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04 Jul 19. USAF uses virtual reality technology for airfield maintenance training. The US Air Force (USAF) has implemented virtual reality (VR) training to enable airfield management students to have ‘hands-on’ learning experience. The 334th Training Squadron (TRS) used the first VR training at Keesler Air Force Base on 28 June. It incorporated a VR classroom to teach airfield maintenance to the students.
USAF Airfield Management career field manager chief master sergeant Paul Portugal stated that the new technology will support the mission of Air Education and Training Command (AETC).
Portugal said: “Innovation and the continuum of learning has always been a priority of AETC to make our airmen more effective and efficient.”
334th TRS instructor master sergeant Joshua Stillwagon said the VR training technology enables efficient training of airmen compared to the previous lecture-based class.
Stillwagon said: “This system gives instructors the capability to not just tell airmen, but instantly show them a concept.”
The training scenario using VR includes visual simulation of the setting of an airfield to enable students to practise their job as if they were operational.
Portugal added: “The VR technology gives our students a visual representation of airfield hazards that can be unsafe. They don’t need to imagine it, they can visualise cranes, trees or other things that can affect flight safety.”
“The technological jump that we are making in how we create more efficient and effective airmen is the biggest part of this.”
In addition to securing the future of airfield management training, the impact of the technology will be seen in the overall training of airmen, he noted. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
04 Jul 19. Safran and Thai Aviation Industries expand engine support partnership. Safran Helicopter Engines has reached an agreement to expand the scope of its helicopter engine support partnership with Thai Aviation Industries (TAI). The partners will extend their support to helicopter engines used by the Royal Thai Armed Forces and Thai parapublic operators. The new agreement builds on the relationship between Safran and TAI, which began in 2017. At that time, Safran agreed to support the Makila engine that powers the Airbus-built H225 helicopters operated by the Royal Thai Air Force.
Pursuant to the agreement, the companies will expand the support and services provided through the partnership to include more operators.
The partnership will now cover customers such as the Royal Thai Navy and new engine models, including the Arrius and the Arriel.
Arriel engines are used on the Royal Thai Armed Forces’ fleets of H125M, H145M, AS365N3+ and H155.
Furthermore, the agreement seeks to optimise the technical support provided by Safran to include inventory management.
Safran has also chosen TAI as a national distributor of its spare parts in Thailand.
In a statement, Safran said: “The partnership with TAI, covering around 50 engines, is built around the global support package (GSP) service model, which guarantees engine availability to military and parapublic operators.
“It is executed through the industrial capabilities of TAI, the main aircraft repair and maintenance service provider in Thailand.”
“The partnership will now cover customers such as the Royal Thai Navy and new engine models, including the Arrius and the Arriel.”
Services offered by the partnership include helicopter engine line maintenance, depot repair, inventory management and technical support expertise for government operators.
The GSP model guarantees the availability of serviceable engines to customers whenever they need them.
It also offers budget stability, fixed price per engine flying hour and a technical partnership with the OEM.
Safran Helicopter Engines Asia manages the company’s partnership with TAI.
Based in Singapore, Safran Helicopter Engines Asia supports more than 1,000 Safran helicopter engines serving over 175 operators in South East Asia and the Indian sub-continent. (Source: army-technology.com)
04 Jul 19. Kongsberg and NDLO sign two defence support agreements. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and the Norwegian Defence Logistics Organisation (NDLO) have signed two cooperation agreements. This first is a letter of intent for possible cooperation and readiness, and the second a strategic cooperative agreement for airborne platform support.
The two entities say they will further explore the potential for more work in the future to provide support for the Norwegian armed forces’ emergency readiness needs.
The first milestone in this collaboration is a cooperation agreement for the support of the airborne platforms portfolio between Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (previously AIM Norway) and NDLO.
This could include engine maintenance for the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and support for Norway’s new AW101 SAR helicopters.
‘It is important for us to reinforce cooperation with the Norwegian industry in order to cover the armed forces’ need for maintenance and service in the future,’ Petter Jansen, CEO of the NDLO, said.
‘With the acquisition of AIM, now Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services, we are well prepared to support the Norwegian armed forces with these types of maintenance tasks,’ Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, added.
‘This agreement continues the excellent cooperation we have with NDLO, as well as securing our highly competent workforce in Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services.’
The two parties have established a steering group that will lead to the development of this cooperation, they noted. (Source: Google/ Shephard)
03 Jul 19. DARPA LogX aims for real-time supply chain situational awareness. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched a software-focused programme to improve the agility of the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) vast Joint Logistics Enterprise. The LogX programme, which was announced in late May, aims to develop software for real-time logistics and supply chain situational awareness. The programme focuses on the information systems used in US military logistics. There are currently hundreds of different systems, focused on various aspects of procurement and supply. LogX would work alongside these systems, exploiting the recent migration of much logistics information to cloud-based and digital formats. The concept is to enable users to obtain greater insight into the logistics operation as a whole, rather than only one particular area – this, for example, could provide awareness of how one order could affect the supply chain. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
01 Jul 19. USAF and industry combine to reconstruct obsolete F-16 tail. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), along with industry partners, has used advanced manufacturing and digital technologies to reconstruct an obsolete F-16 tail. AFRL formed a partnership with private and public entities to address the challenges faced by the USAF to procure aircraft components needing repair or replacement. Known as the Maturation of Advanced Manufacturing for Low Cost Sustainment (MAMLS) programme, the partnership focuses on using advanced technologies to sustain ageing aircraft. MAMLS seeks to accelerate advanced manufacturing and digital technologies to improve the efficiency of the US Department of Defence (DoD) sustainment operations.
The team used a digital model to reassemble an F-16 tail that had been shot full of holes and then disassembled. The digital model of the tail was developed using reverse engineering technologies such as Laser scanning, FaroArm and Photogrammetry.
Members of the team included a MAMLS team from the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI) and Bill Macy Consulting, as well as Ogden Air Logistics Complex personnel at Hill Air Force Base, Utah.
The team used advanced technologies to reconstruct the tail as traditional methodologies lacked the necessary tooling and technical data.
UDRI research engineer Solomon Duning said: “The problem was that flight-critical features of the F-16 tail could not be manufactured within the technical specifications without an accurate reference.
“Reassembly with traditional methodologies would have been near-impossible; however, advanced digital methods provide new approaches to critical tasks such as these.”
The team then used the digital model to create optimised lug drilling and milling locations to configure the tail for final reassembly.
This approach allowed the researchers to reclaim an Air Force asset that would cost an estimated $600,000-$1m, based on existing rates.
Macy Consulting president Bill Macy said: “The project was able to demonstrate how digital data can be utilised to minimise the need for complex tooling and provide new repair options. As a result, lead times, costs and quality can all be effectively managed to provide enhanced repair solutions that support fleet readiness.”
Macy Consulting was hired to help complete the drilling and milling process to finish the work and return the F-16 tail to Air Force inventory.
The effort is a successful demonstration of the capability to provide repair solutions to ensure the safety of aircraft. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
01 Jul 19. Airbus has signed the new A400M Global Support Step 2 contract with OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation), which manages the multinational programme on behalf of the Launch Customer Nations Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Turkey, Belgium and Luxembourg. This is the first support contract for all A400M participating states and it replaces the Global Support agreement Step 1 signed in 2016, which provided support services for France, Spain and the UK. The contract will bring the benefits of a fully integrated suite of common services using shared resources and assets. It provides a full range of tailored services to meet the needs of the A400M customers, from ground support to airworthiness and from maintenance to material support.
This performance-based contract creates a new partnership framework, based on pooling and sharing, where industry and operators have the opportunity to explore new areas of collaboration, concepts and services. The modular structure of the services allows for the tailoring of solutions as per specific operational requirements.
The pooling and sharing under Airbus management will allow the A400M customers to benefit from significant savings while keeping the same highest standard of services. This new phase of the A400M Global Support contract provides a support services package to a wider number of nations operating the A400M until the end of 2023. After France, UK and Spain, which were part of the first phase, now Turkey, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg have joined as well.
Alberto Gutiérrez, Head of Military Aircraft at Airbus Defence and Space, said: “With this services contract, we are working together with our customers on innovative solutions never performed before on a military programme. After the agreement with the launch customer nations on the programme’s contract amendment this is another clear signal that through mutual collaboration we are strengthening the future of the A400M.”
Gary Palmer, OCCAR A400M Programme Manager, said: “The A400M Global Support contract covers more than 40 individual services working together, a complete pool of services from ground support to airworthiness, through to maintenance or material services. Under this collaborative model, the more nations that join the pool, the more efficient the services become from which customers can benefit.”
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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.
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