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27 Aug 21. US Army’s recon, electronic warfare-capable aircraft flies for the first time. L3Harris Technologies said it has flown for the first time a new U.S. Army technology demonstrator aircraft that will be capable of conducting both reconnaissance and electronic warfare, according to an Aug. 27 announcement. The Army’s Airborne Reconnaissance and Electronic Warfare System, or ARES, aircraft will help the service modernize its airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities and will feed into the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program, which could produce an aircraft to replace the Army’s aging Guardrail ISR aircraft fleet with greater capability and increased standoff ranges. Guardrail, a turboprop aircraft based on the King Air, is becoming obsolete in both operational capability and maintenance. The Army has reached a point where it is pulling parts from the boneyard to keep the aircraft operational, Defense News previously reported.
“L3Harris is helping the Army rapidly expand its ISR capabilities with ARES,” Luke Savoie, company president for aviation services, said in the statement. “Our design, fabrication and integration team turned a green airframe into an initial, single sensor-capable platform with new sensing technology in six months.”
The aircraft is capable of flying above 40,000 feet for as long as 14 hours and “can activate” long-range precision fires to counter distant threats as a “key sensor-to-shooter network enabler.”
ARES uses the Bombardier Global 6000/6500-class business jet that can a mission payload of 14,000 pounds. The aircraft can also accommodate enough power to run the Army’s longest-range sensors with room for growth, according to L3Harris. The aircraft could be a candidate platform for the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System program. The company won the contract to build ARES in November 2020.
While the name “ARES” implies the technology demonstrator would have an electronic warfare capability, it won’t start out with the capability and may never have it, Col. James DeBoer, the Army’s project manager for fixed-wing aircraft, told Defense News in an interview this year.
The Army is also flying another technology demonstrator called Artemis — or Aerial Reconnaissance and Targeting Exploitation Multi-Mission Intelligence System. The service awarded a contract to Leidos in November 2019 to integrate sensors and payloads onto a Bombardier Challenger 650 jet.
The aircraft deployed to Europe in the late spring to support the service’s Defender exercise and help assess what is in the realm of the possible for future ISR fixed-wing capability.
Artemis also participated in the Army’s aviation-geared exercise Edge 21 at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, in May. New communications sensors were evaluated on the platform.
The ARES platform is larger and has more electrical capability and more payload capacity than Artemis, according to DeBoer. “The conversation comes back to: Where’s the smart place to invest? How much payload do we need? We always want to look at the ability to grow over time; we always add more capability to aircraft,” he said. (Source: Defense News)
27 Aug 21. Norway sets timeline to deploy sub-hunting aircraft in the Arctic. Norway’s announcement that it plans to deploy P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft to the Arctic in 2022 marks significant progress in the country’s long-term effort to bolster defense capabilities and readiness in the region. The Ministry of Defence unveiled the timeline Aug. 13, having already approved Evenes Air Station as the main base for its future Boeing-made fleet. The Royal Norwegian Air Force ordered five P-8A Poseidons to replace its in-service fleet of six Lockheed Martin P-3C/N Orion maritime patrol aircraft and two Dassault Falcon 20 special mission aircraft. The service’s P-3 Orions operate from the Andoya Air Station, located 190 miles inside the Arctic Circle. Evenes Air Station offers the P-8As shorter flying times to key strategic areas within Norway’s maritime security zone in the high north. The aircraft to be are equipped with submarine-detection sonobuoy technology, and they can identify and launch torpedoes to eliminate hostile submarines. Norway signed a contract to purchase five P-8As in March 2017, with delivery dates in 2022 and 2023. The first of the P-8As on order underwent tests during the first week of August, jointly conducted by Boeing and Norway’s MoD in the United States. The acquisition forms part of the Norwegian Armed Forces’ strategic plan to beef up maritime surveillance in the high north against the backdrop of increasing submarine activity by Russia’s Northern Fleet and foreign surface vessels in areas west of the Barents Sea, including the Norwegian Sea and the northern Atlantic Ocean.
“We have a challenging strategic environment that constantly reminds us that we cannot take our freedom and security for granted. Norway will continue to invest substantially in defense and security to ensure we remain a reliable, responsible and capable partner on the Northern flank of the Alliance [NATO],” Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen said in an August update on the Poseidon buy.
The Norwegian military has developed a plan to strengthen its ability to track newer Russian vessels, including the fourth-generation, Yasen-class multimission submarines equipped with superior stealth features, compared to other subs in Russia’s Northern Fleet. Armed with long-range cruise missiles, Yasen subs pose a new level of concern for Norway and its NATO allies. The scale of Norway’s reinforcement in the high north is reflected in its planned spending from 2021 to 2024. The government raised spending from $6.9bn in 2020 to almost $7.3 n in 2021. Military spending it to increase to about $7.85bn in 2024, second only to Sweden in terms of defense spending by a Nordic country. The spending is largely driven by the government’s “Long Term Defence Plan,” released in October. Amid the procurement of pricey P-8As and F-35 fighter jets, the long-term effort includes a capital investment plan to upgrade the military’s NASAMS II air defense systems with modern sensors. “This will contribute to countering threats against bases, and protect allied reception areas and other vital infrastructure,” the plan’s summary document read. Additionally, the 2021 budget includes a provision to equip the special forces with new and improved transport helicopters able to operate in extreme climates, meant to replace Bell 412 helos. Norway is also considering a long-term option to add long-range air defense systems to its inventory. The long-term plan also embraces closer collaboration with NATO forces in the high north, and particularly in joint training that leads to allied growth in the region. Already, Britain’s separate decision to acquire and deploy P-8As is expected to complement long-term, joint operations with Norway. The ongoing restructuring of the Royal Norwegian Air Force, including in sub-Arctic Norway, is also expected to substantially buttress air defenses. This major capital project includes the development of new bases to house newly acquired capacities such as F-35s, NH90 multirole helicopters and AW101 rescue helicopters. The Orland Air Station will serve as the main base for the 52-strong fleet of F-35s, slated to become fully operational in 2025. Farther north, Evenes Air Station is the service’s primary “quick reaction alert” base, conducted on behalf of NATO. The Air Force created a maritime helicopter wing at Bardufoss Air Station in the north of the country in 2019 as part of an air-defense restructuring plan. Station Group Gardermoen, located outside Oslo, was expanded to house the service’s C-130J Hercules and DA-20 aircraft, while the Army’s Bell 412 helicopters operate out of the Rygge Air Base. (Source: Defense News)
26 Aug 21. China’s TB001 reconnaissance UAV sighted near Japanese airspace for the first time. The Japanese Ministry of Defense’s (MoD’s) Joint Staff Office announced on 25 August that fighters scrambled by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) have intercepted a new type of Chinese medium-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (MALE UAV) that skirted Japanese airspace, flying over the East China Sea in the direction of the Nansei/Ryukyu Island chain the day before. The JASDF has also visually identified the UAV as the TB001, although it did not provide further details other than the observed flightpath of the air vehicle, which saw it approach Okinawa and Miyako Island, before turning back to Chinese airspace in the vicinity of disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands. On the same day, the JASDF also intercepted a separate flight of other Chinese military aircraft comprising an in-service BZK-005 reconnaissance UAV and two Shaanxi Y-9 surveillance aircraft – with one configured for maritime patrol and the other for signals intelligence operations – which overflew the Miyako Strait between Miyako Island and Okinawa into the Pacific Ocean before returning to China. Based on JASDF imagery, Janes can confirm that the BZK-005 UAV is an upgraded variant that is specifically configured for wide-area intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions with an undernose synthetic aperture radar (SAR) radome – possibly housing a Ku-band D3010 SAR system with a dual-mode SAR/ground moving target indicator (GMTI) capability – and a mid-mounted ventral electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) turret. (Source: Jane’s)
26 Aug 21. Bombardier delivers fifth Global business jet to Saab for GlobalEye conversion. Bombardier has delivered its fifth Global 6000 business jet to Saab for conversion to the GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) configuration. The business jet manufacturer announced on 26 August that the aircraft had been delivered to Saab’s Linkoping facility in Sweden from its Toronto manufacturing plant in Canada, having undergone extensive interior work at Flying Colours Corporation in Peterborough, Ontario. Though not named in the statement, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will be the end-customer for this aircraft once the GlobalEye conversion is complete. Having signed for an initial three platforms in 2015, the UAE added two more to its Swing Role Surveillance System (SRSS) requirement in late December 2020. With the first three GlobalEyes now with the UAE Air Force and Defence (AF&D), all five aircraft are due for delivery by the end of 2025. Using the Global 6000 airframe as the host platform, the GlobalEye utilises the Saab Erieye Extended Range (ER) S-band (2–4 GHz) radar that is housed in the same external dorsal ‘plank’ as the company’s original Erieye system. Equipped with gallium nitride (GaN) and other technologies, the Erieye ER is an active electronically scanned array (AESA) system that doubles the radar’s power efficiency compared with previous Erieye iterations. It has a range in excess of 650 km that, as with all AESA radars, can be dramatically extended by focusing the radar’s energy in a particular direction. Saab has said the Erieye ER is resistant to jamming and features all-weather functionality in all domains (air, sea, and land surveillance), as well as an “extremely high” tracking update rate against targets of interest.(Source: Jane’s)
26 Aug 21. Thomas Global Systems wins US defence contract. The company has been tapped to deliver its display technology for integration in armoured fighting vehicles.
Thomas Global Systems has been selected to support a major US armoured vehicle program, securing a multi-year contract to deliver digital targeting display systems for installation on the fleet.
The company’s BIOC technology leverages fully digital architecture to deliver a display solution free of cathode-ray tube (CRT) obsolescence risks.
The technology is expected to enhance unit reliability and cost of ownership, and can be adopted as forward-fit units or integrated into installed systems as part of obsolescence management or technology insertion programs.
“The selection of Thomas Global to provide vital targeting equipment to some of the world’s most advanced armoured vehicles reinforces our NextGen BIOC technology as the new standard in thermal sight displays for the US and international armoured vehicle market,” David Barnes, Thomas Global’s president and COO, said.
“… Our NextGen BIOC targeting displays offer a generational step-change in reliability, performance and long-term supply chain dependability versus legacy BIOC solutions.
“We look forward to working with our growing family of NextGen BIOC users to support their long-term targeting display requirements.”
According to Thomas Global, the NextGen BIOC technology can support additional functionality and optimisation by leveraging existing sensors via image enhancement.
This new award comes just months after Thomas Global Systems unveiled the first C2ISR Modular Reconfigurable Armoured Vehicle Computing System (MRACS), which leverages proprietary reconfigurable computing architecture to deliver a “highly modular” and “ruggedised” tactical computing and display system.
MRACS is built to be rapidly customised to suit program requirements, which include Ruggedised Vehicle Displays, GVA Displays, Vehicle Mounted Computers, and Distributed and Central Vehicle Servers.
The first iteration of MRACS contains an i7 Intel Processor, expandable 1TB Solid State Storage, Gbit Ethernet, RS232/422, CAN and USB3 communications ports and configurable DVI/HDMI outputs.
According to the firm, the launch of MRACS extends its sovereign armoured vehicle capabilities and provide further export opportunities.
Thomas Global currently supplies armoured vehicle electronics both domestically and internationally. (Source: Defence Connect)
26 Aug 21. HENSOLDT to support Frontex maritime surveillance project. ARGOS-II HD thermal imaging camera to be deployed on aerostats. Leading-edge sensor technology developed by HENSOLDT will strengthen Frontex maritime surveillance in the Mediterranean Sea and contribute to the protection of Europe’s strategic south-eastern border. In the frame of a technology pilot programme, HENSOLDT’s ARGOS-II HD electro-optical infra-red (eoir) system will be deployed on two tethered aerostats and deliver extensive security surveillance.
The project is operated by Frontex – the European Border and Coast Guard Agency – which has the mandate to safeguard the external borders of the European Union and ensure the freedom and territorial integrity of member states.
Andreas Huelle, Head of HENSOLDT’s Optronics Division, says: “This innovative technology offers Frontex the ability to monitor a very strategic maritime coastline and collect critical data. This is a capability that has been identified as a strategic priority by both the EU and the United Nations.”
The ARGOS-II HD forms part of an integrated turn-key solution that consists of advanced sensors that are fitted on two aerostats, provided by CNIM Air Space, tethered on Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. At altitudes of several hundred metres above the host islands the ARGOS-II covers a range of up to 40 km and can detect both large and small vessels and monitor activities with exceptional clarity and detail. It is in operation 24/7,day and night, even in inclement weather. The continuous zoom thermal imaging camera records the images and transmit video and data in real time to base stations on the ground.
“Argos II is one of the best eoir sensors in the market today and will provide Frontex with accurate, real-time information on activities in the maritime environment and enable it to analyse situations and initiate respective counter measures”, says Mischa Niedinger, Director of Airborne Systems Sales at HENSOLDT.
The ARGOS-II HD system can be fitted onto fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles and aerostats. It is used extensively in border protection, search and rescue operations, maritime patrols, law enforcement and asset protection. It is already widely used in the security and surveillance environments, including by the German Federal Police where it is deployed in anti-smuggling, illegal trafficking, and border security operations.
26 Aug 21. Block II release of IMSAR’s NSP-7 SAR & MTI radar. IMSAR is excited to announce the release of the NSP-7 Blk II Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)/Moving Target Indication (MTI) radar. The Blk II variant increases the range of the original NSP-7 by over 50% with no increase in the Size, Weight and Power (SWaP). The NSP-7 Blk II is capable of imaging beyond 45 km and of detecting maritime targets in excess of 50 nautical miles, all while consuming less than 300 watts and weighing 25 lbs. This puts the performance of the NSP-7 Blk II in the class of larger sensors weighing – and costing – substantially more. These ranges bring true strategic Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the tactical operator. The Blk II maintains the MIL-STD 810G weatherization making it an ideal sensor for operators of manned and unmanned aircraft wishing to gain all-weather ISR from their platforms.
As an evolution of our NSP family of small SARs, the NSP-7 Blk II brings with it combat-proven SAR imaging, Coherent Change Detection (CCD), Ground Moving Target Indication (GMTI) and Maritime Moving Target Indication (MMTI), providing end-users with true multi-int capabilities.
IMSAR radars are designed with modularity in mind and, as such, there is high code and hardware reuse. As a result, the years of dedication and development that went into the original NSP-7 translate directly to the Blk II.
At IMSAR, we’re democratizing radar by bringing the full range of ISR capabilities to platforms from Group 1 unmanned aircraft up to large, multi-engine manned aircraft. We invite you to visit www.imsar.com and view our entire line of small, powerful radars to learn how IMSAR can take your ISR suite to the next level. (Source: PR Newswire)
25 Aug 21. Kratos Air Wolf Tactical Drone System Completes Successful Flight at Burns Flat, Oklahoma Range Facility. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider announced today that its Air Wolf Tactical Drone System completed a 100 percent successful flight at the recently approved Burns Flat, Oklahoma Range Facility. The Kratos Air Wolf Mission, which was the inaugural flight at the Burns Flat Range location, included multiple new payloads carried by the Air Wolf Drone, including a proprietary Kratos artificial intelligence/autonomy system, which has been developed by Kratos specifically for high performance, jet drone aircraft.
Air Wolf is one of several drones in Kratos’ family of affordable, high-performance jet drones that are flying today, also including the attritable UTAP-22 Mako, XQ-58A Valkyrie, and the reusable X-61A Gremlins drone with the Gremlins Program Prime being with Kratos’ strategic partner Dynetics. The newly approved Burns Flat Test Range and Facility is an important new strategic asset available to Kratos, enabling Kratos to accelerate its drone testing and demonstration, further increasing Kratos’ ability to rapidly develop and demonstrate jet drones, supporting subsystems, and other tactical systems and aircraft. For competitive, security and other considerations, no additional information will be provided regarding the successful Air Wolf flight and mission.
Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “This successful Air Wolf flight at the recently approved Burns Flat Range facility is the latest example of the teaming approach Kratos routinely takes with its partners at the local, state and federal government levels with the objective of accelerating technology development and a focus on science, technology, engineering, and math advancement. The Air Wolf drone system that successfully flew today demonstrated a number of new mission systems which we believe are operationally and tactically relevant for Kratos’ government customer set, as our proven commercial development approach and robust digital engineering, modeling and simulation capabilities, and affordability-focused processes continue to successfully rapidly deliver affordable high performance jet aircraft, not just models, surrogates, or renditions.”
Eric DeMarco, President and CEO of Kratos, said, “Kratos thanks Senator Inhofe, the Federal Aviation Administration and all other government stakeholders in bringing the Burns Flat Range and Test facility to a reality, and we believe that Burns Flat will be an incredibly valuable asset to the State of Oklahoma and for companies like Kratos. Kratos’ Ghost Works played an incredibly important role in today’s successful Air Wolf flight, and with our Valkyrie, Mako, Gremlin and Air Wolf drones, we believe that we are ready now, today, to meet our customers’ requirements with a family of affordable, high performance jet drones in the disposable, reusable and attritable classes.” (Source: ASD Network)
25 Aug 21. MZA Associates Gets $19m US Navy C-UAS Laser Weapon Contract. Officials of the U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) in Arlington, Va., announced an $18.7m contract to MZA Associates to develop the counter unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAS) High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS). MZA engineers will design, develop, deliver, integrate, test, and demonstrate a compact, portable, low-cost and reliable C-UAS HELWS using the latest available commercial components.
Such a system potentially could enable U.S. Marines on the ground or sailors aboard surface warships to destroy, disable, or discourage potentially hostile UAVs flying too closely to Marine ground units, ships, or forward-deployed bases.
MZA Associates specializes in modeling, analysis, design, development, integration, and testing of high-energy laser and advanced optical systems in support of advanced beam-control systems, atmospheric characterization, and optical systems engineering.
MZA provides expertise in wave-optics modeling; adaptive optics; and scientific data acquisition, analysis, and management. The company developed the WaveTrain wave-optics analysis tool for the analysis of optical atmospheric propagation and adaptive optics systems.
The Office of Naval Research is supporting development of directed-energy weapons that cause physical damage that degrades, neutralizes, defeats, or destroys enemy capabilities such as UAVs.
ONR is supporting research potentially leading to naval laser subsystems, beam directors, and fire-control architectures, including advanced design power architectures for low-duty cycle and continuous-wave laser applications with reduced size, weight, and power consumption, and cooling (SWAP-C).
ONR researchers particularly are interested in laser components that offer high brightness, high power-beam-combining technologies, and controlled micro-channel optical component cooling methods that reduce thermal distortions for enhanced beam quality.
ONR also is sponsoring research in directed-energy weapons system tracking sensors, target illuminator,s and automated target recognition components — especially those that offer tracking through intermittent or partially obscured maritime viewing conditions.
On this contract MZA Associates will do the work in Albuquerque, N.M., and Dayton, Ohio, and should be finished by August 2023. With options, the project could continue through August 2025. (Source: UAS VISION/Intelligent Aerospace)
19 Jul 21. L3Harris Technologies Developing Future NATO Surveillance Concepts with International Team. L3Harris Technologies, with a team of leading international defense and technology companies, is developing surveillance concepts for NATO to replace the organization’s aging Airborne Warning and Control System fleet by 2035.
The team is developing “system of systems” options for surveillance and control capabilities for NATO’s Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC) program.
Led by L3Harris, the team unifies the expertise across the international stage, sharing a vision of a data-centric, platform-agnostic approach. International team members will be announced at a future date.
”L3Harris has the skill and experience to address AFSC program complexities across all domains,” said Charles R. “CR” Davis, Vice President International, L3Harris. “The team has approached the Risk Reduction Feasibility Study phase with an open mind toward the platforms and digital architectures that will best achieve NATO’s objectives. It is critical to give NATO and the member nations as much flexibility as possible in developing an advanced technology, highly adaptive, cost-effective AFSC concept shaped to meet evolving hybrid challenges.”
The international team will analyze the risks and feasibility of candidate components within its systems of systems to enhance the NATO Alliance’s military advantage to 2035 and beyond. The L3Harris team harnesses the strengths of multiple global defense companies to offer engineering innovation, battle-winning capability experience, and a shared vision to increase the effectiveness of future NATO military operations.
“NATO has made it very clear that its objective is to ensure data and information are placed at the heart of all future AFSC capabilities,” said Dave Johnson, Vice President, Strategy, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris. “With our data-centric, platform-agnostic architecture approach and experience building JADC2 capabilities, the L3Harris team is committed to working with NATO, studying all aspects of its flagship program and developing a concept for joint all-domain surveillance and control for the AFSC program.”
24 Aug 21. ELTA North America Completes Delivery of Mobile Counter-sUAS Defense-in-Depth Capability to the U.S. DoD & DHS. ELTA North America announces the final contractual delivery of its advanced Counter Drone Solution, the On-The-Move V4 (OTM V4) C-sUAS solution.
The OTM V4 was designed to address the Assistant Secretary of Defense Special Operations / Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC) Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) Mobile C-sUAS Defense-in-Depth Capability.
Since December 2020, ELTA North America has delivered a total of five OTM V4 vehicle system integrations under the contract with IWTSD for use by the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The OTM V4 is a multi-sensor, multi-layered solution for early warning, detection, disruption, and defeat of various types of rotary and fixed-wing UAS and designed to operate while the vehicle is in motion. It offers soft kill and hard kill mitigation options to deter threat drones with minimal to no collateral damage.
IWTSD Tactical Offensive Support Program Manager Mike Trexler said, “We are very pleased with the progress ELTA North America, D-FEND Solutions, and Smart Shooter has made on the spiral development and integration of the advanced Mobile C-sUAS Defense-In-Depth Capability. We look forward to continuing small tactical team operational testing and evaluations in a variety of scenarios and environments in FY 22.”
“The OTM V4 is a truly innovative C-sUAS offering that we are proud to provide to our military forces and DHS security agents in the field,” said ELTA North America CEO William Ostrowski. “Its ability to provide increased standoff for the safety of troops will remain a critical priority as we continue to develop advanced defense technologies.”
Learn more about the OTM V4 C-sUAS solution here. https://youtu.be/D-XzF0YlS5g
About ELTA North America: ELTA North America (ENA) is a U.S. Corporation that designs, develops, and provides life-cycle support for innovative military electronics solutions such as: airborne and ground-based radars, electronic warfare and signals intelligence systems, robotic and autonomous systems, airborne and aerospace systems, and communications system. These technologies are applied to meet a broad spectrum of stand-alone and integrated requirements to support the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. ENA is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAI North America. For more information, please visit www.eltanorthamerica.com
About IWTSD: The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations/Low-Intensity Conflict (ASD SO/LIC) established Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO) in 1999 to consolidate its research and development programs. The research and development effort that supports the interagency Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) was the first program to transition to CTTSO. The TSWG is divided into 10 subgroups.
Section 922 of the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act directed ASD SO/LIC report directly to the Secretary of Defense. The Acting Secretary of Defense on November 18, 2020, authorized the ASD SO/LIC to transform the CTTSO to the Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD).
The mission of the IWTSD is to identify and develop capabilities for DoD to conduct Irregular Warfare against all adversaries, including Great Power competitors and non-state actors, and to deliver those capabilities to DoD components and interagency partners through rapid research and development, advanced studies and technical innovation, and provision of support to U.S. military operations. (Source: PR Newswire)
24 Aug 21. Germany readies frigates for ballistic missile defense missions. The German Navy plans to equip its F124 frigates with new radars that expand the vessels’ capabilities into the field of ballistic missile defense, the German military acquisition branch announced Aug. 24.
To that end, the Bundeswehr awarded a €220 m (U.S. $258 m) contract to German sensor specialist Hensoldt in conjunction with Israel Aerospace Industries’ Elta Systems. The two companies will enter into a “strategic cooperation,” as Hensoldt calls it, to deliver four radar sets based on Germany’s TRS-4D product and beefed up with Elta’s long-range capabilities.
Officials plan to install the new equipment on three air defense frigates of the Sachsen class between 2024 and 2028, according to a statement from the military acquisition office. A fourth system will be set up on land to help the German Navy train its sailors.
The new radars would elevate the ships’ surveillance and target-tracking capabilities for various aerial threats, including ballistic missiles, the office said.
The Navy’s foray into ballistic missile defense follows the government’s strategy of inserting requisite sensor capabilities into its arsenal whenever substantial weapon upgrades are on the books anyway. Berlin has pledged missile defense contributions to NATO as the alliance assembles a network of sensors and interceptors in Europe meant to one day protect the entire continent from such attacks.
Naval vessels are considered especially desirable in that equation because they can be moved around and seek the most advantageous positions when it comes to detecting and intercepting missiles.
Hensoldt and Elta are already teamed up on an upgrade for the land-based Hughes Air Defense Radars, which marks another step in Berlin’s quest for greater ballistic missile defense capabilities.
For years, Germany’s missile defense ambitions rested on a replacement of its Patriot fleet with the TLVS weapon, short for Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem. Officials shelved that program earlier this year to free up money for drone defense, though it’s unclear what the Defence Ministry intends to field to that end. (Source: Defense News)
23 Aug 21. Leonardo Signs Agreement With Northrop Grumman for CIRCM Pointer/Trackers.
- The US Army’s CIRCM system, which protects aircrew and their aircraft from infrared-guided missiles, incorporates Leonardo’s latest-generation compact pointer/tracker technology
- Leonardo has already delivered 500 pointer/tracker units to Northrop Grumman Corporation for the CIRCM programme. The new agreement, covering the CIRCM full-rate production phase, is projected to see over 1,200 additional units ordered
- Northrop Grumman and Leonardo have worked closely together since 1995 to deliver Directed Infra-Red Countermeasures (DIRCM) systems for the US and UK Armed Forces, ensuring that aircrew come home safe
Leonardo has signed a long-term pricing agreement with Northrop Grumman Corporation to provide pointer/trackers for the United States Army’s Common Infrared Countermeasures (CIRCM) programme as it enters full-rate production. The five-year agreement could see Leonardo provide more than 1,200 pointer trackers in addition to the 500 already delivered. Leonardo will deliver the pointer/trackers from its site in Edinburgh, UK, which designs and produces world-class Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) technology for the UK and its allies.
The CIRCM system is a countermeasure that will protect US Army aircrews and their aircraft from incoming missiles. It works by targeting and ‘dazzling’ the threat’s infrared (IR) guidance system with a powerful laser. Leonardo’s pointer/tracker is at the heart of the system and directs the laser accurately onto the missile’s seeker, a powerful feat of engineering considering that the aircraft and missile are some distance apart and moving quickly in multiple directions.
The agreement is the latest development in a successful long-term partnership between Northrop Grumman and Leonardo. The two companies began working together in 1995 on joint development of the AN/AAQ-24(V) Nemesis DIRCM for the US Department of Defense and UK Ministry of Defence. Leonardo developed and manufactured the pointer/tracker units for the Nemesis system. Continuing that tradition, today CIRCM employs Leonardo’s latest generation of compact pointer/tracker capability.
Leonardo has delivered more than 500 pointer/tracker units to Northrop Grumman for the CIRCM programme, which saw first deliveries to the US Army in 2016. Drawing on a strong sense of commitment and partnership, Leonardo continued to successfully deliver units at record output levels throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. Following a successful six-month initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) activity with the US Army, the CIRCM system will equip US Army platforms including the CH-47 Chinook, UH-60 Black Hawk and the AH-64 Apache. (Source: ASD Network)
24 Aug 21. The U.S. Army has chosen Leidos-owned Dynetics to build prototypes for its enduring system to counter both drone and cruise missile threats, sources tell Defense News.
The decision comes after the service held a shoot-off that pitted Dynetics against a Rafael and Raytheon Technologies team.
The Army and Dynetics did not respond to requests for comment by press time. Rafael and Raytheon deferred comment to the Army.
Israeli-based Rafael and Raytheon offered up the Iron Dome launcher and Tamir interceptor (known as SkyHunter in the U.S.), while Huntsville-based Dynetics brought a launcher based off the Army’s internally developed, but later canceled Multi-Mission Launcher along with the Raytheon-produced AIM-9X Sidewinder interceptor.
The Army originally planned to develop and field its own multi-mission launcher as part of the enduring IFPC solution, but canceled that program in favor of finding a more technologically mature launcher.
Both teams had a chance to bring launcher and interceptor combinations to shoot against threat representative targets at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, earlier this year.
The Army is using Iron Dome as an interim cruise missile defense capability as it works to adopt an enduring Indirect Fires Protection Capability, or IFPC, system that will initially be able to counter unmanned aircraft and cruise missile threats and later be able to take out rockets, artillery and mortars.
The service intends IFPC to protect critical fixed- or semi-fixed assets and to be a more mobile solution than one that would suffice at a forward operating base. The system is planned to bridge the gap between short-range air defense systems, the Patriot air-and-missile defense system and the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system.
The Army has been trying to formulate its enduring IFPC system for several years. In the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, Congress mandated the service buy two Iron Dome batteries, produced through a partnership between Rafael and Raytheon, to serve as an interim solution for cruise missile defense. Those batteries have been delivered to units and are on track to be deemed operational by the end of the year.
Iron Dome this month completed a live-fire event, operated for the first time entirely by U.S. soldiers. The Army deemed that test a success with the units engaging eight cruise missile surrogate targets.
According to the IFPC solicitation to industry, the Army wanted solutions that could tie into current and future versions of the Sentinel radar and be integrated with the service’s Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS.
The Army plans to develop, qualify and deliver “fieldable prototypes” to enter into testing and support combat capability by FY23.
A single offeror would build prototypes, with a period of performance beginning in August 2021 and ending March 2024. This offeror would need to deliver prototypes for testing by the fourth quarter of FY22 and a complete system that can integrate with IBCS by the third quarter of FY23.
Following the prototyping phase, the Army may initiate a follow-on production contract for 400 launchers and associated interceptors, according to the solicitation.
According to the service’s solicitation, it planned to select the proposal “that is most advantageous and represents the best value to the [U.S. government] based on an integrated assessment of the evaluation results.”
More specifically, the Army said, whether proposals met capability requirements to counter UAS and cruise missiles was more important than countering RAM threats. Schedule and price were also factors the Army would consider, but ranked lower in priority, the solicitation noted.
“Capability is more important than schedule. Schedule is more important than price,” the solicitation stated. “However, price may be used as the determining factor when ratings of acceptable proposals are closely grouped.”
The Army planned to judge the systems’ lethality at required keep-out ranges as most important, followed by its ability to provide 360-degree coverage of a defended area. Then, in order of importance, the number of stowed kills, target service rate, load and reload time, the amount of time it takes to emplace the system, and operational availability — which factors in reliability and maintainability — were to be weighed in the decision-making process.
The service planned to also evaluate proposals based on how well they’d support future RAM capabilities.
Dynetics has relevant experience designing launchers — from its history on the Army’s MML program to current efforts to build the launcher for the Army’s ground-launched hypersonic missile. Dynetics is also building the first glide bodies for those hypersonic missiles.
According to FY22 Pentagon budget documents, the AIM-9X missile’s price tag has gone up from roughly $350,000 per missile in FY20 when the department bought 846 interceptors to roughly $500,000 per shot in FY22 when DoD plans to spend $250.8m on 421 interceptors. The Tamir missile’s unit cost is $189,000, according to Army FY22 budget justification books. (Source: Defense News)
24 Aug 21. Argos II HD to support Frontex maritime surveillance project. Hensoldt’s Argos II HD electro-optical system will be deployed on two tethered aerostats and deliver extensive security surveillance over Greek islands as part of the European Union’s Frontex maritime/border surveillance initiative in the Mediterranean Sea.
Frontex – the European Border and Coast Guard Agency – has the mandate to safeguard the external borders of the European Union and ensure the freedom and territorial integrity of member states. The aerostats will help Frontex protect Europe’s strategic south-eastern border.
Andreas Huelle, the Head of Hensoldt’s Optronics Division, said the technology offers Frontex the ability to monitor a very strategic maritime coastline and collect critical data. The deployment of the technology pilot programme will start in the European summer and continue for several months.
The Argos II HD forms part of an integrated turn-key solution that consists of sensors that are fitted on two aerostats, provided by CNIM Air Space, tethered on Greek islands in the Aegean Sea. The islands are strategically located in one of the most active border areas in Europe, Hensoldt said.
At altitudes of several hundred metres above the host islands, the Argos II covers a range of up to 40 km and can detect both large and small vessels. It is in operation 24/7, day and night, even in inclement weather, Hensoldt said, adding that the continuous zoom thermal imaging camera records images and transmits video and data in real time to base stations on the ground.
“This is an innovative technology solution to assist governments and agencies such as Frontex to monitor transgressions of law on the borders of the European Union,” said Huelle. This has been identified as a strategic priority by both the EU and the United Nations.
“This is a great opportunity for Hensoldt to partner with Frontex and to demonstrate the abilities of the Argos-II to provide advanced surveillance capabilities and improved situational awareness,” said Mischa Niedinger, the Director of Airborne Systems Sales at Hensoldt.
The Argos II is already widely used in the security and surveillance environments, including by the German Federal Police, where it is deployed in anti-smuggling, illegal trafficking, and border security operations.
The Argos II HD gimbal was specifically designed for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions. The gimbal consists of a mid-wave megapixel HD thermal imager (MWIR) and a multi-spectral HDTV camera, both featuring continuous optical and electronic zoom capability. An optional multi-spectral HDTV spotter camera enables longer range target identification. The Argos II is centred on a fully integrated, Stabilized Turret Assembly.
An internal Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) and GPS enable accurate geolocation of ground targets and steering or tracking of the system’s line of sight to pre-defined GPS locations, providing commanders with real-time intelligence in areas of operational interest while the integral auto tracker function provides tracking of moving or static targets in the line of sight.
Advanced image processing functions, including picture-in-picture display, edge enhancement, haze penetration, pseudo colours and day/thermal image fusion provide optimized image performance for varying operational conditions.
The Argos II system can also be equipped with a dual-wavelength, high-power, low-divergence laser designator/distance detector (LDR). The LDR has selectable target designation and eye-safe range finding modes and also includes a training mode.
The Argos II is designed for installation on helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles to provide observation and targeting capabilities for military, border and maritime patrol and law enforcement missions. (Source: https://www.defenceweb.co.za/)
23 Aug 21. Lockheed Martin Develops High-Performance, Low Cost Hybrid Antenna for 5G, Radar and Remote Sensing Applications. Millimeter wave antenna features high performance of larger dishes with smaller size. Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has invented a new type of satellite dish technology with a wide range of use on satellites and ground terminals, including space-based 5G. The Wide Angle ESA Fed Reflector (WAEFR) antenna is a hybrid of a phased array Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA) and a parabolic dish, and increases coverage area by 190% compared to traditional phased array antennas at a much lower cost.
This antenna is part of a larger research and development investment in 5G.MIL™ technologies that will optimize and securely connect warfighting platforms to enable joint all-domain command and control (JADC2). Lockheed Martin is uniquely positioned, leveraging commercial best practices, strong partnerships, a broad supply chain and leadership expertise, to bring 5G connectivity and capabilities to the defense community rapidly and affordably.
“We adopted a commercial mindset to quickly mature this technology and discovered there were multiple use cases and applications that could benefit from this new hybrid antenna,” said Chris Herring, vice president of advanced program development at Lockheed Martin Space. “5G.MIL technologies like this will bring greater connectivity, faster and more reliable networks, and new data capabilities to support our customers as they navigate the complexity of 21st century battlefields.”
The team rapidly prototyped, tested and validated this system in a matter of months compared to what previously took years. WAEFR also features:
- High performance gain of a dish with the beam agility of an ESA
- Low Size Weight and Power (SWAP) common product solution to accommodate any orbital altitude or ground terminal application
- Advances in 3D-printing technology and accelerated parts production
This type of antenna will also benefit the broader communications and ISR communities by providing a more reliable scanning solution compared to gimbaled designs.
“The primary benefit of the WAEFR approach is accomplishing more mission with fewer resources,” said Thomas Hand, Ph.D., associate technical fellow at Lockheed Martin Space. “While state of the art ESA solutions can address more demanding link performance, capacity, and data rates using multiple agile analog beams, they do so at a premium.” For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/5gfromspace
24 Aug 21. New StoryMap approach to inform UN/EU on weapons trafficking wins Conflict Armament Research Map Creator Award from Esri UK.
Conflict Armament Research (CAR), an independent organisation that investigates illicit weapons supplies into conflict zones, has been awarded the 2021 Map Creator Customer Award by Esri UK. The award recognises CAR’s creation of a new StoryMap approach to visually and dynamically communicating its findings to more effectively engage and inform UN and EU policy makers.
Every detail of each weapon or unit of ammunition found by CAR’s field teams working on the ground is documented to solve the puzzle of how it was diverted into a conflict zone. This data is recorded in CAR’s EU funded iTrace global weapons reporting database. CAR’s analysts then link the evidence to the problems being addressed by policy makers and submit reports to help them find solutions.
CAR published its first StoryMap using Esri’s ArcGIS Online in February 2020 to report on “Nigeria’s herder farmer conflict” derived from evidence collected through its first field study on the trafficking of weapons and ammunition to armed groups in Northern Nigeria. Rather than the data being locked in a spreadsheet, StoryMap allows CAR to tell a story, explained through three dynamic case studies, of how these groups were being armed. Using Esri’s terrain map CAR can show dynamically the movements of weapons from Turkey, from the Ivory Coast, and from the collapsed state of Libya.
CAR also uses Esri’s ArcGis capabilities for its iTrace® dashboard: the world’s largest public database on diverted weapons and ammunition into conflict zones. The dashboard now allows users to see overall documentation trends by type and country across CAR’s global operations. CAR’s analysts were able to create the StoryMap without the need for writing extra code by using Esri’s cartographic tools, such as Living Atlas. They simply created a web map, added text and images, and configured the template files to publish a fully functioning product that can be shared and viewed on any device.
Rob Perkins, CAR’s Head of Research, said: “The evidence that CAR collects is unique and can inform and shape decision making by governments. CAR’s engagement with Esri is great for that as we are able to find new and engaging tools that can take people into our data and understand our findings, and it accelerates our ability to affect positive change, which is really exciting”.
Alex Link, Customer Manager, Esri UK, said, “CAR has transformed the way it can articulate its work, its investigations being inherently geospatial and often involving complex chains of custody or international correlations between items, naturally these can be most effectively communicated through interactive mapping”.
20 Aug 21. US homeland security department funds Echodyne research into MESA to detect small unmanned vehicles. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has awarded USD545,009 to Echodyne Corporation to continue research and development on new radar systems using metamaterials. DHS awarded the funds through a Phase 5 Other Transaction Agreement with S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP).
S&T will begin integrating the radar with other sensors into a system-of-systems that will be tested later this year to evaluate its ability to detect and track small unmanned aircraft systems.
Previous Echodyne efforts with SVIP have focused on the development of an innovative Metamaterials Electronically Scanning Array (MESA) radar for use in a variety of border security applications. MESA uses metamaterials to build a new architecture for fully electronic scanning radar systems with high fidelity and fast directional changes—with much lower cost, size, weight, and power.
“The Echodyne radar was a key sensor in the successful U.S. Customs and Border Protection Autonomous Surveillance Towers Program,” said SVIP Transition Director Ron McNeal. “This Phase 5 award will allow S&T and DHS to explore new use cases for the MESA radar in Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems scenarios. This is a great opportunity to explore new applications of this proven technology and increase the impact of SVIP’s investment to reach more DHS users.”
For more information visit: www.echodyne.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
18 Aug 21. Skylock reports multi-layered counter drone installation for East African governmental agency. Counter drone company Skylock reports successful delivery and Installation of its multi-layered long-range strategic solution, and short-range urban system, to provide drone detection capabilities to an East African governmental agency. The Skylock system provides the agency with advanced detection, verification and neutralisation capabilities for complete protection against unauthorised drones.
For more information visit: www.skylock1.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
20 Aug 21. Rostec to showcase Penicillin reconnaissance system export version. The Penicillin system is capable of identifying enemy artillery, mortars and multiple launch rocket systems positions.
Ruselectronics, a subsidiary of Russian firm Rostec, is set to present an export version of its new Penicillin acoustic-thermal reconnaissance system at the Army 2021 Forum.
The system is used to identify enemy artillery, mortars and multiple launch rocket systems positions.
The technology can also be used to detect enemy launch sites of anti-aircraft and tactical missiles and for spotting friendly artillery.
Penicillin can detect targets up to 38km, depending on the version.
It is designed and manufactured by a Vega Group facility NII Vector.
Rostec industrial director Bekhan Ozdoev said: “Unlike most of similar systems, Penicillin detects the enemy artillery with a new combination of heat and sonic reconnaissance rather than with radars, and this makes its jamming impossible.
“The system detects acoustic and thermal signals of shots and explosions, identifies the exact coordinates of guns, and lays them out on a digital map. Obtaining coordinates of a single target takes less than five seconds.”
Usually, the Penicillin system comprises two vehicles on the KAMAZ chassis, a sound-ranging reconnaissance vehicle and an acoustic-thermal reconnaissance vehicle. However, depending on the variant it can include up to six vehicles.
Vega Group general director Vyacheslav Mikheev said: “Penicillin has successfully passed the state inspection, and is now supplied to the Russian Army.
“Jointly with Rosoboronexport, we are currently negotiating with a few potential foreign customers, including the ones who operate Post-3M electronic reconnaissance stations. We plan to make a few presentations of the system and showcase its operation during the forum.”
In June, Rostec subsidiary Tekhnodinamika Holding developed a decoy cartridge to protect fighter jets from smart missile systems. (Source: army-technology.com)
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