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31 Jan 14. U.S. Army experts in night-vision sensors are working together with Raytheon Vision Systems (RVS) to develop advanced infrared focal plane array technology to enhance military infrared sensor capabilities. Officials of the Army Contracting Command Aberdeen Proving Ground-Belvoir Division at Fort Belvoir, Va., announced plans this week to award a sole-source research contract to Raytheon to provide III-V infrared focal plane array (FPA) fabrication development. The value of the contract has yet to be negotiated. Specifically, Raytheon electro-optics scientists will refine and demonstrate high-performance infrared FPA technologies that are capable of mid-wave infrared (MWIR), long-wave infrared (LWIR), and LWIR/dual-band detection, Army officials say.(Source: Open Source Information Report/Military & Aerospace Electronics)
03 Feb 14. During the Singapore Airshow, Airborne Technologies is introducing its newest development – the S.C.A.R. Pod (Self Contained Aerial Reconnaissance Pod). This Pod is completely self-sufficient and allows wireless operation. Data connection from pod to operator station is done via WIFI and needs no external cabling. The use of an internal – easy changeable – battery pack grants power supply for up to 10 hours. The S.C.A.R.-Pod does not assume any airframe modifications on your aircraft. The lug suspensions enable immediate use on every aircraft with NATO hard points. The light weight carbon fiber pod carries a complete surveillance mission package which upgrades any aircraft to an ISR platform within a very short period of time. It offers room for an EO/IR Gimbal, Downlink, Uplink, Moving Map, Augmented Reality System and COMINT/SIGINT equipment. Depending on the size of the gimbal the S.C.A.R. Pod is available in two versions for 10” and 15” EO/IR cameras. Wolfgang Grumeth, CEO of Airborne Technologies, said, “With our new S.C.A.R. Pod every aircraft and helicopter equipped with hard points can be a surveillance aircraft instantly. Although the S.C.A.R. Pod is an “out of the box solution” it turns out to be very flexible in fulfilling special customer needs. On the basis of “Plug & Fly” the customer is able to add ISR capability to his fleet.
03 Feb 14. G/ATOR gets production approval despite DoD report’s reliability concerns. The US Marine Corps’ Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) was approved for low-rate initial production (LRIP) in January, allowing the service to buy the first four operational systems. The LRIP systems are part of G/ATOR Block I, which is focused on air defence and surveillance. The systems are due to achieve ‘initial operational capability’ in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2016 (FY 2016) or early FY 2017. Full-rate production of 17 Block I systems is scheduled for the third quarter of FY 2018, according to the FY 2013 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Command and Control (C2) Roadmap. LRIP approval came shortly after publication of the US Department of Defense’s Director of Operational Test & Evaluation (DOT&E) annual report, the DOT&E’s first review of G/ATOR, which cited reliability issues during the 2013 Field Users Evaluation (FUE) at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona.(Source: IHS Jane’s)
03 Feb 14. Thales Radar Excels in Danish Missile Firings. Equipped with Thales’s Active Phased Array Radar (APAR), the Royal Danish Navy’s HDMS Peter Willemoes performed live firing trials to demonstrate its air defence capabilities. The trial, executed on 21 November 2013, consisted of four Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles being directed by APAR to four targets. The trial was successful: all launched missiles performed a successful intercept. In the first part of the trial, a Banshee drone was eliminated by a missile launched by HDMS Peter Willemoes. With pinpoint accuracy APAR guided the missile to the ta