4 octobre 2015 par Frédéric Lert - Aerobuzz.fr

Soixante ans après le premier vol de l’avion espion, Lockheed Martin propose de revisiter son U-2 pour en faire un appareil furtif et piloté optionnellement. Pas certain que l’US Air Force morde à l’hameçon…

Le U-2 a donc passé le cap symbolique des soixante ans cet été. Le tout premier appareil dessiné par le bureau d’études Skunk Works et Clarence « Kelly » Johnson, ingénieur de légende de Lockheed, avait pris l’air pour la première fois le 1er août 1955. Le U-2 avait été développé très rapidement parce que le besoin exprimé était simple : à l’époque où les satellites n’existaient pas, il fallait tout simplement voler le plus haut possible en emportant un appareil photo. L’appareil avait pris l’air après moins d’un an de développement, pour un coût inférieur de 15% à l’enveloppe prévue. Ca fait rêver…On est d’accord que les U-2S qui volent aujourd’hui sous les couleurs de l’USAF n’ont plus grand chose en commun avec l’ancêtre de la Guerre Froide. Un peu comme la Golf VII d’aujourd’hui et celle de 1974 : le nom et la forme sont toujours là, mais à l’intérieur on a changé d’ère…

Suite de l’article

Oct 8, 2015 | by Caroline Rees unmannedsystemstechnology.com

US Army Counter-UAV TechnologyThe US Army has announced that it has successfully demonstrated its latest counter-UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) technology, shooting down two unmanned aircraft as part of their demonstration. Although the research project began with the objective to counter rockets, artillery and mortars, the project scope was expanded to include unmanned aerial threats.

“Every country has drones now, whether they are armed or not or what level of performance. This is a huge threat that has been coming up on everybody. It has kind of almost sneaked up on people, and it’s almost more important than the counter-RAM threat,” said Manfredi Luciano, project officer for the Enhanced Area Protection and Survivability, or EAPS, Army Technology Objective. The technology is being developed by the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Center, or ARDEC, at Picatinny Arsenal. Funding for development and testing was provided by the ARDEC Technology Office. The challenge has grown exponentially in the last decade as the world’s inventory of unmanned aircraft systems has grown from approximately 20 system types and 800 aircraft in 1999, to more than 200 system types and approximately 10,000 unmanned aircraft in 2010, according to Nancy Elliott, a spokeswoman with the U.S. Army’s Fires Center of Excellence on Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

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Oct 06, 2015 (SPX)

Los Angeles AFB CA - The Air Force released a final Request for Proposal (RFP) for Global Positioning System (GPS) III Launch Services, Sept. 30. Launch services include launch vehicle production, mission integration and launch operations for a GPS III mission scheduled to launch in 2018. Proposals are due back to the Air Force no later than Nov. 16 in accordance with the solicitation instructions.

After evaluating proposals through a competitive, best-value source selection process, the Air Force will award a firm-fixed price contract that will provide the government with a total launch solution for the GPS III satellite. The Air Force's acquisition strategy for this solicitation achieves a balance between mission success, meeting operational needs, lowering launch costs, and reintroducing competition for National Security Space missions.

"Through this competitive solicitation for GPS III launch services, we hope to reintroduce competition in order to promote innovation and reduce cost to the taxpayer while maintaining our steadfast laser focus on mission assurance and assured access to space," said Lt. Gen. Samuel Greaves, Space and Missile Systems Center commander and Air Force Program Executive Officer for Space.

This will be a standalone contract for one GPS III launch. GPS III is the next generation of GPS satellites that will introduce new capabilities to meet the higher demands of both military and civilian users.

GPS III is expected to provide improved anti-jamming capabilities as well as improved accuracy for precision navigation and timing. It will incorporate the common L1C signal which is compatible with the European Space Agency's Galileo global navigation satellite system and compliment current services with the addition of new civil and military signals.

This is the first of nine competitive launch services planned in the FY 2016 President's Budget Request under the current Phase 1A procurement strategy, which covers awards with FY 2015-2017 funding. The next solicitation for launch services will be for a second GPS III mission.

The Phase 1A procurement strategy reintroduces competition for national security space launch services. Under the previous Phase 1 strategy, United Launch Alliance (ULA) was the only certified launch provider. In 2013, ULA was awarded a sole-source contract for launch services as part of an Air Force "block buy" of 36 rocket cores that resulted in significant savings for the government through FY 2017.

In May, Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) was certified for EELV launches resulting in two launch service providers that are qualified to design, produce, qualify, and deliver a launch capability and provide the mission assurance support required to deliver national security space satellites to orbit.

"With the recent certification of SpaceX, we now have multiple launch service providers that can service critical NSS missions. Reintroducing competition into EELV will ultimately save taxpayer dollars and increase assured access to space. " said Dr. Claire Leon, director of SMC's Launch Enterprise Directorate.

"As part of this reintroduction of competition, we've been working with our industry partners to develop and finalize this RFP," said Dr. Leon. "Their feedback has been critical to developing the criteria for this source selection and how we are innovating government processes to better match commercial processes as directed by OSD's Better Buying Power 3.0. This is an exciting time in NSS launch acquisitions."

The Air Force Space Command's Space and Missile Systems Center, located at the Los Angeles Air Force Base, Calif., is the U.S. Air Force's center of excellence for acquiring and developing military space systems. Its portfolio includes the Global Positioning System, military satellite communications, defense meteorological satellites, space launch and range systems, satellite control networks, space based infrared systems and space situational awareness capabilities.

Oct 6, 2015 by Ryan Maass(UPI)

Washington - U.S. Air Force officials worry the planned recapitalization of the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System, or JSTARS, will have to be canceled due to budget restrictions.

William LaPlante, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, spoke to reporters at an event hosted by Defense One on Tuesday, saying the plan might not happen at all.

"It's a budget issue, so it depends on the sequester and where the priorities are in the department," LaPlante told Defense News. "It might not happen at all."

Budgets for defense contracts and other military operations have also been impacted by the passage of continuing resolutions by lawmakers on Capitol Hill. Partisan debates on government funding for various programs, including defense, threatened to force a government shutdown in early October, which may have forced government defense and security employees, including troops, to have their pay suspended.

The passage of another CR kept the government open until December.

The acquisition process for JSTARS was delayed by the Pentagon in late September, following a review of its budget. The system is designed to enable the Air Force to provide ground troops with surveillance and tactical information.

Thus far, the Air Force has not yet detailed what more work needs to be done.

06 October, 2015 by James Drew – FG

Washington DC  - Northrop Grumman has built the first F-35 centre fuselage destined for Japan’s domestic joint strike fighter assembly plant, operated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI).

The company says the centre fuselage is the core of AX-5, Japan’s fifth example, and will become the first to enter Japan's Nagoya final assembly and checkout plant instead of prime contractor Lockheed Martin’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas. “It is the 207th centre fuselage that the company has produced at its Palmdale site, and the 30th such unit delivered this year,” the company said in a 4 October statement. “[MHI] will perform final assembly and checkout of the Japanese F-35As. The process includes mating the centre fuselage to the forward fuselage/cockpit and wings produced by Lockheed Martin, and the aft fuselage produced by BAE Systems.”

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05 October, 2015 BY: James Drew – FG

Washington DC - Lockheed Martin’s F-35 has not yet seen combat, but already the defence manufacturer is exploring “concepts” for installing and employing a high-power fibre laser weapon on the new-generation combat jet for shooting down missiles and other airborne threats.

The company believes it finally has the right technology to produce modular and scalable fibre laser weapons for trucks, ships and aircraft, and a high-power, 60kW example will enter production for the US Army later this month. The F-35 has been in development since 2001 and only recently was declared fit for combat with the US Marine Corps. However, Lockheed’s Rob Afzal says company engineers are already thinking about how a laser weapon system could fit onto the supersonic stealth fighter and its usefulness in combat. “Absolutely, we’re looking at concepts for the integration of a laser weapon onto the F-35,” the Lockheed senior fellow for laser and sensor systems said at a media briefing 5 October. “We’re also looking at the utility and doing models and calculations so you would understand the utility of a leaser weapon system in the F-35.”

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Oct 6, 2015 by Richard Tomkins. (UPI)

Bothell, Wash - A modular, high-power laser is being built for use from a U.S. Army vehicle by Lockheed Martin.

The 60-kilowatt fiber modules system is the first of a new generation of lasers that enters production this month at the company's facility in Washington State.

The system's modular laser design will allow the laser's power to be varied across a wide range -- from 60 kW to 120 kW -- depending on the specific mission and threat, Lockheed Martin said.

"A robust laser system with minimal operational down-time results from the integration of modular fiber-based lasers," said Iain Mckinnie, business development lead for Laser Sensors and Systems, Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training. "With modular lasers, the possibility of a complete system failure due to a single-point disruption is dramatically lessened."

Lockheed Martin said its laser combines multiple fiber modules to generate an intense laser beam. The layered approach reduces the chance for mission disruption as a result of a component failure, maintenance or repair time is also reduced.

"Laser weapons provide a compliment to traditional kinetic weapons in the battlefield," Lockheed Martin said. "In the future, they will offer reliable protection against threats such as swarms of drones or large numbers of rockets and mortars."

Oct 6, 2015 by Ryan Maass(UPI)

San Diego - The Alreigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Benfold left for Yokosuka, Japan from San Diego to join the U.S. 7th Fleet, the U.S. Navy announced on Tuesday. Benfold's mission is to enhance the presence in the 7th Fleet as part of the U.S. military's plan to reinforce the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. As a guided-missile destroyer, Benfold adds ballistic missile defense capabilities to the fleet. The U.S. Navy is aiming to station their most capable ships to the 7th Fleet, allowing for rapid response times if and when the need arises. Additionally, the ship will participate in maritime security operations and training exercises with allies. Cmdr. Michele Day, Benfold's commanding officer, says his team is proud to join the Forward Deployed Forces family in Japan.

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Oct. 6, 2015 By Richard Tomkins (UPI)

Lockheed Martin delivers first enhanced PAC-3 missile interceptors to the U.S. Army.

DALLAS-- The U.S. Army has received its first enhanced range and improved mobility Patriot 3 interceptor missiles from Lockheed Martin. The Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement, or PAC-3 MSE, interceptors were delivered Oct. 5, the company said, but the number involved was not disclosed. "We are proud to deliver these interceptors to the U.S. Army and are confident the men and women of the armed forces can count on the PAC-3 MSE when it matters most," said Scott Arnold, vice president of PAC-3 programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control.

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07 octobre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Washington - Les Etats-Unis ont affirmé mercredi que la quasi totalité des frappes de la Russie en Syrie ne visaient pas les jihadistes de l'Etat islamique ou les groupes proches d'Al-Qaïda mais des organisations armées syriennes modérées qui combattent le régime de Damas.

Plus de 90% de leurs frappes auxquelles nous avons assisté n'ont pas été contre l'EI ou des terroristes affiliés à Al-Qaïda. Elle ont été en grande partie contre des groupes d'opposition, a déclaré le porte-parole du département d'Etat John Kirby.

Depuis qu'a commencé l'opération de raids aériens russes sur la Syrie la semaine dernière, Washington martèle que Moscou ne s'en prend pas à l'EI ou aux groupes proches d'Al-Qaïda mais vise plutôt tous les opposants syriens et consolide de facto le régime de son allié, le président Bachar al-Assad.

Mais c'est la première fois que les autorités américaines fournissent une estimation chiffrée de l'impact des frappes russes dans ce pays en guerre.

Notre inquiétude, a souligné John Kirby, réside davantage dans l'impact de l'activité militaire à l'intérieur de la Syrie (...) à l'encontre de groupes qui ne sont ni l'Etat islamique ni les terroristes affidés à Al-Qaïda.

L'armée syrienne a lancé mercredi une vaste offensive terrestre, revigorée par les frappes de l'aviation et désormais la marine russe, une semaine après le début de l'intervention militaire russe qui a redonné de l'élan au régime Assad.

Le président Vladimir Poutine a annoncé que les opérations russes allaient s'intensifier.

C'est une erreur pour la Russie, a réaffirmé le porte-parole de la diplomatie américaine.

Les Etats-Unis et la Russie avaient eu la semaine dernière une première réunion entre leurs forces armées afin d'éviter des incidents aériens entre leurs aviations dans le ciel syrien. Mais aucune autre rencontre n'a été programmée.

October 7, 2015 by CJTF-OIR Release # 20151007-01

Military Strikes Continue Against ISIL Terrorists in Syria and Iraq

SOUTHWEST ASIA- On Oct. 6, coalition military forces continued to attack ISIL terrorists in Syria and Iraq. In Syria, coalition military forces conducted three strikes using fighter aircraft. Separately in Iraq, coalition military forces conducted 20 strikes coordinated with and in support of the Government of Iraq using bomber, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft against ISIL targets.

The following is a summary of the strikes conducted against ISIL since the last press release:

Syria

• Near Abu Kamal, three strikes struck two separate ISIL crude oil collection points.

Iraq

• Near Habbaniya, one strike destroyed two ISIL rocket rails.

• Near Kirkuk, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL heavy machine guns and an ISIL fighting position.

• Near Kisik, three strikes suppressed two ISIL rocket positions, an ISIL mortar position, and an ISIL sniper position.

• Near Makhmur, one strike suppressed an ISIL heavy machine gun position.

• Near Mosul, three strikes struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed three ISIL heavy machine guns and three ISIL fighting positions and suppressed an ISIL rocket position and an ISIL mortar position.

• Near Ramadi, five strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed three ISIL fighting positions, three ISIL weapons caches, two ISIL buildings, an ISIL bunker, and denied ISIL access to terrain.

• Near Sinjar, one strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun and two ISIL fighting positions.

• Near Sultan Abdallah, one strike suppressed an ISIL rocket position.

• Near Tal Afar, two strikes destroyed an ISIL fighting position, an ISIL trench, and an ISIL berm and suppressed an ISIL mortar position.

• Near Tikrit, one strike destroyed four ISIL obstacles.

Strike assessments are based on initial reports. All aircraft returned to base safely.

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community.

The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the group's ability to project terror and conduct operations. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Canada, France, Jordan, Netherlands, United Kingdom, and the United States. Coalition nations which have conducted strikes in Syria include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and the U.S.

07 octobre 2015 Romandie.com (AFP)

Genève - Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) a demandé mercredi une enquête internationale après le bombardement américain contre son hôpital de Kunduz en Afghanistan, qui a tué 22 personnes, le qualifiant d'attaque contre les Conventions de Genève.

Joanne Liu, la présidente de l'ONG humanitaire d'urgence, a déclaré devant la presse à Genève ne pas faire confiance à une enquête militaire interne et a demandé une commission internationale humanitaire pour établir les faits, un dispositif prévu par les Conventions de Genève, qui fixent les règles du droit humanitaire pour les guerres.

Ca n'a pas été juste une attaque contre notre hôpital. Cela a été une attaque contre les Conventions de Genève. On ne peut le tolérer, a lancé Mme Liu.

Le général américain commandant la mission de l'Otan en Afghanistan a affirmé mardi que l'hôpital de MSF à Kunduz avait été bombardé samedi par erreur, poussant le chef du Pentagone à exprimer ses profonds regrets pour cette tragédie.

Trois enquêtes - américaine, afghane et de l'Otan - sont en cours pour établir les conditions dans lesquelles le bombardement a été décidé et mené dans la nuit de vendredi à samedi.

MSF demande que l'enquête soit menée par la Commission d'enquête internationale humanitaire. Cette commission a été établie dans le cadre des protocoles additionnels aux Conventions de Genève et elle est l'unique mécanisme spécialement prévu pour enquêter sur les violations du droit international humanitaire.

Bien que ce mécanisme existe depuis 1971, la commission n'a jamais été encore utilisée. Pour qu'elle puisse se saisir du dossier, l'un des Etats signataires doit demander l'ouverture d'une enquête.

Jusqu'ici, les gouvernements n'ont jamais voulu, ou osé, créer un précédent. Le mécanisme existe, et il est temps de l'activer, a affirmé MSF.

Il est intolérable que le bombardement d'un hôpital et l'assassinat de personnels soignants et de patients soient qualifiés de dommage collatéral ou relégués d'un revers de la main au rang d'une simple erreur, a déclaré l'ONG.