US Air Force - USAF

Rappel du premier message :

l´USAF plane de retirer +300 jets,dont:

-137 F-15
-177 F-16
-9 A-10s

11 ans avant leur date,pour epargner 3,4B$ et accelerer ainsi les F-22/35

mais ca doit dabord passer le congress et le futur president doit signer!

Citation :

US Air Force eyes fighter cuts to boost modernization
Wed Oct 15, 2008 5:51pm EDT



WASHINGTON, Oct 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force is seeking to retire early more than 300 fighter aircraft next year to save $3.4 billion in the hope of funding advanced Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) fighters and other modernization efforts, a published report said on Wednesday, citing internal Pentagon documents.

The plan would retire 137 F-15 and 177 F-16 fighters plus nine A-10 close air support attack aircraft as much as 11 years before the end of their scheduled useful lives, InsideDefense.com, an online news service, reported.

"Without accelerating these retirements, we are left with a larger, less-capable force unable to penetrate anti-access environments," the Air Force was quoted as telling John Young, the Pentagon's top arms buyer, in defense of a fiscal 2010 spending plan it submitted in August.

"Anti-access" is Pentagon jargon for spots defended by advanced surface-to-air missiles and state-of-the-art fighters such as those used or planned by Russia and China.

A key Air Force concern is what it calls a potential fighter gap until Lockheed's radar-evading F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is produced in large numbers.

An Air Force spokesman said it would be inappropriate to discuss an internal working document that will continue to change until it is incorporated into the next president's fiscal 2010 budget submission.

The document was quoted as saying an Air Force analysis showed a "smaller but modernized fighter force, when coupled with a robust bomber fleet, can effectively bridge the gap until the F-35 can be produced in required numbers (ramping to 110) and the F-22 can be modified to a common configuration."

Air Force officials have said they plan to increase F-35 production over the next five years to address the fighter gap, InsideDefense.com said.

Two F-35s have entered flight test, two are in ground test and 17 are in various stages of assembly, including the first two production-model jets scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Air Force in 2010, Lockheed said last month.

The president of the Air Force Association, retired Lt. Gen. Michael Dunn, said it remained to be seen if Congress would let the Air Force get rid of so many aircraft so early and if Pentagon leaders would grab the savings to fund competing priorities within other armed services.

"There will have to be a lot of dialogue inside the Pentagon between the Air Force and the office of the secretary of defense, probably the secretary himself, before a decision is made," Dunn, a former president of the Pentagon's National Defense University, said in a telephone interview.

Old warplanes typically involve high maintenance costs and may require big outlays for structural upgrades. Still, lawmakers often have blocked Air Force attempts to retire aging warplanes early, partly to preserve jobs -- in their voting districts -- at bases from which they are flown.

In the fiscal 2010 budget request being readied at the Pentagon for the next president, the Defense Department is seeking ways to continue production of Lockheed Martin's F-22, the top U.S. dog fighter, while boosting F-35 output to capture economies of scale quickly, Pentagon officials have said.

The final say on whether to go on building the F-22 is being left to the next president, who is to be elected Nov. 4 and take office Jan. 20 -- only weeks before the administration's budget request normally is sent to Congress.

The proposed early retirements represent accelerations of seven years in the case of the F-15, six years for the F-16 and 11 years for the A-10, according to the document cited by InsideDefense.com.

The savings would fuel a push to modernize the Air Force's bombers, late-date fighters and go toward a new "nuclear-specific" B-52 bomber rotational squadron and Northrop Grumman Corp'a (NOC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial system expansion, the document was quoted as saying. (Reporting by Jim Wolf; editing by Carol Bishopric, Gary Hill)

http://www.reuters.com/article/marketsNews/idUSN1531730620081015?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0

Citation :

MHAFB pilot killed in crash at deployed location


3/29/2012 - MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- At 9:06 a.m. MST March 28, 2012, an Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle crashed approximately 15 miles outside of a base in Southwest Asia, killing the pilot.

Capt. Francis "Piston" Imlay, pilot deployed with the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, died from injuries received during the crash.

"It is with a heavy heart I inform you we lost a valued member of the Gunfighter family yesterday," said Col. Ron Buckley, 366th Fighter Wing commander. "Today we mourn the loss of one of our warriors, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and coworkers during this time. He was a true professional and his dedication to the Gunfighter family will not soon be forgotten."

Imlay, a native of Vacaville, Calif., was assigned to the 391st Fighter Squadron "Bold Tigers" and played a vital role in supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.

More than 300 Mountain Home AFB Airmen remain deployed in support F-15E overseas contingency missions designed to deliver combat air power for joint operations and to meet ground commander requirements.

The cause of this incident is still under investigation.

mountainhome

Citation :

Faster, higher, deadlier: US plans nuclear drones



he United States is planning on building nuclear-powered drones. The innovation will allow an increase in flying time "from days to months," leaving more power available for operating equipment.

Research for the project was conducted by Sandia National Laboratories, the US government's principal nuclear research and development agency, and defense contractor Northrop Grumman, the Guardian reports.

The technology is to deal with three problems facing the US’ current drone arsenal: insufficient flying time over a potential target, lack of power for running surveillance and weapons systems, and lack of communications capacity.

The team looked at numerous different power systems for large- and medium-sized drones before settling on the nuclear solution.

The research summary deems the technology as highly efficient, saying the results of the research are “to be used in the next generation of unmanned air vehicles used for military and intelligence applications."

However, there is a big concern over safety as drones have a tendency to crash – and should a nuclear-powered drone fall into the hands of terrorists or unfriendly powers, the consequences could be devastating.

http://rt.com/news/us-plans-nuclear-drones-058/

A B-52 Stratofortress, from the 2nd Bomb Wing, Barksdale Air Force Base, La., receives fuel from a Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker, from the 151st Air Fueling Wing, Utah Air National Guard, March 26, 2012. The 151st Air Refueling Wing routinely supports air operations across the western United States

Spoiler:

Citation :

Orbital Receives Order for Minotaur I Space Launch Vehicle From the U.S. Air Force

-- New Order Represents the 27th Minotaur Rocket Purchased Since Program Start in 1997 -- -- ORS-3 Enabler Mission Will be 5th Minotaur I Launch from Wallops Island, Virginia -- (Dulles, VA 3 April 2012) – Orbital Sciences Corporation (NYSE: ORB) announced today that the U.S. Air Force has exercised an option order for a Minotaur I space launch vehicle to support the ORS-3 “Enabler” mission for the Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) Office of the Department of Defense. This most recent Minotaur I space launch vehicle ordered by the Air Force will be launched from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) facility at NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island, Virginia in 2013. “We are very pleased to continue to provide cost-effective military space missions for the U.S. Air Force,” said Mr. Ron Grabe, Orbital’s Executive Vice President and General Manager of its Launch Systems Group. “For the past 15 years, the Minotaur program has provided highly reliable and affordable launchers that combine government-owned propulsion systems with commercial rocket technology to support Department of Defense and other U.S. government space missions.” The Minotaur I is a four-stage solid fuel space launch vehicle utilizing Minuteman rocket motors for its first and second stages, reusing government-owned motors that have been decommissioned as a result of arms reduction treaties. To date, Minotaur I has conducted 10 missions with a 100% success rate, delivering 32 satellites into orbit, while the entire Minotaur product line (see description below) has established a perfect 23-for-23 mission record. The Enabler mission will be the fifth Minotaur I rocket to be launched from the MARS facility, following the TacSat-2, NFIRE, TacSat-3 and ORS-1 missions conducted from the Eastern Virginia launch site in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2011, respectfully. About Orbital’s Minotaur Product Line Orbital’s Minotaur product line was originally developed under the U.S. Air Force’s Orbital/Suborbital Program (OSP). The initial five-year OSP contract was awarded to Orbital in 1997, followed by the 10-year OSP-2 contract received in 2002. The Minotaur product line includes both space launch vehicles and long-range suborbital vehicles for missile defense and other specialized missions. Minotaur vehicles are the only proven launchers currently capable of supporting the Department of Defense’s evolving ORS launch requirements and are also specifically designed to be capable of launching from all major U.S. spaceports, including government and commercial launch sites in Alaska, California, Florida and Virginia. All Minotaur rockets share standardized avionics and subsystems, mature industrial processes and experienced personnel to make them reliable and cost effective. The Minotaur I space launch configuration combines Orbital’s commercial launch vehicle technologies, including upper-stage rocket motors, structures, avionics and other elements, with government-supplied lower-stage rocket motors to create responsive, reliable and low-cost launch systems for U.S. government-sponsored spacecraft. It can place approximately 1,300 lbs. into low-Earth orbit. In addition to the Minotaur I space booster, Orbital’s Minotaur product line also includes: • Minotaur II - A three-stage suborbital rocket used as a target vehicle for testing U.S. missile defense systems and related missions. • Minotaur III - A three-stage suborbital rocket that can deliver suborbital technology demonstration payloads of up to 6,500 lbs. or serve as a target vehicle for testing U.S. missile defense systems and similar missions. • Minotaur IV - Introduced in 2010, the Minotaur IV uses retired Peacekeeper rocket motors, capable of launching U.S. government-sponsored satellites weighing up to 3,800 lbs. into low-altitude orbit and can also be configured as a three-stage suborbital booster. It has carried out five successful missions, including two suborbital flights for DARPA and three space launch missions. • Minotaur V - An enhanced-performance version of the Minotaur IV space launch vehicle that will be used to launch government satellites into higher-energy orbits for missions related to space exploration and other activities beyond low-Earth orbit. Orbital will introduce the Minotaur V configuration in 2013 with the launch of NASA’s LADEE lunar spacecraft from MARS at Wallops Island, Virginia.

orbital

Citation :

U.S. drone crashes in Seychelles, second in four months


(Reuters) - A U.S. drone crash-landed at the Seychelles main airport and careered into the ocean on Wednesday, the second remotely piloted MQ-9 Reaper aircraft to crash on the Indian Ocean archipelago in four months.

The Seychelles Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) said the aircraft had technical problems soon after taking off and tried to land at Seychelles International Airport on the main island of Mahe.

"It touched down on the runway and bounced a few times before ending (in) the sea at the extreme southern end of the runway," the SCAA said in a statement.

A Reuters witness said police prevented reporters from entering a public area next to the end of the runway.

There was no immediate comment from the U.S. embassy and it was not clear what the drone's mission had been.

A classified U.S. diplomatic cable dated 2009 showed that unmanned aircraft carried out missions over Somalia and the Horn of Africa from the Seychelles. Local officials say drones based in the archipelago are also tracking pirates in regional waters.

Que pouvait bien faire cet avion au Seychelles?

2 f 15 et un C 130 au Marrakech air-show 2012

rafi a écrit:

Que pouvait bien faire cet avion au Seychelles?

stationés la bas,ils "traitent" une partie de l´afrique depuis 2008/9 je crois,armés bien sure,missions anti-piracy

http://www.africom.mil/getArticle.asp?art=3706&lang=0
http://crossedcrocodiles.wordpress.com/2009/11/01/political-assassin-robots-flying-in-african-skies/

Merci Yak.

Citation :

Crash d’un F/A-18 en Virgine : aucune victime



Le 6 avril, un F/A-18D de la Marine américaine s’est écrasé peu après son décollage à 12h05 sur un immeuble résidentiel de Virginia Beach, en Virginie (source: US Navy).

Neuf personnes, dont deux pilotes et un pompier, ont été légèrement blessées. Cinq d’entre elles ont été brièvement hospitalisées, essentiellement pour des intoxications à la fumée, selon l’hôpital Sentara de Virginia Beach. Cinq immeubles ont été endommagés, dont l’un sérieusement. Selon des témoins, ces résidences étaient occupées principalement par des personnes âgées.

Les deux pilotes de l’avion ont réussi à s’éjecter de l’appareil peu avant l’impact. L’un d’entre eux a été sauvé des flammes par des riverains.

« Je l’ai vu au sol, alors que son parachute était accroché à l’immeuble. Il était blessé au visage », a expliqué un témoin. « Il était en état de choc et toujours sanglé à son siège ».

Une fois hors de danger, le pilote se serait exclamé : « Je suis vraiment désolé de m’être écrasé sur votre immeuble ».

Les pilotes ont ensuite été transportés à l’hôpital pour des blessures sans gravité. Aucune victime au sol n’était à déplorer, mais les secours se voulaient prudents.

« Nous allons partir du principe que des personnes ont disparu, et mettre en oeuvre des recherches détaillées » dans le quartier, a expliqué le chef des pompiers à CNN.

Plusieurs heures après l’accident, des personnes manquaient ainsi encore à l’appel, sans qu’elles soient pour autant portées disparues, selon les autorités. En début de soirée, le gouverneur de Virginie Bob McDonnell a confié sur CNN être « prudemment optimiste » sur l’absence de perte en vie humaine et dit espérer pouvoir bientôt confirmer ce « miracle du Vendredi Saint ».



Au décollage, un F/A-18 emporte en général près de cinq tonnes de carburant. L’appareil accidenté était « nouveau », a indiqué l’US Navy sans donner plus de précision.

L’avion appartenait à l’escadron 106 de la base d’Oceana, un immense complexe de la Marine américaine où près de 15.000 personnes travaillent.

Le chasseur-bombardier F/A-18D est la version biplace du F/A-18C qui est l’avion de combat embarqué de l’US Navy. Il est en service depuis le milieu des années 1980 et construit à environ 2.000 exemplaires. Il a été vendu à de nombreux clients à l’étranger. C’est le troisième accident impliquant ce type d’appareils depuis le début de l’année, selon la chaîne ABC.

info-aviation

Citation :

Boeing to Upgrade B-1 Navigation System for US Air Force


B-1 bomber fleet to receive new ring laser gyro system


OKLAHOMA CITY, April 9, 2012 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] has received a $55.3 million production contract from the U.S. Air Force to upgrade the B-1 Lancer navigation system. The upgrade will replace the original navigation hardware with a new ring laser gyro system.


“We are no longer using a spinning mass gyro,” said Rick Greenwell, B-1 program director for Boeing. “The new inertial navigation system uses a ring laser gyro with no moving parts to wear out and repair. This upgrade will dramatically increase system reliability.”

Under the three-and-a-half year contract, Boeing will deliver hardware modification kits and perform retrofits at Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas, and Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, S.D. Initial aircraft modification is scheduled to begin in January 2013 and be completed by mid-2015.

Development program flight tests were completed on July 13, 2011. Boeing will begin purchasing upgrade kits immediately.

Source: Boeing

Citation :

U.S. Air Force accepted control of the fourth Wideband Global SATCOM

Transfer of control occurs 12 weeks after launch
1st Block II satellite includes new radio frequency bypass
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 12, 2012 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] announced today that the U.S. Air Force accepted control of the fourth Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) military communications satellite on April 11, after the spacecraft passed several weeks of rigorous on-orbit tests.

WGS-4 was launched Jan. 19 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket. It is the first spacecraft in the program's upgraded Block II series, which includes a new radio frequency (RF) bypass that supports the transmission of airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance imagery at data rates approximately three times greater than those currently available on Block I satellites.

"This fourth WGS satellite adds substantial capacity and resiliency to the WGS constellation," said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space & Intelligence Systems. "The team worked around the clock to ensure that all testing was completed successfully, and that the satellite was healthy and ready for customer handover. We remain committed to the Air Force, the WGS mission, and to continuing to support the delivery of this critical enhancement of warfighter communications."

On-orbit testing demonstrated the functionality of WGS-4's communications payload features by passing test signals through each of the satellite's 19 antenna beams. The tests also verified WGS-4's beam-steering functions.

Boeing performed the on-orbit testing from the company's Mission Control Center in El Segundo and from government facilities in central California. Air Force operations personnel at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado are conducting additional tests and preparing to move WGS-4 into its operational position. The satellite is expected to go into service this summer.

WGS satellites are built on the proven Boeing 702HP platform, which features highly efficient xenon-ion propulsion, deployable thermal radiators, and advanced triple-junction gallium-arsenide solar arrays that enable high-capacity, flexible payloads. The WGS communications payload has unique flexibility that is important to the military, as well as the ability to interconnect terminals that operate in different frequency bands and to reposition coverage beams based on evolving mission needs. WGS supports missions including tactical communications to and between ground forces, and relaying data and imagery from airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms.

boeing.mediaroom

Citation :

13 923 aéronefs en parc au sein des forces armées américaines



3 374 chasseurs, 926 hélicoptères d'attaque, 4 279 avions de transport, 144 avions de sauvetage (S&R), 551 avions de ravitaillement en vol, 162 bombardiers à long rayon d'action, 606 avions de lutte ASM, 2 382 avions pour la formation, 1 023 appareils ISR et C4 (drones et autres voilures), 476 appareils dédiés aux forces spéciales. Le total? 13 923 appareils en parc pour l'année fiscale 2012.
Sur ce total, 1 722 ne sont pas en ligne (dont 1 477 étant en stock, le reste étant prêté). Ces chiffres sont tirés de l'Annual Aviation Inventory and Funding Plan du Pentagone, un document de mars dernier qui évalue aussi ce que sera le parc aérien US de 2013 à 2022 (cliquer sur le tableau ci-dessous pour l'agrandir):



Ces chiffres témoignent bien sûr du gigantisme du parc US mais ils démontrent aussi que le parc va croître en dépit des coupes budgétaires annoncées. Domaine où les hausses seront notables: l'ISR/C4, les hélicoptères d'attaque, les appareils de lutte ASM.

http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/archive/2012/04/12/13%C2%A0923-aeronefs-en-parc-au-sein-des-forces-armees-americaine.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

mega contrat

Citation :

AIR FORCE

Ace Technology Partners, LLC, Arlington Heights, Ill.; Blue Tech Inc., San Diego, Calif.; FedStore Corp., Rockville, Md.; General Dynamics IT, Needham, Mass.; Global Technology Resources, Inc., Denver, Colo.; GTSI Corp., Herndon, Va.; Iron Bow Technologies, LLC, Chantilly, Va.; M2 Technology, Inc. San Antonio, Texas; and Red River Computer Co., Claremont, N.H., are being awarded a $6,900,000,000 firm fixed price, multiple award, indefinite delivery, and indefinite quantity contract for the purchase of netcentric products for Air Force customers. This contract vehicle will provide for commercially available off-the-shelf products to support the Internet Protocol Network and will include the following categories of netcentric products and associated support worldwide: (1) networking equipment, (2) servers and storage, (3) peripherals, (4) multimedia, (5) software (not included on other enterprise licenses), and (6) identity management/biometric hardware and associated software. This contract supports the Global Information Grid architecture, Defense Information Infrastructure, Air Force, and Defense Communications Systems info-structure for computer networks and telecommunications network mission areas. The location of the performance will be Air Force facilities. Work is to be completed by July, 31, 2022. ESC/HIJK, Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., is the contracting activity. The contract numbers for this award are as follows: Ace Technology Partners, LLC , contract number: FA8771-12-D-1020; Blue Tech Inc., Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1021; FedStore Corporation, Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1022; General Dynamics IT, Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1023; Global Technology Resources, Inc., Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1024; GTSI Corp., Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1025; Iron Bow Technologies, LLC, Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1026; M2 Technology, Inc., Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1207; Red River Computer Company, Contract Number: FA8771-12-D-1028.

defense.gov

Citation :

Strike Eagle Extreme; Nearly 70 F-15Es take to sky





F-15E Strike Eagles of the 4th Fighter Wing perform an “Elephant Walk” as they taxi down the runway during a Turkey Shoot training mission on Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., April 16, 2012. The wing generated nearly 70 aircraft to destroy more than 1,000 targets on bombing ranges across the state to commemorate the 4th’s victory over the Luftwaffe on April 16, 1945. The aircrews are assigned to the 4th Fighter Wing’s 333rd, 334th, 335th, and 336th Fighter Squadrons. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Elizabeth Rissmiller)(Released)

.af.mil

............
Ouahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh y a pas a dire cela en jette !!!!!!

Mustang Mayhem
F-15E Strike Eagles of the 4th Fighter Wing perform an "Elephant Walk" as they taxi down the runway during a Turkey shoot training mission, here at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, April 16, 2012. This historical flight marks the 67th anniversary of the 4th Fighter Wing's victory over the Luftwaffe on during World War II (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Lakisha A. Croley)

Spoiler:

Citation :

Fenway Park is marking its 100th Anniversary and the AFHFF will be participating in the celebration! A special Heritage Flight featuring F-16 Falcon pilots Major Andrew "Thorr" Congdon and Capt Garrett "Mace" Dover alongside Jim Beasley and Vlado Lenoch in the P-51 Mustangs will take place during the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees game on April 20th! Don’t miss it!

TV Network Coverage: MLBN, NESN

Citation :

General Atomics proposes range boost for Predator B


Predator Bs could gain an extra 10-15h endurance under two retrofit options unveiled on 18 April by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.

Adding two fuel pods and a previously designed heavy-weight landing gear would allow a Predator B to fly 37h without refueling on an surveillance mission, the company says.

Alternatively, General Atomics could add another 5h of endurance by installing 26.8m (88ft)-long wings, replacing 20.1m wings on the aircraft today.

Both retrofit proposals emerged from an internally funded "endurance enhancement study".

The modifications could be made "without costly depot aircraft modifications", the company says.

The heavier landing gear could increase the maximum takeoff weight of the Predator B from 4,762kg (10,500lb) to 5,307kg.

In February, the US Air Force revealed a new budget request proposing to slash the MQ-9 production budget in half over the next five years. The MQ-9 is the USAF designation for the Predator B, which is also operated by the UK, Italy, NASA and the US Customs and Border Protection Agency

flightglobal

30 ans de plus voila ce qui confirme la valeur de cet helico

Citation :

USAF issues RFI for UH-1N modernization

By: Dave Majumdar Washington DC
43 minutes ago
Source: Flightglobal

The US Air Force has issued a request for information (RfI) to modernize its ageing fleet of Bell UH-1N helicopters-potentially to keep the aircraft in service for another 30 years.

"In terms of mission capable (MC) rates, the UH-1 remains one of the most reliable platforms within the US Air Force inventory," the request reads. "To provide the UH-1 with an additional 30 years of service and retain its MC rates, the rotary branch is attempting to resolve sustainability and capability shortfalls."

The notice was posted 17 April. The USAF wants responses within 14 days of the posting.

The USAF wants to increase the UH-1N's endurance, range, speed, all-weather capability, survivability and equip it with modernised communication and navigation system capabilities. "The government is seeking interested sources to fulfil [fiscal year]14-18 requirements," the RFI reads.

The Hueys were supposed to have been replaced by the USAF's common vertical lift support platform (CVLSP), which had attracted interest from Sikorsky, AgustaWestland, Bell Helicopter and Boeing.

But the CVLSP funding was eliminated in the US Department of Defense's fiscal year 2013 budget proposal.

The USAF is also planning on taking some of the US Marine Corps' surplus UH-1Ns. The Marines are replacing the UH-1Ns with some newly-built UH-1Y "Venom" helicopters.

But the USAF has yet to determine what it will do with the UH-1Ns.

Citation :

Northrop Grumman Wins U.S. Air Force Electronic Attack Pod Upgrade Program

HERNDON, Va., April 26, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) a $52.8 million, 27-month engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract to upgrade its electronic attack (EA) pods. The program has a potential value of $480 million including EMD, a low-rate initial production phase (LRIP) and five production options. "We are honored that the U.S. Air Force selected Northrop Grumman to modernize their electronic attack pods," said Tom Vice, corporate vice president and sector president, Northrop Grumman Technical Services. "The Northrop Grumman team designed an innovative solution that provides our U.S. Air Force pilots with the electronic warfare protection they need while flying combat operations." Northrop Grumman's solution, an upgraded ALQ-131 EA pod, is fully capable of operating in support of A-10, C-130, F-15 and F-16 aircraft and aircrews. "A key capability for the pod upgrade is our proven digital radio frequency memory, a common component for flagship electronic warfare systems," said Jeff Palombo, sector vice president and general manager of Northrop Grumman's Land and Self Protection Systems Division. "This digital receiver/exciter technology makes a fourth-generation aircraft survivable in a fifth-generation world. Northrop Grumman is utilizing mature technology across a number of programs providing scalable and economical unique electronic warfare capability to gain fifth generation abilities in form/fit packages for U.S. Air Force fixed and rotary wing aircraft." Northrop Grumman has delivered more than 500 digital radio frequency memories which are installed on F-16s and other modern fighter aircraft. The company has more than 60 years of experience in electronic warfare protecting B-1, B-52, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-35 and SR-71 aircraft and aircrews.

http://www.northropgrumman.com/

Veuillez SVP effacer ou deplacer si ce n'est pas la bonne place:

Citation :

Bringing Home the BACN to Front-Line Forces

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Bringing-Home-the-BACN-to-Front-Line-Forces-05618/#more-5618

In late June 2009, the USAF awarded Northrop Grumman Defense Mission Systems Inc., of San Diego, CA an urgent requirement contract for its Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) System. At present, Northrop Grumman will help the USAF deploy BACN in up to 4 “E-11” Bombardier BD-700 Global Express (see also BACN-modified photo) ultra-long-range business jets, and in up to 4 EQ-4B Global Hawk Block 20 UAVs, for sustained deployment through 2015.

BACN is an airborne communications relay that extends communications ranges, bridges between radio frequencies, and “translates” among incompatible communications systems. That may sound trivial, but on a tactical level, it definitely isn’t.

The BACN System

BACN was developed under a Department of Defense Microelectronic Activity contract (#H94003-04-D-0005), as part of the Interim Gateway Program. It provides a high-speed, Internet protocol (IP)-based airborne network infrastructure that that extends communications ranges, bridges between radio frequencies, and “translates” among incompatible communications systems – including both tactical and civil cellular systems. Using BACN, a Special Forces soldier on the ground could use a civil cell phone to speak to a fighter pilot in the cockpit.

BACN supports seamless movement of imagery, video, voice and digital messages, with support for waveforms that include SINCGARS (single-channel ground and airborne radio system), DAMA (demand assigned multiple access), EPLRS (enhanced position location reporting system), SADL (situation awareness data link), Link 16, and IP-based networking connectivity using TTN (tactical targeting network), TCDL (tactical common data link) technology, CLIP (Common Link Integration Processing), and 802.11b. Northrop Grumman’s joint translator/forwarder (JXF), originally developed for US Joint Forces Command, is to accomplish digital-message transformation.

That kind of system can be especially useful in rugged terrain that block line-of-sight communications, in combined civil/military situations, or when different services or even different countries are operating side by side in the field. Afghanistan meets all of those criteria, an so do some aspects of operations in Iraq.

There are even reports that BACN may be installed in the F-22 Raptor as a communications gateway that would solve some of that platform’s issues; releases concerning the JEFX 08 exercises were vague on this subject, mentioning only BACN’s ability to receive unique F-22 waveforms.

As of 2006, the Northrop Grumman BACN team included:

Northrop Grumman’s Defense Mission Systems, Space Technology, Integrated Systems and Information Technology sectors
NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX
Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, IA
Raytheon Solipsys in Laurel, MD
L3 Communications in Salt Lake City, UT
Qualcomm Inc. in San Diego, CA
ViaSat Inc. in Carlsbad, CA
Northrop Grumman and teammate Orion Air Group provide 24/7 operations and support services for BACN on the front lines.

At present, BACN is flying on 3 modified E-11A Global Express long-range business jets (1 leased, 2 USAF-owned), and 2 (soon 4) EQ-4B Global Hawk Block 20 UAV variants.

[...]


http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Bringing-Home-the-BACN-to-Front-Line-Forces-05618/#more-5618

Unités mobilisées lors d'un déplacement du président Obama







C'est un hélico des Marines ce VH60 en fait ...

Citation :

Les Etats-Unis ont transféré des avions de chasse F-22 Raptor vers une base militaire située en Asie occidentale, lit-on dans le journal Washington Post.

"Le redéploiement des chasseurs a lieu au moment où les Etats-Unis et cinq autres puissances mondiales s'apprêtent à des négociations extrêmement importantes avec l'Iran portant sur l'éventuelle suspension de son programme nucléaire", indique le journal.

D'après un porte-parole de l'armée de l'air américaine, le transfert des avions a été planifié et vise à renforcer la sécurité dans la région. On ne connaît ni le nombre de chasseurs ni le lieu exact de la base.

Sur fond de tensions avec l'Iran, les Etats-Unis ont auparavant dépêché vers le Golfe le porte-avions Entreprise qui y a rejoint le croiseur USS Vicksburg et trois destroyers: l'USS Nitze, l'USS Porter et l'USS James E.Williams.

Un autre groupe aéronaval d'attaque américain dirigé par le porte-avions USS Abraham Lincoln se trouve dans le Golfe.

La tension autour de l'Iran et de son programme nucléaire est récemment montée d'un cran suite aux menaces proférées par Téhéran de fermer le détroit d'Ormuz au transit de pétrole en cas de sanctions occidentales contre les exportations pétrolières iraniennes. En réponse, les Etats-Unis et la Grande-Bretagne ont commencé à renforcer leur présence militaire dans la région. L'adoption d'un embargo sur les livraisons de brut iranien a été approuvée en janvier par l'Union européenne.

http://fr.rian.ru/world/20120429/194497172.html