AUSA Global 2021: Army preps for postponed RCV soldier experiment in 2022

by Ashley Roque

The US Army has pushed back a soldier experiment with two ground robot prototypes until 2022 and is detailing plans to integrate autonomy software into the platforms and test out both variants prior to the event.

Leading up to this year’s virtual Association of the US Army’s (AUSA’s) Global Force conference, Janes spoke with Major General Ross Coffman, the director of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, about progress with the robotic combat vehicle – light (RCV-L) and medium (RCV-M), while Alfred Grein, the acting director for Ground Combat Systems, provided additional details during a panel discussion on 16 March.

Although the service had planned to conduct a soldier operational experiment with both variants this year, it moved it back until June–August 2022. The event at Fort Hood, Texas, will still be at the company level with plans to test out 18 vehicles — four RCV-Ls, four RCV-Ms, four surrogate RCV-heavies (RCV-H) that are modified M-1113s, and six modified Bradleys that are called Mission Enabler Technologies-Demonstrators (MET-Ds).

“All of that will be operated simultaneously,” Grein said.

The US Army has received four RCV-L prototypes under the NGCV umbrella. The service is prepping for an RCV experiment in 2022. (US Army)


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Italy to enhance SSA with new ground-based sensors

by Olivia Savage

Flyeye is a multiple-optics telescope with a very wide field of view that will be capable of classifying objects in space as small as 15 cm in LEO and 35 cm in MEO. The 6.5 m high and 4 m wide telescope will be used by the Italian Space Agency and military for SSA. (OHB Italia)

The Italian National Armaments Directorate (NAD) is procuring three ground-based sensors to enhance the country's space situational awareness (SSA), Janes learnt at the Military Space Situational Awareness Conference 2024, held in London from 22 to 24 April.

In total, two optical telescopes and one high-performance radar are being procured as part of its national SSA plans, Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinando Dolce, the head of SSA at NAD, said at the conference.

The first sensor being procured is a high-performance optical surveillance telescope from OHB Italia called Flyeye, Lt Col Dolce said.

Flyeye will have the capacity to monitor objects in low Earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO), and geostationary orbit (GEO), Commander of the Space Situational Awareness Centre at the Italian Air Force Colonel Dario Tarantino told Janes


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UK explores new radar and IR tech to enhance SDA

by Olivia Savage

UK company Spaceflux has been contracted to develop and operate a ground-based SDA sensor as part of Project Nyx Alpha to monitor objects in GEO for UK Space Command. (Spaceflux)

The UK's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) is conducting three technology demonstrator programmes to explore the utility of novel space domain awareness (SDA) technologies.

The first programme is exploring the development of a Deep Space Radar (DSR) designed to monitor and protect geostationary orbit (GEO) assets such as the Skynet satellite communications system, William Feline, senior principal advisor for SDA at the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), said at the Military Space Situational Awareness Conference 2024, held in London from 22 to 24 April.

The purpose of the programme is also to assess whether the UK needs its own DSR capability or whether it can rely on or complement the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) currently being developed alongside Australia and the US, Emma Kerr, senior principal engineer for SDA at Dstl told Janes .

A monostatic or biostatic system is being considered as well as whether a new or existing system is required, Feline said.


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Netherlands, Poland approved for AARGM-ER SEAD/DEAD missiles

by Gareth Jennings

An AARGM-ER seen being test fitted into the internal weapons bay of an F-35 combat aircraft. The US has approved the sale of the missile to both the Netherlands and Poland. (Northrop Grumman)

The US government has approved the sale of the Northrop Grumman AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER) to the Netherlands and Poland.

Announced by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) on 24 April, the approvals cover 265 of the suppression of enemy air defences/destruction of enemy air defences (SEAD/DEAD) missiles for the Netherlands for approximately USD700 million, and 360 missiles for Poland for approximately USD1.275 billion. Both approvals cover related equipment, training, and support.

“The proposed sale will improve the Netherlands'/Poland's capability to meet current and future threats by strengthening its self-defence capabilities to suppress and destroy land- or sea-based radar emitters associated with enemy air defences. This capability denies the adversary the use of its air-defence systems, thereby improving the survivability of the Netherlands'/Poland's tactical aircraft,” the DSCA said of both approvals.


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https://www.janes.com/defence-news/c4isr-command-tech/latest/ausa-global-2021-army-preps-for-postponed-rcv-soldier-experiment-in-2022

The US Army has pushed back a soldier experiment with two ground robot prototypes until 2022 and is ...

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