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31 Jul 25. Exail Partners With US Key Player to Supply 100 Navigation Systems for Naval UUVs. Exail, a leading provider of navigation solutions, has secured a new contract with a U.S.-based global defense player. The agreement involves the delivery of 100 Phins Compact Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) to equip Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). Offering highly precise navigation capabilities, the Phins Compact INS ensures reliable performance in demanding environments and remains resilient to external signal disruptions. Its compact design enables rapid integration, allowing UUVs to carry out missions with flexibility and efficiency, even in dynamic and unpredictable maritime defense scenarios.
“We are grateful for our client’s trust in Exail technology. We are confident that our INS will deliver the precision and robustness required for UUVs to operate effectively across varied environments,” said Carlos Lopes, Sales Director at Exail. “Over the years, we’ve worked closely with our customers to develop a navigation suite that truly meets defense challenges. Today, our INS is a global benchmark in subsea navigation.”
This contract strengthens Exail’s global leadership in subsea navigation, with its INS technology trusted by over 50 navies and widely deployed on a broad range of subsea autonomous vehicles worldwide. It also represents a key milestone in the company’s expanding presence in the United States, supporting defense programs with proven, high-performance solutions. (Source: ASD Network)
28 Jul 25. Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) has developed and launched a new technology that allows military pilots of high-performance fighter jets to breathe easier under extreme conditions. Honeywell’s Connected Breathing Regulator and Anti-G (cBRAG) technology enhances breathing regulation to support pilots who are subjected to high G-forces during periods of high acceleration. Exposure to high G-forces strains the body’s circulatory and respiratory functions, which can lead to a range of physiological conditions such as G-force induced loss of consciousness. Honeywell’s cBRAG helps to overcome this in extreme flight conditions through technology that incorporates an electro-mechanical anti-G valve and programmable pressure breathing schedules. These allow for precise adjustments of aircrew oxygenation and G-force protection based on real-time flight parameters.
“Honeywell has a longstanding legacy in delivering advanced life support systems for high-performance military aircraft, including the F-35, F-22, Eurofighter, and more,” said Mike Vallillo, vice-president, Sales, Defense & Space International, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “Our latest breathing regulator is a major leap forward in pilot life support technology.”
“Our control systems are designed to exceed current standards while advancing pilot experience and operational efficiency for a wide range of platforms,” said Rich DeGraff, president, Control Systems, Honeywell Aerospace Technologies. “The new advancement reflects an ongoing investment in innovation at Honeywell, consistently enhancing our technologies and practices to ensure we remain at the forefront of the aerospace industry.”
Built-in sensor-driven diagnostics offer real-time fault detection and data logging, allowing operators to conduct post-flight performance analysis to enhance mission readiness. The solution also features programmable pressure breathing schedules and a built-in self-charging mechanism to help lower maintenance costs. The cBRAG solution has been flight cleared, which means it has completed Honeywell’s internal testing to demonstrate its suitability for flight under defined conditions. Research and development for the new technology new technology was led out of Honeywell’s Yeovil site in the United Kingdom. The HON cBRAG is free of US International Traffic in Arms Regulations restrictions (ITAR free), providing increased flexibility for international collaboration. With its modular design, Honeywell’s cBRAG provides flexibility for fighter jet and military trainer original equipment manufacturers and operators of 5th and 6th-generation fighter jets, and reduced maintenance burden. This advancement has been designed to support both new platform development and retrofit programs, allowing broader use of this pilot safety and mission endurance technology in high-acceleration combat scenarios.
30 Jul 25. Saronic Technologies today unveiled Echelon, a unified platform that enables advanced mission planning, high-fidelity simulation, and real-time command-and-control (C2) for its growing fleet of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs). Built to enable scalable, distributed operations, Echelon allows a single operator to plan, simulate, and execute complex missions across multiple autonomous assets—using a single interface. As maritime environments grow increasingly complex, Saronic introduces Echelon—a groundbreaking unified platform for high-fidelity simulation, advanced mission planning, and real-time C2 across its expanding fleet of Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs). As maritime environments become increasingly contested and operationally complex, both defense and commercial users require intuitive solutions to deploy, manage, and dynamically task autonomous systems at scale. Success in these domains hinges on advanced mission planning, scalable C2, and the ability to operate reliably with or without continuous connectivity. Echelon aims to deliver on this need by combining mission planning, simulation, and execution capabilities into one system, accelerating deployment timelines and reducing cognitive load for operators. With Echelon, operators are provided with an intuitive interface for rapidly designing and testing missions in a high-fidelity simulation environment. Enabled by Saronic’s deep instrumentation across the hardware and software stack, this simulation layer delivers full visibility into vessel autonomy, providing insight into the vessel’s performance capabilities prior to deployment. Once validated in simulation, the mission is easily deployed to the designated ASV(s). Mission observation and real-time control are available as needed, though Saronic ASVs are uniquely capable of operating independently without persistent communications, a critical requirement for denied or degraded environments. During operation, Echelon prioritizes the safety, reliability, and effective control of Saronic ASVs. The platform combines ultra-low-latency video streaming with intelligent, autonomy-aware alerts generated from the vessels’ onboard sensors and mission telemetry. By surfacing only the most relevant data, from subsystem telemetry to autonomy behaviors, Echelon helps operators stay focused, informed, and ready to make high-impact decisions in real-time.
“Echelon is aligned with Saronic’s core belief that a vertically integrated system across both software and hardware will best enable our end users to achieve their mission objectives,” said Vibhav Altekar, Co-Founder and CTO at Saronic. “While our vessels remain compatible with third-party C2 systems, Echelon was purpose-built to unlock the full potential of Saronic’s autonomy stack and deliver an intuitive mission-ready capability to our customers.”
Saronic continues to push the boundaries of distributed autonomy with Echelon. The unified platform represents a critical step forward in Saronic’s mission to enable one-to-many operations, where a single operator can command and control a heterogeneous fleet of ASVs—reliably, safely, and at scale. (Source: PR Newswire)
29 Jul 25. Chess Dynamics, part of the Cohort plc Group, has announced the latest addition to its Vision4ce CHARM portfolio of video processing hardware products – the Vision4ce CHARM150AGX. The CHARM150AGX incorporates the NVIDA Jetson AGX Orin AI engine into a video processing module designed for direct connection to video sensors at the operational edge, which enhances video analysis and real-time decision-making capabilities in the field. The CHARM150AGX joins the existing suite of products which includes the MiniCHARM and CHARM100NX that offer low latency and high-performance video and image processing within compact, rugged and versatile units. The CHARM150AGX offers twice the processing capacity of the CHARM100NX, enabling dual sensor processing in systems with multiple sensors such as TV and IR. This enhancement facilitates a move towards multi-sensor fusion, improving integration and performance in complex sensor environments. CHARM products offer a powerful, flexible solution for electro-optical system integrators seeking advanced video processing solutions which can be easily integrated into sensor systems. Designed for seamless connection to video sensors, the CHARM150AGX aims to enhance video analysis at the edge and real-time decision-making capabilities in various applications such as surveillance, defence, and autonomous systems. The products are rugged and designed for operation over extended operating temperatures which can be experienced by deployed systems. The CHARM150AGX is based on the NVIDIA AGX Orin embedded processor, which incorporates a multicore ARM processor and a powerful AI/ML accelerator. It is designed to host the Vision4ce FrameWorkx image processing software, which builds upon the field proven detection and acquisition with robust tracking (DART) video tracking software.
“The CHARM150AGX is a significant step forward in edge video processing,” said Steve Hogg, Director of Image Processing at Chess Dynamics. “By integrating the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin, we’ve created a compact yet powerful solution capable of handling complex AI workloads and real-time video analytics in harsh operational environments.”
28 Jul 25. Pentagon Supercharges Ukraine’s Drones With 33,000 AI Guidance Systems. Ukraine is set to receive 33,000 artificial intelligence-powered drone guidance modules from the US-German software developer Auterion, under a new $50 m contract funded by the US Department of Defense. According to Financial Times, Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed that deliveries of the Skynode S modules will be completed by the end of 2025. This marks a tenfold increase over previous shipments.
“These are unprecedented volumes,” Meier told FT. “We’ve already shipped thousands, and now we’re scaling up to tens of thousands.”
The Skynode S is a compact onboard computer with passive cooling, designed to turn manually operated drones into fully autonomous platforms. Equipped with a camera and radio module, it enables drones to detect, track, and follow moving targets at distances of up to one kilometer—even in contested electromagnetic environments. Ukrainian forces have already employed earlier versions of Auterion’s software in combat. Meier emphasized that the company is not seeking to compete with Ukraine’s existing drone industry but to complement it with advanced software-driven warfare capabilities. Auterion’s AI system provides object recognition and target tracking capabilities. Meier claims it transforms drones into ‘AI-based weapons systems‘ capable of operating in GPS- and communications-denied environments. The primary role of the Skynode modules will be to enhance Ukraine’s defenses against long-range strike drones, such as those supplied to Russia by Iran. Even at a conservative effectiveness rate of 70–80%, the deployment of 33,000 modules could result in the interception of approximately 23,000 to 26,000 enemy drones. At 90% effectiveness, that number could exceed 29,000. The modules will also enable communication and coordination among swarms of autonomous drones—an evolutionary step in Ukraine’s drone warfare capabilities, according to Meier. (Source: UAS VISION/UNITED24MEDIA)
28 Jul 25. NRL develops hydrogen power system to boost USMC stealth. Field tests for the H-SUP system have been conducted at several locations in 2025. The US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) has created a prototype called the Hydrogen Small Unit Power (H-SUP) system, aimed at enhancing the stealth and readiness of Marine Corps units in expeditionary warfare. The H-SUP is a mobile fuel cell electric generator that offers a higher energy-to-weight ratio than conventional batteries and emits less noise and heat than traditional combustion generators.
NRL Principal Investigator Kevin Cronin said: “This is more than a power system. It’s a capability that supports distributed operations and extends mission range. That’s strategic value. Our investment today with the marines in low-signature power intends to shape the future of how marines fight – more independently, more efficiently, and with less logistical burden.”
NRL highlights that hydrogen use in critical applications can boost electrical efficiency and energy density, extend operational range, and minimise thermal and acoustic detection.
Furthermore, it can lead to decreased maintenance needs, potentially increasing the force’s lethality while lowering logistical support demands.
US Marine Corps, Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O) Science and Technology analyst captain Joshua Ashley said: “H-SUP isn’t just innovative – it increases lethality by keeping us powered and hard to find. We ensure this technology meets the needs of marines on the ground – quiet, efficient, and reliable power that supports expeditionary operations.”
To mitigate risk and expedite the development of technology requirements, NRL is assessing the H-SUP in various operational environments to enhance endurance and autonomy for small units. NRL said that field tests for the H-SUP were conducted at several locations including Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in July 2022; Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in February 2025; Marine Corps Training Area Bellows in March 2025; an Army event at Fort Polk with the 101st Airborne Division in May 2025; and most recently at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms in May 2025. Originally designed for uncrewed vehicles, the H-SUP’s fuel cell system has been developed through funding from the Office of Naval Research, Office of the Secretary of Defense Manufacturing Science and Technology Program, Naval Air Systems Command, and USMC Expeditionary Energy Office (E2O). This development also involved collaboration with industry partners Northwest UAV and Noble Gas Systems.
“Warfighter feedback is a critical component of the technology development process and will be used to inform requirement definition and future research and development activities,” added Ashley. (Source: army-technology.com)
26 Jul 25. UK high-altitude research and intelligence balloon soars to new heights. The UK has successfully trialled high-altitude balloons which can conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.
- UK Defence is developing use of uncrewed, high-altitude balloons to conduct intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, boosting national security and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change.
- Test flight balloons each travel over 2,000 nautical miles at an operating altitude between 60,000 and 80,000 feet, double that of a commercial aircraft.
- The trial balloons operated as a constellation for the first time and provided near-continuous ISR coverage of nearly a month, far exceeding the endurance of each balloon.
The UK could benefit from the collection of military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance from the stratosphere following the successful trials of new high-altitude balloons flying between 60,000 and 80,000 feet above the Earth – higher than most military aircraft operate. The uncrewed balloons offer a low-cost surveillance and communications capability alternative to traditional solutions. They can travel uninterrupted at extreme altitudes for long periods, without maintenance, boosting national security and delivering on the government’s Plan for Change. The future use of such balloons could include support to operations and reliable communication and fast internet connection to disaster zones or remote areas with no coverage, while also providing information for weather forecasting and climate research. With an ISR payload capacity of up to 3kg and with some modules that include weather sensors weighing as little as a European robin, the test vehicles can operate continuously for over five days. The cost-effective system can be operated by a single person in challenging weather conditions, demonstrating advanced capabilities and precise navigation and station keeping.
Minister for Defence Procurement and Industry, Rt Hon Maria Eagle MP, said: “This innovation is about giving our Armed Forces the edge – better awareness, better communications, and lower maintenance needs – supporting the government’s Plan for Change.
Stratospheric technology like this could transform how we operate in complex environments, keeping our people safer and better informed than ever before. This successful trial is another example of UK defence pushing boundaries, with real potential to strengthen our future capabilities. The trials took place in the South Dakota, USA earlier this year as part of Project AETHER, a concept development initiative supported by the Ministry of Defence’s procurement body, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S).” The activity was led by UK company Voltitude in partnership with Landguard Systems (UK) and Aerostar (US).
Head of UK Defence Innovation, Prove and Exploit team, James Gavin, said: “ Defence procurement is making strides in the innovation space and DE&S is looking more at the art of the possible, pushing the boundaries and scoping new technologies. These latest trials have been incredibly fruitful and pave the way for more collaborative working with our allies to develop capabilities that will benefit our Armed Forces.”
The UK-developed technology provides continuous Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance capability whilst maintaining remarkably low operating costs. It represents a significant advancement in stratospheric surveillance platforms for defence applications. The Ministry of Defence is exploring future assessment operational use of the stratosphere, not only with this class of balloon, but also with vehicles capable of carrying significantly higher payloads for mission durations of 6-12 months. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
25 Jul 25. India’s Dual Drone: Stealth Coating/ Hyderabad Firms Unveil India’s First Dual Stealth Drone. Two tech companies from Hyderabad have joined forces to create India’s first “dual stealth drone,” a platform designed to evade both radar and infrared (IR) detection by combining autonomous flight with advanced stealth materials. (Source: AMR)
RAMA: Next-Generation Stealth Coating
The breakthrough lies in a material called RAMA (Radar Absorption & Multispectral Adaptive), developed by Veera Dynamics. Using nanotechnology, RAMA can be applied like paint or wrapped around military assets. It fuses two carbon-based compounds that absorb radar waves and convert them into heat, which dissipates at approximately 1.5°C (2.7°F) per second. By matching the surrounding temperature, RAMA helps vehicles minimize both radar cross-section and heat signatures. Originally engineered for a 2022 naval challenge focused on reducing IR visibility, RAMA achieved a 97% cut in infrared signature. Upgrades since then have improved radar stealth, reducing radar detectability by more than 90%.
Stealth in the Air
Veera Dynamics has partnered with Binford Research Labs to integrate this technology into drones recently tested by the Indian Army. Built for environments where GPS and radio signals are often jammed, these drones are designed for high-risk, covert operations where staying undetected is vital.
“Our drones, with RAMA onboard, drastically shrink the adversary’s detect-to-engage window—almost to zero,” said Binford founder Sidhanth Jain.
Government-Backed Innovation
The project is supported by the Indian Ministry of Defence under the iDEX (Innovations for Defence Excellence)program, with early-stage backing from IIT-Hyderabad.
25 Jul 25. Heven Demonstrates Fuel Cell UAV Flight at 12,000 ft. Zepher Flight Labs (ZFL), a Heven company, announced that its hydrogen fuel cell-powered Z1 successfully demonstrated a vertical takeoff at maximum takeoff weight (MTOW), followed by a continuous 11,000-foot climb to a density altitude (DA) of 12,000 feet during the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) mission phase. Part of Heven’s next-generation portfolio, the Z1 is a Group II hydrogen-powered, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The milestone highlights the system’s capability to perform heavy, high, and difficult flights. During the flight, the aircraft maintained a strong ascent and full system integrity up to the 12,000-foot airspace ceiling. The Z1 is engineered for endurance, flexibility, and real-world impact. With more than 10 hours of flight time and modular payload integration, it’s built to serve across mission sets—from ISR to disaster response to contested logistics. The flight is part of an ongoing test campaign designed to extend the Z1’s performance envelope under increasingly demanding conditions. In close coordination with Army Research Labs, ZFL continues to pursue a target ceiling of 20,000 feet, with development efforts guided by a commitment to rigorous, data-driven progress.
“We view this achievement not as a final benchmark, but as one more data point along the path of innovation,” said Michael Buscher, President of U.S. Operations for Heven. “We’re focused on building a platform that performs when it matters most, and that means validating every element.”
Heven’s continued expansion in the U.S. is being led by Buscher and reinforced by strategic partnerships, including with Mach Industries to scale domestic production. The milestone also arrives at a pivotal moment for the U.S. drone industry. Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a policy memo eliminating outdated restrictions that had long impeded access to critical technologies. The move, aimed at accelerating deployment of domestically produced systems, is reshaping the innovation landscape – creating new momentum for platforms like the Z1 and reinforcing the strategic value of hydrogen-powered drones.
“This flight is a powerful demonstration of our mission-first design approach,” said Jake Allen, Chief Engineer at ZFL. “Our customers don’t want to choose between altitude, range, or payload – they need an aircraft that delivers all three, seamlessly. That’s exactly what we’ve built.” (Source: UAS VISION)
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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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