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15 Dec 14. Global military radar market to reach $18.5bn. The global military radar market will reach $18.5bn by 2013, according to a forecast by market research firm Strategy Analytics. The total number of radar units shipped is expected to reach 1,393 units, reflecting a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 percent. Early warning, surveillance and fire control radars will account for 76 percent of the market. L, C and S will comprise the largest bands in the market, followed by X-band. “Fire control radar shipments will continue to dominate the traditional mix but the fastest growth in shipments will come from emerging platforms such as unmanned systems, as well as new radar system types,” said a Strategy Analytics news release. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/C4ISR & Networks)
16 Dec 14. NORAD to Launch UAV-Monitoring Aerostat. Defense One reported that on Friday the North American Aerospace Defense Commands (NORAD) plans to launch a radar-equipped aerostat that will search for UAVs, “among other potential threats,” over the Aberdeen Proving Grounds to the east of Washington, D.C. The article added, “The danger posed by unmanned” aerial vehicles “over Washington, D.C., has been a concern since 9/11.” UAV operation around the capital is also a concern because civilian UAVs operate on easily hacked open networks and could potentially cause commercial jetliners to crash. (Source: Open Source Information Report/Defense One)
15 Dec 14. US Army begins installing common ground-based sense-and-avoid radar. Key Points:
* Fort Hood has received the first US Army GBSAA system for UAVs
* Four additional army installations will receive the systems next year
The US Army has begun installing ground-based sense-and-avoid (GBSAA) systems that prevent unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) collisions, with the first radar delivered to Fort Hood in Texas, the army announced on 15 December. Fort Hood is home to two companies of General Atomics MQ-1C Gray Eagles, the largest UAVs operated by the army. The Texas installation is one of five due to acquire the system, according to the army. The other four facilities are Fort Riley in Kansas, Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, and Fort Drum in New York. The GBSAA system now being fielded by the army is to be used across the military beginning in fiscal year 2015 (FY 2015), according to a September 2014 Pentagon report to Congress. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires all aircraft in domestic airspace – even those without an onboard pilot – to be able to ‘sense and avoid’ obstacles. The army decided to develop GBSAA as a more efficient means of complying with FAA regulations. Today the army complies with the FAA rules by providing a visual ground observer or launching chase aircraft when unmanned aircraft are in flight. The new GBSAA will provide an automated alternative to these options. The army chose to develop a ground-based system, rather than airborne sense-and-avoid (ABSAA) technology because the army’s UAVs tend to be smaller, boasting less power and less space for radars than US Air Force (USAF) aircraft. The US Marine Corps (USMC) has developed a similar GBSAA for its UAVs at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina. The new GBSAA is initially intended to support movement of UAVs from airfields in the national airspace to restricted areas where training and testing take place, according to the army. The system includes multiple 3-D radar (LSTAR), data fusion, tracker, classifier, separation algorithms, and displays developed by the army. It was designed to be compatible with any UAV type in the army’s fleet. Hardware installation at Fort Hood is expected to begin within days. It will initially collect data for a safety analysis before becoming fully operational next year, the army said.
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