US Air Force - USAF

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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 :: Les premiers F-35A situés à la base de Hill

Le Pentagone l’a annoncé cette semaine.
L’US Air Force avait affirmé en 2010 que la base d’Hill dans l’Utah était pressenti pour recevoir les F-35 lorsqu’ils entreront en service opérationnel. Le Pentagone a confirmé cette information qui était donc attendue.
72 F-35A seront livrés sur la base à compter de 2015. Ils remplaceront 48 F-16 actuellement mis en œuvre au sein de deux escadrons. 18 autres F-35 sont par la suite positionnés sur la base de Burlington.
Les missions seront similaires : supériorité aérienne avec plus d’efficacité, de rapidité et de discrétion. Au total, le Pentagone a passé commande de 2500 F-35 en différentes versions pour l’USAF, l’USMC et la Navy en 2001.

http://www.infosdefense.com/les-premiers-f-35a-situes-a-la-base-de-hill-55138/

Citation :: Another Super Galaxy Delivered

Marietta, Ga. Dec. 5, 2013– Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] delivered its 14th C-5M Super Galaxy to the U.S. Air Force from its facilities here today.

An Air Force crew flew the Super Galaxy to Stewart Air National Guard Base, N.Y., where it will undergo internal paint restoration before traveling to its permanent home at Dover Air Force Base, Del. It is the second C-5M delivery in the last two weeks and the fourth for 2013.

The C-5M is the only true strategic airlifter capable of offering the entire globe in one unrefueled flight. A total of 52 Super Galaxy aircraft are scheduled to be delivered to the Air Force by 2017.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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Citation :: Les militaires des USA ont testé le missile balistique Minuteman-3

http://french.ruvr.ru/news/2013_12_18/Les-militaires-des-USA-ont-teste-le-missile-balistique-Minuteman-3-6055/

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US Air Force - USAF - Page 39 4cdc5300-4889-4be3-9a10-1fb0c573da7d

"Les belles idées n'ont pas d'âge, elles ont seulement de l'avenir"

.....

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Citation :: Lockheed Martin Delivers Landmark 300th C-130J Super Hercules

MARIETTA, Ga., Dec. 18, 2013 – The C-130J Super Hercules program reached another significant milestone with the delivery of its 300th aircraft, which was ferried today by a U.S. Air Force crew from the Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] facility here.

The 300th Super Herc is an MC-130J Commando II assigned to the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command. The Commando II supports such missions as in-flight refueling, infiltration/exfiltration, and aerial delivery and resupply of special operations forces.

“The delivery of this 300th C-130J is a major achievement for the entire Super Hercules community. Together, we built an aircraft that it is ready for any mission, anywhere, anytime,” said George Shultz, vice president and general manager of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company’s C-130 programs. “Partnerships and commitment are at the core of this Super Hercules, as was the case with the 299 C-130Js that came before it and with the many others that will follow.”

Sixteen countries have chosen the C-130J Super Hercules to meet their air mobility needs. The “J” is the standard by which all other airlift is measured in terms of availability, flexibility and reliability.

With more than 1 million flight hours, the C-130J has been deployed in two combat theaters where they operated at a very high tempo efficiently and reliably. In non-combat — but equally harsh —environments, C-130Js are often the first to support missions like search and rescue, aerial firefighting, and delivering relief supplies after earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons and tsunamis around the world.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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Citation :: Lockheed wins $562 million contract to modify F-22 fighter

(Reuters) - Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) has won a contract valued at up to $562 million to provide nine months of support, logistics and modifications for the stealthy F-22 fighter jet, the Pentagon announced on Friday.

The contract, which includes reliability and maintainability upgrades, runs through September 30, it said in a daily digest of major weapons contracts.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa. Editing by Andre Grenon)

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Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Mar 7 Jan 2014 - 16:05

Citation :: Des A-10 sauvés jusqu’en 2015

Washington, une partie de la flotte d’avions d’attaques au sol de l’US Air Force de Fairchild A-10 «Thunderbolt II» est sauvée pour 2014, en effet, la nouvelle Loi sur la défense nationale demande, de maintenir davantage d’appareil de ce type. Initialement, il était prévu de retirer du service près de 102 avions de ce type d’ici 2014.

Au total, l’US Air Force dispose aujourd’hui d’un total de 320 A-10 en service, une partie de ceux-ci ayant le potentiel le plus élevé, vont progressivement subir une cure de rajeunissement, avec la fourniture de nouvelles ailes pour équiper la flotte de A-10 «Thunderbolt II». Ce processus de modernisation déjà engagé, doit permettre à l’avion de voler jusqu’en 2040. Les ailes des A-10 ont été mises à lourde contribution lors des nombreux déploiements sur divers théâtres opérationnels et de nombreuses fissures ont été décelées. Il fallait impérativement y remédier pour permettre à la flotte de continuer de voler en toute sécurité.

Mais en contre-partie, le reste de la flotte devait quitter le service progressivement. Le projet de loi, signé par le président Obama va permettre de maintenir en service, durant au moins 12 mois supplémentaires, les appareils qui ne sont pas destinés à une modernisation.

Cette décision permet de combler les retards dans l’approvisionnement du Lockheed-Martin F-35, dont la dotation a été retardée suite aux nombreux problèmes de mise au point et de surcoûts.

Photos : Les plus anciens A-10 sont sauvés pour 12 mois @ USAF

Citation :: l’USAF réintègre le C-27J

L’US Air Force va réintégrer ses avions de transport AleniaAermacchi C-27J «Spartan» pour 2014. L’USAF dispose d’un total de 28 C-27J «Spartan» en service depuis 2008.

Crise budgétaire :

En 2012, l’USAF est contrainte à faire des économies budgétaires et décide alors de stopper l’utilisation du C-27J. Sept avions sont transférés au sein de l'US Special Operations Command, les autres sont maintenus et stockés, pour un éventuel retour en opération au sein des installations de la base aérienne de David Monthan AFB en Arizona.

Les C-27J vont quitter la naphtaline :

Signé par le président Barack Obama le 26 décembre dernier, le projet de loi demande au secrétaire à la Défense des États-Unis, Chuck Hagel, la réintégration en service des C-27J «Spartan» au sein des gardes-côte (US Coast Guard).

Les gardes-côtes vont se séparer de 7 Lockheed-Martin C-130J «Hercules» qui rejoindront l’USAF et recevront en contre-partie la flotte de C-27J «Spartan».

Le C-27J «Spartan» :

Le C-27J « Spartan » est un aéronef à voilure fixe de transport tactique léger polyvalent pour diverses missions. Particulièrement maniable et polyvalent, le robuste C-27J offre un rapport poids puissance le plus élevé de sa catégorie et avec la capacité d'effectuer des manœuvres sous un facteur de charge de l’ordre de 3G, permettant des virages serrés et une montée rapide, ainsi que la descente.
Le C-27J offre la capacité unique de faire varier la hauteur plancher, afin d’ajuster en permanence celui-ci pour faciliter le chargement et le déchargement de grands volumes, ainsi que les charges utiles à haute densité, sans équipement de soutien au sol et en facilitant le «drive-in/out» de véhicules, afin qu'ils puissent être utilisés immédiatement.

Photos : C-27J «Spartan» aux couleurs de l’USAF@ USAF

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/01/06/l-usaf-reintegre-le-c-27j-854802.html

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Mer 8 Jan 2014 - 9:20

Citation :: 4 dead after US Air Force helicopter crashes in England

LONDON - A U.S. Air Force Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in the coastal marshes of eastern England during a training mission on Tuesday night, killing all four crew members aboard, officials said.

The helicopter crashed at about 6 p.m. local time near Salthouse on the Norfolk coast, a statement from the U.S. Air Force said. The aircraft was based at the nearby Royal Air Force station in Lakenheath, Suffolk County, which hosts USAF units and personnel.

The helicopter, assigned to the 48th Fighter Wing, was flying low at the time of the crash, the statement added.

In Washington, a U.S. defense official said the accident killed the four U.S. Air Force crew members aboard. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the crash publicly.

Local police in Norfolk County also said they believed all four crew had died. It said family members will be notified before details of the victims can be released.

Emergency workers from the fire brigade, coast guard and police are at the scene. Police in Norfolk County said they believe there is ammunition onboard the helicopter, and the scene was cordoned off so that experts could ensure the area is safe. Apart from the crew, nobody was put in any danger, police said.

It is not yet known what caused the accident.

Pave Hawks -- a modified version of the better-known Black Hawks -- are mostly used for combat search and rescue missions, mainly to recover downed air crew members or other personnel during war and other hostile situations. They typically practice flying low and fast, often at altitudes of hundreds, rather than thousands, of feet.

Pave Hawks have been deployed in numerous missions, including to Japan in the wake of the tsunami in 2011 and to southern U.S. after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. They also support military operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya.

http://www.abc15.com

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Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Mer 8 Jan 2014 - 22:52

Citation :: Cyber Training: l'US Air Force veut faire former un millier de spécialistes par an

L'Air Force Special Operations Command a lancé une RFP intitulée "Cyber Operations Formal Training Support" (Solicitation Number: FA002114R0003) que l'on peut consulter ici. C'est le second appel d'offres de ce type qui est lancé, le premier ayant été lancé en mars 2013.
L'Air Force recherche 33 formateurs (ETP) pour doper les capacités du 39e Information Operations Squadron (39 IOS). Cette unité appartient au 318th Cyber Operations Group (318 COG), 688th Cyber Wing, 24 Air Force/Air Force Cyber (24 AF/AFCYBER). Elle est chargée de la formation des personnels de l'USAF dans le domaine du combat cyber-électronique.
Ces formateurs civils (habilités "top secret" et "sensitive compartmented information") formeront et encadreront des promotions de 700 à 1100 élèves. Le contrat prévoit une période initiale de 5 mois et deux extensions de 12 mois chacune.
Au programme:
"Command and Control (C2) Networks o Internet Protocol (IP)
- Telephony
- Satellite Communications (SATCOM) and Satellite Control Networks; 
Battlefield Networks o Integrated Air and Missile Defense Systems (IAMDS)
- Tactical Digital Links, and Airborne Networking Technologies, 
Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Networks
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
- Process and Distribution Control Systems (PCS/DCS) 
Wired and Wireless Networks
- Supporting hardware, software, infrastructure, and protocols that operate on both wired and wireless networks for the above network types."

http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/archive/2014/01/08/cyber-training-10978.html

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Jeu 9 Jan 2014 - 13:31

Citation :: USAF returns fire-damaged B-2 to service

The US Air Force and Northrop Grumman have completed a nearly four-year maintenance process to return one of the service’s fire-damaged B-2 bombers to active service.

During the lengthy repair process, the price of which the USAF has not disclosed, technicians determined the cause of the fire and developed new procedures for repairing composite aircraft structures, says the USAF in a media release.

The B-2, named "Spirit of Washington", has been restored to "full mission-ready status", says the service, which has released an image of it in use at Whiteman AFB, Missouri.

asset image

US Air Force

The aircraft, one of the USAF’s 20 Northrop B-2s, suffered what the service described initially as a “minor engine fire” during start-up on the ground at Andersen AFB in Guam in February 2010. More than one year later, its language changed when it described the event as “horrific”.

The fire occurred in one of aircraft’s four engines and also damaged the engine bay and other parts of the aircraft.

The aircraft’s composite structure and a limited supply of B-2 parts made the repairs more difficult, but the service says the process allowed technicians to learn new composite-repair techniques. For instance, technicians sprayed pellets of dry ice on to the aircraft’s skin to remove charcoal left from the fire, it notes.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Ven 10 Jan 2014 - 10:45

Citation :: Lockheed Martin Receives $449 Million in Contracts for JASSM® Production

Orlando, Fla., Jan. 9, 2014 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received two production contracts on Dec. 19 totaling $449 million from the U.S. Air Force for continued production of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) and the Extended Range (ER) variant.

The Lot 11 and Lot 12 contracts include production of 340 baseline missiles and 100 ER missiles. The contracts also include systems engineering, logistics support, tooling and test equipment. This is the first time the JASSM program has been awarded consecutive production lots at the same time.

“These contracts bring the total number of JASSM cruise missiles on contract to over 2,100, and underscore the U.S. Air Force’s and Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the program,” said Jason Denney, program director of Long Range Strike Systems at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “JASSM’s high reliability and capability allow it to defeat high-value, well-defended current and future threats.”

The contract awards follow several JASSM program milestones, including Foreign Military Sales contracts to integrate JASSM onto the Republic of Finland’s F/A-18C/D aircraft. They also represent the third and fourth production lots for JASSM-ER, which successfully completed U.S. Air Force Initial Operational Test and Evaluation flight testing in August 2012.

Armed with a dual-mode penetrator and blast-fragmentation warhead, JASSM and JASSM-ER cruise autonomously day or night in all weather conditions. Both missiles share the same powerful capabilities and stealthy characteristics, though JASSM-ER has more than two-and-a-half times the range of the baseline JASSM for greater standoff margin. These 2,000-pound cruise missiles employ an infrared seeker and Global Positioning System receiver to dial into specific target aimpoints.

JASSM and JASSM-ER are critical weapons for the U.S. Air Force. Highly effective against high-value, well-fortified, fixed and relocatable targets, the stealthy JASSM is integrated on the U.S. Air Force’s B-1B, B-2, B-52, F-16 and F-15E. The B-1B also carries JASSM-ER.

Internationally, JASSM is integrated on the Royal Australian Air Force’s F/A-18A/B. Future integration efforts will focus on the U.S. and international versions of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft and other international platforms.

JASSM is produced at the company’s award-winning manufacturing facility in Troy, Ala., honored as one of the “Top 10 Best Plants in America” by Industry Week magazine for 2012. The facility has assembled more than 1,400 JASSM cruise missiles for testing and operational use toward a total U.S. Air Force objective of 4,900.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs about 116,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2012 were $47.2 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Ven 10 Jan 2014 - 23:45

Citation :: USAF orders P5 combat training system from Cubic

Cubic's subsidiary Cubic Defense Systems has secured a contract to supply its P5 combat training system (P5CTS) to the US Air Force (USAF).

The system, delivered under a $25m contract, is expected to help USAF address international requirements, including delivery to several Middle East allies as part of F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft foreign military sales (FMS) contracts.

Cubic Defense Systems president Dave Schmitz said the contract combines various FMS requirements to provide the lowest possible cost to the customers in a tight budgetary environment.

''This contract extends the breadth of P5 sales in the Middle East and should yield long-term operations and maintenance opportunities,'' Schmitz said.

As prime contractor, Cubic will be responsible for performance in all areas of systems engineering, and for development, integration and installation of the ground instrumentation subsystem.

DRS has been selected as the principal subcontractor, and will work on all areas related to the P5CTS airborne instrumentation subsystem.

Jointly developed by Cubic Defense Applications and DRS Technologies, the P5 combat trainer is designed to provide real-time training for air-to-air, air-to-ground and surface-to-air combat missions by recording mission data, relay time, space and positioning information between participating aircraft during training sorties.

Key components of the fifth-generation system include GPS-enabled aircraft-mounted airborne instrumentation packages and ground stations, which will help aircrew to conduct, monitor and control air combat training and post-flight debriefing as well as the flexibility to carry out, anywhere, anytime training capability.
Additional contract details and delivery schedule remain undisclosed.

http://www.airforce-technology.com/news/newscubic-to-supply-p5-combat-training-system-to-usaf-4158322

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Sam 11 Jan 2014 - 1:36

P5 combat training system pour l'USAF , le même que les FRA ont acquis . Sa montre l'excellence de ce système .

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Dim 12 Jan 2014 - 13:41

Citation :: Un MC-12 s’écrase en Afghanistan

Trois personnels américains ont péri dans l’accident.

Pour une raison encore indéterminée, un appareil américain MC-12 s’est écrasé hier à proximité de la base de Bagram dans l’est de l’Afghanistan. Deux militaires et un contractor américain à bord sont morts dans l’accident.
Selon l’ISAF, aucune activité ennemie n’avait été détectée dans la zone au moment de l’incident. Une cause technique ou une erreur de pilotage pourraient donc être à l’origine du crash.
Les MC-12 peuvent servir à différentes missions de transport pour le compte de l’ambassade américaine à Kaboul ou des évacuations sanitaires. Ces appareils peuvent également servir pour des missions ISR pour le compte du 4th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron, basé justement à Bagram. Équipés de capteurs vidéos et d’écoute, ils participent ainsi directement aux missions de renseignement à l’encontre des talibans.
Depuis le début de l’année, quatre soldats de l’ISAF sont morts en Afghanistan, dont un au cours d’une attaque suicide le 4 janvier. Rappelons qu’un Black Hawk avait été abattu le 17 décembre dernier, tuant cinq soldats américains. L’implication des talibans dans ce dernier crash n’a été révélée que cette semaine.

http://www.infosdefense.com/un-mc-12-secrase-en-afghanistan-79266/

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Jeu 16 Jan 2014 - 22:57

Citation :: U.S. to deploy 12 F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets to Japan

The U.S. Air Force has announced it is about to deploy “approximately 12 F-22 Raptors and about 300 personnel from Langley Air Force Base, Va.” to Kadena airbase, in Japan.
The deployment is expected in the next few days and its purpose is demonstrate Washington’s commitment to stability and security in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The aircraft will operate with the Kadena’s resident 18th Wing, which hosts the largest combat wing in the U.S. Air Force composed by F-15s, E-3s AWACS, KC-135s and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters.
The USAF has been rotating fighters to Pacific Command bases since March 2004, “in order to maintain a prudent deterrent against threats to regional security and stability,” according to the statement on the Air Force’s website.
U.S. continues to provide a Theater Security Package in the region by routinely deploying aircraft to the Pacific, a theater characterized by regional disputes and China’s growing naval ambitions.

http://theaviationist.com/2014/01/14/f-22s-deploy-to-kadena/

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Sam 18 Jan 2014 - 16:33

Citation :: Un U-28 du 319th SOS sur l'aéroport de Gao

Aperçu ce samedi après-midi sur le parking de l'aéroport de Gao (Mali), ce U-28A de l'US Air Force (en fait USAF Special Operations Command). Immatriculé 070821, ce Pilatus PC-12 (ex-Sierra Nevada Corporation, N821PE) appartient au 319e Special Operations Squadron de Hurlburt Field (photo Fr. Rihouay).

En février 2012, un avion de cette unité s'était crashé à Djibouti tuant quatre membres d'équipage.

Difficile de dire d'où venait cet appareil vu à Gao, probablement du Burkina Faso puisque des Pilatus y sont basés pour des opérations ISR au-dessus du Sahel

http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/archive/2014/01/18/un-u-28-sur-l-aeroport-de-gao-11048.html

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Sam 18 Jan 2014 - 18:05

Citation :: Assemblage du quatrième KC-46A !

EVERETT, Washington, Boeing a débuté l'assemblage du quatrième et dernier avion d'essai KC-46A de ravitaillement en vol. L’objectif pour cette année est de faire voler le premier KC-46A, puis de débuter les essais de ravitaillement en 2015.

Boeing doit livrer les premiers ravitailleurs de nouvelle génération, soit 18 appareils pour 2017 à l’US Air Force.

Le KC-46A «New Generation Tanker»

Boeing a déterminé les besoins de la mission pour optimiser la taille de la cellule qui apportera le meilleur coût d’exploitation possible. Le B767 «New Gen Tanker» est un gros porteur multi-mission, basé sur la cellule du B767 commercial. Pour ce faire, l’avion reprend les dernières innovations en matières d’écrans multifonctions en test actuellement sur le B787 «Dreamliner». Un nouveau système de ravitaillement permettra une augmentation du rythme de transfert de carburant, de plus, les charges et les opérations en sont simplifiées. Selon Boeing les risques d’industrialisations sont faibles, car l’avion s’appuie sur des moyens existants. Le «New Gen Tanker» se caractérise par une conception du contrôle de vol qui place l‘équipage aux commandes de l’ensemble de l’appareil, au lieu de permettre aux logiciels de limiter la manœuvrabilité au combat. Le «New Gen Tanker» met à la disposition des pilotes de l’USAF un poste de pilotage numérique avancé équipé des affichages électroniques du Boeing B787 «Dreamliner». Le «New Gen Tanker» dispose d’une technologie de ravitaillement en vol éprouvée et d’une perche KC-10 NewGen modernisée avec des capacités de ravitaillement étendues, un débit accru pour le transfert du carburant et un système à commandes de vol électrique (Fly by Wire).

Photos : 1 Image de synthèse du KC-46A 2 Cockpit @ Boeing

http://psk.blog.24heures.ch/archive/2014/01/17/assemblage-du-quatrieme-kc-46a-854911.html

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Mer 22 Jan 2014 - 22:30

Citation :: La bombe atomique sur F-35 ne fait pas l'unanimité

Selon le général Norton Schwartz, ancien chef d'état-major de l'US Air Force, le Pentagone devrait abandonner l'intégration d'un armement nucléaire sur le F-35, afin de consacrer un budget plus important au développement de cette même capacité sur le futur bombardier LRS-B (long-range strike bomber). Norton Schwartz s'est exprimé ainsi lors d'une conférence organisée par le « think tank » Stimson Center, le 16 janvier dernier à Washington DC.

L'intégration de la bombe tactique B61 sur l'avion de combat de Lockheed Martin doit essentiellement permettre de maintenir une capacité de frappe nucléaire sur le sol européen. Vestige de la Guerre Froide, l'US Air Force possède toujours un petit arsenal de bombes B61 sur des bases de l'Otan en Europe, qui peuvent être installées sur F-16 et F-15E.

Selon Norton Schwartz, en l'absence d'un soutien financier de la part des pays de l'Otan, la capacité nucléaire du F-35 devrait être abandonnée au profit de celle du futur bombardier de l'US Air Force.

Pour autant, cette capacité pourrait également intéresser certains clients export de l'avion : le parlement belge évoque ainsi la possibilité d'acquérir des F-35 pouvant éventuellement emporter cette bombe nucléaire. Cette capacité pourrait également intéresser la Turquie.

Selon un rapport du congrès américain, le cout du développement d'une capacité nucléaire sur le F-35 couterait au bas mot 350 M$, sans compter le prix de l'intégration de l'armement.

Quoiqu'il arrive, il faudra également ajouter à la facture le cout de le rénovation à mi-vie de la bombe B61 estimé à plusieurs milliards de dollars.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense/la-bombe-atomique-sur-f-35-ne-fait-pas-l-unanimite.html

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Jeu 23 Jan 2014 - 21:13

Citation :: Le Pentagone veut un examen complet des forces nucléaires

http://www.lapresse.ca/international/etats-unis/201401/23/01-4731752-le-pentagone-veut-un-examen-complet-des-forces-nucleaires.php

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US Air Force - USAF - Page 39 4cdc5300-4889-4be3-9a10-1fb0c573da7d

"Les belles idées n'ont pas d'âge, elles ont seulement de l'avenir"

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Ven 24 Jan 2014 - 11:21

Citation :: US Air Force Receives 1st B-1 Equipped with Boeing Integrated Battle Station

OKLAHOMA CITY, Jan. 22, 2014 – The U.S. Air Force on Jan. 21 received the first B-1 bomber upgraded with the Boeing [NYSE: BA] Integrated Battle Station, which essentially turns the B-1 into a new aircraft with the addition of full color displays, moving maps and a new diagnostics system.

The upgrade, the most extensive modification program in B-1 history, enhances the bomber by giving crews greater situational awareness of what is happening in the battlespace around them, in addition to faster and more secure communication capabilities that improve crews’ ability to engage enemy targets.

In this photo, the B-1 takes off from Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., where Air Force maintenance technicians installed the upgrade. It was delivered to Dyess Air Force Base, Texas.

http://boeing.mediaroom.com

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Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Sam 25 Jan 2014 - 13:13

Citation :: Des drones Global Hawk au Japon

L’US Air Force l’a officialisé hier. Elle déploiera au cours de l’été prochain deux drones RQ-4 Global Hawk pour la première fois au Japon. Les appareils de surveillance seront basés à Misawa dans le nord du Japon, juste en face de la Corée du Nord.
Deux drones seront stationnés sur la base de l’USAF avec 40 personnels dédiés au pilotage et au maintien en condition opérationnelle, du mois de mai au mois d’octobre. Les RQ-4 ont été déployés à Guam depuis trois ans jouant un rôle essentiel pour la prise d’images suite au tsunami au Japon et au cyclone qui a frappé plus récemment les Philippines. La NASA y dispose aussi d’un appareil qui devrait prochainement débuter des missions à très haute altitude pour fournir aux chercheurs des informations sur les gaz atmosphériques. Mais leur mission de renseignement militaire sera déterminante au Japon, comme l’a indiqué l’USAF, pour surveiller de près l’évolution du programme nucléaire nord-coréen et renseigner sur les manoeuvres navales chinoises.
Ce déploiement est aussi un geste fort envoyé au Japon pouvant figurer parmi les futurs acheteurs du drone conçu par Northrop Grumman. La Corée du Sud et l’Australie sont aussi sur la liste des pays intéressés par ce drone HALE, l’Australie souhaiterait acquérir la version maritime Triton. Cinq RQ-4 sont actuellement en construction sur les lignes de production de la firme américaine, commandés par 13 Etats membres de l’OTAN. Les drones seront basés à Sigonella, en Sicile. Enfin, deux ou trois RQ-4 en version Block 40 devraient être déployés à Guam avant la fin de l’année.

http://www.infosdefense.com/des-drones-global-hawk-au-japon-41332/

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Lun 27 Jan 2014 - 15:43

Citation :: L’US Air Force prolonge les satellites GPS

Le commandement de l’espace de l’US Air Force (SMC) a achevé des modifications sur les satellites mettant en œuvre le système d’aide à la navigation. L’opération consiste à remplacer les batteries des satellites GPS IIF et IIR-M.
Les ingénieurs du 2nd Space Operations Squadron ont réalisé les essais et les simulations avant de valider le lancement de cette opération délicate dans l’espace. 19 satellites sont concernés, soit plus de la moitié des satellites utilisés au fonctionnement du Global Positioning System. L’intervention s’est achevée le 15 novembre 2013 et s’est faite en coordination avec Lockheed Martin.
En outre, chaque satellite voit sa durée de fonctionnement prolongée entre un et deux ans. Au total, ils doivent servir durant 27 ans.

http://www.infosdefense.com/lus-air-force-prolonge-les-satellites-gps-11286/

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Lun 27 Jan 2014 - 21:02

Citation :: F-16 Upgrade Dropped From US Budget Proposal, Sources Say

WASHINGTON & TAIPEI — A major F-16 upgrade program is likely to be left out of the president’s fiscal 2015 budget request, according to multiple sources.
The Combat Avionics Programmed Extension Suite (CAPES) is a US Air Force program to replace the avionics and radars for 300 US F-16s. It would also upgrade 146 Taiwanese F-16A/B fighters purchased in the 1990s.
Sources said the US Air Force has decided not to fund the CAPES program, instead reinvesting some of that money toward a general F-16 service-life extension program (SLEP) while putting the rest toward modernization efforts for other platforms.
While costs for the CAPES program are unclear, both Pentagon insiders and outside analysts put the figure in the billions.
The core of CAPES is a new active electronically scanned array radar. In 2013, Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor on CAPES, selected Northrop Grumman’s Scalable Agile Beam Radar to be installed in the planes. Northrop beat competitor Raytheon, which had put forth its Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar as an alternative.
In addition to the radar, CAPES would include a new high-resolution, color, multi-function display, an electronic warfare suite and an integrated broadcast service for multiple intelligence broadcasts, according to a government report.
By moving money toward the SLEP, the Air Force would provide some cover against the F-35 joint strike fighter slipping past its December 2016 initial operating capability date. It is also possible that some of the advanced avionics could become part of the SLEP, offering a cheaper, halfway method toward modernizing the F-16s.
“There is a real force structure problem looming. So something has to be done to keep the F-16, or at least part of the F-16 fleet, effective,” said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis with the Virginia-based Teal Group.
The Air Force appears to be planning “the bare minimum, rather than something that would offer more capability,” he added. “That helps solve the force structure problem, but of course it doesn’t do anything for combat effectiveness.”
Aboulafia also noted that this could have ramifications on the international radar market. The Raytheon radar was selected by South Korea early last year, and Singapore remains in play, as well;if Northrop loses CAPES it could harm long-term prospects for other radar upgrade programs.
Northrop would appear to be the big loser if CAPES is defunded, and could activate its network of supporters in Congress to fight the cut. However, the Air National Guard would stand to benefit from a more robust SLEP, giving the move some support on the Hill.
A Northrop spokeswoman declined to comment on budget speculation, while a Lockheed spokesman did not immediately provide a statement. Per service policy, an Air Force spokeswoman declined to comment on budget details prior to its submission to Congress.
While losing out on CAPES would be a blow to the Pentagon’s fleet of F-16s, it would have much greater impact on Taiwan.
In 2011, the US Air Force awarded Taiwan a $5.3 billion upgrade program for its remaining fleet of 146 F-16A/B fighters. Taiwan’s program would be directly based on the CAPES program, with USAF making all of the source selections.
The one complaint Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) had with the deal was that Taiwan was being saddled with much of the nonrecurring engineering costs for integrating the radar.
Taiwan officials were confident, however, that riding CAPES’ coattails would prove wise. Officials were also anxious to please the Pentagon.
With CAPES defunded, MND officials are expected to “panic,” said Fu Mei, director of the Taiwan Security Analysis Center.
“This is a crisis,” he said. “Taiwan should have taken more control over the source selection instead of handing it over to the [US Air Force] to run it.”
“Now Taiwan’s MND will have to figure out an exit strategy even though the warning signs were there,” he said. “The MND did not begin exploring their contingency options soon enough even though warned by industry analysts.”
Without CAPES funding, Taiwan might not be able to afford the F-16 upgrade program. Last week, the MND announced a 20 percent cut in the size of the military over the next five years. Taiwan is struggling due to a decline in the economy and difficulty paying off $13 billion worth of military equipment procured from Washington since 2008.
The president’s budget is expected to be unveiled March 4. Sources have also told Defense News that Northrop’s Global Hawk unmanned system will be funded in the budget, despite the service repeatedly trying to kill the unmanned system.

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140127/DEFREG/301270023/F-16-Upgrade-Dropped-From-US-Budget-Proposal-Sources-Say?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Mar 28 Jan 2014 - 11:41

Citation :: USAF reveals plan to replace JSTARS with business jets by 2022

The US Air Force has taken the first step in a newly revealed, eight-year process to develop and field a business jet-sized replacement for the Northrop Grumman E-8C joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS), although the project still has no approved funding.

The JSTARS Recapitalisation (Recap) programme seeks to achieve an initial operational capability in 2022 with a “more efficient airframe” in the business jet class. It will be acquired using separate contracts for developing the aircraft, the airborne sensor, battle management command and control (BMC2) system and a communications subsystem.

The USAF revealed the strategy in a request for information to suppliers interested in bidding for the BMC2 system. The document was posted online on 23 January by the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center's electronic systems division at Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts.

Missing from the document is any indication of the programme’s funding status. The USAF budget request for the fiscal year 2014 budget did not include any line items entitled “JSTARS Recap”, nor did Congress add funding for such a project in the approved FY2014 omnibus appropriations bill that passed earlier this month.

But the release of the request for information on the new BMC2 system may indicate the USAF intends to request funding to launch the overall JSTARS Recap programme in FY2015. If funded, the project would create a rare opportunity for the aerospace industry to win a developmental contract, with several potential candidates available to compete.

In the last decade, Boeing and Raytheon have challenged Northrop’s position, proposing or fielding aircraft with ground moving target indication (GMTI) capability: the heart of the JSTARS mission. Raytheon delivered five Sentinel R1 surveillance aircraft to the UK, which modify the Bombardier Global Express business jet to carry a Raytheon/BAE Systems synthetic aperture radar with a GMTI mode. Boeing, meanwhile, proposed a variant of the 737-based P-8A anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft with a similar, Raytheon-built radar.

The JSTARS mission of detecting ground targets at long range at night or in poor weather evolved in the late 1980s. Northrop supplied recently modified Boeing 707s, which played a starring role in Operation Desert Storm in 1991, when the aircraft detected a major Iraqi troop movement in the midst of a seemingly blinding sandstorm.

Replacing or upgrading the 60-year-old aircraft which comprise the ground surveillance fleet of 16 E-8Cs has been debated since the USAF cancelled the Northrop E-10A multisensor command and control aircraft in 2007.

Northrop proposed to re-engine the E-8C with Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 turbofan engines, as well as perform sensor and structural upgrades. Boeing countered by offering the aerial ground surveillance variant of the P-8A. But a 2011 analysis of alternatives funded by the USAF recommended a different strategy. The study urged replacing the E-8C with a mix of business jet-sized sensor platforms augmented by the Northrop RQ-4 Block 40 Global Hawk fleet – an unmanned air system that carries the multiplatform radar technology insertion programme radar.

A year later, Gen Norton Schwartz – the USAF's then-chief of staff – said in Congressional testimony that the service could not afford to carry out the recommendations from the analysis of alternatives. The USAF also at that time was unable to fund the modernisation programme for the E-8Cs.

A 30-year forecast of airpower capability released by the US Department of Defense last year assumed that the E-8C fleet would remain in place over the next three decades, although the USAF has acknowledged the aircraft need several upgrades to keep flying beyond 2025.

The USAF’s stance appeared to shift dramatically last September, however. Gen Mark Welsh, who replaced Schwartz, signalled that replacing the E-8C has become a priority. In comments to reporters at the Air Force Association’s annual convention, Welsh identified the business jet-sized E-8C replacement as the service’s next-highest priority, after acquiring the Lockheed Martin F-35A, Boeing KC-46 tanker and developing a future long-range strike bomber.

But Welsh so far has not disclosed how the E-8C replacement project will be funded. The FY2015 budget request, which is still being assembled, is likely to have a lower top-line than this year’s enacted level, meaning that the USAF will have to pay for such a programme by taking funding away from another one.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Sujet: Re: US Air Force - USAF Mer 29 Jan 2014 - 9:49

Citation :: Lockheed Martin Receives $31 Million U.S. Air Force Contract for Paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb Kits

Archbald, Pa., Jan. 28, 2014 – Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] received a $31.1 million contract from the U.S. Air Force for follow-on production of paveway II Plus Laser Guided Bomb (LGB) kits.

The contract represents the majority share award of the available fiscal year 2013 funding. Production deliveries under this contract will include computer control groups and air foil groups for GBU-10 and GBU-12 bombs. The paveway II Plus LGB uses an enhanced laser guidance package, significantly improving precision when compared to existing paveway II LGBs.

“Lockheed Martin’s paveway II Plus LGBs deliver superior capability at the best value to the warfighter,” said Joe Serra, precision guided systems manager at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “The contract represents the seventh U.S. Air Force paveway II Plus award and extends production at our Archbald, Pa., facility through the end of 2014.”

The kit consists of a MAU-209C/B computer control group containing the electronic guidance system and an airfoil group to provide lift and stability to the weapons in standard GBU-10 MK-84 (2,000 lb.), GBU-12 MK-82 (500 lb.) and GBU-16 MK-83 (1,000 lb.) series configurations.

Lockheed Martin is a qualified provider of all three paveway II MK-80 series LGB variants and is the sole provider of the Enhanced Laser Guided Training Round and Dual Mode Laser Guided Bombs. Designed and manufactured at Lockheed Martin’s 350,000-square-foot production facility in Archbald, the company has delivered more than 130,000 training rounds, more than 70,000 paveway II LGB kits and 7,000 dual mode systems to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and international customers.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control’s Archbald, Pa., facility was selected as one of IndustryWeek magazine’s “Best Plants” for 2013. The program recognizes facilities on the leading edge of manufacturing and operational excellence, with ongoing efforts to increase competitiveness, enhance customer satisfaction, and create stimulating and rewarding work environments.

Headquartered in Bethesda, Md., Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 115,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The Corporation’s net sales for 2013 were $45.4 billion.

http://www.lockheedmartin.com

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