Sponsored by Blighter Surveillance Systems
www.blighter.com
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07 Sep 18. D13’s MESMER counter drone system now integrated with Thales’ Bushmaster. Department 13 (D13) has announced the first mobile prototype of its patented drone mitigation solution, MESMER, which was launched at Land Forces in Adelaide, in conjunction with Thales Group. MESMER software has been integrated into the Thales Bushmaster vehicle to produce the first robust mobile MESMER unit, aimed at deployment by military forces. D13’s MESMER is a counter drone system that provides a safe and effective method of protecting personnel and infrastructure from dangerous drones. D13 has been working with Thales to develop the system and by integrating the prototype into the Bushmaster MESMER can, for the first time, be operated from a mobile vehicle as well as acting as a standalone fixed system.
Jonathan Hunter, chairman and CEO of D13, said, “I am very pleased to be able to announce the integration of MESMER onto a mobile platform. This comes as the result of a collaborative effort, with D13, EPE and Thales Australia, and highlights the flexibility of the MESMER software and its ability to quickly integrate into existing software and hardware platforms.” (Source: Defence Connect)
06 Sep 18. Parrot’s Two New Professional Drone Solutions. Parrot has announced the release of two new platforms: the senseFly eBee X and the Parrot ANAFI Work. Launched with the promise that “it’s not about the drone,” but instead about overcoming business challenges, these reliable aerial solutions offer highly accurate insights, whatever the user’s level of drone experience and budget.
“The enterprise-grade eBee X mapping platform and the ultra-compact 4K drone solution for every business, ANAFI Work, showcase the strength and breadth of the growing Parrot Business Solutions portfolio,” said Gilles Labossière, the Executive Vice President and COO of Parrot Group, and senseFly CEO. “More than the drones themselves however, what’s key is that these end-to-end solutions are built upon the commercial knowledge of the entire Parrot Group, providing professionals at all levels with a means to improve their business results-by boosting efficiency, reducing costs, improving worker safety and providing the insights needed to take better decisions.”
eBee X: the fixed-wing drone that allows operators to map without limits
The senseFly eBee X fixed-wing drone is designed to boost the quality, efficiency and safety of geospatial professionals’ data collection. This enterprise-grade solution offers a camera to suit every job, the accuracy and coverage capabilities to meet the requirements of even the most demanding projects and is durable enough to work virtually every site.
MULTI-PURPOSE
One tool, multiple cameras, for every job
The eBee X includes a range of revolutionary new camera options to suit every mapping job-from land surveying and topographic mapping to urban planning, crop mapping, thermal mapping, environmental monitoring and many more. These cameras include:
- The senseFly S.O.D.A. 3D: a unique drone photogrammetry camera with a one-inch sensor, which changes orientation during flight to capture three images (two oblique, one nadir) every time, instead of just one, for a much wider field of view. The result is stunning digital 3D reconstructions in vertically-focused environments-such as urban areas, open pit mines and coastlines-over larger areas than quadcopter drones can achieve. senseFly S.O.D.A. 3D is optimised for quick, robust image processing with Pix4Dmapper software.
- The senseFly Aeria X: a compact drone photogrammetry camera with APS-C sensor. This rugged innovation offers an ideal blend of size, weight and DSLR-like image quality. Thanks in part to its built-in Smart Exposure technology, it provides outstanding image detail and clarity, in virtually all light conditions, allowing operators to map for more hours per day than ever before.
- The senseFly Duet T: a dual-camera thermal mapping rig, which lets mapping professionals create geo-accurate thermal maps and digital surface models quickly and easily. The Duet T includes both a high-resolution (640 x 512 px) thermal infrared camera and a senseFly S.O.D.A. RGB camera with one-inch sensor. Both image sources can be accessed as required, while the rig’s built-in Camera Position Synchronisation feature works in sync with Pix4Dmapper photogrammetry software (optional) to simplify the map reconstruction process.
The eBee X is also compatible with the Parrot Sequoia+ multispectral camera for agriculture, the senseFly S.O.D.A. drone photogrammetry camera and senseFly Corridor for simple linear mapping.
EFFICIENT & PRECISE
The eBee X can meet the exacting requirements of every project. Its unique Endurance Extension option unlocks a flight time of up to 90 minutes (versus a maximum endurance of 59 minutes by default). With this capability activated, the drone is able to achieve vast single-flight coverage of up to 500 ha (1,235 ac) at 122 m (400 ft), while the eBee X’s built-in High-Precision on Demand (RTK/PPK) function helps operators to achieve absolute accuracy of down to 3 cm (1.2 in)-without ground control points.
RUGGED & RELIABLE
The eBee X allows users to work virtually every site, no matter how demanding, thanks to the drone’s built-in Steep Landing technology, ultra-robust design, live air traffic data and more, all backed by senseFly’s professional, localised support. (Source: UAS VISION)
05 Sep 18. Quanergy Announces Availability of New Solid State LiDAR Sensor. Quanergy Systems, Inc., the global leader in the design and development of solid state LiDAR sensors and smart sensing solutions, today announced the availability of its S3-2 solid state LiDAR sensor. The innovative sensor features Quanergy’s proprietary QORTEX™ object profiling software directly embedded within the sensor, resulting in the industry’s first all-in-one sensing solution.
The solid state sensor, coupled with QORTEX object profiling software, is tailored for applications that require people counting and analytics, queue management and access control. In the physical access and security sector, the solution ensures only authorized personel enter secure areas with 99% accuracy as people enter an area with a security badge. In smart buildings, the output of the sensor is used to determine room, floor and building occupancy to optimize building energy management. The solution also is used in retail settings to provide key customer real-time analytics while maintaining customer privacy.
Quanergy views solid state LiDAR technology as essential to the future of smart sensing and perception. The S3-2’s lack of moving or vibrating parts enables it to perform with the highest level of reliability, longevity, and cost efficiency while requiring less power. The unprecedented decision to embed QORTEX object profiling software directly within the sensor is a critical step forward in integrating LiDAR hardware and software. The embedded QORTEX software utilizes point cloud data from the solid state sensor along with machine learning and 3D perception algorithms to identify and distinguish between people and objects, as they are detected, and provide physical charactertistics.
“The all-in-one nature of the S3-2 sensor is an unrivaled development for the entire LiDAR industry,” said Dr. Louay Eldada, CEO of Quanergy. “By embedding our highly tailored QORTEX software within our world-class solid state LiDAR sensor, Quanergy is delivering an unmatched solution to our customers across industries and applications.”
Orion Entrance Controls, a Quanergy preferred S3 vendor for the security sector, is one company already applying the S3-2 in a real-world setting, using the sensing solution as the core component of its cutting-edge DoorGuard™ security system. This unique entrance control system enhances security and monitoring at any doorway within a building where access is a security concern. The DoorGuard security system can detect people trying to enter a building by tailgating or piggybacking and can set off warnings if a door is open for too long or has been propped open. In emergency situations, DoorGuard can accurately count the number of authorized individuals who pass through, enabling first responders to know if people are in buildings.
“Orion’s mission is to provide our customers with the world’s most reliable and cost-effective security solutions, and Quanergy’s S3-2 sensor plays a vital role in our ability to do that,” said Stephen Caroselli, CEO of Orion. “High performing security systems require extremely accurate data and intelligent technology, and the S3-2 stands far ahead of the competition in both regards.”
Quanergy and Orion will be co-exhibiting at ISC East, the Northeast’s largest security industry event taking place in New York City November 14-15, 2018, in booth #210. Demos of Quanergy’s LiDAR security solution and the DoorGuard security system will be available. For more information on the DoorGuard system go to https://bit.ly/2wxPQNx. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
05 Sep 18. First Poprad air defence systems delivered. On 31 August, the first seven SPZR Poprad self-propelled very short-range air defence systems were handed over to Polish air defence forces. (PIT-Radwar)On 31 August, the first seven SPZR Poprad self-propelled very short-range air defence systems were handed over to the 8th Air Defence Regiment in Koszalin. Manufactured by PIT-Radwar, the system consists of a turret with a stabilised electro-optical (EO) target acquisition system with identification friend-or-foe and four Grom (possibly Piorun) infrared (IR)-guided missiles manufactured by Mesko, installed on an upgraded AMZ-Kutno Zubr-P 4×4 all-terrain armoured vehicle. The Poprad system can operate in autonomous mode or as part of an air defence battery coupled with a short-range radar. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
05 Sep 18. BAE Systems-led Team Challenger 2 offers world-leading thermal imaging technology for tank upgrade. World-leading thermal imaging technology is being offered to the British Army as part of Team Challenger 2’s bid to upgrade the Army’s Main Battle Tank. The technology, developed by Leonardo in the UK, forms part of the BAE Systems led bid to upgrade the tank and would for the first time bring independent night vision for both the gunner and the commander. Also known as ‘electro-optic technology’, the thermal imaging system will help British troops identify potential threats and move undetected in hostile situations, while also shaving valuable seconds off reaction times, which can make the difference between mission success and failure. Instead of sensing light like a standard digital camera, Leonardo’s infrared camera senses heat emitted by all objects with temperatures greater than absolute zero (-273°C). The hundreds-of-thousands of individual pixels in the camera, each one-twelfth the thickness of a human hair, can detect temperature differences as small as one-fiftieth of a centigrade, allowing for extremely sharp images.
Simon Jackson, Campaign leader for Team Challenger 2 at BAE Systems said: “Leonardo’s sight brings to Team Challenger 2 the most capable night vision available. Combined with our engineering skills and knowledge of Challenger 2 – which we designed and built – we will work together to integrate Leonardo’s technology seamlessly into the tank, sharing data across crew stations and with battle management computers. Sighting is a vital element of a battle tank’s role and Leonardo’s sight will provide our troops with unparalleled 24-hour night-and-day visibility, giving them a long-range threat identification system that really makes the most of the tank’s firepower.”
Mike Gilbert, SVP Optronics Systems UK at Leonardo, said: “Our thermal cameras – designed and built in the UK – can ‘see’ in total darkness as far as the horizon, and the applications for this technology are endless – from helping improve our understanding of the natural world to improving the operational capabilities of the British Army’s Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank. Our infra-red technology plays a crucial role in supporting British troops in the most challenging environments and we’re pleased to be working alongside BAE Systems to offer this technology for Challenger 2, helping extend its life to 2035 and beyond.”
The technology is already proven on other military platforms – such as the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Aircraft Carrier and the Royal Air Force’s Chinook fleet – but has wider applications, including being used by leading broadcasters to capture some of the most difficult shots possible for television. In David Attenborough’s Planet Earth II documentary, cameras equipped with Leonardo’s technology allowed the filmmakers to capture the most detailed film ever seen of a leopard’s nocturnal hunt, down to the movement of individual hairs on its body. While in the fast-paced world of sport, the Hot Spot system used in international cricket incorporates Leonardo’s thermal imaging technology, helping umpires see whether a ball has struck the batsman, pad or ball, by looking for a temperature change caused by the friction of impact. From a military standpoint, the thermal imaging system was previously used in Afghanistan to allow Chinook Helicopters to fly undetected through mountain valleys, even in poor weather conditions. It also brought the ability to detect, recognise and identify coalition troops or vehicles at a safe standoff range prior to entry into drop or landing zones.
04 Sep 18. Liteye Gets $18m USAF Contract for Counter UAS systems. Liteye Systems has received an $18m follow on contract for delivery of numerous containerized anti-unmanned aircraft systems, or C-AUDS for short, from the US Air Force. These systems will all deliver in the next 120 days. This is the 5th contract for C-UAS systems and services Liteye has received since the fall of 2016. The US version of the AUDS system first deployed with the US Army in late 2016 and has fast become the go to defense system in combat. With many systems already in the field providing real world experience, against very real threats, Liteye is developing more advanced capabilities that can be layered into their solutions. These advancements will be needed to combat the growing threat today, and for years to come, from the fast growing unmanned or robotic systems market.
“The unmanned systems industry is innovating at an incredible rate.” said Kenneth Geyer, CEO of Liteye, “Unfortunately with all the great benefits that provides it also spawns the rogue operator who uses that tech in a malicious way. At Liteye our goal is to stay ahead of that threat.”
Liteye’s close partner companies of Pratt & Miller, Numerica, and Chess Dynamics form the core team that is producing the new C-AUDS variant in Centennial. This containerized system features a state-of-theart operator suite, hardened for use in any climate, that can easily be moved between locations. The platforms innovative design allows for the ability to “Bolt on” new technologies in the future as threats evolve in the field. Liteye is now deploying and supporting their AUDS, M-AUDS, M-AUDS-KE, and C-AUDS variants of their CUAS system. All four have the capabilities to detect, track, identify, and defeat enemy UAS with layers of different technologies coming together to create a solid line of defense (Source: UAS VISION)
04 Sep 18. Brazil and Indonesia recognise performance of Thales’s Kingklip sonar. Thales is helping the Brazilian and Indonesian navies to modernise their underwater capabilities at every decisive moment thanks to the outstanding performance of the Kingklip sonar. Kingklip Mk2 is a medium-frequency active and passive hull-mounted sonar for multi-purpose corvettes and frigates. It performs permanent torpedo and underwater obstacle avoidance functions and offers multi-static interoperability with the Thales’CAPTAS and FLASH sonars. Thales’s Brazilian subsidiary Omnisys recently obtained certification for the Kingklip as a Strategic Defence Product (PED) in an official endorsement of the Group’s decision to develop advanced sonar solutions in Brazil. The Kingklip sonar delivers exceptional performance and is the ideal response to the requirements of the Tamandaré programme. With Omnisys, Thales is committed to helping develop the Brazilian defence industry. Thales and Omnisys are investing over R$20m (€5m) in the local production of transducers, making Omnisys the first company to build an industrial infrastructure to manufacture sonar equipment in Brazil.
Also this year, Thales reached another milestone with the Indonesian Navy with the successful installation and integration of the Kingklip hull-mounted sonar on the Diponegoro-class corvette. For more than 40 years, the Group has provided combat systems to help the Indonesian Navy to sustain their capabilities. The Kingklip will further enhance the Navy’s ability to meet the country’s defence requirements. The sonar upgrade follows a repair of the corvette, which was damaged in an accident during a routine sea operation in January 2015. Thales worked closely with local industrial partner PT Dharma Satya Nusantara (DSN) on the repair of the system, reinforcing its commitment to long-term relationships with local industry partners, through-life support and the transfer of knowledge and expertise. Thales has provided more than 150 hull-mounted sonars to more than 20 navies since 1975. In 2017, the Kingklip was selected by the French Navy to equip its La Fayette frigates and the next-generation intermediate frigates being developed on the FTI programme.
05 Sep 18. RADA secures new radar orders from US military force. Israel-based defence provider RADA Electronic Industries has secured new orders for the delivery of radars to a US military force. The US military force, which is an existing customer of RADA Electronic, has placed both follow-on orders and a new order with the company for a total value of $3.5m. The recurring follow-on orders have been awarded for the company’s multi-mission hemispheric radar (MHR)-based counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) surveillance solutions. The company has also received its first order for the delivery of its new and advanced extended compact hemispheric radar (eCHR) system.
RADA Electronic Industries chief executive officer Dov Sella said: “We are seeing strong and growing momentum in the US market, centred around counter-drone (C-UAV) and very short range air defence (VSHORAD) demand. Our advanced, software-defined and multi-mission eCHR radar, ordered at this stage for C-UAV use, introduces improved performance for active protection systems (APS) for combat vehicles as well. We see excellent potential to become a common solution for a wide variety of protection missions for the manoeuvre force.”
The eCHR radar has been developed from the company’s CHR system, which is an S-band, software-defined, pulse-Doppler, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. RADA’s CHR was developed to address the need for active protection systems (APS) and hostile fire detection (HFD) solutions for combat vehicles. The radar system is suitable for use with APS, vehicle protection systems (VPS), C-UAV and perimeter surveillance solutions. Deliveries of the new orders are scheduled to be carried out this year. (Source: army-technology.com)
05 Sep 18. Australian DoD receives prototype radar for possible use with NASAMS. Australia’s Department of Defence (DoD) has received a prototype vehicle-mounted, active phased-array tactical radar from local company CEA Technologies for potential use in the country’s future ground-based air-defence system. The CEATAC radar, which was displayed mounted on an Australian-produced Hawkei light protected vehicle, was formally accepted by Defence Minister Christopher Pyne during the Land Forces 2018 defence exhibition in Adelaide. CEATAC will potentially replace the ThalesRaytheonSystems AN/MPQ-64F1 Sentinel high-resolution, 3D radar in providing direct fire control and general surveillance for the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), the acquisition of which is awaiting Second Pass Approval in mid-2019 under Australia’s Project Land 19 Phase 7B. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
04 Sep 18. Russia to receive two A-50U AWACS. The Russian military will receive two modernised A-50U Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) by the end of 2018, the Ministry of Defence announced on 30 August. The upgraded A-50 aircraft is designed for detecting, tracking and identifying air, large-size ground and naval targets, to vector a fighter on air targets and short-range aircraft on surface and naval targets. Russian Deputy Defence Minister Krivoruchko said: ‘Modernisation is currently underway. We are going to receive another two aircraft this year. In the future, we will continue modernisation of all systems in service…'(Source: Shephard)
04 Sep 18. Defence Minister salutes 10 years of Sentinel Excellence at Broughton. Sentinel achieves 30,000 Operational Hours. Defence Minister Stuart Andrew celebrated North Wales’ decade of service keeping the UK and its allies safe, visiting the home of the Sentinel surveillance aircraft at Raytheon UK’s facility in Broughton. Since RAF V(AC) Squadron flew the first operational Sentinel R.Mk 1 mission in November 2008, Sentinel has been on constant deployment supporting the UK armed forces and international coalitions. Sentinel has recently achieved over 30,000 operational flying hours supporting deployments ranging from international coalition peacekeeping support to civil missions, such as mapping flooding in the UK in 2014, to aid relief efforts. Broughton also supports the Shadow R1 intelligence aircraft. The investment in Sentinel and Shadow has created a hub of high end Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) capability in North Wales supporting highly skilled aerospace engineering jobs in Broughton and RAF Waddington. Raytheon’s economic impact from the Broughton site and the procurement spending of Raytheon Company within Wales was £40m last year, supporting 450 jobs in the supply chain, in addition to 283 highly skilled engineers and technicians employed directly in Broughton and a further 126 employed at RAF Waddington supporting both platforms.
Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said: “The Sentinel has proved its enormous worth time and time again, from tracking terrorists in Syria and Iraq, to helping provide overseas aid and even mapping floods here in the UK. The fact it has now spent over 30,000 hours on operations not only demonstrates how the RAF is working around the clock to put it to use on behalf of the country, but is a testament to its home here in North Wales. The workers here in Broughton should be extremely proud of the fantastic work they are doing to ensure this ‘eye-in-the-sky’ continues to collect crucial intelligence so our Forces can keep us safe”
Hundreds of highly skilled aircraft engineers and systems integrators have been involved in building and delivering the most advanced systems in airborne solutions and radar to the MOD. Since 2016, the workforce has grown by 44% to include a new wave of engineering apprentices and graduates. Raytheon’s partnership with Deeside college and the supply chain of niche engineering companies in the region has ensured that this part of North Wales is a regionally important cluster for the future of military aerospace.
Richard Daniel, CEO of Raytheon UK, said: “Broughton is a leading centre of ISR capability in the UK and has huge potential for growth in the future, supporting economic development and high quality jobs across North Wales.”
02 Sep 18. DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) has been accepted as a member of the Information Warfare Research Project consortium (“IWRP” or the “Consortium”), a consortium focused on advancing information warfare capabilities to enhance United States Navy and United States Marine Corps mission effectiveness. DroneShield was approved to join IWRP as a demonstrated technology leader with competencies in Cyber Warfare and Battlespace Awareness – key focus areas for the consortium. As a member of IWRP, DroneShield will gain access to US Space and Naval Warfare (“SPAWAR”) Systems Command’s Other Transaction Authority (“OTA”) agreement previously awarded to the Consortium. The aggregate amount of this particular OTA across the Consortium is US$100m over the next three year period, and the OTA will be used as a vehicle to advance information warfare technologies and innovation delivery to the U.S. fleet. The OTA enables the Consortium members to engage in a broad range of activities advancing such technologies and allows for the delivery of new technology faster and more efficiently than traditional U.S. federal acquisition requirements might permit.
In a release made last month by the United States Navy, Rear Adm. C.D. Becker, commander of SPAWAR Systems Command was quoted as stating, “The IWRP OTA will accelerate acquisition and bring non-traditional sources, research and development labs, and industry together to provide new, innovative information warfare solutions.” SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic Deputy Executive Director, Bill Deligne, was also quoted remarking on the use of OTAs, stating, “This mechanism is faster and more attuned to getting something quickly that we want today, as opposed to traditional federal acquisition. […] While speed is a critical element, reaching beyond the traditional DoD industrial base, further into the commercial sector to capture new, innovative solutions, is also a key element of the IWRP.”
Oleg Vornik, Chief Executive Officer of DroneShied commented, “DroneShield is honoured to be accepted into the IWRP. A key advantage of participating in the IWRP is the ability to deliver DroneShield’s solutions to the U.S. military under the OTA faster and more efficiently than through the traditional U.S. federal acquisition process.”
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Blighter® Surveillance Systems (BSS) is a UK-based electronic-scanning radar and sensor solution provider delivering an integrated multi-sensor package to systems integrators comprising the Blighter electronic-scanning radars, cameras, thermal imagers, trackers and software solutions. Blighter radars combine patented solid-state Passive Electronic Scanning Array (PESA) technology with advanced Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) and Doppler processing to provide a robust and persistent surveillance capability. Blighter Surveillance Systems is a Plextek Group company, a leading British design house and technology innovator, and is based at Great Chesterford on the outskirts of Cambridge, England.
The Blighter electronic-scanning (e-scan) FMCW Doppler ground surveillance radar (GSR) is a unique patented product that provides robust intruder detection capabilities under the most difficult terrain and weather conditions. With no mechanical moving parts and 100% solid-state design, the Blighter radar family of products are extremely reliable and robust and require no routine maintenance for five years. The Blighter radar can operate over land and water rapidly searching for intruders as small a crawling person, kayaks and even low-flying objects. In its long-range modes the Blighter radar can rapidly scan an area in excess of 3,000 km² to ensure that intruders are detected, identified and intercepted before they reach critical areas.
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