August 16, 2018 | International, C4ISR
The agency is challenging teams to build systems that chart caves, tunnels and underground urban infrastructure.
Finding your way through caves and tunnels is both difficult and extremely dangerous, but the Pentagon's research office wants to build technology that can navigate underground environments while humans stay on the surface.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is finalizing teams for its Subterranean Challenge, or SubT, a three-year competition to build systems that can rapidly map and search often treacherous underground areas.
The agency on Thursday awarded a $4.5 million contract to Virginia-based iRobot Defense Holdings and a $750,000 contract to Michigan Technological University to participate in the challenge. A third team, Scientific Systems Company Inc., joined the program on July 31 with a $492,000 contract.
“Even under ideal conditions, these complex environments present significant challenges for subterranean situational awareness,” DARPA wrote in the program announcement. “However, in time-sensitive scenarios, whether in active combat operations or disaster response settings, warfighters and first responders alike are faced with a range of increased technical challenges, including difficult and dynamic terrains ... severe communication constraints, and expansive areas of operation.”
Full Article: https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2018/08/darpa-wants-make-underground-maps-fly/150554/
August 21, 2024 | International, Aerospace
Army officials said at TechNet Augusta that the service wants to ensure its units have access to multiple satellite connectivity options.
August 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace
By Garrett Reim Japan's ministry of defence is inviting foreign suppliers to help develop the country's next-generation fighter aircraft, known as the Future Fighter programme, or F-X. The solicitation was made via a public notice and a press briefing by Japanese defence minister Taro Kono on 25 August, according to reports. The Japanese ministry of defence wants components that are at high-technology readiness levels, in areas such as stealth unmanned air vehicles, airborne missile systems, radar, sensors, electronic warfare and communications equipment, according to media outlet Janes. The notice reportedly adds that this next phase will continue discussions related to development of F-X with the USA and UK. “We are inviting companies to [support] the integration of the fighter aircraft,” Kono says. “We are currently exchanging information with the US and UK to deepen our consideration of international co-operation in this development project.” In July, the ministry of defence said it would choose a single Japanese company to serve as prime contractor and lead systems integrator for the jet, according to Janes. That company is thought likely be Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which builds the Mitsubishi F-15J and runs a final assembly and check-out facility for the F-35 Lightning II in Nagoya, Japan. The Future Fighter is to replace Tokyo's Mitsubishi F-2 fleet in the 2030s. The F-2 is a fighter derived from Lockheed Martin's F-16. Mass production of the F-X is reportedly planned to start in 2031. The next-generation aircraft would be deployed in 2035. https://www.flightglobal.com/fixed-wing/japan-requests-foreign-help-with-f-x-as-programme-moves-into-next-phase-reports/139927.article?referrer=RSS
June 20, 2024 | International, Land
Following the delivery of the first batch last year, solution specialist HENSOLDT is now equipping the German Armed Forces with 90 additional Spotter 42.