20 November 2012 airforce-technology.com

The US Air Force (USAF) has conducted concept evaluation demonstrations of Raytheon's Ground Based Sense and Avoid (GBSAA) radar at the Gray Butte Airfield, located near Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) in California, US.

The testing was conducted in an effort to demonstrate the radar's abilities in enabling secure operation of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) in the National Airspace System (NAS), which will become operational in 2015.

The radar utilises a collision avoidance alerting capability that helps prevent mid-air collisions by delivering a series of alerts to the pilot as airborne objects, including balloons or ultra-light approach.

During testing, the pilots and controllers were successful in keeping the UAS safe from intruding airborne objects, whose alerts were provided by Raytheon's airport surveillance radar model-11 (ASR-11), standard terminal automation replacement system (STARS) system and its surveillance data processor.

Raytheon Network Centric Systems business Air Traffic Management director Joseph Paone said: "Our system properly notifies controllers and pilots of intrusions and accurately shows aircraft altitude, which is important in keeping commercial aircraft, unmanned aerial systems and other hazards safely separated."

Derived from Raytheon's NAS-certified ASR-11 and the repurposed STARS air traffic control system, the GBSAA is a surveillance and target acquisition radar designed to facilitate the UAS operation in NAS without requirement for a chase plane or ground observer.

The radar also leverages wind farm mitigation technology, which is used to reduce interference caused by the wind turbines near airports.

Raytheon is scheduled to continue GBSAA testing along with the USAF at other installations throughout the US.

November 20, 2012: Strategy Page

The manufacturer of the U.S. Army Stryker Double-V Hull (DVH) wheeled armored vehicle has created a model that runs on tracks (like a tank or bulldozer). This is a demonstration model, for presentation at trade shows. While the tracked Stryker runs, it does not do so very long or reliably. But spend enough time and money on it, and you would have a reliable tracked Stryker. The big problem is getting any sales for such a beast. That is unlikely at this point, with the American defense budget facing severe cuts over the next decade. There’s always the prospect of overseas sales. Stryker acquired a good reputation in Iraq, and oil-rich Arab Persian Gulf countries are major buyers of weapons these days.

There are 762 DVH Strykers built or on order. Most have been delivered (to the U.S. Army), and the rest will arrive by next year. The latest DVH models cost about $2.1 million each. The DVH models first experienced combat earlier last year, and performed as expected. The army is buying enough DVH models to equip two of its eight Stryker brigades. A tracked model would overcome one problem with Stryker (or any wheeled armored vehicle); the difficulty with muddy or rough terrain. On roads or flat terrain, wheels are superior to tracks.

This DVH design is intended to improve resistance to mines (more common in Afghanistan than Iraq) by adding a V shaped bottom. This is one of the key elements of the MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) design. Some of the prototypes were run (via remote control), over mines and roadside bombs. These tests demonstrated that the V shaped hull made the vehicles much safer. Developing the new prototype design cost about $58 million.

Each Stryker brigade has 332 Stryker vehicles. There are ten different models, but most are the infantry carrier version. The current model Stryker costs about a million dollars each, plus the costs of weapons and equipment. This version is 6.95 meters (22.92 feet) long, 2.72 meters (8.97 feet) high and 2.64 meters (8.72 feet) wide. Weighing 17 tons, it has a top speed of 100 kilometers per hour and a range (on roads) of 500 kilometers. Stryker has a crew of two, a turret with a remotely controlled 12.7mm machine-gun and can carry nine troops. A 7.62mm machine-gun is also carried, and often another 12.7mm one as well.

The army is planning on incorporating the V shaped hull into the new Stryker 2.0 design, making the recently ordered V hull models Stryker 1.5 (unofficially). The Stryker 2 will weigh about a ton more than current models, and have a more powerful engine (450 horsepower versus the current 350), plus a suspension system and other mechanical components upgraded to support up to 27 tons, larger tires, improved brakes and improved sensors (so that troops inside the vehicle will have better awareness of what's outside.) These are the major modifications, there will be several more minor ones (better air conditioning, a sniper detector, more electricity generation and so on). Outwards appearance won't change much, other than the V shape hull.

Stryker 2 provides for "growth" (more armor and equipment) as well as making the vehicle more agile and reliable. The changes are based on user feedback, and are considered a modernization project, not, strictly speaking, a new version of Stryker. Most of the 3,300 Strykers the army have been in combat, and units headed for Afghanistan will be first to get the modernized ones.

Le Navire canadien de Sa Majesté (NCSM) VICTORIA (SSK 876) quitte la base interarmées Pearl Harbor-Hickam, à Honolulu (Hawaï), le 16 juillet 2012 (Photo des Forces canadiennes : Jacek Szymanski, Marine royale canadienne)

20 novembre 2012 par Nicolas Laffont - 45enord.ca

45eNord.ca a appris que la période de grand carénage du sous-marin de classe Victoria NCSM Windsor, qui a été effectuée à l’arsenal canadien de Sa Majesté, à Halifax (Nouvelle-Écosse), touche à sa fin.

Le sous-marin a subi une série de tests et son équipage a suivi un entraînement. À l’heure actuelle, la Marine royale canadienne prévoit que le NCSM Windsor sera pleinement opérationnel en 2013.

Dans le cadre des tests effectués sur le NCSM Windsor, la marine a procédé à une plongée en darse au port d’Halifax au début du mois de novembre.

Cette opération est appelée «plongée en darse» parce qu’elle a lieu dans une zone protégée et peu profonde dans un port qui possède ces caractéristiques. Il s’agit d’une étape clé de la série de tests, lors de laquelle la marine vérifie l’étanchéité à l’eau du sous-marin et le fonctionnement du système de communication et d’autres systèmes importants. D’autres tests devraient avoir lieu au cours de l’hiver 2013.

Le sous-marin a navigué de juin 2005 à décembre 2006 et a passé près de 150 jours en mer.

Il a participé à plusieurs exercices canado-américains de grande envergure et développé ses capacités de forces d’opérations spéciales tout en s’entraînant avec des navires canadiens à perfectionner des techniques de guerre essentielles.

Le NCSM Windsor a participé au tout premier exercice de parachutisme en mer avec des éclaireurs-patrouilleurs canadiens (des parachutistes de l’Armée canadienne). Le navire a également effectué plusieurs patrouilles de souveraineté au large de la côte Est du Canada à des fins de renseignement, de surveillance et de reconnaissance.

Le Victoria

Le NCSM Victoria est sur le point d’être déclaré pleinement opérationnel. Sorti du bassin le 18 avril 2011 pour subir une série de tests et d’essais menés dans le port, l’équipage du sous-marin a participé à de l’instruction et à des exercices.

En novembre 2011, le Victoria a officiellement terminé son grand carénage, ce qui en a fait le premier sous-marin de sa classe à faire l’objet de travaux de carénage et de maintenance de ce type et de cette envergure.

Une bosse, qui avait été découverte dans la coque du Victoria, a pu être réparée pendant le grand carénage.

Après plusieurs étapes de certification de l’équipage, d’essais d’équipement, de plongée et de tests de tirs de torpilles, en juillet 2012, le Victoria est sorti pour la première fois dans le cadre d’un exercice international, RIMPAC, auquel 45eNord.ca a pris part et lors duquel nous avons pu visiter le sous-marin.

Le sous-marin a au cours de l’exercice torpillé et coulé un navire hors service de la marine américaine au large de l’île Kauai à Hawaï.

Le Chicoutimi

Le Chicoutimi est actuellement en grand carénage. Ces travaux sont effectués dans le cadre du contrat de soutien en service des sous-marins de la classe Victoria (CSSSV) au chantier maritime de la Victoria Shipyards Co. Ltd, à Esquimalt.

La marine prévoit que les travaux seront complétés à temps et que le sous-marin sera disponible pour les opérations en 2013.

Lors de son transfert au Canada en octobre 2004, il subit le pire accident qu’il puisse se produire à bord d’un sous-marin: un incendie d’origine électrique suite à une inondation partielle. Le lieutenant Chris Saunders, décéda de ses blessures.

Le Corner Brook

Le NCSM Corner Brook a passé 463 jours en mer, d’octobre 2006 à la mi-juin 2011 et a participé à divers exercices OTAN et CANUS et a été déployé dans la région arctique, dans le cadre de l’opération Nanook, d’abord en août 2007, puis en août 2009.

En mars 2008 et 2011, le navire a été déployé dans le cadre de l’opération Caribbe, un effort multinational dirigé par les États-Unis visant à mettre fin au trafic de stupéfiants dans les eaux du bassin des Caraïbes et du Pacifique Est.

Le 4 juin 2011, le Corner Brook a heurté le fond de l’océan alors qu’il faisait des manœuvres en plongée pour l’instruction d’officiers sous-mariniers dans la baie Nootka, sur la côte Ouest de l’île de Vancouver.

Dans une interview accordée un peu plus tôt cette année à 45eNord.ca, le capitaine de vaisseau Luc Cassivi, commandant adjoint de la Flotte canadienne du Pacifique et directeur du service canadien des sous-marins, expliquait que les dégâts subits par le sous-marin ne sont pas aussi critiques comme on pourrait le croire. «On ne peut jurer de rien, mais le Corner Brook est à priori tout à fait réparable et pourra reprendre la mer. En achetant les sous-marins, le gouvernement britannique a également fourni une coque de fibre de verre de remplacement.»

C’est le dôme du sonar à l’avant du sous-marin qui a été endommagé. La coque épaisse situé sous la coque externe n’aurait pas eu de problème: «L’intégrité de l’étanchéité du sous-marin et plus particulièrement de la coque sous pression, demeure intacte. L’équipage n’a jamais été en danger suivant l’incident», est-il ainsi écrit dans le rapport de la commission d’enquête qui a suivie l’accident.

D’après l’échéancier mis en place par la Marine royale canadienne, le Corner Brook devrait être prêt aux opérations pour 2016, date à laquelle le Victoria reprendra la direction du chantier naval pour une nouvelle période de grand carénage.

Dès 2013 ou 2014 au plus tard, il devrait donc y avoir trois sous-marins de disponibles en permanence sur les quatre. Et à compter de 2016, un retournera en grand carénage tous les deux ans en rotation.

En février dernier, le vice-amiral Paul Maddison, commandant de la marine, affirmé devant des membres d’un comité du Sénat que les sous-marins à propulsion diesel-électrique du Canada, resteront en activité au sein de la flotte de la marine au moins jusqu’en 2030.

Il avait également déclaré que la perte de la capacité de surveillance et d’attaque sous-marines serait désastreuse pour le Canada. C’est pourquoi, des planificateurs du ministère de la Défense nationale commenceront à établir un programme de remplacement d’ici à 2016.

À lire aussi:

Le Victoria prend part à un exercice international de guerre navale >>

Nov 20, 2012 ASDNews Source : US Air Force

The 325th Fighter Wing resumed normal flight operations as the Wing Commander, Col. David Graff, flew one of the first F-22 Raptor missions Nov. 19 approximately 7:45 a.m.

A total of eight F-22 aircraft completed training missions in the morning and six others flew in the afternoon. The wing commander stood the wing flying operations down following a F-22 crash on Tyndall Air Force Base Nov. 15.

"I have complete confidence in the F-22 and its reliability. We will continue to accomplish our mission while the Safety Investigation Board searches for the cause of last week's accident," said Graff.

Immediately following the Nov. 15 crash, an interim safety investigation board was established with local members, tasked with securing the scene and preserving all evidence. The official SIB composed of specially trained members from different military installations arrived this weekend and has taken charge of the investigation.

Safety Investigation Board results are never released to the public, but are conducted to prevent future mishaps. Safety investigations of weapons systems such as aircraft, missiles and space platforms also assess possible force-wide implications on the combat readiness of these systems.

An Accident Investigation Board will convene following the SIB. The purpose of this board is to provide a publicly-releasable report of the facts and circumstances surrounding the accident to include a statement of opinion on the cause or causes of the accident. No timetable for the completion of either the SIB or AIB is known at this time.

The F-22 performs both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions allowing for full realization of operational concepts vital to the defense of the nation. The $143-million jet is designed to project air dominance rapidly and to defeat threats to national security and safety.

Nov 20, 2012 ASDNews Source : General Dynamics Corporation

General Dynamics Electric Boat has been awarded an $88.8 million contract modification by the U.S. Navy to provide research and development and lead-yard services for Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarines. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD).

Under the contract, Electric Boat will undertake development studies and other work related to Virginia-class submarine design improvements. Additionally, Electric Boat will perform research and development work required to evaluate new technology to be inserted in newly built Virginia-class ships.

The contract has a potential cumulative value of $881 million through 2014 if all options are exercised and funded.

This work will engage Electric Boat’s engineering and design organization, which comprises more than 4,000 employees. Possessing proven technical capabilities, these employees work on all facets of the submarine life cycle from concept formulation and design through construction, maintenance and modernization, and eventually to inactivation and disposal.

20/11/2012 Mer et marine

Après son baptême le 27 octobre aux chantiers Huntington Ingalls Industries de Newport News, le 10ème sous-marin nucléaire d’attaque du type Virginia  a été mis à flot.

Le futur USS Minnesota (SSN 783) doit être livré à la marine américaine à la fin du printemps 2013. Alors que le neuvième SNA de ce type, l’USS Mississippi (SSN 782), a été mis en service le 2 juin dernier, la construction des 15ème et 16ème bâtiments de ce type, les futurs USS Colorado (SSN 788) et USS Indiana (SSN 789), a débuté en mars et septembre. En tout, 30 sous-marins de ce type doivent être construits.

Longs de 114.9 mètres, les Virginia affichent un déplacement de 7800 tonnes en plongée. Capables d'atteindre la vitesse de 34 noeuds, ils disposent de 12 tubes pour missiles de croisière Tomahawk et 4 tubes pour le lancement de 26 torpilles Mk48. Le premier bâtiment de la série, l'USS Virgina (SSN 774), a été livré à l'US Navy en 2004.

November 19, 2012. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

News release from Héroux-Devtek:

LONGUEUIL, QC, Nov. 19, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ – Héroux-Devtek Inc. (TSX: HRX) a leading Canadian manufacturer of aerospace products, today announced that its Landing Gear products operations have been awarded a multi-year contract from The Boeing Company (NYSE: BA) to manufacture the landing gear for the H-47 Chinook medium-to-heavy-lift helicopter.

Under the terms of the agreement, Héroux-Devtek will fabricate the landing gear for all Chinook aircraft destined to the U.S. Army. Landing gear deliveries are scheduled to begin in the first half of calendar 2014 and will be spread out over a five-year period. Current program expectations call for the delivery of 155 aircraft to the U.S. Army over the contracted period. The contract also includes options, exercisable at Boeing’s discretion, to fabricate the landing gear for up to 150 additional aircraft over the same period.

This new long-term contract is the third agreement actively involving Héroux-Devtek on the H-47 program. The first announcement, in September 2009, was in regards to the fabrication, assembly, testing and delivery of the landing gear for H-47F aircraft delivered to customers outside the United States, including the CH-147, as it is known for the Canadian Forces. The second agreement, announced in September 2012, was for a license allowing the Corporation to offer its services to fabricate replacement parts and carry out repair and overhaul services for the landing gear of all Chinook variants.

“Héroux-Devtek is proud to have been selected to carry out this significant mandate which further increases our reach on the H-47 program,” said Gilles Labbé, President and CEO of Héroux-Devtek. “This additional contract firmly positions Héroux-Devtek as the leading landing gear supplier on this important and longstanding program. We are delighted that Boeing recognizes our capability to manufacture high-quality, complete landing gear assemblies, while also showing full confidence in our ability to efficiently respond should options be exercised.”

The H-47F Chinook is a multi-mission, medium-to-heavy-lift transport helicopter. Its primary mission is to move troops, artillery, ammunition, fuel, water, barrier materials, supplies and equipment on the battlefield. Its secondary missions include medical evacuation, disaster relief, search and rescue, aircraft recovery, fire fighting, parachute drops, heavy construction and civil development. The family of Chinook aircraft has been in U.S. Army service since 1962. Inaddition, Chinooks are operated or have been selected by nearly 20 international defense forces.

ABOUT HÉROUX-DEVTEK INC.

Héroux-Devtek Inc. (TSX: HRX) is a Canadian company specializing in the design, development, manufacture and repair and overhaul of landing gear systems and components for the Aerospace market. The Corporation is the third largest landing gear company in the world, supplying both the commercial and military sectors of the Aerospace market with new landing gear systems and components, as well as aftermarket products and services. Approximately 70% of the Corporation’s sales are outside Canada, mainly in the United States. The Corporation’s head office is located in Longueuil, Québec with facilities in the Greater Montreal area (Longueuil, Laval and St-Hubert); Kitchener and Toronto, Ontario; as well as Springfield and Cleveland, Ohio.

Nov. 19, 2012 - By MICHAEL PECK  Defense news

Weapons have changed drastically over the past 30 years, but the cameras on U.S. Army test ranges have not. So the service is preparing to upgrade the kineto-tracking mounts — the squat turrets that look like R2D2 from “Star Wars,” if cameras were mounted on his head.

“Right now, the current systems are not very reliable; they cannot be remotely operated, and they require extensive manpower and labor to set up and calibrate,” said Col. Sharlene Donovan, project manager for instrumentation, targets and threat simulators (PM ITTS) at the Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI). “And because they are not very reliable after 30 years, we have to have extra systems on standby just to ensure we can guarantee data is collected in case a system goes down.”

PM ITTS, along with the Defense Department’s Test Resource Management Center and Central Test and Evaluation Investment Program, are conducting market research for new optical tracking systems under the Advanced Range Test Instrumentation System (ARTIS) program. The ARTIS timeline calls for a request for proposals in mid-2013, a contract award in mid-2014 and initial deployment by 2017, Donovan said. While she could not provide a cost estimate, she expects the Army to buy 30 to 50 mounts, with the other services possibly ordering more for their ranges.

ARTIS will replace a menagerie of optical tracking systems and sensors, including kineto-tracking mounts, cine theodolites and launch area theodolites (used to measure angles), and distant object attitude measurement systems. The new optical tracking systems will come in a small, easily deployed model that can turn quickly for ground-based tests and a larger model to accommodate bigger instruments for tracking aircraft, UAVs, ballistic missiles and aerial intercepts. They will incorporate multiwaveband sensors for simultaneous optical and infrared data.

Interestingly, ARTIS will improve testing of directed energy weapons, such as lasers, masers and particle beam weapons.

“Instrumentation currently exists that can be used for directed energy testing,” Donovan said. “ARTIS will integrate these capabilities onto a high-precision optical tracking gimbal for an integrated solution with better pointing accuracy.”

One key change will be moving from film-based cameras to digital equipment, which means quicker processing time and less manpower needed to process it. With film, “it literally takes days because all that visual data has to be converted,” said ARTIS project director Nikki Boi. A remote capability means personnel needn’t travel to those areas to operate the systems. Different test ranges, such as White Sands, N.M.; Yuma, Ariz.; and Redstone Arsenal, Ala., have different requirements. So the goal is to have tracking systems that can be easily modified to accommodate local needs. But either way, it’s time for new equipment, Donovan said.

“The scenarios under which these original tracking systems were developed were simpler. You’re talking about the traditional aircraft bomb drop or traditional missile intercept. Now we have much more complicated scenarios and we need much more advanced tracking technology to provide data.”

SAN DIEGO, Nov. 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE)

Team Checking Control Software, Subsystems Prior to Flight Operations

Northrop Grumman Corporation and the U.S. Navy have added a second Triton unmanned aircraft to ground testing efforts in late September – part of an initial step in preparation for flight operations.

Two Triton unmanned aircraft systems are being used to flight test and mature the system for operational use. Ground testing allows the team to further reduce risks associated with control software and subsystems prior to flight.

The first Triton entered ground testing in July after production concluded in June.

"Ground testing signifies our steady progress toward conducting Triton's first flight," said Steve Enewold, Northrop Grumman's vice president and program manager for Triton. "Through numerous engine runs and checks with communications systems between the aircraft and ground controllers, we can ensure that everything is working properly before entering taxi testing as the next step in our efforts."

Northrop Grumman is the prime contractor to the Navy's MQ-4C Triton Broad Area Maritime Surveillance program. In 2008, the company was awarded a systems development and demonstration contract to build two aircraft and test them in preparation for operational missions by late 2015.

The Navy's program of record calls for 68 Tritons to be built.

Triton provides a detailed picture of surface vessels to identify threats across vast areas of ocean and littoral areas. With its ability to fly missions up to 24 hours, Triton complements many manned surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.

CF-18s and Other Aircraft Also Taking Part

November 19, 2012. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

Four of Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships from the Atlantic Fleet will be participating in a joint international exercise with the United States Navy from November 19 to December 14, off the East Coasts of Canada and United States called Task Group Exercise 6-12, according to a news release from the Canadian Forces.

More from the news release:

The Royal Canadian Navy will work with the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to combine the Task Group Exercise with the NORAD Air Defence Exercise Amalgam Dart to further enhance interoperability and effectiveness between the Royal Canadian Navy and NORAD. The high tempo training will provide valuable experience to our sailors in a wide range of at-sea evolutions, to include navigation and seamanship, helicopter operations, and warfare exercises. Furthermore, Amalgam Dart will provide an excellent opportunity to train in ship-to-air and air-to-air defence.

Units participating in Task Group Exercise 6-12 and Amalgam Dart are Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships Iroquois, Preserver, Ville de Quebec and St. John’s. The ships will be joined by Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft and personnel from 12 Wing Shearwater, 14 Wing Greenwood, 17 Wing Winnipeg, 3 Wing Bagotville, and 22 Wing North Bay to include CH-124 Sea King helicopters, CF-18 fighters and a CP-140 Aurora long-range patrol aircraft.

November 19, 2012. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

From the U.S. Air Force:

The pilot of a F-22 Raptor, assigned to the 43rd Fighter Squadron, safely ejected as the jet crashed Nov. 15 around 3:30 p.m. on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., one-quarter mile east of the drone runway.

Despite initial media speculation, there are no indications that point to the life support system leading to this incident or playing any role in this crash. A thorough investigation is being conducted in accordance with standard Air Force and Department of Defense policy. The pilot was conducting a routine training mission when first responders were alerted of a problem via an in-flight emergency call and were on scene fighting the fire within two minutes of the incident.

“Our first responders reacted quickly and professionally due to the extensive training we conduct here at Tyndall,” said Col. David Graff, 325th Fighter Wing commander. “In addition, the pilot received top-notch care from our medical group.”

A safety team here began interviewing witnesses, maintainers and other individuals immediately after the incident.

“Right now, our number one priority is the safety of our Airmen and all involved as we secure the scene of the incident,” Graff said.

The first step taken in the securing process was a sweep by explosive ordnance disposal Airmen for any parts of the aircraft that may be explosive.

Follow-on steps include addressing environmental and biological hazards. Most modern aircraft are made of composite fibers, which can create health concerns for people on the scene when the plane catches fire.

First responders at Tyndall AFB are well trained and equipped to respond to aircraft crashes and minimize their effects on surrounding areas, Graff said. Throughout the initial and continued responses all personnel have worn the appropriate protective gear, and they will continue to do so until the immediate site of the crash is deemed safe.

While safety is the primary concern, preserving the accident scene is a critical part of the investigation. All evidence will be photographed and tagged to preserve all evidence for the official safety investigation board members.

19 November 2012 airforce-technology.com

Boeing has received a three-year contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to develop simulation technologies for two US military aircraft.

Under the terms of the $6.3m contract, the company will produce modelling and simulation technology for the F-15E Eagle and F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter aircraft that are operated by both the US Air Force (USAF) and the US Navy.

Boeing integrated live, virtual and constructive training business development leader John Schwering said the integrated training environment is capable of enhancing warfighter readiness and effectiveness of the aviation flight training.

"Training can be significantly enhanced by increasing the overall threat density with the use of more sophisticated constructive adversary aircraft and ground-based electronic warfare threats," Schwering added.

The contract's pilot project is scheduled to conclude with a final demonstration at the Nellis Air Force Base, located in Nevada, US, in late 2013.

Using the technology, a real combat aircraft can be networked with ground-based simulation computers that provide computer-generated threats, enabling a cost-effective and secure training environment.

Currently, pilots learn flying operations using ground-based flight simulators, and require adversary teams to practice against when training in an actual aircraft.

Boeing initially started the technology development under a self-funded programme in 2007, anticipating both the navy and air force future training requirements.

The company conducted a demonstration onboard a USAF F-15E fighter to validate its key components in November 2009, while an initial test flight with a Super Hornet was completed recently.

Oct. 30, 2012 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: Federation of American Scientsts; posted Oct. 25, 2012)

An Updated Catalog of Army Weapon Systems

The U.S. Army has just published the 2013 edition of its annual Weapon Systems Handbook, which is filled with updated information on dozens of weapon systems, the military contractors who produce them, and the foreign countries that purchase them.

So, one learns, for example, that the RQ-11B Raven Small Unmanned Aircraft System is marketed to Denmark, Estonia, Lebanon, and Uganda, while the United States sells artillery ammunition both to Israel and to Lebanon.

An appendix provides an informative breakdown of military industry contractors by weapon system and by the state where the contractor is located.

“The systems listed in this book are not isolated, individual products. Rather, they are part of an integrated Army system of systems designed to equip the Army of the future to successfully face any challenges,” according to the Handbook introduction.

“After 10 years of combat, today’s Army is significantly more capable than the Army of 2001. As we draw down from Iraq and Afghanistan, we must remain flexible, adaptable, and agile enough to respond and meet the needs of the combatant commanders.”

“Our objective is to equip and maintain an Army with the latest most advanced weaponry to win and return home quickly.”


Click here to read the report online in browsable HTML format


Click here to download (388 PDF pages; very large file: 84kB)

19.11.2012 par P. CHAPLEAU Lignes de Défense

Voici une petite encyclopédie en ligne qui mérite de figurer dans les favoris. Elle évitera de fastidieuses googlisations pour trouver les spécifications d'un équipement, les chiffres des ventes, le constructeur etc. Pour y accéder cliquer ici. 

Les 378 pages de données sur les matériels de l'US Army se présentent de la façon suivante: