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29 Aug 24. US test naval autonomy technologies under AUKUS Pillar II.
The event, which took place in July, comes under the auspices of AUKUS Pillar II – the advanced capabilities segment of the trilateral alliance.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) hosted an event in Thunder Bay, Michigan to demonstrate next generation autonomous systems designed to enhance naval operations.
The event, which took place in July 2024, comes under the auspices of AUKUS Pillar II – the advanced capabilities segment of the trilateral alliance.
Areas of cooperation under Pillar II range from quantum, hypersonics, electronic warfare to deep-space radar. This time, however, the DoD sought to use artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomy to improve situational awareness and bolster defensive capabilities exclusively at sea.
One of the objectives was to test the Autonomy Baseline (ABL), a suite of government owned software that uses the Navy’s Uncrewed Maritime Autonomy Architecture (UMAA) standard interfaces.
Specifically, this software allowed for greater adaptability and ease of integration on multiple vessels, proving a future warfighter plug and play capability. In this instance, the DoD and an industry team integrated ABL software onto small Uncrewed Surface Vessels (sUSV).
The rapid integration of ABL technology onto these platforms demonstrated simultaneous command of more than 80% of the sUSV platforms tested.
Inter-platform communications
US personnel also tested solutions that enable communication between autonomous systems, traditional naval assets, and command centres.
Tested technologies included Multi-domain Uncrewed Secure Integrated Communications (MUSIC), a software-defined mesh network that uses different communication links simultaneously to orchestrate information sharing across platform and sensor nodes. (Source: naval-technology.com)
28 Aug 24. US: Scrutiny over Chinese drone maker signals increasing compliance risks for defence, tech firms. On 27 August, reports indicated that lawmakers from the House China Select Committee wrote letters to the Department of Commerce earlier in August citing concerns about ties between US businesses and the Chinese drone maker Da Jiang Innovations (DJI). In the letters, lawmakers claim that DJI is using a US-based company, Anzu Robotics, as a ‘passthrough’ to circumvent ‘current and anticipated US restrictions’ on Chinese drone products. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security previously placed DJI on its Entity List. Lawmakers are seeking to increase restrictions on US firms’ collaboration with Chinese passthrough companies. We assess that public scrutiny and reputational risks will likely increase for organisations perceived to be engaged in business with passthrough companies. In extreme cases, this will possibly lead to summons for public Congressional testimony. (Source: Sibylline)
28 Aug 24. Russia to Modernize Yak-52B2 Trainers to Combat Drones.
After Ukraine began using its Soviet-era Yak-52 training aircraft to shoot down Russian drones, Russia also has announced repurposing the same planes in its inventory with specific upgrades.
The modernized Yak-52 training aircraft will be modified to combat drones, Dmitry Motin, head of this modernization project at the Aviasroitel Design Bureau, told RIA Novosti.
“Today, one of the priority projects for our bureau is the modernization of the Yak-52 training aircraft into the Yak-52B2 “UAV countermeasure aircraft” modification. At present, we are expecting to receive an airworthiness certificate from the Federal Air Transport Agency ,” he said.
According to him, the concept of modernizing the aircraft implies the installation of new instrumentation, including a multifunctional display in the rear cockpit.
“The navigation and flight equipment, the electronic warfare system for suppressing communication channels, and the radar will be modernized,” the agency’s source said.
OKB Aviastroitel is working on creating an updated version of the Yak-52, which will allow one of the most popular sports aircraft to be used not only for training flights, but also to combat attack and reconnaissance drones. (Source: UAS VISION/RIA Novosti; The Aviationist)
27 Aug 24. University of Memphis Gets $9m US Navy Contract to Design Drone Facility. Successfully flying a drone in heavy rains or on an extremely windy day is next to impossible. A University of Memphis researcher is looking to improve the odds for such unmanned aerial systems after securing a $9.2m contract to design and construct a facility to develop and test drones capable of operating in adverse weather conditions.
The state-of-the-art facility is being sponsored by the Office of Naval Research and the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock Division. The facility, which is still in its early planning stages, will be located on President’s Island at the William Morgan Large Cavitation Channel.
The development of the Unmanned Systems Degraded Environment Facility underscores the University of Memphis’ commitment to advancing technological innovation and contributing to national defense efforts.
“This project is the latest in an ongoing effort by the University of Memphis to develop intentional research-focused collaborations with the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Carderock,” said Cody Behles, executive director of research and innovation development at the UofM’s Division of Research & Innovation. “The Memphis Institute for National Defense Sciences at the UofM helps coordinate opportunities in partnership with the offices of the Tennessee Congressional Delegation. Their collaboration and continued support are vital to get projects such as this off the ground.”
The project is being led by Eddie Jacobs, senior researcher at the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research (CAESER) and professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Herff College of Engineering. The University of Memphis will collaborate with fellow researchers at the University of Arizona, the University of Central Florida and the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
“The William Morgan Large Cavitation Channel is already a unique facility for testing ship and submarine components,” said Jacobs. “We have the incredible opportunity to help build another unique facility for testing unmanned aerial systems (drones) in this space, greatly expanding the Navy’s ability to develop and test these systems.
“When flying drones, we are often restricted to days that have calm winds and no rain. We will be able to accurately control the wind and generate rain in this new facility,” Jacobs continued. “This will help us design and test drones that can operate under more challenging conditions.”
Jacobs highlighted the future research facility’s potential to enhance the performance of unmanned systems in difficult environments, with far-reaching implications for both military and civilian applications.
(Source: UAS VISION/University of Memphis)
28 Aug 24. FBI Upgrading Drones with Loud Bang Capability for Tactical Missions. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US is looking to acquire non-legal loadable distraction devices to go along with small hand-launched drones.
On August 7, the FBI issued a notice of its intent to award a sole-source contract to Typhon Group Limited, a company based in the U.K., to purchase Sky Hero Loki accessories and attachments.
These devices help confuse and disorient hostage-takers, terrorists, and other threats, especially those hiding within buildings.
“Typhon products have been designed to fit the Sky Hero Loki Mk2 and were the only products to be available from Sky Hero for the Loki. This has caused the FBI to equip the UAS with Typhon payloads,” according to the notice.
Safer Distraction Devices
Sky Hero Loki Mk2 is an indoor tactical UAV system designed for close-quarter scouting missions. It functions in crowded, dimly lit areas to position a camera and microphone for crucial information. This improves team safety by facilitating quick situational awareness and accurate decision-making.
Conventional distraction devices on such drones pose a significant risk of injury and property damage. They can cause collateral damage through fragmentation, with dangerous debris that can harm both people and structures.
These devices are also prone to technical issues such as flash-throughs, fuse failures, and the fuse itself becoming a lethal projectile.
According to UK-based Typhoon, secondary fires are a frequent risk, especially since some devices can burn at extremely high temperatures—up to 2,700 degrees Celsius—making them a serious fire hazard if they land on flammable materials.
Additionally, these devices produce a considerable amount of smoke, which can be toxic. Operator safety is also a concern, as poorly set fuse delays and deviations can increase the risk of detonation mishaps.
Typically, the fuses on these devices are expected to last one to two seconds, but if detonation does not occur within this timeframe, it may not occur at all, heightening the risk to operators who may be exposed to the blast.
To address these challenges, Typhoon has created a variety of reloadable, less deadly distraction devices and products with precise remote control start capabilities.
Innovative Tactical Solutions
The product line (DS-100SH), exclusively developed for the Loki Mk2 tactical drone, includes less lethal stand-alone devices as well as lightweight (100-135 grams), 169dB distraction payload systems for mUAS/UAS and UGV platforms.
The advanced technology behind these devices allows them to be programmed to create various distraction events, such as a “Five Round Burst,” which simulates automatic rifle fire, and a “Single Shot,” which is programmable and user-controlled.
Additionally, the “Shock and Awe” feature triggers all five events simultaneously. This advanced design significantly reduces the risks associated with traditional distraction devices, such as personal injury, fire, fragmentation, and other forms of collateral damage.
According to the Typhon Group’s website, they are also developing new cartridges for the system that can generate various other effects.
As a result, these devices provide a safer alternative for creating tactical distractions with minimal risk to operators and surrounding environments.
According to its makers, distraction devices could be useful in covert operations, counterterrorism, crowd control, Law Enforcement, Close Protection, Aviation, and maritime. (Source: UAS VISION/Interesting Engineering)
28 Aug 24. US RQ-4 Global Hawk Temporarily Deploys to England. A U.S. RQ-4 Global Hawk arrived at Royal Air Force Fairford, England, for a temporary deployment Thursday, as part of U.S. Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa’s efforts to diversify operating locations and enhance integration with NATO Allies.
This marks the first U.S. RQ-4 deployment to England. The deployed U.S. RQ-4 will conduct operations through international and Allied airspace in accordance with international norms and standards.
The deployment also signifies the next step in USAFE-AFAFRICA’s implementation of the U.S. Air Force’s agile combat employment concept, under which aircraft may be dispersed from typical operating locations to alternate airfields to enhance survivability.
The 501st Combat Support Wing at RAF Fairford has routinely supported similar deployments, including when U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress aircraft operated from RAF Fairford for Bomber Task Force 24-3 in June.
The support and execution of these missions demonstrate U.S. commitment to NATO Allies and partners and set conditions for potential future operations in the U.S. European Command area of responsibility.
The Global Hawk, call sign Forte 12, touched down at RAF Fairford shortly before 10:30 p.m. local time Aug. 22 after a nearly 24-hr. flight from Sigonella, Italy, that traversed much of Eastern Europe and Finland before flying west across Sweden and Norway and down to the UK. The Northrop Grumman-built uncrewed aircraft used newly segregated airspace to descend from its operating altitude of over 50,000 ft. to land at Fairford.
The Global Hawk is the largest UAS to land in the UK, and large crowds were gathered at the end of the runway to see the aircraft land.
According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the flight is the first of two planned for August to ensure that the flight operations comply with the conditions set by the regulator when it finally gave the green light for flights by U.S. high-altitude, long-endurance UAS from the airfield in February.
The UK defense ministry made requests to change the airspace to enable UAS flight operations from Fairford as far back as November 2021. Since then, the CAA has undertaken an extensive consultation exercise to enable the creation of the giant EDG218 segregated airspace complex that will allow the aircraft to ascend and descend to and from its operating altitude. The latest documentation suggests there are concerns that the airspace could affect operations at Birmingham Airport, 50 mi. to the north.
The complex has been created with a 3-hr. window to accommodate arrivals and departures but also to ensure that the airspace is active for a sufficient time to allow for emergency or contingency scenarios. Activation will be by notice to airmen at least 24 hr. prior to operations.
The airspace changes originally were developed to support NATO’s Agile Combat Employment concept to generate sustained combat air power through dispersal, but now will see UAS operate from the airfield around 2-3 times per week, and mainly during the hours of darkness to minimize the effect on commercial air traffic, the airspace changes documents state.
Skies in the area are used around the clock by aircraft descending into and climbing out of London’s airports and transiting from Europe to routes across the Atlantic as well as for flights to Southern Ireland. However, the airspace change documents say that the UK Defense Ministry sees the UAS flights as “strategically and operationally vital” to the government, helping to strengthen bilateral relationships with the U.S. and NATO.
RAF Fairford currently hosts an Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron flying the Lockheed U-2 and is used regularly by Air Force Global Strike Command routine Bomber Task Force deployments into the European theater, having recently hosted a detachment of Boeing B-52s in May. The airfield also accommodates the annual Royal International Air Tattoo. It is expected that the UAS presence eventually will replace the U-2s at Fairford as the type is withdrawn from U.S. Air Force use.
The U.S. Air Force already is routinely flying RQ-4s from Sigonella Naval Air Station in Italy, with many flights being flown in the Black Sea monitoring Ukraine alongside NATO-operated Global Hawks and U.S. Navy-operated MQ-4 Tritons. (Source: UAS VISION/USAFE-AFAFRICA Public Affairs; Aviation Week)
28 Aug 24. Reliable Robotics Performs Automated Cargo Deliveries for US Air Force. Reliable Robotics announced that it recently completed a series of automated missions across airfields in California and Nevada for the Department of the Air Force.
In conjunction with Air Combat Command, Reliable demonstrated aircraft automation capabilities as part of the Agile Flag 24-3 exercise transporting cargo between military bases and airports, some hundreds of miles apart, on demand over the course of a week.
The exercise was designed to be representative of the Indo-Pacific region, demanding agility, readiness and multi-domain operations.
“The Air Force has a unique opportunity to redefine efficiency through autonomous operations, which can enable persistent maneuver in contested environments and simultaneous cargo delivery instead of our current sequential system. Autonomy in small platforms reduces risk and opens up the ability to land in more places including damaged runways or unimproved surfaces,” said Colonel Max Bremer, Mobility COE Senior Advisor, Chief of Special Programs Division, Air Mobility Command.
“Military exercises like Agile Flag provide a venue for us to more closely evaluate how technologies like autonomous systems operate in real missions.”
Automated flights of a Cessna 208B Caravan included autotaxi, autotakeoff, en-route navigation and autolanding. All flights were managed by Reliable’s remote pilot while an onboard pilot monitored. Reliable deployed a mobile control station onsite at Mojave Air and Space Port, which served as a base of operations for the military exercise. The rapid deployment of Reliable’s mobile control station enabled onsite demonstrations of the remote piloting side of the operation for Air Force and NASA personnel.
Over the weeklong exercise, Reliable flew to eight locations, transporting essential cargo. All flights were expedited and scheduled “on-demand,” and did not require deployment of any additional infrastructure for automated flight, demonstrating the additional utility and flexibility automation can provide. Preparation for the exercise required obtaining military airworthiness and flight safety approvals for expanded operations from the U.S. Air Force.
NASA Armstrong executive leadership came to observe Reliable’s Agile Flag operations at Mojave.
“We are excited to see the dual-use automation system Reliable has developed for commercial and defense customers,” said Brad Flick, Center Director at NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center. “It’s good to see the maturity of their technology.”
Reliable has the only FAA-accepted certification plan for full aircraft automation, and continues to make certification progress. The safety-enhancing automation system features redundancy, high integrity navigation and an “always on” autopilot that is engaged through all phases of aircraft operation.
The system is aircraft-agnostic – Reliable has remotely flown two different airframes uncrewed in civilian airspace, a Cessna 172 in 2019 and a Cessna 208B Caravan in 2023.
“We are proud to participate in military exercises. Agile Flag provided us the opportunity to show how our autonomous flight system benefits defense missions and to demonstrate timely mission readiness,” said Dr. David O’Brien, Major General (Ret.), and Senior Vice President of Government Solutions at Reliable Robotics. “We remain committed to serve and support the U.S. Air Force and other branches of our nation’s military.”
Reliable participated in Agile Flag 24-1 earlier this year, as well as the Golden Phoenix exercise in 2023 and has been collaborating with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and AFWERX since 2021.
About Reliable Robotics
Reliable Robotics launched in 2017 to bring safe, certified automation systems to commercial aviation. The company’s system enables remote operation of any aircraft type. Reliable’s vision is to transform the way we move goods and people around the planet with safer, more convenient and more affordable air transportation. The company is headquartered in Mountain View, CA and has a distributed global workforce. (Source: UAS VISION)
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