Programme engineers at BAE Systems are preparing for a series of operational evaluations on the company's Common GPS Modules (CGMs) under the Military GPS User Equipment (MGUE) Increment 1 initiative, designed to further integrate Military Code (M-Code)-enabled GPS capabilities into the US armed forces.  MGUE Increment 1 began as a technology development programme for BAE Systems, and the core technology that powered those early variants is now being integrated across the company's family of GPS products, said Jade Groen, a programme director...

The US Army officials are exploring ways to integrate cloud computing and mesh networking capabilities into the service's Command Post Computing Environment (CPCE) system, as programme officials are in the midst of implementing cyber awareness applications in the platform.  CPCE officials and their counterparts at the army's Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) directorate are working to evaluate the Rainmaker mesh data fabric application for artificial intelligence (AI)-en...

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) signed a KRW18 billion (USD15.6 million) contract with Boeing on 28 July to support the US company in upgrading the Republic of Korea Air Force's (RoKAF's) four Boeing E-737 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft with new mission systems.  The contract, which was announced by KAI on 30 July, formalises the company's participation in the RoKAF's ‘E-737 AEW&C Performance Improvement Project', which is led by Boeing and includes upgrades to both the identification friend-or-foe (IFF) and Link 16 tact...

Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) product called Starlight that helps turn large quantities of unstructured data into actionable intelligence.    “The biggest problem...

Israeli-owned Pap Tecnos has launched an appeal against Spain's decision to award the 30 mm turret contract for its new 8×8 Dragón infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) to Spanish company Escribano Mechanical & Engineering.  In a document presented to th...

Australian counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) specialist DroneShield has sold several of its RfOne MKII long-range direction-finding sensors to the Australian Army, part of a growing interest in the mobile applications of the technology in different domains.  The deal was announced on 19 July and will “allow the Australian Army to assess its future counter-[UAS] requirements and options”, DroneShield said in a statement, as well as equipping existing platforms with the sensors.  DroneShield's RfOne MKII RF direction-finding sensor seen...

The Blighter Surveillance Systems B402 ground-based target acquisition radar as part of a mast-mounted system with an electro-optical suite above it. (Blighter Surveillance Systems)  The UK's Blighter Surveillance Systems has been contracted to provide at least 25 of its B402 target acquisition radars to a European armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) manufacturer as part of an order for a non-European customer, the company's Chief Operations Officer, James Long, told Janes on 21 July.  “The contract will be performed over five years, but may be e...

As the US Navy (USN) works towards the development of unmanned platforms, the service is focusing on the command-and-control (C2) of those systems and integrating them with traditional manned operations, according to Admiral Michael Gilday, chief o...

Elta Systems, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) product called Starlight that helps turn large quantities of unstructured data into actionable intelligence.    “The biggest problem...

The US Air Force (USAF) has inked a technology demonstration and maturation deal with Kymeta, to stand up advanced connectivity capability in support of the service's Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) effort.  The USD950 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) contract will cover “maturation, demonstration, and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software, and algorithm development” to enable ABMS technologies, according to a company statement. Those ABMS tech...

Three more Yaogan 30-series military surveillance satellites were launched from China's Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on 19 July, bringing the total number of satellites in the constellation to 30.  The state-owned People's Daily newspaper report...

US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is to begin evaluating bids for the development of an open architecture shipborne electro-optical/infrared system (EO/IR) designed to provide passive surveillance, detection, and cueing in support of ship self-...

Sydney-based company DroneShield has been awarded a contract to supply an undisclosed number of RfOne MKII high-frequency (HF) direction finders to the Australian Army to enhance the service's capabilities against unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).  The company said in a 19 July statement that the capability is being delivered immediately “to allow the Australian Army to assess its future counter-drone requirements and options”.  “The deployment of these long-range sensors will highlight the flexibility, resilience, and capabilities of DroneShi...

Chinese state-owned media has released video footage showing a J-11BH multirole fighter aircraft operated by China's People's Liberation Army Naval Air Force (PLANAF) equipped with a previously unseen electronic countermeasures (ECM) pod.  Chinese state-owned media released video footage on 15 July showing a PLANAF J-11BH multirole fighter aircraft equipped with a previously unseen ECM pod. (CCTV via http://www.js7tv.cn/)  The video, which was released on 15 July via the js7tv.cn website, shows the aircraft during take off carrying an ECM pod...

The US Marine Corps (USMC) is moving ahead with plans to design a new Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV) and has awarded two companies with prototyping contracts, but has also tasked BAE Systems with studying if the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) could be modified for the requirement.  The service announced this tentative roadmap on 16 July and said it will begin negotiating 22-month ‘other transaction agreement' deals with General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) and Textron Systems for an ARV prototyping phase. Each company will then delive...

The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is seeking a systems integrator to play a central role in its Land Environment Tactical Communication and Information Systems (LE TacCIS) programme, British Army information director Major General Jonathan Cole reve...

The recent launch of small satellite platforms by the Pentagon's Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and Space Development Agency (SDA) represent milestone moments in the department's effort to advance networked, space-based radio frequency (RF) and optical broadband communication capabilities.  The MDA CubeSats were launched into orbit in late June aboard a LauncherOne rocket developed by Virgin Orbit subsidiary VOX Space, LLC, according to an MDA statement on the operation. The launch was conducted as part of the CubeSat Networked Communications E...

The Nigerian Navy's Falcon Eye maritime surveillance system was officially inaugurated on 13 July.  The system has been under development since 2014, with the Eastern Regional Command and Control Centre commissioned at the naval base in Calabar in...

Delayed twice during almost a year, the EU's declaration of a full operational capability (FOC) for the first expansion phase of its small headquarters in Brussels, the Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC), is now expected by the end of 2021, according to its head officer. However, the MPCC must find solutions for its staffing and technical issues before that can occur, he said.  Vice Adm Bléjean suggested that a member state provide its national CIS system for the duration of an EU mission, which works well for Operation ‘Atalanta...

The combat cloud developed by the United Kingdom to network all of its future aircraft and other platforms is now ready to be used operationally, the chief of the Royal Air Force (RAF) announced on 14 July.  Conceptual artwork showing the future Tempest fighter operating in a networked environment. The Nexus combat cloud that the UK has developed to link this and all other assets across the future battlespace is now ready for operational use, the chief of the RAF said. (BAE Systems)  Speaking at the Air and Space Power Association's Global Ai...