Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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04 Apr 24. Skydweller Aero completes world’s first successful unmanned/uncrewed flight of large scale solar-powered aircraft in the United States. Skydweller, an uncrewed solar-powered aircraft which has a wingspan greater than a 747 and leaves zero carbon footprint, just completed the world’s first successful autonomous/unmanned/uncrewed flight of a large solar-powered aircraft, taking off, flying and landing by itself, without humans on-board or in control, from Stennis International Airport in the United States.
“This is a true, world-changing first in the aerospace industry,” said Robert Miller, CEO, Skydweller Aero, the aircraft’s manufacturer, which is the only global manufacturer of large, autonomous solar-powered aircraft capable of perpetual flight. “Our fleet of uncrewed aircraft will enable a multitude of long-duration missions that support national security and non-terrestrial communications with revolutionary cost savings.”
Skydwellers can be deployed for long-duration missions such as providing continuous aerial overage above conflict zones, surveilling naval activity in contested waters without risking pilots’ lives, detecting drug smugglers and pirates at sea, and tracking wildlife migration and poaching in Africa.
“This really is a first when it comes to national security and protecting Americans,” said Senator Roger Wicker, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee who unveiled a Skydweller aircraft to the public last month. “It really is great news and it’s only the beginning.”
Skydweller aircraft are capable of perpetual flight, staying aloft for 90 days or more, at altitudes of up to 45,000 feet. In contrast, current combustion-powered aircraft, including piloted aircraft and drones, are limited to approximately 40 hours maximum flight time, limited by the endurance of pilots, the amount of fuel a conventional aircraft can carry, and the need for frequent maintenance.
“We are applying cutting-edge, 21st century materials science, artificial intelligence, and software development to an industry that has spent more than 100 years building piloted, combustion-based aircraft,” Miller continued. “This allows Skydweller to leap ahead of heritage aircraft manufacturers in terms of aircraft performance, flight duration, and cost effectiveness.”
Skydwellers can accomplish missions with a single aircraft that has historically required a fleet of conventional aircraft, flight crews and maintenance personnel. A single Skydweller aircraft capable of perpetual flight, coupled with minimal operating personnel, replaces all of this cost for the same mission. As such, solar-powered Skydwellers are 10 to 100 times less expensive to operate than conventional aircraft for long duration missions.
Furthermore, autonomous aircraft directly save lives by removing the need for flight crews to be physically present in hostile or dangerous airspace. For example, a Skydweller aircraft can take off from the United States, fly itself to the South China Sea, and stay in the air on mission for weeks or months before returning home. Additionally, autonomy enables not just traditional long-duration missions, but also new missions that would have formerly been deemed unacceptable due to risk to the flight crew.
About Skydweller Aero Inc.
Skydweller Aero Inc. is a pioneering transatlantic aerospace company developing and manufacturing a fleet of very large solar powered aircraft solutions capable of achieving perpetual flight with heavy, powerful payloads. Skydwellers are autonomous aircraft manufactured from carbon-fiber, each with a wingspan greater than a 747, and will be used for long duration missions such as providing continuous coverage above conflict zones, surveilling naval activity in contested waters, and detecting drug smugglers and pirates at sea. Because Skydwellers are solar powered, they are inexpensive to operate and maintain and feature zero carbon footprint. Skydweller Aero Inc., primarily backed by venture and private capital, has World and US headquarters in Oklahoma City and European offices headquartered in Spain.
With a flexible payload system, including communications relay, 4G/5G cellular, day/night full motion video, satellite communication, imaging radar, and more, Skydwellers will enhance commercial and government telecommunication, geospatial, meteorological and emergency operation efforts around the world, allowing customers to operate persistently in more challenging areas for longer durations, while reducing environmental impact. For more information about Skydweller, visit www.skydweller.aero.
(Source: PR Newswire)
05 Apr 24. Green Hills Software Delivers Industry’s Most Comprehensive Production-Focused Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) Solutions for NXP’s Open S32 CoreRide Platform.
This industry-first SDV solution comes with pre-integrated hypervisors, real-time operating systems and OS-agnostic advanced development tools from Green Hills, addressing the complex challenges of hardware and software integration
Green Hills Software, the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security, today announced its significant role in NXP® Semiconductors’ open S32 CoreRide platform, a new industry-first vehicle software platform that greatly simplifies complex vehicle architecture development. The new platform integrates NXP’s broad hardware portfolio with Green Hills Software’s portfolio of safe and secure foundational software solutions, bringing OEMs and Tier 1s an unprecedented way to tackle vehicle architecture complexity and diversity while reducing development effort and increasing scalability.
To achieve the promising benefits of SDVs, OEMs and Tier 1s are grappling with efficiently utilizing complex heterogenous multicore processors integrated with layers of software from disparate sources. OEMs must create and maintain a vast amount of new safe and secure software, and deploy the architectures to later upgrade software on vehicles on the road. The S32 CoreRide Platform breaks the barriers of integrating hardware and software in the central compute, high-performance real-time domain/zonal controllers, and connected vehicle networks.
“NXP’s S32 CoreRide platform combined with Green Hills’ portfolio of safe and secure foundational software solutions help our customers break through the complex integration barriers of SDV development,” said Henri Ardevol, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Automotive Embedded Systems at NXP. “The ability to safely and securely consolidate open and mixed-criticality workloads makes this combination an essential software foundation for OEMs to efficiently develop and confidently deploy their SDV innovations.”
“Green Hills is pleased to be an essential partner in NXP’s S32 CoreRide platform, offering automotive OEMs and Tier 1s the broadest portfolio of pre-integrated and optimized safety- and security-certified software solutions in the industry,” said Dan Mender, VP Business Development at Green Hills Software. “Our production-proven advanced development tools, RTOSes, and virtualization services supporting the family of NXP S32 processors enable customers to safely incorporate ECU consolidation, accelerate complex system development, and reduce cost and time-to-market for the core vehicle functions of mixed-criticality multicore SDV architectures.”
Green Hills for S32 CoreRide Platform
Today, Green Hills is working with global OEM early adopters of the S32 CoreRide platform by providing the safe and secure run-time foundation of hypervisors, real-time operating systems, development tools, and design services.
- Flexible and Scalable Architecture Choices – A uniform software foundation supports all S32 automotive processing platforms, spanning the smallest MCUs to the most performant MPUs, safely and securely running open source and commercial mixed-criticality software.
- Simplified Integration – Reduce architecture complexity by confidently consolidating mixed-criticality functions from real-time, AUTOSAR, POSIX, Linux, middleware, cloud and standards-based environments.
- Production Focused – Ready-to-deploy and pre-certified for ASIL D safety and ISO/SAE cybersecurity.
- Reduced Development Effort – A single, unified, OS-agnostic development environment and system view across all cores and operating systems to quickly find and fix bugs and optimize the platform.
- Trusted Advisors – Expert training and design services to shorten time-to-market with lower cost and reduced risk, tailored to the project’s development processes, safety and security goals.
- Complete Offering – Available today on NXP’s S32 Automotive Processing Platform
o INTEGRITY® RTOS for high-performance cores, certified ASIL D safety, ISO/SAE cybersecurity 21434, concurrently runs workloads of mixed levels of criticality:
- Native hard real-time OS tasks and AUTOSAR Classic
- Native POSIX-based applications and middleware
- Native AUTOSAR Adaptive
- Linux environments hosted by Multivisor® virtualization services
o µ-velOSity™ RTOS for real-time microcontroller cores, certified ASIL D safety
o µ-visor® hypervisor concurrently hosts multiple AUTOSAR Classic, FreeRTOS and µ-velOSity Guest OSes
o OS-agnostic MULTI® integrated development environment (IDE) with advanced back-in-time TimeMachine® debugger and History® intuitive graphical system viewer for software solutions from Green Hills and CoreRide partners
o ASIL D Green Hills Optimizing Compilers and C/C++ run-time libraries
o Processor-in-Loop integration with MATLAB/Simulink and Embedded Coder
04 Apr 24. The Rising Threat of GPS Jamming: Impacts and Solutions.
Explore the latest incidents of GPS jamming with infiniDome, potential sources and the wide-ranging effects, and how industries and governments are responding to mitigate these threats.
infiniDome explores the latest incidents of GPS jamming, potential sources and the wide-ranging effects. Find out how industries and governments worldwide are responding to mitigate these threats to ensure their navigation capabilities.
GPS jamming has emerged as a significant challenge in recent years, affecting not just military operations but also civilian navigation and safety.
infiniDome will be at Xponential, held in San Diego, CA from April 22-25, showcasing the future of GPS protection and resilient navigation.
Navigating the GPS Jammed Battlefield in Conflict Zones
Ukraine: Amid the ongoing conflict with Russia, Ukraine has faced numerous GPS jamming incidents aimed at disrupting the Ukrainian military’s navigation capabilities. These jamming attacks have been reported to affect not only military drones but also civilian communication and navigation systems, illustrating the wide-reaching impact of electronic warfare in the region. The use of jamming techniques has been part of broader hybrid warfare tactics, complicating efforts to maintain situational awareness and coordinate defense operations.
Baltic Countries: In the face of escalating tensions in Eastern Europe, the Baltic countries have witnessed a series of sophisticated GPS jamming incidents, attributed to efforts aimed at undermining regional security and NATO’s operational effectiveness. These countries, strategically positioned at the forefront of NATO’s eastern defense line, have become testbeds for electronic warfare tactics, including disruptive GPS interference. Such incidents have not only challenged military exercises and readiness, but also posed risks to civilian aviation and maritime safety. These risks emphasize the urgent need for advanced countermeasures, including international collaboration, in order to maintain the security of critical navigation systems against the invisible threats of modern warfare.
Israel: Since the October 7th attack, GPS jamming has occurred throughout Israel. The Israeli Defense Forces have acknowledged that these incidents were intentional military operations, attempting to thwart drone and unmanned aircraft attacks. Such an approach is aimed at countering threats and maintaining the tactical advantage in a region marked by persistent tensions and conflict.
Military Moves: UAVs Changing the Game
In response to the increasing prevalence of GNSS jamming attacks, militaries around the globe are taking proactive provisions to adapt and enhance their abilities to safeguard military operations while maintaining the strategic advantage. This evolving landscape has seen significant developments, including Ukraine’s bolstered defenses through international solidarity. In a remarkable step, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced that Ukraine will receive one m drones from its allies in 2024, highlighting the crucial role of unmanned systems in modern warfare and reconnaissance missions amidst ongoing conflicts.
Similarly, the United Kingdom has taken decisive steps to fortify its armed forces against sophisticated threats. The UK Ministry of Defence has committed to invest five bn GBP in drones, aiming to significantly expand its UAV fleet. This investment is part of a broader strategy designed to enhance the UK’s defense capabilities and ensure operational superiority in an era wherein electronic and GPS jamming tactics have become increasingly common.
Is the World Prepared?
As governments and militaries around the globe increasingly recognize the strategic value of unmanned vehicles, investment in UAVs, drones, and unmanned systems have made their way to the forefront of defense planning.
These investments reflect a commitment to harnessing the latest technologies in surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat operations. Likewise, they are designed to achieve a crucial advantage in the evolving landscape of modern warfare.
Simultaneously, the international community is experiencing a significant uptick in navigation interferences and GPS jamming attacks, a trend that is expected to increase in the face of growing geopolitical tensions and the proliferation of electronic warfare capabilities. The risks of such an environment stress the critical importance of robust navigation capabilities, which serve as the backbone for the operational effectiveness of unmanned systems.
The intersection of these developments points to a future where the ability to navigate precisely and resist electronic disruptions will be paramount. Therefore, advancing navigation resilience and anti-jamming technologies has never been more crucial. As nations navigate the complexities of contemporary conflicts and strive for superiority in the digital battlefield, the investment in and enhancement of navigation capabilities will undoubtedly play a pivotal role. The path forward is clear: bolstering our navigation systems is not just a matter of technological advancement, but a strategic imperative that underpins the future of global security and defense strategies. (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
04 Apr 24. Infineon and Green Hills Software Present Integrated Platform for Real-Time Applications for Software-Defined Vehicles. Infineon Technologies AG (FSE: IFX / OTCQX: IFNNY) and Green Hills Software LLC, the global leader in embedded safety and security, have launched an integrated microcontroller-based processing platform for safety-critical real-time automotive systems. The platform combines the safety-certified real-time operating system (RTOS) µ-velOSity™ from Green Hills with Infineon’s new generation of safety controllers AURIX™ TC4x. This provides OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers with a reliable, safe, and secure processing platform to develop domain and zonal controllers as well as drivetrains for electric vehicles for their next-generation software-defined vehicle (SDV) architectures.
“Green Hills’ product philosophy for tools and the matching software environment support our requirements for reliable products and solutions very well,” said Thomas Schneid, Senior Director for Software, Partnership and Ecosystem Management at Infineon. “Combined with advanced microcontroller products such as the AURIX TC4x family, our customers gain a significant advantage in meeting their critical requirements.”
“We are excited to extend our long-standing collaboration with Infineon and showcase our joint solution at embedded world 2024,” said Dan Mender, Vice President of Business Development at Green Hills Software. “The combination of Infineon’s new scalable microcontroller family AURIX TC4x and Green Hills’ µ-velOSity RTOS will enable our joint customers to develop safe and secure systems for the next generation of SDV E/E architectures.”
Enabling the development of advanced ECUs
New automotive electronic control units (ECU) are essential for the adapted vehicle E/E architecture of SDVs. To develop these ECUs, new microcontrollers are needed that also meet the requirements of safety-critical systems such as zone control, chassis, radar, electric drives, and affordable AI systems, by offering higher performance and advanced features. Infineon addresses this demand with its new family of AURIX TC4x devices that complement its TriCore™ multicore architecture with a safety and security accelerator suite. Moreover, to meet the stringent safety requirements, Green Hills has ported its safety-certified µ-velOSity RTOS to the AURIX TC4x family. The advanced MULTI® integrated development environment is also supporting this processor family, enabling developers to shorten development times by increasing developer productivity while generating the fastest and smallest code for the AURIX TC4x.
Infineon’s AURIX TC4x family provides an upward migration path from the previous AURIX TC3x family of ASIL-compliant automotive MCUs. AURIX TC4x uses the next-generation TriCore 1.8 and a scalable accelerator suite, including the new Parallel Processing Unit (PPU) as well as several intelligent accelerators, in areas such as data routing, digital signal processing, radar processing and cryptographic computing. The AURIX TC4x family supports high-speed interfaces, including Gigabit Ethernet, PCIe, CAN-XL or 10BASE T1S Ethernet, to provide sufficient communication bandwidth for the next generation of automotive systems.
The Green Hills µ-velOSity RTOS targets the highest functional safety levels (ISO 26262 ASIL D). Based on an efficient and reliable kernel with a minimal footprint and a simple API, it also offers fast boot and streamlined execution. In addition, µ-velOSity is tightly integrated with the MULTI safety-certified tools and compilers.
Demonstration at the embedded world 2024
Green Hills and Infineon will showcase their solution at embedded world 2024, April 9-11, at the Green Hills booth 4-325.
Infineon at embedded world
embedded world will take place in Nuremberg, Germany, from 9 to 11 April, 2024. Infineon will present its products and solutions for decarbonization and digitalization in hall 4A, booth #138 and virtually. Company representatives will also hold several TechTalks as well as presentations at the accompanying embedded world Conference, followed by discussions with the speakers. If you are interested in interviewing an expert at the show, please email . Industry analysts interested in a briefing can email . Information about the embedded world show highlights is available at www.infineon.com/embedded-world.
About Green Hills Software
Founded in 1982, Green Hills Software is the worldwide leader in embedded safety and security. In 2008, the Green Hills INTEGRITY-178 RTOS was the first and only operating system to be certified by NIAP (National Information Assurance Partnership comprised of NSA & NIST) to EAL 6+, High Robustness, the highest level of security ever achieved for any software product. Our open architecture integrated development solutions address deeply embedded, absolute security and high-reliability applications for the military/avionics, medical, industrial, automotive, networking, consumer and other markets that demand industry-certified solutions. Green Hills Software is headquartered in Santa Barbara, CA, with European headquarters in the United Kingdom. Visit Green Hills Software at https://www.ghs.com.
Green Hills, the Green Hills logo, INTEGRITY, MULTI and µ-velOSity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Green Hills Software LLC, in the U.S. and/or internationally. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
About Infineon
Infineon Technologies AG is a global semiconductor leader in power systems and IoT. Infineon drives decarbonization and digitalization with its products and solutions. The company has around 58,600 employees worldwide and generated revenue of about €16.3 bn in the 2023 fiscal year (ending 30 September). Infineon is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: IFX) and in the USA on the OTCQX International over-the-counter market (ticker symbol: IFNNY).
03 Apr 24. Anduril to supply robotic combat vehicle software to US Army. The U.S. Army and Defense Innovation Unit selected Anduril Industries to develop a software framework thought foundational to testing and deploying future robotic combat vehicle payloads.
The company announced the deal April 3 without providing details about contract length. A spokesperson declined to say how much the agreement is worth.
Robotic combat vehicles are unmanned systems envisioned to work alongside soldiers, schlepping supplies or surveilling adversaries with sophisticated sensors. The RCVs are also part of a larger Army overhaul dubbed Next Generation Combat Vehicle, which includes the XM30 Mechanized Infantry Combat Vehicle, formerly the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.
Anduril’s digital effort will enable RCV variants to navigate terrain, swap and adopt government-owned and third-party autonomy stacks, and allow remote management of a vehicle’s equipment, according to its announcement.
“Integrating disparate hardware and software is a critical step in the development and validation of any autonomous system,” Zach Mears, an Anduril senior vice president, said in a statement.
The Army in September tapped General Dynamics Land Systems, McQ, Oshkosh Defense and Textron Systems to build RCV prototypes, marking the start of a competition. The service later said it would no longer seek separate light, medium and heavy models, instead pivoting to a single sized platform that could tote specialty equipment such as smokescreen dispensers and electronic warfare tools.
“As the Army evaluates potential payloads, software modules, and autonomy stacks for the RCV program, developing a robust and flexible integration framework will prove critical to the program’s success,” Mears said.
The RCV endeavor is one of growing importance, as Army leadership pushes man-and-machine collaboration.
The service’s fiscal 2025 budget request included ms of dollars for human-machine integrated formations, or H-MIF. Robots and other machinery programmed to execute a machine, or with control beamed in from afar, could significantly reduce risk to humans, potentially reducing casualties. (Source: Defense News)
03 Apr 24. Steller Systems reveals trials of offshore insertion craft scaled demonstrator. UK ship design house Steller Systems has performed sea trials of a subscale concept demonstrator intended to prove a novel hullform that could be exploited as the basis for a future high-speed offshore insertion craft. Funded by the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) through the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) Novel Amphibious Craft competition, the demonstrator has “successfully proven the innovative features” of a full-scale craft designed to improve the performance and safety of beach landings, Steller Systems announced on 2 April. As well as revealing details of the trials, the company also released accompanying video footage. Launched in January 2023 the DASA Novel Amphibious Craft competition has set out to demonstrate and de-risk a series of candidate concepts and innovative technologies potentially applicable to a future Commando Insertion Craft (CIC) planned to enter service later this decade. The CIC has been conceived as a new-generation medium-lift amphibious craft to replace the Royal Marines’ current Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel Mk 5 landing craft. (Source: Janes)
03 Apr 24. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) is collaborating with EpiSci to further develop advanced, trusted autonomous tactical solutions for the United States and its allies. EpiSci’s TacticalAI software will integrate into Northrop Grumman’s aeronautics system architecture to accelerate the delivery of advanced autonomous solutions.
“Northrop Grumman collaborates with innovative small businesses, like EpiSci, to help meet the needs of our customers,” said Tom Pieronek, chief technology officer and vice president, research and technology, Aeronautics Systems, Northrop Grumman. “Collaboration is one way to rapidly bring new capabilities to the warfighter while building upon Northrop Grumman’s decades of autonomy experience to create distinct advantages over adversarial threats.”
Using the U.S. government’s open-architecture design, Northrop Grumman’s autonomy solutions are able to incorporate third-party collaborative platform technologies that allow uncrewed aircraft systems to adapt to changing mission requirements and provide flexibility to military commanders in complex environments.
“We look forward to working with Northrop Grumman,” said Dr. Dan Javorsek, chief technology officer, EpiSci. “Integrating our software into their hardware and control systems, we can better deliver trusted autonomous solutions that are critical for our warfighter’s mission success.”
About Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is a leading global aerospace and defense technology company. Our pioneering solutions equip our customers with the capabilities they need to connect and protect the world, and push the boundaries of human exploration across the universe. Driven by a shared purpose to solve our customers’ toughest problems, our employees define possible every day.
About EpiSci
EpiSci is a software company that develops next generation, operator trusted autonomy and AI solutions for a secure future. TacticalAI’s technology advances mission-critical autonomy solutions for human-machine teaming and enables cognitive sensing, adaptive communications and networking systems, and next generation battle management command and control (BMC2). EpiSci delivers unmatched speed and performance as the preferred partner for defense agencies and industry teams. Learn more at EpiSci and follow EpiSci on LinkedIn.
03 Apr 24. Autonomy of Future Air Mobility (AMAF) project with Thales, Presagis (now TXT) and Université Laval. The Consortium for Research and Innovation in Aerospace in Quebec (CRIAQ) announce the latest progress on its Autonomy of Future Air Mobility (AMAF) project with Thales, Presagis (now TXT) and Université Laval. The purpose of this project is to structure the increasing autonomy of vehicles involved in advanced air mobility, a fast-growing segment of the aerospace market that is attracting very high levels of R&D investments worldwide.
Over the last 40 years, aircraft have become increasingly reliant on automated functions to simplify tasks for aircrew and improve flight safety, but new forms of mobility such as future air taxis and fully autonomous drones herald the arrival of a new paradigm.
To meet this new challenge, AMAF project partners Thales and Presagis (now TXT) are combining their expertise in digital technologies, AI, critical systems and simulation to design the components needed for the autonomous aerospace of the future.
“Future air mobility is one of CRIAQ’s three strategic pillars, and the growth of this sector has multiple implications in terms of safety and regulatory compliance, and above all in terms of social acceptability. The AMAF project addresses all these issues, and I’m very pleased with the progress it is making and optimistic about the technological breakthroughs it could deliver.” – Alain Aubertin, President and CEO of CRIAQ.
The aim of the Autonomy of Future Air Mobility (AMAF) project is to propose a structured framework for the autonomy of new regional and urban air mobility solutions in Quebec through two complementary approaches. Capitalising on Quebec’s vibrant technological ecosystem, the project partners intend to establish the province’s role as a world-class hub for digital aviation systems.
TXT will create a digital twin of the airspace environment to support real-world implementation of innovative perception and navigation functions developed as part of this project, and to provide training for users of these new systems. Further expanding the company’s expertise in this field, a virtual test bench will be created to analyse interactions between the real world and an entirely simulated environment.
The key innovation goal of the project is to develop and test the solutions needed for an air vehicle to fly safely and fully autonomously along a previously unannounced flight path. Challenges include real-time flight path optimisation, continuous verification of flight path safety and security, and calculation of all the alternative routes that could be taken should unforeseen circumstances arise.
These capabilities were demonstrated at the Unmanned Aerial System Centre of Excellence (Centre d’Excellence sur les Drones – CED) test facility in Canada during trials conducted in late 2023 with a UAV provided by Thales for the purposes of this project.
Drawing on the combined expertise of Université Laval and Thales, a new mission planning tool has also been developed to optimise energy use by hybrid aircraft. This type of solution will be crucial for the large-scale rollout of new hybrid and all-electric forms of mobility.
“Quebec and its innovation ecosystem offer ideal conditions for testing the air mobility solutions of the future. Thales is able to rely on an excellent local physical and digital infrastructure to develop green autonomy solutions, working with Quebec-based academic partners, companies and start-ups to test and validate the first technological and functional capabilities.” – Siegfried Usal, President and General Manager of Thales Digital Solutions in Quebec.
“Thanks to the AMAF project and constructive Franco-Canadian collaboration, we have succeeded in combining certified critical avionics with the latest advances in AI for the first time. By harnessing the best of both worlds, we’re paving the way for truly autonomous and safe flight operations.” – Pierre Mariani, Head of Innovation, Flight Avionics, Thales.
03 Apr 24. Kratos demonstrate Valkyrie drone teamed with two F-35s. The XQ-58A demonstration came as the US Marine Corps Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio program completes its initial phase. Showcasing the XQ-58A Valkyrie’s ability to fly alongside two F-35 aircraft and deliver an integrated electronic attack capability during a live flight test event, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. marked the completion of the initial phase of the US Marine Corps’ Penetrating Affordable Autonomous Collaborative Killer – Portfolio (PAACK-P) program on 2 April 2024, with a successful demonstration by its Unmanned Systems Division at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The Valkyrie, in operation since 2019, demonstrated its advanced electronic attack capabilities by autonomously detecting, identifying, and geolocating multiple targets of interest. The aircraft successfully transmitted target track coordinates to collaborative assets and executed non-kinetic electronic attack effects against multiple emitters. The XQ-58A Valkyrie offers high performance, runway-independent tactical UAV capabilities, including long-range flights at high-subsonic speeds, operational flexibility, and affordability for various Department of Defense applications.
Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, expressed excitement about the recent Valkyrie showing: “We’re very excited about the mission capability demonstrated during the flight and the incredible effectiveness per cost that this enables; not to mention the elimination of risk to a human pilot, and elimination of risk to expensive manned platforms.” Fendley highlighted the collaborative effort involving Kratos, Northrop Grumman, and the Marine Corps, underscoring the significance of these technologies in achieving the Department of Defense’s (DoD) objectives.
The successful demonstration follows a $22.9M contract modification awarded in December 2023 for additional engineering development and flight test demonstrations. The PAACK-P program aims to inform requirements for the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Expeditionary (MUX) Tactical Aircraft (TACAIR) for use in a Suppression of Enemy Air Defense (SEAD) role.
Lt. Col. Bradley Buick, Cunningham Group Capabilities, Research, and Integration Officer, emphasised the importance of MUX TACAIR platforms in enhancing the lethality and survivability of current crewed platforms, indicating their significance in new air domain strategies: “These platforms are the future of air warfare.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
02 Apr 24. F-16s arrive at Eglin to be modified with self-flying tech. The first three F-16 Fighting Falcons that will be loaded with self-flying technology have arrived at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, the Air Force said Tuesday.
The arrival of the F-16s marks the service’s biggest step forward yet in standing up the program known as Venom, which stands for Viper Experimentation and Next-gen Operations Model-Autonomy Flying Testbed and aims to speed up the testing of autonomous technology on both crewed and uncrewed aircraft.
The Air Force hopes the autonomous technology tested under Venom could help it more quickly shape plans to create a fleet of self-flying drones that team up with crewed fighters in battle, known as collaborative combat aircraft.
The service is heavily focusing on creating a fleet of at least 1,000 CCAs, which will use autonomous capabilities to fly alongside aircraft such as the F-35 or future Next-Generation Air Dominance family of fighter systems. These drone wingmen would carry missiles or other weapons to strike enemy targets, jam enemy signals through electronic warfare operations or perform reconnaissance missions.
The Air Force is increasingly confident autonomous capabilities have advanced to the point where such aircraft can succeed. But officials say there are still a lot of questions to answer about how the technology will work in action, which led the service to launch Project Venom with a nearly $50 m investment this year.
The service eventually plans to modify six F-16s to serve as test aircraft as part of Venom. It has requested another $7 m for the program in 2025, with the following years’ budgets ranging from $6.1m to $6.6m.
Maj. Ross Elder, the program’s developmental test lead, said in an Air Force statement Venom will represent a step toward “a new age of aviation.”
“The Venom program marks a pivotal chapter in the advancement of aerial combat capabilities,” he said.
The 96th Test Wing’s 40th Flight Test Squadron and 53rd Wing’s 85th Test and Evaluation Squadron at Eglin will work together to carry out Venom’s developmental and operational testing.
“Having both [developmental test] and [operational test] pilots working and flying from the same location allows for daily collaboration and reduces the stovepiping of knowledge and lessons learned,” said Lt. Col. Jeremy Castor, who is in charge of Venom’s operational testing.
When Venom’s self-flying F-16s are ready, the Air Force will start testing them with human pilots in the cockpit. Those pilots will take off with the jets and fly them to a testing location, and then allow the autonomous programming to take over in midair. The pilots in the cockpit will keep track of the autonomous software to see whether it works as intended, and make sure all the test objectives are met.
Lt. Col. Joe Gagnon, squadron commander of the 85th, said a human will at all times be ready to start and stop the autonomous algorithms if needed.
“There will never be a time where the Venom aircraft will solely fly by itself without a human component,” he added. (Source: Defense News)
02 Apr 24. US Army eyes dismounted A-PNT capability. The US Army’s combat capabilities development directorate is seeking industry input on an Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) capability specifically designed for dismounted operations. Officials from the research and technology integration directorate at the service’s Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center are seeking A-PNT solutions that “require a low size, weight, and power design, in order to reduce the burden on the dismounted soldiers”, according to a 28 March White Paper solicitation. “Current [US] Army systems rely on a level of PNT provided by GPS. However, due to electromagnetic interference hazards, access to GPS could be disrupted, degraded, and/or denied” particularly when in use by ground units conducting dismounted operations, the solicitation stated. (Source: Janes)
25 Mar 24. First Australian multi-metal 3D printer to boost aerospace manufacturing. The commissioning of a new multi metal 3D printer in Melbourne, Australia, as part of the iLAuNCH Trailblazer initiative is set to make space missions more affordable and efficient by creating lighter, faster and more robust aerospace components. The Nikon SLM-280 (Selective Laser Melting) at CSIRO’s Lab22 facility will print metals side-by-side in one continuous print. The technology is extremely well suited to aerospace and space where high performance and lightweight materials are the fundamental drivers of the designs, giving engineers the design freedom to consolidate parts to reduce mass and cost, ultimately making strategic weight decisions where needed. In rocket engines, typically liquid oxygen and fuel flow through the engine at an extremely high pressure, which are then being injected into the combustion chamber. In particular, on the oxygen side, there needs to be significant protection of the metal surfaces against oxidative attacks of the metal.
This multi-metal printer allows the oxidative resistant layer to be manufactured in one go with the structural metal, speeding up production times and ultimately reducing the cost of the resultant structure. Although rocket engines themselves are typically high-performance heat exchangers, this technology is also applicable to heat exchangers used on aircraft and high-performance ground vehicles such as Formula 1 and other race cars. As low weight, high strength and high heat exchanger efficiency is crucial in racing as well as aerospace and defence, this technology and its advanced manufacturing capability are going to enable the development of novel aerospace products that are of high value to the whole ecosystem.
The multi metal version of the SLM-280 significantly enhances the standard model, which has already been proven internationally:
- A monolithic thrust chamber for a rocket propulsion engine with a unique lattice structure with CellCore GmbH, an engineering firm from Berlin.
- A hydraulic valve block with the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, achieving 66% size reduction and 76% weight reduction.
- A gooseneck bracket for reduced buy to fly ratio of 17 down to 1.5, and weight reduction of 31% with ASCO, a Belgian aerospace company.
This multi-material 3D printer is the only one of its kind in Australia, offering users a real advantage in additive manufacturing design. For iLAuNCH Trailblazer projects, SLM 280 technology will make potential space missions more affordable and efficient by creating lighter, faster and more robust space components.
iLAuNCH is building sovereign capability and an R&D ecosystem, essential for technology manufacturers in Australia to send their subsystems to space that will lead to better outcomes — the company’s goal is to help Australian companies compete on a global scale,and capitalize on commercial opportunities.
“This capability is the first of its kind as a production machine in Australia, in fact the southern hemisphere, and iLAuNCH is pleased to open up new manufacturing possibilities for locally made products,” said iLAuNCH Trailblazer Chief Technology Officer Dr. Joni Sytsma. “Australian companies manufacturing satellites and rockets now have a real advantage to optimise their designs and improve performance, all made with a reduced lead time right here in Melbourne. We anticipate that the additional capabilities of this technology can also bring forth novel super alloys that are capable of maintaining ultra-high strength at the ultra-high temperatures that hypersonic vehicles need to survive, with a view to hypersonic air travel in the future.”
“We welcome Australian researchers and industry to access this technology for ultra-high performance applications at CSIRO’s Lab22 Innovation Center, one of Australia’s leading centres for metallic additive manufacturing, located at CSIRO in Clayton Victoria,” said CSIRO’s Senior Research Scientist, Dr. Cherry Chen. “Other uses to consider include satellite structure and componentry, as well as developing novel radiation shielding with alloys that are in development in the various laboratories under the iLAuNCH Trailblazer.”
“For decades, the technology used to bond dissimilar metals was predominantly Hot Isostatic Pressure (HIP) or the actual welding or brazing of two unique metals into one component,” said Nikon SLM Solutions, Global Director, Business Development for Aviation and Defense, Donald Godfrey. “Delivering Laser Powder Bed Fusion technology to generate a truly functionally graded material component to CSIRO marks the first time the technology has been taken out of Germany. This technology sets a new cornerstone in the aerospace and defence and space industry for what is possible.” (Source: Satnews)
29 Mar 24. Shield AI Conducts AI-Piloted Flights on Sixth Aircraft, the Kratos MQM-178 Firejet. Shield AI, Inc., a defense technology company building the world’s best AI pilot, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a Technology Company in the Defense, National Security and Global Markets and an industry-leading provider of high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial systems (UAS), today announced the successful completion of the first phase of Shield’s AI-piloted flight-testing on-board Kratos platforms as the two companies move toward productizing Shield AI’s pilot for the XQ-58 Valkyrie.
Having successfully flown AI pilots on five aircraft — three classes of quadcopters, the MQ-35A V-BAT, and the F-16 in fully autonomous air combat training — Shield AI’s Hivemind AI pilot has now successfully flown on and controlled the Kratos MQM-178 Firejet. These successful flights are a major milestone in the comprehensive integration project as Shield AI and Kratos look to ultimately productize another configuration of the Valkyrie, in this case with Shield AI’s Hivemind AI pilot.
“Our substantial investments in autonomy and AI design tools, infrastructure, and pipelines are what enable Shield AI to rapidly integrate Hivemind onto different classes of aircraft and most importantly, fly them safely. We’re getting faster and faster. It was over three years from signing the contract to flying the F-16; now, it’s less than 180 days for the Kratos Firejet. The vision of portable autonomy software for military hardware has been realized, flown, and deployed by Shield AI,” said Ryan Tseng, Shield AI’s CEO and Co-Founder.
“AI pilots will eventually fly all aircraft and will have a larger global impact than self-driving cars. The MQM-178 Firejet marks the sixth type of aircraft that our AI pilot Hivemind has flown. It is the second jet-powered aircraft after our AI piloted F-16 dogfights. The AI-piloted XQ-58 Valkyrie flights later this year will be the seventh aircraft and then the Kratos BQM-177 will be the eighth. Kratos and Shield AI’s joint focus on the rapid development of AI-piloted aircraft has been a terrific collaboration that is helping redefine military force structures,” said Brandon Tseng, Shield AI’s President and Co-Founder and a former Navy SEAL.
The MQM-178 Firejet fills a variety of end-to-end weapons-release training roles as a jet target aircraft system, supporting surface-to-air and air-to-air engagements. Additionally, the Tactical Firejet offers an offensive/defensive jet UAS system in the sub $500K price range per aircraft with substantial mission systems and performance capabilities. In either mission configuration (target/tactical), the Firejet delivers a high-speed, high-maneuverability, low-signature solution for replicating threats or enabling no-risk-to-American-life operational effectiveness with a level of contested environment capability.
“The collaboration between Kratos and Shield AI over these past months has been nothing short of exceptional and represents the rapid development and testing possible when motivated commercial technology companies work together with a common objective—being first to market with relevant systems to support U.S. National Security. Our joint efforts have brought together the best of both worlds – Kratos’ proven jet-powered uncrewed aircraft and Shield AI’s expertise in AI and software development. We’re thrilled about the progress we’ve made and even more excited to share further breakthroughs in the near future,” said Steve Fendley, President of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division.
About Shield AI
Founded in 2015, Shield AI is a venture-backed defense technology company whose mission is to protect service members and civilians with intelligent systems. In pursuit of this mission, Shield AI is building the world’s best AI pilot. Its AI pilot, Hivemind, has flown jets (F-16; MQM-178 Firejet), a vertical takeoff and landing drone (MQ-35 V-BAT), and three quadcopters (Nova, Nova 2, iPRD). The company has offices in San Diego, Dallas, Washington DC and abroad. (Source: PR Newswire)
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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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