7 oct. 2014 Lockheed Martin

7 oct. 2014 BAE Systems

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. -- Oct. 6, 2014 – Northrop Grumman

Delivering on its commitment to protect the nation's warfighters with secure, affordable satellite communications in an increasing threat environment, Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC) will feature three variants of protected low-cost terminals (LCTs) at MILCOM 2014.

The annual conference is being held Oct. 6-8 at the Baltimore Convention Center and attracts military and government experts to discuss the latest advances in protected communications. The company's exhibit – No. 403 – will feature three extremely high frequency LCTs that deliver rapid, jam-resistant connectivity for tactical missions at the same cost as unprotected military communication terminals:

-- Protected communications on the move (P-COTM) are rugged terminals with low-profile vehicle antennas that address unmet, near-term requirements to expand Army communication networks. The terminals are critical beyond-line-of-sight nodes that provide protected connectivity through Milstar and Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellites.

--Airborne terminals are an extension of the hardware and software of P-COTM designed for special operations aircraft. The terminals are readily extendable into other manned and unmanned applications and are scheduled to be demonstrated in 2015.

--TCS Protected ULTRA terminals are packaged in airline-checkable transit cases that can be set up within 10 minutes to support modular quick-change feeds and upgrade kits. The terminals are significantly smaller and lighter than current protected communication alternatives.

The LCT variants are a result of a joint investment by Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and TeleCommunication Systems to provide secure, assured command and control to the tactical warfighter. The technology advancement can be produced at a cost significantly below currently fielded protected communication terminals, and will be available for fielding within the next two years.

The company also will participate in a panel, "Supporting the Warfighter with Assured Military SATCOM," Monday, Oct. 6 at 2:30 p.m.in Room 314. The Northrop Grumman panelist will be Tim Frei, vice president, communication systems.

Learn more about Northrop Grumman programs to be featured at the conference by visiting the online media kit at MILCOM 2014 Media Kit.

Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in unmanned systems, cyber, C4ISR, and logistics and modernization to government and commercial customers worldwide. Please visit www.northropgrumman.com for more information.

Cérémonie de signature d`un accord Corée du Sud-Indonésie sur le développement conjoint des avions de chasse

SEOUL, 06 oct. (Yonhap)

La Corée du Sud a signé ce lundi un accord avec l’Indonésie pour développer conjointement des avions de chasse, a rapporté ce lundi l’Administration du programme d’acquisition de défense (DAPA).

Cet accord entre dans le cadre du projet KFX du gouvernement local pour la mise au point et la production d’environ 120 chasseurs coréens de classe F-16 pour remplacer une partie de sa flotte vieillissante.

L’Indonésie a rejoint ce mégaprojet, le plus important de Séoul dans le domaine de la défense, en promettant d’injecter 20% des 8.500 milliards de wons (7,95 milliards de dollars) nécessaires pour le mener à bien.

Suite à leur protocole d’entente conclu en 2010, Séoul et Jakarta ont signé le nouvel accord «pour spécifier les détails des principes de base sur la manière de mener le projet, dont le partage des coûts et les responsabilités», a précisé la DAPA.

La cérémonie de signature a eu lieu à Surabaya, en Indonésie, en présence d’officiels de l’agence publique coréenne et du chef de la défense indonésienne, a-t-il été ajouté.

«L’accord d’aujourd’hui ouvre la voie à une meilleure coopération entre les deux (pays) dans un grand nombre de secteurs, de la conception d’avions au développement de prototypes», a poursuivi la DAPA. «Il aidera les deux nations à réduire leurs charges financières et à promouvoir leur industrie aéronautique.»

03/10/2014 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

US manufacturer Sikorsky Aircraft has unveiled the first prototype of its S-97 Raider high-speed attack helicopter. Launched in October 2010, the S-97 Raider programme will now move towards the flight-testing phase.

The Raider incorporates Sikorsky's X2 coaxial rotor design, plus a rear-mounted propeller. Combined, these will help give it a top speed of 253 miles per hour - a figure nearly twice that achieved by the attack helicopters in present day military service - plus a range of 354 miles.

The US Army's OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopter - which the S-97 Raider could end up replacing - has in contrast a top speed of 149 miles per hour and a 161 mile range. It's Sikorsky's intention to put the Raider forward as a Kiowa Warrior replacement, 'based on the Army's future operational and financial priorities, and for the special operations platform', the firm explains.

In fact, the type was first offered as a contender in the US Army's AAS (Armed Aerial Scout) programme but this was suspended last year as a result of sequestration and it's not yet known whether or not it will resume.

Sikorsky S-97

Constructed from composite materials, the Sikorsky S-97 is multi-mission configured - optimising it for both the light assault and aerial scout roles - and it can accommodate a maximum of six armed forces personnel, in addition to two pilots seated side-by-side.

Drawing on Sikorsky's knowledge gleaned from its X2 concept demonstrator programme, the S-97 was announced, designed and constructed in just four years. Combining the qualities of both a helicopter and a fixed-wing aircraft, the Raider could be a game-changer if, ultimately, it enters service.

S-97 Raider

"Today, Sikorsky unveiled the next generation of military rotorcraft, with capabilities and performance never seen before in our industry", explains Sikorsky President Mick Maurer in the firm's S-97 Raider unveiling press release. He continues: "Just four years ago, we announced plans to build the S-97 Raider and teamed with some of the best companies in the industry, understanding the need to ensure aircraft development would not falter as government defense budgets shrank in response to economic pressures.

"Sikorsky is proud of its leadership in this area, and of the leadership the S-97 Raider represents among the world's military rotorcraft."

U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor flies over clouds during RED FLAG-Alaska 14-3 Aug. 20, 2014, at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska

3 Octobre 2014 enderi.fr

Il fut un temps où les Etats-Unis refusaient même de le laisser se donner en spectacle, dans les grands meetings aériens internationaux. Mais cette époque semble révolue, et le plus cher des avions de combat, seul véritable chasseur de cinquième génération, participe désormais aux frappes aériennes en Syrie et en Irak. L’occasion de revenir sur le coût d’un programme, qui, sans atteindre les délires budgétaires du F-35, a donné bien des sueurs froides au budget de la Défense américaine.

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03.10.201 Mer et Marine

Leader mondial des salons spécialisés de la défense navale, de la sécurité et de la sûreté maritime, Euronaval se tiendra du 27 au 31 octobre au Parc des expositions de Paris Le Bourget. Plus de 350 exposants, dont plus de la moitié sont étrangers, sont attendus cette année. Etat des lieux avant un rendez-vous plus international que jamais.

« Nous sommes dans une époque de croissance bleue. La mer est au centre des enjeux stratégiques et économiques », assure Patrick Boissier, président du GICAN, qui présentait cette semaine à l’Hôtel de la marine, à Paris, la 24ème édition d’Euronaval. Cet évènement incontournable du secteur naval militaire est organisé par le Groupement des Industries Françaises de Construction et Activités Navales, qui fédère plus de 150 sociétés représentant 30.000 emplois directs en France pour un chiffre d’affaires de 6 milliards d’euros.

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A US soldier assembles a RQ-11 Raven UAV for aerial tactical Reconnaissance of insurgents in Taji, Iraq. Photo: courtesy of the US Department of Defense, photo by tech sergeant Russell E. Cooley IV, US Air Force (released).

3 October 2014 army-technology.com

AeroVironment has been awarded a series of contracts for the supply of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) spare parts to the US Army.

The contracts have a combined value of $27.2m, and cover the delivery of spare parts for the RQ-11B Raven and RQ-20A Puma AE systems.

AeroVironment UAS business segment senior vice-president and general manager Roy Minson said: "Recapitalising the army's large fleet of Raven and Puma AE systems ensures that soldiers have the most effective and reliable small UAS available to support them, wherever and whenever required.

"With AeroVironment original spare parts and upgrades, operators can continue to rely on our combat-proven solutions to deliver better information on-demand, and help them operate more safely and effectively."

The latest orders take the total value of contracts received by the company since May for Raven and Puma AE UAS spare parts and Raven upgrades to $77.6m.

Weighing 4.5lb, the RQ-11B Raven is a lightweight SUAS, designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for military operations, such as low-altitude intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and target acquisition missions at ranges of up to 10km.

Comprising three aircraft, two ground control stations and spares, the backpackable, hand-launched sensor platform is widely used by US forces for base security, route reconnaissance, mission planning and force protection operations.

The Puma AE is a third-generation, man-portable and hand-launched SUAS, designed primarily for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions.

Each Puma system features three air vehicles and two ground-control systems. It can fly at a maximum speed of 83km/h and stay airborne for a maximum of two hours using a rechargeable battery.

The drone can also be configured to perform battle damage assessment, maritime intervention operations, visit board search seizure and search and rescue, as well as port and coastal patrolling and drug interdiction missions.

Deliveries under the contract are expected to start within the next year.

29 sept. 2014 Airbus DS
 

The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has awarded Thales a technology study contract for the next generation of active phased array radars, including modular processors and multifunction panel technologies. These new technologies will ultimately equip the Rafale combat aircraft and will be suitable for future unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs).

During the signing ceremony held on 29 September in the presence of Laurent Collet-Billon, Head of the DGA, Jean-Bernard Lévy, Thales’s Chairman and CEO wished to highlight the "strong support of the DGA in maintaining a French sector of excellence in the field of airborne radars. With this technology study contract, Thales will maintain its lead in the field of active radar antennas, which is essential for the future of defence aerospace. "

Under the advanced study contract, Thales will demonstrate the technological readiness of various components and design a new generation of multifunction arrays (radar, electronic warfare and communications). The new arrays will also significantly improve range capabilities and discretion.

Over the next four years approximately 100 Thales staff, will be involved in these studies alongside a number of SME’s which have already contributed to the development of the Rafale active phased array radar.

01.10.2014 Par Dominique Gallois - Le Monde.fr

Alors que la commission d'enquête européenne chargée d'analyser l'échec de la mission Galileo cet été se réunira mardi 7 octobre, la cause est maintenant trouvée. La fusée russe Soyouz n'a pas réussi à mettre sur la bonne orbite les satellites européens de navigation en raison d'une panne d'alimentation en hydrazine de son étage supérieur Fregat.

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September 30, 2014: Strategy Page

Another casualty of the Russian war on Ukraine is the Russian plan to build new An-124 air transports and refurbish some of the existing ones. The An-124 is the world's largest production aircraft and can carry a payload of 120 tons. It first flew in 1986 and only 55 have been built so far. New ones will cost over $100 million each. Russia has been trying to get it back into production for over a decade but needed to work out a deal with Ukraine, where the An-124 is built.

All this is driven by Russian efforts to replace their aging Cold War era weapons and military equipment. In 2012 the Russian Air Force announced ambitious plans to invigorate their aging force of air transports. This was to be accomplished by ordering 170 new aircraft by the end of the decade. These included 20 An-124s, 39 Il-476s, 11 An-140s, 30 L-410s, 50 Il-214s and 20 An-148s. Currently the air force depends on a lot of Cold War era transports (An-124s, An-22s, Il-76s and An-12, An-72, An-24 and An-26s). A lot of the older transports cannot be used because of age, or cannot be used much because of the high cost of maintenance. Some of the older aircraft (An-124s and Il-76s) were to be refurbished, but most of the remainder will be scrapped as they become too old to be used (too expensive to maintain or simply too unreliable).

By 2103 Russia and Ukraine had worked out a deal to build 20 new commercial An-124s but the contract has not been signed yet. Apparently a contract to build ten new An-124s for the Russian Air Force was closer to signing but that deal is now on hold as well. The Ukrainian manufacturer wants to build new aircraft as An-124-150s and upgrade some existing ones to that standard. That would reduce crew size from six to four and increase carrying capacity to 150 tons. The An-124 has been very successful as a commercial transport, especially for military purposes. Even NATO leases six An-124s for moving military cargo. Ukraine needs the work and Russia needs the An-124s but until the current conflict is resolved that will all have to wait

30 septembre 2014 par  Jacques Marouani - electroniques.biz

Thales détient 26 % du capital, et l’entreprise publique de défense Bharat Electronics Limited (Bel) en possède 74 %. Le portefeuille initial de produits de Bel-Thales Systems comprendra des solutions innovantes pour la surveillance aérienne.

L’entreprise publique de défense « Navratna »(*) Bharat Electronics Limited (Bel) et Thales viennent d'annoncer que le ministère des Affaires commerciales de l’Inde a approuvé l’immatriculation de leur société commune Bel-Thales Systems, à la fin du mois d’août 2014. Cette société commune s’attachera essentiellement à concevoir, développer, commercialiser, fournir et assurer le support de radars civils et d’une sélection de radars militaires à destination de l’Inde et des marchés mondiaux.

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