol initial. Depuis ses installations situées à Lyon Mont-Verdun, le centre national des opérations aériennes (CNOA) demande, sous l’autorité permanente de la haute autorité de défense aérienne (HADA), le décollage d’un avion de la permanence opérationnelle (PO) de la base aérienne d’Orange. Dans le même temps, deux Eurofighter de la PO italienne réalisent les premières mesures actives de sûreté aérienne (MASA) : reconnaissance à distance, observation visuelle, afin d’obtenir des renseignements sur l’avion de ligne qui se dirige vers la France. Dans le cadre des accords bilatéraux franco-italiens, les avions de chasse italiens poursuivent leurs mesures au-dessus du territoire français sous l’autorité du CNOA. Un avion de chasse français prend le relais à partir du survol de la Corse, jusqu’à l’arraisonnement de l’A320 sur la base aérienne d’Orange.

 

APEX a permis d’entraîner les chaînes de commandement et de contrôle (C2) des deux armées de l’air. Ce type d’exercices binationaux permet de tester les procédures et les échanges d’informations, qui constituent la pierre angulaire de la mission permanente de sûreté aérienne.

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19 novembre 2015 4 19 /11 /novembre /2015 08:50
Warplanes: Typhoon Was Too Late And Too Much

 

November 15, 2015: Strategy Page

 

Deliveries of Typhoon jet fighters has been delayed for the second time in a year because of manufacturing quality problems. The current delay has to do with assembly of the fuselage and does not cause a short term safety problem but rather a long-term one. If not corrected the aircraft would face a shorter service life (number of flight hours) that could only be corrected with expensive rebuilding.

 

Developed and built by a consortium of the largest European defense firms Typhoon was a replacement for the Cold War era Tornado fighter (a contemporary of the Su-27, F-15 and F-16). Development began in the 1980s and first flight was in 1994, after the Cold War unexpectedly ended. This reduced the urgency to get Typhoon into service, which didn’t happen until 2003. At that point many of the main customers (European NATO members) began to have second thoughts. The huge Russian (Soviet Union) air force faded away in the 1990s and there was no new air threat to replace it. By 2007 most customers for Typhoon were cutting their orders in a major way. For example Britain initially planned to buy 232 (Germany was to get 180, Italy 121, and Spain 87.) Britain already had 144 Eurofighters from the first two batches by 2009 and bought few additional aircraft after that.

 

The Typhoon turned out to be a pretty good warplane. This was discovered early on. By 2008 there were 135 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters in service, and they aircraft have been in the air for a combined 35,000 hours (as of the end of 2007.) Half those hours were flown in 2007, as the Eurofighter entered regular service in several nations. About 20 percent of those flight hours were for flight testing, but the rest were for day-to-day operations. The future looked bright. But since then, competition from American and Russian fighters, for export sales, and lack of European enthusiasm for more purchases, has dimmed sales prospects. Typhoon got into combat in 2011 over Libya and performed well, but the demand from export customers (and local ones) was just not there.

 

Each aircraft costs over $120 million, including development costs. Current estimates indicate that about 600 will eventually be built. The Typhoon is a somewhat stealthy multi-role fighter. It is fast, maneuverable, and carries a lot of weapons. It also can be used for attack missions. This 23 ton aircraft will be the principal fighter in the air forces of Britain, Spain, Germany, and Italy. The Typhoon is closer in capability to the F-15, than the F-22, and is competing with the F-35 for many export sales. The Typhoon was purchased by Saudi Arabia, mainly to provide protection from Iran and some other Persian Gulf states did the same. But this was not enough to make up for the lost sales in Europe.

 

Typhoon has since been modified to operate as a fighter-bomber and can carry up to seven tons of weapons. Normally it carries a combination of smart bombs, missiles and additional fuel tanks and can stay in the air for two to four hours per sorties depending on the mission.

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11 novembre 2015 3 11 /11 /novembre /2015 17:50
First Storm Shadwow release from Eurofighter Typhoon


9 nov. 2015 BAE Systems

 

BAE Systems’ Chief Test Pilot Steve Formoso describes how ongoing work on the integration of the weapons as part of Phase 2 Enhancements and beyond further enhances the Eurofighter Typhoon’s potent multi-role and swing-role capabilities.

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16 octobre 2015 5 16 /10 /octobre /2015 15:50
 CEO of Airbus DS Explains Divestments, Problems, Plans


Oct 15, 2015 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: By Markus Fasse - Handelsblatt English edition; published Oct 15, 2015)

 

The head of defense and aerospace at Airbus talks about the future of the European aviation firm's troubled Eurofighter jet and A400M troop transport, and why the company is selling its military electronics division.

WHY IT MATTERS:
Airbus lacks critical political support in Germany for selling fighter jets to other countries.

FACTS:
-- Airbus Defence and Space is looking to sell its military electronics division.

-- The four-engine turboprop A400M Atlas military transport was plagued by early delays and cost overruns, and a fatal crash in May 2015.

-- Delivery of Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets was temporarily suspended this week following the discovery of a manufacturing flaw in the fuselage involving rivet holes that had not been properly filed off.


The Airbus Defence and Space complex near Munich is undergoing renovations for the first time in 30 years. The company itself is undergoing a renovation of sorts too. It announced last year that it would sell several business units, including military electronics, to focus on its core areas of space, military aircraft and missiles.


Bernhard Gerwert, chief executive of the military aircraft and satellites division, has been working at Germany’s largest arms manufacturer since 1979, and is a confidant of Airbus Chief Executive Tom Enders. He sat down with Handelsblatt to explain why the Eurofighter, despite its problems, will be around for a long time to come, and how the A400M military transporter can expect a growing customer base in the Middle East and Asia.


Handelsblatt: Airbus is selling part of its defense business in Germany. Is it no longer possible to make money in armaments?

Bernhard Gerwert: Two years ago, we reorganized our business and combined the defense and space sectors. They have €14 billion ($16 billion) in revenues and 40,000 employees. Now we are letting go of one sphere of business with a little less than €2 billion in sales, about half of which is in the defense sector. We are retaining the largest share, because we’re convinced that we will continue to be successful in the field of armaments.

Handelsblatt: Nonetheless you are giving up key competencies in defense electronics, including radar, target recognition and flight control systems.

Only a small segment of our production goes into our own airplanes and helicopters. The major share goes into the programs of our competitors. In comparison to our international competitors, especially in the United States, we are simply too small. So it makes more sense to get out of that field and concentrate on building airplanes, rockets and satellites.

Handelsblatt:Do you already have a buyer? Rheinmetall, the military technology and auto parts supplier, has made an offer.

We have many interested parties — purely financial investors and also strategic bidders. The German government is closely involved. It’s in the federal government’s interest that certain technologies and locations remain in Germany. (end of excerpt)


Click here for the full story, on the Handelsblatt website.


Click here for our related July 6, 2015 Op Ed: “How Long Will Airbus Stick with Defense?”

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14 octobre 2015 3 14 /10 /octobre /2015 07:50
photo Nato

photo Nato

 

13 octobre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

Berlin - Le ministère allemand de la Défense a identifié un nouveau problème technique sur ses avions de combat Eurofighter et une nouvelle fois gelé les livraisons jusqu'à nouvel ordre, a indiqué mardi un porte-parole.

 

Un problème de même nature qu'un défaut identifié l'an dernier, à savoir des trous mal ébavurés sur le fuselage, est apparu, mais à un autre emplacement, a indiqué à l'AFP un porte-parole du ministère à Berlin.

 

Il y a pile un an, la découverte de ce premier défaut avait conduit à un gel des livraisons de l'avion de combat européen à la Bundeswehr, l'armée allemande. Les livraisons avaient depuis repris, et la Bundeswehr possède maintenant 110 Eurofighter, 33 devant encore être livrés.

 

Une fois de plus toutefois nous ne réceptionnons pas de nouveaux appareils jusqu'à nouvel ordre, a dit le porte-parole.

 

Mais contrairement à ce que rapportait mardi le quotidien Süddeutsche Zeitung, la mise au jour du nouveau problème ne conduit pas à un nouvel abaissement des heures de vol. L'an dernier le nombre d'heures de vol maximales par appareil avait été abaissé de 3.000 à 1.500 en attendant la résolution du problème, et le ministère espère toujours pouvoir ramener ce plafond à 3.000 l'an prochain.

 

Pour l'instant aucun des Eurofighter en possession de la Bundeswehr ne se rapproche des 1.500 heures de vol, a précisé le porte-parole.

 

La Grande-Bretagne, tout en se disant au courant du problème, n'a pas pris de mesure dans l'immédiat. Les Eurofighter Typhoon de la RAF volent normalement et les livraisons continuent, a indiqué le ministère britannique de la Défense.

 

L'Eurofighter est fabriqué par un consortium européen constitué du britannique BAE Systems, de l'italien Finmeccanica et d'Airbus.

 

Après plusieurs déboires, ce concurrent direct du Rafale du français Dassault et du Super Hornet de Boeing a remporté récemment un gros succès commercial, avec une commande de 28 exemplaires par le Koweït.

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16 septembre 2015 3 16 /09 /septembre /2015 16:50
NATO Air Policing: Deutsche Eurofighter fliegen im Baltikum


16 sept. 2015 Quelle: Redaktion der Bundeswehr 09/2015 15E31401

 

Es geht wieder los: Seit September schützen deutsche Jagdflugzeuge für vier Monate den östlichen Luftraum der NATO.
Beim verstärkten Air Policing Baltikum starten Kampfjets von zwei Standorten im Baltikum.
Die 180 deutschen Soldaten, zum großen Teil aus dem Geschwader 31 "Boelcke", sind in Estland stationiert.

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15 septembre 2015 2 15 /09 /septembre /2015 07:50
Captor-E radar for Eurofighter credits Selex ES

Captor-E radar for Eurofighter credits Selex ES

 

14 September, 2015 BY: Dominic Perry – FG

 

London  - The Euroradar consortium is closing in on the flight-test phase for its Captor E-Scan active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, for the Eurofighter Typhoon.

 

A pair of instrumented production aircraft (IPA) will be used for the test effort – IPA5 from the UK and IPA8 from Germany – and are nearly ready for radar installation, says consortium chairman Andrew Cowdery. “Both aircraft are nearing completion in terms of accepting the radar,” he says. The €1 billion ($1.1 billion) programme – which is part of a broader capability enhancement for the Typhoon – is "on track" to launch the next phase, which will require a "significant amount" of flight testing to complete the calibration and integration of the new radar.

 

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14 septembre 2015 1 14 /09 /septembre /2015 12:30
photo Eurofighter

photo Eurofighter

 

September 14, 2015 By Eurofighter GmgH

 

Germany: The Eurofighter Consortium today welcomes the State of Kuwait as a new member of the Eurofighter community.

 

This new international success follows an order from the Sultanate of Oman for 12 aircraft in December 2012 and it is a further evidence of growing interest in the Eurofighter Typhoon across the globe and in the Gulf Region in particular with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman who have already ordered this combat aircraft.

 

On behalf of the consortium and its Eurofighter Partner Companies (EPC) the CEO of Eurofighter, Alberto Gutierrez, said: “This new agreement is the confirmation of the superiority of the Eurofighter over its competitors and will provide a great opportunity for further Eurofighter orders. We are delighted to welcome Kuwait as the newest member of our Eurofighter Typhoon family. The Eurofighter is already proven and trusted by six nations to perform in all operational environments.”

 

With Kuwait, the Eurofighter Typhoon confirms its role as Europe’s largest military collaborative programme with a total of 599 aircraft committed. It provides leading-edge technologies and strengthens Europe’s defence industry in international competition. More than 100,000 jobs in 400 supplier companies are involved in this four-nation programme and deliver significant contributions.

 

Since entry into service of the first Eurofighter Typhoon at the end of 2003, 444 aircraft have been delivered to six nations: Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia. In December 2012, Oman became the seventh customer and ordered a total of twelve aircraft.

 

Eurofighter Typhoon is currently in service at 22 operational units and up to now, the whole fleet has completed more than 300,000 flying hours worldwide.

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9 juin 2015 2 09 /06 /juin /2015 12:50
photo BAE Systems

photo BAE Systems

 

9 juin 2015 by BAE Systems

 

Take a unique 360 degree look at the flight of one of the world's most advanced fighter aircraft, the Eurofighter Typhoon.

This footage is shot during a recent test flight by the team from our Military Air and Information (MAI) business over the Lake District in Cumbria, United Kingdom.

You can see the navigator in the back seat of a twin-seat aircraft as it roars over stunning countryside.

Test pilot Peter Kosogorin, who was flying the sortie when this footage was shot, explains: "The benefit of having such a wide field of vision is that we can look at what the pilot is doing, you can look at the ergonomics, the head motion.

"We can see the human-machine interface as the pilot moves and the aeroplane's response to what he is doing.

"We get a unique image of the entire aircraft and it gives us a new perspective."

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4 juin 2015 4 04 /06 /juin /2015 12:50
Typhoon in mutil-role fit with Brimstone missile and Paveway IV

Typhoon in mutil-role fit with Brimstone missile and Paveway IV

 

May 29, 2015 by Think Defence

 

Getting ready for Tornado out of service and continued evolution of the aircraft with Brimstone, Storm Shadow, Paveway IV, Meteor and E-Scan radar, the Typhoon continues to grow, at a glacial pace perhaps but slow and steady is not always a bad thing.

 

The MoD has let a £1.7m contract to BAE to research a common weapon launcher for Typhoon that can be used to carry multiple weapons on a single hardpoint, much like the existing Brimstone launcher but also to include other weapons, principally, Meteor Paveway IV and a future SPEAR Cap 3.

 

In the delicate balancing act between Typhoon and F35B (and beyond) I have started to think for a while we need to get behind Typhoon and reconsider our Tranche 3 commitment.

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3 juin 2015 3 03 /06 /juin /2015 16:30
photo Saudi Air Force

photo Saudi Air Force

 

May 31, 2015: Strategy Page

 

As Saudi Arabia carries out the longest air campaign (against Yemen) in its history it was noted that the Saudis were sending up to fifty British made Typhoon and Tornado fighter-bombers a day on combat missions. The Saudis have 80 Tornados and 48 Typhoons with another 72 Typhoons on order. In contrast Britain has 125 Typhoons and 98 Tornados. Because of budget cuts and the resulting shortages of spare parts and maintenance personnel Britain could not put as many Typhoons and Tornados into action as Saudi Arabia. This is another example of how just having a lot of combat aircraft can be misleading. If you cannot afford to keep them flying your air force becomes much less capable than it appears.

 

For Britain this is nothing new. Since the late 1990s Britain's RAF (Royal Air Force) has had to deal with year after year of budget cuts. By 2011 the years of cutting corners because of shrinking budgets reached the point where a lack of spare parts for the new Eurofighter Typhoon limited the amount of time pilots could spend in the air. This, in turn, led to only eight pilots being certified as qualified to perform ground attack duties in the Eurofighter. While the Eurofighter is mainly an air-superiority ("fighter") aircraft, there is very little call for that sort of thing at the moment. Ground attack, on the other hand, was very much in demand during 2011 when NATO agreed to provide support for Libyan rebels. Now the RAF now finds that the Saudi Air Force has more pilots capable of flying bombing missions than Britain and can put more combat aircraft into the air than the RAF.

 

The two decades of cuts had already led to cancellations of orders for new aircraft. In 2009 Germany and Britain both decided to cut back on the number of Typhoons they would buy. Thus the final 37 Typhoons Germany agreed to buy for its Luftwaffe (air force) were instead offered for export. Germany would have preferred to just cancel the final 37 aircraft but this would have resulted in over a billion dollars in cancellation fees. But the export option will hurt the Typhoons project as Germany will sell their 37 aircraft for whatever they can get, thus denying the Typhoons (Eurofighter) consortium export sales.

 

At the same time Britain decided to not take all of its third batch of 88 Typhoon fighters. This cost Britain $2 billion in increased maintenance costs and penalties. Britain did take 40 of the fighters from the third batch and resold another 24 to Saudi Arabia. In effect, Britain was pulling out of the Eurofighter program, and cancelling 16 of the aircraft it was to have received from the third batch. The British government believed that 184 Typhoons would be sufficient and that it could not afford any more than that. That was optimistic and Britain ended up with 125 mew Typhoons and 80 older Tornados that will be retired by the end of the decade. The new American F-35 is supposed to replace the Tornados and some of the older Typhoons. Britain wanted buy 138 F-35s but it looks like 80 is a more realistic, or optimistic number.

 

Originally, Britain planned to buy 232 Typhoons. Germany was to get 180, Italy 121, and Spain 87. Most of those orders shrank in the 1990s. There are currently 430 Typhoon in service, after entering service in 2003. There are over a hundred still on order but total production will probably not be much more than 600.

 

Development of the Eurofighter began in the 1980s, and the first flight took place in 1994. Each aircraft costs over $170 million, including development costs. The Typhoon is a somewhat stealthy multi-role fighter. It is fast, maneuverable, and carries a lot of weapons. It also can be used for ground attack missions. This 23 ton aircraft will be the principal fighter in the air forces of Britain, Spain, Germany, and Italy. The Typhoon is closer in capability to the F-15, than the F-22, and is competing with the F-35 for many export sales. The Typhoon was purchased by Saudi Arabia mainly to provide protection from Iran.

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19 mars 2015 4 19 /03 /mars /2015 17:50
CAPTA E-Scan radar - photo BAE Systems

CAPTA E-Scan radar - photo BAE Systems



19 mars 2015 BAE Systems

 

The 4 Eurofighter partner nations have signed a contract signalling the full integration of the CAPTA E-Scan radar. Footage courtesy of forces news.

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17 février 2015 2 17 /02 /février /2015 08:50
En décrochant le contrat égyptien, Dassault réaffirme son statut face à la concurrence européenne - photo Dassault

En décrochant le contrat égyptien, Dassault réaffirme son statut face à la concurrence européenne - photo Dassault

 

16/02 Alain Ruello / Chef de service adjoint – LesEchos.fr

 

L'Eurofighter est en retard sur le plan technologique et le Gripen ne boxe pas dans la même catégorie que le Rafale.

 

A Saint-Cloud, au siège de Dassault en proche banlieue parisienne, l'heure est évidemment à la fête. Depuis le temps… Mais le contrat égyptien n'est pas la seule raison de crier victoire. D'abord parce qu'il en appellera probablement d'autres. Le prochain sur la liste a de grandes chances d'être signé en Inde ou au Qatar. Et les Emirats arabes unis savent déjà tout ou presque de l'appareil. Les deux pays arabes ont pour point commun de devoir remplacer un jour où l'autre leurs Mirage 2000.

Si Dassault a de quoi se réjouir, c'est aussi parce que le contrat en Egypte fait de l'avionneur (et donc de la France), la puissance dominante en matière d'aéronautique de combat en Europe. S'il a déjà été exporté, et même bien avant le Rafale, l'Eurofighter traîne de fâcheux soupçons de corruption en Arabie saoudite et en Autriche, même si ce n'est pas le cas d'Oman.

 

Un succès tourné vers l'avenir

L'appareil fabriqué par le trio BAE-Airbus-Finmeccanica souffre d'un double handicap. D'abord, parce que ses quatre pays domestiques - Royaume-Uni, Allemagne, Italie et Espagne - ne veulent pas commander la totalité des exemplaires prévus au contrat. Les chaînes d'assemblage risquent donc de fermer dès 2017, à moins que des contrats à l'exportation ne prennent le relais.

Mais, et c'est là le second handicap, l'Eurofighter, est non seulement plus cher que le Rafale mais il est surtout en retard d'un point de vue technologique, au point d'avoir systématiquement perdu dans toutes les compétitions ouvertes dans lesquelles il a été engagé (le meilleur exemple étant l'Inde). Londres, Berlin, Madrid et Rome ont fini par lâcher de quoi le doter d'un radar moderne, mais ses grands concurrents en sont déjà dotés.

L'autre rival européen du Rafale, le Gripen du suédois Saab, est incontestablement un très bon appareil, qui se vend d'ailleurs relativement bien, mais qui ne joue pas dans la même division. Stockholm ne pouvant pas tout financer, l'industrie suédoise ne maîtrise pas l'ensemble des technologies liées aux avions de combat.

Dans ce contexte, Dassault sort renforcé vis-à-vis de BAE Systems dans leur partenariat pour préparer le système de combat aérien futur (piloté ou non), c'est-à-dire celui qui prendra le relais du Rafale et de l'Eurofighter.

Dans le cadre du traité franco-britannique de défense de Lancaster House, Paris et Londres financent à parité des études préliminaires aux deux industriels. Nous n'en sommes qu'au début d'un projet qui ne verra pas le jour avant 2025 au mieux. Et rien ne dit que l'alliance n'explosera pas en vol d'ici là. Mais au moins, Dassault a l'assurance que l'histoire du Rafale, elle, est loin d'être finie.

 

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20 janvier 2015 2 20 /01 /janvier /2015 17:50
£112M Typhoon support contract extension sustains 650 jobs

 

20 January 2015 BAE Systems

 

BAE Systems have been awarded a £112M contract by the UK's Ministry of Defence (MOD) to extend the Typhoon Availability Service (TAS) for the in-service support of the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) Typhoon fleet by 15 months.

 

The contract extension means the Company will continue to work alongside the RAF in meeting Typhoon’s operational requirements until early 2016. The extension will help to sustain around 650 jobs for BAE Systems’ personnel based at RAF Coningsby and RAF Lossiemouth supporting the Typhoon fleet.  Under the contract, BAE Systems is responsible for delivering Typhoon aircrew and ground crew training, maintenance of the aircraft, along with providing technical support and managing spares, repairs and logistics.

 

Nigel Davey, BAE Systems Director for Military Air Support said: “This agreement is a continuation of a strong partnership with the MOD and RAF to support its Typhoon fleet.

 

“Over the past six years we have worked hard to develop a service which ensures the RAF is able to meet its operational requirements while providing the best value for the UK’s taxpayers.

 

“BAE Systems is proud to support the fleet at RAF Coningsby, RAF Lossiemouth and in the Falkland Islands as it continues to perform its vital role in safeguarding our nation both at home and overseas.”

 

Defence Minister Philip Dunne added: “This contract will deliver vital aircraft maintenance to the RAF Typhoon Force, ensuring the availability of the Typhoon fleet to meet its operational commitments. The new contract incorporates best practice and lessons learnt during the first six years of service, improving the way the RAF is supported and making sure we can continue to keep the UK secure, both at home and abroad.

 

“Alongside recent announcements for weapon capability upgrades, this contract demonstrates our continuing commitment to maintain the aircraft’s status as a world class multi role combat aircraft of choice now and in the future.”

 

BAE Systems’ work on the TAS contract has delivered tangible savings for the MOD. For example, from 2013, through increased efficiencies and continued improvement in aircraft performance, the Company has been able to increase the amount of time between Typhoon’s maintenance intervals from 400 to 500 hours. This initiative followed a detailed analysis to ensure the changes could be implemented without compromising safety. The result of this change generated a saving to the MOD of more than £100M and has increased availability of the jets to the RAF.

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18 janvier 2015 7 18 /01 /janvier /2015 12:50
Typhoon - F-35 - Tornado photo UK MoD

Typhoon - F-35 - Tornado photo UK MoD

 

January 14, 2015 A guest post from AndyC - Think Defence

 

January 9th 2015 is an historic day for the Royal Air Force as it marks the first increase in the number of frontline combat squadrons since the mid-1980’s.

 

In a dangerous world where putting ‘boots on the ground’ is increasingly politically difficult the RAF is inevitably thrust to the front row of the UK’s force projection.

The increased assertiveness of Russia has led to the return of their aircraft to probing our air space as well as the need for a higher presence in Eastern Europe, especially in the Baltic States.

The success of IS in Iraq and Syria has led to the deployment of Tornados to Cyprus while the Afghanistan mission has finally drawn to a close.

All of these commitments have put strain on the RAF when it has fewer fast jet squadrons than at any time in its history. No amount of training or having the latest equipment can always make up for the stretch caused by multiple commitments occurring at the same time.

The question we face is: does the RAF have enough aircraft to do all the things the government and the international situation require of it?

 

Read more

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12 janvier 2015 1 12 /01 /janvier /2015 20:20
Exercise Red Flag 1 (Fighter) Squadron crosses the Atlantic

 

12 janv. 2015 Royal Air Force

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17 décembre 2014 3 17 /12 /décembre /2014 08:50
Experimental Typhoon Fitted With RAF's Latest Weapons


16 déc. 2014 Forces TV

 

Forces TV has been given exclusive access to an experimental Typhoon fighter jet fitted with the RAF’s latest weapons.

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16 décembre 2014 2 16 /12 /décembre /2014 13:50
Air Policing - Luftraumüberwachung im Baltikum

16 déc. 2014 Quelle: Redaktion der Bundeswehr 12/2014 14E29801

Seit September 2014 befindet sich die Bundeswehr mit vier Eurofightern auf dem estländischen Luftwaffenstützpunkt in Ämari. Vier Monate lang unterstützen die Soldaten mit vier Luftfahrzeugen bei der Luftraumüberwachung im baltischen Luftraum. Dabei muss sicher gestellt sein, dass die Piloten im Falle eines Alarmstartes innerhalb von 15 Minuten in der Luft sein können. Hierfür wird für 24 Stunden – 7 Tage die Woche eine Bereitschaft von Wartungstechnikern und Piloten bereitgestellt.

Musik: High Heels von JC Lemay (Universal Music)

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10 décembre 2014 3 10 /12 /décembre /2014 17:50
Further Meteor firing trials begin for Typhoon

 

04 December 2014 BAE Systems
 

A Typhoon aircraft has successfully completed the first in a series of live firings of the MBDA Meteor Beyond Visual Range Air-to-Air Missile. This continues the series of trials we lead to demonstrate integration of the Meteor missile with Typhoon's weapon system.

 

Following contract signature in 2013 for the full integration of Meteor onto Typhoon, the trials continue to demonstrate that the weapon operates effectively with the aircraft.

Led by ourselves with support from MBDA, Selex, Qinetiq and MOD, the trials were conducted  in November 2014  at the MOD’s Hebrides firing range in the UK and further developed and tested the integration of the missile with the weapon system as well as expanding the jettison envelope by conducting firings at different altitudes and speeds. The trials also tested the interface of the missile with the weapon system for both pre-launch priming and post launch datalink functions between the missile and radar.

Test pilot Nat Makepeace flew the sortie and  said: “The aircraft and the weapon performed exactly as expected.  It’s very easy and intuitive to operate, and the trials demonstrated that we can operate in an expanded envelope safely and accurately.  This is a significant step forward for the full integration of the Meteor missile onto the Typhoon aircraft.”

Produced by MBDA, Meteor is an active radar guided missile designed to provide a multi-shot capability against long-range manoeuvring targets, such as fast jets, small unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles in a heavy electronic countermeasures environment.

Capable of engaging air targets during day and night, and in all-weather conditions, the Meteor will complement Typhoon’s existing missile systems, providing pilots with a greater choice of weapons during combat.

Further firing trials are scheduled to be carried out as part of the Meteor Integration contract to fully expand the launch envelope and weapon system integration which will culminate in the integration being complete in 2017.

These trials take place in a year that has seen progress across a range of programmes for Typhoon. The UK RAF are now operating the most advanced Typhoon to date with the latest Phase 1 Enhancement package now in operation. This upgrade delivers true simultaneous swing-role capability to Typhoon. Progress is also being made across a number of weapons programmes including the award of a full integration contract for the Storm Shadow weapon and the first multiple release of a Paveway IV bomb.

A £800m contract to develop and fit the Captor E-Scan radar was signed in November which will give Typhoon one of the most advanced radar systems in the world, providing a wider field of regard than any other combat aircraft. Typhoon is already regarded as one of the world’s leading swing-role combat aircraft and continues to be upgraded to provide decades of effective, relevant effect. 

 
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30 novembre 2014 7 30 /11 /novembre /2014 07:50
Paveway 4 Drop Lossiemouth


28 nov. 2014 Royal Air Force

 

Earlier this week the oldest frontline Royal Air Force squadron in the world became the first frontline Typhoon squadron to release the munition on a weapons range in Scotland.

No 1(Fighter) Squadron, based at RAF Lossiemouth, successfully released 2 live Paveway IV weapons at Cape Wrath Training Area as part of the Squadron’s task to deliver the latest Typhoon capability upgrade, known as P1Eb.

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21 novembre 2014 5 21 /11 /novembre /2014 08:50
A Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 in flight over Lithuania

A Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4 in flight over Lithuania

 

20 November 2014 Royal Air Force

 

The £800m contract for the development of a new electronic radar system for the Eurofighter Typhoon has been signed in Scotland

 

The Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar capability contract was awarded to Eurofighter Jadgflugzeug GmbH by NETMA – the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency - on behalf of the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy.

 

The radar will further improve the Eurofighter Typhoon's combat effectiveness. Alongside recent announcements for weapon capability upgrades, the contract demonstrates the partners’ commitment to maintain the aircraft’s status as a world class multi role combat aircraft.

 

As well as sustaining UK jobs, the contract also represents a significant step in delivering advanced radar technology required by the Royal Air Force.

 

Meeting with his European counterparts in Edinburgh, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology Philip Dunne said:

 

"This contract marks a major milestone in the development of the Typhoon programme and offers a significant increase in the capability of the aircraft. The development of this AESA radar is a significant step in delivering technology that will ensure the Royal Air Force is equipped to meet the evolving demands of operations.

 

Following recent announcements on weapon capability enhancements, notably the integration of Storm Shadow, this contract is a further demonstration of our continued commitment to the Typhoon aircraft.

 

The contract also represents another significant investment in the defence industry in Scotland, sustaining around 500 jobs at Selex ES in Edinburgh."

 

The introduction of an AESA radar is designed to give the Eurofighter greater vision than its competitors through simultaneous multirole air-to-air and air-to-ground tracking of targets with increased fidelity and range.

 

The contract marks the culmination of considerable investment by the partner nations and industry in developing the technology required to provide Eurofighter-Typhoon with cutting edge sensor capability.

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7 octobre 2014 2 07 /10 /octobre /2014 14:50
Armement : 140 problèmes et risques sur 9 programmes majeurs allemands

Défense Le rapport de KPMG épingle l'avion de combat Eurofighter Typhoon de BAE Systems, Airbus Group et Finmeccanica - photo Luftwaffe

 

07/10/2014 latribune.fr

 

Un rapport de KPMG identifie 140 problèmes et risques concernant neuf programmes majeurs allemands, d'un montant total de 57 milliards d'euros. Sont épinglés notamment l'avion de transport A400M (Airbus Group) et l'avion de combat Eurofighter Typhoon (BAE Systems, Airbus Group et Finmeccanica).

 

L'Allemagne doit revoir d'urgence sa politique d'armement pour faire face à la fois à l'inflation des coûts et à la dégradation de ses équipements, conclut un rapport publié lundi. Le rapport, commandé par la direction de l'armement au cabinet de consultants KPMG, survient en plein débat sur la vétusté des matériels de l'armée allemande. La ministre de la Défense, Ursula von der Leyen, a reconnu l'ampleur du problème et le fait qu'il empêchait l'Allemagne d'honorer convenablement ses engagements au sein de l'Otan.

Le délabrement de certains équipements a été illustré récemment quand deux avions militaires, transportant l'un des armes et des équipements pour les Kurdes irakiens et l'autre de l'aide humanitaire à des pays africains touchés par Ebola, sont tombés en panne. L'armée reconnaît qu'une large palette de matériels, des hélicoptères aux avions de combat, ne sont plus en état, ce qui fait peser un doute sur les capacités de l'Allemagne à fournir une défense aérienne à ses alliés de l'Otan dans les Etats baltes en cas d'escalade du conflit ukrainien.

 

140 problèmes et risques

Le rapport identifie 140 problèmes et risques concernant neuf programmes majeurs, d'un montant total de 57 milliards d'euros. Sont épinglés notamment l'avion de transport A400M d'Airbus, l'avion de combat Eurofighter Typhoon de BAE Systems, Airbus et Alenia Aermacchi ainsi que le char Puma fabriqué par Rheinmetall et Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. "L'analyse d'une sélection de projets et de programmes d'armement montre qu'il est urgent d'améliorer la gestion des projets nationaux et internationaux", conclut le rapport qui énonce 180 recommandations pour contrôler les coûts et modifier certains paramètres.

La ministre de la Défense a promis d'en tenir compte et a attribué l'état préoccupant des matériels de l'armée à des retards de livraison de pièces détachées ainsi qu'à des défaillances dans les domaines de l'inspection et de la maintenance.

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5 octobre 2014 7 05 /10 /octobre /2014 19:50
Les armées européennes entravées par les coupes budgétaires

 

1 octobre 2014 - lematin.ma

 

Les dernières révélations sur l'état de l'armée allemande font douter de la capacité des forces européennes, qui ont pâti ces dernières années de coupes budgétaires drastiques, à répondre aux crises qui la cernent à l'est et au sud.

 

La presse allemande se déchaîne depuis une semaine sur les défaillances de son armée, illustrées par des pannes d'avions de transport vieillissants de la Bundeswehr qui ont retardé l'acheminement d'armes aux combattants kurdes dans le nord de l'Irak. Mardi soir, le gouvernement annonçait qu'il allait réduire de moitié le temps de vol de ses avions de chasse Eurofighter en raison d'un défaut à la carlingue.

 

Selon le chef d'état-major des armées allemandes, cité dans la presse, seuls 42 des 109 Eurofighters, 38 des 89 chasseurs Tornado et 10 des 31 hélicoptères de combat Tigre que possède l'Allemagne sont disponibles, les autres étant en maintenance ou réparation.

 

En Italie, seulement 15% des hélicoptères seraient prêts à décoller et "de nombreux avions de combat ne sont pas opérationnels", selon le site spécialisé Analisi Difesa. En Grande-Bretagne, sur 170 avions de combat, 40 sont disponibles, selon l'institut RUSI.

 

En France, un rapport de la Cour des comptes vient de révéler que seul 41% des aéronefs était disponible en 2013, contre 60% en 2008 et 65% en 1997. Cette faible disponibilité a un impact sur la formation de certains jeunes pilotes français, qui n'atteignent pas les heures de vol requises pour être agréés par l'Otan. Les bâtiments amphibies ne sont disponibles qu'à 49% et certains chars à 55%.

 

Ces informations peuvent faire douter de la solidité des armées européennes, alors que les Alliés se sont engagés début septembre à créer une force très réactive sous l'égide de l'Otan en réponse au rôle de la Russie dans la crise ukrainienne. Elles contrastent aussi avec les ambitions affichées par certaines capitales dans la mobilisation contre les groupes jihadistes en Irak et en Syrie.

 

Vraie menace pour l'Otan

 

En France, les interventions en Afrique (près de 6.000 soldats déployés au Sahel et en Centrafrique), assurées d'un taux de disponibilité de plus de 90%, siphonnent les moyens, ce qui explique en partie la faible disponibilité des équipements.

 

Et comme dans les autres armées occidentales, le vieillissement des matériels cause des défaillances plus fréquentes et rend parfois impossible leur réparation car les pièces de rechange sont introuvables. Quant aux équipements ultra-modernes, leur sophistication nécessite de les immobiliser souvent et longuement pour la maintenance.

 

Selon les experts, ce sont les coupes budgétaires successives depuis une vingtaine d'années, et singulièrement depuis la crise financière de 2008, qui ont entamé les capacités des armées.

 

L'Otan appelle depuis de nombreuses années ses membres à investir au moins 2% de leur PIB dans la défense, et 20% de ce montant dans l'achat d'équipements pour moderniser leurs armées. Sur 28 membres de l'Alliance, seuls quatre pays, emmenés par les Etats-Unis, première puissance militaire au monde avec un budget de 640 milliards de dollars, respectaient cette règle en 2013.

 

"Nous avons vu dans plusieurs pays qu'il y a des défaillances, qu'il faut investir dans les forces armées, y compris en Allemagne", a souligné mercredi son nouveau secrétaire général, Jens Stoltenberg, au premier jour de son mandat. "L'Otan doit bénéficier d'un bon équilibre des dépenses, des bonnes capacités", "c'est vital", a-t-il plaidé.

 

"La menace ne vient pas spécifiquement de la Russie ou de l'Etat islamique", estime Julian Lindley-French, chercheur associé à l'Université nationale de défense de Washington. "La vraie menace pour l'Otan vient de ses propres membres".

 

"D'ici 2016, la Russie dépensera plus que la France et l'Allemagne réunies. La Chine investit désormais au moins 130 milliards de dollars par an dans ses forces armées (...) Comparez cela avec l'Otan en Europe, qui compte 13 des 20 pays au monde ayant le plus réduit leur budgets de défense entre 2012 et 2014".

 

Selon lui, "c'est l'irresponsabilité européenne en matière de défense qui a grandement contribué à rendre le monde plus dangereux aujourd'hui car cela a rendu le coût à payer pour défier la suprématie occidentale plus supportable".

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5 octobre 2014 7 05 /10 /octobre /2014 11:50
Armement L'avion de combat Eurofighter dans les turbulences - photo Zinner Markus

Armement L'avion de combat Eurofighter dans les turbulences - photo Zinner Markus

 

03/10/2014, latribune.fr 

 

Des vérifications de routine sur l'avion de combat européen ont révélé en Autriche un problème sur une pièce du fuselage qui réduit des deux tiers la durée de vie de ce composant.

 

Après l'Allemagne, l'Autriche. Décidément pour l'Eurofighter, la mauvaise passe se poursuit. Des vérifications de routine ont révélé un problème sur une pièce du fuselage de l'Eurofighter qui réduit des deux tiers la durée de vie de ce composant, ont fait savoir mercredi les forces armées autrichiennes. Le fuselage de l'avion de combat est fabriqué par Premium Aerotec, une filiale allemande d'Airbus Group. Le problème a été signalé en août et doit être résolu par des modifications en cours, ajoutent-elles sans identifier le fabricant du composant.

"La sécurité en vol de l'Eurofighter n'est pas affectée actuellement", a affirmé en revanche  l'armée autrichienne, qui compte 15 avions de combat de ce type. Le problème est situé à l'arrière du fuselage et ramène la durée de vie du composant concerné de 6.000 à 2.000 heures de vol. A Berlin, le ministère de la Défense a confirmé le problème en le qualifiant d'"embêtant" mais en soulignant qu'il n'affectait pas les capacités immédiates des forces aériennes allemandes. Le porte-parole du ministère, Ingo Gerhartz, a précisé que BAE Systems avait identifié des trous de perçage "qui ne correspondent pas aux critères de conception" et effectuait des tests pour en mesurer l'impact.

 

Soupçons de pots-de-vin pour le contrat Eurofighter

Depuis 2012, la justice allemande et autrichienne soupçonne le constructeur aéronautique européen Airbus Group (alors EADS) d'avoir versé au moins 70 millions d'euros de pots-de-vin dans la vente d'avions de combat Eurofighter à l'Autriche. Les soupçons de corruption autour de ce contrat d'armement, conclu en 2003, ont rythmé la vie politique autrichienne au cours des dernières années.

La commande pour deux milliards d'euros de 18 Eurofighter Typhoon, fabriqués par le consortium Eurofighter, formé par Airbus Group, le britannique BAE Systems et l'italien Finmeccanica, avait été réduite en 2007 à 15 appareils sous l'effet du scandale, plusieurs partis demandant l'annulation pure et simple du contrat.

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20 septembre 2014 6 20 /09 /septembre /2014 11:50
First QRA for RAF Lossiemouth

 

19 September 2014 Royal Air Force

 

Royal Air Force aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth have launched the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) for the first time since the Moray base took on the role of defending the UK’s Northern airspace. Typhoon jets were scrambled to identify aircraft in international airspace. The aircraft identified as Russian military ‘Bears’, did not enter UK airspace.

 

RAF Lossiemouth’s Station Commander, Group Captain Mark Chappell, said:

 

“This first successful launch for QRA North has been what all of the hard work by RAF Leuchars and RAF Lossiemouth personnel over recent months has been for.

“The relocation of two Typhoon squadrons was a significant challenge, one that was met by our whole team. The many months of preparation and infrastructure improvements have made us absolutely ready for this launch, and shows we are in the best position to provide the service to the United Kingdom that the Royal Air Force was primarily created for – that is, the protection of our airspace.”

 

Royal Air Force Lossiemouth began a new era in its history on the 1st of September when it assumed the provision of what the RAF calls the ‘Quick Reaction Alert (Interceptor) North’ task for the United Kingdom.

 

The role is carried out by crews from 6 Squadron. The pilot of the first launch said:

 

“It was an honour to be part of what is a milestone in the history of RAF Lossiemouth. With the move of Quick Reaction Alert from Leuchars to Lossiemouth, it has been a huge ask of many personnel. The fact that we had a flawless scramble and intercept of two Russian Bears was a testament to the hard work and commitment of all personnel involved.

 

“A very proud moment, not just for the pilots who did the intercept but the engineering crews who did a fantastic job, as well as many other station personnel involved in this constant commitment.”

First QRA for RAF Lossiemouth
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