EUROPE
05 Sep 05. The DMA will be the lead trade association, organising the UK Partnership Pavilion at DSEi. This year the UK Group will be 46% larger than in 2003 at 2400sqm. This is a tremendous increase given that the Show overall has grown by a lesser 25%. There will be 113 companies in the Pavilion which will be sighted in the same general area as last time. A very diverse arnge of products will be exhibited, showing off much of the best of what the UK Defence Industry has to offer. Products will range from helicopters (AgustaWestland) to Saddlery (Hobson and Sons) and much in between. The DMA will also be providing clinics in the Pavilion where DMA members and others can seek advice on CONDO (Contractors on Deployed Operations ) issues and Export Controls.
25 Aug 2005. EADS Astrium’s Media Back-link Unit, which enables live broadcast-quality television transmissions from ships at sea has been successfully tested on HMS Cumberland at the start of a four-month operational trial.The state-of-the-art Media Back-link Unit enhances the EADS Astrium TOMS (Television Over Military Satellites) system fitted to Royal Navy ships. Together they enable the Commanding Officer of a vessel to be interviewed live on television from the ship. The trial on board HMS Cumberland during her deployment to the western Atlantic and Caribbean is being supported by Paradigm Services which is providing additional military satellite capacity. During HMS Cumberland’s tour of duty she will be in a position to respond to calls for assistance during the hurricane season. Ships deployed to the Caribbean and western Atlantic also work in close cooperation with US and other national authorities in the war on drugs.
31 Aug 05. The first of three Engineering Builds of JETTS, the British Army’s Joint Effects Tactical Targeting System, was delivered by Prime Contractor Raytheon Systems Limited (RSL) on schedule to the JETTS Integration and Test
facility at Warminster. Users and Subject Matter Experts will test this build in the JETTS Battle Lab over the next few months. Feedback will be incorporated into the further two builds that go to make up the final deliverable for the Assessment Phase.
31 Aug 05. Mass Consultants, the UK based electronic Defence systems segment of UK’s Silicon Valley Graphics Group Plc, the UK Defence Consultants, is demonstrating its growing expertise in a number of areas communications systems at this year’s DSEI on stand No. 823. These include: Information Systems Security, Electronic Warfare, Communications & Crypto and the design through to manufacture of Specialist Electronic Systems. The many problems associated with sharing highly classified data, especially across international boundaries, are leading to increasing costs and delays to projects and problems with security accreditation. MASS has IS security solutions which ensure secure collaboration at the highest levels between geographically separated clients, whilst allowing detailed auditing, multi-level security and data separation in user domains. MASS is rapidly developing its EW Operational Support business area and has just opened a large new office in Lincoln to provide a centre of excellence for this important activity. The new office is initially providing support to UK export sales of integrated defensive aids systems in association with Selex, mainly for airborne platforms but will soon have the capacity to support all types of platforms in the future. In addition, MASS can offer support to overseas EW customers’ systems as well as providing training courses in Electronic Warfare. A growing large proportion of MASS business is centred on Communications, with particular strengths in the design and development of communications systems and cryptography, and a long record of research and development. MASS has a well-established track record of delivering across the whole spectrum of communications design – from initial technical studies right