Sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
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05 May 22. TiaLinx, Inc. Announces the Successful Delivery of its Patented Lens-Assisted Planar Programmable Polarized Active Antenna Array for Multi-Band Wireless Applications.
TiaLinx, Inc., the developer of highly integrated wireless systems, announced the successful implementation of its lens-based planar programmable polarized active antenna array technology.
4 x 4 P3A3 Array
The smallest footprint active antenna array has been integrated with a meta-lens to deliver a fully integrated planar programmable polarized active antenna array (“MLP3A3TM”). MLP3A3 cell is a micro module that can be expanded from its current 4 x 4 element to 32 x 32 element tiles as a connected module of a ground terminal connectivity with communication satellites, a frond-end module for radar applications, and a source of energy for extended range wireless power transmissions. The MLP3A3 is also an ideal technology to significantly enhance the coverage and quality of 5G and 6G ultra high-data rate wireless links.
The small footprint of the MLP3A3 enables extended range scanning with superb fine lateral resolution, enhancing the connectivity of user devices to remote links.
Furthermore, signal processing with polarization capabilities has been shown to suppress radio wave scattering in a cluttered environment, while the advanced embedded lens antenna provides users with the ability to obtain ultra-fast multi-band, multi-beam wireless access.
According to Markets and Markets, the overall wireless charging market is projected to reach USD 13.4 billion by 2026 from USD 4.5 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 24.6% between 2021 and 2026.
About TiaLinx, Inc.
TiaLinx, Inc. is a privately-held company with 100% American ownership. The Company develops advanced high performance electronic micro modules with highly integrated functionality for a wide range of mobile wireless connectivity for consumer, automotive, industrial and medical applications. Utilizing dozens of its granted and many more pending patent applications, the Company is uniquely positioned to provide small footprint, portable, and low-cost wireless modules. (Source: PR Newswire)
06 May 22. France orders 21 more TALIOS optronic pods.
- Thales has received a firm order from the French defence procurement agency (DGA) for an additional 21 TALIOS optronic pods to equip French forces.
- With this new order, a total of 67 TALIOS pods will be in service with the French Air and Space Force and the French Navy by 2025.
- Since the TALIOS programme was launched, the pod has undergone a series of capability enhancements, including the Vision Permanent™ function, a new air-to-air identification mode, a colour sensor and new tactical air reconnaissance modes ordered as part of the Rafale F4 programme. The 21 pods in this additional order will support all these new capabilities.
The French defence procurement agency (DGA) has placed a firm order with Thales for 21 additional TALIOS pods. The new target designation pods will equip Rafale aircraft currently in service with the French Air and Space Force and the French Navy.
As theatres of operations become more complex, maintaining an accurate picture of the tactical situation is becoming increasingly crucial to the ability of pilots and commanders to make timely decisions and achieve a strategic advantage. Shortening the time it takes between gathering intelligence and defeating targets of interest is a key objective for armed forces all over the world.
In an increasingly connected operational environment, the TALIOS[1] pod will enable Rafale F4 standard aircraft to perform both air reconnaissance and ground/surface attack missions. The pod provides a wide-area search and target identification capability and can then switch instantly into target acquisition and tracking mode. Its high-resolution sensors provide a colour picture of the tactical situation to simplify the tasks of Rafale pilots. Thales has also developed a new Vision Permanent™ mode, which superimposes real-time video on a 3D map of the operational environment, enabling air crews to observe and understand the tactical situation in a significantly shorter time.
TALIOS will ultimately incorporate artificial intelligence algorithms to provide an unprecedented level of assistance in target detection and recognition and further accelerate the decision-making process, particularly in high-intensity engagements.
This order for 21 additional pods underscores the continuing confidence of the French forces, which have deployed TALIOS multiple times on expeditionary missions since the first pods were delivered in 2019. The new pods will be delivered between 2024 and 2025, straight after fulfilment of the initial order for 46 TALIOS systems.
05 May 22. US Army greenlights IVAS initial operational test and evaluation for mid-May. The US Army will begin operational testing with Microsoft’s militarised HoloLens 2 augmented reality (AR) system later in May, according to Doug Bush, the service’s assistant secretary for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. This move follows a mid-2021 decision to delay the crucial event, and ultimately fielding, to solve hardware and software problems.
Bush told Janes during a 4 May interview that he decided to greenlight the initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) after reviewing findings from the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) Soldier Touchpoint 5 event in March.
“We appear to have [made] progress on the technical areas that led us to delay the IOT&E,” he noted. “Generally, the feedback was positive, and it was good enough for me to authorise going into the operational test.”
During Soldier Touchpoint 4 around the April 2021 timeframe, the service discovered several problems with the device involving display clarity, IVAS Project Manager Colonel Troy Denomy told Janes
(Source: Janes)
05 May 22. Lockheed Martin completes first AN/TPY-4 radar production. The radar was selected under the USAF’s 3DELRR rapid prototyping programme. Lockheed Martin has completed the production of its first ground-based air defence radar, AN/TPY-4, to provide tracking precision to the US and allied nations. The completion of AN/TPY-4’s production comes one month after its selection by the US Air Force (USAF). The radar was selected under the USAF’s three-dimensional expeditionary long-range radar (3DELRR) rapid prototyping programme. The USAF’s 3DELRR programme involves production options for around 35 long-range radar systems, which are expected to reach initial operational capability (IOC).
Last year, the AN/TPY-4(V)1 radar earned its official designation from the US Government.
The system features the platform electronics subsystem (PES) delivered by Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA).
Lockheed Martin Ground Based Air Surveillance Radars director Rick Herodes said: “Lockheed Martin is committed to investing in advanced defence technology and the TPY-4 radar is a direct result of those investments.
“TPY-4 meets the needs of a rapidly changing battlefields, marked by technological growth and the emergence of increasingly challenging threats.”
Lockheed Martin’s new multi-mission radar is capable of tracking existing and emerging threats, by integrating with the existing air defence systems.
Designed as a fully digital, software-defined sensor architecture, the new transportable or fixed air defence TPY-4 radar can operate in contested environments.
TPY-4’s open hardware, software and interface standard compliance provides ease of integration along with long-term support.
The radar can rapidly adapt to the required operational changes using the software enhancements, without making any hardware or design changes.
It can detect very small or hard-to-detect targets and operate in adverse weather conditions and environments. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
04 May 22. Nocturne Drones Cooperates with Dedrone on Drone Defense Systems. Nocturne Drones, a global provider of drone shows, is launching a new special unit for drone defense – Nocturne Drone Defense Systems – in cooperation with San Francisco-based Dedrone.
A business unit of the German company Technology Arts, Nocturne Drones specializes in unique drone shows for customers such as E.ON, Xbox and the state of Saxony-Anhalt on the Day of German Unity. Nocturne Drones recently broke a Guinness World Record for the most consecutive formations of drones. The company chose Dedrone to expand its portfolio and protect shows around the world from unauthorized drones.
“Safety is our top priority. Since we often work in sensitive areas, it is our aim to make our shows even safer and to offer our customers complete protection against drones from a single source. In view of the ever-increasing danger posed by drones at events we chose to partner with Dedrone, the world’s leading provider of airspace security,”
explained Jens Hillenkötter, Managing Director of Nocturne Drones and world-renowned designer and producer of multimedia shows.
Dedrone offers a flexible, cloud-based all-in-one solution for aviation security. Dedrone’s system can detect, identify, locate and mitigate nearly 300 different types of drones, including homemade drones. The company works with clients in 35 countries around the world, including military, government, law enforcement, critical infrastructure, airports, correctional facilities, stadiums, major events and corporations.
“Drone shows are one of the most exciting uses for drones today and Nocturne Drones create fantastic events worldwide,” said Aaditya Devarakonda, CEO of Dedrone. “To ensure a flawless show and to protect spectators and airspace, safety must come first. We are delighted to be working with Nocturne Drones to ensure they can continue to perform world-class drone shows with the highest level of safety.”
Nocturne Drones’ drone fleets are among the safest in the world as they have certifications and features specifically designed for live events and areas of enhanced security. Nocturne’s software and hardware platform is specially developed for light shows and the drones are optimized to bring out motifs and logos in the best possible way.
In addition to firmly integrated drone detection systems inside the control vehicles of Nocturne Drone Shows, further systems are available for the airspace surveillance of events, including espionage protection and defusing possible attack risks. Engineers at Nocturne Drones are currently developing additional counterintelligence solutions for various applications. (Source: UAS VISION)
04 May 22. DASA seeks ways in which human augmentation can benefit defence and security.
DASA has launched a new Innovation Focus Area to find Generation-After-Next (GAN) human augmentation technologies for use in defence and security
- DASA has launched a new Innovation Focus Area: Human Augmentation (HA)
- Funding provided by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) HA Science and Technology (S&T) project
- Funding proposals to a value around £70,000 for innovative Generation-After-Next (GAN) human augmentation solutions
The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) is pleased to launch a new Innovation Focus Area (IFA) called Human Augmentation. This IFA is seeking proposals which present GAN solutions to operational challenges for UK Defence and Security, where the human performance is the limiting factor for delivering operational effect.
This IFA is run on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) HA Science and Technology (S&T) project.
Funding
DASA expects to fund proposals to a value around £70K which provide a proof of concept within a 6 month contract
Do you have an innovation which could augment human performance?
Human augmentation technologies in defence
HA is the use of Science and Technology (S&T) to temporarily or permanently modify human performance. As the battlefield becomes more complex and more advanced technologies become available, the operational demands and technical challenges on our defence and security personnel will increase. It is vital to explore if human augmentation technologies can be harnessed safely, legally and ethically to develop enhanced levels of operator (and system) performance in military and security capability.
We are interested in GAN technologies that deliver a competitive advantage to UK Defence and Security by:
- optimising physical and/or psychological performance
- enhancing physical and/or psychological performance
- enabling an individual to work for longer at a desired level (baseline)of performance
- supporting performance restoration
Examples of candidate HA technologies include, but are not limited to: * wearable assistive devices (e.g. exoskeletons and technologies to enhance senses) * sensory enhancement technologies * nutritional supplements * pharmacological interventions * manipulation of the microbiomes * neurotechnologies * novel materials * implantable devices * synthetic biology * cross reality * robotics * artificial intelligence
Submit a proposal
Do you have a solution or novel approach that may help contribute to the portfolio of human augmentation capabilities and promote UK Government’s understanding of their appropriate (potential) use? Submit an idea and help DASA and Dstl accelerate the development of human augmentation technologies for defence and delivering military effect.
Read the full competition document to learn more and submit a proposal: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/defence-and-security-accelerator-dasa-open-call-for-innovation/open-call-innovation-focus-areas#IFA033 (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
02 May 22. US Army scrambles to keep its new air-defense radar on schedule. Raytheon has run into problems building the first prototypes of the U.S. Army’s new air-and-missile defense radar that will replace the Patriot system’s sensor, but the service still aims to deliver four of them by the end of 2023.
“The LTAMDS program continues to adjust schedules to mitigate system integration challenges and supply chain issues caused by COVID supply chain issues,” the Army’s Program Executive Office for Missiles and Space told Defense News in a statement.
The Army “will continue to make necessary test schedule adjustments to meet the congressional mandate of fielding one LTAMDS Battalion (four sensors) by December 2023,” the office said.
Raytheon was awarded a $384 m contract in October 2019 to develop and build six urgent materiel release versions of the system, the Army noted. Four of them will be used to satisfy Congress’s intent to field an urgent capability.
The program experienced a variety of schedule slips, some roughly by a year, according to the fiscal year 2023 Army budget justification documents.
While the Army originally planned to begin product representative unit manufacturing in the first quarter of FY20, that did not start until the first quarter of FY21. Plans to wrap up manufacturing would have ended in the fourth quarter of FY22 but that has now moved to the fourth quarter of FY23.
Qualification testing originally planned to begin in the first quarter of FY22 and end in the fourth quarter of FY22 will not begin until the fourth quarter of FY22. But testing will end in the first quarter of FY23, according to the documents.
Development testing that was supposed to happen in FY22 will not take place until the third quarter of FY23 and an operational test event will happen in the second quarter of FY23 rather than in the third quarter of FY22.
An operational assessment and integrated fires campaign will take place starting the third quarter of FY23 and will wrap up in the fourth quarter of FY23.
According to FY22 justification books, the Army had planned to reach an initial operational capability in the fourth quarter of FY22, but now plans to issue an urgent materiel release one year later than that.
The Army is now planning to make a production decision for LTAMDS in the first quarter of FY24, the budget documents note.
“The LTAMDS prime vendor, Raytheon, provides regular updates to the schedule and continues to coordinate with the U.S. government to make necessary test schedule adjustments to meet warfighter requirements and the congressional mandate,” the Army included in its statement.
In an interview this March, Brig. Gen. Robert Rasch, program executive officer for Army missiles and space, told Defense News that the service was about to receive the first of the LTAMDS radars, expected in April, to begin government testing at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.
The Army has been working toward a replacement for the Raytheon-made Patriot system for well over a decade, but along with the LTAMDS radar, it is closing in on bringing some key capabilities of its future system to bear this year.
The linchpin of the Army’s future Integrated Air and Missile Defense System – the Northrop Grumman-made Integrated Battle Command System, or IBCS – will complete its critical initial operational test and evaluation in 2022. A full-rate production decision on the command-and-control system is expected in FY23.
The Army is also accelerating its plans to replace Lockheed Martin-made Patriot missiles. The service will make a contract award to a single vendor through a competitive process in the third quarter of FY26, but will begin the process in mid-FY23. Plans for a future launcher have yet to materialize, and the Army is conducting analyses and evaluating what will be needed for the system. (Source: Defense News)
02 May 22. Japan to use C-2 airlifter for stand-off EW aircraft. A new stand-off electronic warfare (EW) aircraft being developed by Japan will be based on the Kawasaki C-2 transport aircraft, according to an official source.
The platform has been in development since the start of 2021. It is being designed to interfere with an adversarial power’s electromagnetic spectrum outside the threat’s range. According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense’s annual White Paper, Defense of Japan 2021, the jamming will support counter air operations by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces (SDF).
Speaking to Janes , the MoD’s Acquisition, Technology & Logistics Agency (ATLA) said that C-2 was chosen because the stand-off aircraft is required to carry a large amount of equipment to enable it to conduct “effective jamming” from the outside of the opponent’s threat envelope.
“[The] C-2 transport aircraft has been selected as the base platform after considering such factors as its flight performance, maximum payload, and cost,” ATLA said.(Source: Janes)
29 Apr 22. Belgium and Germany progress with OCCAR night vision programme. Mikron is a lightweight, image-intensified, dual-tube NVG. Belgium and Germany have concluded the operational testing and acceptance campaign of the Mikron NVG under their joint Night Vision Capability (NVC) procurement effort. Belgian and German troops have completed operational testing and acceptance (OT&A) of the Mikron NVG under the Night Vision Capability (NVC) programme, the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) announced on 12 April. Acquired in 2021, Mikron is a spin-off from the NYX family produced by Theon Sensors; it will replace several types of optronic system in service with the Belgian and German armed forces. The lightweight NVG is an image-intensified, dual-tube binocular that is able to be operated in helmet-mounted, head-mounted and handheld configurations. (Source: Shephard)
29 Apr 22. Aurora tests improve capabilities of MIDAS counter-unmanned aircraft system. Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing Company, recently completed a project to advance the capabilities of its Modular Intercept Drone Avionics Set (MIDAS) counter-unmanned aircraft system.
According to a press release, Aurora engineers designed, implemented, and tested improvements to the drone engagement device and onboard autonomy, as well as to the speed and maneuverability of the vehicle platform. Using similar test parameters to last spring’s demonstration for the Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System Office and the Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, MIDAS autonomously defeated 83% of small UAS targets.
“Since our successful customer demos last year, we’ve continued to improve hardware and software systems on MIDAS to ensure we are prepared to meet the needs of future counter-sUAS programs,” said Jason Grzywna, director of small UAS programs at Aurora. “The vehicle we used for the most recent tests included enhancements in agility and autonomy, which improved target acquisition, and in the bolos fired by the DED, which proved more effective in completely disabling the target.”
Originally developed under a Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) contract, MIDAS is designed specifically to mitigate adversary sUAS with low collateral effects. Cued by ground radar, the multi-rotor, AI-enabled MIDAS uses an on-board sensor to autonomously identify and track adversary targets. Once the target is identified, MIDAS fires bolo projectiles that entangle the target’s propellers and disable the vehicle without endangering bystanders.
Part of the vehicle’s autonomy includes the use of perception and guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) algorithms to search for, track, and target drones within range of the vehicle’s perception sensors. These algorithms provide a localized position of the target in real time and determine how the system develops its autonomous intercept and firing solution. The vehicle then uses the information from these algorithms to provide control commands directly to the autopilot system and fire the drone engagement device.
The use of perception capabilities on MIDAS is just one example of Aurora’s expertise in autonomy. For over 30 years, Aurora has been an industry leader in autonomous capabilities including human-machine teaming, GNC, and early-stage technology development.
For more information visit: www.aurora.aero (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
26 Apr 22. US Government to list “authorised detection systems” as part of national C-UAS plan. The US government has released the first “whole-of-government” plan to address UAS threats in the Homeland.
“Through the Domestic Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems National Action Plan, the Administration is working to expand where we can protect against nefarious UAS activity, who is authorized to take action, and how it can be accomplished lawfully,” according to a government press statement. “The Plan seeks to achieve this legitimate expansion while safeguarding the airspace, communications spectrums, individual privacy, civil liberties and civil rights. To achieve this balance, the Administration is calling on Congress to adopt legislation to close critical gaps in existing law and policy that currently impede government and law enforcement from protecting the American people and our vital security interests.”
The Plan provides eight key recommendations for action:
- Work with Congress to enact a new legislative proposal to expand the set of tools and actors who can protect against UAS by reauthorizing and expanding existing counter‑UAS authorities for the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Defense, State, as well as the Central Intelligence Agency and NASA in limited situations. The proposal also seeks to expand UAS detection authorities for state, local, territorial and Tribal (SLTT) law enforcement agencies and critical infrastructure owners and operators. The proposal would also create a Federally-sponsored pilot program for selected SLTT law enforcement agency participants to perform UAS mitigation activities and permit critical infrastructure owners and operators to purchase authorized equipment to be used by appropriate Federal or SLTT law enforcement agencies to protect their facilities;
- Establish a list of U.S. Government authorized detection equipment, approved by Federal security and regulatory agencies, to guide authorized entities in purchasing UAS detection systems in order to avoid the risks of inadvertent disruption to airspace or the communications spectrum;
- Establish oversight and enablement mechanisms to support critical infrastructure owners and operators in purchasing counter-UAS equipment for use by authorized Federal entities or SLTT law enforcement agencies;
- Establish a National Counter-UAS Training Center to increase training accessibility and promote interagency cross-training and collaboration;
- Create a Federal UAS incident tracking database as a government-wide repository for departments and agencies to have a better understanding of the overall domestic threat;
- Establish a mechanism to coordinate research, development, testing, and evaluation on UAS detection and mitigation technology across the Federal government;
- Work with Congress to enact a comprehensive criminal statute that sets clear standards for legal and illegal uses, closes loopholes in existing Federal law, and establishes adequate penalties to deter the most serious UAS-related crimes; and
- Enhance cooperation with the international community on counter‑UAS technologies, as well as the systems designed to defeat them.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/04/25/fact-sheet-the-domestic-counter-unmanned-aircraft-systems-national-action-plan/ (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
26 Apr 22. Norway issues request for information for supply of detection and counter drone equipment. Norwegian air navigation service provider Avinor has issued a Request for Information (RFI) for drone detection and counter unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) for airports. The procurement is covered by the Government Procurement Agreement.
According to the tender document:
“Avinor AS (Avinor) invites interested parties to a market dialogue in advance of a potential tender competition regarding drone detection systems/C-UAS. The purpose of this RFI is to:
- Inform the market of Avinor’s ambitions, needs and requirement regarding the potential purchase of a drone detection system.
- Gather relevant information to use in the upcoming tender.
- Ensure the scope and quality of the upcoming tender.
- Gain further understanding of the market, product developments, current technology, solutions, and system providers.
- Gain knowledge of how a drone detection system can be implemented and operated in an airport operational environment.
“The purpose is to explore and learn from the market of suppliers of drone detection systems. The intended scope of the potential tender will be a drone detection system for Oslo Airport (OSL/ENGM) with purchase options for several additional airports operated by Avinor. A solution for a drone detection system must therefore be scalable to suit the needs of both Oslo Airport and additional airports of different sizes.
“There are an estimated 400,000 drones currently operating in Norway. The rising number of drones increases the probability for conflicts between manned and unmanned aviation, both intentionally and unintentionally.
“The Norwegian national regulations state that it is forbidden to fly a drone closer than 5 km of an airport without permission from Air Traffic Services. There have been several reports of drones flying closer to an airport than 5km, which has led to multiple closures of Avinor airports for various time periods. Avinor is looking for solutions that can cover as much as possible of the prohibition zone around the airport, with the departure and arrival sector as the most important areas.
“The main goal for Avinor with a drone detection system is to maintain the high safety level for manned aviation and to reduce the operational consequences when unauthorized drone(s) is observed. Avinor is interested in a system that is reliable, accurate, easy to use for the operator and cost efficient.
Avinor would like to highlight the following topics as vital in this RFI document:
- What kind of drones the different systems are able to detect.
- How detection systems can be handled from the operator side
- Different financial models the suppliers can offer.
- Learn more about how the suppliers is looking into integrating C-UAS with UTM systems, U-Space and tracking of authorized drones.”
Reference number: 22/02085
For more information: https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:219861-2022:HTML:EN:HTML&tabId=1&tabLang=en
Contact:
(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
29 Apr 22. Tekever Launches AR3 UAS with Hot-Swappable VTOL and Integrated SAR. Tekever launched the new version of its proven AR3 system, now with Hot-Swappable VTOL with integrated Synthetic Aperture Radar capabilities, during AUVSI Xponential in Orlando.
With the new upgrade, the AR3 becomes the most operationally flexible UAS in the market, and the smallest UAS to boast a high performance, dual side looking Synthetic Aperture Radar.
“The new version of our vastly proven AR3 is a modular & transformable platform. Users no longer have to choose between having pure fixed wing assets for longer endurance missions, or fixed wing VTOL assets for more challenging deployment conditions. The AR3 combines both capabilities and provides users with the ability to decide the configuration just moments before takeoff,”
explained Ricardo Mendes, Tekever’s CEO.
The newly added Synthetic Aperture Radar provides the AR3 with a vastly greater operational range, and the ability to effectively detect, recognise and identify targets under any weather condition. Covering more than 20.000 square nautical miles per mission, the new AR3 is the perfect tool for wide-area surveillance missions.
“Our SAR, which we named GAMASAR in honour of the Portuguese navigator Vasco da Gama, is designed and built by Tekever specifically to provide our customers with capabilities that are typically only available through much larger systems. With an extremely reduced logistics footprint, the unprecedented VTOL flexibility and the unique capabilities provided by GAMASAR, the new AR3 is a game changer, that provides our customers with tremendous value and cost effectiveness,” added Ricardo Mendes.
The Tekever AR3 is a small, long endurance UAS designed to support a wide range of land and maritime operations. The addition of the optionally VTOL capability increases its flexibility of deployment and reduces the logistics package. The VTOL capability is provided as an option and is hot-swappable, allowing the user to decide which configuration to use just before takeoff, depending on type of environment and evolving mission requirements.
The AR3 is a widely used platform, that’s been extensively operated in the most demanding maritime and land operational scenarios. Previous versions of the AR3 relied on a pneumatic catapult to launch and landed using parachute and a protective airbag. With the most recent update to the platform, Tekever adds the ability to take-off and land vertically, providing users with a very wide set of configuration options. If fitted with the VTOL option, the AR3 can fly up to 8 hours under real operational conditions with a full sensor package. Without the VTOL option, the endurance is increased to 16 hours.
All Tekever systems are fully interoperable and can be combined to provide unprecedented operational flexibility in the most demanding commercial, security or military scenarios. Operators trained on Tekever ’s unified Ground Control System are ready to operate all Tekever platforms, providing extreme flexibility in staff and crew management.
(Source: UAS VISION)
28 Apr 22. Filipino corvettes to get Israeli 3D radar. The Philippine Navy’s future corvettes will be equipped with lightweight ALPHA 3D active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) announced on 26 April.
The company said in its statement that it had signed an agreement with South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) to integrate radars aboard the two multirole corvettes that the latter has been contracted to build for the navy.
Developed by IAI’s ELTA Division, the ALPHA 3D radar system shares technology with the larger MF-STAR radar and features a modular construction and fully digital software-driven architecture that enables it to be continuously enhanced via software updates to address new threats. The radar will be fully integrated with the combat management system (CMS) supplied by South Korea’s Hanwha Systems.
“This agreement is a testament to IAI’s close partnership and cooperation with Hyundai and the defense ecosystem in Asia. Incorporating IAI’s pioneering AESA technology on the Philippine Navy’s new ships highlights the trust that the Philippine Navy and [HHI] have placed in IAI,” said IAI VP and ELTA CEO Yoav Tourgeman.
The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) signed a US$535 m contract with HHI for two newbuild corvettes in December 2021. The DND has not disclosed further details of the new corvette at the time, but revealed that the vessels will be capable of undertaking anti-surface, anti-submarine, and air defence operations. It is believed that HHI will use a version of its 3,100-tonne and 114 metre-long HDC-3100 platform concept.
The first corvette is expected to be handed over to the Philippine Navy in 2023, with the second ship scheduled for delivery in 2025.
This contract marks the second major defence procurement between HHI and the Philippines. The company earlier won a bid to construct two new frigates for the navy, which are based on the Republic of Korea Navy’s Incheon (FFX-I) class platforms. Both vessels are now in service as the Jose Rizal-class. (Source: AMR)
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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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