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04 Mar 21. Israelis Push New Missile For Patriot Launchers: SkyCeptor. Patriot missiles are expensive. Rafael and its US partner Raytheon says they can fire the cheaper Israeli SkyCeptor from existing Patriot launchers. Will that tempt the US Army?
The US Army is studying the Israeli SkyCeptor interceptor as an option for mid-tier air and missile defense, manufacturer Rafael told Breaking Defense.
In Israel, SkyCeptor is fired from the David’s Sling system. But Rafael’s American partner on SkyCeptor is Raytheon, which makes the famed Patriot missile defense system – and the companies call SkyCeptor a “plug and play” weapon that can fire from existing Patriot launchers. They’re planning a demonstration later this year.
“The Americans are seriously looking at our David’s Sling air defense system,” said Brig. Gen. (res.) Pini Yungman, head of Rafael’s air and missile defense systems division, in an interview with Breaking Defense. “Together with Raytheon, we offer to integrate the SkyCeptor with the US Army Patriot launchers. We are planning a full demo with Raytheon towards the end of the year,” Yungman said. “This demo will prove that we have the best protection against advanced threats like cruise missiles and at a price that is much lower than any other potential solution
SkyCeptor, the companies say, is optimized “to defeat short- to medium-range ballistic and cruise missiles and other advanced air defense threats [and] costs a fraction of other hit-to-kill interceptors.” That could give US Army Patriot batteries a lower-cost option against threats that don’t warrant a full-size, full-cost PAC-2, PAC-3, or PAC-3 MSE missile. Saudi-operated Patriot systems also failed conspicuously to defend Saudi Aramco facilities against a 2019 strike by low-flying cruise missiles and drones, which the Patriots’ radars – focused on higher-flying threats – failed to detect until too late.
A leading Israeli expert, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Breaking Defense that SkyCeptor would be a better match for some of the most common threats the US faces: “These include cruise missiles and different types of rockets. The Patriot PAC-3 can be used [against these], but its price is three to four times higher than the David’s Sling SkyCeptor interceptor.”
David’s Sling has also been tested against ballistic missiles, including in a December test off the Israeli coast – launching the interceptors from a Sa’ar missile boat — that impressed US observers.
The US has already bought two batteries of Rafael’s Iron Dome, a lower-tier system originally optimized against unguided rockets but upgraded to take on at least some kinds of cruise missiles. But the US Army bought Iron Dome reluctantly, under pressure from Congress, and its leaders have complained it’s difficult to integrate a foreign system – complete with radars, launchers, and command posts as well as interceptors – with US command networks.
The Army would much rather buy individual components, especially interceptors like Iron Dome’s Tamir, and integrate them into the Americans’ new IBCS network. That’s what makes SkyCeptor’s plug-and-play design so attractive.
Rafael first offered the SkyCeptor for use on Patriot launchers in its bid for Poland’s missile defense system. Poland , Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland are all reportedly looking hard at Rafael air and missile defense systems, particularly SkyCeptor and David’s Sling.
Meanwhile, in the US, Rafael and Raytheon are confident enough the US will purchase more missile defense systems – whether full-up batteries of Iron Dome and David’s Sling, or interceptors like Tamir and SkyCeptor – that they’ve formed a joint venture, R2S, and are upgrading a Raytheon factory in Camden to build the Israeli products in the US. (Changes in US aid rules have made it more attractive for Israeli companies to start US subsidiaries and joint ventures). “This facility will be operational within two years,” Yungman said. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
04 Mar 21. Boxer awaits firing trials with John Cockerill Defense C3105 turret. A Belgian John Cockerill Defense C3105 two-person 105 mm turret has been integrated onto a rear mission module of the Boxer 8×8 Multi-Role Armoured Vehicle (MRAV) at Krauss-Maffei Wegmann’s (KMW’s) facilities in Munich, the company has confirmed.
This combination has also completed some company mobility trials in Germany, and manned firing trials are planned to take place in Germany or the UK when Covid-19 restrictions are lifted, according to the two contractors. It was originally expected that this combination would be shown for the first time at the Eurosatory exhibition in Paris in June 2020, but that event was cancelled due to the pandemic.
The turret is armed with a 105 mm high-pressure rifled gun fed by an automatic loader, with this version fitted with stabilised day/night sights for commander and gunner, enabling hunter/killer target engagements while stationary or moving.
The C3000-series turret is in production for a Middle Eastern customer in the C3105 and C3030 configurations, with the latter armed with a Northrop Grumman 30 mm MK44 dual feed cannon, according to Simon Haye, the chief marketing officer at John Cockerill Defense. The second customer is Indonesia, which ordered for an initial batch of 18 C3105 for its Pindad Harimau (Tiger) medium tank. The company said over 500 turrets have been completed, and production is expected to run for several years.
The C3000 series is designed to be tailored to user-specific requirements such as main armament and others. When fitted with the C3105 turret, the Boxer can carry four dismounts in addition to its driver, commander, and gunner. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Mar 21. US gifts North Macedonia Colt M4 rifles. The Army of the Republic of North Macedonia (ARSM) received a US donation of 1,269 Colt M4 5.56×45 mm carbines during a ceremony at Gjorche Petrov military barracks in Skopje on 1 March, the Ministry of Defence reported on its website later the same day. The ARSM received a US donation of 1,269 Colt M4 5.56×45 mm carbines on 1 March. (Macedonian MoD)
Defence Minister Radmila Shekerinska said the donation would help the ARSM convert to the NATO-standard 5.56×45 mm calibre and the M4, which is already used by special forces, to arm NATO-declared infantry units. She added that the donation is part of a bigger package scheduled for completion in 2022 that will increase the number of donated M4s to over 2,000 and also includes machine guns and grenade launchers.
US Ambassador to North Macedonia Kate Marie Byrnes said the gifted rifles are worth USD1.2m.
The M4 donation came two days after Shekerinska and US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Mara Karlin signed a new memorandum of understanding that replaces the one signed in 1994, enhancing the strategic partnership between the two nations through joint training and exercises, increased co-operation in the fight against terrorism, more intensive military education exchanges, and improved interoperability through modernisation and equipping the ARSM. (Source: Jane’s)
24 Feb 21. HALCON Unveils UAE’s 1st Air Defence Missile. HALCON, a regional leader in the production and supply of precision-guided weapons, today unveils SkyKnight – the first UAE designed and manufactured counter-rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) missile system, on display at the International Defence and Exhibition Conference (IDEX) 2021 taking place in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi 21 – 25 February.
EDGE Group, parent company of HALCON, has been developing a short-range air defence system, as has Germany-based Rheinmetall AG, which was actively seeking a missile system to form part of its Skynex air defence system. The companies decided to jointly offer a solution, with HALCON providing SkyKnight, the missile system to the highly regarded Oerlikon Skynex Air Defence System, which sets new standards with its unique open architecture.
HALCON’s SkyKnight was purposely designed to counter the full spectrum of modern threats, providing early warning signals and precise surface-to-air intercept capabilities targeting of rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) rockets, artillery, mortar, and other fixed-wing aircraft at a range of up to 10Km.
Commenting on this landmark international elevation of a UAE-manufactured missile, H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, EDGE Group CEO and Managing Director said: “SkyKnight is the UAE’s first, but will not be the last air defence missile developed by HALCON. It is one of several tremendous achievements announced as part of the nation’s aim to establish sovereign defence capabilities, and with the goal to address ever-evolving threats that are not well covered by many players in the market. We are pleased to team up with Rheinmetall, a leading player in the defence industry, for us to jointly offer the world’s most advanced and comprehensive C-RAM solution leveraging our SkyKnight missile and Rheinmetall’s Skynex solution. This collaboration is a clear message that EDGE is open to teaming up with various players to offer joint advance solutions.”
The Oerlikon Skynex air defence system comprises the Oerlikon Skynex control node, multi-sensor units (MSU) featuring active electronically scanned multi-mode radars (AMMR), multiple 35mm revolver guns RG Mk3 and HALCON’s SkyKnight C-RAM missiles and missile launchers, each of which has a capacity of 60 missiles. HALCON’s C-RAM missile is capable of tracking and neutralising numerous, multi-directional incoming targets at one time, providing protection for static assets, as well as for mobile and mechanised forces. Transportable and mobile, the system can be deployed fixed on land, sea and moving land platform.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG said: “Rheinmetall Air Defence’s technologies are well suited to cover the recently shown gaps in ground-based air defence against very challenging new threats. Combined with Rheinmetall Denel Munitions capabilities in missile technology the cooperation of Rheinmetall and HALCON offers exciting new potential and a bright future.”
Rheinmetall AG, through its Swiss subsidiary, Rheinmetall Air Defence, has deployed the Skyguard system in numerous countries, which can bring down fast, small targets, and is used as the inner tier of layered air defence of vital points and critical military infrastructure. Countries that have rolled out Skyguard systems will ultimately upgrade to Skynex, placing HALCON, its SkyKnight C-RAM missile system, and the UAE at the forefront of air defence system innovation.
HALCON is part of the Missiles & Weapons cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world. (Source: ASD Network)
23 Feb 21. HALCON Unveils 1st Anti-Ship Cruise Missile at IDEX 2021. HALCON, a regional leader in the production and supply of precision-guided weapons, today unveils its HALCON AntiShip-250 (HAS-250) cruise missile at the International Defence and Exhibition Conference (IDEX) 2021, taking place in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi between 21-25 February.
The HAS-250 is a UAE-designed and developed surface-to-surface missile capable of travelling at speeds of up to 0.8 Mach, with a range of over 250Km. During its terminal phase, it can fly towards its target at a sea-skimming altitude of below 5m.
Engineered to provide the highest performance, the HAS-250 utilises Global Navigation Satellite and Inertial Navigation Systems (GNSS + INS) and for high accuracy targeting it is equipped with an active/passive terminal seeker and radio altimeter.
Saeed Al Mansoori, CEO of HALCON said: “Our focus on smart capabilities continue to deepen as we produce world-class products locally. The HAS-250 is a significant advancement in our quest to equip naval forces with the highest performing cruise missile system. Designed and developed by HALCON in the UAE, this weapon will assist in the active defence of the UAE’s water ways, and build on EDGE’s expanding reputation for being bold, agile, and disruptive.”
HALCON is part of the Missiles & Weapons cluster within EDGE, an advanced technology group for defence that ranks among the top 25 military suppliers in the world. (Source: ASD Network)
03 Mar 21. The USAF’s new swarming air-launched munitions program, Golden Horde, has been put to the test for a second time. The latest mission that we know about took place on February 19 and involved a two-seat F-16D Viper fighter jet from the 40th Flight Test Squadron, based at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, dropping four of the specially configured Collaborative Small Diameter Bombs (CSDB).
Although details remain limited, the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS) today released four photos of the test, in which the jet is seen circling the target after “successfully dropping four CSDBs for the second Golden Horde test mission near Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico,” according to the captions. The CDSBs are Small Diameter Bombs modified to incorporate networked swarming technology.
While the aerial imagery from the February 19 test clearly shows four puffs of smoke and dirt where the CSDBs impacted in close proximity, we don’t know for sure how successful the entire test was, or what kinds of parameters were involved. Still, the official photo release implied that they hit their mark.
This Golden Horde test mission follows the first test, which took place on December 15 of last year but was only announced in early January, and which you can read all about here. On that occasion, the two CSDBs launched subsequently failed to impact the simulated high-priority targets due to an “improper weapon software load,” which meant “the collaboration guidance commands were not sent to the weapon navigation system.”
In that first test, the weapons had been provided with pre-defined Rules of Engagement (RoEs) and determined that a GPS jammer was not the highest priority target. At this point, the weapons then collaborated to identify the two highest priority targets, although they ended up impacting a fail-safe target location as a result of the software failure.
Another two CSDB flight tests were planned for early this year, using four rather than two collaborative weapons in each mission.
It certainly seems as though the Air Force is steadily making progress with its ambitions to realize networked glide bombs that are able to work together collaboratively to prioritize and destroy targets independently of the launch aircraft.
The Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Golden Horde program aims to develop artificial intelligence-driven systems that could allow the networking together of various types of precision munitions into an autonomous swarm. While the adapted Small Diameter Bomb has been utilized for these first tests, the Air Force doesn’t seem to have any plans to field the CSDB as an operational weapon. Instead, the technology that Golden Horde is pioneering could find its way into the AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), or the ADM-160 Miniature Air-Launched Decoy, for example.
In these previous articles, The War Zone has looked at how these “networked, collaborative, and autonomous” weapon capabilities, once perfected, could revolutionize the way aircraft attack their targets. But there are significant challenges involved, not least ensuring the weapons can sense and react to changes in the battlespace in real-time as well as “talk” to each other to optimize their attack profiles.
A missile strike by a weapon such as the AGM-158 already presents a hostile air defense network with significant problems, but these would be compounded significantly if the same weapons were able to operate as a networked swarm, responding to changes in target priority, including those threats that appear once the missiles are in flight. Indeed, a swarm of missiles could be launched even before any particular targets had been identified, loitering and then attacking targets as they present themselves. In the same way, decoys, including electronic warfare jammers, could be added to the mix to bring further disruption to the enemy and better protect the launch aircraft.
The latest Golden Horde test shows that the era of the air-launched swarming munition is growing closer to reality, although there will likely be more hurdles to come as the Air Force works to optimize this potentially ground-breaking addition to its arsenal. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/https://www.thedrive.com/)
04 Mar 21. Thales secures £98m air defence missile contract. A £98.4m contract, supporting 119 jobs, has been extended to maintain Short-Range Air Defence (SHORAD) for the British Army and Royal Marines. SHORAD is made up of High Velocity and Lightweight Multi-role Missile systems that can intercept air threats including fast jets, attack helicopters and unmanned air systems in a matter of seconds.
Thales UK won the initial contract in 2018, helping to modernise and develop the missile systems as part of the Future Air Defence Availability Project (F-ADAPT). This latest announcement confirms a five-year extension to the contract, sustaining over one hundred jobs at Thales UK’s Belfast site and within the wider Northern Ireland supply chain.
Northern Ireland Secretary, Brandon Lewis said, “Northern Ireland has a proud history as a world leader in defence engineering and innovation. Today’s announcement shows again the level of confidence in Northern Ireland as a great place to do business. During these uncertain times, I am delighted that the investment of over £98m will protect over 100 skilled jobs in Belfast. I would like to congratulate all those involved who have secured this vital investment.”
Defence Minister, Jeremy Quin said, “This contract ensures the vital air defence capabilities, capable of dealing with a multitude of threats, are maintained and readily available to deploy. The £98.4m investment is the second major contract awarded to Northern Ireland’s defence industry in less than three months highlighting Northern Ireland’s important contribution to the delivery of our critical defence capabilities.”
Delivering rapid potent attack capability, the SHORAD missile systems can be fired from three platform variants. These include a Shoulder-Launch for single fire; a Lightweight Multiple Launcher capable of firing three missiles via a tripod, and a Self-Propelled launcher designed to fire up to eight missiles from a Stormer armoured vehicle.
DE&S CEO, Sir Simon Bollom said, “Our dedicated team at DE&S has worked closely with industry colleagues to ensure this crucial air defence capability remains primed and ready to support the UK Armed Forces until the end of 2026.”
Northern Ireland plays an imperative role within UK defence and its supply chain. This is the second multi-million-pound defence contract awarded to a Northern Ireland-based industry this year. In January, Spirit AeroSystems in Belfast, won a £30mcontract for the UK’s first uncrewed fighter aircraft supporting over 100 local jobs.
Defence has secured a substantial settlement of more than £24bn over four years acknowledging the responsibility and recognition the UK holds internationally in the Defence realm. Through strategic and pivotal investments, defence will be in a stronger position to tackle challenge future threats whilst advancing UK prosperity. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
03 Mar 21. KAI and IAI sign deal to offer loitering munitions, MUM-T systems to RoK military. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced on 3 March that they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly offer unmanned loitering munition systems to the Republic of Korea (RoK) Armed Forces. The collaboration agreement, which also covers manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) systems, is particularly aimed at meeting RoK Army (RoKA) requirements. The announcement, however, was short on details, with no information provided about the exact type of munitions to be offered or the aerial platforms they are to be teamed with.
That said, the move came only a few days after South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said that KAI is aiming to provide its Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) with a MUM-T capability.
The MUM-T system would link the LAH, development of which is due to be completed by late 2022, with a host of indigenously designed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), reported the Yonhap News Agency on 1 March, adding that the LAH already has the capability to receive data from a UAV via a ground control station.
DAPA official Lee Bo-hyung was quoted by Yonhap as saying on 24 February that KAI plans to start conducting MUM-T tests with the LAH within the next two years as part of a first stage of trials. Under a second stage, which would possibly be completed within five years, KAI would equip the helicopter with a canister-launched UAV. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Mar 21. Shotgun Training Advances Urban Warfare Capability. Soldiers from the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment have qualified on the Remington 870 shotgun, which is a key weapon in the urban battlespace.
Sergeant Ryleigh Egan was the lead instructor for the shotgun qualification course in the Greenbank Military Training Area.
“The Remington 870 can produce excellent lethality in urban operations, particularly with room clearances and the ballistic method of entry,” he said.
Sergeant Egan said the Delta Company soldiers were enthusiastic about learning to use a different weapon, and adding to their overall skillsets as professional soldiers.
“We have a very young company and they are keen and willing to better their personal skills, so when the Remington was offered as a course, they were very keen to get hands-on and practise new forms of combat.”
Sergeant Egan said the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment was working on modernising its training as the battlespace evolved and urban operations become more of a focus for the Australian Army.
“The end goal is to have the vast majority of Delta Company and possibly the battalion qualified in the weapon, allowing soldiers to participate in further courses such as the Light Explosive Urban Breaching Course,” Sergeant Egan said.
“Ultimately we are trying to increase the company’s lethality in all combat scenarios.” (Source: ASD Network)
01 Mar 21. Air-defence brigade under PLAGF’s 78th Group Army receives HQ-16 SAM systems. Chinese state-owned media revealed on 28 February that an air-defence brigade with the People’s Liberation Army Ground Force’s (PLAGF’s) 78th Group Army has been supplied with self-propelled HQ-16 medium-range, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems.
Broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV) did not reveal how many examples of the truck-mounted system entered service with the brigade, which is under the PLA’s Northern Theatre Command, but the HQ-16 is thought to consist of at least one battalion set, as this would be expected for a brigade formation.
The baseline variant of the HQ-16 has been reported to be capable of engaging targets at a maximum range of 40 km, while the upgraded HQ-16B variant is reportedly capable of engaging targets out to about 70 km.
Given that the baseline version entered service back in 2011, it is likely that the recently delivered system was the HQ-16B. The addition of such systems into the PLAGF provides much-needed anti-air cover for China’s armoured and mechanised formations. (Source: Jane’s)
01 Mar 21. Global Strike Commander eyes HACM hypersonic missile for B-52s. Global Strike Command commander General Timothy Ray said he is looking at the potential of equipping B-52 bombers with the in-development Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) during a media roundtable at the Air Force Association’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium.
commander General Timothy Ray said he is looking at the potential of equipping B-52 bombers with the in-development Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) during a media roundtable at the Air Force Association’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium.
The command also already plans to equip its B-52s with Lockheed Martin’s Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW).
Commenting on HACM, Ray said: “We’ve done some flight tests already on the ARRW. We’re looking to do some more later this year. I’m pleased with where that is. The progress continues. Certainly, we’re in the conversation for the HACM, as that gets developed.
Ray said the B-52 would be the first bomber to be fitted with the HACM, alongside ARRW, after which Global Strike Command would “look for the other opportunities.”
Ray deed: “I’m not in a place where I can give you the dates and times but as the Air Force looks at the threshold and objective platforms, how we continue to go down that path, I believe the HACM will give us an additional set of capabilities that will be both fitted for bombers and fighter aircraft.
“I think it’s a pretty special capability to keep our eye on and to keep that moving.”
Elsewhere Ray said, the number of bombers Global Strike Command needed was ‘north of 220’ adding that the ‘roadmap’ included ensuring the B-2 was still viable until the B-21 ‘is coming off in appropriate numbers’.
Commenting on the bomber roadmap, Ray added: “I that roadmap is very well thought out now. We just finished talking to the Senate Armed Services Committee members to satisfy an NDAA requirement to walk them through that. That went really well.
“And as soon as I leave here, I’ll go sit down with all the House Armed Services Committee members, and but I do believe inside the Air Force, this is probably the more comprehensive and capable roadmaps that we have to go forward.”Are you worried about the pace of innovation in your industry?
Ray also said the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the B-52 re-engining contract should close ‘this summer’ adding that the project was ‘on time’. Ray added that ‘digital and physical prototyping’ had allowed for the project’s acceleration. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
01 Mar 21. Turkey’s Baykar begins designing AI-powered combat drone. A Turkish drone maker has begun the conceptual design phase of what it hopes will become the country’s first combat drone. Haluk Bayraktar, the general manager of Baykar Savunma, said Feb. 28 that the aircraft is the firm’s “top priority program.” The privately owned company will complete the conceptual design phase by 2023, the centennial of the Turkish republic, he added.
The planned drone will fly at an operational altitude of 40,000 feet. The artificial intelligence-powered aircraft will be able to perform missions for five hours, and will be connected to a satellite communications data network. The fighter aircraft is expected to reach a cruise speed of 0.8 Mach and carry a maximum of 1 ton of ammunition. It would be used in close air support, strategic assault, hostile air defense system attack and missile assault missions.
Baykar’s program comes as Turkey faces uncertainties about its new-generation fighter requirements. The United States suspended Turkey’s partnership in the Joint Strike Fighter program that builds the F-35 due to Turkey’s purchase of the Russian-made S-400 air defense system.
Turkey is also running an indigenous fighter jet program, the TF-X, but this ambitious project has been crawling over technological snags and financing constraints.
BAE Systems helped TF-X with its conceptual design phase under a $125m program, but Turkish authorities are yet to select an engine, which must come before additional progress is made in the design phase. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/C4ISR & Networks)
01 Mar 21. SIGN4L Signs MoU with European Defence Entities MBDA and CILAS to Explore Cooperation in High-energy Laser Weapons Systems. SIGN4L, a regional leader in the provision of agile, adaptive and reliable electronic warfare and intelligence (EW&I) solutions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MBDA, a world leader in missile systems offering a comprehensive international product range incorporating today’s most advanced innovations, and CILAS, the French subsidiary of Ariane Group, specialising in laser and optics technology. The three companies are to explore co-development in the field of high-energy laser weapons systems as part of an advanced counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) strategy.
The MoU was signed by His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE, on behalf of SIGN4L, Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, and a representative of CILAS, in the presence of key representatives of the three entities at the ongoing International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021), underway at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) from 21 February to 25 February.
Under the terms of the MoU, each of the partners is tasked with identifying a potential axis of cooperation in several domains and activities related to high energy lasers, such as operational analysis and systems architecture, while also factoring in potential vulnerability and performance demonstration. The agreement follows up on the bilateral cooperation agreement signed between French Authorities and Tawazun during the Dubai Air Show 2019.
Speaking on the agreement, His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai said: “It is a proud moment for us at SIGN4L and EDGE to bring critical competencies in directed energy to the country and the region as part of our wider strategy on counter-UAV solutions. We are confident our synergies with CILAS and MBDA will further advance the UAE’s defence preparedness, and enable the country to build a secure technological future.”
Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, said: “For the first time, MBDA is engaging in an ambitious cooperation outside Western Europe regarding high-energy laser. Collaboration in this field is of a mutual interest since MBDA and CILAS’s capabilities and experience working on high-energy laser activities for more than 30 years is complementary to SIGN4L’s strong knowledge and expertise regarding them.” (Source: ASD Network)
01 Mar 21. IDEX 2021: Russia tests new anti-drone projectiles for artillery systems. Russian tank manufacturer UralVagonZavod is testing new multifunctional, armour-piercing guided projectiles against low-flying aerial targets including drones, according to a report by Russia Beyond.
The anti-aircraft artillery complex ‘Derivation’ is due to receive new ammunition by 2022 according to the company press release. The self-propelled anti-aircraft system is based on the chassis of the BMP-3 infantry vehicle and is equipped with a 57 mm automatic cannon module. The combat vehicle is primarily designed to combat drones, cruise missiles and aircraft weapons on low altitudes and is also capable of eliminating ground targets.
With a firing rate of 120 rounds per minute, the ‘Derivation’ is capable of launching a whole row of projectiles and instantly detonating them, whereupon the cloud of fragmentation debris will wipe out any incoming drones. In terms of range, the ‘Derivation’ is comparable to NATO’s laser-guided UMTAS anti-tank missiles, as well as the Roketsan MAM-C and MAM-L smart munition systems, used by the Turkish Air Force in the Middle East, says the report.
“57 millimeters is the maximum caliber for artillery units that can be installed on electronic control systems. If we take into consideration the density and accuracy of ‘Derivation’s’ fire rate, we can state that such guided projectiles will drastically increase the firepower of a unit,” said a military source reported by Russia Beyond. “Hitting an armored tank with 57-mm projectiles will ‘blind’ its electronic systems and make it vulnerable against other Russian weapon systems.”
One particular feature of ‘Derivation’s’ AU-220M cannon is its modularity. Put simply, it can be installed both on heavy equipment, in the form of multi-ton caterpillar-track platforms or ships, as well as on BRM-3 infantry fighting vehicles or BRM-3K reconnaissance vehicles.
For more information visit:
www.rbth.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
27 Feb 21. Defense Officials Outline Hypersonics Development Strategy. The Defense Department has identified hypersonics as one of the highest priority modernization areas, as Russia and China develop their own capable systems.
Hypersonic systems are able to travel on extended flights within the upper atmosphere — 80,000 to 200,000 feet — at speeds near and above Mach 5, and they’re able to maneuver in ways that are hard for defenders to predict.
The high-altitude range creates a gap between air defenses and ballistic missile defenses, Mike White, principal director for hypersonics in the office of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said.
White told attendees of the Air Force Association’s virtual Aerospace Warfare Symposium that to address these challenges, the department has developed a hypersonics modernization strategy that accelerates the development and delivery of transformational warfighting capabilities. He said the strategy consists of:
- Developing air-, land-, and sea-launched, conventionally-armed hypersonic strike weapons for highly-survivable, long-range, time-critical defeat of maritime, coastal and inland targets of critical importance on the tactical battlefield.
- Using comprehensive, layered-defeat of an adversary’s tactical hypersonic strike missile capability.
- Utilizing reusable, hypersonic systems for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike, as well as the first stage of a two stage vehicle for rapid access to space.
White said DOD’s strategy has four major phases of implementation:
- Phase 1 is technology development and concept demonstration.
- Phase 2 is weapon system concept prototype development and demonstration.
- Phase 3 is the accelerated fielding of prototype weapon system capability.
- Phase 4 is the creation of acquisition programs and capability phasing plans.
The hypersonic strategy is being implemented in a highly coordinated set of programs across the military services and agencies and with critical, enabling investments in the industrial base and organic laboratories, as well as working collaboratively with our allies, where appropriate.
“We will deliver strike capability to the warfighter in the early-mid 2020s and a layered hypersonic defense capability — first terminal and then glide phase — in the mid-late 2020s. For reusable systems, our goal is to deliver capability in the early to mid-2030s,” White said.
Air Force Brig. Gen. Heath A. Collins, program executive officer for weapons and director of the armament directorate at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center in the Air Force Materiel Command, said his organization is developing a rapid prototyping program for the AGM-183A air-launched rapid response weapon, dubbed ARRW.
The ARRW program is a boost-glide based hypersonic weapon. Collins said his team is getting ready for the first booster flight test next week. “We’re also getting ready to transition into production within about a year on that program, so it will be the first air-launch hypersonic weapon that the Air Force has.
“We’re really proud to be in the hypersonics weapon enterprise at this point in this exciting time, and we’re just on the cusp of an operational capability,” Collins added.
James Weber, senior scientist for hypersonics at the Air Force Research Laboratory, said the lab has a long history in hypersonic science and technology development, beginning in the early 1960s.
Over the last 25 years, DOD has invested some $1.7bn in hypersonics, he said.
“We have a wide technology portfolio for hypersonics with competencies in test capabilities and thermal propulsion — such as scramjet propulsion and solid rocket motors and liquid rockets, materials, high-temperature materials and structures, manufacturing, guidance control systems and also basic research,” Weber said, adding that AFRL works closely with other military services and agencies.
For instance, Weber said the research laboratory is partnering with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on the hypersonic, air-breathing weapon concept program, as well as the tactical boost glider programs. “We are partnered with them to develop and demonstrate critical technologies for launch of hypersonic weapons by FY22.”
Weber added that his team is also collaborating with Collins’ ARRW project.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Gebara, director of strategic plans, programs and requirements at the Air Force Global Strike Command, said that developing new hypersonics capabilities requires accelerated acquisition strategies once the most promising programs are narrowed down.
Gebara said that over the years, the department has done some amazing testing with hypersonics, but has not followed through to production. What’s different this time is that there’s a national will to accelerate these programs and get them fielded quickly. (Source: US DoD)
24 Feb 21. UAE’s First Air Defense Missile To Be Used on German Oerlikon Skynex. “What made Rheinmetall sign with us? This shows that we have the expertise, right infrastructure, test labs and development support to secure such big deals,” Saeed Al Mansoori, CEO of Halkon tells Breaking Defense. The United Arab Emirates announced at IDEX that it will supply its first indigenous rocket, artillery and mortar (C-RAM) missile system to Rheinmetall’s Oerlikon Skynex air defense system.
“We are so proud of our locally-made SkyNight multi-mission missile in cooperation with Rheinmetall, who is responsible for the integration of the system,” Saeed Al Mansoori, CEO of Halkon told Breaking Defense. “This is exactly the right kind of weapons to defeat the threats that are facing the Gulf region, from drones to cruise missiles.”
UAE’s HALCON, a part of EDGE Group specializing in the production and supply of precision-guided weapons, designed and manufactured SkyKnight to counter the full spectrum of modern threats, providing early warning signals and precise surface-to-air intercept capabilities targeting of rotary-wing aircraft, UAVs and other fixed-wing aircraft at a range of up to 10km.
When asked about the time of delivery, Al Mansoori said the first demonstrator will be ready in about three years, with the UAE armed forces being the first customer.
However, the company is still considering how many units will be built, but the CEO stressed that, “every country requires having a huge amount of missiles to secure its skies, and these ones here are of major importance especially against the new types threats that include UAVs and small missiles.”
HALCON’s C-RAM missile is capable of tracking and neutralizing numerous, multi-directional incoming targets at one time, providing protection for static assets, as well as mobile and mechanized forces. Transportable and mobile, the system can be deployed fixed on land, sea and moving land platform.
This move comes as part of the UAE’s aim to establish sovereign defense capabilities, amid push to diversify its economy and become less dependent on defense contractors.
“The real question here is what made Rheinmetall sign with us?” the CEO told me. “This shows that we have the expertise, right infrastructure, test labs and development support. No doubt also that such capabilities will make Rheinmetall have a wider footprint in the GCC area.”
The collaboration is also a clear message that EDGE is open to teaming up with various players to offer joint advanced solutions.
Faisal Al Bannai, EDGE Group CEO and managing director, said SkyKnight is the UAE’s first developed air defense missile system, but will not be the last. “It is one of several tremendous achievements announced with the goal to address ever-evolving threats that are not well covered by many players in the market,” he said in a statement.
“We are pleased to team up with Rheinmetall, a leading player in the defence industry, for us to jointly offer the world’s most advanced and comprehensive C-RAM solution leveraging our SkyKnight missile and Rheinmetall’s Skynex solution,” he concluded.
Armin Papperger, CEO of Rheinmetall AG said: “Our air defense’s technologies are well suited to cover the recently shown gaps in ground-based air defense against very challenging new threats. Combined with Rheinmetall Denel Munitions capabilities in missile technology the cooperation of Rheinmetall and HALCON offers exciting new potential and a bright future.”
Rheinmetall’s Oerlikon Skynex comprises the Oerlikon Skynex control node, multi-sensor units (MSU) featuring active electronically scanned multi-mode radars (AMMR), multiple 35mm revolver guns RG Mk3 and HALCON’s SkyKnight C-RAM missiles and missile launchers, each of which has a capacity of 60 missiles. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
26 Feb 21. SIGN4L Signs Memorandum of Understanding with European Defence Entities MBDA, CILAS to Explore Cooperation in High-energy Laser Weapons Systems. SIGN4L, a regional leader in the provision of agile, adaptive and reliable electronic warfare and intelligence (EW&I) solutions, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MBDA, a world leader in missile systems offering a comprehensive international product range incorporating today’s most advanced innovations, and CILAS, the French subsidiary of Ariane Group, specialising in laser and optics technology. The three companies are to explore co-development in the field of high-energy laser weapons systems as part of an advanced counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) strategy.
The MoU was signed on the 23rd of February 2021 by His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai, CEO and Managing Director of EDGE, on behalf of SIGN4L, Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, and a representative of CILAS, in the presence of key representatives of the three entities at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX 2021), at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC).
Under the terms of the MoU, each of the partners is tasked with identifying a potential axis of cooperation in several domains and activities related to high energy lasers, such as operational analysis and systems architecture, while also factoring in potential vulnerability and performance demonstration. The agreement follows up on the bilateral cooperation agreement signed between French Authorities and Tawazun during the Dubai Air Show 2019.
Speaking on the agreement, His Excellency Faisal Al Bannai said: “It is a proud moment for us at SIGN4L and EDGE to bring critical competencies in directed energy to the country and the region as part of our wider strategy on counter-UAV solutions. We are confident our synergies with CILAS and MBDA will further advance the UAE’s defence preparedness, and enable the country to build a secure technological future.”
Eric Béranger, CEO of MBDA, said: “For the first time, MBDA is engaging in an ambitious cooperation outside Western Europe regarding high-energy laser. Collaboration in this field is of a mutual interest since MBDA and CILAS’s capabilities and experience working on high-energy laser activities for more than 30 years is complementary to SIGN4L’s strong knowledge and expertise regarding them.”
MBDA is the only European group capable of designing and producing missiles and missile systems that correspond to the full range of current and future operational needs of the three armed forces (land, sea and air).
With a significant presence in five European countries and within the USA, in 2018 MBDA achieved revenue of 3.2bn euros with an order book of 17.4bn euros. With more than 90 armed forces customers in the world, MBDA is a world leader in missiles and missile systems. In total, the group offers a range of 45 missile systems and countermeasures products already in operational service and more than 15 others currently in development.
MBDA is jointly owned by Airbus (37.5 %), BAE Systems (37.5 %), and Leonardo (25 %).
24 Feb 21. AFRL to receive first major assembly as part of SHiELD ATD programme. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is set to receive the ‘first major assembly’ as part of its Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) programme.
The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is set to receive the ‘first major assembly’ as part of its Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator (SHiELD) Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) programme.
The first of three main subsystems will be delivered this month. The other two subsystems will be handed over later this year.
The programme aims to combine a laser system on a fighter jet to defend against incoming missile threats.
According to AFRL, the SHiELD programme is developing a ‘directed energy laser system’. It will be housed in an aircraft pod.
This laser system will showcase the defensive capabilities of aircraft against surface-to-air (SAM) and air-to-air (AAM) missiles.
SHiELD programme manager Jeff Heggemeier said: “Over the last five years we have worked side-by-side with Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman, advancing the technology that would make this system work.
“To finally have the subsystems in the lab, will be a huge step forward in seeing the system to completion.”
After receiving its first major assembly, the SHiELD pod structure will enable AFRL scientists and engineers to start the complete system’s integration.
AFRL noted that the full system test is scheduled for fiscal year 2024.
AFRL Directed Energy Directorate director Kelly Hammett said: “Those critical demonstrations show that our directed energy system is on track to be a game-changer for our warfighters.
“The ability to shoot down missiles in flight, and operate in denied environments, increases the advantage we have over our adversaries.”
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
25 Feb 21. Pentagon aims to field hypersonic weapons by mid-2020s. The U.S. military is hoping to field offensive hypersonic weapons by the early- to mid-2020s, the Pentagon said this week.
The Department of Defense also plans to develop a layered system for defense against hypersonic weapons by the mid-to-late-2020s and develop reusable hypersonic systems by the early- to mid-2030s, according to Mike White, principal director for hypersonics in the office of the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.
Russia and China have aggressively pursued hypersonic systems in recent years, which White said underscores the importance of developing and deploying hypersonic weapon systems.
“Historically, the United States has been a world leader in hypersonics research and development but we have consistently made the decision not to transition to warfighting capability and warfighting systems in hypersonics,” White said, speaking during the DoD’s Engineers Week event.
Hypersonic weapons can travel at altitudes between 80,000 and 200,000 feet, at velocities faster than about five times the speed of sound.
The fact that hypersonics can travel in the upper reaches of the atmosphere allows for maneuverability in unpredictable situations.
But the high altitude also presents some challenges, including extremely high temperatures and, in some cases, the need for advanced propulsion systems.
White said the DoD needs improved capability and capacity for testing and evaluation of hypersonics, both for ground and flight testing — as well as increased workforce capacity.
“We will need additional engineers and technicians to build up the capacity to build hundreds and even thousands of these weapons,” White said.
According to White, Russia and China’s aggressive pursuit of hypersonic technologies will compound the challenge created by other high-end systems they are fielding for combat in air, on land, at sea and in space.
In November, the Pentagon established a Joint Hypersonics Transition Office Systems Engineering Field Activity at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Ind. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/UPI)
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