Dearsan's Salvo AUSV conducted a live-firing test in the Marmara Sea on 25 May 2022. (Dearsan)

The new Salvo armed unmanned surface vessel (AUSV) under development by Turkish shipbuilder Dearsan has successfully conducted its first life-firing trial, the shipbuilder has announced.

During the live-firing test, which was held in the Marmara Sea on 25 May, the Salvo AUSV launched a Cirit missile to successfully engage a moving surface target, Dearsan said.

Launched in January, Salvo is the first of a family of USVs under development by Dearsan for a range of missions, including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.

The Salvo has an overall length of 14.79 m, with a 3.83 m beam, and a 0.75 m draft. It has a maximum speed of between 45–60 kt depending on the configuration of the diesel engine, and a range of 300 n miles.

The combat version is armed with an Aselsan 12.7 mm remote-controlled weapon station on its front deck and a Roketsan four-barrelled stabilised turret system aft capable of firing Cirit and L-UMTAS missiles.

Handheld radios prior to a TSM waveform exercise in February 2020. (US Army)

The US Department of Defense (DoD) is launching a new development initiative geared towards improving waveform resiliency for its growing arsenal of software-defined radios (SDRs), according to a recent departmental solicitation to industry.

Led by the DoD's Joint Tactical Networking Center (JTNC) and managed by the US Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR), details of the waveform resiliency programme have largely been kept under wraps. However, details on the general scope and overall goals of the effort have emerged in recently released JTNC and NAVWAR documents to industry.

The programme, as defined, will drill down into “resilient waveforms and associated technologies” either already in use within the military sector or at a high technology maturity level and explore integration options into current and future networked communication systems, according to the initial request for information (RFI).

“The purpose is to provide ready access to resilient waveform information retrievable in a timely manner to aid [US armed forces] ... in planning future network architectures in support of resilient and interoperable joint communications,” the RFI added.

The Microwave Imaging Curtain to detect concealed firearms using microwave technology was one of the Detection of Explosives and Firearms to Counter Terrorism (DEXTER) technologies demonstrated in the Rome Metro on 24 May under NATO Science for Peace and Security Programme. (Brooks Tigner)

One of NATO's flagship counter-terrorism research consortia has moved a step closer to market with a live demonstration of its capabilities. Once commercialised, the project's real-time threat detection systems could fan out to civil critical infrastructure sites across the allies, according to NATO and national research officials, who said Europe's armies are closely following the work's outcome for its potential military applications as well.

“We have had some informal talks with Italy's military, for example, and they have expressed interest in DEXTER [Detection of Explosives and Firearms to Counter Terrorism] for its potential peacekeeping uses,” a researcher told reporters after the technologies' demonstration on 24 May in a Rome Metro station.