Hydraulic warfare is here to stay. NATO should plan for it.

On the same subject

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  August 20, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  US Army network team sets timeline for satellite constellations

  Andrew Eversden WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army's tactical network program office expects to reap the full benefits of low-and medium-Earth orbit satellite constellations in the 2025-2027 time frame, the head of the office said Aug. 18. Speaking on a webinar hosted by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Brig. Gen. Rob Collins, program executive officer at Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, said the two constellations types offer “game-changing technologies” that will likely be fully mature and ready for soldier use in Capability Set ‘25 or ‘27, the two-year cycle of new network tools the service is fielding. One of the connectivity benefits of the LEO and MEO constellations in the field, Collins said, is that they can allow for complex network functions and mission-support capabilities to remain in a safer place. “We may be able to put those in an area in a more safe sanctuary and allow our war-fighting formations, our brigades and divisions to better focus on what their tactical mission is without having to concern themselves with the force protection of those areas,” the one-star general said at DARPA's virtual Electronic Resurgence Initiative Summit. The Army is interested in LEO and MEO satellite constellations because they can provide significantly more bandwidth and reduced latency. “It's really all about having a resilient network architecture that takes advantage of all the layers that can be expeditionary,” Collins said. LEO and MEO can also allow for smaller ground terminals, which will increase mobility for the soldier, he added. PEO C3T is currently working on prototypes of new satellite capabilities in partnership with the Army's Combat Capabilities Development Command. PEO C3T's Project Manager Tactical Network division will run lab-based experimentation with new satellite terminals this summer to “exploit some of the commercial capabilities,” Collins said. The program office is also working with the CCDC's Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate on creating multi-band satellite terminals. 5G technology will add an additional layer of network speed. Collins said the Army anticipates 5G technology has the “potential” to be incorporated into Capability Set '25. But he warned that the Army operates in unique environments with rough terrain and foliage that can affect communications, and can not always rely on towers and relay stations. “I think one of the things we're going to have to do is how can we take and best employ some of this technology, how do we link it into our current environment and ensure that it's mobile,” Collins said. “And then probably, importantly, to make sure how do we secure some of the endpoints associated with the technology. I think that's really an area that we'll be reaching out to industry, academia and others to see how we best incorporate that.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/08/19/us-army-network-team-sets-timeline-for-satellite-constellations/

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  January 18, 2019 | International, Naval, Land

  Marines Want Missiles To Sink Ships From Shores, And They Want Them Fast

  By PAUL MCLEARY WASHINGTON The Marine Corps has kicked off a rapid development program to begin firing long-range anti-ship missiles from shore-based ground vehicles in an effort to add more punch to the Navy's growing anti-ship capabilities, which are aimed squarely at Chinese and Russian advances. Dubbed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System — that's NEMSIS to you — the program has completed its design phase. For the missile itself, Marines are looking at Lockheed Martin's new Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), with stealthy features to penetrate enemy missile defenses, a 1,000-pound warhead, and a range disclosed only as “over 200 miles”; Raytheon's Naval Strike Missile (NSM) already chosen as an upgrade for Navy Littoral Combat Ships, with a 264-lb warhead and a 115-mile range; and Boeing's venerable Harpoon, whose variants have a 500-lb warhead and ranges between 70 and 150 miles. The program kicked off last year with a request for information (RFI), after which companies signed OTA agreements with the service in September. Final proposals were submitted in December. Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2019/01/marines-want-missiles-to-sink-ships-from-shores-and-they-want-them-fast/

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  September 7, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

  No decision on S-400 as US, India sign key defense agreement

  By: Tara Copp NEW DELHI — The U.S. and India signed a critical defense information sharing agreement Wednesday that will allow each country greater access to each others' communications networks, but could not come to an agreement on India's planned purchase of Russia's S-400 air defense system. Mattis and Minister of Defense Nirmala Sitharaman signed the Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement, or COMCASA, which in practical terms will improve information network access and sharing so that in future weapons acquisition, secure communications links common in U.S. weapons systems, such as Link 16 in U.S. jets, can be included. Until now, those tactical communications capabilities have not been included in India's major weapons purchases. The two sides also agreed to enhanced defense cooperation, to include joint exercises on India's coast in 2019 and the establishment of a hotline between the U.S. and India. Mattis and Sitharaman then joined Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and India's minister of foreign affairs Sushma Swaraj to address Indian and U.S. media. The defense and diplomatic leaders said the agreements were the latest sign of a strengthened U.S.-India relationship, recently underscored through the U.S. renaming Pacific Command to Indo-Pacific Command. But the two sides did not come to a resolution on one of the higher-visibility issues between the two sides, India's planned purchase of five S-400 systems, in a deal worth an estimated $6 billion. Full article: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/09/06/no-decision-on-s-400-as-us-india-sign-key-defense-agreement