CACI Awarded $420 Million C5ISR Task Order to Support the U.S. Army

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  November 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Turkish firm develops AI-powered software for drone swarms

  Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — A privately owned Turkish company says it has developed an artificial intelligence-based software for swarm drones. MilSOFT announced Nov. 19 it developed the software after four years of research, and the the technology could be used in both fixed- and rotary-wing drone platforms. A government aerospace official said swarm drones would be used in Turkey's future unmanned aerial combat concept due to their low hardware costs and stealth technology. “These drones could be ideal in asymmetrical warfare. They are quick, cost-effective and easy to operate,” the official said. “Most importantly, they are assets designed to minimize human loss in asymmetrical warfare.” The Turkish military has been operating a big fleet of tactical and armed drones primarily in combat against Kurdish militants in Turkey's southeast provinces but also in cross-border operations in northern Syria and Iraq. Turkish drones have also been used in Libya's civil war and, most recently, in conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Many countries have yet to try drone swarm technology in a simulated, controlled environment. Turkey is among those that have the technology and the ability to test it in the field during operations. Turkey's top procurement office, the Presidency for Defense Industries, launched its Swarm UAV Technology Development and Demonstration program with a view to develop algorithms and software for the use of unmanned platforms with a swarm capability. The program is also meant to involve micro-scale companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises. MilSOFT has specialized in software solutions since 1998, and it is one of the participants of the government-run program. It has been offering products to the Turkish military for tasks including identifying detection by automatic moving target technology using AI, and machine-learning techniques with image-processing algorithms. The company said with the integration of intelligence and image evaluation products, drone swarms can be updated with additional capabilities such as reconnaissance, detection, recognition, search and rescue, and vehicle tracking. MilSOFT's software-based solution will allow drone swarms to be launched from aerial, land and naval platforms, and the images they obtain will enter a central command system. In the meantime, the drone flocks will transfer images between different military units with a relay function. AI technology can help catch elements that cannot be caught by the human eye and enable multiple attack capabilities by arming vehicles in operation. MilSOFT's AI-based software is also expected to enable swarm drones to perform frontal attacks on command from helicopters and provide operational support to other friendly platforms. The drones can reportedly operate autonomously from the beginning to the end of a mission, and can be instantly monitored and controlled via intelligence applications. The UAVs have a flight time of more than half an hour and a payload capacity of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). The vehicles work with landing gear that can land on rough terrain. While five UAVs are currently used in a herd in the field, this number can reach up to 25 in a controlled environment. MilSOFT aims to make a drone swarm of 50 operational vehicles. Communication between the drones is also provided by MilSOFT's own technology. Vehicles can communicate with each other from up to 500 meters. There is also a 10-kilometer network solution for data transfers. MilSOFT plans to integrate its technology for underwater and surface platforms as well as land vehicles. https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/11/24/turkish-firm-develops-ai-powered-software-for-drone-swarms/

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  February 18, 2019 | International, C4ISR

  Leonardo DRS joins UAE-based firm to support key projects of the country’s armed forces

  By: Chirine Mouchantaf BEIRUT — Leonardo DRS' land electronics unit has signed an agreement with the International Golden Group based in the United Arab Emirates to support key projects for the country's armed forces. As part of the settlement, U.S.-based Leonardo DRS will establish an innovative engineering and support facility in IGG's industrial park in Abu Dhabi to support projects and assist in hiring and training locals to fill new high-tech manufacturing positions, the company said in a statement. “Leonardo has a long history in working to support the armed forces of the UAE, and this partnership within our subsidiary and IGG has us very excited," Lorenzo Mariani, Leonardo chief commercial officer, told Defense News The two parties are expected to collaborate on advanced communication systems integration in support of tactical C4I projects, as well as onboard vehicle power systems that provide combat vehicles with up to 120 kilowatts of mobile electrical power for complex C4ISR systems, mobile command posts, radars, weapon systems and other power-hungry expeditionary capabilities. “The high technology of Leonardo DRS and the capabilities of IGG will lead to next-level products for the country's armed forces now and well into the future,” Mariani added. The agreement deepens an already strong relationship between Leonardo DRS and the government of the UAE. In 2017, Leonardo and IGG signed a strategic collaboration agreement to supply cybersecurity capabilities in the UAE, and to identify and implement advanced solutions including security operations centers. The agreement's aim was to integrate the solutions and market knowledge offered by IGG with Leonardo's state-of-the-art know-how in a long-term strategic and international partnership. Bill Guyan, vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS land electronics unit, considers the Emirati-American military relationship a robust one full of new growth potential over the next few years. “The recent growth of the Leonardo DRS land electronics business in the UAE has produced this natural next step. We are proud to lay down enduring roots and a strong business presence and remain committed to the success of our UAE customer and UAE Vision 2021,” he said, referring to the country's effort to prioritize health care, economic competitiveness, sustainable infrastructure, education, a cohesive society and an improved judiciary. “We are eager to work with IGG to provide the guidance, technology and support required to increase interoperability between the U.S. and Emirati forces, allowing them to strategically operate more closely,” he added. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/idex/2019/02/15/leonardo-drs-joins-uae-based-firm-to-support-key-projects-of-the-countrys-armed-forces/

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  December 17, 2018 | International, Naval

  Australia, Naval Group conclude sub negotiations

  By: Nigel Pittaway MELBOURNE, Australia – Australian Defence Minister Christopher Pyne confirmed that the Australian government has finally concluded negotiations for the formal signing of a strategic partnering agreement for 12 large conventionally-powered attack submarines from Naval Group. Australia is acquiring the vessels under its $50 billion (U.S. $36.12 billion) Project Sea 1000 (Future Submarine) to replace its existing fleet of six Collins Submarines from the early 2030s. The subs will be the ‘Attack' class with the lead vessel named HMAS Attack. They will be fabricated in Australia to a design previously known as the Shortfin Barracuda 1A. Recent local media reports have suggested that negotiations between the parties had stalled, placing the government's timeline for the Collins replacement in jeopardy, but Pyne said on Thursday the program was still on track. “There's been a lot of ill-informed mythmaking around the negotiations but I'm very happy to say today the negotiations are complete,” Pyne said during sod-turning event at the site of the Future Submarine Construction Yard at Osborne in South Australia. “The strategic planning agreement will be signed in February next year and we can continue to get on with the submarine project, which has been under the design and mobilization contract for the last two years.” Declining to provide details of the intricacies of the agreement due to their commercial nature, Pyne said the negotiations were officially concluded at an Australian Government National Security Committee meeting in Melbourne on Dec. 10. “Suffice to say the Australian government's interests, the Australian taxpayer's interests, have been taken care of,” he said. “Naval Group Australia will deliver 12 regionally-superior submarines on time and on budget.” Australia's Chief of Navy, Vice Adm. Mark Noonan, also denied reports of an emerging capability gap between the retirement of the first Collins submarines and the Attack boats entering service, which some analysts have suggested might require a ‘Plan B' to be formulated. “I don't believe that's the case,” he told reporters. “We've got a very solid plan to ensure that there is no gap in our nation's submarine capability, and there is a very advanced plan that will see a number of our current Collins class submarines going through a life of type extension program, which will ensure that capability gap doesn't exist.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2018/12/14/australia-naval-group-conclude-sub-negotiations/