June 30, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Army selects eight counter-drone systems for the joint force

Following an Army-led assessment, the Defense Department will be narrowing the number of different counter-small unmanned aircraft system solutions deployed by the joint force from about 40 to eight.

In November, the defense secretary delegated the Army to lead an effort to reduce redundancy in the development and fielding of various C-sUAS solutions by the services. The Army subsequently set up the Joint C-sUAS Office to conduct that assessment, and over the last few months the office has worked to narrow down the dozens of counter-drone systems fielded by the services.

“Our goal is to align existing and future Counter-UAS technology solutions to best address operational needs while applying resources more efficiently,” Maj. Gen. Sean Gainey, the JCO's first director, said during a media call June 26, one day after the assessment results were announced. “This is really why the organization was stood up — to eliminate the redundancy that was being fielded.”

That assessment, which Defense Department leadership have approved, looked at approximately 40 systems, about 30 of which were primarily used for the C-sUAS mission, said the director. The assessment concluded that the joint force should move forward with fielding just eight different systems — a variety of fixed, mounted and dismounted solutions.

“So essentially moving forward, we will focus our investments,” Gainey said. “The services have each been assigned sponsor of each one of those systems, so as we move this forward as a joint approach, it will coordinate the future upgrades to these systems and the contracting of these systems across the joint force.”

C-sUAS systems that were not included in the final selection will be replaced by the approved systems, although JCO could not provide a timeline for how quickly this will take place, how much it will cost or how many units will need to be replaced across the services. Gainley noted that the services are currently conducting an analysis of how many systems will need to be replaced.

Of the eight approved solutions, three are fixed, one is mounted and three are dismounted.

The approved C-sUAS systems are as follows:

1) Fixed/Semi-Fixed Systems

Fixed Site-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System (FS-LIDS), sponsored by the Army
Negation of Improvised Non-State Joint Aerial-Threats (NINJA), sponsored by the Air Force
Counter-Remote Control Model Aircraft Integrated Air Defense Network (CORIAN), sponsored by the Navy

2) Mounted/Mobile System

Light-Mobile Air Defense Integrated System (L-MADIS), sponsored by the Marine Corps

3) Dismounted/Handheld Systems

Bal Chatri, sponsored by Special Operations Command
Dronebuster, no sponsor, commercial off-the-shelf capability
Smart Shooter, no sponsor, commercial off-the-shelf capability

4) Command and Control

Forward Area Air Defense Command and Control (FAAD-C2), sponsored by the Army (includes FAAD-C2 interoperable systems like the Air Force's Air Defense System Integrator (ADSI) and the Marine Corps' Multi-Environmental Domain Unmanned Systems Application Command and Control (MEDUSA C2))

https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/06/26/army-selects-eight-counter-drone-systems-for-the-joint-force/

On the same subject

December 24, 2018 | International, C4ISR

The Army has outlined a technology wish list
By: Mark Pomerleau The Army is looking to expand industry partners and technologies in the next five years to inform its pilot multidomain task force. The task force will test new concepts the Army believes will be needed to fight future near-peer adversaries in areas such as long-range precision fires, cyber and electronic warfare. In a notice to industry Dec. 18, Army Pacific, which is running the pilot, is in the process of assessing the industrial base for state-of-the-art technologies that can enable the pilot. In the run up to joint exercises in the 2018-2021 time frame, Army Pacific wants to hear from industry how its solutions can provide enhanced or new capabilities to the multidomain experimentation plan. Specific solutions named in the notice include: Integrated joint/partner fires targeting (lethal and non-lethal); Long range cross-domain fires; Land-based anti-ship missile capabilities; Long range strike capabilities from air, surface and maritime platforms; Multidomain artillery; Integrated intelligence; Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities; Space effects at operational and tactical levels; Organic over-the-horizon surveillance and targeting (including elevated sensors and unmanned aerial systems); Integrated and layered (short, medium and long range) air and missile defense capabilities and low-cost effectors; Mobile and survivable sensors (active, passive, seismic, etc.); Camouflage, concealment and deception across multi-spectral; visual, infrared, cyber, active radio frequency, etc.; Multidomain common operating picture; Survivable UAS (point launch/recovery, low observable) with modular/multi-payload options: ISR, EW, SIGINT, Kinetic); Advanced logistics and sustainment; Assured Communications, PNT, on and offshore datalink transmission; Manned-Unmanned Teaming; and Development of agile leaders (human dimension). https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/2018/12/21/the-army-has-outlined-a-technology-wish-list
May 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Quel soutien pour les PME de la défense ?
Le 28 mai 2020, Florence Parly, ministre des Armées s'est entretenue avec Bruno Le Maire, ministre de l'Économie et des Finances pour trouver les solutions les plus adaptées pour soutenir les PME de la défense. Dès le début de la crise, une task force a été mise sur pied, soit une mission interministérielle d'une cinquantaine de personnes pilotée par le ministère des Armées qui associe Bercy et Bpifrance. « Le principe est d'ausculter 1 500 entreprises, d'aller au contact dans les territoires, de visiter les lignes de production, les bureaux d'études, de discuter avec les dirigeants de ces PME et d'identifier la nature exacte de leurs faiblesses », précise le ministère des Armées à l'Usine Nouvelle. L'Usine Nouvelle du 29 mai 2020
August 11, 2020 | International, Land

Oshkosh is tinkering with a uniquely British JLTV
By: Andrew Chuter Correction: A previous version of this story misidentified a contract conclusion date. That has been updated. LONDON – Britain has moved a step closer to completing a deal for purchasing Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTV) following the award of a contract allowing platform builder Oshkosh Defense to trial proposed UK sub-systems on the vehicle. The British Ministry of Defence signed a demonstration phase deal with the US government in June to investigate the integration of UK equipment on the JLTV as part of a proposed foreign military sales agreement. Program officials here said the work being undertaken by Oshkosh is to help them better understand the choices to be made and reduce risk during manufacturing. The US vehicle has been selected by the British Army as the preferred option for the first phase of its Multi-Role Vehicle-Protected program aimed at replacing command, liaison and light logistics vehicles. A second MRV-P package, unrelated to JLTV, involving purchase of larger vehicles for ambulance and general purpose duties is still in competition. The demonstration deal has not been officially announced but radios, electronic countermeasures and other equipment are among the items specified by the British for trialing on a modified JLTV. Mike Ivy, the senior vice president for international programs at Oshkosh Defense, confirmed the work is underway. “The MRV-P program has funded a series of technical work packages that take the UK requirements and ensure proper fit and integration into JLTV,” Ivy said. The Oshkosh Defense executive said the work is being undertaken at the company's headquarters in Wisconsin. “The contract will conclude by December 2022,” said Ivy. Nobody is saying yet when a production contract might finally get signed, or for how many vehicles. Talks between the British and US governments on a proposed JLTV purchase have been underway for more than four years. Cost has been cited by some media reports as one of the reasons the two sides have failed so far to finalize a deal. Ivy said talks to conclude the deal were still underway. “The timing for the purchase of JLTV, the quantity of vehicles and subsequent delivery is the subject of ongoing discussions between the UK MoD and US DoD,” he said. British armed forces minister James Heappey told Parliament in January the intention was to decide on the JLTV procurement this year. That, though, was before Covid-19 struck, causing the delay of a defense review until around the end of the year and chronically damaging the financial prospects of military equipment spending. Equipment programs are regularly being delayed as the MoD seeks to balance its books. Most recently officials cited the defense review as one of the reasons for delaying a major 155mm howitzer program by more than two years. Analysts and the media here have said the Army may be a big loser if its budget takes a hit as the government defense review pivots towards sectors like space and cyber and away from conventional weapons like armored vehicles and artillery. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in 2017 the British had been approved to purchase 2,747 JLTV vehicles at a cost of $1 billion. The Parliamentary Defence Committee , also in 2017, said the expectation was that 750 vehicles would likely be procured. Whatever number the British settle for Ivy said that Oshkosh is mindful of the importance of UK content for its contracts with the UK MoD. “The MRV-P program is no exception. Once the work packages have been completed by Oshkosh and the configuration has been determined by the UK MoD, Oshkosh will present options on shared work content that can be completed in collaboration with UK partners,” said the executive. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/08/10/oshkosh-is-tinkering-with-a-uniquely-british-jltv/

All news