Sponsored By Oxley Developments
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02 Nov 23. U.S. Navy Funds Mercury to Develop Photonics Chiplet Manufacturing Capability for Defense Applications. Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a technology company that delivers mission-critical processing power to the edge, today announced an agreement with the U.S. Navy to develop manufacturing capabilities that would allow commercial photonics chiplets to accelerate edge processing in defense applications.
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) Trusted and Assured Microelectronics (T&AM) Program’s Project KANAGAWA aims to mature the domestic supply chain and manufacturing processes for multi-chip packages, where co-packaged optics are integrated with electronic integrated circuits to enable long-reach and high-bandwidth data transfer. Compared to conventional copper connections, photonics uses optical fibers to enable orders of magnitude improvement in data bandwidth at a fraction of the power needed. The promise of this technology for defense systems has been well-known for decades, but demonstrations have relied on expensive and custom approaches that are not compatible with high-volume production.
Under a $3.9m, 17-month Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) with Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division, Mercury gains access to photonics devices developed for the commercial sector by Intel and Ayar Labs. These chiplet devices use optical technology to move data through systems such as data centers at speeds in excess of a terabyte per second. Mercury plans to develop miniaturized and ruggedized packages using photonics chiplets for defense applications to allow edge sensor data to be ingested much faster, enabling faster decision-making in next-generation radar and electronic warfare systems.
“We are excited to partner with the Navy to bring this game-changing commercial technology to the defense community,” said Tom Smelker, Mercury’s GM of Microsystems. “As we continue to drive innovation in defense microelectronics at the edge and move from board-scale to chip-scale, photonics chiplets will play a key role in advanced packaging and benefit a wide range of systems and platforms.”
“Breaking the data transfer bottleneck is a critical objective for the RF & Optoelectronics (RF/OE) program,” said Joshua Hawke, USD(R&E) RF/OE Execution Lead. “This partnership with Mercury will proliferate co-packaged optics within the Defense Industrial Base and accelerate adoption of innovative technology by the warfighter.”
02 Nov 23. ODU AMC® connectors and PUR cables improve military cabling. In military operations, reliable and robust communication systems are critical to mission success. These systems are highly dependent on advanced cabling solutions that can withstand harsh environmental conditions and meet stringent performance criteria. To meet these requirements, the assembled ODU AMC® connectors are used in conjunction with PUR (polyurethane) cables.
ODU AMC® connectors: The ideal choice
ODU AMC® connectors are the ideal choice for military applications. These connectors were developed specifically for military and security applications. They are characterised by their high performance, reliability and versatility. Robust construction and the use of resistant materials enable them to withstand even extreme environmental conditions. These include, for example, temperature fluctuations, shocks, vibrations and contact with oils and other substances. In combination with suitable cables, secure connections are created that guarantee error-free military communication.
The extensive ODU AMC® connector portfolio also offers a wide range of configuration options. This allows customised solutions to be realised for specific application requirements.
The crucial role of PUR coated cables in military cabling solutions
PUR insulated cables play a critical role in our military cabling solutions for several reasons. They offer exceptional temperature resistance and are ideal for environments with extreme temperature fluctuations. These range from -40 °C to +80 °C in motion or even higher values at rest. In addition, PUR cables have very good resistance to a wide range of aggressive substances, such as chemicals and oils. The cables are exposed to extreme conditions due to rough handling and regular equipment transportation in a military environment. The robust properties of the PUR sheathing help protect the cables from physical damage. This protection ensures that the cables remain functional as well as long-lasting. They remain flexible even at low temperatures, making them ideal for applications where the cable needs to be moved or coiled. Cables are often exposed to direct sunlight, so conventional cables can degrade over time. The PUR sheathing is UV resistant, which prevents damage from prolonged exposure to sunlight and increases the life of the cables.
Robust properties for protection and durability
The ruggedness, durability and flexibility are guarantors for maintaining the performance integrity of ODU cables, regardless of the environmental conditions to which they are exposed in military use. ODU AMC® terminated connectors with PUR jacketed cables offer a state-of-the-art approach to meet the most demanding requirements of the military market.
02 Nov 23. US-China: Increased regulatory, compliance risks likely amid growing concerns over Chinese chip technology. A report published last month revealed that at least four influential US lawmakers have pressured President Joe Biden to respond to China’s use of RISC-V chip design technology amid growing concerns that the technology threatens US national security. A wider group of eighteen lawmakers are now further pressuring President Biden to act in order to prevent the technology being used by China to challenge US interests. Lawmakers pressurising President Biden to act include five Democratic lawmakers from New Jersey, Florida, Michigan, and Indiana. Lawmakers are also pressuring the president to apply an executive order requiring US-based companies to obtain an export license before working with Chinese companies who are working on the development of RISC-V technology. The growing concern in Congress over Chinese technology signals the likelihood of increasing regulatory and compliance risks for businesses operating in China, as well as increasing risks to US-China trade in the longer term. (Source: Sibylline)
02 Nov 23. Poland bolsters C4ISR capabilities for armoured forces with SitaWare. SitaWare to be deployed as part of Poland’s acquisition of M1 Abrams main battle tanks and support vehicles, providing comprehensive C4ISR capabilities to the 18th Mechanised Division’s battalions and boosting advanced armoured and battlefield engineering operations. Poland is to deploy Systematic’s market leading SitaWare suite of C4ISR technology through its acquisition of M1 Abrams main battle tanks and support vehicles from the United States.
Systematic’s mounted battle management system (BMS) software, SitaWare Frontline, will be installed in all of the M1A1 Abrams and M1A2 SEP V3 Abrams main battle tanks, as well as a variety of support vehicles that will also form part of Poland’s armoured capability.
The acquisition of SitaWare Frontline will provide comprehensive command-and-control, friendly force tracking, intelligence dissemination, and advanced tactical communications capabilities to the Polish Land Forces’ 18th Mechanised Division.
“The acquisition of SitaWare battle management software by Poland will continue to drive interoperability with a variety of NATO member states who have also deployed SitaWare. Connectivity with other C2 systems up and down the chain of command will be ensured through SitaWare Headquarters and its support for a wide range of interoperability standards, open architecture design, and easy-to-use interfaces that support the easy exchange of data,” Michael Jungen, Business Development Manager at Systematic, said.
“The enhanced integration that SitaWare provides will help support European security through enhanced co-ordination and command-and-control of forces, allowing for rapid responses to security threats,” Jungen added.
The acquisition of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software product will ensure that the entry into service will be rapid, and significantly de-risked. The wide number of users within Europe and the NATO alliance will continue to ensure that the lifespan of the software will continue for many years to come, with a number of significant capability enhancements already planned for 2024 and beyond.
Working in conjunction with Leonardo DRS, Systematic is also delivering a variety of services as part of the contract, including training and project and vehicle integration support.
02 Nov 23. New technologies on show at Quantum Showcase as Science Minister drives forward UK’s £2.5bn Quantum Strategy.
The Science Minister George Freeman outlines the recipients of over £14m in funding, aimed at benefiting the UK’s thriving quantum sector.
- Science Minister sets out how the government is continuing with its vision to become a quantum-enabled economy by 2023 with over £14m in funding
- the latest in ground-breaking applications of quantum technology will be showcased at one of the largest quantum events in the UK
- UK has signed new science and innovation agreement with the Netherlands to deepen collaboration on quantum
The Science Minister George Freeman will today (Thursday 2 November) outline the recipients of over £14m in funding, aimed at benefiting the UK’s thriving quantum sector.
At the UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase, taking place in London today, Minister Freeman will set out how the government is continuing with its vision to become a quantum-enabled economy by 2023.
The showcase will present the latest in ground-breaking applications of the technology which will potentially revolutionise many aspects of life in the UK. Quantum technologies could bring enormous benefits to the economy, such as making it possible to solve complex problems impossible to solve with even the most powerful high-performance classical computers, and opening entirely new frontiers in sensing, timing, imaging, and communications.
The event, which last year welcomed over 1,000 delegates, with 67 exhibitors from 34 different countries, is organised by National Quantum Technologies Programme, which was established in 2014 and backed by £1bn of government funding.
The National Quantum Strategy, published in March 2023, commits a further £2.5bn to developing quantum technologies in the UK over the 10 years from 2024 which will aim to generate at least an additional £1 bn of private investment into the programme.
The announcements made by Minister Freeman today will include:
- the launch of a UK Quantum Standards Network Pilot that will help to ensure that the UK is at the forefront of establishing global standards for quantum
- over £10m in funding for 6 projects to accelerate the development of components and systems for quantum network technologies to transform the way in which we distribute, secure, and process our information to meet the challenges of our increasingly complex data economy
- over £4m to strengthen collaborative research and development through Canada-UK partnerships to develop real-world quantum technologies for commercial use
- the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) closing its £30m competition to provide quantum computing testbeds, alongside a partnership with IBM to provide users cloud access to IBM’s full fleet quantum machines
- a new science and innovation agreement with the Netherlands to deepen collaboration on quantum which will see closer cooperation covering research and development, commercialisation, investment, and skills
George Freeman MP, Minister of State at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology said: “We have identified Quantum as one of the 5 transformational technologies in which the UK is a global leader, which is why we have set out a £2.5bn 10 year industrial strategy to support the quantum sector here in the UK. Quantum is set to transform computing, imaging and sensing, cyber security and position, navigation and timing with major industrial applications from drug discovery to defence, fintech, and much more. That is why I am here today at the Quantum Showcase to announce this package of UK funding and programmes. Our partnership between the National Quantum Computing Centre and IBM will provide cloud quantum computing access for companies, agencies, national labs and other organisations to help boost UK quantum computing infrastructure. Our £30m quantum testbed programme will build the world’s first quantum computing testbed to assess and benchmark machines. Our funding for collaborative programmes with the Netherlands and Canada is a sign of our commitment to develop global quantum standards and networks.”
This is an exciting day for the UK quantum sector.
Quantum technologies – one of the government’s 5 critical technologies – are devices and systems using quantum mechanics to provide capabilities that ‘classical’ machines like binary computers cannot.
The technology already offers possible solutions to some of our greatest challenges in society and provide future capabilities that are yet to be explored. These technologies hold the potential to tackle intricate problems that currently surpass the capacities of even the most advanced classical computers and will allow us to reach new frontiers in sensing, timing, imaging, and communications. Over the next 10 years, quantum technologies are expected to revolutionise many aspects of life in the UK and bring enormous benefits such as helping to grow our economy and create well-paid jobs across the country – one of the Prime Minister’s 5 priorities.
The National Quantum Strategy sets out a bold and ambitious approach to supporting quantum technologies in the UK across the broad spectrum of quantum computing, sensing, timing, imaging and communications. It shows how the UK will develop its strengths across different hardware platforms, software and components, and reinforce our capabilities throughout the supply chains.
Just last month, Secretary of State Michelle Donelan opened PsiQuantum’s new state-of-the-art research and development (R&D) facility at Sci-Tech Daresbury, which is supported with £9 m from the government. In June, Minister Freeman announced £45m in funding to support universities and businesses working in the UK’s quantum technologies sector.
Details of the announcements
Small Business Research Initiative competition – Quantum Networks, Enabling Components & Systems
As part of the Innovate UK led Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) competition, 6 projects have been awarded £10.6m to accelerate the development of components and systems for quantum network technologies.
These technologies will transform the way in which we distribute, secure, and process our information to meet the challenges of a communication network that is growing in capacity and complexity as our economy becomes increasingly underpinned by data. The funding will assist in the delivery of deployable prototypes into the hands of customers, building the UK’s leadership in this emerging global market.
The projects chosen to receive funding include delivering modular systems for connecting quantum processors into networks at scale and developing high-bandwidth quantum-secure communications between satellite and ground networks, they are set to conclude in 2025.
Quantum Standards Network Pilot
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL), in collaboration with government and industry partners, will launch a UK Quantum Standards Network Pilot. This pilot network builds on the commitments made in the National Quantum Strategy which recognises the importance of technical standards to support the global commercialisation of quantum technology. The pilot network will ensure the UK is at the forefront of establishing global standards for quantum. It will provide a focal point on standards for UK industry and develop initial plans for industry outreach, standard development road mapping and international engagement, helping overcome barriers to the realisation of the potential of quantum technologies.
The aim of the pilot network is to evolve into a centre that coordinates the UK’s engagement with global standards, ensuring that the UK continues to be at the forefront of the quantum revolution. NPL will collaborate with the British Standards Institution (BSI), the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), UKQuantum, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) on the pilot network.
New quantum agreement with the Netherlands to deepen collaboration on quantum
During the showcase, Minister Freeman will sign a new quantum agreement with the Netherlands to help harness the constant creation of new knowledge, understanding and insights from both our innovation ecosystems. International partnerships will play a crucial role in delivering the UK’s ambitions for quantum technologies as set out within the National Quantum Strategy. The UK has already signed agreements with the US and Canada which set out areas for closer cooperation covering research and development, commercialisation, investment and skills.
The Netherlands have a strong history and culture of technology and the agreement will see a deepening of the collaboration on science and innovation between the 2 countries. It will also support efforts in both countries to develop ethical and governance principles for the responsible use of quantum technology, for the benefit of society as a whole.
Canada – UK Commercialising Quantum Technology Programme
Collaboration between key international partners will be essential to build mutual capabilities and to grow industrial opportunities within quantum technologies. Alongside the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP), Innovate UK is investing £4.2 m in 11 projects to strengthen collaborative research and development through Canada-UK partnerships.
This funding will help to develop real-world quantum technologies for commercial use in networking, sensing, and scalable solutions to quantum computing, alongside developing the supply chain.
The National Quantum Computing Centre signs up service provider to offer assured quantum computing access for UK users for research
The NQCC will provide assured quantum computing access to UK-based organisations to drive the research and development work that may benefit from the technology. This reflects the NQCC’s vision to enable the UK to solve some of the most complex and challenging problems facing society by harnessing the potential of quantum computing. To deliver this, the NQCC will have multiple quantum service providers to enable the growth of the UK’s quantum computing user community, with access to a wide range of state-of-the-art quantum machines.
The objective is to drive new research horizons and serve the UK research community to enable proof-of-concept projects, feasibility studies and discovery-led science. As a part of the initiative, the NQCC will engage with IBM Corporation to provide UK-based quantum computing users priority access to the full fleet of IBM’s quantum machines. Aligned with the recently published National Quantum Strategy, and the commitment of £2.5 bn of investment, the NQCC remains committed to working with organisations across government, industry and the research community, to support the delivery of assured quantum computing capabilities for the UK and build the user community for quantum computing.
The centre seeks to enable the UK to become a quantum-ready nation and take full advantage of the benefits that quantum computing can offer, by supporting the UK-based organisations.
The NQCC’s first facility, the NQCC Innovation Hub, is now ready to start hosting the development and operation of quantum computing testbeds.
The NQCC is investing £30 m in projects that will deliver a series of quantum computing testbeds, based on different hardware architectures by March 2025. The prototypes that come from the competition, which is being delivered by Innovate UK, will accelerate the development of scalable quantum computers by enabling detailed characterisation and benchmarking of early-stage machines.
In establishing these quantum testbeds, the NQCC is aiming to fill a gap between lab-based experimentation in academia and the growing number of commercial quantum computers that have been built around proprietary technologies. The availability of testbeds will provide an experimental framework for ongoing efforts to develop methodologies for testing, and validating, the performance of quantum computers, which so far have largely relied on theoretical approaches. The initial response to the expression-of-interest call has shown that developers can see the value in opening up their platforms within the protected environment offered by the NQCC. The competition results will be announced in early 2024.
Small Business Research Initiative competition – Quantum Networks, Enabling Components & Systems list of projects:
- Quantum Link Assurance System – Aegiq
- NEXUS-QP – Duality Quantum Photonics
- delivering a system hardened, scalable, and interoperable QKD solution – KETS Quantum Security
- LYRA: A Modular path towards Industrialised and Scalable Quantum Networking – Nu Quantum
- NextQPU – Oxford Ionics
- Space-to-Ground Integrated Quantum Networks – Toshiba Europe
Canada – UK Commercialising Quantum Technology Programme list of projects:
- quantum technology enabled blood diagnostics for safer and more patient centric cancer care and treatment management – Beyond Blood Diagnostics
- Broadband Quantum Synthesizer (BQS) – Covesion
- H3Lo-QP: High-voltage High-IO High-transmission Low-temperature Quantum Photonics – Duality Quantum Photonics, Qontrol
- Cryogenic High Reliability Platform for Quantum Computing – ICEoxford
- Scalable Qubit Array Detection for Rydberg Quantum Computers – Infleqtion, Riverlane
- QUARREFOUR – Benchmarking Multi-core Quantum Computing Systems – Nu Quantum
- Generation of entAngLement for quAntum seCure mulTIparty Computation – Quantopticon, Galaxy Innovation, Bay Photonics
- 3LX – Developing low-cost, low-energy, low-detection limit X-Ray image sensors for critical industries using quantum dot technology – Quantum Advanced Solutions
- Hybrid compilation framework to accelerate quantum application development (CATALYST) Riverlane, Rolls-Royce
- QUAMINEX – a drone deployed integrated gravity magnetics measurement system for mineral exploration – Silicon Microgravity
- Distributed Symmetric Key Exchange (DSKE) Network – Toshiba Europe
(Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
02 Nov 23. Fischer Connectors has released new high-speed connectors and cable assemblies for Ultra High Definition (UHD) audio/video data transfer at 18 Gbit/s in demanding environments, matching the performance speed of HDMI 2.0.
“The speed of our audio/video connectivity solutions, 18 Gbit/s, is equivalent to the HDMI 2.0 standard widely used in 4K cinema projectors and Ultra High Definition home TVs,” explains Stéphane Antonetti, Product Data Expert at Fischer Connectors. “Because Fischer Connectors’ circular connectors are rugged by design, they combine the best of both worlds, providing design engineers with a versatile portfolio of high-speed, high-performance connectivity solutions for a wide range of harsh-environment applications.”
Fischer Connectors’ new UHD solutions are available in the flagship Fischer MiniMax™ and Fischer Core product lines with 10’000 mating cycles, 360° EMI protection, different sealing performances from IP68 to hermeticity and sterilization capacities, as well as three locking mechanisms (push-pull, screw, quick-release).
Fischer MiniMax™ UHD connectors available in ‘size 08’ (12.9 mm diameter plug) have a miniature, lightweight, compact, high-density layout with 19 contacts, ensuring high-quality data transmission for digital signals in demanding applications such as aerial imaging, especially in military operations for drones equipped with high-resolution cameras.
UHD audio/video connectivity is also needed in scientific, industrial, instrumentation, test and measurement and medical applications with 4K camera devices, where Fischer Core connectors are widely used, e.g., in size 104 with 20 contacts.
A dedicated, custom cable has been developed for both Fischer Core and Fischer MiniMax™ UHD audio/video connectors, which are also available pre-cabled as plug-and-play solutions.
01 Nov 23. Technology Secretary announces investment boost making British AI supercomputing 30 times more powerful. British supercomputing to be boosted 30-fold with a new Cambridge computer and Bristol site.
- British supercomputing to be boosted 30-fold with a new Cambridge computer and Bristol site
- the 2 computers will form the government’s ‘AI Research Resource’, which helps researchers discover how to make the most advanced models of AI safe and drive other breakthroughs
- this comes as the UK opens its AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, to consider the risks of AI and discuss their mitigation through international action
The government’s Frontier AI Taskforce and leading British researchers will be equipped with cutting edge supercomputers to analyse the safety of advanced AI models, thanks to new investment in the ‘AI Research Resource’.
The tool will build and connect 2 new supercomputers across the UK, giving researchers access to resources with more than 30-times the capacity of the UK’s current largest public AI computing tools. They will be able to use the machines, which will be running from summer 2024, to analyse advanced AI models to test safety features and drive breakthroughs in drug discovery and clean energy.
The investment into the AI Research Resource has been tripled to £300m, up from £100m announced in March 2023, in a bid to further boost UK AI capabilities.
This will bolster Isambard-AI, which will be Britain’s most advanced computer and based at the University of Bristol, is set to be 10 times faster than the UK’s current quickest machine.
The investment will also connect Isambard-AI to a newly announced Cambridge supercomputer called ‘Dawn’. This computer – delivered through a partnership with Dell and UK SME StackHPC – will be powered by over 1000 Intel chips that use water-cooling to reduce power consumption. It is set to be running in the next 2 months and target breakthroughs in fusion energy, healthcare and climate modelling.
Chaired by Ian Hogarth, the Frontier AI Taskforce will have priority access to the connected computing tools to support its work to mitigate the risks posed by the most advanced forms of AI, including national security from the development of bioweapons and cyberattacks. The resource will also support the work of the AI Safety Institute, as it develops a programme of research looking at the safety of frontier AI models and supports government policy with this analysis.
Announcing this investment at the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, Science, Innovation and Technology Secretary Michelle Donelan said:
Frontier AI models are becoming exponentially more powerful. At our AI Safety Summit in Bletchley Park, we have made it clear that Britain is grasping the opportunity to lead the world in adopting this technology safely so we can put it to work and lead healthier, easier and longer lives.
This means giving Britain’s leading researchers and scientific talent access to the tools they need to delve into how this complicated technology works. That is why we are investing in building UK’s supercomputers, making sure we cement our place as a world-leader in AI safety.
Bristol’s Isambard-AI computer, first announced in September, will be backed by a £225m investment and include 5,000 advanced AI chips from Nvidia in a supercomputer built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
The supercomputer, 10 times faster than the UK’s current fastest machine, will deliver over 200 ‘petaflops’, meaning it can make 200,000,000,000,000,000 calculations (that’s 200 quadrillion) every second. By comparison, the newest smartphones today deliver only trillions of calculations per second, and a human would have to make a decision every second for 6.3bn years to match what this computer can calculate in one second. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
01 Nov 23. Systematic announced the expansion of its partnership with the British Army, with the signing of a contract for 1,400 new licences for SitaWare. The contract will allow for the acquisition of SitaWare Headquarters for use by all the British Army’s brigades and divisions, in additions to those formations such as the Corps headquarters that are already using it.
“The expanded deployment of SitaWare within the British Army will allow for greater interoperability within the UK armed forces, as well as with its allied and partner nations. Furthermore, it will deliver a significantly enhanced digital experience for users – meaning greater situational awareness, lower risks in combat, and easier dissemination of intelligence and information across the battlespace,” James Hamilton, Systematic Vice President of Business Development, UK, said.
“As a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software product that is interoperable with a wide range of legacy equipment and which meets a raft of communications standards, SitaWare is de-risked and is ready to be implemented for any military user,” Hamilton added.
Major General John Collyer, Director Information & Chief Information Officer, British Army, said: “This significant uplift in SitaWare Headquarters licences ensures the current battle management application is readily accessible at more echelons. This purchase is the latest delivery as part of a wider campaign of Army digital and data exploitation under Programme THEIA to be at the forefront of technological change. The prize is tempo and accuracy in decision-making. As the software is rolled out across our deployable forces it will enable us to adapt quickly to new challenges. More widely, is another important step in driving integration across the force and domains.”
The procurement also covers an increase in new licences for use by NATO’s Allied Rapid Reaction Corps (ARRC), based in Gloucester, UK, to help with the deployment of SitaWare into operations and exercises within Europe and beyond.
Systematic has been working with the British Army for over 15 years on supporting a digitised battlespace, with the British Army’s 3rd(United Kingdom) Division also acquiring SitaWare Headquarters licences in 2020 to support operations by the Division and subordinate units. SitaWare is in service with the British Army’s Standing Joint Force Headquarters (SJFHQ) and its commitment to the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) in Lithuania in 2022, as well as numerous Army Warfighter Experiment (AWE) exercises and Project Convergence in the United States.
Systematic’s SitaWare suite allows the seamless integration of a wide range of C4ISR data and intelligence to deliver a comprehensive common operational picture to battlefield commanders – from those in a headquarters or joint operations centre, to vehicle-mounted troops and units on the ground. SitaWare Insight is used to support intelligence units with their operations in the intelligence cycle, providing an integrated digitised solution to ensure that all the data available on the battlefield can be utilised by commanders and planners to make informed decisions.
SitaWare’s open architecture allows for a greater degree of modularity, with a software development kit allowing users to create their own plug-ins and add-ons to meet their mission and capability requirements. Recent Systematic-developed Modules for use in the SitaWare environment include the Fire Support Module, which assists in the planning and delivery of joint fires, and SitaWare Battlefield Health, which helps to manage the health needs of soldiers – from enlistment, to the battlefield, and as returned veterans.
Trusted by over 50 countries, SitaWare is used by a variety of nations and organisations, including NATO, the US Army, the British Army, Australian Army, German Bundeswehr, Danish armed forces, Defence Forces Ireland, and more.
For further information, please contact Charles Forrester, Communications Manager (Defence), at .
31 Oct 23. General Micro Systems Achieves Two 2023 Military and Aerospace Electronics Innovators Awards. General Micro Systems (GMS) announced today that its X9 Spider AI System and X9 Spider Manpack were recognized among the best by the 2023 Military & Aerospace Electronics Innovators Awards program. These awards were developed to showcase the most innovative solutions in aerospace and defense products and systems for the engineering industry. GMS products received platinum awards which are characterized by a groundbreaking approach to meeting a need and/or a new level of performance, efficiency, ease-of-use or other beneficial quality.
“The X9 Spider AI System is the smallest and only portable/mobile rugged AI engine that can directly connect with – and even power – so many smart sensor interfaces at the same time,” said Ben Sharfi, CEO and chief architect, GMS. “The X9 Manpack is the world’s smallest, fully rugged mission computer with vast I/O expansion and part of the X9 Spider open Distributed Computing Architecture (DCA). We are honored to be recognized for our innovation and technology advancements in both products. Objectively, each represents some of the best technology found anywhere in our industry.”
The X9 Spider AI System is based on the NVIDIA® AGX Jetson Orin GPU SoC and includes high-rate sensor interfaces to CameraLink, 3G-SDI, CoaXPress, USB 3.2, 1Gb Ethernet, 10Gb Ethernet and 100Gb Ethernet. All these interfaces can receive high bandwidth data from sensors simultaneously, and the X9 Spider AI System can keep up in real time. Power over CoaXPress and 10Gb Ethernet means a single cable will connect a sensor and power it, saving complex wiring, weight and individual sensor power supplies. In addition, GMS rugged mezzanine carriers (RMC) uniquely allow additional I/O, storage, co-processing and other customer-specific functions, making the product exceptionally flexible and small enough for portable or embedded use. An example is the addition of Sidekiq SDR modules, making X9 AI a handheld sensor processor and software-defined radio, ideal for portable artificial intelligence enabled EW/SIGINT applications.
Running off a standard soldier battery, the X9 Spider Manpack mobile computer is intended for dismounted soldiers and Marines who need on-the-move, high-performance processing, communications, video, database access and artificial intelligence (AI). Designed from the ground up to offer the most compute power and I/O in the smallest, lightest weight battery-powered package, X9 Spider Manpack can drive up to four on-body displays such as the X9 Rugged Thunderbolt Display; connect to wireless LANs and personal area networks (PANs); uplink to mounted assets like vehicles or command posts; store up to 20TB of onboard data, and connect to high-rate body sensors while processing on-board AI algorithms such as image/facial recognition, target tracking or sensor fusion. GMS is also developing other soldier-wearable technologies to accompany X9 Manpack.
The 2023 Innovators Award winners are selected by the qualified judging panel chosen by the editorial staff at Military & Aerospace Electronics. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 Nov 23. Xiphera Enhances the Performance of Its Portfolio with New Cryptographic IP Cores. Xiphera introduces Extreme-Speed Solutions in its cryptographic IP core portfolio, by launching two new extreme-speed IP cores, for AES-GCM and MACsec. The AES-GCM and MACsec products are the first extreme-speed product variants in Xiphera’s portfolio that already comprises compact, balanced, and high-speed IP core variants.
Xiphera’s Extreme-Speed Solutions offer new extreme-speed (E) variants of Xiphera’s IP cores, targeted for applications with highest performance requirements, such as encryption of backbone networks or peripheral component interfaces.
Xiphera’s high-speed (H) IP core variants already provide encryption throughput of tens of gigabits per second (Gbps). The E variants push performance beyond hundreds of Gbps for a single stream of data, and are more than just simple parallelisations of the H variant.
Two new IP cores for enhanced performance
Xiphera’s Extreme-Speed Solutions offer the E variants for the AES-GCM and MACsec IP cores.
AES-GCM protects confidentiality and authenticity of communication, for example, in MACsec, IPsec, and TLS protocols. The new extreme-speed AES-GCM IP core utilise wider data widths (e.g. 256 and 512 bits), reaching throughputs of several hundreds of Gbps in modern FPGA and ASIC technologies. Xiphera’s AES-GCM cores have a constant latency for use with timing sensitive protocols and offering full protection against timing-based attacks.
Extreme-speed MACsec IP core protects 100 Gbps MACsec communication. It utilises the new AES-GCM E variants and is compliant with the MACsec protocol using 256-bit AES-GCM. Xiphera will extend the offering with further speed grades in the future. The 100G MACsec is compatible with timing sensitive protocols and is fully protected against timing attacks.
“We are very excited about the introduction of the first products in our Extreme-Speed Solution offering”, says Kimmo Järvinen, Xiphera’s co-founder and CTO. “Xiphera is now even better positioned to solve the most demanding encryption requirements for our customers.”
Find more about Xiphera’s Extreme-Speed Solutions.
About Xiphera
Xiphera, Ltd, based in Finland, designs and implements proven cryptographic security for embedded systems. Our strong cryptographic expertise and extensive experience in digital system design enable us to help our customers to protect their most valuable assets.
We offer secure and highly optimised cryptographic Intellectual Property (IP) cores, designed directly for Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) and Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) without software components. Our broad, fully in-house designed, and up-to-date portfolio, enables cost-effective development projects with fast time-to-market – providing peace of mind in a dangerous world.
31 Oct 23. Advantech (TWSE: 2395), a global leader in industrial IoT, is excited to announce that Embedded Single Board Computers (ESBC) will be upgraded with the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, Intel® Core™ mobile processors, and Intel® Processor N Series. The new Intel processors will bring significant performance enhancements to these products, making them even more ideal for smart factories, machine automation, machine vision, transportation, medical, retail, and edge AI applications.
Intel’s latest processors will be integrated into 3 products across 2.5” (pico-ITX) 3.5” and 4” ESBC. The upgrade will improve application efficiency in intelligent factories, retail, healthcare, and energy management. In turn, this will significantly accelerate the development and deployment of industrial IoT around the world.
Advantech products that will be equipped with the new 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, Intel® Core™ mobile processors, and Intel® Processors N Series will be launched successively from Q3 2023 to Q1 in 2024. The new processors will increase single-thread performance by up to 1.04x, multi-thread performance by up to 1.34x, and CPU image classification inferencing performance by up to 1.25x compared to 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors. These improvements will significantly improve the efficiency of many AIoT applications.
Product range
MIO-2364
- Intel® Processor N-series 2.5″ Pico-ITX SBC
- Dual independent display: LVDS + HDMI
- GbE (optional PoE/PD, 802.3at), 4 USB, COM, SMBus/I2C
- Expansion: M.2 E-Key, M.2 B-Key
- Supports iManager & Software APIs, WISE-DeviceOn
MIO-5377R
- 13th Gen. Intel® Core™ Processor up to 14 Cores, TDP 28/15W
- 4 simultaneous displays: LVDS/HDMI/DP/USB-C Alt. DP
- 2x LAN, 8x USB (incl. 1x USB4), 4x UART, 2x CANBus, 3x I2C
- 3 Expansions: M.2 E-Key, B-Key, M-Key (support NVMe)
- Supports Windows 10 LTSC & Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, embedded software APIs, WISE-DeviceOn
MIO-4370
- 13th Gen. Intel® Core™ Processor 4″ ESBC
- High scalability with socket type CPU (LGA1700) & Support Std. CPU cooler
- DDR5 4800 up to 32GB + 3 simultaneous display: Dual HDMI+eDP
- Dual High Speed 2.5G Ethernet with TSN, 2x COM, CANbus, TPM
- 3 Expansions: Dual M.2 M-Key (support NVMe), M.2 E-Key
- Supports Windows 10 LTSC & Ubuntu 22.04 LTS, embedded software APIs, WISE-DeviceOn
31 Oct 23. AI set to revolutionise military engineering capabilities.
An artificially intelligent tool will be able to solve engineering problems in seconds by identifying faults with equipment before they become problematic.
Minister for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge hears about the AI enabled capabilities of the Wildcat helicopter.
- AI software modernises Royal Navy helicopter support.
- Smarter logistical and engineering decisions offered to personnel in seconds.
- Faults with equipment will be raised before issues become problematic and costly.
A new AI tool could produce solutions to military engineering problems in seconds, helping keep more vehicles at readiness for deployment.
At Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton, a collaborative project between 1710 Naval Air Squadron (based in HMNB Portsmouth), DE&S Digital AI Team and Royal Navy Engineers is showcasing pioneering new capabilities to innovative defence software tool, ‘Motherlode’ which now utilises artificial intelligence.
‘Motherlode’ is now an artificially intelligent software that processes aircraft maintenance data at a rapid pace, reducing lengthy problem-solving tasks down to seconds. This cutting-edge software ensures that engineering problems are detected at the earliest possible point, rather than when the fault becomes problematic, allowing personnel to order spares ahead of issues arising.
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, visited RNAS Yeovilton to witness first-hand the capabilities the new technology, which will be used across multiple platforms including the Wildcat Maritime Attack helicopters.
The Minister’s visit comes ahead of the UK government’s AI Summit at Bletchley Park on 1 and 2 November. Investing in artificial intelligence is paramount to the continued modernisation of our Armed Forces and is a priority for the government.
Minister for Defence Procurement, James Cartlidge, said: “By investing in the power of artificial intelligence, we are ensuring that our defensive assets are not only technologically superior, but also operate with precision, efficiency, and amplified safety. We should be proud to harness the UK’s exceptional AI talent and foster the collaboration between our brightest minds in technology and the future of defence capabilities.”
The AI-enabled software will be capable of analysing historical data tailored to environmental and aircraft specific conditions to predict failures within equipment more accurately, allowing smarter decision making from the back office to the frontline.
1710 Naval Air Squadron, Commanding Officer Commander, Nicholas Almond, said: “This is just the beginning of the AI journey for the Fleet Air Arm. There are multiple use cases being explored, leveraging AI to enhance our data exploitation capabilities to maximise aircraft availability for frontline operations. By implementing smarter logistical and engineering decisions, Motherlode will also help to ensure key defence equipment will be optimised, whilst remaining cost effective.”
The full capability will be rolled out by the end of 2023 across all Royal Navy helicopters, and we are exploring its use on other Defence equipment like land-based vehicles such as the Foxhound.
Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak recently announced the creation of the Frontier AI Taskforce with an initial £100 m of funding to spearhead the UK’s leadership in this area. The UK spends more money on AI safety research than any other government in the world, with the AI industry in the UK employing more than 50,000 people and contributes £3.7 bn to our economy. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
27 Oct 23. DOD Graduates First Cohort of Acquisition Innovators. The Defense Acquisition University today recognized the first cohort to complete its immersive program designed to provide defense professionals with the tools and insight needed to effectively bridge the gap between the Defense Department and innovative commercial technology providers.
Four contracting officers from across DOD successfully completed the 12-month Immersive Commercial Acquisition Program, which officially launched in 2022 as part of a collaboration between DAU and the Defense Innovation Unit.
The two organizations launched ICAP after recognizing the need to keep pace with commercial product cycles and adopt best practices for commercial procurement within DOD.
DAU President James Woolsey and DIU Director Doug Beck underscored the critical importance of the department’s ability to leverage and scale innovation developed in the commercial sector to meet mission requirements.
“It’s important that we understand the commercial sector… how they work how we can best work with them,” Woolsey said. “And that’s definitely what this program is about.”
The graduates include Navy civilian contracting officer Mariluz Chand-Endres, Air Force civilian contracting officer April Davison, Air Force Maj. Shamika Woodruff, and Army Maj. Michael Gerbasi.
“You were asked to take a bit of risk, to do something different, and to do something important,” Beck said. “You stepped forward to do it.”
The ICAP curriculum combined virtual classroom with experiential learning through the execution of prototype projects.
The program was designed with these four goals:
- Educate and provide top DOD contracting officers with experience on how to effectively acquire innovative commercial technologies from nontraditional defense contractors.
- Provide experience and insight into how the commercial market operates and what drives an organization to do business with the government and DOD.
- Empower change agents and arm contracting officers with the relevant tools and knowledge to craft acquisition, contracting and negotiation strategies that can effectively incorporate commercial technology and nontraditional vendors into DOD’s acquisition ecosystem.
- Provide organizations with trained contracting officers who can also train others to be fluent in the innovation ecosystem and network with their counterparts in other service components. “When I look at the graduates today, I know we’ve accomplished these goals,” said Cherissa Tamayori, director of DIU’s acquisition directorate and oversees ICAP.
In addition to recognizing the graduating cohort, Tamayori welcomed a new group of ICAP fellows. The new cohort includes Army civilian contracting and agreements officer Ralph Barnes, DOD civilian transactions chief Shaun Bright, Air Force civilian contract specialist Christine Docker, Air Force civilian procurement analyst Brittney Harris and Navy civilian contracting officers Rebecca Lingenfelter and Tianna Seaman.
“As new fellows embark on this program, I am eager to build on what this first group has accomplished and in new and more impactful ways,” she said. “I can confidently say that the first cohort has exceeded in providing innovation-fluent contracting officers.”
Following the graduation ceremony, Woolsey and Beck sat down for a discussion on innovation in DOD as part of the DAU’s “On Acquisition” webinar series.
As DIU director, Beck serves as the Pentagon’s chief advisor on harnessing technology to solve operational challenges. During the webinar, he further underscored the strategic imperative for leveraging commercial innovation.
“At the speed of war today — and particularly in the kinds of conflicts that we are now going to have to face — … we aren’t going to have the time between Pearl Harbor and Midway,” he said. “We’ve got to be ready now.”
“And so, we’ve got to find a way to find that innovation, that imperative, that energy, that sense of purpose and commitment that everyone from the young, enlisted soldier, sailor, airman, Marine, guardian all the way to the extremely experienced acquisition professional on the civilian side,” he said. “We’ve got to take the energy and sense of purpose and drive that those folks have when we’re faced with, and we’ve got to bottle that – and do it now.” (Source: U.S. DoD)
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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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