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February 29, 2024 | International, Land

Indian committee OKs $4 billion buy of BrahMos missiles, more tech

The acquisition package includes cruise missiles, air defense weapons, surveillance radars and fighter jet engines.

https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2024/02/29/indian-committee-oks-4-billion-buy-of-brahmos-missiles-more-tech/

On the same subject

  • How Army IT modernization is reshaping this cadre of soldiers

    October 15, 2019 | International, Land

    How Army IT modernization is reshaping this cadre of soldiers

    By: Mark Pomerleau The Army's efforts to modernize its tactical networks and information technology are expected to reshape its signal corps, according to service officials. One of the Army's efforts includes creating what is known as “expeditionary signal battalion-enhanced," or ESB-E. Expeditionary signal battalions support units that don't have organic communications capabilities. These groups could include military intelligence battalions, chemical battalions, engineering battalions or air defense artillery branches. However, the Army realized it took too long to get equipment to theater, and the units said the gear performed too slowly on the battlefield, Sgt. Maj. Wendle Marshall, the head of 50th ESB-E, told C4ISRNET during a September trip to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. In response, the service adopted a more expeditionary approach, hence the “enhanced.” The Army as a whole is working to be more expeditionary and mobile to stay ahead of potential future threats, which will require units to move rapidly. Mobility extends to the overall tactical network modernization effort, for which the ESB-E is part of the first iteration of development to the force in 2021. The 50th ESB-E is the experimental unit, and three of its companies each received different equipment to test. When the Army receives feedback from those units and makes a decision on fielding, it will retrofit the entire battalion with the same gear. In 2021, the Army plans to outfit three ESB-Es out of 24 total ESBs. The biggest difference between the enhanced version of these battalions? Advancements in technology allow them to be more mobile and use less equipment while proving more capable. Soldiers described to C4ISRNET the difference in equipment between two sister battalions in the same signal brigade — one being an enhanced battalion. Based on the current configuration of a company in a typical battalion, six vehicles are needed to establish communications for a battalion or brigade — three vehicles and three trailers totaling six drivers — and three to seven C-17 planes to transport the vehicles. The enhanced versions can deploy that same company in a single C-17 requiring just a four-seat Humvee and one trailer to house equipment and personal gear. “If we had to get somewhere fast, we would not be able to provide the combat power as effective or fast as the ESB-E would,” Lt. Col. Trey Matchin, commander of 67th Expeditionary Signal Battalion, a sister battalion of the 50th located at Fort Gordon, Georgia, told C4ISRNET. Marshall said the enhanced battalions also aren't constrained to just satellite communications. “This kit's allowing us to change force structure to meet the needs of the Army,” Col. Matthew Foulk, commander of 35th Signal Brigade, which includes the 50th and 67th, told C4ISRNET in August. Moreover, with less equipment, soldiers' loads are lighter, they are more multifunctional and they rely less on contractor support. “ESB-Es being fielded is going to come to an apex at the perfect time. Which is creating a more multifunctional soldier instead of ‘I only do SATCOM [satellite communications] or I only do baseband, I only do radios.' We're getting away from that,” Foulk said. Marshall demonstrated how the motor pool for the 50th is smaller and simplified compared to sister battalions. One prominent example is an operations cell in which soldiers work on their kits as opposed to contractors. This allows war fighters to become proficient on systems ahead of exercises. https://www.c4isrnet.com/show-reporter/ausa/2019/10/15/how-army-it-modernization-is-reshaping-this-cadre-of-soldiers

  • Iranian Hackers Deploy New BugSleep Backdoor in Middle East Cyber Attacks

    July 16, 2024 | International, C4ISR, Security

    Iranian Hackers Deploy New BugSleep Backdoor in Middle East Cyber Attacks

    Iranian hacker group MuddyWater shifts tactics, deploying new backdoor BugSleep in cyberattacks targeting Middle East and European countries.

  • German, Norwegian officials huddle over joint submarine program

    May 1, 2019 | International, Naval

    German, Norwegian officials huddle over joint submarine program

    By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — Senior German and Norwegian defense officials met in Munich on Monday to plot a path for the two countries' multibillion-dollar joint submarine program. Officials said the meeting by the naval chiefs and defense-acquisition leaders was meant to push toward an agreement on the timing, cost and performance characteristics of the 212-CD program. The plan, these officials said, is to have the program on contract with lead vendor ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in 2020, with the first vessel delivered to Norway in late 2026. A deal with the German shipyard was previously envisioned for this year. The design of the new boats has yet to be locked down, which may reflect a last glimmer of hope in Berlin and Oslo that other countries in the market for submarines — namely Italy, the Netherlands or Poland — could join the effort. Germany and Norway inked a strategic cooperation agreement on submarines in 2017. The idea is for TKMS to produce six identical boats — two for Germany and four for Norway. Norwegian missile-maker Kongsberg, in turn, will outfit German Navy ships with an upgraded variant of its Naval Strike Missile. The stakes are high for the program, as any delays in fielding the submarines would throw off military plans in either country. The German Navy has seen years of delays in its F-125 frigate program. According to the service, an industry consortium led by TKMS is to blame. The German military, which is seeking a budget boost beyond what is on the books so far, is under pressure to field equipment on time and on budget. The idea is to prove that the defense-acquisition apparatus can convert additional money into additional capability. As a result, officials are increasingly tight-lipped about details surrounding big-ticket projects beyond rosy statements. “After a successful meeting: We are convinced that we want to make #U212CD a success story,” German Navy chief Vice Adm. Andreas Krause wrote on Twitter late Monday. “We will act and speak as if we were ONE Navy. Both navies need the new submarines delivered in time, cost and quality. Everyone involved in this project should never forget its relevance.” Sebastian Bruns, a naval analyst with the University of Kiel in northern Germany, said the interplay between the German and Norwegian defense bureaucracies will be crucial as the program progresses. “This type of integrated process is new for Germany,” Bruns told Defense News. That is because everything from spare parts to training and operational aspects is designed to be bilateral from the start, possibly tying the two sea services together for decades. “We are talking about a time frame through the 2060s,” he said. Bruns added that questions remain about Germany's future defense budget and whether the submarine program will have to compete with other national priorities. According to a Navy spokesman, the program is reflected in the Defence Ministry's broad budget outlines. Lawmakers are expected to get details for debate next year. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/04/30/german-norwegian-officials-huddle-over-joint-submarine-program/

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