Defence`s Feeds

This contract adds to the other two awarded to the company for training at Luke and Holloman Air Force Bases As we reported in the past, the U.S. Air Force is contracting the adversary training [...]

The post ATAC Selected To Provide Adversary Training At Eglin Air Force Base appeared first on The Aviationist.

The Drone, Called Sparrowhawk, Is A Demonstrator That Replicates Technologies Of The DARPA Gremlins Program. General Atomics (GA-ASI) recently announced the first captive carry test of the Sparrowhawk Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS). The test [...]

The post Let’s Talk About The First Captive Test Of First Air-Launched and Air-Retrievable Unmanned Aerial System appeared first on The Aviationist.

Russian BREM-K Armored Recovery Vehicle

Over 65 WWII warbirds were gathered for the Arsenal of Democracy Flyover of Washington DC but the weather did not cooperate. After years of preparation, the 2020 Arsenal of Democracy Flyover was canceled due to [...]

The post A Behind The Scenes Look At The Preparation For Arsenal of Democracy Flyover Scrubbed Due To Weather appeared first on The Aviationist.

The episode happened after the crew had to divert because of adverse weather and the helicopter was parked at a remote airfield. An unusual incident happened on Sept. 16, 2020, when a polar bear damaged [...]

The post Canadian CH-149 Cormorant Helicopter Damaged By A Curious Polar Bear appeared first on The Aviationist.

Americas

General Atomics won a $131.6 million contract modification for Gray Eagle aircraft, satellite communications air data terminals, program management and government-furnished equipment maintenance and repair. MQ-1C Gray Eagle is an extended range / multipurpose (ER/MP) UAS developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for the US Army. It performs reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition, command and control, communications relay, signals intelligence (SIGINT), electronic warfare (EW), attack, improvised explosive device (IED) and battle damage assessment missions. Work will take place in California. Estimated completion date is December 31, 2022.

Boeing won a $32.4 million deal for logistics support for H-47 forward and aft blades and associated containers. The CH-47D Chinook helicopter transports troops, artillery, supplies and equipment to the battlefield with other applications ranging from medical evacuation, aircraft recovery, parachute drop, search and rescue to disaster relief, firefighting and heavy construction. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2021.

Middle East & Africa

According to Saab, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has received its second Saab GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. The delivery of the second of the three Bombardier Global 6000 business jet-based platforms that were contracted to the UAE Air Force and Defence (AF&D) under the Swing Role Surveillance System award in late 2015 came some five months after the first aircraft was handed over in late April. The third and final contracted aircraft is due to arrive in the UAE before the end of 2021, while an anticipated contract for two additional platforms is still waiting to be signed. Saab’s GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform combines a number of advanced sensors with the company’s new Erieye Extended Range active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar on board a Bombardier Global 6000 ultra-long range business jet.

Europe

The US State Department has preemptively cleared Switzerland to purchase the F-35A joint strike fighter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, just days after a public vote narrowly ok’d the Swiss government to move forward with a planned procurement of new fighter aircraft. The F-35 deal comes with an estimated price tag of $6.58 billion, while the F/A-18 package with a price tag of $7.452 billion. The potential FMSs are not a sign that Switzerland has decided the Lockheed Martin F-35 or Boeing produced F/A-18 are their fighter of the future.

The State Department approved the potential sale of five Patriot missile systems and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.2 billion. The deal includes Patriot Configuration-3+ Modernized Fire Units, consisting of: five AN/MPQ-65 Radar Sets; five AN/MSQ-132 Engagement Control Stations; 17 M903 Launching Stations; up to 70 Patriot MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile Tactical (GEM-T) Missiles; seven Antenna Mast Groups; five Electrical Power Plants (EPP) III; and six Multifunctional Information Distribution System Low Volume Terminal (MIDS-LVT) (11) Block Upgrade Two (BU2).

Asia-Pacific

The US DoS approves a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of India for their fleet of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft and related equipment for an estimated cost of $90 million. India has requested to buy items and services to extend follow-on support for their fleet of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft.  These items include aircraft consumables spares and repair/return parts; ground support and equipment; Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices (CAD/PAD) fire extinguisher cartridges; flare cartridges; BBU-35/B cartridge impulse squibs; one spare AN/ALR-56M Advanced Radar Warning Receiver shipset; spare AN/ALE-47 Counter-Measures Dispenser System shipset; ten Lightweight Night Vision Binocular (F5032); ten AN/AVS-9 Night Vision Goggle (NVG)(F4949); GPS; Electronic Warfare; instruments and lab equipment support; Joint Mission Planning System; cryptographic device spares and loaders; software and software support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training and training equipment; U.S. and contractor engineering, technical, and logistical support; and other related elements of program support. Prime contractor will be Lockheed Martin.

Today’s Video

Watch: Why the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet is Still One Dangerous Fighter

Americas

Northrop Grumman won a $249.3 million contract for the procurement of sustainment engineering and logistics services for Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar. The agreement includes engineering changes, technical refresh, studies and analyses, and the following support services: contractor logistics, depot lifecycle, software support activity, diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages. G/ATOR is a three-dimensional, expeditionary, short/medium-range multirole radar capable of detecting low-observable, low-radar-cross-section targets such as rockets, artillery, mortars, cruise missiles, and manned and unmanned aerial systems. Expected completion date is September 28, 2025.

Lockheed Martin won a $18 million deal to exercise an option for Aegis Combat System Engineering Agent efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build 20. The Aegis Weapon System is a centralized, automated, command-and-control and weapons control system that was designed as a total weapon system, from detection to kill. The heart of the system is the AN/SPY-1, an advanced, automatic detect and track, multi-function phased-array radar. Work will take place in New Jersey. Estimated completion will be by December 2020.

Middle East & Africa

Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) signed an agreement to acquire 50% of the equity of BlueBird Aero Systems. Bluebird, a leading UAS developer and integrator in the small tactical arena, has been providing its solutions to Israeli forces and worldwide customers for close to two decades. As part of the transaction, IAI is acquiring the holdings of Piramal Technologies SA from India, as well as additional shares from Fiberless Access and Ronen Nadir. Ronen Nadir will continue to hold 50% of BlueBird shares and continue to serve as the company’s CEO. In recent years, both IAI and BlueBird have focused on vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) capabilities, a category that provides significant benefits to ground and naval forces. BlueBird has developed several advanced VTOL platforms, including the WanderB-VTOL and ThunderB-VTOL.

Europe

Georgia has unveiled two types of drones that it has purchased from Spain. It was shown to Georgian Minister of Defense Irakli Garibashvili during his visit to Marneuli air base. One is the Alpha 800 VTOL drone and the other is the Atlantic-I. The Ministry of Defense of Georgia reported on September 28 that it purchased Spanish-made unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as renewed existing aircraft, and retrained the personnel.

Germany cancelled its Schwerer Transporthubschrauber (STH) heavy-lift helicopter requirement for the Luftwaffe, citing budgetary concerns with the planned multi-million Euro procurement. In a statement released on 29 September, the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) said that the long-standing STH effort to replace the Luftwaffe’s 70 VFW-Sikorsky CH-53G-series Stallion helicopters with between 40 and 60 Boeing H-47 Chinook or Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion platforms was being halted as the expected capability could not be delivered within the allocated budget.

Asia-Pacific

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) commissioned a new tactical boat handling and firing simulator (TBHFS) to improve the Police Coast Guard’s (PCG’s) training capabilities. The system, which has been described as the first of its kind in the country, has been incorporated with an eye tracker to detect trainees’ visual focus during stressful simulation scenarios. It has been installed at the PCG’s headquarters on Brani Island. The simulator developed by the PCG in collaboration with the country’s Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX). It can emulate the PCG’s high-speed patrol interdiction boats, and second-generation high-speed PK-class interceptor boats.

Today’s Video

Watch: U.S MILITARY DOESN’T NEED F22 or F 35 TO COUNTER RUSSIAN ‘FLANKERS’- THEY ARE SHOOTING EACH OTHER !

Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

In the context of the exponential growth of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the President of the European Parliament has announced a number of measures to contain the spread of epidemic and to safeguard Parliament's core activities.

On 2 July 2020, the Conference of Presidents adopted the revised EP Calendar 2020.

The current precautionary measures adopted by the EP to contain the spread of COVID-19 do not affect work on legislative priorities. Core activities are reduced, but maintained to ensure that the institution's legislative, budgetary, scrutiny functions are maintained.

Following these decisions, the next SEDE meeting is scheduled to take place on 15 October 2020 (online).

Recent press releases:

- Security and Defence Subcommittee: MEPs to discuss the Strategic Compass - 28 September 2020
- Report on PESCO: No member state can protect itself alone - 22 September 2020
...

For further press releases please see in the SEDE press room.

New EP calendar 2020
SEDE meetings' calendar 2020
Press release: Security and Defence Subcommittee: MEPs to discuss the Strategic Compass - 28 September 2020
Press release: Report on PESCO: No member state can protect itself alone - 22 September 2020
Press release: Sahel, West Africa and the Horn of Africa: a new EU approach is necessary - 16 September 2020
Press release: MEPs to discuss new defence related priorities - 7 September 2020
Press release: Defence Subcommittee MEPs will meet new head of the European Defence Agency - 16 July 2020
Press release: MEPs debate defence priorities with Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer - 14 July 2020
Press release: MEPs adopt a report on the implementation of EU arms export rules - 13 July 2020
Press release: European defence: Exchange with the French Minister of Armed Forces - 2 July 2020
Press release: The era of naive Europe is over, says Commissioner Breton - 25 June 2020
Press release: Call for a renewed relationship with the African continent based on solidarity and respect - 24 June 2020
Press release: EU must guarantee security to its citizens, warns Defence Subcommittee Chair - 26 May 2020
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

How Military Families can Save Money

The U.S. Air Force intelligence aircraft have been using fake Mode-S codes, but this doesn’t give any real operational advantage. It just fuels some crazy conspiracy theory. On Sept. 7, 2020, a USAF RC-135W Rivet [...]

The post Yes, U.S. RC-135s Have Used Bogus Hex Codes To Transmit A False Identity. But It’s Not To Fool China Or Other Enemies. appeared first on The Aviationist.

The New Aircraft Will Abandon The Classic Three-tone Livery Sported By Kuwait’s Legacy F/A-18Cs. One of the first F/A-18Es Super Hornet for the Kuwait Air Force has recently been photographed sporting its new low-visibility livery [...]

The post Kuwaiti F/A-18E Super Hornet Photographed In Its New Low-Visibility Livery appeared first on The Aviationist.

The jets of the 555th Fighter Squadron are based at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, where they deployed for Thracian Viper 20. Six “Vipers” of the 31st Fighter Wing, from Aviano Air Base, Italy, have [...]

The post U.S. F-16s From Aviano AB Have Started Supporting NATO Enhanced Air Policing From Bulgaria appeared first on The Aviationist.

Length of video : 122'

Disclaimer : The interpretation of debates serves to facilitate communication and does not constitute an authentic record of proceedings. Only the original speech or the revised written translation is authentic.
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP

The Subcommittee on Security and Defence will discuss the current challenges and upcoming landmark decisions to be taken in relation to the EU's engagement in the Common Security and Defence Policy, with Ambassador Charles Fries, Deputy Secretary General of the EEAS for CSDP and Crisis Response. The debate will be held on 28 September and is expected to focus in particular on the future Strategic Compass, which should ensure coherence and cost-efficiency in the field of security for EU citizens.
Meeting agenda and documents
Live Streaming
EU Fact Sheets: Security and defence
Source : © European Union, 2020 - EP