September 12, 2022 | International, Land
Simulation sandbox can speed development of uncrewed military vehicles
AI-based simulations can shorten testing periods by running thousands of different scenarios simultaneously.
June 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Israelis To Boost F-35 Fleet’s Electronic Warfare
By ARIE EGOZIon June 15, 2020 at 1:02 PM
TEL AVIV: The Israeli air force's F-35 special test aircraft is set to arrive in Israel, suitably enough, on the Fourth of July, along with three more Joint Strike Fighters. The arrival will start a planned process of upgrading the IAF's F-35 aimed at making them the main target supplier for the Israeli defense forces.
In November another three are scheduled to arrive, bringing the IAF's total to 27 out of the 50 in the current contract.
The special test aircraft was officially delivered to the IAF a year ago and some new systems developed by Israel have been installed. But the most sensitive systems will be installed only after the aircraft lands in Israel.
Currently, the IAF operates 20 F-35 (Adir) and uses them in combat. One of the key capabilities of the F-35 is its capability to absorb electronic signals from radars and air defense systems and to quickly classify them, geolocate them, and display them to the pilot. Then the aircraft can distribute that data to other combatants.
The critical data is collected by the aircraft's passive antennas embedded in the F-35's edges. They feed the signals information to the jet's computers. Using interferometers, the slightest time delay between when a signal hits one antenna compared to another, azimuth and range can be defined and target-quality coordinates created on where the threatening radio frequency emission is coming from.
The already very advanced ELINT system of the F-35 is going to be further upgraded by the IAF, working with Israel's defense companies.
Since the stealth fighter aircraft first arrived in Israel, some locally-made systems have been partially tested in different scenarios, but the test aircraft will allow these new systems to be put completely through their paces.
The test aircraft will enable each of the Israeli F-35s to function as a “Target Generator” for all Israeli ground and naval forces thanks to what some have described as an Israeli-built command-and-control system.
The Israeli companies that are developing systems for the IAF's F-35's are reluctant to provide details about the systems under development.
Eitan Ben Eliyahu, former commander of the IAF, told Breaking Defense that the F-35 will bring two main capabilities to the Israeli air force's existing ones: “The stealth of course is the obvious one and it is crucial in an area where different forces deploy advanced anti-aircraft systems.
“The second capability is the one that allows this aircraft to receive and distribute all kinds of combat data from a long list of sensors. This,” Ben Eliyahu said, “is very important for an air force that is performing combat missions almost on a daily basis.”
https://breakingdefense.com/2020/06/israelis-to-boost-f-35-fleets-electronic-warfare
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May 24, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Norway says it will help train Ukrainian pilots on F-16 jets
Norway will support training programmes for Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets, Norwegian Defence Minister Bjoern Arild Gram said on Wednesday.
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June 26, 2019 | International, Land
U.S. Marine Corps awards BAE Systems team a contract to develop ACV family of vehicles
BAE Systems, along with teammate Iveco Defence Vehicles, has been awarded a $67 million contract modification by the U.S. Marine Corps to develop new variants for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Family of Vehicles program for enhancing battlefield situational awareness and firepower. “The ACV has proven to be a versatile platform capable of numerous configurations to meet current and future mission requirements,” said John Swift, director of amphibious programs at BAE Systems. “With this award, BAE Systems will be able to develop a family of vehicles that will deliver the technology and capability the Marines require to accomplish their mission in support of our national security.” The contract calls for the design and development of the command (ACV-C) and the 30mm medium caliber cannon (ACV-30) variants. The ACV-C incorporates seven work stations to provide situational awareness and control of the battle space. The ACV-30 integrates a 30mm cannon to provide the lethality and protection the Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and payload. BAE Systems was previously awarded a low-rate initial production contract in June 2018 for the personnel variant (ACV-P). The Marine Corps announced the ACV had successfully completed anticipated requirements testing and would no longer be pursuing an envisioned incremental ACV 1.1 and ACV 1.2 development approach. The program is now known as the ACV Family of Vehicles, which encompasses the breadth and depth of the vehicle's capabilities and multiple variants. BAE Systems has a long legacy of designing and building amphibious vehicles and is a leading provider of combat vehicles, having produced more than 100,000 systems for customers worldwide. Iveco Defence Vehicles brings additional proven experience, having designed and built more than 30,000 multi-purpose, protected, and armored military vehicles in service today. The development of the ACV variants will take place in Stafford, Virginia; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; and York, Pennsylvania. https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/us-marine-corps-awards-bae-systems-team-a-contract-to-develop-acv-family-of-vehicles