Sponsored By Oxley Developments
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21 Feb 24. DOD’s Engineering Focus Is on Cutting-Edge Approaches, Talent Diversity. Recruiting the next generation of engineers to tackle complex problems and provide solutions for the warfighter is a Defense Department imperative, said Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, at a virtual DOD Engineer’s Week event.
The department recognizes the critical importance of nurturing the next generation of engineers to deal with challenges, such as in quantum computing, artificial intelligence and hypersonics, Shyu said today.
Engineering as a discipline embodies innovation, problem solving and commitment to advancing society. Within the department, engineers are at the forefront of addressing complex challenges that are crucial for the nation’s security and prosperity, Shyu said.
“National service holds a special place for us. It represents a call to duty, a commitment to something greater than oneself. It is about dedicating one’s skills and talents to serve and protect our country, ensuring the safety and well-being of our fellow citizens,” she said.
DOD is actively addressing recruitment initiatives in the science, technology, engineering and math fields with scholarship and fellowship programs, including universities with large minority populations, she said.
“The department ensures that opportunities are extended to individuals from all walks of life,” Shyu said. “This commitment not only enriches the talent pool, but also ensures a broad spectrum of perspectives in addressing complex challenges.”
Engineers aren’t just problem solvers; they’re the architects of a more inclusive and diverse future, she said.
Shyu mentioned two DOD engineering approaches to problem solving: digital engineering and modular open systems approach, known as MOSA.
Digital engineering for global threats is critical in the ever-evolving landscape of global threats, she said.
The department’s digital engineering focus takes a transformative approach, integrating digital computing, modeling and analytics into an interconnected, model-based environment, she said.
Digital engineering is not only a technical evolution. It’s also a fundamental change in how DOD executes engineering projects. It facilitates communication of systems requirements, enables virtual testing across a broader spectrum, and supports 3D manufacturing and harnessing the power of predictive maintenance, she said.
DOD’s transition from traditional, paper-based processes to a more interconnected digital environment places it at the forefront of technological innovation.
Another component of DOD’s engineering strategy is MOSA.
MOSA represents more than just an adoption of new technologies. It embodies a commitment to openness, modularity and interoperability. MOSA represents a groundbreaking shift in the way DOD designs, develops and evolves defense systems, Shyu said.
Gone are the days of legacy proprietary solutions that limited the ability to integrate cutting-edge technologies without making extensive modifications, she said. (Source: U.S. DoD)
20 Feb 24. Scientific Systems’ Software Autonomously Demonstrates Space & Air Assets.
Scientific Systems demonstrated how autonomy can increase warfighter battlefield situational awareness through a dynamic network of multi-domain collaborative platforms
Scientific Systems has demonstrated autonomous peer-to-peer collaboration and orchestration of commercial satellites and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS).
This includes closed-loop control of all associated multidomain sensors, and exploitation services.
The demonstration supported the Army Responsive Tactical ISR Technology (ARTIST) program. The ARTIST contract was awarded by the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO).
The ultimate potential of ARTIST software technology is providing the Army with the capability to sense, decide, and act with superior speed and scale across the battlespace.
Scientific Systems demonstrated how autonomy can increase warfighter battlefield situational awareness through a dynamic network of multi-domain collaborative platforms. In this instantiation, a dismounted tactical user in the middle of an operationally relevant scenario used a smart tablet, running the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) software suite, to request and receive time-critical and actionable battlefield intelligence.
Specifically, the tactical user requested real time information regarding the location of all vehicles within a defined area of interest on a map. Accurate answers were returned in fractions of the time it would take in a typical approach not enabled with space queuing or onboard UAS autonomy.
This warfighter utility was demonstrated over three separate events, including one at the Yuma Proving Ground, as part of Project Convergence 2022. Showcasing the rapid portability of CMA software, these demonstrations were conducted on multiple tiers of UASs and utilized a variety of mission compute resources.
The UASs were fitted with Parry Labs edge compute technology (Hyper and Autonomy) and Parry Labs Stratia software stack. Scientific Systems CMA software was rapidly loaded as containers into the Stratia software stack.
Capella’s Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites were used as the space segment in the demonstrations and Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) capability for both the space and air segments was integrated into the software, including ATR machine-learning software from Project Maven.
Scientific Systems has previously incorporated its Collaborative Mission Autonomy software on the Parry Labs software operating environment and Edge Compute hardware, which has form factors that support future tactical unmanned aircraft systems (FTUAS), air-launched effects, stratospheric platforms, and other demanding uncrewed and crewed aircraft, maritime, and ground systems.
Together, the solutions from Scientific Systems and Parry Labs increase the speed of information available to the warfighter to accelerate decision making, expediting the sense-to-effects kill chain, and ensuring mission success.
Dr. Owen Brown, Vice President of Solutions Development at Scientific Systems, stated; “The recent ARTIST demo is a major achievement, displaying how our edge-based Collaborative Mission Autonomy (CMA) software can become the ‘glue’ to coordinate and orchestrate multidomain autonomous platforms, all spawned by a simple ‘ride-share app like’ request for ISR services.
“It’s significant that we have shown how easily an uncrewed platform with edge processing can be instantly transformed with CMA into a tactically controlled, multidomain resource, operating in challenged or denied environments.” (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
21 Feb 24. USMC Field New Technology that Can Measure Bullet Trajectory, Simulated Wounds in California Exercise. In its largest annual war game, the Marine Corps outfitted thousands of Marines with new technology this week meant to measure just how deadly they can be — an effort to shed decades-old equipment and usher the service into a new age of combat data collection. The exercise this month at Twentynine Palms, California, included 2,700 Marines, 230 vehicles and more than a dozen buildings equipped with technology that can measure bullet trajectory down to the inch, simulated wounds in different places on the body, and real-time individual Marine locations — all metrics that earlier equipment could not accurately capture.
The new equipment, called the Marine Corps Tactical Instrumentation System, or MCTIS, is a welcome replacement to older generations of “laser tag” training systems, which were time-consuming to equip, inaccurate and generally unreliable, Marine officials told Military.com.
“At the end of this, we’re going to be providing information that’s usable by every level across the board,” Lt. Col. Rory Hermann, the Marine Corps’ product manager for range training systems, told Military.com on Tuesday. “So, whether you’re the regimental commander, you’re getting the feedback from how your battalions performed, down to the squad leader [who] can look at how his Marines performed.”
The MCTIS can tell the Marine through voice command when they are being bracketed by indirect fire, for example. It also tells the Marine whether and where they have been wounded through pulses from a watch-like device worn on the wrist. Some sensors are attached to vehicles and can simulate behind hit with an anti-vehicle weapon, to include detecting which Marines were wounded and at what position in the vehicle they were hit.
That information, as well as other metrics like location and even the Marine’s posture, are then routed through a central command hub where leaders can see how their forces are moving en masse. After an exercise is over, commanders down to team leaders can then bring their Marines in for an after-action review, or AAR — something that officials told Military.com has been a boon for the system’s performance.
Officials said they were able to successfully demonstrate the capability in the exercise, adding that one of the largest hurdles was quelling the “hangover” from old equipment, which had cultivated a few habits this new equipment is hoping to overcome. They said they understood that introducing new equipment may come with a “cultural shift” or face possibly skeptical Marines who are accustomed to the old gear, but ultimately it will change the way they train and analyze their ability to fight.
For example, old force-on-force gear, such as the multiple integrated laser engagement system, or MILES, often saw Marines tying the system down to their gear with parachute cord or zip ties so it wouldn’t fall off in the field. One official told Military.com that Marines should “give this a chance before someone tries to do that.”
“That’s going to be part of that cultural shift,” said Col. Jesse Attig, a Marine Air-Ground Task Force Training Command modeling and simulations officer. “Until people see how reliable the system is, how effective it is in supporting their training, they still may have a bit of hangover from the older gear.”
For the individual Marine, the system includes a body harness, helmet harness and weapon mount. A battery pack is designed to sustain a Marine for five days before it needs to be changed out.
The head harness provides posture information, so a control hub can see whether the Marine is standing, kneeling or in the prone position. It also includes a quick-release strap for Marines in amphibious situations, so they can quickly shed the equipment and not be weighed down by it during an emergency situation.
The bracket for the weapon, which contains a small-arms radio transmitter that is accurate down to the inch for shooting, according to Saab officials, can be adapted to several different weapons systems from an AK-47 to an M4. Saab Inc., a defense company, was awarded the contract for the new force-on-force system in 2021.
Even buildings were outfitted with the equipment.
“They can actually instrument the buildings with sensors both outside and internally to detect where personnel are in the building,” Hermann told Military.com on Tuesday. “And then also what effects are being had from the weapons outside the building.”
A MCTIS attached to the building can register it as being made of wood or concrete and will be able to tell whether Marines’ weapons systems can penetrate the material or not. Older systems, which relied heavily on inaccurate lasers, did not have the same measurements, so a Marine hiding behind a tree could easily evade a .50 caliber machine gun lasering him or her during an exercise, for example.
“From the perspective of the Marines, they’re appreciating the data that they’re getting back,” Hermann said of feedback he’s received about the system in the exercise. “The fact they can use this for further development of their teams and themselves and down to the individual Marine … they’ve expressed that they appreciate that part of the system.”
One of the objectives of MCTIS is “giving the exercising force time back,” David Rees, one of Saab’s site leads, told Military.com.
Older systems, depending on the unit and how quickly they could move through, could take hours to equip and get out the door to actual training. Saab, according to Rees, is contractually obligated to get a Marine company equipped with the MCTIS in 70 minutes or less — that includes loading Marines’ data into the system so it can accurately measure their actions come training time.
“We know how complex it is to get into an exercise at any scale,” Rees said. “So, the shorter contact time that we have with them whilst having the same confidence and them having the confidence that the equipment is properly fitted and working properly, that’s a key objective for us to continue to get that tied down.”
MCTIS is an initiative under the Marine Corps’ Training and Education Command, or TECOM. It falls under what is known as Project Tripoli, an effort to modernize the way Marines train as the overall Corps looks to become more agile and adaptable.
A TECOM official previously described the Marine Corps’ old portfolio of simulations as “isolated,” singularly purposed, and “poorly positioned” to support exercises of different scales.
“While high-quality [live, virtual and constructive] training is available,” the official said, “limitations on time, technology, standards and technical expertise reduce the availability of this training.”
Given that technology has improved since initial simulations were rolled out decades ago, the Marine Corps sees an opportunity to update its repertoire in light of greater institutional changes under Force Design. For the training side, according to the official, it hopes to replicate the “conditions, threat and capabilities that a commander will experience on tomorrow’s battlefield.”
Efforts like the MCTIS aim to make data available from the individual Marine to echelons above them, including what officials described as “the human factor.”
“There’s actually a really interesting rich history when you talk about the value of instrumentation of Marines or soldiers in informing other efforts beyond training,” Lt. Col. Matthew Morse, the senior modeling simulation adviser for Project Tripoli, told Military.com in a recent interview about the project’s efforts.
“Things like your rate of fire under different conditions, your accuracy, when you’re maneuvering under fire — those are things that you’re really only going to get good quality data if you’re instrumenting your personnel,” he said. (Source: Military.com)
20 Feb 24. Skydio and Aeroarc Partner to Advance Support for Government Customers in the Region. Strategic business and product collaboration comes as U.S. and India gather for 2024 INDUS-X summit.
Skydio, the leading U.S. drone manufacturer, and Aeroarc, India’s premier drone manufacturer, today announced a groundbreaking partnership that expands AI collaboration between the U.S and India by bringing advanced autonomous flight technology to the subcontinent. Through this partnership, Skydio will support Aeroarc in the development, manufacture, deployment, and support of small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS) for Indian customers. This announcement coincides with Skydio and Aeroarc’s invitation to speak at and participate in the February meeting of the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X), a strategic technology partnership between the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) to spur defense industrial cooperation between government, business, and academia.
Skydio has a strong record of investment in India’s technology ecosystem, including the establishment last year of an R&D center in Bengaluru. Through its relationship with Aeroarc, Skydio will grow its manufacturing presence in the region, co-develop domain-specific UAS applications, and promote market expansion. The Skydio-Aeroarc collaboration will serve the needs of the Indian Ministry of Defense as well as other global defense customers in the Indo-Pacific region, supporting the establishment of India as a global hub for advanced defense technology.
“As the largest manufacturer of small uncrewed aircraft systems outside of China, we’re excited to continue our investment in India and partner with Aeroarc on critical, dual-use products and capabilities that help allied nations in the Indo-Pacific region deter conflict and protect troops,” said Adam Bry, CEO and co-founder of Skydio. “We support the objectives of the INDUS-X partnership and believe autonomous drone technology is central to the future of India’s defense innovation strategy.”
“Our partnership symbolizes the strengthening defense & technological ties between India and the United States. Aligned with our Prime Ministers’ ‘Make in India for the World’ initiative, Skydio & Aeroarc will locally manufacture state-of-the-art drones, catering to both domestic and international markets,” said Arjun Aggarwal, Managing Director of Aeroarc Pvt Ltd. “This will amplify India’s role in the global defense supply chain and enhance the resilience of both nations against supply disruptions, as recently seen due to situations in Ukraine and the Middle East.”
Skydio’s partnership with Aeroarc aligns with broader U.S.-India strategic goals announced by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi in the January 2023 initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology (iCET). iCET aims to deepen cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, strengthen mutual defense ties, and accelerate the U.S. and India’s innovation ecosystem.
Skydio provides drone solutions to over 1,900 corporations and government agencies including every branch of the US military and numerous allied countries. Skydio remains the solution provider of record for the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance program, which it won in November 2021, as well as the U.S. Marine Corps’ Short Range Short Endurance program which it won in 2021.
Skydio recently debuted its newest drones, the Skydio X10 for commercial enterprises and the Skydio X10D for defense and other government applications. The Skydio X10 platform combines cutting-edge sensors, autonomy, and airframe design to serve a range of industries including defense, public safety, and energy utilities. The Skydio X10D is an offline variant that provides superior performance in tactical environments and is the first sUAS capable of 24/7 operations with its revolutionary NightSense technology, enabling autonomous obstacle-avoidance in zero-light environments. It is also the first small UAS to integrate a FLIR Boson+ sensor, achieving the category’s highest thermal imaging quality and more accurate radiometric readings to improve operational outcomes at any time day or night.
About Skydio
Skydio is the leading U.S. drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight. Skydio leverages breakthrough AI to create the world’s most intelligent flying machines for use by enterprise and government customers. Founded in 2014, Skydio is made up of leading experts in AI, robotics, cameras, and electric vehicles from top companies, research labs, and universities from around the world. Skydio designs, assembles, and supports its products in the U.S. from its headquarters in San Mateo, CA, to offer the highest standards of supply chain, manufacturing, and data security. Skydio is trusted by leading enterprises across a wide range of industry sectors and is backed by top investors and strategic partners including Andreessen Horowitz, Levitate Capital, Next47, IVP, Playground, and NVIDIA. For more information visit Skydio.com.
About Aeroarc
Founded in 2019, Aeroarc Pvt Ltd has rapidly emerged as a force within the Indian Drone and Robotics industry. Specializing in the development of cutting-edge aerial & terrestrial unmanned systems, Aeroarc’s offerings are designed for the most challenging conditions. These advanced systems are tailored to minimize human risk and enhance the success rates of operations, reflecting the company’s commitment to safety & excellence. Operating from its headquarters in New Delhi, Aeroarc boasts a dedicated workforce of over 100 professionals distributed across two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities within India. The company’s strategic focus on dual-use technology enables it to serve a wide array of clients, ranging from government entities to various sectors within the enterprise domain. For more information visit Aeroarc.in (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
20 Feb 24. Curtiss-Wright Rugged MPSoC Module Speeds the Integration of Trusted and Secure Processing Features to Deployed COTS Hardware. New XMC-529 AMD Ultrascale+ MPSoC XMC module rapidly integrates cybersecurity technologies into deployed VPX systems.
Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions Division has expanded its family of Enhanced TrustedCOTS™ plug-in modules designed to bring trusted and secure processing to rugged deployed VPX-based systems with the introduction of the XMC-529 AMD Ultrascale+™ MPSoC XMC Mezzanine Card. The XMC-529 speeds the integration of advanced system IP into VPX, ATX, and legacy VMEbus systems. The module can also be used to increase a system’s overall compute power by providing FPGA co-processing to the baseboard.
“Our XMC-529 and XMC-528 TrustedCOTS modules reduce the cost and time required to ensure trusted and secure high-performance computing in embedded MOSA-based electronics systems,” said Brian Perry, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions. “The XMC-529, which has already been selected for use in a prime integrator’s program, enhances critical data and technology on deployed systems while eliminating the need to customize the target hardware to support proprietary cybersecurity technologies.”
Curtiss-Wright optimizes system architecture flexibility for deployed solutions and provides a common advanced trusted and secure framework that can be deployed using the XMC-529, the previously introduced XMC-528, or via the on-module FPGA devices hosted on its VPX boards.
Enhanced TrustedCOTS XMC (VITA 42/61) cards eliminate the need for costly and time-consuming customization of the target hardware. The XMC-528/529 modules enable system integrators to quickly add IP to fielded systems without a complete redesign. These cards have also been deployed in high-performance rack mount servers, using Curtiss-Wright rugged carrier solutions. For customers of Curtiss-Wright’s XF07 family of XMC I/O modules, the XMC-529 provides a compelling replacement option.
The compact XMC-529 module is optimized to work with Curtiss-Wright’s Fabric100™ family of extremely high-performance SOSA aligned 100Gbit processing engines, such as the recently introduced VPX3-1262 single board computer (SBC), which is powered by Intel’s 13th Gen “Raptor Lake” 14-core hybrid architecture processor. The XMC-529 can also be hosted on a wide range of system modules, such as Curtiss-Wright’s VME-1910, VPX6-1961, and VPX3-1260 SBCs.
The XMC-529 product sheet is available for download here.
20 Feb 24. Italian Army selects SitaWare Headquarters. SitaWare Headquarters to be deployed to support a range of Esercito Italiano formations. Systematic announced that the Esercito Italiano (Italian Army) has deployed its SitaWare Headquarters solution for the organisation’s Imperio programme. SitaWare Headquarters will be used from regimental to army corps level.
Delivered in conjunction with our Italian partner Fincantieri NexTech – a Fincantieri Group subsidiary which specialises in innovative solutions – the selection and implementation came after rigorous testing and evaluation by the Esercito Italiano through a competitive tender. SitaWare Headquarters stood out with its open architecture allowing additional modules to be easily integrated into the platform, scalability to support rapid integration and deployment of new modules, security, and survivability and availability.
“We are proud to be supporting the Esercito Italiano as part of its Esercito 4.0 [Army 4.0] modernisation programme, which includes the digitisation of command posts and the deployment of an integrated, redundant, multidomain broadband communications network. Systematic’s SitaWare Headquarters has been selected to provide a Common Operational Picture (COP) for static and mobile headquarters units to enable the management and distribution of the COP across the armed forces command,” said Systematic Senior Business Development Manager Paul Fielding.
“As we continue to leverage a range of new technologies such as artificial intelligence into the SitaWare suite, we are looking forward to the long-term partnership with Fincantieri NexTech and Esercito Italiano that will come from this contract,” Fielding added.
The new capability will enable the Esercito Italiano’s operational units to easily integrate current and future tactical systems, and further enhance interoperability within the Italian military, NATO, and beyond. To date, the Esercito Italiano has employed SitaWare Headquarters in a number of training exercises, with the Pinerolo Brigade spearheading the deployment of the system.
SitaWare Headquarters is the market-leading C4ISR platform that enables all levels of command to share situational awareness, track friendly and enemy forces, as well as supporting the development and delivery of operational plans in both deployed and fixed locations.
The platform supports increased flexibility in the planning cycle through collaborative construction of both textual and graphical plans and all orders for all staff functions. SitaWare further supports a wide range of military and civilian data communication standards, promoting joint, coalition, and civil-military interoperability.
Over 50 nations have deployed SitaWare Headquarters, including the US Army, British Army, German Army, New Zealand Defence Force, Royal Danish Army, NATO, and more.
For more information contact Systematic’s communication manager (defence), Charles Forrester, at .
19 Feb 24. Dutch government says China seeks military advantage from ASML tools. Fears that ASML’s (ASML.AS), opens new tab computer chip equipment will be used for Chinese military ends underlie recent decisions to deny the company export licences, the Dutch trade minister said in answers to questions from parliament.
Netherlands-based ASML, Europe’s largest tech firm, dominates the world market for lithography systems, needed by computer chip makers to help create circuitry.
“China focuses on foreign expertise, including Dutch expertise in the field of lithography, to promote self-sufficiency in its military-technical development,” Trade Minister Geoffrey van Leeuwen wrote in a Feb. 5 note, seen by Reuters.
Van Leeuwen said that ASML tools are used to make advanced semiconductors that can go into “high-value weapons systems and weapons of mass destruction” and the Dutch government focuses on “the risk of undesirable end use” when reviewing export licensing decisions.
Under pressure from the United States, the Dutch government last year introduced a licensing requirement for ASML’s mid-range DUV machines. The company’s most advanced tools have never been sold in China.
The questions posed by lawmaker Femke Zeedijk of the reformist NSC party asked why the government initially granted, then quickly retracted, a license for ASML to export several tools to undisclosed customers in China. The company has sold hundreds of ms of euros worth of such tools to Chinese customers in recent years.
Van Leeuwen’s answers dodged that question, adding that “several licences for the export to China of advanced semiconductor equipment have been granted” since the licensing requirement was introduced in September. It said it anticipates around 20 such requests in total this year, without specifying how many will come from China.
According to forecasts by industry group SEMI, around 18 Chinese chip plants will come online this year, more than in any other geographical region. Many Chinese chipmakers are focusing on building older generations of chips and using equipment that does not fall under export control policies.
Some of Zeedijk’s questions, such as whether the Netherlands had revoked the licenses at the request of the U.S. government, went unanswered.
“I’m not saying that there are no security issues or that this decision was wrong, but I would like to be better informed,” Zeedijk told Reuters on Monday.
“The perception is also that besides the security risk, that there are also economic reasons behind it.”
ASML confirmed on New Year’s Day the Dutch government had revoked a licence, following a report by Bloomberg News.
The resulting cancellations did not impact ASML’s fourth-quarter earnings, but the Deep Ultraviolet tools in question cost approximately $60 m each and would be an important part of customer plans.
In January, ASML said it expects sales to China will remain “solid” in 2024 after an exceptional 2023. The company said it does not expect to ship any of its NXT:2000i or more advanced tools to China under the Dutch licensing regime, and that it will not be able to export its NXT:1970 and NXT:1980i product lines to “a handful” of Chinese plants, due to U.S. restrictions. (Source: glstrade.com/Reuters)
19 Feb 24. New LEMO Product Family Portfolio Simplifies Selection Process, a leading manufacturer of high-performance interconnect.
solutions, is thrilled to announce the launch of its enhanced product family portfolio aimed at simplifying the
selection process for customers.
With a commitment to offering over 90,000 custom solutions tailored to meet specific requirements, LEMO
continuously expands its product offerings to meet evolving market demands.
Designed to streamline the presentation of LEMO’s extensive range of solutions, the new product family
portfolio highlights core series organized into six distinct families based on shared functionality and specific
market applications.
“We used basically two concepts: the first one was really to focus on the series that sell most; the second
was to regroup those series that share similar features and that share similar needs in the market” explained
Wim Vanheertum, Head of Product Marketing.
The six product families include:
- ORIGINALS: Configurable solutions tailored to individual needs.
- REDEL: Medical preferred solutions designed for reliability and performance.
- OPTIMA: Optimized solutions engineered for efficiency.
- SUPREME: Extreme solutions built to withstand harsh environments.
- SPECIALTIES: Specialized solutions catering to unique requirements.
- CABLE SOLUTIONS: Unique cable solutions offering comprehensive connectivity.
This classification system enables customers to swiftly identify the most suitable series for their applications,
ensuring a seamless selection process.
In addition to the product families, LEMO emphasizes its commitment to providing customized and
comprehensive connectivity solutions through a range of complementary services.
Embrace the future of connectivity with LEMO, where innovation converges with precision, and customer success remains the top priority.
20 Feb 24. ODU connector solutions: New standards in military technology for training and simulation systems.
Training and simulation technology in the military sector plays a decisive role for ODU connector solutions. The outstanding performance, reliability and precision of these connectors set new standards for data transmission via conventional copper-based cables, fiber optic cables, and their connectivity. ODU AMC® and ODU-MAC® connectors are ideally suited for modern military applications.
ODU AMC® connectors have proven to be indispensable components for data and signal transmission in military applications. They form the backbone of networked training systems, providing state-of-the-art infrastructure for realistic simulation and effective training.
Realistic development – Reliability in extreme conditions
ODU’s unique selling point lies in continuously adapting and optimizing products to real operating conditions. Direct experience gained from various military units is used to develop the connectors. This includes the use of military data links to network command, control, reconnaissance, and weapon systems, as well as large-scale projects to integrate visual augmentation and vehicle-based training systems into theU.S. Armed Forces. German infantry modernization programs and insights gained from European main battle tank systems are also incorporated.
In demanding military simulation applications, the durability of ODU AMC® connectors is crucial. High shock and vibration resistance, as well as exceptional performance in extreme environmental conditions, ensure reliable operation in the harshest environments. This is critical in both emergency and training scenarios.
Optimal networking and highly modular integration of complex systems
ODU AMC® connectors demonstrate their versatility in various military simulation technology applications, from laser- and IR-based live simulators to driver training devices and flight simulators. They not only provide optimal networking, but also allow the integration of fiber optics for ultra-fast data transmission over long distances. The highly modular ODU-MAC® series enables the integration of multiple signals, media, optical fibers, and power transmission modules in a single plug-in process. This makes it easier to commission complex systems in the field.
With its connectors, ODU is taking the “Train as you fight!” principle to a new level. Fast and accurate networking creates realistic deployment scenarios that prepare soldiers for their missions. ODU AMC® and ODU-MAC® connectors are essential key components in modern simulation technology and play a vital role in the future networking of shooting, combat and tactical training, laser- and IR-supported live simulators, driving training, and flight simulators in military applications.
16 Feb 24. UK Royal Navy trials a new quantum navigation solution.
Already proven to work on a vessel alongside, quantum navigation has the potential in the future to provide GPS-free navigation.
Onboard the UK Royal Navy cargo ship, Hurst Point, the Office for the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), along with scientists from the University of Birmingham (UoB) and Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) – an executive agency within the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) – applied quantum mechanics to navigation tools at sea.
It is hoped that these experiments will pave the way for more advanced positioning and navigation at sea.
Already proven to work on a vessel alongside, quantum navigation has the potential in the future to provide a system that does not rely on a global positioning system for navigation, making it less susceptible to jamming, imitation or other forms of sabotage.
How does the Navy’s experiment work?
As a new type of accelerometer, the technology measures how an object’s speed changes over time.
By combining this information with rotation measurements and the initial position of the object, the current location can be calculated.
It uses ultra-cold atoms to make highly accurate measurements which, when cooled to extremely low temperatures the atoms start displaying wave-like properties.
As the atoms move through the sensor, an ‘optical ruler’ is formed by using a series of laser pulses. This allows the acceleration of the atoms to be precisely measured.
By taking this technology to sea, OCTO, the UoB and Dstl were able to evaluate the effects of ship vibration, motion and acceleration that will lay further foundations for quantum mechanics as navigation systems.
The Royal Navy cargo ship, Hurst Point, on which OCTO supported experts from the UoB and Dstl to test quantum navigation at sea. Credit: Royal Navy.
What makes this solution an advancement?
“In this experiment, we are advancing novel navigational techniques toward a fully resilient satellite free capability,” explained Chester Butterworth, deputy chief technology officer and MoD project lead.
In a report on Quantum Computing in Defence (2023), the leading intelligence consultancy GlobalData observed that although quantum technology lacks sufficient maturity to warrant more widespread global investment, the few key players on the market have identified several areas in which quantum has the potential to bring transformative change which will radically alter the conduct of future conflicts.
Quantum computing could exponentially improve the accuracy of precision navigation technologies (PNT), with quantum clocks enhancing operational synchronicity while quantum inertial navigation improves the reliability of inertial navigation systems (INS) which rely on global navigational satellite systems (GNSS).
Quantum INS would ultimately help forces detect GNSS deception, jamming and spoofing more efficiently, allowing for critical course corrections to circumvent potential traps or defences.
Such solutions would provide extreme reliability while making signal interception or interference practically impossible, a capability that is of particular interest in the field of submersible operations.
GlobalData also pointed out that due to their need to navigate extreme distances undetected, submarines are one of the platforms most likely to benefit from the emergence of quantum inertial navigation.
Nuclear deterrence forces such as nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines – namely the future Vanguard class, in particular – would likely be the first such submarines to receive this capability as it would radically enhance their stealth profiles and consequently their deterrent effect. (Source: naval-technology.com)
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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.
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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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