Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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29 Sep 25. ZeroAlpha Launches Bidirectional USB-C Charger for BB2590 Tactical Batteries. ZeroAlpha Solutions has unveiled a rugged bidirectional USB-C charger that allows BB2590 tactical batteries to be powered from any USB-C source, reducing reliance on dedicated chargers in the field. ZeroAlpha Solutions, a developer of mission-critical power and lighting technologies for sustainable military operations, has launched the BB2590 Bidirectional USB-C Charger, developed to modernize and simplify tactical power delivery. The compact, rugged adapter, designed and built in the UK, allows the globally deployed BB2590 battery to be charged directly from any USB-C PD source. This includes in-service laptop power supplies and commercial 12/24V vehicle adaptors. The BB2590 Bidirectional USB-C Charger provides up to 100W of USB-C PD power across all compliant voltages, and includes a USB-A output for legacy equipment. This means dedicated BB2590 chargers and commercial power banks are not needed in the field, reducing weight, bulk, and logistical complexity for small teams and light forces. There are many different applications for ZeroAlpha’s new system, including TAK and ATAK end user devices, drone batteries and UAV systems, military laptops and tablets, as well as STARLINK and STARSHIELD terminals. ZeroAlpha’s latest development therefore expands its widely deployed range of BB2590 and CWB USB adapters, which are trusted by military users worldwide. (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
02 Oct 25. Boost to jobs and military capability with new defence equipment system. New £320m contract for a platform to revolutionise how the Armed Forces manage and maintain defence equipment to help the military make better decisions faster will create 100 new highly-skilled UK jobs. The UK’s Armed Forces will be strengthened by a new cutting-edge platform that will revolutionise how the military manages and maintains its equipment, driving efficiency and creating more than 100 highly-skilled jobs. The new platform will use artificial intelligence (AI) to help ensure Armed Forces have the right equipment in the right place at the right time, delivering on the ambitions of the Strategic Defence Review. The £320m contract with IBM UK for the Defence Equipment Engineering Asset Management Systems (DEEAMS) will create 100 new highly-skilled jobs in the UK, making defence an engine for growth and delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change. The new system will replace 17 fragmented, siloed and outdated applications with one enabled modern streamlined platform, using AI to bring over £1bn in benefits such as savings on support and IT costs. It will provide personnel with real-time information to predict maintenance and repairs, stock availability, and engineering planning across major equipment and platforms. It will also enable the adoption of future productivity-enhancing technologies, making sure the UK’s Armed Forces stay at forefront of defence innovation and capability.
Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP, said: “This is a major step forward in our commitment to ensuring our military has the very best equipment support available. We are revolutionising how we provide our front-line personnel with the kit they need, when they need it, whether they’re operating at home or deployed overseas. We are delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change with this £320 m investment, creating 100 new skilled jobs here in the UK and driving defence as an engine for growth.”
This government is delivering the biggest transformation of UK defence in a generation to reshape how the military protects Britain against unprecedented global threats. This is backed with the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the Cold War, rising to 2.6% of GDP by 2027, with an ambition for hitting 3% in the next Parliament.
Serving over 65,000 users across more than 130 major military platforms and assets, the system will improve the quality and speed of military decision making, boost operational effectiveness, and support the resilience of digital networks.”
Rahul Kalia, Managing Partner, IBM Consulting UKI, said: “IBM is proud to support the Ministry of Defence to deliver the transformational DEEAMS programme to enable a next generation, full-lifecycle asset management solution for the UK Armed Forces. Working with our ecosystem partners, we will deliver this mission-critical platform with predictive intelligence and real-time data driven insights to improve planning and support strategic decision making.”
This investment follows the launch of the Defence Industrial Strategy and demonstrates defence’s commitment to supporting UK economic growth and maintaining Britain’s position at the forefront of technology innovation.
The project builds on the Strategic Defence Review’s recommendations for the UK Armed Forces to rapidly modernise and embrace the latest technology. Digital integration, data and digital systems are fundamental underpinnings of all modern military capabilities, making them more capable, resilient, and effective.
This contract represents defence’s ongoing commitment to digital transformation, ensuring our Armed Forces have warfighting capabilities with cutting-edge systems and innovative technologies that provide modern information systems and processes, streamlining support and enhancing operational effectiveness home and overseas. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
24 Sep 25. The Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) revolution is reshaping the wireless infrastructure industry, driving a shift from proprietary, monolithic systems to open, modular architectures. In its latest whitepaper, Plextek explores how this transformation is redefining the competitive landscape and raising the bar for Radio Unit (RU) design and integration. Success in this new environment, Plextek argues, demands deep multidisciplinary expertise, spanning Digital Signal Processing (DSP), RF and antenna design, thermal, and mechanical engineering. At the same time, the accelerating pace of mobile communications innovation requires organisations to adopt agile, adaptable design processes that can respond quickly to market shifts. Additionally as highlighted in the paper, 6G will transform sectors where speed and reliability are critical, with Healthtech leading the way. For example, remote healthcare, telemedicine, and especially robotic surgery will benefit from 6G’s ultra-low latency and dependable connections. While 5G technology is established, many hospitals still need to upgrade their infrastructure to support these advances. Early adoption is expected in larger, well-funded hospitals deploying private 5G networks, setting the stage for next-generation telerobotic surgery and real-time remote care.
“O-RAN has opened up the market, but also made it far more demanding,” said Kevin Cobley, RF Systems Director at Plextek. “To stay competitive, vendors need to align cutting-edge engineering across multiple domains while keeping development cycles lean and risk-managed.”
According to Plextek, the path to success is clear. Vendors must differentiate through superior engineering, cross-disciplinary integration, and agility to meet emerging use case demands. Key takeaways from the white paper include:
- O-RAN democratisation has lowered entry barriers, but significantly increased competition, shifting the focus to technical excellence.
- Standard reference designs provide a baseline, but achieving a true market edge requires customised innovation in RF and signal processing.
- Receiver design: System performance hinges on front-end filter quality, with ceramic filters now enabling more compact MIMO implementations.
- Transmitter design: As MIMO scales, Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) becomes increasingly complex, while GaN power amplifier (PA) integration demands precise supply sequencing and bias management.
- Antenna arrays: Scaling to 64+ elements requires robust inter-element isolation and low SWaP (Size, Weight, and Power) design to ensure system efficiency and flexibility.
- Private/Enterprise 5G: Demands Wi-Fi-like simplicity with full beamforming capabilities for easy deployment.
- V2X communications: Requires automotive-grade reliability and passive thermal management to withstand harsh operating environments.
- NTN/Satellite networks: Push the boundaries with space-qualified systems that demand extreme size, weight, and power (SWaP) optimisation for next-gen 6G readiness.
“As 6G standardisation milestones draw closer, with 2030 targets for terrestrial-satellite integration already shaping development roadmaps, the pressure is on. Organisations that can master the multidisciplinary design challenges, ranging from advanced RF engineering to space-qualified manufacturing, won’t just stay competitive; they’ll help define the very foundations of global connectivity for the next decade,” Kevin concluded.
29 Sep 25. PAULEY has signed a two-year collaboration agreement with BAE Systems to bring AI and XR technology to next generation military training. The companies will work together to harness the power of PAULEY’s cutting-edge immersive technology to equip military forces with the skills they need to maintain and operate everything from frontline fast jets to uncrewed drones and prepare for live operations. The agreement follows many years of work with BAE Systems to support its next generation training capability Project OdySSEy, a single synthetic environment which will allow future forces to plug in to a virtual world and train collectively using real world mission software and tactics. PAULEY has used its expertise in XR technology to bring complex battlespaces to life in a virtual world.
PAULEY founder and CEO Philip Pauley said: “We are proud to be working alongside BAE Systems to help ensure the military forces of the future are ready for their mission in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.
“Future military strategies like the UK’s Strategic Defence Review place technologies such as AI and XR at their heart of their future requirements. The expertise of companies like PAULEY combined with the wealth of knowledge and experience of BAE Systems can harness the potential of these exciting technologies.”
Lucy Walton, Head of Training for BAE Systems’ Air sector, said: “Technology is advancing faster than ever and by combining BAE Systems’ deep defence knowledge with the agility and innovation of SME’s like PAULEY, we are able to deliver cutting edge training solutions for our customers and support the growth of UK industry.”
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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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