Sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
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27 Jan 22. Short Range Air Defence (SHORAD) White Paper By Barry Wade, Chief Radar Engineer – Blighter Surveillance Systems Ltd now on https://battle-updates.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/short-range-air-defence-white-paper.pdf
Blighter White Paper examines role of short range radar in managing hostile aerial UAS threats. Drone detection specialist Blighter Surveillance has published a new white paper on Short Range Air Defence. It is the latest in Blighter’s series of white papers which cover topics such as National Border Security and Multi-Mode Radar.
As modern warfare changes with the growth in stealthy, and agile threats, countries are investing increasingly in their national security and the development of air defence systems. These are used to take defensive measures to counter incoming hostile aerial threats such as ground attack fighter aircraft, missiles and uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Air defence systems act as counter-weapon systems for all air threats and are also used for operations such as airspace surveillance using radars and electro-optic sensors.
Missile threats have been addressed with very capable systems, but there is now a prevalence of smaller threats such as UAS and drones to exploit potential gaps in air defence.
Short Range Air Defence systems comprise a collection of sensors that typically includes multiple radar and RF sensors. But it can also incorporate electro-optical devices such as cameras or laser rangefinders. In addition, it includes either a C2 or C4I system to communicate between the various elements and the command-and-control system, and also effectors, kinetic weapons, missiles, or, more recently, directed energy weapons.
Radar sensors for threat detection and identification are at the heart of SHORAD systems. They are the principal all weather sensor and are often supported by electro-optic devices to provide precise angle measurements of aerial targets. Critical to the success of any SHORAD system is the ability for all the component parts of the system to be integrated together and in turn to be integrated within the battlefield communications system.
The White Paper is available here: https://www.blighter.com/wp-content/uploads/short-range-air-defence-white-paper.pdf
For more information visit: www.blighter.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
07 Feb 22. Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) awards £90m subcontract to Thales UK for state-of-the-art sighting systems on Challenger 3. A £90m subcontract has been awarded to Thales UK, based in Scotland, to deliver next generation sights for the British Army’s upgraded Challenger 3 Main Battle Tank (MBT). The contract was signed by RBSL and Thales, with the Secretary of State for Scotland in attendance, at Thales’s site in Glasgow where the majority of the integration work will take place.
The contract will protect key manufacturing skills in the UK and sustain 700 skilled engineers and technicians based in Glasgow, including 30 apprentices currently receiving training.
The contract will provide sights (panoramic and fixed azimuth weapon aiming sights) for both the vehicle commander and gunner. Thales will also provide a Signal Processing System (SPS), which will deliver state of the art video tracking and Wide Area Search and Detection (WASAD) capability.
The sights will act as the eyes of the crew, enabling them to view the battlefield in high definition in all conditions, night and day. The system will increase the range and the detail available to the crew, as well as provide accurate target identification, tracking, digital imagery and firing ranges.
The sights will be tailored to meet Challenger 3 specifications and form an integral part of the wider £800m upgrade programme, as announced by RBSL and the UK MOD in May 2021. The Challenger 3 programme will make significant enhancements to the vehicle and provide the British Army with a world-class capability, made in the UK.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said: “This is fantastic news. This contract gives the British Army the advanced capability it needs to ensure the country’s security. I met many of the Thales workforce on a recent visit, and was impressed by their capability and enthusiasm. This contract will support highly skilled jobs in Scotland – in total, UK defence spends around £2 billion a year in Scotland, supporting more than 12,000 jobs.”
Dr Marco Noeding, RBSL Managing Director, said: “RBSL is committed to ensuring the Challenger 3 programme delivers positive industrial impact for the UK. This means collaborating and working closely with our suppliers to deliver impressive capability and technology for British soldiers, as well as protecting UK engineering and manufacturing skills at the same time. We are very pleased to have achieved this latest milestone with Thales. Together, we will add value to UK defence and engineering on an enduring basis.”
Stephen McCann, Managing Director of Thales in the UK’s vehicle integration business in Glasgow, said: “Thales’ continued supply and support of cutting-edge technology into the British Army’s armoured capability is a testament to the fantastic engineering capability of our team in Glasgow. We are tremendously proud of our key role in the defence of the nation, which has endured since 1888, and this contract gives us the opportunity to further invest in innovation and the future of our team, including through our apprenticeship scheme. A relationship we are very pleased to continue and grow.”
03 Feb 22. Lawmakers push Army to deploy advanced cameras for improved situational awareness. New York lawmakers from both Congressional chambers recently pressed the Army to prioritize the development of advanced cameras that can improve military surveillance and situational awareness—particularly in tight spaces.
In a letter penned late last week to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Reps. Brian Higgins, D-N.Y., and Joseph Morelle, D-N.Y., called for the branch to implement technology that offers 360-degree views.
“Our military service members still face a dangerous level of tactical uncertainty in combat zones, and it is imperative that the Army use all the tools at its disposal to swiftly procure technology to mitigate these risks,” they wrote.
The lawmakers argued that most devices the military currently turns to for evaluating dangerous scenarios, such as pole-mounted cameras and mirrors, are limited in their fields of view. More sophisticated systems, like drones, aren’t easily accessible by all military forces.
A solution to the challenge, the lawmakers propose, involves sophisticated tactical camera devices that offer a look from many directions.
“We understand that multiple entities within the Army, including the Maneuver Center of Excellence and US Army Special Operations Command, are currently in the process of exploring these solutions, including those within the Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition space,” the Congress members wrote. “We urge you to prioritize the development of tactical stabilized omnidirectional cameras and request an update on the progress of the Army’s efforts to resolve this gap in tactical situational awareness.”
Though their letter didn’t explicitly mention companies with tech worth considering, the lawmakers pointed to throwable cameras developed by New York company Bounce Imaging in a corresponding press release.
“Military operations are constantly evolving, and technology must evolve with it,” Higgins said. “A device developed by Bounce Imaging, based right here in Buffalo provides a unique solution to challenges faced by our servicemembers in a variety of situations. Access to new, state-of-the-art equipment that can help detect, mitigate and navigate dangerous situations will improve operations and save lives.”
(Source: Defense Systems)
01 Feb 22. US Army soldiers experienced physical side-effects using IVAS, Pentagon report finds. US Army soldiers experienced a range of physical ailments from headaches and nausea to neck strain while donning Microsoft’s militarised HoloLens 2 augmented reality (AR) system during testing last year and they were unable to complete essential combat tasks, according to the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester.
Service leaders postponed the initial operational test and evaluation benchmark for the new Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) last year after deciding they first needed to fix several hardware and software shortcomings. Pending changes include reducing the heads-up display’s field-of-view from 80° to 70°, addressing a humidity issue with one component, and fixing software ‘reliability and stability’ issues that sometimes ‘crash’ the system, Janes has previously reported.
A newly issued “controlled unclassified information” edition of the Director, Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) annual report for 2021 provides additional details about these IVAS problems and gives a limited insight into soldiers’ feedback on the technology they are expected to use on the battlefield and for training. (Source: Janes)
02 Feb 22. Dstl trials battlefield sensor protection. The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory is researching new materials to improve protection for optical sensors within digital cameras against attacks by lasers.
Mounted on a variety of different platforms such as vehicles, ships or aircraft, cameras capture crucial intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data to help commanders gather information and manage their forces. Disrupting these cameras and restricting the flow of imagery provides adversaries with a strategic advantage.
Sensors within digital cameras are extremely sensitive to light, which is why camera manufacturers advise never to point a camera at the sun, for instance. Lasers are powerful and bright projections of light which, directed at the lens of a camera, could dazzle or damage the sensor.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) conducted a trial to assess novel protection filters on cameras and demonstrate hardening to high intensity lasers. Several devices tested on the trial demonstrated protection across a wide range of laser intensities, even when exposed to laser engagements many times.
The Dstl trial was attended by 3 international collaborating organisations and identified extensive follow-on work to allow sensors to continue operating in contested environments.
Data from the trial is being reviewed, following which expressions of interest will be invited from industrial suppliers to accelerate the development of the technology.
Chris Westgate, Dstl’s technical authority for the trial, said:
Dstl researches new technologies to help keep UK forces and their equipment safe from harm. We protect assets not just from conventional threats, such as bullets and explosives, but from novel and unconventional threats such as cyber, radio frequency and other attacks.
By improving the resilience and durability of equipment we will help UK forces retain freedom of action against current and future threats. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
02 Feb 22. A drone piloted by the Honeywell (NASDAQ: HON) IntuVue RDR-84K radar system has triumphed in a high-stakes game of dodgeball, repeatedly swerving around intruder aircraft in a series of tests that are key to the future of pilotless aviation. Recently conducted in the Phoenix area, the tests showed that the radar can not only detect airborne traffic but can also decide autonomously on a course of action. The radar can take over navigation and pilot an aircraft to safety using its onboard processor.
“We set up the ultimate game of ‘chicken,’ but the RDR-84K simply wouldn’t let these aircraft get into danger,” said Sapan Shah, product manager, Advanced Air Mobility, Honeywell Aerospace. “This is a leap forward in safety that could have far-ranging impacts across aviation.”
Avoiding unforeseen objects is a key requirement for autonomous drones and other aircraft that fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) of an operator. However, this detect-and-avoid capability is extremely difficult in the air. Radars must have long ranges because of the high speeds involved, and they must pick out airborne traffic from ground clutter, including moving cars. They also require precise location information to make sense of radar echoes.
This is difficult on the ground and even more complex in the sky. To compensate, pilots, and even huge air traffic control radars, rely on cooperative aircraft to beam out their locations using onboard transponders. Objects without transponders — hobby drones, kites, birds and aircraft with broken transponders — are known as “noncooperating” traffic.
The RDR-84K, which is the size of a paperback book, has proven its ability to detect noncooperating traffic during extensive testing while mounted on helicopters and drones. But the new tests marked the first time it has performed the avoidance function without human intervention.
With both drones on autopilot, Honeywell engineers flew two quadcopter drones directly at each other 300 feet above the ground at a test site in the desert.
In multiple flights, the drone equipped with the RDR-84K detected the noncooperating “intruder” drone and evaluated its flight path. Then it calculated an avoidance maneuver and took over navigation — flying left, right, up, down or stopping midair, depending on winds and other factors.
Once the danger of a collision had passed, the radar released control of the drone, and the autopilot guided it back to its original course.
“This was all automatic,” said Larry Surace, lead systems engineer for the RDR-84K, Honeywell Aerospace. “The radar recognized the danger, decided on a course of action, flew to safety and then made sure the danger had passed — all without input from anyone on the ground.”
The team then challenged the RDR-84K with increasingly difficult encounters, such as approaching from below to blend into ground clutter and from offset angles, testing the radar’s peripheral vision and high angular detection capabilities. In other flights, the team instructed the radar to wait longer before acting, forcing it to make more aggressive maneuvers.
“The radar handled everything we threw at it,” Surace said. “It saw the danger immediately and successfully executed multiple avoidance maneuvers.”
Compared with most aircraft radars, the RDR-84K is tiny, weighing less than 2 pounds. Its face is only 8 inches wide and 4 inches high, and it is about 1 inch deep. Its onboard processor calculates avoidance paths, meaning aircraft do not need a separate computer to do this work. Despite its small size, the radar can see targets 3 kilometers away. It uses monopulse technology — a system of overlapping beams — to increase accuracy and eliminate ground clutter. The radar steers its beams electronically, so it has no moving parts. In addition to detecting traffic, the RDR-84K can map terrain and provide alternate navigation in the case of GPS failure. It can also act as a radar altimeter during landing. The RDR-84K is part of Honeywell’s Beyond-Visual-Line-of-Sight suite of technologies, along with the small UAV satellite communications transmitter, hydrogen fuel cells and inertial navigation systems. These technologies are aimed at extending the range of uncrewed aircraft. (Source: PR Newswire)
02 Feb 22. Silentium Defence eyes UAS integration. The company is set to test its passive radar technology aboard drone platforms. Silentium Defence has announced plans to trial integration of its disruptive surveillance sensors for situational awareness into airborne platforms, with initial testing to target small to medium drones and unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The trials aim to identify whether the size, weight, and power advantages of passive radar technology can extend survivability and range of unmanned airborne ISR platforms and improve the quality of surveillance data generated. Silentium is expected to work with existing drone and UAS platform providers and customers to trial static and on-the-move deployments of its airborne passive radar systems. According to Silentium Defence CEO Dr James Palmer, the existing ISR capabilities of small to medium UAS, which leverage active radar technology, produce power and payload constraints.
“Passive radar overcomes both these barriers and exploits megawatts of existing energy in the environment to provide greater range and performance without highlighting the drone or user’s presence,” Dr Palmer said.
“Our sensors are cost effective, light weight and more power efficient, which makes them easy to scale across operations and integrate with payloads, even on small format drones and UAS.
“Deployed independently or as part of a meshed network, UAS with integrated passive radar are more versatile and multi-purpose, providing covert situational awareness to inform the ISR picture, and counter-drone capability to protect people and assets simultaneously.”
Passive radar technology benefits have already been demonstrated across the maritime, ground-based air, and space surveillance sectors, with more than $15m in contracts awarded with the Australian Defence Force and commercial organisations. Silentium is eyeing supporting for major ISR programs like the JP 129 program and the future P-8 and AEW&C upgrades. (Source: Defence Connect)
01 Feb 22. Excelitas Technologies Announces Enhanced C30902SH Series Silicon Avalanche Photodiodes. Upgraded APDs Deliver High Quantum Efficiency and Low Dark Count Rates for Quantum Communication Applications. Excelitas TechnologiesE Corp., a leading industrial technology manufacturer focused on delivering innovative, market-driven photonic solutions, today announced its enhanced C30902SH family of Silicon (Si) Avalanche Photodiodes (APD). Intended for use with optical powers less than 1 pW, the C30902SH family of Si APDs provides the highest performance levels and lowest noise for the detection of low light levels. Featuring high quantum efficiency (QE) and low dark count rates, the upgraded C30902SH Si APDs enable the development of single-photon detection systems for various applications, including quantum communication. In combination with ultra-low and stable dark count rates, the C30902SH Si APDs’ high photon detection probability provide accurate measurement results to help prevent false-positive detection events. The upgraded product also makes compact system integration possible, allowing users to design application-optimized quenching electronics that perfectly match the SPAD performance.
Features of the enhanced C30902SH family include:
- Ultra-low dark count rates, enabling precise single photon counting
- High QE: 84% typical at 800nm
- Hermetically sealed packaging
- Wide operating temperature from -40oC to +85oC
- Enables detection in any application where the amount of light available is extremely low (less than 1 pW)
“Excelitas’ high performance rear entry ‘reach-through’ silicon APDs are well known for offering the best compromise in terms of cost and performance, so we are constantly expanding our offerings to address shifting market demands,” said Denis Boudreau, Product Leader – Photon Detection at Excelitas. “The enhanced C30902SH detectors provide the highest performance levels and lowest noise for design engineers looking to detect low light levels, all the way down to counting photons, making them an ideal option in the emerging quantum communication market.”
The C30902SH can be used in either linear mode (Vr < Vbr) at typical gains of 250 or greater, or in “Geiger” mode (Vr > Vbr) with extremely low and stable dark count rates and after pulsing ratios. In this mode, no amplifiers are necessary and single-photon detection probabilities of up to approximately 50% are possible. For even greater performance, these high performance SPADs are available with single or dual-stage thermoelectric coolers.
For additional information, view the C30902SH Si SPADs product webpage at: https://www.excelitas.com/product/c30902sh-si-apd-05mm-18-photon-counting.
01 Feb 22. KME video launched on BATTLESPACE website. Kent Modular Electronics Ltd (KME) https://www.kme.co.uk/news is a UK based Company and was established in 1976, has launched its new video on the BATTLESPACE web site https://battle-updates.com/videos/
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In-house Electronic and Mechanical design capabilities and are operating at component Level Manufacturing.
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31 Jan 22. DroneShield Successfully Integrates with U.S. Govt Team Awareness Kit (TAK). DroneShield (ASX:DRO), an Australian-U.S. global leader in Artificial Intelligence based platforms for protection against advanced threats such as drones and autonomous systems, has today announced that their Sensor and Command-and-Control platforms are now fully compliant with the U.S. Government’s Team Awareness Kit (TAK). The TAK system, originally developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), is used extensively throughout the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Allied forces.
This critical integration allows for operators in the field to receive detailed threat detection information to improve their situational awareness, in a common format compliant across a range of systems. DroneShield sensors including RfPatrol, RfOne and DroneSentry-X are now able to stream data directly to TAK servers providing both command Operations Centres and field operators access to the real-time sensor information and intelligence.
In addition, DroneShield’s Command-and-Control (C2) platform, DroneSentry-C2, which utilizes the latest in AI and Machine Learning (AI/ML) and Sensor Fusion technologies, is compliant with the TAK communication standard. This enables operators to take full advantage of DroneShield’s distributed sensor network, integrating data from multiple sensors and sensor modalities including radar, radio frequency (RF) and electro-optical (EO) and thermal recognition to provide a seamless and integrated picture of threat assessments onto their personal TAK device. Both DroneShield sensors and the C2 system have implemented the Cursor-on-Target (CoT) protocol as the means of sending information to TAK and interoperable systems. The CoT protocol is widely used amongst US prime contractor platforms and their U.S. DoD, Federal Law Enforcement, and Allied Forces customers.
DroneShield Chief Technology Officer, Angus Bean, commented, “Battlespace is rapidly evolving, and robotic platforms continue to be both a central capability and a threat to Allied forces. It is critical that DroneShield technology can meaningfully contribute to building this battlespace awareness. Common operating platforms such as TAK empower wide-ranging technologies and to generate a cross-compatible system of sensors and operating platforms.”
27 Jan 22. Kongsberg expands applications for its mobile PROTECTOR RS4 counter drone technology. Kongsberg reports a new contract from Kraus-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) for the delivery of its PROTECTOR RS4 remote weapon system for the German Joint Fire Support Team schwer (JFSTsw) programme.
This is the first contract KONGSBERG has signed with KMW and the second PROTECTOR RS4 contract for the German Army. The new contract with KMW includes the development and delivery of prototype and reference systems for trials and tests, and will be followed with serial production contract. The RS4 will be installed on a BOXER 8×8 vehicle with a new mission module.
Kongsberg is already in delivery phase of a PROTECTOR RS4 Counter Unmanned Aerial System (CUAS) for the Germany Army, installed on a Boxer 8×8 vehicle combined with Hensoldt radar technology.
The PROTECTOR RS4 is designed and built for operation in extreme environmental conditions, with capabilities that allow soldiers to operate from a protected position by using stabilized precision optics and laser to observe, detect, and engage targets with increased accuracy and reduced collateral damage.
The PROTECTOR RS4 will be installed on a BOXER 8×8 with a new mission module, which will include the Thales PAAG (Panoramic Above Armour Gimbal) JFS observation and surveillance systems integrated into a NATO Generic Vehicle Architecture (NGVA). NGVA is a NATO Standardisation Agreement based on open standards to design and integrate multiple electronic sub-systems onto military vehicles – intended to create standards for land systems vehicle architecture to become more sustainable and given a longer lifespan. For more information visit: www.kongsberg.com (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
27 Jan 22. Estonian-Croatian Start-Up Developing Situational Awareness System for Armoured Vehicles. The Estonian-Croatian defence company Defensphere, which was established in 2021, is developing a situational awareness system that will provide armoured vehicle crews with visibility of the battlefield through the armoured wall of the vehicle.
The Vegvisir solution, which is based on innovative camera systems, sensors and algorithms synthesising the camera images, uses head-mounted displays to provide a Mixed-Reality overview of what is happening in the immediate surroundings of the vehicle, but also of objects of interest significantly further away: up to 10 kilometres from the vehicle.
According to the company’s CEO Ingvar Pärnamäe, Vegvisir is designed to provide visibility for the personnel of various armoured vehicles (APC, IFV, MBT and others), enabling them to observe, better orient and more rapidly respond than with traditional solutions currently used on armoured vehicles.
“Vegvisir creates a 360-degree field of vision with a camera and sensor system installed on the armoured vehicle that allows the entire crew to see a real-time, simultaneous, minimum-latency image of the surroundings of the vehicle,” Pärnamäe explained. “It combines four complementary layers of sensors to ensure visibility in a range of tactical situations, both in daylight and, by using thermal sensors, in the dark.”
Vegvisir is being developed in line with NATO’s military standards and is also being integrated with other platforms used on the battlefield, including unmanned land vehicles, stand-alone sensors, and battlefield management systems. As a result, the solution provides a clear advantage over adversaries and strongly supports the creation of a common operating picture.
Pärnamäe added that the start-up raised €550,000 in the first round of investment for the development of Vegvisir, thereby increasing the company’s value to €5.5m.
“In the first round of funding, we engaged investors from four European countries and sold even more tickets than we had originally planned,” he said. “With the support of that investment, we will develop what is currently our technical demo product into a prototype that can be tested in cooperation with end-users. Our aim is to show it at the Eurosatory defence industry show in Paris this summer.”
According to Pärnamäe, a second round of funding is also planned for this year with the aim of growing the company’s engineering and sales team and achieving end-product status by 2023. “Pre-negotiations with several of the world’s largest armoured technology companies show that interest in the solution is high,” the head of the company confirmed.
Key features of Vegvisir:
- Modular set-up which enables customer-specific solutions to solve 95% of potential user cases
- Four layers of redundant sensors: a Driver Sensor System, a Close-Range Sensor System with bird’s-eye view capability, a Medium-Range Sensor System with a full infrared channel and a Long-Range Gyro-Stabilized Commander Sight Solution
- Rugged head-mounted displays with either a VR interface or screen options
- 360-degree commander sight gimbal with four viewpoints and a range of up to 10 km
- Low-light optics for night driving
- Multi-spectrum sensing
- A Mission Computer solution designed according to MIL specifications
- NATO STANAG compliance accreditation
- A platform-specific design for installation
- Design options for retrofitting existing platforms (Source: ASD Network)
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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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