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23 Oct 25. US Army reveals formal requirements for howitzer competition. The document, dated Oct. 20, and marked as controlled unclassified information, sheds additional light onto the Army’s plans to host a new competition. The US Army has issued formal requirements for its next self-propelled howitzer, which includes provisions requiring domestic production, a high level of armor and the ability to fire US ammunition, according to a copy obtained by Breaking Defense.
“To survive and support expanded maneuver on a sensor soaked and precision munitions battlefield, our artillery formations require robust and organic fire support with rapid emplacement and displacement, ever increasing range, rate of fire, and reduced sustainment to deliver dominant long-range, massed, and precision fires,” said the directed requirement document.
“To achieve this goal, we will equip two Transformation in Contact units with advanced weapons systems that include both firing platforms and mated, substantial resupply capabilities from available manufacturers,” it added.
The document, dated Oct. 20, is marked controlled unclassified information and supports a recently released request for information (RFI) for a self-propelled howitzer.
One industry source said that this new requirements document closely mirrors an earlier version released in mid-2024 that Breaking Defense has not obtained or viewed. However, the source highlighted two changes from that earlier document: a “domestic production” clause for both the howitzer and resupply vehicle, and a provision that the howitzer can fire US ammunition. Both of those items are notable since there are a line of foreign competitors deciding if they will bid on the program, including Israel’s Elbit Systems, South Korea’s Hanwha, Germany’s Rheinmetall and a team-up of US-based Leonardo DRS and European land defense specialist KNDS. US prime contractor General Dynamics is also a likely contender, as is British BAE Systems through its American subsidiary that currently produces the Army’s M109A7 Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) program. The RFI released in late September asked interested companies to describe their onshore production capacity, but this requirements document solidifies domestic production as a key component of the competition. Of course, a production requirement is not a death knell for any foreign-based firm that wants to take part. For instance, Mike Coulter, Hanwha’s defense head, told Breaking Defense last week that he’s not concerned about any domestic requirement that could emerge with its offering.
“Our intent is to create capacity, build them here,” he said during an interview in Washington, although “I don’t think we have fully fleshed out options. We have not committed to a plan.”
Tracked Vs Wheeled Requirements
The requirements document also includes a call for the new howitzer to be as heavily armored as the currently fielded M109A7, while also providing increased “mobility & transportability.” Getting that level of armor and mobility could prove to be a tricky needle to thread. Traditionally, wheeled vehicles are lighter and built more for roads, while tracked vehicles are associated with heavier vehicles that more easily maneuver in muddy conditions. The source speculated that the mention of armor equivalent to the M109A7, could be a sign the Army prefers a tracked system or the upgraded M109A7. (Of the currently known competitors, Hanwha’s K9 is the only tracked option while BAE is still producing the M109A7.)
The requirements document also includes:
- A sustainment provision for a platform that delivers higher levels of reliability, availability, and maintainability to ensure sustained combat operations and minimize logistical burden/cost.
- A mobility provision for air/sea/rail/road transport and on/off-road mobility performance up to that of HIMARS.
- The requirement for a weapon that can reach “max range massed lethal effects” up to 58km (36 miles) and precision fires up to 70km (43.5 miles) and a min range of 4km (2.5 miles).
- The platform should be able to store more than three precision rounds (e.g., Excalibur) and be able to fire at least six rounds per minute unguided and three rounds per minute if guided.
After scrapping internal development of the Extended Range Cannon Artillery platform, Army officials embarked on a world tour last year searching for existing self-propelled howitzers. After seeing offerings from five companies — BAE Systems, Elbit Systems, General Dynamics, Hanwha and Rheinmetall — the Army announced plans to launch a competition to pick an existing platform rather than embarking on development of an entirely new weapon.
However, that competition was temporarily placed on hold as part of the Army Transformation Initiative. Then in late September, the service launched forward and released the RFI.
The RFI, authored by the Program Executive Officer for Ground Combat Systems, called on vendors to offer solutions that will “likely involve temporarily” providing their howitzer systems to brigades participating in the Army’s Transformation in Contact (TiC) initiative — the service’s push to rapidly test new equipment with units both inside the US and abroad to understand how that technology will operate in real-world environments. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
23 Oct 25. Estonia plans to procure Chunmoo and more HIMARS MRLs. Estonian Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, signed a defence co-operation agreement in Seoul, South Korea, on 23 October for Estonia to purchase South Korean K239 Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers (MRLs), the Estonian Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced in a press release later the same day. The ministry expects the agreement to result in tens of millions of euros in direct investments in the Estonian defence industry. The Estonian MoD placed the procurement in the context of Estonia rapidly increasing its deep-strike capability to potentially be able to wage war on enemy territory and to provide national and NATO deterrence and defence capabilities.
“To this end, it is necessary to increase Estonia’s deep-strike capability with additional rocket launchers,” Pevkur said. “We began developing our deep-strike capability with the acquisition of US HIMARS rocket launchers, and we have also agreed with the US on the acquisition of additional HIMARS [High Mobility Artillery Rocket System] units, for which we are currently awaiting exact delivery dates from the US. To further strengthen its deep-strike capability, the [Estonian] Defence Forces [EDF] have selected Chunmoo rocket launchers manufactured by a South Korean company.”
Pevkur noted that Poland has a similar solution based on US MRLs and Chunmoo. Poland has a framework contract with Hanwha for 290 Chunmoo systems running from 2023 to 2029. (Source: Janes)
22 Oct 25. Integration of the SPEAR missiles onto the KF-21 Boramae fighter. After an agreement signed in June 2023 between MBDA and Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI), a new milestone has been achieved on October 20th 2025, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the integration of the SPEAR Air-to-Ground missile onto the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet. Announced during Seoul ADEX 2025, this MoU represents reinforced cooperation between MBDA and KAI, and will strengthen the KF-21’s precision-strike capability, combining KAI’s next generation fighter with MBDA’s expertise in complex weapon systems. Already equipped with the METEOR Air-to-Air missile, the Korean KF-21 fighter jet will have enhanced air-to-ground capability, with the integration of the SPEAR. This is MBDA’s latest capability for providing a low collateral damage precision effect, enhanced platform/weapon survivability, a high load out for increased persistence.Powered by a turbojet engine, and with a fitted with a precision effects warhead, plus an advanced multi-sensor seeker, the SPEAR missile can engage beyond the horizon a wide range of target types, both on land and at sea. Following the June 2023 agreement, this MoU reinforces the strong partnership between both companies, who have shown dedication and common goal to further explore new opportunities for the integration of new MBDA weapons onto KAI platforms. (Source: Defense Arabia)
22 Oct 25. ADEX 2025: Taurus unveils new missile for internal weapons bays of stealth aircraft. Taurus Systems has unveiled a new air-launched cruise missile that is capable of being carried internally in a future variant of the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) KF-21 ‘Boromae’ fighter aircraft, as well as smaller KAI FA-50 light combat aircraft. Known as the KASOM (Korean Advanced Stand Off Missile), the new platform is smaller than Taurus’ KEPD 350, according to Taurus. A mock-up of the new missile was shown for the first time at the Seoul International Aerospace & Defence Exhibition (ADEX) 2025, which is being held from 17 to 24 October. A company source described the KASOM programme as “an extension” of the previous KEPD 350K-2 – an all-weather missile project – which was being pitched to South Korea and other countries. Taurus was developing the KEPD 350K-2 to arm light and short-range fighters such as the FA-50. KASOM will have a length of 4 m and a width of 950 mm, according to Taurus. This reduction in size also reduces the weight of the missile to 2,000 lb (970 kg), according to a company brochure. The KEPD 350 has a weight of 3,086 lb (1,400 kg). KASOM retains the same top speed (Mach 0.6–0.95) of the KEPD 350, the brochure added. KAI has not officially released specifications for the internal weapons bay of the future KF-21EX (Extended) fifth-generation variant. However, Janes understands that the size will be comparable to the dimensions of the weapons bay in the Lockheed Martin F-35A. (Source: Janes)
21 Oct 25. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), a global leader in defense and aerospace, has introduced its latest addition to the LAHAT family of Laser-Homing Anti-Tank missiles: LAHAT ALPHA. This next-generation system addresses the growing market demand for cost-effective precision missiles with an extended operational range of over 20 km. Designed for stand-off engagement, LAHAT ALPHA provides forces with the ability to engage high-value targets. Fired from beyond line of sight (BLOS), LAHAT ALPHA is launched by vehicle or helicopter and follows a laser spot designated by ground or airborne laser designators. The system is easy to operate, requiring less than one week of training for operators. As proven in the latest conflicts around the globe, laser-homing technology is considered a more reliable guidance method, as it enables forces to overcome the challenges of GPS denial and limited line of sight. LAHAT ALPHA is a 2-meter-long, 25 kg missile that includes a large warhead, which comes in variations of anti-tank and fragmentation. It can destroy tanks, penetrate structures, neutralize coastal targets and strike fast-moving targets. Based on the LAHAT missile heritage, operationally proven in the last three decades, LAHAT ALPHA benefits from IAI’s experience in laser-homing munitions and battlefield-proven missiles deployed with numerous land, naval and air forces around the globe, including the IDF.
President and CEO of IAI, Boaz Levy: “LAHAT ALPHA reflects IAI’s dedication to delivering proven capabilities that address modern army needs for volume and precision at extended ranges. We are proud to unveil a missile that was developed based on decades of knowledge in missiles and laser homing technology. This development reinforces our role in ensuring our customers’ readiness for future challenges.”
EVP and General Manager of Systems, Missiles and Space Group at IAI, Guy Barlev: “LAHAT ALPHA was developed to meet our customers’ requirements, adding range and lethality to a highly effective, proven missile, meeting the global demand for powerful and competitively priced missiles.”
08 Oct 25. FN America, LLC has delivered test and evaluation samples of two all-new weapon systems – LICC-IWS and LICC-AMG – along with ammunition as part of a long-term development contract with the Department of Defense’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD). FN also conducted new equipment training (NET) and armourer’s training for both systems to demonstrate maintenance at the unit level. FN America developed the weapon systems with feedback from individual operators, based on the US Government goal of providing overmatch against near-peer threats. The systems were recently assigned National Stock Numbers (NSN), simplifying the acquisition process. The LICC-IWS programme is comprised of the 6.5×43 LICC (Lightweight Intermediate Caliber Cartridge) ammunition, the LICC-IWS (Individual Weapon System) with FN IPC (Improved Performance Carbine), purpose-built magazine and signature suppressor. The LICC-AMG is based on the success of the prototype LICC ammunition and LICC-IWS system and is comprised of the LICC-AMG (Assault Machine Gun) belt-fed machine gun, signature suppressor, family of common ammunition, and lightweight links. Multiple users will test the operational samples, providing critical feedback to aid FN and IWTSD in the final development of the systems.
“FN’s ultimate goal is to advance from development into production and field a final solution that provides operators a system that is easier to operate, more accurate and more effective than anything available today,” said Mark Cherpes, President and CEO for FN America. “After this test and evaluation phase, our plan is to take user feedback, fine-tune the systems and move into low-rate initial production.”
LICC Weapon Systems and Ammunition: FN designed the LICC individual weapon system to improve lethality, accuracy, durability, balance and handling over the M4A1. The improved performance derives from a new 6.5×43 LICC lightweight ammunition, based on the US Army Marksmanship Unit’s .264 USA; a 25-round purpose-built, polymer magazine; a signature suppressor, and the FN IPC. The FN IPC features a completely new architecture, well-suited to meet the challenging programme requirements and address the feedback from operators who have contributed since the beginning of the programme. The LICC-IWS IPC handles much like an M4A1 but with key improvements to deliver a fully ambidextrous platform with unique takedown method and highly adjustable buttstock, which allows for user-selectable left- or right-hand side fold capability. It operates from a robust long-stroke gas piston system and features multiple buffers that reduce felt recoil, resulting in an extremely soft shooting weapon. Additionally, it features a unique self-regulating gas system with on-off capability, and newly patented bullet technology developed from efforts to mature the 6.5×43 cartridge, that greatly improve system reliability and accuracy.
The LICC-IWS has been developed and is being tested in three different barrel-length models – a 12.5” Close Quarters Battle option, a 14.5” Carbine option and an 18.0” Designated Marksmanship Rifle option (REECE).
“Initial test firing results from the US Army Marksmanship Unit and other operators show that the accuracy of the LICC-IWS is consistently two times better than the M4A1,” said Jim Williams, Vice President, Military Programs for FN America. “Additionally, the LICC-IWS handles like the M4A1, yet remains soft shooting when firing the new 6.5×43 lightweight ammunition.” (Source: joint-forces.com)
17 Oct 25. Uncrewed systems have become a central focal point of modern military power in the last several decades: uncrewed ground robotics, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), uncrewed surface and subsurface vessels and now, launched effects (LE). Textron Systems has over three decades of expertise in designing, integrating and manufacturing these uncrewed systems across domains, with continuous investments and developments made to our portfolio to support the evolving battlefield. Building on our expertise and the needs of modern warfare, the newest addition to our uncrewed systems portfolio is the Damocles launched effect. Launched effects are purpose-built systems designed to autonomously or semi-autonomously deliver kinetic or non-kinetic payloads, with a focus on three interlocking priorities: precision lethality and targeting, safety for friendly forces and non-combatants, and the ability to manufacture and operate at scale. These priorities support the US military and its allies by equipping them with the modular and agile tools needed for deterrence and escalation management in peer warfare environments. Previous mission scenarios would require soldiers to be stationary in line of sight, waiting for the adversary to come within range, then utilise many rounds of artillery to defeat enemy vehicles which puts soldiers at much higher risk and increases inefficiency and cost per target. With launched effects, soldiers can send the systems far beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) to engage the target without putting themselves at risk.
The ability to defeat the intended target reliably, while minimising the need for repeat engagement, enhances mission outcomes and reduces the number of sorties and supporting assets required to achieve objectives.
The capability to manufacture and operate launched effects at scale turns tactical successes into broader strategic advantages. Modular designs, common components and dual-use manufacturing techniques help shorten production times and lower unit costs.
Textron Systems’ Damocles launched effect is built with a Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA), allowing the integration of various payloads to support different Concepts of Operations (CONOPS), such as electronic warfare effects. This modularity ensures that the Damocles launched effect can be swiftly adapted to evolving mission requirements and operational scenarios, providing flexible and scalable solutions for joint forces and allied nations. Textron Systems equips the Damocles launched effect with its advanced GEN2 Explosively Formed Penetrator (EFP). This provides the ability to penetrate and defeat a modern battle tank, equipped with protection systems and reactive armour, with a unitary munition for mission-critical operations. High-precision effects also improve tactical flexibility for strategic terrain-shaping missions. Equipped with autonomous tracking capabilities and advanced artificial intelligence, Damocles launched effect ensures accurate targeting and effective execution in complex environments. Robust testing, redundant guidance, hardened communications and cyber-resilient command-and-control reduce risks of failures or adversary manipulation of launched effect systems. Safety protocols, such as human-in-the-loop mission supervision and decision-making, are essential for maintaining operational security. The Damocles launched effect includes additional features to prevent unexploded ordnance (UXO) on the battlefield, enhancing safety during and after conflict. This feature is particularly critical in reducing post-conflict hazards and ensuring a safer operational environment for friendly forces and non-combatants. As the US Army and its allies continues its development and demonstration of launched effects capabilities, systems like the Damocles launched effect remain pivotal in shaping the future landscape of military operations. (Source: joint-forces.com)
20 Oct 25. Hanwha unveils new loitering munition missile for Chunmoo. Hanwha Aerospace is developing a new missile that can launch a loitering munition for the Chunmoo (multicalibre) multiple rocket launcher (MRL) system. Designated as the L-PGW100, the new missile is capable of being launched from a standard Chunmoo MRL, a project official told Janes during the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025 held in South Korea from 17 to 24 October. The incorporation of the L-PGW100 with the MRL comprises phase three of the Chunmoo system (or Chunmoo 3.0), according to a video shown by Hanwha Aerospace at the exhibition.
“We began this missile project in 2024, and our goal is to complete the project in 2029,” the project official said, adding that the loitering munition has been integrated with Hanwha Aerospace’s existing 239 mm CGR-080 missile that is employed by the Chunmoo MRL family of systems.
“All types of strike roles can be achieved by the Chunmoo family of systems. This new Chunmoo 3.0 combines a loitering munition missile that can be used by the family,” the official added.
While the loitering munition does not yet have a name, it resembles the AeroVironment Switchblade 600. However, the project official added that the munition is wholly developed within Hanwha Aerospace. The munition is equipped with a datalink system and Hanwha’s in-house HAIM 1500 inertial measurement unit (IMU), GPS/inertial navigation system (INS) sensors, and an electro-optic/infrared (EO/IR) payload, according to the project official. (Source: Janes)
20 Oct 25. India fires Nag Mk 2 ATGM from Zorawar light tank. India’s state-owned Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has fired Nag Mk 2 anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) for the first time from the Indian Light Tank (ILT), also known as ‘Zorawar’. The office of the minister of defence of India said in its official social media post on 17 October that the firing undertaken by the DRDO has achieved “all performance objectives, including the range, manoeuvrability for top-attack mode, and accuracy”. However, the post did not provide any additional information regarding the parameters and results of the firing activity. According to the Ministry of Defence, the ILT is developed by DRDO’s Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment (CVRDE) and its production partner Larsen & Toubro (L&T). Janes has previously reported that the Zorawar light tank prototype, which was unveiled at Defexpo 2022, is powered by a Cummins 750/1,000 hp engine and is fitted with a modified John Cockerill 3105 turret. The platform weighs 25 tonnes. The modified turret fitted to the Zorawar light tank integrates a lightweight remotely operated weapons system (ROWS) fitted on a rotating pedestal mount. The ROWS is equipped with a 12.7 mm machine gun, and the ammunition feed is from a magazine located on the right-hand side of the weapon station. The turret also houses an ATGM launcher on its right-hand side. It is mounted with four banks of four smoke dischargers, with two in the front and two at the rear facing sideways. In comparison, a standard Cockerill 3105 turret comes fitted with only two banks of four smoke dischargers in the front. (Source: Janes)
17 Oct 25. India fears its ballistic missiles are outmatched by China’s. Worried by China’s growing arsenal of ballistic missiles, India is responding with a plan to create a joint rocket force that would control and expand the country’s non-nuclear missiles. But the proposed Integrated Rocket Force, or IRF, has been beset by delays and may be outgunned by Chinese missiles. The mismatch could place India in a dilemma: either endure Chinese missile strikes deep inside India without the ability to retaliate, or escalate to nuclear weapons.
“The IRF is aimed at addressing a conventional war-fighting asymmetry that India has against China,” Debak Das, a professor of peace and security at the Univ. of Denver, told Defense News. “Using a rocket force dedicated to conventional military action will likely allow India space to militarily engage the PLA along the LAC [Line of Actual Control, or the Sino-Indian border] without escalation to the nuclear level.”
However, the IRF – first proposed in 2021 – has yet to materialize.
“The IRF, envisioned primarily as a conventional missile force geared mostly for tactical strike missions, is still theoretical,” wrote Kartik Bommakanti, a researcher for the Observer Research Foundation, an Indian think tank.
The IRF would be a joint army-navy-air force organization that in some ways mirrors the People’s Liberation Army Rocket Force, which is a branch of the Chinese military. But unlike the PLARF, the IRF would be responsible for conventional rockets, with India’s ICBMs and IRBMs remaining under the Strategic Forces Command. The IRF would be armed with an array of missiles, including the Brahmos cruise missile, the ship-based Long-Range Land Attack Cruise Missile, the Pinaka multiple rocket launch system, and the Pralay tactical ballistic missile. But these weapon can’t reach more than 500 kilometers, or only enough to reach the Tibet plateau and other areas close to the border. However, China’s ballistic missiles, such as the DF-26 and DF-100, have ranges up to 2,000 kilometers. Chinese missiles “can strike across the great depth of the Indian land mass even when launched from deep within the Chinese mainland,” Bommakanti wrote. In contrast, “most of China’s economic and industrial hubs are located in central and eastern parts of the country, which need to be rendered vulnerable with Indian missiles that have an extended range.” Indeed, China’s arsenal of 3,500 missiles – which has surged 50% over the past four years – has emerged as one of the potent factors in Asian security. Taiwan fears a deluge of rockets if China invades, while the U.S. worries that key bases such as Guam would be devastated by missile salvoes. For India, the question is the impact of Chinese missiles if another conflict erupts along the 2,100-mile Sino-Indian border. Conflicting territorial claims led China and India to fight a brief war in 1962 – which China won – followed most recently by border clashes in 2020 and 2022. Amid Himalayan mountains as high as 28,000 feet, large-scale ground combat operations would be a nightmare. But as in the Ukraine war, long-range munitions can hit supply depots, headquarters, bridges, and critical infrastructure such as the electrical grid. Bommakanti suggests that India could use the Agni-5 – a 5,000-kilometer IRBM currently assigned to India’s nuclear forces – for conventional missions, as well as developing a long-range Indian hypersonic weapon. But he argues that there needs to be an organization to coordinate Indian non-strategic missiles.
“Without an IRF, clear priorities cannot be established, and all missile capabilities related to ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic projectiles with longer ranges cannot be integrated, deployed, or launched effectively in the event of military hostilities against the PRC [People’s Republic of China].”
Still, the IRF may face problems such as rivalry between services reluctant to give up control of their missiles.
“Many of IRF’s initial assets will come from the army and air force, and there appears to be concerns among Indian defense analysts about whether IRF will only control the missiles and rockets or the launching, communication, and intelligence systems that come with them as well,” noted an essay by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S. think tank.
Either way, the prospect of two nuclear-armed powers launching missiles – even without nuclear warheads – is almost apocalyptic.
“So far, there has been no public discussion about the conventional deep strike capability against Chinese strategic infrastructure,” Das said. “The problem with adopting such a doctrine is that China could do the same against India.”
There is also the question of India’s other strategic worry: a nuclear-armed Pakistan. Though the IRF is aimed at China, it has also rattled the Pakistanis, who recently announced the creation of the Army Rocket Force. “This is a response to India’s IRF announcement,” said Das. “Islamabad will likely try to minimize any asymmetry it has with India as its conventional rocket forces mature.”
In the end, a China-India missile competition may come to an existential question: Can two nuclear powers fire conventional missiles at each other’s homeland without escalation to thermonuclear war?
“While New Delhi might hope that this [the IRF] will decrease Beijing’s appetite for low level skirmishes along the Line of Actual Control, it is not clear if this will ultimately be the case,” said Das. “India is still a ways away from being at parity with China along some of these vectors of conventional strength. So until we see ideas like the IRF mature, it is difficult to say if they will be effective in keeping peace.” (Source: Defense News)
17 Oct 25. SOCOM wants a drone-launched fire-and-forget missile. U.S. Special Operations Command wants a small, jam-proof, fire-and-forget missile that can be launched from medium-sized drones. The goal of the Symbiotic UAS Delivery System, or SCBDS, project is to develop a missile small enough to “allow special operations soldiers to conduct multiple fire and forget kinetic strikes” from a Group 2 or 3 drone that has advanced target recognition capabilities, according to the Army Small Business Innovation Research solicitation. This means launch UAVs with a maximum takeoff weight between 21 and 1,320 pounds.
“The munition will have a range of [greater than] 4 kilometers, be self-propelled, and be capable of conducting kinetic anti-personnel and/or anti-material strikes without post-launch guidance input from the Group 2/3 platform it was launched from,” said the solicitation, which closed last month.
The missile would be small, with the system’s total weight not exceeding five pounds, including two pounds of “useful kinetic payload,” the SBIR said. It should also have a minimum speed of 100 kilometers per hour, and an accuracy of within five meters of the target, even in a GPS-denied environment. A major goal of SCBDS is to develop a weapon that can function amid the cacophony of jamming that already has proven highly disruptive in the Ukraine war. Heavy Russian jamming of GPS, in particular, has sharply reduced the effectiveness of GPS-guided munitions such as ATACMS, HIMARS and Excalibur. British experts estimated that Ukraine was losing 10,000 drones per month in 2023, largely due to Russian jamming.
Thus, the imperative for fire and forget.
“After initial targeting data is provided to munition, the munition must be capable of guiding to designated target without RF [radio frequency] control or satellite PNT [position, navigation and timing],” the SBIR specified. “Means of communication and control can be included with the munition but it cannot be dependent on a data link to successfully prosecute a target.”
The SBIR suggests that computer vision — in which AI interprets visual data — will be key to the project. The U.S. Army Special Operations Command’s Science and Technology team “anticipates that the solution will incorporate low-SWAP IMU [a small inertial navigation unit] in coordination with a computer vision/pixel lock technology,” the SBIR noted. Ukraine and Russia have responded to jamming by fielding drones guided by fiber-optic cables that can’t be jammed. But a fire-and-forget missile with onboard guidance — and compact enough to be carried by a smaller drone like the 40-pound MQ-27 ScanEagle — would be very useful, not least to special operations troops who might not have easy access to air support. A Hellfire missile, for example, weighs around 100 pounds, which requires larger launch UAVs such as the Group 5 MQ-9 Reaper. SCBDS appears to reflect “lessons drawn directly from the war in Ukraine,” Kelly Grieco, a researcher at the Stimson Center think tank, told Defense News. “In today’s electronic warfare environment, small drones with ATR [advanced target recognition] are increasingly being developed and deployed to help identify and home in on targets, especially in the last mile of attack.”
“The real challenge is making those algorithms reliable under battlefield conditions, particularly against a thinking adversary who uses deception,” Grieco added.
Phase I of the project will involve a feasibility study, followed by a Phase II prototype and Phase III commercialization of the technology.
“With the proliferation of UAS-based delivery in the commercial markets, this technology has potential application in that space,” the SBIR said.
In addition, the SBIR predicts that the project will enable improved commercial drone-based bridge inspection. SCBDS “has potential use cases in UAS-based infrastructure inspection and hazardous substance detection “due to the anticipated computer vision requirements associated with this technology.” (Source: Defense News)
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About Galvion:
Galvion designs, develops, and delivers mission critical head, face, and torso protective solutions as well as intelligent power and data management systems for the world’s most demanding military and tactical teams. Founded in 2002 as Revision Military, a foundational belief in calculated investment and capability expansion led to a strategic refocus, resulting in the divestiture of the protective eyewear business, along with the Revision name, in 2019. Rebranded as Galvion, the company’s products and technology continue to evolve beyond purely passive protection, focusing instead on active systems that enhance performance and survivability, with an eye to the ever-changing demands of the modern battlefield. Through advanced design, keen end-user insight and intelligent integration, Galvion engineers uniquely customized solutions that go beyond what was once thought possible.
Privately owned with ISO 9001:2015 certified facilities in Vermont, Massachusetts and New Hampshire in the US, Montreal in Canada and Bristol in the UK, Galvion’s team of 400+ employees work proactively to solve the problems left unsolved by others.
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