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23 May 24. Replicator drones already being delivered, Pentagon says. The Pentagon has started sending systems to Indo-Pacific Command as a part of Replicator — a program aimed at hastening the purchase and delivery of drones.
In a short statement, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, who leads the program, said that the deliveries began earlier in May.
Replicator has two goals. The first is to field thousands of drones within two years of its announcement, or by August of 2025. The second is to learn the muscle memory for the Pentagon to run these kinds of sprints when it needs weapons on demand.
The Pentagon has been coy about what systems will be a part of the program. The officials behind it say that’s deliberate. Replicator is focused on countering China, and they doesn’t want to tell the Chinese military what to prepare for.
In a briefing earlier this month, senior defense officials speaking on the condition of anonymity said that the first set of systems in Replicator will include AeroVironment’s Switchblade 600, a loitering munition. It will also include maritime drones purchased through a solicitation posted earlier this year by the Defense Innovation Unit, which buys high-tech weapons for the Pentagon.
“Even as we deliver systems, our end-to-end capability development process continues,” Hicks said in the statement, a nod to Replicator still being a work in progress.
Between this fiscal year and FY25, the Pentagon has asked for $1 billion to fund the program. The money in FY24 in part comes from a reprogramming request sent to Congress, asking permission to move existing money around. The $500 million in FY25 is already included in the Pentagon’s proposed budget, but spread around different lines of funding. (Source: Defense News)
23 May 24. Titra, Airbus team up to modify ALPIN drone for naval missions. Turkish drone-maker Titra is teaming with aerospace specialist Airbus to modify the ALPIN drone so it can operate from naval platforms as well as take off and land autonomously, the former announced this week.
The unmanned helicopter was first used during Turkish operations in the northern region of Iraq, Titra’s chief executive Abdulkadir Sener told reporters during a homeland security expo taking place in Ankara, Turkey, from May 21 to May 23. He said the Turkish government and other countries have requested the platform for use by naval forces.
The strategic cooperation agreement between the Turkish and French firms calls for collaboration in integrating Airbus’ DeckFinder positioning system with the ALPIN.
“Within the scope of this cooperation, we have taken the first step towards the integration of Airbus Deck Finder and the ALPIN Unmanned Helicopter System. As a result of this cooperation, the fully autonomous landing and take-off capability of all rotary wing aerial vehicles, especially ALPIN developed by TiTRA, to moving naval platforms will be made more precise and safer with Airbus Deck Finder,” Titra announced on its social media accounts.
The ALPIN should be able to land on a moving vessel within the next six months, Sener said. And following this work, there could be opportunities for the two companies to cooperate on other projects, the executive added.
The long-range drone is designed for both military and civilian use, including rescue missions. Its design is based on the crewed Italian-made Helisport CH-7 ultralight helicopter. Development of the ALPIN began in 2019 when Titra signed a deal with UAVOS, a drone specialist with offices in the U.S., Canada and Spain. Under the agreement, Titra and UAVOS planned to convert CH-7s into dual-purpose, rotary-wing unmanned aircraft. The ALPIN made its first flight in 2020.
The ALPIN is 7 meters long, 1.5 meters wide and 2.35 meters high. Its rotor diameter is 6.28 meters.
When empty, its weigh is 340 kilograms. It can carry a maximum payload of 200 kilograms, including fuel.
The unmanned helicopter can carrying multiple payloads and transmit real-time information to operators. It features a wideband satellite communication channel for remote operations, a fully redundant autopilot system, autonomous takeoff-and-landing capabilities, a remote ground control network, and an autorotation landing capability.
Airbus’ DeckFinder is a local positioning system that allows crewed and remotely piloted aerial vehicles to determine their relative position in harsh environmental conditions. It provides a 3D image of the platform’s relative position, aiding in safe landings in environments that lack reference points or visual cues. This technology is crucial for landing on small or moving helicopter decks, where even minor deviations can endanger the mission.
(Source: Defense News)
23 May 24. Quaze Technologies and Rheinmetall Canada sign contract to take Drone Swarm Tactical OverWatch (DSTOW™) to the next stage of development.
Quaze Technologies, a Canada-based technology company building solutions to recharge any robot anywhere without human intervention and the creator of wide-surface wireless power transfer, has signed a contract with Rheinmetall Canada to progress the innovative Drone Swarm Tactical OverWatch (DSTOW™) from concept stage to product development. Mounted on the Rheinmetall Mission Master CXT Uncrewed Ground System (UGS), the DSTOW™ capability will see Quaze integrate its wide-surface wireless power transfer technology to make truly autonomous drone operations a reality.
Following a successful joint demonstration showcasing the DSTOW™ capability at DSEi 23, Quaze and Rheinmetall Canada have now elevated their collaboration, moving the capability from a compelling concept to a fully operational product. Since its introduction at DSEi 23, DSTOW™ has captured the attention of defence specialists and technologists alike, promising a new era of persistent, autonomous surveillance and target acquisition. The forward-thinking demonstrator is now set to become an integral part of defence capabilities, enhancing the operational effectiveness of military forces globally.
Quaze’s Surface Power Technology, with its magnetic resonance capabilities, now stands at the forefront of the defence industry’s push towards untethered, cable-free power solutions. The latest iteration of DSTOW™ provides an unparalleled autonomous operational solution. It is a gateway to sustained autonomy in surveillance and reconnaissance, reducing the human-machine ratio while bolstering the productivity and safety of soldiers. The ability to charge multiple drones simultaneously and wirelessly is set to mark a significant leap in operational efficiency and endurance.
The Quaze and Rheinmetall Canada partnership is aimed at responding to the changing landscape of warfare brought about by the proliferation of drone technology. Quaze Surface Power transfer charges any robotic system in land, air and sea domains. With the ability to cater to diverse power needs simultaneously and without the need for precise alignment, its application beyond drone operations to remove human intervention from recharging all robots on the battlefield could be shaped by DSTOW™.
Alain Tremblay, VP of Business Development and Innovation at Rheinmetall Canada said, “We are delighted to sign this contract with Quaze Technologies to continue developing a pioneering technology and bring a product to market that delivers autonomous and continuous drone operations. It is a ground-breaking technology that will revolutionize the deployment of drones and both parties are committed to unlocking its true potential.”
Xavier Bidaut, CEO of Quaze Technologies said, “This contract is a significant milestone for us at Quaze and we are proud to have the opportunity to continue building upon our successful collaboration with Rheinmetall Canada. Developing the capability to access energy, agnostic of vehicle or platform, and removing the requirement to return to the pilot to recharge, means the potential autonomous applications in defence are vast – and DSTOW™ is leading the way.”
23 May 24. Ukraine Deploys World’s First Navy Drone Armed with Anti-Aircraft Missiles. Ukraine has introduced the world’s first navy drone equipped with anti-aircraft missiles, marking a significant advancement in naval warfare. These uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) have already been influential in the Black Sea, and their new armament aims to counter the persistent threat posed by Russian aircraft.
Previously, Ukrainian USVs were vulnerable to aerial attacks, with Russian helicopters and fighter jets frequently targeting them. The addition of two repurposed R-73 air-to-air missiles on these drones changes the dynamic, providing a means for self-defense against airborne threats. The R-73 missile, known for its agility and advanced seeker capabilities, was originally designed for Soviet-era fighter jets and remains a potent weapon despite newer alternatives in the market.
The new USV model features a wider hull to accommodate the dual missiles, effectively transforming it into the first operational naval drone with air-defense capabilities. This innovation parallels Ukraine’s broader strategy of adapting existing missile technologies for diverse applications, such as the land-based use of air-to-air missiles.
The deployment of these upgraded USVs is expected to deter Russian pilots from engaging with them, given the increased risk. Additionally, these drones could be used to ambush Russian aircraft during take-off or landing operations near the Crimean coast. The strategic implications of these armed USVs extend beyond immediate self-defense, potentially altering air-naval engagement tactics in the region. (Source: https://www.sofx.com/)
22 May 24. Swarm Pilots will Need New Tactics – and Entirely New Training Methods. Experiments with ever-larger drone swarms are revealing a need for new concepts of operations and new ways of training human operators, the Air Force Special Operations Forces Command says.
In the next few months, AFSOC will expand upon a groundbreaking December experiment that saw a single drone crew guide not one but three MQ-9 Reapers and even to air-launch a smaller Group 2 drone as part of the command’s Adaptive Airborne Enterprise effort. Now, the command aims to repeat the experiment with even more drones—and add the ability to hand off control to troops in the field.
“The hope with the summer now is: how can we start to bring those aspects together and then work with our joint force teammates? And now how do we manage multiple MQ-9s air-launching a small number of” smaller drones, “and then hand that swarm off to a joint force teammate, whether in a terrestrial or maritime situation?”
Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind said in an interview at the SOF Week conference in Tampa, Florida..
But the Air Force still has some pioneering work to do in designing concepts of operation for piloting drone swarms, and that means more focus on what aspects of flight or drone operation to automate and what to leave to humans.
“We’re gonna have to break some old paradigms,” Bauernfeind said. “We really have to reinforce to ourselves that it’s going to be a human on the loop, not in the loop”—that is, the operator will monitor a drone’s execution of its assigned mission rather than steering the thing. “Cognitively, it will require us to train our air crews in a new way.”
“I think is going to be a new opportunity,” he said. “You got to figure out how to handle an epic level of multitasking.”
The task could get even more complicated, depending on how many of the drones are expected to return home, he said.
“3-D printing is really bringing in a new generation of [innovation], how quickly we can mass produce some of the smaller UAVs. And so I see an opportunity there. How can we quickly ensure we have the right levels of stock, the right levels of sensors? And so it’s pretty impressive to see where some of our industrial teammates are going with 3-D printing.”
But some innovations in the Ukrainian battlespace are more controversial, such as the use of autonomy to find and hit targets on the battlefield. The Pentagon has ethical principles to govern its development and use of AI in conflict. But concern is mounting that the United States might abandon those principles if it found itself in a conflict in which it was losing.
Those questions aren’t likely to go away anytime soon. Said Bauernfeind:
“I think this is an area that is ripe for deep intellectual thought. And what I mean by that is, I think, technically we’re going down a pathway where automation is a real aspect. But I think we have to have some very deep strategic intellectual thought on where should that balance be? So while we’re learning lessons from Ukraine, there’s also an aspect of Ukraine is a nation in the fight of survival. So there are certain, probably, policy constraints that they have taken away because they see it as an existential threat to their actual survival as a nation.”
It’s an urgent question not just for military commanders, he said, but also U.S. policymakers and academia. “Are we ready for the second-, third-order effects when…a machine ultimately fails and hits something that has catastrophic political and strategic effects?”
Top Photo: Two MQ-9A Reaper remotely piloted aircraft operated by the 3rd Special Operations Squadron undergo pre-flight checks before an experimental multi-aircraft control flight for the Adaptive Airborne Enterprise (A2E) at Cannon Air Force Base, N.M., Dec. 6, 2023. (U.S. Air
(Source: UAS VISION/Defense One)
22 May 24. ANKA-3 UAV Successful Maiden Flight. Turkey’s ANKA-3 project, the country’s first vertical-tailless turbofan-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), achieved another significant milestone with its successful maiden flight. The ANKA-3’s inaugural flight lasted for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Reaching an altitude of 8,000 feet, the ANKA-3 attained a speed of 150 knots. The ANKA-3 also conducted a runway pass-over test during this flight.
The maiden voyage of the ANKA-3 was flanked by the HURKUS basic training aircraft and the ANKA UAV, both of which were domestically engineered by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
The ANKA-3 represents a cutting-edge iteration of UAVs, boasting multifaceted capabilities ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to intelligence gathering and air-to-ground assaults
This advanced platform is adept at engaging enemy helicopters, propeller-driven aircraft, and UAVs, while also excelling in scanning for aerial threats and neutralizing adversary radars emitting RF signals and air defense systems.
Moreover, it provides invaluable support to friendly forces both in the air and on the ground, offering services such as signal and communication intelligence, electronic warfare, and operational relay with allied elements, among other functionalities.
Turkey’s flagship project, the ANKA-3 Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, made its debut with its new paint scheme. The aircraft, which has garnered significant acclaim, stands out for its versatility in carrying out multiple missions.
In recent months, ANKA-3, Türkiye’s second product in the unmanned combat aerial vehicle domain, has continued its test activities successfully. As the first Turkish air platform in the flying wing architecture, ANKA-3 was captured in its new paint scheme.
The new image of ANKA-3 showcases white lines around the fuselage, a departure from its previous fully dark gray paint. The change in the aircraft’s appearance is seen as more aesthetically driven than purely technical.
ANKA-3’s performance specifications include
• Maximum Cruise Speed: 0.7 Mach
• Service ceiling: 40,000 feet
• Payload capacity: 1200 kg.
• Endurance: 10 hours
The ANKA-3 boasts shared avionics architecture and GCS (ground control station) with Anka and Anka II UAVs, featuring low radar visibility (stealth), high transit speed, and a high payload capacity.
With Line of Sight/Beyond Line of Sight (Satellite Control) capabilities, it has a maximum takeoff weight of 6,500 kg and a cruise speed of 250 knots/0.42 Mach at 30,000 feet, with a maximum speed of 425 knots/0.7 Mach.
This development signifies Turkey’s significant progress in unmanned combat aerial vehicles, showcasing its expanding prowess in country’s defense technology. (Source: UAS VISION/Türkiye)
22 May 24. USN Plans MQ-4C Deployment on Okinawa. The US Navy is preparing to deploy two Northrop Grumman MQ-4C Tritons at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa. This is the first known deployment of this high-altitude long-endurance (HALE) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) on Okinawa. A US Navy spokesperson confirmed to Janes on 20 May that the “US Pacific Fleet plans to temporarily deploy MQ-4C Tritons and associated personnel from Andersen Air [Force] Base, Guam, to a location in Japan”. The spokesperson added that the deployment had been planned well in advance “in support of US Indo-Pacific Command’s intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations”.
The deployment, which the Minister of Defense of Japan, Minoru Kihara, described during a press conference on 14 May 2024 as being “extremely important from the perspective of Japan’s security”, will see the two MQ-4Cs operate from Kadena Air Base from May to October 2024.
According to a Japan Ministry of Defense (MoD) spokesperson, the MQ-4Cs will assist with over-water airborne ISR activities around Japan, “including the southwestern region”.
The ministry “recognises that the temporarily deployed Triton’s engagement in ISR activities by flying across a broad geographical range for a long time will strengthen maritime surveillance capabilities in the area around Japan and be beneficial to Japan’s security”, the spokesperson told Janes on 22 May. The US Navy uses the MQ-4C for its Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programme. The MQ-4C can be used for signals intelligence (SIGINT), communications relay and search-and-rescue operations
(Source: UAS VISION/Janes)
21 May 24. China Builds World’s First Dedicated Fixed-Wing Drone Carrier. China has built the world’s first dedicated fixed-wing drone carrier. The ship has not been reported however and many of the circumstances surrounding it remain a mystery. Hidden away in a shipyard on the Yangtze, far upriver from the major yards at Shanghai, is a new aircraft carrier.
It’s China’s fourth, a ship whose mere existence has not been reported before. Only China can build an aircraft carrier in relative secrecy.
This ship, launched in December 2022 but not reported until now, is surrounded by mystery. Naval News, together with J. Michael Dahm, Senior Resident Fellow at the Mitchell Institute, have been analyzing it.
Mysterious Drone Carrier
The world knows about China’s first three carriers; the largest and most capable, the Type-003 Fujian, is currently undergoing sea trials. This new carrier is very different. Its claim to fame will not be that it is larger. Instead, we are confident that this ship is the world’s first dedicated fixed-wing drone carrier.
The design is smaller than the regular aircraft carriers, with a flight deck approximately one third the length and half the width of a U.S. Navy or Chinese Navy (PLAN) super carrier. For comparison, it is slightly shorter but wider than a World War Two escort carriers. It would be possible to operate fixed wing aircraft from it, but its straight deck arrangement would be anachronistic, not allowing aircraft to take off and land at the same time. Additionally there doesn’t appear to be space for a typical aircraft hangar, so the number of aircraft would be greatly limited. It does make sense as a drone carrier however.
Drones are an increasing part of naval warfare. Leading navies are already trialing them from regular aircraft carriers. And some navies, notably Iran and Turkey, are working on plans for ‘drone carriers’. But this space is still in its infancy.
Analysis of the Ship
It is immediately apparent that it is, in general arrangement, an aircraft carrier of some sort. It has a marked runaway running along the port (left side) with an island superstructure on the starboard (right) side.
Beyond this, it is unusual in every respect. The hull is a widely spaced catamaran. While catamarans are often featured in aircraft carrier concepts because they allow a large deck area, no one has actually built one before. Additionally, analysis of satellite imagery shows that the flight deck is very low. It appears unlikely there is a hangar deck below the flight deck. If there is, its ceiling is very low. Therefore, it does not appear designed to support high tempo or prolonged flight operations.
The flight deck is wide enough to comfortably operate aircraft or drones with a wingspan of around 20 meters (65 feet) such as Chinese equivalents of the Predator drone.
However, the mere existence of a flight deck suggests that aircraft intend to land on it. A catapult or launch rail of some form would be sufficient for launch if recovery wasn’t necessary.
Potential Roles for this Ship
J. Michael Dahm notes that the shipyard where it is being built, Jiangsu Dayang Marine, has previously built simulated enemy ships for the PLAN. China has an extensive program of simulating Western and Western-leaning navies’ ships in its weapon testing program. Its anti-ship ballistic missiles are tested on full-size outlines of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers.
Several high-tech target barges and two large drone motherships have already been built at this shipyard. All these perform as opposing forces in training, a role known as ‘Electronic Blue Force’. So it is possible that this ship too is designed to support that mission.
If the new ship is intended to support large fixed-wing UAVs at sea, as its design suggests, then it raises the question of who or what it is expected to simulate. As we note, it is the first drone carrier in the world, so it is not mimicking any known Western ship. Such drones could be operated more cheaply from shore. A second possibility is that it is some type of experimental platform that will test and develop drone operations at sea.
Whether it is intended for Blue Force simulation or purely research and development remains to be seen. Similarly, we question whether it is an official PLAN program or a speculative commercial project. The new drone carrier remains something of a mystery. (Source: UAS VISION/Naval News)
17 May 24. Poland completes receipt of Turkish UAVs. Poland has received the last of 24 Baykar Bayraktar TB2 armed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) from Türkiye. The Polish Armaments Agency (AA) announced the milestone on 16 May, saying that the last four unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), each comprising six UAVs, had been received into the 12th Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Base at Mirosławiec on the same day.
“The Secretary of State in the Ministry of National Defense, Paweł Bejda, together with representatives of the Polish Armed Forces, took part in the ceremony of completing the delivery of the last, fourth set of the Bayraktar TB2 unmanned reconnaissance and strike system,” the AA said.
(Source: Janes)
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