AAI and L-3 Push Reconnaissance, Surveillance and Target Acquisition (RSTA) Imagery From Ground Station to Multiple Piloted Platforms
G2 Solutions @ September 30, 2009 # No Comment Yet
This story from satnews.com highlights efforts from AAI and L-3 toward UAV video distribution to multiple ground stations and/or piloted helicopters. As this technology matures, it has the potential to bring multiple operators into the loop, meaning more eyes can interrogate time-sensitive targets and make decisions with regard to weapons release. This is an important [...]
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Boeing to Offer Two Tankers to USAF?
G2 Solutions @ September 28, 2009 # No Comment Yet
There are mixed signals emerging today on this possible approach from IDS.
It’s a risky proposition in our opinion. What is the intent? What benefits can be derived from such an approach? What are the risks?
First, it perhaps is not so much about responding to KC-30 as it is about thinking about KC-X and KC-Y. It [...]
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Iran Reportedly Loses Sole IL-76 AEW Following Parade Collision
G2 Solutions @ September 26, 2009 # No Comment Yet
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Telegraph: BA flight number made famous by Concorde on course for JFK once more
G2 Solutions @ September 26, 2009 # No Comment Yet
The BA001 flight number made famous by Concorde will return to the skies this week when British Airways launches its first ever service to New York from London City Airport. Read article from the Daily Telegraph
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French Navy Loses Two Rafales
G2 Solutions @ September 24, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Two French Navy Rafales M have crashed into the Mediterranean sea, east of the southern town of Perpignan today around 6pm local time. Both aircraft were operating from the recently reactivated Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier. French newspaper Liberation is suggesting that the two aircraft might have collided at some point during the exercise. One [...]
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DoD News Briefing with Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn, Under Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter, and Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley
G2 Solutions @ September 24, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Follow link to view briefing slides: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/briefingslide.aspx?briefingslideid=340
BRYAN WHITMAN (deputy assistant secretary of Defense for Public Affairs): Well, good afternoon. And thank you for joining us this afternoon for a briefing on the acquisition strategy for a replacement aerial refueling tanker.
It is my privilege to be able to introduce to you three key individuals [...]
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KC-X: Hill Tanker Briefing
G2 Solutions @ September 24, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Click Slide for Full Briefing
DoD Buzz: Play Nice! Gates to KC-X companies
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Bloomberg: Dicks and Murtha Thoughts on the Tanker RFP
G2 Solutions @ September 24, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) — U.S. Representative Norm Dicks said the Air Forces new request for air refueling tankers is better and less ambiguous than the previous plan. Dicks, a Washington Democrat, commented in an interview after being briefed by Pentagon and Air Force officials.
Sept. 24 (Bloomberg) — U.S. Representative John Murtha [...]
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Draft bid request for tanker contract expected out by Friday
G2 Solutions @ September 24, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Bloomberg NewsThe Air Force’s draft bid request for aerial refueling tankers is expected to be released by Friday, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said Tuesday.
The draft will be released after Defense Department officials brief key members of Congress and the industry as early as Thursday, Whitman said in an interview.
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IAM letter to POTUS: A Perfect Example of What Not to Say Ahead of a Competition
G2 Solutions @ September 23, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Regrettable language on the part of the IAM. This does not help setting a productive tone ahead of the tanker competition. The IAM statement oversimplifies a rather more complicated set of issues. Boeing can win this competition solely based on the merits of its technical solution and not this type of statement.
Boeing Machinists to Obama: [...]
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MQ-X: Designs and Partnerships Begin to Emerge
G2 Solutions @ September 23, 2009 # No Comment Yet
An interesting couple of pieces were posted this week, both with ramifications for the upcoming USAF MQ-X competition. Although the MQ-X RFP and/or alternatives study isn’t expected until 2010, offerors including The Boeing Company, Lockheed Martin and General Atomics have all unveiled aircraft at development stages from artists renderings to flight demonstration (GA Predator C/Avenger). [...]
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Bloomberg: USAF Tanker RFP scheduled for release by September 25
G2 Solutions @ September 22, 2009 # No Comment Yet
The U.S. Air Forces draft bid request for aerial refueling tankers is expected to be released by Sept. 25, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today.
The draft will be released after Defense Department officials brief key members of Congress and the industry as early as Sept. 24, Whitman said in an interview.
The preliminary request will begin [...]
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RQ-16 T-Hawk Class 1 UAV
G2 Solutions @ September 22, 2009 # No Comment Yet
More information about RQ-16 and other battlefield UAS is available from G2 Solutions here
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Saab Granted Ten Day Extension in Brazil
G2 Solutions @ September 22, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Gripen Team has obtained a ten day extension from the Brazilian government to file its FX-2 proposal. The so-called “popular” choice, based on price apparently, is emerging as Rafale’ strongest contender in the final lap of the race. However, such negotiations are likely driven by Brazilian tactics seeking to lower Dassault’s proposal price tag. Still, [...]
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Safety evaluation at Air France
G2 Solutions @ September 22, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Pierre Sparaco correctly lashes out at the conspirationists and other attention seekers or so called self-appointed righters-of-wrong in his latest chronicle:
The Sparaco Chronicles
Gilbert Rovetto, deputy CEO at Air France, in charge of quality operations, has just sent a letter to all of the airline’s flight personnel, announcing the advent of an external safety evaluation, [...]
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More on the E-2D offer to India
G2 Solutions @ September 21, 2009 # No Comment Yet
India Strategic reports:
US clears Hawkeye E-2D aircraft for India
The clearance has been described by diplomatic sources as a fallout of the “successful” visit of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton recently to India and the signing of the End User Monitoring Agreement (EUMA) of military equipment being supplied or sold by the US to India. Like [...]
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AvWeek: Stealth, Hybrid Power, Modular Wings - Skunks’ MQ-X
G2 Solutions @ September 18, 2009 # No Comment Yet
Concept: Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works has unveiled a concept for the US Air Force’s planned MQ-X follow-on to its MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper UAVs. It’s stealthy, as one would expect from the Skunks, and it’s modular…
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Rep. Dicks Responds to WTO Ruling on Airbus Subsidies
G2 Solutions @ September 17, 2009 # No Comment Yet
In the interest of fairness and objectivity, if such a thing actually still exists on the issue, here is what Congressman Dicks had to say about the WTO partial ruling recently. Quite a contrasting view from that of Senator Shelby, particularly when he writes that “As Ambassador Kirk stated in a meeting with me on [...]
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