11 May 22. Countering IEDs with novel electronic technologies.
DASA is searching for Counter-IED technologies that use novel Radio Frequency (RF) techniques.
- DASA has launched a new Innovation Focus Area (IFA) called Countering IEDs by Novel Technology and Techniques.
- Seeking novel electronic technologies that can counter Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
- Between £150k – £400k per proposal
It is vital that UK military and security users can continue to deploy new countermeasures and technologies to outpace IED threat evolution, to protect service personnel, emergency services and the public against the threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
To address the UK’s need for IED threat detection, the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new IFA, Countering IEDs by Novel Technology and Techniques. This IFA aims to find and develop innovations that use either the Radio Frequency (RF) spectrum or provide an understanding of the RF spectrum in order to detect and disrupt the functionality of IEDs.
Funding available
Between £150k – £400k is available per proposal for this IFA. Proposals are expected to last between 6 – 18 months, and should deliver solutions at a minimum of Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 5/6.
The IFA is open for proposals now until further notice.
Have an innovation? Read the full competition document and submit a proposal.
Effective IED countermeasures: Key challenges
An important part of countering an IED threat is the detection of devices along with understanding the electromagnetic environment. This will help inform situational awareness and determine threat from non-threat, and inform the configuration of other countermeasures.
What is an IED?
An IED is an explosive device fabricated in an improvised manner, but with varying degrees of professionalism. An IED typically comprises of the following component types:
- a power source
- wires
- electronic circuitry
- an explosive initiator
- an explosives charge
- shrapnel products to increase fragmentation
- trigger mechanism
- various enclosures
The trigger mechanisms used to initiate IEDs are often adapted from commercial products. Examples could include modified Radio Controlled (RC) toys or the use of communication networks.
Challenge areas
There are three challenge areas of interest for the IFA, and proposals are expected to meet at least one of the below challenges.
Challenge 1
To capture and analyse RF signals using novel spectrum survey techniques, which may include:
- signal analysis techniques and classification algorithms
- generating methods or data analysis techniques to provide an understanding of the RF environment, which can be used to inform tactical decisions.
Challenge 2
To neutralise targets in a timely and effective manner, which may include:
- novel techniques capable of countering devices that are agile across multiple frequency bands and radio access technologies
- techniques to counter multiple diverse communications links with a variety of modulation schemes and signal types simultaneously across a wide spectrum (in the order of several GHz).
Challenge 3
New or novel hardware and ancillaries (system components), which may include:
- novel antenna concepts to improve performance and lower the RF and visual signature of the service person or vehicle
- advancements in hardware design such as tuneable filters and efficient ultra-wide band amplifier designs
- optimisations in size, weight, or power, or efficiency optimisations in wideband RF signal generation technologies (in the order of several GHz)
- novel signal and data processing technologies and techniques.
Read the full competition document to learn more about the challenge areas.
Submit a proposal
If you have a solution or technology that may help us discover better ways of countering IEDs and protect service personal and the public, DASA would like to hear from you. Read the full competition document to submit a proposal.
Submit a proposal: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-and-security-accelerator-dasa-open-call-for-innovation/open-call-innovation-focus-areas#IFA034
(Source: US DoD)
12 May 22. Boeing and Nammo test Ramjet 155 Extended Range Artillery in Norway. The Ramjet 155 Extended Range Artillery is designed to meet long-range precision fire requirements of the US Army. Boeing and Nammo have conducted a series of ground-fire tests of Ramjet 155 Extended Range Artillery in Norway.
The successful tests, conducted by a team of the two companies, demonstrated the artillery system’s gun-launched survivability and performance predictions.
The Ramjet 155 Extended Range Artillery is designed to meet the long-range precision fire requirements of the US Army.
Boeing Phantom Works vice president and general manager Steve Nordlund said: “Long-range precision-fires is a top modernisation priority for the US Army.
“Therefore, it also is a top priority for Boeing. We are very encouraged by the development progress, maturation and ongoing testing of our Ramjet 155 projectile, which we believe will offer a superior, affordable capability against emerging threats.”
Nammo CEO Morten Brandtzæg said: “We are seeing excellent progress in the development of the ramjet, with no major stumbling blocks. The latest tests have been extremely promising.”
Norwegian company Nammo has been working with Boeing Phantom Works since 2019 to develop the next generation of artillery projectiles to meet US Army’s extended range and accuracy requirements.
The project builds on Boeing’s Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) and Small Diameter Bomb (SDB) programmes.
The team now plans further development and additional testing of the Ramjet 155 Extended Range Artillery Projectile in the following months.
(Source: army-technology.com)
12 May 22. Indo Pacific 2022: EOS launches marine version of R400S Mk 2 remote weapon station. Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) formally launched its R400 Marine (R400-M) remote weapon station (RWS), mounting a 30mm cannon, at the Indo Pacific 2022 exhibition in Sydney on 11 May.
The R400-M RWS is in production for an undisclosed overseas customer, and offers the firepower and specialised ammunition natures possible for weapons up to and including a 30×113 mm calibre cannon but in the weight and form factor of competitors’ machine gun systems, EOS said.
The R400-M differs from EOS’s range of land R400S Mk 2 RWS only through the inclusion of high-quality sub-components and finishes that comply with all requirements, regulations, and test standards of the maritime environment, the company added.
Coinciding with the launch, the Australian Department of Defence (DoD) announced its intention to supply the R400-M RWS as government-furnished equipment for the Littoral Manoeuvre Vessel-Medium (LMV-M), up to 18 of which are to be acquired to replace the army’s LCM-8 mechanised landing craft. (Source: Janes)
12 May 22. Iraq orders new artillery. The Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) has placed contracts with the United States and France for advanced weapons, including artillery, the state Iraqi News Agency cited Major General Abdul-Ardawi, the MoD’s head of artillery, as saying on 8 May.
He did not identify the weaponry that has been ordered but noted that artillery has proved its effectiveness in the battles against the Islamic State extremist group and is considered better than aircraft.
The Iraqi Ground Forces’ main artillery systems are US-supplied M198 towed howitzers and M109 tracked self-propelled howitzers.
The latest US Office of the Inspector General report on Operation ‘Inherent Resolve’ against the Islamic State noted that “artillery remains absent from the [Iraqi] Ground Forces’ operational planning” even though it could be used to strike some targets more easily and for longer periods than aircraft. (Source: Janes)
11 May 22. USMC to field multibarrel sniper rifle to replace two existing weapons. Marine snipers are about to trim their sniper rifle inventory by combining two in one with a new multibarrel weapon that will give shooters three caliber options and replace two existing rifles ― one of which jarheads have been carrying since Vietnam.
Marine Corps Systems Command ― all things gear for Marines ― announced Thursday that the Mk22 Mod 0 advanced sniper rifle has nearly completed testing as it approaches fielding in 2023.
It is a bolt action, precision rifle system. The system part is important. That designation includes a bipod, sound and muzzle flash suppressor and a caliber agnostic 7-by-35 power Precision day optic.
The rifle will replace both the Mk13 Mod 7 and the M40A6 sniper rifles currently in use.
The Army previously announced that it also would replace its M107 sniper rifle and M2010 enhanced sniper rifle with the Mk22 Mod 0.
The M40A6 is a heavily modified version of the original M40, which first fielded during the Vietnam War and fires a 7.62 mm round.
The A6 model began fielding in 2016.
The Corps selected the Mk13 Mod 7 in 2018. It fires the .300 Winchester Magnum round. Accuracy International/Remington Arms makes the Mk13 Mod 7. U.S. Special Operations Command fielded an earlier variant.
Barret Firearms Manufacturing produces the Mk22. The weapon alone weighs 15.2 pounds, according to the company website.
The Mk13 Mod 7 weighs 11.4 pounds. The M40A6 weighs approximately 16.5 pounds. Both use a five-round magazine.
The Mk22′s effective firing range is 1,500 meters.
The M40A6 effective firing range is 800 meters. The Mk13 Mod 7 effective firing range is 1,300 meters.
All three rifles are bolt action.
The Mk22 Mod 0 is also called the MRAD, which stands for, “multirole adaptive design.”
That’s in part because Barrett makes civilian and versions of the weapon in 10 different calibers, ranging from 6.5 Creedmoor to .338 Lapua Magnum.
Barrett has provided .50-caliber sniper rifles to various military units for decades.
Initial fielding is slated for fiscal year 2023, which could mean as early as October.
The rifle uses a 10-round magazine. The caliber agnostic scope is another key distinction. This rifle will have four different barrel options, so a versatile scope is necessary.
Snipers can swap out either the .338 Norma Magnum, .300 Norma Magnum, 7.62mm and, for a limited time, the .300 Winchester Magnum.
That gives shooters ways to adapt shooting to specific mission sets that might require more distance or more punch to get through barriers or body armor.
“Instead of having to learn multiple weapon systems, we just have one,” said Staff Sgt. Cruz Nuanez, a scout sniper instructor with the Advanced Infantry Training Battalion, School of Infantry-East, at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The 7-by-35 Precision day optic gives “greater magnification and observation capabilities” when compared with the current 5-by-25 optic, said Sgt. Christopher Frazier, marksmanship instructor with the Scout Sniper Instructor School and systems command liaison.
That improved optic gives snipers greater standoff and survivability.
They can “reach out and touch someone” from a good bit farther.
With those new accessors and capabilities comes more weight in the single package. But it technically reduces overall weight because shooters won’t have to carry an extra rifle, and all of the associated logistics and maintenance pieces.
Early issues will include four barrels, one for each caliber.
But the .300 Winchester Magnum barrel is a “one-time” issue, officials said. That’s to ease the shooting transition, since currently Marine snipers can choose from the 7.62 mm and the .300 Winchester Magnum in existing rifles.
“It’s definitely more efficient,” said Frazier. “Rather than putting one gun away and getting the next gun out, we can quickly change the barrels, and then we only have to carry ammunition and that extra barrel, not an entire extra gun and extra magazines.”
All three Marine scout sniper schools and Marine Corps Special Operations Command snipers assessed the entire package during evaluation periods, according to a press release.
“This event is a bit unusual for a program to do at this point,” said Nick Berger, project officer for the Mk22 program. “However, it is important for us to make sure the sniper community has what it needs to be successful, and the timing of this event allows us to identify issues before fielding and to correct as necessary.”
So far, according to the release, early feedback has been good.
“They are very user-friendly,” Nuanez explained. “It comes with all the tools you need and the tools are also user friendly. Taking the barrels off and putting them back on, as well as the bolt faces — there should be no issue.”
Though new snipers will get a better rifle out of the box, the course qualifications for the scout sniper community will remain the same, according to the press release. (Source: Defense News)
11 May 22. Stinger shortcut: US Army seeks special funding for missile supply chain. U.S. Army officials facing supply chain snags as they seek to restock Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Javelin anti-tank weapons sent to Ukraine may get a reprieve.
The Army’s chief weapons buyer, Doug Bush, and Senate Airland Subcommittee ranking member Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said Tuesday they’re interested in adding “advanced procurement” funding to the Army’s budget for certain components of the weapons — which Ukrainian forces have used to keep Russian forces from dominating their skies — to allow faster manufacturing.
“That is something we could possibly use in this case to shorten those timelines,” Bush said at a hearing Tuesday. “So we could buy long-lead items this year to support deliveries that would be put on contract next year.”
Cotton agreed, criticizing the current production schedules of 18 to 30 months. Raytheon Technologies makes the Stinger, and — as part of a joint venture with Lockheed Martin — the Javelin. The chief executives of both firms have voiced supply chain struggles.
“We need to find solutions that produce these weapons at a much faster rate than I’ve seen assessed in classified settings,” Cotton said. “I suspect most people on the committee would want to work with the [Defense] Department on that.”
Bush proposed the advanced procurement funding as an adjustment to the Army’s fiscal 2023 budget, which is not likely to be approved by Congress for months. Defense watchers may associate advanced procurement funding with large weapons platforms, and Bush said it was not a tool the Army uses often.
The U.S. House on Tuesday passed a $40 bn spending package for Ukraine that authorizes the Biden administration to send another $11 bn in U.S. military equipment to Ukraine and includes $8.7 bn to backfill stocks already sent.
As the administration works with industry to boost production capacity, some lawmakers worry U.S. stockpiles are being strained. Lawmakers have said the roughly 5,000 Javelins the Biden administration has sent to Ukraine amount to one-third of the U.S. stockpiles, and the 1,400 Stingers sent to Ukraine represent a quarter of U.S. stockpiles.
Asked at a Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on May 3 whether those stocks could be replaced within a year, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yes, with the help of the Ukraine spending package.
“It’s not only possible, but we will do that,” he said. “We will never go below our minimum requirement for our stockpiles.”
There have been several less optimistic assessments.
On Sunday, Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet said the company hopes to double production to 4,000 Javelins per year, but it would take “a number of months, maybe even a couple of years” and that Congress could help by reshoring microprocessor manufacturing.
Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes has said his company may not be able to make more Stingers until at least 2023 and, because some components are no longer commercially available, the company will have to redesign electronics in the missile’s seeker head.
At a separate congressional hearing Tuesday, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth acknowledged Raytheon’s efforts.
“Raytheon is trying to really accelerate. Whether they can come inside of a one-year period, I’m not sure. I think it may take a little more time,” she said. “But we are trying to work aggressively with industry and are committed to replacing stockpiles, at least to the level that they were. There may be some congressional discussion about moving higher than the past level.”
While Raytheon hasn’t offered specifics about the Stinger’s obsolete part, former Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Industrial Policy Bill Greenwalt told Defense News it’s likely a piece of electronics that’s gone out of production. The Pentagon in many other cases has tried to stockpile these chips when they’re about to be unavailable, but “that is not always successful,” he said in an email.
“Something along those lines is likely to have happened so the part will likely need to be redesigned, prototyped, tested, and only when proven that it works can be produced in quantity,” Greenwalt said. “That can’t begin until after the [Pentagon’s] notoriously slow decision, budgeting, and contracting processes have been completed.”
The Army has been working to upgrade some of its stockpile of Stinger missiles with a proximity fuze, which enables them to more effectively defeat unmanned aircraft systems.
The service uses the missile in its new Stryker combat vehicle-based Short Range Air Defense systems and is planning to field four battalions with the new SHORAD capability. One of those battalions has already deployed to Europe.
But the service hasn’t built any new Stingers since 2005 and is already turning its attention to designing and fielding a replacement missile, recently issuing a request for information to industry. The Army wants to conduct a prototyping program through fiscal 2028.
Bush noted that if Congress provided more research and development dollars, the Army would be able to potentially accelerate that replacement program — listed as one of the Army’s FY23 unfunded requirements.
Acting Army Futures Command commander Lt. Gen. James Richardson said during a May 10 hearing he had also recently signed a requirements document for an upgraded Stinger. (Source: Defense News)
11 May 22. DOD Focused on Hypersonic Missile Defense Development, Admiral Says. Cruise missiles follow unpredictable flight paths and are now capable of supersonic and hypersonic speeds. Russia and China are developing advanced cruise missiles that can be launched from aircraft, ground launchers and ships or submarines, along with hypersonic missile capabilities.
Navy Vice Adm. Jon A. Hill, director, Missile Defense Agency, discussed the defense against these missiles during testimony today at a House Armed Services Committee Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing on the fiscal year 2023 strategic forces missile defense and missile defeat programs.
The Missile Defense Agency mission is to develop and deploy a layered missile defense system to defend the United States, its deployed forces, allies and friends from missile attacks in all phases of flight, he said.
In March 2023, MDA, in conjunction with the U.S. Space Force and Space Development Agency plans a launch of two interoperable prototype satellites, he said.
Those satellites will collect sensor tracking data to ensure dim targets, meaning cruise missiles, can be pinpointed from space, he said adding that if successful, that will be a new and important capability in hypersonic defense.
The admiral also mentioned development of glide phase intercept capability which would add to layered defense.
John F. Plumb, assistant secretary of defense for space policy; Air Force Lt. Gen. John E. Shaw, deputy commander, U.S. Space Command; and Army Lt. Gen. Daniel L. Karbler, Army Space and Missile Defense Command commander, also testified. (Source: US DoD)
10 May 22. US Soldiers, special operators and Marines in the near future will carry a first-of-its kind rifle and light machine gun that fires a bullet created to overcome decades of previous small arms limitations.
The Next Generation Squad Weapon program gives U.S. troops a far more lethal 6.8 mm round following the 40 years the Pentagon has spent searching for an alternative to the 5.56 mm round that troops have been taking to war for the past 65 years.
U.S. infantry squads carrying 5.56 mm rifles and light machine guns currently face an overmatch. If those squads went into a firefight with Russian, Chinese or most Kalishnokov-wielding militants, they’d be outgunned in both distance and lethality.
Most potential world adversaries carry 7.62 mm weapons with ranges of 1,000 meters to 1,500 meters. U.S. units’ deepest small arms range is 800 meters to 1,100 meters. And those distances are only reached by the designated marksman and platoon-level machine gunners.
With the new, 6.8 mm-chambered long guns, everyone in the squad will be able to shoot fewer rounds farther and with more devastation on targets than they can now — bringing a heavier, but more accurate and powerful weapon to bear in close-combat fighting, Army officials said.
This program is the first to produce a viable weapon on deck for mass production and fielding. A not-yet-identified Army unit is expected to receive the NGSW-rifle and NGSW-automatic rifle, the XM5 and XM250, which eventually will be called the M5 and M250, by or before October 2023.
The change is substantial.
The Army chooses a new weapon system to replace M-4s and M-249s among troops over the coming years.
Issuing a high-velocity round and lighter rifle with the 5.56 mm and M16 to troops in the Vietnam War and beyond meant more rounds to fire with less recoil. But the change also meant shooters couldn’t kill targets consistently past 300 meters.
The new 6.8 mm round fills gaps between the 5.56 mm and the 7.62 mm, the heavier round troops use in medium machine guns and older sniper rifles, officials said.
The move isn’t cheap. In the next decade the two weapon variants alone could cost as much as $4.7 bn, while the NGSW fire control, or M157 advanced optic, will cost another $2.7 bn, according to official documents. Those dollar amounts are more typical for tanks, jet fighters or ships.
Army leaders in recent years have pushed against the limited funding close combat forces receive, especially when considering the disproportionate number of casualties and fatalities that part of the force absorbs in combat.
Pictured here are Sig Sauer’s MCX SPEAR rifles, the civilian version of its new Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle. (Sig Sauer)
The two weapons should reach an Army unit by 2023. But the bulk of the close combat force will have to wait. Production work, annual budgets and implementation of training and fielding plans all mean that the 120,000 close combat forces in the Army will not see a full fielding of the weapon for at least a few years or as much as a decade.
Army 11B infantryman, 19D cavalry scouts,12B combat engineers, 68W combat medics and 13D forward observers are on the list for NGSW deliveries. The rest of the Army will continue carrying the M4 and M249 SAW for the next few decades, officials said.
Marines and Marine Raiders participated in multiple testing events, and Corps officials said that the service is monitoring the Army program but had not yet decided whether to adopt the weapon system or ammunition.
What’s different?
The NGSW program sought an “intermediate caliber” — a heavier and longer range projectile than the 5.56 mm but lighter and more manageable than the 7.62 mm.
The Pentagon provided its own, government-designed projectile, the 6.8 mm bullet, to weapons companies.
From there, three semi-finalist competitors — Sig Sauer, Textron Systems and Lone Star Future Weapons in partnership with General Dynamics, built solutions. The winner, Sig Sauer, built a more traditional assault rifle design, with many of the same ergonomic features and feel of the existing M4.
Sig Sauer also won the handgun replacement contract for all of the services in 2017.
Program Executive Office-Soldier and the Army Futures Command Cross Functional Team-Soldier Lethality have run the NGSW program, with ample input from Program Executive Office-Ammunition and the lethality branch at the Maneuver Center of Excellence.
Ultimately, XM5 shooters will give up 70 rounds and carry another 5 pounds in total weapon, optic and ammo load compared to the M4. XM250 light machine gunners will lose 200 rounds and add a net weight amount of 3.6 pounds compared with the M249 SAW load. The XM250 is a lighter weapon but the ammo is heavier and the new optic adds 2.6 pounds to the system.
The combined accuracy and effectiveness of the weapon, ammunition and optic should mean fewer rounds needed to strike and incapacitate a target, officials said.
Detailed data of the round’s performance in testing are classified, according to responses to media queries.
The system delivers, “probability of incapacitation (overmatch) against the full array of target sets the Close Combat Force will encounter in current and future Large Scale Combat Operations,” Bridget Siter, CFT-SL spokeswoman told Marine Corps Times.
“The effects achieved by the NGSW system on first round hits would likely take our current weapons multiple rounds to achieve,” Siter wrote.
The final weapon design and ammunition features are still being refined.
Due to federal contracting rules, Army entities such as Program Executive Office Soldier and
Army Futures Command were restricted from detailed contact with the vendors during prototype selection, said Bridgett Siter, CFT-SL spokeswoman. Combinations of bullet, powder and cartridge configuration and small items on the weapon could be adjusted as the Army fits the ammo and weapon together in the manufacturing.
The history
From its inception, the 5.56 mm round and the M16 service rifle were controversial.
The caliber was used within small game hunting circles and was a major departure for small arms. It was a shift that stopped the use of the heavier .30-caliber family ammunition common among ground combat troops beginning in World War I.
Developed in the late 1950s by Eugene Stoner, the M16 rifle was first fielded by the Air Force. The Army adopted the M16A1 in 1967 to replace the 7.62 mm M14 rifle.
Controversy centered around the performance of lighter rounds when compared with heavier rounds. Shooters claimed that lighter rounds lacked “stopping power,” an elusive metric for determining a round’s effectiveness.
But advocates pushed for a lighter round that would add more shots and give a greater volume of fire. Leaders also saw a chance for better accuracy because of the reduced recoil.
The Army selected Sig Sauer to build its Next Generation Squad Weapon rifle and automatic rifle, both shown here. (Sig Sauer)
The U.S. military, NATO and at least 85 countries fielded the M16. Over the decades, multiple programs sought to replace the M16 and its later carbine variant, the M4.
Those included the early 1980s advanced combat rifle program, the early 2000s objective individual combat weapon, or XM29, and a subsequent program known as XM8, which had optics
built into the weapon. None of those long gun programs succeeded.
Early in the Afghanistan War, U.S. troops complained about the 5.56 mm caliber’s limited range, which prompted development and fielding of an improved 5.56 mm round in 2010.
Advances in body armor that could withstand the 5.56 mm round eventually pushed researchers to launch the Small Arms Ammunition Configuration Study.
That study, began in 2014 and published in 2017, resulted in the Army choosing to look for its replacement in the 6 mm range.
Early experiments included the .260 Remington, 6.5 mm Creedmoor and .264 USA rounds as contenders, Army Times reported in 2017. But rather than go with a commercial round, the Army chose instead to produce its own projectile, based on work done by engineers and shooters at the Army Marksmanship Unit.
The M1 Garand rifle, fielded to troops in World War II was first built in both .30-caliber and .2760-caliber versions. Though the .276 performed better, large stocks of .30-caliber ammunition left over from World War I drove budget-conscious arms developers to choose the .30-caliber option.
The Marine Corps found its own commercial replacement for the M4, at least for infantry and reconnaissance Marines, in recent years. And it stuck with 5.56 mm rounds.
In 2010, the Corps began fielding the M27, a 5.56 mm infantry automatic rifle, to replace both the SAW and M4.
Marines and Special Operations Command troops participated in testing and evaluating the NGSW prototypes. The 10-year contract for the weapon has allotted 120,000 rifles or automatic rifles for the Army but has capacity to build another 130,000 for Marines, SOCOM and foreign partner sales, officials said.
When asked about work with the NGSW and fielding plans, Marine Corps Systems Command spokeswoman Kelly Flynn said the Corps, “continues to assess NGSW solutions for maturity, suitability and affordability to meet our operational requirements.”
The Corps’ M27 IARs will reach the service life limit by 2031. There is not a follow-on M27 replacement in the works other than Marine Corps monitoring of the NGSW program, Flynn said.
More work, changes and an optic
Beyond the new caliber and weapon design, more options will be available to shooters. Though the Army, Sig Sauer and the service’s main supplier of ammunition all have a lot of work to do first.
The new ammo will replace part, but not all, of the small arms ammo the Army needs. For now, Sig Sauer will run a 6.8 mm production line at its New Hampshire facility.
As production ramps up, the Lake City Army Ammunition Plant near Independence, Missouri, will add a new line and building exclusively for 6.8 mm ammunition.
But the facility isn’t expected to be running at full capacity until fiscal year 2025 at the earliest, said Army Brig. Gen. William M. Boruff, who is with the Joint Program Executive Office-Armaments and Ammunition.
The Army must produce a “war time” stockpile of ammunition. That means enough ammo for training and routine deployments must be made before the military can fully field the weapon to the force, Boruff said.
He did not provide detailed numbers.
Shooters will receive the new weapon with a suppressor and a one-of-a-kind fire control optic, the M157.
That optic combines many devices into one piece of gear. Currently, shooters attach a standard glass optic to their weapon and add on infrared or other aiming lasers to get on target. But if they want to calculate ballistics or gauge atmospheric conditions, they’ll need to tote more devices.
The M157 NGSW fire control weighs 2.6 pounds, including the remote and batteries.
The optic has an infrared and visible laser built in, as well as a ballistic calculator, atmospheric sensor suite, a compass and a digital display overlay.
The Army has a working weapon that fits its stated needs to replace the M4 and SAW for close combat. But further adjustments to optimize the round, weapon and optic combination will happen in the coming months and years.
To see how the XM5 may develop, look no further than the M4A1 carbine, which is dramatically different than the original M16 service rifle. The weapon has seen hundreds of modifications since its fielding more than half-a-century ago.
The first batch of about two dozen rifles and automatic rifles are expected to roll off the Sig Sauer line in the coming months. Those weapons will get recommended tweaks as the Army pushes to equip its first unit by October 2023. (Source: Army Times)
10 May 22. Department of Defense Selects North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University for Applied Hypersonics Research Work.
The Department of Defense (DoD) announced today that North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (N.C. A&T) was selected for a one-year, $500,000 applied research award to advance hypersonics technology. N.C. A&T will develop a novel methodology for designing an optimized intake to enhance hypersonic flight performance.
N.C. A&T will employ advanced engineering methods to design inlets for hypersonic speeds, then assess the design methodology and performance of the developed inlet. N.C. A&T will then evaluate the hypersonic design through computational analysis and high-speed wind tunnel experimentation.
The proposed research, sponsored by the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office (JHTO) through the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics (UCAH), will be jointly undertaken by N.C. A&T, Purdue University, University of Notre Dame’s Center for Research Computing, Boeing / AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Wind Tunnel (BAM6QT), and Leidos.
High-performance computer resources will be conducted at Notre Dame, simulations performed using N.C. A&T’s computational facilities, and demonstration experiments will be held at the BAM6QT with resulting data to be compared and confirmed by N.C. A&T and Purdue. Leidos will provide subject matter expertise to help evaluate the optimized designs’ effectiveness and performance, as well as provide perspectives from manufacturers and suppliers.
One of the main objectives of the UCAH and JHTO is workforce development. This project will provide direct hypersonics and industry experience to a number of graduate and postdoctoral students at all three universities..
About USD(R&E)
The Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (USD(R&E) is the Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Defense. The USD(R&E) champions research, science, technology, engineering, and innovation to maintain the United States military’s technological advantage. Learn more at www.cto.mil, follow us on Twitter @DoDCTO, or visit us on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/ousdre. (Source: US DoD)
10 May 22. SPIKE FIREFLY Loitering Munition Evaluated by the US Army. Rafael Advanced Defense Systems and its US subsidiary RSGS demonstrated the SPIKE FIREFLY loitering munition at the Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment 2022 (also known as AEWE). AEWE 2022 is a collaborative venue under the Maneuver Battle Lab of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning. It is the Army’s primary venue for Small Unit modernization, providing capability developers, Cross Functional Teams (CFTs), PEO’s, the Army Science and Technology (S&T) community and industry a repeatable, credible, rigorous operational experiment supporting both concept and materiel development. This year the assessment included in addition to US army Soldiers from the Netherlands Army & the United Kingdom Army.
LTG (Ret). Joe Anderson, President and CEO of Rafael Systems Global Sustainment:
“We were greatly honored to present the advanced SPIKE FIREFLY loitering munition system for assessment by the AEWE team. We learned a lot from the exercise and received positive feedback from the US Army operators. We truly believe the SPIKE FIREFLY brings another dimension to the infantry platoon’s urban warfare capability by allowing decisive and lethal overmatch. We will be presenting the SPIKE FIREFLY in the upcoming Modern Day Marines exhibition in Washington DC & in SOFIC 2022 exhibition in Tampa.”
VIDEO OF SPIKE FIREFLY: https://youtu.be/ACS_pzZwa3A
10 May 22. Fuse Installs Permanent Remote Monitoring Solution at Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility. Fuse Integration, an innovative federal defense communications, networking and computing solutions provider, today announced it has completed the first permanent installation of its Tactical Technologies Toolset at a U.S. Navy shore facility. T3, a remote network monitoring and management solution for multi-domain operations, was installed for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, at the Pacific Missile Range Facility in Barking Sands, Hawaii. PMRF personnel will use T3 to better monitor and manage the Aegis SPY radar at that facility.
“Ballistic missiles are one of our nation’s fastest-growing threats and it’s imperative that the Navy’s air-and-missile-defense radar is working every moment of every day,” said Sumner Lee, CEO of Fuse. “We’re proud to support PMRF personnel with our T3 installation, so they can ensure that their Aegis SPY radar is working as needed, at all times.”
Designed to provide an easier way to view the health and status of distributed fleet networks and systems, T3 presents commanders and decision-makers with an intuitive layout of tactical data link, network and radar settings and status. T3’s high-tech, intuitive user interface will support PMRF personnel to better troubleshoot, maintain and manage the radar at this facility during day-to-day operations as well as for special test events.
For this landmark installation, the Fuse team coordinated planning and collaboration with PMRF personnel and Aegis subject matter experts at the NSWC Dahlgren Division.
About Fuse Integration
Fuse is a warfighter-focused engineering and design firm providing innovative communications, networking and computing solutions for defense customers. The company’s virtualized network systems, tactical edge virtual network and airborne networking gateway products improve the sharing of information, video, text and voice among warfighters throughout airborne, maritime and ground environments. Founded in 2010, Fuse is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business with headquarters in San Diego and a corporate office in Washington, D.C. www.fuseintegration.com
09 May 22. Raytheon and Rafael test medium range interceptor capability.
The live-fire test assessed MRIC’s proficiency against high-end cruise missiles threats.
Raytheon Missiles & Defence and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems have tested the medium range interceptor capability (MRIC) during the US Marine Corps (USMC) event.
During the live-fire test, the MRIC successfully shot down all the cruise missile threat representative targets.
This is the first test under the series designed to validate the MRIC’s potential to intercept cruise missiles threats for the USMC.
(Source: naval-technology.com)
08 May 22. Lockheed Martin looks to nearly double Javelin missile production. Weapons maker Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) plans to nearly double production of Javelin missiles, the antitank weapon that has helped Ukraine fight Russia’s invasion, Chief Executive Officer James Taiclet said in an interview on Sunday.
The aim is to boost output to 4,000 per year from 2,100 per year currently, Taiclet said in an interview with CBS News. The increase will take as long as a couple of years, he said.
U.S. President Joe Biden last week visited a Lockheed facility in Alabama that manufactures the weapons, which are made jointly by Lockheed and Raytheon Technologies (RTX.N), in an effort to press Congress to approve his proposed $33 bn assistance package for Ukraine. read more
The United States has rushed $3.4bn worth of weapons to Ukraine since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, including Javelins as well as howitzers, anti-aircraft Stinger systems, ammunition and body armor.
“We can start turning up the heat now and ramping up production immediately,” Taiclet said, noting the firm is anticipating increased demand for “superior systems in large enough numbers”.
“We’re planning for the long run and not just in the Javelin,” he said, noting he expects to see increased demand beyond the Ukraine war due to threats from Russia and China. (Source: Reuters)
09 May 22. DARPA maturing scramjet-powered hypersonic weapon concept through follow-on program. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, in a bid to mature its scramjet-powered hypersonic weapon program, is seeking $60m in its fiscal 2023 budget for the next phase of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapons Concept.
The new-start program, dubbed MoHAWC, is a successor to HAWC, developed jointly with the Air Force using Raytheon and Lockheed Martin as prime contractors. Both companies conducted successful test flights of their vehicles, with Raytheon’s flying in September and Lockheed’s in March. The HAWC vehicles are powered by scramjet engines designed to offer better, more efficient performance at hypersonic speeds. Northrop Grumman built the propulsion system for Raytheon’s HAWC vehicle and Aerojet provided Lockheed’s.
With HAWC’s flight-test objectives completed, DARPA will build on that work through MoHAWC. Budget documents show the agency wants to further develop the vehicle’s scramjet propulsion system, upgrade integration algorithms, reduce the size of navigation components and improve its manufacturing approach.
HAWC and its successor are part of the Defense Department’s broader hypersonic weapons portfolio, which has been given higher priority in light of threats from Russia and China. The government is expected to spend $15bn on the technology between 2015 and 2024. Pentagon officials in February met with defense industry to highlight the urgency of developing hypersonic technology on faster timelines and better understand impediments to fielding these weapons.
The $60m would support that technology development and fund initial long-lead component procurement for four flight-test systems. DARPA also expects to complete subsystem technology risk-reduction efforts and begin assembly, integration and ground testing of cruisers.
Asked if DARPA plans to buy more HAWC vehicles from Lockheed and Raytheon, spokesman Randy Atkins told C4ISRNET in an April 27 email that any discussion about contracting strategies is “pre-decisional.” DARPA is still gathering lessons from the HAWC flight tests to inform MoHAWC’s next steps, he added.
Elsewhere in DARPA’s request for hypersonic technology development, the agency seeks $30 m for another joint Air Force program called Tactical Boost Glide. The program is developing tactical range boost-glide systems, and DARPA plans to conduct its third flight test in fiscal 2023.
The agency is also requesting $18m for its Glide Breaker program, which is maturing capabilities to counter “emerging hypersonic threats.” Phase 1 of Glide Breaker demonstrated a divert and attitude control system (DACS) designed to allow a kill vehicle to intercept a hypersonic weapon during its glide phase.
DARPA announced April 15 that it has transitioned to the second phase of Glide Breaker, which will focus on “quantifying aerodynamic jet interaction effects from DACS plumes and hypersonic air flows around an interceptor kill vehicle.”
“Phases 1 and 2 together fill the technology gaps necessary for the U.S. to develop a robust defense against hypersonic threats,” Maj. Nathan Greiner, DARPA’s program manager for Glide Breaker, said in the release.
Fiscal 2023 plans for Glide Breaker include component wind testing and preliminary design for the flight test article. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
06 May 22. Aerojet Rocketdyne to build solid rocket motor for DARPA’s OpFires missile. The OpFires missile can engage critical time-sensitive targets with precision from a remote launch platform.
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has selected Aerojet Rocketdyne to support the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) operational fires (OpFires) programme.
Under the contract, Aerojet Rocketdyne will build an advanced solid rocket motor booster for the DARPA’s Phase II hypersonic weapon system.
Aerojet Rocketdyne has already developed and tested a full-scale advanced rocket motor for DARPA in support of Phase II of the OpFires programme.
The company has also conducted a series of tests to demonstrate the ability of solid rocket motor to terminate thrust on command.
Aerojet Rocketdyne CEO and president Eileen Drake said: “We continue to push the envelope in our hypersonic propulsion technologies, whether by developing a high-performance solid rocket motor that can be turned off on command, like for OpFires, or by incorporating additive manufacturing into our air-breathing scramjet engines to improve affordability.”
DARPA’s Operation Fires programme aims to develop a ground-based missile system, which can allow the hypersonic boost glide weapons to pass through the enemy’s air defences.
The OpFires programme is also expected to enable hypersonic weapons to hit critical time-sensitive targets with precision from a remote launch platform.
Following the second stage, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control will be leading the integration efforts under the Phase III of the programme.
The Lockheed Martin-led OpFires team, which includes Dynetics, Northrop Grumman and Electronic Concepts & Engineering, is now joined by Aerojet Rocketdyne. The third phase will involve launcher development, missile design and maturation and vehicle integration. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
06 May 22. Danish Navy’s Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate test-fires first SM-2 missile. The Royal Danish Navy’s (RDN) Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate, Niels Juel (F 363), has successfully test-fired a long-range surface-to-air missile, Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIIA.
The milestone also marks a SM-2 type missile was installed and test launched from a Danish Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate for the first time.
The First of Class (FOC) shooting was conducted by the Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO).
Besides, DALO is planning to install SM-2 missiles on all the three Iver Huitfeldt-class frigates including Peter Willemoes (F 362) and Iver Huitfeldt (F 361).
The installation of SM-2 Block IIIA missile will allow the Danish frigates to conduct defence operations in the conflict areas across the globe along with providing protection to the Danish territory.
Danish Naval Command head rear admiral Torben Mikkelsen said: “The frigates already have radars and other sensors and a well-trained crew, which together enable the frigates to closely and accurately monitor airspace and quickly detect enemy aircraft or missiles.
“With the SM-2 missiles, the frigates will be able to shoot down these possibly enemy aircraft and missiles at a longer distance.
“It simply makes the frigates better for air defence, which is important in relation to the defence of Denmark and supports the demand from Nato.”
In July 2018, the US State Department approved the possible sale of 46 SM-2 Block IIIA All-Up Rounds, RIM BK IIIA (VLS), and other associated equipment to Denmark.
The foreign military sale was estimated to be around $152m.
DALO SM-2 missile system acquisition project manager Anders Skeel Bytzau said: “We have been working for many years to implement this capability.
“Now we look forward to being able to use the data we have from the test firing for the further work towards a final implementation of the missile system.” (Source: naval-technology.com)