Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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12 Jun 24. Oxley Awarded Silver Recognition for Forces Friendly Approach. Oxley is delighted to have received a Silver Award through the Defence Employer Recognition Scheme in acknowledgment of the work the team do to support forces personnel.
The Silver Award recognises employers who support the armed forces, including existing or prospective employees who have served. The commitments Oxley has made are in recruitment and selection procedures and through the introduction of positive policies covering defence people issues such as cadet adult volunteers and reservist policies.
Oxley also commits to promoting the benefits of being an armed forces-friendly organisation through knowledge transfer and advocacy within the business community. As an SME operating in the defence industry, Oxley is a proud signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant and maintains close links with the community and with charitable organisations supporting veterans.
Commenting on the 2024 Employer Recognition Scheme Silver awards; Colonel Mark Underhill OBE DL, Chief Executive at the North West of England and the Isle of Man Reserve Forces’ and Cadets’ Association (NW RFCA), said, ‘On behalf of the Ministry of Defence we are honoured and delighted to be able to recognise the outstanding support and commitment given to the Armed Forces Covenant by businesses and organisations in the region, through the Employer Recognition Scheme awards. Each recipient has demonstrated not only that their support to the Covenant and the wider Armed Forces community, but also that they are prepared to support their Reservists, Service Leavers, Spouses, Veterans, Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and Cadets in the workplace.’
Oxley Group CEO, Darren Cavan commented, ‘We are delighted to receive this formal recognition of our commitment to being a forces friendly employer. As a manufacturer working in the defence industry we are in regular contact with those serving and we very much value the commitment and the skills they have to offer. We have introduced new policies to support defence people and their families, both working within the business and prospective future candidates. We look forward to continuing our ERS journey, setting ourselves the challenge of progressing to Gold recognition.’
The Armed Forces Covenant is a promise by the nation ensuring that those who serve or who have served in the armed forces, and their families, are treated fairly.
13 Jun 24. New Elma CMFF SAVE-compliant Chassis for Ground Combat and Tactical Vehicles Aligned to SOSA™ and CMOSS.
Deployable chassis enables rapid technology insertion, reduces sustainment costs
Highlights
• Mission-ready platform includes 7-slot OpenVPX backplane
• SAVE-compliant and aligned to SOSA and CMOSS technical standards
• Standard military grade components with custom options available
• Live demonstration: Booth 120; MOSA Summit, June 17-18; National Harbor, MD
Elma Electronic Inc. has released a 3U CMFF (CMOSS mounted form factor) chassis that is both SOSA and CMOSS aligned as well as SAVE-compliant. The new, off-the-shelf unit is ideal for integrated command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR) in ground vehicles, tactical combat environments and high-performance ground or rotary wing processing applications.
Ken Grob, director of embedded technologies for Elma Electronic, noted, “The emerging requirements of many defense entities are centered on rapid technology insertion and lowering sustainment costs. Reusing existing capabilities and common hardware and platforms based on open standards technologies, like Elma has done with this new CMFF chassis, meets these current needs and sets the stage for future military application development.”
The new chassis is optimized for SWaP (size, weight and power), and is designed to mitigate shock and vibration, while staying within the standard A-Kit vehicle envelope (SAVE) dimensions. Maintenance ports on each slot route to a connector, which connects to a maintenance port aggregator, which poses a USB port to the front panel. The user connects a laptop to the USB, and the maintenance ports are all available as UART ports.
This mission-ready platform comes standard with a 7-slot backplane ready to accept six conduction cooled, SOSA aligned plug-in cards (PICs) and one VITA 62 power supply and is an ideal way to rapidly integrate a deployable platform. The chassis has an advanced airflow design that distributes air across the top and bottom via external fins.
Additional features include Elma’s built-in VITA 46.11 Chassis Manager that provides intelligent system health monitoring. The front panel includes on/off switch, reset switch, voltage LEDs and test points.
Military-grade components used in the all-aluminum chassis include MIL- STD-38999 connectors, line filter, on/off and reset switches, LEDs and circuit breakers as well as a high-altitude cooling fan that can operate under extremely harsh temperature conditions. Available options include various backplanes, dual power supplies, and different cabling upon request.
For more product details, please visit https://bit.ly/CMFF2SAVE, contact sales at , or call (510) 656-3400.
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About Elma Electronic Inc.
Elma Electronic Inc. is a global manufacturer of commercial, industrial and rugged electronic products for embedded systems and application-ready platforms – from components, embedded boards, backplanes, chassis and enclosures, power supplies, to fully integrated subsystems.
With one of the widest product ranges available in the embedded industry, Elma also offers standard and custom cabinets and enclosures as well as precision components such as rotary switches/encoders, LEDs, front panels and small cases.
Elma leverages proven technology based on VITA, PICMG, and other standards-based architectures (i.e. OpenVPX, SOSA™, VME, CompactPCI Serial, COM Express and PCIe/104). Elma is also actively engaged in designing solutions for applications requiring smaller footprints.
Elma Electronic manages entire projects from initial system architecture to specification, design, manufacturing and test through its worldwide production facilities and sales offices. The company serves the mil/aero, industrial, research, telecom, medical and commercial markets and is certified to ISO 9001 and AS 9100.
With U.S. headquarters in Fremont, Calif., the company maintains multiple sales, engineering and manufacturing operations in Atlanta, Ga., and Philadelphia, Pa.
13 Jun 24. NH90 comprehensive upgrade programme launched. NH Industries (NHI) and the NATO Helicopter Management Agency (NAHEMA) have signed a contract to launch the development and qualification of the NH90 Block 1 upgrade (also known as Software Release 3). NAHEMA acted on behalf of Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. This programme is part of the NH90 evolution roadmap and constitutes a major upgrade in terms of capabilities for both the TTH and NFH variants of the NH90 combat helicopter.
“The signature of the SWR3 contract, which marks the launch of the NH90 Block 1 upgrade, is an important milestone for the NH90 programme and is a clear sign that our NATO customers trust the NH90 and plan on operating it for many more decades to come,” said Axel Aloccio, President of NHI and Head of NH90 Programme at Airbus Helicopters. “We have a clear plan to extend the life span of the NH90 up to 50 years and we will need to upgrade the aircraft to make sure it stays relevant on the battlefield of tomorrow. The Block 1 programme will cover the next ten to fifteen years. Beyond that horizon, we are also planning the Block 2 upgrade that will define the future evolutions of the platform and ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the battlefield of tomorrow”, he added.
The first phase of this 600m Euro programme includes an upgrade of the NH90 communication suite and the integration of Data Link 22 allowing beyond line-of-sight interoperability without going through satellite communications. IFF Mod 5 Level 2 (the latest version of the device used to identify and track military aircraft) will also be integrated. Other upgrades will be available to the operators and include the integration of a latest generation electro optical system, a new dipping sonar and the integration of the MK 54 torpedo and the Marte ER anti-ship missile. The NH90 Block 1 will be able to navigate with a civil grade global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and flight management system. The second phase of the programme, which is currently under finalisation, will consist of the deployment of the Block 1 configuration improvements on approximately 200 NH90s, both NFH and TTH, in total.
NHIndustries is the largest rotorcraft joint venture and it is responsible for the design, manufacturing and support of the NH90 helicopter, one of the leaders in the latest generation of military helicopters. The Company takes the best from the European rotorcraft and defence industry, being owned by Airbus Helicopters (62.5%), Leonardo (32%) and GKN Fokker (5.5%). Each company has a long aerospace pedigree and brings the top of its skills and expertise to the end product.
11 Jun 24. GKN Aerospace to Double F-35 Canopy Production Capacity As Demand Ramps Up.
• New production line for GKN Aerospace’s Garden Grove site, in California
• The move will double manufacturing capacity of critical F-35 canopies and reinforce GKN Aerospace’s leadership position in military transparencies
• Demand coming from both OE production and aftermarket
GKN Aerospace today announced plans to double the F-35 canopy production capacity of its Garden Grove, California, site, creating more than 100 new jobs. A customer investment of up to $150m will support tools and equipment for the state-of-the-art new production line, which will help meet continued demand for the F-35 Lightning II over the next decade. Since the start of the programme, GKN Aerospace has provided F-35s worldwide with its unique high-performance cockpit canopy.
The expansion will be completed by January 2027 and will see the new production line built near GKN Aerospace’s existing Garden Grove facility. It will create skilled roles across a range of disciplines, including manufacturing and engineering. GKN Aerospace currently employs around 540 people at its industry-leading Garden Grove site, which designs, manufactures and provides aftermarket support for advanced military and commercial transparencies.
We’re proud and honoured to support the F-35 for the next decade. This investment is a crucial step, enabling us to provide the growing international F-35 fleet with the very latest transparencies technology, to help keep servicemen and women safe around the world. The agreements will also see more than 100 highly skilled jobs created at GKN Aerospace, as well as supporting thousands more jobs in the global supply chain. This investment is a win for GKN Aerospace, the F-35 programme and the many countries it supports, and the team can’t wait to ramp up our production and deliver. (Source: ASD Network)
11 Jun 24. Curtiss-Wright Expands Axon Airborne Data Acquisition Product Family with Miniature 8-Channel ADC DAU that Supports PoE and Daisy-Chain Connectivity.
Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions Division today introduced the Axon™ Pico (AXP/ADC/401) 8-channel ADC data acquisition unit (DAU), the latest addition to its expansive range of data acquisition systems designed for use in demanding flight test programs. Flight test engineers seek to reduce their FTI system’s wire weight and complexity while easing the installation process. They also want to leverage distributed architectures that enable remote data acquisition from hard-to-reach places on the test platform, while also being able to acquire accurate data in locations that experience extreme shock and vibration. The Axon Pico, Curtiss-Wright’s first DAU to support Power over Ethernet (PoE), helps address all of these challenging requirements.
This size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimized Axon Pico DAU is designed to be as small as possible without compromising key features. It significantly reduces wiring weight and complexity, enables the remote capture of critical data and supports daisy-chain connectivity to other Axon Picos without requiring a switch. Axon Picos connect to each other using IEEE 1588 PTP system synchronization. Even better, the high-performance unit delivers data throughput rated at 50 ksps per channel (max.) on each of its 8 analog input channels, while providing support for all typical FTI analog sensor types. This flexible analog-to-data converter FTI module is ideal for use in demanding flight test programs, such as Missile and EVTOL testing.
“We believe the Axon Pico is the FTI industry’s first miniature standalone analog data acquisition unit with support for Power over Ethernet and daisy-chain connectivity,” said Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “Our Axon data acquisition systems for critical flight test applications provide flight test engineers with high-speed, flexible solutions for demanding FTI programs. With the introduction of the Axon Pico, we further demonstrate our commitment to delivering the most comprehensive FTI product range available.”
The Axon Pico supports a programmable input range of ±2.4 mV to ±10V and delivers high accuracy up to 0.02% FSR (typical). The DAU supports full-bridge, half-bridge, differential ended, single ended, RTD, thermocouple, ICP, and AC coupled measurements, with both voltage and current excitation. Data is packetized directly out of the unit, eliminating the need for a separate chassis. Each unit features two ports that carry both 100BASE-TX Ethernet and power over CAT5 (or better) cable.
About the Axon Product Family
The Axon product family is the most advanced airborne data acquisition system available today, offering low SWaP with the best feature set, data acquisition, and thermal performance on the market. The Axon product family builds on Curtiss-Wright’s heritage as the leading supplier of rugged, reliable data acquisition for aerospace applications.
Axon’s future-proof design, using a high-speed serial backplane (1 Gbps dedicated link per module), ensures future high data rates are supported. Its optimized SWaP design enables an Axon module to be located in tight spaces and operate reliably without requiring bulky heatsinks. Axon modules can be hosted in ultra-miniature “Axonite” housings and located remotely, separated from the chassis by up to 10 meters. Locating data acquisition closer to the sensors can significantly decrease the installation time and cost of the instrumentation while simultaneously reducing wiring weight. Axonites can also save significant system costs in larger installations by minimizing the number of DAUs required in remote locations and eliminating the need for extra chassis controllers and power supplies.
11 Jun 24. Researcher Charges Ahead with New Tech to Power Drones Wirelessly. Dr. Ifana Mahbub, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at The University of Texas at Dallas, has been awarded the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director’s Fellowship to continue her research to develop wireless technology to recharge unmanned aerial vehicles in flight.
DARPA awards the fellowships to its Young Faculty Award recipients who demonstrate exceptional performance. Mahbub received a Young Faculty Award, which provided $500,000 over two years, in 2021. The fellowship provides an additional $250,000.
Mahbub and her team of researchers are developing wireless technology to transfer electromagnetic waves to and from far distances. Called far-field wireless power transfer, or power beaming, the technology would enable UAVs, or drones, for example, to recharge without having to land at power stations. The technology would mark a significant advance in wireless recharging, which currently is limited to transferring power via low-frequency electromagnetic waves between very short distances, such as to a cellphone from a nearby charger.
“Our first goal is to deliver as much power as possible over a longer distance,”
said Mahbub, a Texas Instruments Early Career Fellow and director of the Integrated Biomedical, RF Circuits and Systems Lab in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science.
One of the challenges of power beaming at far distances is preventing electromagnetic waves from scattering along the way. To solve that problem, Mahbub and her team use a system of transmitters, or smaller antennas called phased-array antennas, to steer the electromagnetic waves along a targeted path.
“The signal can go in undesired directions,” Mahbub said. “Our goal is to engineer the waveform so that we can minimize the path loss.”
The technology also uses telemetry to track the movements of a UAV in real time to ensure the signal moves in the right direction.
“We can track the unmanned aerial vehicle and steer the beam to ensure we are constantly powering the dynamic vehicles,” Mahbub said. “That way, a drone going for a mission doesn’t have to return to a bay station for recharging or a battery change.”
The concept of far-field charging for UAVs applies to other technologies, too, she said, including electric vehicles, mobile phones and wearable devices. Facilitating far-field charging for vehicles or phones would involve placing transmitters in buildings and other infrastructures. Mahbub also is working on developing wireless charging technology for implanted devices that could use low-frequency electromagnetic waves at a safe level that is mandated by the Federal Communications Commission.
Mahbub’s team of researchers on the project includes electrical engineering doctoral students Adnan Patwary and Rafsan Mahin; and Dr. Sunanda Roy, postdoctoral research associate.
Mahbub, who joined UTD in 2022, received a five-year, $500,000 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award in 2020.
Dinesh Bhatia MS’87, PhD’90, department head and professor of electrical and computer engineering, said Mahbub’s latest achievement is a point of pride for the department.
“Through her groundbreaking research on wireless charging for UAVs and her remarkable talent for fostering collaborative relationships, Professor Ifana Mahbub excels in not only the research but also the path toward innovation and teamwork in our department,” he said.
Top Photo: L-R: Dr. Ifana Mahbub; electrical engineering doctoral students Adnan Patwary and Rafsan Mahin, and Dr. Sunanda Roy, an electrical and computer engineering researcher.
(Source: UAS VISION)
10 Jun 24. Department of the Air Force announces new generative AI program: NIPRGPT. NIPRGPT will help airmen and guardians with correspondence, research and coding tasks all while being connected to a secure online environment, according to an announcement.
The Air Force and Space Force announced a new generative artificial intelligence tool Monday, called the Non-classified Internet Protocol Generative Pre-training Transformer, or NIPRGPT.
The goal of NIPRGPT, an AI chatbot with human-like responses, is to help the Department of the Air Force learn how AI can advance access to information and determine if generative AI is necessary within the DAF.
“Our recent GenAI Roundtables with industry and academia have shown us this is an actively growing field,” Venice Goodwine, DAF chief information officer, said in a department announcement.
“Now is the time to give our Airmen and Guardians the flexibility to develop the necessary skills in parallel. There are multiple modernization efforts going on right now across the federal government and within the DAF to get tools in the hands of the workforce. This tool is another one of those efforts.”
The platform will help airmen and guardians with correspondence, research and coding tasks, all while being connected to a secure online environment, per the announcement.
Though the platform is still undergoing development, NIPRGPT has shown promising results, Chandra Donelson, DAF acting chief data and artificial intelligence officer, said during a media roundtable Monday.
“So first and foremost, I truly believe the greatest contributions and innovators can make is to create other innovators, and to see what guardians and airmen have done here with the NIPRGBT capability is phenomenal,” she said, according to an audio transcript of the roundtable obtained by Breaking Defense.
Alexis Bonnell, chief information officer and director of digital capabilities at the Air Force Research Laboratory, said that the Air Force has yet to pick a specific vendor or approach as it builds the criterion for NIPRGBT.
However, as servicemembers begin using NIPRGBT, the department plans to work with commercial partners to test whether the DAF has a real need for generative AI.
“We’re hoping that not only will this kick off the curiosity and experimentation that we can see in our users, but it will also, for those providers that have models, it will give us a way to actually test those. We fully expect that some models are going to be great at some use cases and not so great at others,” Bonnel said during the roundtable.
NIPRGPT is derived from the Dark Saber software platform developed at the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate. Dark Saber is a project comprised of Air Force and Space Force servicemembers with the mission of creating next-generation, deployable software and capabilities. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
10 Jun 24. TE Connectivity (TE), a world leader in connectivity and sensors, has expanded its portfolio of cable management solutions with the launch of its latest standard and miniature cable tie adhesive mount brackets. Designed to support equipment in pressurized and unpressurized areas of an aircraft, these lightweight brackets support quick installation with recommended adhesives while maintaining structural integrity.
These latest adhesive mount brackets significantly reduces the need for drilled holes and structural modifications, preventing potential issues such as fatigue cracks on metal surfaces due to incorrect drilling. The brackets’ enhanced strength-to-weight ratio and compact footprint help save both weight and space while maintaining performance. Each bracket accommodates a range of industry-standard cable tie sizes, reducing the need for multiple hardware components and part numbers.
“TE’s latest adhesive mount brackets provide a versatile, standardized solution for efficient cable management in aerospace applications,” said Stephen Rosenbauer, Product Manager at TE Connectivity. “The brackets’ lightweight, space-saving design and quick installation process make them a highly reliable choice for customers seeking to fine tune cable routing while maintaining high levels of performance and reliability.”
Key Features and Benefits:
• Space Efficiency: Both brackets are engineered to occupy minimal space, allowing for enhanced utilization of functional requirements.
• Ease of Assembly: The brackets support a range of industry-standard cable tie sizes, providing for a smooth installation process.
• Industry Approved: The brackets conform to several industry standards including RTCA-DO-160, EN2591 and EN3909.
• Weight Savings: The standard bracket’s bonding surface pocket weighs less than other in-market products when considered with the same raw material, which helps to optimize strength while providing a weight savings of approximately 16% per product.
• Structural Integrity: The adhesive design of the brackets significantly reduces the need for drilled holes and structural modifications, preventing fatigue cracks and corrosion on metal surfaces.
TE’s adhesive mount brackets are well-suited for various aerospace applications such as attaching wiring, cables, conduits, sensors, lighting and acoustic panels in both eVTOL and commercial aircraft.
07 Jun 24. Kontron Introduces the VX6096 With Intel® Xeon® D2700/2800 SoCs running at 2.0GHz; the VX6096 offers up to 128 GB DDR4 memory with ECC and advanced network capabilities with 100Gb Ethernet support. The VX6096 features advanced cooling technology that significantly improves power dissipation, rendering it suitable for demanding environmental conditions. (Photo: Business Wire)
Kontron, a leading global provider of IoT/Embedded Computer Technology (ECT), announces the release of the VX6096, a high-performance 6U VPX Plug-in Card featuring Intel® Xeon®-D2700/2800 processors. Its high processing power, advanced Air Flow Through cooling technology (VITA48.8), and superior hardware security features such as a secure PLD make the VX6096 an ideal choice for compute-intensive applications across all military radar segments, including airborne mapping, navigation, surveillance, and airborne early warning radars, as well as long-range tracking and target localization.
With Intel® Xeon® D2700/2800 SoCs running at 2.0GHz, the VX6096 offers up to 128 GB DDR4 memory with ECC and advanced network capabilities with 100Gb Ethernet support. Thanks to the XMC or MXM expansion slots, a GPU board can enhance the graphics and compute capabilities. The VX6096 meets the increasing computing and I/O requirements of demanding applications while minimizing the number of boards required. It is designed in alignment with the SOSA™ Technical Standard and offers real-time capabilities with TSN and Intel® TCC support. The VX6096 is available in 16- and 20-core versions and offers long-term 10-year availability.
The VX6096 features advanced cooling technology that significantly improves power dissipation, rendering it suitable for demanding environmental conditions. The robust VITA 48.2 Type 2 conduction-cooled version can withstand card edge temperatures from -40 to +70 °C, according to VITA 47, contingent on the processing load and mezzanine performance. It is available with the VITA 48 REDI two-level maintenance cover. The VITA 48.8 Air Flow Through version enables improved thermal performance with an ambient temperature range of -40 to +55 °C. Support for CC-4 (-40/+85 °C) and FC3 (-40/+70 °C) is available on request.
To fulfill the high security requirements of these applications to achieve the Platform Firmware Resiliency (PFR) defined in the NIST Standard, the VX6096 has security features such as TPM2 and a secure PLD. These security features are further enhanced with the Kontron SEC-Line solution bringing additional features such as secure and measured boot.
“The VX6096 offers an unprecedented combination of processing power and flexibility, making it ideal for advanced radar and imaging applications. Its real-time capabilities and robust security features ensure reliable and enhanced performance for latency-sensitive applications,” said Christophe Ferrande, Product Manager at Kontron.
A rear transition module, The PB-VX6-0000, provides access to the board main I/Os and ensures seamless integration and ease of development.
(Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
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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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