In a statement, the 201st Silab Corps of the Afghan National Army (ANA) said that the US military carried out an airstrike on an IS hideout in the last 24 hours by using an UAV, Khaama Press reported.
It added that the airstrike was carried out in Lechalam area in Manogi district of Kunar province and four IS militants were confirmed dead by the ANA. One militant was also injured in the airstrike.
The ANA said that the airstrike did not affect the local residents and security personnel in the province. The latest round of airstrike comes after 15 Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants were killed in an airstrike in Kunar province last week.
Additive Manufacturing (AM) doesn’t offer anything like that economy of scale. However, it avoids the downside of standard manufacturing: a lack of flexibility. Because each unit is built independently, it can easily be modified to suit unique needs or, more broadly, to accommodate improvements or changing fashion. And setting up the production system in the first place is much simpler, because it involves far fewer stages. That’s why Additive Fabrication has been so valuable for producing one-offs such as prototypes and rare replacement parts.
Additive Fabrication Technology is at a tipping point, about to go mainstream in a big way: Among the numerous companies using Additive Technology to ramp up production are GE (jet engines, medical devices, and home appliance parts), Lockheed Martin and Boeing (aerospace and defense), Aurora Flight Sciences (UAVs), Invisalign (dental devices), Google (consumer electronics), and the Dutch company LUXeXcel (lenses for light-emitting diodes, or LEDs). Regarding UAVs, in Iraq and Afghanistan the U.S.military has been using UAVs from the Aurora Flight Sciences company, which prints the entire body of these UAVs—some with wingspans of 132 feet—in one build.
Insitu Inc., Bingen,Washington, is being awarded $22,728,810 for modification P00030 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-13-D-0016).
No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funding will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
This modification provides for additional field service representatives, training and program management services for the ScanEagle Unmanned Aviation System in support of Navy Special Warfare fleet operations. Work will be performed in Bagram, Afghanistan (83 percent); and Bingen, Washington (27 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2018.
An airstrike carried out on Tuesday 26th in Libya killed "several" fighters from the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, according to a Thursday 28th statement from U.S. Africa Command. It followed a similar UAV attack last week that Trump personally approved, the first in Libya since the one President Barack Obama authorized in January the day before he stepped down from office.
As for whether the command could carry out strikes wherever it chooses in Africa, an official speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss current operations says it limits its actions to pre-established agreements with partner countries. In this latest instance, AFRICOM coordinated with the de facto coalition governing Libya known as the Government of National Accord. It has similar arrangements with other partners in Africa, including with Somalia to hunt Islamic State group fighters and with others to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea.
"These strikes were conducted under the Presidential Policy Guidance," Defense Department spokeswoman Army Maj. Audricia Harris says, referring to a 2014 document the Obama White House released explaining the policies that would govern covert war. "That allows for the use of all available tools of national power to protect the American people from threats posed by groups such as ISIS, al-Qaida and their associated forces."
Even though the US Government was unable to defeat the Taliban with 100.000 troops in the country, apparently Trump thinks that by taking a harder line with Pakistan and sending a few thousand more troops to Afghanistan he is going to pressure the Taliban into making peace.
The result will probably be for Pakistan to create more difficulties for the US Government in Afghanistan and also a point blank refusal to allow any drone attacks, as a majority of the Pakistani public would support such a move. However, the United States claims that the Pakistani spy agency the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has ties to the Haqqani network of militants who are thought to be responsible for some deadly attacks in Afghanistan. The Afghan Government too has accused Pakistan as giving safe haven to the militants. Pakistan Government denies this, as they have lost about 7.000 of its security forces and about 22.000 civilians as a result of militant activity since 2003.
There are some within the US Government and in various think tanks who do not consider Pakistan an ally at all:
The Pentagon designated the Haggani network that Pakistan is alleged to support, as "terrorist organization" in 2012.
Navy Admiral Mike Mullen, a top U.S. military officer, told the U.S. Congress in 2011 that the Haqqani net was a veritable arm of the Pakistani ISI.
David Sedney, who was Obama's deputy assistant secretary of defense for Afghanistan from 2009 to 2013, claims that Obama's attempt to make Pakistan a strategic partner failed miserably and said that it made Pakistan's behavior even worse.
But this appears very one-sided: Pakistan in effect allowed UAV attacks on its territory in the face of tremendous political opposition. It also eventually carried out military operations in the territories that were quite costly in casualties for their security forces.
The U.S. has given considerable aid to Pakistan since 2002: $33 billion and that included Coalition Support Funds (CSF) that is meant to reimburse allies that incurred costs in supporting counter-insurgency operations. Pakistan did incur heavy costs in its operations in conflicts with various militant groups in the tribal areas of north-west Pakistan. However, the U.S. argues that Pakistan has failed to take action against the Haqqani network and last year withheld $300 million in CSF funding to Pakistan. US officials say the Trump administration may do the same... But also warns that moves such as this would encourage China to invest even more than the $60 billion it has already invested in Pakistan.
Aside from the privacy concerns associated with persistent aerial surveillance, there are also worries related to transparency: In Baltimore, Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS) technology was flown over the city without elected officials (including the mayor), the state’s attorney, or members of the public being informed first. And in Miami-Dade county, the mayor wasn’t aware of Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD) persistent aerial surveillance plans.
Military equipment has a tendency to make its way from foreign battlefields into the hands of domestic law enforcement. This is a trend that can be useful in investigating crimes, but policies that protect privacy should be in place before snooping airplanes take to the sky, and the public as well as local officials should be informed about the surveillance tools police are using. Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS), the Ohio-based company that made the sensor system deployed in Baltimore, uses technology originally designed for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This kind of technology has prompted privacy concerns in others cities, with Baltimore being perhaps the most notable.
The extensive use of UAVs by the US in Iraq and Afghanistan has raised debates over issues like civilian deaths, international law, efficacy of strikes and deterrence.
The Israeli Air Force used a weaponized drone, the Pioneer, in the 1982 war in Lebanon which impressed US for increased UAV procurement and research. Nineteen years after, the 9\11 terrorist attack created a new demand to hunt down terrorists in remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Today, the US uses three types of drones built by General Atomics with offensive capabilities: the MQ-1 Predator, the MQ-1C Sky Warrior, and the MQ-9 Reaper. The US military uses them in two broad ways: Reconnaissance and hunter-killer missions.
Drone surveillance and attack capabilities have been effective psychologically as fear keeps also plays a major part. While drone attacks are the most effective weapon against terrorism, its net effects are difficult to judge. The presence of armed drones is a reality of the modern battlefield, but only a limited group of countries has the technological ability to produce them or the military capacity to operate them.
Currently, US and China export armed drones, and Israel is in the vicinity. As Russia, Turkey, South Korea and others join the market, a surge in globally available systems for a fruitful market could lead to a new dangerous era.
Germany has extended a leasing contract to operate the Israeli Heron-1 unmanned aerial system (UAS) for another year in support of ongoing operations in Afghanistan.
Estimated at tens of millions of dollars, the contract concluded between the German Defence Procurement Agency and Airbus DS Airborne Solutions, a subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space, extends Heron operations in Afghanistan until February 2018.
In its news release, IAI noted that its Heron-1 recently marked 30,000 hours in Afghanistan since the German Air Force began operating the system in 2010. The German Air Force also is operating the Heron-1 in Mali as part of a United Nations policing mission. “Our connection with the German Air Force is of course highly important, and we are proud to continue to provide an operational solution together with the excellent cooperation we have with Airbus,” said retired Israeli Air Force Brig. Gen. Shaul Shahar, IAI's executive vice president and general manager of the firm’s Military Aircraft Group.
For the Pentagon, it seems, drones are invaluable: The United States is looking to reduce its man presence in Afghanistan, and instead “the Air Force aims to double the number of drone squadrons over the next five years,” the Hindustan Times reports. Drones are already a major presence in Afghanistan in particular, and in US missions around the world at large. “In the wars we fight, this is the future,” said drone pilot Lt. Shaw, who operates out of the US Air Force drone base in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. The US doesn’t release detailed statistics of drone involvement in Afghanistan, but it is clear that they play a major role in operations in the country. (Read more)
El 62nd ERS (Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron) con base en Kandahar (Afganistán), ha completado con éxito una serie de modificaciones en su flota de MQ-9 Reaper que los capacita para aumentar su radio de alcance entre un 20 y un 40 por ciento, en función de su carga de pago.
Esta actualización ofrece a las tropas la posibilidad de vigilar durante más tiempo ciertas areas de especial interés, a fin de neutralizar una amenaza antes de que sea demasiado tarde.
Según ha informado el diario NY Daily News, haciéndose eco de fuentes policiales afganas, un misil lanzado hace unas horas desde un UAV de combate MQ-1 Predator ha alcanzado a seis personas, entre ellas al Mulá Abdul Rauf, subjefe del ISIS en Afganistán.
Según la policía afgana, Rauf circulaba en un vehículo junto con otras cinco personas en el momento del ataque. No se han dado más detalles del suceso.
David del Fresno
Orientación y Asesoría en Impresión 3D y Manufactura Aditiva
El Ejército Británico estuvo a punto de abatir un helicóptero de la RAF(Royal Air Force) cargado de soldados, cuando uno de sus propios UAVs realizaba maniobras a menos de 18 metros del aparato.
El incidente, que involucró a un helicóptero Agusta Westland AW101 "Merlin" y a un UAV Lockheed Martin "Desert Hawk", ocurrió durante el pasado mes de Julio, en el espacio aereo del campo de entrenamiento militar de Stanford (Norfolk, UK) que, entre otras particularidades, alberga la réplica de un pueblo típico de Afganistán.
Durante el pasado mes de Diciembre el Pentágono ha dado curso a una lista de inversiones para 2015 que incluyen ciertas partidas relacionadas con UAVs. Vamos a verlas en detalle, ordenadas por fechas:
15 de Diciembre: $114,598,215 para General Atomics
General Atomics Aeronautical, Poway, California, was awarded an $114,598,215 modification (P00006) to contract W58RGZ-14-C-0008 to continue contractor logistics for the Warrior unmanned aircraft system. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $17,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 16, 2015. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and in Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
18 de Diciembre: $41,076,746 para Insitu
Insitu, Inc., Bingen, Washington, is being awarded a $41,076,746 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of three low rate initial production RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft systems. This award provides for the procurement of the air vehicles, ground control stations, launch and recovery equipment, initial spares, and system engineering and program management. Work will be performed in Bingen, Washington, and is expected to be completed in January 2016. Fiscal 2014 procurement funds (Marine Corps) in the amount of $38,309,942 and fiscal 2015 research and development funds (Marine Corps) in the amount of $2,766,804 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR.6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-15-C-0033).
18 de Diciembre: $24,345,692 para Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman Technical Services, Inc., Sierra Vista, Arizona, was awarded a $24,345,692 modification (P00028) to cost-plus-fixed-fee contract W58RGZ-13-C-0010 for Hunter unmanned aircraft system contractor logistics support. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 17, 2015. Work will be performed in Sierra Vista, Arizona (25 percent), and in Afghanistan (75 percent). Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal (Aviation), Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
18 de Diciembre: $46,646,592 para Raytheon
Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, has been awarded a $46,646,592 firm-fixed-price modification (P0006) to previously awarded contract FA8620-11-G-4050 for MQ-1 and MQ-9 support. Contractor will provide 32 multi-spectral targeting system-B turrets (TU), 32 MTS-B high definition electronic units (HDEUs), one lot of MTS-B shop replaceable units spares, 32 MTS-B TU containers, 32 MTS-B HDEU containers, and one lot of MTS support equipment. Work will be performed at McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2016. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2013 and 2014 procurement funds in the amount of $46,646,592 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
23 de Diciembre: $375,212,717 para General Atomics
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., doing business as GA-ASI, Poway, California, has been awarded a $375,212,717 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Predator (MQ1)/Reaper (MQ9) unmanned aerial systems contractor logistic support. Contractor will provide program management, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, contractor field service representative support, inventory control point management, flight operations support, depot repair, and depot field maintenance. Work will be performed at Poway, California, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2015. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $83,228,020 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robbins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8528-15-C-0001).
23 de Diciembre: $11,831,173 para Navmar
Navmar Applied Sciences Corp.,* Warminster, Pennsylvania, is being awarded an $11,831,173 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N68335-14-C-0131) to extend a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research effort in support of the Copperhead Unmanned Air Systems, specifically Tigershark unmanned aerial vehicle. This effort includes the improvement of sensor and platform capabilities, sustainment and reset of current detachments in theater for the Tigershark UAV. Work will be performed in Afghanistan (50 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (25 percent); and Yuma, Arizona (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2015. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $2,766,000 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
29 de Diciembre: $13,000,000 para Raytheon
Raytheon, Co., Woburn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $13,000,000 modification (P00025) to cost-plus-fixed-fee contract W9113M-13-C-0009 to support the Product Management Electro-Optic/Infrared Payloads-Force Protection Office for surveillance system supply and support for the rapid aerostat initial deployment configurations. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 30, 2015. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
UAVs have proved to be exceedingly useful during peacekeeping missions and the ongoing global war on terror in Afghanistan and Pakistan, finding applications across ISR and combat roles. Furthermore, enhanced capabilities in areas such as endurance, data processing, and communications have broadened ISR UAV use in both defense and intelligence roles. It is anticipated that 4,000 different unmanned aircraft platforms are in circulation on the global market.
In light of their enhanced endurance and lower maintenance costs, solar-powered UAVs are emerging as the latest revelation in the market, attracting investment from defense ministries across the globe. High endurance of solar-powered UAVs enhances their ability to provide real-time, high-quality surveillance data for large geographical areas, and for longer periods. HALE UAVs offer a low-cost consistent surveillance capability and are capable of producing and storing solar energy in their fuel cells which can then be used for night flying.
Almost all major countries now have their UCAV programs in place, some in isolation, and others in collaboration. Leading the way, in May 2013, the U.S. Navy underwent flight trials for the X-47B, a giant leap in the UCAV industry, as it was for the first time that an unmanned aircraft took off from an aircraft carrier. Though it is not due to go into production, the research and development is expected to spawn operational variants in the near future.
Spanning over 229 pages, 84 tables and 101 figures, “The Global UAV Market 2013-2023” report presents an in-depth assessment of the global UAV market till 2023.
In addition to covering the market size & drivers, industry trends, challenges, swot analysis, country analysis, major uav programs, competitive landscape and strategic insights the report also presents comprehensive forecasts for the market till 2023. The report covers 20 key industry players namely AAI Corporation, Aeronautics Ltd., AeroVironment, Alenia Aermacchi, BAE Systems, BlueBird Aero Systems, Boeing,Cassidian, Dassault Aviation SA, Denel Dynamics, Elbit Systems Ltd., EMT Ingenieurgesellschaft, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Northrop Grumman Corporation, Sagem, Selex ES, Singapore Technologies Aerospace and Saab.
Carolina Unmanned Vehicles, Inc. (CUV) announces the delivery of the Rev-1 version of the Small Tactical Multi-Payload Aerostat System (STMPAS), for deployment to Afghanistan. STMPAS is suitable for surveillance, communications relay and research for DOD and Homeland Security missions. (Read more)
Drug smugglers who race across the Caribbean in speedboats will typically jettison their cargo when spotted by surveillance aircraft, hoping any chance of prosecuting them will vanish with the drugs sinking to the bottom of the sea. (Read more)
