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    German Sachsen Frigate to Test a New Naval Laser Weapon

    By
    News Desk
    -
    The laser weapon station developed by Rheinmetall conducted successful trials in Switzerland in December 2019, demonstrating laser operation, speed and precision to engage mortar rounds and unmanned vehicles. The system is designed for deployment on stationary units, vehicles and naval vessels. Photo: Rheinmetall

    Updated – 28/1/2021: The German procurement authorities have awarded Rheinmetall a contract to develop a key future laser weapon system component. At the end of the second quarter of 2020, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) awarded a +10 € million contract to Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH to fabricate a laser source demonstrator.

    On 28 January 2021 BAAINBw expanded the contract to include MBDA under the ARGE consortium shared by Rheinmetall and MBDA. MBDA Deutschland is responsible for tracking, the operator’s console and linking the laser weapon demonstrator to the command-and-control system. Rheinmetall is in charge of the laser weapon station, the beam guiding system, cooling, and integration of the laser weapon system into the project container of the laser source demonstrator. The laser weapon demonstrator will be fabricated, tested, and integrated by the end of 2021. Trials onboard the German Navy frigate F-124 Sachsen will take place in 2022.

    “Once it’s installed [on the ship], the demonstrator will also be used to test important aspects such as the interaction and function of the sensor suite, combat management system and effector as well as rules of engagement.” Doris Laarmann, head of laser business development at MBDA Deutschland said.

    Once it’s installed, the demonstrator will also be used to test important aspects such as the interaction and function of the sensor suite, combat management system and effector as well as rules of engagement. Image: MBDA

    “The contract marks a systematic extension of the functional prototype laser weapon successfully tested in recent years, with the experience gained now dovetailing into one of the most ambitious projects in the field of laser weapon development in Europe” Dr. Markus Jung, who leads the company’s laser weapon development effort at Rheinmetall said

    Several navies have already embarked on testing such weapons, The US Navy has recently tested one in the USA, and another is under development for a trial by the Royal navy. Laser weapons are considered mainly for defensive roles.

    They are considered effective against soft targets such as drones and fast boats that could attack in swarms. Lasers also augment other defensive means in defeating simultaneous missile attacks.

    The laser source demonstrator can be employed in various projects to study military applications of high power laser. The first project of the new laser will be a trial phase onboard the F219 Sachsen Class – the lead ship of this class, one of three air-defense frigates serving in the German Navy since 2003.

    Sachsen firing an SM-2 missile on an exercise. The new laser will be able to integrate with the ship’s systems, adding a defensive layer against soft targets such as drones and fast boats that could attack in swarms. The laser can also augment other defensive means like the missile systems, in defeating simultaneous missile attacks.

    The laser demonstrator consists of twelve nearly identical 2kW fiber laser modules with close to diffraction-limited beam quality. A beam combiner – a subassembly that turns multiple beams into a single beam through dielectric grid technology – couples the twelve fiber-laser beams to form a single laser beam with excellent beam quality. The system utilizes Rheinmetall’s spectral coupling technique, which Rheinmetall has already tested for several years.

    This coupling technique maintains excellent beam quality with scalable output power levels up to 20 kW. Spectral coupling technology offers a multitude of advantages compared with other (geometric) coupling technologies. It is less complex, highly modular, and features growth potential in the 100kW performance class.

    In 2015, during trials conducted in the Baltic Sea, Rheinmetall successfully engaged targets on land with a functional prototype of a shipboard laser weapon system for the first time in Europe. Then, in 2018, BAAINBw and Rheinmetall successfully tested a laboratory-based 20kW laser source. The technology development was accelerated from laboratory to practical application in the space of just three years. The planned trials will be conducted in military environments under authentic operating conditions, becoming essential in maturing future laser weapon systems.

    In 2015 Germany tested a 10-kilowatt high-energy laser (HEL) effector mounted alongside the automatic gun of a MLG 27 light naval gun. Photo: Rheinmetall

     

    IrvinGQ Develops a Parachute Delivery System for Autonomous Ground Vehicles

    By
    News Desk
    -
    A C130 could airdrop two double ATAX systems configured with two THeMIS on each platform. Photo: IrvinGQ

    Parachute and Airborne Delivery expert IrvinGQ has adapted its ATAX platform to support the autonomous aerial deployment of unmanned ground vehicles, enabling users to deploy UGVs by parachute to remote locations, behind enemy lines without risking human lives to support those assets. This means that autonomous UGVs or other robotic vehicles remotely controlled UGVs can be operated remotely, start-up, drive off the rig, and conduct their missions minutes after landing. IrvineGQ and Milrem expect to have fully working prototypes in the Summer of 2021.

    ATAX parachute delivery system utilizes a fast rigging-deriging for rapid deployment of vehicles. Image: IrvinGQ

    A standard ATAX module measures 8 ft long and 108 in wide, and up to four modules can be connected to form a 32 ft platform, designed to accommodate all up masses ranging from 1,143 kg (2,520 lb) to 19,051 kg (42,000 lb) for land airdrops. Configured for airdrop with DRAGONFLY Joint Precision Aerial Delivery System (JPADS) parachute system adding guidance, range, and drop altitude that would keep the aircraft further away from the drop zone. This configuration can support a maximum mass of 10,000lb the system can carry two UGVs.

    A C130 could airdrop two double ATAX systems configured with two THeMIS on each platform. The system also fits the A400M that could despatch two triple ATAX platforms, using traditional G11s parachutes instead of JPADS. ATAX also fits the KC390. Other aerial deployment possibilities of Milrem Robotics’ UGVs include helicopter underslung or in the cargo area of a helicopter, for example, the Chinook CH-47.

    IrvinGQ and Milrem are cooperating on the development of a parachute delivery platform for autonomous vehicles

    The US Army has been testing the ATAX platform for some time through a Foreign Comparative Test (FCT). A third drop test was conducted successfully in November 2020 and another test is planned for early 2021. The system is being evaluated as a candidate for the Rapid Rigging Derigging Airdrop System (RRDAS), a program of record expected to demonstrate the delivery of unmanned ground vehicles by FY 22.

    The collaboration between IrvineGQ and MILREM was announced in March 2020. Moving to the next step, the system will now support two armed Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System (THeMIS) robots, carrying the Protector weapon stations (RWS) from Kongsberg Defense. The RWS mounts an automatic weapon (7.62/12.7mm) and a Javelin guided missile. Carrying two of the weaponized robot, ATAX enables military and special forces to deploy an autonomous strike force parachute, using the ATAX airdrop system. The system can load and deliver two weaponized UGVs or two Multscope Rescue UGVs utilized in military or firefighting missions.

    ATAX is a patented, Modular, Rapid-Rig/De-Rig, Aerial Delivery System that employs soft landing airbags instead of traditional energy-dissipating materials (EDM). The reusable delivery rig and airbag significantly reduce the shock forces imparted into the cargo load and facilitate a true drive-on drive-off capability. IrvinGQ is developing an airdrop restraint system with an auto release mechanism that enables the UGVs to self-deriging and drive-off the ATAX platform unaided.

    ATAX is a modular, Rapid-Rig/De-Rig, an aerial delivery system that employs soft landing airbags instead of traditional energy-dissipating materials (EDM), thus shortening the preparation process. Photo: IrvinGQ

    The Middle East Defense Cooperation Forum

    By
    Tamir Eshel
    -

    The upcoming IDEX / NAVDEX 2021 defense exhibitions in Abu Dhabi provide the first opportunity for military officials, government, and business executives from the Middle East region to get a close and unbiased impression of Israel’s defense sector. We believe in an open dialog that creates new opportunities and cooperation in the region and beyond, for big companies, medium and small businesses on both sides.

    Join the Forum

    Defense-Update is launching a special editorial section that will bring together the defense, naval, and HLS communities from both sides, paving the way for understanding and cooperation. Defense-Update is committed to promoting this dialog through our Media Partnerships with IDEX-2021, NAVDEX-2021, and ISDEF 2021, as well as numerous defense and security conferences and events in the region.

    Our first feature – ISRAEL@IDEX to be published in December 2020, provides an analysis of defense-related topics relevant to the region, a lineup of companies from the defense and security sector participating, directly or indirectly at IDEX and NAVDEX. ISRAEL@IDEX will also highlight market opportunities, new products, and relevant business activities.

    You are invited to join our email list and receive periodical updates from the forum

    Rheinmetall Unveils the Armed Recce Mission-Master Robot

    By
    Tamir Eshel
    -

    Rheinmetall Defence unveiled today a new armed reconnaissance mission module for their Mission-Master Autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (A-UGV). The new mission module includes an intelligence-gathering multi-sensor pack and a remotely controlled weapon station. With these systems, Mission Master Armed Recce operators can collect tactical intelligence in an operation area while providing fire support for front-line troops.

    The main advantage of operating such an autonomous robotic vehicle is its crewless operation, thus enabling collecting information from high-risk areas, where the robot operates as a scout, without risking human lives. The mission payload is mounted on a 3.5-meter expandable mast with a tilting mechanism enabling the vehicle to use the system on the move or from a defilade to minimize its exposure to the enemy.

    The recce payload consists of a staring radar (the configuration implemented in the prototype covers 180º using two ELM-2112 digital staring radars providing persistent surveillance over a wide area. mounted on the mast’s tip, the panoramic full ring camera provides additional surveillance covering 360º. A dual EO/IR camera payload investigates suspected objects detected by other sensors, sending targeting information back to the operator. A laser rangefinder and designator help to locate the targets and engage those targets with indirect or direct fires from other platforms. In the current configuration, the vehicle mounts Rheinmetall’s own Fieldranger Light 7.62mm weapon station, controlled remotely by a human operator.

    The electrically-powered Mission Master platform weighs 1,100 kg, including batteries, carrying up to 600 kg of payload. All Mission Master variants, including the Recce vehicle, can be transported on rail, transporters, and sling loaded under CH-53 or CH-47 helicopters. Rheinmetall has also developed a transportation cage that enables heavy transport helicopters deploying two vehicles on a single airlift. The platform is also amphibious, able to swim at 5 km/h, carrying 300 kg.

    Rheinmetall is improving the amphibious capability of the Mission Master, introducing the new amphibious variant by mid-2021. The vehicle can operate for eight hours or travel at 20 km/h over 140-160 km with batteries fully charged. However, in recent operational tests, the vehicles operated for more than 24 hours between charges, as the electrical power draw is rarely at peak levels most of the time. For extended missions, the vehicle can be fitted with a small gasoline engine generator for battery charging.

    Vehicle and Mission Autonomy

    The robotic vehicle owes its autonomy to Rheinmetall’s PATH autonomous vehicle kit designed specifically for military autonomous vehicles. PATH enables users to teleoperate the Mission Master using tablets, smartwatches, or handheld controllers or computers commonly used with soldier systems. These devices enable full access to advanced PATH features such as follow-me, convoy, and autonomous navigation modes. Each control mode incorporates multiple layers of protection to ensure that the vehicle operates safely at all times. The Armed Reconnaissance version is already networked to the Argus soldier system and Rheinmetall Command and Control Software, installed in any user’s battle management system. For autonomous navigation, the system relies on artificial intelligence and machine learning to learn the terrain and topography of the operation area (urban, desert, woodland), thus improving the ability to reason and understand objects, obstacles, and movement strategies.

    The vehicle features a radio-agnostic architecture, enabling users to integrate their radio of choice to meet their sovereign communications systems. The radio enables the Mission Master operator and the robot to conduct bi-directional communications, enabling remote control, communicating with other robots, and a higher command post.

    While the operator controls the robot from a distance and receives the scout information, the robot can conduct autonomous navigation and movement and autonomously perform some of the surveillance tasks according to the mission planning. On the mission package, AI is also employed to improve surveillance, detect changes, follow different behaviors of objects and tracks, to assess or determine intentions. Some of these reconnaissance and surveillance functions are already developed and tested (TRL-8), while remote weapon station autonomy (not including actual firing) still under development (TRL-6). As to autonomous weapon firing, Rheinmetall emphasized it is committed to keeping a man in the loop in all kinetic operations, assuring that a human decides when to open fire, never a machine.

    Power of the Wolf Pack

    This autonomy level takes the mission master a step closer to Rheinmetall’s fully autonomous ‘Wolfpack’ concept, where a squad of robots commanded by a single human operator is ready to perform combat missions.

    The Wolf Pack consists of multiple Mission Master vehicles operating as a team to perform specific missions such as zone surveillance, reconnaissance, or perform specific team tasks – target position transfer or multi-platform slew-to-cue. To accomplish such teamwork with all units, communicate with each other, and use artificial intelligence to maintain the total situational awareness necessary for carrying out their missions.

    The Wolfpack differs from the Wingman concept pursued by the US and Australian military, in its focus on mission autonomy. While the Wingman comprises one or two vehicles closely controlled by a human operator to form a combat team, the Wolfpack leverages a group of 2-6 robots ‘herded’ by a single operator from a remote command post or command vehicle. Therefore, a single operator can manage the entire Wolf Pack from anywhere, using the LTE network, SATCOM, or a military cloud. It is an intuitive concept that enables one operator – rather than a crew or multiple uncoordinated operators – to focus on the overall mission rather than managing all the tasks of each A-UGV. In the prototyping phase (TRL-6), Rheinmetall plans to demonstrate the concept within a year.

    The new Armed Reconnaissance module is the latest addition to the modular Mission Master family, widely acclaimed for its all-terrain maneuverability and ability to keep troops safe when deployed in harm’s way. The Cargo module can carry over half a ton of supplies, relieving troops’ burden keeping them fresh. The Fire Support modules boost dismounted units’ combat power, while the Rescue module autonomously evacuates casualties and carries specialized equipment for medical interventions in the field. Also, every single module is equipped with a Blue Force tracking system that is fully compatible with NATO standards.

    Advanced ERA, Level 6+ Armor Among the New Survivability Solutions From Plasan

    By
    Tamir Eshel
    -
    Advanced armor solutions offered by Plasan. Illustration: Plasan

    After three decades of fighting an asymmetric war on terror, western armies are gearing to face different enemies. They no longer expect total battlespace dominance; but, lessons learned from the hybrid warfare they fought for decades become instrumental in developing new technologies and combat techniques to fight and win the future war. Warfare is changing in all domains, and the land battle is no exception. Far-reaching changes are evolving – the ability to strike targets from afar precisely, using fires over an extended range, or remotely controlled and autonomous systems that engage the enemy without risking the humans. Still, as the enemy also possesses such capabilities, survivability becomes as essential as firepower, enabling your forces to remain effective maneuver to win the fight.

    Survivability is what Plasan NA brings to the table. “Plasan is more than an armor provider, as it supplies survivability and protection solutions for the military.” Plasan NA CEO John Cavedo told Defense-Update. “We approach survivability from different angles – our solutions touch vehicle design, crew placement, passenger seating, and the arrangement of structural parts and how they behave under explosion and through the blast. That’s what we do; we understand the dynamics, how the different threats interact with the vehicle, the ballistic characteristics of different armor solutions. Sometimes, a small change in design can dramatically improve survivability without adding weight to the platform.

    Some solutions are produced by Plasan in house, while others are developed in cooperation with vehicle integrators and manufacturers. Plasan offers this expertise to vehicle manufacturers of all types – from supplying armor kits and parts to lightweight tactical vehicles produced in large volumes production to design of advanced protection solutions for armored fighting vehicles like the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV), at the early stage of development and prototyping, engineering, manufacturing, and development stages. “Moving parts or seats by a few centimeters can result in much higher crew survivability to blast and ballistic threat, without adding an ounce to the vehicle weight,” Cavedo explained.

    “With solutions ranging from STANAG 4586 Level 1 to 6 and higher, slat-fence – counter RPG armor, blast protection, and Explosive Reactive Armor (ERA), our solutions range beyond the ballistic protection, offering a layered survivability approach. As an international player in the survivability market, our cutting-edge technologies are positioned to address customers’ needs and requirements worldwide. Some of those needs are unique to a specific user, while others are valid across all customers.”

    Advanced armor solutions are designed to face ever-increasing threat levels. These include ballistic protection, defeating 30 mm AP and higher, or countering RPGs with different statistical armor solutions. Plasan also integrates sensors to monitor the vehicle’s protection level and introduces an enhanced reactive armor (ERA) system known as Razor, elevating the protection of medium and light armored vehicles.

    In developmental testing (TRL-6), Razor is positioned to protect current and future armored vehicles against advanced threat comprised of kinetic and shaped-charge warheads. Razor introduces a more efficient, lighter ERA installed on lighter (thinner) armor, thus reducing the total vehicle weight.

    As armies are facing increased threats, Plasan also ups the ante with improved armor. “We have been working on armor solutions beyond Level 6+ over 2 years, and we have the know-how and technologies to simulate and test against those threats,” Cavedo added.

    In 33 years, Plasan has evolved from a local Israeli armor provider to become a major provider of survivability and protection solutions to leading armored vehicles OEMs worldwide. US activity makes a substantial part of the company’s turnover. Through extensive cooperation and collaborative design with OEMs, Plasan has established Plasan North America (PNA) as its US operation. Initially, these activities include metal and composites fabrication. Recently PNA expanded to design and engineering capabilities and applied to obtain Special Security Access (SAA) authorization to work on US military programs. To support this activity, Plasan NA is increasing the number of employees, adding personnel in engineering and design functions.

    PNA has also become a production facility on its own, as the company obtained manufacturing technology of the Hyrax, a light armored developed by Plasan Sasa. By manufacturing Hyrax in the USA, Plasan leverages the 50 percent US workshare requirement to comply with Israeli acquisitions with US Foreign Military Funding (FMF).

    RAF Tests an Innovative Anti A2AD Concept – Pitting Drone Swarms Against Air Defenses

    By
    Tamir Eshel
    -

    The Royal Air Force (RAF), in partnership with Leonardo, successfully conducted a live trial of a ‘swarming drones’ capability targeting a simulated enemy air defense radar.

    During the demo, a swarm made by several remotely-piloted aircraft equipped with Leonardo’s BriteCloud electronic warfare active decoy technology was used to confuse and overwhelm trial radars simulating enemy air defense systems. The demonstration was held as part of an RAF Rapid Capability Office (RCO) program evaluating combat swarm techniques, using multiple small unmanned aerial systems. Inspired by swarms of insects, the concept for swarming drones has already been recognized by the UK Ministry of Defence as a potentially game-changing future technology. The information gained from the demonstration will inform potential future UK programs to acquire an autonomous swarming drone capability.

    The demonstration showed how a swarm of BriteCloud-equipped drones overwhelmed the threat radar systems with electronic noise. The trial followed a rapid cycle of development that saw the RCO and Leonardo’s engineers working closely with UK SMEs Callen Lenz and Blue Bear that provided the drones and mission management systems.

    BriteCloud is a smart jammer designed in a small form factor packed in a small tin-can size container. BriteCloud creates a false target so convincing that technologies designed to spot decoys are rendered ineffective, allowing a much wider range of threat systems to be defeated. Using advanced DRFM-based technology that provides both Doppler and range obscuration, BriteCloud defeats chaff discrimination techniques and systems with range and velocity ‘gates’.

    Initially deployed as an off-board expendable active decoy (EAD), BriteCloud is operational with the RAF since 2018. The EAD protects combat jets against enemy radar-guided missiles. Each round can mimic the aircraft’s radar signature from it is launched, causing threat radar systems to track the decoy rather than the aircraft itself.

    UK drone specialist Blue Bear reports completion of the second phase of the 18-month 5GRIT project, culminating in drone flights on an arable farm in Yorkshire and a livestock farm in Cumbria, controlled over 5G from hundreds of miles away in London and Bedford.

    A Disrupting New Capability

    Swarm technology is progressing rapidly in the UK. In 2019 the UK Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) awarded £2.5m to a consortium led by Blue Bear Systems Research Ltd to develop drone swarm technology. The goal was to deploy advanced autonomy, through machine learning and AI to reduce the number of operators required, the time it takes to train them, and the cognitive burden on any operator during active operations. BlueBear first demonstrated this capability in April 2020.

    The ability to deploy a group of low-cost autonomous systems, self-controlled or managed by a single operator, delivers a new paradigm for battlefield operations. This allows very complex swarm-based missions to be performed simultaneously against single or multiple targets in a time-sensitive and highly effective manner.

    The UK MOD is accelerating the development of swarms of network-enabled drones under the £160m Transformation Fund announced in 2019. These systems will be capable of confusing and overwhelming enemy air defenses. Spearheading formations of F35 and Typhoon combat aircraft, these drone swarms will be able to penetrate denied airspace, using deception and suppression of key air defenses assets inside Anti-Access Area-Denied (A2AD) airspace. In April 2020 the 216 Squadron was reformed at RAF Waddington, to lead operational experimenting and deployment of network-enabled drones. Such missions are now part of the Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative (FCAS TI), delivering the Tempest 6 Gen combat aircraft in the 2030s.

    Drone and swarm technology are part of the MOD Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative (FCAS TI), complementing the Tempest. Image: Leonardo

    Russia Confirms Tsirkon Hypersonic Missile Test

    By
    Tamir Eshel
    -
    A 3M22 Tsirkon hypersonic cruise missile launched from a 3S14 universal missile launcher on the Russian Navy frigate Admiral Gorshkov. 6 October 2020. Photo: Russian MOD
    The Tsirkon missile launched from the vertical launcher of Admiral Gorshkov. After clearing the launcher the solid rocket starts and performs two kicks orienting the missile on its course, ascending to 28 kilometers before diving to hit its target at the Barents Sea, 450 km away. Photo: Russian MOD

    On 6 October, the Russian Ministry of Defence successfully tested the Tsirkon hypersonic missile. The tests were carried out from the waters of the White Sea, from the “Admiral Gorshkov” frigate. The test is the latest in a series of qualification tests (state tests) of the hypersonic anti-ship missile developed for the Russian Navy and the first performed from a combat vessel at sea.

    The news was announced on 7 October 2020, by the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov during a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. All pre-launch and flight stages were fulfilled and the test culminated with an accurate hit on target. General Gerasimov told Mr. Putin. Vladimir Putin praised the successful test as an extraordinary event for Russia and its armed forces, getting the newest weapon systems, unparalleled globally, ensuring its defense capabilities for the long term.

    According to the data given by Gerasimov, during the tests, the missile’s flight range was 450 km, the missile ascended to a maximum altitude of 28 kilometers (91,000 ft), and continued the flight to a total time of 4.5 minutes, achieving a maximum hypersonic speed of more than Mach 8.

    The missile is expected to undergo more test flights from surface ships and submarines. The project 885M submarine Kazan has been preparing for the first launch of a Tsirkon in 2020. Following the completion of the tests, Tsirkon will be cleared to equip some of the designated platforms. These vessels include ten Project 22350 ships, the second in this class was commissioned in July 2020, with eight more to be commissioned yearly until 2027.


    These vessels are designed to carry 24 launchers, compared to 16 carried on the Gorshkov and the three follow-on frigates of the class. Future Project 22350M frigates will be able to carry 48 missile launchers. Other platforms likely to receive Tsirkon are the nuclear-powered battlecruisers Admiral Nakhimov and Pyotr Veliky, each carrying 80 launchers, and the Yasen class attack submarine Severodvinsk. Coastal defense configurations are also planned, similar to Yakhont land-based variant Bastion.

    3M22 Tsirkon achieves hypersonic speed by using a SCRAMJET engine. This type of engine uses the shockwave to compress the fuel and air, instead of the ramjet used on the P-800 Onyx, that slow the airflow in the engine to subsonic speed, thus limiting the missile’s speed.

    Comparison of turbine (a), ramjet (b) and scramjet (c) propulsion.

    Tsirkon Hypersonic Anti-Ship Missile

    Tsirkon (also spelled Zirkon Циркон, in Russian) is a two-stage missile that uses solid fuel in the first stage and a scramjet (supersonic-combustion ramjet) motor in the second stage. The missile is designed by the Russian NPO-Machinostroeniya complex, the developer of the P-800 Onyx naval missile system and its predecessor, P-700 Granit. The missile received the NATO reporting name SS-N-33.

    Believed to be the world’s fastest missile, Tsirkon outpaces western air defenses flying at twice the speed. Another feature making it hard to defeat is the typical plasma cloud developed around the missile during the hypersonic flight. This plasma cloud absorbs radar radiation making the missile invisible to the radar. If the missile develops hypersonic speed below the radar horizon, Tsirkon can conduct a surprise attack from a maximum range, with missiles detectable only at a much shorter range by imaging (thermal) sensors, such as those deployed on early-warning satellites, F-35 aircraft, and drones.

    [wlm_ismember]With the initial fielding of KH47M2 Kinzhal air-launched hypersonic missiles and qualification of the Tsirkom, the Russians have matured hypersonic flight well beyond the USA. Although Washington has spent billions on hypersonic research, the Pentagon is not expecting to have such technology in a technological readiness level as mature as the Russian systems. To stem the threat, DOD is considering the parallel development of hypersonic weapons for defensive and offensive purposes.

    An X-51A WaveRider hypersonic flight test vehicle is uploaded to an Air Force Flight Test Center B-52 for fit testing at Edwards Air Force Base on July 17, 2009. Four scramjet-powered Waveriders were built for the Air Force. The Air Force Research Laboratory, DARPA, Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, and Boeing are partners on the X-51A technology demonstrator program. Photo: US Air Force.

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    [wlm_nonmember]Subscribe to read the full version[/wlm_nonmember]

    [wlm_ismember]Admiral Gorshkov is the lead ship of Project 22350 multi-mission frigate program, commissioned in 2018. Equipped with two 8-cell 3S-14 universal shipborne launchers, the vessel can carry and launch the Tsirkon hypersonic weapon, P-800 Onyx (Yakhont) supersonic anti-ship weapons, and 3M14/54 Kalibr cruise missiles. Compared to the Onyx, Tsirkon climbs twice as high as the Onyx, where it can reach a speed four times faster, and cover 50 percent longer than Onyx. Therefore, Tsirkon is expected to replace the Onyx on platforms carrying the universal launcher system, where Tsirkon will be stocked with the subsonic Kaliber land-attack cruise missiles that have a much longer range.

    Stacked to form 16, 24, or 48 cell batteries the 3S-14 launchers are operational on Russian Navy Project 22350 frigates and are being fitted to two the two Russian battlecruisers – Pyotr Veliky and Admiral Nakhimov. The first of the two modernized battlecruisers is expected to carry the Tsirkon as it joins the Navy in two years. Each battlecruiser has enough space to accommodate ten 3S-14 multiple launchers, with a total capacity of 80 missiles.

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    Skylord Keeps Warfighters Safe in the Heat of Battle

    By
    Tamir Eshel
    -

    Sending machines to battle, instead of human operators, sounds like science fiction, but this is precisely what XTEND’s Skylord does today. While the current Skylord family members do not shoot weapons, they perform missions in hazardous conditions, enabling their human operators ‘sit inside’ the drones and perform the mission remotely. This telepresence technology disrupts HLS, military, and first responder’s markets, making the need to risk lives obsolete.

    The SkyLord family employs XTEND’s edge technology with cognitive skills to safely perform dangerous missions. “The system uses augmented reality (AR) guidance and control technology to enable an operator to perform complex missions with great ease and precision, using an AR vision system and a single-handed controller.” Said Aviv Shapira, XTEND CEO. “This telepresence interface enables operators to immerse themselves and “step into” a remote reality and engage targets effectively yet safely.”

    “This joint activity implements novel technological capabilities taken from the field of AR, from the world of gaming,” said Lt. Col. Menachem Landau, Head of the UAV Branch in the Directorate of Defense Research and Development (DDR&D) of Israel’s Ministry of Defense. According to XTEND, only a few hours are required to master a flight, and, within a few days, soldiers can achieve initial operational capability with the system. “It enables troops to employ intuitive, battle-proven, and precise systems, following a minimum training period, to engage hostile flying objects such as drones.”

    The system uses AR (augmented reality) guidance and control technology to enable an operator to perform complex missions with great ease and precision, using an AR vision system and a single-handed controller. Photo: XTEND.
    The entire system packs into a backpack, including the controller and AR viewer, weighing less than two kilograms. Photo: XTEND

    SkyLord provides a common drone operating system enabling a single operator control of different drone platforms and missions. The current technology enables a single operator to control single or multiple drones. The patent-pending technology developed by XTEND is also designed to support the management and swarm layering, autonomous flight, and drone-team mission management.

    Skylord uses an integrated sensor and payload system, provided as part of the system. Computer vision processing of onboard camera feeds perform simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) calculations, enabling the drone to self localize in space. Additional processing using machine learning performs heuristic predictive visual and spatial analytics, enabling the drone to understand complex spatial relations with obstacles, and targets, thus follow operator directions and intent. While operation and control are best performed using VR, providing the most efficient and accurate means of control. By adapting communications techniques, using video compression and decompression, and optimizing interface, XTEND managed to overcome latency to comfortable levels. The sensor feeds from the drone can be displayed on tablets, eyepieces, and wrist displays. The entire system, including the controller and AR viewer, weigh less than two kilograms.

    The Skylord family comprises three platforms – Xtender, Hunter, and Wolverine, each is designed to perform a specific mission set.

    a mini tablet-sized drone powered by four ducted rotors, Xtender is designed for indoor surveillance. Photo: XTEND.

    Xtender – a mini tablet-sized (25 cm) drone powered by four ducted rotors, Xtender is designed for indoor surveillance. The onboard cameras are used for localization and orientation, obstacle management, and situational awareness. Xtender packs powerful indoor navigation capabilities in a small form factor; AR telepresence enables human operators to ‘sit inside’, navigating the drone into the confined spaces, moving ahead of an assault team as they enter to clear a building in close-quarter combat (CQB).

    “Using intuitive AR control, operators can easily ‘slide’ under sofas or through narrow spaces, flying through galleries or underground spaces.” Ido Baron, VP Business Development told Defense-Update. “Designed for operation in close quarters, Xtender is equipped with communications to maintain a stable link with the lead section through several floors.” When missions extend over more complex indoors, several Xtender drones will be able to implement a MESH network to cover a larger indoor space.

    Wolverine is the heavier member of the family, equipped with a mechanical arm that can grip packages or sling loads, lifting 3 kg. Photo: XTEND.

    Wolverine is the heavier member of the family, equipped with a mechanical arm that can grip packages or sling loads, lifting 3 kg. The Wolverine has been operational and has performed in over 100 counter-IED missions. The drone can deliver cargo within 10 centimeters of its designated target, thus safely manipulate suspected explosive device scenes, clearing within seconds events that would have taken hours to solve.

    During the recent demonstration in Spain, XTEND performed ‘kinetic intercepts’ intercepting the target drone before entering into the airspace of the protected airport perimeter using the Hunter C-UAS Net. Photo: XTEND.

    Hunter: A multi-purpose drone system, the Hunter has been used primarily in Counter-UAV missions. This combat-proven system has been fielded with the Israeli military. It is undergoing testing as part of an operational pilot program launched by the US Combating Terrorism Technical Support Office (CTTSO).

    Under the program, XTEND is delivering dozens of systems, each weighing less than two kilograms, comprising three drones, an virtual reality viewing system, and a hand controller. The drone can be used for surveillance, dashing to its target at 150 km/h. It can also perform drone interceptor missions using a specially designed C-UAS net. For that mission, the Hunter is flown toward its target dragging a net; as it gets closer to the target, the drone takes a course that brings the net to entangle with the target drone. The net is detached from the Hunter that continues its flight and lands safely near the operator.

    Hunter drone-defeating capabilities demonstrated to Spanish personnel as part of an evaluation event hosted by the Spanish Ministries of Interior and Defense in Asturias Airport, Spain. Photo: XTEND.

    According to Shapira, since the interceptor drone is fully controlled throughout the mission, Hunter provides a simple, safe, and cost-effective C-UAS hard-kill solution. Hunter was proven in over 2,500 successful intercepts over the border with Gaza, where it was deployed against hostile drones and incendiary devices. Since the Hunter drone remains intact through the intercept, and the net assembly can be reused, the system has a low cost per intercept. Among those that have seen extensive use, single Hunter platforms have downed more than 90 targets without a loss.

    XTEND, the Skylord drone family’s Israeli developer, demonstrated drone-defeating capabilities to Spanish authorities as part of an evaluation event hosted by the Spanish Ministries of Interior and Defense in Asturias Airport, Spain. The event featured 16 counter-drone technologies; each company had to perform several tests to demonstrate how they maintain their designated area security and defeat hostile drones while being compatible with the airport’s operational communication and navigation services. According to Shapira, XTEND performed ‘kinetic intercepts’ intercepting the target drone before entering into the airspace of the protected airport perimeter. Shapira concluded, “The successful evaluation here shows the way we can revolutionize how airports can survey and protect their airspace from drones and other aerial threats that place aircraft at risk.”

    AeroVironment Introduces a New Loitering Weapon Addressing Army, Marine Corps Evolving Needs

    By
    Tamir Eshel
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    AeroVironment introduces the Switchblade 600 loitering weapon. Illustration: AeroVironment
    Wahid Nawab, AeroVironment’s President & CEO introduces Switchblade 600 at a video press conference.

    Aerovironment (AV) announced today expanding its loitering weapon family, as it introduced the Switchblade 600 – the largest weapon in the family announced to date. The new weapon employs the tube-launched, collapsible wing, electric propulsion architecture as Switchblade 300, and its Blackwing variant.

    With longer range, extended mission endurance, and multi-purpose warhead Switchblade 600 expand the warfighter’s capability engaging larger, hardened targets at greater distances. According to AeroVironment, the Switchblade 600 has been funded in part by an unnamed customer that expressed interest in the system for several years. The program began in 2014 and achieved the first flight within a year. Completing development, it entered flight testing in 2019 and is currently in low-rate production for yet unnamed DOD customers. The system is intended to achieve initial operational capability (IOC) early in 2021.

    At that time the new system is scheduled to perform flight demonstrations for the US Marine Corps, as part of the down-select of a single vendor for the Organic Precision Fires – Mounted (OPF-M) loitering weapon system destined to equip the corps’ Light Armored Reconnaissance (LAR) battalions. The corps eyes OPF-M as a weapon or system of systems comprised of reconnaissance, battle management, communications, and loitering weapons that enable precision fire effects ranging far beyond today’s LAR weapon systems, reaching as far as 100 km.

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    The specs of Switchblade 600 are set to match the US Army SMAM requirement. Illustration: US Army

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    The specs of Switchblade 600 are set to match the US Army SMAM requirement. Illustration: US Army

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    The US Army also seeks loitering weapons capabilities beyond the current LMAMS, Single Multi-mission Attack Missile (SMAM) is a 35km range precision loitering munition. For SMAM the Army eyes a loitering weapon effective at ranges beyond 35 km. The weapon would be a man-portable, tube-launched weapon weighing 50-70 pounds (22-32 kg), controlled from a tablet relaying the drone’s video feed and switch between flight modes – transit, loiter, and attack.

    “Since pioneering the loitering missile category with Switchblade 300 more than 10 years ago, AeroVironment has worked with multiple new customers to develop scalable variants that could address new mission requirements,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer. “Now that Switchblade 300 has been adopted by the U.S. Army for its LMAMS program, our customers are eager to deploy Switchblade 600 because it can address larger, hardened targets in a more precise, rapid and cost-effective manner than legacy missile systems. We anticipate continued expansion of our family of loitering missile systems to help our customers proceed with certainty across a broader set of missions.”
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    Illustration of the Switchblade 600. The new weapon packs a Jevelin warhead that is four times larger than the one used on the ‘300, adding anti-armor capability. Compared to the Javelin, Switchblade can attack targets at a much longer range and offers the unique capability to ‘wave off’ or abort an attack if needed. Source: AeroVironment

    Switchblade 600 is a man-portable, rapidly deployable, extended-range precision strike loitering missile for non-line-of-sight hardened targets. Combining reconnaissance and target acquisition capabilities in a compact, simple to use weapon system, loitering weapons such as the Switchblade 600 deliver an unprecedented combination of precision, control, and effects on the target, addressing missions previously performed with ‘fire and forget’ legacy missile systems. According to Nawabi, these legacy weapons represent more than $1 billion in U.S. Department of Defense procurement appropriations in the fiscal year 2020 that could be disrupted by the new loitering weapon. “The result of our continued innovation at the intersection of robotics, sensors, software analytics and connectivity, Switchblade 600 offers next-generation capabilities to our customers for operations against any adversary, in any threat environment,” Nawabi said.

    [wlm_ismember]Switchblade 600 deploys from the container that also provides the launch tube. The pre-launch setup takes about 10 minutes. The new weapon packs a Jevelin warhead that is four times larger than the one used on the ‘300, adding anti-armor capability. Dash speed has also increased to 115 mph (185 km/h). Switchblade 600 has the firepower to engage and prosecute hardened static and moving light armored vehicles from multiple angles with precisely localized effects while minimizing collateral damage.

    The weapon is equipped with a high-performance EO/IR two-axis gimbaled sensor suite enabling target acquisition from a long-range. Future enhancements f the system include adding more powerful processing capabilities with video processing and edge computing, enabling further automation mission planning and automatic target recognition capabilities through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML).

    With packed energy to sustain more than 40 minutes of flight time, and precision flight control with ‘silent flight’ capability extending the data-link range and operations in GPS denied environment, Switchblade 600 extends the tactical reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA). Upon its arrival at the target area, the weapon would reestablish communications to obtain the operator’s approval to attack. Supporting operations at an extended range, the weapon can transit up to 50 miles (80 kilometers) to a target area before conducting multiple confirmatory orbits, and finally, engage in target prosecution. Switchblade 600 can do all that without the need for external ISR or fires assets. At a shorter range, loitering time can be extended at a ratio of roughly one minute for one kilometer.

    A new tablet-based console with intuitive touch control was developed for the Switchblade 600 system, further simplifying system operation. Illustration: AeroVironment.

    At any phase of the flight, the operator has the choice to ‘regret’ and cease the attack should the situation requires such a decision. For example, if non-combatants are observed within the proximity of the target, the operator can order the weapon to “wave-off” and then recommit the attack on a different path. This option allows operators to abort the mission at any time, and then re-engage either the same or other targets multiple times based on operator command.

    Also new with Switchblade 600, AeroVironment introduces a touch-screen, tablet-based Fire Control System (FCS) with tap-to-target guidance and the option to pilot the loitering missile manually or autonomously. Combined with its built-in mission planner and training simulator, the FCS provides operators with an intuitive platform to easily plan and execute missions precisely while reducing cognitive load. Additionally, onboard AES 256 digital encryption and SAASM GPS provide the security, resilient communications, and signal integrity necessary to defend against electronic warfare capabilities employed by peer and near-peer adversaries in contested environments.[/wlm_ismember]

    Switchblade 300 (left), Switchblade 600 (center), and Blackwing (right) form the basis of AeroVironment’s emerging family of tactical missile systems. Image: AeroVironment

    The U.S. Army already has a program of record for the Lethal Miniature Aerial Missile System (LMAMS). In April 2020 the Army awarded AeroVironment a $76 million contract for the first year procurement of Switchblade 300 systems and program support. It is the largest order for loitering munitions the Pentagon has issued to date. The order fulfilled a
    Joint Urgent Operational Need Statement from the United States Army Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions (TAGM) project office. Deliveries began last month and could be followed and with two additional one-year options that are currently unfunded. These options could extend the period of performance through April 2023 on a sole-source basis. With the two options, the total cost of the program could reach $146 million.

    Blackwing is a four pound micro UAV designed for launch from submerged submarines. Image: AeroVironment

    In parallel to the Army and Special Operations Command, the US Navy has deployed an unarmed reconnaissance variant of the Switchblade known as ‘Blackwing’. Although the drone has a modular payload that can accommodate a small warhead, this payload is used to store more energy onboard. Blackwing also operates a digital datalink and tactical data relay enabling the mini-drone to establish or join an existing interoperable, encrypted, wideband network, linking surface and underwater platforms, including underwater unmanned systems (UUV) operating in its vicinity. This tube-launched mini drone is can be launched from submerged submarines or from multipack launchers on board surface vessels or offshore platforms.

    Switchblade 300 is a back-packable, rapidly deployable, precision strike loitering missile for beyond-line-of-sight targets that minimizes collateral damage and can be tube-launched from land, sea, or air platforms. Aerovironment has demonstrated the deployment of two Switchblade 300 systems on AV’s Vaporminiature, unmanned helicopter platform. More carriage and aerial release flight tests will be done in 2021, as part of AV’s cooperation with Kratos Defense Systems.

    The two companies are developing and will soon demonstrate the integration of tube-launched UAS and tactical missile systems into long-range, high-speed, and low-cost unmanned systems for their transport and delivery into near-peer denied environments.

    An image depicting the launch of Switchblade loitering weapons from a Mako – an attritable ground-launched unmanned platform. Illustration: AeroVironment

    Kratos and AeroVironment’s first collaborative project is designed to demonstrate the ability to launch, communicate with, and control a small, tube-launched loitering aircraft from a larger runway-independent unmanned aircraft. The overall system-of-systems effectiveness will be evaluated for its ability to coordinate the effects of the smaller AeroVironment systems, relay useful information back to the Kratos mothership, and either pass information back to a ground control station or act upon that information to modify mission taskings.

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    Israeli Spyders to Replace the Czech Air Force SA-6 Missiles

    By
    News Desk
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    Rafael's SPYDER was selected to replace the Soviet Era 2K12 KUB (SA-6) in Czech air force service. Photo: RAFAEL
    A KUB (SA-6) missile system at the Temelin nuclear power plant. Photo: Michal Voska

    The Czech government approved the launch of procurement negotiations for four Israeli “SPYDER” batteries, within the framework of a G2G agreement between the two countries. Israel was selected as the sole supplier for the project and the expected agreement between the countries’ defense ministries is estimated at over $400 million.

    [wlm_ismember]Czech Defence Minister Lubomir Metnar called the acquisition a strategic project of state defense, one of the main priorities of the ongoing modernization of the armed forces. As part of this acquisition, the military will replace the obsolete 2K12 KUB, (also known as SA-6 “Gainful”, inducted in 1991) reminiscent of the Soviet-era SAM system. The acquisition of the Short Range Air Defense Medium Range Surface Air Missile (SHORAD / MSAM) comprised of four batteries, each equipped with its own 3D radar, fire command and control system, and four launchers. The systems are required to meet rail and air transportation in C-130, C17, and A400M.

    SPYDER (Surface-to-Air Python & Derby), is a quick reaction, low- to-high surface-to-air missile system designed to counter attacks by a variety of aerial threats including aircraft, helicopters, and UAVs. The system provides effective protection of valuable assets, as well as first-class defense for maneuvering forces located in combat areas. Addressing the Czech requirement for active-guided missiles, their SPYDER configuration is likely to use only the radar-guided I-Derby interceptors. Through the pre-tender process, Prague also evaluated the IRIS-T SLM from Diehl, NASAMS, by Kongsberg, the MEADS, proposed by Lockheed Martin and MBDA.[/wlm_ismember]

    Israel has offered the Spyder system in a direct Government to Government (G2G) sale. Negotiations are expected to commence soon and conclude at the beginning of 2021. The estimated value of the contract is $428 million. Delivery of the systems is expected to begin in 2023 and span over two years. The SPYDER system includes a radar system produced by Elta, a subsidiary of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI). Eight radars were acquired in 2019. The MADR systems will be delivered in 2021, tested, licensed, and inducted in service by 2023. The systems will be adapted to operate in accordance with the Czech and NATO command and control systems.

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    An important part of the negotiations will be the share of the Czech industry involvement. Prague wants to secure at least 30% of the program to Czech companies, The truck-mounted system will employ locally produced Tatra 815-7 8×8 chassis with ballistic protected cabins. Other elements likely to be locally sourced are the integration of communications, datalinks and C3, training, and logistical support for at least 20 years.

    SPYDER can be configured with loads of four or eight missiles, configured for slant or vertical launch. Photo: RAFAEL

    The air-transportable SPYDER system comprises a Command and Control Unit
    (CCU) with associated radar, 3-6 truck-mounted missile firing units (MFU), and support vehicles. The system’s open architecture design enables adding up external components, such as radars, datalinks, command and control. These missiles are dual-use missiles (can be employed for air-to-air or surface-to-air missions). The I-Derby is qualified for use with JAS-39 Gripen used by the Czech Air Force.

    [wlm_ismember]The SPYDER SR and SPYDER ER-360 system employ a slant launching that provides low-level quick-reaction, Lock-On-Before-Launch (LOBL) and Lock-On-After-Launch (LOAL) capabilities. whereas the SPYDER-MR and SPYDER-LR offer medium and long range target interceptions through vertical launch. Both systems enable 360° launch within seconds after the target being declared hostile and provide all-weather, multi-launch, net-centric capabilities. A SPYDER unit can operate autonomously, or networked into a regional, national, or coalition air-defense system. It can detect targets while on-the-move, and launch missiles shortly after a halt.[/wlm_ismember]

    IAI Expands Tactical UAS Footprint with BlueBird Aerosystems Acquisition

    By
    News Desk
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    BlueBird's WanderB VTOL drones ready for delivery. Photo: BlueBird Aerosystems
    Assembly line of WanderB drone fuselage sections. Photo: BlueBird Aerosystems

    Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) today signed an agreement to acquire 50% of the equity of BlueBird Aero Systems, an Israeli UAS developer and integrator in the small tactical UAS arena. As part of the transaction, IAI is acquiring the holdings of Piramal Technologies SA from India, which divested its 28.5% holding.

    IAI acquired additional shares from Fiberless Access and BlueBird founder Ronen Nadir. Following the acquisition, Nadir will hold 50% of BlueBird shares and continue to serve as the company’s CEO. The value of the acquisition was not disclosed but, previously published reports mentioned it was about $29 million.

    “The world moves toward small UAS, that leverages system miniaturization in platform and payloads to benefit users at the tactical and operational level,” Nadir said. In the past these missions were performed by tactical UAS, today, users perform these missions with smaller, more agile platforms, with minimal logistical footprint and operator support. Adding Vertical take-Off and Landing (VTOL) adds another dimension to these platforms, enabling organic, close support to land and naval forces.

    WanderB drone assembly. Photo: BlueBird Aerosystems

    [wlm_ismember]Together with Bluebird, IAI plans to bring innovative and groundbreaking VTOL technologies to the market. In recent years, both IAI and BlueBird have focused on VTOL capabilities, a category that provides significant benefits to land and naval forces.

    Until now IAI has been marketing fixed-wing small tactical drones such as the BirdEye 650 and 650D. IAI also developed the Panther family of VTOL platforms, utilizing a proprietary tri-tilt-rotor design. In contrast, BlueBird has developed and successfully marketed VTOL platforms employing the quad-rotor concept, used with the WanderB-VTOL and ThunderB-VTOL. Operational in Israel and worldwide since 2006, BlueBird’s advanced UAV systems have performed over 52,000 operational sorties and open area support, as well as urban scenarios and tactical mapping on demand (TMOD) for military, HLS, Search and Rescue, and commercial applications.

    The acquisition is part of the implementation of IAI’s strategy in the UAS sector, broadening its solutions across low, medium, and upper tiers. Tapping the significant growth in the demand for small tactical UAS and VTOL expected the lower tier, for small tactical UAS for military, HLS, and commercial applications. IAI has been developing systems and technologies in this field for more than two decades but has not been successful in turning those technologies into products.[/wlm_ismember]

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    The acquisition follows a streak of major contracts worth tens of millions of euros, awarded to BlueBird by several foreign customers. These contracts call for the delivery of 100 vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS of various categories. The deals include the supply of about 200 UAS units of WanderB-VTOL Mini UAV and ThunderB-VTOL Tactical UAVs. These drones will be operated by infantry soldiers, armored units, artillery corps, and special forces. The contract marks the largest-ever sale of tactical VTOL UAS. According to Ronen Nadir, Founder, and CEO of BlueBird, that contract marked BlueBird’s success and world leadership in developing cutting edge VTOL solutions.

    “Winning these major new contracts brought us to the limelight, emphasizing the potential of a company like BlueBird to become a major power in the market, such a move is possible only with the active support of a strategic partner,” Nadir said. “It illustrates our proven ability to provide cost-effective, reliable, and high-performance solutions that are specifically designed to meet the needs of the modern battlefield,” Nadir added.

    “The acquisition of BlueBird is an implementation of this strategy, offering us an important leap forward in developing the next IAI UAV family.” IAI EVP and General Manager of the Military Aircraft Group of IAI, Moshe Levy, said, adding that combined, the company will be able to broaden its portfolio of VTOL products and advanced technologies at competitive prices.

    IAI’s move with BlueBird is the latest merger in Israel’s UAS scene. Prior to this move was the buyout of the Silver Arrow company by Elbit Systems in 1990, and Rafael’s acquisition of  Aeronautics Systems last year, for $243.5 million.

    GDLS Showcases a New Tracked Chassis for a 10-ton Military Robot

    By
    Tamir Eshel
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    Supporting the platform’s 10 ton GVW, TRX uses four double-tiered road wheel bogies, each paired with a suspension with spring. The motor is placed at the front, driving the sprocket. The idler is on the back. Photo: GDLS

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    Users can attach different sensors on multiple places located around the platform, providing an easy adaptation for new missions and sensor technologies. Click to enlarge Photo: GDLS

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    Users can attach different sensors on multiple places located around the platform, providing an easy adaptation for new missions and sensor technologies. Photo: GDLS

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    General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) has unveiled a tracked robotic platform (TRX) designed to meet the US Army’s ‘Robotic Combat Vehicle – Medium’ class requirement. GDLS First displayed the platform in a small model designated ‘TL1’ shown at the AUSA Annual Meeting in Washington DC last year. Yesterday, TRX starred at the center of GDLS’ virtual display at the virtual Modern-Day Marine expo, hinting more information will be provided at the upcoming AUSA virtual event next month.

    “The TRX that you see on General Dynamics MDM display is an innovative solution that Land Systems developed. It is designed to be a multi-role vehicle that can fill any role – be it combat or service support for the military.” General Dynamics spokesperson noted. “This advanced capability can support virtually any mission package and be paired with any manned platform.”

    The TRX platform design builds on the success of the Multi-Utility Tactical Transport (MUTT), a lighter robotic vehicle developed by GDLS, which was selected by the U.S. Army for the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) program.

    GDLS unveiled the TL1 as a concept robotic vehicle at the AUS Annual Meeting of 2019. Photo: Defense-Update

    TRX leverages the Warfighter/Machine Interface (WMI) for teleoperation and autonomous operations. created by the Ground Vehicle System Center (GVSC). Additionally, Land Systems engineers have leveraged MUTT concepts of electronic architecture and control, realizing a high level of component commonality among our growing family of unmanned ground vehicles.

    Meant to maintain pace with the Armored Brigade Combat Team (ABCT) and Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT), TRX boasts a class-leading payload capacity of more than 10,000 pounds and a flat deck to accommodate any type of mission equipment package. At a gross vehicle weight of 10 ton, sling load is within the objective performance characteristics of the TRX. (Both CH-47F and CH-53K can lift this weight).

    GDLS’ TRX joins a trend of medium robotic platforms developed by several companies. The Estonian Type-X from Milrem Robotics represents this trend with (12 ton GVW) along with the M5 Ripsaw developed by Textron Systems (10.5 ton GVW). All three are fitted with remotely controlled turret and are teleoperated, move by waypoint navigation, or in a ‘follow-me’ mode of operation. Pratt Miller’s EMAV is slightly smaller, designed for 6.35 ton GVW.[wlm_nonmember]

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    [wlm_ismember]The 10-ton tracked robot can load up to 4.5 ton (10,000 pounds) of payload on a flat deck that accommodates any type of mission equipment package, including gun turrets and remotely controlled weapon mounts, obstacle breaching systems, missile launchers, and more. According to GDLS, TRX is positioned to provide superior performance as an enabling technology for use in direct- and indirect-fire combat roles, autonomous resupply, complex obstacle breaching, C-UAS, EW, reconnaissance, and many other critical battlefield roles.

    Power is generated on-board, stored, and managed by its high-voltage architecture for propulsion, mission payloads, and export power. Export power is accomplished via traditional MILSTD connection points.

    The US Army awarded GDLS 249 million in July 2020 to deliver and 624 SMET vehicles. The Army plans to field the first unit in the second quarter of the fiscal year 2021 and complete the deployment by 2025. In October 2019 the Army issued GDLS a first award worth $162 for S-MET but terminated this contract in December 2019 following protests filed by competitors.[/wlm_ismember]

    The prototype TRX chassis used a spring suspension. Note the difference in suspension as shown on the new platform. Photo: GDLS

    Russian MOD, Industries Highlight Artillery Rockets Advancement

    By
    Tamir Eshel
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    The Russian defense establishment’s perception of the place of artillery – in general, and rocket Artillery – in particular, has undergone a significant advancement over the past decade, placing these systems at a central place on the ground battlefield. This emphasis was evident at the recent Victory Parade in Moscow and at the Army Forum 2020 defense expo taking place in Kubinka this week.

    The new concept, promoted since the end of the previous decade, was reiterated by the deployment of rocket formations during the Russian takeover of the Crimean peninsula (2014). This concept was endorsed by the Russian Defense Minister and senior officials in the defense ministry, and the Army, and is supported by the allocation of appropriate funds for development and fielding.

    Extensive marketing activities carried out on parallel to the deployment of systems with the Russian Army, promote derivatives of new or improved combat systems to foreign customers to traditional and new customers. About 30% of the total world market needs in the artillery rocket area, supplied by the Russian defense industry (ROSTEC, ROSOBORONEXPORT, SPLAV NPO).

    These include China, India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Belarus, Arab countries including Iraq, Syria, and Algeria, as well as new customers – including Turkey, Venezuela, and Peru.

     

    Tornado-S 9A52-4 Rocket Launcher performs a live demonstration at the Army Forum 2019 event. Photo: Defense-Update

    Artillery systems centered on rockets are considered as a system of systems that encompasses target acquisition measures, including unmanned aerial systems, aiming devices, and fire control systems. Significant improvements in modern rocket systems are range extension, with most rockets reaching a range of 90-120 km. Increased accuracy is another emphasis, with the latest ordnance achieving circular error probability of 30-10 meters, relying on different guidance kits. In June 2020, a team of developers from SPLAV Corporation received the “General Zhukov Award, endorsed by President Putin, for developing the “Corrected Trajectory Smerch”.

    Tornado-S transloader supports a rocket launcher deployment and rearming at Army Forum 2019. Photo: Defense-Update

    The Russian defense ministry invests many resources in the artillery rocket industrial base and related technologies, including rocket propulsion, cluster munitions, flight computers, course correction navigation, system integration, and engineering. Regarding warhead technologies, the Russian MOD and defense industries continue to develop, manufacture, market, and sell a wide range of rocket warheads, including cluster munitions that are now excluded from the inventories of most of the western world’s armies. These cluster rockets include anti-armor, counter-mobility and anti-personnel bomblets and sub-munitions, scatterable mines, and top-attack smart munitions.

    A range of artillery rockets displayed by Techmash at the Army Forum 2019. Photo: defense-Update

    It is worth noting that modern artillery rocket systems in the Russian inventory and those recently unveiled, are based on the concept of reloading individual rockets rather than using a rocket POD. Individual loading improves the unit’s operational flexibility and agility, in firing few accurate shots, instead of expanding big rocket salvos. To assist in loading those rather heavy munitions, most of the new rocket carriers use an integral crane. The crane allows the rockets to be reloaded from any transport vehicle, eliminating the need for a dedicated ammunition loader vehicle.

    Complementary systems deliver situational awareness, orientation, and digital command, control, and communications systems enabling units to coordinate actions with higher and lower echelons, as well as with neighboring forces.

    The Russians focus the modernization of their artillery inventory on the following systems:

    TORNADO – G 9A53-G – the latest upgrade of the classic 122 mm (GRAD, BM-21) system is mounted on an advanced 6X6 launcher-carrier vehicle. Tornado-G offers a reduced crew, increased autonomy, accelerated deployment, and post-firing disengagement. A variety of rockets, including a new reduced range (20km) with heavier warheads, are introduced. However, no data has been released about accurate 122 mm rockets of a Russian origin.

    Uragan-1M (BM-27) MLRS

    URAGAN (BM-27) 9A53-U – also known as URAGAN-1M, it is the latest variant of the 220 mm rockets carrier-launcher, mounted on an 8X8 vehicle. As far as known, it is not clear whether the BM-27 has entered series production. The improvements include an 8X8 modern platform launcher, marked 7930-MZKT. The BM-27 uses trajectory-corrected rockets. Conflicting information regarding the status of the system. According to open sources, the system completed testing, and deliveries have begun. According to other sources, no decision on launching serial production has been made. It should be noted that in none of the Victory Day parades were URAGAN (BM-27) launchers observed. This, neither in its original version nor in the improved model. Moreover, neither the launcher nor its armaments are displayed in arms catalogs or other marketing material distributed by SPLAV NPO or ROSOBORONEXPORT, further indicating the questionable status of the system.

    Tornado S participating at the Victory Parade of 2020
    Tornado-S now deploys with course-corrected rockets delivering 30-10 m’ precision from a distance of 120 km.

    TORNADO – S (9A52-4)- The most advanced model in the SMERCH family, BM-30 (12 rockets 300 mm in diameter). The system was first introduced in motion – six platforms participated in the Moscow parade and a similar amount in the parades in two more cities. The advanced system, still based on the traditional launch vehicle (8X8), now carries trajectory corrected rockets (CEP of 30 to 10 m) and a maximum range of 120 km.

    TOS-2 rocket launcher can send heavy thermobaric rockets 10 km away.

    TOS – A family of rocket launching systems 220 mm in diameter and with a thermobaric warhead. The family includes two types of tracked lunchers, using T-72 chassis (TOS-1) and an upgraded version – TOS 1A modeled on the T-90S chassis. Another version, utilizing a 6X6 wheeled carrier designated TOS 2 (TOSOCHKA), was displayed at the June 2020 red-square parade. The range was enhanced to 10 km, and the accuracy improved as well.

     

    Launch text of a Hermes precision-guided missile.

    Hermes guided missile launcher – KBP Instrument Design Bureau unveils a truck-mounted precision-guided missile that can hit targets at a range of up to 100km with a precision of 10 meters. The Hermes guided weapon system comprises carrier-launcher combat vehicles, a command vehicle, and loader-transporter. The system can operate autonomously based on targeting information provided by unmanned aerial systems. Unlike course-corrected rocket artillery using satellite navigation, As a fire-and-forget missile, Hermes employs inertial or radio-navigation guidance for mid-course, with passive or laser guidance for terminal homing, claiming a precision of 0.5 m’ for a laser-guided strike. Hermes guided missiles are provided for land, helicopters or drones (Hermes A), and naval (Hermes K) applications. The missile employs a unique, scalable design using a two-stage bi-caliber booster-sustainer, accelerating the missile to an initial velocity of 1,000 m/sec. carrying a 30 kg warhead.

    Hermes is a 110kg two-stage missile, with 170mm and 130mm caliber. warhead weight is 30 kg.
    A six-tube Hermes launcher is displayed at the Army forum 2020.
    ISDM Transloader

    ISDM – Remote Mining Engineering System designated ‘Agriculture’ was developed by the SPLAV NPO corporation, a division of TECHMASH. This rocket system is used for remotely scattering mines, creating minefields as part of counter-mobility operations, at distances of 5-15 km from the launcher. The system consists of a launching vehicle carrying two multiple-rocket launchers, each stacked with 50x122mm launch tubes, and a reloader vehicle.

    After deployment, the locations of mines are recorded with satellite positioning mapping and transferred to the forces operating in the area. The mines are specially designed for the ISDM and employ a self-destruct mechanism, thus comply with international agreements.

    ISDM ‘Agriculture’ Mine Scattering launcher

    The Danger of Ammonium Nitrate

    By
    News Desk
    -
    The huge blast that destroyed the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020 was caused by a secondary explosion of 2,750 tons of Ammonium Nitrate stored on site.

    On Tuesday, August 4th, an explosion went off in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, that has devasted the city, killing over 178 and injuring over 6,000 people. Rescue workers have been digging through the rubble, attempting to find survivors of the blast that has left 300,000 people temporarily homeless and caused damage upwards of an estimated $15B.

    The massive explosion followed a large fire where a warehouse went up in flames. Initially, plumes of smoke were seen coming from the fire, which was then followed by one of two explosions.

    About a half a minute later, an enormous second blast sent a mushroom cloud of reddish smoke into the air, and a supersonic blast that ripped through the atmosphere, radiating throughout the city. The source of the explosion? About 2,750 metric tons of Ammonium Nitrate confiscated from a Russian cargo ship in 2014 and stored since near the port docks.

    Sacks of Ammonium Nitrate confiscated from a cargo ship at the port of Beirut in 2014.

    What is Ammonium Nitrate?

    Ammonium Nitrate (NH4NO3) is an odorless, crystalline substance that is the result of a reaction between ammonia (NH3) and Nitric Acid (HNO3). Ammonium Nitrate is commonly used as fertilizer in granule form, as it dissolves under moisture allowing Nitrogen to be released into the soil.

    For this reason, it plays an essential role as a fertilizer, in farming and agriculture. However, due to its explosive properties, it is also a key ingredient for bulk commercial explosives, often used in both the construction and mining industries. In fact, over the past decade, Ammonium Nitrate has been the cause of numerous accidental industrial explosions across the globe.

    How did it happen?

    Surprisingly, Ammonium Nitrate is quite difficult to ignite. In its pure form, it is not dangerous, nor is it explosive on its own. However, when energy is applied to it, the molecule is no longer stable. Though not combustible on its own, Ammonium Nitrate is an oxidizer which intensifies combustion, allowing other substances to ignite easily. The substance is heat sensitive and may become explosive if exposed to an explosive mixture, fuel, or fire.

    The reddish-orange smoke, suggests the incident was likely an accident

    Such is the case as we have seen happen in Beirut. The explosive precursor was exposed to the initial fire, causing a blast that was felt in as far as Syria, Israel, Turkey, some parts of Europe, and was even heard as far as Cyprus over 150 miles away. The event charted a seismic tremor at a magnitude of 3.3 on the Richter scale, a measure of the strength of Earthquakes, as reported by the United States Geological Survey; an event that surely would have been higher had most of the energy not been thrust upwards into the atmosphere rather than into Earth’s core as is the case with major earthquakes.

    We know the Ammonium Nitrate played a role in the second, larger explosion due to the red smoke seen in the countless videos surfacing online. When decomposed, Ammonium Nitrate primarily breaks down into several gases: Nitrogen, water vapor, and Oxygen [2 NH4NO3(s)→ 2N2(g)+ 4 H2O(g) + O2(g)]. The rapid release of these gases, and the accelerated expansion of Ammonium Nitrate from solid to gas, is what caused such a tremendous explosion. Other reactions create gases like Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Ammonia (NH3), the former which causes an orange-red smoke, as can be seen, thrust up and into the air immediately following the larger secondary blast in Beirut.

    The black smoke and the secondary reddish-orange smoke however represent an incomplete reaction, suggesting the incident was likely an accident and unintentional, as a complete reaction would have displayed black and red, rather than white and red smoke. However, at this stage of course we cannot be certain. But what we can be certain about, where we find a huge mistake with severe consequences, is in the unacceptable storage conditions where Ammonium Nitrate was held in Beirut. Because it is a valuable commodity, the substance is produced by hundreds of manufacturers worldwide – and with that comes regulation.

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Department of Homeland Security, both who regulate the substance, state that any quantity over 1,000 pounds of fertilizer-grade Ammonium Nitrate, must be stored in a building no higher than one-story, must have an ample water supply and nearby fire-hydrants, and sufficient ventilation in case of a fire.

    Where else do we see Ammonium Nitrate?

    Besides its commercial uses for fertilizer and bulk explosives, Ammonium Nitrate is also the prime ingredient used in Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), and homemade explosives often used by the Taliban and many other terrorist groups around the world. Explosives and IEDs must contain a fuel or explosive mixture, and an oxidizer. Ammonium Nitrate is often used with commercial explosives such as RDX or TNT, where a small explosion triggers a reaction for a larger explosion.

    Another common example is Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO), where Ammonium Nitrate serves as the oxidizer, mixed with fuel oil (the fuel source). since its first malicious use in the Sterling Hall Bombing at the University of Madison-Wisconsin in 1970, ANFO has been the source of countless acts of terrorism across the globe (Oklahoma City 1995, Ireland 1972 and 1973, London 1993, Peru 1992, China 2001, Greece 2010, Oslo 2011, etc.).

    How do we identify Ammonium Nitrate?

    In most cases, Ammonium Nitrate comes in an odorless, solid form of dry ‘prills’ or little round pellet-like spheres formed by melted liquid. In some cases, it may take a crystal form, or a more salt-like granule form when the crystals are crushed. The substance is usually white, although in some cases may appear with a yellowish tint. In less common cases the substance maybe orange or brownish. As the substance is manufactured both legally and illegally around the globe – its appearance may vary. However, to the naked eye, it would often be almost impossible to distinguish the substance from any other dozens of substances that come in a white powder-like form. For this reason, it is important to use reliable technologies for the detection and identification of such hazardous materials.

    Laser Detect Systems (LDS) specializes in the detection and identification of hazardous substances such as explosives, narcotics, and precursors. Precursors, like Ammonium Nitrate, are ingredients for explosives or narcotics. Oftentimes on their own, these substances may seem innocent, but when combined with the right materials can be extremely dangerous. Another common example is Potassium Chlorate (KClO3) which is commercially used to make matchsticks light.

    G-SCAN uses laser Raman Spectroscopy to detect explosive substances or explosive precursor materials in liquid, bulk, or powder form. Photo: Laser detect Systems

    In fact, there are dozens of other common precursors that we find in everyday households that can be used to make explosives. For example, due to easy access to its ingredients, TATP (Tri-Acetone, Tri-Peroxide), nicknamed the “Mother of Satan,” is a very deadly explosive that has been used by terrorists in dozens of disastrous bombings worldwide over the past twenty years (London 2005, Paris 2015, Brussel 2016, Manchester 2017, Sri Lanka 2019). Its precursors include Acetone, commonly used as nail polish remover, and highly concentrated Hydrogen Peroxide. At 6% concentration this substance is used as blond hair bleach, and at 9% in a platinum blonde hair bleach; but at over 18% Hydrogen Peroxide is used as an explosive precursor. When mixed with a little bit of acid, lemon juice, for example, the substance crystallizes into TATP, a dangerous and unstable explosive substance that requires a small amount of the substance for a large effect.

    LDS utilizes multiple technologies in its various products to detect not only explosives and narcotics but their precursors in all forms: solid, liquid, gas. Furthermore, LDS systems can detect residual traces of these substances invisible to the naked eye – both across surfaces, and airborne in the air surrounding us.

    LDS has developed a hand-held laser-based sensor that can instantly detect and identify explosives. Photo: Laser Detect Systems.

    The idea behind detecting and identifying precursors is to develop a preventative strategy and identify these substances on their own before they become an explosive, or immediate threat. Furthermore, with advanced capabilities to sense new substances, detect and identify new materials, LDS systems have the ability to adapt to evolving threats, and grow their known database as the threats grow – an important feature that is critical in today’s day and age where terrorists are connected worldwide, becoming smarter with each day and finding new and innovative ways to produce and conceal explosives.

    For more information on LDS, its technologies, and products contact Tom Gilad or visit Laser-Detect.

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