9 mars 2015. Portail des Sous-Marins

Le gouvernement indien a retenu 2 chantiers navals — Larsen & Toubro (L&T) et Pipavav Defence & Offshore Engineering Company — pour l’attribution d’un contrat de construction de 6 sous-marins classiques dans le cadre de son projet 75i.

Selon des sources haut-placées, un comité de haut-niveau présidé par le vice-amiral Subhedar, a inspecté à la fois des chantiers navals privés et publics en vue de sélectionner les chantiers pouvant postuler à l’attribution du contrat. Dans sa présentation au ministère de la défense la semaine dernière, le comité a retenu les 2 chantiers navals du secteur privé : le chantier Katupalli de L&T et Pipavav.

Le contrat sera du type “achat et construction en Inde”. Cela implique que le ou les chantiers devront conclure des accords avec des sociétés étrangères.

Le chantier Pipavav a déjà conclu de tels accords, avec DCNS par exemple. L’objectif du chantier est de se diversifier sur le marché des sous-marins. Il a aussi la capacité de construire plusieurs sous-marins en même temps.

Le Projet 75i prévoit la construction de 6 sous-marins classiques à propulsion anaérobie. La livraison doit intervenir en 2022.

Référence : Financial Express (Inde)

TEWKSBURY, Mass., March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire

Polish defense industry successfully demonstrates advanced engineering capabilities

Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) and TELDAT successfully completed the Critical Design Review (CDR) phase of their current contract to co-develop and co-produce advanced militarized routers for the Patriot Air and Missile Defense system. This milestone validates the capability of the TELDAT design to meet all Patriot system requirements and enables the company to transition into the manufacturing and design qualification phase of the program. 

"It is with great satisfaction that we successfully completed the first batch of military and modern routers for Next Generation Patriot, on schedule and while adhering to the highest quality technology standards. This is an important stage in our cooperation with Raytheon and proves that TELDAT is a reliable business partner and a global leader in development and production of military IT solutions," said Henryk Kruszynski, Ph.D., CEO of TELDAT Company. "The milestone allows us to start the next stages of our close partnership with Raytheon, which will surely bring more tangible benefits for both companies and further strengthen the Polish-American cooperation."

"TELDAT has demonstrated exemplary technical capabilities in support of this key initiative," said Daniel J Crowley, President, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems. "When we contracted with TELDAT, we envisioned a long-term partnership beyond just WISLA. By producing this militarized router, TELDAT will have access to an export market among established users worldwide – an opportunity unique to our global Patriot customers."

Polish industry will have major involvement in the co-development (design, engineering, software) of the Next Generation Patriot system, including co-production of a large portion of this future capability. To date, Raytheon has signed seven contract awards and 28 initial teaming agreements (LOIs), which are all focused on bringing work share to Polish industry from the WISLA program and beyond. Raytheon is already exploring partnerships beyond air and missile defense to include naval modernization, cyber, smart munitions, sensors, and other missiles (air to air, air to ground).

About TELDAT
TELDAT is a Polish business entity that has existed in the defense market for about 20 years. It has the broad expertise, capabilities, and comprehensive solutions, which are widely sought in Poland and abroad. The company specializes in design and manufacturing of innovative, specialized IT solutions, dedicated especially for security and national defense. Its products and provided services have been successfully used and tested in the following situations: (1) Polish troops and institutions, and on the major international peace and stabilization theaters of operation; (2) Subsequent editions of the biggest international military exercises (eg. Combined Endeavor, NATO CWID, NATO and the Bold Quest CWIX) in particular command and communications; (3) NATO, US and European research laboratories; (4) International worldwide projects and programs (e.g. the Multilateral interoperability Program  where TELDAT and its solutions are the only Polish and a few that have passed the highest tests). For more about TELDAT visit www.teldat.com.pl.

About Raytheon
Raytheon Company, with 2014 sales of $23 billion and 61,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 93 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter at @Raytheon.

March 9, 2015: Strategy Page

Egypt, looking to strengthen its military muscle, has placed an order for 24 Dassault Rafale Fighter Jets. Egypt has a long history of buying from the French and currently have some 100, Mirage V’s and Mirage 2000’s, in service. These two predecessors to the Rafale have served the Egyptian air force well, seeing action most recently in the 2014 bombing of Libya. But these Mirages are getting old and will have to be retired within the next ten years. Egypt has a large force of American F-16s, but the U.S. has lots of rules that prevent some countries from buying more and the rules change all the time. France is less judgmental when it comes to selling warplanes.

The Rafale costs between $100 and $130 million. Its design was based heavily off the Mirage 2000 and like most other Dassault fighters it has the Delta Wing configuration. The Rafale has a maximum speed of 2,130 kilometers an hour and a range of over 3,700 kilometers. It is equipped with a 30mm cannon and can carry nine tons worth of weapons. It is a battle tested aircraft that has already seen service with French Forces in Afghanistan, Mali, Libya and Iraq.

Over the past few years’ export buyers for the Rafale have been scarce. The Rafale is up against stiff competition for sales from aircraft such as the Eurofighter Typhoon, Gripen NG, F-18 and Su-30. Thus in 2013 Brazil passed on buying the Rafale and instead went with the cheaper Swedish Gripen NG. The UAE (United Arab Emirates) is still considering a purchase as is India. This latest sale to Egypt is a much needed to boost for Dassault and an aircraft that has not been selling well. What helped make this sale happen was Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE providing half the financing and the French government guaranteeing most of the other half. Egypt is not a good credit risk and has been kept afloat since 2011 by massive charity from Gulf Arab oil states (like Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and UAE).

France has had nothing but hard times trying to find export customers for its Rafale. In 2009 the production rate was reduced from 14 a year to 11 aircraft a year and that was further reduced later. This was to slow down the delivery of Rafales, mainly because the Defense Ministry has decided that other things were more important. The new emphasis (and spending) is on peacekeeping and anti-missile defenses. Another reason for slowing down Rafale production was the lack of export orders.

India is currently taking a closer look at the Rafale. The country has been seeking to modernize its military and has most recently turned to the United States for assistance. France wants to build up its relationship with India, as well, and would like it to purchase the Rafale. The Indian air force is already using the Mirage 2000 and has historically liked Dassualt aircraft. The two main sticking points, standing in the way of a deal, are the Rafale’s rising price tag and whether India will be able to produce the fighter domestically. India insists on coproduction (some Rafale manufacturing done in India) and the French believe India overestimates its capabilities in handling some of the advanced technologies that go into Rafale. Of course India wants local manufacturers to handle that advanced tech and this is how you learn. But India also wants the French held responsible for the quality of items produced in India and this is still being negotiated. The French are confident and hope to close out a $20 billion deal for the Indian Rafale by the end of 2015

March 06, 2015 --(BUSINESS WIRE)

LUXEMBOURGSES (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) a annoncé aujourd’hui la commande des services de lancement d’Arianespace pour son nouveau satellite tout-électrique SES-15. Il s’agit du 41e lancement signé par SES avec Arianespace. SES a également officiellement signé le contrat de son nouveau satellite SES-14 à Airbus Defence and Space. La commande a déjà été annoncée le 16 février.

    « SES-14, un satellite, particulièrement innovant, est le second satellite tout électrique que SES nous commande en moins d’un an, démontrant une fois de plus sa réactivité dans un marché en pleine évolution»

La cérémonie des deux signatures s’est déroulée au siège de SES à Betzdorf au Luxembourg, sous le haut patronage de M. François Hollande, Président de la République française, de Son Altesse Royale le Grand-Duc Henri de Luxembourg et de M. Xavier Bettel, Premier ministre du Luxembourg. Les contrats ont été signés, respectivement, par M. Martin Halliwell, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) de SES, M. Stéphane Israël, Président Directeur Général d’Arianespace, et M. Francois Auque, Directeur Général de Space Systems chez Airbus Defence and Space,

SES-15 sera lancé par Ariane 5 au deuxième trimestre 2017 depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, Port Spatial de l'Europe, à Kourou en Guyane française et opérera à la nouvelle position orbitale 129 degrés Ouest pour l’Amérique du Nord.

SES-14 devrait être lancé au quatrième trimestre 2017 et opérera à 47,5/48 degrés Ouest afin de saisir les opportunités de croissance sur les marchés dynamiques, les segments commerciaux porteurs et les services de vidéo en plein essor sur les continents américains et dans la zone Nord-Atlantique.

Martin Halliwell, CTO de SES, a déclaré : « Arianespace et SES ont développé depuis plus de vingt-cinq ans un partenariat exceptionnel. SES-15 n’est pas seulement le 41e contrat de lancement signé avec Arianespace, il est aussi le deuxième satellite tout-électrique dont le lancement est confié à Arianespace après avoir confié le contrat de lancement de SES-12 à Arianespace en janvier 2015. Les contrats avec Arianespace et Airbus Defence and Space illustrent bien le rôle important que jouent l’industrie aérospatiale européenne ainsi que l’industrie française pour nous afin de réaliser notre stratégie et atteindre nos buts de croissance à travers les marchés et secteurs. »

Stéphane Israël a souligné : « Pour la deuxième fois depuis le début de l’année 2015 SES choisit Arianespace pour le lancement de ses satellites, aussi bien pour le renouvellement et l’expansion de sa flotte, avec SES-12 et SES-15. Ces deux satellites tout-électriques, les premiers de la flotte SES, confirment les évolutions technologiques à l’œuvre dans le secteur des satellites de télécommunications. La confiance de SES envers Arianespace montre qu’Ariane 5 répond aux besoins qui en résultent. Merci à SES pour cette impulsion nouvelle donnée au partenariat qui nous unit depuis plus de 25 ans avec un 41e contrat que nous sommes particulièrement fiers d’annoncer en présence des plus hautes autorités de nos deux pays. »

« SES-14, un satellite, particulièrement innovant, est le second satellite tout électrique que SES nous commande en moins d’un an, démontrant une fois de plus sa réactivité dans un marché en pleine évolution », s’est réjoui François Auque, Directeur général de Space Systems/Airbus DS. « Nous sommes heureux de mettre à leur disposition le meilleur de notre innovation technologique, tant au niveau de la charge utile que de la plateforme. Sur SES-14 comme sur SES-12 commandé en juillet dernier, le gain de masse apporté par la propulsion électrique nous permet d’implanter sur un seul satellite deux missions de grande capacité qui représentent l’équivalent de deux satellites conventionnels. SES-14 est le 12ème satellite Eurostar commandé par SES à Airbus Defence and Space. Neuf de ces satellites sont en service opérationnel et deux sont en cours de construction.»

A propos de SES-14

SES-14 est un satellite hybride offrant une couverture à faisceau large sur les bandes C et Ku ainsi qu’une couverture de type HTS (High Throughput Satellite) sur les bandes Ku et Ka sur le continent américain et dans la zone Nord-Atlantique. Le satellite reposera entièrement sur la propulsion électrique et sera équipé d’un système de propulsion électrique à plasma pour la mise en orbite et les manœuvres orbitales. Le système de propulsion électrique permet une réduction significative du poids du satellite, autorisant le transport de charges utiles plus lourdes. Le nouvel engin spatial offrira également un processeur numérique transparent (DTP - Digital Transparent Processor), augmentant la flexibilité au niveau de la charge utile et permettant ainsi de proposer des solutions de bande passante personnalisées aux clients de SES.

Les faisceaux larges du satellite SES-14 de la bande Ku offriront une capacité augmentée pour les services de vidéo en diffusion directe par satellite (Direct-to-Home, DTH) et indirecte pour les réseaux câblés (Direct-to-Cable) sur le continent américain. Enfin il permet de soutenir les services VSAT existants sur les deux bandes. Les faisceaux à spots multiples sur les bandes Ku et Ka apporteront une capacité haut débit additionnelle et conviennent parfaitement aux applications de données à fort trafic comme les services de backhaul mobile, maritimes et aéronautiques.

A propos de SES-15

SES-15, d'une masse au lancement de 2,3 tonnes, sera positionnée à 129 degrés Ouest, une nouvelle position orbitale pour desservir l’Amérique du Nord. Le nouveau satellite emportera une charge utile hybride, offrant des faisceaux larges additionnels sur la bande Ku ainsi qu’une capacité de type HTS (High Throughput Satellite) sur les bandes Ku et Ka. Le satellite sera équipé d’un système de propulsion électrique pour la mise en orbite et les manœuvres orbitales. D’une durée de vie de 15 ans, ce satellite multi-applications offrira de nouvelles capacités et une couverture au-dessus des principales voies aériennes à travers les continents américains ainsi que d’autres applications au profit des gouvernements, des réseaux VSAT et du secteur maritime.

A propos d’Arianespace

Arianespace est le leader mondial de lancement de satellites. Créée en 1980, Arianespace met au service de ses clients, institutionnels et commerciaux, 3 lanceurs (Ariane, Soyuz et Vega) et comptabilise aujourd’hui plus de 250 lancements. Fort du soutien de ses 20 actionnaires et de l’Agence Spatiale Européenne, Arianespace est le seul opérateur au monde à pouvoir lancer, depuis le Centre Spatial Guyanais, tous types de charges utiles vers tous types d’orbites. Au 6 mars 2015, 221 lancements d’Ariane, 36 lancements de Soyuz (10 au centre Spatial Guyanais et 26 à Baikonur avec Starsem) et 4 lancements de Vega ont été réalisés. La société, dont le siège social se situe à Evry, est également implantée à Kourou (avec l’Etablissement de Guyane au Centre Spatial Guyanais), à Washington, Tokyo et Singapour. http://www.arianespace.com, http://www.arianespace.tv

A propos d’Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space est une division du groupe Airbus, née du regroupement des activités de Cassidian, Astrium et Airbus Military. Cette nouvelle division est le numéro un européen de l’industrie spatiale et de la défense, le numéro deux mondial de l’industrie spatiale et fait partie des dix premières entreprises mondiales du secteur de la défense. Elle réalise un chiffre d’affaires annuel d’environ 13 milliards d’euros avec un effectif de 38 000 employés. Pour plus d’information : www.airbusdefenceandspace.com.

A propos de SES

SES (NYSE Paris:SESG) (LuxX:SESG) est le leader mondial des opérateurs satellites avec une flotte de plus de 50 satellites géostationnaires. L’entreprise fournit des services de communication par satellite aux télédiffuseurs, aux fournisseurs de contenus et d’accès Internet, aux opérateurs de réseaux fixes et mobiles, ainsi qu’aux entreprises et organisations gouvernementales du monde entier. Au sein de l’industrie de la radiodiffusion, SES a établi, depuis de nombreuses années, des relations commerciales durables grâce à la qualité de ses services et son exigence d’excellence dans le secteur de radiodiffusion. Issues d’horizons culturels divers, les équipes régionales de SES sont présentes partout dans le monde et travaillent en étroite collaboration avec les clients, afin de satisfaire leurs besoins particuliers en matière de services et de largeur de bande satellitaires. SES détient une participation dans O3b Networks, un réseau satellitaire de la nouvelle génération combinant la portée des satellites avec la vitesse de la fibre. Pour plus d’information, rendez-vous sur : www.ses.com.

6 mars 2015 by Saab

source cdse.fr

Veuillez trouver ci-joint le treizième flash ingérence réalisé par la DGSI sur le thème de la captation récente de savoir-faire par une puissance étrangère, intervenue lors d’un salon international. Ce flash est destiné à être diffusé aux personnes susceptibles d’être intéressés au sein des entreprises.

IMG/pdf/Flash_ingerence_n13_-_mars_2015.pdf
PDF - 43.5 ko

07 Mar 2015 By James Titcomb – The Telegraph

Lobbying by British firm has reportedly held back Government decision on refreshing fleet of helicopters

The billion-pound cost of replacing the Army’s fleet of Apache helicopters could soar as lobbyists urge the Government to buy from the British defence group AgustaWestland. Boeing, the American defence giant, is offering to provide the Ministry of Defence with 50 new aircraft at a cost of £20m each as it seeks to refresh the 14-year-old fleet. However, the Yeovil-based manufacturer, owned by Italian industrial group Finmeccanica, has won permission to make a rival bid, according to reports.

Read more

DULLES, Va., March 3 By Richard Tomkins (UPI)

Raytheon is supplying a range of technical support services for advanced bomb carriage systems under a contract from the U.S. Air Force.

Life-cycle technical support for advanced bomb carriage and release systems is being conducted by Raytheon under a contract from the U.S. Air Force.

The award for the Joint Miniature Munitions Bomb Rack Unit, or JMM BRU, program is an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a period of performance of eight years.

Raytheon said the contract is worth $35 million and that it has already received its first delivery order under the contract that began late last year.

"JMM BRU end users now have a next-evolution system that can be integrated with more than 11 different platforms," said Todd Probert, vice president for the Mission Support and Modernization at Raytheon Intelligence, Information and Services. "Our strength in engineering and design allowed us to offer the customer a system with improved combat turn-around time, enhanced system performance and improved warfighter readiness."

Raytheon said its work under the award includes engineering, investigation and analysis, aircraft integration, testing, training, material and software updates, simulations, modeling, test hardware, initial spares and procurement of associated hardware.

The JMM BRU system will enable the Air Force and U.S. Navy to perform more missions utilizing fewer aircraft, Raytheon said.

March 5, 2015: Strategy Page

In January the U.S. launched the third (of four) MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) communications satellites. As a result about 70 percent of earth’s surface is now covered by the new MUOS military communications system. MUOS gives military users cell-phone-like capabilities anywhere in the world. Eventually four MUOS communications satellites operating in 36,000 kilometer stationary (geosynchronous) orbits will provide superior satellite phone service worldwide. This will also include encrypted communications that will work despite being in forests or most buildings. In effect, MUOS can replace cell phone towers in any area on the planet once the signals from one of the four satellites are aimed at the area of operations. The complete system is supposed to be active by 2016. The first satellite went up in early 2014. The four ground stations (one for each satellite) are in Sicily, North America, Hawaii, and Australia.

Yet sometimes newer isn’t better. Such was the case with trying to get the infantry to give up their existing PRC-117/150 manpack (carried) radio for the new MUOS compatible PRC-155 radio. “PRC” means “portable radio,” and while the PRC radios have been getting lighter since World War II (when they weighed more than twice as much as the PRC-155), range and interference remained a problem. Thus although the PRC-155 had lots of neat new features field tests brought forth lots of complaints from potential users (infantry who have to carry and use the PRC-155). For starters the PRC-155 weighs 50-100 percent more than the older models. It has less than half the range (three kilometers versus seven) and the batteries last only six hours (versus over 30), The PRC is subject to overheating and the user interface is considered inferior.

The 6.4 kg (14 pounds, one third of that is batteries) PRC-155 radios are used in vehicles and carried by infantry. This is the latest vehicle/manpack radio design and is replacing the PRC-150, which were widely adopted in the last decade, initially by SOCOM (Special Operations Command). The army wants to buy over 50,000 of them. The big selling point for the PRC-155 is MUOS upgrade kits (some additional hardware and software). Most of PRC-155s will have the MUOS add-on kit. With this kit the PRC-155 is equipped to provide Internet-like capabilities on the battlefield and MUOS gives access to a world-wide net. This is a big deal for ground troops because existing radios often had their range greatly reduced by terrain (hills or many tall buildings) or weather (electric disturbances high up). A satellite link eliminates this problem and ground troops have been asking for this for a long time. Sat links are still expensive and a rationed resource.

But when the infantry were asked to try out the PRC-155 many concluded that the negatives were not worth it. Moreover the delays in getting the PRC-155 to the troops forced the military to seek out an off-the-shelf design (the AN/PRC-117G) in the 1990s. This is a 5.45 kg (12 pound) radio that can be carried or installed in vehicles. About a third of its weight is the battery. It has a maximum output of 20 watts and handles FM, UHF, and VHF signals, including satellite based communications. On the ground max range is 20 kilometers (depending on hills and the antenna used). These cost about $40,000 each. There is an improved AN/PRC-117G (the MNVR) that cost $56,000 each. That includes development costs (for the wish list of tweaks and upgrades the military wants). The U.S. has been using the AN/PRC-117 since the late 1990s as an interim radio and found it a solid piece of equipment.

The AN/PRC-117 is based on a commercial design (the Falcon series) that several foreign armed forces and many civilian operations use. The AN/PRC-117 has been regularly upgraded in that time (going from version A to the current G). The upgraded Falcon (PRC-150) appealed to SOCOM (Special Operations Command) which proceeded to buy half a billion dollars' worth of AN/PRC-150 radios. These cost about $2,500 each and all of them were delivered on schedule. The 4.6 kg (ten pounds, without batteries) radios are very flexible (are used in vehicles or backpacks) and are able to use several different types of transmission (including bouncing signals off the ionosphere, for longer range or just to get a signal out of a built up area). Digital transmissions allow for data to get through under poor atmospheric conditions or when in a built up area. The radios also have good encryption and the ability to send and receive all forms of digital data. These radios are also now used by the army.

A similar situation occurred back in the 1990s, when SOCOM realized it needed a new personal radio for its troops and an army “new radio technology” program (JTRS) was supposed to take care of that but did not. Rather than wait SOCOM got together with a radio manufacturer, told them what they needed, and within two years they had MBITR (which soon got official sanction as AN/PRC-148). When the rest of the army saw MBITR many troops bought them with their own money. After Iraq army units began buying the AN/PRC-148 on their own. Soon, over 100,000 MBITR radios were in use.

Some elements of the JTRS (which was cancelled in 2011) survived in the form of radios like the PRC-155. While this radio was acceptable for use in vehicles, it did not make it when troops had to carry it. The military is determined to make the PRC-155 work. By early 2015 about 1,200 PRC-155s have been delivered to the U.S. Army for troop use. Now that three MUOS birds are up there American soldiers in most parts of the world can actually sample the advantages of the PRC-155, along with the disadvantages they already know about.

03/04/2015  by Joseph Carpenter - DefenceIQ

An RFP is being prepared by the Royal Netherlands Army for a replacement system to its 25-strong AeroVironment RQ-11 Raven UAV fleet with an expected issue date of early 2015.

The Raven support contract is coming to an end and the senior UAS adviser to the commander of the army has identified three user groups that would benefit from a small UAV capability, as revealed in December at Defence IQ’s UAS Training and Simulation conference in London. These groups are the country’s Special Forces (including the marines) with up to a one-hour endurance; reconnaissance units with a mid-range operating requirement; and national security forces with up to a three-hour endurance need. The military police are also anticipating an unmanned rotary-wing capability. It is therefore believed that any new system, which is likely to enter service at the end of 2015, would need to offer modular options to support a variety of payloads.

Among the requirements for the new fleet is the need for new flight simulators (both fixed and mobile), alongside maintenance, lifecycle support and potentially instructorship. The Army is also currently undertaking concept work on a flapping-wing micro-UAV for infantry to deploy on short reconnaissance missions.

Meanwhile, the Dutch Air Force currently operates the larger medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) MQ-9 Reaper by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems. The Navy is also likely to seek a ship-based surveillance UAV capability within the next two years.

Mar 3, 2015 ASDNews Source : General Dynamics

WIN-T Increment 2 helps commanders break away from fixed command posts, allowing them to stay close to their soldiers even in remote and isolated environments.

The U.S. Army is fielding the General Dynamics-built Warfighter Information Network – Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 to the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division (2/2 SBCT) at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, Fort Bliss, Texas. The WIN-T Increment 2 secure communications network backbone is also fielded to 12 infantry Brigade Combat Teams (BCT) and four division headquarters.

"Fielding WIN-T Increment 2 to Army Stryker Brigades closes the communications gap between fast moving SBCTs and 'boots on the ground' soldiers," said Chris Marzilli, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. "The highly mobile and operationally simplified Increment 2 allows soldiers to quickly and simultaneously address multiple missions in any environment, across the mission field or between continents."

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Mar 4, 2015 ASDNews Source : Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today announced the start of final assembly of the second S-97 RAIDER™ helicopter at the company's Development Flight Center.

Along with a team of industry suppliers, Sikorsky is developing two RAIDER™ prototypes to demonstrate the revolutionary new capabilities in improved maneuverability and flight speed. The RAIDER is a rigid coaxial rotor prototype aircraft ideally suited for armed reconnaissance and a spectrum of special operations missions.

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