TOMORROWS TRANSPORTATION NEWS TODAY!

Tag: digital (Page 7 of 8)

Bane NOR and Siemens Mobility Celebrate Milestone in Digitalization of Norway’s Rail Network

  • Campus Nyland test, training and signaling simulation center opens
  • European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) latest in intelligent infrastructure
  • Nordlandsbanen will open first digital signaling railway in October 2022

Bane NOR and Siemens Mobility celebrated the opening of Campus Nyland, a test, training and signaling simulation center which will help the rail network operator prepare for the digitalization of the entire system. Norway has committed to becoming the first country to operate with a single digital interlocking and ERTMS signifies one of the country’s largest digitalization projects. In 2022, the first digital line, Nordlandsbanen, will open. In advance, the Campus Nyland center will prepare workers for working within the digital system, ERTMS. The intelligent infrastructure behind ERTMS will reduce operating costs and increase capacity throughout the network. In addition, it will enhance safety, with real-time visibility of trains across the network. When complete in 2034, the system will include 4,200 km of track and more than 350 stations.

“Siemens Mobility is the main supplier to the Norwegian ERTMS program with their infrastructure, including interlockings and radio block centres (RBC). The Siemens Mobility solution is leading edge based upon an IP based architecture. With a strong technical roadmap and a proven ability to deliver, Siemens Mobility is the ideal partner for Bane NOR in this challenging program. We are thrilled to work together with Siemens Mobility to develop the digital rail,” said Sverre Kjenne, Executive Vice President Digitalisation and Technology, Bane NOR.

“Norway is on track to become the first country to operate in the “one country, one interlocking” architecture making it at the forefront of digitalization. Our intelligent infrastructure will ensure that the system operates efficiently. The digital interlocking, with IP controlled field components, and ERTMS are the backbone to greatly improving operations and maintenance. This architecture also opens the door for future developments such as implementing driverless technologies, moving the interlocking to the cloud, which would make proprietary hardware and spare parts a relic of the past, and would make data instantaneously available to transportation operators,” stated Michael Peter, Siemens Mobility CEO. “Campus Nyland is an important milestone in turning this vision into reality.”

Campus Nyland will be an industry center for digital education and will house more than 5,000 employees, who will learn the necessary digital skills needed to ensure ERTMS is successful when it goes operational. These will include individuals from Bane NOR, train companies, maintenance companies and contractors. Bane NOR will facilitate simulator training as well as physical training facilities. New technology, such as virtual reality, will be used to communicate how the tracks are built with ERTMS, as well as the design of trains and traffic control centers. More than 150 different scenarios are available for training within the highly digital training hub.

In the spring of 2020, the Roa – Hønefoss ERTMS test line opens. The new signaling technology will be monitored and tested from Campus Nyland.

The next important milestone in turning ERTMS into a reality will be the digitalization of the first Norwegian rail line. In October 2022, Nordlandsbanen, which operates from Grong to Bodø, and represents about 12 percent of the Norwegian railway will go operational.

Brand-New PC-12 NGX an Early Success at NBAA-BACE 2019

A day after unveiling the new PC-12 NGX single-engine turboprop aircraft at the National Business Aviation Association’s annual Convention and Exhibition (NBAA-BACE), Pilatus reports very strong demand for the new aircraft across the global Authorised Pilatus Sales Centre network.

Based on the PC-12 airframe, of which more than 1,700 aircraft have been delivered, Pilatus introduces the third major evolution of the aircraft, named the PC-12 NGX. Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, revealed the new aircraft at a ceremony on Monday evening. More than 200 guests were on hand for the aircraft’s public debut.

First customers of brand-new PC-12 NGX

On the first public day of NBAA-BACE, three customers were eager to be first in line to purchase the new advanced version of the PC-12.

Australian born Dion Weisler, President and CEO of HP, is the first owner to upgrade from his PC-12 NG to the new NGX. Dion Weisler said: “As an existing, proud and active owner-pilot of a 2017 PC-12 NG, I am amazed by the substantial innovation improvements in what I thought was an impossible aircraft to improve on. I am thrilled to be customer number one for the new PC-12 NGX. Pilatus has done it again – reimagined aviation and taken an already perfect aircraft and magically redefined perfection.”

The first US customer of the new PC-12 NGX is Shon Boney, Co-Founder of Sprouts Farmers Markets, an American supermarket chain. The new PC-12 NGX will actually be Shon Boney’s fourth PC-12.

João Carlos Marinho Lutz will be the first Brazilian customer to take delivery of the new PC-12 NGX. Currently flying a non-pressurised turboprop, he chose the new Pilatus aircraft, because “only the PC-12 NGX can reach farms in remote places where I need to go and amazing destinations in Brazil with comfort, speed and efficiency.”

The new PC-12 NGX is already certified

The PC-12 NGX features a completely new BMW Designworks interior, larger cabin windows inspired by the PC-24 and fully reclining executive seats. The new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 E-SeriesTM engine comes with the Electronic Propeller and Engine Control. A fully integrated digital autothrottle and new avionics features by Honeywell, including a touch screen controller, emergency descent mode, tactile roll feedback and protection, and a low speed propeller quiet mode are just some of the features of the new cockpit environment.

The PC-12 NGX prototype first flew in December 2017. More than 600 hours of testing and certification flying were accumulated in Europe, USA and Canada as Pilatus quietly developed the new aircraft. The PC-12 NGX received certification just one week ago on Monday, 14 October 2019.

Pilatus will begin customer deliveries of the new PC-12 NGX early in the second quarter of 2020. The first production PC-12 NGX with serial number 2001 is present on the static display of Pilatus throughout the NBAA-BACE. Contact Pilatus or your nearest Authorised Pilatus Centre for aircraft availability.

Microsoft Beats Amazon for Pentagon $10 Billion Cloud Computing Contract

WASHINGTON, Oct 25 (Reuters) – Microsoft Corp. has won the Pentagon’s $10 billion cloud computing contract, the Defense Department said on Friday, beating out favorite Amazon.com Inc.

The contracting process had long been mired in conflict of interest allegations, even drawing the attention of President Donald Trump, who has publicly taken swipes at Amazon and its founder Jeff Bezos. Trump in August said his administration was reviewing Amazon’s bid after complaints from other companies.

The Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud (JEDI) contract is part of a broader digital modernization of the Pentagon meant to make it more technologically agile. Specifically, a goal of JEDI is to give the military better access to data and the cloud from battlefields and other remote locations.

Oracle Corp had expressed concerns about the award process for the contract, including the role of a former Amazon employee who worked on the project at the Defense Department but recused himself, then later left the Defense Department and returned to Amazon Web Services.

In a statement, an Amazon Web Services (AWS) spokesman said the company was “surprised about this conclusion.”

The company said that a “detailed assessment purely on the comparative offerings” would “clearly lead to a different conclusion,” according to the statement.

AWS is considering options for protesting the award, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Although the Pentagon boasts the world’s most potent fighting force, its information technology remains woefully inadequate, according to many officials.

Officials have complained of having outdated computer systems and being unable to access files or share information as quickly as they might be able to in the private sector.

“If I am a warfighter, I want as much data as you could possibly give me,” Lieutenant General Jack Shanahan, the director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, told reporters in August describing the importance of the contract.

Some companies were concerned that a single award would give the winner an unfair advantage in follow-on work. The Pentagon has said it planned to award future cloud deals to multiple contractors.

This week, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper removed himself from reviewing the deal due to his adult son’s employment with one of the original contract applicants, IBM Corp. IBM had previously bid for the contract but had already been eliminated from the competition.

Microsoft said it was working on a comment. IBM and Oracle did not immediately return requests for comment.

In a book slated for publication Oct. 29, retired Navy commander Guy Snodgrass, who served as a speech writer to former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, said Trump called Mattis and directed him to “screw Amazon” by preventing it from bidding on the JEDI contract, according to an excerpt of the book seen by Reuters ahead of its release.

“We’re not going to do that,” Mattis later told other Pentagon officials, according to the excerpt. “This will be done by the book, both legally and ethically.”

Snodgrass declined to comment pending the release of his book.

In a statement announcing Microsoft as the winner, the Pentagon underscored its view that the competition was conducted fairly and legally.

“All (offers) were treated fairly and evaluated consistently with the solicitation’s stated evaluation criteria. Prior to the award, the department conferred with the DOD Inspector General, which informed the decision to proceed,” it said.

Microsoft shares were up 3% to $144.98 in after-hours trading after the news. Amazon shares were down 0.92% to $1,745.12.

The Pentagon said it had awarded more than $11 billion across 10 separate cloud contracts over the past two years.

“As we continue to execute the DOD Cloud Strategy, additional contracts are planned for both cloud services and complementary migration and integration solutions necessary to achieve effective cloud adoption,” the Pentagon said.

(Additional reporting by Stephen Nellis and Jeffrey Dastin in San Francisco Reporting by Phil Stewart in Washington; Editing by Cynthia Osterman, Sonya Hepinstall and Lincoln Feast)

United Airlines in Talks with Apple on SFO Airport Upgrade

CHICAGO (Reuters) – United Airlines is in early discussions with Apple Inc about upgrading the U.S. carrier’s terminal at San Francisco International airport, United’s Chief Digital Officer Linda Jojo told journalists on Friday without providing more details.

“I’m being deliberately vague,” she said.

Apple declined to comment on the development. The company has supplied United with iPad tablet computers in the past, but also has deals with United rivals such as American Airlines to let Apple Music customers listen to streaming music on its planes without purchasing in-flight WiFi.

(Reporting by Tracy Rucinski in Chicago and Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

A United Airlines 787 taxis as a 767 lands at San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco

Sikorsky Introduces RAIDER X™, A NextGen Light-Attack Reconnaissance Helicopter

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT), today introduced RAIDER X™, its concept for an agile, lethal and survivable compound coaxial helicopter, specifically designed for securing vertical lift dominance against evolving peer and near-peer threats on the future battlefield. Through the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program, RAIDER Xis the out-front platform in the Service’s revolutionary approach for rapid development and delivery of game changing technology and warfighter capabilities, equipped for the most demanding and contested environments. RAIDER X enables the reach, protection and lethality required to remain victorious in future conflicts.

“RAIDER X converges everything we’ve learned in years of developing, testing and refining X2 Technology and delivers warfighters a dominant, survivable and intelligent system that will excel in tomorrow’s battlespace where aviation overmatch is critical,” said Frank St. John, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems. “The X2 Technology family of aircraft is a low-risk solution and is scalable based on our customers’ requirements.”

RAIDER X draws on Lockheed Martin’s broad expertise in developing innovative systems using the latest digital design and manufacturing techniques. Sikorsky’s RAIDER X prototype offers:

  • Exceptional Performance: The X2 rigid rotor provides increased performance including; highly responsive maneuverability, enhanced low-speed hover, off-axis hover, and level acceleration and braking. These attributes make us unbeatable at the X. 
  • Agile, Digital Design: State-of-the-art digital design and manufacturing is already in use on other Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky production programs such as CH-53K, CH-148 and F-35, and will enable the Army to not only lower the acquisition cost, but enable rapid, affordable upgrades to stay ahead of the evolving threat. 
  • Adaptability: Modern open systems architecture (MOSA)-based avionics and mission systems, offering “plug-and-play” options for computing, sensors, survivability and weapons, benefiting lethality and survivability, operational mission tailoring and competitive acquisitions. 
  • Sustainable/Maintenance: Designed to decrease aircraft operating costs by utilizing new technologies to shift from routine maintenance and inspections to self-monitoring and condition-based maintenance, which will increase aircraft availability, reduce sustainment footprint forward and enable flexible maintenance operating periods. 
  • Growth/Mission Flexibility: Focused on the future and ever evolving threat capabilities, X2 compound coaxial technology provides unmatched potential and growth margin for increased speed, combat radius and payload. This potential and growth margin further enables operational mission flexibility which includes a broader range of aircraft configurations and loadouts to accommodate specific mission requirements.

The nationwide supply team that Sikorsky has comprised to build RAIDER X will join company leaders today to introduce RAIDER X during the annual conference of the Association of the United States Army in Washington, D.C.

“RAIDER X is the culmination of decades of development, and a testament to our innovation and passion for solving our customers’ needs,” said Sikorsky President Dan Schultz. “By leveraging the strength of the entire Lockheed Martin Corporation, we will deliver the only solution that gives the U.S. Army the superiority needed to meet its mission requirements.”

Proven X2 Technology: Scalable, Sustainable, Affordable

With RAIDER X, Sikorsky introduces the latest design in its X2 family of aircraft. To date, X2 aircraft have achieved/demonstrated:

  • Speeds in excess of 250 knots 
  • High altitude operations in excess of 9,000 feet 
  • Low-speed and high-speed maneuver envelopes out to 60+ degrees angle of bank 
  • ADS-33B (Aeronautical Design Standard) Level 1 handling qualities with multiple pilots 
  • Flight controls optimization and vibration mitigation

“The power of X2 is game changing. It combines the best elements of low-speed helicopter performance with the cruise performance of an airplane,” said Sikorsky experimental test pilot Bill Fell, a retired Army pilot who has flown nearly every RAIDER test flight. “Every flight we take in our S-97 RAIDER today reduces risk and optimizes our FARA prototype, RAIDER X.”

The development of X2 Technology and the RAIDER program has been funded entirely by significant investments by Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin and industry partners.

Sikorsky introduced RAIDER X as its entry to the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) prototype competition. RAIDER X draws on Lockheed Martin’s broad expertise in developing innovative systems using the latest digital design and manufacturing techniques. Image courtesy, Sikorsky a Lockheed Martin company.

Boeing Delivers First 787-10 for Saudi Arabian Airlines

NORTH CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA, Sept 30, 2019 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] delivered to Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) its first 787-10 Dreamliner, which will play a key role in the airline’s fleet and network expansion. The largest member of the Dreamliner family sets the benchmark for fuel efficiency and operating economics and will complement SAUDIA’s fleet of 787-9.

“SAUDIA operates a state-of-the-art fleet equipped with the latest technology, and in addition to the airline’s existing Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, is now adding the 787-10 variant which will further support future network growth plans,” said His Excellency Eng. Saleh bin Nasser Al-Jasser, Director General, SAUDIA. “The airplane’s onboard cabin features, long range capability and the latest in technological advancements are among the many aspects of what makes the Boeing 787 highly popular with our guests.”

In addition to the 787-10, SAUDIA operates 13 787-9 Dreamliner airplanes, and 33 777-300ER (Extended Range) jets.

“SAUDIA has been a valued partner with Boeing for nearly 75 years and this delivery marks another major milestone in our partnership. Our team takes great pride in building and delivering quality aircraft to SAUDIA and we are honored by the continuing confidence in the 787 Dreamliner and 777 families,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing, The Boeing Company. “The addition of the 787-10 to SAUDIA’s fleet will continue the superior inflight experience that passengers have come to expect of the Dreamliner. Moreover, the unmatched fuel efficiency of the 787 will help SAUDIA open new routes and achieve significant fuel savings and emission reduction.”

With the delivery to SAUDIA, the 787-10 continues to expand its global presence. More than 30 of this Dreamliner model have been delivered to seven operators since the airplane entered commercial service last year. As a stretch of the 787-9, the 787-10 adds about 40 more seats in a 2-class configuration and cargo capacity, offering 25 percent better fuel per seat and fewer emissions than the airplanes it replaces. With a range 6,345 nautical miles (11,750 kms), the 787-10 can fly more than 95 percent of the world’s twin-aisle routes.

Since entering service in 2011, the 787 family has enabled the opening of more than 235 new point-to-point routes and saved more than 40 billion pounds of fuel. Designed with the passenger in mind, the 787 family delivers an unparalleled experience with the largest windows of any commercial jet, large overhead bins with room for everyone’s bag, comfortable cabin air that is cleaner and more humid, and includes soothing LED lighting.

To optimize the performance of its 787 fleet, SAUDIA uses Boeing Global Services digital solutions powered by Boeing AnalytX such as Airplane Health Management (AHM), Maintenance Performance Toolbox and Crew Rostering and Pairing to optimize performance, manage global crew schedules and maintain their fleet. Boeing AnalytX is a suite of software and consulting services that transform raw data into efficiency, resource and cost savings in every phase of flight.

Boeing [NYSE:BA] delivered to Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) its first 787-10 Dreamliner, which will play a key role in the airline’s fleet and network expansion.

Vistara Selects Airbus FHS-TSP Solution to Maintain A320 Fleet

Vistara, India’s full-service carrier and a joint venture of Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines, has signed a long-term contract to partner with Airbus for their Flight Hour Services – Tailored Support Package (FHS-TSP). The contract will cover engineering and maintenance for 62 aircraft, including 23 existing ones.

The FHS-TSP contract provides integrated and guaranteed services ranging from the supply and repair of components to the manufacturer’s unique Fleet Technical Management service. An on-site Airbus team will support the daily maintenance activities, including spares, warehousing and engineering to ensure the highest standards of aircraft technical dispatch and operations.

Under the agreement, Airbus will offer its expertise in the areas of maintenance, engineering, reliability and supply chain management. Airbus will ensure a) timely availability of spare parts b) maintenance planning c) compliance with airworthiness advisories as well as technical records on all aircraft.

“We are delighted to announce the partnership with Airbus to avail the advantages of their TSP programme. Vistara is committed to the highest standards of operational efficiency and innovation and the adoption of this service is part of our continual efforts to maximise customer satisfaction,” said Sisira Kanta Dash, Senior Vice President – Engineering, Vistara.  

“Airbus Services’ combined aircraft engineering capabilities, expertise in maintenance operations and data analytics know-how will help Vistara to increase its competitiveness and secure its operations. This contract also reaffirms our commitment to expanding and deepening our Airbus Services footprint in India,” said Rémi Maillard, Head of Airbus Services.

Airbus provides a host of material and maintenance services, which go from initial provisioning and on-request solutions by Satair, Airbus’ 100% subsidiary, to ‘all-in-one’ solutions with material management, maintenance operations and engineering solutions through FHS-TSP. Leveraging Skywise’s digital platform capabilities, the latest applications optimizing aircraft availability include real- time health monitoring and predictive maintenance.

Airbus Announces New and Expanded Capability for OceanFinder

Toulouse, 18 September 2019 – Airbus Defence and Space has released the latest version of OceanFinder, its digital maritime service to detect, identify and track collaborative and non-collaborative vessels around the globe.

First launched in 2018, OceanFinder leverages Airbus’ advanced constellation of optical and radar satellites, combined with real-time global Automatic Identification System (AIS) data, and the latest in automated analytics, to support a broad range of critical applications across defence and security, shipping, oil and gas, and insurance markets.

OceanFinder’s latest updates introduce a number of innovative features – extending the service’s capabilities in several key areas. From today, users will benefit from enhanced imagery and AIS data correlation to identify the precise location of a non-responding vessel in near real-time. This development has been combined with the latest in fully-automated detection and classification, which utilises powerful proprietary algorithms to determine a vessel’s identity in just a few seconds. Subsequently, Airbus’ human analysts are able to focus on providing additional, value-added intelligence, such as interpretation of specific behaviour or threats, without delaying a report’s delivery. New tools have also been incorporated to provide the most relevant acquisition plan to predict routes and projected locations of vessels, based on last position, date, trajectory and speed. 

Several of the unique features have been made possible through a multi-year partnership with exactEarth, a leading provider of satellite-AIS data services. The agreement, which provides OceanFinder with access to exactView RT – exactEarth’s second-generation real-time satellite-AIS data platform – includes all live and archived data.

“By combining Airbus’ satellite imagery with the most advanced AIS data services and analytics, we are positioning OceanFinder as a key reference for maritime detection and identification” said François Lombard, Director of the Intelligence Business for Airbus Defence and Space. “Automation and near real-time are the two pillars through which we will provide our customers with the insights they need to make decisions faster, whether for real-time situational awareness, Search and Rescue operations or location and tracking of illegal maritime activities.”

OceanFinder is accessible through the OneAtlas web portal (oneatlas.airbus.com), enabling customers to ‘self-order’ the required products through a simple user interface that is available 24/7.

Alstom Digital Train Control System Enters Service on Wuppertal Suspension Railway

A new version of Alstom’s Atlas ETCS train control system has entered service on the Wuppertal Suspension Railway (Wuppertaler Schwebebahn), located in western Germany. Following a contract signed with WSW mobil GmbH, Alstom equipped the entire suspended route, including 31 new vehicles and the century-old imperial wagon (Kaiserwagen), with ETCS, the European standard for train control systems. 

The entry into service marks the completion of Alstom’s first full train control and signalling contract in Germany. It comprises line-side equipment, such as interlocking, radio block centre (RBC) and necessary line elements via train control systems, as well as an interface to the computer-aided operation control system. 

The Wuppertal project represents the very first application of ERTMS Level 3 in which track occupancy is solely realised using train localisation performed by the ETCS equipment onboard the train. Alstom replaced the traditional trackside train detection systems such as axle counters with a digital signalling system whereby the ETCS-equipped vehicles communicate their positions directly to the central computer (or RBC) via radio. 

“With the successful implementation of this project, Wuppertal is the first city in Germany to use the European train control system in urban transport. ETCS does not only provide for safer and more efficient train operation, but also serves as a basis for many future technologies,” says Jörg Nikutta, Managing Director of Alstom in Germany and Austria. 

Alstom’s ETCS system Atlas was developed in Charleroi (Belgium), while the system components were produced at Alstom’s sites in Villeurbanne (France) and Bologna (Italy). The systems are installed and commissioned in Wuppertal by Alstom staff from Charleroi, Salzgitter and Berlin.

Alstom is market leader for ETCS on-board equipment. Since 2006, Alstom has equipped 8,200 vehicles (3,200 of which are already in operation) and for 18,000 kilometres of line (7,000 in operation) with ETCS equipment. A large part of DB’s ICE fleet has also been running with Alstom’s ETCS technologies on the high-speed line between Berlin and Munich since 2017.

Check out the video about the Wuppertaler Schwebebahn

Collins Aerospace and L3 Harris to Support New C-130H Aircraft Cockpit Capabilities

  • 1970s era aircraft to be updated with Flight 2 Avionics
  • Will support extension of life of the aircraft by 20 years
  • Provides pilots increased situational awareness and reduces workload

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (Aug. 28, 2019) – Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), has been selected by L3Harris Technologies to play a key role in the U.S. Air Force’s C-130H Avionics Modernization Program Increment 2 (AMP INC 2) program. The fleet of 176 C-130H aircraft, operated by the Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force Reserve, will be equipped with Collins Aerospace’s Flight2™ integration avionics system and will expand the company’s position as a global leader in C-130 modifications.

Once on contract, Collins Aerospace’s Flight2 avionics will replace over 100 analog instruments in the current cockpit with seven multifunctional displays (MFD), three control display units (CDU), and a new digital autopilot. These new systems will reduce workload, improve the pilots’ situational awareness, and improve the safety and reliability of the aircraft. The new displays also make it easier for the pilots to overlay flight plans, see nearby points-of-interest and view radar and threat information.

“Prior to our selection for the AMP INC 2 program, 190 C-130 aircraft have already been modified, or are on contract to be modified, with our proven Flight2™ avionics. Our history of successful installations played a big role in our selection,” said Dave Schreck, vice president and general manager for Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace. “These aircraft are important to national security, and by working with L3Harris, our integrated avionics system will support the extension of the life of the planes for another 20 years.”

The avionics contract adds to the suite of nose-to-tail solutions that Collins Aerospace provides for the C-130 aircraft. Other products include propellers, wheels, brakes, secure communications, Head-up Displays/Enhanced Vision Systems (HUD/EVS) and advanced cargo loading systems.

« Older posts Newer posts »