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25 May 23. MARSS has successfully completed the second Site Acceptance Test (SAT) for its flagship 5-year, $50m multi-site programme – a major milestone in a wider project that will see the company deliver key defence solutions across nine sites.
Once complete, the multi-site security programme will protect a series of nine critical infrastructure sites across the Middle East, all networked into a centralised national command centre.
The security systems installed by MARSS at each of the unique sites will be built around MARSS’s proprietary hybrid intelligence system, NiDAR, a Joint Area Domain Command and Control solution, integrating a range of different sensors and effectors, protecting against manned and unmanned threats, such as UAS, USV and UUVs.
NiDAR fuses artificial intelligence (AI) alongside traditional algorithmic techniques and human driven domain expertise to create a single, intelligent user interface that maximises the performance of individual sensors and effectors.
At its latest site, MARSS will use a combination of multi-domain-layered systems protecting against underwater, surface and air threats. This will include different types of radars, cameras and sonar systems to provide short-to-medium-range protection across the site, and electronic countermeasures. These all integrate into NiDAR, along with legacy base defence systems, providing a single tactical surveillance picture.
MARSS has expanded its Riyadh based operations from just a handful of employees to over 40 project managers, engineers, technicians and support personnel in just three years. MARSS is well placed to deliver and support defence, safety and surveillance programmes such as these across the Middle East.
During the acceptance test, the NiDAR system demonstrated successful detection and tracking of surface and air threats with various radar cross sections, proprietary AI-based classification and successful threat defeat countermeasures. Employing AI into a fully integrated end-to-end solution, MARSS’s systems were able to dramatically reduce the decision cycle to better protect assets against threats at greater ranges, with better performance and lower false alarm rates than ever before.
Andy Forbes, Managing Director at MARSS said: “Successfully passing this Site 2 SAT is hugely significant and a major new milestone for the project. After a quick start, the programme faced a series of challenges, not least the restrictions put in place to avoid the spread of Covid-19, but we’re now excited to be completing the scope of these base defence programme in 2023.”
As a prime contractor, this is one of several programmes of record that MARSS is delivering across the ME region that includes training and through life Integrated Logistic Support.
Forbes added: “We have built a team of experienced professionals and young engineers to transfer knowledge and capability to support the vision of each of our clients across the region. Delivering and supporting operational capability on a 24/7 basis in extreme environments is not without its challenges. However, supported by a world class team of industry partners, MARSS is able to commission some of the most capable base protection systems in the region if not the world.”
25 May 23. Leonardo Signs Contract with Malaysia for Two ATR 72 MPA. Today the Ministry of Defence of Malaysia signed a contract with Leonardo to supply two ATR 72 MPA (Maritime Patrol Aircraft) platforms. A signing ceremony took place at LIMA 2023, a key maritime and defence exhibition in the Asia-Pacific region held in Langkawi, Malaysia.
This contract follows the selection of the solution offered by Leonardo announced last October, and includes the supply of two ATR Special Mission aircraft in Maritime Patrol configuration plus the related integrated logistic support and training services.
The ATR 72 MPA is a twin-turboprop aircraft designed for complex maritime patrol missions. It is the latest specialized variant of the ATR regional transport aircraft, part of a wide range of types developed by Leonardo for missions including maritime surveillance, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW), Anti-Surface unit Warfare (AsuW), Search & Rescue (SAR), environmental monitoring, medical evacuation and transport of personnel and materials.
The aircraft chosen by Malaysia retains the reliability, maintainability, low lifecycle costs and comfort features of the baseline ATR 72-600. They will also be equipped with a flexible mission system, advanced sensors and a complete communications suite for Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) missions over land and sea. The sensors and mission systems will be able to operate in stand-alone and net-centric modes, enabling the collection, processing and sharing of strategic data among operators, while providing complete situational awareness about the operational scenario.
The ATR 72 MPA is optimised for maritime patrol, electronic intelligence (ELINT) gathering, sea surface and submerged target detection and tracking, SAR, countering illegal activities (drug trafficking, piracy and smuggling) and protecting territorial waters. There is growth potential for it to evolve into a fully-fledged Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) and Anti-Surface unit Warfare (AsuW) platform.
Variants of the ATR 72 MPA, in service with military and law enforcement organisations, are equipped with the modular Leonardo ATOS (Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance) mission system, which will also be included in the Malaysian configuration. The ATOS manages the aircraft’s on-board sensors, fusing the information gathered and presenting a comprehensive and continuously updated tactical picture to the mission system operators.
With a commercial heritage, the ATR 72 MPA features an ergonomic design that supports the efficiency and effectiveness of the crew during missions that can typically last more than 8 hours.
The ATR-based Special Mission aircraft are able to meet a wide range of customer requirements across the APAC region, with many local operators of the ATR regional turboprop already benefitting from extended logistics support.
Dario Marfè, SVP Aircraft Commercial & Customer Services at Leonardo, said: “We are proud that the Malaysian Government has chosen our ATR 72 MPA, an aircraft which represents Leonardo’s advanced technological capabilities in the design and integration of platforms and systems at the highest levels. The ATR 72 MPA combines reliability and low operating costs, all the advantages of the ATR 72-600 regional passenger transport aircraft, and features a state-of-the-art Leonardo mission system. It is positioned on the market as a tremendously effective solution for the security and defence of its customers.”
Background notes:
The ATR 72 MPA is equipped with a comprehensive suite of advanced electronics. Leonardo’s ATOS (Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance) mission system is the operational heart of the aircraft. The system integrates all the aircraft’s on-board sensors, acquiring information and delivering it to the crew via an optimized human-machine interface (HMI), which allows the display of all the data gathered from the on-board sensors in a complete tactical picture. This capability provides the crew with excellence situational awareness in the most complex scenarios, whilst minimising operators workload and maximising mission effectiveness.
On-board sensors include a world-class radar in the form of the Leonardo Seaspray 7300E, part of the highly successful Seaspray Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar family. Designed and manufactured in the UK, the latest V2 variant of the radar features updated processor and receiver technology to meet the evolving demands of the ISR mission set.
A comprehensive suite of air, sea, and land surveillance modes will equip the ATR 72 MPA with enhanced multi-domain capabilities.
Through ATOS, the Seaspray 7300E V2 works with the aircraft’s other sensors to make it a fully-fledged ISTAR (intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance) platform. As well as watching the sea, the ATR 72 MPA can monitor the coast from a significant distance and, using the radar’s synthetic-aperture radar (SAR) mode, create a complete picture of the coastline.
Supporting anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and anti-surface unit warfare (AsuW) missions, the ATR 72 MPA would also be equipped with ULISSES (Ultra-LIght SonicS Enhanced System), an integrated acoustic sensor system designed to ‘listen’ for hostile submarines and determine their locations. Like Seaspray, ULISSES will also be integrated through ATOS to provide the ATR 72 MPA crew with a comprehensive picture of the environment. Uniquely in the market, ULISSES incorporates ‘multistatic’ functionality, which draws on multiple sources of information to triangulate the location of potentially hostile undersea vessels.
Other sensors integrated into the ATOS system include an electro-optical sensor turret with colour and monochrome cameras, electronic warfare sensors offering wideband electronic surveillance capability, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) and an Airborne Search and Rescue System Direction Finder (ASARS DF).
With a high-performance mission system and latest generation sensors, the ATR 72 MPA can pursue objectives efficiently and effectively, exploiting its range and endurance performances to the fullest.
The ATR 72 MPA interoperability, with the associated Ground Station and with cooperative assets, is guaranteed by the complete Leonardo communication suite that allow the system to share the tactical picture in real time, disseminating data and information in Line of Sight (V/UHF-HF-WBDL) and Beyond Line of Sight (SATCOM) conditions. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/leonardo)
25 May 23. Wingtra Launches Improved Mapping Camera. Wingtra has unveiled the RGB61 payload. Engineers have customized the Sony Alpha 7 Mark IV 61MP RGB camera to offer the most efficient, data-light UAV data solution on the market. All of this while offering seamless, in-app light-settings control, and reliable, ultra-high accuracy image capture with every flight.
“Because RGB61 allows you to capture 600 ha (1480 ac) in two flights, instead of three, and process 40 % less data for the same area, customers are going to be able to map large areas in tighter time windows, plus take on more projects due to dramatically faster turnaround times. Imagine if you had a project that would take nine flight hours to cover before, and you could now do it in six but with roughly half the images to process. Because that is what you can do with this payload. All with richer image detail.” Julian Mackern Product Manager, Wingtra
Game changing efficiency plus better image quality
To optimize data capture efficiency and prevent distortion, RGB61 features a high-quality 24mm lens. Updated image quality helps identify key features on maps and enhances matching point identification in photogrammetry post-processing software. Plus, the payload is tightly integrated with the WingtraPilot, WingtraOne’s mission-planning app, for fine control in different light conditions.
“With this RGB61 integration, we offer customers a quick and intuitive way to make sure their images will be the best quality,” Mackern explained. “With the tap of a menu option in WingtraPilot, they choose the right camera settings for the light levels on the project site.”
The RGB61 is a continuation of Wingtra’s standard, offering leading-edge accuracy via integration with a high-quality PPK GNSS data correction system. I.e., customers will still achieve survey-grade results and sharp imagery from every WingtraOne GEN II VTOL fixed-wing drone flight, all with minimum ground control. And partnerships with leading companies like Propeller and Pix4D support the new level of resolution.
“Our customers work on sensitive projects like airports runway mapping and in projects where weather might constrict flight windows. So capturing large areas, fast, is key to saving money, keeping personnel safe and delivering timely results to stakeholders,” said Marcos Bayuelo, VP Product at Wingtra. “From flight to deliverables, the RGB61 provides them with exactly this—without compromise on accuracy or image quality. We’re excited and confident that this payload will offer our customers better project times, clear ROI and a serious business advantage.” The RGB61 is compatible with the WingtraOne GEN II drone. (Source: UAS VISION)
23 May 23. Lockheed eyeing plans to keep SPY-1 radar active in fleets globally through 2060. Lockheed Martin, the longtime maker of the SPY-1 ballistic missile defense radar, says it will soon wrap up new production of the system but is actively preparing this southern New Jersey factory to continue sustaining the system used by several militaries around the world through 2060. The 400-acre campus here houses materials and testing equipment for several of the defense contractor’s Pentagon radar programs: the Homeland Defense Radar – Hawaii for the Missile Defense Agency, the Army’s Q-53 counterfire acquisition radar as well as the much newer SPY-7 BMD radar destined for Canadian, Japanese and Spanish ships.
But it’s SPY-1, the system initially deployed in the 1970s, and now aboard numerous US Navy cruisers and destroyers, that Lockheed executives say have become top of mind as they wrap up some of the final assembly and testing they’ll do on new units.
Joe DePietro, a Lockheed vice president and the Moorestown’s campus general manager, said SPY-1 radar production for the US Navy was completed several years ago, but the company has continued to build new systems for international customers — most recently, South Korea. The company has also received auxiliary contracts to upgrade certain US Navy radars with a “low-noise amplifier” technology.
“We’re thinking about the sustainability of the radar — 2040 to 2060 and what we’re going to need asset-wise,” he told reporters here on Monday. (Lockheed Martin covered certain lodging and transportation costs for Breaking Defense to tour their Moorestown facility.)
“We’re maintaining that capability, and in the meantime, the people that have the expertise [are working on] other radar programs, waiting for when that opportunity is going to present itself to move into a bigger sustainment view on SPY-1,” he continued.
Inside the company’s factory, executives said a large space, now devoted to assembling MK-41 Vertical Launching Cells, was once dedicated to SPY-1. The space was recently refurbished for the MK-41 when a decision was made to vacate a different building in Maryland and move many of its assets to Moorestown. Still though, certain areas are being reserved for repairing and testing any future SPY-1 radars that are damaged while in operations.
The issues and questions surrounding sustainment of the radar are not just internal to Lockheed. During the tour, executives said they have raised the subject with the Navy’s acquisition offices as well as directly with Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday when the senior officer visited the facility earlier this year.
A spokesman for the CNO confirmed the admiral visited Lockheed’s Moorestown campus on Jan. 30, but declined to comment on what they called private discussions with industry.
The SPY-1 radar is installed on a variety of US Navy cruisers and destroyers, and DePietro said the company holds a contract that allows the Pentagon to purchase spare parts as needed. Meanwhile, the service is moving forward on a $3.2 bn deal with Raytheon to outfit its fleet with several variants of the SPY-6 radar, some of which will replace SPY-1 units. But those backfits will take years to install as the service individually schedules ships for maintenance to receive upgrades. That means the SPY-1 radar still has years of service left inside the US fleet.
Beyond the US Navy, the governments of Australia, Japan, Norway, Spain and South Korea all have SPY-1 radars on some of their warships.
“When we say through 2060, that’s because we’ve loaded in both the domestic and the international support items that would be required … to be able to sustain that system long term,” said DePietro. “They need to maintain the radar sets to the service life of the ships…They want to be able to keep them for the next 15 or 20 years.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Breaking Defense.com)
23 May 23. UK MoD’s radars-without-a-home cost £120m. When the decision was taken to cut the purchase of five E-7 Wedgetails down to three aircraft, MESA radars for the fourth and fifth aircraft were already in production. The cost of the two new Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) airborne radars being procured by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) originally due to be mounted on the now-cancelled fourth and fifth E-7 Wedgetail Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) platforms has been revealed to be £120m. The UK has been mostly without AEW&C capability since it retired its fleet of E-3D Sentry aircraft in 2021, with the aspiration that the E-7 Wedgetail would be introduced from 2023.
Delays have already pushed this timeline back by 12 months, and the fleet suffering 40% cuts even before it enters service.
It was recently revealed that the UK would be going ahead with the acquisition of the high-end radars from manufacturer Northrop Grumman despite having reduced the planned buy of E-7 aircraft down to just three airframes.
However, when the decision was taken to cut the purchase of five E-7 Wedgetails down to three aircraft, MESA radars for the fourth and fifth aircraft were already in production.
According to Northrop Grumman, the MESA radar can dynamically adjust to emerging threats, and ‘nearly double’ detection range by focusing energy towards a specific location, while maintaining a full background of the ongoing battlespace.
The MESA system also has higher update rate for tracking and is able to monitor airborne and maritime targets simultaneously, including the ability to revisit high profile targets at rapid rates.
James Cartlidge, Minister for Defence Procurement, stated on 19 May that the cost for the procurement of each MESA radar was £60m.
“Parts from the radars originally planned for aircraft four and five will be retained for spares allowing a saving/offset of initial procurement and future sustainment requirements from the overall programme cost. They will also add resilience to the spares supply chain to benefit aircraft availability,” Cartlidge said in a parliamentary written response.
Shrinking fleet numbers
According to figures released in December last year three E-7 Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft due to enter service with the UK Royal Air Force (RAF) will cost £630m each, despite savings resulting from reducing the planned buy down from an initial five platforms.
In reworking the planned acquisition, the UK MoD shaved £265m off the expected programme cost for the three aircraft to £1.89bn, down from £2.155bn originally.
The figures came to light in a 13 December parliamentary written response from the UK Government and did not take into account the estimated forecast savings from long-term sustainment through reduced support costs as a result of the reduction in fleet size.
The first E-7 Wedgetail is expected to be delivered to the UK MoD in 2024, following completion of its flight test programme and initial certification activity. It is expected that initial operating capability will follow three to six months after delivery, exact timing of which will be confirmed when the programme’s Full Business Case is submitted in mid-2023.
With MESA radars four and five being delivered, it leaves open the potential that a rethink could reintroduce the airframes previously cut from the programme. However, financial pressures in the MoD, and accusations of a “broken” defence procurement system by the PAC, continue to be influencing near- and medium-term factors. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
23 May 23. Taqtile and DigiLens Partner on Rugged AR-Enabled Solution for Industrial and Defense Customers. DigiLens Inc. (AWE USA 2023, booth 427), a global leader in waveguide technology and industrial head-set platforms, announces it is teaming up with Taqtile, Inc., the leader in augmented reality (AR)-based work instruction software, to provide a groundbreaking solution that will assist deskless industrial and defense workers in completing essential, complex tasks. The combination of the ARGO™ smartglasses from DigiLens and the Manifest® work instruction platform from Taqtile will deliver a robust, industrial-lite solution for deskless workers around the globe.
The powerful combination of technologies from Taqtile and DigiLens offers industry-leading scalability and exceptional quality at a cost-effective price point, enabling workers to conduct maintenance, repairs, inspections, and other procedures more efficiently, accurately, and safely than ever before. The new solution is expected to be a valuable tool in industries such as manufacturing, energy, healthcare, logistics, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, and defense.
“Worker productivity, specifically deskless work, has been the focus of DigiLens ARGO. ARGO allows the frontline operator true hands free, body position independence, and now with Manifest from Taqtile, robust work instruction anywhere, at any time, in any environment. Manifest on ARGO provides a complete work ecosystem, giving industrial and defense workers a platform of the future; enabling them to be more efficient, precise, and agile while having their hands free for the task at hand,” said Nima Shams, GM and VP of Product BU at DigiLens.
DigiLens, maker of ARGO smartglasses, is a leader in holographic waveguides used for XR displays. The company has developed a patented optical platform and photopolymer technology for use indoors and in bright outdoor lighting conditions, delivering superior performance in a small footprint that does not require modification to be implemented in industrial and defense environments.
Manifest complements DigiLens hardware with cutting-edge AR technology that improves operational workflows so that jobs get done more accurately and consistently. Manifest empowers deskless workers to document maintenance and operational procedures, follow step-by-step work instructions, and analyze job performance and history more easily and efficiently. For complex tasks, the advanced Manifest platform enables access to real-time remote assistance from knowledge experts who can view “see-what-I-see” video and guide deskless users with spatially anchored content within the AR environment.
“ARGO represents just the type of head-mounted, hands-free device that Manifest customers have been looking for,” said John Tomizuka, CTO, Taqtile. “We continue to evaluate hardware solutions that will meet the unique needs of our deskless workers, and the combination of Manifest and ARGO has the ability to deliver performance and functionality that will appeal to the industrial and defense sectors.”
About DigiLens
DigiLens, maker of the revolutionary ARGO industrial platform, and is a leader in holographic waveguides used for XR displays. The company has developed a patented optical platform and photopolymer technology that delivers best-in-class solutions using a unique, low-cost contact-copy manufacturing process. DigiLens enables OEM partners to design and build XR-enabled devices for the global automobile, enterprise, consumer, avionics, and military industries. Based in Sunnyvale, CA, DigiLens investors include industry leaders like Samsung Electronics, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Diamond Edge Ventures, the strategic investment arm of Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, Alsop Louie Partners, Optimas Capital Management, 37 Interactive Entertainment, UDC Ventures, the corporate venture arm of Universal Display Corporation, Niantic, Inc., Sony Innovation Fund, Dolby Family Ventures, Continental AG, and more.
About Taqtile
Seattle-based Taqtile is revolutionizing how deskless workers do their jobs. Taqtile exists to empower and equip people with the tools they need to complete their jobs flawlessly, accurately, every time. By leveraging proven technologies, including augmented reality, 3D visualization, and real-time collaborative communication, Taqtile’s Manifest platform empowers deskless workers to complete complex tasks more efficiently, completely, and safely than ever before. Taqtile is a proud member of Fast Company’s “World Changing Ideas” list for three consecutive years – 2021, 2022, and 2023. For more information on Taqtile and Manifest, please visit https://taqtile.com/. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
23 May 23. Elbit Systems UK to Deliver Ground-Based Surveillance Radar to British Armed Forces. Elbit Systems UK has been awarded a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide a series of Ground-Based Surveillance Radar (GBSR) systems, manufactured and developed in the UK and Europe, to the British Armed Forces to support front line threat detection for a range of end-users.
Elbit Systems UK will deliver 90 GBSR systems throughout 2023 and 2024, with a follow-on option of an additional 40 systems. The GBSR system is easily portable and uses Digital Signal Processing to detect, track and classify targets moving on or close to the ground.
The systems being delivered have been customised by Elbit Systems UK to meet the specialist capability requirements of a joint end-user community. These adaptations include an optimised stabilisation unit and open architecture software upgrades to facilitate integration both with existing and future MOD systems.
The system also incorporates capture software that allows operator performance to be analysed. This will support extensive, data-driven training for the user.
Martin Fausset, CEO of Elbit Systems UK, said: “Elbit Systems UK has a deep understanding of the threat environment in which our servicemen and women operate. By offering a portable solution for medium and short range target detection, Elbit Systems UK is continuing to support the UK Ministry of Defence in providing leading situational awareness for those on the front line, using some of the best technology available.”
22 May 23. Poland in talks to buy Swedish early warning aircraft, minister says. Poland is in advanced talks to buy Swedish early warning planes and hopes negotiations will be finalised shortly, Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said on Monday.
Poland has ramped up military spending since Russia’s invasion of neighbouring Ukraine in February last year, with the government pledging to double the size of the army and spend 4% of GDP on defence in 2023.
“We are conducting detailed negotiations. I hope they will succeed in a short time. This way we strengthen the resilience of Poland, but also of NATO’s eastern flank,” Blaszczak wrote on Twitter after a meeting of defence ministers from northern Europe.
He did not provide further details on the number or type of aircraft. discussed. (Source: Reuters)
22 May 23. Kopin Extends OLED Deposition Capabilities to Support US Department of Defense Initiatives. Kopin Corporation (NASDAQ: KOPN), a leading developer and provider of high-resolution microdisplays and application-specific optical sub-assemblies for defense, enterprise, consumer and medical products, today announced it has executed partner agreements for redundant and new OLED deposition capabilities for its current and future OLED family of devices.
“Due to our non-proprietary silicon wafer-based OLED deposition process and our highly integrated and flexible backplane design, Kopin is able to utilize several OLED deposition sources globally to support our customers’ cost, performance and continuity of supply demands,” said Bill Maffucci, Kopin’s Senior Vice President of Business Development and Strategy. “These new partnership agreements extend our deposition supply base into several US Department of Defense and NATO-friendly locations supporting duplicity and continuity of our supply chain, while at the same time bring more of the OLED packaging and testing processes in-house at Kopin. In addition, Kopin has gained access through these agreements to a broader set of OLED displays and other advanced technologies, to further enhance our product offerings.”
Kopin has developed a fab-lite strategy which is a blend of internal manufacturing and assembly coupled with partnerships with global leaders in wafer and deposition manufacturing technologies.
“Continuity of sovereign supply is critical to our US Defense customers and these agreements support that need while allowing Kopin to support current and potential Consumer, Medical, Industrial and Automotive customers with our Asia-based deposition partners,” said Michael Murray, Kopin’s Chief Executive Officer. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
22 May 23. Aselan’s naval counter-UAS Gökdeniz CIWS gun “integrated with MILGEM-5 frigate.” Numerous press reports say the Gökdeniz CIWS (Close-in Weapon System) developed by Turkey’s Aselsan has passed a series of acceptance tests. The weapon system – developed to defend against a wide range of threats, including anti-ship missiles, helicopters, fighters, unmanned aerial vehicles, surface platforms and asymetric surface naval threats – has been integrated with the MILGEM-5 frigate.
“GÖKDENİZ CIWS along with 35 mm Airburst Ammunition (ATOM) developed by ASELSAN is a close-in weapon system (CIWS) highly effective against anti-ship missiles,” says the company. “The system with the Automatic Linkless Ammunition Feed Mechanism allows loading both HEI and Airburst Ammunition at the same time and switching between ammunition types as needed.”
For more information: https://www.aselsan.com/en/savunma/product/1993/gokdeniz#section-overview; https://defence-industry.eu/aselsan-gokdeniz-ciws-successfully-completes-acceptance-tests/ ,(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
17 May 23. C-UAS company AARONIA AG opens new facility at Vienna-Vöslau Airport. AARONIA AG, is opening its subsidiary in Austria at Vienna- Vöslau Airport today. Stephan Kraschansky (32), former officer and expert in drone defence in the Austrian Armed Forces, will lead the company as Managing Director, according to a compmany press release.
A live demo of the AARTOS counter UAS system will be presented to a group of international representatives at the start of the company’s operations. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
19 May 23. UAS Denmark Test Center buys Wiebel radar to enhance UTM and counter-UAS capabilities. The UAS Denmark International Test Center has announced the acquisition of a XENTA surveillance radar from Weibel Scientific to help the airport to detect, track and classify all aircraft in vicinity of the airport, “thus bringing us closer to our ambition of paving the way for a mixed airspace,” according to the centre in a Linkedin post.
“More specifically, the radar will make it possible for us to offer new test services to our clients, including: traffic control (UTM/U-Space), drone radar signatures, verification of tracking/positioning and alternative navigation methods, sense & avoid systems and a counter-UAS capability.
“This radar investment is made possible thanks to NextGen Robotics,” concluded the post.
For more information
https://www.linkedin.com/company/uas-denmark/about/
has announced the acquisition of a XENTA surveillance radar from Weibel Scientific to help the airport to detect, track and classify all aircraft in vicinity of the airport, “thus bringing us closer to our ambition of paving the way for a mixed airspace,” according to the centre in a Linkedin post.
“More specifically, the radar will make it possible for us to offer new test services to our clients, including: traffic control (UTM/U-Space), drone radar signatures, verification of tracking/positioning and alternative navigation methods, sense & avoid systems and a counter-UAS capability.
“This radar investment is made possible thanks to NextGen Robotics,” concluded the post.
For more information: https://www.linkedin.com/company/uas-denmark/about/ (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
19 May 23. US Air Force Research Laboratory demonstrates anti-drone swarm C-UAS technology. The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) conducted a demonstration April 5, 2023, of its high-power microwave counter drone weapon, the Tactical High-power Operational Responder, or THOR, as it engaged a swarm of multiple targets at the Chestnut Test Site, Kirtland Air Force Base, according to an AFRL press release.
“The THOR team flew numerous drones at the THOR system to simulate a real-world swarm attack,” said Adrian Lucero, THOR programme manager at AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate. “THOR has never been tested against these types of drones before, but this did not stop the system from dropping the targets out of the sky with its non-kinetic, speed-of-light High-Power Microwave, or HPM pulses,” he said.
Capt. Eric Plummer, a test engineer with AFRL’s Directed Energy Directorate, operated the THOR system and has been with the THOR program for nearly two years. He was responsible for aiming the THOR system at the swarm.
“THOR was exceptionally effective at disabling the swarm with its wide beam, high peak powers and fast-moving gimbal to track and disable the targets,” said Lucero.
“THOR was extremely efficient with a near continuous firing of the system during the swarm engagement,” said Capt. Tylar Hanson, THOR deputy program manager. “It is an early demonstrator, and we are confident we can take this same technology and make it more effective to protect our personnel around the world.”
For more information
https://afresearchlab.com/technology/directed-energy/successstories/counter-swarm-high-power-weapon/
https://afresearchlab.com/news/afrl-conducts-swarm-technology-demonstration/ (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
20 May 23. DeTect to support BVLOS operations at Texas TAMUCC LS, launches long-range radar. DeTect, Inc has received an order from the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Lone Star Center of Excellence in UAS (TAMUCC LS) for an initial six-month rental of a mobile HARRIER S200d BVLOS unit.
“The trailered system is fully self-contained with an extendable 55 ft radar tower and on-board power and computer systems,” said the company. “The units will be used to support beyond visual line-of-sight drone operations at the TAMUCC LS UAS range and includes a purchase option.”
The company also recently announced it has produced its largest and longest-range radar – the HARRIER BAR300 – with an extended range for aircraft detection of 30+ nautical miles.
“The BAR(TM) series radar is an X-band, solid-state air and marine surveillance radar in development by DeTect since 2021 for extended range airspace security, drone operation beyond visual line-of-sight (BVLOS), Aircraft Detection Lighting System (ADLS), bird monitoring and long-range coastal surveillance applications,” said DeTect. “The first production article is now in final certification testing at DeTect’s R&D range in Florida and is expected to be available on the market by the end of the second quarter 2023.”
“With this radar, DeTect now offers a full range of 2D and 3D radars from small, lightweight, short-range units to large, long-range radars, allowing DeTect to deliver ‘The Right Radar for the Job”, said Gary W. Andrews, DeTect’s President and CEO. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
21 May 23. RoK “strengthening C-UAS capabilities” after North Korean drone incursions. RoK is unprepared for drone operations by North Korea, according to leaked documents which are part of the “Discord” series of Pentagon paper leaks, according to articles in The Washington Post and the International Business Times.
According to the Post: “An incursion of South Korean airspace by North Korean drones exposed Seoul’s lack of preparedness in defending against such threats, and it will likely take years for the military to correct its shortcomings, according to a classified U.S. intelligence assessment of the December incident.…The findings, outlined in a leak of U.S. secrets circulated on the Discord messaging platform and obtained by The Washington Post, spotlight the vulnerable state of South Korea’s air defense as its volatile neighbor’s aggressive development of a nuclear arsenal has Seoul and Washington on edge.
“South Korea has prioritized its defenses to confront incoming missiles while investing heavily in growing its air and naval forces, but Seoul’s focus has come at the cost of neglecting other air defense needs, experts said — leaving the country vulnerable to a threat responsible for extensive carnage in Ukraine, Syria and elsewhere.
“Five North Korean drones flew deep into South Korea on Dec. 26, including one that pierced the no-fly zone around Seoul’s presidential office. The military scrambled fighter jets and helicopters in response but failed to shoot any of them down; some of them disappeared from radar screens as they were being tracked, military officials said. The incident prompted political fallout for South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who blamed the lack of preparedness on his predecessor and said he’d rush to activate a specialized anti-drone unit later this year.”
In February South Korea announced a strengthening of its counter-UAS capabilities. According to a February 2023 report in The Korea Herald:
“The meeting of the 16th National Counter Terrorism Committee, convened by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, approved the government’s plan of deploying the anti-drone system to key facilities, including oil refineries and power plants, in stages of order of importance. The government will also seek to actively support and promote research and development of anti-drone technology and amend related laws and systems to step up South Korea’s readiness against potential drone attacks by terrorists.
“Han called for the country to strengthen anti-drone capabilities and reinforce preparedness against the malicious use of armed-drones by terrorist organizations, explaining that the government sees terrorism will remain a global threat in light of continuing political unrest in some African countries and the expansion of terrorist groups in the Middle East and Southwest Asia.
“In addition, the government decided to establish a new counter-terrorism unit under the auspice of the police in 18 strategically important regions, such as the Ulsan metropolitan city where power plants and oil refineries are stationed. Other regions include the Gangwon Province borders with North Korea, as well as North Chungcheong Province where the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and Health Technology Administration are based.”
For more information: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/05/10/south-korea-drone-defense-leaked-documents/: https://www.ibtimes.com/south-korea-not-ready-north-koreas-drone-attacks-leaked-docs-show-3692497: https://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20230217000559 (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
22 May 23. Indra Installs Naval Version of Lanza 3D Radar On Indian Navy Front Line Ship. Indra’s Lanza 3D radar continues to strengthen itself as one of the most advanced surveillance systems on the market and continues its international expansion. Indra is currently installing its naval version, Lanza-N 3D, on one of the Indian Navy’s destroyers, beginning the delivery of the 23 radars that it will provide to the Indian Navy over the next decade.
This milestone is part of the contract signed by the company in 2020 with the Indian company TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), within the framework of a technology transfer program. This provides for the delivery by Indra of a total of three complete radars, plus the core elements of its system for another 20 radars, destined for ships, which TASL will complete and integrate locally. To them is added an additional reference radar to support this technology transfer during the additional maintenance period of 12 and a half years.
After designing and producing the first radar at Indra’s facilities in Madrid, the system passed the factory acceptance tests (FAT) at CEAR, the Radioelectric Analysis Center of the Institute of Aerospace Technology (INTA) in November, to be subsequently shipped to India, where installation has begun once the ship has become available.
The following two radars are already in production and are expected to pass FAT tests this year.
The Lanza-N radar that is being implemented is based on the one fitted to the ship Juan Carlos I of the Spanish Navy, although the system has been adapted to the regulatory requirements of India, for example, in the environmental field to guarantee its optimum performance even in conditions of high humidity and extreme heat.
In addition, it incorporates the latest technological and operational updates incorporated by Indra to its family of Lanza radars, as well as some improvements, such as greater power for the use of long-range mode or remote monitoring of the pressurization system.
This project confirms the export potential of the Lanza-N radar, a high-tech Spanish solution for surface ships, designed as a long-range, modular, solid-state pulsed tactical radar, with all the equipment associated with the Lanza-N fully integrated for a naval operation.
The primary function of radar is the detection of aircraft within the instrumented coverage volume, even in adverse conditions. It also includes the integration of a Secondary Surveillance Radar (IFF/SSR).
The most advanced radar technology
Indra’s Lanza 3D family radars have not stopped evolving and improving to become one of the most advanced on the market on a global scale.
Thus, Indra has also become one of the main manufacturers of radars in the world, applied not only to the Defense sector, but also in the field of mobility and air traffic. The company has one of the largest radar factories in Europe in the Community of Madrid, with more than 7,000 square meters and 200 specialized professionals.
With more than forty years working on the development of these systems, Indra has exported its radars to the five continents and is the main supplier of NATO. The protection of European airspace, the survival of the Eurofighter and the ships of various navies, and even the protection of orbiting satellites depend on the company’s mastery of this technology.
It has also developed one of the most powerful radars in Europe and the world, intended for space surveillance, capable of detecting objects in orbit more than 2,000 kilometers from Earth and which is responsible for protecting launches, satellites and the international space station.
In this area, Indra has signed a collaboration agreement with the Indian company, Centum Electronics, to present a joint proposal to the Indian Space Agency (ISRO) to manufacture a radar for observing and tracking objects in space with which to protect the country’s space assets. The agreement is aligned with the “Make India” strategy of the country’s government, which supports the formation of this type of strategic alliances between local companies and leading companies.
Indra is one of the leading global technology and consulting companies and the technology partner for the key operations of its clients’ businesses around the world. It is a world leading provider of proprietary solutions in specific segments of the Transport and Defense markets, and a leading company in digital transformation and Information Technology in Spain and Latin America through its subsidiary Minsait. At the end of the 2022 financial year, Indra had revenues of 3,851 million euros, almost 57,000 employees, a local presence in 46 countries and commercial operations in more than 140 countries. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/Indra)
15 May 23. U.S. Army selects Northrop Grumman + teammate Shield AI for future tactical UAS prototype. Under a seven-week base period contract, the Northrop Grumman-led team will define the modular open-system architecture of an enhanced V-BAT aircraft, including the integration of advanced surveillance and electronic warfare (EW) payloads. The V-BAT UAS is an innovative, agile, compact and lightweight platform that a combat team of two soldiers can rapidly launch and recover in challenging and on-the-move environments.
Northrop Grumman is teamed with Shield AI, designer and manufacturer of the V-BAT platform, to provide best-in-class solutions for an expeditionary vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS, capable of persistent aerial reconnaissance for U.S. Army Brigade Combat Teams, Special Forces and Ranger battalions. As a Future Vertical Lift program, the FTUAS is the Army’s premier VTOL unmanned aircraft modernization effort.
Earlier versions of the V-BAT have supported operations for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps since 2016. The new enhanced V-BAT is simple to operate, has increased power, a reduced logistics tail and capacity to carry a range of interchangeable payloads, including electro-optical/infra-red, synthetic aperture radar and EW systems, offering long-term adaptability and life cycle management.
“Our team’s enhanced V-BAT embodies more than 30 years of experience designing, delivering and sustaining advanced unmanned aircraft systems, combined with a field-proven platform and production facilities. We bring a unique perspective and capabilities to this critical Army mission.” — Angela Johns, vice president, autonomous and tactical air systems, Northrop Grumman. (Source: Satnews)
16 May 23. DARPA’s new HOTS program. More widely, sensors are deployed across countless commercial and defense systems, including in the oil and gas sector, the automotive industry, alternative energy sources, geothermal applications, and aviation and aerospace.
In these broader industrial contexts, the capabilities of sensors can be inhibited by thermal limitations. A sensor may theoretically be able to process inputs such as speed, pressure, or the integrity of a mechanical component, but inside a turbine engine, temperatures far exceed what any existing sensor can withstand.
DARPA’s new High Operational Temperature Sensors (HOTS) program will work toward developing microelectronic sensor technologies capable of high-bandwidth, high-dynamic-range sensing at extreme temperatures.
In development of nexgen turbine engines or high-speed flight, thermal restrictions can hamstring progress. For example, high-performance pressure sensors are needed to capture complex flow dynamics in extremely high temperature environments (i.e., 800° C or 1472° F).
Today, sensors that can withstand thermally harsh conditions are limited to low-sensitivity transducers located in hot zones coupled via noisy electrical connections to remote, temperature-constrained, silicon signal-conditioning microelectronics in cold zones. The resulting integrated sensors lack the combination of frequency bandwidth and dynamic range essential for high-temperature missions.
Physical sensors that can overcome these limitations and optimally perform in high-temperature environments – without additional thermal management – will enable critical operations that include monitoring stability and functionality in extremely hot system components. Combinations of emerging materials, fabrication techniques, and integration technologies that inform new types of transistors and transducers, are among the potential approaches the HOTS program hopes to demonstrate as a sensor module.
HOTS will hold a Proposers Day on May 31, 2023. More information on the Proposers Day (). Further program details will be available in a forthcoming Broad Agency Announcement.
“Many of the defense and industrial systems that rely on sensors experience harsh environments beyond the capability of today’s high-performance physical sensors. That means these systems have to be designed and operated with reduced performance and excessive margins – they’re limited by the uncertainty of their thermal environments. However, if we can design, integrate, and demonstrate high-performance physical sensors that can operate in high-temperature environments, we can advance toward systems that perform at the edge of their capability instead of the limits of uncertainty. If you look at the progress of cars alone, we’ve seen sort of a nervous system of sensing evolve, providing visibility and knowledge of what’s happening across the platform. Applying the same concept to larger-scale systems in harsh environments will offer tremendous benefits for the future system capabilities.” — Dr. Benjamin Griffin, program manager for HOTS. (Source: Satnews)
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Blighter Surveillance Systems is a world-leading designer and manufacturer of best-in-class electronic-scanning ground-based radars, surveillance solutions and Counter-UAS systems. Blighter’s solid-state micro-Doppler products are deployed in more than 35 countries across the globe, delivering consistent all-weather security protection and wide area surveillance along borders, coastlines, at military bases and across critical infrastructure such as airports, oil and gas facilities and palaces. Blighter radars are also used to protect manoeuvre force missions when deployed on military land vehicles and trailers, and its world-beating multi-mode radar represents a great leap in threat detection technology and affordability for use in a variety of scenarios.
The Blighter range of radar products are used for detecting a variety of threats, from individuals on foot to land vehicles, boats, drones and low-flying aircraft at ranges of up to 32 km. Blighter Surveillance Systems employs 40 people and is located near Cambridge, UK, where it designs, produces and markets its range of unique patented solid-state radars. Blighter prides itself on being an engineer-led business committed to providing cost-effective and flexible solutions across the defence, critical infrastructure and national security markets.
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