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12 Jan 23. IW’s GRAYPATH, Next-Gen VPN Solution, Aligned with US Army’s Plans to Offset Contested Communications with Multipath Transport Agnostic Capabilities, Awarded Prime Contract from Defense Agency. Intelligent Waves (IW), a leading IT integrator that delivers mission-focused multi-domain operational expertise and innovation to the Government through high-impact technology solutions, announced today that GRAYPATH, its flagship Next-Gen VPN solution, has been awarded a prime contract with a Defense Agency for an undisclosed amount.
“is designed to meet the Army’s efforts to converge multiple networks, so operators can use communications systems anytime, anywhere, using the same standards in a deployed environment, using Unified Network approach.”
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GRAYPATH Is a BREAKTHROUGH Next-Gen Quantum-Resistant Virtual private network solution that optimizes performance, resiliency, and Security of critical and sensitive data. It has been successfully adopted this year by the U.S. Defense and Intelligence community and is being used to fight cyber adversaries. A major advantage of the solution is that it fully aligns with the U.S. army’s need to counter contested communications with multipath transport.
According to recent media reports, the latest US Army’s PACE innovative plan (primary, alternate, contingency, and emergency plans for resilient communications) is aimed at providing army operators with an array of terrestrial and space-based tactical networks that will serve as the basis for Joint All Domain Command and Control. “GRAYPATH,” said John Hammes, Chief Strategy Officer of Intelligent Waves, “is designed to meet the Army’s efforts to converge multiple networks, so operators can use communications systems anytime, anywhere, using the same standards in a deployed environment, using Unified Network approach.”
Unlike legacy VPNs, GRAYPATH is a software-defined network, cloud-hosted, Distributed Virtual Network that uses Spread Spectrum IP technology to provide unprecedented security, performance, and reliability. GRAYPATH spread spectrum IP separates application traffic data packets and simultaneously bursts the packets across multiple secure communications channels and multiple agnostic communications mediums. As a result, GRAYPATH provides unprecedented data security by simultaneously bursting application packets across multiple encrypted channels, provides superior performance by sharing data throughput capacity across numerous mediums, and ensures exceptional reliability through automated monitoring of data channels and autonomous “smart switching” of data pathways.
GRAYPATH is now available for purchase through Intelligent Waves’ GSA Schedule contract#: GS-35F-0624Y.
About Intelligent Waves:
Intelligent Waves delivers mission-focused multi-domain operational expertise & innovation to the Government through high-impact technology solutions in cybersecurity, data science, enterprise network & systems engineering, software development, & platform mission support. Always ready. Anytime. Anywhere. Any domain. To learn more, visit www.intelligentwaves.com. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
12 Jan 23. US Army to spend $290m on cloud uptake in coming months.
The U.S. Army plans to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in cloud migration and uptake in the next year or so, amid a push by the military’s largest service to be digital-first and access data anytime, anywhere.
Roughly $290m will be spent over the coming months, Army Under Secretary Gabe Camarillo said at the Army IT Day conference, hosted by the Northern Virginia chapter of the communications- and electronics-focused group AFCEA.
Camarillo described the expenditure as an indicator of “how seriously” the service “is taking on this mission,” adding that “2023 is very much, in my mind, a year of acceleration.”
The Army has migrated hundreds of legacy applications to the cloud. Other services — such as the Air Force, with its Cloud One and Cloud One Next initiatives — are making similar moves.
The Army in October announced the multi-award, multi-vendor Enterprise Application Migration and Modernization deal, or EAMM, which is meant to make it easier and cheaper to advance comprehensive cloud goals, including rapid software development, data-driven decision-making and zero-trust cybersecurity.
The $1bn EAMM contract, described by Army Chief Information Officer Raj Iyer as “the easy button,” is expected to coexist with the Pentagon’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability, a separate $9 bn arrangement in which Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Oracle are competing to provide unprecedented connectivity across unclassified, secret and top-secret designations.
“JWCC will be an avenue for the [Department of Defense] to actually procure, compute and store directly from the cloud service providers, like the Amazons and the Googles of the world,” Iyer said in October. “What EAMM does is it’s the vehicle to actually modernize your application, get it to be cloud native and then migrate to the cloud, right? You’re going to need both.”
The Army requested $16.6bn in cyber and information technology funding for fiscal 2023, a little more than 9% of the service’s $178bn blueprint. The bulk of the IT ask, roughly $9.8bn, was flagged for the Army network, a modernization priority spearheaded by the Network Cross-Functional Team and the Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, among others.
Camarillo on Thursday told C4ISRNET it is “premature” to project where Army cloud funding will land in 2024 or 2025, as budget work is ongoing. But key to success, he said, is a steady, reliable stream of resources, including for the Enterprise Cloud Management Agency, an entity that oversees the service’s cloud efforts.
“As we all know, over the last year,” Camarillo said, “the digital tools that accompany our capabilities — software, infrastructure on the digital side, data and security — are all going to be absolutely critical to our ability to win the next conflict.”
(Source: Defense News)
10 Jan 23. Putting the C into CEMA. NATO cyber warriors were put through their paces at this year’s Cyber Coalition event held in Tallinn, Estonia. This week-long exercise included 26 NATO members plus allied nations. A recent NATO exercise in Estonia shed light on how the alliance sees cyber warfare at the operational and tactical levels.
This year’s North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Cyber Coalition exercise concluded on 2nd December. Taking place in Tallinn, Estonia, the week-long initiative involved 1,000 cyber defenders from 26 alliance members, according to a NATO press release. Future NATO members Finland and Sweden also sent participants. They were joined by colleagues from Georgia, the European Union, Ireland, Japan, the Republic of Korea and Switzerland. Cyber Coalition 2022 explored “emerging and disruptive technologies, in support of military operators and commanders,” the press release continued.
Cyber Coalition 2022
This year’s event focused on a strategic-level exercise involving a fictious region called Icebergen in the north Atlantic. One regional fictious nation with a largely hostile posture towards the alliance performed cyberattacks on a neighbouring NATO member. Attacks were made against the friendly nation’s Critical National Infrastructure (CNI). Despite the exercise’s strategic aspect Cyber Coalition 2022 gave some valuable insight on NATO’s operational and tactical level cyberspace posture.
CEMA
The close alignment of cyber effects with electronic warfare at the operational and tactical levels has triggered the emergence of CEMA (Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities) doctrines around the alliance. In 2014, the US Army published its FM 3-38 Cyber Electromagnetic Activities field manual. This was followed in 2018 by the UK’s Joint Doctrine Note 1/18 Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities text.
The US Army document defines CEMA activities as seizing, retaining and exploiting “an advantage over adversaries and enemies in both cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum, while simultaneously denying and degrading adversary and enemy use of the same and protecting the mission command system.” The UK Ministry of Defence publication envisages CEMA as the “synchronisation and coordination of cyber and electromagnetic activities, delivering operational advantage thereby enabling freedom of movement, and effects, whilst simultaneously, denying and degrading adversaries’ use of the electromagnetic environment and cyberspace.” In both cases, cyber and electromagnetic effects are delivered on the high seas, and on and above the battlefield, to support missions and manoeuvre.
Electronic attack is an ideal vector for cyberattack. Conventional electronic attack harnesses jamming to degrade, disrupt and destroy hostile radars, radios and communications networks. As electronic attack beams jamming into these systems via their antennas, this approach can help deliver malicious code. The code will then infect these systems and networks. Alternatively, networks hosting these systems can be conduits for malicious code into hostile battle management, and Command and Control (C2) systems.
Harnessing the Effects
These doctrines are making NATO think about how it harnesses cyber effects in the future. A senior air force officer from a NATO nation working in the alliance’s cyber defence domain told Armada how this process is unfolding. The Estonian Ministry of Defence’s CY-14 cyber range, where this year’s exercise occurred, can simulate cyber effects on operational/tactical-level battle management and C2 networks. This is useful for drafting tactics which might be used by the alliance in the future.
Work done on cyber defence at the strategic level is filtering into operational and tactical levels, said the officer. NATO also has an operational/tactical level cyber defence remit. “Cyber defence is about protecting your networks at every level, even down to individual systems used in armoured vehicles.” Cyber warriors work hard to “prevent cyber attacks across all networks used by militaries,” said the officer.
Beyond these defensive tasks, the officer and his colleagues have a doctrinal responsibility: “We need to put cyber warfare into a language that a senior commander can comprehend. We need to explain to them what effects a particular cyber event could have on operational and/or tactical aspects at that moment.” The officer said that, although NATO has a standalone cyber doctrine, work needs to be done on the “integration of cyber effects into joint warfighting … We also need to see what cyber effects can go into standard land, sea and air doctrines.” Further work in these areas will be forthcoming. For example, NATO is already working on a messaging format for cyber operations. This is examined in our Sending a Clear Message article. (Source: Armada)
12 Jan 23. January Spectrum SitRep. Leonardo’s BriteCloud-218 air-launched radio frequency decoy has been approved for deployment onboard the US Air National Guard’s F-16 variant combat aircraft. Armada’s monthly round-up of all the latest electronic warfare news in the product, programme and operational domains.
Bright Days for BriteCloud
In late November the US Air National Guard (ANG) announced its approval of Leonardo’s BriteCloud-218 air-launched radio frequency decoy with its General Dynamics/Lockheed Martin F-16 combat aircraft. The system will be designated as the AN/ALQ-260(V)1 in US service. The decoy can be launched from standard chaff/flare dispensers equipping these planes.
Wayne Smith, the company’s vice president of electronic warfare sales, told Armada that the fielding recommendation “is the culmination an extensive testing campaign with the ANG since 2019 which has included a number of live trials.” Mr. Smith says the recommendation “means that the service is confident (it) meets and, in some instances even exceeds, operational requirements.” Although the decoy has been recommended for fielding this does not mean it has been acquired. Any purchase still needs to go through standard US defence procurement routes.
He added that the AN/ALQ-260(V)1 is suitable for deployment onboard all F-16 variants flown by the ANG. The declaration of the decoy’s initial and full operational capability with these aircraft would be contingent on any procurement decisions taken by the US government in the future. Beyond the ANG F-16s, Mr. Smith says the decoy is “is ready to equip any fighter platform that has a dispenser that can deploy the 218 format countermeasures.”
AN/ALQ-248 Moves Forward
Lockheed Martin has told Armada that all design and development work on the AN/ALQ-248 airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) system for the US Navy is complete. The AN/ALQ-248 is a podded EW ensemble for US Navy helicopters to perform electronic warfare at over-the-horizon ranges. “The programme is now in the process of going through the system test (phase) on the Engineering Development Models (EDMs).” The company’s written statement added that testing work will continue into 2023. During 2022 “we completed the EDM build and entered the system test programme. Additionally, we initiated the Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) programme and began standing the productions lines at our facilities and our suppliers’ facilities.” The EDM test programme will be completed in 2023, the statement continued, when the first LRIP systems will also complete construction. All being well this should result in an initial operational capability of 2026. (Source: Armada)
11 Jan 23. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) further advanced its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) ecosystem by flying three unique missions with artificially intelligent (AI) pilots on an operationally relevant Open Mission System (OMS) software stack. A company-owned Avenger® Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) was paired with “digital twin” aircraft to autonomously conduct Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) multi-objective collaborative combat missions. The flights, which took place on Dec. 14, 2022, from GA-ASI’s Desert Horizons flight operations facility in El Mirage, Calif., demonstrate the company’s commitment to maturing its CCA ecosystem for Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) UAS using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML). This provides a new and innovative tool for next-generation military platforms to make decisions under dynamic and uncertain real-world conditions.
The flight used GA-ASI’s novel Reinforcement Learning (RL) architecture built using agile software development methodology and industry-standard tools such as Docker and Kubernetes to develop and validate three deep learning RL algorithms in an operationally relevant environment. RL agents demonstrated single, multi, and hierarchical agent behaviors. The single agent RL model successfully navigated the live plane while dynamically avoiding threats to accomplish its mission. Multi-agent RL models flew a live and virtual Avenger to collaboratively chase a target while avoiding threats. The hierarchical RL agent used sensor information to select courses of action based on its understanding of the world state. This demonstrated the AI pilot’s ability to successfully process and act on live real-time information independently of a human operator to make mission-critical decisions at the speed of relevance.
For the missions, real-time updates were made to flight paths based on fused sensor tracks provided by virtual Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration, and Modeling (AFSIM) models, and RL agent missions were dynamically selected by operators while the plane was airborne, demonstrating live, effective human-machine teaming for autonomy. This live operational data describing AI pilot performance will be fed into GA-ASI’s rapid retaining process for analysis and used to refine future agent performance.
“The concepts demonstrated by these flights set the standard for operationally relevant mission systems capabilities on CCA platforms,” said GA-ASI Senior Director of Advanced Programs Michael Atwood. “The combination of airborne high-performance computing, sensor fusion, human-machine teaming, and AI pilots making decisions at the speed of relevance shows how quickly GA-ASI’s capabilities are maturing as we move to operationalize autonomy for CCAs.”
The team used a government-furnished Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE) autonomy engine and the government-standard OMS messaging protocol to enable communication between the RL agents and the LVC system. Utilizing government standards such as OMS will make rapid integration of autonomy for CCAs possible.
In addition, GA-ASI used a General Dynamics Mission Systems’ EMC2 to run the autonomy architecture. EMC2 is an open architecture Multi-Function Processor with multi-level security infrastructure that is used to host the autonomy architecture, demonstrating the ability to bring high-performance computing resources to CCAs to perform quickly tailorable mission sets depending on the operational environment.
This is another in an ongoing series of autonomous flights performed using internal research and development funding to prove out important AI/ML concepts for UAS.
11 Jan 23. Global: Dark Pink will likely continue posing raised espionage, malware threats against public sector. A report published by the cyber security firm Group-IB identified a new advanced persistent threat (APT) referred to as ‘Dark Pink’ (aka ‘Saaiwc Group’). Dark Pink uses unorthodox tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) to steal information from targets’ internet browsers and to spread malware, including via spear-phishing emails and USB drives. The group uses these techniques to gain access to their targets’ messages, documents and files, as well as to capture audio recordings via infected microphones. Between June and December 2022, Dark Pink conducted at least seven successful attacks against government agencies and ministries, NGOs, religious organisations and military entities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. A Vietnam-based ‘European state development agency’ was also targeted in an unsuccessful attack. Much remains unknown about Dark Pink, though Group-IB believes that it is most likely part of a state-linked espionage campaign. Group-IB has warned that the number of attacks will possibly increase, noting that Dark Pink has possibly been active since mid-2021. It will therefore likely continue to pose elevated espionage and theft threats against public sectors and national security interests in Asia and Europe for the foreseeable future. (Source: Sibylline)
10 Jan 23. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has successfully demonstrated key components of the company’s future Ultra-Lite Electronic Attack (EA) Prototype System. The demonstrations were conducted in collaboration with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) aboard an U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke class destroyer during the U.S. Navy’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise.
The Ultra-Lite EA System is a scaled-down, onboard EA system for anti-ship missile defense for smaller ships. Multiple EA capabilities that integrated the Northrop Grumman’s transceiver technology with NRL’s expeditionary EA antenna were successfully demonstrated over many RIMPAC exercise events.
“This at-sea demonstration proves Northrop Grumman’s future low-size, weight and power, scaled EA solution can effectively support U.S. Navy missions,” said Monta Harrell, director, maritime electronic warfare advanced solutions, Northrop Grumman. “The lessons learned from the RIMPAC exercise provide real-world insights into our low-risk architectural solution for smaller ships that will revolutionize EA for the U.S. Navy.”
Additional concept demonstrations are being conducted this month to further prove the reliability and scalability of the system.
10 Jan 23. Fuse Releases JADC2 White Paper Examining Joint-Force Battlespace Communications. Fuse Integration, a warfighter-focused engineering and design firm, today announced the release of its white paper, JADC2: Tactical Edge Networking to Win in Great Power Competition, which outlines communications challenges facing the U.S. military at the tactical edge. It also highlights promising initiatives and innovative technologies designed to ensure that joint-force warfighters will be able to securely communicate with each other and with command centers, without having to consider interoperability limitations.
“U.S. and allied defense forces are facing an increasingly dynamic landscape across the globe. The race is on to ensure reliable, secure warfighter communications despite our adversaries’ interference,” said Sumner Lee, CEO of Fuse Integration. “We’re eager to share this white paper, which starts and ends by placing the warfighter at the center of communication advancements – and the initiatives underway to support them in delaying, degrading or denying adversary aggression in the battlespace.”
In a great power competition, the United States, China and Russia are competing to shape security norms, trade and technologies around the world. The Fuse white paper emphasizes that battles will not be won with “the most advanced technology or the biggest bombs.” Instead, “the key to tactical edge missions and victories in the modern era is information dominance that enables decisive action.”
In addition to designing products that deliver tactical edge communications, Fuse is actively demonstrating and delivering its tactical edge networking capability to defense clients. In October, Fuse successfully conducted another live-flight demonstration at the Office of Naval Research’s Technical Concept Experiment, which replicated expeditionary operations in a contested littoral environment. Fuse next moves on to no less than three separate flight events within the first half of this year.
Visit the Fuse website to download the white paper.
See The White Paper on the BATTLESPACE Website
About Fuse Integration
Fuse is a warfighter-focused engineering and design firm providing innovative communications, networking and computing solutions for defense customers. The company’s virtualized network systems, tactical edge network and airborne networking gateway products improve the sharing of information, video, text and voice among warfighters throughout airborne, maritime and ground environments. Founded in 2010, Fuse is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business with headquarters in San Diego and a corporate office in Washington, D.C. www.fuseintegration.com
10 Jan 23. DOD Aims to Shield Warfighters From Novel Biological Agents.
The Department of Defense is modernizing its approach for developing medical countermeasures to protect warfighters from novel biological agents. This is made clear in a new document, “Approach for Research, Development and Acquisition of Medical Countermeasures and Test Products,” which was recently published by the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Chemical and Biological Defense. This office oversees the Department of Defense’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program. The CBDP’s mission is to anticipate future threats and deliver capabilities that enable the Joint Force to fight and win in CB-contested environments.
The CBDP has always prioritized medical countermeasures, which consist of vaccines, medical tests and drugs. “No matter how good our boots, suits, gloves and masks perform, there’s always going to be the risk that our warfighters don’t necessarily have their equipment on when they need it. So having medical countermeasures as an added layer for protection makes sense,” Dr. Kevin Wingerd, CBDP’s medical director, said.
What has changed is the nature of the threat.
“The convergence of different sciences and technologies is transforming the biological threat landscape,” Wingerd said. “In particular, it has created a nearly limitless number of potential threats we must defend against.”
This contrasts to the past, when DOD developed medical countermeasures against a defined list of specific threats, typically ones adversaries had already weaponized. But this “one bug, one drug” approach isn’t viable in the face of the exponentially larger number of potential threats, including novel ones.
Nor is the Department solely focused on deliberate biological threats. In his Biodefense Vision Memo published in November 2021, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III directed the Department to be postured against agents that are naturally occurring as well as those that may have been released accidentally, alongside traditional deliberate ones. The new medical countermeasures approach provides a roadmap to address this more challenging problem set.
According to the document, nonspecific medical countermeasures will enable warfighters to remain on the battlefield after being exposed to an agent. After that agent has been identified, rapid development of medical countermeasures that eliminate the specific threat will be given to all warfighters, including those newly entering the battle.
Nonspecific medical countermeasures are broad-spectrum acting and are designed to target a set of similar agents, diseases or symptoms. Nonspecific medical countermeasures are particularly vital for novel agents that have no medical countermeasures. Administrating nonspecific medical countermeasures could alleviate symptoms, slow down disease progression and reduce transmission of the agent, allowing troops to remain in the battle with little impairment. While the agent may be suppressed for a given period, a medical countermeasure that targets and eliminates the novel agent is still required.
As Wingerd puts it, “Using nonspecific medical countermeasures allows the agent’s effects to be mitigated and the warfighter to remain operational and combat ready, while simultaneously allowing for rapid development of specific medical countermeasures that can be used to completely get rid of the agent and protect incoming warfighters.”
To rapidly develop narrow-spectrum medical countermeasures, the CBDP will leverage cutting edge technology including artificial intelligence and machine learning and establish partnerships with known pharmaceutical manufacturers. The CBDP considers manufacturing capacity a strategic challenge, which the new approach addresses as a goal.
“In a response preparedness posture, we need to invest in unique medical infrastructure designed to rapidly produce new vaccines and drugs, and leverage existing medical infrastructure by adapting them to target new agents quickly,” Wingerd explained.
“What COVID has certainly taught us is that if that industrial base isn’t present, it doesn’t matter how good your ideas are, they’re just not going to go anywhere,” he added, mentioning that partnerships with the interagency, academia and U.S. allies and partners are also critical.
Besides the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which is the regulating agency for medical countermeasures, Wingerd mentioned the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy as key CBDP interagency partners. Pointing to the recently updated National Biodefense Strategy, Wingerd said, “This effort is really a whole of government approach, and the CBDP’s new approach aligns with and supports the NBS.”
He added that he expects new advances in medical countermeasures to bear fruit beginning as early as next year, with more to follow. (Source: US DoD)
10 Jan 23. Serbia: DDoS attacks on government infrastructure will disrupt operations amid regional tensions. On 7 January, the Serbian government announced that the Ministry of Internal Affairs website and other IT infrastructure had been hit by at least five ‘massive’ distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks in the space of 48 hours. The ministry and Telecom Serbia allege they successfully repelled the attacks. The government added that ‘enhanced security protocols’ were activated, but that these would lead to ‘slower work and occasional interruptions’. Belgrade’s statement comes two days after the Anonymous hacktivist collective claimed that it hacked Serbia’s Ministry of Defence IT infrastructure in response to growing tensions with Kosovo (see Sibylline Alert – 28 December 2022). It accused Serbia of being a ‘Russian backdoor to Europe’. Belgrade has refused to sanction Russia following its invasion of Ukraine despite Western pressure. While no threat actor has claimed responsibility or been identified, the latest incidents occurred amid a flurry of similar attacks by pro-Russia groups in Central and Eastern Europe (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 5 January 2023). Given the prospects of further attacks due to rising regional tensions, Serbian government entities will continue to face heightened cyber threats, which could hinder public services and undermine domestic stability. (Source: Sibylline)
10 Jan 23. Airbus and VDL Group join forces to produce an airborne laser communication terminal. Airbus and VDL Group have signed a partnership agreement for the development and manufacturing of a laser communication terminal for aircraft, known as UltraAir. Based on the development led by Airbus and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), the two companies will now prepare a demonstration of a prototype and a first flight test in 2024.
As of 2024, Airbus and VDL Group – a Dutch high-tech industrial supplier – will further industrialise the prototype in order to make it ready for integration with a hosting aircraft. VDL brings design for production to the partnership and will manufacture critical systems. A flight test of this industrialised prototype is planned in 2025 on an aircraft.
UltraAir will enable the exchange of large amounts of data using laser beams in a network of ground stations and satellites in geostationary orbit at 36,000 km above the Earth. With unparalleled technology including a highly stable and precise optical mechatronic system, this laser terminal will pave the way for data transmission rates that could reach several gigabits-per-second while providing anti-jamming and low probability of interception.
In this way, UltraAir will allow military aircraft and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) to connect within a multi-domain combat cloud thanks to laser-based satellite constellations such as Airbus’ SpaceDataHighway. This is a key milestone in the roadmap of Airbus’ overall strategy to drive laser communications further, which will bring forward the benefits of this technology as a key differentiator for providing multi-domain combat collaboration for government and defence customers. In the longer term, UltraAir could also be implemented on commercial aircraft to allow airline passengers to establish high-speed data connections.
Regarded as the solution for data traffic in the quantum age, laser communication technologies are the next revolution in satellite communications (satcom). As satellite bandwidth demand is growing, the traditional satcom radio-frequency bands are experiencing bottlenecks. Laser communication brings 1,000 times more data, 10 times faster than the current network. Laser links also have the benefit of avoiding interference and detection, as compared to already-crowded radio frequencies they are extremely difficult to intercept due to a much narrower beam. Thus, laser terminals can be lighter, consume less power and offer even better security than radio.
Co-financed by Airbus and VDL Group, the UltraAir project is also supported by the ESA ScyLight (Secure and Laser Communication Technology) programme and by the “NxtGen Hightech” programme, as part of the Dutch Growth Fund, led by TNO and a large group of Dutch companies.
03 Jan 23. Hughes Launches New Managed Cybersecurity Services for Small to Mid-sized Enterprise Networks.
- Managed Detection and Response and SOC as a Service Now Available as Part of the Hughes Suite of Managed Cybersecurity Services
Today, Hughes Network Systems, LLC, an EchoStar company (Nasdaq: SATS), announced it has expanded its suite of managed cybersecurity services for distributed enterprises to include managed detection and response (MDR) and SOC as a service (SOCaaS). The new offerings bring network security expertise from Hughes, plus the benefits of in-house, enterprise-grade protections, to small and mid-sized enterprises, tailored and scaled to address their needs.
Where large enterprises have in-house experts and even their own Security Operations Centers (SOCs) to help mitigate cyber threats, smaller businesses (those with up to 1,000 employees) can now access the same capabilities from Hughes. With the addition of MDR and SOCaaS, Hughes now offers a robust suite of managed security services to help prevent, detect, and respond to threats targeting the smaller enterprise.
“Small and medium-sized enterprises are at increasing risk of cyberattacks like phishing, malware and ransomware – just as large enterprises are – but they typically don’t have the in-house expertise to mitigate these threats,” said Dan Rasmussen, senior vice president, enterprise division, Hughes. “Built on our 50 years of managing our own networks and those of our commercial and government customers, our managed security services put enterprise-grade protection into the hands of smaller businesses.”
The new Hughes MDR service protects enterprises from cybercriminals with proactive intervention, real-time incident response and active threat containment, both through automation and the attention of trained security professionals. Through the SOCaaS offering, Hughes certified SOC analysts monitor and respond to threats to customer networks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, bringing them the advantages of decades of network security experience from Hughes. With both services, SOC analysts oversee security information and event management (SIEM), and customers gain insight into their network security posture through a real-time dashboard. (Source: ASD Network)
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Spectra Group Plc
Spectra Group (UK) Ltd, internationally renowned award-winning information security and communications specialist with a proven record of accomplishment.
Spectra is a dynamic, agile and security-accredited organisation that offers secure Hosted and Managed Solutions and Cyber Advisory Services with a track record of delivering on time, to spec and on budget.
With over 15 years of experience in delivering solutions for governments around the globe, elite militaries and private enterprises of all sizes, Spectra’s platinum and gold-level partnerships with third-party vendors ensure the supply of best value leading-edge technology.
Spectra was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise (Innovation) in 2019 for SlingShot.
In November 2017, Spectra Group (UK) Ltd announced its listing as a Top 100 Government SME Supplier by the UK Crown Commercial Services.
Spectra’s CEO, Simon Davies, was awarded 2017 Businessman of the Year by Battlespace magazine.
Founded in 2002, the Company is based in Hereford, UK and holds ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2013 and Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.
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TRAINING AND SIMULATION UPDATE
12 Jan 23. US and Singapore commence bilateral exercise CARAT/MAREX.
The US has deployed its Wasp-class ship Makin Island, and San Antonio-class LPD John P Murtha for this exercise. Naval assets and commanders from the US Navy have been deployed to Singapore to participate in the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT)/Marine Exercise (MAREX). The exercise, which is currently underway, is being conducted together with the Republic of Singapore Navy. This is the 28th iteration of CARAT/MAREX series, designed to strengthen maritime partnership and interoperability between US and Singapore. Additionally, the bilateral exercise aims to enhance regional security cooperation between the two nations. The US Navy has deployed its 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) to take part in the drills.
Among the US Navy’s deployed assets are Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock vessel USS John P Murtha (LPD 26).
The two vessels are currently deployed under the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) for carrying out routinely operations in the US 7th Fleet area of operations.
Apart from LHD 8 and LPD 26, this ARG also includes amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23).
USS Makin Island commanding officer captain Tony Chavez said: “We value our longstanding relationship with Singapore founded on our shared belief that presence is vital for prosperity.
“This is the second iteration of the CARAT series the crew has had the opportunity to participate in. Each time we are able to operate with our partners it allows us to sharpen our skills and contribute to regional peace and security.”
The exercise will also involve a series of multinational drills, designed specifically to bolster capabilities of the US and partner nations’ naval forces to undertake collaborative operations.
The missions will primarily focus on addressing various traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges faced by navies in the Indo-Pacific region. (Source: naval-technology.com)
11 Jan 23. Colombian Air Force to buy more T-6C training aircraft. The Colombian Air Force plans to buy four additional T-6C Texan II turboprop training aircraft from Textron Aviation in a potential deal worth $38.34m. The negotiations are part of an effort to acquire up to 24 of the trainers, unveiled by the Defense Ministry on Dec. 9.
Colombia previously ordered three T-6Cs in 2020 for $28.74m. That contract included the option for Colombia to buy up to eight more. The next year, the country ordered an additional four in separate contracts, with an aggregated value of $37m.
Six of the seven T-6Cs ordered from 2020 to 2021 have since been delivered. Colombia has started replacing its approximately 50-year-old Cessna T-37B trainers with the new turboprop aircraft. Colombia received Cessnas in 1969 and used them in advanced flight training.
While primary flight training in Colombia is currently provided by new Cessna 172S aircraft that replaced older Cessna T-41 Mescalero planes, basic flight training takes place onboard recently refurbished Embraer EMB 312 Tucano aircraft, supplemented with some T-6Cs, which in turn are mainly used for advanced flight training.
All fixed-wing flight training takes place at an international school run by the Colombian Air Force at its Palanquero air base. Apart from Colombian military pilots, trainees from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama and El Salvador learn to fly there. The six T-6Cs already in service with Colombia are based at Palanquero.
Local military sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, told Defense News that the long-term requirement for 24 T-6Cs aims to include aircraft fitted with weapons for light strike missions.
According to the sources, the armed aircraft would be used for tactical combat flight training with a secondary light strike role. They would also replace A-37B light strike jets and supplement Colombia’s fleet of 24 Embraer AT-29 Super Tucano ground-attack and counterinsurgency aircraft. Colombia has considered buying an advanced lead-in fighter trainer, but the sources explained that wouldn’t happen until the country replaces its aging Kfir fighter jets. (Source: Defense News)
10 Jan 23. British soldiers practice modern battle skills with AH-64E aircraft. One of the key capabilities that aviation units adapted is countering enemy’s air defence systems. Soldiers from the British Army have recently carried out a series of training drills with new AH-64E helicopters, preparing it for future frontline service deployments.
The drills were undertaken by the UK’s 3 Regiment Army Air Corps, as part of the two-week-long Exercise Talon Guardian.
The activity allowed the British Army’s soldiers, who are responsible for operating the new Apache aircraft, to hone and adapt new skillsets and tactics for countering emerging battlefield adversaries.
It also maximised the capabilities of the aircraft.
Apache pilot captain ‘H’ said: “We have had to completely change how we operate, both in air and on ground, to best exploit AH-64E’s improved sensors, weapons, and communications systems, as well as its better flying performance.”
The army said that after the war in Ukraine, one of the key capabilities that aviation units need to adapt is countering uncrewed aircraft systems.
This will require the new helicopter’s pilots to maintain their operational readiness for undertaking missions against enemy’s air defence systems anytime, unlike the older Mk 1 variant that was majorly deployed in uncontested environments.
Similarly, the operations of Forward Arming and Refuelling Points have been upgraded to ensure that the associated support teams remain unnoticed from enemy drones.
British Army staff sergeant Steve Tymms said: “We are basically making appointments and if an aircraft turns up, we’ll give it fuel and weapons, but if not then we pack up and go to next location. It keeps us moving and we can do it without radio comms, so we’re much harder to target.”
Another adaptation was the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineer soldiers’ capability to maintain helicopters from different concealed and dispersed locations, instead of a single centralised position. (Source: army-technology.com)
10 Jan 23. US NAVAF’s exercise Obangame Express 23 set to begin in Nigeria. OE23 will enhance regional cooperation among participating nations to counter sea-based illicit activities.
Around 29 nations’ naval forces are set to take part in the US Naval Forces Africa (NAVAF) led international maritime exercise Obangame Express 2023 (OE23).
The 12th iteration of this exercise, which is being hosted by Nigeria, will commence on 23 January. It will be marked by an opening ceremony in Lagos, Nigeria.
It is being sponsored by the US Africa Command (AFRICOM).
The participating countries are the US, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, Morocco, Nigeria, Togo, Gambia, Sao Tome & Principe, Italy, Poland, Angola, Liberia, Benin, Namibia, Portugal, Cameroon, Gabon, Ghana, Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, Cabo Verde, Cote d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau.
The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) will also take part in the exercise.
OE23 is being conducted to enhance the regional cooperation, tactical interdiction expertise and information-sharing practices between the participating forces to counter sea-based illicit activities, including Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) fishing.
The exercise will include various at-sea and ashore training activities that will be conducted in and around Gulf of Guinea and the Southern Atlantic Ocean.
It will also feature drills to exchange on medical casualty response, boarding techniques, radio communication, information management techniques and search and rescue operations.
NAVAF maritime headquarters director rear admiral Chase Patrick said: “OE23 provides an excellent opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation and share tactics, techniques and procedures for deterring transnational maritime security challenges.
“Together, we are creating a more secure, safe and economically prosperous maritime environment for Africa’s coastal nations and global community.”
OE23 is one of three NAVAF-led regional exercises that allows African and US forces to address various shared trans-national maritime issues and bolster maritime safety and security. (Source: naval-technology.com)
09 Jan 23. California ANG’s 146 AW breaks ground for new C-130J simulator site. The site will house the new Weapons System Trainer Reconfigurable C-130J flight simulator. California Air National Guard’s (ANG) 146th Airlift Wing (AW) has officially marked the start of construction of its new C-130J flight simulator site on the west coast.
The milestone was marked by a ground-breaking ceremony held on 4 January. It was originally scheduled for 5 January but was brought forward due to caution for unfavourable weather.
The new site at Channel Islands ANG Station will house the new simulator system, called the Weapons System Trainer Reconfigurable C-130J flight simulator (WST 12R).
The WST 12R will be used by the C-130J Hercules tactical transport aircraft’s personnel and airmen from across the US Air Force for a wide range of training purposes.
In comparison to old systems, the new simulator will provide more customisable training to the forces.
146th AW commander colonel Lisa Nemeth said: “WST 12R will enhance and modernise how our aircrew accomplishes its training because it’s first configurable simulator between ‘HC’ and ‘Slick J’ C-130J aircraft variations that can also be rapidly configured to facilitate training for C-130J block enhancements for 6.0 and 8.1.
“WST 12R’s block enhancements with modular, rapidly configurable options will immediately benefit C-130J flying wings, including the aircrews from the California ANG’s 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett Field, which operates HC-130J Combat King II aircraft.”
The new system will be the first Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System virtual training simulator that will enhance 146th AW’s aerial firefighting training mission.
146th AW vice-commander colonel Christopher Dougherty said: “Based on historical data, we predict that WST 12R will significantly reduce travel, fuel and training travelling costs by an estimated $6.3m annually.
“Lastly, this simulator will virtually connect to other simulators and training locations to conduct formation airdrop training over a secure network.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
05 Jan 23. USMC finishes four EOD training rotations to Thailand and Timor-Leste. The rotations in 2022 helped to develop a sustainable EOD capability via technical assistance and training to Thailand and Timor Leste.
US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific, via the US Department of Defense’s Humanitarian Mine Action programme (HMA), has facilitated four rotations of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) training to technicians of Thailand and Timor Leste last year.
The Humanitarian Mine Action programme helps to tackle the humanitarian requirements of countries affected by Explosive Remnants of War (ERW) and Unexploded Explosive Ordnance (UXO) by implementing ‘train-the-trainer’ programmes of instruction intended to develop capabilities in carrying out a range of HMA activities within the host country.
US Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Humanitarian Mine Action programme director Lt. Col. Daniel Cusinato said: “The Department of Defense’s HMA programme demonstrates presence and our dedication to developing critical capabilities within the US Indo-Pacific region.
“This programme presents our EOD Marines with a unique opportunity to grow and share information with our partner nations, ultimately enhancing the indigenous capability.”
Marines and sailors from both I and III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF) teamed up with members of the Timor-Leste National Police (PNTL) and the Royal Thai Military Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC) during these rotations to develop a sustainable EOD capability via technical assistance and training.
Entry-level students are taken in for the programme, which builds them into technical-level experts capable of carrying out a wide range of tasks needed of an EOD specialist within the five-year programme.
The I & III MEF Marines under the HMA programme carry out several rotations a year in order to continue the development of EOD specialists through classroom-based training and practical application.
Under the mentorship phase of training, marine EOD instructors choose top performing students to become the cadre who will then further be trained to become EOD instructors.
In this phase, the EOD teams also work along with partner nations to build an EOD curriculum upon which the chosen cadre will instruct under the host nation’s own EOD programme.
The HMA programme has helped in cutting down the count of UXO-related casualties and has bolstered MARFORPAC’s ability to work alongside partner nations, boost interoperability and cooperation.
Cusinato added: “The programme is mutually beneficial. HMA provides our Marines an opportunity to work alongside and learn from our partner nations and in turn develop a self-sustaining capacity to combat UXO.
“With the recent successes in developing the capacity and friendships with other nations, we are looking to expand our efforts and implement future HMA programs in other locations within the Indo-Pacific region.”
(Source: naval-technology.com)
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