Sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
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11 June 21. LightWare Launches Smallest Scanning microlidar. LightWare LiDAR has announced a new product evolution within the LightWare family – the SF45 scanning microLiDAR.
This small and lightweight scanning microLiDAR sensor weighs a mere 59 grams and measures only 51 mm x 48 mm x 44 mm – roughly the size of a golf ball! The SF45 is capable of very fast, accurate distance and speed measurements. It has ranging capabilities of 0.2m up to 50m, which can be adjusted from 20 degrees up to 320 degrees to adapt to your sensing needs and has horizontal or vertical Field of View (FoV) – depending on your application. This LiDAR works well in all light conditions – even in direct sunlight – making it ideal for rapid and high-accuracy obstacle detection. It features an update rate of up to 5000 readings per second.
These features will certainly benefit any type of unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) or robot where size and weight are critical to the system design. The SF45 is an excellent LiDAR for applications such as collision avoidance, navigation, detect and avoid, height above ground altitude, obstacle detection, and terrain following.
Diverse applications you can build with the SF45 microLiDAR.
Its easy-to-use, highly configurable system provides multiple hardware interfaces that allows it to connect to a variety of different controller types. Potential applications for the SF45 include collision avoidance, navigation, detect and avoid, height above ground altitude, obstacle detection, and terrain following.
Thanks to its low SWaP (size, weight, and power) requirements, use of this microLiDAR on a UAV will not impact flight time. All of this and more can be yours for just $449.00!
Key product features
- Up to 50 meters detection range.
- Small and lightweight design (59 grams).
- Produces up to 5000 readings per second
- Compatible with Pixhawk – ArduPilot and PX4.
- Operates in direct sunlight, low light conditions as well as in complete darkness.
- Product design optimized for multiple hardware interfaces.
All data on the SF45 is processed on-board, therefore no dedicated processors are required saving weight, cost, and power. At the same time, this LiDAR is able to provide real-time results to aid navigation and detect obstacles, making it an industry favourite!
The SF45 provides dynamic performance in a small form factor and new applications for the SF45 are being discovered every day. (Source: UAS VISION)
08 June 21. DARPA’s newest system kills drones with stringy streamers. After successful tests, the Pentagon’s emerging technology research arm finished work on an anti-drone system that can shoot strings of streamers into the propellers of threatening drones, causing them to fall from the sky.
The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency is looking to transfer the technology to a program of record through various service acquisitions programs, the office announced June 7.
The Mobile Force Protection program is designed to defeat drone intrusions over military installations and convoys using small unmanned aircraft. Using an X band radar, MFP automatically detects and identifies potential threats, then selects the appropriate interceptor to respond with. The system has a few different small drones it can send out, including rotary and fixed-wing interceptors. The primary interceptor tool is the one that shoots the streamers to gum up the works of other drones.
The entire process is designed to work without operator intervention.
“Because we were focusing on protecting mobile assets, the program emphasized solutions with a small footprint in terms of size, weight, and power,” said MFP program manager Gregory Avicola of DARPA’s Tactical Technology Office. “This also allows for more affordable systems and less operators.”
Dynetics was the primary systems integrator for MFP.
DARPA received $12m in fiscal 2020 and $4.3m in fiscal 2021 for the program. The agency is not seeking more funding in FY22, signaling the end of the development project.
The program, which launched four years ago, successfully demonstrated its ability to intercept a drone during recent tests at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. (Source: Defense News)
08 June 21. Israelis Fare Well In US Army Counter Drone Tests. Three Israeli companies are finalists in the U.S Army’s contest to find the most effective systems to neutralize hostile drones, with only one US company still in the mix.
ELTA, teamed with Iron Drone, and XTEND recently demonstrated their systems at Yuma Proving Grounds. The demos are part of the Army’s effort to select Low Collateral Effects Interceptors (LCEI) to counter the rapidly increasing threat from small drones.
The demos were organized by the U.S Air Force, the Joint Counter small UAS Office (JCO) and the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO). ELTA’s Drone Guard is a multi-sensor system developed for the military and homeland security market. It combines a 3-D radar for detection and tracking with identification by electro-optical sensor slaved to radar. It also uses disruption by a directional jammer.
The ELTA-Iron Drone team’s Drone Kill Drone (DKD) system can perform a hard kill or destroy the hostile drone propellers, says Matan Melamed, CEO of Iron Drone.
“We now offer an additional layer of defense – an autonomous drone that gets a first direction from the Drone Guard radar and then flies to “interception point” so that the operator can see the hostile drone and assess how dangerous it is,” Zvi Yarom, general manager of ELTA’s land directorate told BD.
“The use of EW interception in war zones is very problematic, and our joint solution solves the problem. In the recent demo we proved the capability of the joint system,” Melamed said.
According to ELTA and Iron Drone, their system needs no human intervention other than the command to launch. DKD uses a combination of on-board processing, autonomous flight control and optical target lock to find and strike the target. It contains an entanglement net of cut resistant wires that spring-release during flight and entangle the enemy’s rotors for an extremely high kill rate. DKD is modular and scalable to carry additional effector payloads and can be integrated to accept cues from drone detection sensors or Command and Control (C2) systems.
The third Israeli Company that took part in the demo is XTEND, who offered the Skylord Griffon system.
Ido Baron, VP of business development of XTEND told BD that by using an AR device and single-handed controller, a soldier can easily control the drone and perform complex tasks remotely with precision. Its interface enables the operator to “step into” a remote reality and engage targets effectively yet safely.
The drone weighs 900 grams and has a max speed of 150 km/h “To operate this drone a soldier needs minimal training and no prior expertise is required,” the company’s VP told BD. “The operator feels like he sits in the drone’s cockpit and that allows a new operator to intercept hostile drones after only three days of training.”
Baron explained that the drone carries a very light-weight net. “Our drone flies exactly over the enemy drone, releases the net and it kills the props,” he said. “We have proved its capabilities in Israel and now in the U.S” he said.
Baron revealed that 150 systems are currently used by US Special Operations Command. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
08 June 21. Thermal imaging specialist Thermoteknix has launched its new Augmented Reality Tactical Interface Module (ARTIM), with ATAK capabilities, to enhance its range of ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on Systems and deliver superior night-time surveillance and combat capabilities.
ARTIM delivers real-time Augmented Reality (AR) displayed via the ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on System, fitted to a Night Vision Goggle (NVG).
ARTIM integrates with existing digitalised soldier systems and secure communication networks to offer real-time data sharing and instant situational awareness for collaboration across teams and agencies.
ARTIM delivers real-time Augmented Reality (AR) displayed via the ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on System, fitted to a Night Vision Goggle (NVG).
ARTIM is a helmet-mounted intelligent battery pack that contains an ultra-low latency augmented reality processor and smart computer displayed to the user via the ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on System. The addition of ARTIM enhances existing thermal imaging capabilities by adding ultra-low latency Augmented Reality (AR) technology, while also providing power to the ClipIR XD for up to 24 hours of operation.
ARTIM is a helmet-mounted intelligent battery pack that contains an ultra-low latency Augmented Reality (AR) processor and smart computer. Shown here connected to a ClipIR XD-E Thermal Clip-on System.
ARTIM is compatible with Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). ATAK is a secure, mobile, interactive geospatial tool, used the world over, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world. ATAK connects multiple users people or teams on the go to, providing real-time, geo-referenced navigation and intuitive interface for sharing live information and identifying teammates, targets and route points.
Military forces and civilian law enforcement agencies have integrated ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on Systems into their night-time resources, taking advantage of its exceptional enhanced situational awareness and increased threat detection capabilities at low light or no light situations.
ClipIR XD converts existing monocular or binocular night vision devices by fusing thermal imaging and night vision technologies to provide superior tactical advantages compared to standard night vision or thermal imaging alone.
The UK MoD announced this week that it has procured state-of-the-art ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on Systems from Thermoteknix for the British Army, to improve soldiers’ abilities to fight further, faster and smarter.
“Thermoteknix is committed to delivering state-of-the-art thermal imaging technology that is designed and manufactured in the UK and plays a crucial role in equipping troops around the world, who operate in the most challenging of environments,” said Thermoteknix Managing Director, Dr Richard Salisbury.
“ARTIM is the latest technology from our R&D team which is transforming battlefield technology and we continue to develop world-leading solutions that maintains the UK’s military technology advantage.”
Thermoteknix designs and manufactures specialist defence and security solutions, including thermal imagers, night vision, fused night vision and target location systems, used by military and civil security forces around the world.
ARTIM delivers real-time Augmented Reality (AR) displayed via the ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on System, fitted to a Night Vision Goggle (NVG).
ARTIM integrates with existing digitalised soldier systems and secure communication networks to offer real-time data sharing and instant situational awareness for collaboration across teams and agencies.
ARTIM is a helmet-mounted intelligent battery pack that contains an ultra-low latency augmented reality processor and smart computer displayed to the user via the ClipIR XD Thermal Clip-on System.
The addition of ARTIM enhances existing thermal imaging fusion capabilities by adding ultra-low latency Augmented Reality(AR) technology, while also providing power to the ClipIR XD for up to 24 hours of operation.
ARTIM is compatible with Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). ATAK is a secure, mobile, interactive geospatial tool, used the world over, by military and law enforcement agencies around the world.
ATAK connects multiple users people or teams on the go to, providing real-time, geo-referenced navigation and intuitive interface for sharing live information and identifying teammates, targets and route points.
08 June 21. Autonomous nanodrone captures aerial intelligence in a snap. Flare Bright’s SnapShot – a ruggedized nanodrone designed to be the simplest way to get aerial images is ready for in-field trials. In any military or security operation, awareness of your surroundings is critical. With multiple routes and obstacles to consider, plus a range of weather conditions and communication limitations, gaining situational awareness whilst staying safe and hidden from your adversary can be a battle in itself.
UK aerospace company Flare Bright is pushing the boundaries of embedded AI technology to develop autonomous drones which will help frontline troops gain much needed situational awareness in even the most difficult conditions. With the help of DASA funding, they have developed SnapShot – a ruggedized nanodrone, designed to be the simplest way to obtain aerial images at the touch of a button and send them straight to a smart phone or tablet.
SnapShot is a fully autonomous system which can easily be deployed without additional equipment and will glide back to its user whatever the weather, winds or conditions – even in GPS denied and electromagnetically jammed environments.
DASA funding has helped Flare Bright develop their technology from prototype to a market-ready demonstration product and the company is now keen to showcase SnapShot’s unique benefits to future users in the defence and security community. They also plan to work with stakeholders to further develop SnapShot’s capabilities. The product has already generated interest from the British Army and Royal Air Force who will be demonstrating the technology during training exercises in Summer 2021. SnapShot has also been selected for the annual US Army Expeditionary Warrior Experiment in Fort Benning, Georgia, giving US soldiers a month-long period to test and evaluate the nanodrone’s capabilities.
Chris Daniels, Chief Commercial Officer at Flare Bright said, “DASA funding has supported our credibility in the defence and security market and demonstrates confidence in our technology. It really has been a key foundation of our company’s success. Over the last five years, Flare Bright has gone from strength to strength. Winning new investments and contracts has enabled them to quadruple their headcount and move to larger premises. In 2021 they were awarded an Octopus Award for Entrepreneurship, to celebrate their growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have also secured additional funding through Innovate UK’s Future Flight Challenge, a programme which aims to develop greener ways to fly by advancing electric and autonomous flight technologies.” (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
03 June 21. EOS unveils new Titanis counter-UAS system at Land Forces. EOS unveiled its new counter unmanned aerial system at Land Forces in Brisbane earlier this week. EOS unveiled its new Titanis counter unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) at Land Forces earlier this week, which was developed by the company to mitigate the growing risk of unmanned aircraft on the battlefield.
According to a statement by EOS, the C-UAS system was modelled from the company’s R-series remote weapon system with additional enhanced command and control, sensing and combat capabilities.
It is expected that the system will be able to detect, monitor and engage a number of drones that using “swarming” tactics to attack the C-UAS from numerous directions. The C-UAS is able to engage with drones using both kinetic and non-kinetic weapons, including direct fire and electronic warfare systems, and is optimised with an array of radar, radio detection and thermal imaging sensors to identify the drones.
The C-UAS’s can be integrated with an array of kinetic weapons systems including the Dillon Aero M134 minigun, which employs 7.62mm round, the Northrup Grumman M230LF 30mm or Mk44 II Bushmaster chain gun. Meanwhile, the UK’s Blighter or Israel’s RADA electronic warfare integrations can be integrated into the C-UAS platform according to client needs.
At the launch of the Titanis at Land Forces, vice president of business development at EOS Defence Systems Justin Olde outlined that the C-UAS measure is an effective piece of infrastructure against the continuing threat of UAS’.
“Titanis represents EOS’ leadership in integrated counter unmanned aerial systems technology. Building on decades of stabilised weapon and laser system development, EOS is excited to publicly release Titanis and its integrated C4ISREW backbone. This includes our 35kW directed energy system, which is an essential part of the system’s ability to defeat drone swarms. Titanis is the most flexible and cost effective response to this emerging asymmetric threat,” Olde said. The launch of the Titanis comes following EOS Defence Systems’ recent agreement with RAIDER Targetry for the development of new mobile moving target systems. (Source: Defence Connect)
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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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