Main goal is to strengthen
collaboration with partners in the country
MoUs are intended to create
long-term relationships which will endure for the LTA II Program and beyond
Seoul, South Korea,
October 27, 2022 – Embraer announced today that it has signed several
Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with the aerospace companies ASTG
(Aerospace Technology of Global), EMK (EM Korea Co.) and Kencoa Aerospace, from
South Korea with the objective of strengthening collaboration with Korean
defense industry partners for the future supply of parts for the C-390
Millennium aircraft. The C-390 Millennium aircraft is competing in the Large
Transport Aircraft (LTA) II Program being run by the Defense Acquisition
Program Administration (DAPA).
The potential supply
of South Korean manufactured parts will contribute to the offset requirements
of the LTA II Program. The MoUs intend to create long-term business
relationships between the parties which will endure for the LTA II Program and
beyond. Local industry capabilities can also be part of future developments
within Embraer’s existing platforms such as the C-390 Millennium as well as new
aircraft, vehicles, and systems.
“Embraer is very
confident on the mutual benefits to be gained from this collaboration, thus
creating a sustainable and growing relationship between Embraer and the
partners in South Korea”, said Jackson Schneider, President & CEO, Embraer
Defense & Security. “By offering more than 50 years of experience in
aviation, technology and innovation, Embraer is looking to establish meaningful
partnerships in South Korea to create new businesses and solutions.”
The C-390 Millennium
and its aerial refueling configuration, the KC-390, are the new generation of
multi-mission military transport delivering unrivaled mobility and cargo
capacity, rapid re-configuration, high availability, enhanced comfort, as well
as optimal management of reduced operational costs throughout its lifecycle,
all on a single platform.
Since the first
delivery to the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), the KC-390 Millennium has proven its
capability, reliability, and performance. FAB's current fleet of KC-390 stands
at five units. The fleet has already exceeded 7,000 flight hours in operation,
with a 99% mission completion rate, demonstrating excellent availability and
productivity in its category.
In June 2022, the
Netherlands Ministry of Defense announced the selection of the C-390 Millennium
to replace the current fleet of C-130 Hercules. The Portuguese Armed Forces and
the Hungarian Defense Forces will begin operations with the KC-390 in 2023 and
2024, respectively. The three European countries' fleets will be capable of
performing aerial refueling and be fully NATO compatible.
(the surname of the Commander-in-Chief of
the Navy has been corrected)
Moscow. 19 October. Interfax - The
Admiralty Shipyards has completed the sea part of the state tests of a large
diesel-electric submarine of project 636 "Ufa" in the Baltic Sea
ranges, in November it will become part of the Russian Naval Forces,
Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy Admiral Nikolai Evmenov said. His words
were quoted on Wednesday by the press service of the Russian Defense Ministry.
"During the tests, the functioning
of a number of ship devices, mechanisms and equipment, as well as hydroacoustic
and navigation systems was tested. The submarine successfully completed dives
to various depths, the crew and employees of the Admiralty Shipyards checked
and assessed the maneuverability and controllability of the submarine on
different chassis depths," Evmenov said following the meeting, which
discussed the issues of non-nuclear submarine shipbuilding.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Navy was
informed that the submarine is currently undergoing revision and finishing at
the Admiralty Shipyards in preparation for signing the acceptance certificate.
"Issues of service maintenance of
diesel-electric submarines" Ufa "were further worked out. Repair and
technical documentation for submarines of project 636 was developed by the 51st
Central Design and Technological Institute of Ship Repair, which has rich
experience in this area," the Defense Ministry said.
Ufa, the fourth submarine of the series
for the Pacific Fleet, was laid down in November 2019 with the participation of
the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy.
Submarines of the modified 636 project
have a higher combat effectiveness compared to previous projects. The optimal
combination of acoustic stealth and target detection range, the latest inertial
navigation system, a modern automated information and control system, powerful
high-speed torpedo-rocket weapons provide the world priority for ships of this
class in the field of non-nuclear underwater shipbuilding, the Russian Defense
Ministry emphasizes.
As Yevmenov noted earlier, “until 2024,
the Russian Navy plans to receive the entire series of six Project 636.3
diesel-electric submarines being built at the Admiralty Shipyards purposefully
to equip the submarine forces of the Pacific Fleet.”
Chilean Air Force
signs on as first C-130 NP2000 international customer
Integration of
NP2000 on the first international C-130 is now complete
Composite blades,
electronic control system increase thrust, while reducing noise and maintenance
WINDSOR LOCKS, Conn.
(October 24, 2022) – Collins Aerospace announced today that the first Chilean
Air Force (CAF) C-130 has successfully upgraded to the NP2000 propeller system.
The completion of this install marks a major milestone as it serves as the
first international C-130 upgraded with NP2000.
Under the order,
Collins will upgrade the Chilean Air Force’s C-130 fleet including C-130B,
C-130E, KC-130R and C-130H model variants.
"This
installation of the full NP2000 propeller system marks the first international
modernization of the C-130 for the Chilean Air Force,” said Quinlan Lyte,
senior director, Propeller Systems, Collins Aerospace. “Our innovative NP2000
system incorporates sophisticated, state-of-the-art technologies designed to
enhance efficiency and boost aircraft availability, as well as reducing crew
fatigue and safety. We look forward to continuing to work with the Chilean Air
Force and other future international customers to help them maximize the
performance and availability of their C-130 fleet."
With its eight
composite blades and the Electronic Propeller Control System (EPCS), the NP2000
propeller systems offers several benefits compared to our legacy systems
including: up to 20 percent thrust increase during take-off, approximately 20db
sound reduction in the cockpit and up to 50 percent reduction in maintenance
hours. Along with C-130 variants, NP2000 has been in service with U.S. and
international customers on the Northrop Grumman E-2 and C-2 since 2004 with
over one million flight hours. NP2000 is also planned for use on the P-3 Orion.
Moscow. the 25th of
October. INTERFAX-AVN - The upgraded Su-57 aircraft performed its first flight
on October 21 this year, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) reported on
Tuesday.
"The Sukhoi Design Bureau as part of
the UAC is working to improve the Su-57. On October 21, the first flight of the
upgraded fifth-generation Su-57 aircraft took place at the airfield of the
Flight Research Institute named after M.M. Gromov (Moscow Region - IF). The
aircraft was piloted by a test pilot of the Sukhoi Design Bureau , Hero of the
Russian Federation Sergei Bogdan. The flight lasted 56 minutes and passed
without remarks," the report said.
According to the UAC, "on-board
equipment with extended functionality, intelligent crew support and the
possibility of using a wide range of new types of weapons is being tested on
the aircraft."
"Also, the aircraft is provided with
the possibility of installing a second-stage engine," the press release
says.
The Su-57 was developed by the Sukhoi
company (part of the UAC) and is manufactured at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Aviation Plant (KnAAZ). This is a fifth-generation multi-role fighter designed
to destroy all types of air targets in long-range and close combat, to destroy
enemy ground and surface targets while overcoming air defense systems. Its
first flight took place on January 29, 2010.
Supersonic cruising speed and in-fuselage
weapons are the hallmarks of the fifth generation of fighters. It was reported
that the first Su-57s would be produced already in serial form, but with
engines of the previous generation. The engine of the "second stage"
(product of the 30th production of the United Engine Corporation, UEC), which
will provide the Su-57 with supersonic cruising speed, began flight tests in
December 2017.
The first serial Su-57 entered the Russian
Aerospace Forces at the end of 2020. It is officially stated that by the end of
2024, the Russian military plans to receive 22 more such aircraft. In total, by
2028, 76 fifth-generation fighters should be produced, which will equip three
air regiments.
It was reported about the use of this
aircraft during the fighting in Syria and Ukraine.
The UK’s ATLAS
(A400M) fleet has grown to 21 with ZM420 touching down at RAF Brize Norton.
The aircraft, which
arrived today (11th October), is now part of the Military Register, and set to
further bolster the UK fleet and provide strategic airlift capability
supporting global operations.
Members of the A400M
delivery team at DE&S temporarily re-located to Madrid during the 8–10-week
acceptance phase to enable them to work hand-in-hand with teams from OCCAR and
Airbus to successfully complete acceptance activities and enable the transfer
of title to take place.
DE&S A400M team
leader Nick Moore said:
“The arrival in the
UK of our 21st Atlas transport aircraft is another significant milestone for
the programme.The A400M delivery team
remains focussed on further growing the Atlas capability and we are also looking
forward to the arrival of the final UK aircraft in 2023.”
The two companies
will combine state-of-the-art technologies
Teaming agreement signed (from left): Celia Pelaz, Chief Strategy Officer HENSOLDT, Maj. Gen (ret) Yoav Har-Even, President & CEO RAFAEL, Thomas Müller, CEO HENSOLDT, and Dr. Ran Gozali, Executive Vice President, GM Land & Naval Division RAFAEL. Photo: RAFAEL
Taufkirchen/Haifa,
19 October 2022 – Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT and Rafael Advanced
Defence Systems Ltd. are joining forces to offer a readily-available,
state-of-the-art, and mature solution to the Luftwaffe’s requirement of
airborne electronic warfare capabilities with Initial Operating Capability
(IOC) in 2028. The exclusive teaming agreement was signed in Tel Aviv on 18th
October 2022, by Thomas Müller, CEO HENSOLDT, and Maj. Gen (ret.) Yoav
Har-Even, President and CEO of RAFAEL.
HENSOLDT and RAFAEL
agreed to embark on a joint endeavour to integrate and enhance RAFAEL's Sky
Shield airborne electronic warfare pod as a mature off-the-shelf Escort Jammer
(ESJ), with the latest airborne electronic attack national sensitive technology
(KALÆTRON Attack) by HENSOLDT. This new capability supports the Luftwaffe's
decision to adapt the Eurofighter Typhoon into an electronic attack (EA)
platform. The new EA pod utilizes the existing interfaces of the Litening Pod,
already combat-proven on the Typhoon, thus significantly simplifying the
integration efforts and saving invaluable resources.
Together, HENSOLDT
and RAFAEL bring the necessary experience not only as solution providers for
ESJ, but also in the programme environment of the Eurofighter and related
integration and certification processes.
HENSOLDT has
developed the “Kalætron Attack” Airborne Jamming System which recently
confirmed its effectiveness against various enemy air defence radars. It is
part of HENSOLDT's fully digital 'Kalætron' product family, which is used in
self-protection and signal intelligence systems in the German armed forces. In
addition to cognitive software elements, the core comprises a fully digitised,
broadband sensor and an electronically controllable, software defined jammer.
Metallic 3D printing enabled a condensed design of the electronic components so
that the jammer can be easily integrated into pod formats commonly used
worldwide or directly into bodies of various flying platforms. The system's
effectiveness and responsiveness are also based on artificial intelligence (AI)
algorithms, which enable the classification of unknown threats in the field and
the rapid evaluation of large amounts of data. In doing so, the many years of
in-depth experience in the development of jamming techniques against radars
were efficiently combined with the latest techniques of applying Edge AI
computing.
RAFAEL's Sky Shield
Escort Jammer is a military-off-the-shelf solution already delivered to several
customers worldwide, therefore allowing for easy integration onto fast jet
platforms. Sky Shield leverages the vast experience of RAFAEL in the Electronic
Warfare domain and its experience with German Air Force platforms. By using
AESA (Active Electronically Scanned Array) technology, the single wideband
jamming pod covers present and future high frequency range while providing a
high Effective Radiation Power (ERP). Sky Shield is able to generate
simultaneous jamming and deception transmissions against multiple threats, and
its commonality with existing technology, coupled with its open architecture,
allow HENSOLDT and RAFAEL to offer a very robust growth potential to address
future challenges and provide for exclusive national building blocks. RAFAEL
serves as a centre of excellence for Electronic Warfare and is the operator of
Israel's national EW range, possessing significant world-leading expertise in
this domain. Some of RAFAEL's combat-proven, end-to-end airborne solutions are
in service in Germany, including the LITENING and RECCELITE Electro-Optic pods
on the Luftwaffe's Eurofighter Typhoon. The company's cutting-edge, life-saving
defence solutions are in service with numerous NATO-member nations, including the
U.S and across Europe.
“Our companies are
experts in airborne electronic warfare and combine latest technology with
battle-proven equipment”, says Thomas Müller, CEO HENSOLDT. "Based on
these skills and supported by existing government-to-government agreements, we
are able to offer the Luftwaffe a sovereign solution to the timely capability
transfer of the ECR Tornado and, at the same time, to expand the capabilities
of the Eurofighter by an escort jamming solution proven in modern operational
scenarios.”
RAFAEL's President
and CEO, Mr. Yoav Har-Even: "Our new partnership with HENSOLDT is a
significant milestone in expanding Rafael’s strategic investments in Germany.
This collaboration is a direct result of Rafael’s strategy to apply
localization and ensure local sovereignty. HENSOLDT and RAFAEL share a common
vision, unique knowledge, and an organizational culture of excellence. Under
the leadership of HENSOLDT, these will come together synergistically to provide
the Luftwaffe with top-notch EW/EA capabilities, necessary to address current
and future threats and challenges."
The F-35 is the US’
most advanced F-35 stealth fighter jet. It’s a high-tech stealthy fighter jet
capable of evading radar while infiltrating enemy airspace to deliver a
knockout blow. However, as sophisticated as F-35 is, it has one major
vulnerability—being hacked.
Manufactured by
defense company Lockheed Martin Corp, the F-35 also comes in configurations or
variants: the F-35A conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) variant, the F-35B
short take-off/vertical landing (STOVL) variant, and the F-35C carrier variant
(CV), which was designed to be the US Navy’s first stealth fighter.
The F-35 Lightning
II can evade radar while infiltrating enemy airspace to deliver a knockout
blow. It’s a sophisticated, stealthy fighter with one big vulnerability—being
hacked.
The United States
currently operates about 450 F-35 fighter jets and plans to operate about 2,500
of them by the mid-2040s. According to a GAO report, the F-35 Lightning II
Joint Strike Fighter program remains DOD’s most expensive weapon system
program. It is projected to cost US taxpayers over $1.7 trillion to buy,
operate, and sustain.
Maintenance cost is
one of the many factors that could spell trouble for these 34,830-pound
behemoths. The other is the flying cost. It costs about $36,000 every hour the
F-35 is in the air, which is about 50 percent more than what an F-16 costs to
fly. Currently, the F-35 Lightning II is widely considered the world’s most
advanced fighter jet.
However, as advanced
as the F-35 fighter jets are, they’re also vulnerable to cyberattacks, more so
than the enemy missiles. Today, most aircraft contain thousands of thousand
electronic chips required to power the flight computers that keep them in the
sky, and advanced jet fighters such as the F-35 are no exception.
Currently,
Taiwan-based TSMC makes electronic chips used in the Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lighting
II fighter jet, causing growing concerns within the U.S government that China
could use the myriad of electronic devices as a backdoor to get into them. Just
last month, the US Pentagon stopped accepting new F-35 fighter jets following
reports that Chinese-made parts were being used in the aircraft.
With thousands, if
not millions, of moving parts, the F-35 faces increasingly serious cyber
threats to its platforms and weapons systems. The F-35 fighter jet has been
called the “flying computer,” thanks in part to its “myriad new contraptions
that include AI-like sensor fusion, 360-degree camera views, improved data
links, a database of threat information at-the-ready, and highly advanced
computerized logistics systems.”
According to a
recent report by National Interest, the F-35 Program is plagued with
“uncorrected design flaws, cyber-vulnerabilities, and unreliability, that could
make it potentially possible for hackers to ‘shoot’ down America’s most
sophisticated fighter jet.
As Air Force Times
explains, the F-35 has multiple layers of security, including PIN numbers for
individual pilots and secure authentication in crafting mission packages for
uploading into the aircraft computer. So, it’s impossible for a faraway hacker,
for example, to start up the aircraft and force its engine to explode or cause
the airplane to roll off the runway and crash.
However, much of the
F-35’s strength lies in its ability to connect to the wider military and
harness big data about the mission, hence its weakest link. For example, the
worldwide fleet of F-35s is connected to at least two secure networks designed
to maximize and improve efficiency. The first is the Autonomic Logistics
Information System (ALIS), which keeps track of individual aircraft issues and
the location of spare parts and equipment worldwide.
Below is a video of
how Lockheed Martin video that describes ALIS:
Every F-35 squadron,
regardless of the country, has a 13-server ALIS package that is connected to
the global ALIS network. “Individual jets send logistical data back to their
nation’s Central Point of Entry, which then passes it on to Lockheed’s central
server hub in Fort Worth, Texas,” the Air Force Times explains. In fact, ALIS
sends back so much data that some countries are worried it could give away too
much information about their F-35 operations.
Another networking
system used to support F-35 operation is the Joint Reprogramming Enterprise
(JRE),a system that maintains a shared
library of potential adversary sensors and weapon systems that is distributed
to the worldwide F-35 fleet.
In an interview with
Defense News, the director of the Air Force F-35 Integration Office, Brig. Gen.
Stephen Jost, said there are “a lot of nodes of vulnerability that we’re trying
to shore up.” Not only is the worldwide networking system vulnerable, but wireless
systems used to support the F-35 could also be points of entry for hackers.
Below is a video of
Lt. Gen Bogdan making a bold claim that “the ability of this airplane to
withstand software vulnerabilities, from the airplane perspective, is unmatched
in the Department of Defense.” During the Congressional hearing, he also added:
“The bigger problem
that we see is on our off-board systems that are connected to various networks.
And when the system was originally designed, the maintenance system and the
mission planning system on this airplane, we didn’t know what we didn’t know
about the threats. And the threat, cyber-wise, continues to evolve day in and
day out. So it is sometimes a catch-up game for us to be able to recognize what
the current threats can do and figure out a way to get that into our systems.”
That’s not all. the
Pentagon weapons testing office’s 2019 annual report painted a grim picture of
an incompletely designed and vulnerable aircraft that may never be able to
perform many of its intended functions. The report further noted that the
entire F-35 system remains vulnerable to cyber threats.
As of February 28,
2020, the Project On Government Oversight (POGO) recently reported, a
previously confidential document produced by the F-35 program office found that
are a still-growing number of design flaws with the F-35.
The document
obtained by POGO shows that the F-35 program office has made little progress in
fixing the fighter jet’s hundreds of design flaws, and continues to discover more
of them. “The Joint Strike Fighter Program Office’s Deficiency Report Metrics
document, dated February 28, 2020, shows the program is currently dealing with
883 unresolved design flaws—and has no plan for correcting over 160 of them.
More than half, 448 deficiencies, remain “open, in dispute.” This means pilots
or engineers believed they found a problem, but the contractors tasked with
fixing the problems are claiming no problem exists,” POGO reported.
The GAO also
reported in August 2020 that, “while the program has conducted cybersecurity
testing on several aspects of the F-35 aircraft and support systems, three air
vehicle subsystems tests and two enterprise-level ALIS tests remain. The
program expects to complete these by August 2020. The tests completed to date
have identified multiple cybersecurity vulnerabilities (the results of the
cybersecurity test were classified). The F-35 program office has taken steps to
address some identified vulnerabilities and is working to address the
remainder.”
To prepare for this
eventuality, the US Air Force established the Cyber Resilience Office for
Weapons Systems (CROWS) To address these cybersecurity vulnerabilities and
bolster the cyber resiliency of weapon systems to maintain mission
effectiveness. CROWS is also designed to collaborate with all stakeholders and
partners to bring about the best ideas and strategies to anticipate potential
enemy cyberattacks.
The Portuguese Air
Force’s (Força Aérea Portuguesa – PoAF) first of five KC-390 multi-mission
transport aircraft by Brazilian aerospace company Embraer has arrived in
Portugal.
On 15 October, the
KC-390 aircraft took off from the company’s Gavião Peixoto facility in São
Paulo, Brazil, towards Europe.
It landed at Air
Base No. 11 (BA11) in Beja, Portugal, on 16 October.
The aircraft will
now be integrated with Nato standard equipment and receive certification from
the Portuguese National Aeronautical Authority (AAN).
According to the
company, the integration phase and AAN certification-related activities in
Portugal will be handled by Embraer’s Portuguese subsidiary OGMA in collaboration
with FAP.
Once equipment
integration and certification works are complete, the first aircraft will be
handed over to the PoAF.
The latest move
comes after the completion of the evaluation phase of the aircraft by Embraer
in Brazil.
In 2019, the
Portuguese Government contracted Embraer to procure a total of five KC-390
aircraft to modernise the capabilities of the PoAF.
In addition, the
contract involved the delivery of the associated support services and a flight
simulator.
The PoAF’s first aircrew
for KC-390 transport aircraft has already completed a qualification course in
November last year.
The acquisition of
aircraft is expected to enhance the readiness of PoAF to undertake civilian
operations, search and rescue missions, medical evacuation and wildfire
fighting, as well as provide humanitarian support.
Furthermore, the
Portuguese aircraft will also have in-flight refuelling capability and provide
transport facilities for the cargo and troops.
Last month, Embraer
also completed different flight tests of the first aircraft to meet the
requirements of the PoAF.
Military transport
aviation The Russian Aerospace Forces replenished with two aircraft at once,
the military received another serial Il-76MD-90A and an upgraded Il-76MD-M.
This was reported on the official website of the UAC.
The heavy military
transport aircraft Il-76MD-90A of a new assembly, assembled on the production
line of JSC Aviastar-SP in Ulyanovsk, was handed over to the military. The
aircraft, most likely, is the second one built this year and entered flight
tests on June 7th. The first Il-76MD-90A this year was handed over to the
military in April, and the third made its first flight only at the end of
August. All transporters of the new assembly are built on a new production
line, which was put into operation at the aircraft plant in 2019. The first two
Il-76MD-90A, assembled on the line, were handed over to the Russian Aerospace
Forces last year and two this year, given the new one.
In total, the
Russian Ministry of Defense planned to purchase over 2030 Il-100MD-76A and the
promising Il-90MD-78A tankers created on their basis by 90, but no one knows
how it will actually be, the pace of construction of new aircraft is too low.
At the same time,
the upgraded combatant Il-76MD-M was handed over to the military, the aircraft
immediately went to the place of duty at one of the military air bases. During
the modernization, the aircraft received new modern on-board radio-electronic
equipment, including a flight and navigation system. Lighting and airborne
transport equipment, defense and communications equipment were also replaced.
"The updated aircraft
can perform the tasks assigned to it at a higher level. In particular, the
accuracy of aircraft navigation and landing will increase, as well as the
quality of radio communications will improve.
