December 19, 2023 | International, Aerospace
June 26, 2018 | International, Naval, C4ISR
How the Navy can lean in to software superiority
The Navy needs to take a "hard look” at its digital needs according to a senior Navy software official, especially in technology such as machine learning and artificial intelligence, or risk vital weapons systems failing on the future battlefield.
Attendees of the Amazon Web Services Public Sector Summit in Washington June 21 heard warnings that obsolete and slow approaches are driving up costs of time and resources for the Navy's newest technologies that interact with one another in combat.
"It's really a matter of making System A talk to System B,” said Richard Jack, a lead engineer and project director at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific. “A logistics system that needs to be able to interact with a weapons system.”
Software superiority is an important part of the Navy's plan for a global competitive edge, from unmanned underwater vehicles to drones operated from ships. Unless the Navy wants to get an error message at a crucial combat moment, they will have to search outside their own technology labs for the solution to the interoperability challenge, Jack said.
“The Navy can't do this alone, as 99 percent of the brain trust is in the cloud service providers and the industry,” Jack stated. He expressed the need to “take advantage” of lessons learned by cloud industry leaders on big data collection and interpreting results to make predictions .
Jack suggested accelerating operations with increased cloud computing, creating shared infrastructure to make sure data centers are connected, eliminating duplicative investments across some programs, and further expanding AI and machine learning advancements.
The software engineer expressed confidence that learning from cloud service providers will result in the Navy enhancing warfighting abilities, envisioning a cloud to allow instant data sharing “between a weapons system, an airframe, a UAV, and a logistics system” at the same time.
Jack also praised cloud computing as important to the “compile to combat” program, in which the Navy is experimenting with ways to deploy new software capabilities to ships at sea in less than 24 hours.
While the cloud can “be super fast and super efficient” for accessing large amounts of data anywhere, Jack also promised that it also allows the Navy to “really push the boundaries of machine learning,” even though “we are behind the curve” at the moment.
Through “strategic partnerships” with the “Amazons, Googles and IBM Watsons of the world,” Jack promised the Navy could accomplish even more in the areas of AI and machine learning that will dominate warfighting in the era of the cloud.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/it-networks/2018/06/25/how-the-navy-can-lean-in-to-software-superiority/
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February 22, 2021 | International, Land
Israel, US Unveil Arrow 4, Missile Defense With Eye On Hypersonic Threats
TEL AVIV: Israel and the U.S have begun development of the Arrow 4 ballistic missile interceptor to deal largely with new Iranian long-range ballistic missile threats. A key design feature for the new Arrow will be winglets, helping it to intercept threats inside the atmosphere, in particular hypersonic missiles. “Israel needs to plan its missiles defense capabilities for many years to come. At this point there is no hypersonic missile threat on Israel, but when you design such an advanced interceptor, this capability should be included as some countries develop such missiles and in the middle east you must expect the unexpected,” an expert who spoke that with BD on condition of anonymity said. Israeli defense minister Benny Gantz, making the announcement on Feb. 18, said the development of Arrow 4 with the U.S will result prepare the two powers for evolving threats in the Middle East, and beyond. The Arrow Weapon System is a major element of Israel’s multilayered missile defense array. It includes advanced radar systems, developed and produced by IAI subsidiary, Elta. It also includes a BMC system developed by Elbit Systems, and a Launch Array including interceptors produced by MLM (a subsidiary of IAI). Defense industries Rafael and Tomer are also involved in the development and production of the Arrow interceptor. Arrow 2 has been operational since 2000, providing endo-exoatmospheric defense. Arrow 3, an exoatmospheric missile defense system, was delivered for operational use in 2017. It serves as the upper layer of Israel’s multi-tier missile defense array. Over the past few years, both of the interceptors were improved and demonstrated excellent capabilities during successful tests held in Israel and in Alaska. Development of Arrow 4 is jointly managed by the Israel Missile Defense Organization (IMDO), in the Directorate of Defense R&D (MAFAT) of the Israel Ministry of Defense, and the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA). According to the Israeli MOD the Arrow-4 will replace the Arrow-2 interceptors over the coming decades. Jacob Galifat, general manager of Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI)’s MLM division, said the new version will be the most advanced of its kind in the world.
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June 7, 2023 | International, Aerospace
What the US should do with its A-10 Thunderbolt
Let's kill two birds with one stone.