EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 27 (UPI)

Wyle says it will conduct sustainment engineering and logistical analyses for ground combat systems and vehicles for the U.S. Army.

The U.S. engineering company said the work will be done under a new $39.9 million task order award from the Defense Technical Information Center's Reliability Information Analysis Center.

The support work will specifically be performed for the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support and the Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems, both of which are part of the U.S. Army's Tank Automotive Command Life Cycle Management Command.

The task order involves detailed quantitative investigations and analyses of maintenance practices, as well as logistics structured reliability and maintainability engineering to enhance sustainability initiatives.

Included will be engineering analyses to support the development, integration, sustainment, and demilitarization of ground combat systems, combat service support systems, tactical wheeled vehicles and force projection equipment.

Information on the task order's timeline and other contractual details were not disclosed.

Aug. 24, 2013 Defense News (AFP)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — US President Barack Obama met with his top national security advisors early Saturday to discuss the response to Syria's alleged use of chemical weapons, a White House official said.

"The president has directed the intelligence community to gather facts and evidence so that we can determine what occurred in Syria. Once we ascertain the facts, the president will make an informed decision about how to respond," the official said.

"We have a range of options available, and we are going to act very deliberately so that we're making decisions consistent with our national interest as well as our assessment of what can advance our objectives in Syria."

Another U.S. defense official tells [Defense News sister publication] Navy Times that there are now four destroyers positioned in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: the Mahan, Barry, Gravely and Ramage. The Mahan was initially scheduled to head home, being replaced by the Ramage. But for now, Mahan will remain deployed, the official said.

Obama is under mounting pressure to act following reports of a massive chemical attack near Damascus that opposition groups say killed as many as 1,300 people.

The Syrian government has denied using chemical weapons.

Obama had repeatedly warned that the use of chemical weapons by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces was a "red line" that could bring about a more strident Western response to the two-year-old civil war.

On Friday Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested that the United States was moving forces into place ahead of possible military action against Syria.

However, Obama has also voiced caution about the kind of intervention that could draw the United States into another prolonged conflict in the Middle East.

US commanders have nevertheless prepared a range of options for Obama if he chooses to proceed with military strikes against Damascus, Hagel told reporters during a visit to Southeast Asia.

"The Defense Department has a responsibility to provide the president with options for all contingencies," Hagel said.

"And that requires positioning our forces, positioning our assets to be able to carry out different options — whatever the president might choose."

Aug. 26, 2013 - By AARON MEHTA – Defense News

WASHINGTON — Air Force Space Command has released a new white paper laying out its argument for moving towards a new architecture for military space programs.

That strategy, known as “disaggregation,” has been promoted for some time by Gen. William Shelton, the head of Space Command. But this document, released Aug. 21, provides the clearest look yet at how the Pentagon views its future space strategy.

“The threat environment has changed extraordinarily, and we must adapt critical US capabilities if our operational advantage is to endure,” wrote the uncredited authors of the paper.

The Air Force defines disaggregation as “the dispersion of space-based missions, functions or sensors across multiple systems spanning one or more orbital plane, platform, host or domain.” In simpler terms, the idea behind disaggregation is to take the capability that has been crammed into a small number of highly-capable satellites and spread them across a much wider number of platforms.

Space systems are still structured on a Cold War-era strategy, where the threat to space assets was seen as highly unlikely. Such an attack would have triggered “mutually assured destruction” between the NATO powers, led by the United States, and the communist bloc, led by the USSR.

But the 21st century has seen space grow more crowded, both with new players and with half a century of accumulated space debris. Modern threats to satellites include kinetic weapons, laser interference, signal jamming and cyber attacks, as well as the persistent danger from space debris. Losing even one of these advanced satellites could prove crippling to the US defense structure — not just from a capabilities standpoint, but from a cost perspective.

Creating networks of satellites to replace large single systems would correspond with a significant increase in resilience in case a satellite is lost, the paper stated.

Disaggregation is not just a defensive strategy. It could have potentially huge benefits, both from a fiscal and technological perspective.

Financially, an increase in the number of satellites being produced would be a boon for US industry, which would no longer find itself starting and stopping its production lines. Instead, it would have a steady rate of production, which in turn could lower cost per unit. Additionally, having more systems would create opportunities for multiple companies to take part in satellite production, and being able to launch multiple systems at once could drive down launch costs.

Creating smaller systems would also lead to more opportunities to refresh the technology in space. Current systems have a developmental lifespan of up to 14 years, and often last a decade or longer once launched. While it is possible to update software, the capabilities of the satellites are mostly locked in place once they are launched. Moving to a disaggregated architecture, with multiple units going up over time, would mean that satellites can have much more relevant technology during their lifespan.

The white paper does acknowledge potential challenges, including the logistical challenge of moving complex systems from space-based platforms to ground-based parts of the system. It would also require greater flexibility in the acquisitions budget in order to keep up with modern technologies. Some in industry have also expressed concern about whether disaggregation would work in a real-world setting.

Despite those potential roadblocks, the service seems to have decided that a disaggregated architecture is the way forward for military space. And given the long-lead times needed for space platforms, the Pentagon likely needs to commit soon.

“If the premise is accepted that national security space assets with someday be attacked, then we have a military and moral obligation to examine protective measures that minimize this risk and protect our nation’s warfighters, citizens, and economy,” the paper concludes. “Standing still in an environment populated with intelligent adversaries seeking to contest our leaderships in space and the operational advantages it affords is a strategy for falling behind.”

MOSCOU, 27 août-RIA Novosti

La Russie et les Etats-Unis doivent plus que jamais coordonner leurs actions sur fond d'évolution dramatique de la situation en Syrie, a déclaré mardi le porte-parole de la diplomatie russe Alexandre Loukachevitch.

"Vu l'aggravation dramatique de la situation autour de la Syrie, Moscou souligne l'importance d'efforts communs de la Russie et des Etats-Unis ainsi que de la communauté internationale pour assurer une solution pacifique à la crise syrienne en s'appuyant sur le communiqué de Genève du 30 juin 2012", stipule un communiqué de la diplomatie russe.

27/08/2013 par Gaëtan Barralon – 45eNord.ca

Après les nouvelles révélations du quotidien allemand Der Spiegel, les Nations unies ont annoncé, lundi, leur volonté de s’entretenir avec les États-Unis concernant l’ampleur du programme de surveillance américain, sous le feu des projecteurs depuis plusieurs semaines.

«Nous sommes au courant de ces informations et nous avons l’intention d’en parler aux autorités compétentes». Pour Farhan Haq, l’un des porte-paroles des Nations unies, les dernières révélations du Spiegel amènent l’ONU à prendre les devants pour tenter de faire la lumière sur ce dossier controversé de la NSA, l’Agence nationale de sécurité américaine.

Cette dernière aurait, en effet, mis en place un vaste programme de surveillance, révélé au grand jour par l’ancien consultant américain, Edward Snowden. Parmi les institutions concernées, l’Union européenne et les Nations unies auraient été la cible de cet espionnage diplomatique.

Le quotidien allemand avance, en effet, différents chiffres pour démontrer le caractère inhabituel de la surveillance américaine. En trois semaines, le nombre de communications décryptées par les services de la NSA serait passé de 12 à 458 au cours de l’été 2012.

Lundi, Farhan Haq est monté au créneau, rappelant que «l’inviolabilité des missions diplomatiques, dont l’ONU et d’autres organisations internationales, dont le fonctionnement est protégé par la Convention de Vienne notamment, est bien établie dans la législation internationale».

«Nous attendons donc des pays membres qu’ils agissent en conséquence pour protéger l’inviolabilité des missions diplomatiques», a-t-il ajouté.

Washington répondra par «canaux diplomatiques»

Du côté de Washington, le département d’État a assuré que «le gouvernement américain répondrait via les canaux diplomatiques à ses partenaires et alliés dans le monde quand ils expriment leurs inquiétudes». L’administration américaine s’est notamment félicitée du «partage d’informations et de renseignement» entre l’ONU et les États-Unis.

Deux mois après les premières révélations d’Edward Snowden, l’administration américaine a reconnu que l’Agence nationale de sécurité (NSA) avait violé la loi entre 2008 et 2011 en interceptant illégalement des courriers électroniques d’Américains sans liens avec le terrorisme, mais que la faute en incombe à un «problème technologique».

Le gouvernement américain a déclassifié mercredi plusieurs documents dont une décision de justice secrète, longue de 85 pages et rendue en octobre 2011, ordonnant à la NSA de mettre fin à un programme d’interception de communications internet sur les réseaux de fibres optiques américains, rapporte l’AFP.

56 000 courriers électroniques récoltés aux États-Unis

Le programme aurait colligé quelque 56 000 courriers électroniques entre Américains de 2008 à 2011, selon une estimation de la NSA alors fournie au juge, alors que la loi américaine exige un mandat individuel dès que la surveillance concerne des citoyens américains ou des étrangers se trouvant sur le territoire.

La cueillette de ces communications était «la conséquence d’un problème technologique [...] et non d’un excès de la NSA», a déclaré à ce propos un responsable du renseignement sous couvert d’anonymat.

«Il ne s’agit pas d’abus flagrants», a-t-il encore ajouté, mais «d’un problème survenu par inadvertance et qui affecte un nombre relativement faible d’Américains».

Aug 26, 2013 ASDNews Source : AFPS

After concluding an ambitious counterpiracy exercise yesterday with the Chinese navy, members of the U.S. 5th Fleet expressed hope it will lay groundwork for closer future cooperation in ensuring freedom of movement in the Gulf of Aden, other regional waters, and beyond.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Mason joined the Chinese destroyer Harbin and Chinese auxiliary replenishment oiler Weishanhu for the two-day exercise in the Gulf of Aden, Navy Capt. Joseph Naman, commander of Destroyer Squadron 50 and Task Force 55, said during a phone interview from Bahrain.

The Chinese oiler played the role of a pirated vessel, as crew members from the Mason and Harbin conducted a combined visit, board, search and seizure drill that included a night boarding, reported Navy Cmdr. D. Wilson Marks, Mason’s commanding officer.

Simulated medical emergencies and hostage scenarios required the sailors to work together to provide a coordinated response.

In addition, the crews demonstrated synchronized maneuver techniques during a live-fire proficiency exercise, engaging an inflatable target with the 5-inch MK-45 lightweight gun and 3.9-inch ENG deck guns, Marks said.

Another “significant milestone,” Naman said, was the landing of a helicopter from each country aboard the deck of each other’s ship.

The exercise represented a big step beyond the first counterpiracy exercise between 5th Fleet and the Chinese navy, conducted in September near the Horn of Africa, Naman said. The 2012 exercise, which involved the USS Winston S. Churchill and the Chinese frigate Yi Yang, lasted only about six hours and was limited to a basic visit, board, search and secure exercise, follow-on discussion and crew lunch.

Throughout this week’s mission, Marks said, he was struck by how similarly the two navies operate.

“What my crew found out is they are sailors like we are,” practicing many of the same techniques as they confronted the same challenges, he said.

Both the United States and China recognize the importance of freedom of access and movement in the maritime environment, uninhibited by piracy or other illicit activity, Naman noted.

“I think both China and the U.S. share the common goal to make that happen,” he said.

Both navies, for example, regularly conduct counterpiracy operations in the Gulf region.

The United States is part of a multinational coalition task force that works collaboratively in and around the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. China, in contrast, operates independently. Naman said he would like to see that change, and that he hopes exercises like the one conducted over the weekend will encourage China to consider joining the coalition.

International cooperation and measures taken by the civilian shipping industry to discourage pirates have brought a dramatic drop in piracy compared to just three to four years ago, he reported.

“The sum of the parts is greater than the one, which is what the coalition brings in,” Marks said. “You can share best practices, build on each other’s strengths [and] capitalize on those strengths. … We are all working toward that shared goal of freedom of movement in the maritime [domain]. So if we all share the same goal, we ought to be working together, and that is what we are really trying to do.”

In the meantime, he said, exercising together helps to increase interoperability between the U.S. and Chinese navies that they can draw on in the future, anywhere in the world.

“As we have learned in the past, military-to-military engagement pays big dividends, because we operate in the same environment and … share the same common goals for that maritime environment,” Naman said.

Marks, who called the exercise “one of those once-in-a-career experiences,” said he and his crew hope for more opportunities to work with the Chinese navy.

For one of the participants, Navy Seaman Yi An, the exercise was particularly memorable. A naturalized U.S. citizen, the culinary specialist was born in China’s Quingdao province -- which the Harbin’s crew calls home.

Yi served as an interpreter during the exercise, generating a lot of excitement among the Chinese sailors as he shared hometown stories, Marks said. He was treated as an honored guest aboard the Harbin during a luncheon yesterday that concluded the exercise.

But exercising with their Chinese counterparts gave the entire Mason crew new insights, Marks said.

“Watching U.S. and Chinese sailors working side by side was amazing,” he said. “We may come from different places and speak a different language, but at the end of the day, we all share a common interest in protecting the maritime environment.”

Aug. 23, 2013 defense-aerospace.com

(Source: DARPA; issued August 22, 2013)

Warrior Web Closer To Making Its Performance-Improving Suit A Reality

Entering its final phase, program seeks proposals that would help combine promising technologies into a comfortable, lightweight undersuit that would help prevent injury and boost endurance

Of the many risks dismounted Soldiers face in the field, one of the most common is injury from carrying their gear—often topping 100 pounds—for extended periods over rough terrain. Heavy loads increase the likelihood of musculoskeletal injury and also exacerbate fatigue, which contributes to both acute and chronic injury and impedes Soldiers’ physical and cognitive abilities to perform mission-oriented tasks. To help address these challenges, DARPA seeks performers for the last phase of its Warrior Web program.

Warrior Web aims to develop a soft, lightweight undersuit that would help reduce injuries and fatigue and improve Soldiers’ ability to efficiently perform their missions. The garment would protect injury-prone areas and promote efficient and safe movement over a wide range of activities (walking, running, jumping, crawling, etc.). Comfortable, durable and washable, the garment would not interfere with body armor or other standard clothing and gear. DARPA seeks to create a working prototype that significantly boosts endurance, carrying capacity and overall Soldier effectiveness—all while using no more than 100 watts of power.

“Many of the individual technologies currently under development show real promise to reduce injury and fatigue and improve endurance,” said LTC Joseph Hitt, DARPA program manager for Warrior Web. “Now we’re aiming to combine them—and hopefully some new ones, too—into a single system that nearly every Soldier could wear and would provide decisive benefits under real-world conditions.”

The program’s successes to date have resulted from development efforts funded under Warrior Web Task A: Warrior Web Alpha. These efforts have focused on developing a mix of core component technologies worn at the ankles, hips, knees and upper body. Task A performers have been exploring ways to directly mitigate factors that cause injury, as well as reduce physical burdens by augmenting the work done by Soldiers’ own muscles. Component systems within Task A include methods for rapid joint stabilization, functional structures, energy injection, regenerative kinetics, load transfer and distribution, and flexible kinetic and kinematic sensing.

The program’s next phase, Warrior Web Task B: Advanced Technology Development, aims to leverage Task A component technology investments and further advance the development of a fully integrated undersuit system. DARPA now seeks ideas and technical proposals for how to best develop and implement the Warrior Web system.

DARPA has scheduled a Warrior Web Task B Proposers’ Day for potential performers on Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013.

DARPA seeks proposals in the following technology areas:

-- Integrated advanced control systems across multiple joints

-- Materials, fabrics, structures, sensors, sensor interfaces and human factors associated with developing conforming, assistive wearable technologies

-- Technologies that significantly reduce the potential for acute or chronic injury of a wearer under typical warfighter mission profile situations

-- Technologies that increase physical capabilities and/or endurance of humans during activities such as running, lifting, climbing, carrying a load, marksmanship, etc.

-- Additional assistive wearable technologies for rehabilitation, physical therapy or those intended to help improve quality of life for the aging population

Proposers may submit a point solution technology that addresses a single technology area or an integrated technology solution or suit that addresses multiple areas. Proposals are due at 4 p.m. EDT on Thursday, October 3, 2013.

Un CF-18 du 409e Escadron d’appui tactique vole en formation serrée avec un KC-135 du 465th Air Refueling Squadron de la United States Air Force (Photo: Archives/AW/NAC Scott Taylor/U.S. Navy)

26/08/2013 par Jacques N. Godbout – 45eNord.ca

Le NORAD ( North american air command) et la Force aérienne Russe s’entraîneront ensemble les 27 et 28 août contre le terrorisme aérien lors de l’exercice Vigilant Eagle 2013, auquel participeront du personnel militaire et des aéronefs de la Russie, du Canada et des États-Unis, à partir de centres de commandement en Russie et aux États-Unis.

En partenariat avec la Federal Aviation Administration américaine et sa contrepartie russe, l’exercice de cette année sera en effet axé sur les procédures nationales de surveillance et d’intervention en cas de situation de terrorisme aérien.

Exercise Vigilant Eagle kicks off next week. This joint exercise involves Russian, Canadian and American... http://t.co/BBNe3oRIsa

— NORAD & USNORTHCOM (@NoradNorthcom) August 19, 2013

L’exercice portera sur les procédures pour faciliter le transfert de la surveillance d’un avion détourné – un avion digne d’intérêt – d’un pays à un autre et l’échange d’information sur la poursuite aérienne.

L’exercice de cette année prendra la forme d’aéronefs simulant deux vols internationaux : un en provenance de l’Alaska en vol dans l’espace aérien russe, puis un en provenance de Russie en vol dans l’espace aérien américain.

Dans le scénario de l’exercice, un transporteur aérien commercial immatriculé à l’étranger est saisi par des terroristes lors d’un vol international et ne répond pas aux communications. Cette situation fera en sorte que la Force aérienne de la Fédération de Russie et le NORAD devront lancer ou détourner des chasseurs pour enquêter sur le transporteur commercial et le suivre. L’exercice portera sur le transfert de la surveillance de l’aéronef d’un pays à l’autre par les pays participants.

La série d’exercices Vigilant Eagle permet aux États-Unis, au Canada ( via NORAD) et à la Russie de coordonner leurs interventions combinées à l’égard des menaces de détournement d’avion.

La série d’exercices Vigilant Eagle a été menée à quatre reprises depuis sa création.

Elle a été lancée en 2008 avec un exercice de simulation par ordinateur, suivi par le premier exercice de vol réel en août 2010, auquel ont participé des intercepteurs, des avions ravitailleurs et des avions AWACS des deux participants.

Il a eu ensuite un autre exercice de vol réel réussi en 2011 et, 2012, un autre exercice de simulation par ordinateur a été réalisé à la demande de la Force aérienne de la Fédération de Russie.

«Des exercices de simulation poar ordinateur réalisés dans les dernières années ont permis d’établir des relations de travail et de trouver des solutions techniques au partage d’information, ce qui a mené aux succès des exercices de vols réels en 2010 et 2011», souligne le NORAD.

L’exercice Vigilant Eagle 2013 servira donc à approfondir et à renforcer la coopération et le partenariat continus dans ce domaine.

MOSCOU, 26 août - RIA Novosti

L'opposition syrienne a appelé les pays occidentaux et islamiques à intervenir dans la guerre civile qui l’oppose au pouvoir en place, écrit lundi 26 août le quotidien Nezavissimaïa gazeta.

Les alliés reposent aujourd’hui entièrement sur la décision de Washington. L'administration Obama n'a pas encore pris de décision définitive mais elle se prépare manifestement à la réaction de force promise si Bachar al-Assad franchissait la "ligne rouge" qu’évoquait le président américain l’été dernier. Le scénario du bombardement de la Yougoslavie en 1999 pourrait inspirer cette intervention.

Ahmad Jabra, président de la Coalition nationale syrienne (CNS), s'est entretenu par téléphone avec les dirigeants des USA, de la France du Royaume-Uni, du Qatar, de la Jordanie et de la Turquie. Il a également rencontré le ministre turc des Affaires étrangères Ahmet Davutoglu.

"Nous demandons au président américain Barack Obama et aux dirigeants d'autres pays occidentaux et du monde arabe de prendre leurs responsabilités et de s'ingérer dans le conflit afin de stopper le massacre en Syrie", a-t-il expliqué.

Jarba pense que l'intervention doit être soutenue par l'Onu et dirigée par les USA,

le Royaume-Uni et la France - la réaction de ces trois pays face aux bombardements du 21 août était effectivement la plus ferme. Pour sa part Obama a eu une conversation téléphonique de 40 minutes avec le premier ministre britannique David Cameron. Selon le Guardian, ce coup de fil a rapproché l'Occident d'une intervention militaire en Syrie. Les deux dirigeants ont conclu que l'attaque chimique qui aurait causé 1.400 morts selon l'opposition, signifiait le passage du conflit vers une nouvelle phase et méritait une "sérieuse réaction". Obama et Cameron sont pratiquement persuadés qu'al-Assad en est responsable.

D'après le New York Times, les conseillers d'Obama pour la sécurité nationale examinent l'opération de l'Otan au Kosovo à titre de scénario pour la guerre en Syrie au cas où le mandat du Conseil de sécurité des Nations unies n'était pas obtenu - ce qui est fort probable compte tenu de la position de la Russie. Selon l'ex-ambassadeur américain auprès de l'Otan Ivo Daalder, on pourrait se référer à la probabilité qu'une attaque chimique se reproduise ou que le Protocole de Genève de 1925 - interdisant l'utilisation de gaz toxiques - soit enfreint. L'ex-conseiller d'Obama pour le Moyen-Orient Dennis Ross juge "qu’avec un peu de volonté on pouvait trouver plus qu'assez de justifications juridiques pour intervenir, sans avoir besoin de l'Onu".

Les points de vue concernant l'aptitude de Washington à s'ingérer dans le conflit syrien divergent. Amin Hteit, général libanais à la retraite, pense que les Etats-Unis ne peuvent pas intervenir en Syrie car cela pourrait provoquer un conflit armé direct avec l'Iran. En effet, le chef adjoint d'état-major des forces armées iraniennes Massoud Jazaeri a souligné que l'intervention en Syrie serait une "ligne rouge" pour Téhéran. Par ailleurs, Alexeï Pouchkov, président de la commission des Affaires étrangères à la Douma (chambre basse du parlement russe) a écrit hier sur Twitter qu’"Obama court éperdument vers la guerre en Syrie, comme Bush vers la guerre en Irak. Et de la même manière qu'en Irak, cette guerre ne sera pas légitime. La seule chose qu’Obama va gagner, c’est de devenir un clone de Bush".

Aug 23, 2013 ASDNews Source : Raytheon Corporation

    Test further verifies missile's role in extended range fleet defense

The U.S. Navy fired two Raytheon Company Standard Missile-6 interceptors from the USS Chancellorsville, successfully engaging two cruise missile targets (BQM-74 drones) in the missile's first over-the-horizon test scenario at sea.

The SM-6 will provide U.S. Navy sailors and their vessels extended range protection against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles as part of the Naval Integrated Fire Control - Counter Air (NIFC-CA) mission area.

"The SM-6's ability to engage threats at significantly greater ranges than other missiles in its class is a game changer for the U.S. Navy," said Jim Normoyle, Raytheon Missile Systems' SM-6 program director. "We verified the weapon's new processor earlier this month, and we're preparing for the USS Chancellorsville's Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials in November."

In February, Raytheon delivered the first SM-6 from its new $75 million, 70,000 square-foot SM-6 and Standard Missile-3 all-up-round production facility at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala. In May, a Defense Acquisition Board approved full-rate production of the SM-6 missile.

"SM-6 combines the best of our SM-2, SM-3 and AMRAAM missiles, providing an enhanced anti-air warfare and over-the-horizon capability at a reduced cost," said Mike Campisi, Raytheon Missile Systems' senior director of Standard Missile-1, -2, and -6 programs. "We have delivered more than 50 missiles ahead of schedule and under cost, and we remain on track to reach initial operating capability in 2013."

About the Standard Missile-6

SM-6 delivers a proven over-the-horizon air defense capability by leveraging the time-tested advantages of the Standard Missile's airframe and propulsion.

    The SM-6 uses both active and semiactive guidance modes and advanced fuzing techniques.

    It incorporates the advanced signal processing and guidance control capabilities from Raytheon's Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile.

23.08.2013 par P. CHAPLEAU Lignes de Défense

 

Hier, c'était "imminent (voir mon post mis en ligne ce matin). Ce vendredi, c'est fait!

La France a bien acquis un premier système de deux drones Reaper fabriqués par la société américaine General Atomics. "La procédure d'acquisition du premier système de deux drones MQ-9 Reaper a été notifiée. Il est commandé", a indiqué à l'AFP un porte-parole de la Défense.

L'achat de Reaper avait été annoncé en mai, mais plus de trois mois de discussions ont été nécessaires pour boucler l'opération. Ce premier système - les deux vecteurs aériens "non armés" et leur dispositif de guidage au sol - sera livré "à compter de fin 2013".

25.08.2013 par Isabelle Lasserre - LeFigaro.fr

Même s'ils préféreraient ne rien faire, les États-Unis étudient plusieurs scénarios d'intervention militaire.

23 August 2013 airforce-technology.com

Beechcraft has carried out the initial test flight of its first production AT-6 light attack aircraft at its facility in Wichita, Kansas, US.

Having already completed more than 1,600 flight hours, the aircraft is being offered to the US allies seeking light attack air support for demanding missions.

During flight test, the aircraft was loaded with a pair of 250L drop tanks, two inert GBU-58 laser-guided bombs, two LAU-131 seven-shot rocket launchers, as well as a L-3 Wescam Mx-15Di electro-optical infrared camera, Flight Global reports.

Beechcraft CEO Bill Boisture said the flight test demonstrates the collaborative effort of the entire Beechcraft team involved in the design, development and production of the AT-6 aircraft.

''We have seen a growing interest in the AT-6 from the defence establishment around the world and we are eager to provide proven reliability and a cost-effective solution to meet the light attack mission needs of our customers,'' Boisture said.

"The aircraft is being offered to the US allies seeking light attack air support for demanding missions."

Beechcraft Defense Company president Russ Bartlett said: ''This light attack aircraft is outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and avionics that will provide partnering nations with a proven air platform and weapons systems that are already in use by air forces around the world.''

Powered by a single Pratt and Whitney PT6A-68D engine, the AT-6 is an armed variant of T-6B Texan II aircraft under development to support a variety of operations, including training, manned intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance, and light precision attack missions.

Equipped with CMC Esterline's mission modified Cockpit 4000 and Lockheed Martin-built A-10C-based mission system, the aircraft can also be used in the support of convoy escort, homeland defence, counter-narcotics, disaster area reconnaissance, search-and-rescue and firefighting operations.

The aircraft has successfully demonstrated high-end net-centric and light attack capabilities and full compatibility with US and Nato joint terminal attack controller (JTAC) systems during the Air National Gurad's (ANG) Operational Assessment and Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment in 2010.