Sponsored By Oxley Developments
www.oxleygroup.com
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01 Apr 26. QinetiQ will collaborate with European SMEs to aid Belgium in the collection, processing and application of mission data.
Expertise shared will help Belgium develop long-term and sovereign capabilities, including the establishment of a Joint Electromagnetic Warfare Support Centre (JEWSC).
The agreement was announced by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 31 March, when a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by the UK and Belgium.
The importance of mission data 01 Apr 26.
According to the MoD, mission data – gathered from threat signatures, radar, and communications frequencies – is playing an “increasingly vital role” on the modern battlefield.
Major General Ciparisse, Commander of the Belgian Cyber Force, said that the proliferation of high-technology defence platforms has led to a “growing need” for electromagnetic warfare expertise.
He added that the new agreement is based on the ‘Societas’ programme – a QinetiQ-led partnership to enhance mission data capabilities in the UK announced in 2023.
QinetiQ is a technology and systems provider that particularly specialises in R&D, testing and training. Steve Wadey the Group CEO of QinetiQ added that the company’s “extensive” experience supporting the UK’s management of mission data means it can provide effective specialist training.
Defence in Europe
Luke Pollard, UK Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, added that the MoU not only brings investment into the UK but also strengthens European resilience.
“By combining our expertise and investing in shared capabilities, we are strengthening NATO and showing Britain stands shoulder-to-shoulder with our European allies,” Pollard said.
The MoD says that the agreement will also enhance the UK’s ability to support the General Atomics MQ-9B Protector UAS across Europe. This platform is used by NATO members throughout Europe, including Germany and Denmark.
Looking ahead, Belgium and the UK plan to further increase their cooperation and resilience by moving towards a “burden-sharing model”. (Source: Clarion)
31 Mar 26. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) opened its Rapid Fielding Center, a facility that streamlines the end-to-end development, testing and prototype production of next-generation systems and solutions for U.S. government customers.
The flexible, modular environment uses the latest in production and prototyping technologies, enabling Lockheed Martin to develop and scale new capabilities quickly in response to the government’s accelerated acquisition schedules, setting a new industry standard for speed to field as the country builds the Arsenal of Freedom.
THE BIG PICTURE
The Rapid Fielding Center is integrated with the manufacturing floor, providing proximity to advanced production equipment and skilled tradespeople to allow for immediate feedback on design. The model reduces cost and accelerates the delivery of innovative capabilities to the warfighter.
WHY IT MATTERS
- Speed to market: Prototypes that once required years of development can now be designed, fabricated and validated within months, delivering capability upgrades on an accelerated timetable.
- Cost-effective scaling: The modular layout can be reconfigured quickly to meet evolving program needs, optimizing manufacturing flow before handoff to the final-production site.
- Continuous improvement: Life-cycle data captured during prototyping enables digital feedback, allowing rapid insertion of product enhancements that directly address evolving threat environments.
- Investments: Lockheed Martin has invested more than $7 billion since President Donald Trump’s first term to expand capacity for priority systems, including approximately $2 billion dedicated to accelerating munitions production. Lockheed Martin is planning a multibillion-dollar investment over the next three years to expand production and build and modernize more than 20 facilities in Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Massachusetts and Texas. This includes upgrading existing facilities and incorporating advanced manufacturing techniques, production lines, tooling and plant layouts to meet urgent production demand.
EXPERT PERSPECTIVES
“The Rapid Fielding Center showcases how Lockheed Martin is leading the industry with innovation, speed and a relentless customer focus,” said Randy Crites, vice president, Lockheed Martin Advanced Programs. “From concept to low-rate production, we can now deliver mission-critical solutions in a fraction of the traditional timeline, directly supporting the government’s urgent ramp-up needs.”
“Over the coming months, our multidisciplinary teams will work hand in hand with U.S. partners to execute additional prototype runs, integrate emerging technologies and transition capabilities to full-rate production,” said Mike Patton, vice president, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control Operations. “The Rapid Fielding Center gives our customers the agility, flexibility and discreet mobility they require to maintain decisive advantage across any operational domain.
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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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