Elbit signs tank, armored vehicle contract with Asia-Pacific country

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  July 10, 2019 | International, Other Defence

  Battelle To Explore Artificial Intelligence, Neural Interfaces with DARPA Award

  COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Battelle is combining years of brain-computer interface (BCI) projects, such as NeuroLife®, with its expertise in machine learning and artificial intelligence under a new award from the federal government's forward-thinking government agency, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The award is part of DARPA's Artificial Intelligence Exploration program called Intelligent Neural Interfaces. Using terabytes of neural data gathered in the past five years during NeuroLife sessions, Battelle Senior Data Scientist David Friedenberg and his team will build new decoding algorithms to make neural interfaces more robust over long periods of time. The BCI systems typically rely on a decoder that monitors brain activity and then translates it into actions—in the case of NeuroLife, those signals are sent to a special sleeve that uses electrodes to stimulate muscles to evoke hand movement. However, the decoders require significant and time-consuming calibration to learn the mapping between the brain data and the user's intended action. In June, the Battelle team began work on a $1 million, 18-month project that will try to solve longstanding problems with decoder optimization and maintenance while improving accuracy and robustness. To accomplish this goal, Battelle will develop a hybrid approach for stable long-term neural decoding using end-to-end deep neural network decoders to learn optimal features from the raw electrode recordings. In addition, using third-wave AI approaches, Battelle will develop models that account for changing context and continuously adapt accordingly. This allows for adjusting both the features and the decoder on-the-fly during normal system use to counteract non-stationarities and instabilities in the signal without requiring the user to intervene and recalibrate the system. The next evolution of BCIs will occur as the systems move from the lab into the real lives of users. “We want these systems to require less training and be more robust to interruptions and interference,” said Friedenberg. “We want to develop optimal decoders that automatically and continuously adapt to each individual and the BCI they're using.” About Battelle Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle makes the world better by commercializing technology, giving back to our communities, and supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. For more information, visit www.battelle.org. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190710005082/en

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  November 15, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Lockheed Gets Interim Payment for First Multiyear F-35 Contract: Pentagon

  By Reuters WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin Corp has won a preliminary contract valued at up to $22.7 billion to build a batch of 255 F-35 jets for the U.S. military and its allies, the U.S. Defense Department said on Wednesday. The department said the deal would allow Lockheed to receive $6 billion in funding immediately, a move aimed at preventing major delays in production of the new stealthy fighter jets. This contract is the first to lock in multiyear commitments from U.S. allies as Lockheed anticipates that buying components in larger quantities will help move the price of the most common F-35 jet to below $80 million by 2020. The most common variation of the jet, the F-35 A, had a price of $89.2 million after the most recent round of contract negotiations announced in September. Lockheed is developing and building three models of the new warplanes for the U.S. military and 10 other countries that have signed up to buy the jets: Britain, Australia, Italy, Turkey, Norway, the Netherlands, Israel, Japan, South Korea and Belgium. The Pentagon's chief arms buyer, Ellen Lord, told Reuters on Tuesday that she expected to finalize the interim terms of the deal, known as an "undefinitized contract action" or UCA, with Lockheed, its No. 1 supplier, by the spring of next year. A Lockheed representative said: "This is a smart approach for the taxpayer, the warfighter and for industry." According to the Pentagon, Wednesday's agreement means that U.S. allies buy 149 jets over the three-year period. In the United States' one-year deal, it will buy the remaining 106 jets for delivery beginning in 2020. The U.S. government will continue to buy jets in annual contracts, but is also purchasing components for future-year jets and will also benefit from the economies of scale allowed under the multiyear contract. The three-year deal, known as the "block buy" among the United States and allies, has been said to be worth more than $37 billion and encompass a record 440 jets. Wednesday's contract agrees to a high-water mark of $22.7 billion for all of the 255 jets, but that dollar figure is expected to come down during the negotiations while the jet count is considered a minimum commitment. The interim payment authorized on Wednesday will be deducted from the total contract when the two sides reach a final agreement. The Pentagon is negotiating a separate contract with Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp, for engines to power the jets. (Reporting by Mike Stone in Washington; Editing by Matthew Lewis) https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2018/11/14/business/14reuters-usa-lockheed-pentagon.html

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  July 10, 2019 | International, Other Defence

  Saab Signs Framework Agreement for AT4 and Carl-Gustaf Ammunition with the United States Government

  Saab has signed a multi-year framework agreement with the U.S. Government, which allows the U.S. Army, U.S. Marines and U.S. Special Forces to place orders for up to USD 445 million (approximately SEK 4.2 billion) during a five-year period. The recently signed framework agreement allows the customer to place orders for Saab's AT4 disposable weapon system and ammunition for the Carl-Gustaf® recoilless rifle. A first purchase order of USD 83 million (approximately SEK 771 million) was released at the signing of the agreement. “This framework agreement further strengthens our relationship with the U.S. Armed Forces, who have been users of our ground combat systems for decades. We see these continued investments as a clear proof that the customer values the flexibility and effectiveness of our systems,” says Görgen Johansson, head of Saab business area Dynamics. The order was booked in Q2 2019. Both Saab's AT4 and Carl-Gustaf (designated MAAWS in the U.S.) have long track records in the U.S. Since 1987, Saab has delivered more than 600,000 AT4s, both directly and under license, to U.S. forces. The Carl-Gustaf system has been a program of record in the U.S. since 2013 and in 2018 it was announced that U.S. Army will acquire the latest version of the system – the Carl-Gustaf M4 (designated M3E1 in the U.S.). https://saabgroup.com/media/news-press/news/2019-07/saab-signs-framework-agreement-for-at4-and-carl-gustaf-ammunition-with-the-united-states-government/