North America

The new man-portable THERMITE wearable PC provides realtime 2D/3D tactical visual computing specifically designed for embedded training, mission rehearsals and deployed C4ISR applications. The system supports Linux and Windows XP, capable of running a wide range of C4ISR applications, battlefield visualization and embedded training applications. The system is powered by Transmeta Crusoe 1GHz processor with 512Kb Level 2 cache and...

Avenger air defense system is an automated, short-range very low level short range air defense (VSHORAD) system, capable of shoot-on-the-move air defense weapon. Avenger uses a turret equipped with eight ready to fire Stinger missiles in two missile pods. The basic VSHORAD Avenger system has been enhanced into the Multi-Role Weapon System and Laser Avenger, assuming wider mission capabilities. The...

Northrop Grumman and Bell Helicopter have teamed to demonstrate a new medium-range vertical unmanned system called 'Fire-X'. This new UAV will be larger than the Fire-Scout currently produced by Northrop Grumman, utilizing the four-blade FAA-approved Bell-407 helicopter platform. The Fire-X will be capable of carrying payloads weighing up to 1.5 tons on missions extending over 14 hours. First flight...

New production Raven (RQ-11B) Small UAVs to be delivered to the US Army will be equipped with Digital DataLinks (DDL) for the first time. In January 2009 the Army placed an order valued $16 million for the production of 50 Raven systems, equipped with the new DDL. All of AV’s small UAS originally employed a four-channel analog data link, limiting...

The ten years long chase after al Qaeda leader is over. Osama bin Laden is dead, killed by U.S. operatives. The number one international terrorist was located in a new (five year old) compound located at the town of Abottabad in Pakistan, about 50 km north of the capital Islamabad.

Elbit Fort Worth, (EFW), a subsidiary of Israeli based Elbit Systems Ltd was awarded a long-awaited $145 million contract by the United States Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for the Integrated Fixed Tower project. Through the first phase to span over the current year EFW will deliver a number of 'Pergerine' systems for installation on...

The Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS and Finland's Patria Oyj have formed a teaming agreement to provide turreted mortar solutions for future U.S. Army mortar programs. Under this agreement the team will promote the turreted mortar and produce the 120mm Patria Nemo, turreted, remote-controlled mortar system in the US.

Plasan's new ultra-light, armored vehicle - Yagu is designed to behave like an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) but offers its crew of three persons the all-around protection against high-velocity threats that troops are accustomed to with much heavier protected vehicles.

After avoiding high profile, expensive events such as the Paris Airshow, Northrop Grumman opted to become one of the principal industry sponsors at the 19th annual Waddington International Air Show, being heldJuly 6-7 at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire in the UK. Defense-Update reports. The company will display here a full scale model of the MQ-4C Triton maritime surveillance drone it is building for the...

A UAV autonomy technology developed under an ONR contract will enable aircraft to operate under supervisory control - a human operator will interact with the system at a high level while low level control is left to the automation.

WiMAX, a standards-based wireless technology provides high-throughput broadband connections over long distances. Commercial WiMAX applications including "last mile" broadband connections, hotspots and cellular backhaul, and high-speed enterprise connectivity for business. WiMAX broadband wireless technology, defined by the IEEE 802.16 standard is derived from the wireless fidelity (IEEE 802.11 Wi-Fi standard) which currently serves hotspots and wireless local area networks throughout...

The U.S. Navy test launched the Tomahawk Block IV cruise missile during an operational test November 5, 2009 evaluating the missile's new anti-jam GPS system and successful use against time-critical targets. The enhanced capabilities of the ship and submarine launched Tomahawk Block IV increase fleet effectiveness, with network enabled communication, battle damage imaging. On this test mission the missile flew...

Laser guided bombs are often more accurate than GPS guided weapons, typically achieving circular error points (CEP) of thee to one meters. On the down side, their employment requires complex coordination, restricting mission planning and maneuverability, considerably reducing mission success rate.

In a recent test sponsored by the U.S. Army's Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, a team lead by Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) demonstrated how the flight paths of multiple, small UAVs could be planned, safely separated and dynamically deconflict, with minimal communications and processing resources. The system employed for the demonstration was based on a new version of...