Sponsored by Meggitt Training Systems
https://meggitttrainingsystems.com/
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07 Oct 19. Meggitt Training Systems to Highlight Irrefutable, Life-Saving Benefits of Virtual Training Through Georgia State Study.
Company emphasizes insightful customer study, 10 lanes of military-grade 3D marksmanship, unmatched live-fire products and a replica Tommy Gun reflecting 1920s policing.
Meggitt Training Systems, the leading provider of integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training products and services, will dramatically increase its presence for the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 126th Annual Conference and Exposition on October 26-29 in Chicago. The company will highlight a new customer study that reinforces the value of simulator training, demonstrate an unprecedented 10 lanes of 3D marksmanship, and display a replica century-old Tommy gun from the National Law Enforcement Museum (NLEM) that harkens back to an infamously wild era in the history of crime and policing.
“Meggitt Training Systems has been incredibly valuable to the National Law Enforcement Museum. Because of this partnership, visitors can learn about the role of law enforcement by getting a taste of the training they do”
The Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC) will present its findings on the efficacy of virtual trainers on October 28 at 12:00 pm in the Solutions Presentation Theatre. The study is based on data generated by several recent classes and then analyzed by officials from the Georgia facility, which is used by state and local public safety agencies. Those unable to attend the GPSTC briefing can visit Meggitt booth 1030 for additional briefing times and dates. Copies of the findings will be available as well.
“Meggitt Training Systems applauds the GPSTC for undertaking this study to further validate the importance of virtual training in law enforcement, especially for high-stress and deadly force encounters,” said Matt Cunningham, Meggitt’s director of virtual systems sales. “At a time when police training is under sustained and unprecedented scrutiny, this survey will serve as a clarion call to police departments to put the best technology in the hands of their trainers. Meggitt systems improve law enforcement performance by providing the most advanced training for marksmanship and use of force, so I encourage IACP attendees to attend GPSTC’s event or come to the Meggitt booth for a briefing.”
In the booth, Meggitt will display two FATS® 100LE virtual simulators configured side by side for training up to 10 shooters simultaneously. The FATS 100LE features military-grade marksmanship capabilities enabled by ballistics certified by the US Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. Police-specific features include 3D marksmanship training, wireless tablet control with automatic coaching, and an intuitive unified interface across all training modes for ease-of-use and reduction in training requirements. Consistent with its premium positioning, the FATS 100LE also features multi-screen capability, enhanced visuals and multiple weapons per trainee, including wireless BlueFire® M4, Glock 17, TASER® and OC spray weapons on display at IACP. On-site installation and training are provided by Meggitt personnel to ensure the industry’s most sophisticated use-of-force simulator is ready for optimal use.
Meggitt’s live-fire division will exhibit the following products:
- The XWT GEN4 wireless target carrier builds on the industry’s first wireless, 360º turning system. The XWT GEN4 uses a lithium ion battery with a positive locking connection and ergonomic placement, providing a 50% increase in battery watt hours. The new docking system improves contact design for faster, more reliable charging; that means more time using the XWT GEN4 and less time charging it. Programmable distraction lighting integrates red, blue and white LEDs with four times the brightness of previous models.
- The GranTrap™ granulated rubber bullet trap utilizes soft media to stop incoming rounds and capture them predominantly intact. This minimizes airborne lead dust, averts back-splatter and ricochet, and minimizes impact noise. The result is a cleaner and safer environment for shooting ranges, maximizing bullet recovery and recycling processes.
Finally, Meggitt’s booth will host an important artifact from the National Law Enforcement Museum, consistent with the company’s role as a major sponsor at the Defenders of Freedom level. Booth visitors can view a replica of a Thompson Submachine Gun, nicknamed the Tommy Gun, donated to the NLEM by the J. Edgar Hoover Foundation.
“Meggitt Training Systems has been incredibly valuable to the National Law Enforcement Museum. Because of this partnership, visitors can learn about the role of law enforcement by getting a taste of the training they do,” noted Chelsea Hansen, curator at the NLEM. “The museum is happy to loan a Thompson Submachine Gun replica to be displayed at Meggitt’s IACP booth. This type of firearm was commonly used during the 1920s and 1930s by law enforcement and criminals alike. Back then, officers did not have the safety training technologies they do today, so hopefully the replica Tommy Gun can reinforce the importance of technologies like those from Meggitt Training Systems.” (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
10 Oct 19. Primes team up to train Australia’s next generation of submarine builders. Naval Group Australia has signed a training initiative with ASC that will see the first three apprentices selected to join the submarine building workforce from January next year.
The initiative was signed under the framework agreement that the two companies committed to earlier in 2019, and will see the integration of Naval Group Australia apprentices into ASC’s highly-competitive four-year fabrication apprenticeship program working on the Collins Class submarine program.
ASC has over 30 years experience in training welders to the highest standard required for the demanding work of submarine hull steel welding.
John Davis, Naval Group Australia chief executive, said the training agreement was a sign of the strong relationship between Naval Group Australia and ASC.
“The framework agreement is a unique and collaborative approach that bridges the Collins Class sustainment and Future Submarine Program to provide a stronger and more effective sovereign submarine enterprise to design, build and sustain submarines in Australia,” said Davis. “This initiative will provide apprentices with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn from the best Australian and French minds in submarine design, build and sustainment.”
ASC chief executive Stuart Whiley welcomed the training program as the first under the framework agreement.
“During their time at ASC, apprentices will be exposed to over 30 years of experience, lessons learnt and a safety culture developed through the construction and sustainment of the Collins Class,” said Whiley.
Davis said, “The apprentices will join a high-performance submarine production environment in ASC which is delivering submarine availability to the Royal Australian Navy at beyond international benchmarks.”
Naval Group Australia will lead the recruitment of the apprentices and will collaborate with ASC during the interview process to “ensure those hired have the appropriate skills and values demanded of submarine fabrication”.
The first intake of three apprentices will commence training with ASC in January 2020 for the four-year program. (Source: Defence Connect)
09 Oct 19. Military technology training: lessons from the private sector. Sean Farrington, senior vice president EMEIA at technology skills online learning specialist Pluralsight, spent 14 years of his early career serving as an officer in the logistics arm of the British Army. Here he tells Berenice Baker what military organisations can learn from the private sector’s approach to training and the skills veterans can bring the business workplace.
Sean Farrington, senior vice president EMEIA at technology skills online learning specialist Pluralsight
Berenice Baker: Can military personnel use the same technology training platforms as private sector companies?
Sean Farrington: I fundamentally believe they can. What you have in the military is a collection of highly-motivated individuals. Part of a career in the military is to have a very clear and structured career development pathway and it’s called promotion and the rank structure. Within the various military trades, there are also levels of competencies, so the military has a levelling structure across multiple trades and multiple arms and departments within the services.
This means you have a population that is familiar with the notion of personal career development; they understand these pathways very well and that to advance their career they need access to training. One of the things that is often the most frustrating is the challenge of getting individuals access to the content and the ability for them to upskill themselves. That challenge goes away when you have it on a platform when the individual can access it at a time and place of their choosing, assuming they have access to the necessary IT.
Reversing that, what can businesses learn from the way the armed forces do training?
You cannot underestimate the power of giving people that clear path view of what it takes for me to get from where I am today to the next level, and in the military that’s from a private soldier or able seaman or leading aircraftsman, to become a warrant officer, or a senior commissioned officer. Military personnel know what it takes to get from Class 3 to Class 1 in a trade, and when they achieve that they get paid more and get promoted more quickly.
That acts as a motivating factor to get on the courses and be the best you can be because you will earn more money and get promoted more quickly. That level of structure and clarity would serve businesses really well. It provides certainty, but it also removes uncertainty and doubt, which at best can be distracting, but at worst can cause people to choose to leave and join another organisation because they feel unfulfilled, undervalued and underappreciated in their current role.
There is a massive and growing IT skills gap in the UK and globally, but military veterans can struggle to find work. What skills could ex-armed forces personnel offer businesses that they might not have considered?
Personal skills: You have access to talent that recognises and values the importance of communication, of achieving alignment around clear goals and objectives, and being very self-motivated and driven in achieving those outcomes.
All military personnel are trained in the importance of security and confidentiality including the weaknesses that can be exploited through a lack of attention to detail when it comes to personal and collective responsibility. And I think that’s why they should be particularly good at moving into those roles because they understand the consequences of poor security, regardless of whether that’s cybersecurity or physical security. They appreciate the nature of the challenge and are more engaged in helping solve it.
Should defence departments play more of a role in offering a career path for people who leave?
Absolutely. We’re doing a lot of work with the US DoD around re-skilling and cross-skilling members of the military into technical roles. It’s a win for the military in that they fill gaps in technical competencies that they see in their military organisations, but they also recognise in so doing they prepare members of the armed services for a life outside of the military. And that is something that adds value and kudos to the individual taking the training.
This creates opportunity for business in attracting talent and for the military in their duty of pastoral care for service members as they transition into civilian lives.
What else can the military learn from business-style training?
The expectation of how we acquire knowledge has significantly changed since I was a lad when we would look at a blackboard and we’d have an instructor in front of us and they would “teach” us.
When I joined the military, sometimes we had to be taught because we were learning completely alien concepts, for example how to hold, use and look after a weapon safely and effectively. Most people had never touched a weapon in their lives before and they were handed a rifle.
But the difference in acquiring knowledge now is people choose to learn; they do so self-directed, and I see my kids do it, they learn in different ways. The military needs to keep pace with that method of acquiring new skills and that’s what’s Pluralsight is about; people learning rather than being taught so they become proficient practitioners of the new skill as quickly as possible. They don’t have to learn the complete skill – they have the prerequisite, they just have to fill the gaps in their knowledge.
If the military doesn’t do this, they’re also not setting themselves up to be attractive to the next generation whose expectations about how they will acquire skills is completely different, certainly from the expectation I had about how I would acquire a skill when I was 18, 19 years old and considering a career in the military. (Source: army-technology.com)
08 Oct 19. USN completes first GQM-163A Coyote east coast target launch. The US Navy (USN) has undertaken first launches of the GQM-163A Coyote Supersonic Sea Skimming Target (SSST) from an east coast range facility.
Performed on 12 September from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) in Virginia, the launch of two GQM-163A targets supported a fleet missile exercise (MSLEX) activity.
Originally developed by Orbital Sciences – now Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems – to meet the USN’s requirement for a high-fidelity SSST to replicate a family of supersonic sea skimming anti-ship cruise missile threats for fleet training and test and evaluation, the GQM-163A uses a first-stage Mk 70 solid-rocket booster to accelerate off a rail launcher and achieve supersonic speed. Following booster separation, the air vehicle is sustained in flight by an Aerojet Rocketdyne MARC-R-282 four-inlet, solid-fuel ducted rocket/ramjet.
GQM-163A is able to fly either ‘sea skimmer’ or ‘high-diver’ flight trajectories. In the former case, the air vehicle can achieve a speed of Mach 2.6 during the cruise phase (nominally 35 n miles), and then descend to a minimum altitude of 15 ft and speed of Mach 2.6 for a 10 n mile terminal phase. Manoeuvres of up to 12 g in azimuth and 5 g in elevation can be executed in the terminal approach.
As a ‘high diver’, the GQM-163A can attain a maximum altitude of 52,000 ft cruising at up to Mach 3.8. It then performs a powered terminal dive at angles between 15° and 55°, achieving an impact speed of Mach 0.7-3.0.
The USN target inventory is procured and managed by the Aerial Targets Program Office (PMA-208) in Naval Air Systems Command. “This [WFF] site activation established a MSLEX capability in support of operational readiness and certification of deploying carrier strike groups,” said NAVAIR in a statement. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
09 Oct 19. $3m contract for Sydney-based navy warfare simulation business. Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has announced a $3m contract for Sydney-based Cirrus Real Time Processing Systems to provide additional Tactical Electronic Warfare simulation training systems, after the successful delivery of the capability earlier this year. The new contract awarded to Cirrus proves advanced, world-leading technology can be delivered by Australian businesses.
This $3m contract will enable the company to continue its work with the Royal Australian Navy to provide additional Tactical Electronic Warfare simulation training systems.
Minister Price said the new workstations will improve training capability for the Navy, ensuring personnel have access to the most advanced systems.
“The project total investment of $7.5m will support the electronic warfare capabilities of the Navy and ensure new recruits and current Navy personnel will have access to advanced technological systems and additional training capacity,” Minister Price said.
Navy’s School of Maritime Warfare at HMAS Watson accepted 35 workstations provided by Cirrus in May this year, with the new contract set to provide an additional 39 workstations.
HMAS Stirling is set to receive 12 of these new workstations as part of the new $3m contract, with an additional 27 workstations to be installed at HMAS Watson.
“Small businesses like Cirrus are an example of how our defence industry is maturing and developing cutting-edge technologies that in days gone by would have been delivered by international companies,” Minister Price said.
Continuous streaming data is a fundamental requirement of modern information, communications and processing systems. The development of software that provides reliability in the transport and management of this data in real-time is a key issue for many organisations.
Cirrus is an established leader in the provision of cutting-edge software solutions to meet the demands of the real-time world. With a record of system and software engineering for applications as harsh as those of the Royal Australian Navy’s warships and submarines, as well as a wide range of off-the-shelf communications, acquisition, recording and processing systems. (Source: Defence Connect)
08 Oct 19. Exercise Joint Warrior gets underway. Almost 4,000 personnel, 58 aircraft, 16 ships and three submarines have begun mass wargames in Scotland for Exercise Joint Warrior. Equipment involved in the exercise includes the Royal Navy minehunter HMS Hurworth, HMS Albion and the Type 23 Frigate HMS Sutherland. The majority of personnel participating in the exercise are sailors or marines, but 635 air personnel and 319 soldiers are also involved.
International equipment includes the French FS Tonnerre and the German FGS Berlin replenishment ship. The multi-national exercise will see troops from NATO allies joined by personnel from Japan and the United Arab Emirates for the next two weeks.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) said the exercise, directed from Clyde naval base, “will boost the defensive capabilities of the UK and its allies”.
The biannual exercise pulls together forces from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force and their allied counterparts, allowing them to work on joint operations.
UK Minister for the Armed Forces Mark Lancaster said: “As we look ahead to the December NATO Leaders’ meeting in London to mark the alliance’s 70th anniversary, Exercise Joint Warrior provides a timely demonstration of why it is the bedrock of our defence.
“A wide spectrum of allies and friends will come together, build understanding and sharpen our collective defence. We are stronger and safer together.”
One of the first scenarios tested in the exercise saw the Royal Navy having to defend their ships from mock ‘massed assaults by fast-moving speed boats’. The Royal Navy said the mock assault simulated “precisely the sort of attack ships fear – lots of attackers, confined and congested waters”.
Talking about the mock attack Royal Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Knott said: “We really dialled up the complexity of this ‘beat-’em-up’ exercise – multiple fast-attack craft, the close proximity of land, our helicopter providing machine-gun support and a minehunter for us to protect – this is realistic and highly valuable training.”
The swarm attack is the first of many scenarios that will be tested over the next two weeks.
The exercise will also put the Anglo-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force (CJEF) to the test in the first of five joint exercises. The CJEF was formed in 2010 when the UK and French Governments signed the Lancaster House Treaties.
The CJEF is designed to provide short-notice force for the UK and France comprising of land, air and maritime components and over 10,000 people. The MOD said the CJEF would conduct its own Exercise Griffin Strike as a part of Joint Warrior.
The countries participating in Joint Warrior include Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Turkey, the US, UK, Japan and the United Arab Emirates. (Source: naval-technology.com)
07 Oct 19. Reforger redux? Defender 2020 to be 3rd largest exercise in Europe since Cold War. The Defender 2020 in Europe is set to be the third-largest military exercise on the continent since the Cold War, according to Lt. Gen. Chris Cavoli, the U.S. Army Europe commander.
The division-scaled exercise will test the Army’s ability to deliver a force from “fort in the United States to port in the United States,” and then to ports in Europe, and from there to operational areas throughout Europe from Germany to Poland to the Baltic states and other Eastern European nations, Nordic countries and even Georgia, Cavoli told Defense News in an exclusive interview focused on the big event.
While the Army has gone into some detail about Defender 2020 in the Pacific, U.S. Army Europe has been tight-lipped during the coordination of its version.
While the drill has been compared to the Reforger exercises that happened during the Cold War, that is “not a completely apt comparison” because Reforger exercises were about getting a force into one country — Germany — “to defend a very-known location against a force that we all understood very well,” Cavoli said. He recalled hearing about Reforger exercises as a little boy when his father was an Army officer serving in Germany. “The only thing we didn’t know was what time it was going to happen.”
This time, the Army must deploy a huge force onto the continent, move across and operate in many countries, “and we don’t know what we’ll have to deter or even defend against,” he said.
At a massive scale
Testing the Army’s ability to deploy large units to Europe is seen as critical to deterring Russian aggression. The Army has increasingly turned its posture to stationing most of its combat forces in the United States while maintaining theater operational capability and equipment set aside for rapid reinforcement from the U.S.
The service has begun rotating forces on a regular basis over the past several years after beginning to withdraw capability from Europe. After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, the U.S. began to invest in a buildup in Europe to deter Russia from acting similarly in another country. That included sending an armored brigade combat team on nine-month, back-to-back rotations as well as a combat aviation brigade.
“But to do this with a large force at scale” — roughly 20,000 soldiers with heavy equipment — “is a very big deal for us. So what it’s going to do is really exercise the Army and our joint systems to deliver that force,” Cavoli said.
The exercise so far has 18 countries participating as well as NATO forces and will also have a large participation from the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve from 11 states and seven reserve units.
The Army has been exercising similar deployments from the continental United States to Europe for major exercises like Saber Guardian, but those have been focused at the tactical level. Defender will put strategic readiness to the test.
“When these guys get over here, I think the opportunities that we’re going to see are really about throughput,” Cavoli said. “How do you receive a unit this large and efficiently” and transport people and equipment using transportation capability from rail to barges.
Moving thousands of troops and equipment requires good infrastructure across country lines as well as effective coordination and host nation support, according to Cavoli. The exercise will “allow each of our allies to practice hosting a force,” he said.
For example, in Saber Guardian, the Hungarians set up a national movement control cell that helped coordinate the large-scale movements through the country.
A few years ago, Germany established a joint support and enabling command that serves as a throughput command to get people across Europe for operations. The command will get a chance to operate at a much larger scale this time.
Similar investments are expected for Defender, which are critical for establishing effective and rapid freedom of maneuver so troops can get where they need to be as fast as possible if a crisis arose.
The exercise will incorporate a variety of regular exercises conducted in Europe — roughly eight to 10 — including the Army’s Joint Warfighting Assessment 2020.
JWA will involve forces at Grafenwoehr training area in Germany and other distributed locations.
Operating across domains
To Army will also have a chance to evaluate its emerging Multi-Domain Operations concept as the service transitions it to doctrine. At the JWA, headquarters at the highest command as well as subordinate corps, both NATO and multinational corps, and, below that, a tactical unit — the 1st Cavalry Division — will participate in war games to see what it’s like to fight with the Army’s planned modernization priority capabilities such as long-range precision fires.
“We’re going to apply the concepts of Multi-Domain Operations in a war game, a simulation. We are going to give ourselves all of the things the Army is developing,” and figure out what works and what should be modified, Cavoli said.
But other exercises will include MDO concepts such as a massive division-minus-sized wet gap crossing at Drawsko Pomorskie training site in Poland.
“When we look at large mobile armored warfare, one of the most difficult operations and complex operations and operations where a force is vulnerable is a wet gap crossing,” Cavoli said. “So that’s a place where we really think some of the principles of Multi-Domain Operations are going to be able to help us reduce vulnerabilities and generate speed so that we can cross obstacles better.”
Additionally, Defender will incorporate joint forcible entry exercises to include three parachute assaults in various locations, and the MDO concept will come into play with those as well, he added.
While the Army’s European-based Multidomain Task Force won’t be fully established by Defender 2020, the service plans to take the parts of it that are available and use surrogates from other parts of the Army to help rehearse during the JWA.
“It’s going to allow me to figure out how I want to employ it in this theater and how we want to shape it exactly,” Cavoli said.
Additionally, the Army will practice pulling out its Army Prepositioned Stock and exercising it as part of Defender, Cavoli noted.
“We’ve done this at smaller scales,” he said, over the last couple of years, including a no-notice deployment of two battalions and a brigade headquarters from Fort Bliss, Texas, who drew on two battalions worth of equipment from stock in Europe.
This time the Army will practice drawing equipment and using it in live-fire exercises at the brigade level and higher. Part of that effort will include pulling Abrams tanks with their new Trophy active protection systems for the first time from that pre-positioned equipment and then exercise the capability.
Defender, in its entirety, will run from roughly February, when mobilization begins, through June. The lump sum of the major exercises will take place in April and May.
Defender is “a very big deal,” Cavoli said, because it will show that the U.S., its allies and its partners have the ability to deter conflict on the continent by rapidly introducing a massive ground force and projecting across key territory. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
07 Oct 19. ADF rolls out new enterprise student management system. A new initiative is set to be introduced to Australian Defence Force training establishments to “enhance the education and training of personnel”.
Brisbane-based company TechnologyOne has been awarded the contract to deliver the student management software.
Commander Australian Defence College, Major General Mick Ryan, said the new enterprise student management system would provide a reliable approach to recording training conducted by Defence personnel.
“The system provides a more efficient approach to student administration across Defence and underpins our shift to a more continuous, accessible and adaptive learning environment,” MAJGEN Ryan said.
Defence confirmed it is currently conducting a competitive evaluation process for a third-party vendor for the installation and management of the system, with an announcement of the outcome to come “shortly”.
“Delivering a project like this demonstrates Defence’s commitment to optimising the education and training of our personnel,” MAJGEN Ryan said.
“It provides excellent opportunities for Defence to work with the Australian domestic ICT sector in a rapidly evolving domain.” (Source: Defence Connect)
06 Oct 19. RAF Typhoons Conduct Royal Malaysian Air Force Joint Exercise. Royal Air Force Typhoon fighters have been conducting training sorties with the Royal Malaysian Air Force as part of the preparations for Exercise Bersama Lima, the annual Five Powers Defence Arrangements exercise. Deployed to the Malaysian Air Force base at Butterworth in Penang, Malaysia, the Typhoon pilots from the RAF Lossiemouth based II (Army Cooperation) Squadron are conducting high energy training with the Royal Malaysian Air Force Su30 Flankers and F18 Hornets.
A II(AC) Squadron pilot said: “This is a rare opportunity to fly against uniquely capable aircraft under high-G whilst deployed in Asia. This has enabled us to demonstrate Typhoon’s awesome capability against agile fighters whilst learning and sharing tactics that will enable enhanced future cooperation. As fighter pilots, this type of flying gives us the chance to test our skills against the pilot as well as the aircraft following years of tough training. It requires intense concentration for the short duration flight but is a very rewarding experience.”
The bilateral training has allowed the squadron to work in new conditions and with aircraft unfamiliar to RAF fast jet pilots. The squadron will now begin flying sorties as part of Exercise BERSAMA LIMA 19. During the exercise the jets will join with aircraft from Singapore, New Zealand and Malaysia to work together in complex air situations and also to conduct Air Land and Air Maritime integration exercises.
The Five Powers Defence Arrangements is the corner stone of British defence policy in the region and brings the militaries of Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom together in a defensive arrangement in the region. (Source: Warfare.Today/UK MoD)
04 Oct 19. USAF AWACS visit provides Wedgetail training and spruik opportunity. Royal Australia Air Force E-7A Wedgetail crews and their US Air Force E-3 Sentry counterparts have taken the rare opportunity for close training and tour of the AWACS platforms on Australian soil. The USAF 552nd ACW from Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma was visiting RAAF Base Williamtown as part of scheduled training and familiarisation activities with RAAF Number 2 Squadron and Number 42 Wing.
The joint presence provided a visual representation of the partnership and interoperability between both Air Forces when the USAF E-3 Sentry positioned on the flight-line next to a RAAF E-7A Wedgetail on 10 Sep 19,
Assistant Director of Operations – USAF 965th Airborne Air Control Squadron, and Mission Crew Commander for the joint-operation, Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey Doyle, said the visit delivered important training outcomes.
“This trip allowed us to integrate with the RAAF, while we were concerned about limitations due to different operating procedures, the flight went better than expected and provided a great opportunity to build on partnership and international training,” LTCOL Doyle explained.
While the E-7A and E-3 are similar aircraft in that crew positions are almost identical, the Wedgetail has a much smaller crew size with the aircrew being able to move to different positions on board.
Officer Commanding Number 42 Wing, Group Captain Hinton Tayloe said the activity ensured personnel were operationally ready.
“The aim of the joint flying mission was to develop skills in a training environment to ensure both forces are better prepared in the modern battlespace. I would like to congratulate all personnel involved as it was a team effort that delivered important training objectives and achieved highly successful mission outcomes with our USAF counterparts,” GPCAPT Tayloe said.
Importantly, the visit and associated training activity provided the opportunity for personnel to come together and share knowledge and experiences fostering the close and enduring partnership between service men and women as coalition partners in service.
The E-7A Wedgetail provides Australia with one of the most advanced air battlespace management capabilities in the world. The E-7A Wedgetail has participated in Exercise Bersama Lima, Cope North, Red Flag and Pitch Black, with units currently deployed on Operation OKRA.
The 737 AEW&C system encompasses both the Boeing 737-700 aircraft platform and a variety of aircraft control and advanced radar systems. Consisting of components created by Boeing and Northrop Grumman, the 737 AEW&C represents the standard for future airborne early warning systems.
The E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C functions include:
- A steerable beam, L-band, electronically scanned array that provides optimal performance in range, tracking and accuracy;
- Radar that can track airborne and maritime targets simultaneously;
- Assistance to the mission crew in directing the control of high-performance fighter aircraft while continuously scanning the operational area;
- A “top hat” portion that provides a practical solution for fore and aft coverage while maintaining the low drag profile of the dorsal array system – enabling the MESA system to be installed on the mid-size 737-700 platform without significant impact to aircraft performance;
- An integrated identification friend or foe (IFF) function that shares the primary radar arrays to reduce weight, improve reliability and simplify target correlation; and
- Advanced open-system architecture with standards-based design for cost-effective integration and add-on flexibility.
This announcement builds on a growing military capability and industrial relationship between the UK and Australia, after the Australian government selected the British Type 26 design for its future frigate.
Australia’s experience in operating the Wedgetail presents a significant opportunity to work closely with the UK through co-operative development and industry collaboration.
The visit coincides with the recent UK decision to acquire a fleet of five E-7A Wedgetail aircraft earlier this year and precedes another attempt by the US Air Force to kickstart its own airborne early warning and control system (AWACS) recapitalisation, which aims to see the Boeing 707-based E-3 Sentry replaced following the failure of the E-10 MC2A program.
Based at RAAF Base Williamtown, Australia’s six E-7A Wedgetails significantly improve the effectiveness of the ADF. They are capable of communicating with other aircraft and providing air control from the sky, and can cover 4 million square kilometres during a single 10-hour mission. (Source: Defence Connect)
03 Oct 19. Kratos wins jet target work. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions’ Unmanned Systems Division has received a $5m contract for mission system integration and test tactical jet target drone work from an undisclosed customer.
Work under this contract award will be performed primarily at the division’s facilities in Sacramento, California, and the company says that due to competitive, customer-related considerations no additional information can be provided.
‘As a specialist in jet unmanned aircraft development and production, we pride ourselves on being the “platform” or “truck” and being agnostic with respect to the mission systems we are able to integrate/carry/support,’ Steve Fendley, president of Kratos’ Unmanned Systems Division, said.
‘This key contract is another example illustrating our ability to incorporate special (non-Kratos) systems into our growing tactical drone suite, and demonstrates the ability for Kratos’ survivable unmanned jet aircraft to perform as multi-mission UAS.’
‘This contract award is another important step in the missionisation and ultimate fielding of Kratos tactical unmanned aerial drone systems,’ Eric DeMarco, president and CEO of Kratos, added. (Source: Shephard)
07 Oct 19. NT company wins contract for ADF range facility upgrades. Sitzler has landed a $22m contract to upgrade range facilities at four Defence training areas. The Northern Territory-based company secured the contract as the managing contractor for the development phase of the $514m Northern Territory Training Areas and Ranges Project.
Minister for Defence Linda Reynolds said the announcement was a significant milestone for the US Force Posture Initiatives. “Our Northern Territory training areas and ranges are essential for supporting the joint training needs of the Australian Defence Force and our United States partners,” Minister Reynolds said. “This reinvestment is part of the government’s commitment to the Northern Territory made under the 2015 Developing Northern Australia White Paper and the 2016 Defence White Paper. Just two years after the pilot program for the Liberal and National government’s Local Industry Capability Plan was announced, we are seeing this policy in action.”
Under the contract, Sitzler will manage the design and development of upgrades to facilities and infrastructure at Defence training areas at Robertson Barracks, Kangaroo Flats, Mount Bundey and Bradshaw.
The company is aiming for 98 per cent of construction sub-contract packages to be awarded to businesses within the Northern Territory under the Defence Policy for Industry Participation.
Senator for the Northern Territory Dr Sam McMahon said this is another example of Defence investment providing valuable opportunities for local businesses.
“Since its establishment in Darwin in 1976, Sitzler Pty Ltd is now one of the largest privately owned and operated construction companies in northern Australia,” Senator McMahon said. “This $22m contract being awarded to a local company demonstrates this government’s commitment to providing opportunities to businesses in the Northern Territory.”
An estimated $14m in design sub-consultants will be engaged over the next three to four months to progress the designs for subsequent government and parliamentary approvals. Construction is scheduled to commence in late 2021 with completion anticipated by 2025. (Source: Defence Connect)
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Meggitt Training Systems, makers of FATS® and Caswell technologies, a division of Meggitt PLC, is the leading supplier of integrated live-fire and virtual weapons training systems. Meggitt Training Systems continues to grow its capabilities based on the legacy of these two industry leaders.
Over 13,600 Meggitt live-fire ranges and 5,100 virtual systems are fielded internationally, providing judgmental, situational awareness and marksmanship training to the armed forces, law enforcement and security organizations. Meggitt Training Systems employs more than 400 people at its headquarters in Atlanta and at facilities in Orlando, Canada, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, UAE, Australia and Singapore. It can deploy service personnel anywhere in the world for instructor training, system installation and maintenance. Learn more at https://meggitttrainingsystems.com/.
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