Pilatus se plaint de l’arrêt du paiement des royalties que Hawker-Beechcraft lui doit pour le T-6 à cause de la mise en faillite de cette dernière
In a hearing Tuesday, a U.S. bankruptcy judge considered Swiss planemaker Pilatus Aircraft’s claim that Hawker Beechcraft owes it more than $1 million in royalties for use of intellectual property in the production of T-6 military trainers, which uses a Pilatus design for its airframe.
Pilatus alleges that the amount owed has grown since May 3 when Hawker Beechcraft filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Since the bankruptcy filing, Pilatus alleges that Hawker Beechcraft has continued to build and deliver T-6 trainers without paying royalties and without submitting to the company a required quarterly accounting of trainer sales.
Royalty payments stopped on the eve of Hawker Beechcraft’s filing for bankruptcy protection, Pilatus claims in a court filing.
The judge in New York didn’t rule on the claim, and another hearing on the matter is set for Aug. 30, Hawker Beechcraft said.
Hawker Beechcraft disagreed with Pilatus’ claims in a filing last week, saying that payments in exchange for intellectual property to Pilatus are “fully paid-up” because of the settlement of a number of disputes between the two companies.
In addition, the company claims Pilatus has not shown that Hawker Beechcraft is currently using any of Pilatus’ intellectual property or that Pilatus is providing a benefit to the company.
Pilatus responded in a document filed with the court on Monday, calling the company’s allegations “wild, unsupported suppositions.”
Hawker Beechcraft builds T-6 trainers for the U.S. Air Force and Navy under a Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, which is based on the Pilatus PC-9 turboprop. It also sells the plane to other international customers.
It also used the T-6 platform in an AT-6 attack version, which Hawker Beechcraft used in a bid on the Air Force’s light air support program.
Without the Pilatus PC-9, the company would have had no aircraft sufficient to bid on the government’s contract business, which is a substantial portion of the company’s revenue stream, Pilatus alleges.
The company is producing T-6 planes today under revisions to the original type certificate of a Beech-Pilatus trainer, Pilatus claims.
IAI va accroître sa collaboration avec différentes compagnies même concurrentes
"Israel Aerospace Industries will dramatically increase its cooperation with Israeli and foreign companies, including those that were previously viewed as business rivals," Sharli Ben Shitrit, IAI’s new VP of Marketing said Sunday, in a special conversation with IsraelDefense.
Ben Shitrit assumed his role only recently, in what has become a challenging period for the Israeli military industries in general and for IAI, in particular.
According to Ben Shitrit, IAI is currently undertaking efforts to increase its products' sales potential, mostly in several central markets where there is increased demand for the company’s advanced products.
While the tremendous variety of products is an element that may help in increasing sales, it also spells the need for considerable investment in R&D. Ben Shitrit was appointed after a six-year stint in Asia, where he helped fulfill some of the enormous transactions that IAI signed in recent years.
These deals will be actualized in the coming years. Ben Shitrit’s words concerning increased cooperation come amid escalating competition in the field of military systems. Today, large-scale industries such as the US industries, are eyeing tenders worldwide, including some that were of no interest to them in the past.
European companies, formed from smaller defense contractors, also pose some competition. This process of defense industry unification has yet to reach Israel, and it was therefore clear that cooperation would be required in order to compete with the advantage held by larger defense industries.
Ben Shitrit began his career at IAI in 1992 as a development engineer and a systems engineer for IAI subsidiary Elta. He later went on to fill several prominent positions in sales and marketing, business development and strategic project development.
Ben Shitrit operated in Asia between the years 2003-2009 and was responsible for all of the marketing and sales activity. He holds a BA in Electrical Engineering from the Technion Institute in Haifa and an MA in Business Management from Boston University.
L'industrie de défense a le vent en poupe au Brésil
L'industrie de défense a le vent en poupe au Brésil, encouragée par des aides gouvernementales dans un pays décidé à moderniser ses forces armées et à créer un parc industriel d'exportation de pointe.
Les industriels sont contents et voient un cap ; il y a une volonté de croître et d'investir. Il y a cinq ans c'était le contraire, se félicite le vice-président de l'Association brésilienne des industries de matériel de défense et de sécurité (Abimde) Carlos Pieratoni Gamboa.
Il précise à l'AFP que l'Abimde, qui regroupe 170 entreprises, table sur des investissements de 120 milliards de dollars à long terme. D'ici à 2020, elle envisage de doubler les 25.000 emplois qu'elle génère et de porter ses exportations annuelles de 1,7 milliard de dollars à 4 milliards.
6e économie du monde, avec un énorme territoire de 8,5 millions de km2, le Brésil veut protéger ses milliers de kilomètres de frontières et ses gigantesques réserves de pétrole en mer. Il doit aussi assurer la sécurité de la Coupe du monde de football en 2014 et celle des jeux Olympiques de Rio en 2016.
8e exportateur mondial de matériel de défense dans les années 80, le Brésil a été relégué à la 30e place alors qu'il dispose des plus grandes forces armées de la région, mais qui pâtissent du manque d'investissement des vingt dernières années.
La relation de la présidente et ancienne guérilléra Dilma Rousseff avec les militaires a été quelque peu houleuse à partir de mai dernier, lorsqu'elle a mis en place la Commission de la vérité pour enquêter sur les crimes de la dictature (1964-85).
Toutefois, comme son prédécesseur Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, elle encourage la relance du secteur, estimant qu'une industrie de défense nationale est stratégique pour la souveraineté du territoire. Le Brésil s'est doté en 2008 d'une stratégie nationale de défense et cette année Mme Rousseff a approuvé un plan d'aides à la production et achats nationaux.
Le Brésil a acheté des sous-marins et des hélicoptères à la France sous condition d'un transfert de technologie et a ressuscité le projet d'un sous-marin nucléaire qu'il commencera à construire en 2016. Après plusieurs reports dus à des coupes budgétaires, Brasilia doit aussi désigner le vainqueur de l'appel d'offres portant sur l'achat de 36 avions de chasse pour moderniser son armée de l'air.
Aujourd'hui des entreprises étrangères cherchent à s'associer à des brésiliennes, une stratégie qui garantit au Brésil le transfert de technologie et aux étrangers l'accès aux achats gouvernementaux qui donnent priorié à l'industrie nationale, a affirmé à l'AFP Oswaldo Luiz Guimaraes, un des directeurs de Jaragua.
Ce groupe industriel qui élargit son secteur de défense s'est associé à l'italien Oto Melara pour produire des canons au Brésil et monter un centre d'assistance pour l'Amérique latine.
Le Brésil voit ses voisins et autres pays en développement comme des marchés naturels et a intensifié sa coopération militaire et industrielle avec eux. Plusieurs pays latino-américains participent notamment à des projets comme le développement du nouvel avion de transport militaire Embraer KC-390.
Pour Nelson During, directeur du site spécialisé Defesanet, cette stratégie attire des clients et contribue à monter une industrie régionale tout en diluant les craintes d'une croissance militaire brésilienne.
Le budget de la défense a été le 10e du monde en 2011 avec 36,6 milliards de dollars, d'après l'Institut international d'études stratégiques (IISS), mais plus de 80% sert à payer le personnel.
Selon le ministère de la Défense, le Brésil investit 1,5% du PIB dans ce secteur, c'est moins que certains voisins et grands pays emergents.
La situation est prometteuse pour l'industrie du secteur mais il y a un défi à relever: que le gouvernement assure les investissemnts en dépit de la crise et que le Brésil prenne sa part de ce marché hautement technologique et compétitif, au-delà des grands exportateurs comme l'avionneur brésilien Embraer, selon Nelson During.
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman et Raytheon Co. empochent chacune un contrat de 35millions $ pour développer un nouveau système radar
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Co. have each won contracts from the U.S. Air Force, valued at $35 million to develop a new radar system, the Defense Department announced.
Specifically, Lockheed’s contract is valued at $35.9 million; Northrop’s contract at $34.7 million; and Raytheon’s at $35.2 million.
Under each firm-fixed-price contract, the companies will continue to develop the technology of the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar system. The three companies will additionally develop the preliminary design review and capability demonstration of the radar prototype.
While all work is expected to be completed by Nov. 20, 2013, the awards differ in the locations where work will be performed: Lockheed will perform work in Liverpool, N.Y.; Northrop Grumman in Linthicum Heights, Md.; and Raytheon in Sudbury, Mass.
The contracting activity on each contract is Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass.
Eventually, a $443 million contract for initial production of a three-dimensional radar system will be awarded, according to the market research firm Deltek
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon placed Nos. 1, 2 and 5 in Washington Technology’s 2012 Top 100 Federal Prime Contractors list, respectively.
Thales Raytheon Systems signe un nouveau contrat avec l'armée américaine
Thales Raytheon Systems, la co-entreprise entre les groupes de défense français et américain, a décroché un contrat de 21,67 millions de dollars avec...
Thales Raytheon, Systems, la co-entreprise entre les groupes de défense français et américain, a décroché un contrat de 21,67 millions de dollars avec l'armée américaine pour fournir des kits radars Sentinel améliorés. L'accord court jusqu'au 30 septembre 2014 et constitue l'extension d'un contrat existant.
General Dynamics acquiert finalise l'acquisition de Fidelis Security Systems Inc. une société de cyber-sécurité
General Dynamics announced that it has executed a definitive agreement to acquire Fidelis Security Systems, Inc., a market leader in cyber security tools that provide real-time network visibility, analysis and control.
The value of the cash transaction has not been disclosed.
Fidelis Security Systems employs approximately 70 people at locations in Waltham, Massachusetts, and Bethesda, Maryland.
The acquisition has been approved by the Boards of Directors of both companies. General Dynamics expects the transaction to be completed in the third quarter of 2012.
Fidelis Security Systems’ network security solutions help customers stop advanced threats and prevent data breaches by providing visibility into the complex layers of a network, exposing malicious content in real-time.
These products complement General Dynamics’ cyber operations and incident response services, allowing customers to detect, defend and react to cyber threats and network breaches.
In 2011 Gartner, Inc. recognized Fidelis Security Systems as a Visionary in its Magic Quadrant for Content-Aware Data Loss Prevention based on its completeness of vision and ability to execute, and in 2012 identified Fidelis Security Systems as an Advanced Threat Detection/Prevention market provider in their “Best Practices for Mitigating Advanced Persistent Threats” research paper.
“The acquisition of Fidelis Security Systems allows General Dynamics to continue to deliver relevant and innovative cyber security solutions that help customers maintain the edge to successfully address and respond to dynamic cyber threats,” said Lou Von Thaer, President of General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems.
“Being prepared and having the right intelligence and technologies is critical for organizations to mitigate and respond to cyber threats in real time. The combination of Fidelis Security Systems’ products and General Dynamics’ cyber services and incident response capabilities will strengthen our customers’ ability to achieve situational awareness to protect and defend their networks,” said Peter George, President and Chief Executive Officer for Fidelis Security Systems.
Fidelis Security Systems will become part of Fairfax, Virginia-based General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, a provider of end-to-end intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) solutions across all domains.
Oshkosh et l'US Army celebrent la production du 10.000e FMTV (Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle)
The United States Army and Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, commemorated the production of the 10,000th Oshkosh-built Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV) truck - less than two years after Oshkosh began producing FMTVs under a contract awarded in October 2009.
September 30, 2012 will mark a production milestone for Oshkosh Defense as the company will manufacture more vehicles for the FMTV Program than it has ever produced in a single fiscal year.
The U.S. Army and National Guard rely on the FMTV at home and abroad in tactical and combat operations, relief efforts and unit resupply missions. Over the life of the contract, Oshkosh will deliver upwards of $2 billion in cost savings to the Department of Defense through relatively lower priced vehicles that still offer quality and reliability improvements.
“Our number one priority is providing soldiers with very high quality vehicles that meet the Army’s needs. Delivering the 10,000th vehicle within two years of starting production demonstrates Oshkosh Defense’s commitment to our nation’s defense. The FMTV program is one in a long history of programs that represent our unparalleled support to the men and women in uniform,” said Mike Ivy, Vice President and General Manager of Army Programs for Oshkosh Defense.
Oshkosh has delivered unprecedented vehicle quality and value through its flexible assembly lines that allow the company to build different vehicles for different programs at any given time. Oshkosh also operates an enterprise-wide supplier network for multiple defense and commercial programs to provide economies of scale across its vehicle portfolio - from snow removal trucks, refuse haulers to fire apparatus and access equipment.
The Oshkosh FMTV is a series of 17 models and 23 configurations ranging from 2.5-ton to 10-ton payloads. The vehicles feature crew-protecting armor and advanced technologies to provide the capability, versatility, mobility and protection to move troops and supplies, recover vehicles and weapon systems or haul equipment wherever the mission requires. Commonality of parts of over 80% across chassis variants optimizes logistics efficiency and reduces operational costs. The Long-Term Armor Strategy-compliant cab and other advanced technologies give military personnel the enhanced protection they need to confidently complete their missions.
Oshkosh Defense has received orders for more than 30,000 FMTV trucks and trailers from the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC). The five-year requirements contract for the production of trucks and trailers, as well as support services and training, runs through fiscal year 2014.
Lockheed Martin a un contrat de 150 Millions $ pour produire une partie du système THAAD
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $150 million contract from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) to produce Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon System launchers and fire control and communications equipment for the U.S. Army.
The contract includes 12 launchers, two fire control and communications units, and associated support equipment. This contract will provide six launchers for THAAD Battery 5 and an additional three launchers each to Batteries 1 and 2. These deliveries will bring all Batteries to the standard six launcher configuration. Ground hardware from this award will be delivered to Fort Bliss, Texas. A production contract for the first two Batteries was awarded to Lockheed Martin in late 2006. Contracts for Batteries 3 and 4 were awarded in 2011.
"THAAD brings advanced hit-to-kill technology to the warfighter combined with ease of operation designed into the system," said Mat Joyce, Lockheed Martin's vice president and program manager for the THAAD Weapon System. "Our focus remains squarely on program execution so we can meet the delivery needs of our U.S. Army customer."
Final assembly, integration and testing of production equipment will take place at Lockheed Martin's award-winning manufacturing facility in Camden, Ark. Delivery of equipment for Battery 5 will be completed by 2015. This new production award will be instrumental in sustaining personnel at the Camden facility.
Since 2005, the THAAD program has successfully completed 12 flight tests, with nine-for-nine intercepts. The latest mission was an operational test conducted at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii, by THAAD soldiers from Alpha-4 (A-4), 11th Air Defense Artillery Imperial Brigade of the 32nd Army Air and Missile Defense Command. During that mission, two THAAD interceptors destroyed two different targets.
THAAD is the only missile defense system with the operational flexibility to intercept in both the endo- and exo-atmospheres to provide versatile capability to the warfighter. A key element of the nation's Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS), THAAD is a Missile Defense Agency program, with the program office located in Huntsville, Ala. The agency is developing the BMDS to defend the United States, its deployed forces and allies against short and medium range ballistic missiles in the terminal phase of flight.
Lockheed Martin is a world leader in systems integration and the development of air and missile defense systems and technologies, including the first operational hit-to-kill interceptor. It also has considerable experience in interceptor design and production, infrared seekers, command and control/battle management, and communications, precision pointing and tracking optics, as well as radar and signal processing. The company makes significant contributions to all major U.S. missile defense systems and participates in several global missile defense partnerships.
Lockheed Martin va supprimer 550 emplois de son usine de Marietta à cause du nombre reduit de C-130 à fabriquer
Lockheed Martin is cutting about 550 jobs at its Marietta plant as it slows production of its primary aircraft line.
The move, announced Wednesday but already underway, is a blow to the sprawling Marietta plant and poses concerns about the future of the company's C-130 Hercules cargo plane. The program's production line in Marietta is the longest continuously operating military aircraft production line in history.
Lockheed spokesman Peter Simmons said the company cut staff because production of the latest version, the C-130J, has plunged by one third from 2011 to 2013. The company will use retirements and attrition to account for some of the job cuts, with the rest accomplished through layoffs.
"We will strive to keep that number as small as possible," Simmons said.
Lockheed has warned about 10,000 of its 120,000 employees worldwide could lose their jobs if $500 billion in defense cuts over the next decade go through, and it's threatened to send layoff warnings days before the November election.
The cuts in Marietta, though, have more to do with a recent dip in demand for the C-130J.
Lockheed workers churned out 36 C-130Js in 2011 to meet the U.S. government's demand, but that number dropped to 32 this year and is set to fall to 24 per year starting in 2013. The company said global demand "remains high, but we must match our domestic and international customers' contractual schedules."
Companywide, Lockheed has cut 26,000 jobs in the past three years, even as it received more money from the government.
The company employs about 8,700 people in Georgia, including about 7,440 at its Marietta plant. Since 2010 the number of Marietta employees has dropped by about 600, and the plant last spring ended production of the F-22 fighter.
The first version of the C-130 was introduced in 1956, and the model has enjoyed remarkable staying power.
Aviation experts said that's because it's long been priced at a reasonable point that both superpowers and smaller nations can afford. And the versatile aircraft has also proved adept at a range of mid-range missions, carrying troops, cargo and even radar-jamming technology for spycraft.
"You can outfit it to do myriad tasks, from carrying paratroopers to carrying humanitarian goods," said Micky Blackwell, a former Lockheed executive.
The company would not say if other plants involved in the C-130J program are also cutting staff. The Tribune-Democrat newspaper reported last week that 50 of 400 employees lost jobs at a parts plant in Johnstown, Penn.
Denise Rakestraw, who heads Local Lodge 709, a union that represents thousands of Lockheed's Marietta employees, said more than 250 people have already lost their jobs since the beginning of the year. The jobs pay between $20 to $26 an hour.
"It's painful," said Rakestraw, who once worked on the C-130 line. "There's still long-term confidence in the C-130 line. It's the most tried and true. I think we'll work through this. It's not going to be a real momentary blip, but it's the nature of the industry to have ups and downs."
General Dynamics NASSCO obtient le contrat de modernisation de l'USS Comstock LSD 45
General Dynamics NASSCO has been awarded a $104 million contract modification from the U.S. Navy to renovate and modernize the dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45). General Dynamics NASSCO is a business unit of General Dynamics.
General Dynamics NASSCO received funding to begin modifications to USS Comstock (LSD 45) in April 2012 and began performing onboard renovation and modernization activities in May. Work under this new award, which covers inspection and testing of ship systems and components, will occur in San Diego through May 2013.
"This contract award highlights NASSCO's ship-repair capabilities as a premier provider of maintenance services to the U.S. Navy," said Fred Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. "NASSCO is committed to delivering the same high-quality performance across the board, in new construction as well as ship repair activities, in San Diego, Norfolk and Portsmouth, Va., and Mayport, Fla."
BAE Systems est en plein développement du futur véhicule amphibie pour l'U.S. Marine Corps
BAE Systems will help the U.S. Marine Corps determine the future of its amphibious vehicle fleet through two recently awarded contracts for the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) and Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC). The work includes conducting a trade study to evaluate improvements to the AAV and delivering MPC sample vehicles and hulls to be used for demonstrations of water mobility, blast protection and Human Factors Engineering.
“BAE Systems has worked successfully with the U.S. Marine Corps for more than 70 years, and we’re proud to continue being a part of programs that will revolutionize the amphibious fleet,” said Ann Hoholick, vice president and general manager of Amphibious & New Programs for BAE Systems. “It is our goal to design a family of systems that incorporates low-risk, mature technologies that are scalable to align with emerging requirements and funding.”
The AAV trade study will allow BAE Systems to propose how to best improve the survivability and force protection of the vehicle while maintaining its current land and water mobility characteristics. Through this $250,000 contract, BAE Systems will determine if an affordable development and production unit cost can be realized using a production schedule that fields 43 upgraded vehicles by September 2017.
Work for the AAV upgrade efforts will be performed primarily at BAE Systems’ Santa Clara, California and Stafford, Virginia facilities. Additional work may be done through York, Pennsylvania; Fridley, Minnesota and Sterling Heights, Michigan. BAE Systems will provide its findings in December 2012. After completion of the trade study and design phase, it is expected that a Request for Proposal for full AAV upgrade development will follow.
BAE Systems has also been awarded a $3.5 million contract to support the USMC’s evaluation of the MPC through system demonstrations and studies for water performance, human factors, stowage capacity evaluation, survivability testing and the potential for future production in the U.S. The MPC is an amphibious 8x8 wheeled personnel carrier, designed to provide expeditionary protected mobility and general support lift to the Marine infantry battalion.
Work under the MPC contract will be performed at several BAE Systems facilities, including Santa Clara, California and Stafford, Virginia. Over the next eight months, a swim demonstration vehicle will be delivered to the Amphibious Vehicle Test Branch in Camp Pendleton, California and two vehicle hulls for blast testing will be delivered to the Nevada Automotive Test Center in Carson City, Nevada. Evaluation of the delivered assets is expected to begin in March 2013, with anticipated completion in August 2013. These assessments will be used by the Marines to validate and refine the program for further acquisition milestones.
BAE Systems is a leading developer and manufacturer of amphibious, tactical and combat vehicles. The company’s amphibious vehicles have earned a reputation for rugged durability and superior mobility for transporting troops and cargo from ship to shore.
Lockheed obtient un contrat de 207 millions $ pour incorporer aux F-35 destinés à israel du hardware et du software spécifiques
The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a $207 million contract modification to incorporate unique Israeli equipment into the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
"This modification includes the development of the hardware and software for the Israel F-35A CTOL [conventional take-off and landing] air system from the initial requirements development to the preliminary design review (PDR)," a US Department of Defense release says. "In addition, the post PDR of hardware only, will continue through finalized requirements, layouts, and build to prints, including production planning data."
The contract is being executed as part of the Pentagon's Foreign Military Sales programme. The Israeli-specific developmental work is expected to be completed by May 2016.
Israel's aircraft would be delivered as part of the F-35 programme's low-rate initial production lot eight in 2016.
Rafael is developing downsized versions of some of its weapon systems for use with unmanned air systems, with its efforts being aimed at the international market.
Sources indicate that the work is being spurred by the growing use of armed UAS for various types of missions flown around the world, with the weapons to be available for use by medium and large UAS.
Israel has never revealed any programme to arm its unmanned air vehicles, although foreign sources have claimed that its UAS have performed "surgical" attacks on targets inside the Gaza Strip.
Rafael has developed advanced weapon systems including the Python-5 and Derby air-to-air missiles, Spice bomb guidance kit and Spike air-to-surface missile.
The company has previously downsized its Reccelite tactical reconnaissance pod for use with unmanned aircraft. Its Recce-U system is available in two versions, which are suitable for carriage by large platforms such as the Israel Aerospace Industries Heron, and by smaller vehicles, respectively.
US Navy approves full rate production for new AARGM anti-radiation missile
The Department of the Navy is investing in a weapon that will transform the effectiveness of military firepower on the battlefield. The service recently authorized Full-Rate Production (FRP) of the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM), a medium range, supersonic air-launched tactical missile.
“This system will truly enhance our warfighting capability,” said Cmdr. Chad Reed, Anti-Radiation Missile (ARM) deputy program manager for the Direct and Time Sensitive Strike Program Office (PMA-242) here. “AARGM will help keep our warfighter safe and reduce the time we spend in conflict.”
The Navy demonstrated AARGM’s capability during Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) in spring 2012. PMA-242 team members, in conjunction with Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 9 and VX-31 at China Lake, flew a total of 633 flight hours on F/A-18C/D/E/F/G platforms and conducted 12 live fires.
After a successful IOT&E, the program delivered live rounds and training missiles to the fleet and completed aircrew and maintenance training in the field in June. A U.S. Marine Corps F/A 18 squadron will be the first forward-deployed unit to operate with AARGM.
The new weapon addresses current capability gaps in areas where the Navy deploys and operates its existing Air-to-Ground Missile (AGM), the High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM). Specifically, AARGM defeats multiple countermeasures that have been developed by U.S. adversaries since HARM was deployed in the 1980’s. It will be carried on the FA-18C/D, FA-18E/F, EA-18G and Italian Air Force Tornado Electronic Countermeasures/Reconnaissance (ECR) aircraft.
“AARGM is designed to increase our warfighting capabilities in neutralizing enemy air defenses and will provide aircrew with an additional tool for the Supression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defense mission,” Reed added.
The Navy plans to award a FRP contract to ATK for the production of 72 missiles for U.S. Navy and nine missiles for the Italian Air Force later this year. Delivery is anticipated in late 2013.
La Pologne va-t-elle s’émanciper de la tutelle américaine pour acheter européen ? Le renouvellement prochain de la flotte d’hélicoptères polonaise, 250 appareils dont une bonne part de vieilles machines de l’époque soviétique (MI-8, Mi-17, MI-24), va constituer un véritable test grandeur nature. La Pologne, longtemps dans la sphère d’influence soviétique, s’était convertie dans les années 2000 à un atlantisme bon teint, incarné par la commande de 48 chasseurs F-16 en 2003. La France, depuis l’arrivée de Jean-Yves le Drian au ministère de la défense, ne ménage pas ses efforts pour rétablir une relation de confiance avec la Pologne, Varsovie ayant peu goûté la relation franco-britannique assez exclusive sous le quinquennat Sarkozy.
Eurocopter est aux avant-postes pour tâter le terrain : la filiale d’EADS vise un appel d’offres pour une première tranche de 26 hélicoptères, estimée entre 360 et 720 millions d’euros, dont 16 machines pour l’armée de terre, 7 pour la marine, en configuration « search & rescue » ou lutte anti-sous-marine, et 3 pour l’armée de l’air. Le groupe européen a débarqué en force au salon de défense MSPO à Kielce (centre du pays) qui s’est ouvert lundi : le groupe européen a présenté son EC-725 (11 tonnes, photo Eurocopter) avec l’appui de l’armée de l’air française (escadron « Pyrénées » de Cazaux). « La machine est « combat proven » en Afghanistan et en Libye, contrairement à celles de la concurrence, souligne-t-on chez Eurocopter. L’EC725 est aussi plus gros que les appareils rivaux , ce qui est un avantage en termes de capacités. »
La concurrence, néanmoins, s’annonce féroce : l’américain Sikorsky est sur les starting-blocks avec le S-70i Black Hawk, une version « polonisée » du Black Hawk assemblée par PZL Mielec, un acteur local racheté par Sikorsky en 2007. Cette version, définie comme low-cost par la concurrence, a déjà été vendue à l’Arabie Saoudite. Sikorsky compte assembler une vingtaine d’appareils par an en Pologne, une nouvelle base de sa stratégie export. Les Italiens d’AgustaWestland ne sont pas en reste : ils présentent l’AW149, une version allongée du bestseller AW139, et promettent une grosse participation de leur filiale polonaise PZL-Swidnik, rachetée en 2010. Quant aux Russes, ils sont étonnamment discrets, et ne semblent pas décidés à faire d’offre.
Eurocopter croit dur comme fer à ses chances : le groupe négocie activement des accords avec des industriels locaux, l’offset étant une variable-clé de ce genre de contrats. La bataille de Pologne est clairement lancée.
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