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04 Aug 22. Have you tried turning it off and on again? UAVs have been used by both sides during the Ukraine war and have been susceptible to electronic and kinetic attack.
“They are doing better” was the laconic, yet succinct, assessment of one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) expert regarding Russia’s application of electronic warfare against such aircraft in Ukraine.
UAVs have been a signature weapon of the Ukraine conflict. Both sides use them for Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) gathering, particularly to aid artillery. This includes commercially available UAVs and dedicated military systems. The former can be ‘tricked-up’ to make them more militarily useful by configuring them to drop grenades, for example. Small sized UAVs can be hard detect by radar due to their small physical size. As such, Electronic Warfare (EW) techniques can help neutralise these aircraft and their pilots.
UAVs depend on a radio link between the pilot and the aircraft. This conveys commands to the aircraft from the pilot and feedback from the aircraft regarding its flight. Commercial UAVs typically use frequencies of 2.4 gigahertz/GHz and 5.8GHz for this link. Additional radio links may let the UAV send its imagery to users elsewhere keen to exploit it for ISR. UAVs will also have Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers. These will obtain position, navigation and timing signals from GNSS systems like the US GPS, European Galileo, Russian GLONASS or Chinese Beidou constellations. GNSS signals typically use frequencies of 1.1GHz to 1.6GHz.
EW practitioners have several options available for exploiting a UAV’s radio links. They can jam these links which may cause the UAV to land in situ or return to its point of origin. Alternatively, they can hack into the UAV’s control system via its pilot-UAV radio link and take control of the aircraft. They can then fly it wherever they wish. Alternatively, practitioners can detect and locate the aircraft and its pilot using the radio link between the two. Once the location of the aircraft is determined, it can be engaged by ground-based air defences like anti-aircraft artillery or surface-to-air missiles. Likewise, the pilot’s location can be engaged by artillery.
The Russian Army’s Lesochek backpack jammer was ostensibly developed for IED jamming, although it may have some utility against UAV radio links and GNSS systems.
The utility of UAVs is not lost on the Russian Army’s EW force which has systems capable of detecting and jamming these aircraft deployed with its manoeuvre force. Troops at the tactical edge maybe able to use their Lesochek backpack jammers against UAV radio links. Although Lesochek is ostensibly designed as an improvised explosive device jammer it may have some utility against UAVs. Sources have told Armada it covers a waveband of 30 megahertz to three gigahertz. In theory this means it could attack the 2.8GHz radio link and potentially jam a UAV’s incoming GNSS signals. The MKTK-1A Dzyudoist system deployed by the EW companies of the Russian airborne forces covers a ten megahertz to 18GHz waveband. It is possible that the MKTK-1A can both detect and locate UAVs via their radio links, jamming these. The Torn EW system used by Russian Army reconnaissance units may have similar attributes. This covers a 1.5MHz to three gigahertz waveband. Unlike the MKTK-1A and Lesochek, Torn is only thought capable of detecting and locating the UAVs and possibly their pilot.
Finding their Mojo
Russian electronic warfare had a seemingly troubled start during the first phase of the war. This encompassed Russia’s invasion on 24th February and subsequent withdrawal from Kyiv in early April. Nonetheless, Russian Army electronic warfare acumen against Ukrainian UAVs appears to be improving. The life of a UAV is now considered very short, measured in days. Russian EW success is compounded with UAV pilots possessing “very little training flying fragile machines in an extremely hostile environment” the UAV source revealed.
“Russian use of electronic warfare against UAVs is becoming more organised. They are better than they were,” the source continued. “They have learned lessons from phase 1, principally how important drones are to the Ukrainians”.
Environmental factors may be playing a role. There is now a well-defined frontline stretching across the south and west of Ukraine occupied by Russian forces. While Russian land forces have not covered these regions with EW systems, the source said, they have areas where they act aggressively against UAVs.
Unlike in Kyiv, the Russian Army is now largely fighting in open country. This eases electronic attack against UAVs with less risk that jamming signals may be obscured by large buildings. Both sides are using commercial off-the-shelf UAVs which creates a vulnerability for the Russian armed forces. Information from the Ukraine theatre of operations indicates these aircraft are susceptible to the Russian’s own jamming.
Russia’s jamming efforts against Ukrainian UAVs also have reported shortcomings. Another source told Armada that these “are far from 100 percent effective”. They have struggled to adapt to changes in Ukrainian spectrum use to support UAV operations. Russian EW cadres are good at spotting the frequency a UAV’s link with its pilot use. However, if the pilot then changes that frequency, the EW system needs to be deactivated and switched back on tuned to the new frequency. This makes Russian counter-UAV electronic warfare far from agile.
Nullifying Jamming
One thing to bear in mind is that commercially available UAVs were never designed to fly in electromagnetically contested environments, the source added. Consideration will have to be given to how these aircraft can fly in such environments without being jammed. One possibility is to use machine vision-based navigation packages to equip these UAVs. The modules use artificial intelligence to let the aircraft recognise its surroundings, routes and targets. This would help free the UAV from relying on radio signals during its mission, making it harder to target using EW. One company, rigr.ai, has developed such a payload called the DSP autonomous navigation module. This product will complete development by this autumn and be ready for use. (Source: Armada)
04 Aug 22. Dedrone Launches DedronePortable. Dedrone has announced the launch of DedronePortable, an all-in-one kit that offers comprehensive drone detection, tracking, and identification capabilities (DTI) on the go. In use by multiple militaries, government agencies, and commercial entities around the world, DedronePortable offers Dedrone’s sophisticated machine learning technology and end-to-end defeat capabilities via a system that can be set up in the field in less than 20 minutes.
DedronePortable can be combined with DroneDefender to not only DTI enemy/unauthorized drones but also deny and disrupt the RF bands used by most commercial and military drones, and across the GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, SBAS, and QZSS geo-location bands. These capabilities ensure that even military or homemade RC controllers, along with commercially available drones, can be detected and mitigated. Additionally, DedronePortable can be equipped with the ability to deliver disinformation to the enemy through deliberate drone spoofing capability if required for combat situations.
“Rapidly changing airspace security situations require easily-transported and -operational counter-drone systems, and DedronePortable is built to thrive in these hectic and/or temporary environments,” said Aaditya Devarakonda, CEO of Dedrone. “With its robust equipment and constant technological updates, DedronePortable is poised to play a key role in current and future operations around the globe.”
All key components required for drone detection are included in DedronePortable, which can be easily transported from location to location. All required equipment including sensors, power supply, cables, a ruggedized laptop pre-loaded with the DedroneTracker and the drone identification database DedroneDNA, and more come pre-packaged in easy to transport and assemble kits.
Usage of military and commercial drones has become increasingly common in military situations, including in the war in Ukraine, where drones have been used by both sides for reconnaissance, artillery target location and even bombings.
“We have been working closely with the Dedrone team and have reverse engineered the RF signature of the Russian Orlan-10 drones. We are now setting up a network of sensors to further up-level our capabilities in the conflict zone,” said a representative of Ukrainian military forces on the front line in eastern Ukraine. “Dedrone has been a great, agile partner to work with in real time.”
Dedrone is increasing access to mobile, agile counter-drone solutions. Earlier this year, the company launched DedroneRapidResponse, which can be deployed quickly to ensure uninterrupted airspace protection of outdoor events within a five-kilometer radius. Dedrone works across 37 countries, including four of the G-7 nation governments; nine U.S. federal agencies, including the Department of Defense; more than 75 critical infrastructure sites; 20+ airports; and 50 correctional facilities worldwide. The company actively provides counter-drone services for some of the most high-profile events around the world and works closely with more than 35 law enforcement agencies. (Source: UAS VISION)
04 Aug 22. US Navy delivers first RMAF’s CN-235 converted into maritime aircraft. The aircraft has primarily received intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) upgrade. The US Navy has successfully converted and delivered the Royal Malaysian Air Force’s (RMAF) first of three CN-235 transport aircraft into a maritime patrol aircraft.
Delivery of this aircraft comes three-and-a-half years after the signing of a letter of offer and acceptance between the US and Malaysia to enhance interoperability and capabilities of both forces.
This work was facilitated under the US Navy’s Building Partner Capacity programme and is in alignment with the US Government’s maritime security effort.
The initiative aims to support the Malaysian Government in boosting maritime security and domain awareness within the Malaysian Exclusive Economic Zone.
The project was undertaken by the Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Security Cooperation Office and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIRWorks in collaboration with the RMAF.
It primarily involved integration of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) upgrade into the aircraft.
The upgrades also involved installation of maritime surveillance radar, maritime surveillance mission suite, an electro-optical infrared turret, a roll-on/roll-off mission system operator station and a line-of-sight datalink.
Additionally, the project included delivery of compatible fixed and mobile ground stations.
NAVAIR Security Cooperation Office director Ron Weinberger said: “Building Partner Capacity programmes represent highest level of return on engagement to the US.
“The Malaysian CN-235 programme will be a significant force multiplier to an indigenous Malaysian ISR capability and will directly support joint Malaysian and US efforts to ensure global security in Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility.”
Work on the two remaining CN-235 aircraft and ground stations is currently underway and is expected to conclude later this year.
The medium-range twin-engine CN-235 transport aircraft is originally manufactured by an Indonesian aerospace firm Perseroan Terbatas Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) and Spain’s Construcciones Aeronáuticas.
(Source: naval-technology.com)
27 Jul 22. US Army weighing IVAS production decision, unlikely to meet September fielding date. US Army soldiers continued to experience technology and fit challenges during a recent operational test of Microsoft’s Integrated Augmentation System (IVAS), Assistant Secretary of the US Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology Douglas Bush told reporters on 27 July. Bush is now drafting a production division recommendation for the multibn programme based around the militarised HoloLens 2 heads-up display, but the service is unlikely to meet its revised first unit equipped date set for September, Janes understands. The army concluded the initial operational test and evaluation of its IVAS in late June, and the Program Executive Office Soldier told Janes on 26 July that formal test reports should be available around the September timeframe. However, Bush said he and other officials are reviewing the findings before Army Secretary Christine Wormuth makes a production decision, which may occur before the final report is released. (Source: Armada)
02 Aug 22. Microflown Avisa applies 3D shockwave detection for improved counter-artillery capability. Microflown Avisa and Leonardo have developed new acoustic artillery detection technologies, briefing on these at the 2022 Omega Future Indirect Fires conference in Bristol.
Microflown Avisa has developed a new concept based on detecting the 3D shockwave (SW) generated by an artillery round – which originates at the tip of the shell along its trajectory – and the muzzle blast.
The company’s Acoustic Multi-Mission Sensor (AMMS) detection system detects muzzle blast alone, and is based on micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) and measures acoustic particle velocity. It consists of two orthogonally placed Microflown transducers and a microphone in a single hemispherical container.
Each AMMS provides the direction and elevation of the sound source; networked together these can provide accurate localisation. Earlier versions of the system have been used operationally and include both static networked sensor arrays and single vehicle or UAV-mounted sensors.
(Source: Janes)
03 Aug 22. ECS & TCI expand business operations with multi-million BlackTalon Counter Unmanned Air Systems (C-UAS) contract wins.
- The new international contracts, secured during the second quarter of 2022, come less than a year after ECS was acquired by SPX Corporation and the joint collaboration between ECS and TCI under its ‘CommTech’ group
ECS and TCI, under SPX Corporation’s Communications Technology (CommTech) group, today announce a series of multi-m dollar contract awards for its jointly developed BlackTalon Counter Unmanned Air Systems (C-UAS) solution. This follows the recent launch of BlackTalon as the first joint capability offering in the C-UAS domain.
“At ECS + TCI Battlespace, we’re proud to be delivering our BlackTalon solution to address evolving threats with Unmanned Air Systems. BlackTalon is a great example of how combining the capabilities of two world leaders in their field, Tactical Radio Frequency (RF) detection and location systems and RF inhibitors, can deliver real operational impact,” says David Beckett of ECS + TCI Battlespace. “We’re jointly providing customers with holistic and customer-tailored solutions for their theatre of use and the skills and capabilities of the operators, to optimise their effectiveness within an evolving Concept of Operations (CONOPS).”
The entry level solution, BlackTalon 1, provides Passive RF Detect, Track & Active RF Defeat, whilst the advanced C-UAS solution, BlackTalon 2, uses Passive & Active RF Detect, RF and EO Tracking & Active RF Defeat with a sophisticated C2 data fusion software, delivering a scalable response to the perceived drone threat.
Eric Kaled, CEO of CommTech adds: “The creation of the BlackTalon Counter UAS solution was a key driver behind the acquisition of ECS. The combination of ECS and TCI technologies provides credible, operationally proven solutions which address our customers’ requirements and help them manage the security risks that the defence and security community faces. Our mission is to provide our customers with the ability to deliver a flexible and proportionate response to the threat presented in the dynamic global security environment. BlackTalon addresses the progressive and rapid developments that are continuing every day to alter UAS and the Counter-UAS technology space.”
With this announcement ECS + TCI (CommTech) will continue to jointly address customers’ evolving needs with the BlackTalon Counter UAS solution.
02 Aug 22. How L3Harris created US special operators’ new plane to hunt and strike terrorists. U.S. Special Operations Command’s new Armed Overwatch aircraft will be able to carry multiple weapons configurations and modular sensors that can be quickly swapped out as well as be disassembled for deployment within hours.
The AT-802U Sky Warden, made by L3Harris Technologies and aircraft manufacturer Air Tractor, is SOCOM’s pick for a rugged plane that can carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, close air support, and strike missions against terrorist groups in austere locations such as parts of Africa.
In an interview with Defense News on Tuesday, Luke Savoie, president of L3Harris Technologies’ ISR sector, said the company’s use of model-based engineering and modular open systems allowed it to design a low-cost aircraft tailored to deliver what special operators need in the field.
SOCOM wants Armed Overwatch planes so it can continue to pressure extremist groups, such as Somalia’s al-Shabab, in areas with largely uncontested airspace, while the Air Force shifts its primary focus and more elaborate fighters and bombers toward potential high-end threats in Europe and Asia.
Armed Overwatch planes could also take over at least some of the missions carried out by the U-28 Draco ISR aircraft, which is aging and expensive to maintain.
L3Harris’ indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to deliver as many as 75 Sky Wardens will be worth up to $3bn, with an initial contract award for $170m.
The trust factor
L3Harris began work on what would eventually become the Sky Warden in March 2020, shortly after SOCOM released its Armed Overwatch solicitation. Savoie said the company started with “no preconceived notions.”
Rather than beginning with a list of must-haves for the airplane, as traditional requirements-based engineering might dictate, Savoie said L3Harris’s designers used model-based systems engineering to consider why a Sky Warden pilot might need certain capabilities and the best way to fill those needs.
L3Harris also sought to ensure the capabilities are tightly integrated to reduce the crew’s workload and take advantage of automation whenever possible, he said.
“In special ops, it comes down to that” trust, Savoie said. “The guy on the ground isn’t looking for dots on [a] map, on a tablet or something on his wrist. He’s looking for the confidence that someone talking in his ear knows what they’re talking about, and not having to second guess that.”
That led L3Harris to refine the kind of sensors and software this plane would need and how it would integrate the systems, he said. The company talked to those who have carried out this mission before to make the Sky Warden as user-friendly as possible.
“End users … constantly remind us, ‘I like to look through my gun sight, I don’t like to look at my arm, at a tablet,’” said Savoie, a former U-28 and AC-130 pilot.
Users also emphasized the importance of instant communication, with no latency, for an airplane carrying out an Armed Overwatch mission, Savoie said, as well as the need to streamline the information presented to the pilot.
To build the air frame that would become Sky Warden, L3Harris teamed up with Air Tractor, which typically builds agricultural and firefighting aircraft.
The company had worked with Air Tractor on previous programs, such as surveillance aircraft for Jordan in the mid-2010s and other projects involving sensor, weapons and software integration. But, Savoie said, with its added strike capabilities, Sky Warden was much more complicated than the Jordanian surveillance planes.
L3Harris created three prototype Sky Wardens. One was fully missionized, with all the modifications to do everything an operational Armed Overwatch plane would have to do. The company sent that prototype to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida last summer for SOCOM’s evaluation. Four other companies also demonstrated their prototypes to SOCOM in 2021 and early 2022.
A second prototype was built for L3Harris’s own flight tests and to qualify the plane’s autopilot. L3Harris also built a third Sky Warden prototype to test and certify the aircraft’s strengthened, high-load wing to ensure it could carry up to 6,000 pounds of external ordnance.
Savoie said Sky Warden can be easily prepared for deployment on a C-17 or C-5 mobility aircraft. The plane can be disassembled in about 7 hours, loaded on a cargo plane, and then reassembled in about the same amount of time once it’s reached its destination, he said. L3Harris brought a Sky Warden to May’s Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in Tampa, Florida, where it demonstrated how quickly the breakdown and reassembly process could take place.
“It’s a pretty compact form,” Savoie said.
The per-unit cost of a Sky Warden will vary depending on its configuration and capabilities, Savoie said, but declined to identify a figure.
L3Harris’ contract also includes providing training systems, mission planning systems, support equipment, spares and logistical support.
Air Tractor aircraft have carried weapons before, such as 50-caliber guns and 7.62 miniguns, Savoie said. The Sky Warden could be armed with six weapons stations, with the laser-guided 2.75-inch Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, or APKWS, rocket being its primary weapon.
Sky Warden could also carry GBU-12 Paveway laser-guided bombs, Savoie said, and L3Harris is close to having it capable of carrying the AGM-114 Hellfire missile. And Sky Warden has the infrastructure to handle as many as eight common launch tube-based weapons such as the AGM-176A Griffin, he said.
Construction of the Sky Wardens will begin at Air Tractor’s Olney, Texas facility. Once those airframes are built, they will be shipped to L3Harris’s modification center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where work to modify them for the Armed Overwatch mission will take place.
Savoie said L3Harris will manufacture parts for the modifications at its Greenville, Texas facility. L3Harris will also do software work for the plane at its Nashville, Tennessee facility, and sustainment activities will be done at Rockwall, Texas. Engineering work will be done at L3 locations in Waco, Greenville and Plano, Texas. Various other L3Harris sites will provide sensor, radio and weapons release capabilities, Savoie said. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
02 Aug 22. Israel Aerospace Industries unveils new STAR-X 3D naval radar. Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) has expanded its naval radar portfolio with the introduction of a new compact shipborne surveillance and threat alert radar designed to fulfil the needs of operators of offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) and other small vessels.
The new radar, named STAR-X 3D, is a fully digital 3D short- to medium-range X-band active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that can perform simultaneous surface and air surveillance.
IAI said the new radar leveraged proven technology from other IAI-ELTA radars and employed gallium nitride solid-state transmit modules to achieve a compact lightweight design, especially for missions in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), ranging from counter-terrorism, smuggling, piracy, and search-and-rescue, up to full open-sea combat missions.
The radar’s technical specifications include a maximum instrumented range in excess of 150 km, a detection range for low-flying attacking missiles out to more than 25 km, and a detection range for high-flying attacking fighter aircraft out to more than 60 km. It has a tracking capacity for more than 1,000 targets and an elevation coverage of 70°. The antenna weighs less than 350 kg. (Source: Janes)
02 Aug 22. KME, the UK display specialist have signed Swiftrade, an exciting new distributor in Central Europe: Germany / Austria / Switzerland for our rugged displays. The Swiss distributor’s offering compliments KME’s range of rugged displays with a full range of quality products from single components to full subsystems in military, aerospace, and defence applications on human-machine interface solutions. They are a one-stop solution from design to engineering to testing (Mil-Std and DO160) to the final product. Swiftrade is committed to meeting all requirements for Quality, Performance and Service.
02 Aug 22. Teledyne FLIR Announces the Neutrino LC CZ 15-300 Demonstrating Rapid MWIR Integration Capability.
Latest ITAR-Free Neutrino IS series module offers best-in-industry performance and improved time-tomarket for commercial, industrial, and defense applications
Teledyne FLIR, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, today
announced the release of the Neutrino LC CZ 15-300, the latest Neutrino IS series model of mid-wavelength infrared (MWIR) camera modules with integrated continuous zoom (CZ) lenses. Designed for integrated solutions requiring crisp, long range, SD or HD MWIR imaging, the ITAR-free Neutrino IS series offers size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP+C) benefits to original equipment manufacturers (OEM) and system integrators for airborne, unmanned, C-UAS, security, ISR, and targeting applications.
“The Neutrino IS series portfolio and our ability to combine our off-the-shelf MWIR cameras and lenses
provide integrators faster time to market, superior performance, and lower cost,” said Dan Walker, vice
president of product management, Teledyne FLIR. “This model launch demonstrates our rapid integration capability from a single supplier, taking what once required multiple suppliers and more than two years to complete.”
Based on Teledyne FLIR HOT FPA technology, the Neutrino LC CZ 15-300 offers high performance,
640×512 HD MWIR imagery and 15 mm to 300 mm CZ capability for ruggedized products requiring long life, low power consumption, and quiet, low vibration operation. The long-life FL-100 linear cryocooler drives reliable operation and an industry-leading two-year warranty, further reducing integration risk and cost of ownership.
All Neutrino IS products include a Teledyne FLIR CZ lens integrated with a Neutrino SWaP Series camera module (VGA or SXGA). The camera module and lens are designed for each other, providing optimal performance not achievable when buying and integrating cameras and lenses from multiple sources.
Teledyne FLIR also provides highly-qualified technical services teams for integration support and expertise throughout the development and design cycle.
All Neutrino series are classified under US Department of Commerce jurisdiction as EAR 6A003.b.4. and are not subject to International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). To learn more about the entire Neutrino family
01 Aug 22. L3Harris and Air Tractor Sky Warden Team Selected for USSOCOM Armed Overwatch Contract.
Highlights:
- Sky Warden™ system to expand SOCOM’s irregular warfare capabilities
- SOCOM weapon system testing begins in 2022
- Six new aircraft will be delivered under the low-rate initial production Lot 1
U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has selected L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) and Air Tractor Inc.’s AT-802U Sky Warden™ system for its Armed Overwatch program. Award of the Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery contract includes a cost ceiling of $3 bn. The program includes delivery of up to 75 manned, fixed wing aircraft, with an initial program contract award of $170 m.
The fleet of modern multi-mission aircraft will address SOCOM’s need for a deployable, sustainable single-engine fixed-wing, crewed and affordable aircraft system. It will provide close air support, precision strike, armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike coordination and forward air controller requirements for use in austere and permissive environments. The aircraft will be used in irregular warfare operations.
“An important part of our Trusted Disruptor strategy is listening closely to combatant commanders’ needs, and responding faster than the evolving threats,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, L3Harris. “We want to deliver game-changing, modular solutions to U.S. special operators for their hardest missions, and Sky Warden does just that.”
L3Harris expects to rapidly modify last summer’s Armed Overwatch prototype demonstrator into the production configuration and provide for customer weapon system testing in approximately six months. Production of new, fully-modified, Armed Overwatch mission-configured aircraft will begin in 2023 at L3Harris’ Tulsa, Okla. modification center, following initial production at Air Tractor’s Olney, Texas aircraft manufacturing facility. Six new aircraft will be delivered under the low-rate initial production Lot 1.
“Sky Warden will bring powerful and affordable close air support, precision strike, armed ISR, and command and control capabilities directly to special operations forces in the battlefield,” said Sean Stackley, President, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris. “We are ready now to begin work on this modern, multi-mission system for the SOCOM Armed Overwatch program.”
The production-ready Sky Warden system is tailorable for a variety of mission requirements to meet U.S. mission needs.
“The Sky Warden design reflects our commitment to America’s national security and the AT-802U will be equipped with everything we’ve learned manufacturing aircraft over the past 46 years,” said Jim Hirsch, President, Air Tractor Inc. “The L3Harris team is an excellent partner, and our production and engineering staff are ready to immediately deliver this world-class product to our nation’s special forces.” (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 Aug 22. US Senate outlines proposals to give local law enforcement agencies more C-UAS powers. U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and Ron Johnson (R-WI) have introduced bipartisan legislation to enhance the USA’s ability to counter the threat of drone attacks. According to a statement from the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs:
“The bill will renew and expand existing authorities – which are set to expire in October – that provide the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) with necessary tools to effectively counter UAS. The legislation comes after a hearing that Peters convened with senior federal officials on how government agencies are working to combat this evolving threat….”
The statement continues: The Safeguarding the Homeland from the Threats Posed by Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act reauthorizes DHS and DOJ’s current authorities to counter UAS threats provided by the Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018. The bill also authorizes the Transportation Security Administration to proactively protect transportation infrastructure from drone threats. The legislation authorizes DHS and DOJ to use existing authorities to protect critical infrastructure. The legislation allows state and local law enforcement and critical infrastructure owners and operators to use drone detection technology that has been approved by DHS. The bill creates a pilot program that will encourage coordination between state and local and federal law enforcement to mitigate UAS threats. Finally, the legislation requires DHS to develop a database of security-related UAS incidents that occur inside the United States.
According to the committee, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) estimates that by 2024 about 2.3 m UAS will be registered to fly in U.S. airspace. The increasing numbers of registered UAS create a higher risk of both unintentional disasters and malicious activity from foreign adversaries or criminal organizations that seek to weaponize drones or engage in illegal activities, such as the trafficking of illicit drugs across U.S. borders. Recent incidents have demonstrated the threat posed by UAS. Last week, federal officials stopped all arrivals and departures at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport after a drone that was reported in the area raised safety concerns. In September 2017, a privately operated drone in Brooklyn, New York, was intentionally flown beyond the operator’s line of sight and collided with a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter patrolling a temporary no-fly zone around New York City.
For more information
https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/media/majority-media/peters-and-johnson-introduce-bipartisan-bill-to-help-protect-communities-from-unmanned-aircraft-systems (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
01 Aug 22. Virtual and Augmented Reality @ HENSOLDT. The successful use of any HENSOLDT sensor solution is determined by intensive training on the system under realistic conditions. Virtual and augmented reality offer us the additional opportunity to work in a wide variety of controllable scenarios. With cross-location marketplaces for virtual and augmented reality, the HENSOLDT focus is permanently on the exchange on possible application scenarios of VR/AR solutions.
In keeping with the motto “ONE HENSOLDT”, colleagues from different locations and line organisations meet in a community of practice to further utilise the opportunities of this technology profitably for our company.
Many HENSOLDT products, such as a TRML-4D radar and SETAS high-performance optics, offer excellent opportunities for VR/AR simulation by creating a “Digital Twin”, which saves time and money in development, demos, and user training. These “Digital Twins” can be used as cost-effective substitutes for real devices.
Already today, we can use the award-winning VR training system to carry out maintenance work on the Eurofighter Digital Map Generator (DMG), experience the view of a soldier in the middle of an urban jungle with a “glass” tank, and convince ourselves of the SETAS VR hazard recognition with the help of artificial intelligence. We can also carry out ergonomics observations and set-up training on large-scale systems (e.g., TRML-4D, COBRA, etc.). Through the permanent exchange and active experience of the technology, new successful ideas for possible uses within our company are continuously being generated. (Source: ASD Network)
29 Jul 22. Diehl and Elbit Continue Successful Cooperation for DIRCM Protection System. During ILA Berlin International Air Show, Diehl Defence and Elbit Systems signed a cooperation agreement on the equipment of German Armed Forces aircraft with a protection system on June 23, 2022. The agreement is the continuation of the successful cooperation on the Directed Infrared Counter Measure System, in short DIRCM, that has been existing since 2014. In this context, Diehl Defence combines three J-MUSICTM (Multi-Spectral Infrared Countermeasure) devices of the Israeli manufacturer to constitute one DIRCM system securing 360° protection of the aircraft. DIRCM is currently being installed in the A400M and certified.
The DIRCM system serves the protection of large military and civilian aircraft against attacks from infrared-guided missiles. The protection system is designed in such a way that it is connected with the guided missile warning system and the Defensive Aid System via interfaces. It can be operated in all flight phases without endangering urban or forested areas. Diehl Defence also provides the Integrated Logistic Support (ILS) for the DIRCM system, as well as customer services in the field of repair, service and maintenance.
Beyond that, both companies intend to cooperate on the smaller version of DIRCM, namely the MDS (mini DIRCM system). The MDS is especially suitable for helicopters, but also for smaller aircraft.
The DIRCM system complements the Diehl Defence product portfolio in the field of protection systems consisting of the segments aircraft protection, vehicle protection and HPEM effector systems. (Source: ASD Network)
28 Jul 22. RUAG successfully deploys UAV defense system to secure events in two Swiss cantons. July 28, 2022 Jenny Beechener Counter-UAS systems and policies. Swiss security specialist RUAG reports successful deployment of its Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) defense system in a defined perimeter at recent events. RUAG protected both this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos and the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) in Lugano against UAV threats.
According to the company press release, RUAG is strategically adapting to current customer needs in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. Thanks to their wide range of applications and size, unmanned aerial vehicles can be used for a wide variety of missions – for private, professional and military purposes.
Over the course of several sprints, what started as an innovation project developed from an idea to a business that comprises a UAV defense system that includes operation on public authority premises. Public authorities are typically not equipped with the necessary means to cover such a wide range of requirements. Rather, it is much more important for them to be able to focus on their core expertise.
Together with its partner, FORTEM, RUAG offers representatives of public authorities a ser[1]vice based on the “System as a Service” approach, which covers all matters from planning and system operation to the final debriefing. RUAG offers a full care package for UAV defense. The full care package includes detection and controlled and more secure defense (mitigation) of manually and fully autonomously flying UAVs.
For more information visit: www.ruag.ch (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
28 Jul 22. Global counter-UAS market “worth USD1,087m in 2021.” The global counter-UAV market was valued at USD1,087m in 2021 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 29.0% during the forecast period 2022-2032 according to a new ASD News Report.
“An outbreak brought on by the SARS-CoV-2 virus destroyed several lives and businesses. Governments all around the world put in place stringent measures to counteract it, which led to the closure of numerous enterprises and stores. Many people lost their jobs, and businesses lost workers, which reduced output and affected a lot of businesses. All of these factors contributed to the pandemic’s negative impact on the Counter UAV market. The number of new projects worldwide is declining, which has caused a decline in demand for counter-UAV. Since workers cannot leave their homes, counter UAV Technology companies around the world are unable to meet demand. Furthermore, previously possible counter-UAVs cannot be transferred due to travel restrictions and interruptions in the global supply chain. The demand for Counter UAVs will also decline due to postponed purchases, staff limitations, and cross-border commerce constraints. Covid-19 has a short-term impact on the market, but production and supply of these commodities are expected to rise if the situation becomes better.”
For more information: https://www.asdreports.com/news-31388/rising-adoption-kinetic-counter-uav-systems(Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
26 Jul 22. Numerica introduces Spyglass 3D radar to support multi-mission counter drone defence missions. Numerica’s new deployable 3D Spyglass radar, designed to counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) and short-range air defence missions, is ready for production, reports the US manufacturer. Numerica introduced Spyglass in 2021 as part of multi-mission/multi-domain defence solutions against drone threats being developed for the US Army.
Spyglass short-range surveillance radar is designed to detect and track small, autonomous, UAS beyond 3.5 kilometres with precise measurements to support a range of mitigation techniques. Designed to fill the need for C-UAS detection and tracking, Spyglass radar is available for a broad set of applications including facility security, border surveillance, convoy and vehicle protection, and air space monitoring.
“Spyglass radar was born out of our first-hand experience with gaps in the short-range radar market,” Nate Knight, vice president of air and missile defense at Numerica, said. “The rapidly-growing autonomous drone threat presented an opportunity to turn our attention to building a new radar from the ground up that would leverage our decades of experience solving critical air and missile defense problems and applying our proven radar processing and tracking technologies in new ways.”
According to Numerica, the Spyglass radar utilizes Ku-Band Phased Array technology to provide high-precision measurements, targeting and classification at long range. It features simultaneous transmit and receive capability and comes with embedded C2 and AI software.
For more information visit: www.numerica.us (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
31 Jul 22. US Navy Holds UAS Wide-Area Mission Demonstration. The US Navy recently completed an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) wide-area mission demonstration to assess capabilities that could benefit the fleet in the future.
The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical UAS program office (PMA-263), Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIRWorks, and Navy Warfare Development Command (NWDC) led the sea-based demonstration July 11-15 aboard USS Paul Hamilton (DDG-60) in San Diego.
Two vendors, Insitu Inc. and L3 Harris, showcased multiple technologies designed to operate as a portable system in challenging conditions while providing the same wide-area coverage as a shore-based system.
“This event was a great opportunity to evaluate unmanned capability in a relevant environment, learn how it can support and enhance operations, and get direct feedback from the fleet,” said Col. Victor Argobright, PMA-263 program manager. “A lot of work was done in a short time across the enterprise to make this happen.”
Earlier this year, PMA-263 and AIRWorks teamed up in collaboration with Innovation and Modernization Patuxent River (IMPAX), the NAWCAD partner for experimentation, technology demonstrations, and prototyping, and with NWDC’s Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) team to identify and examine a UAS capable of performing wide-area missions from a Navy surface vessel at long ranges for extended periods while relaying accurate, relevant information back to the host vessel.
The team down selected the vendors to participate in the demonstration based on their ability to provide a system able to operate without additional support systems, deploy without dedicated launch or recovery equipment, and have maximum portability, self-sufficiency, and modularity across UAS hardware and payloads.
“The USS Paul Hamilton team was pleased to be a part of this demonstration,” said Cmdr. Jake Ferrari, the ship’s commanding officer. “To see the energy put behind providing capabilities associated with UAS aboard surface vessels is exciting. I look forward to future efforts that will provide an enduring fleet capability that is integrated into sustained operations.”
The systems demonstrated wide-area surveillance capability across multiple mission sets. The government will review data gathered during the demonstration to further evaluate each system’s performance.
“Both vendors stepped up to the challenge and the crew of the USS Paul Hamilton provided outstanding support and feedback,” said Argobright. “It’s teamwork like this that’s needed to get capability in the hand of sailors as quickly as possible. We will be leveraging this effort and working with Navy leadership on the next steps to make this happen.”
As part of a multi-phased merit-based selection process, the demonstration may lead to Insitu or L3 Harris being awarded an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype project under the authority of 10 U.S.C. 2371b later this year. OTAs are used by the DoD to carry out prototype, (Source: UAS VISION)
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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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