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2 juin 2013 7 02 /06 /juin /2013 11:20
U.S. Air Force Agrees To Accept F-35 With Limited Software and Weapons Capability

June 1, 2013. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

 

From Aviation Week:

 

The U.S. Air Force, by far the largest presumed user of the F-35 fighter, has agreed to declare initial operational capability with a much more limited software and weapons capability that initially planned, according to a report sent to Congress May 31.

 

The Air Force now plans to declare initial operational capability (IOC) with 12 F-35As (and trained pilots and maintainers) in December 2016, before the long-awaited 3F software package is fully tested. The service previously planned to wait for the 3F package because it allows for an expanded engagement envelope and more diverse weapons.

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2 juin 2013 7 02 /06 /juin /2013 07:55
Sukhoi Su-35A-3 fighter- photo Sukhoi

Sukhoi Su-35A-3 fighter- photo Sukhoi

31/05/2013 Vincent Lamigeon, grand reporter à Challenges  - Supersonique

 

J-17. A un peu plus de deux semaines du salon du Bourget, les rumeurs bruissent déjà dans le Landerneau aéronautique. Côté commandes, la moisson s’annonce bonne : Airbus vient de relever sa prévision de commandes brutes de 700-750 à « confortablement plus de 800 », selon l’expression du communiqué de presse, ce qui laisse présager quelques belles annonces. On parle de commandes d’A330 et/ou 777 chez Qatar Airways, de la possibilité d’une cinquantaine d’A320 supplémentaires chez AirAsia.

 

Mais la grosse cote du salon est la présence ou non du nouveau long-courrier A350 d’Airbus, qui pourrait effectuer un passage si le programme d’essais est assez avancé et si la météo est favorable. Où en est-on exactement ? Les tests structurels du MSN5000, appareil de tests au sol, semblent bien se passer : les ingénieurs testent des charges représentant 125% des charges maximales supportées lors de l’exploitation de l’avion.

 

Le MSN1, l’avion du premier vol, est prêt pour les tests moteurs. De source interne, les tests du groupe auxiliaire de puissance (APU), qui alimente les systèmes de l’avion au sol, sont terminés. La suite, ce sont les tests des différents systèmes de l’avion, les tests moteurs au ralenti puis à pleine puissance, les tests des systèmes en cas de panne, la traque aux fuites de carburant. Viennent ensuite les tests de roulage et de freinage, dont un à la limite de la vitesse de décollage, puis enfin le premier vol. Le calendrier reste serré, mais il semble compatible avec un premier vol pendant le salon.

Les buzz du salon du Bourget

Le reste ? Airbus devrait aussi présenter deux appareils de transport militaire A400M, dont un en vol, et un en exposition statique. Boeing devrait présenter en vol un 787 de Qatar Airways. L’aviation russe revient en force : le nouveau chasseur Su-35 va faire sa première démonstration en vol à l’étranger. L’avion d’entraînement Yak-130 sera aussi de la partie, de même que le jet régional Superjet de Sukhoi.

 

Safran devrait effectuer une démonstration de son système de « green taxiing », avec le roulage de l’A320 équipé de moteurs électriques dans le train d’atterrissage. Ce système développé avec Honeywell permettrait une économie de carburant de 3 à 4%, en évitant d’avoir recours au moteur pour le roulage. Safran devrait également exposer son « checkpoint du futur », un ensemble d’équipements biométriques et de détection d’explosifs qui pourrait rendre plus fluide les procédures de sûreté dans les aéroports. On évoque aussi du nouveau sur le drone Patroller de Sagem.

 

Il y aura aussi du nouveau dans l’aménagement de cabine : Zodiac Aerospace devrait présenter en taille réelle sa cabine ISIS, prévue pour 2014. Les coffres à bagages, pivotants, offrent 60% de place supplémentaire : plus hauts, ils permettent de mettre huit bagages cabine sur la tranche, quand un coffre classique permet d’en mettre au maximum cinq à plat.

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2 juin 2013 7 02 /06 /juin /2013 07:50
Italian Navy's FREMM ship

Italian Navy's FREMM ship

31 May 2013 naval-technology.com

 

The Italian Navy has taken delivery of the first Frégate Européen multi-mission (FREMM) vessel, Carlo Bergamini, at the Fincantieri shipyard in Muggiano, La Spezia, Italy.

 

The delivery is part of a contract awarded to Orizzonte Sistemi Navali to build ten vessels for the Italian Navy to replace the ageing Fincantieri-built Lupo and Maestrale-class ships by 2021.

 

Established in late-2002, the FREMM multi-mission ship programme is part of a major cooperation agreement between France and Italy, under which 11 frigates will be built for France as well, with the deliveries closing in 2022.

 

Orizzonte Sistemi Navali (51% Fincantieri, 49% Finmeccanica) is the prime contractor for Italy, while Armaris, a joint venture between DCNS and Thales, is the prime contractor for France under the FREMM programme.

 

Italy will receive the vessels in two versions: an anti-submarine warfare (ASW) model and a general-purpose (GP) vehicle.

"Italy will receive the vessels in two versions: an anti-submarine warfare model and a general-purpose vehicle."

 

The 144m-long and 19.7m-wide Carlo Bergamini has a full-load displacement capacity of 6,500t, a maximum speed of 27k and an accommodation capacity of 145.

 

The Italian FREMM vessels will be armed with the SAAM Aster 15 missile system, Teseo Mk2 sea-skimming anti-ship missiles and MBDA's Milas all-weather weapon system to support anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-air warfare missions.

 

In addition, the ships will be equipped with EMPAR G-band multifunction phased array radar and Galileo Avionica silent acquisition surveillance system (SASS) to serve as infrared search and track (IRST) system.

 

Capable of supporting a range of missions and better safeguard the Mediterranean area, the FREMM frigates will also be used to conduct broad maritime defence strategies such as deterrence, protection, crisis mitigation and power projection.

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2 juin 2013 7 02 /06 /juin /2013 07:35
Japan Offers To Sell India 2 Shinmaywa US-2 Amphibians

ay 29, 2013 by Shiv Aroor - Livefist

 

TOKYO, MAY 29: Japan prohibits itself constitutionally from exporting military equipment, but the country has now offered to sell 2 Shinmaywa US-2 aircraft to India. The Prime Ministers of India and Japan today decided to set up a joint working group to study how India (there were no specifics in their statement, but both the IAF and Indian Navy have stated requirements) can acquire and operate the Shinmaywa US-2 amphibious aircraft. The joint statement issued today by the two leaders said, "They decided to establish a Joint Working Group (JWG) to explore modality for the cooperation on the US-2 amphibian aircraft."

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2 juin 2013 7 02 /06 /juin /2013 07:30
Mig-29M2 source info-aviation

Mig-29M2 source info-aviation

MOSCOU, 1er juin - RIA Novosti

 

La Russie entend reprendre les négociations avec la Syrie sur les contrats suspendus de livraison d'armes et les mettre à exécution, l'expédition de premiers lots de chasseurs MiG-29M/M2 étant notamment prévue d'ici fin d'année, rapporte samedi le journal Kommersant.

Selon le quotidien, il s'agit de la réalisation du contrat signé encore en 2007 pour la livraison de 12 avions et suspendu pour des raisons politiques, en attendant la stabilisation de la situation en Syrie déchirée par un conflit sanglant entre régime et opposition.

La Russie relance sa coopération militaire et technique avec Damas, suite à la décision de l'Union européenne de ne plus proroger l'embargo sur les armes pour l'opposition syrienne, écrit Kommersant, en référence à une source proche du dossier.

Jeudi 30 mai, le journal libanais Al-Akhbar a publié des extraits d'une interview du président syrien Bachar el-Assad, où il aurait annoncé que "la Syrie avait reçu un premier lot de missiles sol-air russes S-300". Il s'est avéré par la suite que M.Assad n'avait pas tenu de tels propos, mais a dit simplement que toutes les ententes russo-syriennes étaient respectées à la lettre. 

Washington a qualifié de "provocantes" les fournitures d'armes russes en Syrie.

Les ministres des Affaires étrangères des 27 ne sont pas parvenus à s'entendre sur la levée de l'embargo sur les armes pour les rebelles syriens. Pour éviter une scission au sein de l'UE, la chef de la diplomatie européenne Catherine Ashton a annoncé le droit de chaque Etat membre de prendre sa propre décision à ce sujet.

 

Selon le chef du Foreign Office, William Hague, l'absence de consensus sur la prolongation de l'embargo signifie de facto son abolition.

Le Kremlin a pour sa part estimé que la levée de l'embargo européen risquait de torpiller la préparation de la conférence Genève 2. Selon le chef de la diplomatie russe Sergueï Lavrov, toute livraison d'armes aux anti-Assad sera "illégitime" et "contraire aux normes du droit international".

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2 juin 2013 7 02 /06 /juin /2013 07:20
Oshkosh Defense Receives EMD Contract to Develop JLTV - the Future of Light Tactical Vehicles

OSHKOSH, Wis. (Aug. 23, 2012) —  Oshkosh Defense

 

The U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), a contract for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program’s Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase.  The JLTV program aims to replace many of the U.S. military’s aged HMMWVs with a lightweight vehicle that offers greater protection, mobility and transportability.

“The JLTV program is critical to supporting our troops who stand in harm’s way and deserve the best equipment that industry can provide,” said John Urias, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Oshkosh Defense.  “The Oshkosh JLTV solution will allow the Army and Marine Corps to provide unprecedented levels of protection and off-road mobility in a light vehicle – so that their troops can accomplish their missions and return home safely.”

JLTV is managed by the Joint U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps program, under the leadership of the U.S. Army's Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS).  Under the contract, Oshkosh will deliver 22 Oshkosh-designed and manufactured JLTV prototypes within 365 days of contract award, and support government testing and evaluation of the prototypes. 

Since 2006, Oshkosh has invested significantly in independent R&D to develop its JLTV solution.  Oshkosh employed a generational product development approach that aligned to rapidly evolving technical requirements.  As a result, the Oshkosh JLTV delivers the latest automotive technologies, an advanced crew protection system, and a next generation TAK-4i™ independent suspension system to achieve JLTV performance at an affordable price.  The Oshkosh JLTV is fully tested, ready for initial production, and meets or exceeds the requirements of the JLTV program.

“The Oshkosh JLTV solution was designed with a purpose – to keep Warfighters safe on future battlefields with unpredictable terrain, tactics, and threats,” said John Bryant, vice president and general manager of Joint and Marine Corps Programs for Oshkosh Defense.  “Oshkosh has a 90-year history of delivering high quality military vehicle programs on-time and on-budget, and our JLTV program is no exception.  We understand how critical this light, protected, off-road vehicle will be to Warfighters.” 

The Oshkosh JLTV solution, called the Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle, or L-ATV, offers an advanced crew protection system that has been extensively tested and is proven to optimize crew survivability.  The L-ATV can accept multiple armor configurations, which allows the vehicle to adapt easily to changing operational requirements. The L-ATV also applies the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent-suspension system to provide significantly faster speeds when operating off-road, which can be critical to troops’ safety. 

Oshkosh Defense has an unwavering commitment to the men and women who serve our nation.  Notably, Oshkosh was awarded the M-ATV contract in June 2009 on an urgent needs basis.  Oshkosh ramped up production at a historical pace – delivering 1,000 vehicles per month within six months.  Oshkosh delivered more than 8,700 M-ATVs, most of which were deployed in Afghanistan and are credited for saving thousands of troops’ lives. 

“Oshkosh’s M-ATV is the only vehicle in the combat theater in Afghanistan performing the JLTV’s mission profile,” said Bryant. “We delivered more than 8,700 M-ATV’s on-time and on-budget, and Oshkosh will bring the same level of commitment to the JLTV program.”

More information about the Oshkosh JLTV solution is available at http://www.oshkoshdefense.com/jltv.

 

 

About Oshkosh Defense

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, is an industry-leading global designer and manufacturer of tactical and protected military vehicles, delivering a full product line of conventional and hybrid vehicles, advanced armor options, proprietary suspensions and vehicles with payloads that can exceed 70 tons. Oshkosh Defense provides a global service and supply network including full life-cycle support and remanufacturing, and its vehicles are recognized the world over for superior performance, reliability and protection. For more information, visit www.oshkoshdefense.com.

 

About Oshkosh Corporation

Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire & emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®, Jerr-Dan®, Oshkosh Specialty Vehicles, Frontline™, CON-E-CO®, London® and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and long-term value are paramount. For more information, visit www.oshkoshcorporation.com.

®, TM All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies

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1 juin 2013 6 01 /06 /juin /2013 21:50
source Video Airbus Military

source Video Airbus Military

30 mai 2013 AirEtCosmosFJ

Airbus Military vient de réaliser un premier essai de ravitaillement, sur pod latéral, avec un EC725 prêté par Eurocopter. L'essai vise à valider la capacité de l'avion à ravitailler à basse vitesse, de 105 à 130 nœuds.

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1 juin 2013 6 01 /06 /juin /2013 18:20
L-3 WESCAM Unveils Its New Land Vehicle Surveillance System

May 31, 2013. David Pugliese -  Defence Watch

 

News release from L-3 WESCAM:

 

L‐3 WESCAM unveiled its new Land Vehicle Surveillance System, the MXTM-LVSS, at CANSEC.

 

Based on L-3 WESCAM’s industry-leading MX- Series of multi-spectral, highly stabilized imaging systems, the MX-LVSS is a modular and rugged solution consisting of low-risk, battle-proven, commercial-off-the-shelf subsystems currently operating in the world’s harshest terrains and climates.

 

L-3’s MX-LVSS consists of mast-mounted and remote-mounted surveillance suites with an integrated vehicle operator control station. The rugged system, adaptable to a wide range of platforms, obtains timely and accurate surveillance data on surrounding terrain and adversaries, day or night, while the host vehicle is stationary or on-the-move, mast-mounted or dismounted, in all weather conditions.

 

“As a turnkey ground vehicle ISR solution, the MX-LVSS provides state-of-the-art stability technology to ensure agile, responsive and adaptive surveillance. This greatly expands mission capability in real-world scenarios where the host vehicle is moving,” said Paul Jennison, vice president of government sales and business development for L-3 WESCAM. “The system’s scalable design supports a full range of surveillance capability and complexity, providing our customers around the world with system-level solutions customized to their precise specifications and budget. The new system is ideally suited for multiple platforms, such as the upcoming Canadian Light Armoured Vehicle (LAV) Recce Surveillance System (LRSS).”

 

The MX-LVSS’ performance is configurable from a basic mid-range surveillance capability with variable sensor payloads to a powerful long-range system with integrated ground surveillance radar. This flexibility extends to the host vehicle’s interior, with capability ranging from a basic localized sensor control package to a robust and fully integrated mission management system supporting the collection, storage, processing, manipulation, fusion and digital sharing of sensor data and imagery across the battlefield to enhance situational awareness at all levels.

 

L-3 WESCAM is a world leader in the design and manufacture of stabilized, multi-spectral imaging systems. To learn more about L-3 WESCAM, please visit the company’s website at www.wescam.com.

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1 juin 2013 6 01 /06 /juin /2013 15:55
Le général Ract Madoux au forum entreprises-Défense 2013 - Crédits : SIMMT

Le général Ract Madoux au forum entreprises-Défense 2013 - Crédits : SIMMT

01/06/2013 Armée de Terre - Economie et technologie

 

La 13e édition du forum entreprises-Défense (FED) s’est tenue à Versailles du 29 au 30 mai 2013. Le chef d’État-major de l’armée de Terre (CEMAT) a souligné que le partenariat État/Entreprise permettait à nos matériels de répondre aux exigences accrues des théâtres.

 

Ce salon réunit les donneurs d’ordres et les fournisseurs de la Défense française et constitue un rendez-vous essentiel pour de très nombreuses entreprises, françaises ou étrangères, pour présenter et promouvoir leurs technologies et leurs savoir-faire.

 

Cette biennale très attendue, organisée en alternance avec Eurosatory, a été inaugurée le 29 mai par le général d’armée Bertrand Ract-Madoux chef d’État-major de l’armée de Terre (CEMAT), en présence de nombreuses autorités civiles et militaires. Dans son allocution, le CEMAT a souligné l’importance de l’innovation et du partenariat de l’État/Entreprise permettant ainsi à nos matériels de répondre aux exigences accrues des théâtres.

 

Cette année, le salon a accueilli 161 exposants dont 17 entreprises étrangères et s’est appuyé sur la participation de plusieurs grands groupes industriels et d’un nombre important de PME-PMI.

 

Ce forum était organisé par la structure intégrée du maintien en condition opérationnelle des matériels terrestres (SIMMT) en partenariat avec la chambre de commerce et d’industrie Paris Île-de-France.

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1 juin 2013 6 01 /06 /juin /2013 11:35
Husky Mounted Detection System at Fort McCoy. Photo by Tom Michele US Army

Husky Mounted Detection System at Fort McCoy. Photo by Tom Michele US Army

May 31, 2013 Shishir Gupta, Hindustan Times 

 

The May 25 Maoist attack using a 25-kg explosive device in Darba has added impetus to the UPA government's plan to acquire state-of-the-art ground penetration radars from the US to detect buried improvised explosive devices (IEDs ) in low-intensity conflict zones.

 

The acquisition of ultra wide band microwave radars, which can detect a seven-feet underground IED, was discussed during the Indo-US homeland security dialogue last week, home ministry sources said. "Washington is more than willing to sell the high-tech radars to New Delhi for use by security forces," they added. Delegates to the meeting were led by home minister Sushilkumar Shinde and his American counterpart Janet Napolitano.

 

While Indian para-military forces still use hand-held metal detectors or mine sweepers to open roads for traffic in insurgency-affected zones, the US radar -- mounted on an IED-proof vehicle (like Husky or Stryker) -- scans the road ahead, jams the device's frequency and gives a 3D picture of the buried ordnance.

 

The US GPR, developed after a billion-dollar research, has successfully tackled IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq. "The GPR will be extremely effective in areas afflicted by the left-wing extremists as Maoists typically bury huge IEDs under the roads and trigger them off through remote or wire detonation. The IED used in the May 25 attack was made of ammonium nitrate and hidden under the road," a senior ministry official said.

 

It is learnt that New Delhi will acquire these radars through the foreign direct military sales route after the radar's trials in Indian conditions. Two Virginia-based companies are market leaders in the segment and have supplied IED detection radars to the US Army.

 

The US is also willing to supply port scanners so that explosives and nuclear , biological or chemicals weapons do not make their way disguised as imports into India. This hi-tech equipment, which can scan a truck at one go, will be housed at major ports across the country.

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1 juin 2013 6 01 /06 /juin /2013 07:55
Le démonstrateur Neuron développé et fabriqué sous la maîtrise d'oeuvre de Dassault Aviation

Le démonstrateur Neuron développé et fabriqué sous la maîtrise d'oeuvre de Dassault Aviation

31/05/2013 Michel Cabirol – LaTribune.fr

 

Le ministre de la Défense, Jean-Yves Le Drian, veut sortir "d'une impasse opérationnelle et industrielle" dans le domaine des drones. C'est pour cela qu'il est près de commander des drones de surveillance américain Reaper aux Etats-Unis. A plus long terme, le ministre veut être "au rendez-vous" des drones de combat, qui complèteront ou remplaceront les avions de combat.

 

Les drones sont un dossier qui titille le ministre de la Défense. Au point que Jean-Yves Le Drian s'est senti obligé une nouvelle fois de s'expliquer sur ce dossier brûlant en publiant ce vendredi une tribune dans "Les Echos" titrée "Pourquoi l'armée française a un besoin urgent de drones". Un exercice dans lequel Jean-Yves Le Drian justifie l'achat de drones MALE (Moyenne altitude Longue endurance) vraisemblablement américain par "le temps" qui "presse". "Notre besoin en drones nous impose d'être pragmatiques, et c'est bien ma démarche. Ministre de la Défense, c'est ma responsabilité et j'entends l'assumer", écrit-il dans le quotidien économique. Car souligne-t-il, il faut "sortir d'une impasse opérationnelle et industrielle pour enfin doter la France de drones, pièces maîtresses du renseignement et de la guerre de demain".

 

Ainsi, Jean-Yves Le Drian affirme que "la situation immédiate au Sahel (conflit au Mali avec possible extension au Niger, ndlr) me conduit à lancer l'acquisition d'un équipement existant, parce que nous ne pouvons plus attendre. Devant nous, deux possibilités : le Héron-TP réalisé en Israël et le Reaper produit aux Etats-Unis. De nombreuses actions ont été initiées avec ces deux pays. A très court terme, la piste américaine est la plus prometteuse, avec la perspective d'une première livraison de deux drones d'ici à la fin de cette année. Quelle autre option nous donnerait davantage satisfaction ? Comment, après tant de tergiversations, ne pas saisir l'occasion qui se présente la première ?". Et de rappeler que "l'ensemble de la communauté de défense, le ministère autant que l'industrie, a manqué le virage de ce type d'équipement".

 

Un équipement indispensable pour les conflits d'aujourd'hui et de demain

 

Le ministre de la Défense rappelle à raison que les drones MALE (reconnaissance et surveillance) sont indispensables. "Depuis un an, sur tous les théâtres d'opération majeurs, les situations concrètes ont confirmé le sentiment que nous avions : la France doit disposer de drones de surveillance pour conduire ses opérations, protéger ses militaires, les aider à contrôler de vastes espaces et parer d'éventuelles attaques ennemies", explique-t-il. Et de préciser que "le désengagement d'Afghanistan a largement reposé sur des drones dits « tactiques » (à savoir des DRAC français, des drones appartenant d'autres nations ainsi que l'appui de Predator, ndlr). Ils nous avaient manqué à Uzbeen en 2008 (lors d'une embuscade menée par des combattants talibans qui avait coûté la vie à 10 "Marsouins" -  8e régiment de parachutistes d'infanterie de marine - sur le col d'Uzbeen lors d'une patrouille menée par un centaine d'hommes - Français, Afghans et Américains - de la Force internationale d'assistance et de sécurité, ndlr). Mis en oeuvre par l'armée de terre l'an dernier, ils ont permis de sécuriser les convois tout au long de leur déplacement vers Kaboul. Mais ces équipements, provisoires et insuffisants, doivent être remplacés par des systèmes plus modernes". Notamment par des drones anglo-israéliens Watchkeeper, sous la maîtrise d'oeuvre de Thales UK et actuellement testés par l'armée de terre française.

 

C'est aujourd'hui le cas aussi au Mali. "Ce territoire, grand comme 2,5 fois la France, rend indispensable le déploiement de drones MALE qui, avec la discrétion qui s'impose, sont en mesure de parcourir de longues distances et d'observer de larges espaces pendant plus de vingt heures", explique Jean-Yves Le Drian. mais regrette-t-il, "aujourd'hui, la France continue à utiliser deux systèmes que l'on disait intérimaires au moment de leur lancement, en 2003 (SIDM Harfang - un drone MALE d'EADS - et SDTI - un drone tactique de Safran, ndlr). Le provisoire est devenu permanent. Dix ans ont passé; nous n'avons pas progressé. Nous en sommes à espérer que nos deux systèmes encore opérationnels ne subissent pas d'incident majeur, et à compter sur la solidarité de nos alliés dans un domaine majeur pour notre souveraineté, celui du renseignement, sans lequel il n'est pas d'action libre ni sûre".

 

Ne pas rater le rendez-vous des drones de combat

 

Pour l'avenir, le ministre a assuré que les mesures nécessaires seront prises. "L'urgence ne doit pas faire obstacle à l'avenir. C'est pourquoi j'ai proposé à nos partenaires européens, dans le domaine des drones MALE, de nous regrouper, pour partager nos expériences et nos capacités, et impliquer nos industries dans la mise au point de ces équipements pour nos propres besoins. Cette ambition est d'ores et déjà en chantier". Effectivement une coopération a été conclue dans le domaine des drones avec la Grande-Bretagne, qui utilise déjà des Reaper, dans le cadre des accords de Lancaster House. C'est notamment vrai sur les drones tactiques (Watchkeeper). Au-delà, la France et la Grande-Bretagne travaillent à définir à l'horizon 2020 un drone MALE européen pouvant équiper la France et la Grande-Bretagne mais aussi l'Allemagne et l'Italie.

 

Mais à plus long terme Jean-Yves Le Drian pense au drone de combat, "qui, à l'horizon 2030, viendront compléter voire remplacer nos flottes d'avions de chasse". "Ce rendez-vous, nous ne le manquerons pas, assuré le ministre. L'industrie française et européenne est à la pointe de cette technologie, comme l'a démontré le premier vol du drone NEURON (développé et fabriqué sous la maîtrise d'oeuvre de Dasssault Aviation, ndlr) à la fin de l'année 2012. Elle doit le demeurer, et nous lui consacrerons à cette fin les moyens nécessaires". Dont acte.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 21:50
New MBR system to be installed on HMS Ocean

May 31, 2013 ASDNews Source : Babcock International

 

Work has been completed on schedule in preparation for the installation by Babcock of a first of class state-of-the-art Membrane Bio-Reactor (MBR) on HMS Ocean.  This represents a significant proportion of the vessel’s current upgrade package and is an integral part of the 15 month overhaul programme underway at Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard.

 

The new MBR replaces the ship’s existing 15 year old sewage treatment system and will be capable of processing both waste water and sewage (black and grey water, galley, laundry, sink and shower waste).  Installation of this new system will ensure that HMS Ocean leaves this upkeep period in full compliance with current and future planned IMO and MARPOL regulations due to come into force in 2015, enabling the ship to operate globally in carrying out her designated tasking.

 

The project to manufacture, supply and fit the new MBR system is being undertaken in a joint approach by Babcock (responsible for removal of old and installation of the new system and equipment in the installation path) and the system Original Equipment Manufacturer Hamworthy Water Systems (providing custom built modular components, on-site fabrication of new tanks and setting the system to work).  This substantial project, which extends through the length of the ship at 7-9 deck, impacts on the upkeep schedule at every level.

 

Last month (April 2013) saw completion to schedule of considerable preparatory work to allow the installation phase of the new system to commence.  This has included cutting three shipping routes (approximately 2.5m2) into the hull, removal of the three redundant sewage treatment plants located forward, aft and amidships, and removal or re-routing of systems and equipment in the path of the new equipment fit.  The Mid Auxiliary Room (MAR) – the ship’s compartment most affected by the MBR installation – is now virtually empty, ready to accommodate the new system.

 

The scale of the installation project ahead is huge.  As well as more than 3km of constructive and mechanical fluid system pipework to be taken out and/or re-sited, over 1.5km of new MBR pipework is to be fitted between the various system components, along with over 3.7km of new cabling to be run and sealed for the new equipment fit.  New holding, collection and pumping tanks are to be fabricated & fitted forward and aft, and transfer pumps, filtration membranes, grease separators and screen presses integral to the MBR system will also be installed, along with control and monitoring equipment.  Almost every compartment of the ship will see some MBR-related work.

 

Babcock Warship Support SSS Delivery Director, Mike Weeks, said: “A particular challenge lies in the re-installing or re-routing of existing systems and accommodation of the new system equipment within the Mid Auxiliary Room.  3D computer modelling has been undertaken to facilitate this, with installation drawings now agreed and approved.  We are now starting installation of the MBR.  It’s a tight timescale to achieve a working system ready for when ship’s staff move on board, but good progress has been made to date by all parties involved, and work on this critical path project is currently on-schedule.  We’ll be working hard to maintain that through the installation phase.  As in all aspects of this massive upkeep period, we will be focusing on delivering this fit safely, on-schedule and at optimum value for money.”

 

The extensive deep maintenance programme on HMS Ocean is the first on an amphibious capital ship since full implementation of the Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA), under which Babcock leads the Class Output Management (COM) team responsible for delivering support to all amphibious vessels.  The knowledge and experience gained through this project will contribute to de-risking future upkeeps, most notably for HMS Albion and Bulwark, as well as helping to inform and guide the maintenance strategy for the new Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 19:40
Mistral: Russie et France satisfaites de l'avancement de la construction

MOSCOU, 31 mai - RIA Novosti

 

La Russie et la France se sont déclarées satisfaites de l'avancement des travaux de construction de deux bâtiments de projection et de commandement (BPC) de type Mistral destinés aux forces navales russes, a annoncé vendredi un communiqué du Service fédéral pour la coopération militaro-technique (FSVTS).

 

"Les parties se sont félicitées de l'état d'avancement des travaux de construction des porte-hélicoptères de classe Mistral pour la Marine russe et ont convenu d'élargir leur coopération militaro-technique", lit-on dans le communiqué publié à l'issue de la 14e réunion du Comité russo-français pour la coopération militaro-technique, qui s'est tenue jeudi à Ekaterinbourg (Oural).

 

En juin 2011, la Russie et la France ont signé un contrat de 1,2 milliard d'euros prévoyant la construction de deux BPC de classe Mistral pour la Marine russe. Le premier navire, baptisé "Vladivostok", sera livré en 2014 et le second, "Sébastopol", en 2015. Les deux bâtiments de guerre feront partie de la Flotte russe du Pacifique.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 12:50
Next stop for next generation armored combat vehicles: Poland

May 31, 2013 ASDNews Source : BAE Systems PLC

 

    BAE Systems & Polish Defence Holding Offer New Family of Armored Tracked Vehicles for Poland Military

 

BAE Systems Hägglunds and Polish national defense company, Polish Defence Holding (formerly the Bumar Group), have joined forces to offer new tracked armored combat vehicles for a top-priority Polish military program under an exclusive teaming agreement.

 

The “Modular Tracked Platform” (MTP) is part of Poland’s National Armor Program.

 

The MTP timescales are tight with a production contract likely to be let in 2015 and first vehicles delivered for service in 2018. To meet them the team is proposing a family of vehicles which draws heavily on CV90 technology and reaps the benefit of millions of man hours and dollars already invested in its design.

 

“Polish Defence Holding has extensive experience as an in-country prime contractor and will be critical in developing solutions for this new family of armored fighting vehicles that will meet the military’s requirements in Poland,” said Erwin Bieber, president of BAE Systems’ Land & Armaments sector.

 

The partnership brings the team one step closer to meeting the demanding technical and time challenges of this major Polish program and delivering critical operational capability to the Polish Land Forces. Polish Defence Holding will be instrumental in facilitating production of the vehicles if this team’s offering is selected.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 12:35
tejas source Livefist

tejas source Livefist

30/05/2013 by Paul Fiddian - Armed Forces International's Lead Reporter

 

The Indian Air Force's newly-inducted HAL Tejas combat aircraft should reach final operational status by late 2014, according to defence minister A.K. Antony's statement.

 

In early 2011, the HAL Tejas achieved IOC (initial operating clearance) status but, since then, ongoing issues have delayed its full introduction into service. "To achieve this [final operational status] objective, all stakeholders including the Defence Research and Development Organisation, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and IAF must put their energy together in a focused manner", Antony urged.

 

Referring to the Tejas' indigenous background and the need for India to start working on other home-grown military technologies, he added: "We continue to be the largest importer of defence equipment. The share of indigenous content in defence procurement is low. Our experience has been that foreign vendors are reluctant to part with critical technologies.

 

"There are delays in the supply of essential spares [and] there are exorbitant price increases. The services [need] to realise that we cannot be eternally-dependant on foreign equipment and platforms."

 

Indian HAL Tejas

 

The Indian HAL Tejas story dates back to the 1980s. At that point, India launched its LCA (Light Combat Aircraft) programme, which aimed to develop a new fighter type to take over from the Indian Air Force's elderly MiG-21s.

 

The resultant prototype Tejas design made its first flight in January 2001, followed some seven years later by the first production model. Since 2011's IOC award, the IAF Tejas fleet has carried out many sorties but, in August 2012, a three-month grounding was imposed, on account of issues involving the aircraft's ejection seat configuration. Ultimately, the Indian Air Force is set to be equipped with a maximum of 180 Tejas fighters, while the Indian Navy will get up to 50 examples.

 

Powered by a single F404-GE-IN20 turbofan, the Tejas has a top speed of Mach 1.8, an unrefuelled range of 850 kilometres and a service ceiling of 50,000 feet. Eight weapons hardpoints can carry up to 4,000 kilograms of ordnance, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-surface missiles, anti-ship missiles and bombs. These are supplemented by a 23mm twin-barrel GSh-23 cannon, complete with 220 ammunition rounds.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 12:30
La Russie pourrait ne pas livrer de S-300 à la Syrie cette année

31 mai 2013 Romandie.com (AFP)

 

MOSCOU - La Russie n'a pas encore livré de missiles sol-air S-300 à la Syrie contrairement à ce qu'a laissé entendre le président Bachar al-Assad et elle pourrait ne pas le faire cette année, ont rapporté vendredi plusieurs médias.

 

Dans une interview à la chaîne Al-Manar du Hezbollah libanais diffusée jeudi, M. Assad, interrogé sur la livraison de ces missiles promis par Moscou, a répondu: tous les accords passés avec la Russie seront honorés et une partie l'a déjà été dernièrement.

 

Mais selon des sources au sein du complexe militaro-industriel russe, citées par les quotidiens Vedomosti et Kommersant, ces missiles n'ont pas encore été livrés.

 

Selon Vedomosti, il n'est pas certain que ces systèmes d'armes, objet d'un contrat signé en 2010 pour un milliard de dollars et portant sur quatre batteries de missiles d'après sa source, seront livrés cette année.

 

La livraison de six batteries S-300, prévue dans un contrat signé en 2010, n'aura lieu qu'au deuxième trimestre 2014, écrit pour sa part Kommersant.

 

Il n'était pas possible d'expliquer la différence des chiffres avancés par les deux journaux.

 

Kommersant souligne qu'en outre six mois seront nécessaires pour former le personnel syrien et tester les missiles avant qu'ils ne soient opérationnels.

 

Une source a confirmé vendredi matin à l'agence Interfax que les délais de livraison n'étaient pas encore fixés.

 

Nous avons avec nos partenaires syriens régulièrement des entretiens sur les contrats déjà signés. En ce qui concerne les livraisons de S-300, elles ne pourront pas commencer avant l'automne, a déclaré cette source au sein des structures chargées des exportations d'armes.

 

Techniquement c'est possible, mais cela dépendra beaucoup de la situation dans la région et de la position des pays européens sur la question du règlement du conflit syrien, a-t-elle poursuivi.

 

Cette source n'a par ailleurs pas exclu que les livraisons soient suspendues comme cela avait été le cas en 2005 avec des missiles tactiques Iskander, après qu'Israël avait fait pression sur Moscou.

 

La Syrie voulait vraiment recevoir ces systèmes, était prête à payer n'importe quel prix, mais la Russie avait décidé de renoncer à ces livraisons pour ne pas déstabiliser la situation dans la région, a dit cette source.

 

Moscou avait défendu mardi la livraison à Damas de S-300, des systèmes sol-air sophistiqués capables d'intercepter en vol des avions ou des missiles téléguidés, équivalents russes du Patriot américain, comme un facteur de dissuasion contre une intervention extérieure en Syrie.

 

La source citée par Vedomosti a toutefois indiqué que même si les autorités russes insistaient officiellement sur leur volonté d'honorer ce contrat, cela ne signifiait pas que les livraisons auraient forcément lieu.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 12:20
Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW)

Advanced Hypersonic Weapon (AHW)

Jun 1st 2013 Technology Quarterly – economist.com

 

Hypersonic weapons: Building vehicles that fly at five times the speed of sound is amazingly hard, but researchers are trying

 

ON AUGUST 20th 1998 Bill Clinton ordered American warships in the Arabian Sea to fire a volley of more than 60 Tomahawk cruise missiles at suspected terrorist training camps near the town of Khost in eastern Afghanistan. The missiles, flying north at about 880kph (550mph), took two hours to reach their target. Several people were killed, but the main target of the attack, Osama bin Laden, left the area shortly before the missiles struck. American spies located the al-Qaeda leader on two other occasions as he moved around Afghanistan in September 2000. But the United States had no weapons able to reach him fast enough.

 

After the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001, American officials decided that they needed to obtain a “prompt global strike” capability, able to deliver conventional explosives anywhere on Earth within an hour or two. One way to do this would be to take existing intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and replace the nuclear warheads with standard explosives. The hitch is that ballistic missiles are usually armed with nuclear warheads. A launch could therefore be misconstrued as the start of a nuclear strike, says Arun Prakash, a former Chief of the Naval Staff, the top job in India’s navy.

 

Moreover, ICBMs carrying conventional explosives towards targets in Asia or the Middle East would at first be indistinguishable from those aimed at China or Russia, according to a paper issued by the Congressional Research Service, an American government-research body. This uncertainty might provoke a full-scale nuclear counterattack. In the years after 2001 funding for non-nuclear ballistic missiles was repeatedly cut by Congress, until military planners eventually gave up on the idea. Instead, they have now pinned their hopes on an alternative approach: superfast or “hypersonic” unmanned vehicles that can strike quickly by flying through the atmosphere, and cannot be mistaken for a nuclear missile.

 

These hypersonic vehicles are not rockets, as ICBMs are, but work in a fundamentally different way. Rockets carry their own fuel, which includes the oxygen needed for combustion in airless space. This fuel is heavy, making rockets practical only for short, vertical flights into space. So engineers are trying to develop lightweight, “air breathing” hypersonic vehicles that can travel at rocket-like speeds while taking oxygen from the atmosphere, as a jet engine does, rather than having to carry it in the form of fuel oxidants.

 

The term hypersonic technically refers to speeds faster than five times the speed of sound, or Mach 5, equivalent to around 6,200kph at sea level and 5,300kph at high altitudes (where the colder, thinner air means the speed of sound is lower). Being able to sustain flight in the atmosphere at such speeds would have many benefits. Hypersonic vehicles would not be subject to existing treaties on ballistic-missile arsenals, for one thing. It is easier to manoeuvre in air than it is in space, making it more feasible to dodge interceptors or change trajectory if a target moves. And by cutting the cost of flying into the upper reaches of the atmosphere, the technology could also help reduce the expense of military and civilian access to space.

 

All this, however, requires a totally different design from the turbofan and turbojet engines that power airliners and fighter jets, few of which can operate beyond speeds of about Mach 2. At higher speeds the jet engines’ assemblies of spinning blades can no longer slow incoming air to the subsonic velocities needed for combustion. Faster propulsion relies instead on engines without moving parts. One type, called a ramjet, slows incoming air to subsonic speeds using a carefully shaped inlet to compress and thereby slow the airstream. Ramjets power France’s new, nuclear-tipped ASMPA missiles. Carried by Rafale and Mirage fighter jets, they are thought to be able to fly for about 500km at Mach 3, or around 3,700kph.

 

It’s not rocket science

 

But reaching hypersonic speeds of Mach 5 and above with an air-breathing engine means getting combustion to happen in a stream of supersonic air. Engines that do this are called supersonic-combustion ramjets, or scramjets. They also use a specially shaped inlet to slow the flow of incoming air, but it does not slow down enough to become subsonic. This leaves engineers with a big problem: injecting and igniting fuel in a supersonic airstream is like “lighting a match in a hurricane and keeping it lit,” says Russell Cummings, a hypersonic-propulsion expert at California Polytechnic State University.

 

One way to do it is to use fuel injectors that protrude, at an angle, into the supersonic airstream. They generate small shock waves that mix oxygen with fuel as soon as it is injected. This mixture can be ignited using the energy of bigger shock waves entering the combustion chamber. Another approach is being developed at the Australian Defence Force Academy. In a process known as “cascade ionisation”, laser blasts lasting just a few nanoseconds rip electrons off passing molecules, creating pockets of hot plasma in the combustion chamber that serve as sparks.

 

Scramjet fuel must also be kept away from the wall of the combustion chamber. Otherwise, it might “pre-ignite” before mixing properly, blowing up the vehicle, says Clinton Groth, an engineer at the University of Toronto who is currently doing research at Cambridge University in England (and who has consulted for Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce, two engine-makers). To complicate matters further, scramjets move too fast for their internal temperature and air pressure to be controlled mechanically by adjusting the air intake. Instead, as scramjets accelerate, they must ascend into thinner air at a precise rate to prevent rising heat and pressure from quickening the fuel burn and blowing up the combustion chamber.

 

In other words, igniting a scramjet is difficult, and keeping it going without exploding is harder still. Moreover scramjets, like ramjets, cannot begin flight on their own power. Because they need to be moving quickly to compress air for combustion, scramjets must first be accelerated by piggybacking on a jet plane or rocket. There are, in short, formidable obstacles to the construction of a scramjet vehicle. Even though the idea has been around since the 1950s, it was not until the 1990s that a scramjet was successfully flight-tested by Russian researchers, working in conjunction with French and American scientists—and some experts doubt that those tests achieved fully supersonic combustion.

 

HyShot goes supersonic down under - photo The University of Queensland

HyShot goes supersonic down under - photo The University of Queensland

 

 

The next step forward came in July 2002, when a British-designed scramjet vehicle was successfully flown in Australia by researchers at the University of Queensland. The HyShot scramjet flew at Mach 7.6 for six seconds. But this was not controlled flight of a scramjet vehicle: instead the HyShot was launched on a rocket into space, and its engine was then ignited as it fell, nose pointing downwards, at hypersonic speed back towards the ground.

 

More recently America’s space agency, NASA, has made progress with two experimental scramjet vehicles, both of which are dropped from a carrier plane and then accelerated using a rocket booster. The unmanned, hydrogen-fuelled X-43A scramjet accelerated to a record Mach 9.68 in November 2004. This was the first fully controlled flight of a scramjet-powered vehicle, though it lasted only ten seconds.

 

NASA is now concentrating on another test vehicle, the X-51A Waverider. In its first test, carried out in May 2010, the X-51A reached Mach 5, but not a hoped-for Mach 6, during a flight lasting roughly 200 seconds. Subsequent tests in June 2011 and August 2012 both failed. In a test flight on May 1st 2013, however, the X-51A maintained a speed of Mach 5.1 for four minutes, in the longest scramjet flight on record.

 

The unsheltering sky

 

In 2010 the head of America’s Pacific Command, Admiral Robert Willard, said that a Chinese programme to convert a nuclear ballistic missile into an aircraft-carrier killer, by packing it with conventional explosives, had reached “initial operational capability”. The DF-21D, as it is called, is designed to descend from space at hypersonic speed and strike ships in the Western Pacific. Even though the accuracy of the DF-21D’s guidance system is unknown, the missile is already altering the balance of power within its range, says Eric McVadon, a consultant on East Asian security and a former US Navy rear-admiral.

 

Having ruled out such systems due to the “nuclear ambiguity” a launch would cause, and with powered hypersonic vehicles descended from the X-51A still years away, America has begun testing yet another approach. As part of an effort called Project Falcon, the US Air Force and DARPA, the research arm of America’s armed forces, have developed hypersonic “boost-glide” vehicles that piggyback on a modified ICBM and achieve hypersonic speeds simply by falling from a high altitude, rather than using a scramjet.

 

The “hypersonic cruise vehicle” (pictured on previous page), is carried on an ICBM into the lower reaches of space where it separates, and, rather than following an arching ballistic trajectory, glides back to Earth at more than 20,000kph. The first vehicle, tested in April 2010, successfully separated from its ICBM, but about nine minutes later contact was lost. “They were getting good data and then the skin peeled off and it went boom,” says Brian Weeden, a former air-force captain and nuclear-missile launch officer stationed in Montana. A test in 2011 also failed.

 

In spite of such setbacks, research into hypersonic weapons will continue. Building a vehicle capable of gliding at Mach 16 is difficult, but not impossible. America’s space shuttle used to re-enter the atmosphere at Mach 25, so fast that friction heated air molecules into a layer of plasma around the craft that radio signals could not penetrate. New “ceramic matrix composites” show great heat-shielding promise, says Sankar Sambasivan, the boss of Applied Thin Films, a company in Illinois that makes parts for military aircraft.

 

Testing equipment is also improving. Heat and pressure sensors, and even video cameras, can be embedded in vehicles to gather data as they fly, providing “a level of detail and fidelity that we’ve never had before,” says Ken Anderson, head of hypersonic air vehicles at Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation. Better wind tunnels help, too. The one at Belgium’s Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics can generate short blasts of air at Mach 14. This is done by cooling the test chamber, reducing the speed of sound and thereby increasing the Mach number of air forced in with a piston.

 

Last year a DARPA statement noted that America is gradually losing the “strategic advantage” that its stealth warplanes have long provided, as other countries’ stealth and counter-stealth capabilities continue to improve. Instead, DARPA suggested, America will need “the new stealth” of hypersonic vehicles. Similarly, Russia’s deputy prime minister, Dmitry Rogozin, remarked last year that the design of hypersonic missiles had become a priority for the country. Getting anything to work at all under hypersonic conditions is extraordinarily difficult—but the effort continues even so.

 

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 12:20
New US Navy Littoral Combat Ships Cannot Fullfil Agreed Missions

16/05/2013 by Victoria Knowles - Armed Forces International Reporter

 

A Navy ship cannot meet its mission, according to an internal US report.

 

Last year, US Navy chiefs were cautioned that a program to assemble Littoral Combat Ships, costing $37 billion, cannot fulfill its agreed mission due to the vessels being too lightly armed and manned, a confidential report found.

 

"This review highlights the gap between ship capabilities and the missions the Navy will need LCS to execute", the 36-page report said, compiled by Rear Admiral Samuel Perez for the Navy last year.

 

The Littoral Combat Ship is a vessel that can adapt to carry out one of three assigned roles: anti-submarine, anti-mine, or ocean surface combat. To achieve this, it uses interchangeable modules, missiles, unmanned underwater vehicles and helicopters, dependent on the mission. In theory, these modules function like LEGOs, interchanging a sonar collection in the anti-submarine equipment for a 30mm gun from the surface warfare kit.

 

Littoral Combat Ships Do Not Function Effectively

 

But in practice, these modules don't function efficiently. The target was a 96-hour turnaround between the in place modules and other specific tools required. A vessel this flexible and adaptable could respond quickly in the event of a crisis. But the report, acquired by Bloomberg News, reveals that while a four day module exchange technically is possible, a nearby dock is required, with the next module's components already to hand. This means a lot of preparation beforehand is needed to set up, and necessitates acquiring spare modules from naval bases in advance. This is a process that, during a training exercise, took weeks.

 

Also, the Littoral Combat Ship is far from durable. A late report states that the vessel is not anticipated to remain competent following a strike from an opponent, which presents a major issue for a naval ship. Granted, it wouldn't be able to execute an entire naval battle on its own, but it takes less than an enemy warship to sink it: this vessel can be taken out by only a single hostile cruise missile.

 

The Navy currently has 20 vessels under contract from a proposed fleet of 52. Construction costs have increased two-fold, from an original target of $220 million per ship to $440 million.

 

It is still feasible for the Littoral Combat Ship to undergo drastic improvements; while the 12 month-old report highlights crucial flaws, they are not completely unconquerable. Addressing them will require further monetary invest and time, which is a period of sequestration, both these resources are progressively scare.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 12:20
photo Raytheon

photo Raytheon

May 31, 2013 ASDNews Source : Raytheon Corporation

 

    Engagements validate defensive weapon's upgrades

 

The U.S. Navy completed the first series of developmental and operational testing (DT/OT) of Raytheon Company's (NYSE: RTN) Rolling Airframe Missile Block 2.

 

In at-sea tests conducted from the U.S. Navy's Self-Defense Test Ship, RAM Block 2 missiles engaged two targets in tactical dual-salvo scenarios designed to demonstrate the advanced missile's defensive capabilities. The DT/OT tests successfully engaged high-speed, maneuvering and sub-sonic, maneuvering targets with all four RAM Block 2 missiles meeting test objectives.

 

"RAM Block 2's success in these developmental tests follows the completion of a series of guidance test vehicle flight tests," said Rick Nelson, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Naval and Area Mission Defense product line. "RAM Block 2's increased kinematic capability and its advanced guidance system will continue to give the warfighter an unfair advantage in the fight."

 

Raytheon and its manufacturing partner RAMSYS of Germany were awarded the second U.S. Navy RAM Block 2 low-rate production contact for 61 missiles in December 2012. In addition, as previously reported, the company received a $155.6 million Block 2 production contract for the German navy earlier this year.

 

The RAM Block 2 upgrade includes a four-axis independent control actuator system and an increase in rocket motor capability, increasing the missile's effective range and delivering a significant increase in maneuverability. The improved missile also incorporates an upgraded passive radio frequency seeker, a digital autopilot and engineering changes in selected infrared seeker components.

 

RAM is a supersonic, lightweight, quick reaction, fire-and-forget missile providing defense against anti-ship cruise missiles, helicopter and airborne threats, and hostile surface craft. The missile's autonomous dual-mode, passive radio frequency and infrared guidance design provide a high-firepower capability for engaging multiple threats simultaneously. RAM is installed, or planned for installation, aboard more than 165 ships as an integral self-defense weapon for the navies of Egypt, Germany, Greece, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States.

 

About RAM

 

    Extremely high reliability resulting from years of development, testing and design improvements.

    Four-axis independent control actuator system with increased rocket motor capability.

    Upgraded passive radio frequency seeker, a digital autopilot and improved infrared seeker.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 11:55
Premier A400M pour l'armée de l'air française (à gauche) à côté d'un appareil d'essais d'Airbus Military photo Pierre Bayle

Premier A400M pour l'armée de l'air française (à gauche) à côté d'un appareil d'essais d'Airbus Military photo Pierre Bayle

 

30 mai 2013 Par Elodie Vallerey - Usinenouvelle.com

 

Initialement prévue pour mai 2013, la livraison du premier exemplaire de l'avion de transport militaire A400M d'Airbus Military à l'armée de l'air française pourrait intervenir avant le 14 juillet.

 

"Nous sommes de retour sur le bon chemin et nous sommes très proches d'une entrée en service", a confié Cédric Gautier, le chef du programme A400M chez Airbus Military, lors d'un point presse le 30 mai.

 

"Nous avons réglé les problèmes (rencontrés sur les moteurs de l'A400M) pour l'entrée en service. Le calendrier reste le même, nous avons beaucoup avancé", a-t-il assuré.

 

Et de prévoir une première livraison de l'avion de transport militaire destiné à équiper sept pays dont la France, l'Allemagne et l'Espagne "dans les prochains jours ou semaines". "Nous sommes absolument convaincus de la capacité actuelle de l'avion, et prêts à l'exporter", analyse Cédric Gautier.

 

Avant la livraison du MSN7, le premier exemplaire pour l'armée de l'air française, avant le défilé du 14 juillet, l'échéance pour Airbus et sa filiale Airbus Military reste le Salon international de l'aéronautique et de l'espace de Paris-Le Bourget, du 17 au 23 juin.

 

Selon nos confrères d'Air&Cosmos, deux A400M seront présentés au Bourget, l'un sur l'exposition statique (le MSN 7 français), l'autre pour les démonstrations en vol (le MSN006).

 

Le site du magazine cite aussi Domingo Ureña-Raso, le patron d'Airbus Military, qui aurait annoncé la tenue d'une cérémonie sur la base militaire d'Orléans pour la livraison fin juin ou début juillet du MSN 7 à l'armée.

 

Sur son site de Séville, en Espagne, Airbus a récemment réalisé avec succès les tests moteur du MSN 8, le deuxième exemplaire pour la France devant être livré au cours de l'été. Avec en ligne de mire un premier vol dans les prochaines semaines.

 

Selon les informations délivrées par Airbus Military, six appareils (MSN 7 à 12) sont actuellement en phase d'assemblage final, et la production de quinze autres appareils (MSN 13 à 27) a commencé.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 11:35
Hawkei Vehicles Delivered on Schedule

29.05.2013 Thales Group - army-guide.com

 

Thales Australia has delivered a further two Hawkei vehicles to the Defence Materiel Organisation on schedule.

 

The handover of the two Reconnaissance variants under Stage 2 of the Manufactured and Supported in Australia option of Land 121 Phase 4 means that all six vehicles are now with the Department of Defence for testing. All vehicle delivery milestones have been met on schedule.

 

The six vehicles comprise two Command variants, two Utility variants and two Reconnaissance variants, plus a trailer.

 

The majority of the evaluation process is being undertaken by the Commonwealth at Monegeetta in Victoria, and includes survivability testing, communications system integration testing, electro-magnetic interference/compatibility testing, reliability growth trials and user assessments.

 

Vehicles already delivered have so far completed almost half of the planned 100,000km of testing scheduled for the evaluation period. Subject to successful testing of the vehicles, final approval of the project is expected circa 2015, as detailed in the 2012 Defence Capability Plan.

 

Thales Australia CEO Chris Jenkins said: “We are very pleased to deliver these final two vehicles to Defence on schedule. They are backed by the expertise of our protected mobility engineering teams, and we are working closely with Defence to support the testing and evaluation process.”

 

“We have invested $30 million in Hawkei, and Australian industry has also put significant effort into the development of these vehicles. I’d like to thank all the companies in the supply chain who have helped us meet this important milestone.”

 

The Hawkei is manufactured at Thales’s Bendigo facility in Victoria. Employing 200 people, Bendigo is also home of the Bushmaster vehicle that has proven very successful on Australian Defence Force operations overseas.

 

LAND 121 Phase 4 is a Department of Defence project that seeks to provide up to 1,300 protected light vehicles.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 11:20
Oshkosh Showcases Light Combat Tactical All Terrain Vehicle At CANSEC 2013

May 29, 2013. David Pugliese - Defence Watch

 

News release from Oshkosh:

 

OTTAWA, Ontario (May 29, 2013) — Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), is showcasing the Oshkosh Light Combat Tactical All-Terrain Vehicle (L-ATV) – the future of light tactical vehicles – for the first time in Canada at the CANSEC 2013 defence exhibition in Ottawa, Ontario. The L-ATV aims to replace aging Light Utility Vehicle, Wheeled (LUVW) and special operations vehicle fleets and give troops greater off-road mobility, protection, speed and transportability capabilities.

 

“Military threats, tactics and environments are changing at unprecedented speeds,” said John Urias, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president of Oshkosh Defense. “Our L-ATV platform leverages the latest automotive technologies and vast military experience to give troops next-generation levels of mobility, protection and operational flexibility for missions both at home and abroad. We believe this vehicle represents the future of light tactical vehicles and are excited to share this cutting edge solution in Canada.”

 

The Oshkosh L-ATV offers an advanced crew protection system proven to optimize crew survivability. The platform can accept multiple armour configurations, which allows the vehicle to adapt easily to changing operational requirements. The L-ATV also applies the Oshkosh TAK-4i™ intelligent independent-suspension system to provide significantly faster speeds when operating off-road, which can be critical to troops’ safety.

 

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps selected the Oshkosh L-ATV in August 2012 as one of three vehicles to be evaluated in the Engineering, Manufacturing and Development (EMD) phase of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) programme, which focuses on replacing the HMMWV fleet. As part of the JLTV programme, Oshkosh will deliver 22 L-ATVs in August 2013 for U.S. Government testing and evaluation.

 

Also at CANSEC, the company will be displaying the Oshkosh Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) A4 Light Equipment Transporter and the Oshkosh Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) 5-ton wrecker, as well as demonstrating a new module of the Oshkosh Virtual Trainer for the HEMTT Load Handling System (LHS).

 

Oshkosh Defense leadership will be available at CANSEC to discuss the company’s commitment to Canada, as well its full range of vehicle, technology and service offerings, at indoor booth #1001 in The Ernst & Young Centre (formerly the CE Centre) and outdoor booth #2029 today through May 30.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 07:35
MiG-21 Production Finally Ends

May 29, 2013: Strategy Page

 

China recently ended production of its MiG-21 clone (the J7) after nearly fifty years of manufacturing what evolved into an advanced version of the original Russian design. China began licensed production of the Russian MiG-21 in 1964, but it took another decade for that to evolve into the J7 and for mass production to really get started. Over 2,400 were produced. The earlier ones were inferior to the MiG-21 because Russia refused to transfer technology for the latest models of this 1950s design. By the 1980s the Chinese had matched the Russian MiG-21. This didn’t bother the Russians because in 1985 Russia ceased production, after more than 11,000 had been produced. From then on, if you wanted a MiG-21 you had only one source, the Chinese J7. In the last three decades China kept improving the J7 capabilities, mainly through tweaks to the airframe and better electronics. Most J7s were used by China but about twenty percent were exported to fourteen countries. About a dozen of these nations still operate their J7s.

 

Two years ago China officially withdrew its J7s from first line service. This came as no surprise. In the four years before that China more than doubled the number of modern combat aircraft (J-10, J-11, Su-27, Su-30, and J8F) from 500 to over 1,200. Six years ago China relied mainly on some 2,000 locally built copies of Russian MiG-19s (J6) and MiG-21s (J7). There are still several hundred bombers that are mostly Russian knockoffs. Normally, the actual number of Chinese aircraft is a state secret. However, thanks to the ability of Chinese to move freely throughout the country and access to the Internet it's possible to locate and count all the air force units in the country. That shows a current force that is rapidly changing from one that is mostly MiG-21s and MiG-19s, to one composed of much more capable aircraft. China is buying and building a lot of the Russian Su-27s and Su-30s (the latter an upgrade of the former). But new, home grown designs, like the J20 are also showing up.

 

Another reason for withdrawing the J7 to secondary regions (where modern jets are unlikely to be encountered) is the inability to use J7s for a lot of training. That's important because China is revising its combat pilot training program. The existing system takes ten years of academic and flight training. The new program cuts that to 5-7 years, while increasing flight hours by over 40 percent. This is more in line with Western methods, while the existing system owes more to the one the Russians developed during the Cold War. The new system puts more emphasis on trainee pilots demonstrating combat flying skills before they can graduate. Cold War era Russian aircraft designs, like the MiG-21, were not designed for the heavy use required for Western style pilot training. Thus J7 pilots cannot easily be trained to the same standard as those flying more modern aircraft.

 

The new training program is actually an evolution of the need for new training methods to prepare pilots to handle the more modern aircraft. Training for pilots of these new fighters has been more intense than for any previous aircraft. In addition, China is also holding training exercises directed at fighting other modern fighters, like those flown by Taiwan, Japan, and the United States. China is not keeping much of this secret and that is apparently sending a message to potential foes.

 

China has long been the largest user of the MiG-21/J7. China continued to export J7s until this year but has been rapidly retiring the ones remaining in Chinese service. The J7 was, in many ways, the most advanced version of the MiG-21, as the Chinese kept improving their J7 design. Over 13,000 Mig-21s and J7s have been produced in the last sixty years, making this the most widely manufactured jet fighter of the last century (during World War II there were several propeller driven fighters that were produced in greater numbers). The MiG-21 looked fearsome but it was a bust in combat, getting shot down more often than not. Russia still had 186 Mig-21s in service when the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. These MiG-21s were officially retired a few years later. India, the last major user of the MiG-21, is in the process of retiring them as well.

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 07:20
GBU-12 Paveway II photo US Navy

GBU-12 Paveway II photo US Navy

TUCSON, May 30 (UPI)

 

Raytheon of the United States has received a $106 million contract for Paveway II bomb kits, which convert free-fall bombs into precision-guided munitions.

 

The order, the result of a direct commercial sale from an international customer who wasn't identified, includes Paveway kits for both GBU-12 bombs and GBU-58 bombs.

 

"Customers worldwide continue to select Raytheon's Paveway to protect their warfighters and citizens," said Harry Schulte, vice president of Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems. "This contract further demonstrates Raytheon's long-standing commitment to its international partners."

 

Raytheon said its Paveway family of products is compatible across a broad spectrum of warheads and that enhanced versions include capabilities such as Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System guidance capabilities for greater precision and flexibility than traditional laser-guided weapons.

 

The result is a "weapon that decreases the required sortie count and weapons inventory while simultaneously increasing the mission success rate."

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31 mai 2013 5 31 /05 /mai /2013 07:20
UH-72A Lakota Helicopter photo US Army

UH-72A Lakota Helicopter photo US Army

May 29, 2013: Strategy Page

 

Because of budget cuts the U.S. Army has stopped buying the twin engine UH-72A ("Lakota") Light Utility Helicopters. Six months ago the army ordered another 34 Lakotas for $5.4 million each. Additional electronics and anti-missile systems add several millions to the cost per chopper. With that order the army has bought 312 of the 347 UH-72As it plans on getting. Most have already been delivered and apparently no more will be ordered, which means at least 35 Lakotas will not arrive.

 

Built by European firm EADS, the UH-72A is a militarized version of the EC145, a helicopter long popular with law enforcement agencies, including the FBI. The EC145 was introduced nine years ago and has been very popular with its users. The UH-72A purchase is a side effect of the cancellation of the Comanche scout helicopter in 2004 (mainly because of constantly increasing costs). Comanche was perceived as too expensive and complex. The UH-72A mainly replaces the few remaining UH-1 (“Huey”) helicopters, which have been retired because of old age.

 

The UH-72A has about the same capacity as the UH-1, despite its smaller size. The 3.6 ton UH-72A has a top speed of 260 kilometers an hour and a max range of 660 kilometers. Average endurance per sortie is about two hours. The helicopter has a crew of two and can carry up to eight passengers or about three-quarters of a ton of cargo or weapons. The UH-72A has been popular with its users and has had a readiness (for flying) rate of 90 percent.

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