Janes Defence Technology

Latest reporting and analysis on defence technology developments

Stay up to date with the latest insight, news and analysis on global defence technology. Stories derived  from Janes Defence: News Module.

Air:

L3Harris to Develop SPEIR Multifunction EO/IR System for USN Ships

Apr 29: L3Harris is to develop a new open architecture shipborne multifunction electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) system to  provide passive surveillance, detection, and cueing for US Navy (USN) warships. Under a USD205.9 million contract awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on 26 April, the company will undertake  engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) of the Shipboard Panoramic Electro-Optic/Infrared (SPEIR) system. Low-rate initial production (LRIP) options, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value up to USD593  million.

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India’s TAPAS UAV on Path to User Evaluation Trials

Apr 27: India's Tactical Airborne Platform for Aerial Surveillance (TAPAS) medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE)  unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have completed a series of flight trials and are moving towards user evaluation trials. Sources in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE)  said that eight prototypes of the TAPAS UAV have been built so far and the platform has completed 143 test flights.

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JASDF Aircraft Intercepted Foreign Aircraft Over 1,000 Times in 2021

Apr 18: Fighter aircraft of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) scrambled 1,004 times in response to foreign  aircraft approaching the country's airspace in fiscal year (FY) 2021. Data released by the Japanese Ministry of Defense (MoD) on 15 April shows that the scrambles constituted a 38% increase compared with FY 2020. The  latest figures are second to a record high of 1,168 JASDF scrambles conducted in FY 2016. Tokyo's announcements come amid regional tensions in East Asia, between Japan and neighbouring countries.

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SMi MRAS 2022: XTEND Pitches UAS Capabilities to FCG

Apr 14: XTEND has pitched its Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) capabilities for the UK Defence Equipment & Support  (DE&S) Future Capability Group (FCG) Human Machine Teaming (HMT) nano UAS (nUAS) programme.Speaking to Janes at SMi Military Robotics and Autonomous Systems 2022 (SMi MRAS 2022) conference in  London, Ido Bar-On, vice-president of business development and sales at XTEND, said that the company had pitched its UAS capabilities, including the Xtender, Wolverine, and their generic Robotics and Autonomous  Systems (RAS) operating systems to the FCG nUAS project.

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Land:

Ukrainian Forces to Begin Training on US 155mm Howitzers Within Days

Apr 19: Pentagon plans to teach Ukrainian forces how to use 155 mm towed howitzers will kick off in the coming days  with a “train the trainers” initiative, a senior US defence official told reporters on 18 April. However, the source did not disclose where this training will take place, except to say it will occur outside Ukraine. Washington unveiled  plans on 13 April to send Kyiv a new USD800 million weapons package that includes 18 155 mm howitzers, 40,000 artillery rounds, various ground vehicles, anti-personnel mines, radars, Switchblade unmanned aerial  systems, unmanned surface vessels for coastal defence, and more.

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New Brigades for a New Era: British Army Eyes a Force Restructure for Diverse Commitments

Apr 18: The British Army's latest reorganisation was announced in November 2021 by the Secretary of State for Defence  Ben Wallace, but within three months, Russia's invasion of Ukraine raised new questions over whether the UK's land forces are relevant in this new strategic environment. Under the banner of Future Soldier, the plan  envisaged the British Army losing 9,500 personnel to reduce the regular strength to 72,500 personnel, but being reequipped with improved main battle tanks (MBTs), new armoured vehicles, and deep fire weapons .

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Sweden Joins Common Armoured Vehicle Systems Programme

Apr 7: The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has signed a technical agreement with Estonia,Finland,  and Latvia to jointly develop a new 6×6 armoured personnel carrier (APC) under the Finnish-led Common Armoured Vehicle System (CAVS) programme, the Försvarsmakten (Swedish Armed Forces) announced on its  website on 4 April.

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Sea

Chinese Navy Flies Z-20 From Advanced Destroyer 

Apr 29: The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) appears to be close to inducting the anti-submarine warfare  (ASW)-capable variant of the Harbin Z-20 helicopter. Images of a Z-20 taking off from the deck of a Type 055 destroyer were shown by the state-owned broadcaster CCTV on 22 April, a day before the PLAN's 73rd founding  anniversary.

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RN Looks to Develop Future CONOPS for Autonomous Underwater Vehicles 

Apr 22: The UK Royal Navy (RN) is set to commission a small but significant study contract designed to scope and shape  the service's wider employment of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Lasting 10 months, the work package will explore the potential for AUV operational deployment in three broad ‘non-lethal' mission sets – anti-submarine/surface warfare (ASW/ASuW); intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR); and seabed  warfare – out to around 2050.

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Australia Fast-tracks NSM Block 1A for RAN Surface Fleet 

Apr 11: The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) is to fast-track the acquisition of the latest-variant Kongsberg  Defence & Aerospace (KDA) Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Block 1A to replace the in-service RGM-84 Harpoon Block II anti-ship missile on the Royal Australian Navy's (RAN's) Anzac-class frigates and Hobart-class  destroyers The Harpoon replacement is part of a AUD3.5 billion (USD2.61 billion) accelerated improved weapon capabilities package for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) announced by the DoD on 5 April. It includes  the AGM-158B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range (JASSM-ER) and an undisclosed maritime mine capability to secure Australia's sea ports and maritime approaches. 

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Armament

US Navy Accelerates Laser Acquisition, HELIOS Work Advances 

Apr 29: The US Navy (USN) proposed fiscal year (FY) 2023 budget requests of USD35.3 million for the Navy Laser  Family of Systems (NLFoS), which is designated as “an accelerated acquisition initiative to provide near-term, ship-based laser weapon capabilities”, according to USN budget documents released on 14 April.

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Dreadnought Countdown: The UK’s Future Nuclear Deterrent Takes Shape 

Apr 25: The programme to design, build, integrate, and deliver four new Dreadnought-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines represents the UK's single largest defence acquisition. Budgeted at GBP31 billion (USD40.36 billion) with an additional GBP10 billion contingency reserve, it involves the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and a  broad industrial enterprise working together to deliver the largest and most advanced submarines to enter service with the Royal Navy (RN). It is underpinned by a US/UK relationship on nuclear propulsion, nuclear warheads,  and strategic weapons that goes back almost 65 years.

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Defence Industry Intelligence

Case studies

April 2022

Air:

Slovenia signs for Spartan airlifter

21 Mar: Slovenia has acquired a C-27J Spartan transport aircraft, with Leonardo announcing that a contract for a single  airlifter was signed on 30 March. The deal signed between the Slovenian Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Leonardo along with Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness of the Italian Secretariat General of  Defence, and National Armaments Directorate covers the aircraft, as well as aeromedical evacuation equipment, training, and two years of support.

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DSA 2022: Malaysian, Chinese firms partner on VTOL unmanned systems

31 Mar: Malaysian firm Malvus Sense has showcased new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft  systems (UASs) that it is producing in collaboration with Chinese UAS firm Jouav for the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF). The new systems – including the long-endurance CW-40D and multi-purpose CW-100DA – were  displayed at the Defence Services Asia (DSA) 2022 in Kuala Lumpur, which concludes on 31 March.

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Industry weighs multidomain for DARPA ACE technology

21 Mar: Industry partners of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA's) effort to integrate artificial  intelligence (AI) capabilities into air combat are looking to apply those nascent technologies into other warfare domains. Senior officials at Dynetics are exploring development options for multidomain applications of the aircentric AI technologies developed under the agency's Air Combat Evolution (ACE) programme, said Tim Keeter,  the company's programme manager for the DARPA ACE effort.

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Ukraine conflict: Russia employs Forpost-R UCAV

15 Mar: Russian forces in Ukraine have been seen fielding the Forpost-R unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) for the  first time. A video released by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) of the Russian Federation on 13 March showed an armed Forpost-R taking off from an unidentified prepared airstrip, before the footage cut to a Ukrainian multiple  launch rocket system (MLRS) being destroyed by the UCAV.

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Land:

Pakistan Army unveils its SH-15 self-propelled howitzers

25 Mar: The Pakistan Army unveiled its Chinese-built SH-15 self-propelled howitzer (SPH) on 23 March during  the Pakistan Day parade held at the Shakarparian ground in Islamabad, the country's capital. The parade was displayed online, and the video stream was accompanied by an official commentary describing the equipment  displayed at the event. According to this commentary, the Pakistan Army inducted the SH-15 SPH into the service's artillery corps on 14 March.

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Baring its claws: Jaguar readies for service

18 Mar: The Jaguar armoured reconnaissance and combat vehicle (Engin Blindé de Reconnaissance et de Combat –  EBRC) has been developed under the aegis of the French Army‘s Scorpion modernisation programme, and is designed to replace three vehicles – the VAB HOT, the ERC 90 'Sagaie‘, and the AMX-10RCR. Jaguar will  eventually equip seven light cavalry regiments, with 300 vehicles expected to be delivered by 2030. The platform has also been selected by the Belgian army as part of its CaMo (Capacité Motorisée, Motorised Capability)  modernisation programme, with 60 vehicles on order. 

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BAE Systems Hagglunds outlines BvS10 offer for South Korea

2 Mar: BAE Systems Hägglunds believes the Republic of Korea Armed Forces has a capability gap that the company  can fill with its BvS10 armoured all-terrain vehicle. BAE Systems Hägglunds also produces the BvS10 Beowulf, which is a variant equipped with less armour. Darren Restarick, region sales director for BAE Systems Hägglunds  and platform manager for BvS10 and Beowulf told Janes that South Korea has not issued a requirement for a programme that may involve the BvS10. However, the company sees an opportunity for the BvS10 with the RoK  Armed Forces.

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Sea

Leonardo’s 127/64 LW gun selected for German Navy Type 126 frigate programme

29 Mar: Leonardo has been awarded a contract by Damen to supply its OTO 127/64 LightWeight (LW) Vulcano mediumcalibre naval gun for the German Navy's new Type 126 frigates. Under the contract, announced on 29 March,  Leonardo will initially supply gun systems to equip the four Type 126 frigates on order, with the addition of two optional vessels. The scope of supply also includes maintenance support, simulators for crew training, and  onboard activities for the integration and commissioning of the system.

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Greece signs contract with Naval Group for FDI frigates

25 Mar: The Greek government has signed contracts with French shipbuilder Naval Group that pave the way to start  construction on three new Frégate de défense et d'intervention (FDI) multimission frigates for the Hellenic Navy (HN). The contracts, announced on 24 March, include an option for a fourth frigate, in-service support, and the  supply of MU90 torpedoes and CANTO torpedo countermeasures.

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US Navy issues RFS for hypersonic weapons capability improvements

14 Mar: US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) issued a request for solutions (RFS) on 9 March to industry for the  near-term submission of advanced technology initiatives to improve and upgrade its hypersonic weapons capabilities portfolio. Managed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane), responses  to the RFS are expected by 25 March.

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Armament

India test-fires medium-range surface-to-air missiles

14 Mar: India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has conducted two flight tests of medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MRSAMs) developed for the Indian Army. A press release by the Indian Ministry of  Defence (MoD) said the DRDO conducted the flight tests on 27 March. The missiles were test-fired from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, off the shores of Odisha on the east coast of India. A tweet by the  DRDO said the missiles were fired for testing different ranges. Janes cannot confirm to what ranges the MRSAMs were tested. 

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North Korea launches Hwaseong-17 ICBM

25 Mar: North Korea confirmed on 25 March that it has test-launched its new Hwaseong-17 (also spelt Hwasong-17)  intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is the country's first launch of an ICBM since November 2017 and signals the end of a self-imposed suspension on the development of such weapons introduced in 2018.  Pyongyang's Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said the Hwaseong-17 – the largest that North Korea has developed – was trialled by the Korean People's Army (KPA) Strategic Force on 24 March.

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February 2022

Ukraine crisis: Belarus-based A-50 AEW&C aircraft lead Russian air offensive on Ukraine 

Feb 28: Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS) Beriev A-50 ‘Mainstay' airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft have been flying daily missions from an airbase in Belarus to co-ordinate Moscow's air offensive against Ukraine. Bases in Belarus are proving to be critical to Russian air operations around Kyiv, which is less than 100 km from the border with its northern neighbour. Satellite images from 25 February identified more than 30 helicopters at the temporary base on a road south of Chojniki, and the site has also been photographed by local people with images posted online.

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Luftwaffe receives first Hercules 

Feb 21: The Luftwaffe received the first of six Lockheed Martin KC/C-130J Hercules aircraft, with the arrival of aircraft 55 + 01 (tail number 5930) at the Évreux-Fauville Air Base in northern France on 19 February. The arrival of the first Luftwaffe Hercules at the home of the newly established Franco-German transport squadron in Normandy came just weeks after an official handover ceremony was held at the Marietta production facility in the United States on 1 February.

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KAI LAH successfully tested for Arctic operations 

Feb 21: South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 18 February that the Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) has completed flight tests in cold weather conditions in Canada. The agency said that the trials were conducted at Yellowknife, Canada – where temperatures reach an average of -32ºC during winter – by personnel from DAPA, KAI, and South Korea's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) and lasted about nine weeks between early December 2021 and February 2022.

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Singapore Airshow 2022: Singapore receives initial batch of upgraded F-16s 

Feb 17: The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) has taken delivery of an initial batch of upgraded F-16s. The milestone was confirmed by RSAF chief Major General Kelvin Khong, in a written reply to questions that had been sent to the service in the run-up to Singapore Airshow 2022. “Our F-16C/Ds fleet of fighter aircraft is being upgraded in phases, and we have commenced initial deliveries of the upgraded F-16 in June 2021,” said Maj Gen Khong in the reply.

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PT Pindad conducts tests on the Harimau medium tank 

Feb 28: Indonesia's PT Pindad conducted firing tests on the Harimau medium tank during late February. The Harimau was tested at the Indonesian Army's Infantry Education Center. PT Pindad is developing the medium tank in collaboration with Turkey's FNSS.

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Moving with the times: The future of anti-armour warfare

Feb 23: The ability of NATO forces to successfully engage in anti-tank warfare has once again risen to prominence. The potential of a conflict with a highly capable peer adversary has added significant impetus to European countries seeking to upgrade their anti-tank capabilities, in the immediate term and over the course of the next few decades.

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RoK Army receives initial batch of locally developed mortar system 

Feb 8: South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on 4 February the delivery of an initial batch of indigenous 120 mm self-propelled mortar systems to the Republic of Korea Army (RoKA). According to DAPA, the new mortar system has a range 2.3 times and firepower 1.9 times greater than the system it will replace. It also features improved accuracy and a 360° firing capability.

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Strike hard and low: SSGWs evolve for a new ASuW threat environment 

Feb 21: For the last four decades or so, the names Exocet and Harpoon have become synonymous with a genre of sea-skimming ‘fire-and-forget' missiles designed to prosecute heavily defended surface units at range. These types gestated in a Cold War era where the focus was very much on delivering a ‘heavyweight punch' on targets operating in ‘blue-water' environments.

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Indonesia, France line-up collaboration on Scorpene submarines 

Feb 11: Indonesia's naval shipbuilder PT PAL and France's Naval Group signed a preliminary agreement on 10 February to collaborate on the construction of two Scorpène submarines for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL). The memorandum of understanding (MoU) – which is not yet supported through a formal contract – was announced a few hours after the Indonesian government agreed to procure 42 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft from the European country.

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Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard plans to modernise fleet, expand surveillance, and boost SAR capabilities 

Feb 18: The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) will focus on modernising its fleet while expanding surveillance and search-and-rescue (SAR) capabilities this year, according to its 2022 Annual Plan, which was reviewed by Janes. The main objectives, according to the plan, include searching for replacements for the fleet's three Damen Stan Patrol 4100 cutters, and potentially the five Boston Whaler Justice 20 craft.

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Ukraine conflict: Forces face recognition and tracking challenges 

Feb 28: The Russian and Ukrainian militaries engaged in the conflict in Ukraine have several difficulties to overcome around force recognition and tracking, and the so-called ‘fog of war' may hang heavy. Unverified reports state that the Russian Navy shot down a Russian aircraft over the Black Sea. Given the use of identification friend-or-foe (IFF) transponders, it should be a relatively straightforward task to avoid such incidents. In the land domain, differentiating between friend-or-foe is a significantly more demanding task.

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DGA awards Nexter contract for CEASAR 6x6 Mark II 

Feb 23: The Direction générale de l'armement (DGA), the French defence procurement agency, has awarded Nexter a contract for CAESAR 6X6 Mk II new-generation self-propelled howitzers (SPHs) and the modernisation or replacement of France's existing CAESARs, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced during a visit to the company's Roanne plant on 19 February. The agency said on its website on 21 February that the contract would give the French Army the 109 CAESARs foreseen by France's Loi de Programmation Militaire 2019–2025 military funding programme.

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November 2021

QinetiQ, AM General to develop HED-powered Humvee

30 Nov: A strategic collaboration between UK-based defence and security company QinetiQ and US automotive manufacturer AM General should see a prototype hybrid electric drive (HED)-powered High-Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or Humvee) produced by the end of next year. QinetiQ announced on 23 November that it had entered into a strategic collaboration agreement with AM General to demonstrate the viability of electrifying military land vehicles. The company conceded in that announcement, however, that the constraints of the Covid-19 pandemic had limited the project to producing a couple of virtual reality models of a HED-powered Humvee.

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Caught in the act: DARPA's Gremlins achieves airborne recovery milestone

30 Nov: Building on several previous rounds of flight test activity, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and a Dynetics-led industry team have succeeded in recovering a small unmanned aerial vehicle into a C-130A Hercules aircraft while in flight. During a set of flight demonstrations in airspace above the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah, an X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle (GAV) was captured by a docking mechanism extended from the rear ramp of the C-130A. The GAV was then shut down, reeled up into a mechanical arm, and recovered into the aircraft.

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China's likely DEW ASAT project appears to advance

30 Nov: China's interest in directed-energy weapon (DEW) systems originated in the 1960s as part of Project 640, an early anti-ballistic missile (ABM) development programme. The laser sub-programme, designated Project 640-3, was overseen by the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics (SIOFM) with the aim of producing a high-power laser designed to intercept ballistic missiles and possibly high-altitude aircraft. Although Project 640 was cancelled around 1980, a decision to continue laser weapons development was made in 1979, eventually becoming part of the 863 Program for hightechnology development. 

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Berlin Security Conference 2021: ESG to adapt Israeli combat cloud for Germany

25 Nov: Elektroniksystem und Logistik (ESG) is to adapt an operationally proven Israeli combat cloud to the needs of the Bundeswehr, the German electronics and mission systems specialist announced on 24 November. Speaking at the Berlin Security Conference, ESG's director of business development and sales, Simon Volkmann, said that the company is to utilise the Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Operational Avionics Layer (OPAL) to develop its Network Enabled Operations Support (NEOS) for the air assets of the German armed forces primarily, but for the other domains also.

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Wily operator: Coyote UAS comes of age as multidomain interceptor

24 Nov: In August 2021 the US Army's Integrated Fires and Rapid Capabilities Office (IF/RCO), in partnership with Raytheon Missiles & Defense, part of Raytheon Technologies, sponsored a series of seminal tests and demonstrations to showcase Coyote-variant counter-unmanned aircraft system (C-UAS) interceptors against single and multiple drone threats. Supported by Raytheon's Ku-band Radio Frequency System (KuRFS) precision targeting radar and Ku720 sensing radar (a scaled-down version of KuRFS, developed in association with the US Army and specifically designed for highly mobile operations), the 10-day event at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona established several milestones in Coyote's evolution.

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HOPE Technik Omnidirectional Weapons Loader

24 Nov: HOPE Technik, a Singapore-based developer specialising in technology research and bespoke manufacturing forthe commercial, defence, and government sectors, is poised to deliver an undisclosed number of newly developed Omnidirectional Weapons Loaders (OWLs) to the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) for operational trials, the company told Janes. The RSAF operates several types of aircraft stores and ordnance loaders including the ubiquitous diesel-powered BL Advanced Ground Support System BL-1 and Hydraulics International MJ-1C platforms, both of which have been in service with air forces across the world for decades and are designed to transfer munitions or stores from storage to a tactical aircraft.

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New investment sets conditions for satellite operator HawkEye 360 to expand its RF location coverage 

23 Nov: HawkEye 360 announced on 8 November that it had closed USD145 million in new funding. Two of the largest investors are Insight Partners and the UK-based Seraphim Space. Additional funding came from the investment arm of the UAE's Tawazun Holding, bringing the total funds raised to USD302 million. HawkEye 360 operates three clusters of three satellites each. Extant plans were to increase these to 10 clusters in 2022–23. The additional funding enables that figure to increase to 20 clusters. The existing satellites are in polar orbits.

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AVIC reaches milestone with new FL-64 wind tunnel 

22 Nov: The Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) has announced the development of a new transonic wind tunnel capable of simulating velocities up to Mach 8. AVIC said in a post to its WeChat social media channel on 21 November that the large-scale FL-64 wind tunnel has recently passed calibration tests, indicating that the facility is “formally capable of conducting tests for [hypersonic] development projects”. AVIC added that the wind tunnel – developed by its subsidiary, the Aerodynamics Research Institute in Shenyang – was built in two years, which it said is the fastest it has built such a facility.

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UK explores ‘hybridisation' of powertrains for RN, RFA ships 

19 Nov: The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed plans to identify hybrid powertrain technologies with application to Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) vessels. Under a Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) market exploration – dubbed ‘Hybridisation of the Naval Fleet' – industry has been asked to advise on potential solutions based on electrification (AC as well as DC) and electrical storage that could be retrofitted to vessels. The technologies are required to be at Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 5–9 and be suitable for implementation by 2030.

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Dubai Airshow 2021: ESG exhibits Guardion C-UAS with integrated Quantum-Systems Vector UAV 

18 Nov: Germany's Guardion counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), a co-operation of ESG, Diehl Defence, and Rohde & Schwarz, has integrated Quantum-Systems Vector unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for wide area surveillance operations, the company announced at the Dubai Airshow 2021, held from November 14 to 18. ESG, the system integrator and software provider of Guardion, chose electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL)-capable long-endurance fixed-wing Vector AV for extended intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and counter-UAS missions from mobile platforms.

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Pentagon hunts for high-power microwave weapons to down drones 

17 Nov: US Army officials want to evaluate high-power microwave (HPM) systems large enough to protect fixed sites from incoming drones and if they find promising ones, they plan to award subsequent prototyping contracts. Charged with evaluating counter-drone technologies for the Pentagon, the army's Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) Office recently issued a request for HPM White Papers. Vendors have until 29 November to submit their paperwork about systems that can down class 1, 2, and 3 aerial drones.

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Update: AeroVironment fires Switchblade 300 loitering munition from Jump 20 UAV for first time

17 Nov: AeroVironment deployed its Switchblade 300 loitering munition from the company's Arcturus Jump 20 Group 3 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during flight for the first time in August. Brett Hush, company vice-president and general manager for tactical missile systems, told Janes on 4 November that it is rare for a UAV similar in size to the Jump 20 to be armed. He said that it is more common for larger aircraft such as the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc MQ-9 Reaper to have weapons, but that these aircraft also require a larger ground footprint for support.

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Fast space: US Air Force rocketry aims for point-to-point cargo transport 

16 Nov: The US Air Force (USAF) is exploring whether it is the right time to realise the concept of using rockets to deliver cargo across the world. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) is assessing emerging rocket capability across the commercial vendor base and its potential use for quickly transporting 30–100 tons (27,215–90,718 kg) of Pentagon materiel to ports across the world within an hour. Logistics speed is crucial to military supremacy. The Pentagon uses a variety of air, sea, and land vehicles to transport cargo, and AFRL had created the Rocket Cargo programme to promptly engage and seek to be early adopters if a commercial company is in advanced development for a new capability to move materiel faster. The military utility of this new capability includes support to the US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) resupply mission with faster delivery and potentially lower cost.

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USN demonstrates future cargo resupply UAS prototypes

12 Nov: The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has undertaken demonstrations of two prototype unmanned logistics supply aircraft – the Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS (BWUAS) and the Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft System (TRUAS) – that could be used to resupply US Navy and US Marine Corps forces on the frontline. NAVAIR's Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems programme office (PMA-263) and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) co-ordinated the 27 October event at Webster Outlying Field (WOLF), Maryland. Operators from Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 24 (UX-24) performed multiple resupply missions flying both the SURVICE Engineering/Malloy Aeronautics TRV-150 vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS – part of the TRUAS programme – and a Skyways VTOL UAS forming part of the BWUAS project.

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Vital resource: securing the ‘rare earth elements' that underpin military tech

10 Nov: Rare earth elements (REEs) are crucial components for a vast array of essential military systems. The area has grown into a significant focus for the US Department of Defense (DoD), with new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) programmes and industrial investments aimed at boosting the country's supply chain, as imported REEs are the norm. There are 17 REEs, such as Erbium, Samarium, and Ytterbium. They are known as ‘rare' because, although relatively abundant overall, they appear in low concentrations in the ground “and are difficult and costly to mine and process”, according to a 2016 report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), which focused on the supply chain of the elements for the Pentagon.

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Space-based SAR imagery improves in coverage and resolution

5 Nov: Satellite imagery is a popular tool for OSINT analysts, used by professionals and amateurs alike, and increasing near-real-time collection means that greater efforts are needed to hide activities from adversaries. For electro-optical (EO) sensors, hiding activities can be achieved by monitoring any satellite constellations that may be tasked with gathering intelligence, calculating pass time windows, and restricting activities or moving locations between each successive pass. However, this is becoming more complicated because of the increase in the number of imaging satellites now in orbit.

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US Army awards USD69.6 million contract for 300kW-class laser weapon development

5 Nov: The US Army recently awarded a General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Boeing team with a contract worth up to USD69.6 million to demonstrate a 300kW-class solid state laser system, according to the service. If the air defence weapon works for the army, it could potentially field the system to protect fixed-and semi-fixed sites from incoming drones and other aerial threats. Craig Robin, the deputy director for the Directed Energy Project Office within the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO), said the service selected the team based off a response to a broad agency announcement (BAA).

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October 2021

Fielding pressure led to expedited IVAS production contract, technology problems discovered later 

29th Oct: US Army officials were not yet aware that Microsoft's militarised HoloLens 2 augmented reality (AR) system would need several hardware and software fixes when they awarded the company with a multi-billion-dollar production contract in March. These revelations wouldn't materialise until the following month when the service tested out a new iteration of the head-up display, and maturation concerns ultimately forced army leaders to put soldiers' safety first and delay fielding.

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Images emerge of China's new carrier-capable fighter aircraft in flight 

29th Oct: Images have emerged on Chinese social media platforms showing what appears to be a prototype of the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation's (SAC's) next-generation, carrier-capable multirole fighter aircraft performing its maiden flight. Released on 29 October on Weibo, the images show a green-painted prototype in flight, with its landing gear extended, accompanied by a J-16 fighter aircraft. The aircraft appears to share some design commonality with the FC-31 low-observable multirole fighter prototype, with both single-seat aircraft featuring two engines, twin canted tail fins, and a high-mounted cockpit. The single-seat prototype features a remodelled cockpit design compared to that of the FC-31, a chin-mounted, electro-optical and infrared (EOIR) sensor turret, possibly an infrared search-and-track (IRST) system, as well as a launch bar in front of the landing gear, the latter of which would enable catapult-assisted take-offs from an aircraft carrier.

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Chinese test accelerates hypersonics weapons race with US 

29th Oct: China's recent ‘hypersonic' vehicle testing is pushing the development race with the US for such a weapon into higher gear at a time when the Pentagon is seeking to secure more budget funding to keep pace with the overall Chinese threat. “It is an escalation,” Brent Sandler, senior fellow for naval warfare and advanced technology at the Heritage Foundation's Center for National Defense, told Janes. Bryan Clark, senior fellow and director of the Center for Defense Concepts and Technology at Hudson Institute, told Janes , “This test does show that China may be further ahead than the US in operationalising this capability. However, this is not a ‘Sputnik moment'. In some ways China did what the US has been able to do for years – put a vehicle in orbit around the Earth at least once,” he added.

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President Xi calls for accelerated development of military technologies 

28th Oct: Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged the country's defence-industrial base to ‘step up' efforts to develop new military technologies and advanced weaponry. The drive is needed, he said, to enable the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to achieve its modernisation milestones later this decade. Speaking at a conference on military equipment and weapons in Beijing on 26 October, Xi claimed China achieved “leapfrog development” in military technologies during the country's 13th Five Year Plan (FYP), which ended in 2020. This progress served as the “material and technological underpinning for the country's strategic capabilities”, said Xi in comments published by the official Xinhua news agency. However, Xi also said this development needs to accelerate during China's 14th FYP, which runs 2021–25. He indicated that such progress is needed to support the PLA's stated goal to “build a modern military” by 2027, its centennial anniversary.

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Industry eyes Thunderbolt USB port connections to achieve commonality 

25th Oct: Combat information technology company General Micro Systems (GMS) is betting that integration of Thunderbolt USB port connections into present and future US armed forces' platforms could be the key to solving the Pentagon's interoperability challenges. The release of GMS's new X9 Spider OpenVPX Single Board system, unveiled during the Association of the United States Army's annual symposium in Washington, DC, coincided with the company's decision to adopt standardised requirements for hardware development under the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) framework for open, common standards on sensor and communication subsystems.

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Commercial offensive cyber industry poses challenges for government agencies 

25th Oct: A high-profile case in a UK court has drawn attention to the role of private companies in providing offensive cyber capabilities to foreign governments. A UK High Court judgment publicised on 6 October 2021 found that the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, had probably authorised the use of a surveillance product called Pegasus against his estranged wife, Princess Haya, and two of her lawyers. Sheikh Mohammed denied the allegations, the Financial Times reported. The case came amid heightened public attention around the private surveillance industry, driven by media reports about the actions of US, Israeli, and other companies in this space.

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Interview: Ludwig Decamps, General Manager, NATO Communications and Information Agency 

25th Oct: Rapid and ongoing technological changes have always created challenges for the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA); however, today's massive pressures are forcing it to quickly alter its traditional ways of doing business. Some of these pressures include NCIA's procurement rules, which lack flexibility despite years of reform. Artificial intelligence (AI) is also coursing into all corners of military command-and-control (C2) systems, demanding consistent test conditions, while the Covid-19 pandemic has boosted the need for flexible and remote access to NATO files and networks. NATO's cyber-security systems also have to be applied everywhere and at all times, while the alliance competes with the private sector for the sharpest tools and personnel. It falls to NCIA's new general manager, Ludwig Decamps, to come up with solutions. “We have to ensure constant cyber-security updates to modernise our IT networks. Gone are the days where you do the work and wipe your hands because the task and contract are ‘finished',” he told Janes.

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Executive orders: ‘Fight Club' aims to increase wargaming's acceptance and accessibility 

22nd Oct: The British Army's ‘UK Fight Club' (UKFC) is a bottom-up initiative to change the culture around professional wargaming, seeking to move it from being viewed as a niche extracurricular activity to a fundamental element of modern military training and professional development. Formed in March 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold, the UKFC seeks to connect interested volunteers including service personnel, civil servants, industry experts, and academia to form a community of wargaming proponents across the defence sector, and drive cultural change around wargaming as a professional tool. “It is looking to bring together volunteer participants to leverage the latest in commercial gaming software to test a variety of hypotheses on force structures, capabilities, and operational concepts, early and often, to help refine our thinking prior to larger wargames or more rigorous analysis,” US Army strategist and one of the founders of the UKFC, Lieutenant Colonel Arnel David, told Janes.

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COMINT in a congested spectrum: Perceive MR seeks to cut through electromagnetic clutter 

21st Oct: The UK's Roke has unveiled a new medium-weight electronic warfare (EW) sensor designed for land-based operations. Perceive Multi-Role (MR) is a wideband tactical communications intelligence (COMINT) solution that builds on Roke's existing EW heritage, including the company's Resolve tactical EW support/COMINT system and Locate Strategic and Locate-T (Tactical/Transportable) high-frequency (HF) direction-finding (DF) products. The company has taken initial orders and expects to commence deliveries of series production Perceive MR equipments in 2022. Debuted at the Association of Old Crows Europe 2021 conference and exhibition held in Liverpool on 13 October, Perceive MR was designed for a congested, cluttered, and contested electromagnetic environment (EME). Its development accounted for user feedback accumulated by Roke from existing Resolve operators over the past decade, according to managing director, Paul MacGregor.

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DARPA hosting final drone swarm demo in November, companies look for service buy-in 

21st Oct: The US Department of Defense (DoD) may be focused on finding technologies to down aerial drones, however, its Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is also working with Northrop Grumman and Raytheon BBN on ways a single operator can control hundreds of ground and aerial drones at once. While this developmental effort has been ongoing for years, it is scheduled to culminate in November when both companies head to Fort Campbell in Kentucky for a field experiment where each entity will test out their respective technologies. Under the agency's Offensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics (OFFSET) programme, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon have been working as ‘swarm system integrators'. In this position, they have been developing the architectures, interfaces, and their own swarm tactics exchanges – this houses tools to help design swarm tactics by composing collective behaviours, swarm algorithms, and existing swarm tactics – to enable a single person to operate hundreds of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) drones at once.

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Nowhere to hide: Undersea networks target the challenges of the deep 

20th Oct: A new type of underwater warfare seeks to create distributed networked systems composed of unmanned vehicles, surface and undersea sensors, and communications and power nodes. These diffused maritime battle networks are intended to provide greater command and control (C2) over smaller and more profuse at-sea elements capable of persistent underwater surveillance. Other mission roles include detecting and tracking submarines for anti-submarine warfare (ASW), locating mines and other explosive ordnance to aid mine countermeasures (MCM), and identifying terrorism events, coastal incursions, and even ship and/or force vulnerabilities.

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Extended reach: Air Launched Effects aims to become catch-all aerial weapon 

20th Oct: Following the withdrawal of its troops from Afghanistan in August, the US Department of Defense (DoD) is focusing to a greater extent on countering peer adversaries via organisational changes and new equipment. The DoD is pursuing a variety of concept of operations (CONOPS) to maximise effectiveness and maintain tactical advantages, particularly in anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) environments. Enabled by technological advances in robotics, autonomy, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (AI), programmes such as Air Launched Effects (ALEs) have emerged as a potentially critical capability for armed forces seeking force multipliers in complex battlespaces.

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Iranian UAVs carrying out air-to-air attacks, says Israeli security official 

20th Oct: Iran has used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to attack aircraft, as well as targets on the ground and at sea, an Israeli security official said on 17 October. “In recent months we have been seeing how Iran is using UAVs in order to attack targets across the Middle East: in the air, sea, and land,” the source said. “Just as the world co-operated when dealing with the threat of [the Islamic State] and Al-Qaeda, so too should the world co-operate in dealing with this significant threat.” There was no further information on the type of UAVs or the location of the air-to-air attacks, which have not previously been reported.

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New Russian PD-35 turbofan engine commences ground testing 

15th Oct: Early-stage static testing has begun on the engine core that will become the new Russian PD-35 turbofan aircraft engine. The engine is intended to have a thrust range of 24 to 40 tonnes (239 kN to 398 kN) and it has potential applications on Russia's future military transport aircraft fleet, as well as commercial aircraft programmes such as the CR929 and the Il-96-400. Original equipment manufacturer UEC-Aviadvigatel announced on 11 October 2021 that assembly of the gas-compressing core of the engine was completed in mid-September at a site near the Russian city of Perm and development had progressed to running the demonstrator at low power to confirm the integrity of the design.

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AUSA 2021: General Micro Systems unveils new artificial intelligence server 

14th Oct: Tactical server manufacturer General Micro Systems unveiled its newest, high-powered server designed specifically to operate and support the plethora of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and applications set to flood the battlefield in the coming decades. The company's Velocity 4×4 General-Purpose Graphics Processing Unit (GPGPU) tactical server is patterned after a similar tactical server deployed aboard the US Navy's P-8 Posiedon multimission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft, chief technology officer Chris Ciufo said. “Most servers out there use two processors ... it is unusual to have four processors” since the processing power required to support most tactical-level, edge computing demands can be met with a dual-processor server, General Micro Systems' chief information officer Chris Ciufo said during an interview at the Association of the United States Army's (AUSA's) annual symposium in Washington, DC.

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AUSA 2021: US Army leverages data management lessons learned from Afghan pull-out 

14th Oct: Senior US Army leaders are in the midst of incorporating the lessons learned from data management shortfalls that plagued the US withdrawal from Afghanistan earlier this year, saying anticipated advances in the service's combat networking construct will close those gaps. An overloaded and overworked legacy network architecture, the inability to transmit time-sensitive data between US armed forces and allied units, coupled with commanders' incapacity to access data streams outside prescribed formats, all led to data management failures during the Afghanistan pull-out in August. “We had the legacy network in place, but you had a force that wanted to do everything” in terms of data access and management that simply could not be supported by that legacy network, US Army Major General Christopher Donahue said during a briefing at the Association of the United States Army's (AUSA's) annual symposium in Washington, DC. “Everything that happened out there, we were able to overcome and figure out and do what we needed to do. But we had the network we had,” said Maj Gen Donahue, the commanding officer of the 82nd Airborne Division.

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Mounted responsibility: The growing push for remote weapon systems 

11th Oct: The remote weapon system (RWS), sometimes referred to as a remotely operated weapon station (ROWS), continues to be a popular armoured vehicle armament, enabling additional flexibility across campaigns while ensuring the protection of the user inside the vehicle onto which it is fitted. This focus on protection has led RWSs to be at the forefront of several countries' armoured vehicle programmes. It has also caused the sector's market value to skyrocket since 2011: a pattern that looks set to continue as end-user countries seek increased and improved armour, active protection systems, and other protective measures. Janes analysis indicates that the value of the RWS/ROWS market is set to reach USD9.9 billion by 2025 and USD21.1 billion by 2030. This robust growth has coincided with a positive trend for the protected vehicle market.

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'Zapad-2021' shows advances in Russian military capabilities since 2017 

7th Oct: The Russian military announced on 29 September that its forces had completed their withdrawal from Belarus that day, following the conclusion of ‘Zapad-2021' strategic exercises on 17 September. The scenario for Zapad-2021 was similar to that of its predecessor in 2017: an alliance of NATO countries conducting a limited invasion of Belarus following a period of political instability instigated by Western forces. For the purposes of the exercise, all parties were given pseudonyms; Belarus became ‘Polesei', Russia ‘the Central Federation', and their alliance ‘the Northern Coalition'. The NATO countries, ‘Nyaris' (Lithuania), Pomorie (Poland), and ‘the Polar Republic' (parts of Latvia and components of NATO partner forces in Poland), represent a belief or hope within the Russian military that a conflict with NATO would initially be limited in scope, enabling the Russian armed forces and Kremlin to manage escalation and limit its horizontal growth. This belief in turn determines the forces and means committed to the fight, with the intention of using only the forces needed to achieve the desired goals of protecting Belarus and forcing peace with NATO before the conflict escalates beyond control.

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Iran announces Mersad radar upgrade 

6th Oct: Iran's air defence force announced on 2 October that it had unveiled a new medium-range tactical radar called the Hormuz. While the radar was not seen in photographs of the event, a poster of the Hormuz showed a Continuous Wave Acquisition Radar (CWAR) from the Hawk surface-to-air missile system. Iran received HAWKs before the 1979 revolution and now uses modified versions called the Mersad. The Mehr news agency reported that, in addition to establishing a target's speed, the Hormuz radar can also accurately track its range and send high-quality data to the fire-control centre.

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UK reveals Pyramid programme to rapidly reconfigure software across multiple aircraft types 

4th Oct: The United Kingdom has revealed a new programme, dubbed Pyramid, to rapidly reconfigure the avionics of current and future air platforms. Disclosed by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 1 October, Pyramid is billed as a reusable open-system mission architecture designed to make avionic upgrades to aircraft simpler, cheaper, and quicker. “The Pyramid programme introduces a paradigm shift to the current method of avionic systems design and procurement,” the MoD said. “Pyramid aims to make legacy and future air mission systems affordable, capable and adaptable by adoption of an open systems architecture approach and systematic software reuse.”

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September 2021

US Army works to mesh Rainmaker data fabric into ITN systems

23rd Aug: US Army engineers and information technology experts are working to integrate the Rainmaker data fabric programme into key applications within the service's Integrated Tactical Network (ITN), in preparation for a vital capstone experiment later this year. Officials from the army's Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center are co-ordinating with members of the service's Long Range Precision Fires Cross Functional Team (LRPF CFT), to shorten sensor-to-shooter data transmission times via Rainmaker and other data fabric systems, said C5ISR Center Deputy Assistant Director for Information Dominance Alan Hansen.

Janes Analysis: The further maturation of data fabric technology like Rainmaker and the air force's Data One programme is indicative of the US armed forces' move toward domain-agnostic, software-centric, open domain architecture-driven combat communication systems.

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Continuous revolution: The rise of Composite Rubber Track technology

23rd Aug: Composite Rubber Track (CRT) is an alternative to traditional segmented steel tracks for armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs) that has some substantial operating benefits. The design of CRT is complex and composite in nature, with more than 12 separate rubber compounds, as well as a range of metal, plastic, and fabric reinforcing elements. In broad terms, CRT is typically comprised of approximately 49% rubber, 29% steel, and 22% composites.

Janes Analysis: The commercial landscape for CRT is potentially lucrative, given it is addressable to essentially all AFVs that are less than the 55,000 kg GVW limits of contemporary CRT systems. It is also surprisingly devoid of competition, perhaps owing to the highly specific technical challenges of achieving the right chemical and engineering processes. Soucy Defense is the sole known supplier at present.

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GA-ASI Avenger with Lockheed Martin Legion Pod autonomously follows target aircraft

19th Aug: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI), on 2 July for the first time, used its Avenger unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) equipped with a Lockheed Martin Legion Pod modular infrared search-and-track (IRST) system to autonomously track and follow targets of interest. During this industry-funded, 1.4 hour-long demonstration, the Legion Pod's IRST21 system detected multiple fast-moving aircraft and fed target tracking information to the Avenger's autonomy engine, according to a company statement. GA-ASI spokeperson Mark Brinkley, said on 17 August that the relative speed between the Avenger and tracked aircraft varied depending on their respective velocities and aspect angles between them.

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Avoiding the jam: Developing new solutions to complement satellite navigation

19th Aug: For armed forces operating in contested battlespaces against peer adversaries, multidomain platforms must be capable of accurately employing position, navigation, and timing (PNT) data without reliance upon Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSSs). Ground and air vehicles, surface and sub-surface vessels, and precision-guided munitions will need to operate in anti-access/area-denial environments where enemy forces can rapidly and effectively jam and disrupt space-based and terrestrial connectivity. A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report, ‘Defense Navigation Capabilities', published on 10 May, said the Department of Defense (DoD) is considering how best to develop its own PNT technologies to complement GNSS, including GPS, to overcome this emerging threat.

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The need for speed: Emerging UAV designs take on operations beyond the sound barrier

19th Aug: Rudimentary high-speed unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of breaching the sound barrier have existed since the 1950s in the form of target drones designed to simulate a range of airborne threats and they have been widely used to support self-defence and target training for air, land, and naval forces since. For example, air forces use such systems as threat-representative targets for testing and evaluating new air-to-air weapon systems and support air-to-air combat training for aircrews. Navies use supersonic target drones to enable surface warfare crews to hone their ability to detect, track, and neutralise simulated incoming threats such as supersonic anti-ship missiles. Land forces have also employed target drones to train against various aircraft and missile threats.

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Information advantage: Europe pursues ‘combat cloud' technology developments

18th Aug: As European armed forces seek to adapt in the information age, industry across the continent is developing combat cloud computing solutions.Early developments are being led by multinational efforts to design and develop a sixth-generation of combat aircraft, including the Franco-German Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the UK-led Tempest that includes support from Italian and Swedish governments. On 24 June, for example, Hensoldt announced it would be demonstrating a new combat cloud solution in September as part of a capability being developed under the Future Combat Mission System (FCMS) consortium that also includes Diehl Defence, ESG, and Rohde & Schwarz.

Janes Analysis: European defence companies concede the continent is lagging behind the US Department of Defense in terms of fielding a multidomain combat cloud capability.

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Sentinel air-defence radar to receive M-Code capability 

16th Aug: Lockheed Martin and Orolia Defense & Security will begin integrating mission timing and synchronisation units, capable of transmitting via Military Code (M-Code) signal, into the US Army's Sentinel A4 air and missile defence radar system. Officials from Orolia delivered the initial shipment of M-Code-enabled SecureSync rack-mounted synchronisation platforms to Sentinel prime integrator Lockheed Martin in May, for implementation into the newest tranche of Sentinel A4 air defence radar systems. “SecureSyncwith M-Code provides enhanced resilient positioning, navigation, and timing [PNT] capabilities and improved resistance to existing and emerging GPS threats, such as jamming and spoofing,” according to a statement issued by Orolia.

Janes Analysis: Operational performance of M-Code capabilities aboard the army's Sentinel air defence radar will provide much-needed mission feedback on how those capabilities perform in combat environments.

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US Army seeks blockchain technology to manage combat data 

16th Aug: US Army engineers at the service's Command, Control, Communications, Computer, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center are leveraging blockchain technology for a new tactical-level data management capability. Development of the new data management capability is part of the centre's Information Trust programme and was one of several prototype technologies tested during the ground service's Network Modernization Experiment (NetModX), held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey in May.

Janes Analysis: The US Army's experimentation with blockchain applications that meet data management requirements at the tactical level could prompt further integration of the technology into current and future battlefield situational awareness solutions.

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US ARL eyes ‘nanoarchitectures' for lighter, stronger materials  

13th Aug: US Army-funded researchers have developed a new lightweight, resilient material with potential uses in armour, protective coatings, and space systems. The research focused on nano-architectured materials and ultralight structures that are formed using precisely patterned nanoscale trusses, which are engineered architectures that are imparted to a material. It was conducted at the US Army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, along with researchers from Caltech and ETH Zürich. The researchers fabricated a repeating pattern  called a tetrakaidecahedron, which is a lattice configuration composed of microscopic struts, through the use of two-photon lithography.

Janes Analysis: ARL has long focused on developing novel and enhanced materials; for example, last year it announced that it had funded an effort to develop self-healing materials inspired by the natural proteins in squid ring teeth.

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South Korea develops new reactive materials to enhance explosive power of projectiles 

12th Aug: South Korea's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced on 10 August that it has locally developed new reactive metal materials designed to enhance the explosive power of projectiles upon impact. The agency said in a statement that this reactive material structure consists of a compound of non-explosive solid powders that “explode like gunpowder” when subjected to high-temperature and high-pressure conditions. This can be used to increase the total effective yield of a weapon, if, for instance, the reactive material is used as the casing for a weapon with a conventional explosive warhead.

Janes Analysis: The new materials provide South Korean manufacturers with an avenue for the development of new higher-yield explosive weapons than is presently possible within the limitations of a conventional casing.

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KRET unveils Sapfir C-UAV system 

12th Aug: Russia's KRET electronic concern, a subsidiary of state-owned corporation Rostec, has developed a new counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAV) system called Sapfir (Sapphire), Vladimir Mikheev, adviser to KRET's First Deputy Director, told Janes in late July. According to Mikheev, the Sapfir C-UAV system can be manufactured in both stationary and mobile configurations. The mobile variant of the C-UAV system comprises up to four detection-and-jamming stations, while the stationary mast-based variant typically integrates between three and four search/direction finding stations and a jamming module. “The mobile Sapfir can be based on almost any medium automotive vehicle,” said Mikheev. The Sapfir is designed to detect, recognise, and disrupt reconnaissance micro/mini-UAVs and loitering munitions. It works in semi-automated mode with manual control option, if required, or in fully automatic mode without the need for operator input.

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Navy League 2021: US Navy touts Integrated Digital Shipbuilding

6th Aug: The US Navy (USN) will be counting on Integrated Digital Shipbuilding (iDS) to cut costs and more effectively build and sustain ships, according to Kevin Cormier, the USN Ford-class aircraft carrier deputy programme manager. Construction of aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 80), which is now 10% complete at the Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia, will constitute the first use of the iDS Model-Based Enterprise (MBE) approach to shipbuilding using 3D product models for full lifecycle use, Cormier said in a 3 August briefing at the Navy League 2021 Sea-Air-Space exposition in Maryland. Speaking during a 2 August briefing at the same conference about Enterprise – whose schedules include a keel laying in February 2022 and a delivery in 2028 –Newport News Shipbuilding president Jennifer Boykin said, “This is the first-ever nuclear carrier building using tablets.”

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AFRL sets sights on follow-on HPM weapon prototype 

04th Aug: The US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has revealed plans to develop a new high-power microwave (HPM) weapon system prototype, building on the Tactical High-Power Operational Responder (THOR) technology demonstrator. Named Mjolnir, after Thor's hammer, the new system is intended to demonstrate advances in HPM technology for the counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) mission. Disclosing first details of the programme on 29 July, AFRL said a request for proposals is pending for industry. The THOR system was developed by BAE Systems in partnership with Leidos, Verus Research, and AFRL. Designed to disable electronics in multiple UAVs, providing a capability against swarm attacks, the system is housed in two standard 20 ft containers that can be deployed by air and assembled by a crew of just two.

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Interference on SAR imagery offers tool for OSINT analysis

04th Aug: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) capabilities on Sentinel-1A/B (S1A/S1B) satellites operated by the European Union's Earth Observation Program – Copernicus – have been used by open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts since S1A was launched on 3 April 2014. S1B followed on 25 April 2016. SAR analysis has become increasingly popular because of social media and the ability to share findings easily among groups of like-minded OSINT analysts. The data collected by the satellites can be freely accessed using several platforms such as Copernicus's own Open Data Hub, the Sentinel EO Browser, and Google Earth Engine.

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NSWC Dahlgren develops decision aid for high-energy laser fire control

03rd Aug: Engineers at the US Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) have designed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based decision aid designed to assist sailors operating high-energy laser (HEL) weapon systems. The High Energy Laser Fire Control Decision Aid (HEL FCDA) is intended to improve response time and accuracy. Development has been informed by a NSWCDD user performance study to optimise human-machine teaming. The US Navy is currently introducing a first generation of HEL weapons to frontline service. These include the AN/SEQ-4 Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN), and the 60+ kW class MK 5 Mod 0 High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler with Surveillance (HELIOS). Whereas ODIN is designed to dazzle or disrupt the sensors fitted to unmanned aerial systems (UASs), the higher power HELIOS is intended to defeat both small boat and UAS threats. 

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Technical hurdles remain in DEW counterspace applications 

03rd Aug: Russia's apparent test of a co-orbital satellite kill system in July 2020 underlined many countries' interest in improving their counterspace activities. Several countries – including China, India, Russia, and the United States – have demonstrated this capability, ranging from ground-based anti-satellite (ASAT) systems to the deployment and operation of co-orbital systems. The need to defend space-based assets is of high importance given the reliance placed on them for both civilian and military purposes. Previous studies of space-based energy weapons have tended to focus on missile interception, but Russia's demonstration clearly showed that it is developing space capabilities with its Kosmos-2542, Kosmos-2543, and Object 45915 inspector satellite combination.

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US Army working on cloud, data mesh capabilities for CPCE 

03rd Aug: 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)-enabled data networking and management capabilities on the CPCE.

Janes Analysis: The recent success army officials had in demonstrating the CPCE's interoperability with allied forces is a positive signal for the command post software's continued integration to the Mission Partner Environment (MPE).

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August 2021

Analysis: Checkmate looks to fill gap in emerging light fighter market – 11 Aug

Sukhoi's Su-75 Checkmate light fighter has projected performance characteristics and a competitive price tag that appear to make it an attractive option. However, this does not mean that the Checkmate is guaranteed success in an increasingly crowded market, writes Hamilton Cook. With arms deals continuing to be a major source of capital for the Russian government, particularly during times of oil volatility, Sukhoi recently unveiled the Su-75 Checkmate: a lighter single-engine combat aircraft designed to compete in the emerging light fighter market. This marks a distinct pivot in fighter sales strategy for Sukhoi and its parent company, United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). Over the past decade that strategy was built around sales of Sukhoi's flagship fighter, the Su-30 ‘Flanker', and its forthcoming advanced variant, the Su-35 ‘Flanker-E'. It also focused on sales to countries looking for affordable fighter aircraft solutions, countries with internal hesitation or restrictions on defence technology transfers with the United States, or countries with longstanding trade relationships dating back to the Soviet era. Already a Janes customer? Read more HERE.

India's DRDO develops system to counter micro and mini UAVs – 30 Jul

Indian Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt confirmed on 28 July that the government-run Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed a system designed to detect, track, and neutralise micro and mini unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Janes Analysis: India's DRDO has been collaborating for years with public and private-sector companies as well as technical institutions to develop DEWs, including a 100 kW laser, to meet emerging security challenges in the region. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Machine speed warfare: UK tests naval AI decision aids in ASD/FS-21 exercise – 27 Jul

The UK Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and the Royal Navy (RN) have completed at-sea operational experimentation (OpEx) to evaluate two prototype artificial intelligence (AI)-based tactical decision aids designed to accelerate and improve command team situation awareness and threat analysis for above-water warfare. Janes Analysis: Dstl is pursuing complementary AI research and experimentation through its Intelligent Ship project, which is aimed at demonstrating ways of bringing together multiple AI applications to make collective decisions, with and without human operator judgement. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Face off: Developing the next generation of anti-tank technology – 21 Jul

As armed forces consider how best to operate against highly capable, peer adversaries, the ability to defeat heavily armoured vehicles and main battle tanks (MBTs) has once again risen to the fore. European and North American ministries and departments of defence (DoDs) are calling upon academia and industry to design and develop next-generation anti-tank guided missile (ATGM) technologies; concepts of operation; and tactics, techniques, and procedures. Janes Analysis: The proliferation of APSs, camouflage, concealment, and deception in armoured platforms provides MBTs, armoured personnel carriers, infantry fighting vehicles, and artillery platforms with the ability to neutralise anti-armour threats. However, as technology has yet to mature, there is still potential for anti-tank munitions to cause significant damage across the modern battlefield. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

First footage of Russia's S-500 air defence system released - 21 July

The first footage of the Almaz-Antey S-500 Prometey (‘Prometheus') air and missile defence system (GRAU designation 55R6M), shown conducting a test launch, has been released by the Russian Ministry of Defence (MoD) via a video published on its YouTube channel on 20 July.The missile shown being launche d was reported to have successfully intercepted a “high-speed ballistic target” during test firings at the Kapustin Yar range, about 100 km east of Volgograd, according to the video. Once tests are complete, the system is to enter service with air defence formations in the Moscow region, the video added. Janes Analysis: The completion of the S-500 system's development has been expected for a long time, with initial news regarding the project surfacing around 2009. This footage comes after a 28 June announcement by Russian President Vladimir Putin that Russia's new Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile, and the S-500 system were all due to enter service shortly. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Future soldier: US Army squads to become integrated combat platforms - 20 Jul

The US Army's dismounted soldier system programmes are starting to bear fruit as new capabilities are fielded. Major General Anthony Potts, programme executive officer – soldier (PEO-Soldier), speaking at the SMi Future Soldier Technology USA virtual conference in early June, said momentum picked up when the army changed its approach to equipping the dismounted infantry soldier to treating the squad as an integrated combat platform and the soldier as an integrated weapons platform. Janes Analysis: A number of technology strands are being pulled together as part of ASA's development and it looks as though the result could become a step change in dismounted capability, particularly as far as C2 and SA and everything that flows from that is concerned. The training benefits that could accrue from IVAS may take a little longer to be realised while the STE technology and architecture is put in place. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Chem-bio experiments: DTRA taps user feedback for new technologies – 19 Jul

To counter chemical and biological dangers, the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) is supporting a range of advances in detection, digital battlespace, protection, and mitigation technologies. Its annual Chemical and Biological Operational Analysis (CBOA) event has a direct impact in the area, connecting developers with the personnel who will deploy their systems. Janes Analysis: While the feedback from CBOA is necessarily candid, the event's organisers stress that it should not be viewed as a “pass/fail” scenario. Instead, the goal is to provide a learning environment where CB technologies can be improved. According to Smith, he wants “to provide an atmosphere where we provide opportunities to improve the effectiveness or utility of CB-centric technologies and capabilities”. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

MDA, SDA satellite efforts look to mature RF, optical broadband capabilities – 16 Jul

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. Janes Analysis: Development of improved, space-based RF and optical broadband communication capabilities will likely play a vital role in the department's Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) initiative and the US Army's Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) doctrine. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

US Navy hones USV operational and technological concepts – 15 Jul

Recent transits by Ghost Fleet Overlord unmanned surface vessels (USVs) have proven and honed operational and technological concepts for the USV development, US naval officials associated with the programme noted in a 13 July media briefing. Proving those concepts could go a long way toward allaying lawmakers' fears about US Navy (USN) unmanned vessel development and make long-term unmanned acquisition plans more palatable, according to a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. Janes Analysis: Two additional Ghost Fleet Overlord prototype USVs are currently under construction and will be used to expand and accelerate the navy's experimentation and testing. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

US Army makes strides towards ‘smart uniforms' – 14 Jul

The US Army has developed a programmable fabric that it says is capable of analysing the activity status of soldiers, with plans under way to test prototypes. The US Army Research Laboratory (ARL), part of the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), has a longstanding textiles-focused programme, with ‘smart uniforms' being an area of interest for about a decade. However, the efforts took a significant step forward in June, when it was announced that researchers at the army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had developed the first fibre with digital capabilities, capable of sensing, storing, and analysing data when sewn into a piece of clothing. The research was funded by ARL. Janes Analysis: The real benefit of the smart uniforms may lie in the potential for interconnectivity, performing computational tasks on data that is generated by the fabric. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Rafael working on Sea Breaker prototype – 14 Jul

The US Army Israel's Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has developed a prototype of its new Sea Breaker stand-off missile, Janes has learned. The company announced the Sea Breaker on 30 June, saying it has a range of up to 300 km and can be used in both the anti-ship and land-attack roles, but did not say at that time what level of development it had reached. Janes Analysis: The Sea Breaker will primarily appeal to militaries looking for a compact weapon that can penetrate advanced anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) systems. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Final assembly under way of four US Army ERCA platforms – 14 Jul

The US Army is assembling its first four Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) prototypes at Picatinny Arsenal in New Jersey, and anticipates using at least one of the weapons during the upcoming ‘Project Convergence 2021' exercise. Brigadier General John Rafferty, the head of the Long-Range Precision Fires Cross-Functional Team, told Janes on 9 July about the ongoing effort to field an incremental upgrade to BAE Systems' Paladin M109A7 self-propelled howitzer, which includes a 58-calibre, 30 ft (9.1 m) gun tube that is designed to launch 155 mm rounds out to 70 km. Janes Analysis: The army intends to deliver 18 ERCA prototypes to a battalion in 2023 for a year-long operational assessment to flesh out sustainment and logistical needs, while also as stressing the material with long-range shots. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Payload diversity: Unlocking the submarine/ocean interface – 13 Jul

Long encumbered by the constraints of the torpedo tube, the submarine community is exploring how a more flexible interface with the undersea environment could open the way to larger and more diverse payloads. Richard Scott reports. In July 1998, a report from a Defense Science Board task force on the ‘Submarine of the Future' was submitted to the US Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition & Technology). In evaluating the role and function of nuclear attack submarines (SSNs) as part of US national defence over the medium-to-long term, including the SSN's potential contribution to joint operations in the littoral, the task force made a series of recommendations and identified a number of emerging trends. Janes Analysis: Aside from a handful of highly customised ‘special mission' boats, the submarine ‘ocean interface' has remained largely unchanged over decades. With increased interest in the integration of autonomous systems, the submarine design community is now investigating various options to break the tyranny of the torpedo tube. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

South Korea develops new techniques to mass-produce palm oil-based aviation biofuel – 12 Jul

South Korea‘s Agency for Defense Development (ADD) announced on 6 July that it has developed a new manufacturing technology to mass-produce palm oil-based bio-jet-fuel as an alternative to power military and civil aircraft turbine engines, while reducing the aviation industry's overall environmental footprint. The agency said in a statement that it completed a four-year research project to develop the new techniques, which will enable the production of 5 tons of palm oil-based bio-jet-fuel per year. Janes Analysis: The ADD said it hopes that the newly developed bio-fuel mass-production technique will greatly contribute to replacing petroleum-based fuels without having to change the operating conditions and structure of existing aircraft engines. The new techniques can also be applied to other types of aviation biofuels to test their feasibility for civil jet engine applications, noted the agency. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Data sense-making rises as national security requirement – 8 Jul

The intelligence requirements of Western governments increasingly revolve around making sense of complex data, as well as penetrating an adversary's secrecy. Neil Ashdown examines how changing requirements, and the rise of open-source competitors, are affecting the work of intelligence agencies. Janes Analysis: How states respond to the three trends shaping their work will inform the evolution of their approaches to national security and the nature of intelligence work. One possibility is that agencies will respond to policymaker demands for broader sense-making capabilities by covering a much broader range of issues and emphasising analysis. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.

Australian, US universities to conduct joint research on countering cyber threats – 6 Jul

The Australian Department of Defence (DoD) announced on 1 July that researchers at three Australian universities will collaborate with their US counterparts to explore the use of autonomous systems for cyber security. The DoD said in a statement that the University of Melbourne, Macquarie University, and the University of Newcastle will share AUD3 million (USD2.27 million) in funding with the University of Wisconsin as part of the Next Generation Technologies Fund's (NGTF's) Australia-US Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (AUSMURI) programme. The aim of the project will be to develop autonomous cyber-security systems through “robust and effective teaming of bots and humans”, stated the DoD. Already a Janes customer? Access full story HERE.


July 2021

Rafael unveils Sea Breaker advanced autonomous long-range missile system – 30 Jun 2021

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has disclosed the development of Sea Breaker – a new, fifth-generation, autonomous, precision-guided, long-range missile system, designed for precision engagement of emerging and next-generation maritime and land threats, stationary or moving, at ranges out to 300 km. Described by Rafael as “a naval and artillery force multiplier”, Sea Breaker is a day/night all-weather effector for use with naval platforms and shore-based launchers operating in what the company characterises as the “new battlefield”, where precision accuracy and low-collateral damage are required in a target environment protected by advanced electronic warfare, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) and GPS/GPSS jam and denial systems. Access full story HERE.

Advancing artillery: Improving accuracy, range, and reaction time for ‘the king of battle' – 21 Jun 2021

Fundamentally, the tactical and technical employment of artillery firepower exploits the interrelated principles of mass and manoeuvre. Mass refers to the concentration of volumes of fire on a target, while manoeuvre refers to the transfer and distribution of fire rapidly from one point to another. Manoeuvre also refers to the ability to displace rapidly, which is inherent in the mobility of field artillery units, and the capability to quickly prepare for combat and place the bulk of fires where needed. Therefore, when organising for offence or planning for defence, the manoeuvrability of all elements in an artillery organisation must be considered: target acquisition assets, command-and-control (C2) systems, fire direction centres, and fire units (FUs). Planning includes the scheme of defence, manoeuvre (in offence), terrain limitations, current and planned tactical groupings, and the availability of other fire support agencies. Access full story HERE.

US Army leverages VR technology to improve combat decision making – 28 Jun 2021

The US Army is exploiting recent advances in virtual reality (VR) technology, as well as in neuro and other physiological sensors, to help understand how small teams function in extreme environments. The research was funded by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)'s Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and led by scientists at the Electrophysiological Neuroscience Laboratory at Kent State University. It saw the development of a virtual reality lab aimed at furthering the understanding of group dynamics, an important consideration as the US military becomes more reliant on small teams, such as special operations forces. Access full story HERE.

Almaz-Antey unveils latest naval air-defence systems – 28 Jun 2021

Russia's state-owned Almaz-Antey Concern unveiled its latest range of shipborne air-defence systems at the International Maritime Defence Show 2021 (IMDS 2021), held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 23–27 June. Resurs (Resource) is a new surface ship-borne naval air-defence system intended to engage both manned air platforms and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), including extremely low-flying UASs, at short ranges. The system, which is capable of simultaneously engaging up to five aerial targets, comprises new effectors, a command module, and below-deck firing station and support systems. Access full story HERE.

US AFWERX eyes runway independence with Electra's blown lift eSTOL aircraft – 25 Jun 2021

The US Air Force's (USAF's) AFWERX venture is intrigued by the possibility that Electra's distributed hybrid-electric propulsion approach to blown lift could provide the service with runway-independent aircraft. Colonel Nathan Diller, AFWERX director, told Janes on 23 June that AFWERX's Agility Prime advanced air mobility vehicle effort, which has been primarily looking at electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developments, is intent to focus on runway-independent operations. Ben Marchionna, Electra director of technology and innovation, told Janes on 22 June that the company plans to have its electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft use blown lift and distributed electric propulsion (DEP) to take off with low speed in distances as short as 30.5 m, which Electra calls ultra-short eSTOL. Access full story HERE.

Altered states: Quantum systems could spawn an exotic information age – 25 Jun 2021

Quantum science seems to promise a disruptive shift in technology that armed forces and governments are eager to exploit. The first spin-based Loss–DiVicenzo quantum computer was proposed in 1997, but since then the science has experienced a resurgence of scrutiny after Canada-based D-Wave announced it had developed a 28-qubit quantum computer in 2007. “When [American mathematician Peter] Shor pioneered his algorithm [in 1994], which is basically an algorithm to factor large numbers into their primes, that is what really started the quantum computing field,” Sara Jean Gamble, programme manager in the Physics Division of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Army Research Office (ARO), told Janes. Access full story HERE.

Images emerge of PLA's newest infantry weapons – 25 Jun 2021

Images have emerged on Chinese social media platforms showing a comprehensive line-up of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) newest infantry weapons. None of the weapons shown in the images, which were posted in early June on Weibo, feature their official military designations, although some of them are already known. The display included the 9 mm CS/LS7 sub-machine gun (SMG) that was observed during the 1 October 2019 military parade in Beijing. This weapon is thought to be meant as a replacement for the QCW-05 SMG, chambered in the 5.8 × 21 mm cartridge. Access full story HERE.

Test and verify: US Navy advances unmanned integration during ‘UxS IBP 21' – 24 Jun 2021

The US Navy's (USN's) desire to accelerate the integration of unmanned systems into its fleet was demonstrated in April when it completed a first-of-its-kind major exercise designed to demonstrate the potential advantages of multidomain manned and unmanned operations. The exercise, called ‘Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21', was conducted by the USN's 3rd Fleet off the coast of San Diego, California, from 19–26 April and demonstrated the potential advantages and challenges of fielding a hybrid force structure across various planning and operational scenarios. Access full story HERE.

Israel tests ‘groundbreaking' airborne laser – 23 Jun 2021

The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Elbit Systems announced on 21 June that a series of tests of an airborne high-power laser system had been successfully completed. The MoD said the tests were carried out by its Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Elbit, and the Israeli Air Force and involved several unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targets being intercepted at various altitudes and ranges by the high-power laser weapon system. Access full story HERE.

Hanwha Systems launches development for networked unmanned SAR operations – 16 Jun 2021

South Korean defence prime Hanwha Systems is set to lead a consortium comprising industry and academic research institutes to develop technologies applicable for autonomous underwater and unmanned surface vehicles (AUV and USV)-based wide-area search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. The project, known locally as ‘Development of AUV and Operation Systems for Cluster Search', was launched by the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion (KIMST) on 11 June and is worth about KRW25 billion (USD22 million). KIMST aims to complete this project by 2025. Access full story HERE.

South Korea to deploy rail-mounted robot, AI-based surveillance systems to enhance border security – 16 Jun 2021

South Korea plans to deploy two new surveillance systems later this year to enhance round-the-clock border security amid heightened tensions with neighbouring North Korea. The country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a 16 June statement that the systems – a rail-mounted robot and an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled video and audio system – are being acquired through a fast-track procurement process and will initially be introduced as part of six-month-long trials starting in October (for the AI-based system) and December (for the rail-mounted system). Access full story HERE.

Chinese air force applying artificial intelligence to air combat training – 16 Jun 2021

The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology in pilot training by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has progressed to use in simulator training, according to a 12 June report published in the PLA Daily newspaper. The paper wrote that pilot Fang Guoyu, who was described as a “group leader in a brigade under the PLA Central Theatre Command Air Force”, was pitted in the simulator against an opponent driven by an AI-equipped system. Access full story HERE.

StrikeShield armour: Rheinmetall details its new distributed APS – 11 Jun 2021

Hungary is to be the first customer for Rheinmetall's StrikeShield hybrid armour solution, Gáspár Maróth, government commissioner for development of Hungary's armed forces, said in May. Rheinmetall confirmed on 18 May that the approximately EUR140 million (USD170 million) contract will provide the StrikeShield active protection package for the majority of Hungary's 209 Lynx armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), which the country agreed to procure in 2020 for EUR2 billion. StrikeShield is a modular, distributed, hard-kill active protection system (APS) incorporated into a spaced passive armour package for the Lynx tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) application. It is designed to be installed onto medium-weight AFVs such as the Boxer 8×8 or Lynx. Access full story HERE.

Ghost Fleet Overlord programme completes second long transit with unmanned surface vessel – 8 Jun 2021

The Pentagon's Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) and US Navy (USN) conducted a second long-range autonomous transit with a Ghost Fleet Overlord unmanned surface vessel (USV) from the US Gulf Coast, passing through the Panama Canal, to the US West Coast, the US Defense Department confirmed on 7 June. The unmanned vessel Nomad travelled 4,421 n miles, 98% of which was in autonomous mode, the Pentagon said. The first Ghost Fleet Overlord vessel, Ranger , completed a similar transit in October 2020. Access full story HERE.

Titanis C-UAS capability to employ hard-kill, soft-kill, and directed-energy solutions – 7 Jun 2021

Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has unveiled a scaleable, fully integrated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capability that employs soft-kill, hard-kill, and directed-energy effectors. Launched at the Land Forces 21 exposition in Brisbane and based on the EOS R-series remote weapon station (RWS), Titanis combines detection, command-and-control (C2), and layered capabilities to acquire, track, and defeat all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including fixed-wing platforms and ‘Class 3' quadcopters weighing up to 600 kg. Access full story HERE.

Hanwha to develop laser oscillator for air-defence system – 1 Jun 2021

Hanwha Corporation announced on 31 May that it has secured a contract to develop a laser oscillator for use in future, laser-based short-range air-defence weapon systems designed to primarily engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company said in a statement that the KRW24.3 billion (USD21.9 million) contract, which was awarded by the country's Agency for Defense Development (ADD), is aimed at developing a prototype within four years. The laser oscillator plays a key role in generating the laser beam and determines the performance of the laser weapon. Access full story HERE.

June 2021

Rafael unveils Sea Breaker advanced autonomous long-range missile system

30th June: Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has disclosed the development of Sea Breaker – a new, fifth-generation, autonomous, precision-guided, long-range missile system, designed for precision engagement of emerging and next-generation maritime and land threats, stationary or moving, at ranges out to 300 km. Described by Rafael as “a naval and artillery force multiplier”, Sea Breaker is a day/night all-weather effector for use with naval platforms and shore-based launchers operating in what the company characterises as the “new battlefield”, where precision accuracy and low-collateral damage are required in a target environment protected by advanced electronic warfare, anti-access/area denial (A2/AD) and GPS/GPSS jam and denial systems. 

 

Advancing artillery: Improving accuracy, range, and reaction time for ‘the king of battle'  

21st June: Fundamentally, the tactical and technical employment of artillery firepower exploits the interrelated principles of mass and manoeuvre. Mass refers to the concentration of volumes of fire on a target, while manoeuvre refers to the transfer and distribution of fire rapidly from one point to another. Manoeuvre also refers to the ability to displace rapidly, which is inherent in the mobility of field artillery units, and the capability to quickly prepare for combat and place the bulk of fires where needed. Therefore, when organising for offence or planning for defence, the manoeuvrability of all elements in an artillery organisation must be considered: target acquisition assets, command-and-control (C2) systems, fire direction centres, and fire units (FUs). Planning includes the scheme of defence, manoeuvre (in offence), terrain limitations, current and planned tactical groupings, and the availability of other fire support agencies.

US Army leverages VR technology to improve combat decision making

28th June: The US Army is exploiting recent advances in virtual reality (VR) technology, as well as in neuro and other physiological sensors, to help understand how small teams function in extreme environments. The research was funded by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM)'s Army Research Laboratory (ARL), and led by scientists at the Electrophysiological Neuroscience Laboratory at Kent State University. It saw the development of a virtual reality lab aimed at furthering the understanding of group dynamics, an important consideration as the US military becomes more reliant on small teams, such as special operations forces. 

 

Almaz-Antey unveils latest naval air-defence systems 

28th June: Russia's state-owned Almaz-Antey Concern unveiled its latest range of shipborne air-defence systems at the International Maritime Defence Show 2021 (IMDS 2021), held in Saint Petersburg, Russia, on 23–27 June. Resurs (Resource) is a new surface ship-borne naval air-defence system intended to engage both manned air platforms and unmanned aircraft systems (UASs), including extremely low-flying UASs, at short ranges. The system, which is capable of simultaneously engaging up to five aerial targets, comprises new effectors, a command module, and below-deck firing station and support systems. 

US AFWERX eyes runway independence with Electra's blown lift eSTOL aircraft 

25th June: The US Air Force's (USAF's) AFWERX venture is intrigued by the possibility that Electra's distributed hybrid-electric propulsion approach to blown lift could provide the service with runway-independent aircraft. Colonel Nathan Diller, AFWERX director, told Janes on 23 June that AFWERX's Agility Prime advanced air mobility vehicle effort, which has been primarily looking at electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft developments, is intent to focus on runway-independent operations. Ben Marchionna, Electra director of technology and innovation, told Janes on 22 June that the company plans to have its electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft use blown lift and distributed electric propulsion (DEP) to take off with low speed in distances as short as 30.5 m, which Electra calls ultra-short eSTOL. 

Altered states: Quantum systems could spawn an exotic information age

25th June: Quantum science seems to promise a disruptive shift in technology that armed forces and governments are eager to exploit. The first spin-based Loss–DiVicenzo quantum computer was proposed in 1997, but since then the science has experienced a resurgence of scrutiny after Canada-based D-Wave announced it had developed a 28-qubit quantum computer in 2007. “When [American mathematician Peter] Shor pioneered his algorithm [in 1994], which is basically an algorithm to factor large numbers into their primes, that is what really started the quantum computing field,” Sara Jean Gamble, programme manager in the Physics Division of the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Army Research Office (ARO), told Janes. 

Images emerge of PLA's newest infantry weapons  

25th June: Images have emerged on Chinese social media platforms showing a comprehensive line-up of the People's Liberation Army's (PLA's) newest infantry weapons. None of the weapons shown in the images, which were posted in early June on Weibo, feature their official military designations, although some of them are already known. The display included the 9 mm CS/LS7 sub-machine gun (SMG) that was observed during the 1 October 2019 military parade in Beijing. This weapon is thought to be meant as a replacement for the QCW-05 SMG, chambered in the 5.8 × 21 mm cartridge. 

Test and verify: US Navy advances unmanned integration during ‘UxS IBP 21' 

24th June: The US Navy's (USN's) desire to accelerate the integration of unmanned systems into its fleet was demonstrated in April when it completed a first-of-its-kind major exercise designed to demonstrate the potential advantages of multidomain manned and unmanned operations. The exercise, called ‘Unmanned Systems Integrated Battle Problem (UxS IBP) 21', was conducted by the USN's 3rd Fleet off the coast of San Diego, California, from 19–26 April and demonstrated the potential advantages and challenges of fielding a hybrid force structure across various planning and operational scenarios. 

Israel tests ‘groundbreaking' airborne laser  

23rd June: The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) and Elbit Systems announced on 21 June that a series of tests of an airborne high-power laser system had been successfully completed. The MoD said the tests were carried out by its Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D), Elbit, and the Israeli Air Force and involved several unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targets being intercepted at various altitudes and ranges by the high-power laser weapon system. 

Hanwha South Korea to deploy rail-mounted robot, AI-based surveillance systems to enhance border security 

16th June: South Korean defence prime Hanwha Systems is set to lead a consortium comprising industry and academic research institutes to develop technologies applicable for autonomous underwater and unmanned surface vehicles (AUV and USV)-based wide-area search-and-rescue (SAR) operations. The project, known locally as ‘Development of AUV and Operation Systems for Cluster Search', was launched by the Korea Institute of Marine Science and Technology Promotion (KIMST) on 11 June and is worth about KRW25 billion (USD22 million). KIMST aims to complete this project by 2025. 

South Korea to deploy rail-mounted robot, AI-based surveillance systems to enhance border security 

16th June: South Korea plans to deploy two new surveillance systems later this year to enhance round-the-clock border security amid heightened tensions with neighbouring North Korea. The country's Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a 16 June statement that the systems – a rail-mounted robot and an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled video and audio system – are being acquired through a fast-track procurement process and will initially be introduced as part of six-month-long trials starting in October (for the AI-based system) and December (for the rail-mounted system).

Chinese air force applying artificial intelligence to air combat training  

16th June: The adoption of artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology in pilot training by China's People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) has progressed to use in simulator training, according to a 12 June report published in the PLA Daily newspaper. The paper wrote that pilot Fang Guoyu, who was described as a “group leader in a brigade under the PLA Central Theatre Command Air Force”, was pitted in the simulator against an opponent driven by an AI-equipped system. 

StrikeShield armour: Rheinmetall details its new distributed APS 

11th June: Hungary is to be the first customer for Rheinmetall's StrikeShield hybrid armour solution, Gáspár Maróth, government commissioner for development of Hungary's armed forces, said in May. Rheinmetall confirmed on 18 May that the approximately EUR140 million (USD170 million) contract will provide the StrikeShield active protection package for the majority of Hungary's 209 Lynx armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs), which the country agreed to procure in 2020 for EUR2 billion. StrikeShield is a modular, distributed, hard-kill active protection system (APS) incorporated into a spaced passive armour package for the Lynx tracked infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) application. It is designed to be installed onto medium-weight AFVs such as the Boxer 8×8 or Lynx. 

Ghost Fleet Overlord programme completes second long transit with unmanned surface vessel  

08th June: The Pentagon's Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO) and US Navy (USN) conducted a second long-range autonomous transit with a Ghost Fleet Overlord unmanned surface vessel (USV) from the US Gulf Coast, passing through the Panama Canal, to the US West Coast, the US Defense Department confirmed on 7 June. The unmanned vessel Nomad travelled 4,421 n miles, 98% of which was in autonomous mode, the Pentagon said. The first Ghost Fleet Overlord vessel, Ranger , completed a similar transit in October 2020. 

Titanis C-UAS capability to employ hard-kill, soft-kill, and directed-energy solutions 

07th June: Australian company Electro Optic Systems (EOS) has unveiled a scaleable, fully integrated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) capability that employs soft-kill, hard-kill, and directed-energy effectors. Launched at the Land Forces 21 exposition in Brisbane and based on the EOS R-series remote weapon station (RWS), Titanis combines detection, command-and-control (C2), and layered capabilities to acquire, track, and defeat all types of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including fixed-wing platforms and ‘Class 3' quadcopters weighing up to 600 kg. 

Hanwha to develop laser oscillator for air-defence system 

01st June: Hanwha Corporation announced on 31 May that it has secured a contract to develop a laser oscillator for use in future, laser-based short-range air-defence weapon systems designed to primarily engage unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The company said in a statement that the KRW24.3 billion (USD21.9 million) contract, which was awarded by the country's Agency for Defense Development (ADD), is aimed at developing a prototype within four years. The laser oscillator plays a key role in generating the laser beam and determines the performance of the laser weapon.

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Technology Summary An overview of Janes Technology reporting. Here you will find a summary and curation of the most recent content derived from Janes Defence: News Module.