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19 Jan 23. Defense Innovation Unit eyes partnerships for drone-vetting effort. The long-term viability of a Defense Innovation Unit effort to vet commercial drones for military use and make it easier for the services to buy of off-the-shelf technology may be hampered by a lack of stable funding.
DIU, a Pentagon organization that partners with the military services to field commercial technology, created Blue UAS in 2020 to establish a streamlined process for the Department of Defense to certify U.S.-made drones for military use. Without it, agencies who want to buy commercially available small UAS would have to work with an established DoD program or seek a waiver — an arduous, time-consuming process.
In the last few years, Blue UAS has become the government standard for certifying drones that meet federal cybersecurity and supply chain requirements. It has also helped foster the development of US-made, compliant drone components and software.
This week, DIU announced it closed out the second phase of the effort after moving 17 drones from 11 companies through its vetting process. Now on the Blue UAS “cleared list,” those systems — which offer a range of military applications from base defense to search and rescue to ISR — are available on the federal supply schedule, which allows DoD and other government users to purchase them.
Among the companies on the cleared list are California-based Inspired Flight and Florida-based Harris Aerial. Both companies had two drones cleared through DIU’s process.
A growing role for commercial drones
Small commercial drones — a broad category of UAS that includes systems weighing less than 55 pounds — have played a more prominent role in military conflicts in recent years. Ground troops in Russia and Ukraine have used them for surveillance and visibility and ISIS militants used armed versions to attack U.S. forces fighting in northern Iraq in 2016.
As the commercial drone market has grown, particularly in China, the U.S. government has been increasingly concerned about the security of the technology and the possibility that data collected by these systems could be shared with U.S. adversaries.
In 2018, DoD banned the military from buying commercial drones unless they secured a waiver. The exemption process is labor-intensive and the eventual approval lasts only six months before needing to be re-submitted. The following year, with the passage of the Fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress added more constraints, blocking the military from buying or using certain drone components, including cameras, data transmission devices, radios, flight controllers and gimbals made by Chinese companies.
The ban was signed into law just after the U.S. Army had chosen a handful of prototype systems for its Short Range Reconnaissance program, which sought a small quadcopter drone to provide ISR support. With the new requirements in place, the service now had to ensure the five drones selected for its program were compliant with DoD and congressional policy.
At the time, DIU had already launched an initiative to expand the marketplace of domestically produced drone components and software that meet cybersecurity requirements. As it worked with the Army to identify commercial candidates for its quadcopter program, the organization saw a need for a streamlined approval process that didn’t require organizations to renew their waivers. So, DIU created the first iteration of the Blue UAS Cleared List to vet the five prototype systems.
David Michelson, a program manager at DIU, told C4ISRNET the experience not only underscored the need for a better process, but it highlighted the potential for commercial drones to meet military needs.
“Throughout that process, we realized that there is just so much that goes into this ecosystem on all different levels,” he said. “Small drones can fit that huge swath of mission sets that are out there and there were commercially available solutions already for some of those mission sets.”
Following its work with the Army, DIU set out to expand the number of cleared drones and refine its vetting process through a second phase. The program has received $35m to fund Blue UAS 2.0 and for the hardware development work it’s conducted to date.
Companies who have moved through the Blue UAS process say it has helped accelerate their work with the government.
Larry Berkin, chief commercial and operating officer of California-based dronemaker FlightWave, told C4ISRNET that Blue UAS has offered his company “a stamp of approval” for would-be government customers. FlightWave’s flagship vehicle, the Edge 130, was vetted as part of Blue UAS 2.0 and added to the cleared list earlier this month.
“As a small company, it’s a very good thing for us,” Berkin said. “It opens up an alternative procurement cycle and procurement channels for us to sell into these large federal agencies that typically would not purchase from a small company.”
Skydio, a leading U.S. drone manufacturer, has participated in Blue UAS 1.0 and 2.0. CEO Adam Bry told C4ISRNET in an email that while DIU’s vetting process was rigorous, it has opened opportunities “across the Federal customer base” without requiring the company to go through a separate certification process with each agency.
Democratizing the process
While DIU’s work to create a pathway for government agencies to access compliant commercial technology has been successful, Michelson said the program isn’t sized to meet the demand it’s seeing. He noted that while Blue UAS is tailored for DoD, it’s drawn interest from state and local governments, not to mention federal agencies like the Department of Interior and Department of Justice.
“It’s a good problem to have, but we need a solution,” he said. “Our funnel isn’t big enough, and we’re not resourced to be able to certify all the systems that could possibly exist for any agency or user out there.”
One way DIU hopes to address the problem is through partnerships. The organization is working with the Association of Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International — a nonprofit focused on advancing uncrewed systems and robotics — to adapt the Blue UAS model for non-DoD agencies.
Michael Robbins, AUVSI’s executive vice president of government and public affairs, told C4ISRNET in an interview the goal is for companies to move through its process “and to come out on the other side with the same degree of trust in the system as they would had they gone through that process with DIU directly.”
DIU is also reaching out to the military services to find additional funding and work with them to continue some of the Blue UAS work in house. Like most of its projects, the effort doesn’t have its own budget, but instead works with DoD agencies for funding. While that arrangement is what helps funnel commercial technology into formal programs, it also makes it hard to sustain an effort like Blue UAS.
“I think we are making the right moves and the DoD is moving forward,” DIU program manager Matthew Borowski said in an interview. “But there are many things that keep us from making progress — and one of them really is putting the right amount of attention and resources towards solving the problem.”
The office is planning to ramp up its outreach efforts in hopes that it can “export” parts of the program throughout DoD. That includes creating an instruction manual for on-ramping cleared drone technology.
“We want to give other organizations and other units the opportunity to do the same thing that we’re doing, so they can leverage their funding and they can leverage their resources,” Michelson said. “We want to try to democratize the process.”
With Blue UAS 2.0 completed, DIU is also making plans for the program’s next phase. The details are still in the works, but Michelson said networking and interoperability will likely be a focus, due in part to lessons DoD has learned about Ukraine’s use of networked drones over the last year.
“What we’re seeing is even though the Ukrainians are building their drone program on a shoestring — on Band-Aids and bubble gum — they’re building their own networks. They are building their own interconnectivity,” he said. “And they’re finding ways for their systems to be as interoperable as they possibly can.”More networked drones drives a need for interoperable hardware, like fight controllers and payloads. Michelson said a future phase of Blue UAS could help get after that challenge. DIU has identified some potential funding sources for the effort, which it hopes to launch later this year, but the scope will depend on what resources and partnerships the organization can secure. (Source: Defense News)
17 Jan 23. New Mexico shootings against Democratic officials were politically motivated. On 16 January, authorities arrested the alleged perpetrator of a string of shootings targeting Democratic state officials in New Mexico in early December (see Daily Analytical Update – 6 January 2023). The individual, Solomon Pena, was a House Republican candidate in the 2022 midterm elections. He has been accused of conspiring to target the officials and paying four men to help carry out the shootings. Pena ran for a seat in the State House during the midterms, however, he was defeated by the incumbent Democrat. Pena subsequently alleged voter fraud and refused to concede. Authorities stated that the shootings are politically motivated crimes. The incident follows forecasts of isolated incidents of violence carried out by sole perpetrators, amid a heightened risk of such attacks and possible domestic unrest in response. The risk of attacks has decreased slightly since the midterm elections.(Source: Sibylline)
17 Jan 23. House Speaker signals support for defence cuts over debt ceiling debate. On 15 January, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy stated that he would support cuts in defence spending, as the Republican party is reportedly negotiating to freeze spending at levels set in 2022. McCarthy commented that military training and weapons development remain the top priority, though programmes deemed to be wasteful should be reduced. During negotiations to secure support for his speakership bid, McCarthy reportedly agreed to cap spending at 2022 levels with several hard-line Republican lawmakers. The measure also could be a concession to Democratic lawmakers, who previously suggested defence budget allocations are necessary before agreeing to other budget cuts. McCarthy’s position as Speaker is tenuous, and he could face a rebellion over debt ceiling negotiations because any one Republican can call a vote of no confidence in his speakership. Government stability risks are expected to remain stable until debt ceiling negotiations begin in several months.(Source: Sibylline)
16 Jan 23. US NIMCSG begins operations in South China Sea. This marks the NIMCSG’s first 2022-2023 deployment in the Indo-Pacific area of operations. The US Navy’s Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) has commenced its operations in the South China Sea region.
This marks the first 2022-2023 deployment of the NIMCSG, starting from 12 January, in the Indo-Pacific area of operations to reinforce US’ commitment in safeguarding the rules-based international order.
The NIMCSG includes the US Navy’s lead Nimitz-class aircraft carrier CVN 68, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52) along with three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Decatur (DDG 73), USS Wayne E Meyer (DDG 108) and USS Chung Hoon (DDG 93).
Personnel and staff members from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, Destroyer Squadron Nine (DESRON 9) and squadrons from Carrier Air Wing Seventeen (CVW 17) are also a part of this strike force.
During this deployment, the strike group will carry out a wide range of naval exercises and activities, including anti-submarine missions and maritime strike training.
The NIMCSG will also undertake integrated multi-domain missions and joint training activities between surface and air elements along with other flight operations with fixed and rotary wing aircraft assigned within the group.
CSG 11 commander rear admiral Christopher Sweeney said: “The NIMCSG has the capability to deliver integrated lethal and non-lethal effects from space to undersea, across every axis, and every domain.
“Our sailors’ tenacity and warfighting prowess are unmatched and a testimony to our country’s determination to work alongside our allies and partners to maintain free and open seas.”
The latest deployment comes a month after the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) recently claimed that the US Navy’s two warships ‘trespassed’ into its maritime zone near China’s Nansha Islands.
The claims were later rejected by the US Indo-Pacific Command on 30 November 2022. (Source: naval-technology.com)
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Founded in 1987, Exensor Technology is a world leading supplier of Networked Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) Systems providing tailored sensor solutions to customers all over the world. From our Headquarters in Lund Sweden, our centre of expertise in Network Communications at Communications Research Lab in Kalmar Sweden and our Production site outside of Basingstoke UK, we design, develop and produce latest state of the art rugged UGS solutions at the highest quality to meet the most stringent demands of our customers. Our systems are in operation and used in a wide number of Military as well as Homeland Security applications worldwide. The modular nature of the system ensures any external sensor can be integrated, providing the user with a fully meshed “silent” network capable of self-healing. Exensor Technology will continue to lead the field in UGS technology, provide our customers with excellent customer service and a bespoke package able to meet every need. A CNIM Group Company
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