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28 Nov 19. Elbit Systems will Showcase a New Vehicular Tactical Computer at NIDV. Compliant with NATO GVA, the new tactical computer embeds the latest COTS components and is designed to operate in harsh conditions. Elbit Systems will showcase the seventh generation of its Enhanced Tactical Computer (ETC MK7) as part of the company’s presentation in the upcoming NIDV exhibition (booth F 4.0). With more than 20,000 of its previous versions installed onboard various combat vehicles, Elbit Systems’ ETCs have been providing robust command and control and tactical data dissemination capabilities to Armed Forces worldwide.
The ETC MK7 complies with NATO’s Generic Vehicular Architecture (GVA). It is backwards compatible and embeds powerful Commercial Of The Shelf (COTS) components including the Intel®i7 Quad Core processor and a Solid-State Drive. The new tactical computer features a 12.1‘’ sun-readable LCD display, a high-resolution capacitive touch screen, a GPS as well as a video capture capability. Similar to previous ETC generations, the ETC MK7 is designed to operate under harsh environmental and Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) conditions, is fully compliant with MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461E and interfaces with analog and digital radio systems. The ETC MK7 is offered either as an integrated unit or in a split display-processor unit configuration.
28 Nov 19. Terma’s Operational Software (T-OPS) configurable honeycomb structure and NATO Defensive Aids System (NDAS) take Terma efficiency to the next level providing high end capabilities to any aircraft’s self-protection combination.
Terma’s Aeronautics vision has always been to secure the mission by providing airborne self-protection. Since 1985, we have provided cost-effective integrated Electronic Warfare (EW) solutions for fighter, helicopter, and wide body aircraft platforms worldwide. The ALQ-213 controller is the only solution offering commonality and common software across aircraft fleets.
Terma has delivered solutions all over the world utilizing our experienced organization and modular product portfolio enabling us to develop, qualify, and deliver custom-tailored self-protection installations.
The Terma solution architecture was introduced with our Electronic Warfare Management Unit to act as the over-arching controller of all EW associated equipment (Sensing and Effecting sub-systems) on-board an aircraft.
When looking into the future unknown battlespace that NATO forces will operate, a strategy to enable EW solutions to evolve has been mandated. This strategy has now matured into the STANAG 8741, which defines standard interfacing criteria for future integrated survivability solutions known as NATO Defensive Aids System (NDAS).
Terma has embraced NDAS twofold. One-fold is that Terma has always believed the customer shall have the opportunity to get the “best of breed” systems, which meets the specific national EW needs. And second fold, NDAS provides provisions to support evolving future mission survivability needs at a new pace of change.
Based on Terma’s driving involvement in the development of NDAS, we take pride in introducing our new configurable honeycomb EW software structure known as Terma Operational Software – T-OPS.
T-OPS is optimized to caretake the lifetime of a platform supporting the natural modifications driven by a moving threat landscape.
With NDAS compliant delivered solutions such as Terma’s Operational Software structure, NATO shall be able to address the threat landscapes and operational scenarios of today and be ready for tomorrows. The interfaces and the architecture are well in place and we are prepared to support the operational community in figuring out how to utilize it.
TERMA AT NEDS
Meet us at this year’s Netherland Industries for Defence and Security (NIDV) Exhibition Defence & Security on 28 November 2019 in Ahoy Rotterdam. We look forward to presenting our Aeronautic, Space and Naval solutions at our stand no A5.0.
26 Nov 19. Erdogan says Turkey aims to have its own fighter jet in five-six years. Turkey plans to have its local-made fighter jet ready for flight in the next five to six years, President Tayyip Erdogan said on Tuesday, amid an ongoing dispute with the United States over the purchase of F-35 jets. Erdogan also said Turkey would invest in a facility that would allow the charging and filling of the detonators produced by F-16s and armed unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones. (Source: Reuters)
27 Nov 19. Thales, European leader in quantum physics and artificial intelligence, opens InnovDays 2019.
– Exclusive presentation of 70 high-tech innovations
– Tour of Europe’s top physics research unit
– Immersive experience in the cockpit of the future
- At the InnovDays 2019 event on 27, 28 and 29 November 2019 at the Grande Arche in the La Défense district of Paris, Thales will present a vast array of new technologies and solutions underpinning its ability to build a future we can all trust in the areas of aerospace, transport, defence and digital security.
- Working with partners in the academic research community, Thales will also invite visitors to take an immersive tour of Europe’s top physics research unit* to show how quantum physics is pushing back the boundaries of sensor technologies and communication systems.
- In Toulouse, the Group will also present the brain of tomorrow’s aircraft and show what flying will be like in the future — clean, comfortable and on time.
Thales launched InnovDays in 2012 as a way for its customers and partners to gain exclusive insights into the technological excellence of its research facilities. Since then, successive InnovDays events have turned the spotlight on the latest technological innovations developed by more than 29,500 Thales engineers and researchers.
InnovDays: building a trusted future through science
InnovDays is a reflection of Thales’s objective of leveraging science and high technology to build a future we can all trust. By harnessing the unprecedented precision and power of quantum physics and augmenting the performance of its systems thanks to artificial intelligence, Thales is developing the new generation of technologies that will shape the world of tomorrow.
“InnovDays is an illustration of Thales’s outstanding technological capabilities and the passion displayed by our 29,500 engineers for helping our customers step up to society’s major challenges through innovation.” Marko Erman, Chief Technology Officer.
As an expert in critical systems, Thales conducted in-depth research into both digital technologies and deep tech solutions to develop a portfolio of products based on a common core of technological building blocks. At InnovDays on 27, 28 and 29 November 2019, Thales presented a total of 70 practical applications of this research centred around the following themes:
Round tables:
Thursday 28 November:
How can we make AI trustable?
Sovereignty in the digital age
Friday 29 November:
High tech and climate change: friend or foe?
The strategy and the future of air transport
The second quantum revolution starts now!
Star guests from the world of science and industry will be taking part in these round table sessions, including Albert Fert (Nobel Prize in Physics 2007), Jean-Marc Jancovici (Founder and President of The Shift Project), Alexandre de Juniac (IATA Director General and CEO) and Pascale Senellart (research director at the Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Paris-Saclay University, Paris-Sud University, CNRS).
Proposed press tours at InnovDays 2019
o Tomorrow’s cities
o The future of transport
o Biometrics
o The Cloud
o Big Data
o Tomorrow’s connectivity in the civil world
o Tomorrow’s connectivity in the world of defence
o Air defence of the future
o Land and naval defence of the future
o The augmented soldier
o Secure identities and data for citizens and businesses
On 27, 28 and 29 November 2019, the Thales YouTube channel will feature live coverage of the round table sessions and some of the most popular demonstrations.
From sensors that are up to 10,000 more accurate to ultra-secure communications, quantum technologies are set to push back the boundaries of physics and unleash previously unexploited properties of matter.
An aircraft flying from Paris to New York with only an inertial navigation system to guide it could determine its location to within a few kilometres. With future quantum sensors, it could land with a precision of within a metre. In other fields, quantum sensors could detect tumours that are invisible today, or provide a basis for developing new sources of energy.
Quantum physics relies on radically new concepts and ways of manipulating matter. Quantum sensors, like quantum communications and quantum computing, are currently under the microscope in the laboratories operated by Thales and its academic partners (CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, etc.) at the Saclay research and technology cluster, south of Paris.
On 26 November 2019, Thales and its academic and research partners organised a presentation at Saclay to highlight European excellence in quantum research: from cold atoms to flawed diamonds and superconductors, scientific progress in quantum physics has the potential to harness unexploited properties of matter and unleash a whole host of new opportunities.
Thales is working on these new properties to develop the next generation of quantum sensors, relying on the exact same technological building blocks as quantum computers. Quantum encryption too, could soon lead to communication systems that are completely secure and trustworthy.
Thales has also been selected to take part in the European OPENQKD initiative as part of the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT) consortium chosen by the European Commission to install infrastructure in several European countries to test quantum communication networks.
Navigating intelligently among millions of aircraft movements: Thales presents the brain of tomorrow’s aircraft.
Ultimately, quantum technologies will provide untold benefits for avionics systems, including order-of-magnitude improvements in navigation precision. But the immediate truth is that solutions are needed now to deal with the growth in air traffic, which is expected to have doubled by 2030.
This is the thinking behind PureFlyt, developed by Thales as the brain of tomorrow’s aircraft, a fully connected cockpit that will significantly increase aircraft performance.
PureFlyt will be unveiled in Toulouse on 25 November. One of the core innovations that makes PureFlyt a game-changer is its ability to draw on both onboard and open-world data, such as weather information, so that the aircraft trajectory can be permanently controlled, adapted and enhanced, resulting in optimised flight, decreased fuel consumption and a better flying experience for both passengers and crew.
26 Nov 19. Researchers Improve Next Generation Aircraft Engines. Eric Wood from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Eric Mayhew from the CCDC Army Research Laboratory prepare for high-speed X-ray phase contrast imaging experiments of reacting fuel spray breakup. The US Army’s Future Vertical Lift program is one of the modernization priorities for Army leadership. With the use of advanced X-ray diagnostics, scientists have a better understanding of gas turbine combustor inlet conditions, which is critical for the design and development of engines for the next generation of Army aircraft.
The FVL concept is to create a new rotorcraft that uses new technology, materials and designs that are quicker, have further range, better payload, are more reliable, easier to maintain and operate, have lower operating costs and can reduce logistical footprints.
That is the focus of a team of Army and university researchers. Through an essential research program known as Versatile Tactical Power and Propulsion, they developed a single sector gas turbine combustor experimental capability to study the variation in the breakup and atomization of fuel sprays while combusting using high-speed X-ray phase contrast imaging.
U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command‘s Army Research Laboratory researchers along with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign professor Tonghun Lee and graduate students from his research group designed and built out the combustor and associated experimental apparatus. The team conducted their experiments at Argonne National Laboratory’s Advanced Photon Source, assisted by Dr. Alan Kastengren, beamline scientist at ANL.
“Accurate computation fluid dynamics, or CFD, models for fuel sprays at realistic conditions are essential for predicting aircraft engine performance; where the injected fuel is distributed in the combustor or cylinder determines how the combustion occurs,” said Eric Mayhew, CCDC ARL researcher.
To develop these kinds of models, scientists said they employ carefully designed experiments that simulation experts can use to inform and validate their codes.
“Traditionally, sprays have been studied experimentally using a range of optical and laser diagnostics, which have been used to study droplet distributions, velocities and dynamics,” Mayhew said. “However, researchers have had difficulty using these traditional diagnostics to examine the spray as it is just leaving the tip of the nozzle or injector due to the optical density of the spray as is leaving the tip of the nozzle or injector.”
Researchers said this spray breakup and atomization process is especially challenging with the addition of ongoing combustion as the flame naturally emits light at wavelengths used for traditional optical and laser diagnostics on top of the numerous additional safety issues.
“X-rays are able to pass entirely through the flame and penetrate these dense regions of the spray while maintaining sufficient image contrast at the liquid boundaries,” Mayhew said. “As a result, flame-coupled spray behavior near the nozzle or injector tip remains an under-developed piece of these spray models. The experiments conducted at the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory aim to fill this gap.”
To study the effects of different kinds of fuels on atomization and ignition processes, ARL, UIUC and industry scientists designed the ARL research combustor-midsize 1, or ARC-M1 and ARL research combustor-large 1, or ARC-L1. Both combustors simulate a single combustor cup of a gas turbine aircraft engine; in a real gas turbine engine, several identical combustors would be located in a ring around the aircraft engine’s central axis, operating in tandem.
High-speed X-ray phase contrast imaging experiments were performed on combusting fuel spray breakup in the Army Research Combustor-M1. These unique measurements provide understanding of the fundamental processes of spray breakup that will help in the development of multi-fuel capable engines
“The ARC-M1 and L1 systems are interrogated using the most advanced diagnostics possible — the measurements at the Argonne APS are part of this effort,” Lee said. “As a consequence, we anticipate gaining critical insight into the physicochemical dynamics of advanced gas turbine propulsion systems for future Army vehicles.”
Researchers are encouraged by the results.
“While the first experiments explored the simplified system of the interaction of a water spray with the turbulent, swirl of the ARC-M1, the second phase of experiments in April 2018 were the first spray combustion experiments ever conducted at APS,” Mayhew said. “Additional improvements and modifications were made to the experimental setup to enable the most recent experiments conducted in August 2019, with combustor pressures up to three times atmospheric pressure, which closely simulate inlet conditions in current Army vehicles.”
The researchers are advancing the experimental setup and designs to get to relevant conditions to the Army systems, said the lab’s Dr. Mike Kweon, program manager. He said they are adding a capability to simulate altitude conditions at ANL’s APS.
“In any engine combustion process, everything starts from fuel spray, atomization, mixing with air and ignition, Kweon said. “Understanding and knowledge of these processes are crucial in analysis for engine development — however, accurate spray and atomization measurements have been challenged as most of light sources could not penetrate the dense liquid regions and the other advanced optical diagnostics could not accurately measure the atomization process in combustion as liquid droplets are highly dependent on flames.
“The new discovery and understanding of atomization process in combustion of gas turbine aircraft engines can lead to innovation in spray and evaporation models that can be used in commercial CFD tools.”
This research supports the U.S. Army’s Future Vertical Lift modernization priority, Kweon said.
“Understanding of atomization and ignition for a wide range of military fuels is extremely critical for the Army to develop new future capabilities,” Kweon said. “For example, future air launched effect — an unmanned aircraft system launched from Army’s FVL aircrafts needs to be powered, in part by an engine.” (Source: UAS VISION/Aerotechnews)
26 Nov 19. Quantum communication infrastructure being developed in Europe. Thales takes an active role in OPENQKD, the European research project that will set up quantum communication infrastructures in several European countries. Thales has been an active participant in quantum technology research for several years already. For instance, Thales research centers are working on subjects ranging from quantum sensors and quantum measurement instruments, to quantum communication as well as various building blocks of quantum computers.
It was therefore only natural that Thales joins the AIT (Austrian Institute of Technology) consortium, chosen by the European Commission to conduct its OPENQKD project, the forerunner to a major European quantum communication infrastructure. Its primary objective is to drastically strengthen security for critical applications in telecommunications, finance, healthcare, electricity supply and public services. In a subsequent phase, it will support the networking of quantum computers, which heralds a new type of Internet. Budgeted at 15m euros, this is the only project of its type in the world. The consortium led by AIT is composed of 38 companies and research organizations across the continent as partners.
OPENQKD aims to change the way we perceive, understand and use quantum communication. Its main goal is to create and test European components of communication networks that include quantum devices, to implement applications such as quantum cryptography (Quantum Key Distribution, QKD). The keys generated by QKD provide ultra-secure encryption to transmit data with a very high level of confidentiality.
Thales is making two main contributions to this project, one on land, the other in space. The former entails providing encryption equipment compatible with QKD for terrestrial networks, with the aim of creating a European center of expertise in this area. Secondly, Thales will define the space segment of a quantum communication network, because these types of networks will need satellites to provide coverage across entire countries or continents.
25 Nov 19. DGA tests electromagnetic intelligence capabilities of aerostat. The Capacité Expérimentale de Renseignement d’Origine Electromagnétique pour Ballons et Aérostats Légers (Experimental Electromagnetic Intelligence for Light Balloons and Aerostats, CERBERE) aerial demonstrator has been tested to measure the electromagnetic environment in Morbihan, close to Lorient, the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), France’s defence procurement agency, announced on its website on 21 November.
The agency said the aim of the CERBERE experimental study is to prove the feasibility of the system. The airborne demonstration began during the summer following the development phase. Two weeks of flights were conducted over a training area close to the ocean by an Eagle Owl aerostat from French company CNIM Air Space, which was sub-contracted by France’s Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research, ONERA). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
26 Nov 19. New Elbit C4I Development Centre in Australia announced. Elbit Systems said the official designation of its new facility as a C4I Development Centre demonstrates its growing technological development capability in Australia.
In officially opening the new facility, the chairman of the Elbit Systems of Australia board, Haim Delmar, said that this was another demonstration of the parent company’s commitment to Australia.
“I’m really proud to see what we’ve achieved and the growth and commitment it demonstrates,” Delmar said.
“It shows the strength and level of trust we place in our strategic partnership with the Australian Defence Force. It is something that we value enormously.”
The new centre in Port Melbourne will be home to more than 100 engineers working on C4i technologies.
Country-wide, Elbit Systems of Australia now employs over 260 people, with major sites in Brisbane and Melbourne and representation in Canberra and Darwin, as well as a number of Commonwealth Training establishments. (Source: Defence Connect)
25 Nov 19. Thales unveils PureFlyt, the brain of tomorrow’s aircraft.
- Thales launches PureFlyt, a breakthrough Flight Management System (FMS) that advances both safety and efficiency of flight.
- PureFlyt has been designed from the outset to capitalise on the greater availability of data from both onboard and open-world sources.
Thales is unveiling PureFlyt, the Flight Management System (FMS) of the future, specifically designed to efficiently manage aircraft in a connected aerospace ecosystem and in increasingly crowded skies. Indeed, with the global commercial aircraft fleet forecast to double by 2030, and the use of drones set to rapidly grow, we will be entering an era in which millions of aircraft movements are recorded each day.
Combining extensive knowledge of Avionics, Connectivity, Air Traffic management and 40-year Flight Management System expertise, Thales has developed PureFlyt, an entirely connected FMS, designed to offer airframers and airlines the best combination of safety, security, and fuel and operations efficiency. PureFlyt will allow crews to make better decisions using more sources of information, will bring improved performance and reactivity to the aircraft during complex phases of flight and will calculate alternative trajectories in real time to propose or react quickly to changes of plan. Providing pilots with the right information at the right time heightens trust in the computed trajectory, enhancing efficiency and reducing pilot workload throughout all flight phases.
One of the core innovations making PureFlyt a game changer in the FMS world is its ability to draw on both onboard and open-world data, such as weather information. By combining the integrity of the FMS and the agility and power of Electronic Flight Bag flight functionalities, aircraft trajectory can be permanently controlled, adapted and enhanced, resulting in optimised flight, decreased fuel consumption and improved passenger comfort.
While being a technological breakthrough, PureFlyt enjoys an unparalleled maturity level. Using massive testing and artificial intelligence technologies to simulate 2 billion test cases enabled accumulating an invaluable experience, equivalent of 100 million actual flight hours.
Cyber-secure by design, PureFlyt has also been designed to be future-proof, accommodating the implementation of concepts such as the Initial 4D (I4D) trajectory management methods currently being researched by SESAR (Single European Sky ATM Research) in the EU and NextGen in the US. By increasing the accuracy of flight in four dimensions, the fourth dimension being time, PureFlyt will enable more effectiveness in maintaining optimal distance between aircraft, particularly in the demanding phases of departure and approach.
PureFlyt will be available for entry into service in 2024, for both linefit and retrofit.
“In the air, the digital revolution has only just begun. A paradigm shift in onboard cockpit electronics is taking place in the connected airspace and PureFlyt is at the forefront of this digital new age, leading the next generation of Flight Management System that truly makes the aircraft a node of connectivity. By computing and sharing vast amounts of data, PureFlyt will make flights safer, greener, easier for the pilots to manage, more profitable for airlines and, all this, ultimately for the full benefits of passengers.” Jean-Paul Ebanga, Thales Vice-President Flight Avionics.
22 Nov 19. HUMAT study looks to improve human/machine interface. MBDA Missile Systems has revealed details of research into novel Human Machine Teaming (HUMAT) approaches applicable to future surface attack and air defence weapon and control systems.
Funded through the French/UK Materials and Components for Missiles Innovation and Technology Partnership (MCM ITP) programme, the HUMAT study has run between November 2017 and November 2019. The work has addressed decision-making across the full engagement chain (planning, preparation, detection, threat evaluation, engagement feasibility; weapon assignment, launch, engagement and damage/kill assessment). MBDA has led the study work together with the University of Birmingham and ProbaYes (a spin-off of INRIA and CNRS).
According to MBDA, the precept for HUMAT is the need to improve decision-making against the background of an increasingly complex operational environment replete with multiple layers of intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance. “With the amount of data to be analysed and prioritised, and the time critical nature of combat engagement, automation or autonomy must be implemented in the engagement chain,” said the company. “However, authority needs to remain in the hands of the human at the heart of the system, who must be able to make informed decisions or recognise when interventions are needed.”
The research team from MBDA, the University of Birmingham and ProbaYes have approached the topic from multiple angles: defining and assessing the role of the operator in future missile systems; exploring ethical, legal and technological constraints to robust engagement decision-making; and exploring the opportunities and potential offered by new technologies – notably artificial intelligence techniques – to address the problem space. Following discussions with customer communities in both France and the UK, the HUMAT team derived 23 requirements from core human/machine attributes. In each case, the machine must provide a rationale for its decision-making to the operator, and must also enable a ‘dialogue’. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
25 Nov 19. US Navy to develop MVSOT tool to protect naval assets. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) is developing a new tool, Maritime Vessel Stopping Occlusion Technologies (MVSOT), to protect naval assets and sailors. MVSOT is a non-lethal tool that can slow down or stop an oncoming target vessel. The MVSOT team is focusing on the development of technologies that limit or remove the ability of a propulsion system to provide thrust to a boat but in a reversible manner.
NSWC PCD materials engineer Michelle Kincer said: “These technologies are persistent but reversible, allowing the warfighter increased standoff time and distance to de-escalate a potentially threatening situation.
“MVSOT solutions may provide the warfighter a new capability for their toolkit, which will allow them more time to ascertain the intent of an oncoming vessel.”
The MVSOT team and vendors are testing commercially available drogue lines for a solution. Drogue lines use rope with sea anchors to restrict forward movement of a target boat using drag forces.
The team claimed that tests have revealed that these products can be repeatable and reliable, though are limited to certain types of vessels.
Under the MVSOT programme, new occlusion materials are being developed for an all-in-one solution, including synthetic hagfish slime and spider silk proteins, which provide advanced swelling, adhesive, and strength properties.
The materials are made from natural products, making them more environmentally compatible.
Kincer said: “One of the common methods of occlusion is to utilise material to wrap around the propeller blades, allowing the propeller to continue to rotate but disrupting the blades from pushing any water and, thus, propelling the boat forward.”
Recently, NSWC PCD, the University of Michigan, Utah State University, and Chapman University collaborated to produce synthetic hagfish slime intermediate filament proteins, and re-create the natural slime-like behaviour.
According to Kincer, hagfish secrete a slimy substance as a defence mechanism, and the substance expands by 10,000 times its original volume when it comes into contact with seawater.
Kincer added: “Looking at another material, spider silk rivals the strength of Kevlar and, on a weight comparison basis, steel. Our teammates at Utah State University have identified alternative uses of synthetic spider silk proteins, which have many properties that non-lethal vessel stopping may benefit from, including robust sponges and underwater adhesives.” (Source: naval-technology.com)
22 Nov 19. Systematic to win long-awaited battle management contract. The German army is expected to select command and control software specialist Systematic to support its long-awaited battle management system, a program that will help a NATO brigade that’s used to quickly respond to crises, C4ISRNET has learned.
According to industry sources, a contract for the program, formally known as the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF) 2023 (Land), will be signed by the end of November. As part of the deal, Systematic will integrate its SitaWare Frontline battle management system software on board multiple tactical ground vehicles. The contract is expected to include integration with Leopard main battle tanks and Puma infantry fighting vehicles operated by the German Army’s 37th Panzergrenadier Brigade.
On Jan. 1, 2023, the German Army will take over as the lead component of the task force, which according to NATO doctrine, comprises a 5,000-strong multinational brigade capable of being rapidly deployed in the case of a major crisis.
“Some units will be ready to deploy in just two days, whilst the majority of units will be ready to move in less than seven days. In ensuring a high level of readiness the VJTF will be regularly exercised and deployed at short notice,” NATO doctrine read.
The German army released a formal request for information for the competition in November 2018 to identify suitable software to support the VJTF. Companies in the competition included Rheinmetall, ESG and Airbus Defence & Space. Sources confirmed Systematic and ESG had been chosen in a downselect for final evaluation by the army.
SitaWare Frontline software will be displayed across a variety of end user devices in the vehicle as designed by Roda Computer GmbH and ATM and networked through Thales’ legacy suite of SEM 80/90 radios and Rohde & Schwarz’s SVFuA vehicular software defined radio.
The army’s decision follows the earlier selection of the company’s Headquarters software in 2014 to equip deployable command posts. That software is already in service as part of NATO’s Lithuania-based Enhanced Forward Presence Battlegroup.
Frontline software will also provide the German army with interoperability with the U.S. Army’s Command Post Computing Environment. On Oct. 30, U.S. and German armies signed a strategic agreement calling for enhanced levels in interoperability by 2027, meaning a German brigade would be able to operate under the command and control of a U.S. Army division. CP CE is a web-enabled system that will consolidate current mission systems and programs into a single user interface.
Speaking to C4ISRNET, Sven Trusch, Systematic’s vice president for business development, said he was unable to comment on the state of the competition but confirmed Frontline software had undertaken “extensive testing” with the army in Munster, Germany earlier in the year.
Trusch also described how the battle management system would enable “seamless interoperation” with other users of the SitaWare suite, which includes Frontline, Edge and Headquarters software].
“The army intends to establish a battle management application framework built around Frontline that will enable the integration of existing and future capabilities,” Trusch said. He added that Frontline software provides an automatically updated situation awareness picture featuring the “disposition of forces, danger areas, points of interest, and intelligence on an enemy.”
The software also includes tactical chat, support for high-performance mapping, and the ability to make and display plans directly on a touchscreen. SitaWare Frontline is also being considered for the U.S. Army’s Mounted Computing Environment. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
15 Nov 19. EDA holds talks with European aviation organisations on the future of Single European Sky and on RPAS Air Traffic Integration. On 7 November, European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted two high level meetings on RPAS Air Traffic Integration and the future of Single European Sky (SES). EDA welcomed senior representatives from European aviation organisations including, EASA, SESAR Joint Undertaking, European Commission (DG MOVE) and Eurocontrol.
High Level Group on the implementation of Single European Sky
The European Defence Agency was delighted to host the meeting of the High Level Group on SES. The aims of this event were to take stock the outcomes of the High Level Conference on the Future of SES (11-12 September) and to discuss the way ahead regarding the concepts promoted by the Airspace Architecture Study and the Wise Persons Group Report, in view of the Transport Council on 2 December 2019. During the discussions, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq, recalled that the military community recognises the need to collaboratively address the modernisation of the European Air Traffic Management (ATM) system for the benefit of all users, ensuring that some key military principles, in particular linked to ATM Data Service Provision (ADSP) and Airspace Management, which is a national prerogative, are duly considered.
4th High Level Coordination Mechanism Meeting
EDA also hosted the 4th high level meeting on the Coordination Mechanism between the European Commission, EASA, SJU and EDA for the development and implementation of a joint civil-military Roadmap towards drone Air Traffic Integration. Eurocontrol was also invited to this important EU coordination mechanism which aims to align workstreams in the regulatory, technical and standardisation domains with the overall objective of supporting the Accommodation of a European MALE-type RPAS in the 2020-2025 timeframe, with full integration as of 2025.
The coordination efforts are of particular importance given the limitations to use military RPAS in a non-segregated airspace as this harms the effectiveness of the systems. Guidelines for the accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C
Finally, EDA Chief Executive, Jorge Domecq and EASA Executive Director, Patrick Ky, presented the “Guidelines for the accommodation of military IFR MALE type RPAS under GAT airspace classes A-C”. This document is the result of a task force jointly launched and chaired by EASA and EDA, with valuable contributions from several representatives of military and civil organisations. These guidelines propose a basis for Member States and their ANSPs to conduct their own safety assessment and to develop their operational procedures and processes in compliance with European ATM/ANS Regulation. (Source: EDA)
21 Nov 19. US Army programme develops hearing protection for working dogs. A research programme supported by the US Army Medical Research and Development Command has developed an innovative hearing protection system for military working dogs. The Canine Auditory Protection System (CAPS) was developed by Zeteo Tech in partnership with animal audiology expert and retired navy lieutenant commander Pete Scheifele.
Military dogs are likely to be affected by temporary and permanent hearing loss due to exposure to high-decibel noise during transport, training and operations.
Zeteo Tech developed the CAPS under a small business innovation research (SBIR) contract with the army.
The solution is designed to prevent short-term hearing loss in military working dogs.
Army Research Office senior scientist Dr Stephen Lee said: “Even a short helicopter flight can affect a dog’s hearing, resulting in impaired performance and inability to hear the handler’s commands, which can hinder the mission. This new technology protects the canine while on missions and can extend the dog’s working life.”
The company has stated that Scheifele tested the performance of the CAPS during helicopter operations. The solution is claimed to have delivered positive results in the evaluation.
Zeteo Tech vice-president Michael McLoughlin said: “Zeteo Tech is excited to provide CAPS in response to a critical need for effective canine hearing protection in demanding environments.”
The firm has designed the solution using lightweight high-quality acoustic absorption materials.
The flexible design of the CAPS ensures ‘proper sealing around the ear and maximum sound reduction’.
The ‘snood’ style headgear resembles a close-fitting hood. According to Zeteo Tech, the headgear uniformly distributes ‘the pressure required to hold the hearing protection in place’.
Military working dogs are used by the defence forces for patrol, tactical operations, detection and search. (Source: army-technology.com)
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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.
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