February 23, 2021 | International, Land
Why a UAE company transformed a 4x4 Ajban into an autonomous vehicle
Nimr unveiled Feb. 21 that it is working with Adasi on a 4x4 armored vehicle that can be transformed into an unmanned vehicle.
August 10, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
Experiment over: Pentagon’s tech hub gets a vote of confidence
By: Aaron Mehta
WASHINGTON — In the early days of the Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit Experimental, then-Defense Secretary Ash Carter stressed that the “experimental” part of the unit was vital, a sign that the Silicon Valley outreach hub could remain flexible.
“DIUx is, after all, an experiment, as well as a pathfinder,” Carter said in 2016, following a relaunch of the group after a frustrating first year. “We created it so we could try new approaches, learn what works and what doesn't, and iterate until we get it right. And we'll keep iterating together and learning from each other as we go forward.”
Now, three years after its founding, it appears the experiment is over.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan on Thursday announced that the office will now be known only as the Defense Innovation Unit, formally dropping the “experimental” part of the title.
In a memo, Shanahan called the group a “proven, valuable asset” for the department and said the name change is a testament to my commitment to the importance of its mission.”
“Removing ‘experimental' reflects DIU's permanence within the DoD. Though DIU will continue to experiment with new ways of delivering capability to the warfighter, the organization itself is no longer an experiment,” Shanahan wrote. “DIU remains vital to fostering innovation across the Department and transforming the way DoD builds a more lethal force.”
It's a vote of confidence that will be welcomed by the now-DIU team and its supporters, after a year where many wondered about the future of the office.
Since its creation, DIUx reported directly to the defense secretary — until February of this year, when it was rolled under the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. Raj Shah, who led the group for the last two years, stepped down earlier this year as the office's leader; a search for his full-time replacement is ongoing. And three years after the office was formed, some have questioned what exactly the group has accomplished.
Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2018/08/09/experiment-over-pentagons-tech-hub-gets-a-vote-of-confidence/
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February 11, 2021 | International, Aerospace
These three companies won contracts for DARPA’s new LongShot drone
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency wants to create an air-launched drone that carries its own smaller weapons, a concept that brings to mind a lethal Russian nesting doll packed with missiles. If successful, the new UAV — called LongShot — could allow high-value manned aircraft like fighters and bombers to hang back at standoff distances while the drone moves forward and strikes multiple targets using its own air-launched weapons. DARPA announced Feb. 8 that it had awarded contracts to General Atomics, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman for the first phase of the program, during which the companies will create preliminary designs. “The LongShot program changes the paradigm of air combat operations by demonstrating an unmanned, air-launched vehicle capable of employing current and advanced air-to-air weapons,” said Lt. Col. Paul Calhoun, a program manager for DARPA's Tactical Technology Office. “LongShot will disrupt traditional incremental weapon improvements by providing an alternative means of generating combat capability.” Under the LongShot program, DARPA plans to explore multimodal propulsion, which the organization sees as key to the drone's concept of operations. “An air system using multi-modal propulsion could capitalize upon a slower speed, higher fuel-efficient air vehicle for ingress, while retaining highly energetic air-to-air missiles for endgame target engagement,” the Defense Department stated in fiscal 2021 budget material. That way, the UAV gets the benefit of being able to traverse longer ranges, while the weapons it launches have a higher probability of destroying their intended targets. If LongShot's development is successful, the weapon could “significantly” extend the range at which a manned aircraft can engage a target while also reducing the risk to human pilots, DARPA stated in a news release. DARPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the value of the contracts or the future schedule of the program, although it noted in a release that companies will build and fly full-scale demonstrators during a future phase of the program. During those tests, companies will prove their LongShot UAVs are capable of controlled flight and launching weapons. DARPA started the LongShot program in FY21, requesting $22 million to begin conceptual design work. According to budget documents, the LongShot UAV could be either launched from an external hardpoint on a fighter or the internal bay on a bomber. Both the Air Force and Navy could be potential future customers. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/02/09/these-three-companies-got-contracts-for-darpas-new-longshot-drone
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January 8, 2024 | International, Land
How does the Leopard 1A5 stack up against Russian armor?
Opinion: Proven in combat, the Leopard 1 was an effective Cold War-era main battle tank. However, many question its effectiveness and survivability in modern wars.