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28 Sep 23. DOD Sparks Innovation and Resilience Across the Defense Microelectronics Industrial Base. The Department of Defense’s Office of Industrial Base Policy, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, has awarded a combined $17.5 m in contracts to support two initiatives that will strengthen the resilience of the defense microelectronics industrial base. Both projects introduce new, agile industrial capacities to better produce and manage microelectronic parts.
The Enterprise Parts Management System (EPMS) is a cloud-based enterprise-wide microelectronics parts management tool intended to enable parts management at program office levels across DoD throughout the entire parts lifecycle. EPMS will give DoD the ability to aggregate information on parts used in DoD systems and manage those parts at the enterprise level. This enhances insight into critical risks and enables rapid access to remediation measures that are vital to ensuring warfighter safety and mission success.
The $6m investment will support the iterative design and development of the cloud-based platform. This tool will support Military Service and defense agency weapon system program offices; prime system developers and maintainers; and acquisition, sustainment, research, development, testing, and evaluation offices across the Department. JRC Integrated Systems, LLC of Washington, D.C. and Systems Innovation Engineering of Mullica Hill, New Jersey will execute the EMPS project.
Mr. Anthony Di Stasio, MCEIP Director stated, “EPMS will provide an important ‘whole-of-DoD’ view of the microelectronics parts supply chain and enable better life-cycle management of this critical technology for DoD weapon systems.”
The two teams will assess DoD, Military Service, defense agency, and commercial capabilities to identify the best make-buy solution and then down-select to the best value in the iterative design and build of this innovative new system.
Likewise, the Defense Business Accelerator (DBX) and Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Market Catalyst project will harness private capital and commercial market forces to scale defense-relevant technologies and rapidly expand the industrial base. DBX leverages commercial market forces to accelerate the transition of emerging defense technologies into sustainable businesses to fill supply chain gaps. The Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Market Catalyst project will deliver a detailed plan for the creation of a new company that will stimulate demand for domestic production of ultra-high density interconnects for PCBs. The plan will then be presented to the DoD for a decision on whether to fund the creation of the new company. The PCB Market Catalyst will enable the U.S. to surmount an impasse that has left it behind in the global PCB market. Both DBX and PCB Market Catalyst are being executed by the U.S. Partnership for Assured Electronics in partnership with Advanced Technology International, with initial funding from MCEIP of $11.5 m over three years.
“These two awards directly support the Biden-Harris Administration’s initiatives to strengthen America’s supply chains as outlined in Executive Order 14017. They will foster collaborative procurements, provide more visibility into global diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages solutions, and facilitate the rapid dissemination of risk information such as obsolescence, evidence of counterfeit parts, and software vulnerabilities” stated the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale.
For additional information on these and other MCEIP projects, please visit https://www.businessdefense.gov/ibr/mceip/index.html.
About the Department of Defense’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy:
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) for developing Department of Defense policies for the maintenance of the United States defense industrial base (DIB), executing small business programs and policy, and conduction geo-economic analysis and assessments. The office also provides the USD(A&S) with recommendations on budget matters related to the DIB, anticipates and closes gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems, and assesses impacts related to mergers, acquisition, and divestitures. IBP monitors and assesses the impact of foreign investments in the United States and executes authorities under sections 2501 and 2505 U.S.C. Title 10. (Source: U.S. DoD)
28 Sep 23. Advanced AI for UCAV’s could be downloaded from an ‘app store.’ General Atomics affiliate General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., or GA-ASI, manufacturer of the popular MQ-9A Reaper and the legendary medium-altitude, long-endurance MQ-1 Predator, is accelerating its development of autonomous Unmanned Combat Air Vehicles (or UCAVs).
In its July UCAV flight tests conducted from the company’s Desert Horizon Flight Operations Facility in El Mirage, California, the company combined advanced autonomy with government-provided human-machine interface hardware. Using the Predator C Avenger drone along with a virtual twin to perform combat missions on its own, the flights tested the UCAV’s autonomous capabilities, leveraging artificial intelligence.
GA-ASI’s team demonstrated how the UCAVs can work together effectively with human pilots using the US Air Force’s Project FoX system, a touchscreen tablet for fighter cockpits. The tablet was used to provide control and monitoring of autonomous UCAV’s while conducting a multi-objective combat mission.
The Fighter Optimisation Experiment (FoX) is a project that aims to create an agile tool to integrate advanced software and hardware technologies, and so maximise the effectiveness of jet fighters.
The autonomous capabilities of the UCAV, produced as a result of deep reinforcement learning algorithms, were focused on the optimised search and signature management to identify military targets. Search optimisation autonomy behaviors were provided by Massachusetts-based autonomous systems specialists Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI) for the AI modelling for these UCAV systems. The UCAV could also adapt to changes during the mission, like equipment failures or loss of communication. These autonomous capabilities were integrated in order that they could be monitored and controlled by the FoX touch screen.
By integrating advanced autonomous systems, US Air Force systems and touch screen interfaces, GA-ASI aims to enable human pilots to work with UCAV’s more easily, making faster decisions and increasing combat effectiveness.
In addition, GA-ASI is developing an ecosystem to enable the military to rapidly integrate best-of-breed capabilities in AI and other mission-relevant interfaces for use with autonomous UCAV. These could one day simply be added by users from an app store. (Source: Armada)
28 Sep 23. From parts to hypersonics, Pentagon sees 3D printing as ‘game changer.’ The growth of additive manufacturing is a “game changer” for the military — one that can facilitate everything from creation of parts for systems to accelerating the development of hypersonic weapons, a top Defense Department official said Wednesday.
Keith DeVries, deputy director of the Office of the Secretary of Defense’s Manufacturing Technology Program, said in a Defense News webcast Wednesday that additive manufacturing has made great strides in the last few years and opened up novel possibilities for creating new weapons and components.
Additive manufacturing has particularly come in handy when designing new systems, DeVries said, allowing programs to quickly create complex components than traditional manufacturing processes would allow.
Additive manufacturing has advanced since its early days, when it made objects from more fragile polymers to materials with higher tensile strength. Today, DeVries said, these manufacturing techniques create objects from high-entropy metals that are particularly strong and stand up to wear and tear, using lasers to melt metals that can withstand high temperatures and allowing more complex shapes to be crafted.
“Those advancements have been fundamental unto themselves,” DeVries said. “Now, it feels like we’re turning a corner and we’re trying to find what the sweet spot is for how big of a build volume is appropriate for us to apply that technology.”
And hypersonic weapons are a prominent example of a program where additive manufacturing can be useful.
Scramjet propulsion systems that are central to some hypersonics, for example, require complex chambers that can be difficult to make, DeVries said. But 3D printing these components is allowing hypersonic weapons manufacturers “some fantastic capabilities,” he said.
Additive manufacturing would allow scramjet components to be made from high-temperature metals in a way that eliminates the need to have complex welds or brazing joints, DeVries said. Those joints need to be tested to ensure they’re sound, he said, but a component made via additive manufacturing that doesn’t have those joints won’t need such testing.
“Being able to incorporate additive manufacturing is enabling us to manufacture complexity that has not been able under the subtractive, traditional manufacturing methods,” DeVries said. He noted hypersonic development is still in the rapid prototyping phase.
But DeVries said traditional manufacturing techniques such as casting and forging still have a place, and warned the DoD and manufacturers should only seek to replace those techniques with additive manufacturing “in a very intentional and frankly limited way.”
“We want to treat [additive manufacturing] as a tool in the toolkit, and we want to apply it exactly where it’s necessary, and where it adds the most value,” DeVries said. (Source: Defense News)
27 Sep 23. US Navy Funds Research on Automating Aircraft Landings on Rough Seas. Texas A&M engineers are using machine learning to help automate the ship-landing process by mimicking a helicopter pilot’s behaviour.
Landing a helicopter on a ship’s flight deck is one of the most challenging and complex maneuvers demanded of a Navy pilot. Unlike a runway, the landing area of any ship is small and a constantly moving target that sways with the sea. Solutions have been proposed to automate ship landing.
Still, none have effectively held up to the added challenges helicopter pilots face when nature delivers gusty winds, especially in the wake of a ship, low visibility and other challenging environments.
The U.S. Navy is pursuing a solution capable of adapting to these difficult conditions and is turning to Texas A&M University researchers to develop the next generation of fully autonomous vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. By combining an optimal aircraft design with a robust machine learning algorithm, the researchers are proposing a new approach to automated aircraft ship landing at rough seas.
“When a helicopter pilot tries to land on a ship deck, they don’t actually look at the moving deck,” said Dr. Moble Benedict, associate professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M and the project’s principal investigator (PI). “If they look at the moving deck, it will disorient the pilot, so they are trained to look at a specialized equipment on the ship called the horizon bar, which is a green, lighted, gyro-stabilized strip that provides the pilot an artificial horizon.”
Recent studies focused on tracking the ship’s deck rather than the horizon bar by using cameras, GPS and lidar to track the moving ship and adjust the aircraft to match its motion. Instead, Benedict and Dr. Dileep Kalathil, assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and co-PI on the project, are automating the landing process by mimicking a pilot’s behavior while tracking the horizon bar.
“Reinforcement learning is a class of machine learning for developing the control algorithm for autonomous systems,” said Kalathil. “We are developing a reinforcement learning control algorithm so precise that even if a vehicle is changing course or is in the presence of heavy winds, it can still track the horizon bar.”
Merging Disciplines
Benedict and Kalathil have proven success in using reinforcement learning to track and safely land an unmanned aerial system (UAS) in various conditions, including moderate horizontal winds, foggy visibility and changes in course and speed. Now, they’re merging their respective disciplines of aerospace engineering and electrical and computer engineering to build on these advancements.
“My focus will be on designing a new generation of UASs for robust ship-based operation and high efficiency while understanding their flight dynamics,” said Benedict. “And Dr. Kalathil’s focus is on using reinforcement learning to make this autonomous process more robust for highly uncertain environments.”
Ultimately, the Navy is interested in three elements: an aircraft that is runway independent, meaning it can take off and land vertically; cruise efficiency so the aircraft can fly for long durations at a time; and lastly, the ability to land on moving ship decks safely and successfully.
Benedict is applying his expertise in rotorcraft to designing VTOL aircraft concepts that are gust-tolerant and efficient, which may include foldable wings when transitioning from vertical flight to fixed-wing cruise. Using simulations, wind tunnel testing and flight tests, he’ll analyze the performance and dynamics of these concepts to build a subscale model that will complement the control systems developed by Kalathil.
Using his expertise in reinforcement learning, Kalathil is developing an algorithm that is robust enough to handle rough conditions and optimized to use real-time data to adapt quickly, reacting similarly to a pilot.
“One of the main challenges for autonomous ship landing is the unpredictable nature of rough seas,” said Kalathil. “But if we have a wind sensor in the UAS assembly that measures the speed and direction of the wind, then we can use that information to counteract that specific condition.”
This adaptability addresses the simulation-to-reality gap faced by other developments. Kalathil is also looking at using a collaborative console to control multiple UASs.
The Navy is funding this three-year project to develop a robust solution to automated VTOL aircraft ship landing. Benedict and Kalathil look forward to continuing their interdisciplinary collaboration at Texas A&M to work toward this solution. (Source: UAS VISION/Texas A&M University)
27 Sep 23. DOD to Establish AI Battle Labs in EUCOM, INDOPACOM. Two BRAVO AI Battle Labs will be established at U.S. European Command and the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in collaboration with the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office’s Algorithmic Warfare Directorate and the Defense Innovation Unit, to expedite learning from Department of Defense (DOD) data. Over the next year, the labs will organize multiple U.S. federal government-wide BRAVO Hackathons, including some with coalition partners.
“BRAVO Hackathons represent an opportunity for DoD to practice and proliferate the fundamentals of user-centered design and agile software development,” said Joe Larson, the Defense Department’s Deputy Chief Digital and AI Officer for Algorithmic Warfare. “By providing the seed funding to establish the AI Battle Labs in EUCOM and INDOPACOM, we will be designing and testing data analytic and AI capabilities with warfighters, not for them, informing and strengthening our ability to deliver exactly what they need to win.”
These multi-classification labs will collect operational theater data — ranging from logistics to cyber — and share it with the DoD enterprise, providing central hubs for digital integration among federal entities, industry, coalition partners and American citizenry. The BRAVO Hackathon series will continue organizing one-week events to integrate data at any classification within a software development environment that permits untrusted licensed open-source and commercial software and data otherwise not approved for production systems.
“On behalf of the DOD, we will deploy BRAVO’s awesome development experience to combatant commands to host timeboxed hackathons and continuously develop and integrate capabilities developed from operational theater data,” said Stuart “Dr” Wagner, Air Force Chief Digital Transformation Officer and Executive Agent for the BRAVO AI Battle Labs. “Given that a free society’s largest competitive advantage is innovation and collaboration, the labs will provide a physical and digital space for serendipitous social collisions as DoD, industry, and coalition partners prototype solutions to challenges from peer competitors. Any U.S. citizen remains eligible to apply to participate in public BRAVO hackathons.”
Federal government employees and federal contractors are encouraged to share use cases, data, infrastructure, or potential collaborations with these labs by contacting . U.S. citizens and U.S. industry seeking to collaborate with these labs are encouraged to contact the Defense Innovation Unit at .
“We look forward to working with the BRAVO labs to ensure that developers and companies who want to work with DOD data can rapidly access the environments they need to demonstrate operational relevance,” said Doug Beck, Director of the Defense Innovation Unit.
The labs will continue the series’ bottom-up approach to problem solving, where military members, civilians and federal contractors propose projects and form self-organizing teams that develop prototypes inside combatant commands.
“The use of emerging AI tools to quickly analyze and leverage data for decision advantage is critical in today’s increasingly complex threat environment,” said U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Peter Andrysiak, U.S. European Command Chief of Staff. “Establishing one of the BRAVO AI Battle labs within in the USEUCOM region is an important investment for this command. The lab will enable greater innovation at the edge, with our Allies and partners, against a range of challenges at a pivotal time for the command.”
The labs seek to interconnect Combatant Command, enterprise DOD, and coalition partner capabilities from data ingestion and system integration to approved employment. The Air Force’s system-of-systems technology integration toolchain for heterogeneous electronic systems (STITCHES) will integrate various Combatant Command and service level systems directly to the labs.
Across three BRAVO hackathons at six separate sites, 81 operational prototypes have been produced at three classifications from operational DOD data at approximately 2 percent the cost of existing DOD minimum viable product innovation pipelines such as Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase II grants.
Since the BRAVO 10 hackathon in March 2023 at Hurlburt Field, Fla., 33 percent of those projects have been utilized in production or received follow-on funding commitments that totals over 75 times the cost of the hackathon itself. Dozens of prototypes from prior events have been further resourced and impacted major defense programs in areas including large language models, space launch, flight telemetry and biometrics, radar resiliency, unmanned systems, personnel recovery, sensing and targeting, user experience, intelligence analysis, situational report automated analysis, battle damage assessment, critical communication system reliability and legal and administrative operations among others.
“Despite the speed and impacts from BRAVO hackathons, we are still finding the time from development of capabilities, calibrations, or tactics with operational data to employment in theater to be on the order of months or years,” Wagner said. “We are deploying these labs to drop this timeline by a factor of 100 – from months or years to days and eventually hours — by increasingly automating bureaucratic processes such as data classification determinations and authority to operate applications. If successful, we will adapt our capabilities and tactics to our strategic competitors faster than they can adapt to us.”
Named from Billy Mitchell’s controversial 1920s Project B battleship bombing trials that creatively disproved the top funding priority of the Secretary of War by demonstrating bombers sink battleships, BRAVO seeks to empower government, academia, industry, citizens and foreign partners to rapidly develop capabilities from existent IT systems while encouraging psychological safety and rank-agnostic innovation. (Source: U.S. DoD)
27 Sep 23. etherWhere Introduces URSA-1, Extremely Low Jitter GNSS Receiver for Precise Timing Applications. etherWhere Corporation, the low power leader in GNSS development, today announced the availability of the URSA-1, their first product optimized for precise timing applications. The URSA-1 chip represents advancements in signal processing implementation and algorithms to achieve low power and lowest jitter for challenging applications such as 5G bases stations and Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for data center networks.
etherWhere’s innovations in silicon development and algorithm have achieved 1σ jitter of less than 4.0 nanoseconds in a 24-hour test. The record setting jitter performance is achieved in a small module of 10.1mm x 9.7mm with a power consumption of less than 33mW. This level of performance will enable new applications where strict timing accuracy is of utmost importance.
“etherWhere URSA-1 silicon has the potential to enable a range of products at VIAVI Solutions to meet stringent power and performance requirements from our customers,” stated Said Jackson, Vice President and General Manager, PNT at VIAVI. “The flexibility of the silicon allows for a smaller form factor and reduced power while still providing multi-protocol precise timing solution and exceeding market requirements.”
etherWhere’s silicon supports all four constellations of GPS, Galileo, Glonass and BeiDou. The URSA-1 features an embedded processor running proprietary algorithms and firmware, DSP accelerators for acquisition and tracking engine, low power RF frontend and an LNA.
“etherWhere’s patented technology is the result of many years of research and maturation of firmware in order to be able to achieve the low power and low jitter solution in URSA-1,” said Farrokh Farrokhi, Founder and President. etherWhere will continue to innovate in the field of geolocation to enable new applications that have been previously inaccessible.”
The customer EVK is comprehensive and consists of a module optimized for space and cost, fully functional firmware, PC mapping software and all the documentation to enable customers into the market. etherWhere is currently sampling the URSA-1 chip to customers for production. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
27 Sep 23. AI-Enabled XQ-58 UAV Accomplishes Tactical Test. The US Air Force demonstrated artificial intelligence-enabled air combat during a successful launch of an XQ-58A Valkyrie here Aug. 22. This flight helps develop a trained tactical autonomy algorithm from simulation through flight test on a high-performance, uncrewed air vehicle.
AI algorithms, developed and trained by the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Autonomous Air Combat Operations were integrated into an XQ-58A and flown in the Eglin Gulf Test & Training Range.
Trained through deep reinforcement learning, the AI algorithms used neural networks to fly the live air vehicle against simulated opponents using simulated mission systems and simulated weapons.
“AI testing requires combining new and traditional test and evaluation techniques. The team has a lot of lessons learned that will be used to inform future programs,” said Ryan Bowers, lead test engineer for the effort.
The flight test, executed by the 40th Flight Test Squadron and supported by AFRL and Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems, was a continuation of the successful July 25 test flight. The previous flight demonstrated an AI-enabled, high-performance, uncrewed air vehicle for the DoD and demonstrated standard aviation tasks, navigation tasks, and safety guardrails for risk mitigation and safety build-up.
“The opportunity to fly alongside this trained AI-piloted air vehicle really set into stone this technology is very real and here to stay,” stated Capt. Tyler Brown, lead test aircrew. “I feel we are at an inflection point of an exponential curve for the application of AI. It is imperative we understand the power of AI, its strengths and weaknesses, and that it is implemented in the right way.”
The DoD is committed to the responsible employment of AI. To achieve responsible use of AI requires teaming of developers and users of AI-enabled autonomy working in collaboration with acquisition specialists.
“AI will be a critical element to future warfighting and the speed at which we’re going to have to understand the operational picture and make decisions,” said Brig. Gen. Scott Cain, AFRL commander. “AI, autonomous operations, and human-machine teaming continue to evolve at an unprecedented rate, and we need the coordinated efforts of our government, academia, and industry partners to keep pace.” (Source: UAS VISION/dvids)
26 Sep 23. Curtiss-Wright Brings Power of Intel Xeon D-1700 Processors to IPMI Remote Management/NVMe Storage Server Module for Tactical 5G Communications. Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division, a leading developer and supplier of advanced communications solutions for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), has introduced an enhanced version of its popular PacStar 451-NR server module with Intel Xeon D-1700 (Ice Lake) processors (available in 4 and 8-core variants). This high-performance computing and network virtualization platform includes support for high-speed NVMe® storage and Intelligent Platform Management Interface (IPMI) for remote management. When combined with Curtiss-Wright’s IQ-Core® Software, the module provides maximum visibility into network operations and management, speeding the deployment of applications at the edge, to ensure access to advanced technology, even in disconnected, intermittent, and limited (DIL) environments.
The single-slot module’s Intel Xeon D-1700 processors deliver 2x floating point processing performance with support for Intel’s AVX-512 Vector Neural Network Instructions (VNNI), making it ideal for addressing emerging requirements such as edge deployed AI and 5G communications acceleration. Complex AI workloads also benefit from the module’s support for Intel Deep Learning Boost (Intel DL Boost). For applications requiring GPU-class processing, Curtiss-Wright offers the PacStar 453 and PacStar 454 NVIDIA GPU enhanced server modules.
For system designers seeking high-performance, rugged solutions that support system hyperconvergence on the move at the tactical edge, the Ice Lake-powered PacStar 451-NR trulyhttps://www.curtisswrightds.com/products/networking-communications/pacstar/comms-hardware/packagingdelivers. It’s by far the most compute-dense server ever offered in a tactical rugged form factor, accelerating the deployment of new applications at the tactical edge or providing additional SWaP reduction for existing payloads. Continuing Curtiss-Wright’s leadership role as a supplier of advanced battlefield communications hardware, the enhanced, compact PacStar 451-NR server module enables customers to leverage Intel Xeon D-1700 performance (up to 8 cores) to handle demanding compute and networking applications in the field. With its remote management capability and super-fast, high-density NVMe storage, the PacStar 451-NR serves as the heart of a virtual network system and boosts the capabilities of Curtiss-Wright’s PacStar Modular Data Center (MDC) and CSfC cybersecurity offerings.
With built-in IPMI support, the PacStar 451-NR enables users to remotely set up and manage their tactical server hardware, greatly speeding ease of use and deployment. Media resources, such as DVDs, USB drives and ISO files, can be accessed using a remote keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) over IP networks, eliminating the need for the operator to be physically present.
Designed for optimal performance in harsh environments, the rugged server module also delivers the industry’s highest density support for high-speed NVMe storage, with two (2) NVMe drives (packaged in removable cartridges), each measuring only 1” x 2.5” and storing up to 4TB. An optional embedded 240GB NVMe “boot drive” is also available.
A wide variety of pre-loaded, pre-secured, and pre-qualified software applications or virtualized appliances appropriate for use in tactical C5ISR/EW applications are available for the PacStar 451-NR, including networking technologies from Aruba Networks, Cisco Systems, Forcepoint, Haivision, Information Security Corp, Juniper, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, Peraton Labs, RedHat, VMware, and more.
Capable of hosting a vast array of applications, virtualized network functions, storage, analytic and cybersecurity technologies, the PacStar 451-NR server module delivers industry-leading performance in a 2.7 lb., MIL-STD tested platform for flyaway, command post, ground vehicle and aircraft applications. The module can run standalone for rugged workstation applications paired with a rugged display, or it can be rapidly integrated into a larger PacStar 400-Series based packaging solution with support for up to nine PacStar 400-Series modules in a 4RU form factor. All PacStar 400-Series modules can also plug into the PacStar Smart Chassis, which supports a wide range of transportation and mounting options and can mount alongside other chassis from the PacStar product line, including the PacStar VPX Smart Chassis. Additional system packaging options for PacStar 400-Series modules include briefcase, transit case, rack mount, vehicle mount, and backpack transport.
To download the PacStar 451-NR product sheet click here: PacStar 451 | Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions (curtisswrightds.com)
Curtiss-Wright’s PacStar products are manufactured in its Portland, Oregon facility.
26 Sep 23. Latest Version of Curtiss-Wright’s IADS Flight Test Analysis Software Expands Capabilities. Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division has announced the latest version of its industry-leading IADS real-time and post-test display and analysis software suite for flight test programs. IADS version 9.2.6 adds a wide range of new features and enhancements that increase the flexibility and productivity of flight test programs while improving the flight test engineer’s user experience.
Telemetry Network Standard Data Support
The newly released version of IADS expands support for additional flight test data type standards. Responding to customer demand, IADS now supports the Telemetry Network Standard (TmNS). Released in IRIG-106-19, TmNS is a bidirectional, Ethernet telemetry protocol. Curtiss-Wright flight test instrumentation (FTI) product family includes numerous I/O modules that support output of TmNS data, and the enhanced IADS software suite now enables that data to be displayed for analysis.
Time-Space Position Information Data Support
The Time-Space Position Information (TSPI) data format enables real-time telemetering via Ethernet and/or Chapter 4 PCM (clock and data). Curtiss-Wright has added support for TSPI encoded data to IADS, including all standard TSPI features, such as moving map, artificial horizon, etc. This enables the software suite to output TSPI positional and orientation data output from products, such as the MiTSPI nTTU-2600 Miniature Network TSPI data acquisition stack.
Nichols Plot Display Support
Designed from the ground up for use in aerospace flight test programs, IADS, running on a typical PC environment, enables users to flexibly configure their window view, providing display (or widget) options within the main window to flexibly present data of interest. Adding to its wide support for displaying and analyzing data, including FFTs and power spectral density plots, IADS now supports the display of Nichols plots. These plots allow flight test engineers to chart the gain versus phase for an open-loop response. The addition of Nichols plot graphing further enhances the flexibility, ease of use and ease of configuration of IADS, enabling flight test engineers to set up their test and analysis environment to meet their program’s specific application requirements.
IADS supports hundreds of data display options, including strip charts, FFTs, cross-plots, moving maps, artificial horizon and various types of airplane style gauges (for altitude/speed, etc).
Updated Video Data Support
One of the powerful and popular features of IADS is its Scrollback function. Scrollback enables the user to, at any point, pause the live data and go backwards to an earlier point in time during the flight test. In IADS, all data is time-stamped from the same time base, and distributed throughout the flight data acquisition system, so all devices are synchronized. When Scrollback is used, all data and displays, including video, are updated at the same time, to display data from the exact same moment. For the latest version of IADS, Curtiss-Wright has completely re-written the software’s suites video processing portion. This rewrite greatly increases the variety of video data types that can be played by IADS and improves the synchronization between the video data and the rest of the flight test data.
IRIG-106 Chapter 8 Support
Curtiss-Wright has also added support for IRIG-106 Chapter 8, which is supported by many Curtiss-Wright MIL-STD-1553 bus encoder products, to the latest version of IADS. This provides an example of Curtiss-Wright’s commitment to optimizing interoperability across its entire FTI system solution product family.
About IADS
IADS is the flight test market’s leading real-time and post-test display and analysis software suite. Scalable, from a single laptop to a large workgroup, through its client/server software architecture, IADS provides flight test engineers with a complete solution that includes real-time data processing, archiving, computation and display.
As the industry’s premier flight test software suite, IADS is used by every major test program in the U.S. and in many other countries worldwide. It enables flight test engineers to monitor, in real-time, huge amounts of data collected from an aircraft during a flight test program. This data is used to help validate the successful completion of test points and for safety. IADS also enables detailed analysis of the data to be performed post-test, using IADS Post Test Explorer, a data search, analytics, and visualization platform designed specifically for the flight test industry.
With support for user-customizable data display, use of IADS and IADS Post Test Explorer significantly improve flight test efficiencies and helps to speed program completion.
Product sheets for IADS and IADS Post Test Explorer software are available for download here: Set-up, Display, and Analysis Software | Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions (curtisswrightds.com)
26 Sep 23. DOD Establishes Munitions Campus Pilot to Lower Barriers for Emerging Industry. The Department of Defense’s Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Resilience, through its Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (MCEIP) office, has launched a munitions campus pilot project to support multiple emerging domestic businesses through a shared facility that will reduce cost and lower barriers to entry.
Through the pilot project, awarded to the American Center for Manufacturing and Innovation (ACMI) under a competitive process, DoD will provide $50m in shared equipment and $25 m in funding to transition research and development (R&D) into production and to support domestic supply chain resilience. The pilot campus, the location for which will be determined as part of the project, is an important exploratory first step in a plan to open multiple campuses around the country.
The munitions campus pilot applies the concept of innovation clusters—which are typically focused on R&D activities—to test and transition R&D into production, pooling resources to include capital, expertise, facilities, equipment, and talent.
“The benefit of regional clusters is well known in the R&D community,” said Mr. Anthony Di Stasio, MCEIP Director, who previously led a joint munitions R&D program. “We are applying this concept to enable companies to more quickly and effectively test, refine, and possibly combine technologies, while accessing shared resources that allow more companies to achieve production.”
The campus will also enable companies at different stages in the supply chain to collaborate as they develop their products.
This project is part of a portfolio of initiatives designed to reduce barriers for emerging domestic businesses, leverage and stimulate private capital, and establish regional manufacturing ecosystems. These projects harness the overlap between Defense and commercial markets, aggregating demand to generate economies of scale that empower domestic industry to compete with foreign suppliers.
In addition to using multiple markets to smooth out demand cycles and reduce supply chain risk, the munitions campus will apply advanced manufacturing technology and process innovations to reduce costs for DOD-specific needs. Applying these proven improvements to munitions manufacturing is an essential step in expanding domestic capacity, as the DOD accelerates efforts to increase munitions production and build long-term resilience across the industrial base.
About the Department of Defense’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy:
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (USD(A&S)) for developing Department of Defense policies for the maintenance of the United States defense industrial base (DIB), executing small business programs and policy, and conduction geo-economic analysis and assessments. The office also provides the USD(A&S) with recommendations on budget matters related to the DIB, anticipates and closes gaps in manufacturing capabilities for defense systems, and assesses impacts related to mergers, acquisition, and divestitures. IBP monitors and assesses the impact of foreign investments in the United States and executes authorities under sections 2501 and 2505 U.S.C. Title 10. (Source: U.S. DoD)
26 Sep 23. UK Tempest Flying Technology Demonstrator Program: Stealthy in Shape and Execution. Suddenly, we’ve seen what has been regarded as the runt fighter programme go from less than zero to closer to hero. Defence Analysis cannot think of a defence programme presentation(s) for the past two decades, maybe more, that have been so optimistic as to the status of a given programme. Now, there’s some way to go as regards Tempest – the UK name for whatever comes out of GCAP, although it is likely that Italy will be in lock step with the UK, and Japan will take much/most of the resulting work – but, jeez, the pace to date as revealed has been pretty impressive!
There’s a degree of pride in the statement, “we will fly Europe’s first stealthy, supersonic aircraft”.
First take away? The Flying Technology Demonstrator (FTD) for Tempest – its relationship with the final result is the same as the Experimental Aircraft Programme’s relationship with the resulting Typhoon – is design fixed, parts are in production for it, and some have actually been delivered, and so are being “sub-assembled”.
There’s no question of, “we’re still looking at concepts”. No: the design has been frozen to the extent that the stealth engine intake ducts have been produced; the ejection tests were done using a fully representative cockpit/front section of the FTD aircraft, reinforcing the fact that the physical shape of the aircraft has been frozen as a design.
It is with the FTD aircraft at this stage that the statement that, “we will fly it within four years” (Emphasis added–Ed.) can be seen, if it wasn’t already, to be very credible if not utterly believable. Now, first flight has slipped from the 2020–21-stated date of 2025 to the “within four years”, which could be “as late” as 2027.
Defence Analysis has to say that the quiet confidence displayed by the Tempest/GCAP team suggests that a fly-by at Farnborough in 2026 cannot be ruled out! Or even one at RIAT in 2025, though that might, just might be pushing it. And this compares with the stated SCAF equivalent of 2029, maybe even 2030.
At the BAES Warton event several hacks said that in talks with Airbus SCAF managers, they were stating that things such as selection and evaluation of hardware had not even started in most areas – SCAF managed to waste at least two years in squabbling.
“Develop military capability while retaining sovereignty”
A key strapline from the event: the Tempest/GCAP programme is meant to provide, “sovereign freedom of action, sovereign freedom of modification, and sovereign freedom of export”. Why would you want all, any of this if the F-35 was/is just so amazing? Defence Analysis put it to the briefing team, MoD/RAF included. Their response, best exemplified by the RAF was telling: “If you build and design your own aircraft, you have freedom of action and sovereignty …. The same is true for Italy and Japan, that is they want to develop military capability while retaining sovereignty”.
From an MoD senior rank, as clear and damning a claim as you can get about the state of play over F-35 ….
Not that Defence Analysis needed the “confirmation”, but this “team agreed mission statement” shows that the UK is checking out of F-35. But, equally, so are Italy and Japan.
And the common work on Tempest/GCAP is going to start to be a beacon to others interested in F-35: why buy when key partners are leaving? Oh, and a sidebar chat with an MoD official: the next batch of 24 F-35s for the UK is on hold – the funding is needed elsewhere, and Tempest will get some of it.
Eurofighter EJ200 engine tested with stealth intake
The single most important thing to come out from “The Great Reveal” in mid-June? An EJ200 has been extensively tested by Rolls Royce with a stealth intake/duct developed by BAES (using experience from the Mantis UAV programme) in a vast range of flight envelope conditions. To avoid having to work on the EJ200 itself, the aim was to ensure that the airflow to the engine (which is very clean in Typhoon) could be managed with the new indirect duct so that the engine would “believe” that it was still in a Typhoon.
The work succeeded. Designing and testing an S-shaped stealth engine duct is as close to the Holy Grail as you’ll get – this has now been mastered, not just for the FTD, but as there is now a database, as well as the test regime for that, the required knowledge for Tempest itself now exists.
Flight control development is advanced, hardware, such as actuators [Ed: at all times, note that this is for the FTD programme – things can, and will change before Tempest] have been selected; the configuration of the cockpit has been frozen (it will have a wide screen display, natch); the engine layout/duct and all ancillary equipment have been chosen/frozen. And behind this is the fact that the data that the four test rigs are producing are already providing extra data to de-risk Tempest. Is the FTD aircraft Tempest? No. But it has to be said that if you’ve tested System X, Airframe Shape Y, and they meet the specification, why would you then go back to the drawing board to do a total re-design?
So, first flight aside, what to consider next? Discussions are underway with both Italy and Japan about both coming into the FTD programme, in an open architecture manner as the whole GCAP programme is being run. Italy has a flying avionics testbed which will inform Tempest, but there seems to be no reason why a) all three can cooperate on the current UK-only FTD, b) that with three involved, there couldn’t be more than one FTD aircraft – the signs are that the spend on the FTD programme (industrial matters, such as investment in new facilities/equipment aside) has been mid-hundreds of millions, not the $8bn taken for NGAD.
To date, Tempest/FTD has taken less than half the time that was taken with Tornado/Typhoon to get to the stage that it is, a stage where safety clearances have been provided for sub-systems. Famous last words, but BAES/Rolls Royce (and all of their supply chain) have shown that things can be done differently.
One that Defence Analysis spoke to at Warton expressed thanks for the previous FCAS exposure to Saab – it had really shown how proper (that is, not as embodied by the T-7 Red Hawk) adherence to Digital Design and Manufacture cuts the schedule, and thus brings costs down [Ed: Boeing have seemingly thrown many DDM principles out of the window with the T-7.
The next big hope?
That Tempest/FTD doesn’t suffer the way that TSR-2, or the UK’s air-launched nuclear missile programme goes. There are already siren calls for the UK to buy the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, as well as more F-35As, and some Next Generation Air Defence fighters. That all of these come with eye-watering price tags, and that NGAD is still incredibly immature is often rarely considered.
But the fear of your foe does you honour: it is pretty evident that the US DoD/USAF have woken up to the fact that FTD/Tempest is not a paper exercise, but has weight behind it, the weight of three F-35 operators who have decided to spend their money elsewhere. (Source: Defense-Aerospace.com/Defence Analysis)
26 Sep 23. HII Partners to Advance Additive Manufacturing on a Virginia-Class Submarine. HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division and General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) announced today that the companies have advanced efforts to integrate additive manufacturing technology, also known as 3D printing, into the shipbuilding process for nuclear-powered submarines. The use of certified 3D-printed parts has the potential to accelerate construction and delivery of submarines to the U.S. Navy by cutting lead times for critical components.
The companies have focused on the availability and deployment of marine-based alloys, such as copper-nickel, to provide an alternative to traditional copper-nickel castings. Recently, a copper-nickel deck drain assembly was identified as a candidate for the 3D printing solution. Working with shipbuilding partner GDEB, and supplier AMMCON on the model and proof of concept, NNS successfully created a copper-nickel deck drain part using additive manufacturing. AMMCON is providing final machining and assembly of the part, before it is installed on Virginia-class submarine Oklahoma (SSN 802), to be delivered by NNS.
“As a leader in additive manufacturing for shipbuilding, we are aggressively looking for opportunities to find ways to incorporate this technology into mainstream shipbuilding,” said Dave Bolcar, NNS vice president of engineering and design. “This collaborative project leverages authorizations made by the Navy that streamline requirements for low-risk additive manufacturing parts. It is possible due to the foresight and longer-term development efforts by our engineers to deploy additive manufacturing marine alloys for shipbuilding.”
“Our submarine design and engineering teams are focused on working with our supply and construction partners to speed the adoption of innovative technologies,” said Megan Roberts, vice president of quality, waterfront engineering, radiological controls and fleet support for Electric Boat. “These first efforts to install additive-manufactured parts on submarines demonstrate the technology’s potential to dramatically reduce lead times for critical components, which will enable us to deliver more submarines faster, supporting the Navy’s fleet demands.”
“We are honored to contribute to the ongoing success of the Virginia-class submarine program in this innovative way,” AMMCON President Darrell Grow said. “As a longtime supplier for nuclear-powered submarines, our team understands the importance of these national security assets and remains committed to delivering the critical parts needed for their delivery.”
This latest advancement in 3D printing follows HII’s announcement in March that NNS received certification and approval as a vendor for additive manufacturing components on Naval Sea Systems (NAVSEA) platforms. The highly digitized process could lead to cost savings and reduced production schedules for naval ships.
HII is a global, all-domain defense provider. As the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and with a more than 135-year history of advancing U.S. national security, HII delivers critical capabilities extending from ships to unmanned systems, cyber, ISR, AI/ML and synthetic training. Headquartered in Virginia, HII’s workforce is 43,000 strong (Source: Defense-Aerospace.com/Hill)
26 Sep 23. Kinross wins £300,000 for new aerospace centre. Project is one of four major bids in Scotland receiving total of £1m from UK Government’s Community Ownership Fund.
A new aerospace discovery centre is one of four Scottish projects set to receive thousands in government funding following a successful bidding round.
Almost £1m will be granted to the four projects – including £300,000 for the aerospace centre – to help level up local opportunities for generations to come.
Through interactive learning and exhibitions, the new centre will inspire young people to pursue aerospace-related jobs in science, tech, engineering and maths. It will be based at the Aero Space Scientific Education Trust’s Station House in Kinross, which was officially opened by Princess Anne in 1985.
Other new projects awarded in Scotland include:
- £256,793 to create a Community Net-Zero hub in Glasgow, boosting low-carbon learning and training in the city and urban nature-based wellbeing activities for residents.
- £253,032 to bring an existing shop building in Stirling into community ownership, creating a commercially sustainable village shop which supports the diversity of its community and visitors.
- £183,000 for Aberdeenshire to redevelop Laurencekirk Community Centre into a larger community hub. This will help host more local events and advisory services, lunch and chat clubs for elderly and lonely people and clubs for school holidays, youths, mums and toddlers.
UK Government Minister for Scotland Malcolm Offord said: “It’s great news that a further four Scottish projects are sharing almost £1 m (£992,825) from the UK Government Community Ownership Fund. Through the fund we are now supporting 28 community groups across Scotland to breathe new life into the places where they live, work and play to the tune of almost £6.2 m (£6,161,420). In total we are directly investing more than £2.4 bn in hundreds of projects across Scotland as we help grow our economy and level up the country.”
The Community Ownership Fund helps towns and cities across the UK to create and restore treasured institutions like museums, pubs and sports clubs, so that they can be run by the community, for the community.
The fund has now given £6.2 m for 28 projects in Scotland – part of 195 projects now being supported across the UK.
UK Government minister for Levelling Up Jacob Young said:
Our priority is to support communities and deliver opportunities right across the country, which is why we’re investing £12.3m to secure the future of cherished c community institutions.
These places – from pubs to historic railway lines – are the golden thread which run through our social fabric, and keeping them going is vital for supporting communities.
Changes which came into effect for this round of bids also meant that all projects could bid for up to £1m in funding, not just sports clubs, and the amount organisations needed to match fund decreased to 20%.
This also marks the first time that applicants applying to support projects such as the Community Net-Zero hub, have been able to benefit from support with the development of their application and business case through the Community Ownership Fund development support provider, led by Locality.
The Community Ownership Fund is currently open again for bids and will close on 11 October 2023 and groups are being urged to apply for up to £2m in funding for the very first time. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
25 Sep 23. GAO Science & Tech Spotlight on Drone Swarm Technologies. This GAO Science & Tech Spotlight report explores drone swarm technologies, which use algorithms and local sensors to coordinate drones with minimal human intervention. Swarms could range from a few drones to possibly thousands. Advances in artificial intelligence and drone components have made swarms possible—even if they’re limited to simpler missions like aerial light shows for now.
As the technology improves, it could be used to fight wildfires, detect crop disease, and more. However, it also raises concerns over safety, privacy, and cybersecurity. For example, a hacker could redirect a drone swarm for malicious purposes.
Why This Matters
Drone swarm technologies allow groups of drones to coordinate with each other, often without direct human control. Potential civilian applications include fighting wildfires and finding missing persons. But advances are needed in computing and communication to realize these applications, and the technology may raise safety, cybersecurity, and privacy concerns.
The Technology
What is it? Drones are uncrewed aerial vehicles ranging in size from an inch to a wingspan of over 130 feet. Drone swarm technologies coordinate at least three and up to thousands of drones to perform missions cooperatively with limited need for human attention and control. For example, an aerial drone swarm could potentially assist with controlling a wildfire, assessing damages, finding access points, and suppressing the fire by raining firefighting liquids on it—all with minimal human direction. Drone swarms may be more efficient and robust for certain applications than single drones because swarms can complete a variety of tasks in parallel without human supervision. And they can continue operating if individual drones become inoperable.
How does it work? Drone swarms integrate advanced computer algorithms with local sensing and communication technologies to synchronize multiple drones to achieve a goal.
Drone swarms can use various methods of command and control, including preprogrammed missions with specific predefined flight paths, centralized control by a ground station or a single control drone, or distributed control where the drones communicate and collaborate based on shared information. More advanced methods of control include swarm intelligence, inspired by the collective behaviors of insect colonies and flocks of birds, as well as artificial intelligence techniques to teach drone swarms to respond to new or unexpected situations.
How mature is it? Drone swarm technologies and algorithms have become more mature in recent years. Advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning have improved decision-making and obstacle avoidance. High-speed communications technologies such as 5G and 6G networks have improved real-time data sharing among devices. Other advancements include energy efficient components, such as lighter materials and energy efficient motors, as well as advanced sensing technologies for environment mapping. In addition, there are now high-resolution cameras and infrared sensors for surveillance, reconnaissance, and search and rescue.
Despite these advances, drone swarm use remains limited due to a number of challenges. Most current drone swarm applications are still relatively simple. For example, aerial light displays are conducted with preplanned motions. Tasks such as tracking and determining the positions of multiple drones in uncontrolled environments still pose a significant challenge for drone swarm technologies. Weather conditions in emergency management situations like hurricanes or wildfires could exacerbate these challenges.
Opportunities
Current and potential civilian applications of drone swarm technologies include:
- Agriculture: Drone swarm technologies could plant seeds, identify disease outbreaks by surveilling large areas, and deploy treatments such as fertilizers to crops.
- Emergency management: Responders could use drone swarms to find missing persons and deliver emergency care and supplies during natural disasters.
Drone swarms could also help firefighters track and control the spread of wildfires and collect information about damages, access points, and more.
- Entertainment: Event organizers have used drone swarms for entertainment as an alternative to fireworks. Doing so can mitigate debris, pollution, fires, and disturbances to animals and humans.
Challenges
- Safety and security: Drone swarms can operate with minimal human intervention, but human intervention with control systems may be necessary for sensitive missions, such as those that could put humans in danger. Federal law prohibits drone swarm operation in restricted areas or for illegal or nefarious activities like spying, cyber-attacks, or deployment of improvised explosive devices. Operators must obtain a waiver to operate a drone swarm, as current regulations do not permit a person to operate more than one drone at the same time.
- Privacy and cybersecurity: Drone swarms collect information about their surroundings, so protocols need to be in place to protect against the collection and storage of certain information, such as photographs, videos, or sound recordings of individuals. Cybersecurity measures could help ensure drones are not hijacked or hacked by bad actors and used for malicious purposes.
- Technical advancements: Some applications will require miniaturization of hardware, such as sensors, as well as improved computing power. Advancements in algorithms could better simulate swarm behavior and improve connectivity, communications, and decision-making among drones.
Policy Context and Questions
- What actions could be taken to ensure drone swarm technologies operate safely?
- What threats may arise from the use of drone swarm technologies for illegal activities, and how may they be mitigated?
- What standards may be used or developed to ensure (1) the privacy of information that could be collected by drones and (2) appropriate cybersecurity protections?
- How could research initiatives address key technical challenges and advance high-value, secure, and ethical applications for drone swarms?
The 2-page report is available here: GAO-23-106930, SCIENCE & TECH SPOTLIGHT: DRONE SWARM TECHNOLOGIES (Source: UAS VISION/GAO)
26 Sep 23. Advanced Navigation opens high-tech robotics manufacturing facility. Advanced Navigation, the world’s most determined innovator in artificial intelligence (AI) for robotic and navigation technologies, has unveiled a new high-tech robotics facility for autonomous systems based at UTS Tech Lab in Botany, New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
The facility will scale up the manufacturing of Advanced Navigation’s world-first AI navigation systems for GPS-denied environments, including its digital fibre-optic gyroscope (DFOG) technology, Boreas.
Advanced Navigation is one of only four companies in the world with the capability to manufacture strategic grade fibre-optic gyroscopes. This technology empowers reliable navigation for marine vessels, space missions, aerospace, defence, autonomous vehicles and flying taxis. The company deploys its unique AI-based physics algorithms to solve complex challenges earth-bound and beyond.
Strengthening Australia’s sovereign capabilities
Xavier Orr, Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder, said, “There is a critical need to improve Australia’s economic complexity and sovereign capabilities. A key step is to build our industrial capacity in high-tech, as well as drive knowledge exchange and propel collaborative initiatives between government agencies, academic institutions and industry leaders.”
State-of-art robotics manufacturing for autonomous systems
There is a seismic shift across the landscape of sovereign manufacturing, driven by advanced technologies like AI, automation and precision engineering. In the context of autonomous systems, the importance of precision and reliability is non-negotiable.
Adopting a vertical integration framework, the facility houses equipment and processes for automated manufacturing utilising machine learning. This guarantees the delivery of reliable, durable and high-quality navigation systems.
Collaborating with UTS academics and community
In addition to the manufacturing capability, the facility will be home to extensive research collaborations between Advanced Navigation and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This will expedite the commercialisation of several socially impactful technologies, including:
- Light Detection, Altimetry and Velocimetry (LiDAV) system – LiDAV delivers precise three-dimensional velocity and altitude information relative to the lunar surface, enabling complex autonomous landing procedures and confident exploration on the moon. The technology is set to board US-based space systems company Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander as part of NASA’s ongoing Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program.
- Cloud Ground Control – A revolutionary cloud-based solution that allows pilots and mission planners to remotely command and control a swarm of uncrewed vehicles across air, land and sea through a web browser. By enabling real-time video feed, and telemetry, and easy access and management of captured data, Cloud Ground Control provides full remote visibility and situational awareness in search and rescue, emergency response and disaster relief operations.
- Guiding visually impaired passengers – As part of the NSW Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, Advanced Navigation has developed an indoor positioning technology to support members of the visually impaired community navigate safely inside underground train stations.
Professor Andrew Parfitt, Vice-Chancellor and President of UTS, said, “UTS is pleased to be working with Advanced Navigation to tap into critical growth areas, including AI, robotics and space technologies.
The collaboration between UTS’s global research leaders in autonomous systems technology and Advanced Navigation’s exceptional team of scientists and engineers, utilising UTS Tech Lab’s cutting-edge facilities, highlights our commitment to developing sovereign capabilities for defence and space.
We look forward to deepening and expanding our collective capabilities with Advanced Navigation to accelerate the production of high-impact innovations.”
Bolstering societal demand for STEM roles
The facility appeals to the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment towards building a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. It is set to drive employment in robotics, manufacturing, photonics, mechatronics and mechanical engineering and other fields.
Chris Shaw, Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder, said, “Our new facility will help drive rapid growth in Australia’s STEM industry. Determined to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution, we are commercialising technologies that are key to addressing some of humanity’s biggest challenges. We are honoured to partner with UTS, who has a reputation for supporting multidisciplinary research and opening access to next-generation technologies.”
Advanced Navigation was founded on a culture of research and discovery. Powered by a deep curiosity to apply ground-breaking technologies to uncover and explore new frontiers, the company is ultimately extending human capabilities to build a more resilient and sustainable future with safer outcomes, on and off planet.
25 Sep 23. During the German National Aviation Conference in Hamburg, Airbus Helicopters unveiled the PioneerLab, its new twin-engine technology demonstrator based on the H145 platform. It complements Airbus’ range of FlightLabs and focuses on testing technologies that reduce helicopter emissions, increase autonomy and integrate bio-based materials.
“With PioneerLab, we continue our ambitious strategy to test and mature new technologies on board our helicopter demonstrators,” said Tomasz Krysinski, Head of Research and Innovation Programmes at Airbus Helicopters. “PioneerLab, which is based in Germany at our Donauwörth site, will be our platform to test technologies specifically dedicated to twin-engine helicopters.”
The PioneerLab aims to demonstrate a fuel reduction of up to 30% compared to a conventional H145, thanks to a hybrid electric propulsion system and aerodynamic improvements. Aboard the demonstrator, Airbus Helicopters will also flight-test structural components made from bio-based and recycled materials, which aim to reduce the environmental footprint across the entire aircraft life cycle. The company intends to produce the new parts using processes that reduce material and energy consumption and improve recyclability. Further research activities will include the integration of the latest digital technologies into the aircraft’s flight control system and associated sensors to increase autonomy and safety during critical flight phases such as take-off and landing.
PioneerLab is partially co-funded by the BMWK, the Federal German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Actions through its national research program LuFo. Airbus Helicopters’ FlightLabs provide agile and efficient test beds to quickly test technologies. They are part of the company’s strategy to bring incremental innovation to improve its current products and as well as to mature technology for future platforms.
The PioneerLab’s flight campaign has already begun at the manufacturer’s largest German site in Donauwörth, with a rotor strike alerting system being the first techno-brick tested on board the demonstrator. The next phase will be to test an automated take-off and landing system.
26 Sep 23. Global deep-tech company Cailabs (www.cailabs.com) has announced the opening of its office in downtown Washington DC, in a move that reflects the major changes in laser communications underway in the US aerospace and defense industry.
Cailabs is one of the few companies that can offer turnkey optical ground stations to manage atmospheric turbulence, enabling high-capacity laser communications, even through the atmosphere.
With the opening of its office in the US, Cailabs is responding to a market opportunity and demand from the defense sector. Laser technology, which is developing rapidly as a field, is a high priority for US defense contractors, as well as sovereign nations globally.
The move will support Cailabs’ continued growth while accommodating rising demand among US customers for laser communications. It reflects Cailabs’ vision to support the Space Development Agency in its ambitious lasercomms roadmap.
Cailabs’ Co-founder and CEO Jean-François Morizur said he was delighted the company would have a physical presence in the US, adding that he was excited for the future.
“We’re very pleased to be opening an office in the United States and to support the defense industry as it looks to become a world leader in the use of laser solutions like ours.
“Laser communications has come of age in recent years, showing itself to be a fast, reliable and secure mode of communication, as well as one capable of carrying a lot of data. The unique technology we offer makes laser communications more efficient and resilient.
“That makes it an important complementary technology to radio for defense purposes.”
The company was recently named in the French Tech 2030 start-up programme, unveiled by Emmanuel Macron and run by Bpifrance and La French Tech.
The listed companies’ innovations are considered highly relevant to the themes of the $100 bn France 2030 investment plan, which is geared towards supporting businesses, rethinking production models, transforming infrastructure and investing in training, with an emphasis on decarbonization and sustainable growth.
Morizur added, “We’re striving to push the boundaries of what’s possible with laser light, and that has massive implications for a range of industries. It’s a very exciting time for our field.”
The site of Cailabs’ new office is 701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington DC, 20036, suite 4-122.
About Cailabs:
Founded in 2013, Cailabs is a global deep-tech company that masters laser light to designs, manufactures and sells innovative optical solutions for defense, space, telecoms, and laser machining industries.
Cailabs manufactures turnkey optical ground stations, integrating its atmospheric turbulence compensation technology. That makes it one of the first companies to exploit the very high throughput rates enabled by optics in a ground station on an industrial scale.
Cailabs currently has more than 80 employees, including 22 PhD graduates, and owns 26 patent families. By combining its mastery of the science of light with outstanding engineering,
Cailabs is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, accelerating progress and paving the way for a brighter future. It transforms the space experience for its clients, making it safe, seamless and efficient.
For more information visit: www.cailabs.com
25 Sep 23. Military vehicles – Functionality under extreme operating and environmental conditions. Military vehicles face a variety of challenges in the field. The missions are characterized by demanding environmental conditions as well as extreme weather conditions. Impassable terrain, different soil conditions, but also heat, cold, precipitation and dust must not impair performance. In addition, it must be possible for military units to network with each other. This requires the transmission of even higher data rates. Depending on the application and transmission distances, the use of optical fibers is unavoidable.
Complexity requires a multi-product solution for connectors
The requirements for the transmission of current, high voltage, data technology or fiber optics are so different that they usually cannot be integrated into one connector. Therefore, a multi-product solution is sought. ODU offers the advantage of a one-stop-shop. Standard cable assemblies are offered for various data technology protocols: USB, HDMI, Displayport or coax connector. Often, the connected subsystem is crucial. For this reason, for example does a reconnaissance device or other optronics require high-frequency connectors that ensure connection to printed circuit boards. On the other hand, a HUB in the vehicle ensures data exchange via an Ethernet hub.
ODU-MAC® modular connector enables single-product solution
Nevertheless, there are applications that prefer a single-product solution. For example, in one of the most widely used Main Batteltank Systems (MBT), ODU products of the ODU-MAC® series (modular connectors) are used. Various modules from power transmission to data technology can be used, all of which are integrated into one interface. In this special case, the modular connector transmits both: the supply voltages for a central electronic unit and the switching and control signals for the entire tower system.
Optimized for demanding applications
Connectors for military and security technology from ODU are robust, resistant and optimized for demanding applications. They ensure a fast and trouble-free flow of information thanks to a combination of flexible connections, compact dimensions and high speeds. The extreme resilience and transmission reliability of the connector solutions is guaranteed even under the most technically demanding environmental conditions.
Further information under https://odu-connectors.com/industries/military/
22 Sep 23. General Micro Systems (GMS) today launched the X9 Spider Intelligent Switch, an accelerated networking module designed to improve the performance of Ethernet-based military applications without compromising size, weight and power (SWaP) requirements. This fully sealed, rugged, fanless and battlefield-ready switch—with eight 10 GBase-TX Ethernet ports and four 100 Gb Ethernet ports—provides acquisition and modernization programs with industry-leading bandwidth and efficiency in a palm-sized module, built to carry applications forward for decades to come.
The X9 Spider Intelligent Switch is intended for use within GMS’ X9 Spider family of modular, scalable and open distributed computing architecture (DCA) systems designed to reduce the development barriers to rugged high-performance computing, high-definition video, sensor processing, AI, battlefield edge processing, storage, display and I/O. The switch can also be used in any standalone high-performance deployed network, including industrial and other types of rugged applications.
“The move to sophisticated data fusion, video and AI workloads within vehicles, ships, unmanned aerial systems and airborne platforms is an emerging megatrend in military programs,” said Ben Sharfi, CEO and chief architect, GMS. “As a result, these systems must have rugged networking backbones capable of supporting commercial rack-mount-like performance. Our new X9 Spider Intelligent Switch is the only solution available today with necessary elements to make it happen—and it’s all in a module you can fit in the palm of your hand with the highest bandwidth and most platform throughputs of any switch out there!”
The heart of the X9 Spider Intelligent Switch is a Broadcom® ultra-low latency, high bandwidth, enterprise-class and rugged switch, with up to 880 Gbps core switching bandwidth, coupled with an Intel Atom® CPU, boasting 32 GB DRAM and 1 TB SSD capacity. Capable of packet processing, forwarding and layer 2/3 routing, the X9 Spider Intelligent Switch enables intelligent, high-reliability networking without impacting mission-critical application processors. The switch uses Nvidia® Cumulus® Linux as its configuration software, unlocking advanced network configuration and packet processing capabilities like those found in routers running the internet cloud and data centers.
Next-Generation Networking Available Today
The X9 Spider Intelligent Switch’s eight 10 GBase-TX Ethernet ports and four 100 Gb Ethernet ports are 10 times and 100 times faster than the current “best” Ethernet at 1 Gb, using rugged GMS-style or mil-circular connectors for lab use and production applications. All connectors for power, 100 Gb Ethernet, service and 10 Gb Ethernet ports are fully rugged, waterproof (IP67) and include covers to prevent damage when no cables are connected.
The Intel Atom-based host processor is responsible for “housekeeping” switch configuration and provides a browser user interface for control and programming. To facilitate this interface, the switch includes a service port with video, dual USB ports and a 1Gb Ethernet port for remote access.
The X9 Spider Intelligent Switch highlights include:
- Highest SWaP high-performance rugged Ethernet switch
- Only 6” x 4.75” x 2” at only two pounds
- Ultra-fast, low latency, 12 port intelligent Layer 2/3 switch
- Up to 880 Gbps bandwidth switching via non-blocking, enterprise-class Broadcom 56760 switch
- Four native 100G fiber Ethernet ports
- Eight 10 GBase-TX Ethernet ports
- Quad core Intel Atom CPU for packet operations and configuration
- Configured via Nvidia® Cumulus® Linux for advanced top-of-rack data center IP processing
- Up to 32 GB DRAM for packet and routing table processing
- High-performance stacking and fast failover within 100 ms
The X9 Spider Distributed System Advantage
The X9 Spider Intelligent Switch is the latest offering in the X9 Spider family of modular, scalable and open distributed computing architecture (DCA) systems designed to reduce the development barriers to rugged high-performance computing, high-definition video, sensor processing, AI, battlefield edge processing, storage, display and I/O. Most importantly, DCA is a MOSA approach that allows X9 modules to be distributed around a platform and interconnected using a single Thunderbolt™ 4 cable (copper or fiber), including up to 100W of power. Housed within small, rugged enclosures with uncompromised performance per dollar per Watt, all X9 Spider products are standalone or interconnected—providing unheard of system configuration flexibility and upgradeability.
“As a key component of our X9 Spider family, the innovative design of the X9 Spider Intelligent Switch ensures the performance and reliability of next-generation in-vehicle, embedded and distributed networks plus the data they carry,” Sharfi said. “Our end-to-end optimization for increased bandwidth and port counts, along with unprecedented architectural flexibility and ruggedization, is driving program win momentum for GMS products among military programs and industry partners.”
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Oxley Group Ltd
Oxley offer a range of Military Marine NVG friendly LED lighting that includes navigation lights and controls, flight deck landing lights and interior compartment lighting. Our lighting products are used by Navies around the world including our own Royal Navy on UK Aircraft Carriers, Canadian Frigates, Swedish Submarines, Australian Surface vessels and Submarines, on board French Naval Carriers and in Naval Gun Turrets.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-r/
The technology is extremely energy efficient and built robustly, with proven long life. The lighting is NVG friendly, dimmable and programmable to allow for operations with aircraft pilots using military night vision goggles. They offer superior design giving high reliability for the most demanding environments with high sealing and the ability to meet the most stringent EMC standards.
https://oxleydevelopments.cmail20.com/t/t-l-cdhkulk-yujhutkljd-y/
Oxley are proud to say that we are working in partnership with SeaKing to enable a control panel to be offered with our LED Navigation Lighting. All of Oxley navigation lights have been specifically developed for vessels over 50 metres.
Contact Marcus Goad on 07850 917 263 for more information or to arrange samples.
Oxley specialises in the design and manufacture of advanced electronic and electro-optic components and systems for air, land and sea applications within the military sector. Established in 1942, Oxley has manufacturing facilities in the UK and USA and enjoys representation worldwide. The company’s products include night vision and LED lighting, data capture systems and electronic components. Oxley has pioneered the development of night vision compatible lighting. It offers a total package incorporating optical filters, equipment modification, cockpit and external lighting along with fleet wide upgrade services including engineering, installation, support, maintenance and training. The company’s long experience of manufacturing night vision lighting and LED indicators, coupled with advances in LED technology, has enabled it to develop LED solutions to replace incandescent and fluorescent lighting in existing applications as well as becoming the lighting option of choice in new applications such as portable military hospitals, UAV control stations and communication shelters.
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