Sponsored by
https://ieeinc.com/
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
USA
30 May 24. Cuashub.com said today that DHS Prepares for Future Security Challenges. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released the first-ever department-wide Innovation, Research and Development (IRD) Strategic Plan, articulating key investment goals over the next seven fiscal years to prepare for future security challenges. Developed at the direction of Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, the Strategic Plan serves as a blueprint for DHS to keep pace with technology by leveraging research and development to address homeland security challenges.
“This visionary roadmap, informed by scientific efforts, will empower DHS and its components to reduce risks to the homeland through optimized innovation, research, and development investments,” said Dr. Dimitri Kusnezov, DHS Under Secretary for Science and Technology. “The technologies resulting from our IRD investments play a critical role in equipping the Department’s front-line operators with necessary tools to outpace our adversaries and enhance our preparedness and response capabilities.”
In 2022, Secretary Mayorkas tasked the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) with examining DHS’s execution of research and development (R&D), including developing a coordinated strategy focused on areas for long-term Departmental research. The resulting IRD Strategic Plan will help the Department and its partners make coordinated, integrated investments. In addition to capturing current IRD efforts already underway – compiling data from every DHS component and office – it provides an overview of complementary efforts led by federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, nongovernmental, and private sector entities.
From this analysis of common research fields, the plan highlights eight Strategic Priority Research Areas (SPRAs) and future capabilities that DHS needs across its missions. The SPRAs will enhance the coordination of R&D across DHS while giving a demand signal for industry, interagency, academic, and international communities about future partnership opportunities. The Strategic Priority Research Areas for Fiscal Years 2024-2030 are:
- Advanced Sensing – next-generation sensor capabilities to enhance detection against a broad spectrum of threats.
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Autonomous Systems – automated technologies that provide predictions, recommendations, or decisions across various operating environments, including means to deal with adversarial AI.
- Biotechnology – augmented capabilities to predict, detect, and defend against current and emerging bioagents and biotechnologies of concern.
- Climate Change – technologies to strengthen climate adaptation/resilience, improve equity, protect critical infrastructure, and reduce carbon emissions.
- Communications and Networking – enhanced communications and networking capabilities while maintaining security and resiliency.
- Cybersecurity – enhanced resiliency, protection, and operational assurance across data, software, hardware, and communications networks.
- Data Integration, Analytics, Modeling, and Simulation – enhanced, integrated data ecosystems, analytics, and modeling to enable more accurate data-driven insights, predictions, and decisions.
- Digital Identity and Trust – enhanced capabilities to establish and verify individuals’ identities and associated data’s validity, integrity, and privacy.
In collaboration with stakeholders from across DHS, S&T is advancing the implementation of the Strategic Plan by developing IRD investment roadmaps for each SPRA. These roadmaps will inform the Department’s budget process for FY 2027 and beyond.
More information about the IRD Strategic Plan and its priorities can be found at DHS IRD Strategic Plan FY24-30 | Homeland Security.
https://cuashub.com/en/content/dhs-prepares-for-future-security-challenges/?utm_campaign=C-UAS%20Hub%20General&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9j0XAPKeqPRT-kcAix23YGhBqPTSYOKvmx8rinFTqx2QuSFytPBwq8yPx_X5_i1VH3QG_V1mNdPlQ46x9d9-tqrcarBDu7o_0T675kI1xWXmbIZ1U&_hsmi=309394989&utm_content=309394989&utm_source=hs_email (Source: https://cuashub.com/)
30 May 24. Cuashub.com said today that DIU Seeks Modular Spectrum Characterization Solution. The Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking autonomous modular spectrum characterization solutions capable of passively detecting and gathering data primarily from wideband, high-bandwidth electromagnetic spectra while ensuring secure data storage. The initial prototype should focus on collecting radio frequency (RF) signatures, with future iterations potentially expanding to gather other phenomena, such as acoustic signatures. Proposed solutions must operate autonomously and support multiple configurable triggering methods, including user-based activation, geofence boundary activation, and time-based scheduling activation. Additionally, the solution must record both Power Spectral Density (PSD) and raw in-phase and quadrature (I/Q) data to on-board and/or attached storage media.
Traditional methods of Electromagnetic Spectrum signature gathering face several significant constraints:
- Wideband and High Bandwidth Limitations: They struggle to effectively capture wideband, high bandwidth signatures.
- Software Limitations: Existing software solutions are often not easily configurable, lack autonomy, have limited or no data parsing capabilities, and are not interoperable with various software-defined radios (SDRs).
- SWaP Constraints: Size, weight, and power (SWaP) limitations make these solutions difficult to transport and limit their portability and deployability in the field.
Final technology solutions should be designed with the smallest possible form factor using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) components arranged to support a variety of size permutations. The solutions should minimize power consumption during idle operation and consist of non-emitting COTS components/devices. Some versions must be capable of operating under MILSPEC electromagnetic interference (EMI) conditions or be configurable to a non-emitting state. Future iterations may need to integrate with various platforms, such as unmanned systems (UXS), manned vehicles, and the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK).
Please visit the Defense Innovation Unit- Modular Spectrum: https://www.diu.mil/work-with-us/submit-solution/PROJ00541?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DIU%20New%20Solicitation%20Announcement%20-%20Modular%20Spectrum%20Characterization&utm_content=DIU%20New%20Solicitation%20Announcement%20-%20Modular%20Spectrum%20Characterization%20CID_fd4f1497fcea06ad74b7a9ce5ea1c223&utm_source=newsletter&utm_term=Read%20More Characterization opportunity for additional information.
Responses are due by June 11th, 2024, at 23:59:59 US/Eastern Time
(Source: https://cuashub.com/)
24 May 24. DIU sees new portfolio deepening ties between labs, commercial firms. The Defense Innovation Unit’s newest portfolio will forge deeper connections between the Pentagon’s science and technology community and the private sector firms developing cutting-edge capabilities in areas like quantum sensing, nanotechnology and microelectronics, officials told C4ISRNET.
Lt. Col. Nicholas Estep, director of the emerging technology portfolio, said that while DIU has managed one-off projects in these areas, it wants to expand that work to help organizations including the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the service laboratories and stakeholders within the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering office better leverage commercial systems.
“This is bringing the DIU flavor of how we do business to this community to help push forward and advance the technology that’s critical from this sector and put it into practice,” he said in an interview
DIU was established in 2015 to help build a bridge between Silicon Valley companies and the Defense Department. One of the motivations for establishing the organization was the recognition that much of the technology the Pentagon considers critical to tackling national security challenges is resident in the commercial sector.
The department’s science and technology strategy, released in May 2023, calls for a more proactive approach to working with the commercial sector to take advantage of the private capital that’s being funneled into dual-use tech companies to get after “increasingly complex security challenges.”
The emerging technology portfolio, Estep said, can help the department explore some of the technologies and capabilities that may not traditionally be viewed as having utility for DOD either because the connection isn’t obvious or they require more time and effort to tweak for military use.
“There are portfolios that have a clean domain or clean ecosystem with well-established norms,” he said. “There pockets that don’t. . . . Those are where we’ll really focus our attention.”
Estep’s team will eventually seek prototyping efforts in areas like advanced materials, propulsion, nanotechnology and photonics. But for now, its focus is on executing existing projects within DIU’s hypersonics portfolio — which will shift into the emerging technology area — as well as a new effort called Transition of Quantum Sensors, or TQS.
In a May 9 solicitation, DIU said TQS will demonstrate the ability to use quantum sensors for alternate positioning, navigation and timing and detecting anomalies. The capability is particularly relevant amid a growing concern about GPS jamming and signal degradation.
“Sensors designed at the atomic level offer the promise of significant improvements in precision, accuracy and sensitivity compared to classical sensors,” DIU said in the notice. “DOD seeks solutions to prototype and operationally demonstrate quantum sensors to address several warfighter needs.”
While versions of these sensors exist now, DIU hopes TQS can drive improvements in their performance and precision in a military context. The project’s first phase, which Estep hopes to kick off this fall, will focus on prototyping in an operational environment.
The emerging technology team will partner with at least a dozen DOD program offices, operational crews and test and evaluation offices to demonstrate the capability, which he said is indicative of what DIU would like to do across this portfolio. He noted that having so many stakeholders requires significant alignment among those offices to make sure the program stays on schedule.
“We have an aggressive approach,” he said. “If we do what we think we can do, it’ll be a busy summer.” (Source: Defense News)
24 May 24. DARPA picks six firms to develop experimental ship-launched drones. The Defense Advanced Research and Projects Agency has chosen six companies to move forward on an experimental, low-weight drone that can take off and land vertically from a ship.
The companies DARPA selected for its ANCILLARY program — also known as the Advanced Aircraft Infrastructure-Less Launch and Recovery program — include a mix of major defense contractors and smaller aeronautics companies. AeroVironment, Griffon Aerospace, Karem Aircraft, Method Aeronautics, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky will now further develop and refine their proposed ANCILLARY designs.
DARPA wants ANCILLARY to lead to a future drone that can one day be deployed and retrieved from Navy ships without large mechanical launchers or landing and recovery equipment. These drones could carry cargo, conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions, and track and target enemies beyond a ship’s line of sight, DARPA said.
These small drones must be able to take off and land like a helicopter from the flight decks of ships or rough surfaces in most weather conditions, and then fly missions like a winged aircraft, DARPA said. It also must be able to carry large payloads and fly for long distances when needed.
“The goal of ANCILLARY is to increase small vertical takeoff-and-landing uncrewed aerial system [or UAS] capabilities by a factor of three over the current state-of-the-art flying today,” DARPA program manager Steve Komadina said in a statement. “Our performers are searching for innovative ways to increase payload weight and range [and] endurance of small, ship-launched UAS by means of novel configurations, propulsion, and controls while also removing the need for special infrastructure.”
Komadina said the Navy and Marine Corps would be most likely to use this technology, but it could also be useful for the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard, and U.S. Special Operations Command.
In June 2023, DARPA picked nine companies to pitch their initial concepts for ANCILLARY, before now whittling the list down to six. Those firms will now enter a 10-month phase in which they try to reduce the risks on their design, and conduct hover testing of elements of their proposed aircraft. Once this phase is finished, the companies will submit proposals to move on to the next phase, which will include fabrication and flight testing.
Formal flight tests of the overall design are expected to start in early 2026, DARPA said.
Christopher Harris, the program manager for Northrop’s ANCILLARY effort, said in an interview the company is incorporating its work on autonomous capabilities, vertical takeoff and landing and long-endurance aircraft design for its ANCILLARY pitch. (Source: Defense News)
24 May 24. US Industry responding to Navy’s interest in small unmanned systems. The U.S. Navy’s message to industry is coming through: the service is committed to buying and operating small unmanned systems on and under the water.
What’s less clear is how the Navy will procure them and with what funding — but one company says it’s moving ahead in developing disruptive systems now and will figure out the business model later.
Jon Rambeau, L3Harris’ president for Integrated Missions Systems, told Defense News the company had a couple of one-off efforts with the Navy already — two of its Arabian Fox autonomous surface vessels are operating out of Bahrain as part of U.S. 5th Fleet’s Task Force 59, and L3Harris successfully demonstrated the ability to launch and recover an unmanned underwater vehicle, or UUV, from a submarine’s torpedo tube.
In neither of these cases, though, did the company actually sell its unmanned system to the Navy.
Rambeau said he views these opportunities — through fee-for-service contracts or urgent operational needs statements — as beginning to pave a path for future small unmanned systems acquisition.
The Pentagon’s Replicator program will also help, he said. But, of course, “we’d always like it to go faster.”
Rambeau said his company is set up to go fast. L3Harris integrates commercial sensors onto commercial unmanned underwater and surface vessels whose procurement lead times are “weeks or months, versus years” for large warships.
In addition to looking for ways to sell a small quantity of UUVs to the submarine fleet to begin operations this year, Rambeau said L3Harris is pitching the Navy on a passive sensing and targeting capability that could be installed on a unmanned surface vessel, or USV, and sent out ahead of a manned ship, allowing it to keep emissions low and avoid becoming a target itself.
Rambeau said the cost of this payload and USV is a budgetary “rounding error, as compared to a ship or a combat system or a large active radar array. These are very affordable technologies that can really augment what’s existing today. So we see it as complementary, we see it as a bit disruptive, and it’s exciting.”
But, in a way, the small cost makes it hard to get anyone’s attention, he acknowledged.
“The cost of these capabilities is minimal. The budgeting discussions tend to focus more on the larger, bigger-ticket items, and so making sure at least we pay a little bit of attention to these things and there’s an opportunity to tack on that incremental funding year by year to start to get past proof of concept into low-rate production quantities,” is something he’s been talking to the sea service about.
Rambeau said these discussions at the flag officer level have gone well, with agreement on both sides for the usefulness of small unmanned systems and the desire to buy them. They just haven’t gotten to the point of the Navy getting past various hurdles and actually buying them.
U.S. Undersecretary of the Navy Erik Raven told Defense News the week the service released its fiscal year 2025 budget request in March that, “what you’re really seeing is an ecosystem of how the Department of the Navy is starting to embrace unmanned technologies. We’ve learnt learned a lot through initiatives like Task Force 59, and … we’re starting to bring in that learning of how to adapt unmanned technologies, and also be able to scale them.”
Depending on the capability, some “more enduring priorities” may become programs of record that would be sustained over a longer period of time. Others may be things the Navy buys in limited quantities to use and then replace with a different system, to ensure it’s “getting the best of breed of what’s coming out of industry, and then being able to iterate and move more quickly.”
Though Raven called this technology area a “great strategic advantage,” the Navy could not provide any details on how much it plans to spend on small unmanned systems in its FY25 budget proposal.
Raven told reporters in March while unveiling the budget request that two large unmanned systems were being delayed in the budget plan but that small unmanned systems would be funded through Replicator, the Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities Office and other means.
“We continue to see unmanned as a feature of so many important naval capabilities, and we are making those investments in this budget,” the undersecretary said.
Seven weeks after Defense News submitted a request asking about the nature of those investments, a Navy spokesperson did not provide any totals.
Rather, the spokesperson said, “the Navy continues to invest in unmanned system programs of record as well as emergent operational needs across the air, surface, and undersea domains as part of the [FY25] President’s Budget request.”
The statement highlights two programs: the Lionfish UUV program, which will replace the MK 18 Mod 1 Swordfish used by the explosive ordnance disposal community; and the Production Ready, Inexpensive Maritime Expeditionary (PRIME) Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) collaboration with the Defense Innovation Unit under the Replicator initiative.
“Overall, the Navy’s FY25 investment in unmanned systems continues to increase as we learn and experiment across the fleet with unmanned capabilities and position ourselves to enter into production,” the spokesperson concluded.
For companies like L3Harris, the details may be missing, but the sentiment is enough.
“We do move quickly, some of the components of these systems we produce already at a reasonably large scale, so we are ready when the call comes,” Rambeau said. (Source: Defense News)
REST OF THE WORLD
30 May 24. Canada signs $11.2bn recapitalisation for entire Air Force training fleet. Canada will also recapitalise its logistics vehicles to the amount of $2.58bn, purchasing 1500 vehicles.
Canada announced a contract for 70 training aircraft from across five airframe fleets at a value of $11.2bn (C$8.17bn) on 29 May 2024, to be procured from SkyAlyne Canada Limited Partnership for the Future Aircrew Training (FAcT) programme.
The status of future Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) training had been in question since March 2024, as the fast-jet training programme entered a multi-year hiatus, with Nato programmes across the Euro-Atlantic taking on Canadian pilots. The newly announced investment includes airframes and training, with instruction scheduled to begin in Spring 2029.
The 25-year FAcT programme will acquire more than 70 training aircraft, including: the Airbus Helicopters H-135; the Beechcraft King Air 260; the De Havilland Dash 8-400 equipped with a mission training system in the cabin; the Grob G120TP; and the Pilatus PC-21.
This investment is part of the largest recapitalisation of the RCAF since WWII, and adds to the approximately 140 aircraft Canada has finalised procurement of since 2022, which include F-35 fighters and P-8A Posiedon multi-mission aircraft.
“Today’s investments demonstrate that when we work collaboratively with Canadian industry partners, we can provide our troops with the tools that they need to do their jobs – and support good jobs right across Canada,” said Minister of National Defence Bill Blair. “With these projects, and through our renewed vision for defence, Our North, Strong and Free, we are committed to building an even stronger relationship with industry, founded on transparency and trust.”
Canada’s rapid expansion of its air capability will be supported by the purchase of trainer aircraft from SkyAlyne, and by the contract line items for classroom instruction, simulator and flight training, as well as support activities for a range of RCAF roles, that includes pilots, air combat systems officers, and airborne electronic sensor operators.
The FAcT training programme will replace in-house training delivered by the RCAF, as well replacing as a $4.6bn 25-year contract with Nato that was due to expire in 2028, and a $1.18bn contract with Allied Wings that was due to expire in 2027.
Royal Canadian Air Force Commander Lieutenant-General Eric Kenny framed the FAcT as an investment in RCAF personnel: “Nothing is more important than our people. We must modernise our training systems as we are modernising our front-line equipment and weapons systems.
“The Future Aircrew Training program will do that by incorporating the latest training concepts and technologies and adapting to emerging trends to ensure Royal Canadian Air Force personnel can operate and win in highly contested and increasingly complex theatres of operation.”
According to a release from the Canadian Ministry of National Defence, the FAcT programme is anticipated to contribute $405m annually to Canada’s GDP over its 25 year duration, and create or maintain 3,400 jobs.
Logistics Vehicle Modernisation programme moves forward
During the same announcement from Defence Minister Blair at the Canadian Association of Defence and Security, investment of up to $2.58bn in logistic vehicles was made public, with delivery expected to begin in Autumn 2027.
Contracts for more than 1,000 light trucks and approximately 500 heavy trucks awarded to General Dynamics Land Systems – Canada in a joint venture with Marshall Canada, as part of the Logistics Vehicle Modernisation (LVM) programme. A second contract for 25-year support of the fleet was also awarded.
Sub-contractors include Mercedes Benz, and Soframe, as well as Canadian sub-contractors GDLS-Canada, Marshall Canada, K-Line Trailers, and Manac.
The LVM programme is intended to provide increased mobility and protection for Canadian Armed Forces personnel, and to transport larger loads of equipment and supplies. The new vehicles will replace the current fleet light support vehicles, heavy logistics vehicles, and heavy engineer support vehicles, that have all even in use since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s.
Canada’s Minister of Public Services and Procurement Jean-Yves Duclos noted the benefit of the FAcT investment to the Canadian economy, stating the contracts will “create highly skilled jobs and further contribute to the growth and competitiveness of Canada’s defence industry.”
Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry François-Philippe Champagne highlighted the wider impact of the FAcT investment on the Canadian defence-industrial base, saying that through the Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy the investments “not only strengthen our defence capabilities but also nurture the leadership of Canadian supply chains, fostering job creation and economic prosperity for years to come.”
The Industrial and Technological Benefits Policy requires companies to make investments and provide business activities in Canada equal to the value of the contract. (Source: army-technology.com)
28 May 24. UAE Exploring Potential Chinese J-20 Stealth Fighter Purchase: Report. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is exploring the possibility of purchasing China’s J-20 “Mighty Dragon” fighter aircraft.
Reports about the potential sale surfaced after senior UAE military officials visited Beijing and discussed closer cooperation with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force.
Abu Dhabi is hoping that its efforts to strengthen ties with the Asian military superpower will boost its chances of procuring the fifth-generation aircraft, according to a report by National Interest.
China has long restricted the export of its J-20 jets to maintain technological secrecy and prevent adversaries from closely studying them.
This restriction prevents the UAE’s alleged bid to procure the J-20s unless Beijing reverses its policy.
J-20 Over F-35?
The UAE’s move to explore other options would be reasonable, as the US is still reluctant to sell F-35s to the Middle Eastern nation.
In 2021, Washington approved the sale of 50 F-35s and 18 MQ-4B drones to Abu Dhabi in a potential contract worth $19 bn.
However, the deal has not materialized because of US concerns over growing UAE-China ties, especially in 5G technology.
America argued that Huawei-supplied 5G technology used at communication stations, air bases, and other national security facilities might allow Beijing to closely study the operational capabilities of the Lightning II.
Additionally, the deal has been hampered by Israel’s request to the US to reject F-35 sales to the UAE, fearing it could challenge Jerusalem’s military superiority in the region.
An F-35A takes off during an Agile Combat Employment exercise. Photo: Airman 1st Class Jose Miguel T. Tamondong/US Air Force
Comparison
America’s F-35 and China’s J-20 are often compared because they both have fifth-generation stealth technology.
The Lockheed Martin-manufactured jet is said to have an advantage over its Chinese counterpart in terms of avionics and its sensor suite.
It also boasts a vertical takeoff and landing capability, which eliminates the need for long runways.
However, the “Mighty Dragon” is said to be superior in range, weapons capacity, and speed as it can reach Mach 2.0 compared to Mach 1.6 for the American warplane.
“The J-20 can carry more ammunition than an F-35 on a single mission. In terms of weight, it can load up 27,998 pounds (12,700 kilograms) of weapons, compared to 18,000 pounds (8,164 kilograms) for an F-35,” defense analyst Kris Osborn explained. (Source: Google/https://www.thedefensepost.com/)
28 May 24. Supply chain network announced to slash red tape, costs in Australian defence industry. Defence industry primes have announced a new supply chain system to slash red tape and the cost of doing business.
Defence companies such as Babcock Australia & New Zealand will work with the Australian Department of Defence under one supply chain to cut small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) costs and compliance burdens.
The system emulates a successful program in the United Kingdom known as JOSCAR (which comprises two dozen major defence companies, 6,000 small and medium-sized enterprises) and has already been adopted locally by the Department of Defence and companies including BAE Systems Australia, Raytheon Australia, Babcock Australasia (Babcock), Lockheed Martin Australia, Boeing Defence Australia, and Saab Australia.
“Australian SMEs now have the opportunity to secure the same benefits through the introduction of a standardised and simplified approach that has the endorsement of a number of major primes,” said Tom Maund, country manager of Hellios Australia, the UK-based supplier information and risk management company that has developed the new system.
The system offers a “one to many” solution where a supplier only needs to fill in the JOSCAR questionnaire once, even if it supplies multiple defence primes and the Department of Defence.
“This is a great initiative and one that our company wholeheartedly endorses,” said Ben Hudson, chief executive officer, BAE Systems Australia.
“We’re looking forward to working with industry and the system’s architects to ensure supplier efficiencies can be implemented across our major programs,” he said.
“Saab is looking forward to the introduction of JOSCAR which will create efficiencies across the supply chain and help reduce costs that are ultimately passed on to our customers,” said Andy Keough CSC, managing director of Saab Australia.
Raytheon Australia managing director Michael Ward said JOSCAR is a welcome addition to partnerships with small to medium Australian industry.
“Supporting our enduring collaboration with organisations including our Capability Plus partners, JOSCAR enhances our ability to create new and easier pathways for SMEs to do even more work with Defence,” he said.
Babcock’s chief executive officer, Andrew Cridland, said: “Babcock is committed to minimising the barriers to entry for SMEs wanting to break into the defence industry. By using JOSCAR, we are making it easier for our partners and suppliers to do business with us.”
Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand chief executive Warren McDonald said, “JOSCAR will improve collaboration and efficiency for our suppliers and partners, enabling defence industry to be more focused on the critical task at hand – delivering capabilities to the Australian Defence Force.”
“Boeing is pleased to collaborate with Australian Defence Primes on JOSCAR and continue our support of small-to-medium Australian companies, so they can focus on efficiently bringing capability to Defence industry that our customers can benefit from,” said Amy List, managing director of Boeing Defence Australia.
“AIDN fully supports the introduction of JOSCAR in response to members’ concerns about cost and administration burden of demonstrating compliance with customer requirements. Members achieving JOSCAR registration should experience simplified compliance processes and makes it easier to do business with new and existing customers,” said Brent Clark, chief executive officer of AIDN National.
The Australian JOSCAR system will be managed and supported by a Hellios team based in Brisbane and led by Tom Maund. JOSCAR will launch in June 2024.
Hellios is a supplier information and risk management company operating in the financial services and aerospace, defence and security industry. The business has grown from a start-up in 2012 to more than 100 employees with subsidiaries in the UK, Ireland, Netherlands, Australia, and Spain. (Source: Defence Connect)
28 May 24. Quick turnaround: Shipbuilders ready opening pitch for general purpose frigates.
Shipbuilders competing for the Royal Australian Navy’s new $10 bn frigate project have allegedly been given only three weeks to outline their opening pitch.
Five international shipbuilders were reportedly sent an “approach to market”, requesting information for the RAN’s general purpose frigate on Friday, 24 May, according to information obtained by The Australian Financial Review on 27 May.
Information reportedly requested includes a build timeline, where they would be built, and cost guidelines for the first three ships to be built overseas.
Shipbuilders were previously advised of the upcoming work earlier this year when the federal government announced the intended acquisition of 11 new general purpose frigates to complement the country’s combat-ready fleet of warships.
The 11 new general purpose frigates will provide maritime and land strike, air defence and escort capabilities, according to information released by the government in a statement on 20 February. The new general purpose frigates will be accelerated to replace the Anzac Class frigates commissioned in the 1990s and early 2000s, with planned transition capability assurance upgrades no longer required.
The new general purpose frigates will be modern, capable and more lethal, requiring smaller crews than the Anzac Class (177 crew members). Eight new general purpose frigates are planned to be built at the Henderson precinct in Western Australia. The first general purpose frigates are expected to enter service with the Royal Australian Navy by the end of the decade, according to previous public statements from Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Richard Marles.
“The enhanced lethality surface combatant fleet will ensure the Navy is optimised for operations in our current and future environment, underpinned by the meticulous assessment conducted by the independent analysis team,” he said earlier this year.
Minister Marles said the first three vessels will be built offshore in the interest of speedy acquisition. Four potential designs are up for evaluation from Spain, Germany, South Korea, and Japan; the design decision will be made next year, he said.
The new general purpose frigates will be approximately the same size to 50 per cent bigger than the Anzac Class, with twice as many missiles, Minister for Defence Industry Pat Conroy said.
The four platforms identified by the independent analysis as exemplars to form the basis of a selection process for this new general purpose frigate include Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ Meko A-200 frigate, the Mogami 30FFM Japanese multi-mission stealth frigate, the South Korean Daegu Class FFX Batch II and III, or Navantia’s ALFA3000 (Tasman Class Corvette, announced at IndoPac 2023). (Source: Defence Connect)
28 May 24. Defence Trailblazer launches $12m program to accelerate defence capabilities.
Defence Trailblazer has launched a new $12 m program to support industry in accelerating capabilities to meet Defence’s new sovereign industrial priorities.
The new Accelerating Sovereign Industrial Capabilities (ASIC) grant funding program will enable businesses to fast-track the translation of defence research and development activities for the delivery of capabilities aligned to the new Sovereign Defence Industrial Priorities, according to a statement published on 28 May this year.
The Defence Trailblazer is a collaborative partnership between the University of Adelaide and UNSW, supported by the Australian government’s Department of Education.
“The Defence Industry Development Strategy states that developing the sovereign defence industrial base Australia needs to meet our strategic circumstances requires targeted industrial development in areas of strategic priority,” executive director Dr Sanjay Mazumdar said.
“The ASIC program aims to enable faster commercialisation of larger-scale defence R&D activities and collaborations aligned to the new strategic priority capabilities Defence requires.”
Project proposals will be sought by industry organisations (those with an ABN/ACN) based in Australia and involving at least one Defence Trailblazer research university (University of Adelaide and/or UNSW). New industry partners are encouraged, but existing partners can also apply; collaborative projects involving one or more industry partners are highly encouraged.
Up to $12m in funding will be available. Successful applicants will be required to provide matching cash co-contributions. Preference will be given to proposals that demonstrate the ability to build scale in research and development with a stronger weighting given towards small-medium enterprise (SME) led and multi-party project proposals. Defence Trailblazer can assist in finding appropriate capabilities at universities and existing industry partners.
Access to Defence Trailblazer’s workforce skilling and attraction initiatives, including student projects and placements, proto-lab network (facilities and equipment) and the staff mobility program is also available and can be included in project proposals.
Applications for the ASIC program will open on 28 May 2024 with a closing date of 10 July 2024.
An online information session will be held about the program on Wednesday, 5 June, 1:00pm-2:00pm AEST, for interested parties to hear about priorities, meet potential project research partners, and learn more about the grant application process. (Source: Defence Connect)
24 May 24. Australian Army calls for industry pitches to improve soldiers in littoral operations. The Australian Army is calling on defence industry and academia to pitch innovative capabilities to optimise soldiers for littoral operations as part of Army Innovation Day 2024.
AID24 is a strategic collaboration between the Advanced Strategic Capabilities Accelerator and the Australian Army. Each year, Army Innovation Day poses a new challenge to encourage the development of innovative technologies to solve some of Army’s most complex challenges for the benefit of soldiers.
Hosted by the Australian Army as part of the Chief of Army Symposium, AID24 will be held during the Land Forces 2024 International Land Defence Exposition in Melbourne on 11 and 12 September 2024.
Head Land Capability Major General Richard Vagg said the challenge statement, Optimising the Soldier for Littoral Operations, was chosen to support the rapid delivery of capability into the hands of soldiers under National Defence.
“As a part of an integrated, focused force, the Australian Army must be capable of deterring a potential adversary from projecting force against Australia and make a credible contribution to the broader strategic balance in the Indo-Pacific,” MAJGEN Vagg said.
“Our soldiers make Army a formidable fighting force and are our most valuable asset.”
This year’s theme will help Army explore how innovative technologies can enhance the operational endurance, tactical lethality and survivability of soldiers operating in increasingly complex, distributed, regional and littoral environments.
“There is an emphasis on getting capability into the hands of soldiers faster,” MAJGEN Vagg said. (Source: Defence Connect)
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-
Since 1946, Industrial Electronic Engineers, IEE, has specialized in the design, test, support and fielding of display products for use in demanding military and aerospace applications throughout the world. IEE has developed an extensive product portfolio that today includes enhanced flat panel displays, smart displays and handheld devices.
From rapid prototyping of custom designs to full-scale production runs, IEE, produces displays with advanced features like low-latency video processing, high-bright and NVIS backlighting, and lightweight rugged enclosures. Their SWaP-C products employ the latest lightweight composite materials; low power, high performance integrated ARM processors; standard Ethernet and USB communication, in a low cost, highly producible design.
In-house California facilities include optical bonding, clean rooms for display assembly, a dark room for optical measurements and environmental chambers for pre-compliance and customer acceptance testing. On-site manufacturing includes PCB assembly and flow soldering. IEE has manufactured handheld, in-vehicle, airborne and naval LCD displays for all military branches as well as leading aerospace firms both domestically and internationally.
IEE is ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified.
IEE’s Advantage:
- Direct control of critical process steps that reduce cost, decrease production lead times and improves life-cycle management
- Unique advantage to serve to both smaller quantity, highly custom displays needs as well as high volume production outputs
- Expert in delivering the best value in form and fit replacement by modifying existing COTS products to meet legacy requirements
- Leading the next generation avionics efficiencies by leveraging open architectures and common software standards
- Field-proven, pre-engineered displays minimize lead-time and non-recurring engineering costs.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-