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23 Nov 18. Jamaica receives helos and MPA for national surveillance. Jamaica has received a Beechcraft King Air 350 WR maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and two Bell 429 helicopters to improve surveillance of the Caribbean island’s territory. The platforms will be part of the newly created Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) Maritime Air and Cyber Command. A press release by the Jamaica Information Service issued in mid-November noted that these are the first two out of nine Bell helicopters to arrive. “The aircraft were acquired through collaborations with Sierra Nevada Corporation, Textron Aviation, and Bell,” the agency noted. In January, the Jamaican Ministry of National Security announced that it planned to acquire three Bell 429, one Bell 412EPI, and two Bell 206B3 helicopters, along with four DA40 CS aircraft for training operations. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
23 Nov 18. NovaSAR: UK radar satellite returns first images. Sydney Harbour and the Egyptian pyramids feature in the debut images from the first all-UK radar spacecraft. NovaSAR was developed jointly by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited of Guildford and Airbus in Portsmouth, and launched to orbit in September.
Its pictures are now being assessed for use in diverse applications, including crop analysis, flood and forestry mapping, and maritime surveillance.
The intention ultimately is to fly a constellation of NovaSAR-like sats. Such a network would enable repeat images of locations to be acquired more quickly – something that is important if changes detected in a scene require a rapid response. Reacting to an oil spill at sea would be a good example.
Satellite radar’s great advantage is that it sees the Earth’s surface in all weathers and at night. Many other types of Earth observation (EO) spacecraft need daylight and cloud-free skies to gather their data.
“What interests me most in this picture are the boats,” said Luis Gomes, the chief technology officer at SSTL. “NovaSAR is seeing not only large vessels but also much smaller pleasure craft. We can’t see the shape of them, but we can certainly see that they are there. And that’s encouraging because one of the main objectives of NovSAR will be maritime surveillance,” he told BBC News.
The satellite is equipped with a receiver that can pick up Automatic Identification System (AIS) radio signals. These are the positional transmissions that large ships are obliged to broadcast under international law. Vessels that tamper with or disable these messages very often are engaged in smuggling or illegal fishing activity. If such ships appear in NovaSAR’s radar pictures, they will be reported to the authorities.
Martin Cohen, a radar expert with Airbus, commented: “The first image from orbit is always a key moment for everyone involved in such a mission, and this is no exception. The quality of the imagery is a credit to the hard work and dedication of the whole team here in Portsmouth.
“We look forward now to supporting SSTL through the rest of the commissioning phase, and seeing the mission begin full operational use.”
There are a range of partners involved in assessing NovaSAR’s capabilities. These include EO specialists in India and Australia. The UK’s Ministry of Defence also wants to see what the spacecraft can offer Britain’s armed forces.
UK engineers have long worked in space radar but their technology has previously always gone on broader missions, such as those for the European Space Agency. NovaSAR, in contrast, is solely a British initiative.
The UK government has invested £21m in the project. Science Minister Sam Gyimah said: “Yet again we can see UK research and innovation that is truly out of this world,” he said.
“This ‘eye in the sky’ can capture an image a dozen times wider than the Strait of Dover and the data it provides can help crack problems from illegal shipping to alerting us to damaging pollution that needs to be countered.” (Source: News Now/www.bbc.co.uk)
23 Nov 18. ELTA Systems Unveils Next Generation Drone Guard. ELTA Systems, a division and subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has unveiled a new and enhanced configuration of its Drone Guard system which detects, identifies and disrupts the operation of UAS and small drones. With hundreds of units already operational across the world, the new modular configuration has added a Communication Intelligence (COMINT) system for more precise detection, classification and identification based on broadcast frequency and unique communication protocol analysis and verification for neutralizing threats. Furthermore, the Drone Guard’s 3D Radars, Electro-Optical (EO), and Jammer systems have all been upgraded with bolstered capabilities. The use of commercially available UAS and small drones has increased dramatically over the past few years as these platforms have become a potential threat to sensitive facilities, crowds, high profile individuals and other aircraft, due to their small size, slow velocity, and low altitude flight. Small drones can be further used for hostile applications such as unwanted intelligence gathering, smuggling and even as weapon carriers.
ELTA has responded to these challenges with new and enhanced Drone Guard capabilities. In addition to the current radar, EO and jamming capabilities – a hostile threat can now also be detected, classified, identified by means of the enhanced COMINT system. The system can effectively jam or disrupt the drone’s control channel and navigation, by supporting an array of communication protocols that can ‘fend off’ a single drone or even a swarm of drones from the guarded premises.
Yoav Tourgeman, IAI VP and CEO of ELTA, said, “The Drone Guard, with its new addition of COMINT capabilities, is a proven operational system for civilian and military applications that can meet the growing threats of hostile UAS and small drones. ELTA designed the Drone Guard to be modular, so that customers can choose the best combination that meets their operational and budgetary requirements in the most cost-effective manner. We at ELTA are dedicated to continue to develop the Drone Guard system to counter evolving threats and provide maximum security for our customers.” (Source: UAS VISION)
20 Nov 18. Phazotron-NIIR readies new AESA radar for Russian fighter trials. Phazotron-NIIR’s Zhuk-AME – also known as the FGA50 – active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is poised to begin trials, an industry source has confirmed to Jane’s. The new radar will be installed into the Russian Aerospace Forces’ new MiG-35 multirole combat aircraft and retrofitted as part of an upgrade programme for the MiG-29 ‘Fulcrum’.
“Phazotron-NIIR is completing manufacture of the first AESA radar for the MiG-29,” the source said. “In December we will assemble the unit and deliver it to the RSK MiG corporation that will integrate it onto a specially prepared fighter jet … and trials are scheduled for early 2019.”
“The whole process is planned to be finished in two years – we will manufacture four radars, integrate them onto fighters and conduct [further] tests,” said the source.
An export version of the Zhuk-AME – known as Zhuk-AMEh – was unveiled at Airshow China in 2016. According to the source, several foreign MiG-29 operators have expressed interest in the sensor, with one of these potentially fielding AESA-equipped ‘Fulcrum’ before Russia.
Performance details of the new system are scant, but the manufacturer claims the Zhuk-AME can detect aerial targets that are around 160 km away and can simultaneously track up to 30 targets. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 Nov 18. Call for new technology to ensure drone safety. Detection systems need to be ‘fit for the future’, urges UK air traffic control body. New technology is needed to manage the threat posed to aircraft by the increasing use of drones, the head of safety at the UK’s air traffic control body has warned. Speaking the week after a man was convicted of flying a drone unsafely near a police helicopter, Alastair Muir of Nats said that half of air safety incidents now involved drones: “Drones do present a risk to us but [it’s] one we’re managing through operations today.” Mr Muir said that existing technology allowed detection of drones in controlled airspace and that air traffic controllers would prioritise safety over business disruption, such as when a drone flying near Gatwick airport forced the runway to be closed in July. But he stressed that new technology was needed to ensure drone safety was “fit for the future”. Mr Muir was speaking as Nats presented demonstration drone flights as part of Operation Zenith, its programme to show how aeroplanes and unmanned vehicles can occupy the same airspace without causing crashes or disruption. The flights took place at Manchester airport during operational hours to show a “realistic use of airspace”, according to Operation Zenith, and included scenarios such as a drone delivering equipment across an airfield and inspecting a runway. Recommended James Max Rich People’s Problems: Help! I’ve lost my drone The demonstrations coincided with the publication of the world’s first draft standards for the drone industry from the International Organization for Standardization. The standards, once adopted, are expected to play a key role in guiding how drones are used safely and effectively. The current regulations, said Robert Garbett, convener of the ISO working group responsible for global drone operational standards, “are not fit to enable the industry to develop”. “An industry that is moving so fast needs to be standards-led, not regulation-led. It is not efficient,” he added. The standards, although not compulsory, will, “we hope, become best practice”. The draft standards published on Wednesday address operational requirements of aerial drones, including protocols on safety, security and overall “etiquette” for their use. Others will follow, addressing issues such as general specifications and manufacturing quality. Final adoption of the standards is expected next year. A report by PwC published in April estimated that the aerial drone industry alone — excluding surface, underwater and space — would contribute £42bn to UK gross domestic product and create 628,000 jobs by 2030. Mr Garbett, who is also chairman of the UK drone standards committee at BSI, a business standards company, and founder of consultancy Drone Major Group, said the standards meant that “the days of the wild west are coming to an end”. In July 2018, the UK government established new rules to ban drones from flying within 1km of UK airports in an effort to prevent collisions with aeroplanes. At the time, the Department for Transport said that the number of “drone incidents with aircraft” had risen from six in 2014 to 93 last year. The new rules also restrict drones from flying above 400ft. Violators could be punished with unlimited fines, five years in jail, or both. Other rule changes, set to come into effect at the end of November 2019, will require all drone pilots to take an online safety test. Under those rules, people owning drones weighing more than 250g will also have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority. People who fail to take the test or register their drones could face fines of up to £1,000. The government has held a consultation on drone legislation and is expected to issue its response before Christmas. (Source: FT.com)
19 Nov 18. USAF surveillance mission moving to RAF Fairford by 2024. The U.S. Air Force is moving operations of some of its most sophisticated spy planes about three hours southwest in England as part of a larger force consolidation effort in Europe. The 95th Reconnaissance Squadron and 488th Intelligence Squadron at RAF Mildenhall will be relocated to RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire by 2024, British officials said. The squadrons work with variants of the RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft, which flies surveillance in various locales, including Africa, the Middle East and near the NATO alliance’s eastern borders with Russia. More than 500 airmen and their families will eventually make the move to Fairford, located in the Cotswolds, an area known for its hills and picturesque country villages.
“The agreement to relocate the United States Rivet Joint capability to RAF Fairford cements U.S. presence at the base and will bring substantial benefits to Gloucestershire and local communities,” Defense Minister Tobias Ellwood said in a statement.
The RC-135 Rivet Joint mission will continue to provide intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities for U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa from RAF Fairford. Its sensors collect and analyze electronic emissions from communications, radar and other systems.
The fleet is operated by the 55th Wing based at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., and deployed to forward operating locations worldwide. The wing operates three RC-135S Cobra Ball, two RC-135U Combat Sent and 17 RC-135V/W Rivet Joint aircraft.
American B-52H Stratofortresses and B-1B Lancers also deploy from RAF Fairford during temporary rotations. The base also hosts the Royal International Air Show each year.
The villages nearby Fairford, a three-hour drive southwest from Mildenhall, will now have to prepare for a friendly invasion of American troops and their paychecks.
“The presence of over 1,200 personnel and dependents to the area will bring substantial financial benefits to the local economy and our local community,” Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, the Conservative MP for the Cotswolds, said in a statement. “I look forward to welcoming all incoming personnel to the Cotswolds and I hope this represents a continuation of our long-lasting and deep military cooperation with our American allies.”
American forces were originally scheduled to leave the U.K.’s Mildenhall, Alconbury and Molesworth bases by 2022, but will continue operating at those locations until at least 2024, according to the British Defense Ministry.
The moves are part of the European Infrastructure Consolidation process, which includes returning use of 15 sites throughout Europe to host nations. The moves will save about $500m annually, according to the Defense Department. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/www.stripes.com)
20 Nov 18. RT unveils ‘micro’ aerostat. Israeli aerostat manufacturer RT has developed a new mobile aerostat surveillance system called the Skystar 120 that is specifically designed to support military forces operating in challenging terrain.
“The SkyStar 120 ground control station is mounted on an all-terrain vehicle that can drive through rough terrain while carrying the inflated aerostat or while the aerostat is already flying in the air,” RT said in a statement released on 7 November.
Describing it as a micro-tactical system, the company added that the Skystar 120 is ready for operational use and was recently demonstrated to the Israel Defense Forces, which already uses a number of RT aerostats. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
20 Nov 18. Cambridge Pixel, a developer of radar display, tracking and recording sub-systems, has supplied its RadarWatch coastal surveillance software and advanced target trackers to Maritime Information Systems Ltd (Maris) as part of an upgrade to safety systems at UK military firing ranges. Cambridge Pixel’s surveillance and target tracking software has already been installed and is operational on the south coast of England at the first of the firing ranges, where operators are benefiting from an enhanced situational display.
Cambridge Pixel’s new RadarWatch display application and tracking software has helped improve safety at the firing range by providing an integrated radar video and AIS (ship transponder) track display, as well as advanced alarm capability for targets entering user-defined danger zones.
Nic Baldwin, technical manager, Maris, said: “Cambridge Pixel’s new RadarWatch display software and its range of flexible software modules has allowed us to design and build a complete system upgrade for our customer using commercial sensors.
“Cambridge Pixel’s software has provided us with a cost-effective way of upgrading a legacy system to utilise more modern technologies, such as the solid-state Halo 6 pulse compression radars from Simrad. We have also added an AIS transponder into the surveillance system and the RadarWatch software is able to fuse the AIS tracks and present the data as a graphical overlay on top of the radar video and map layers. This fused display enables faster, clearer and better-informed decisions for the operator.”
RadarWatch is designed for integrators developing coastal surveillance, small port & harbour security applications and features comprehensive alarm logic allowing alarms to be configured based on areas, target activity, or target behaviour. This alarm logic includes the ability to compare all current targets to user-defined regions and to identify targets impinging on them. Exceptions may be made within a “safe list”, allowing identified targets to enter alarm zones without raising an alert.
David Johnson, CEO, Cambridge Pixel, said, “We are delighted to have secured our first contract win for our RadarWatch display software since its launch in the summer. Our aim with this product is to provide the integrator, in this case Maris, with a modern, multi-screen, multi-window display solution that fuses information from radar sensors, transponders and cameras to present a consolidated view of maritime information.”
RadarWatch can display tiled maps, S57/S63 electronic charts, video from up to 2 radars and 16 cameras, within multiple windows and across multiple screens. It is compatible with a wide range of radar scanners, including those from Kelvin Hughes, Simrad, Terma and Furuno, and provides a common software architecture that can be scaled to single or multi-sensor installations.
Cambridge Pixel’s SPx tracker is a key part of the Maris firing range solution. The tracking module is fully parameterised, highly configurable and supports multi-hypothesis and multi-model tracking to improve tracking efficiency and reduce nuisance alarms. It provides its data onto the network and may also be controlled remotely via a network socket, making it ideal for use in distributed systems. RadarWatch provides a common software architecture that can be scaled to single or multi-sensor installations.
The RadarWatch software accepts open data formats such as ASTERIX and NMEA-0183 and works with Cambridge Pixel’s own software modules too, such as SPx Fusion, SPx Camera Manager and SPx Radar Data Recorder. Augmented vision is also implemented within RadarWatch to fuse primary radar tracks with data from ship (AIS) and, where appropriate, aircraft (ADS-B and IFF) transponders and then display this as an overlay to camera video.
Cambridge Pixel’s radar technology is used in naval, air traffic control, vessel traffic, commercial shipping, security, surveillance and airborne radar applications. Its systems have been implemented in mission-critical applications with companies such as BAE Systems, Frontier Electronic Systems, Blighter Surveillance Systems, Exelis, Hanwha Systems, Kelvin Hughes, Lockheed Martin, Navtech Radar, Raytheon, Saab Sensis, Royal Thai Air Force, Sofresud and Tellumat.
20 Nov 18. RAS Security Group Demonstrates C-UAS Technology. RAS Consulting & Investigations and several of their clients joined a leading counter-drone technology vendor at one of California’s most recognizable sports stadiums. The live demonstration successfully showed the newest counter-drone detection and mitigation technologies that can be rapidly deployed to large public venues, airports, and other critical infrastructure sites.
Ryan Schonfeld, Founder & CEO of RAS Security Group explains why he is introducing this specific drone technology to his clients, “We are committed to maintaining a forward-thinking approach to the evolving threat landscape and the solutions to help mitigate them. Recognizing drones as an emerging threat to our customers, the RAS team spent months vetting the many entrants in the CUAS field and presenting this option to our customers. For this stadium and other large public venue clients, the ability to detect and mitigate a threat is exactly the solution they need to implement”
Using a proprietary technology, a team of drone technical experts was able to intercept potential drone threats with a 100 % success rate. This technology sets itself apart from competitors by taking control away from offending pilots and either returning the drone to its launch point or landing them quickly and safely in a predesignated area. A team of drone pilots conducting offensive manoeuvres presented a variety of security scenarios including one in which an authorized drone remained unaffected while offending drones were marshalled to a secure location.
The final scenario was a recreation of an incident at a major US sporting event. The particular scenario involved an incoming swarm of four drones which were then electronically intercepted and redirected within seconds. In every case, offending drones were safely landed in a predesignated secure zone. (Source: UAS VISION)
19 Nov 18. Twinvis Passive Radar System Undergoing Practical Testing. HENSOLDT wants to put the TwInvis passive radar system, which was presented for the first time at the ILA 2018, through a practical test in southern Germany. According to press reports, the Air Force is expected to support the measurement campaign with aircraft and person-nel. TwInvis uses the reflection of existing radiation, e.g. from radio and television stations on aircraft, to determine their flight parameters. Neither TwInvis nor the flying object actively emits radiation. Thus the radar system remains invisible, especially for enemy radar re-connaissance. It can go into operation at any location without official approval and does not use any of the already scarce radio frequencies. The compact system can be made mobile with small off-road vehicles.
In the planned test, four TwInvis systems are to be set up in the Munich-Ulm area and follow air traffic in southern Germany (to Frankfurt/Main), Austria, northern Italy and the Czech Republic. The range of aircraft includes low-flying small aircraft (e.g. Cessna), high-flying commercial (commercial) aircraft and high-speed military aircraft at medium alti-tudes. (Source: ESD Spotlight)
19 Nov 18. DIRCM Protection For Ships. At Euronaval, the Elettronica Group un-veiled the next generation of DIRCM (Direct Infra-Red Countermeasures), a fully European-manufactured self-protection solution for marine applications. Intrinsically asymmetrical operating conditions make protection against EO/IR-led threats an increasingly important prerequisite for active countermeasures in the maritime sector.
In the future, the naval DIRCM will complement the recently developed Elettronica EW Suite for the Italian naval programme for detecting and combating threats across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Elettronica intends to enhance the performance of Naval DIRCM by combating EO/IR guided mis-siles with the combined use of DIRCM and flares. The findings from successful missions in air scenarios will be used for this purpose.
The core is the multiband ELT laser system based on Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) technology. The system can generate medium wavelength beams, in various infrared regions and in the new set of cold regions and thus works under the specific maritime weather conditions. Since QCL generates the energy directly in the wavelength range of interest, energy is saved on the one hand and the beamis optimised on the other. (Source: ESD Spotlight)
19 Nov 18. Northrop Grumman contracted to begin work on second batch of E-2Ds for Japan. Northrop Grumman has been contracted to begin work on the nine additional E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft for Japan announced earlier this year. With four aircraft under contract and in various stages of production, the company received a USD32.73m award on 16 November from the US Department of Defense (DoD) for long-lead acquisitions related to the production of the fifth aircraft (JAA5) for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF). The initial batch is due to be delivered to the JASDF between the end of 2019 and the end of 2020, while the fifth aircraft will follow before the end of 2022. The Japanese Ministry of Defense initially selected the E-2D in 2014 to serve alongside the earlier E-2C, as well as the Boeing E-767 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
19 Nov 18. TALIOS optronic pod qualified by French defence procurement agency. Combining a reconnaissance and targeting capability with visibility of the entire critical decision chain, from gathering intelligence to neutralising threats, is a key challenge for armed forces around the world. Building on 40 years of experience in reconnaissance and identification systems, Thales has developed the TALIOS optronic pod to meet this challenge. The Initial Operational Capability (IOC) version of the new pod has now successfully completed qualification testing by the French defence procurement agency (DGA).
TALIOS combines the latest generation of high-resolution electro-optical and infrared sensors with line-of-sight stabilisation and outstanding image processing capabilities. In addition to its unprecedented target identification performance, the new pod provides a long-range threat engagement capability to counter fixed and moving targets.
The pod’s through-life support system has also been qualified. This includes the SmartFleet fleet management and predictive maintenance solution, which prevents equipment failures that could disrupt an operational mission and increases overall fleet availability. The logistic support system also includes an innovative transport solution used to attach the pod to the aircraft pylon without requiring any other tooling.
The TALIOS optronic targeting pod is one of the major components of the new Rafale F3R standard for the French Air Force and French Navy. Deliveries of the first series-produced TALIOS systems to the French forces will begin before end of 2018 and continue until 2022. TALIOS is also compatible with other combat aircraft types. Ongoing system developments include an advanced ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) function incorporating new reconnaissance modes and advanced target detection and automatic recognition algorithms. Artificial intelligence will help humans and machines to interact more constructively, but it must never undermine or replace people, who need to be able to take conscious actions at every decisive moment. Other new functions that will contribute to this constructive interaction include high-definition full-colour imagery and the pod’s Vision Permanent™ function, which will superimpose real-time imagery on a 3D map of the operational environment.
TALIOS enhances the aircrew’s ability to assess the tactical situation, analyse significantly higher volumes of information and enable the best decisions to be made faster at every decisive moment of their missions. The new pod enables them to find, classify and engage surface targets, and conduct battle damage assessment, with unprecedented levels of safety and security.
19 Nov 18. The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a 12-month, $330m contract for Total System Support Responsibility (TSSR) of the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) fleet. The integrated total systems support contract covers TSSR Period Year 19, which began Nov. 1, 2018 and concludes Oct. 31, 2019. Under the Joint STARS TSSR program, Northrop Grumman continues its longstanding partnership with the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center to provide total systems support to the 116th and 461st Air Control Wings for all facets of sustainment and support of the 16 aircraft Joint STARS fleet at Robins Air Force Base and forward operating locations overseas. Northrop Grumman will provide program management, engineering technical support, aircrew and maintenance training, supply chain and spares management, technical data and publications, program depot maintenance and overall customer support.
“The C2ISR division looks forward to the continued teaming with Northrop Grumman to improve critical aircraft availability to our combatant commanders while executing our Joint STARS 2030 roadmap,” said Col David Menke, senior materiel leader, C2ISR division, digital directorate, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, U.S. Air Force.
“While supporting the Joint STARS mission over the past 33 years, we have focused on keeping the high-demand E-8C fleet available and mission capable for the combatant commanders. Our commitment to the supported soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen at the forward operating locations remains steadfast,” said Jane Bishop, vice president, military aircraft surveillance programs, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.
“The 24/7 support we provide to our warfighters under TSSR coupled with the rapid fielding of new capabilities is an effective way to ensure mission success. We completed the Air Force Tactical Receive System-Ruggedized upgrade in just 12 months and are now implementing a fifth generation upgrade to the fleet’s central computers,” Bishop added. “The E-8C’s continue to serve as a low-risk pathfinder for the U.S. Air Force through continued fleet capability enhancements while the Air Force develops the follow-on advanced battle management system.”
Joint STARS is the only platform in the U.S. arsenal that combines accurate wide-area moving target detection with synthetic aperture radar imagery to locate, classify and track surface targets in all weather conditions from standoff distances. The fleet has flown more than 130,000 combat mission hours in support of the U.S. Central Command since Sept. 11, 2001.
Team JSTARS, consisting of the Georgia Air National Guard’s 116th Air Control Wing, the active-duty 461st Air Control Wing and Army JSTARS detachment, provides joint airborne command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support over land and water to combatant commanders around the globe. The total force integration unit operates the world’s only Joint STARS weapon system based out of Robins Air Force Base. In addition to work at Robins Air Force Base, TSSR is supported by employees and partners at the Northrop Grumman Manned Aircraft Design Center of Excellence in Melbourne, Florida, the Lake Charles Maintenance and Modification Center, in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and more than 30 major suppliers across the United States.
16 Nov 18. Link Microtek produces complex 8-channel coaxial rotating joint for L-band shipborne radar system. Link Microtek, the manufacturer of microwave and RF subsystems, has designed and produced a complex 700mm-long 8-channel coaxial rotating joint for use in an L-band shipborne long-range radar system. Enabling microwave signals to be fed to and from the radar antenna, the rotating joint features six PSR (primary surveillance radar) channels, each with a frequency range around 1400MHz, and two SSR (secondary surveillance radar) channels covering frequencies between 1000 and 1100MHz. According to Link Microtek’s managing director, Steve Cranstone, the design team faced a number of challenges in meeting the required specifications, not least in keeping the rotating joint to an overall length of just over 700mm.
“This may seem like a large assembly but in fact 700mm was quite a tight constraint,” he said. “Each of the channels had to be able to handle microwave pulses with a maximum peak power of 5kW, and, crucially, the channels had to be phase matched, which meant incorporating various lengths of fairly substantial cable within the body of the rotating joint.”
The design also had to achieve key performance specifications such as a VSWR of less than 1.3:1, maximum insertion loss of 1dB, maximum insertion loss WOW of 0.1dB and phase variation WOW of +/-2 degrees. “WOW figures are absolutely critical on a radar system,” commented Cranstone. “They show how the performance varies as the device rotates, and you simply can’t have the specifications leaping all over the place.”
In addition there were the stringent environmental considerations that are typical for shipborne applications, including the ability to withstand salt spray, vibration and temperatures ranging from -25 to 70degC. Drawing on decades of experience in this specialist area, the company’s engineering team used CST electromagnetic simulation software to verify the performance of the design and SolidWorks CAD software to develop a complete 3D model so that the many individual piece parts could be fabricated. Once fully assembled, the rotating joint was comprehensively tested on a custom-built test rig at Link Microtek’s Basingstoke facility and then given an extended run-in programme to prepare it for its long life of continuous rotation at up to 20rpm.
16 Nov 18. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), scientists at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) are shining a light on enemy radars by using a world-leading radar tracking system to help protect UK military personnel and their equipment during operations around the world. Thousands of radars exist globally, many of which are being used by hostile nations to track and potentially threaten UK military operations. Getting accurate, real-time information on these radars is extremely problematic, time-consuming and costly, in addition to the risk of leaving our Armed Forces operating with limited information.
Dstl’s Moonlight system uses machine-learning algorithms to gather vital data. It is the only system of its kind which automatically updates the position of more than 10,000 radars every day using machine learning thereby saving 32,000 hours of manual analytical effort each month. The data gathered is now helping to improve planning and post event analysis of UK supported joint maritime, land and air missions.
Dstl’s Alasdair Gilchrist, said: “A key part of our role at Dstl is making sure we protect our people and the platforms they work within. This novel software improves the MOD’s knowledge of radar threats, making sure we have safer operations for all of our Armed Forces. It significantly enhances operational effectiveness saves the user time and money.”
Dstl has worked with industry partners 3SDL Ltd to tackle the problem. The new and novel machine-learning software has been developed to automate the process, which allows much greater accuracy on the location and identifies radars in near real time.
Jamie Thomas, a Warrant Officer with the Royal Navy, said: “Moonlight provides a mission critical input into the UK’s maritime operational picture at the Maritime Operations Centre. Moonlight data is fused with other sources to provide situational awareness as well indications and warnings to deployed frontline units. This is critical to support the decision-making process and is key to providing success on operations on a daily basis.”
The United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have all expressed an interest in using Moonlight. Dstl is now designing a version for NATO, which will greatly improve the Alliance’s ability to identify and locate threat radars.
16 Nov 18. KLJ-7A AESA radar being considered for China’s J-20 fighter aircraft. The Nanjing Research Institute of Electronics Technology’s (NRIET’s) KLJ-7A active electronically scanned-array (AESA) radar is being considered for use with China’s J-20 multirole ‘fifth-generation’ fighter aircraft, a Chinese industry source has told Jane’s .
The radar, a mock-up of which was displayed by NRIET in a three-array configuration at the Airshow China 2018 on 6–11 November, is one of the options being evaluated for use on the platform, said the source, without providing further details.
The KLJ-7A is an advanced variant of the KLJ-7 (also referred to as Type 1478) X-band airborne fire-control radar (FCR) that has previously been presented in a number of different configurations. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
15 Nov 18. DroneShield Limited (ASX:DRO or DRO.AU) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) advised its participation in The British Army’s Army Warfighting Experiment (Autonomous Warrior) 2018. The British Army has launched this four-week exercise, with a Battlegroup from the 1st Armoured Infantry Brigade (United Kingdom) providing the exercising troops and taking responsibility of command and control. British soldiers will test and evaluate the effectiveness of robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) on the battlefield. These technological advances will play a key role in the Army’s strike capability, ensuring British forces remain unmatched on the global stage. Autonomous Warrior will develop capabilities in surveillance which will greatly improve the effectiveness of long-range and precision targeting by service personnel.
The UK Defence Minister Mark Lancaster stated, “Our Armed Forces continue to push the limits of innovative warfare to ensure that we stay ahead of any adversaries or threats faced on the battlefield. Autonomous Warrior sets an ambitious vision for Army operations in the 21st Century as we integrate drones, unmanned vehicles and personnel into a world-class force for decades to come.”
The exercise is the result of a large-scale collaboration between the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, the United States Army, the UK Ministry of Defence, the UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory and the industry participants who were invited to participate.
DroneShield was invited to participate in the exercise and is providing its DroneSentinelTM system to the British Army as a rapidly deployable, counterdrone system to enable troops to detect and defend against hostile drones. Oleg Vornik, DroneShield’s CEO commented “we were tasked with training and advising British troops on the deployment and operation of our DroneSentinelTM system. This allowed the troops to independently operate and integrate the capability, using the system to autonomously defend against drones and also inform commanders about the presence of threat drones”.
15 Nov 18. France launches definition study on new maritime surveillance aircraft. The Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) announced on 9 November that it had launched a one-year definition study on the future maritime surveillance and reaction aircraft (AVSIMAR). The DGA said this was part of an effort to streamline the acquisition and support of specialised military aircraft based on the design of Dassault Aviation’s Falcon business jet. The first phase of the AVSIMAR programme already identified the Falcon 2000 LXS business jet as the best solution, which is faster and has greater endurance, according to the DGA. The study aims to define the modifications that have to be made to the Falcon 2000 LXS and will prepare for the procurement, planned to be launched in 2020. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
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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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