Rheinmetall Tests Skyranger 30A1 VSHORAD Firepower

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Jan 11, 2024

Skyranger30-1021 — Skyranger 30A1 turret undergoing firing trials at the Ochsenboden proving ground in Switzerland. Photo: Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall’s mobile Skyranger 30 air defence system has reached a key milestone on the road to series production. In December 2023, the A1 configuration of the Skyranger 30 underwent a successful testing and live-fire campaign at the Group’s Ochsenboden proving ground in Switzerland, in which the system had to prove itself in stationary and mobile modes.

The Skyranger 30 A1 is a development testbed whose purpose is to pave the way for total system qualification of the Skyranger 30 A3 in mid-2024. The A1’s flexible design enables efficient testing and optimization of multiple customer variants with different radars and effectors. The compact design of the turret allows integration into a wide variety of manned and unmanned platforms. The system weighs up to 2.5 tons and is currently being developed for at least three platforms.

As recently as December 2023, Hungary contracted with Rheinmetall to develop a concept for a Skyranger 30 turret for the future air defence variant of the tracked Lynx KF41 tracked armoured vehicle. Two other user NATO nations, Denmark and Germany, also plan to procure the Skyranger 30, which in both cases will be mounted on different wheeled armoured vehicles. The German Army plans to purchase about 20 Systems on GTK Boxer vehicles. The Danish MOD has selected the Skyranger 30 to be mounted on 15 Danish Mowag Piranha V wheeled APC. The system will mount the gun and yet unspecified VSHORAD missile systems.

The central component of the Skyranger 30 is the 30mmx173 KCE revolver cannon, whose immense firepower and precision have been impressively demonstrated under the most adverse weather conditions. The cannon is equipped with a programmable fuse setter designed to support AHEAD scatterable ammunition, optimized for anti-aircraft and anti-drone missions. The effective range of the cannon is 3000 meters, complemented by the VSHORAD missile’s range of 5-8 km, depending on the type, terrain and engagement profile. Additional effectors under consideration, include electronic attack (EA), data link signal interceptors and RF-jammers to neutralize reconnaissance or remotely guided UAVs. Rough UAVs, (‘black’ or ‘quiet’ platforms that are not vulnerable to external countermeasures) will be engaged by the gun or missiles.

As a modern VSHORAD gun/missile system, Skyranger closes a critical capability gap in mobile air defence. The Skyranger 30 A3 will decisively counter current and future aerial threats – including drones – enabling ground troops to focus on their actual mission.

Rafael Tests the Spyder AiO Short Range Air Defense System

By

Tamir Eshel

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Jan 10, 2024

Spyder-AIO — Spyder AiO performing an intercept test in the southern Negev desert in Israel, 2024. Photo: Rafael

Against the ongoing regional Mid-East conflict, RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems of Israel completed a pivotal SPYDER air-defense system test in its innovative All in One (AiO) configuration. The test featured an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) interception under challenging operational conditions, with the SPYDER system achieving a precise and effective defense against the evolving aerial threats representing those encountered by Israel in recent combat engagements.

The SPYDER, a product of RAFAEL, is utilized operationally by over ten military forces globally. It offers robust air defense against various threats, including missiles, UAVs, aircraft, helicopters, and tactical ballistic missiles (TBMs). The system utilizes PYTHON and Derby interceptor missiles, also manufactured by RAFAEL. These truck-mounted launchers use an external radar and an integrated electro-optical system for target acquisition. The newly introduced AiO configuration enhances the SPYDER by integrating a 360-degree coverage radar with the electro-optical systems mounted onto a single elevated mast. This setup also includes an advanced command and control system on the same mobile platform, endowing the SPYDER AiO with superior mobility and autonomous engagement capabilities. The integrated sensors enable operation in all weather conditions, both day and night.

The SPYDER AiO’s advanced AESA radars can operate autonomously or be integrated into a higher echelon command and control (C2) structure. Featuring a search-on-the-move capability, it can swiftly transition to a fire-on-the-halt mode upon detecting threats or receiving an engagement command. The transition from mobility to combat readiness – including vehicle stabilization, radar deployment, and launcher positioning – is completed in approximately three minutes. The system can carry up to eight interceptors and simultaneously engage up to four targets. The Derby interceptors use RF seekers to engage their targets, while the Python 5 uses electro-optical seekers and proximity fuse to defeat targets at close range. The test video shows a top-down target engagement emphasizing Python’s capability to seek targets at low altitudes.

The recent test in Israel demonstrated the SPYDER AiO’s prowess, where it successfully neutralized a UAV with a Python surface-to-air interceptor in a complex operational setting. The test was performed in collaboration with the Israel Ministry of Defense Directorate for Defense Research and Development (DR&D), indicating Israel’s defense establishment in this new capability. Until now, the Spyder’s development has been conducted exclusively by Rafael.

Since the onset of the Iron Swords conflict on October 7, 2023, Israel has faced a barrage of attacks involving ballistic missiles, rockets, cruise missiles, and drones. The nation’s multi-layered defense array, comprising Arrow, David’s Sling, Iron Dome, and Patriot systems, has largely countered these assaults. However, over the past year, the increasing use of One-Way Attack UAVs (OWA UAVs) in Russian and Ukrainian operations has highlighted a critical vulnerability. This scenario underscores the strategic importance of the SPYDER AiO system in addressing OWA UAV threats, given its high mobility, rapid deployment, self-sustainability, and minimized operational footprint.

The AiO configuration safeguards key assets, including mobile troops and sensitive locations. It effectively counters various aerial threats like fixed and rotary-wing aircraft, UAVs, cruise missiles, and precision-guided munitions. With its dual interceptor types, the Spyder AiO offers an operational range of 15 to 40 km and an altitude coverage extending up to 9 km.

Unlike the original Spyder, which uses a separate rotating radar, RAFAEL’s Spyder AiO system uses Leonardo’s exMHR mounted on the same platform with the launchers, power generator, and C3 element. Photo: Leonardo RADA

DARPA’s X-65 Test Plane Moves to Manufacturing Phase

By

Tamir Eshel

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Jan 10, 2024

X65-1 — By 2025 DARPA intends to fly a 7,000-pound X-plane that addresses the two primary technical hurdles of incorporation of AFC into a full-scale aircraft and reliance on it for controlled flight. Image: Aurora Flight Sciences

Aurora Flight Sciences, a Boeing company, has begun manufacturing work on a new X-plane for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. This latest phase follows completing the critical design review (CDR) for the experimental aircraft, designated X-65.

X-65 is purpose-designed for testing and demonstrating Active Flow Control (AFC) for multiple effects, including flight control at tactical speeds and performance enhancement across the flight envelope. Active flow control could improve aircraft performance by removing jointed surfaces such as rudder, ailerons, flaps, and canards, which drive design configurations that increase weight and mechanical complexity. Demonstrating AFC for stability and control in flight would help open the design trade space for future military and commercial applications.

The AFC system supplies pressurized air to fourteen AFC effectors embedded across all flying surfaces, including multiple wing sweeps. The aircraft is configured to be modular, featuring replaceable outboard wings and swappable AFC effectors, which allows for future testing of additional AFC designs.

Active flow control technology has the potential to replace traditional flaps and rudders, which are used to maneuver most aircraft today. AFC may deliver benefits in aerodynamics, weight, and mechanical complexity. X-65 is designed to demonstrate the benefits of AFC for both commercial and military applications.

Component tooling and part fabrication for the 30 ft wingspan, uncrewed X-plane are now underway at Aurora facilities in West Virginia and Mississippi. Plans include building the airframe at Aurora, West Virginia, and system integration and ground testing at Aurora’s headquarters in Manassas, Virginia. The program would culminate in flight tests of the full-scale, 7000 lb. X-65 aircraft at speeds up to Mach 0.7. Flight testing is targeted for the summer of 2025.

With a modular wing section and modular AFC effectors, the X-65 will support future research and development of novel aerodynamic controls. Image: Aurora Flight Sciences.

SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT)

In November 2023, Aurora Flight Sciences was selected for phase 1 of another DARPA X-plane X-Plane demonstration project, the SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT). Other companies selected to provide SPRINT conceptual designs include Bell Textron, Inc., Northrop Grumman Aeronautic Systems, and Piasecki Aircraft Corporation. The SPRINT program aims to design, build, and fly an X-Plane to demonstrate technologies and integrated concepts necessary for a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence. This initial award funds work to reach a conceptual design review and includes an executable option to continue to work through a preliminary design review.

Aurora is designing a high lift, low drag fan-in-wing (FIW) demonstrator aircraft that integrates a blended wing body platform, with embedded engines and moderate sweep, with a vertical flight design comprised of embedded lift fans linked to the engines via mechanical drives. The aircraft would deliver game-changing air mobility capability by combining cruise at over 450 KTAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) in a single platform. Image: Aurora Flight Sciences

Under this award, Aurora is designing a high lift, low drag fan-in-wing (FIW) demonstrator aircraft that integrates a blended wing body platform, with embedded engines and moderate sweep, with a vertical flight design comprised of embedded lift fans linked to the engines via mechanical drives. The aircraft would deliver game-changing air mobility capability by combining cruise at over 450 KTAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) in a single platform.

The combined Aurora and Boeing teams bring deep experience in agile vehicle prototyping, vertical lift and cruise transition technology, and blended wing body aero performance. The program will build on past flight programs like the Boeing X-48 blended wing body aircraft and the Aurora Excalibur UAS that combined jet-borne vertical lift with three electric, louvered lift fans that would retract into the wing in forward flight.

Design work will occur at Aurora and Boeing facilities across multiple states, including Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. The program targets the X-Plane demonstrator’s first flight within 42 months.

Transforming Aerospace and Defense: The AI Revolution

By

Tamir Eshel

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Jan 2, 2024

AI-cover — AI-generated image by Midjourney AI, Defense-Update.

The aerospace and defense sectors are experiencing a transformative shift, largely driven by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies into sensors, weapons, and information systems designed for the military. In an environment where precision, rapid decision-making, and robustness are crucial, AI/ML has emerged as a key technology, accelerating situational understanding and decision-making and improving operational efficiency. These techniques make military operations more likely to overcome the ‘fog of war,’ with senses and situational understanding sharpened by AI/ML based on the endless and continuous collection of signals rather than the indications visible to the human eye. The unique requirements of these sectors, such as multi-domain operation, resilience under extreme conditions, high-stakes decision-making, interoperability, and advanced security measures, set the stage for AI to make a significant impact.

Market Drivers and Unique Requirements

Several key factors drive the aerospace and defense sector’s pivot towards AI:

1. Rapid and Accurate Decision-Making: Military operations are decisive in time and space. The ability of AI systems to quickly process and analyze vast amounts of data is crucial for strategic and operational decisions in real time. Tapping information from different sources and domains and rapidly fusing that data provides decision-makers the actional intelligence that can be implemented within short cycles to create the desired effect within the allocated time and space.

2. Resilience and Reliability: AI applications must perform consistently in diverse and challenging environments; their recommendation and responses must be trustable, reliable, and free from ‘hallucinations’ encountered by the commercial Large Language Models (LLMs). Confidence and trust are the most important factors in military AI systems, enabling users to leverage those systems to their highest value. Safety and confidence should not be designing features but part of the baseline infrastructure of military AI systems. Physical safety and security should also be considered by employing distributed systems, edge processing, and robust and resilient networking to keep AI ready and available to support operational forces anywhere and anytime.

3. Ethical and Controlled Automation: Regardless of the checks and balances that enable human trust, the high stakes in military systems necessitate that AI systems incorporate and adhere to ethical standards and allow for human oversight without slowing down the entire process. Although ‘Ethical Standards’ is a fluid term that depends on the legal, cultural, religious, and social background of the designer and user, it defines the ‘playing ground’ and boundaries for AI operations, just as the Law of War defines what warfighters can or cannot do in wartime.

4. Advanced Security Measures: Given the sensitive nature of defense operations, AI systems must feature unparalleled cybersecurity capabilities by eliminating adverse and malicious actions in the training and operation of the systems. AI systems depend on networks, information, data feeds, and the algorithms embedded through their training. Tampering with these foundations during the design or training or maliciously engaging the systems in their operational phase may cause enormous risks with unexpected consequences to the user and dependent systems. Therefore, safety measures from the early design phase should be considered, including risk detection, aversion, and response.

Leading Companies and Their Impact

We studied the offerings from dozens of companies, viewed demonstrations, and were briefed by officials at exhibitions and conferences. Through our research, we scanned the market for AI systems designed for military operations or capable of supporting military uses. We conducted our research using the best available AI tools, but even this required extensive human analysis to provide the usable information that would meet our standards. In the first part, we pick five AI systems that excel in Military Operations; follow-up articles will expand this review to the following sectors:

Military Operations
Aerospace
Sensors
Land Combat Systems
Naval Warfare
Homeland Security

AI Systems for Military Operations

Each solution has its merit, and presenting them all would be futile. Therefore, we limited our list to five entries and presented the reasons for our selection and the market impact of the selected solutions.

Disclaimer: the images shown on this page were AI-generated by Midjourney for Defense-Update; they are used for illustrative purposes and don’t depict the systems they are associated with.

Lockheed Martin
Why Chosen: As an industry leader, Lockheed Martin exemplifies the integration of AI across a wide spectrum of defense applications. Their AI Factory initiative showcases their commitment to advancing AI/ML technology in the sector. It provides a secure end-to-end, modular ecosystem to train, deploy, and sustain trusted artificial intelligence solutions. Capabilities focus on automation from development through deployment and sustainment, applying MLOps solutions (Machine Learning Operations) to validate, explain, secure, and monitor all machine learning life cycle phases, and creating reference architectures and components that can be reused across programs.

Impact: Lockheed Martin influences global defense strategies through its AI-driven solutions, from combat aircraft to space exploration, setting industry standards and paving the way for future technological advancements.

Palantir Technologies
Why Chosen: Palantir is pivotal in big data analytics, providing AI platforms for intelligence gathering and operational planning. Their AIP platform provides the foundation for integrative solutions empowering and synchronizing military organizations by presenting the relevant information to decision-makers, enhancing information with available sensors, and presenting decision-makers with relevant, actionable responses based on the understanding of information, red and blue forces tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTP).

Impact: Palantir AIP combines the power of large language models and cutting-edge AI to activate data and models, harnessing information from the most highly sensitive environments in a secure, legal, and ethical way. Their systems enable data-driven decision-making in complex defense environments, leveraging sources’ traceability and trusted reasoning, illustrating AI’s growing importance in operational planning and intelligence operations.

Anduril Industries
Why Chosen: Anduril Industries is at the forefront of integrating AI in autonomous systems and surveillance technologies, transforming traditional defense strategies to embrace trusted, manned-unmanned operational capabilities.

Impact: Their mission autonomy approach has evolved from border security and situational awareness. Their Lattice AI operating system redefines defense approaches by introducing distributed mission autonomy employing numerous unmanned systems operated by small human teams. The core software provides sensor fusion, target identification and tracking, intelligent networking, command, and control. Unlike other solutions, Anduril’s approach is to expand the scope of their AI-reach beyond the Lattice core by adding actionable enablers – in the security domain, these were the Sentry sensor, Anvil, and Roadrunner countermeasures. Employed in offensive strike missions, such as the US Army Air Launched Effects, the system empowers the Altius long endurance sensor, Fury Attritable aircraft, and Altius 700M effectors to harness Anduril’s mobile autonomy concept to the extreme. As an integrated solution, it enables humans to employ autonomous systems by extending reach, capabilities, and situational awareness while enabling warfighters to make better decisions faster.

C3.ai
Why Chosen: C3.ai stands out for its strategy of integrating various AI tools into AI-Readiness, a secure, unified platform featuring trustable, resilient, and interoperable scalable systems that connect and manage complex and disparate assets throughout their life cycles.

Impact: By enhancing decision-making and operational efficiency, C3.ai’s solutions optimize resource management and maintenance schedules, demonstrating AI’s role in improving defense assets’ operational availability and lifespan while maintaining high-security standards. To support the introduction of AI-empowered solutions, the company provides an AI development studio to accelerate technology assessment to days and application development and deployment in weeks and months rather than years.

Helsing
Why Chosen: Helsing represents the new wave of defense start-ups focusing on specialized AI applications, their backing by major European defense players underscores Helsing’s potential and influence in the AI defense market.

Impact: Helsing’s AI solutions in intelligence analysis and decision support utilize advanced object recognition and AI-empowered EW techniques, along with other partner solutions, are bound to be part of the AI backbone for the mission system, the ambitious Future Air Combat Systems (FCAS). Tailored for modern warfare, Helsing is on course to provide the future’s unique AI defense and aerospace applications. Helsing has been active in Ukraine since 2022, providing capabilities and technology for frontline operations.

Conclusion
As demonstrated by these leading companies, the aerospace and defense sectors are heading towards an AI-centric future. The landscape is diverse and rapidly evolving. Each company shapes the market, technology, and future of AI in unique ways, underlining AI’s transformative impact on global defense and aerospace strategies. This trend enhances current capabilities and opens new possibilities in military and space operations, marking a new era in defense technology.

AI Factory – by Lockheed Martin

By

Tamir Eshel

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Dec 22, 2023

AI Factory from Lockheed Martin. AI-created Image by Midjourney and Defense-Update

Lockheed Martin’s AI Factory is an initiative to accelerate the development and integration of AI across the company’s aerospace and defense products. The core function of the AI Factory is to centralize AI development, providing a shared space where AI experts and engineers collaborate to build AI solutions tailored for specific defense applications. The AI Factory leverages advanced algorithms, machine learning, and neural networks to enhance systems capabilities, making them more efficient, effective, and adaptable to rapidly changing combat and exploration scenarios.

What sets the AI Factory apart is its comprehensive approach that spans from algorithm development to deployment and monitoring. Unlike traditional AI development environments, the AI Factory focuses on rapid prototyping and iterative testing, ensuring that AI solutions are innovative, practical, and immediately applicable to defense scenarios. This approach allows for quick adaptation to the changing needs of military operations, offering a blend of agility and reliability.

Palantir’s AIP (Advanced Intelligence Platform)

By

Tamir Eshel

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Dec 22, 2023

Depiction of enterprise AI system for defense, created by Midjourney, for Defense-Update

Palantir’s Advanced Intelligence Platform (AIP) streamlines the creation and deployment of AI-driven solutions within defense and intelligence operations. The platform enables seamless integration of heterogeneous data, from real-time streams to geospatial inputs, within a secure and comprehensible framework. Its sophisticated logic processing supports various computational needs, from deterministic calculations to complex machine learning models, all aligned to drive critical decision-making processes.

AIP’s approach to application development is geared toward speed and agility, allowing users to develop, test, and deploy AI functionalities without extensive coding. The platform’s security features are deeply ingrained, offering granular AI Guardrails that govern every aspect of the system, ensuring robust security and auditing. The platform allows for the examination and refinement of AI-driven activities before their execution but also enables the definition of boundaries within which AI can operate autonomously. This structured yet flexible environment ensures that AI tools and automation are high-performing and closely monitored.

With AIP, Palantir provides an ecosystem where continuous feedback enhances AI operations, ensuring that the intelligence platform evolves and adapts to the ever-changing landscape of defense needs. This ensures that users, from operational analysts to technical developers, can leverage AI to its full potential, enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of their missions.

Anduril’s Lattice AI

By

Tamir Eshel

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Dec 22, 2023

Depiction of Lattice AI system utilized for manned-unmanned teaming and mobile autonomy, illustrationby created by Midjourney AI for Defense-Update

Anduril’s Lattice AI represents a fresh approach to autonomous systems and surveillance in the defense sector. Lattice AI is an advanced software platform that powers Anduril’s suite of defense solutions, enabling them to function as an integrated ecosystem. This platform is designed to process vast amounts of sensor data in real-time, providing a comprehensive situational awareness crucial for modern military operations.

Lattice AI uses data from various sources, including drones, ground sensors, and satellite feeds, to create a real-time, 3D battlefield map. This enables defense forces to detect, classify, and track threats with unprecedented accuracy and speed. The platform’s AI algorithms can make autonomous decisions, directing dependent systems to investigate areas of interest or respond to threats without human intervention.

A key aspect of Lattice AI is its scalability and adaptability. It can be deployed across various environments, from border security operations to conflict zones, and is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing military systems and workflows.

C3’s AI-Readiness

By

Tamir Eshel

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Dec 22, 2023

C3.ai’s AI-Readiness is a comprehensive platform transforming support and maintenance in aerospace and defense operations and logistics. This platform leverages AI and machine learning to collect and interpret operational and maintenance data, predict potential equipment failures before they happen, and recommend optimal maintenance schedules to enhance the reliability and availability of critical military assets significantly.

AI-Readiness analyzes historical maintenance data, sensor inputs, and operational parameters to identify patterns that precede equipment failures. Doing so allows defense organizations to shift from reactive maintenance strategies to a proactive approach, optimizing repair schedules and reducing downtime. The platform’s capability to aggregate and analyze data from multiple sources and its focus on actionable insights sets it apart. This enables defense organizations to move beyond reactive maintenance, reducing downtime and extending the lifespan of critical assets.

Helsing’s AI Backbone for FCAS

By

Tamir Eshel

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Dec 22, 2023

An image depicting the AI Backbone developed for the Future Air Combat System of systems. An AI-generated image by Midjourney for Defense-Update

Helsing is part of the HIS consortium developing the AI backbone for the European Future Combat Air System (FCAS). Helsing operates alongside Schonhofer Sales and Engineering GmbH and IBM Germany. The FCAS initiative aims to integrate a new generation of manned fighters with a network of unmanned systems and highly connected aircraft. Helsing’s role is pivotal in providing the AI development infrastructure that will reduce pilot workload and enhance the operational capability of remote carriers and munitions. SS&E has expertise in real-time situational awareness, analytics, AI, and management of complex data and data formats, while IBM will provide secure cloud technologies for the program.

The AI backbone is not just a singular system but a foundational technology supporting the air force’s cross-functional capabilities with AI. The AI backbone will integrate distributed ‘edge AI’ capabilities embedded in each FCAS member, where data is collected, shared across the secure cloud, and orchestrated by AI algorithms to distribute a common operating picture and actionable decisions and commands to all players across the network. This proximity to data sources enables rapid, real-time analytics and decision-making, crucial for modern warfare where speed is a tactical advantage.

The AI backbone will also contribute to the Next Generation Weapons System National Research and Technology project, the 6^th Generation air platform, part of the broader FCAS program. This project aims to develop technologies to give the German Air Force and its European partners an edge in AI capabilities.

DARPA’s SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT) Program

By

Tamir Eshel

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Nov 28, 2023

Bell-SPRINT-1021 — Bell intends to employ its High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) technology to deliver the speed and VTOL requirements set for DARPA's SPRINT X-Plane demonstration. Image: Bell Textron

In November 2023, DARPA selected four companies to provide conceptual designs for the SPeed and Runway INdependent Technologies (SPRINT), an X-Plane demonstration project aimed to explore new concepts for high-speed vertical lift. The companies selected include Aurora Flight Sciences, Bell Textron, Northrop Grumman Aeronautic Systems, and Piasecki Aircraft Corporation. The SPRINT program aims to design, build, and fly an X-Plane to demonstrate technologies and integrated concepts necessary for a transformational combination of aircraft speed and runway independence. This initial award funds work to reach a conceptual design review (Phase 1A) and includes an executable option to continue to work through a preliminary design review. Two of the competitors have already unveiled preliminary designs and technology overviews for the program.

AuroraFlight Sciences

Under this award, Aurora is designing a high lift, low drag fan-in-wing (FIW) demonstrator aircraft that integrates a blended wing body platform, with embedded engines and moderate sweep, with a vertical flight design comprised of embedded lift fans linked to the engines via mechanical drives. The aircraft would deliver game-changing air mobility capability by combining cruise at over 450 KTAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) in a single platform. The combined Aurora and Boeing teams bring deep experience in agile vehicle prototyping, vertical lift and cruise transition technology, and blended wing body aero performance. The program will build on past flight programs like the Boeing X-48 blended wing body aircraft and the Aurora Excalibur UAS that combined jet-borne vertical lift with three electric, louvered lift fans that would retract into the wing in forward flight.

Aurora is designing a high lift, low drag fan-in-wing (FIW) demonstrator aircraft that integrates a blended wing body platform, embedded engines, and moderate sweep, and a vertical flight design comprised of embedded lift fans linked to the engines via mechanical drives. The aircraft would deliver game-changing air mobility capability by combining cruise at over 450 KTAS with vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) in a single platform. Image: Aurora Flight Sciences

Bell Textron

Bell plans to leverage its extensive investment in High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing (HSVTOL) technology to demonstrate advanced performance capabilities. Bell is currently conducting risk reduction testing at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico to demonstrate its folding rotor, integrated propulsion, and flight control technologies using a dedicated test article. Bell’s HSVTOL technology blends the hover capability of a helicopter with speed (400+ kits), range, and survivability of jet aircraft.

Design work will occur at Aurora and Boeing facilities across multiple states, including Virginia, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. The program targets the X-Plane demonstrator’s first flight within 42 months.

PIORUN-NG – A New, Advanced VSHORAD from Poland

By

D. Zeevi

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Sep 29, 2023

Piorun-ng1 — Piorun and Piorun NG on display at MSPO 2023. Photo: Defense-Update

The Polish Mesko group and its partner, Telesystem-Mesko, are developing a new Piorun Very Short-Range Air Defense (VSHORAD) missile generation. The PIORUN NG (Thunderbolt) was displayed for the first time at the MSPO exhibition in Kielce, Poland, in early September. PIORUN-NG is scheduled to begin flight testing in late 2023. The new missile is positioned to become one of the leading new-generation VSHORAD missiles of a Western origin.

PIORUN VSHORAD missile. PIORUN-MG will have a similar design but different components, including a new proximity fuze, propulsion, and seeker. Photo: Defense-Update

PIORUN is a shoulder-fired VSHORAD weapon that can also deploy on a pedestal (two launchers) or integrated with a twin-barrel 23mm gun carried on a light truck. Developed as a follow-on to the GROM (based on the Russian Strela 2 missile), the PIORUN is positioned as an equivalent to the Russian IGLA. The Polish missile is effective against fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and unmanned aerial vehicle targets, flying from 400 meters to 6.5 kilometers and at an altitude from 10 meters above ground to 4,000 meters. The missiles were widely used by the Ukrainians in the Ukraine War and, according to initial reports, have demonstrated impressive performance. Compared to other heat-seeking missiles, the Piorun was more reliable in engaging targets at higher altitudes; some reports have claimed successful engagements of low signature targets, such as unmanned aerial vehicles at a distance of six kilometers.

The development of the New Generation (PIORUN NG) was based on the lessons learned with previous models. It uses a new multispectral seeker with improved cooling. The rocket engine uses an improved energetics composition; the improved warhead optimizes efficiency in the presence of enemy countermeasures by employing advanced electronic-counter-countermeasures (ECCM) and proximity activation based on active or passive sensing. The different preset modes will be activated from a built-in computer integrated into the launcher.

The multi-spectral seeker uses a special housing that masks signals from the sides, enabling the seeker to ‘focus’ on signals from the forward direction. The seeker is sensitive enough to assess whether the target is flying towards (head-on) or away from the interceptor missile. Activation of active (RF) or passive (magnetic) proximity activates the warhead in the target’s proximity, thus denying the effectiveness of enemy ECM. In addition, PIORUN-NG will employ an algorithm that analyzes the behavior of flares, enabling the seeker to ignore hot and bright signals from sources that ‘behave’ like flares.

Equipped with a new multispectral seeker, improved propulsion, multiple fusing, enhanced ECCM, and enhanced target library, PIORUN-NG will provide enhanced situational awareness and target discrimination capabilities.

The most distinctive part of PIORUN-NG is the box-shaped apparatus applied on the muzzle, masking the seeker from interference from sectors other than the target’s direction. Photo: Defense-Update

PIORUN NG trigger, stock, and cooling cartridge. Photo: Defense-Update

PIORUN-NG computer interface shows nine preset buttons, enabling the user to define the target attitude, warhead activation selection, IFF, etc. Photo: Defense-Update

SSW40, an Automatic Grenade Launcher Debut at DSEI 2023

By

Tamir Eshel

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Sep 12, 2023

The new SSW40 grenade launcher from Rheinmetall. Photo: Rheinmetall

Rheinmetall is introducing at DSEI 2023 a new Squad Support Weapon (SSW) designed to fire 40mm grenade ammunition As fire support weapon for infantry squads. SSW is an automatic, magazine-loaded, shoulder fired grenade launcher, with a size and weight similar to an assault rifle.

The weapon use a recoil-reduction mechanism and self-regulating recoil system, enabling the SSW40 fire all available 40mm Low Velocity (LV) ammunition types as well as the Rheinmetall 40mm Medium Velocity (MV) ammunition. The new MV ammunition has significantly increased velocity and a flat trajectory, compared to the LV rounds, allowing targets to be engaged more quickly and increasing the effective range of the system to 900m. Until now, these grenades could be fire only by bigger and heaver automatic grenade launchers.

Development of the SSW40 will be completed in this year, the company said in a statement. The weapon will be able to use the HE Fragmentation (HEFRAG), Anti-Tank (HEDP) , Door Breaching (HEBE), Air Burst (HEAB), Training (TPM, TPM-T), Illumination / Fog, Flash&Bang and ‘tear gas’ Riot Control Ammunition (CS). Different grenade types can be loaded to magazines holding five grenades each, enabling grenadiers to quickly change ammo, use versatile firepower, and employ escalation of force when necessary, even against medium-weight armored vehicles. The interfaces on the SSW40 also allow the use of accessories, including laser light modules, fire control units, IR programmers for airburst ammunition, as well as integration on ring mounts and bipods.

The weapon will be able to use the HE Fragmentation (HEFRAG), Anti-Tank (HEDP) , Door Breaching (HEBE), Air Burst (HEAB), Training (TPM, TPM-T), Illumination / Fog, Flash&Bang and ‘tear gas’ Riot Control Ammunition (CS). Photo: Defense-Update

The new SSW40 grenade launcher from Rheinmetall. Photo:Defense-Update

IAI’s ACDC Concept Ads Self Protection, Special Operations Capabilities to Naval Vessels

By

Tamir Eshel

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Sep 12, 2023

image_picker_FABEAD39-8A20-4798-9DA8-04AF4C47B908-1889-000001876F481F1579FC2F7D-60F5-40B9-8F44-AE47D5B16B65_compressed — A model of IAI’s ACDC containerized weapon system on display at DSEI2023. Photo: Defense-Update

IAI is introducing the modular All Capabilities Defense Container (ACDC) concept at DSEI 2023, packing a system of defensive and attack systems utilizing an ISO container system, enabling any vessel equipped to carry commercial shipping containers to operate the employ advanced capabilities for self-protection.

The system includes various means for self-defense, integrated and concealed within the shipping container. When the situation mandates activation of the ACDC, the covering panels unfold to expose the system’s elements, such as sensors mounted on telescopic masts and launchers of loitering weapons providing surveillance and strike targets that may compromise the safety of the platform carrying the ACDC. The system is designed as an all-in-one containerized weapon solution that detects, repels, defends, and defeats a wide range of attacks using soft and hard kill measures.

Typical ACDC Elements include MiniPOP EO/IR and Radar sensors and SIGINT systems forming the Drone Guard – Counter UAS Capability. Other effectors used in self-defense or attack include four or eight Mini Harpy – All-weather loitering weapons with triple seekers packed in sealed launchers, and Rotem L – a quadcopter-based loitering weapon designed for vertical take-off and landing, perch, and ambush. These LMs are packed ready for launch in drawers that automatically open before launch.

This 20-foot ACDC packs four Mini Harpy and Eight Rotem L loitering weapons, communications, and sensor systems, with an operator post, all placed inside a standard shipping container.

Packed into a standard 40 or 20-foot cargo container, the ACDC operates autonomously and is controlled by a single operator sitting at a bridge, combat information center, or inside the container itself. Each ACDC is tailored to the requirements of the mission at hand and configured with various sensors, anti-drone effectors, loitering munitions, and precision-guided weapons.

The ACDC is mounted on the vessel or critical asset using standard twist-lock attachments. It fits any vessel in most available spaces, adding significant combat capabilities without distinctive visual impact. Integrated into new or existing vessels like Frigates, amphibious landing ships, offshore patrol vessels, naval replenishment, and support vessels, or offshore rigs, ACDC brings an inherent combat advantage for short responses without the need for lengthy and expensive refits and is designed for customer operational requirements.

IAI unveils ROTEM Alpha, an Anti Tank Loitering Weapon

By

Tamir Eshel

-

Sep 12, 2023

image_picker_9E09F7B3-365A-40DE-A5C4-D6C0295FF029-1889-00000177315C0ABA258B0FDF-83B8-4E89-9904-C74122D1B0E0_compressed — IAI’s Rotem Alpha unveiled at DSEI 2023. Photo: Defense-Update

IAI is unveiling at DSEI 2023 a new loitering weapon – Rotem Alpha, a new Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) tactical antitank loitering munition (LM) with capabilities that represent a change in the operational and combat approach to using loitering munitions, providing an advantage in the battlefield. ROTEM a
Alpha is a member of IAI’s VTOL LMs which also includes the smaller ROTEM L.

ROTEM Alpha can operate at a range of several tens of kilometers, it can fly continuously for 60 minutes or perch on vantage points for up to 24 hours. The system flies and hovers in a low-altitude profile to build battlefield situational awareness, and executes an attack, at selected targets upon operator command even under adverse weather conditions. If no target is chosen or operator decides to abort, the system is disarmed and recoverable.

The system weighs 25 kg and is carried by a soldier in a backpack. It is assembled in the field in minutes. When fully assembled ROTEM Alpha is ready for take-off in less than two minutes. As a VTOL platform, it can be launched and land between trees, structures, and other confined spaces.

A single operator controls the ROTEM Alpha via a Ground Control System (GCS). The operator can command the weapon to perch on a building or hill until the enemy appears.

Equipped with a sensor suite comprising an EO/IR and acoustic sensors, ROTEM Alpha can autonomously detect and locate enemy targets such as hostile fire sources, artillery, rockets, and missiles launchers. It can investigate and verify the target and engage it following the operator command, closing in to an impact using its sensors as seekers. The loitering weapon uses a large warhead comprising a shaped charge and shrapnel sleeve able to penetrate more than 600mm of ballistic steel

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