Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
————————————————————————
09 Oct 19. General Micro Systems (GMS) Challenges Industry to “Buy American Servers Again” at AUSA 2019. “More server hacks, alleged hardware exploits, banned Chinese electronics and a trade war are a wake-up call to only buy American-made and American-manufactured servers,” says GMS CEO Ben Sharfi.
Rugged computer and server supplier General Micro Systems (GMS) today challenged competitors and partners attending the Association for the United States Army (AUSA) conference next week to join its battle cry encouraging the Department of Defense to only buy servers from U.S. suppliers whose products are supplied, designed and built in America. This “Buy American Servers Again” initiative from GMS attempts to raise awareness of the risks associated with computer servers and electronics made outside of the U.S., especially in China.
“More server hacks, alleged hardware exploits, banned Chinese electronics and a trade war are a wake-up call to only buy American-made and American-manufactured servers,” said Ben Sharfi, CEO and chief architect, GMS. “We’re asking every U.S. server supplier and partner that meets our ‘Buy American Servers Again’ criteria to join us in taking the message to the Army, the DoD, Congress and even the President. It is that important to our national security and our economy.”
Every server and rugged computing product GMS has on display at AUSA 2019 is designed and made in America. Servers like these are used in myriad military equipment and installations, from the Pentagon to naval vessels to deployed ground vehicles and forward-operating base command posts. Each server includes sensitive data from potentially millions of operators and sensors.
“A single exploited server reporting back to a rogue nation state could put America at incredible risk,” Sharfi added. “Why buy servers or motherboards from a country with whom we’re having a trade war? That’s far too risky.”
Coincident with last year’s AUSA in October 2018, Bloomberg published articles on the alleged exploits uncovered in select computer servers manufactured by Taiwan-based Super Micro Computer, Inc., which does business as Supermicro. The company’s servers and motherboards are frequently used directly or inside U.S. manufacturers’ servers, and Bloomberg’s reporting raised questions about the supply chain from offshore manufacture to ultimate deployment of foreign content in critical defense applications.
In June 2019, President Trump put five Chinese tech entities on a trade blacklist, and earlier this year, he signed an executive order barring the government from doing business with Chinese supplier Huawei, citing security concerns. President Trump’s “Executive Order on Securing the Information and Communications Technology and Services Supply Chain” calls the security situation a “national threat.”
“President Trump is on the right track with these initiatives, but it would be extremely helpful to have him more specifically address the issues associated with the purchase and implementation of risky offshore hardware – and encourage or even mandate buying American,” Sharfi concluded. “As the ‘Build American Servers Again’ campaign alludes, there is no advantage to taking the risk, especially since companies like GMS offer ‘exploit-free’ hardware and SourceSafe™ BIOS, and well-stocked off-the-shelf inventory made right here in America.”
At AUSA, GMS is showcasing the following American-made and -manufactured products:
- TITAN: the world’s only conduction-cooled, MIL-SPEC 1U and 2U rackmount servers using up to four (4) Intel’s latest second generation Scalable Xeon® processors
- SHS Secure High-Speed Storage: removable, encryptable, high-density storage cartridge for GMS server-based data recorders and image processors with up to 64 TB of removable media
- S1202-XVE: small form factor self-contained workstation mission computer driving up to three displays with optional artificial intelligence (AI) GPGPU
- S422-SW: “shoebox-sized” fanless, rugged sensor-processing network server with enterprise-class 20x 10 Gigabit and 2x 40/100 Gigabit Ethernet ports, artificial intelligence (AI) GPGPU coprocessor, and secure removable drives
Where: Booth #7664 at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington D.C., Oct. 14-16, 2019.
09 Oct 19. China’s Z-20 tactical helicopter uses fly-by-wire system. The Z-20 tactical helicopter is the first Chinese-produced rotorcraft to incorporate fly-by-wire flight controls, according to a 7 October report in the state-owned Global Times newspaper, citing an interview with Z-20 pilot Song Xinning broadcast by state television CCTV.
The Z-20, which made its official public debut in a fly-past during the People’s Republic of China’s National Day Parade in Beijing on 1 October, is assessed to have entered service with the PLA Ground Force (PLAGF) by May 2019. It is a medium-lift helicopter in the 10-tonne class that is very similar in appearance to the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk.
Although fly-by-wire systems are widely used in fixed-wing aircraft, they have not been widely adopted for rotorcraft. That said, the first fly-by-wire production helicopter was the NHIndustries NH90, which first entered service in 2006 with the German Army, but subsequently no other US or European helicopters in large-scale production have taken this route.
A 2008 upgrade programme for the Black Hawk included the adoption of fly-by-wire but this was subsequently dropped to reduce cost and implementation timescales. However, the technology has resurfaced, replacing the mechanical flight control systems in an early production Black Hawk airframe that is now being used for the Optionally Piloted Vehicle (OPV) development programme of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
Initial piloted test flights took place in May 2019 and the programme anticipates fully autonomous flights, without pilots, in 2020.
The Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopter, which is the replacement for the CH-53E Super Stallion used by the US Marine Corps, will incorporate fly-by-wire. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
09 Oct 19. USAF research labs, BAE Systems team up on new semiconductor programme. US Air Force systems engineers, in conjunction with BAE Systems, are teaming to develop next-generation, short-gate gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology that could prove critical to the service’s growing arsenal of radar, communications, and electronic warfare applications.
Officials from the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and BAE System’s FAST Labs research and development team are in Phase Two of an effort to transfer the 140 nanometre GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) process technology to the company’s line of six-inch (15 cm) wafers, said David Brown, technology development manager with BAE System’s Electronic Warfare and Advanced Electronics directorate.
The integration of the 140 nanometre process into the six-inch wafer “will include optimising performance, ensuring process stability, and maximising wafer-to-wafer uniformity and wafer yields”, according to a company statement. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
09 Oct 19. Lithium-ion battery developers win Nobel Chemistry Prize. US scientists John Goodenough and Stanley Whittingham with Japan’s Akira Yoshino will share SKr9m prize. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to three scientists who led the development of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries that are used to power everything from mobile phones to laptops and electric vehicles. The laureates have laid the foundation of a wireless and potentially carbon-free society, said the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, announcing their award in Stockholm on Wednesday. John Goodenough of the University of Texas at Austin, Stanley Whittingham of Binghamton University in New York and Akira Yoshino of Meijo University receive equal shares of the SKr9m ($910,000) prize. Professor Goodenough, 97 and still carrying out battery research, is the oldest laureate in any discipline in the 118-year history of Nobel Prizes, said Göran Hansson, secretary-general of the Academy. Academic research by Professors Goodenough and Whittingham during the 1970s and early 1980s laid the scientific foundations for lithium-ion batteries. Their work was picked up by Professor Yoshino at Asahi Kasei, the Japanese chemical company, which developed the first commercially viable lithium-ion battery in 1985. Sony launched it on the market in 1991. Speaking to the Nobel press conference by phone from Japan, Professor Yoshino — aged 71 and the youngest of the three winners — said that, though he was working in industry, “curiosity was the main driving force for me”. He said lithium-ion batteries would play a key role in fighting global warming. “Climate change is a very serious issue for humankind,” he said. “The way batteries store electricity makes them very suitable for a sustainable society.” (Source: FT.com)
09 Oct 19. uAvionix Gets FAA Transmission License to Test UDS-B Solution. uAvionix has announced that it has received approval from the FAA Spectrum Office to develop and test an “ADS-B like” solution for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Remote Identification (RID) and Detect and Avoid (DAA) capability that leverages L-Band Distance Measuring Equipment (DME) protected spectrum.
The solution, notionally called “UDS-B” leverages similar protocols and structures as ADS-B but operates on a different, non-interfering frequency and contains message content that is adjusted to be appropriate for unmanned systems. Initial testing will be conducted in Bigfork, MT at uAvionix headquarters. (Source: UAS VISION)
08 Oct 19. Wind River® (http://www.windriver.com), a global leader in delivering software to the intelligent edge, today announced the latest release of its industry-leading real-time operating system (RTOS) VxWorks® (https://www.windriver.com/products/vxworks/) which has been enabling the security, safety, and deterministic performance of embedded applications for more than 30 years. Over these three-plus decades, VxWorks has continually evolved to meet the changing needs of software developers. The latest release redefines embedded software development with new capabilities and industry firsts to drive greater business value, innovation, and productivity.
As the industry rapidly adapts to address the automated to autonomous transformation, and to attract a new generation of developers trained with cloud-native skills, there’s demand for a more modern development approach that enables engineers to use today’s mainstream tools and programming languages for innovating. VxWorks now empowers developers of all backgrounds with popular programming languages and libraries, along with cloud-based development tools and infrastructures to create a new era of mission-critical applications that require the highest levels of security and safety.
Bringing the ease of desktop, enterprise, and cloud-native development to embedded, the latest release of VxWorks includes the following:
- First and only real-time operating system to support C++17, Boost, Python, and Rust collection of technologies, along with continued support for languages like Ada and SPARK
- New LLVM-based infrastructure that enables support for a broad set of modern and productive tools and frameworks
- New open source board support packages (BSPs) such as Raspberry Pi and TI Sitara AM65x for quick prototyping and flexibility of choice
- OpenSSL 1.1.1 for the most up-to-date cryptography libraries
“Next generation design goals for autonomous and intelligent systems require new technologies for optimized development,” said Chris Rommel, executive vice president, VDC Research. “Just as important, however, is the need to align development platforms with the evolving skillsets of today’s engineers. Building on its long-established foundation serving mission-critical systems, Wind River’s new release of VxWorks addresses both of these issues for next generation system development.”
“Demonstrating our commitment to RTOS innovation, Wind River is disrupting and redefining the embedded development paradigm with VxWorks, making development simpler, thereby driving more productivity,” said Michel Genard, vice president of product, Wind River. “Today’s RTOS must embrace modern development practices; this means being compatible with popular frameworks, languages, and methodologies being used today by developers, without compromises on security, safety, performance, and reliability.”
Complementing VxWorks is Wind River Labs (http://www.labs.windriver.com), which offers access to VxWorks–compatible new technologies and collaborative software projects, proof-of-concepts, open source integrations, and prerelease and experimental software—including ROS 2, OpenCV, and IoT SDKs for public cloud providers, among others.
Wind River is uniquely positioned with its comprehensive software portfolio that supports a diverse range of developer journeys from design to development to deployment, whether teams want to start with open source and need Linux, or an RTOS, or both. This flexibility allows companies to deliver innovative products that leverage the latest community-driven innovations while meeting the safety, security, and reliability requirements for mission-critical applications.
08 Oct 19. General Micro Systems (GMS), the rugged C4ISR mobile systems and servers company, today announced the industry’s smallest, lightest and most SWaP-C-optimized workstation, display and general-purpose graphics processing unit (GPGPU) artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm and video processor. At only seven pounds and 9.8 inches x 5.4 inches x 2.3 inches, the ultra-rugged S1202-XVE Peacock III enables the near real-time video processing of large amounts of high-quality images, video or sensor data for immediate and accurate analysis—right on the battlefield. This powerful processing performance makes the system ideal for military applications in harsh environments such as airborne reconnaissance, autonomous vehicles, wide-body C4ISR platforms, multi-console displays and other areas of modern warfare.
When equipped with third-party software algorithms, the S1202-XVE compresses, trans-codes, transmits and stores live video and sensor data over IP-based terrestrial or satellite networks with up to 2:1 HEVC compression (compared with AVC) while retaining resolution. The S1202-XVE supports three independent outputs of 4K UHD video, with an additional Nvidia® Quadro Pascal™ GPGPU providing up to eight TFLOPS for algorithm, vector or AI processing in near real time.
“This fully ruggedized, conduction-cooled system has more computational performance per cubic inch than any other video server on the market today,” said Ben Sharfi, chief architect and CEO of General Micro Systems. “The product is one-fifth the size of a rackmount server and more rugged. In fact, S1202-XVE has so much processing power despite its small package that it can replace most 1U rackmount servers while still operating over -40° to +85°C. This is a substantial benefit for any rugged system requiring real-time transmission and analysis of large amounts of super high-resolution sensor and video data.”
Extensive Video Capabilities with High Performance Parallel Computing
The S1202-XVE includes a 7th generation Intel® Core i7® processor, with built-in CODECs that handle video conversions between MPEG-2, AVC and HEVC formats. Supplementing the onboard Intel Graphics Processor (IGP), the base configuration adds a separate graphics processing unit (GPU) that boasts 2.3 TFLOPS of floating-point processing power and provides two additional HDMI/DisplayPort video outputs, for a total of three independent video outputs. The S1202‑XVE can be optionally outfitted with a second modular Nvidia Quadro Pascal GPGPU for added computational resources.
By utilizing the second GPGPU, the S1202-XVE brings an additional 8.7 TFLOPS of floating-point processing power. With this much horsepower, the AI-ready system can perform complex computations such as vector math, executing thousands of threads in parallel, which leads to a dramatic increase in computing power and cost effectiveness in a very small chassis.
As with all GMS workstations and servers, the S1202-XVE is designed with I/O flexibility in mind. It accommodates COTS interfaces such as USB (2.0/3.0), Ethernet (1GbE and 10GbE), and RS-232 serial, while also providing native support for multiple video formats such as VGA, HDMI, and DisplayPort. With this flexibility, seamless integration with existing data centers and video feeds is ensured.
The S1202-XVE is in full volume production, and is already deployed in military/aerospace applications, including airborne platforms with certification, qual, and other reliability data.
A Must-Have for Industrial Applications Too
In addition to benefiting applications used in modern warfare, such as intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), cryptography and situational awareness, the S1202-XVE can also apply parallel processing in industrial applications for deep learning, autonomy, robotics and AI. One small S1202-XVE can process data to replicate human reasoning and actions, absorb remarkable amounts of data and transform data into intelligent decisions and actions. Applications include mining and excavation, electronic design automation, medical imaging, weather modeling, facial recognition, target tracking, autonomous vehicles and other areas of numerical analytics.
Booth #7664 at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington D.C., Oct. 14-16, 2019.
08 Oct 19. A scientific and technological cooperation between Embraer and the Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (Ufes), in the areas of autonomous robotics and artificial intelligence resulted in the first test of an autonomous aircraft in Brazil. The successful initiative made it possible for a prototype to perform the taxiing operation on its own, moving along a previously established path without human interference.
Watch the autonomous aircraft test video here: https://vimeo.com/364414355/f1e2fdde7d
The sensor and image navigation set led the autonomous systems technology demonstration aircraft through the runway, taxi area and patio independently, without outside assistance. A pilot followed the cockpit operation in case of any interference. The test took place in the last week of August, at Embraer unit in Gavião Peixoto, in São Paulo state.
For the past six months, researchers from Embraer and Ufes have worked together on mathematical and computational models of automation, software development, hardware, laser sensor kit, GPS and cameras, as well as systems integration into the aeronautical platform. The autonomous land navigation system was tested in a simulator during preliminary assessments prior to actual operation.
“Our strategy for technology development in autonomous systems seeks to position the country at the forefront of artificial intelligence processes in a variety of applications”, said Daniel Moczydlower, Embraer’s Executive Vice President of Engineering and Technology. “Achieving this technological milestone in Embraer’s 50th anniversary month demonstrated not only the importance of bringing industry closer to the university, but also how prepared and engaged our people are for the journey of excellence needed for the coming decades.”
The integrated artificial intelligence system monitored the aircraft’s external and internal conditions, which acts independently on the acceleration, steering and braking commands, and accurately performed the movement along the indicated path. The test aircraft platform – the same one used for the development of the modern executive jets Legacy 500 and Praetor 600 – integrated features of the Intelligent Autonomous Robotic Automobile (IARA) system, result of an autonomous cars’ research that began in 2009, at the Ufes High Performance Computing Laboratory (LCAD).
“This success demonstrates the excellence of what we have been developing at Ufes in the last 10 years in the areas of autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence. It puts us once again at the scientific forefront in these areas worldwide. Doing all this in partnership with Embraer fills us with pride and satisfaction”, said Professor Alberto Ferreira de Souza, project coordinator.
Partnership
The partnership with Ufes, in the context of pre-competitive research and development, seeks to accelerate the knowledge of autonomous systems technologies through the implementation of more agile experimentation processes.
The proposal for the scientific development of autonomous aeronautical systems, using a technology demonstration platform, constitutes an effective and efficient precompetitive research instrument for learning, training and maturing of technologies prior to application in future products or development of new market segments.
Initiatives such as this, combined with long-term incentive policies, can enhance, for example, Brazil’s ability to enable a new era of air mobility that is more accessible to the population.
Embraer is committed to the open innovation model and collaborates with dozens of universities and research centers in Brazil and abroad. Highlights include long-term partnerships with institutions such as the Financier of Studies and Projects (Finep), the Research Support Foundations of the states of Santa Catarina, São Paulo and Minas Gerais (Fapesc, Fapesp and Fapemig, respectively) and Brazilian Company of Industrial Research and Innovation (Embrapii), which are fundamental to reduce the distance between the scientific community and the needs of the industry.
By establishing strategic partnerships through more agile cooperation mechanisms, Embraer stimulates knowledge networks that allow a significant increase in the country’s competitiveness and the construction of a sustainable future.
07 Oct 19. Teledyne e2v HiRel Releases Radiation Tolerant 60 GHz Reflective SPDT RF Switch for Space Applications. New product provides Space RF engineering and design community with a high frequency RF switch for the most challenging high-reliability space applications.
Teledyne e2v HiRel announces the availability of a rad-tolerant 60 GHz, Single Pole Double Throw (SPDT) reflective RF switch, model TDSW0602T, that is ideal for use in high reliability, demanding space and defense applications. This new RF switch, developed with Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology, will be available as flip chip die and is screened per MIL-PRF-38534 Class K for space applications. Until now, rad tolerant 60 GHz switch technology has only been available for less rigorous commercial application requirements.
This product leverages monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) design techniques that deliver unprecedented performance in the K and Ka microwave and millimeter-wave bands for customers. The Teledyne e2v HiRel TDSW0602T RF switch delivers benchmark low insertion loss, high isolation, fast switching times, and high linearity across a wide frequency band from 20 kHz to 60 GHz. The element evaluation is performed per wafer, per MIL-PRF-38534 Class K.
“We provide a very wide range of semiconductor screening for ruggedized environmental requirements,” said Mont Taylor, Vice President and Business Development Manager at Teledyne e2v HiRel. “Likewise, we are offering customers a rapidly expanding portfolio of RF products for Ka frequencies and beyond, including Amps, LNAs, PAs, DVGAs, DSAs, Limiters, Mixers, Prescalers, PLLs, Switches and more. The objective is to enable customers to save both time and money using Teledyne e2v HiRel as a ‘one-stop shop’ for procurement, processing, and qualification.”
The TDSW0602T is manufactured on an UltraCMOS® process, an advanced form of SOI technology that delivers the performance of GaAs with the economy and integration of conventional CMOS (UltraCMOS® is a registered trademark of Peregrine Semiconductor Corporation). The SOI process has space-flight heritage and is TID radiation tolerant to 20 krad and immune to SEL (Single Event Latchup), making it an excellent choice for satellites and other high-altitude, high reliability applications. For more information on all of Teledyne e2v HiRel’s space offerings, review our portfolio of semiconductors, converters and processors, and related services here on the Teledyne Defense Electronics website. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
04 Oct 19. Frequentis Partners with Dimetor for Safe BVLOS Flights. Frequentis has partnered with mobile network connectivity specialist and start-up, Dimetor, to enable network connectivity for command and control (C2) and payload data links to ensure reliable and consistent data sharing. The initial introduction of UAV’s to the airspace has been limited to visual line of sight (VLOS) operations. To extend commercial drone applications, BVLOS operations are essential for governmental entities as well as commercial deployments and many countries are now amending their drone policies to allow such flights. This requires accurate, dynamic, and reliable telecommunication data and it is important to have this information from a single source.
So far, the use of network connectivity and associated data have not been standardised for pre-flight assessment or regulated for operational use. However, recent drone trials in Finland and Estonia for the Gulf of Finland (GOF) U-space project uncovered this requirement and need for connectivity to enable consistent data sharing between the UAV and the UTM system.
The connectivity platform from Dimetor, AirborneRF, is deployed at the operational data centers of Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), processing highly confidential network data for assuring cellular connectivity for UAV operations. Flight planning tools like Frequentis’ CADAS-ATS and other U-space services can use the constraints in the pre-tactical/tactical phase of a BVLOS drone flight and either approve or reject the proposed flight plan. AirborneRF can also be used to demonstrate network capabilities to airspace regulators and UAV service providers.
The partnership between Frequentis and Dimetor then enables the MNOs to seamlessly integrate the connectivity information into the aeronautical information management database (AIMdb), and thus to become an integral part of the developing ecosystem for commercial BVLOS drone operations.
“By partnering with Dimetor, we can further explore and advance our work in the field of ATM and UTM. Through this cooperation, we will exchange our knowledge and experiences and work together to strengthen and develop the future airspace ecosystem, enabling the provision of critical data for safe.
BVLOS drone flights. This partnership is a significant step towards enabling our customers to keep pace with the additional growth by minimising operating costs.” says Hannu Juurakko, Frequentis Chairman of the ATM Executive Team.
The agreement between Frequentis and Dimetor highlights the unified commitments to providing safety-critical services ensuring highest quality and safety for BVLOS and highly automated drone operations based on connectivity information.
“At Dimetor we are delighted to be partnering with Frequentis. This will enable an integrated solution bringing together the 3D cellular connectivity information for safe BVLOS operations with Aeronautical Information Management (AIM) and UTM/ATM systems – on global scale”, says Thomas Wana, Dimetor Co-founder and CTO. Frequentis and Dimetor will enable drone powered business operations with a total addressable market value over US$127bn forecasted by PricewaterhouseCoopers International (PwC). (Source: UAS VISION)
03 Oct 19. BAE Systems Transitioning USAF GaN Tech to the Firm’s AMP Center. BAE Systems is working to transition short-gate gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology developed by the U.S. Air Force to the company’s open foundry service. The company has successfully completed a Phase 1 effort to transition short-gate gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor technology developed by the U.S. Air Force to our Advanced Microwave Products (AMP) Center. The firm was also selected by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) for Phase 2 of the program.
The GaN semiconductor technology comes in the form of a wafer that provides high efficiency and broad-frequency bandwidth capabilities in a compact form that can be integrated into a variety of systems to enable next-generation communications, electronic warfare (EW) and radar.
As part of Phase 2, the BAE Systems FAST Labs™ research and development team and the AMP Center will collaborate to further develop and advance the readiness of the technology. Specifically, the project will scale the 140-nanometer GaN monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) technology to 6-inch wafers and increase its manufacturing level of maturity as part of the validation process, which will include optimizing performance, ensuring process stability, and maximizing wafer-to-wafer uniformity and wafer yields.
ENGIN-IC, a custom MMIC design company, will support the design activities, including process design kit validation. This technology will transition to a foundry service product, available through our open foundry service, at the end of Phase 2, where the technology can be leveraged more broadly across different government initiatives.
BAE Systems is researching and advancing world-class microelectronic technologies, including GaN, in our 70,000-square-foot Microelectronics Center (MEC) located in Nashua, New Hampshire. The MEC has been an accredited DoD Category 1A Trusted Supplier since 2008, and fabricates integrated circuits in production quantities for critical DoD programs.
Chris Rappa, product line director for Radio Frequency, Electronic Warfare, and Advanced Electronics at BAE Systems FAST Labs, said that the company’s foundry is a trusted partner to the defense community because it is dedicated to the design, creation, and implementation of vital technologies such as short-gate GaN,. GaN technology fills a unique need for the Department of Defense for low-cost, high-performance amplifier technology, and Phase 2 of this effort brings us one step closer to successfully manufacturing and bringing AFRL’s technology to market. (Source: Satnews)
04 Oct 19. Procerus Technologies Joins Persistent Systems Wave Relay Ecosystem. Persistent Systems, LLC announced that Lockheed Martin Procerus Technologies (LMPT) joined the Wave Relay Ecosystem, an industry alliance of unmanned platform and sensor manufacturers using Persistent’s Wave Relay mobile ad hoc network (MANET). LMPT will now offer special operators a version of the Indago 3 unmanned aerial system (UAS) that runs on Persistent’s Wave Relay MANET, including the MPU5 radio.
“This is a big win for users in the Special Operations community,” said Shane Flint, Vice President of Business Development for Persistent. “The users understand that, to truly network the battlefield, you need a robust, scalable solution that allows for unmanned systems and sensors to operate on a common network, empowering the whole team, and reducing weight on the operator. LMPT’s integration of Wave Relay makes this possible.”
In a MANET, each radio — whether on the ground or in the air—acts as both a receiver and a relay station. So, in true peer-to-peer fashion, users can share voice, video, text, sensor and location data without having to depend upon fixed communications infrastructure or a vulnerable central hub.
“The Indago 3 not only provides full motion video to the SOF team, but also extends the MANET through its advantaged airborne position over the team,” Flint added.
Persistent’s MPU5 radio connects to the Indago 3 controller, while the lightweight Embedded Module is integrated inside the UAS. The system is available with either an S-Band or L-Band RF module depending on the needs of the user.
The quiet, all-weather Indago 3 UAS weighs less than five pounds and can be folded for compact transport and unfolded for rapid deployment, getting airborne in just two and a half minutes. It can also stay in the air for up to 40 minutes while carrying a 250-gram payload.
The equally tough Wireless Hand Controller comes loaded with a Virtual Cockpit™ user-friendly mapping interface and powerful mission-planning tools. The Wave Relay enabled Indago 3 is available now. (Source: UAS VISION)
————————————————————————-
Oxley Group Ltd
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.
———————————————————————-