US Air Force - USAF

Citation :

USAF to issue contract to Sikorsky for rescue helicopter


The US Air Force's combat rescue helicopter programme is moving forward.

The service announces on 4 March that it intends to issue a contract by the end of June to Sikorsky for the 14-year, $7 billion programme, which calls for up to 112 aircraft.

Sikorsky, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, was the only company to bid on the project with its proposed CRH-60, a modified version of its UH-60M Black Hawk.



Rendering of Sikorsky's CRH-60 combat rescue helicopter. Sikorsky.

The USAF says it will move $430 million from other programmes to the CRH programme though fiscal year 2019 due to "the criticality" of the combat rescue mission.

The project also received an injection of more than $300 million in the fiscal year 2014 budget.

The service warns, however, that the programme may need to be "reevaluated" should additional defense budget cuts take effect in fiscal year 2016.

"The competitive price and the funding provided by Congress will allow us to award the CRH contract, but we could still face significant challenges to keeping this effort on track," says USAF secretary Deborah Lee James in a statement. "We will need to work with Congress throughout 2015 budget deliberations."

The CRH is intended to replace the USAF's aging HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters, which are also a Sikorsky product.

"Sikorsky and our teammate Lockheed Martin thank the USAF for enabling us to build a modern and affordable combat rescue helicopter that will replace the service’s rapidly aging HH-60G Pave Hawk fleet," says Sikorsky in a statement. "We look forward to working with the USAF to deliver CRH-60 aircraft in the prescribed timeframe."

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

Pentagon proposes buying fewer fighters, unmanned aircraft in FY2015 budget



The US Department of Defense unveiled a budget proposal on 4 March that would slash billions of dollars in aviation spending and make sweeping cuts to procurement of new fighter jets and unmanned aircraft.

The $495.6 billion proposal, which still must be approved by Congress, also would delay entry-into-service of Sikorsky's CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter by one year and reduce the US Air Force's fleet of Boeing F-15C fighters by 51 aircraft.

That is in addition to retiring entire fleets of ageing aircraft, such as Lockheed's U-2, Bell Helicopter OH-58D Kiowa Warriors and Fairchild Republic A-10 close air support aircraft.

The US Department of Defense's FY15 budget request calls for cuts to fighter and unmammned aircraft procurement.

Type             FY11 Enacted FY12 Enacted FY13 Enacted FY14 Enacted FY15 Request
Fighters
F-35                     35              31                29              29              34
F/A-18E/F             31              28                37               0               0
EA-18G             12              12                12              21               0
Subtotals             78              71                78              50              34

Rotorcraft

V-22                    36                      35                22              22              19
AH-64 Remanufacture 16              27                32              42              25
AH-64 New-build     0                       0                   12               4               0
CH-47F             49                      45                   44              38                    32
UH-72A             50                      39                35              20              55
H-60                   157             135               137             107             116
H-1 Upgrades     31              25                30              21              26
Subtotals            339             306               312             254             273

Manned ISR

E-2D                     5                       5                 5                    5               4
P-8A                     7                      11                13              16               8
Subtotals            12                      16                18              21              12


Unmanned ISR

MQ-1C           39                     43               15             15             19
MQ-9 4                  8                     48               36             20             12
RQ-4                    4                      3                        0                    0                      0
MQ-8                    3                       10                5              2                      0
Subtotals           94                     104               56             37             31

Airlift
C-17                 0                     1                     0              0                      0
C-130J          17                    10                       10             17             14
KC-46           0                     0                     0              0                      7
C-27                   8                     9                        0              0                      0
C-40                   1                     0                        1              0                      0
C-37A           2                     3                        0              0                      0
Subtotals          38                    23                       11             16             21

Trainers
T-6B                  0                    36                      33            29                     0

Officials at the Pentagon say budget cuts required by the 2011 Budget Control Act leave them no choice but to slash funding to major programmes.

The cuts are in addition to a broader strategy to modernize the US military, making it better prepared to counter high-tech threats from emerging adversaries in places like the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, say officials.

Although deeper budget cuts known as the sequester are scheduled to take hold in fiscal year 2016, the Pentagon's proposed budget calls for spending above sequester levels.

"We believe if we return to sequester-level cuts in [fiscal year] 2016, we will be facing significantly higher level of risk," says the Department of Defense.

The proposal calls for the Pentagon to spend $40 billion on aircraft and related systems in fiscal year 2015, down roughly 6% from last year.

Notably, the proposal includes funding for only 34 fighter aircraft, down from 50 in fiscal year 2014 and nearly 80 in fiscal year 2013.

The reduction comes from a lack of funding for additional orders of Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornets or E/A-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft.

Boeing has been hoping to secure additional orders it needs to keep the Super Hornet production line in St. Louis active beyond the beginning of 2016, when all current orders will be fulfilled.

The Pentagon also proposes to cut procurement of Boeing's new Poseidon P-8A anti-submarine aircraft to eight aircraft from 16 in the 2014 budget.

That move follows a 2013 programme report noting initial examples of the P-8A have limited capability because they lack broad-area search systems found on the navy's ageing fleet of upgraded Lockheed P-3C Orions.

The budget would also trim procurement of unmanned reconnaissance aircraft to 31 in fiscal year 2015 from 37 this fiscal year. That's due largely to a reduction in procurement of General Atomics MQ-9 Reapers to 12 from 20 this year.

Despite the cuts, the proposal calls for funding for 273 rotorcraft in fiscal year 2015, up from 254 in the prior period. That includes funding for 116 Sikorsky H-60 helicopters, up from 107 last year, and 55 Airbus Helicopters UH-72A Lakotas.

The budget also includes funding for new projects, including $600 million over five years for the US Air Force's T-X fighter trainer programme, which the service says will likely begin in fiscal year 2017.

The T-X is being developed to replace the service's fleet of Northrop T-38C Talon trainers.

The proposal also includes $2.4 billion over five years to recapitalise the USAF's joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS) aircraft, and $337 million in fiscal year 2015 for the joint air-to-surface standoff missile (JASSM).

The Pentagon's budget will likely face scrutiny as it moves to Congress as part of President Obama's budget proposal, say analysts.

"A lot of these proposals are going to generate a lot of controversy on the Hill," says Todd Harrison from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. "Congress is already pushing back on a number of things DOD is proposing."

http://www.flightglobal.com

Citation :

Avions US en renfort dans les pays baltes et en Pologne

Nicolas Gros-Verheyde / Avions de combat, Caucase Géorgie Russie /


F 15 à son arrivée à la base aérienne de Siauliai (crédit : ministère lituanien de la Défense)

(BRUXELLES2) A la demande des pays baltes et de la Pologne, l’US Air Force a commencé à déployer dans la zone des avions de chasse. Une décision prise par Chuck Hagel, le secrétaire d’Etat à la Défense, mercredi.

12 avions F-16 en Pologne arrivent la semaine prochaine

12 avions F-16 doivent ainsi arriver en Pologne la semaine prochaine a annoncé ce matin le ministre polonais de la Défense, Tomasz Siemoniak, invité dans l’émission politique de la radio polonaise, ce matin. « A notre demande, les Américains ont accéléré » le déploiement de ces avions qui « devaient participer à un exercice et l’ont considérablement augmenté ». Les détails ne sont pas encore connus, mais « nous y travaillons » a ajouté le ministre. L’ambassadeur américain en Pologne Stephen Mull a confirmé, sur Radio 3, que ces avions seront présents « aussi longtemps que nécessaires ».

Six avions F-15 viennent d’arriver dans les pays baltes…

Six avions US F-15 C Eagle venant de la base de Lakenheath (Royaume-Uni) avaient déjà atterri sur la base aérienne de Šiauliai (Lituanie), hier, jeudi (6 mars), ainsi que l’ont annoncé les ministres estonien et lituanien de la Défense. Des avions, accompagnés de deux avions KC-135 (*), qui ont acheminé le personnel. Ils viennent ainsi renforcer les 4 avions déjà présents sur place (qui proviennent de la même base de Lakenheath) et assurent la police de l’air du ciel balte. Une mission classique, assurée à tour de rôle par les pays de l’OTAN tous les 3 ou 4 mois. Les Belges étaient ainsi de permanence auparavant et les Français à l’été 2013. Les F-15 participeront à l’exercice régional de l’OTAN « BRTE » (Baltic Regional Training Event qui se déroulera début avril associant tous les pays de la région, y compris la Suède et la Finlande (qui ne sont pas membres de l’OTAN).

Une présence liée à la crise ukrano-russe

En soi, cette présence aérienne américaine n’est donc pas une totale nouveauté (outre la mission de surveillance aérienne dans les pays baltes, les Etats-Unis ont un accord avec la Pologne). Mais c’est surtout la situation dans la région, avec les propos belliqueux des Russes sur l’Ukraine comme les manoeuvres militaires dans la région (Kaliningrad notamment), qui provoquent cette réaction. Ce qu’a confirmé le ministère lituanien de la Défense. C’est une « réponse aux développement dans la région et une démonstration de l’engagement à long-terme des Américains pour l’OTAN et la sécurité européenne« .

Commentaire. En clair, ce déploiement de 18 avions au total rassure les pays de l’Est, particulièrement inquiets, que le « pivot » américain vers l’Asie ne signifie un complet désengagement d’Europe. Cette présence est la marque que Washington ne se désintéresse pas (totalement) du continent européen. On peut remarquer aussi que les Européens en soi sont absents de cette manoeuvre, non seulement les pays ouverts au dialogue (Français, Italiens, Allemands…) mais aussi les Suédois ou Britanniques, pourtant adeptes d’une position vis-à-vis de Moscou. On peut noter aussi que cette manoeuvre ne participe pas vraiment à une « désescalade » de la tension dans la région – comme souhaité par les Européens – mais plutôt à un message de « fermeté » par rapport au pouvoir russe. Un point que l’on ne souhaite pas vraiment « commenter » au Service diplomatique européen. « Notre message est celui fixé par le Conseil européen hier » a ainsi précisé la porte-parole de Catherine Ashton à une question de B2.

(*) NB : Il faudra vérifier si ces avions KC135 – qui sont surtout des ravitailleurs – resteront sur place. Ce qui permettrait de doter les F-15 d’une capacité de durée en vol ou d’une élongation (distance d’action), supérieure…

http://www.bruxelles2.eu/zones/asie-centrale-georgie-russie-europe-caucase/avions-us-en-renfort-dans-les-pays-baltes-et-en-pologne.html  

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U.S. Air Force To Spend $11.8 Billion To Develop New Long-Range Bomber


Bloomberg News is reporting that the U.S. Air Force’s five-year plan calls for spending $11.8 billion to develop a new long-range bomber, one of the Pentagon’s top weapons projects. That information comes from military budget figures.
The aircraft would replace Northrop Grumman Corp.’s aging B-2 stealth bombers, the report noted.
More from Bloomberg:
The Defense Department sees it as vital to reaching far-flung, heavily defended locations worldwide. Northrop may compete with the two biggest federal contractors, Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT:US) and Boeing Co. (BA:US), which plan to bid as a team.
While the Air Force has said it may build as many as 100 of the bombers in a program potentially topping $55 billion, the service’s new five-year plan released this week didn’t include production funds for those aircraft.

http://blogs.ottawacitizen.com/2014/03/07/u-s-air-force-to-spend-11-8-billion-to-develop-new-long-range-bomber/

Citation :

 le budget 2015 sourit à l'UH-72 Lakota d'Airbus Helicopters



En ces temps de disette budgétaire, les bonnes nouvelles sont rares pour les industriels de défense européens sur le marché américain. La proposition de budget pour l'année fiscale 2015 dévoilée par le Pentagone en début de semaine sourit pourtant à la filiale américaine d'Airbus Helicopters : afin de rationaliser ses flottes d'hélicoptères, l'US Army prévoit d'acquérir 424 UH-72 Lakota, un dérivé "américain" de l'EC145, alors qu'il n'en était jusqu'alors prévu que 345.
 
Le Lakota revient donc de loin : "le budget final pour l'année 2014 ne prévoyait que 20 machines au lieu de 31, et ne précisait aucun quantité au-delà", souligne un porte-parole d'Airbus Group Inc. L'an dernier encore, la crainte était donc grande de voir le programme arrêté avant même d'avoir été mené à terme.
 
Mais un vaste chantier de rationalisation des voilures tournantes dans l'US Army sourit finalement au Lakota : l'armée de terre américaine a en effet décidé de faire de cet appareil son principal hélicoptère d'entraînement initial pour ses personnels navigants, en commandant 79 machines de plus qu'initialement prévu.
 
La proposition de budget pour l'année fiscale 2015, qui devra toutefois être validée par le Congrès, prévoit donc la commande de 55 Lakota l'an prochain, et 45 l'année suivante. "A ce jour, nous avons livré 296 machines au client américain", souligne le porte-parole de la filiale américaine. Des livraisons que l'industriel se félicite d'avoir honoré dans le respect des coûts et des budgets. Les Lakota sont produits à Columbus, dans le Mississippi.

http://www.air-cosmos.com/defense/pentagone-le-budget-2015-sourit-a-l-uh-72-lakota-d-airbus-helicopters.html

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F-35 arrives at Glendale's Luke Air Force Base



Air Force test pilot Roderick Cregier flew several slow, low loops through the Arizona sky before landing Luke Air Force Base’s first F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jet Monday, launching a new era for Glendale’s 72-year-old installation.

A group of about 250 Luke airmen, family members, civilian employees and veterans applauded as Col. Cregier shut down the jet’s thundering engine and popped its canopy.

“This is a day that has been a long time in coming,” said Col. John Hanna, who oversees flight operations at Luke as commander of the 56th Operations Group.

“It’s the result of many years of hard work by countless people in the military and in the community,” Hanna said during a news conference alongside the base’s runway.

The matte-gray plane with tail No. LF5030 is the first of what is expected to be 144 of the supersonic jets assigned to the base during the next decade.

Luke officials expect additional F-35s to arrive a couple of times a month until the base has six squadrons of 24 planes each. They anticipate receiving about 15 more F-35s during the rest of 2014.

Luke is projected to become the Air Force’s primary F-35 pilot-training base and the largest F-35 base worldwide. U.S. pilots and foreign pilots alike will train there before deploying to combat units worldwide.

“We have four qualified F-35 pilots right now stationed here at Luke Air Force Base, so us receiving aircraft means that we get to start flying these aircraft, which is very important for our fighter pilots,” said Lt. Col. Michael “Jeb” Ebner, commander of the 61st Fighter Squadron, Luke’s first F-35 unit.

The F-35 is the most technologically advanced military aircraft in existence, and it is projected to be a critical component of the U.S. defense strategy for the next 40 to 50 years.

F-35s are designed to evade enemy radar and to carry advanced avionics and weapons systems, which marks a “quantum improvement” in capabilities compared with older U.S. and foreign fighter planes, according to Undersecretary of Defense Frank Kendall, who oversees the federal agency’s acquisition, technology and logistics programs.

The single-seat, single-engine planes can hit Mach 1.6, or roughly 1,200 mph. Their on-board computer systems display flight information, targeting information and infrared images on the insides of pilots’ helmet visors.

“To have that sort of aircraft will ensure our air dominance for the next 50 years or the first half of the 21st century,” Ebner said.

The twin-tail F-35s are being built at Lockheed Martin’s assembly plant in Fort Worth, Texas. The company is building three variants — the F-35A for the Air Force, the F-35B for the Marines and the F-35C for the Navy. Only the Air Force version will be stationed at Luke.

The planes’ costs are difficult to peg because the Pentagon orders them in small batches and prices are negotiated for each batch. Furthermore, the Pentagon orders the engines separately in small batches from Pratt & Whitney, which does not disclose the prices for engines for the models.

According to purchase announcements late last year, the latest cost of engine-equipped F-35As is approximately $131.9million. The Marine and Navy versions cost more.

Most of the 136 F-16 Fighting Falcons currently at Luke will be reassigned to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico as new F-35s arrive at Luke. The first two F-16 squads are set to transfer this year and next.

Only 26 F-16s are expected to remain at Luke after all of the F-35s arrive.

Monday’s landing marked a soft opening of sorts for Luke’s new mission. The plane’s official VIP rollout ceremony is scheduled for Friday, just ahead of Luke’s “Lightning in the Desert” public air show on Saturday and Sunday.

The F-35 will be on display during the air show, and Air Force officials are trying to arrange a flyby by other F-35s during the event.

After the show, Cregier will take Luke’s first F-35 to Edwards Air Force Base in California for additional testing. LF5030 will return to Luke sometime later, Ebner said.

In a related matter, Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is scheduled to strap into the back seat of an F-16 Thunderbird fighter jet to promote the weekend’s air show. The Thunderbird unit is the Air Force’s precision-flying team.

Thunderbird pilots allow their passengers to set the limits, said Tech. Sgt. Jacob Richmond, unit spokesmen, but a 40-minute preview ride can feature horizontal flips and U-turns, vertical twists and loops, sideways and upside-down flight, speeds of up to 600 mph, and as much as 9 G’s of force.

The air show is free. Gates open at 9 a.m. both days.

http://www.azcentral.com

Citation :

Nearly half of Air Force’s planned F-15C Eagle cuts could come from overseas


KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — The U.S. Air Force intends to further whittle down the number of fighter aircraft based overseas as part of overall planned cuts to its fleet announced Monday.

The Air Force wants to retire 51 F-15C Eagles, including 21 overseas, starting in fiscal 2015, according to Air Force officials.

The reductions would be made over the next five years, leaving the Air Force with a total of 179 F-15Cs, said Ann Stefanik, an Air Force spokeswoman at the Pentagon.

But Stefanik said Tuesday she could not say whether the overseas F-15C cuts would be made in the Pacific, Europe or whether they would be shared by both theaters, “because host nation notifications have to occur first.”

In Europe, 21 F-15Cs are assigned to RAF Lakenheath, England, all with the 493rd Fighter Squadron, according to Air Force officials. Ten of those jets are currently in Lithuania to support the Baltic air policing mission. There are 54 F-15Cs based at Kadena Air Base on Okinawa.

The other two fighter squadrons at Lakenheath comprise the newer F-15E Strike Eagles.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe officials said Tuesday they could not yet talk about any proposed reductions to the command’s assigned aircraft.

“We are aware that the proposed Fiscal Year 15 President’s Budget includes the decrease of various types of aircraft, including some types that are assigned to this command,” USAFE officials said in a statement. “At this time we are awaiting budget approval and further guidance that may direct force changes. When and if we are directed to take any action, we will coordinate with all stakeholders. As an Air Force institution, we are unable to discuss details on overseas force structure until host nation notification occurs.”

The Air Force cuts are outlined in President Barack Obama’s fiscal 2015 budget request and must be approved by Congress. The Air Force plans to remove almost 500 aircraft across the inventories of all three components over the next five years. The biggest savings would come from the elimination of two entire fleets, that of the A-10 and U-2.

If the proposed F-15C cuts do indeed come from Europe, it would mark the third significant reduction of USAFE’s fighter fleet since 2010. Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany lost 21 F-16s starting in 2010 as part of an Air Force cost-savings plan. The base last year also said goodbye to 21 A-10s — the last remaining “Warthogs” in Europe — as part of Air Force cutbacks to meet tougher budget limits and a new defense strategy shifting focus away from Europe to the Asia-Pacific region.

The service’s fiscal 2015 force structure adjustments call for the reduction of 24 A-10s overseas. Those are based at Osan Air Base in South Korea, according to Stefanik.

The plan also calls for cutting two C-20H aircraft from the Air Force’s overseas fleet in fiscal 2015. Those planes, a military modification of the commercial Gulfstream aircraft, are used to transport distinguished military and government officials.

Adam L. Mathis contributed to this story.

http://www.stripes.com

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USAF details five-year spending plan


The US Air Force on 11 March released a detailed budget proposal showing how much it intends to spend in the five-year period to fiscal year 2019 on current and next-generation aircraft programmes.

According to the documents, the service wants to inject $11.4 billion over the period to develop a long-range strike bomber (LRS-B), which it hopes will reach initial operational capability by the mid-2020s. The air force also intends to spend nearly $2 billion between fiscal years 2015 and 2019 to field a next-generation joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS), and more than $1.6 billion to replace the fleet of US presidential Boeing VC-25 aircraft, which are converted Boeing 747-200s.
USAF proposed funding for next-generation programmes ($ million) Total programme cost
Programme FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 Total five year
Advanced Trainer Replacement (T-X programme) 8.20 11.9 71.7 167 409 668 1,250
Long-range Strike Bomber (LRS-B) 914 1,590 2,370 3,090 3,450 11,400 n/a
Presidential Aircraft Recapitalisation 11.0 103 491 518 528 1,650 n/a
Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) 7.42 4.97 - - - 12 945
JASSM Extended Range (JASSM-ER) 8.47 9.73 4.92 4.41 4.50 32 279
Next-Generation Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) 73.1 334 641 536 376 1,960 n/a

In addition, the proposal includes an investment of nearly $670 million on new jet fighter trainers – the T-X replacement programme – and more than $40 million on joint air-to-surface stand-off missiles (JASSMs).

The documents also detail how much the USAF plans to spend to bolster its existing fleet.

The plan calls for an investment of almost $28 billion over five years to purchase 238 Lockheed Martin F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, at an average flyaway cost of about $107 million each. The USAF also proposes spending nearly $15 billion on 69 Boeing KC-46A tankers, about $7.2 billion on 70 Lockheed Martin C-130J tactical transports and $2 billion for 63 General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reapers.
USAF proposed funding for aircraft programmes

($ million)

Aircraft type FY15 FY16 FY17 FY18 FY19 Total five year Beyond FY19 Total (including prior years)
C-130J Quantity 13 30 14 6 7 70 36 228
C-130J System cost 1,187 2,849 1,511 688 957 7,191 5,291 22,900
F-35 Quantity 26 44 48 60 60 238 1422 1763
F-35 System cost 3,890 5,430 5,700 6,470 6,290 27,780 167,000 214,000
KC-46A Quantity 7 12 18 17 15 69 106 175
KC-46A System cost 1580 2430 3770 3690 3320 14,790 24,800 39,590
MQ-9 Quantity 12 2 11 22 16 63 - 343
MQ-9 System cost 240 438 296 551 543 2,068 242 6,470

http://www.flightglobal.com

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USAF delays LRSO again, this time by three years


The US Air Force has once again delayed development of its long-range standoff (LRSO) weapon, announcing it will push back a contract award by three years until fiscal year 2018.

The service, which had expected to award a contract in fiscal year 2015, attributes the delay to budget constraints in a document posted on the government’s procurement website.

The latest delay follows a two-year delay — from 2013 to 2015 — announced by the USAF in early 2013.

The USAF’s five-year spending plan, released on 11 March, provides move details about the service’s plan for LRSO development.

According to those documents, the USAF proposes to spend $4.9 million on LRSO in fiscal year 2015. That’s $35.6 million less than the $40.5 million that the USAF had previously expected to spend on the project that year.

The change makes way “for higher Air Force priorities,” says the service.

LRSO funding under the plan would then double each year for the next three years before jumping to nearly $145 million in fiscal year 2019.

The LRSO programme seeks to develop a weapon that can penetrate and survive integrated air defence systems, according to Pentagon budget documents.

LRSO weapons would be carried by the service’s future long-range strike bomber (LRS-B), which the service hopes to field by the mid-2020s.

The USAF is required to have an operational LRSO weapon by around 2030 under the National Defense Authorisation Act for fiscal year 2014, signed by president Obama late last year.

Though that document doesn’t provide a firm date, it does require the weapon reach initial operational capability (IOC) before the service retires its nuclear and conventionally armed Boeing AGM-86B air-launched cruise missiles.

The USAF has said it plans to extend the service life of those weapons, which are typically launched from Boeing B-52 aircraft, until at least 2030.

http://www.flightglobal.com

U.S. Air Force plans to remove almost 500 aircraft over the next five years

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The USAF plans to divest entire fleets, including the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane and U-2 Dragon Lady spyplanes and “focus on the multi-role aircraft that can deliver a variety of capabilities combatant commanders require”

The Air Force is going to shrink over the next five years. This is the result of the structure changes annouced on Mar. 10, follwing the FY15 President’s Budget announced on Mar. 4.

The plan is going to axe some 500 aircraft across the inventories of all three components, reshaping the Air Force as “a smaller and more capable force [...] that can defeat more technologically advanced adversaries” according to SecDef Chuck Hagel.

The reduction will affect squadrons based in 25 States and the District of Columbia; units based abroad will suffer minor cuts, in order to maintain a significant overseas presence. Nevertheless, Osan airbase in South Korea, will lose its A-10s, while RAF Lakenheath, in UK, will probably have to give away a whole squadron.

Over the next 5 years, along with the about 340 A-10s and 33 U-2s, the “adjustment” will cut about 70 F-15Cs, 119 MQ-1 drones, 6 E-8 Joint Stars planes, 7 E-3 AWACS, and 7 EC-130 Compass Call aircraft; such aircraft will be partially replaced by some upgraded F-16s, made available as new F-35s replace them, and 36 MQ-9 Reaper drones, while all the remaining fleets will (more or less) be upgraded.

http://theaviationist.com/2014/03/12/fy15-adjustment-plan/

  Occasion a saisir .A-10 , E-3 et les F-15 serait bon a prendre .

marokino78000 a écrit:

  Occasion a saisir .A-10 , E-3 et les F-15 serait bon a prendre .

A-10 oublie , US refuse toujours de le vendre

E-3 oui + les  F15 avec Upgrad  et même les E-8 pourquoi pas

à Saisir ou   

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U.S. Air Force Declares Initial Operational Capability for Lockheed Martin’s Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod – Sensor Enhancement


ORLANDO, Fla., March 17, 2014 – The U.S. Air Force declared initial operational capability (IOC) for Lockheed Martin’s [NYSE: LMT] Sniper® Advanced Targeting Pod - Sensor Enhancement (ATP-SE) and has now deployed the system to support combat operations in theater.

An enhanced configuration of Sniper ATP, Sniper ATP-SE provides U.S. Air Force strike fighter and bomber aircraft with advanced modes for non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; improved combat identification; expanded air-to-air and maritime capability; and two-way data link communication. Lockheed Martin won the U.S. Air Force’s ATP-SE competition in 2010.

“The path to IOC involved collaboration between Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force to complete a two-year, six-platform ATP-SE test program,” said Ken Fuhr, director of fixed wing programs at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. “Lockheed Martin also manufactured more than 100 Sniper ATP-SE pods and successfully trained squadrons to operate and maintain the system. This significant achievement enables the U.S. Air Force and Air National Guard to deploy Sniper ATP-SE worldwide on the A-10C, B-1, F-15E and F-16 Blocks 30, 40 and 50 for increased performance and situational awareness.”

Sniper ATP-SE is also equipped with Net-T capability, which enables a point-to-multipoint networking architecture. When used with other platforms, it gives operators and analysts access to real-time data beyond their line of sight. B-1 bombers at Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, were the first operational aircraft to deploy with Sniper ATP-SE.

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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Pentagon plans to spend $2.45 billion next year on UAVs for surveillance and attack



WASHINGTON, 9 March 2014. U.S. military leaders plan to spend $2.45 billion next year on unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) procurement and research, with the RQ-4 Global Hawk, MQ-9 Reaper, and the experimental U.S. Navy Unmanned Carrier-Launched Airborne Surveillance And Strike (UCLASS) system expected to be the biggest winners.
The Pentagon's proposed flying drone budget of $2.45 billion in fiscal 2015 is up 15.8 percent from this year's enacted UAV spending level of 2.1 billion, and is up 3 percent from what the Pentagon requested for this year, according to Pentagon budget documents.
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released its proposed fiscal 2015 budget this past Tuesday. Federal fiscal year 2015 begins next October 1.
Military leaders propose spending $855.79 million next year on procurement and research for the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk high-altitude long-endurance UAV and on the MQ-4 Triton, Northrop Grumman's maritime patrol version of the Global Hawk.

http://www.militaryaerospace.com/articles/2014/03/uav-spending-2015.html?cmpid=EnlUnmannedVehiclesMarch182014

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Northrop Grumman Delivers Global Hawk Early and On Cost

2014-03-19T12:30:00-0700

SAN DIEGO – March 19, 2014 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) delivered a Global Hawk Block 40 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) to the U.S. Air Force at Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D., ahead of schedule, Feb. 14.

This is the second aircraft delivered as part of Global Hawk's Lot 10 contract, joining a Block 30 system delivered four months early in November of last year. Two additional aircraft, a final Block 30 and Block 40, will arrive later this year, completing Global Hawk's Lot 10 contract.

"Global Hawk program performance excellence is a core focus of our efforts. Delivering Global Hawk to our Air Force partners early is a good indicator of our solid performance," said Mick Jaggers, director, Global Hawk, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. "We look forward to continuing the reduction of Global Hawk's total mission costs while providing unparalleled capabilities."

A total of 42 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft are currently in use around the world with 32 in the Air Force inventory. A contract for three more aircraft (Lot 11) is expected this summer.

These additional aircraft will support increased operational flight hours without adding to the fixed support costs. As our fixed support costs remain constant and flying hours increase, Global Hawk's cost per flight hour will continue to decrease. The operationally proven Global Hawk program has exceeded 109,000 flight hours; and the cost per flight hour has declined significantly as the system has matured. The Air Force reports that the total cost per flight hour was $23,800 in fiscal year 2013, a decrease of almost 30 percent since 2012.

The Global Hawk performs vital intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The Global Hawk Block 40 is equipped with a multiplatform radar technology insertion program (MP-RTIP) active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar with air-to-surface capability that provides wide-area surveillance of stationary and moving targets.

The Global Hawk's MP-RTIP sensor allows military commanders to gather near real-time imagery and detections of moving targets. The system completed an early operational capability demonstration in April 2013 for the Air Force to verify its ability to support antiterrorism operations, battlefield surveillance, and support of command and control operations.

http://www.northropgrumman.com

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USAF seeks new helmet-mounted display for unnamed aircraft


The US Air Force is seeking an improved digital helmet-mounted display (DHMD) for pilots, in response to the increasing complexity of aircraft and weapons systems.

In a recent request for information posted on the US government’s procurement website, the USAF says it seeks a helmet that improves pilots’ situational awareness and has features that integrate sensor data to help pilots better identify targets. The helmet system should also monitor pilot health and oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the helmet.

Oxygen-related issues were found to have caused a series of hypoxia incidents that led to a four-month fleet-wide grounding of Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors in 2011. An F-22 oxygen system problem also preceded one fatal crash.

However, the USAF's request – posted in February but updated on 13 March – does not say which aircraft the helmet would be used for, and the service did not immediately respond to a request for more information.

“The government is interested in receiving information on a broad array of technologies that have the potential to enhance aircrew warfighter operational capabilities in fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft platforms,” says the request.

“As weapon systems have become increasingly complex and aircrews are exposed to extensive amounts of battlespace information, it has become clear that a significant effort is necessary to provide a revolutionary leap in [DHMD] capability.”



The request says the USAF seeks a new helmet that makes better use of symbol displays – called symbology – and possibly uses “conformal”, or three-dimensional, symbols.

Also of interest is eye tracking technology that would allow information to be presented where pilots are looking, rather than where they are facing, says the USAF.

The service also wants a helmet that digitally incorporates night vision capability, and one that collects information gained from a variety of sensors, including mid-wave and long-wave infrared sensors and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors, says the request.

The USAF wants that information to be processed using algorithms that would help the pilot to better detect and identify ground objects, such as vehicles, humans, terrain hidden by fog, haze or dust, as well as objects concealed by floors and vehicles, says the service.

In addition, the system should be able to distinguish whether humans or vehicles are friend or foe, says the notice.

It would also have cognitive and physiological pilot monitoring that would identify, and prevent mishaps caused by pilot fatigue, cognitive overload, unconsciousness or spatial disorientation. The eye tracking system could potentially monitor vigilance and sleepiness by monitoring blinking and the amount of time a pilot’s eyes are closed, says the request.

The USAF is interested in monitoring heart activity with electrocardiogram data and brain activity with electroencephalography data.

The helmet system could also monitor “galvanic skin response” – used to identify sweat – blood flow, hydration and mask oxygen and carbon dioxide content, says the USAF.

In 2011, the service grounded all F-22s due to hypoxia incidents later attributed to issues with the aircraft’s onboard oxygen generation system and the pilot’s upper pressure garment. The grounding followed an F-22 crash in November 2010 that was preceded by failure of an oxygen sensor. That crash killed the pilot.

The USAF blamed the crash on the pilot, saying he failed to activate an emergency oxygen supply, but a later Pentagon report found the service’s conclusions were based on insufficient evidence.

Lockheed, which is integrating a helmet-mounted display from Vision Systems International (VSI) into its F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, says it does not know which aircraft the new helmet is intended for.

Rockwell Collins, which joined with Elbit Systems to form VSI, could not be reached for comment.

The helmet for the F-35, the only fighter that currently has a digital helmet-mounted display, suffered developmental delays sufficient to lead the military to seek an alternative helmet in September 2011.

BAE Systems proposed a design, but the F-35’s programme office decided in October 2013 to stick with VSI.

Lockheed says the latest “third-generation” VSI helmet is progressing, noting that it plans to flight test the helmet in an F-35 in the third quarter of this year.

Features of VSI’s helmet include symbology, a virtual head-up display, mounted night vision and real-time video that is integrated with the aircraft’s 360˚ situational awareness system, says Lockheed.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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Further Delays Predicted for F-35 Program




WASHINGTON — The general in charge of the F-35 told a US House panel Wednesday he sees more delays ahead — four to six months — for the often-troubled fighter jet program.
The House Armed Services Tactical Air and Land Forces subcommittee’s portion of an oversight hearing dedicated solely to the F-35 lasted only about an hour. It would have ended 20 minutes sooner if Chairman Rep. Mike Turner, R-Ohio, had had his way, but Ranking Member Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., had additional questions.
And when other members arrived to further prolong the proceedings, Turner jokingly told Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan, F-35 program chief, he nearly “escaped.”
Sanchez pressed Bogdan about hundreds of millions in program dollars she believes might be owed to Congress, which technically has the constitutional power of the purse.
Bogdan tried to explain that the funds were used for purposes other than initially planned; Sanchez told him pointedly she would check out his story.
Otherwise, the hearing featured the usual news from an F-35 program manager: Software development is, as Bogdan put it, “really hard stuff,” and will force new delays.
This time, it will be four to six months, Bogdan told the subcommittee.
“Block 3F [software] is dependent upon the timely release of Block 2B and 3I, and at present, 3F is tracking approximately four to six months late without taking steps to mitigate that delay,” Bogdan said.
Michael Sullivan of the General Accountability Office warned the subcommittee that any new software delays will trigger delays and cost overruns across the entire program, which Pentagon officials and analysts say is the most expensive and complex in US history.
Still, Bogdan said the program more recently — meaning under his watch — has made “slow and steady progress.” He expects it will meet initial operational capability (IOC) goals for the Marine Corps and Air Force in 2015 and 2016, respectively.
Those jets, he promised, will be equipped “with all the capabilities that our war fighters need.”
Bogdan admitted mistakes have been made, but pinned much of that blame on his predecessors and the program’s prime contractor, Lockheed Martin.
A Lockheed spokesman had not responded at the time of publication.
In a somewhat surreal moment, Turner cast aside any semblance of oversight, telling Bogdan to let members of the subcommittee know if they can “help” convince F-35 international partners or potential foreign buyers of the single-engine stealth jet’s alleged superiority over other fighters they might buy instead.
Most of the oversight was provided by Sanchez and Sullivan.
The GAO official laid out a number of outstanding issues with the program, including the software development. He also suggested the Pentagon soon will have to find funds if it wants to hit existing benchmarks.
“To execute the program as planned, the DoD will have to increase funds steeply over the next [five] years and sustain an average of $12.6 billion per year through 2037,” Sullivan said. “For several years, funding requirements will peak around $15 billion.”

http://www.defensenews.com/article/20140326/DEFREG02/303260041/Further-Delays-Predicted-F-35-Program

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Rivals line up for USAF trainer battle


Four defence contractors and their partners are lining up bids to build the US Air Force’s next-generation fighter trainer, via the service’s long-awaited T-X programme.
The competitors include partnerships of Alenia Aermacchi/[url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/General Dynamics.html]General Dynamics[/url], BAE Systems/Northrop Grumman and Korea Aerospace Industries/[url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Lockheed Martin.html]Lockheed Martin[/url] (T-50 pictured below) – which plan to pitch versions of existing aircraft – and Boeing, which will propose a clean-sheet design in partnership with Saab.




Analysts say that the three known aircraft candidates give the USAF a broad range of options, both in terms of price and performance. “They all have a good product, and I don’t think anyone has a particular advantage,” believes Mark Gunzinger, from the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments.
The programme calls for the acquisition of 350 aircraft to replace the USAF’s 1960s-era Northrop T-38 Talons, which the USAF’s Air Education and Training Command says lack the technology and performance necessary for fifth-generation fighter training.




As of now, the service’s requirements allow for a single- or twin-engined aircraft with either a side stick – like Lockheed Martin’s F-22 and [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Lockheed Martin F-35.html]F-35[/url] – or a centre stick. The service is also considering either a supersonic or subsonic trainer, and says its cockpit displays should “closely replicate” fifth-generation aircraft.
The selected type should be capable of performing an 8g manoeuvre at half-fuel weight, and of sustaining 6.5g for a period of 15s. Operating and support costs should be no more than $35.3 billion for the fleet over a 20-year period. The service’s fiscal year 2015 budget proposal and new five-year spending plan would inject $667 million into T-X through FY2019, and it envisions spending another $581 million in later years. Initial operational capability is expected around 2023 for a US-built aircraft.
Congress must still approve the budget, but observers expect that this particular request will get the green light.
“This doesn’t have a whole lot of controversy associated with it,” says Gunzinger.
Richard Aboulafia, vice-president of analysis at Teal Group, calls the KAI/Lockheed T-50 Golden Eagle the “most capable” option – but also probably the most expensive to buy and operate. Lockheed declines to discuss prices, but Aboulafia estimates the T-50’s flyaway cost will be $26 million per aircraft.
Currently built in South Korea and flown by that country’s air force and that of Indonesia, the T-50 was designed specifically to train fifth-generation fighter pilots, Lockheed says. “A student doesn’t need extensive training in the operating squadron to learn high-speed manoeuvring” after flying the type, it adds.
The T-50, which has been in service since the mid-2000s, can reach Mach 1.5 and pull 8g, Lockheed says. The type’s single General Electric F404 engine also has an afterburner. “If the [USAF] has the budget, and they want [pilots] to [transition] easily into an F-22 or F-35, the T-50 is the choice,” says Aboulafia.
He estimates the least expensive option, at about $21 million each, is the BAE/Northrop Hawk ­advanced jet training system, which is derived from a aircraft model originally introduced in the 1970s. “If you want to put a pilot in the air and give him good cockpit training at the lowest cost, [the Hawk is] the way to do it,” says Aboulafia.
The aircraft BAE will pitch to the USAF will be similar to the Hawk T2 (below) operated by the UK [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Royal Air Force.html]Royal Air Force[/url], and also ordered by Oman and Saudi Arabia. Used to prepare pilots for types including the [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Eurofighter Typhoon.html]Eurofighter Typhoon[/url] and future F-35, the aircraft has a FADEC-equipped [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/BMW Rolls-Royce AeroEngines.html]Rolls-Royce[/url] Turbomeca Adour 951 turbofan and can reach 555kt (1,030km/h), BAE says. The T2 also has advanced simulation architecture that emulates sensors and communicates with other aircraft to mimic threats, it adds.




Operators of earlier Hawk variants include Australia, [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Bahrain International.html]Bahrain[/url], Canada, Finland and the United Arab [url=http://www.flightglobal.com/landingpage/Emirates Airline.html]Emirates[/url], according to Flightglobal’s MiliCAS database. The US Navy also flies the ­Boeing/BAE T-45 Goshawk, which is derived from the same design. “Some competitors build a few airplanes, but nobody [has] anywhere close to [our] customer domain,” BAE says.
Aboulafia says Alenia Aermacchi’s T-100 – a derivative of its M-346 trainer – holds the middle ground. The aircraft are “very modern”, have “great flying characteristics” and will likely cost about $24 million each, he estimates. The M-346 (below) is powered by two Honeywell F124-200 turbofans, can pull 8g and reach 590kt at 5,000ft (1,520m), according to Alenia Aermacchi. The type is operated by Italy and Singapore, and has also been ordered by Israel and Poland.




“It’s a good compromise,” says Aboulafia of the T-100. “The market has spoken to that. Israel and Singapore [are] two of the most prestigious militaries around.”
Little is known about the Boeing/Saab design, and Boeing refers questions to a press release issued last December.
“Teaming with Saab will bring together our’ formidable technical expertise, global presence and willingness to present an adaptable and affordable advanced pilot training solution,” says Boeing.

http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/rivals-line-up-for-usaf-trainer-battle-397498/

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US services to embark on T-6 avionics upgrade



The US military is moving forward with plans to modernise the avionics on its fleet of Beechcraft T-6 trainers in an effort intended to ensure the aircraft meet next-generation US airspace requirements through to 2025.

On 24 March, the US Air Force posted a notice on the federal government’s procurement website announcing it will hold an “industry day” event from 22-24 April to explain its requirements to interested bidders.

Documents show the government wants its T-6s to be upgraded with automatic dependent surveillance – broadcast (ADS-B) “out” systems, which are a key component of the US Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) next-generation air transportation system plan.

ADS-B “out” systems, which transmit altitude, position and other aircraft data to air traffic controllers, will be required on aircraft in most classes of US airspace by January 2020, according to the FAA.

http://www.flightglobal.com

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USAF must modernize at expense of legacy aircraft: USAF general

By: Jon Hemmerdinger
Washington DC
Source: Flightglobal.com
14 hours ago

Defence spending cuts have left the US Air Force with two options: It can continue flying equipment that will be obsolete in a decade, or it can ground older aircraft and channel savings into new technology.

USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh delivered that message on 27 March during a speech at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC.

“Every decision hurts,” says Welsh. “Everything in our budget this year will result in a combatant commander having less capability, less capacity, less ability to respond [and] less flexibility.”

But the USAF’s decision is clear, according to Welsh.

Modernisation “is not an optional thing for the Air Force,” he says. “You can’t dress up a fourth-generation airplane, a legacy fighter, and make it competitive with an F-35. It can’t be done.”

Welsh used much of his roughly 40min speech to explain the reasoning behind the service’s strategy to invest in new equipment while divesting older platforms like it’s ageing fleet of Fairchild Republic A-10s and Lockheed U-2s.



Fairchild Republic A-10 close-air support aircraft. USAF.

That plan, outlined in a budget proposal released in March, calls for committing billions of dollars to longer-term projects like the long-range strike bomber, the joint surveillance target attack radar system (JSTARS) replacement and the T-X fighter trainer replacement.

The budget proposal, a response to dwindling defense spending, still needs Congressional approval.

“Ten years from now, the older stuff won’t be competitive in the battle space,” he says.

Welsh calls the A-10’s close-air support role more critical to counter-insurgency operations like those in Iraq and Afghanistan than to larger-scale conflicts.

“But that’s not why super powers have air forces,” Welsh says. “[Super powers] have air forces to fight a full-spectrum high-end fight.”

Grounding A-10s is “actually the right choice if you are worried about fighting a large conflict,” he says.

The USAF has also proposed cutting its fleet of Boeing F-15C fighters by 51 aircraft.

That move, Welsh says, will allow the service to afford upgrades to the F-15C’s Raytheon AVG-63(V)3 active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar.

“The F-15C’s radar needs to be updated or it’s not going to be competitive, even against today’s threats in some scenarios,” Welsh says. “We will upgrade that radar… But we are going to cut the overall fleet because we can’t afford to do both.”



The USAF says it needs to update radars in its McDonnell Douglas F-15C fighters. Here, an F-15C breaks away after refueling over Iceland on 19 November 2013. USAF.

The downsizing outlined in the USAF’s five-year budget comes as the service struggles to maintain operational readiness, which Welsh says has been “slowly declining” for at least 10 or 11 years.

The service already does not meet standing requirements for bomber and fighter squadrons or for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, he adds.

“Our ability to do things as a nation is going to diminish” with more budget cuts,” Welsh warns. The cuts “will actually change our ability to do things around the world.”

http://www.flightglobal.com

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A B-2 Stealth Bomber out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., is preparing to be refueled by a 108th Wing KC-135 Stratotanker April 2, 2014. The air refueling mission provided 25 Air Force ROTC cadets from St. Joseph's University, Philadelphia, Pa., the opportunity to observe the mission as part of the 108th Wing's orientation flight program. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Armando Vasquez/Released)

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Air Forces and Asia: Interview with Robert Farley

The Diplomat speaks with Robert Farley about his case for abolishing the U.S. Air Force.

One of our long term Flashpoints contributors, Dr. Robert Farley of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky, has recently published a book titled Grounded: The Case for Abolishing the United States Air Force. In it, he makes the provocative case that the United States no longer needs an Air Force (as a separate department of the U.S. military at least). We sat down to ask a few questions about the argument and its relation to Asian history:
While you concentrate your book on the Royal Air Force and the United States Air Force, the argument would seem to hold for any independent air force. What do the major Asian air forces look like?
This is a very interesting question.  Most post-colonial Asian states take the model of their former colonizer; Pakistan, India, and Malaysia all have independent air forces on the model of the RAF, for example.  Revolutionary states tended to adopt the Soviet or Chinese models, in which the air force was subservient to the army.  This includes China, Vietnam, North Korea, and Indonesia.  The Japanese case is complicated, but the JASDF is more or less an independent service within the Japanese Self-Defense Force.
The PLAAF is, in particular, a very interesting case.  Historically, the PLAAF has been the very model of a subservient Air Force, committed to support of PLA ground operations.  However, the PLAAF has also been tasked with air defense, producing a different model than in the Soviet Union, which had distinct ground support and air defense services. The Vietnam People’s Air Force was designed along similar lines.  An air force that focuses overwhelmingly on air defense is a bit more defensible in practice than the sort of all-encompassing air force we see in the US and the UK, because there’s less need for collaboration with ground and naval assets.
As with all terminology, there are some definitional issues.  Most every country has some service or branch termed an “Air Force,” but the important questions are the extent to which that service has sufficient autonomy in planning, procurement, and training to be termed “independent.” Today, the PLAAF is taking on more aspects of an independent air force, but I don’t think that it yet carries the political heft of a fully independent service.
How have independent air forces played out in Asian history?
In World War II, neither Japan nor the United States fought with independent air forces.  The United States Army Air Corps was part of the U.S. Army, and the Navy had its own aviation branch.  The situation was similar in Japan, if a bit more equal in terms of total aircraft.  The Imperial Japanese Navy also had more responsibility for long range strategic aviation, including strike and reconnaissance.
Although interaction between the IJA and the IJN is regarded as historically bad, the main problems centered around politics and grand strategy, rather than around control of aviation. The Japanese system worked well enough for much of the war, until the demands of collaboration between naval and army air branches grew too great towards the end of the conflict.
On the American side, the tensions between the USAAF and the USN in the early stages of the war gave way to a fruitful division of labor in the later stages; the carrier arm of the USN cleared the way for the Twentieth Air Force to conduct the strategic bombing campaign of 1944 and 1945.
In Korea and Vietnam, tensions between the American services developed again, with the Army and Navy complaining about the commitment of the USAF to support of their operations. USN fliers in Vietnam also consistently outperformed their Air Force counterparts, to the enduring embarrassment of the USAF.
What are the implications of the U.S. Navy subsuming the U.S. Air Force for AirSea Battle?
The question of Air Force independence is central to how we think about AirSea Battle.  Like its namesake, AirLand Battle, AirSea Battle is intended to settle the differences between organizations and facilitate an integrated campaign. Unlike AirLand Battle, ASB involves the above board participation of the Air Force (ALB was Army doctrine).
If we folded the relevant assets of the Air Force into the Navy, we would still have a need for something like ASB, in terms of integrating all of the Navy’s capabilities in order to penetrate and defeat anti-access/area denial systems.  But the planning and debate surrounding ASB would happen primarily within the boundaries of a single organization, rather than as a negotiation between two.  This would considerably ease problems of planning, procurement, and assignment of responsibility, and might also ease the political problems associated with AirSea Battle by reducing the visibility of the discussion.
There is precedent for having a service to control all of the relevant air assets. The Soviet Navy, for example, flew its own versions of the major Soviet strategic bombers, using them as anti-ship missile platforms.  While the USN and the USAF undertook similar projects during the Cold War (B-52s armed with Harpoon missiles), and have explored using bombers in anti-shipping roles in the modern context (B-1Bs equipped to use LRASMs) , the bombers remain under Air Force control, meaning that bureaucratic barriers associated with training, terminology, and communications would need to be overcome for effective coordination.

http://thediplomat.com/2014/04/air-forces-and-asia-interview-with-robert-farley/

  Je donnerai tout pour que les FRA achète une petite quinzaine des A-10 US qui vont être retiré .
Magnifique coucou   et dévastateur

Astan - 2 Avril 2014

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A JASSM-ER missile is released from B-1 bomber. Eglin AFB's Joint Air-to-Surface Missile program office recently reached a milestone with the first delivery of the newest JASSM variant. (USAF Courtesy Photo)

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U.S. Air Force is testing Google Glass & building apps for battlefield use (exclusive)


The U.S. Air Force’s “BATMAN” research team at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio is beta-testing Google Glass for possible use on the battlefield.

And so far, it likes what it sees.

The positive attributes “are its low power, its low footprint, it sits totally above the eyes, and doesn’t block images or hinder vision,” said 2nd Lt. Anthony Eastin, a behavioral scientist on the BATMAN team testing the glasses.

The BATMAN evaluation group is part of the U.S. Air Force’s 711th Human Performance Wing and is one of the military’s most distinguished research and development groups. It comprises both military and civilian behavioral and technology scientists. The BATMAN acronym stands for Battlefield Air Targeting Man-Aided (K)nowledge.

“We borrowed the “N,” Eastin said.

Andres Calvo, a software developer and civilian contractor with the group, told VentureBeat Tuesday that one of the facets of the Google Glass platform the team liked was the capability to “access information very quickly.”

But so far, Glass is “not a silver bullet for many of the Air Force’s needs,” Calvo said.

Possible Air Force scenarios for the technology use include forward air controllers working on the ground helping vector fighter and bomber aircraft to their targets, search and rescue missions, and combat controllers communicating with aircraft flying overhead and ground troops in combat, supply, and rescue operations.

The Air Force obtained two pairs of glasses through Google’s Glass Explorer program, in which people interested in acquiring them first apply and then receive notification from Google on whether it accepts or denies their application. Respondents who get the green light must pay $1,500 for the privilege. Eastin said the team had no official relationship with Google at that time.

The BATMAN team is also prototyping proprietary software to enhance the Android OS platform that powers the technology.

“The goal is to build software for research purposes for future endeavors,” Eastin said.

The testing comes as the U.S. military attempts to move beyond using battlefield laptops in combat and intelligence missions and rely more on smart phones, tablets, and wearables, which are easier to use and maneuver in confined spaces and on the battlefield.

Indeed, the Marine Corps recently unveiled a helicopter drone operated by a tablet the military reckons will be of use to missions like the ones laid out by the BATMAN team.

VentureBeat reported in February that the New York City Police Department’s massive and controversial intelligence and analytics unit was also evaluating whether Google Glass was a decent fit for terror investigations and routine street patrol purposes. The department received several pairs of the modernist-looking specs to test out over a year ago.

Virgin Atlantic airways is also beta testing the glasses, according to recent press reports.

And the U.S. Navy is also testing smart glasses, but not Google’s: the Navy is working with Vuzix to test “smart goggles,” as VentureBeat reported in February.

For its part, Google reps said it had no official working relationship with the U.S. Air Force, “nor does it have any plans to,” a source said.

A Google spokesperson put it this way in a wan official statement to VentureBeat:

“The Glass Explorer program includes people from all walks of life, including doctors, firefighters, and parents. Anyone can apply to become a Glass Explorer, provided he or she is a U.S. resident and over the age of 18.”

Google Glass is an Android-powered, wearable computer built into a module perched on the side of a pair of eyeglasses. It comes from Google’s special-projects division, called Google X, which is also working on driverless cars and high-altitude balloons that blanket the Earth below with wireless Internet.

Google Glass incorporates a heads-up display reminiscent of that used in advanced fighter jets and commercial airliners to communicate with air traffic controllers and other aircraft. A camera captures photo and video on demand. If the Air Force ends up adapting Google Glass for use among its disparate units, it represents a massive potential revenue stream for Google.

The 711th Human Performance Wing and the BATMAN group are two of the Air Force’s preeminent technology proving grounds. They test existing technologies and design, build and deploy their own. Traditionally, much of the technology emanating from their labs ends up in the field and in combat situations.

From its website:

The 711th Human Performance Wing (711 HPW) is a unique combination of three units: the Human Effectiveness Directorate (RH), the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine (USAFSAM), and the Human Systems Integration Directorate (HP). The synergies of combining the ideas, resources, and technologies of these units position the 711 HPW as a world leader in the study and advancement of human performance.

The Wing’s mission is to advance human performance in air, space, and cyberspace through research, education, and consultation. We support the most critical resource – the men and women of our operational military forces. From concept to deployment, we provide the solutions to achieve an optimum Airman life cycle: acquire, train, equip, enhance, and protect.

Dr. Gregory Burnett is BATMAN’s chief engineer and said the group was initially formed in 2001 under the BATMAN 1 aegis. The newest incarnation, BATMAN II, was launched earlier this year.

As for the two pairs of Google Glass currently being tested by BATMAN, Burnett says he likes some of what he sees so far and what it potentially portends for the men and women in the Air Force serving a multitude of roles. Glass, he says, doesn’t cause blind spots when looking through it, and possibly updated and enhanced software could indeed make the platform even better.

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