NEW TECHNOLOGIES
Web Page sponsor Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
19 Feb 09. Harris Corporation announced the release of the Falcon III next-generation VHF handheld, the new RF-7800V-HH VHF handheld tactical radio. Designed to expand the communication capabilities of warfighters on today’s networked battlefield, the RF-7800V-HH provides features and performance superior to any other VHF radio available – handheld or manpack. The RF-7800V-HH is equipped with direct plug-n-play USB and Ethernet inputs, eliminating the need for a PC to bridge the radio to peripherals such as webcams or digital cameras, and optimizing it for ease of use in the field. In addition, the ability to connect directly to a USB mass storage device enables easy transfer of mission information or other stored data. With an IP data rate of up to 192kbps, the RF-7800V-HH enables fast transmission of bandwidth intensive information such as streaming video and high resolution image files. In addition, the radio supports simultaneous voice and data transfer to allow users to talk while they are sending videos, images or situational awareness data. The RF-7800V-HH radio’s unique use of MELP vocoder technology delivers an extended communication range beyond other VHF tactical radios. In addition, MELP ensures maximum voice communication quality and clarity. Dual Net Push to Talk (PTT) capability unifies upper and lower echelon communication by giving operators instant access to two discrete communication networks with the push of a key. To ensure easy and intuitive use, a split-screen display shows key details for both networks in use.
18 Feb 09. The Aspide 2000 missile has set yet another exceptional record in its long career. During an air defence exercise that took place at the end of January 2009, the Amoun battery of Kuwait’s Air Defence Brigade carried out five Aspide 2000 missile launches against a series of air targets simulating different types of attack scenarios. All of the launches were successful and all five targets were destroyed, either by direct impact or as a result of the warhead exploding within a miss distance of well below one meter. The launches were performed in different weather conditions (day and night) and showed once again the absolute reliability of MBDA’s Aspide 2000 missile. As a result of this exercise, the Aspide 2000 was able to establish an absolute record in terms of percentage launch success, establishing a success rate exceeding 97% from over 600 missiles launched around the world. With over 5,000 missiles having already been produced, Aspide is now experiencing a new dawn in its latest “2000” version.
25 Feb 09. The Boeing Company delivered the first Family of Advanced Beyond line-of-sight Terminals (FAB-T) Engineering Development Model (EDM) to the U.S. Air Force B-2 Program. Boeing and the Air Force will use the EDM to initiate platform integration and test activities. Over the next few months, additional EDM units will be delivered to undergo integration and flight testing on a Boeing 707 test aircraft operated by the Air Force and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Lincoln Labs, and on an operational RC-135 aircraft at Majors Field in Greenville, Texas.
01 Mar 09. Dr A Sivathanu Pillai, Chief Controller of Defence Research Development Organisation (DRDO), said that the Brahmos Aerospace is working on hypersonic missile project, Brahmos II, which is expected to be ready by 2013. Talking on the sidelines after inaugurating a combat vehicles and engineering exhibition, organised as part of the DRDO’s golden jubilee celebrations, Pillai, who is also the CEO and the managing director of Brahmos Aerospace, Thiruvavanthapuram, said that the missile will have a speed between Mach 5 and Mach 7. He also claimed that the Brahmos cruise missile at Mach 2.8 is the fastest in the world. Asked about the failure of the Brahmos missile’s land attack version, which was tested some time ago, he said the