21 June 2022
by Alexander Stronell
A Weasel unmanned demonstrator vehicle at Eurosatory 2022. (Janes/Alexander Stronell)
French consortium Force W unveiled the Weasel hydrogen-powered unmanned demonstrator vehicle at the Eurosatory 2022 defence fair in Paris.
The French Army approached a series of firms and research institutes with a request to develop a hydrogen-powered unmanned concept vehicle in February 2022, according to a representative of Force W. The project was initiated by Battle Lab Terre, the French Army's research and development centre, with the intention of exploring possible applications of hydrogen technology in unmanned ground systems. The result was the formation of the Force W consortium and ultimately the production of the Weasel unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), produced in five months.
Speaking to Janes, a representative of H2X Ecosystems, one of the firms in the Force W consortium, said, “They [the French Army] want to explore how hydrogen can facilitate … solutions to different light [ground vehicle] usages such as carrying people, carrying some UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and UGVs, and recognition missions.” The Weasel system exhibited at Eurosatory 2022 integrated small UGV carriers for the deployment of robot dogs or small-wheeled UGVs, and a launcher for UAVs.
Janes
28 March 2024
by Jon Grevatt
New Australian legislation aims to support defence trade between partners working on the AUKUS submarine. A visual concept of the submarine is pictured above. (BAE Systems)
Australia's parliament passed legislation on 27 March that will support the country's AUKUS partnership with the United Kingdom and United States but toughen rules on the transfer of technologies to other foreign countries.
The Department of Defence (DoD) in Canberra said the new Defence Trade Controls Amendment Act 2024 (DTC Act) will enhance the protection of “Australian technology and information as well as that of key partners”.
It added that the law will “fast-track the delivery of high-end capabilities to the Australian Defence Force (ADF) by streamlining trade and collaboration with our AUKUS partners, maintaining Australia's capability edge”.
The cornerstone of the legislation, which amends the existing Defence Trade Controls Act 2012, is the easing of red tape in defence trade between AUKUS partners by supporting the establishment of a “licence-free environment for Australian industry”, the DoD said.
25 March 2024
by Zach Rosenberg
The CT-155 Hawks are retired, and despite the RCAF's plans it remains unclear when fighter pilot training will return to Canada. (BAE Systems)
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) has retired its fleet of BAE Systems CT-155 Hawk fighter lead-in training aircraft, according to a 4 March release by the service.
The NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) operated 17 CT-155s from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, with the first delivered in 2000.
“With the Hawk reaching the end of its service life after 20 years, Canada, along with many countries is faced with the challenges of what will be the next jet trainer in a world of fifth-generation fighter aircraft,” Colonel Adam Carlson, director of Royal Canadian Air Force training, said in an 8 March statement.
The RCAF already sends some trainees to the Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training (ENJJPT) programme at Sheppard AFB, Texas, which currently hosts five Canadian instructor pilots and up to six Canadian students. The number of students has been upped to seven, said the RCAF. Additional students are to be sent to the International Flying Training School at Decimomannu, Italy, the RCAF told Janes on 18 March.
14 March 2024
by Zach Rosenberg
The 36th F-35, delivered in 2014, was CF-19, the US Marine Corps' first F-35C carrier variant. The Milestone C decision has slipped for nearly a decade beyond initial projections, even as the production has continued. (Lockheed Martin)
The US Department of Defense (DoD) approved the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II to enter full-rate production, according to a 12 March announcement, even as deliveries remain suspended.
William LaPlante, the DoD undersecretary of defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, signed the full-rate production/Milestone C approval, allowing the programme to transition from low-rate initial production (LRIP).
“This decision – backed by my colleagues in the [DoD] – highlights to the services, F-35 co-operative programme partners, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers that the F-35 is stable and agile, and that all statutory and regulatory requirements have been appropriately addressed,” LaPlante said in the announcement.
“[The Director, Operational Test and Evaluation] conducted [an] analysis of the results from initial operational test and evaluation and live-fire test and evaluation and delivered a comprehensive, combined report as required by statute to inform the Milestone C/full-rate production decision,” said Raymond O'Toole, Jr, the DoD's acting director of operational test and evaluation.
French consortium Force W unveiled the Weasel hydrogen-powered unmanned demonstrator vehicle at the ...
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