10 Nov 22. USAF SDPE and SOCEUR conduct live-fire test of JASSM-ER missile. The test involved deployment of a palletised effects system, containing JASSM-ER, with a MC-130J aircraft. The US Air Force’s (USAF) Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) office has completed a live-fire test of a joint air-to-surface standoff missile-extended range (JASSM-ER). It was conducted in collaboration with the US Special Operations Command Europe (SOCEUR), from the Andøya Space Defense Range in Norway on 9 November. The test was performed as part of a US European Command-approved and SOCEUR-led operational series, called ATREUS. The latest iteration, ATREUS 22-4, was seventh in the European theatre series while it marked the first joint effort between the US and allied nations, including Norway, Romania, the UK and Poland.
The demonstration was also part of the SDPE-led/developed Rapid Dragon Experimentation programme, which falls under the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Integrated Capabilities Directorate.
Rapid Dragon aims to test the operational utility of delivering long-range weapons from military cargo aircraft.
The programme’s expanded scope, which earlier only covered kinetic munitions, now includes palletised munitions/effects, cargo resupply, humanitarian aid, as well as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms. The latest test involved the deployment of a Rapid Dragon palletised effects system, comprising a JASSM-ER long-range, precision-guided cruise missile, with an MC-130J Commando II aircraft, assigned under the 352nd Special Operations Wing.
During the demonstration, a palletised effects system carrying long-range cruise missiles was airdropped by MC-130J aircrew. The missiles were then gradually released over the Norwegian Sea.
AFRL commander major general Heather Pringle said: “Rapid Dragon is a fantastic example of the speed at which technologists and warfighters can work –design, development, prototyping and experimentation of new capabilities can get to the field on operationally relevant timelines.”
Other participants in the test included –US Indo-Pacific Command, Air Force Europe-Air Forces Africa, Naval Sea Systems Command, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Andøya Space Center, among others.
(Source: airforce-technology.com)
10 Nov 22. Germany conducts operational suitability test of Vulcano 127 ammunition. The Vulcano 127mm guided ammunition has been co-developed by Leonardo and Diehl Defence. The German Navy has concluded the operational suitability test of the Vulcano 127mm guided ammunition, co-developed by Leonardo and Diehl Defence. The testing was announced by Leonardo in a media statement. Conducted in the northern Norwegian fjords, the recent test involved test firing of the Vulcano 127mm from the 127/64 Lightweight naval gun aboard the German Navy’s Baden-Wurttemberg-class vessel or F125 frigate Rheinland-Pfalz.
The test firing validated the precision verification capability of new ammunition in an operational scenario.
Furthermore, it allowed users to verify and assess the ammunition’s basic configuration with a height of burst sensor, as well as other configurations with terminal homing sensors, including semi-active laser and far infrared.
Leonardo said that the successful firing from Baden-Wurttemberg-class will further drive the fielding process of the new ammunition across the German Navy vessels. The Vulcano 127mm and 155mm precision-guided ammunitions have been co-developed by the companies to meet the requirements of the German and Italian navies. Vulcano 127mm has a range of up to 80km and Vulcano 155mm can achieve 70km range. (Source: naval-technology.com)
10 Nov 22. Exail-SfS team to develop MCM mission management solution for RAN. The effort will increase RAN personnel’s efficiency to prepare, conduct and manage their MCM missions. Exail, the newly formed ECA Group and iXblue group, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Australian company Solutions from Silicon (SfS).
The collaboration has been established to develop various advanced data management capabilities in Australia to meet the requirements of the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Signed on a long-term basis, the agreement will also support the RAN’s SEA 1905 programme.
The MoU will primarily focus on increasing the efficiency of the RAN personnel to prepare, conduct and manage their mine countermeasures (MCM) operations.
SfS specialises in developing mine warfare tactical command software (MINTACS), which enhances the capabilities of a naval mine warfare and clearance diving force.
As part of the latest deal, Exail’s teams will work to combine and interface MINTACS software with its MCM solutions.
SfS technical director Russell Norman said: “We’re very pleased to be collaborating with Exail on integration of MINTACS software with their solutions, which will give navies an advanced solution and extended capabilities to manage and conduct MCM missions.”
The MINTACS software module will also be integrated with Exail’s UMISOFT mission management system. (Source: naval-technology.com)
09 Nov 22. Norway bulks up artillery with new K9 howitzer agreement, tank contract set for year end. Norway’s investment in additional artillery systems fits in with a much larger land capability plan that will soon see the award of a production contract for new main battle tanks.
The Norwegian Defense Material Agency (NDMA) signed off today an option with partner Hanwha Defense of South Korea for delivery of an additional four K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled howitzers and eight more K10 ammunition resupply vehicles.
The option being exercised falls within an original 1.0bn kroner ($180m) contract struck between the two parties in 2017 and increases Oslo’s full K9 order to 28 systems. Similarly, procurement of K10, the supporting automated robotic unit of the K9, will rise to a total of 14 vehicles.
All deliveries are expected to take place within the next two years, according to a NDMA public affairs spokesperson.
Oslo’s decision follows Poland and Hanwha agreeing on a $2.4bn K9 deal in August — the largest export contract for the artillery system that has also been ordered by Hanwha’s home country of South Korea as well as Turkey, India, Finland, Estonia, Australia and Egypt.
The strengthening of Norway’s artillery firepower arrives in advance of a key decision expected before the end of 2022 for acquisition of a new Main Battle Tank (MBT), a contract competition between Germany’s Krauss-Maffei Wegmann, offering the Leopard 2A7, and South Korea’s Hyundai Rotem pitching the K2 Black Panther.
“Both manufacturers have delivered offers with the vehicles involved in cold winter tests in Norway last year,” the NDMA spokesperson said of the MBT competition. “It has been a thorough process so far.”
He also estimated the new MBT contract to be worth around $1-2 bn, with the Norwegian Army requirement set at 72 vehicles. Entry to service has been planned for 2025, coinciding with Leopard L2A4 retirement.
Norway plans on further increasing land capabilities through the acquisition of additional Infantry Fighting Vehicles (IFV) ahead of the army standing up a fourth mechanized battalion, though it’s unclear exactly what type of vehicle that will be.
“Rather than simply ordering more CV-90 IFVs [already operated by Norway] the government will conduct groundwork to assess whether other options are best or buy additional CV-90s,” said the NDMA spokesperson.
The government is expected to make a recommendation on “how to move forward” with the IFV program before the end of the year, with a procurement phase potentially starting at the end of 2024, confirmed the spokesperson.
“A [request for information] was developed before the summer, with an internal evaluation being developed now,” he added.
Much interest also surrounds investment in a long range precision fires program, but procurement approval by Oslo will only be reached once NDMA carries out key activities such as market research and cost analysis.
“At that point, it will then be up to the government to make a prioritization decision or we could see an invitation to tender occur late 2023 or 2024,” added the NDMA spokesperson.
Norway’s latest future defense acquisitions document, published in April 2022, states that introduction of a new long range precision fire system is planned for 2029.
In an Oct. 11 interview with Breaking Defense, both Maj. Gen. Lars Lervik, the top Norwegian Army officer, and his Swedish counterpart Maj. Gen. Karl Engelbrektson, were unequivocal about investment in long-range fires. Lervik stated, “It’s about having range and precision, but it’s also about having volume. So that’s the trade off, at least we are looking at, you need to have some systems that can reach out, but we also need to have the volume to stay in the close fight.”
Norway’s progress with land based acquisitions is looked upon as critical to deterring or countering Russian aggression, especially within the context of the two countries sharing a 198Km border in the Arctic. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
08 Nov 22. Indonesia to be first foreign user of Turkey’s Khan missile system. Turkish missile-maker Roketsan signed a contract with Indonesia this month to supply Khan missiles and a multilayer air defense system for the Asian nation’s military.
This is the first time the Khan missile system, an export version of the combat-proven Bora ballistic missile system, will enter the inventory of a force other than the Turkish military.
The deal was announced at the Indo Defence Expo & Forum, which ran Nov. 2-5. Speaking to Turkish media, Roketsan’s deputy general manager, Murat Kurtulus, stressed the importance of the Southeast Asian market to the company.
“We will soon be putting our first products into the service of the Indonesian Ministry of Defense thanks to the contracts we have signed,” Kurtulus said. “These are two different products. The Khan missile system is the first. This is a significant weapon system with a range of 280 kilometers and high precision in the battlefield’s depths. The Indonesian military will be the system’s first foreign user.”
Kurtulus also noted the company will develop a tailor-made air defense system for the Indonesian Army.
“The second contract is about the layered air defense system. The Indonesian Ministry of Defense had different requirements in this regard. We have created a new model in collaboration with our international business partners. A technical and financial model has been developed. We will present our first layered air defense system products as two separate medium- and long-range systems here. In the coming months, we will also discuss close air defense systems,” Kurtulus explained.
Roketsan officials did not reveal additional information about the layered air defense system, and the company declined to answer Defense News’ inquiries about the contracts’ values and delivery timelines.
According to Roketsan brochures, the Khan missile can launch from a multi-barrel rocket launcher on an eight-wheel drive vehicle. In accordance with the customer’s requirements, it can also launch from other tactical wheeled vehicles.
The 280-kilometer-range (174-mile-range) missile weighs about 2,500 kilograms (5,512 pounds) with a 470-kilogram (1,036-pound) high-explosive warhead. Khan missiles are managed via aerodynamic control with an electromechanical actuation system, and supported with GPS and inertial guidance system technology.
It’s rumored the Indonesian Navy is interested in Turkey’s Atmaca anti-ship missile system, though Roketsan has not confirmed this.
However, Kurtulus did not Indonesia’s “very large coastlines” and islands, adding that the country “needs naval systems and surface-to-surface guided missiles. We want and hope that we can further develop the cooperation that we signed for the first time at this exhibition in the near future.” (Source: Defense News)
08 Nov 22. Lockheed talks results of US Army’s long-range munition shoot-off. The U.S. Army is set to conclude a shoot-off for its Long-Range Precision Munitions effort in mid-November, according to a service spokesperson, with Lockheed Martin revealing the results of its demonstration.
The service launched its effort in fiscal 2022 to design and develop an LRPM for its AH-64E Apache attack helicopter and its future attack reconnaissance aircraft, with a shoot-off taking place at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah. The Army will then choose industry-born designs to move forward into a roughly five-year development program in FY23, according to FY22 budget documents.
The Army said earlier this year that it planned to take three vendors into the fall shoot-off, but the service would not reveal the capabilities and contractors involved in the evaluation.
However, Lockheed told Defense News in an Oct. 31 interview that it had wrapped up its demonstration of the latest variant of the Spike NLOS weapon at Dugway.
The company fired four missiles in three test scenarios and was “four-for-four” in the successful execution of the test shots, according to Tom Bargnesi, senior program manager for precision fires at Lockheed.
The shoot-off for Lockheed took place the week of Oct. 17, he said, and “we demonstrated all of the government’s objectives.”
”We demonstrated integration to the Modular Effects Launcher, that we could successfully communicate and launch off that particular piece of equipment,” he added. “We also demonstrated the range that they asked us to demonstrate, and we also demonstrated our technologies in a GPS-denied environment.”
The shoot-off will be complete in mid-November, according to a spokesperson with the Army’s Program Executive Office Missiles and Space and for the Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team.
The results will inform the Army’s Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team, the Army Aviation Center of Excellence’s capability manager for reconnaissance and attack, and the Research and Analysis Center’s efforts as they come to together to inform a capability development document and future acquisition decisions, the spokesperson told Defense News in an Oct. 4 statement.
The Army is not releasing the total number of competitors, nor the competitors participating in the shoot-off capability demonstration, with the spokesperson citing that information as “sensitive.”
Long-range munitions for the Army’s future aircraft will be critical to engage an enemy’s defensive positions from a comfortable standoff — or out of range of enemy detection.
So far, the data gathered in the shoot-off has been “extremely beneficial,” the spokesperson said.
“Information gathered to date has [proved] existing technologies and capabilities achieve desired extended range as well as [proved] integration on the Modular Effects Launcher,” the spokesperson added, noting the Army plans to complete its capability development document by the spring. (Source: Defense News)
08 Nov 22. Pentagon test bed to ramp up development of hypersonics.
The U.S. Department of Defense is working with a diverse industry team to develop a hypersonic capability testing facility to validate and field the high-speed systems on a faster timeline.
Led by the Pentagon’s Test Resource Management Center and the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Crane Division, based in Bloomington, Indiana, the Multi-Service Advanced Capability Hypersonics Test Bed aims to create a new option for defense agencies and universities as they demonstrate and validate hypersonic vehicles, materials and related technology.
Hypersonic systems can travel and maneuver at speeds above Mach 5, or about one mile per second, and DoD is on track to spend about $15 bn between 2015 and 2024 developing these capabilities. Progress has been constrained, however, by the availability of infrastructure such as wind tunnels and test vehicles, limiting the number of flights programs can conduct. Most major programs run only a few trials each year.
The goal of MACH-TB, according to Scott Wilson, the Navy’s developmental test lead for hypersonics and advanced capabilities, is to help the department increase the testing cadence to one flight per week — a target set by the Pentagon’s Principal Director for Hypersonics Mike White.
“We can’t keep doing what we’re doing in terms of operational tempo,” Wilson told C4ISRNET in an interview. “We have to test more often to collect data and provide that data to our stakeholders so they can make evaluations on their weapon systems, what they want to transition, what types of technology can help feed them and help provide additional capability.”
The Navy in September selected Dynetics, a defense technology company based in Huntsville, Alabama, to develop an experimental glide body for MACH-TB that will be used to test hypersonic capabilities that support a range of DoD programs. Dynetics will also serve as the prime integrator.
The service also identified an initial cadre of about 16 companies, laboratories, small businesses and universities that will work with Dynetics on the effort. Wilson said the list of collaborators will grow over time, but early partners include research centers like Sandia National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory as well as a range of companies, including Kratos, Peraton, SpinLaunch and Stratolaunch.
Wilson said the combined awards to Dynetics, Sandia and Oak Ridge totaled $16.5 m, which will support the program’s first phase. That early work, which will last about nine months, is focused on developing a testing “matrix” that brings together hypersonic testing requirements from across DoD.
Prepping to start tests in 2023
The information gathered through Phase One will be used to plan and prioritize MACH-TB test events. It will also help the program better understand the potential cost of the program, which Wilson said is hard to pinpoint until testing requirements are laid out.
In concert with that planning work, Wilson said his team is starting to shore up its inventory for parts and components, purchasing some items in advance so the program can be prepared to start testing next spring or summer.
Those early tests will focus on higher-priority Pentagon programs, including the Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon. LRHW is a ground-launched, boost-glide missile system that the service plans to field next summer.
The Navy is also working to complete development of its Conventional Prompt Strike missile next year and integrate the weapon into its Zumwalt-class destroyer vessel in 2025.
“I envision those first few tests directly supporting those guys as they look to transition and field these weapon systems,” Wilson said.
Jonathan Pettus, senior vice president of defense and civil aerospace at Dynetics, said that while coordinating the needs and priorities of the services and mitigating supply chain risk will likely present a challenge, the lessons learned from that work could benefit future programs.
“The government is searching for what’s the right balance between industry and government and how do you navigate the fact that there’s clearly this shared set of needs across the services,” he said. “I’m hopeful that this program can be another great stepping stone example of that.”
Speed through collaboration
The program’s outreach to small companies and commercial suppliers is an effort to take advantage of a broader pool of innovation, Wilson said. Many of these firms may not typically work with DoD, but they bring new ideas and solutions to a field dominated by large defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
“If we truly want to increase our operational tempo and reduce cost, we [have to] open this up to commercial entities,” he said. (Source: Defense News)
08 Nov 22. MBDA and its partners in the DragonFire consortium have successfully carried out the first static high power laser firing of a sovereign UK capability at the Dstl’s range in Porton Down on 17th October 2022.
Using QinetiQ’s phase-combined laser demonstrator, generating in the order of 50kW of power, focused by Leonardo’s Beam Director and delivered using MBDA’s advanced image processing and command and control (C2) system, the trials showed that DragonFire could safely control and focus a high power laser onto an extremely precise point at long range.
The firing was part of a second set of tests in a series of trials to prove the accuracy and power of the novel DragonFire laser weapon. The first trials, announced in July 2022, proved DragonFire can successfully track, and hit, air and sea targets with exceptionally high accuracy.
Chris Allam, Managing Director of MBDA UK, said, “These successful trials are the latest step in accelerating delivery of a UK sovereign laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) capability. MBDA, Leonardo, QinetiQ and Dstl working together are putting the UK at the forefront of research & technology in this field. The results from these trials have verified analysis and given the team confidence that DragonFire will offer a near term and unique capability.”
The next step will be to combine the outcomes of these first two trials, pairing the proven tracking accuracy and the high power laser, by engaging targets in operationally representative scenarios.
Notes to Editors:
MBDA is the only European defence group capable of designing complex weapons 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 2021 MBDA achieved revenue of 4.2 bn euros with an order book of 17.8 bn euros. In total, the group offers a range of 45 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%).
08 Nov 22. Laser power moves a step closer for UK defence.
Dstl hosts the UK’s first high-powered long range laser trial to assess performance and viability.
The MOD’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has hosted the UK’s first high-powered, long range laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) trial on its ranges at Porton Down.
The trials involve firing the UK DragonFire demonstrator at a number of targets over a number of ranges, demanding pinpoint accuracy from the beam director.
These tests improve the UK’s understanding of how high-energy lasers and their associated technologies can operate over distance and defeat representative targets. The ability to deliver high levels of laser power with sufficient accuracy are two of the major areas that need to be demonstrated in order to provide confidence in the performance and viability of LDEW systems.
The programme has developed a UK sovereign ‘centre of excellence’ staffed with experts from multiple fields. Laser directed energy weapons have the potential to provide lower cost lethality, reduced logistical burden and increased effectiveness when compared to other weapon systems – the technology could have a huge effect on the future of defence operations.
The programme’s specialist industry partners are:
- MBDA, with overall responsibility for the system; MBDA have developed the advanced command and control (C2) and image processing capabilities
- Leonardo, who have developed the beam director which can track and point at targets with pin-point accuracy
- QinetiQ’s laser experts, who have built a phase-combined laser capable of generating in the order of 50kW of power, with the ability in the future to scale fire-power levels
Dstl’s Technical Partner, Ben Maddison said: “This trial is the culmination of design, development and demonstration activity over a number of years. DragonFire has already successfully demonstrated an ability to track targets with very high levels of precision and to maintain a laser beam on the selected aim-point. This trial has assessed the performance of the laser itself – the outcome shows that the UK has world-leading capability in the technologies associated with laser directed energy weapons (LDEW) systems.”
Chris Allam, UK Managing Director and Executive Group Director of Engineering at MBDA said: “These successful trials are the latest step in accelerating delivery of a UK sovereign laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) capability. MBDA, Leonardo, QinetiQ and Dstl all working together are putting the UK at the forefront of research and technology in laser domain. The results from these trials have verified analysis and given the team confidence that DragonFire will offer a near term and unique capability.”
The trial is the culmination of significant joint investment by the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) and industry over a number of years totalling around £100m.
Mark Hamilton, Managing Director Electronics UK, Leonardo said: “The DragonFire project draws on our decades of high energy laser and beam director heritage to put the UK at the very forward edge of what is possible in laser technology. The results of this live trial, which saw our beam director integrated into the DragonFire system, were impressive. We are looking forward to the next stages of the programme.”
QinetiQ Chief Executive, Steve Wadey, added: “We are delighted to have been involved in the trial, which has brought together the best of UK industry expertise in the complex weapons environment to work in close collaboration with Dstl. QinetiQ’s coherent beam-combining technology offers a laser system that can achieve an enhanced power density and increased engagement range, that is scalable for future uses. The trial has proven the performance of these laser technologies and their potential for adoption in sovereign defence capabilities.”
This technology could provide the basis for a number of future weapon systems. The DragonFire project is running in parallel and closely connected to other defence programmes including the Novel Weapons Programme.
Through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA), Dstl is currently seeking innovations to better understand the next steps necessary to develop and introduce the first generation of deployed directed energy weapons. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
07 Nov 22. Black Sky Aerospace tests four guided weapons from new launch POD system. The Queensland-based company trialled nine guided weapons systems, including four from the company’s new POD system.
In developing the weapons systems, the company utilised its own rocket propellant. BSA has confirmed that they are Australia’s first civilian operator to demonstrate this capability.
Black Sky Aerospace chief executive officer, Blake Nikolic, explained that the rocket testing addresses the Commonwealth government’s recent calls to enhance the company’s weapons capability.
“There are Australian companies which have already taken up the challenge; not waiting till it’s too late, but actively developing systems so we are not overtaken by events,” Nikolic said.
“We have now tested and gathered data for further development of our guidance system. BSA and its partners are getting on with the job, and getting it done quickly.
“Development, integration and operations has been an exciting challenge for the company but having heritage in rocket platforms and explosives manufacturing, provided the foundation for this successful round of demonstrations.”
In a statement, Nikolic explained that enhancing Australia’s sovereign supply chains has allowed the nation to develop guided munitions in under the five-year timeframe.
“The success of these firings comes from a very talented group of Aussies collaborating to produce Australian Industry Capability. We have all the resources to deliver capability to the ADF and our allies today,” Nikolic continued.
It is hoped that the launches will enable the company to improve their next tranche of missile testing, expecting to take place over coming months. (Source: Defence Connect)
07 Nov 22. Aimpoint awarded Fire Control Systems contract for Canada. Aimpoint, the leading manufacturer and innovator of red dot sighting technology, has been awarded a contract for supply of the Aimpoint® FCS13-RE Fire Control System and TH-60 thermal sight systems to the Canadian military. The system will be used on deployed operations as the primary day and night Fire Control System (FCS) on Canada’s in-service M3 84mm Carl Gustaf produced by SAAB Dynamics. The contract was awarded through Twenty20 Insight Inc.
The FCS13-RE is a direct view, Dynamic Universal Reflex Sight, which utilizes an integrated laser range finder and ballistic computer to give the gunner an aiming point corrected for range, type of munition, terrain angle, and environmental conditions. The FCS13-RE provides a very high probability of first shot hit on both stationary and moving targets at extended ranges and utilizes a very intuitive user control interface. The system purchased by Canada MOD includes the TH-60 thermal imaging sight to allow full operational capability at night.
A proven system delivered to other NATO militaries, the Aimpoint FCS13-RE and TH-60 system was chosen for this program as it fully met or exceeded all of Canada’s strict technical performance requirements.
“The FCS13-RE with TH-60 provides Canada’s soldiers with huge increase in lethality. The FCS package being delivered will: more than double the effective range of the in-service M3 84mm Carl Gustaf; greatly increase first shot hit percentage; and make the weapon system fully day and night capable” said A.J. Lutes, Managing Director at Twenty20 Insight Inc.
Deliveries of the Aimpoint FCS13-RE and TH-60 are scheduled for 2023. The system will be fielded by the Canadian Army.
07 Nov 22. Tracks preferred over Wheels for UK Mobile Fires. Sources close to BATTLESPACE suggest that following an analysis of the Ukraine battlefield, the UK MoD has put its preference for the Mobile Fires Requirement to a tracked fleet and/or a mixed wheeled and track fleet in preference to a wheeled-only fleet based solely on the Boxer RCH155, which, in any event needs to be added to the OCCAR UK Boxer buy list. The UK is believed to be looking at a refurbishment of 89 AS90 self-propelled howitzer which will keep the systems in service until 2030. Whether or not the new 52 Calibre barrel is part of this upgrade is unclear. Some AS90 systems have been to be supplied to Ukraine. In other news the UK is believed to be looking at 3 new modules for its Boxer Fleet.
07 Nov 22. Roke modernises the European battlefield with new Soldier System digital platform. Roke, a leading UK innovator in Soldier Systems, is digitising dismounted Command and Control (C2) and Situational Awareness (SA) through Charlie Charlie One (CC1), a secure, networked and intuitive tactical End User Device (EUD) ecosystem. CC1 generates competitive advantage for dismounted soldiers, equipping operators with fingertip digital technology that speeds up decision making and operational tempo.
CC1 is secure, networked, intuitive and supportable in the field, providing a lightweight solution that meets the demand for soldier worn sensors and systems. In this way, devices can present key operational information to the deployed operator where it can be displayed, aggregated and shared within the team and beyond.
Based on the flagship Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone, CC1 was engineered by Roke and Samsung to meet the demanding requirements of the tactical environment. It’s scalable, secure, and underpinned by open standards and architectures to drive modernisation in military operations. The EUD is also compatible with third party Android apps and a range of tactical accessories such as cases, mounts and cables.
Secure: CC1 enables soldiers to quickly interact with the device’s hardware backed encryption to securely erase all stored data when the operational situation dictates. Additionally, CC1 automatically erases all operational data when a security event is triggered such as when a device has been lost or stolen. Security policies can be applied using the CC1 ‘Config Tool’. In most use cases this eliminates the need to use additional mobile device management software.
Intuitive:
CC1’s ‘App Console’ provides a simple and intuitive user interface, displaying only the apps needed for the current operation and specific user. It can be easily edited to create custom user views and new profiles, adapting to changing user requirements and missions.
Networked:
The inbuilt ‘Network Manager’ makes connection to modern mesh radios a simple plug in and go process. CC1 can be networked with new and existing systems through built-in tactical radio drivers, and is linkable with multiple radios and sensors via a tactical hub to deliver network resilience and connectivity.
Supported in the field:
CC1 is supported by the ‘Config Tool’ which enables soldiers to manage all aspects of the system while deployed. Users can apply the same settings and security policy to all EUDs in the network quickly and easily through the use of a QR code, and devices can be re-provisioned in the field – even after a factory reset. The ‘Config Tool’ also allows soldiers to tailor security policies to meet evolving operational needs including; Emissions Control (EMCON) or whitelisting Wi-Fi and Bluetooth devices to apply to all CC1 devices.
Paul MacGregor, Managing Director of Roke, commented:
“CC1 is the soldier’s digital platform. It’s been designed from the ground up, with the operator in mind, and we’re excited to take it forward on Samsung’s premium handset, as well as continuing to support our current CC1 product range.
“We’re leveraging our expertise in exploiting Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) technology to give the edge to our military customers through the ability to rapidly and intuitively evolve the system to meet their ever-changing needs in the battlespace.”
07 Nov 22. Drone Swarm Launcher Truck Displayed at China’s Big Arms Expo.
Among the several intriguing concepts and technologies being teased ahead of this year’s Zhuhai Air Show in China is a light vehicle-mounted swarm launcher that will seemingly be capable of launching up to 18 drones.
The capability is largely reminiscent of a system tested by the Chinese in 2020, which underscores the speed at which the ever-growing arsenal of weaponized drone systems in China is iterating.
A brief clip of the unnamed drone swarm system was aired by the CCTV state television station in a segment meant to preview the types of capabilities that will be showcased at China’s 2022 Zhuhai Air Show. According to a machine translation of captions from the video, the launcher is being developed by the China Ordnance Equipment Group (COEG).
Also sometimes referred to as China South Industries Group Corporation, the company is a Chinese state-owned manufacturer of both civilian and military technologies that are produced for domestic and international customers. The video stated that the 2022 Zhuhai Air Show is going to be the first-ever event where the system will be exhibited.
Based on the machine translations, the system is designed to serve as a light and highly maneuverable loitering drone swarm launcher. The munitions come in individual launch canisters for easy reloading and are said to be available in both information-gathering and attack configurations. This would allow the system to perform in the various core mission sets outlined by CCTV including reconnaissance, area control, damage assessment, precision strike, and cluster strike saturation attacks.
When equipped with an explosive charge, CCTV explained that the drones would be ideal for striking ground personnel, light armored vehicles, simple fortifications, and other high-value targets such as radar facilities.
Two of the unidentified loitering munitions, or mockups thereof, that this system will ostensibly be capable of launching can be seen in the footage. One is on display with its wings popped out beside the vehicle and one extends out from inside a launch tube with its wings retracted.
A gimballed sensor turret can also be seen on the nose of the drone that is displayed. This would provide a remote video feed for reconnaissance and targeting. A mix of drones loaded with different payloads, from warheads to electronic surveillance measures to video surveillance to jammers would be ideal for employing a swarm-like capability against a complex target set.
When compared to, for example, the Israeli-made Mini Harpy produced by IAI or the U.S.-designed Switchblade loitering munition manufactured by AeroVironment, the drones that can be seen in the CCTV clip have clearly adopted similar physical characteristics. The drones’ narrow body, pop-out wings, and V-shaped tail appear to take after these designs in some capacity especially considering how this kind of foldable main wing is a relatively common configuration for canisterized drones. Regardless, the similarities to these existing systems could at the very least hint at how COEG’s drones may perform in combat.
The highly mobile vehicle, which would be capable of quickly relocating in a ‘shoot-and-scoot’ fashion depending on the needs of the mission, looks to be your average light tactical vehicle. Aside from CCTV reporting that it is capable of adapting to a variety of terrain situations, not much else can be gathered about the vehicle itself or the technologies that could equip it aside from a raised sensor mast that can be seen extending up from the launcher mounted to its back.
The mast is a critical part of a system like this as it would provide much better line-of-sight connectivity with the drones and the truck. While the drones could be programmed to hit a static target autonomously or possibly to fly a certain route and return with reconnaissance data, without a line-of-sight link the drones cannot be dynamically employed and targeting on the fly is not an option.
Although, the vehicle does look quite a bit like a Dongfeng Menghsi 6×6 variant that China has used to mobilize drone launchers in the past. In 2020, China conducted a test with what, on a core level, appeared to be a more unrefined version of COEG’s new swarm launcher system.
The China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology held the demonstration, which employed the 6×6 version of the Dongfeng Mengshi light tactical vehicle mounted with a drone launcher that featured a whopping 48 launch tubes as opposed to 18. However, the older design used completely different drones similar to China Poly Defense’s CH-901s, which may later prove to mean that COEG’s design could be configured to fire other types of drones, too. This would make sense considering what looks like a modular payload bay that may accommodate different-sized canisters.
Additional details about this system and the drones it could fire were just as limited in 2020 as they are now with COEG’s contribution, but the same basic points apply. Even though it is unclear if China and its People’s Liberation Army actually possess an operational drone swarm capability identical to or modeled after these systems, the demonstrations and the displays still communicate that drone swarm technologies are very much becoming a reality and thereby a threat. (Source: UAS VISION/The Drive)
03 Nov 22. The British Army is experimenting with an innovative digital communications suite which will revolutionise the way soldiers operate in the battle spaces of the future. Improving their situational awareness or Dismounted Situational Awareness (DSA) is the goal and digital technology is expected to play a vital role in achieving that.
A Strategy document was expected to be released by the end of October, RFI’s for DSI are expected to be released soon in two parts, for a contract award in 2024 following an industry competition. Ultra is amongst suppliers well placed to win the DSA System Requirement, whilst Steatite told BATTLESPACE at 3CDS that they have already supplied around 900 Persistent Systems MPU5 radios to the MoD, some for the Future Commando Force.
A suite of systems effectively made up of a smartphone, network enabled by the Long Term Evolution (LTE) network and with a centralised power management component, will shortly be delivered to 2 YORKS, the Enhanced Light Forces Battalion who are currently based in Cyprus to trial.
The unit, marking a change from their previous role as Light Mechanised Infantry, is now spearheading the Enhanced Light Forces role and are the only unit in the British Army to do so, forming the new prototype warfighting and experimentation battalion as part of the Future Soldier transformation plan.
The suite will provide the location of soldiers to commanders with pin-point and real-time accuracy, allowing them to visualise geospatial, picture and message data in a way that until now has only been possible in headquarters locations.
The key pieces of information that it digitally and rapidly offers, provides answers to age-old questions fundamental to conducting operations including: “Where am I? Where are my soldiers? Where is the enemy? and What are my orders?
Warrant Officer (Class 2) Liam Donnelly of 4 Rifles, who has been trialling the kit at the recent Project HERMOD rehearsal showcasing Army capabilities of the future, said: “In the future, the Rangers are set to use a DSA system which will enable them to operate in the digital battle space.
“The digital battlefield, as it is now, the DSA is just going to allow that real-time information for a commander so that he knows just exactly where everyone on the battlefield is real-time.
“It is going to allow a smooth and fast flow of information that can track across the battlefield in a lot speedier way than we have been used to in the past.”
Troops’ locations are shown by a dot on the map, they can mark and send the location of enemy forces, send overlays, mark minefields and IED locations, plan operations and send pictures and text as you would do over a mobile phone.
Corporal Philip Mawia, of the Mercian Regiment, also trialling the new suite at Hermod, added: “With DSA, what it does is allows you to just tap on the screen and send that information in a matter of seconds and everyone on the battlefield is connected – and will know all the information that I know.”
Although a soldier will always still need to know how to revert to the fundamental tools of map and compass, the speed of communication the new technology brings, will enable faster decision-making cycles in the tactical environment, ultimately giving the Army a crucial advantage over its opponents.
The equipment is designed to considerably boost situational awareness and mission effectiveness of dismounted company sized groups of soldiers.
Providing a near real-time overview of the battlefield, it equips the modern infantry soldier with fingertip digital technology of the future, speeds up decision making and operational tempo – and will critically save lives in any future operational settings.
The DSA Design and Integration Partner
The Design and Integration Partner shall be responsible for the design and development of the DSA System, including evolving the draft DSA System Architecture (provided by the Authority at Contract Award) and developing and managing the DSA System Design. The Design and Integration Partner shall produce detailed subsystem requirements documents and technical product specifications for the radio and components, which shall be used by the
Authority to contract third party suppliers to provide/manufacture/produce the DSA system at scale.
- The radio subsystem requirements’ documents and technical product specifications shall form the basis of the procurement for a Radio Provider, the competition for which shall be led by the Authority supported by the Design and Integration Partner. The competition shall include down-select trials to ensure that the chosen radio, together with associated waveforms and cryptographic security, can perform at the required operational level and environment.
- The component subsystem requirements’ documents and technical product specifications shall be used by the Authority to contract for the supply of components.
- The Design and Integration Partner shall work with the Authority (and its third-party suppliers) to scope solution designs which ensure optimised value for money for the DSA system.
Once the radio and component solutions have been selected, they shall be presented to an Authority led design board7, along with the corresponding Combined Operational Effectiveness and Investment Appraisals (COEIAs), for approval at Full Business Case (FBC).
Workstream A: Radio Provider
As radios and waveforms are a significant proportion of the cost for the overall DSA system, a separate Radio Provider competition will be conducted. The Radio Provider competition will include down-select radio trials to ensure that the chosen radio, together with associated waveforms and cryptographic security, can perform at the required operational level and environment.
Procurement route: It is expected that this will be a competitive procurement under the Defence and Security Public Contract Regulations (DSPCR) 2011. The contract for the Radio Provider will not be awarded until FBC approval has been granted.
Workstream C: Supply Of Components
The Authority shall use the component specifications (developed by the Design and Integration Partner) to contract for the supply of components at scale.
Procurement route: It is anticipated that the DSA project team will exploit the opportunity to raise a task through an existing BATCIS framework contract, the scope of which covers the provision of DSA components. The task to source the DSA components is not expected to be placed until FBC approval has been granted.
Workstream D: Army Experimentation
There is currently an AHQ initiative taking place to further understand the operational and strategic impacts of DSA and other LE TacCIS equipment through experimentation activities. Experimentation is taking place in a wide range of scenarios, roles and geographical locations to test the capability rather than the equipment. The feedback and lessons learnt from these experimentation activities will be fed into the DSA project (where applicable).
03 Nov 22. Thermoteknix’ Augmented Reality Tactical Interface Module (ARTIM) was shown at this year’s 3 Counties Defence Expo in Malvern.
ARTIM delivers heads-up situational awareness to the equipped user during outdoor on-the-move operations.
ARTIM mounts to the back of the helmet to track where the user is located and where they are looking, receiving/publishing networked PLI (Position Location Information) data, and rendering an augmented reality overlay to the user.
The Thermoteknix team were on hand throughout the event, demonstrating the latest advancements developed by the company, enhancing night time surveillance and covert operations.
Thermoteknix also launched a prototype fused night vision goggle with AR interface. The FNVG-AR from Thermoteknix is a lightweight system that combines 16mm night vision technology with 12μm thermal imaging and augmented reality (AR) connected to Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK).
ARTIM delivers heads-up situational awareness to the equipped user during outdoor on-the-move operations.
ARTIM mounts to the back of the helmet to track where the user is located and where they are looking, receiving/publishing networked PLI (Position Location Information) data, and rendering an augmented reality overlay to the user. Data is displayed by the Thermoteknix ClipIR XD – a thermal imaging clip-on device mounting on an NVG, providing not only augmented reality data but also thermal imaging fusion.
The system delivers heads-up navigation and tracking of friendlies, using GPS and digital terrain elevation data (DTED) to deliver accurate visualisation of geo-spatial information.
ARTIM integrates with most digitalised soldier systems and secure communication networks to offer real-time data sharing and instant situational awareness for collaboration across teams and agencies.
“Thermoteknix is committed to delivering state-of-the-art thermal imaging technology that is designed and manufactured in the UK and plays a crucial role in equipping troops around the world, who operate in the most challenging of environments,” said Thermoteknix Managing Director, Dr Richard Salisbury.
“ARTIM is the latest technology from our R&D team which is transforming battlefield technology and we continue to develop world-leading solutions that enhances military technology advantage.”
Thermoteknix is working with military forces and civilian law enforcement agencies around the world to integrated ARTIM and ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on Systems into their night-time resources to enhance situational awareness and threat detection capabilities at low light or no light situations.
The ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on System converts existing monocular or binocular night vision devices by fusing thermal imaging and night vision technologies to provide superior tactical advantages compared to standard night vision or thermal imaging alone.
The UK MoD has already procured over £3m worth of thermal and AR capabilities from Thermoteknix for the British Army, with the first consignment expected to be delivered later this month.
Thermoteknix showcased its latest advancement in night-time defence and soldier situational awareness at Eurosatory.
The team demonstrated the new TiCAM 1200C multi-function target acquisition system, a bi-ocular thermal imager with daylight camera and laser range finder (LRF) for day or night use.
Lightweight and compact, TiCAM 1200C is suitable for forward observation units, infantry, border security, police, special units and search and rescue. Dual OLED displays ensure maximum comfort for long-term surveillance.
The system features 640 x 480 uncooled LWIR microbolometer, man detection range of 4.1Km and real time digital still/video up to 12 hours. It also operates GPS, Glonass, BeiDou and Galileo, and has a laser ranger finder with a distance of up to 15Km.
Also on show was the Thermoteknix Augmented Reality Tactical Interface Module (ARTIM). ARTIM delivers heads-up situational awareness to the equipped user during outdoor on-the-move operations.
ARTIM mounts to the back of the helmet to track where the user is located and where they are looking, receiving/publishing networked PLI (Position Location Information) data, and rendering an augmented reality overlay to the user. Data is displayed by the Thermoteknix ClipIR XD – a thermal imaging clip-on device mounting on an NVG, providing not only augmented reality data but also thermal imaging fusion.
The system delivers heads-up navigation and tracking of friendlies, using GPS and digital terrain elevation data (DTED) to deliver accurate visualisation of geo-spatial information.
Thermoteknix is also demonstrating its prototype fused night vision goggle with AR interface. The FNVG-AR from Thermoteknix is a lightweight system that combines 16mm night vision technology with 12μm thermal imaging and augmented reality (AR) connected to Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK).
Thermoteknix has been named as one of the top 100 fastest-growing businesses in the 2022 FEBE Growth 100 list.
The FEBE Growth 100 list champions the fastest-growing, founder-led, privately-owned businesses across the UK and each has a turnover between £3m-£200 and is profitable. Thermoteknix joins the ranks at 55.
Thermoteknix manufactures thermal imaging systems for industry, defence and security. Its products include clip-on thermal imagers with Augmented Reality for night vision army goggles, and fever screening and face mask detection technology, developed in response to the pandemic.
In 2009, Thermoteknix supplied its space qualified thermal imaging camera for NASA’s LCROSS satellite, which identified the presence of sub-surface water on the moon – other applications include F1 racing and TV wildlife.
Thermoteknix generated more than 90% of its £15.8m sales overseas in 2021. This year marks the business’ 40th anniversary, which was founded in 1982 by managing director Dr Richard Salisbury.
03 Nov 22. Leonardo Provides Latest-Generation Marlin 40 Naval Defence System to Indonesia.
- The Independent Line of Sight (ILOS) variant of the 40mm turret will equip the Indonesian Navy’s PC60 fast patrol boats and Tank Landing Ship vessels
Leonardo’s Marlin 40 naval remote weapon system has been selected to equip two Indonesian Navy PC60 fast patrol boats currently under construction at PT Caputra Mitra Sejati shipyard. This follows the procurement in 2021 of four Marlin 40 systems for two PC60 vessels and two Teluk Bintuni-class tank landing ships (LSTs). Both PC60 and LST will be equipped with the Marlin 40 Independent Line of Sight (ILOS) variant, the most feature-rich version of the turret. Further PC60 and LST vessels are expected to be built by Indonesian shipyards for the Navy.
The Marlin 40 turret is a fully digitized system. It is lightweight, compact and easy to integrate. This means that the turret can be integrated onto all types of naval platforms as a primary or secondary defence system. Capable of anti-air and anti-surface defence, the Marlin 40 has a range of over four kilometres, is ITAR-free and can integrate with all currently-available naval Combat Management Systems (CMS).
The ILOS variant of Marlin 40 chosen by the Indonesian Navy is a highly-effective precision-fire system which can operate autonomously via a local control console. This brings together and processes the targeting data received from the turret’s own dedicated electro-optical system, external fire control systems and ship’s data, ensuring precision while incorporating a level of redundancy. The electro-optical director can rotate independently of the line of fire to deliver panoramic surveillance through a highly accurate sensor suite comprising a daylight camera, an InfraRed (IR) camera and a laser range finder.
This latest contract further develops Leonardo’s strong partnership with the Indonesian Navy, which has previously selected the company for its naval gunnery requirements. Today, 38 Indonesian vessels are operating Leonardo weapon systems. The Navy’s inventory includes Leonardo’s Marlin 30, Marlin 40 Twin Barrel and 76/62 SuperRapid. The latter is the best-selling medium-caliber naval gun mount available on the market, employed by 60 Navies and already installed on 15 Indonesian Navy vessels.
The Marlin 40 is the latest addition to Leonardo’s portfolio of naval defence systems and is in service with 30 naval forces worldwide. In addition to the ILOS variant, Marlin 40 is available as a 40mm Remotely-Controlled turret. Leonardo also offers the Marlin 30 in three variants: RC (Remotely-Controlled), COAX (Coaxial Electro-Optical Sensor Suite) and ILOS (Independent Line of Sight). The selection of Marlin 40 for the Indonesian Navy strengthens Leonardo’s presence in the Indo Pacific naval defence systems market. (Source: ASD Network)
04 Nov 22. Jadara to begin Raptor production. The new Raptor rocket launcher developed by Jadara Equipment & Defence Systems has completed testing and will enter production later this year, the Jordanian company’s general director told Janes at the SOFEX 2022 show held in Aqaba from 1 to 3 November.
“By the end of this year, 2022, the Jadara factory will start producing the Raptor in marketing quantities,” Colonel Engineer (retd) Ayman Mashouqah said.
The Raptor uses the same reusable sighting system as Jadara’s Nashshab RPG-32 but has a new 107 mm rocket. The GS-2R sight has a laser rangefinder that enables it to calculate ballistic trajectories and project a reticle aim-point for the operator for improved accuracy.
“The Raptor will use the same scope used in the RPG-32 because we do not want to diversify the scopes used in our products and the RPG-32 is a great sight that achieves the desired goal,” Mashouqah said.
(Source: Janes)