AeroDef Manufacturing is the leading exposition and technical conference for the aerospace and defense manufacturing industry.
Produced by the SME, in partnership with industry OEMs, its mission is to foster innovation across the extended enterprise to reduce costs, expedite production times and maintain manufacturing competitiveness in the global economy.
AeroDef showcases the industry’s most advanced technologies across an innovative floor plan designed to facilitate interaction and business relationships between exhibitors and buyers looking for integrated solutions.
Its keynote speakers and panelists come from the highest level of government and business. They come to share their vision of the potential of technology, collaboration and public policy to transform manufacturing – concepts that attendees can actually experience on the exposition floor and in its in-depth conference sessions.
It’s the one event that brings together high-concept, integrated solutions and real-world applications. If you have a stake in aerospace and defense manufacturing, you can’t afford to miss AeroDef Manufacturing.
Why you need to attend AeroDef
If you have a stake in aerospace and defense manufacturing, you must be at AeroDef 2018.
AeroDef attracts thinkers, doers and decision makers and is the place where significant technology decisions are made.
Explore innovative advances in processes and materials:
As the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology products are not limited to military use, international buyers have expressed interest in buying its products, and the Ministry of National Defense has prepared a list of items that are ready for sale. The Institute is to showcase its products at the Taipei Aerospace and Defense Technology Exhibition in August, with a focus on UAVs, and during this year has attended multiple international events, including the SPIE Defense and Commercial Sensing trade show in California, the International Defense Industry Fair in Istanbul, and the Paris Air Show. In all events, many visitors were interested in the institute’s self-developed defense UAV, named Multi-Functional Laser Sight System.
Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapons System is portable and sets up quickly to harness directed energy on its targets.
The system recently reached a milestone at an exercise at Point Mugu, California, by tracking and disabling a moving, untethered unmanned aerial vehicle.
En un campo cercano a la Playa de Daytona (Florida, USA) unos estudiantes realizan vuelos de prueba con UAVs.
Nada excepcional, si no fuese porque se trata de estudiantes de la Universidad Embry-Riddle, realizando ejercicios prácticos para graduarse como pilotos profesionales de UAV.
Embry-Riddle es una más dentro de un pequeño pero creciente grupo de escuelas y universidades norteamericanas que está ofreciendo una amplia gama de programas enfocados al diseño y manejo de UAVs. Las escuelas han puesto en marcha estos programas ya que se espera una creciente oferta de puestos de trabajo cuando la Administración Federal de Aviación apruebe el reglamento de UAVs para uso civil.
“Hemos visto un enorme interés por el grado en UAVs" afirma Alex Mirot, profesor de la Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. “En los tres años que llevamos impartiendo el programa, se han graduado unos 230 nuevos pilotos.” Por su parte, Steven Gitlin, vicepresidente de marketing y comunicación de AeroVironment, se muestra optimista al respecto: “El mercado civil de UAVs puede ser mucho más grande que el mercado militar. El pasado año hemos contratado a unas 50 personas y prevemos aumentar la plantilla n otras 50 personas durante el año en curso.”
AeroVironment fabrica UAVS que se utilizan principalmente para aplicaciones ISR en el campo militar y policial, pero que están encontrando cada vez más demanda por parte de profesionales del sector agrícola, que los utilizan para llevar a cabo la observación aerea de sus explotaciones, al objeto de conocer con precisión las zonas donde hay que regar más, o donde hay que volver a rociar pesticidas, cualesquiera otras aplicaciones de precisión. Sin embargo, “Prevemos que la demanda de UAVs aumente asimismo en aplicaciones relacionadas con la minería y la preservación de la fauna salvaje” afirma Gitlin.
Por su parte, la Asociación Internacional de Sistemas No Tripulados (AUVSI) estima que una vez que se aprueben las normas de la FAA para el uso de aviones no tripulados en el ambito civil, podrían facturarse cifras en torno a 13 billones de dólares durante los primeros tres años, que podrían aumentar hasta los 82 billones de dólares en 2025. El resultado será la creación de más de 100.000 nuevos puestos de trabajo que estarían remunerados con un salario mínimo anual estimado en torno a 40.000 dólares.
David del Fresno
Orientación y Asesoría en Impresión 3D y Manufactura Aditiva
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.
En las pruebas llevadas a cabo hace un año en la US Naval Air Weapons Station de China Lake (CA), un UAVGAAS MQ-9 Reaper armado con misiles MBDA Brimston llevó a cabo nueve ataques directos contra blancos fijos y móviles.
Los blancos móviles iban a una velocidad de 70 MPH (112 Km/H), y la distancia y altitud a la que se efectuaron los disparos fue de 7 millas (11 Km) y 20.000 pies (6 Km) respectivamente.
A sensor system designed to create 3-D reconstructions in near-real time and output high-resolution digital elevation models, LIDAR-like datasets, and wide area maps has been flown on an Arcturus T-20 Tier IIUAV.
The system, called GeoDragon, is enclosed in a wing-mounted pod and is capable of high resolution 2-D and 3-D image capture. Urban Robotics in Portland, OR, which designed the sensor, says among its "unique aspects" are low weight (equating to longer endurance and loiter time,) small operational footprint on the ground (1 or 2 full size pick-up trucks,) a quick mount/dismount pod, quiet operation (the T-20 utilizes a modified 4-stroke engine,) and the ability to fly simultaneously with other payloads on the T-20, such as EO/IR.
GeoDragon imagery is post-processed using automated 3-D algorithms to rapidly generate large mapping and modeling datasets. Urban Robotics develops software and hardware solutions for 3-D ISR, remote sensing and geospatial applications, including collection, post-processing, and data management. The aircraft was built by Arcturus UAV in Rohnert Park, CA. Urban Robotics says the GeoDragon adds significant 3-D imaging and mapping capabilities to the T-20 UAV. The system is scheduled to be released in mid-2014.
Raytheon ha conseguido un contrato para proporcionar tares de soporte y logística de las estaciones terrestres de la flota de UAVs RQ-4 Global
Hawk pertenecientes a la USAF.
Bajo los terminos del contrato, Raytheon proporcionará servicios tecnicos "on-site" durante las operaciones de lanzamiento, control y recuperación, así como servicios de mantenimiento y testeo del segmento de tierra para asegurar en todo momento la disponibilidad de las estaciones terrestres Global Hawk desplegadas en las bases de Beale (California) y Grand Forks (North Dakota).
Dramatic, high-resolution views of seacoasts and skyscrapers make for awe-inspiring film sequences, but as anyone who has ever held a video camera or smartphone knows, the key is a steady camera. A new advanced five-axis gyro-stabilized camera platform, called the C520, was developed by a California company called Gyro-Stabilized Systems (GSS) to suit the needs of sports production companies, movie production companies, broadcast media, law enforcement agencies, surveillance operations, and utility companies. The C520 was designed to accommodate a range of cameras that shoot at 4K resolution, producing images in ultra HD, nearly four times the resolution of regular (1080) HD. Last month, GSS engineers spent more than six hours on a Bell 407 helicopter, achieving perfectly stable 4K Ultra HD footage from the C520. Gyro stabilization is the cure for the common bump or shake that creates distorted images or reduced clarity, but not all stabilizing systems are equal. (Read more)
