Sponsored by Oshkosh
www.oshkoshdefense.com
————————————————————————-
05 Mar 19. Kaman Wichita to perform MRO work for USAF KC-10 tanker aircraft. Kaman Aerosystems’ division Kaman Composites Wichita (KCW) has received a contract to deliver maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work for the US Air Force KC-10 Tanker Extender air-to-air refuelling tanker aircraft. Work includes the supply of complex composite components and assemblies for the KC-10 Tanker refuelling boom. KCW supplies complex composite structures, components, and assemblies for the commercial and defence aerospace industry. The company owns a Part 145 FAA Repair Station License for commercial and defence composites component manufacturing and assemblies.
Kaman Composites US vice-president and general manager Mark Withrow said: “The programme’s additional work scope further expands our growth in MRO composite repair services under our Part 145 FAA Repair Station.
“This opportunity demonstrated our ability to fast track the repair and delivery process while working with our customers to ensure commitments were seamlessly achieved. Our company and employees are committed to providing exceptional support for Tier 1 suppliers and the US Military.”
Derived from the McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30CF airliner, the KC-10 is manufactured by Boeing Integrated and Defence Systems. The aircraft comprises three main fuel tanks, as well as three additional fuel tanks under the cargo floor for refuelling operations. In addition to refuelling, the KC-10 also performs cargo transport. Approximately 59 KC-10 aircraft are in service around the world. Other key contractors supporting the USAF’s KC-10 fleet include Northrop Grumman and L3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, which deliver logistics support. Rockwell Collins also worked on the tanker under a contract with the USAF to perform cockpit upgrade with its Flight2 integrated avionics system. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
05 Mar 19. US Air Force bets on better software development improving aircraft acquisition. Key Points:
- The US Air Force hopes better software development will improve the speed of acquisition
- One software programme, ALIS, has contributed to high F-35 sustainment costs
US Air Force (USAF) leadership is betting that better software development practices will help improve aircraft acquisition.
The service, in the last year, has stood up two major efforts to improve software development: Kessel Run and Mad Hatter. Kessel Run is a team of 24 military and civilian industry software developers and engineers located in Boston that is building the next generation of combat software, according to a USAF statement.
The Mad Hatter project was established by the Kessel Run team at the behest of USAF acquisition chief Will Roper to help fix the problematic Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Roper said on 28 February that Mad Hatter is trying to pull apart and productise the ALIS source code and deliver incremental updates on an eventual monthly basis, rather than on a yearly or biannual basis. This, he said, is the concept of agile software development: operators and users working together and delivering code on a monthly basis and not letting errors accumulate over time. He added that Mad Hatter is a joint USAF, F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO), and Lockheed Martin team.
USAF Secretary Heather Wilson said on 28 February that, next month, F-35 maintainers will have two software solutions to work with thanks to Mad Hatter. One programme, called Titan, helps crews track fleet status. The other, Kronos, will automatically manage maintenance schedules, a task that used to be manual. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
06 Mar 19. RUAG Australia and Defence unveil laser additive deposition capability. The Department of Defence and RUAG Australia have successfully completed a program to develop and demonstrate laser additive deposition (LAD) as a technology for repairing damaged high strength steel aircraft components. The full repair and return to service of an arrester hook from an F/A-18 Hornet belonging to the Royal Australian Air Force proved these capabilities. The Department of Defence has invested substantially into developing the in-country LAD repair capability, RUAG’s most recent effort for rectifying the effects that impact, wear and corrosion have on Defence equipment.
LAD is an additive material technology (AMT) that rebuilds damaged metal surfaces. A high power laser beam creates a melt pool in the surface. Metal particles are injected into the melt pool, and fuse with the surface as the surface cools and solidifies. Overlapping passes build a 3D deposition structure, which can then be machined to the required shape. LAD is applicable to the repair of high strength metal components and structures.
Neil Matthews, senior manager for advanced technologies and engineering services, RUAG Australia, said, “Additive material technologies such as LAD are now critical to sustaining Defence’s equipment in the air, land and sea environments.”
He points out further that “the long-term cost reductions are significant as the reliable repair of components lowers the overhead attributed to logistics and inventory”.
As part of the LAD technology validation, in a real component repair situation, RUAG successfully repaired a high strength steel arrester hook from a RAAF F/A-18 Hornet. The hook had been previously identified as worn ‘beyond safe limits’, due to operational activities.
LAD technology restored the hook and ensured it met operational and design requirements. At the same time, the full repair significantly improved the component’s return-to-service time, as compared with the typical replacement options.
“To date, the Australian Department of Defence and RUAG have recovered more than $6m of Defence equipment using additive material technologies. Reliability and repeatability are the keys to fully leveraging AMT such as RUAG’s Laser Assisted Deposition and Supersonic Particle Deposition repair and recover capabilities. Adding AMT to repair capabilities is essential in view of the advanced materials and innovative manufacturing techniques used in building RAAF’s Joint Strike Fighter, for example,” Khan Sharp, research leader for aerospace materials technologies, Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG), explained.
RUAG Australia is a major industry research centre for the development and application of powder deposition technologies focusing on both supersonic particle deposition (SPD), sometimes referred to as cold spray, and LAD for defence applications.
“Defence and RUAG recognise the important contributions made by the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, Defence Aviation Safety Authority, Defence Science and Technology Group, Defence Material Technology Centre, Monash University, Swinburne University and RMIT University,” Sharp added.
These technologies offer a number of exciting and cost-effective outcomes, particularly in the areas of geometry restoration and corrosion protection. In addition, these technologies enable the restoration of corroded/damaged metallic components/structures to an acceptable level of structural integrity and functionality. RUAG Australia maintains and operates a fixed and mobile SPD capability as well as a fixed LAD capability.
RUAG develops and markets internationally sought-after technology applications in the fields of aerospace and defence for use on land, in the air and in space. Fifty-six per cent of RUAG’s products and services are destined for the civil market and 44 per cent for the military market. The group is headquartered in Bern (Switzerland). It has production sites in Switzerland and in 15 other countries in Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific. (Source: Defence Connect)
05 Mar 19. HeliDax, AMS (Aircraft Maintenance Systems) and Safran Electronics & Defense signed a letter of intent to collaborate on a complete digital chain based on the Cassiopée range of flight data analysis services. This new solution will be a world first for helicopters. The partnership between Safran, HeliDax and AMS focuses on the implementation of a complete, automated digital flight data processing chain that will connect Cassiopée to each operator’s MIS. Alongside this planned collaboration, Safran is in talks with HeliDax to connect its HeliSafe flight data recorder to the Maintenance Information System (MIS) from AMS.
Cassiopée fully automates the management and collection of all the data captured before, during and after each flight, which is downlinked wirelessly to a tablet after landing, eliminating the risk of human error. The Cassiopée suite from Safran makes sure that operators have the accurate, contextualized information they need. As well as reducing operating costs, this arrangement will improve flight safety by analyzing safety-related events. Operators can therefore maximize helicopter availability by the timely scheduling of maintenance services.
HeliDax was chosen by the French government in 2008 to supply and service a fleet of thirty-six EC120B Colibri helicopters for the basic and advanced training of French military helicopter pilots. HeliDax uses the MIS developed by AMS to manage the airworthiness of its helicopters, including the thirty-six EC120Bs, which fly an average of 22,000 hours each year.
Joel Baudon, HeliDax Technical Director, commented: “Automated maintenance data capture is an integral part of what we do at HeliDax and a key facet of our innovation strategy since 2012. It keeps maintenance teams informed of any faults or failures on the helicopter in real time and tells them exactly what data they need to analyze. Building Cassiopée into our overall strategy will help us minimize repair turnaround times and further improve flight safety.”
Jean-Marc Roquelaure, President and CEO of AMS parent company Reactis, added: “With its 30 years of practical experience in all aspects of aircraft maintenance, AMS, a Reactis company, is constantly striving to optimize operations for its 280 customers and is delighted to be working with Safran and HeliDax on this innovative project.”
Reflecting its strategy of developing new data-driven services, Safran is now addressing the needs of helicopter fleet operators and paving the way for more sophisticated data analysis methods for the benefit of its customers.
05 Mar 19. National Police Air Service (NPAS) of the United Kingdom, has selected Airbus Helicopters to provide support and maintenance for its fleet of 19 helicopters following a competitive procurement. Oxford-based Airbus Helicopters UK will support the operation of 15 Airbus EC135 and four EC145 role-equipped aircraft flown by NPAS in support of the 43 regional police forces of England and Wales. The helicopters are based at 14 locations and are among the most intensively used police helicopters in the world. Under the terms of a five-year contract due to begin in October 2019 , Airbus will provide a package of services comprising of: maintenance of aircraft and mission system equipment, continuing airworthiness management, supply of spare parts and engine support. The contract also includes the option for modifications to the aircraft and mission systems where previously these had to be tendered separately under procurement regulations. This follows an earlier contract with the company signed in 2014,
Airbus Helicopters UK Managing Director, Colin James, said: “The national infrastructure that we have developed together with NPAS to support its ever more demanding requirements is absolutely unique worldwide in its capability, throughput and efficiency. We take great pleasure in this opportunity to continue our journey with NPAS in the coming years, and to making our contribution to the UK’s security.”
Formed in 2012, NPAS operates 24/7, 365 days a year.
Steph McKenzie, Head of Technical Services at NPAS, said: “Following a tendering process, we have selected Airbus Helicopters UK as our preferred aircraft maintenance contractor for the next five years. We believe their expertise, and heritage of more than 30 years’ involvement in UK police aviation, is ideal for providing engineering support for our fleet. Our aircraft will collectively be used for around 20,000 tasks every year, as requested by all police forces in England and Wales.”
04 Mar 19. USAF to undertake centre-wing replacement of Hercules airlifters. The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded Lockheed Martin a sole-source contract to replace the centre-wing section on an undisclosed number of C-130J/C-130J-30 Hercules transport aircraft, the service disclosed on 3 March. A notification for the award covers supply of all new fabricated components, wire harnesses, and miscellaneous parts required to install the C-130J Center Wing Replacement (CWR) kits for installation on C-130J aircraft. “This requirement includes the production of two configurations of the C-130J CWR kit to accommodate both the short [C-130J] and stretch [C-130J-30] versions of the aircraft,” the USAF said.
The Air Force Materiel Command that posted the pre-solicitation notice did not disclose a contract value or a timeline for the work. The USAF fields about 430 C-130 Hercules aircraft, of which 214 are C-130J-variants. Of these, 10 are C-130J and 113 are C-130J-30 transport platforms most likely to be subject to the CWR effort due to the stresses that the airlift mission imposes on the airframe in terms of carrying heavy cargo loads, flying in and out of austere operating environments and performing tactical flight profiles. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
04 Mar 19. LOTN to deliver Mi-17 helicopter after repair to Afghan Air Force. Slovakian aircraft repair firm Trencin – LOTN has completed a general overhaul of an additional Mi-17 helicopter belonging to the Afghan Air Force. The company carried out the repair under a contract awarded by the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) in 2016 following a competitive tender.
Trencin – LOTN CEO and board chairman JUDr Martin Dušanič said: “Despite the existence of sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation, while still operating in full compliance with all applicable international and national regulations, LOTN is continuing to support the highly prized general repairs of the Mi-17 helicopters for its customers. This series of helicopter repairs are the result of the highly professional work ethic and determination of our company.”
Slovak Republic Minister of Defense Peter Gajdoš visited a state-owned joint stock company in Trencin to see LOTN carrying out contracted work. Gajdoš said: “I can assume that the work is in full compliance with the contract. Therefore, I want to highlight the expertise and professionalism of all employees of LOTN.
“They confirm that Slovakia has truly excellent experts, which make our companies competitive and they can also apply in an international environment.”
The company has been delivering general repairs of Russian Mi-17 helicopters for decades in partnership with Russian manufacturing companies and MVZ Milja.
Manufactured by Russian Helicopters subsidiary Kazan Helicopters, Mi-17V-5 is a military transport variant in the Mi-8/17 family of helicopters.
The new Mi-8MTV-5 helicopter can be used for personnel transportation, as well as carrying cargo internally or on the external sling.
It can also be deployed to carry out search and rescue operations and can be equipped with weapons. Mi-17V-5 has the ability to drop tactical air assault forces and reconnaissance and sabotage groups, and destroy ground targets. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
01 Mar 19. US Air Force developing strategy for managing major B-52 upgrades simultaneously. Key Points:
- The US Air Force is developing a strategy to manage multiple, big-budget upgrades to the B-52 at the same time
- The heavy bomber, which entered service in 1952, is set to get new engines, radars, and communication systems, among other upgrades
The US Air Force (USAF) is developing a strategy for how best to manage multiple and major Boeing B-52 Stratofortress heavy bomber upgrades simultaneously.
Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L), told reporters on 28 February that the service is slated to upgrade the B-52’s engine, radar, and communications system, in addition to adding two hypersonic weapons platforms. According to Roper, at least four of these will be ACAT 1 programmes: the term the Pentagon gives programmes with funding of more than USD365m in research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E) or with USD2.2bn in procurement funding. Roper anticipates the USAF managing these upgrades as one “mega” programme due to access constraints. According to Jane’s All the World’s Aircraft, the USAF operates 76 B-52Hs, with 46 nuclear capable aircraft and 30 conventional. Only so many aircraft can be out of service for upgrades at once.
“There are so many modernisations for it, that’s a worry of mine,” Roper told reporters at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium.
The B-52 re-engining effort is set to begin soon, according to Roper, who said a request for proposal (RFP) for the programme is expected in March and that the service would probably use other transaction agreements (OTAs) contracting for the effort.
OTAs, which are non-traditional acquisition arrangements that allow for shared investment to encourage innovation and promote the maturation of capabilities, were also used in October 2018 to spur development of next-generation space launch vehicles. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
————————————————————————
About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
————————————————————————