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01 May 25. Spectra Group launches new Troposcatter on the Move (TOTM) capability at SOF Week. Spectra Group, a specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems, has developed in partnership with BATS Wireless antennas a new capability enhancement for Comtech Telecommunications Corp. (Comtech) Troposcatter 10-Watt Compact Over-the-Horizon Mobile Expeditionary Terminals (COMET) called Troposcatter on the Move (TOTM). Since 2024, Spectra Group has global distribution rights for Comtech’s Troposcatter Family of Systems (less the USA, Canada and Mexico which Comtech retains). They have been working in partnership with Comtech and BATS Wireless antennas throughout 2024 to develop the TOTM concept, for which, as the systems integrator Spectra Group has full distribution rights. Spectra Group are launching this new TOTM capability at SOF Week and will be showcasing this and their other strategic communication capabilities in Booth #1805.
The use of the troposphere for communications is not new, but in the past, it was constrained by large dishes and significant power that was not suitable for modern manoeuvre warfare. Comtech’s COMET system revolutionised this capability making it small, lightweight and portable. The COMET system is ideal for providing a secure big data network for deployed headquarters from divisional down to company level or below because it is small, lightweight and due to its low power and directional nature it is also extremely difficult to detect and deny. Critically, it is also satellite independent, can work in a GPS/GNSS denied environment and is proven in the polar regions making it ideal for use during global peer-on-peer conflict and when multi-domain integration is required. However, in the past it did need to be static.
Comtech and Spectra Group recognised the need for increased manoeuvre and large network data on the move, and so, working together with BATS wireless proved the concept of TOTM. Subsequently, Spectra Group working in partnership with BATS Wireless has produced a fully integrated TOTM solution that combines Comtech’s COMET troposcatter with BATS Electronically Steered Antennas (ESAs) into a single fully integrated terminal to deliver an industry first capability. Extensive sea trials successfully tested and validated TOTM scenarios by simulating island hopping in the Florida Keys, Florida Panhandle and off the coast of California. The tests involved ship to shore and ship to ship scenarios proving the concept of TOTM by demonstrating systems tracking and communicating with other nodes while on the move using GPS, but also showcasing the potential for advanced mobile connectivity in challenging environments without reliance on GPS.
TOTM enhances the utility and operational effectiveness of COMET in a littoral manoeuvre context, especially in contested, GPS or satellite denied environments. Its mobility and capacity delivers band-widths of up to 210 Mbps and ranges in excess of 100 Km to support a wide range of mobile applications such as Ship to Ship or Ship to Shore communications, Beyond Line of Sight strategic communications or Wide Area Networks, secure data links for autonomous sensors, control of remote vessels, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and any other application that requires big data delivered to the front line. The TOTM solution can also be utilized with land vehicles for efficient “at the pause” applications, enabling users to quickly establish Troposcatter communications without having to set up and align antennas, allowing rapid data transmission from positions of opportunity.
Simon Davies, CEO of Spectra Group said: “We pride ourselves at Spectra Group on being able to work in partnership with industry leaders to push the boundaries of what can be achieved using the latest technology to meet the demands of regular and specialist forces in the ever-evolving battlespace. Our trials have successfully proved the Troposcatter on the Move capability which is a significant enhancement to the existing Troposcatter COMETs utility, especially in the littoral manoeuvre space, and superbly complements the Troposcatter Family of Systems and our award-winning SlingShotTM radio and new GENSS platform which also enables BLOS and COTM for troops deployed in austere locations globally.”
01 May 25. NASA Tests Ultralight Antennas. NASA engineers are using one of the world’s lightest solid materials to construct an antenna that could be embedded into the skin of an aircraft, creating a more aerodynamic and reliable communication solution for drones and other future air transportation options. Developed by NASA, this ultra-lightweight aerogel antenna is designed to enable satellite communications where power and space are limited. The aerogel is made up of flexible, high-performance plastics known as polymers. The design features high air content (95%) and offers a combination of light weight and strength. Researchers can adjust its properties to achieve either the flexibility of plastic wrap or the rigidity of plexiglass.
“By removing the liquid portion of a gel, you’re left with this incredibly porous structure,” said Stephanie Vivod, a chemical engineer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. “If you’ve ever made Jell-O, you’ve performed chemistry that’s similar to the first step of making an aerogel.”
NASA sandwiched a layer of aerogel between a small circuit board and an array of thin, circular copper cells, then topped the design off with a type of film known for its electrical insulation properties. This innovation is known at NASA and in the aviation community as an active phased array aerogel antenna.
Research Center in Cleveland. Credit: NASA/Sara Lowthian-Hanna
In addition to decreasing drag by conforming to the shape of aircraft, aerogel antennas save weight and space and come with the ability to adjust their individual array elements to reduce signal interference. They are also less visually intrusive compared to other types of antennas, such as spikes and blades. The finished product looks like a honeycomb but lays flat on an aircraft’s surface.
In the summer of 2024, researchers tested a rigid version of the antenna on a Britten-Norman Defender aircraft during an in-flight demonstration with the U.S. Navy at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland.
Then, last October, researchers at NASA Glenn and the satellite communications firm Eutelsat America Corp., of Houston, began ground testing a version of the antenna mounted to a platform. The team successfully connected with a Eutelsat satellite in geostationary orbit, which bounced a signal back down to a satellite dish on a building at Glenn. Other demonstrations of the system at Glenn connected with a constellation of communications satellites operated in low Earth orbit by the data relay company Kepler. NASA researchers will design, build, and test a flexible version of the antenna later this year.
“This is significant because we are able to use the same antenna to connect with two very different satellite systems,”
said Glenn researcher Bryan Schoenholz. Low Earth orbit satellites are relatively close – at 1,200 miles from the surface – and move quickly around the planet. Geostationary satellites are much farther – more than 22,000 miles from the surface – but orbit at speeds matching the Earth’s rotation, so they appear to remain in a fixed position above the equator.
The satellite testing was crucial for analyzing the aerogel antenna concept’s potential real-world applications. When modern aircraft communicate with stations on the ground, those signals are often transmitted through satellite relays, which can come with delays and loss of communication. This NASA-developed technology will make sure these satellite links are not disrupted during flight as the aerogel antenna’s beam is a concentrated flow of radio waves that can be electronically steered with precision to maintain the connection.
As new types of air transportation options are brought to the market and U.S airspace – from the small, piloted aircraft of today to the autonomous air taxis and delivery drones of tomorrow – these kinds of steady connections will become increasingly important. That’s why NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility mission and Transformative Aeronautics Concepts program are supporting research like the aerogel antennas that can boost industry efforts to safely expand the emerging marketplace for these transportation systems.
“If an autonomous air taxi or drone flight loses its communications link, we have a very unsafe situation,” Schoenholz said. “We can’t afford a ‘dropped call’ up there because that connection is critical to the safety of the flight.”
Schoenholz, Vivod, and others work on NASA’s Antenna Deployment and Optimization Technologies activity within the Transformational Tools and Technologies project. The activity aims to develop technologies that reduce the risk of radio frequency interference from air taxis, drones, commercial passenger jets, and other aircraft in increasingly crowded airspace. (Source: UAS VISION)
01 May 25. Cyber Update Key points
• On 30 April, international news outlets reported that The Co-operative Group (Co-op) partially shut down several of its systems as a precautionary measure after detecting an attempted cyber attack.
• Marks & Spencer (M&S) is currently carrying out its own remediation efforts after the retailer was targeted in a cyber attack on 21 April; these efforts will likely take several weeks (and result in protracted operational disruption) due to the severity and scale of the attack.
• Additional attempted cyber attacks against other high-profile retailers are likely in the short term given the timeline of these reported attacks.
• M&S will likely incur significant reputational damage, showcasing the operational and financial risks stemming from ransomware attacks against high-profile businesses.
Context
At the time of writing, the cyber criminal group ‘Scattered Spider’ is suspected to have conducted the attack against M&S; the retailer is currently working with several external cyber security and incident-response experts to investigate and manage the incident.
Forecast
Remediation efforts will likely take several weeks, resulting in prolonged operational disruption
Scattered Spider has yet to claim the attack and/or to issue a public ransom demand; we assess this will likely extend the duration of the current disruption. If Scattered Spider is the perpetrator, there is a realistic possibility that it obtained M&S’ system data in February. The stolen data included hashed credentials for Windows user accounts, which possibly enabled the group to hijack accounts and subsequently move laterally through the network. The perpetrator then deployed its custom encryptor to block access to all files hosted within the company’s virtual server infrastructure.
The attack temporarily disrupted in-store contactless payments until late on 24 April. On 25 April, the retailer announced that all online orders via its websites and applications would be halted indefinitely, highlighting the prolonged impact of this attack. The suspension of online services includes M&S products purchased via the online retailer ‘Ocado’, while in-store cash and contactless payments resumed with no further disruption.
On 30 April, M&S disclosed that various in-store products are also running low as a result of the continued disruption. The retailer announced that it is currently co-operating with cyber security and incident-response experts to investigate and resolve the issue; it also reported the attack to the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), whose founding chief executive, Ciaran Martin, called the incident a ‘highly disruptive event’. We assess this suggests that remediation efforts will likely take several weeks given the ostensible severity of the incident. This will likely result in protracted operational disruption as the retailer continues to regain access to its systems.
Additional cyber attack attempts against other retailers are likely in the short term, highlighting the elevated security and operational risks facing high-profile retailers and their customers
On 30 April, international news outlets reported that Co-op was forced to shut down its IT systems (partially) following the detection of the attempted cyber attack. This shutdown is a preventative measure to protect the company’s systems from further malicious attempts; the retailer has since stressed that no customer data has been compromised. Although some back office and call centre services have been impacted as a result of these measures, all other services (including those related to stores, funeral homes and online deliveries) remain unaffected. There is also no indication that the attacks against M&S and Co-op are related at the time of writing. However, we assess that additional cyber attack attempts against other high-profile retailers are possible in the short term given the timeline of the recent incidents.
M&S is yet to confirm whether any of its customer data was exposed during the attack. We assess there is a realistic possibility that the threat actors behind the attack did manage to exfiltrate sensitive data (before encrypting the company’s files) to coerce the firm into paying a ransom. As such, it is possible that any stolen data will be advertised for sale on the dark web, heightening the risk of follow-on social engineering attacks against M&S online customers in the short term.
M&S will likely incur significant reputational damage following the attack, highlighting the operational risks stemming from cyber attacks against high-profile retailers
The attack against M&S reportedly impacted several of the retailer’s clothing and household goods sales over the Easter bank holiday weekend (18-21 April). Around a third of these sales are typically made through the retailer’s online platforms, highlighting the financial impact of such incidents. We also assess that the attack will possibly negatively impact customer confidence in the short term (given the possibility that customer data was stolen); this will possibly lead to a decrease in revenue. Additionally, M&S shares fell by 2.3% on 25 April, marking one of the biggest losses in the Financial Times Stock Exchange 100 Index. This was followed by an additional 2.4% decrease on 28 April as investors reacted to the absence of positive news regarding the incident. We assess the developments highlight the reputational damage and financial losses associated with such incidents, at least in the short-to-medium term. (Source: Sibylline)
30 Apr 25. Somewear Labs, a leader in software-defined networking at the tactical edge, is proud to announce its fielding initiative with the United States Marine Corps (USMC), sponsored by the Defense Innovation Unit. The fielding initiative will accelerate the development of a modular open system and resilient tactical network necessary for meeting the unique requirements of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (INDOPACOM) and drive towards the future transition of the Advanced Tactical Communications program into the hands of the United States Marine Corps (USMC). Years of rigorous development and prototyping across military services produced a resilient, secure, and scalable communications solution. Through this effort, Somewear’s software-defined network supported joint and partner force operations, providing critical data management and transmission capabilities that bridge the gap between strategic command and the tactical edge. Under this initiative, Somewear Labs will build upon existing capabilities to automate data flow across multiple line-of-sight (LOS) and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) networks. The scalable, decentralized data fabric will dynamically adapt to disruptions while connecting operators and augmenting unmanned assets across all domains. The Somewear Grid platform will be utilized for advanced network management and configuration, enabling strategic oversight and real-time adjustments across these diversified networks. This capability ensures that critical information is prioritized and securely delivered across all echelons, maintaining operational continuity and tactical superiority in contested environments.
Somewear Labs will expand its communications solutions with an immediate focus on deployments with the United States Marine Corps (USMC). The Advanced Tactical Communications contract will support the USMC in adopting commercial capabilities for government use. This effort underscores DIU’s and the USMC’s shared alignment to utilize commercial technology for secure, operational deployments.
As Somewear Labs transitions its capabilities to deploying at scale with the USMC, this partnership will demonstrate Somewear’s flexibility and reliability for critical data exchange across INDOPACOM’s diverse tactical environments.
“Our partnership with the Defense Innovation Unit highlights our shared commitment to enhancing the capabilities of our armed forces,” said James Kubik, CEO of Somewear Labs. “This contract not only reinforces our role in supporting the DoD’s network modernization efforts but also marks a significant transition for Somewear and DIU. Together, we are transitioning from supporting tactical units to enterprise level field deployments, bringing robust, secure, and efficient communication tools to the hands of USMC operators.”
Somewear Labs remains dedicated to delivering capabilities at speed that meet the operational needs of today’s missions. We will continue to work closely with our partners at DIU and the United States Marine Corps, driving forward our shared goal to deploy a resilient, adaptable, and scalable tactical communications network. For more information, please visit somewearlabs.com.
30 Apr 25. Bittium and Nokia Demonstrated a Hybrid Tactical Communications Network for the Finnish Defence Forces. Bittium, a leading supplier of resilient tactical communications networks based on software-defined radio technology, and Nokia, a technology innovation leader delivering secure, reliable and resilient networks for defense communications, recently combined their solutions into a hybrid tactical communications network. The companies showcased the joint solution in a demonstration for the Finnish Defence Forces. The hybrid network enables the integration of Nokia’s military-grade 4G/5G bubbles as part of the tactical communications network and collaboration with other authorities that are using 4G/5G networks.
The demonstration showed the interoperability of Bittium’s and Nokia’s solutions as a hybrid tactical network where Bittium’s distributed tactical communications network independent from servers is in a key role. During the demonstration, the hybrid network was applied to different use cases, including delivery of voice across the network regardless of the terminal device, use of situational awareness applications, and transmission of video feed over the network.
“Our high-performance and interference-resistant communications system offers an excellent interface also for other communication solutions. The collaborative demonstration with Nokia proved the integrability of Nokia’s 4G/5G network technology with Bittium’s tactical communications system. The 4G/5G solutions complement tactical communications networks and the formed hybrid network expands the network used for operative command,” said Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President of Bittium’s Defense & Security business segment.
Giuseppe Targia, Head of Space and Defense at Nokia, said: “This milestone in interoperability is a game-changer for mission-critical operations, seamlessly integrating Bittium’s tactical communications solutions with our military-grade 4G/5G technology. By delivering secure and resilient connectivity with high data speeds, we empower real-time data and enhanced operational agility in even the most challenging environments.”
The demonstrated solution consisted of Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network™ (TAC WIN) and Bittium Tough SDR™ vehicle and soldier radios, which were networked with Bittium TAC WIN Waveform™ and connected the mobile 4G/5G users to the hybrid network. The 4G/5G bubbles were formed using Nokia’s vehicular Banshee Mobile Radio (BMR) and Banshee Tactical Radio (BTR) which was carried in a backpack worn by a soldier. The BMR and BTR provided the network connectivity for smartphones, including Bittium Tough Mobile™2, that used a situational awareness application. Bittium Tough VoIP Service™ enabled voice across the hybrid network.
30 Apr 25. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s (NYSE: NOC) IVEWS (Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite) has successfully completed Operational Assessment flight testing on U.S. Air Force F-16 aircraft, demonstrating its effectiveness against advanced radar-guided threats. This accomplishment represents an important milestone in the maturation of the system and provides an option for the Air Force to go to production and fielding.
• During testing, IVEWS was subjected to highly accurate representations of complex, modern radio frequency (RF) threats in operationally relevant environments, verifying the results seen during rigorous laboratory, chamber and early flight testing.
• The system detected, identified and countered the full range of radar threats, providing complete RF protection for operationally representative missions and enhanced situational awareness of the battlespace.
• IVEWS and Northrop Grumman’s SABR radar demonstrated digital interoperability. By communicating on a pulse-by-pulse basis, the two systems ensure that neither one will reduce the performance of the other, allowing for simultaneous electronic warfare and targeting capabilities.
Experts:
Lt. Col. Christopher B. James, USAF, Deputy Division Chief, F-16 USAF Programs: “Our USAF F-16 System Program Office, in collaboration with our Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, Eglin’s OFP/CTF and Terma partners, has successfully completed the IVEWS Operational Assessment with excellent results. The team conducted more than 70 flights and 100-plus flying hours in a seven-month timeframe. Not only did the system perform well, but it also worked during its first flight on two aircraft, which is unprecedented for a complex and fully integrated electronic warfare system. It has earned the slogan, ‘IVEWS, works first time, every time.’”
James Conroy, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability, Northrop Grumman: “These successful flight tests showed the maturity and readiness of IVEWS to protect the F-16 fleet against the most advanced radio frequency threats – modernizing the Viper with the electronic warfare capabilities it needs to remain lethal and survivable for years to come.”
Details on IVEWS Flight Testing:
Flight testing took place at Eglin AFB, Florida, and Nellis AFB, Nevada, as part of the Operational Assessment of the system. IVEWS is installed on two F-16 Block 50 aircraft and has demonstrated stable performance across more than 70 sorties, covering a range of environmental conditions and typical mission scenarios including air-to-air, air-to-ground and mixed threat engagements. While laboratory and chamber threat simulations provide opportunities to test technical capabilities, flight testing on customer aircraft remains the gold standard for verifying system performance under combat-representative conditions.
Northrop Grumman’s IVEWS improves aircraft survivability in highly contested and congested electromagnetic spectrum environments, maintaining relevance for fourth generation platforms in the future fight. Fully digital and founded on open systems design principles, the ultra-wideband architecture in IVEWS provides extended frequency coverage including millimeter wave, 360-degree spatial coverage and operationally relevant geolocation. IVEWS is one example of how Northrop Grumman is helping its customers worldwide modernize to meet the challenge of evolving threats.
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
30 Apr 25. France: Government sector will face long-term security risks from Russian state-sponsored groups. On 29 April, the National Agency for the Security of Information Systems (ANSSI) in France reported that the Russian state-sponsored group ‘APT28’ targeted multiple French entities in various cyber operations since at least 2020. In 2021, APT28 repeatedly targeted email and web server providers to disseminate phishing attacks, using commercial services as its attack infrastructure to remain obfuscated. The group has primarily targeted organisations from the aerospace, financial, governmental, research, technology and think tank sectors. APT28’s attacks have also reportedly focused on stealing strategic intelligence from governmental, diplomatic, research, and think tank organisations since the beginning of 2024, highlighting a potential shift in the group’s cyber strategy. This report follows French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot’s allegation that APT28 interfered with Emmanuel Macron’s candidacy during the 2017 presidential campaign. We assess that France will likely remain a primary target in the medium term, as it appears to be leading efforts to support Ukraine, sustaining security risks. (Source: Sibylline)
29 Apr 25. US Army seeks real-time modelling for battlefield C2. The US Army is looking to develop a new suite of modelling tools designed to allow combat commanders the ability to collect, consolidate, and process real-time battlefield data and distil that information into viable courses of action (COAs) quickly. Officials from Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Network (PEO C3N), in conjunction with Army Futures Command (AFC), are soliciting industry input for prototype development for the new suite of Operational Modeling Tools (OMTs), according to a 25 April broad agency announcement (BAA).
“These [OMT] tools must employ advanced, data-centric methods capable of efficiently consuming and producing actionable information. Solutions should integrate top-down strategic and bottom-up tactical data streams to deliver intuitive visual and auditory alerts, ensuring real-time and near-realtime situational awareness,” service officials said in the BAA.
Regarding the COAs produced out of the OMT suite of tools, service programme officials have defined three key criteria the tools should provide combat commanders.
First, the OMT algorithms used to assist in COA development should have an integrated “transparent analytic capability” to confirm the algorithm validity, according to the BAA. Second, the OMT suite should have a “comprehensive logging” requirement for all validation metrics used to develop COAs. Finally, these validation metrics must be paired with a slate of “clearly communicated confidence intervals” for all COAs developed via the OMTs, the solicitation stated.
With regard to the OMTs, they are expected to provide combat commanders with “a reliable and quantifiable operational forecast, enhancing their ability to anticipate threats, dynamically adapt, and effectively manage current and future missions”, army officials said in the BAA. (Source: Janes)
29 Apr 25. Anduril announces lighter, smaller Pulsar jammer. Defense technology firm Anduril Industries on Tuesday rolled out a lighter, more mobile version of its Pulsar electronic warfighter system, designed to track and take out enemy targets, including drone swarms.
The software-driven signal jammer, Pulsar-L, comes in two configurations — airborne and expeditionary. The company unveiled its first three Pulsar variants last year: Pulsar-V, which is a vehicle version; Pulsar Alpha, which is airborne; and a fixed-site configuration.
The primary differentiator between those variants and Pulsar-L is size, weight and power, Anduril’s Chief Revenue and Strategy Officer Chris Brose told reporters Monday. The smaller system is about the size of a shoebox and weighs less than 25 pounds.
“Think of Pulsar-L as a smaller form factor that’s going to extend that capability even farther out to the tactical edge onboard platforms and weapon systems,” Brose said.
Pulsar-L is already being used in operations and was first fielded last year. Brose declined to tell reporters where it’s stationed, but noted the system is “participating in real-world operations in the most stressing EW environments.”
Brose touted the speed at which the Anduril developed Pulsar-L, saying it took just eight months to move from the concept phase to fielding, largely because of the company’s common hardware and software platforms.
Pulsar-L can operate independently or with Anduril’s Lattice software, is user-friendly and can be set up in a matter of minutes, officials said. The company is pitching the system as an alternative to clunkier EW capabilities that it described in a press release as “rigid, manual, cumbersome and threat-specific.”
The system’s usability is closely tied to its autonomous technology, according to Sam El-Akkad, general manager of radio frequency and EW systems.
“All the operator needs to do, they can put it in an autonomous mode where it ingests the spectrum, figures out what’s out there, decides what’s a threat and what’s not and then engages those things,” he said in the briefing with Brose. “It all happens magically under the hood.”
With the first units fielded, Anduril is focused on ramping up production. El-Akkad said the firm plans to produce more than 100 low-rate initial production units by the end of this year, with a goal of scaling to thousands of Pulsar-L jammers annually in the next few years.
Brose declined to name Anduril’s early Pulsar-L buyers, but the company has been awarded several contracts in recent years for similar technologies.
Last October, an undisclosed Defense Department bought an unspecified number of Pulsar jammers as part of a $250 m counter-drone package that included 500 all-up rounds of Anduril’s Roadrunner interceptor.
The firm is also on a 10-year, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $1 bn with U.S. Special Operations Command to supply counter-drone hardware and software, including Pulsar, Lattice, Sentry Tower and its Anvil interceptor. (Source: News Now/Defense News)
28 Apr 25. Commtact, a global provider of advanced wireless communication solutions for defense, security forces, and robotic platforms, will showcase its latest innovation, the Micro Phoenix, at the DEFEA 2025 exhibition in Athens, Greece. As part of the company’s portfolio of mission-critical communication systems, the Micro Phoenix delivers secure, resilient, and high-performance connectivity for land, air, and maritime platforms, in a compact, lighter-than-ever design. Commtact is also proud to announce its first contract for the Micro Phoenix, securing a deal with a defense customer to integrate the system into missiles and unmanned platforms.
The Micro Phoenix is a compact, lightweight data link solution designed for drones, missiles, and unmanned systems. Engineered with SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) constraints in mind, it weighs only 110 grams and offers advanced full-duplex wideband digital links with robust anti-jamming and GPS-deprived operational capabilities. The system supports multiple topologies, including Point-to-Point (P2P), Point-to-Multipoint (P2MP), Relay, and Multi-Platform Smart MESH, ensuring long-range connectivity of up to 150 km in complex operational environments.
“The introduction of the Micro Phoenix marks a significant step in Commtact’s continuous innovation in secure and resilient communication solutions,” said Guy Avrahami, VP Sales & Marketing at Commtact. “This system is tailored to meet the growing demand for lightweight, high-performance communication solutions for unmanned and missile platforms. It demonstrates our commitment to delivering value for customers in the field of munitions—where information must be transferred in real-time. We are proud to announce our first contract for the Micro Phoenix, demonstrating the immediate value it brings to our customers.”
Building on the success of its predecessor, the Phoenix system, the Micro Phoenix seamlessly integrates with existing Phoenix command and control infrastructure. This enables current users of the Phoenix system to expand their capabilities without requiring additional control systems, enhancing operational flexibility and cost-effectiveness.
The Micro Phoenix is also equipped with AES-256 encryption and optional CAT & TSV security layers, providing high-level data protection. Its Software Defined Radio (SDR) architecture allows for configuration and adaptation based on customer-specific requirements, making it an ideal solution for defense and security forces worldwide.
At DEFEA 2025, visitors to Commtact’s booth will have the opportunity to explore the Micro Phoenix and the company’s full range of advanced wireless communication solutions which are ideal for aerial, ground, and naval operations.
About Commtact
Commtact is a global leader in mission-critical, battle-proven digital wireless communication solutions for defense applications. Specializing in aerial, ground, and naval operations, Commtact delivers innovative and resilient field-proven systems featuring advanced MESH networking and robust anti-jamming capabilities, ensuring reliable performance in the most challenging environments. For more information, visit https://commtact-systems.com/
28 Apr 25. Global: New RaaS model highlights long-term security, financial risks facing businesses. On 26 April, international news outlets reported that the ransomware group ‘DragonForce’ has advertised a new Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model on the dark web since at least March. The group reportedly provides its affiliates with pre-established infrastructure (including negotiation tools, storage for stolen data and malware administration) with which to conduct ransomware attacks; we assess this likely appeals to a large number of low-skilled and low-resource threat actors. Affiliates can also use the DragonForce encryptor to encrypt a system’s data and to demand a ransom payment, likely in a bid to remain obfuscated or to begin building their own brand reputation. DragonForce retains 20% of its affiliates’ profits, underscoring the lucrative nature of this operation. The group also claims that several affiliate entities capable of targeting a wide variety of systems are now operating the new model, highlighting its potentially widespread impact. As such, we assess this showcases the long-term security, financial and operational risks stemming from the continuous expansion of ransomware enterprises. (Source: Sibylline)
25 Apr 25. Soldiers to access Northrop Grumman IBCS mobile app in 3-5 years. While the concept is in an early stage, and with a delivery timeframe in mind, an IBCS application comes with potential issues. Northrop Grumman is planning to make its Intregrated Battle Command System (IBCS) accessible to soldiers at the tactical level through a mobile app, with an intention to deliver the capability within the next five years. This next step in the IBCS programme comes in response to discussions with the US Army regarding its requirements.
The IBCS capability, which first reached initial operating capability (IOC) in April 2023, connects sensors and effectors across land, sea, and air that were never designed to work together into one command and control (C2) system, providing a holistic picture of the battlespace.
This agnostic network allows systems to cohere and share data to execute an optimal response to enemy threats, which is why IBCS is often considered in an integrated air and missile defence (IAMD) context.
At present, IBCS is directed through numerous Engagement Operation Centres (EOCs), effectively mobile shelters hosting a C2 centre comprising between eight to ten personnel. As many as six EOCs are deployed to support one Patriot battery.
Soon, however, this grand picture of the battlespace will be more readily accessible to soldiers on the ground.
While the concept remains an area of focus at an early stage, and with a delivery timeframe in mind, questions remain about how an IBCS application would be delivered. This includes digital security as a mobile app, as well as questions around the role of a tactical force with a view of the operational level.
Army Technology contacted Northrop Grumman but the corporation did not provide comment before publication.
IBCS: how it works
In an immersive demonstration during IDEX 2025 in February, a Northrop Grumman spokesperson explained to Army Technology that sensors in the IBCS system will make recommendations of where to place assets to optimise coverage of an area of operations.
The orchestration is done automatically through a computer programme called the Integrated Defense Designer, which has a number of algorithms.
“We have the ability to put it in almost a semi autonomous mode,” the Northrop Grumman spokesperson explained. “The operator is on top of the loop. The system is making the recommendations and is going to launch on its own, unless you deny it.”
The data collected is grouped into priorities. The more important data gets higher priority over the network, so that it gets passed around, and lower priority data would have more time. If it becomes congested, the IBCS system ensures that the higher priority data take the lead.
“We were given requirements for our software to be very modular, so it’s very modular,” the spokesperson said, adding that the code was broken down into segments, rather than in a single monolithic block.
“If we need to go in and modify some code or add a new module, we can do that quickly and easily,” the spokesperson detailed.
Demand signal
Besides the United States, Poland is currently the only other operator which uses IBCS to optimise its IAMD architecture, which includes an assortment of US and European missiles and systems that constitute its short-range PILICA+ and NAREW air defense structures. Poland’s IBCS reached IOC in December 2024.
“I know for a fact that our project office that manages this programme have investigated using IBCS in a variety of scenarios across the globe,” the Northrop Grumman spokesperson said.
“It’s the same storyline. Maybe different threats, different distances, of course, but the same concepts, same interest, and same demand signal.”
Northrop Grumman IBCS spokesperson
Other nations have expressed interest in Northrop Grumman’s integrator product. The spokesperson revealed official visits to countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
Likewise, many Gulf countries consulted the US supplier during IDEX 2025 to discuss their unique requirements and existing architectures, without naming any specific nations.
“It’s the same storyline,” the spokesperson said. “Maybe different threats, different distances, of course, but the same concepts, same interest, and same demand signal.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
24 Apr 25. Cyber Update
Key points
• Reports of a new, stealthy variant of the Phishing-as-a-Service (PhaaS) kit ‘Tycoon2FA’ underscore long-term security and financial risks to firms (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 14 April 2025).
• A new remote access trojan (RAT; ‘ResolverRAT’) will sustain long-term security and data-theft risks to the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 15 April 2025).
• European diplomatic entities face long-term security and cyber espionage risks from the Russian state-sponsored group ‘Midnight Blizzard’ (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 16 April 2025 and our Technical analysis below).
• The China-nexus group ‘UNC5221’ has used a new backdoor (‘BRICKSTORM’) in a cyber espionage operation, highlighting long-term security risks to European organisations (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 17 April 2025).
• A cyber operation will sustain security and information-theft risks to global national infrastructure from North Korean state-sponsored group ‘Larva-24005’ (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 22 April 2025).
• A data breach of South Korea’s largest telecommunications provider underscores the long-term security risks facing the sector (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 23 April 2025).
• The North Korean state-sponsored group ‘Void Dokkaebi’ is using Russian infrastructure to conduct cyber operations, sustaining long-term security risks to global entities (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 24 April 2025).
• A new ‘Mimic’ ransomware variant (‘ELENOR-corp’) is targeting the healthcare sector, underscoring long-term security, disruption and financial risks (see Sibylline Cyber Daily Analytical Update – 25 April 2025 and our Technical analysis below).
Technical analysis of weekly stories
The Russian state-sponsored group Midnight Blizzard has been targeting diplomatic entities in Europe in a cyber espionage campaign since at least January. Midnight Blizzard sends spear phishing emails from a spoofed email domain to trick victims into clicking on an embedded link and to infiltrate targeted systems. The emails purport to invite victims to a wine tasting event and are sent from a domain emulating an unnamed ministry of foreign affairs. If the right system parameters are met, the link installs two legitimate files to feign legitimacy alongside covertly installing a custom malware loader (‘GrapeLoader’). Additionally, the link redirects the user to the legitimate Ministry of Foreign Affairs website to evade detection. GrapeLoader establishes communication with command-and-control (C2) infrastructure before initiating system reconnaissance and data exfiltration. The malware primarily collects system information to deploy a new version of the ‘WineLoader’ backdoor. WineLoader enables Midnight Blizzard to establish persistence within compromised systems and conduct additional malicious activity. Both malware variants boast several new, advanced detection evasion mechanisms, thus showcasing the development of Midnight Blizzard’s cyber capabilities.
Threat actors have used a new variant of the Mimic ransomware (ELENOR-corp) to target the healthcare sector since at least March. In one instance, threat actors likely exploited pre-obtained access to a compromised system to deploy the ransomware. Threat actors conceal ELENOR-corp within an inaccessible hidden directory to evade detection before abusing the sticky keys exploit to enable remote code execution. ELENOR-corp uses remote desktop protocol (RDP) to facilitate lateral movement and to maintain persistence within compromised systems. It subsequently disables all file sharing and deletes backup files, highlighting the sophistication of the ransomware’s capabilities to hinder recovery and maximise its impact. ELENOR-corp modifies the system’s power settings to accelerate the encryption process and performs other operations to further optimise file access and encryption. The ransomware can also dynamically fine-tune the encryption parameters if Microsoft’s .NET Framework 4 is detected, further showcasing ELENOR-corp’s advanced capabilities. This enables threat actors to effectively block access to all of a system’s files and demand a ransom payment for decryption. Additionally, ELENOR-corp exfiltrates sensitive data from compromised systems prior to encryption to coerce victims into paying the ransom. The ransomware simultaneously deletes all system logs, histories and registry entries to evade detection and hinder analysis, pointing to its stealth.
Non-exhaustive recommendations to mitigate against these threats include:
• Monitor devices and networks for suspicious activity
• Add available Indicators-of-Compromise (IoCs) to your organisation’s security detection systems to detect potentially malicious samples on the network; configure firewalls to block outbound communications to malicious IP addresses associated with any known malware
• Adopt behaviour-based end-point detection and response (EDR) solutions, prioritising the detection of the initial stages of a compromise
• Conduct cyber hygiene awareness courses for users, enabling them to recognise and report phishing and other types of social engineering
Our cyber word(s) of the week: Sticky keys exploit. (Source: Sibylline)
28 Apr 25. NASA’s Airborne Laser Communication Testbed. The Airborne Laser Communication Testbed (ALCT) is a research platform in high-data-rate communication systems designed to complement existing aeronautical radio frequency (RF) communications. This innovative technology offers several distinct advantages: exceptional data transmission rates, resistance to jamming, enhanced physical security, and low probability of interception/detection (LPI/LPD). Notably, it operates independently of RF spectrum allocations, requiring clear line of sight (LOS) to establish a link within its operational range. The system’s reliability has been extensively validated through three comprehensive flight campaigns, accumulating over 50 hours of operational link-time across aircraft platforms – including the DHC-6 Twin Otter and PC-12 – with ground station operations centered at NASA Glenn Research Center’s hangar facility. Recent developments of the ALCT have provided practical approaches to critical aerospace communication challenges. Through rigorous flight testing conducted between 2019 and early 2025, research teams have successfully demonstrated the system’s capability to maintain high-speed data transmission across significant distances in both air-to-ground and preliminary air-to-air configurations.
This advanced laser communication technology has proven its viability as a powerful complement to conventional RF systems, showing promise for both manned and unmanned aircraft operations.
The ALCT’s ability to sustain gigabit-class data rates at distances up to 60km slant path, while maintaining operational links at even greater ranges, marks a significant advancement in aeronautical communication capabilities. A particularly noteworthy achievement has been the successful implementation of air-to-air tracking, validated through retroreflector testing. These innovations hold special significance for urban air mobility applications and address the growing demand for reliable, high-bandwidth communication solutions in increasingly congested airspace environments. (Source: UAS VISION)
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Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) has a long history with its roots dating back to Orville and Wilbur Wright’s first flight in 1903, and Mr. Glenn Curtiss, the father of naval aviation. In 1929, the companies founded by these three great aviation pioneers, the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company and Wright Aeronautical Corporation, merged to form the largest aircraft company at the time, Curtiss-Wright Corporation.
We have continued on the path of innovation and advanced engineering, and have applied that expertise to a number of critical applications in high-performance markets. Our success has resulted in a world-renowned reputation for performance, long-standing customer relationships and significant growth and profitability in the markets in which we compete. Today, we are a global, integrated provider of highly engineered, technologically advanced products and services. Our revenues are generated by providing our critical solutions through three segments: Aerospace & Industrial, Defense Electronics and Naval & Power, which support several of the largest, most vital industries in the world.
PIVOT TO GROWTH STRATEGY
Our new Pivot to Growth strategy presented during our May 2021 Investor Day focuses on maximizing revenue and operating income growth for our shareholders. Since early 2021, we have implemented numerous steps under this new strategy, including the simplification of our story and business model where we transitioned to a new and more cohesive segment and end market structure. This, in turn, positions us to further unlock shareholder value.
Curtiss-Wright is an integrated business that provides highly engineered products, solutions and services with two-thirds of our sales to Aerospace & Defense (A&D) markets, as well as critical technologies in demanding Commercial Power, Process and Industrial markets.
Importantly, Curtiss-Wright is differentiated because we have strength in the combined portfolio benefitting from long-term stability in our defense businesses and agility in our commercial businesses.
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