December 10, 2019 | International, Naval
By Jon Harper
SIMI VALLEY, Calif. — The Marine Corps intends to divest itself of legacy systems as it transforms into a more mobile and expeditionary force, the service's commandant said Dec. 7.
In recent decades Marines have been busy fighting land wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. But now they must prepare for a potential conflict in a naval environment against advanced adversaries such as China, Gen. David Berger told reporters at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.
“We cannot wait any longer before we start adjusting our service to what we've got to be six, seven, eight years out,” he said. “We have lots of changes we have to make and ... we have to get rid of legacy things in the Marine Corps. We've got to go on a diet. We've got to get back on ship. We've got to become expeditionary again.”
What types of legacy systems will be on the chopping block?
“Big, heavy things,” Berger said. “Expensive things that we can't either afford to buy or afford to maintain over the life of it. Things that don't fit aboard ships. Things that can't fire hyper velocity projectiles. Things that don't have the range that we're going to need or the precision.”
Mobility will be critical in future fights, he noted. Marines must be able to operate from ships or ashore, and move back and forth between domains.
Other platforms that could see cuts include manned logistics vehicles and aircraft.
“All those things we're going to trim down,” Berger said.
The service is also looking to add new capabilities. The commandant did not identify specific systems that the Marines plan to buy, but he provided a flavor of the types of platforms that will be on the shopping list.
“Think unmanned. Think expeditionary. Think very light. Think things that we can sustain forward without a huge logistical train,” Berger said.
Unmanned logistics vehicles and aircraft are examples of new technologies that the service is interested in.
Human beings will still be on the battlefield, Berger noted. “I just don't need them driving a truck delivering chow” if a self-driving platform could perform the task, he said.
Drones could also deliver supplies. “Amazon does it. Why wouldn't we do it?” he asked.
Unmanned combat aircraft are also on the wish list, he noted.
The Marine Corps has been conducting wargames and simulations to help determine how the force should be redesigned for potential future combat scenarios that might occur 10 years out.
“We're in the last stages of that,” Berger said. That effort will likely wrap up in late January or early February.
Force composition changes will be made over 10 years, but some will begin next year, he said.
Officials are examining “every part of our air-ground team,” Berger said. A wide range of capabilities are being looked at. “From individual equipment to crew served [weapons] to F-35s and everything in between.”
The analysis will help determine which programs will be killed, trimmed or added, he said.
The service needs new weapon systems that can find and kill enemy ships at range from ship or shore.
“We have to become a naval force that's lethal in terms of putting at risk another naval force,” Berger said.
In the future, large numbers of unmanned air and ground systems could function as motherships that launch other robotic vehicles and drones to conduct missions, he said.
A major funding realignment is planned over the next five years.
“You'll see a little bit of it” in the fiscal year 2021 budget blueprint, Berger said. “The big muscle movement — that will come in ‘22, ‘23, ‘24 in a big way.”
https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/12/9/marine-corps-planning-major-program-cuts
January 14, 2022 | International, Naval
Even as the Navy tries to wrap up testing of two LCS mission packages years after their original fielding dates, service leadership is also polling fleet commanders on alternate mission ideas for the LCS ships.
March 7, 2024 | International, Land
October 5, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
Seth J. Frantzman JERUSALEM — Israel Aerospace Industries has chosen five startups to work with its engineers and experts to create products with the company, including sensors and artificial intelligence. The five startups are QuantLR, Aigent-Tech, DST, Scopoli, and FVMat. Their work will focus on sensors for tracking people and objects, AI, monitoring systems, and landing gear, among other technologies. IAI produces and supports a variety of defense systems for land, air and naval applications, such as a recent test of the Arrow 2 air defense weapon and a new sea-to-sea missile. “IAI's unique accelerator track allows the startups to work with IAI's technology leaders, realize long-term business potential, leverage breakthrough technologies, and gain access to IAI's customers,” the company said in a statement Oct. 1. Among the companies selected, FVMat focuses on meta-materials, such as the production and design of materials with unique densities and stiffness. The firm will work with IAI on landing gear applications. Aigent-Tech previously developed on-demand ridesharing solutions, and works on navigation and routing technology to improve transit efficiency. QuantLR's website says it works on quantum encryption technologies. DST will work with IAI's Aviation Group on real-time monitoring, while Scopoli will work with the System Missiles and Space Group on solutions for tracking people and objects. IAI said it conducted more than $900 million in research and development activity last year, of which $191 million was used for its own innovation groups. A company spokesperson called research and development the company's “DNA.” Toward that end, it has invested millions of dollars in various collaborations with startups. In February IAI promoted collaboration in intelligence and remote sensing with MassChallenge. Its Elta subsidiary said it would offer participating startups “to hold their proof of concept on ELTA's operational intelligence and radar systems, and will facilitate their access to global customers and markets.” That program targeted startups developing high-frequency sensors, quantum computing, photonics, acoustics, ultrasonic, and other disruptive sensory or data-fusion technology. IAI's new Innovation Center and the selection of five startups are part of the firm's concentration on working with a large number of local startups. The center opened with the help of Starburst Aerospace, which specializes in pre-seed technological challenges, IAI said. The effort is expected to support work on machine learning, quantum computing, radars, sensors, robotics, big data, computer vision, smart cockpits, propulsion, drones, cyber technology and 3D printing. “IAI invests hundreds of millions of dollars every year in in-house R&D of innovative technologies. The Innovation Center is unique in its startup model, which exists inside a stable, well-established company, providing IAI's engineers with a path for testing their ideas and developing proof of concept within weeks,” said Amira Sharon, executive vice president of strategy and R&D. After a public call in August for participants in the center, 90 startups applied. Of those, five have been chosen. “It is a win-win: They get access to what we do operationally, and we become familiar with their technology, and the objective of the accelerator is to bring, in 13 weeks, viable and concrete products,” an IAI spokesperson said. After the 13 weeks, the intention is to continue development and enhance the capabilities. One concept under development is to detect people and objects in complex terrain. But the business development model will vary with each startup, according to IAI. IAI company did not specify how much money would be invested in the projects with which the startups are involved, but IAI's Innovation Center has received several million dollars. IAI at present is not investing in the startups themselves, but rather is teaming with them. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/10/02/israeli-defense-giant-picks-five-startups-to-develop-future-tech/