Sponsored by Echodyne
www.echodyne.com
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
23 Jun 24. Thales cut-price weapon that can take down multiple drones at once by disrupting their electronics could be available as early as next year, says the head of the company spearheading the development for the UK. Alex Cresswell, chair and chief executive of Thales UK, said the new radio frequency directed energy weapon (RFDEW) which is being field tested with the UK military over the summer, should be ready for use “quite quickly”. “Going from something that works in real life on Salisbury Plain to something that you would send off to Ukraine is still quite a jump. It’s a year’s jump but not many years’ jump,” said Cresswell in an interview with the Financial Times. “Could the system that we have demonstrated be available for someone to field [as early as next year]? Yes, of course it could,” he added. Thales UK, the British subsidiary of the French defence and technology group, is leading the development of the weapon as part of an industrial consortium under contract with the Ministry of Defence. A decision on when and where to deploy the system would be up to the UK government. At a cost of only 10p per use and with a range of up to 1km, the system will offer a cheaper alternative to traditional missile air defence systems, which typically cost upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The technology can be mounted on military vehicles and uses a mobile power source to produce radio frequency waves or pulses to interfere with the electronics of a moving target. The industry, said Cresswell, has been working on countermeasures against incoming attacks for decades. However, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine both sides have relied heavily on drones to attack from the skies, spurring investment from governments and industry in ways to counter such attacks. What people are trying to pursue, he added, is weapons that are “much more cost effective for the combat mass that they provide”. Thales, which has the French government as its biggest investor, generated €18.4bn in revenues in 2023 and is recruiting heavily worldwide. In the UK, where it employs more than 7,000 people, sales have risen 20 per cent over the past two years to just over £1.1bn by the end of 2023. Cresswell said he expected sales in the UK to increase another 10 per cent this year as the company benefits from higher government orders. It makes missiles and launchers at two sites in Belfast in Northern Ireland, as well as providing sonar systems for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines. Missiles made in Belfast have been supplied, via the UK Ministry of Defence, to Ukraine. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has not only depleted governments’ weapons stockpiles but also underlined that most were too small to cope with a long and intense conflict. Output at the Belfast facilities, where Thales builds the Starstreak short-range air defence system and assembles the Saab NLAW anti-tank system, has doubled over the past 18 months to its highest level for the past two decades. Cresswell said Thales plans to double output again over the next two years to meet demand. There has been a “seismic shift” in the way weapons and munitions are procured, with a “much higher focus on resilience being built in, capacity being built in and the ability to scale up being built in”, he said. (Source: Google/FT.com)
20 Jun 24. Rheinmetall and Anduril join forces to develop C-sUAS system.
The Düsseldorf-based technology group Rheinmetall and Anduril Industries signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) during Eurosatory in Paris, one of the world’s leading trade shows for defence and security. Under this collaboration, Rheinmetall and Anduril will work together to design, develop, and produce new layered Counter small Unmanned Aerial System (C-sUAS) air defense systems. The scope of this collaboration is primarily to address European markets first.
These C-sUAS systems will combine Rheinmetall’s command and control system, Skymaster, and high-power guns with Lattice an open, modular and scalable hardware components including Anduril’s Sentry Tower, Wisp sensors and Anvil, its autonomous interceptor. By combining the unique capabilities of both companies, an unmatched layered solution for C-sUAS will be offered. Overall, the MoU aims to bring together the complementary skills of these two leading companies.
Oliver Dürr, CEO of Rheinmetall Air Defence AG said: “This cooperation will showcase the most innovative C-sUAS system – combining the strength of Rheinmetall military capabilities and the cutting edge development speed of Anduril. I am absolutely confident that this combination will address the future needs of our clients and that we shall bring the right solution at the right time on the market.”
Greg Kausner, Anduril’s SVP of Global Defence states: “The pace of warfare is accelerating at the speed of technology development. Global defence forces must face a rapidly evolving set of threats from both emerging unmanned systems and legacy manned platforms. Air defence systems require a layered approach that is flexible, adaptable and rapidly deployable. Anduril’s partnership with Rheinmetall will bring an innovative, software-defined and hardware enabled C-sUAS system to our customers to ensure they stay one step ahead of the drone threat.”
For more than a century, Rheinmetall has delivered high-power air defence guns and systems globally, providing unmatched firepower. Anduril, a global defense technology company, has developed a growing family of low-cost autonomous weapons systems all powered by its AI-enabled, interoperable Lattice software platform.
This cooperation will enable both companies to fulfill the strategic ambition to jointly develop and implement a systematic approach covering a wide sensor and effector mix. Ranging from diverse hard kill effectors to non-lethal effectors to gun missiles and state of the art active and passive detection sensors. The system will increase the survivability dramatically and allow new strategic and operational advantages.
20 Jun 24. Denmark, Germany and Hungary to Jointly Purchase Skyranger Air Defense Systems. The German Ministry of Defence announced at Eurosatory 2024 that Denmark, Germany, and Hungary signed a letter of intent in Paris for the joint procurement of SKYRANGER as part of the European Sky Shield Initiative ESSI.
The turret system can be integrated into Boxer vehicles, for example. It is considered the cornerstone of the German Army’s air defence.
Skyranger 30 is a turreted short-range air defense system developed by Rheinmetall Air Defense. It was first presented in March 2021. Its role is to provide ground units with a mobile system capable of engaging fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, Group I and Group II unmanned aerial systems, kamikaze drones and cruise missiles.
The Skyranger 30 bridges an acute existing capability gap in mobile air defence. The system constitutes an optimum combination of mobility, protection, flexibility and precision, making it a match for new challenges in the short- and very short-range threat spectrum. A hybrid solution, the system’s turret combines the highly effective 30mm x 173 KCE revolver gun, surface-to-air missiles and the necessary sensor suite, all on a single platform.
The Skyranger 30 systems earmarked for Germany will be armed with Stinger missiles. Depending on customer requirements, the system can be fitted with various modern guided missiles such as the Mistral, Stinger or special C-UAS missiles. (Source: UAS VISION)
21 Jun 24. USAF mobility fleet seeks on-board defenses against small drones. Air Mobility Command documents say they’re interested counter-drone systems, including platforms that can operate near friendly aircraft, so as not to hypothetically accidentally jam or spoof a nearby vice president’s plane.
The US Air Force is asking industry for help for potentially carrying defensive systems aboard mobility aircraft that can fend off small drones.
According to a request for information (RFI) released by the service today, it’s interested in “concepts and technologies related to an on-aircraft Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) capability.” The RFI was posted by Air Mobility Command, or AMC, which oversees operations of tankers and transport aircraft — slower, larger platforms typically more vulnerable to enemy attack.
Referring to the Pentagon’s “Group” system for classifying drones, with 1 being the smallest and 5 the largest, the RFI says that “Group 1 and 2 UAS are of primary interest, with an objective capability for Group 3 UAS.” The notice says that a “primary interest” is to field defenses “during critical phases of fixed-wing flight operations below 16,000 feet,” though the effort also seeks capabilities that can defend aircraft during ground operations, such as taxiing.
Mobility aircraft already carry defensive systems, such as flares and laser jammers, to defeat threats like missiles. But the proliferation of drone warfare and increasing civilian use of unmanned systems appears to be motivating the Air Force to field new defenses against UAS threats, particularly as officials warn that adversaries like China could exploit vulnerabilities in logistics operations. Mobility aircraft can sometimes rely on robust base defenses, notes a separate concept of operations (CONOPS) published alongside the RFI, but the prospect of austere operations means crews may have to carry C-sUAS capabilities with them.
The CONOPS explains that AMC not only needs to defend against enemy drones, but also UAS that happen to be in the area but don’t mean harm. The document says that industry solutions should offer greater situational awareness of the presence of drones, as well as minimal crew input to defeat or avoid them if the need arises. Civilian environments further require different considerations, the document says.
For example, a mobility aircraft called upon to aid a humanitarian mission may encounter friendly drones that are lending assistance, which the document notes would be “counterproductive to defeat.” Ideally, a C-sUAS solution would be able to identify friend or foe drones. Likewise, solutions must also be capable of discriminating in commercial settings, since “systems can’t broadly jam/spoof GPS or kinetic kill potential threats if the Vice President’s plane is sitting on a ramp at Frankfurt International airport,” the CONOPS document says.
As such, the RFI and CONOPS suggest the Air Force is interested in kinetic or non-kinetic options, including some that can identify but not necessarily destroy UAS, with AMC particularly interested in capabilities already demonstrated on other platforms that could be integrated on aircraft.
Alongside airborne defenses, the CONOPS document notes that counter-drone tools when aircraft are parked on the ground would need to be small so as to not displace cargo and easily roll on/off the aircraft if it has an accessible ramp. Aircraft lacking such a ramp would likely need hand-carried and rapidly deployable C-UAS systems, or equipment able to be operated aboard the aircraft.
“sUAS may be encountered everywhere, and the likelihood of encounter is increasing with the rapid development of small, inexpensive drones,” the CONOPS document says. AMC is seeking replies by August 28.
20 Jun 24. Trillium’s HD45 Gimbal Supports Army UAS. Trillium Engineering has supplied its HD45 payload for Army sUAS operations, enhancing reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities with its advanced imaging. Trillium Engineering is supporting the US Army with cutting-edge imaging technology onboard small uncrewed aircraft systems (sUAS). Trillium asserts that in warfare, timely and accurate intelligence can make the difference between mission success and failure. Trillium’s HD45 payload is a key component in enhancing the Army’s reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities, and is featured on four out of six platforms currently undergoing flight evaluations for the company-level sUAS Directed Requirement.
Trillium’s HD45 payload is ideal for the sUAS mission, offering high-definition optics and robust stabilization. The HD45 provides sharp, actionable intelligence in diverse environments, providing soldiers with crystal-clear imagery and precise location data to enhance situational awareness and decision-making in the field.
The HD45 offers high-definition imaging and advanced stabilization, crucial for effective reconnaissance and surveillance missions. Its lightweight and robust design mirrors the compactness of the HD40 while maintaining the superior imaging capabilities of the HD55.
It features embedded video processing with electronic stabilization and scene tracking, onboard Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System for real-time target location accuracy within 6 meters and supports day/night operations through its integrated visible and thermal cameras.
This advanced, all-in-one, imaging system is Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) compliant, shortening the timeline for integration across multiple platforms.
Meeting the Army’s future requirements
In 2023, the Army Futures Command recognized the need for enhanced intelligence capabilities and approved a Directed Requirement for a Company-Level sUAS. This initiative aims to deliver an initial capability for the Army’s maneuver battalions and inform requirements for future iterations.
Key requirements include:
- Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) system
- Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL)
- Less than 55 pounds
- The ability to fly for eight hours within a 24-hour period
Funding supports the initial procurement, integration, and operational deployment of the sUAS, thereby enhancing situational awareness and operational effectiveness.
Strengthening the Army’s UAS and RSTA capabilities with strong partnerships
Trillium Engineering has teamed with many top platforms in the US Army’s initiative to strengthen RSTA capabilities.
According to the Joint Small Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Capability Development Document, the Army plans to field short-range reconnaissance (SRR), medium-range reconnaissance (MRR), and long-range reconnaissance (LRR) UAS at the platoon, company, and battalion levels, respectively.
According to Trillium, the company is committed to supporting the Army’s vision by delivering reliable, high-performance imaging solutions, and looks forward to playing a key role in enhancing the Army’s tactical UAS operations. (Source: https://www.defenseadvancement.com/)
—————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–
Echodyne is a U.S. designer and manufacturer of advanced commercial radar solutions for defense and national security applications. The company’s proprietary metamaterials electronically scanned array (MESA®) architecture, a rare breakthrough in advanced radar engineering, leverages a physics-design approach to adapt conventional materials and deliver unexpected and beneficial behavior. The result is a solid-state, low-SWaP unit coupled with advanced software capabilities that delivers superior radar performance and unparalleled data integrity, radically improving system performance and enhancing safety for people and machines. With leading positions in counter-UAS, force protection, base security, and portable ISR, Defense Agencies and Suppliers rely on Echodyne radar for extraordinary accuracy and consistent, reliable operation. For more information, please visit: Echodyne.com.
——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–