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  August 11, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

  Pentagon clears 100 MHz of spectrum for 5G development

  Nathan Strout The Pentagon has cleared 100 megahertz (MHz) of contiguous mid-band spectrum to be used for commercial 5G following a 15-week review, determining that they can share that bandwidth while minimizing impact on military radars. While that 3450-3550 MHz mid-band spectrum is highly desired by commercial 5G developers, it's been historically used by the military for critical radar operations for air defense, missile and gunfire control, counter-mortar, bomb scoring, battlefield weapon locations, air traffic control, and range safety. But now, leaders from the Department of Defense say the Pentagon can continue using the spectrum for those purposes while making it available for commercial development. DoD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said the department will move toward sharing most of that spectrum without limits while setting up a Spectrum Relocation Fund Transition Plan to minimize risks. “DoD is proud of the success of the [America's Mid-Band Initiative Teams (AMBIT)] and is committed to working closely with industry after the FCC auction to ensure timely access to the band while protecting national security,” Deasy told reporters Aug. 10. The White House and Department of Defense established AMBIT to free up spectrum for 5G development quickly back in April. Over a 15-week period, the working group was able to bring together 180 subject matter experts, and ultimately were able to identify 100 MHZ of spectrum used by the military that could be safely shared with commercial 5G efforts.The decision expands the amount of connected mid-band spectrum open for 5G development to 530 MHz. The Federal Communications Commission will auction off the spectrum. One government official said action was expected by the end of this fiscal year. https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/08/10/pentagon-clears-100-mhz-of-spectrum-for-5g-development

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  July 16, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval

  The Navy is looking at an unmanned helicopter to make its newest ships more lethal — and it just passed the first test

  Christopher Woody The Navy recently completed initial testing of the MQ-8C Fire Scout, an unmanned helicopter capable of carrying three times as much payload as an earlier version. The Navy hopes to deploy the MQ-8C aboard littoral combat ships, augmenting their limited range and firepower. More testing is needed however, and the Navy is still evaluating how the arm the drone helicopter. On June 29, US Navy crews completed the first comprehensive initial operational test and evaluation of the MQ-8C Fire Scout, an unmanned helicopter the Navy hopes will increase the lethality of the service's new littoral combat ships. The aircraft carried out several mission scenarios from the USS Coronado, an LCS commissioned in 2014. The Coronado's crew and members of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 performed simulated engagements in order to review the MQ-8C's target-identification, intelligence-gathering, and surface-warfare abilities. The testing showed "cohesion between the surface and aviation platforms," the Navy said in a release published on July 9. "The results, lessons learned, and recommendations reported on following this underway test period are absolutely invaluable to the future of the MQ-8C Fire Scout's mission effectiveness and suitability to perform that mission," Lt. Cmdr. Seth Ervin, leader of the Air Test and Evaluation detachment on the Coronado, said in the release. The testing also looked for ways to simultaneously operate both the Fire Scout and a MH-60S Seahawk manned helicopter onboard an LCS, finding that such operations were possible but required extensive planning and coordination. "It has been challenging and rewarding to be one of the first maintainers afforded the opportunity to take both aircraft aboard the ship. Working together, we made the overall product more functional and efficient for the fleet," Aviation Machinist's Mate Second Class Salvatore Greene, a member of the testing squadron, said in the release. The Coronado previously hosted tests of the smaller MQ-8B, which has been used in Afghanistan to detect improvised explosive devices. The larger MQ-8C, which is based on the Bell 407 manned helicopter, retains the hardware and software for the smaller model but has twice the range and can carry a payload three times bigger. The MQ-8C can also fly for 11.5 hours because the redesign for the Fire Scout program fitted the Bell 407's passenger and cargo spaces with fuel tanks, according to Jane's 360. The MQ-8B was to be equipped with a multimode maritime radar and the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System, consisting of modified 70 mm Hydra rockets fitted with a guidance system. The MQ-8B was limited to three tube launchers, but Capt. Jeff Dodge, the Navy's Fire Scout program manager, told USNI News the service was looking to put seven tubes on the MQ-8C. Limited space aboard the LCS complicates decisions about arming the Fire Scout. The LCS has one magazine that would store all weapons used by aircraft and the ship's own weapon systems. Dodge said in April that the Navy was still deciding how to fit Fire Scout armaments in with the LCS's own weapons. Those complicating factors had effectively put a hold on efforts to arm the MQ-8C until 2023, Dodge said at the time. The MQ-8C can land and takeoff autonomously from any aviation-capable ship and can carry out anti-submarine, anti-surface, mine warfare, and search-and-rescue operations, according to Northrop Grumman. Northrop has also touted the MQ-8C as a range-extender, adding up to 300 miles by providing targeting data for the LCS's over-the-horizon surface missile. The company plans to upgrade the MQ-8C with a new radar and datalink that allow it to send air-to-air and surface targeting information to surface ships. The MQ-8C did its first ship-based flight in December 2014 on the USS Jason Dunham, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. It also did underway-testing aboard the littoral combat ship USS Montgomery in April 2017, when it took its first flight from an LCS. Initial operational testing and evaluation for the MQ-8C began on April 16. Pierside testing focused on maintenance and cyber capabilities will continue on the Coronado through mid-July, the Navy said. Initial operational capability is expected by the end of this year. The Navy hopes to have the MQ-8C aboard the LCS fleet by the early 2020s. http://www.businessinsider.com/navy-mq-8c-fire-scout-unmanned-helicopter-passes-test-to-work-with-lcs-2018-7

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  July 23, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Armed with a new Arctic strategy, the Air Force seeks increased connectivity in the region

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — With commerce, travel and international competition in the Arctic region on the rise, the Department of the Air Force will prioritize making investments that will enable greater connectivity among U.S. military assets, the Air Force's top general said July 21. “Missile warning, space capabilities, air capabilities, how you marry up fifth generation and fourth generation [fighter jets]. It's more the case as we look at the future of warfare that data will be the currency that we operate on,” said Air Force Gen. Dave Goldfein at a roll out of the department's new Arctic strategy hosted by the Atlantic Council. “It's access to data, its manipulation at the speed of relevance. ... How we build the networks that we can operate seamlessly on is where you're going to see most of our investment,” he said. In the new strategy, the U.S. Air Force and Space Force commit to enhancing its northernmost missile defense capabilities, exploring new surveillance and communications technologies and updating its dilapidated infrastructure in the region. But the strategy doesn't provide specifics on how much the service is willing to spend to make its goals a reality, and Goldfein, Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett and Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond on Tuesday didn't provide much clarity on whether the department's strategic goals will turn into actionable investments. Although the U.S. Navy has a major interest in the region's waterways, the Department of the Air Force maintains the military's largest presence in the Arctic, making up 80 percent of the Defense Department's funding efforts in the region. “We've always valued the Arctic and recognized the importance of its geostrategic location,” Barrett said. However, she added that Russia's recent build-up in region, including “a network of offensive air assets and coastal missile systems,” has led the department to be more aware of the need to recapitalize its own technology in the Arctic. Meanwhile, China — which is not technically an Arctic nation — is attempting to insert itself in the region's affairs as part of its “One Belt, One Road” initiative. That country seeks access to “rare earth minerals, hydrocarbons, and fisheries,” according to the strategy, and has pursued strategic investments that would enhance its air and sea transportation options, such as a failed plan to build an airport in Greenland. The strategy lays out several goals that could result in greater investments in areas like command, control, communications, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C3ISR), space operations and missile defense. It also states that the Air Force and Space Force will work with the other services on an Arctic communications roadmaps that explores current and emerging technologies that could expand connectivity to military forces in the region. It will also work with the joint force on developing data links and ensuring satellite coverage. For missile defense, the strategy states an interest in “continuing to work with Canada to identify materiel and non-materiel solutions to the North Warning System” and updating the missile defense surveillance system in the Northern tier. The Space Force will “develop new technologies and modernize existing assets in the Arctic necessary to ensure access to and freedom to operate in space,” the strategy states, though it does not explain what types of capabilities will be necessary. It will also develop capabilities that can better predict the weather and environmental disturbances. U.S. Air and Space Force operations in the Arctic will have to become more agile, and could involve “expanded fixed bases, unoccupied airfields, or portable radar systems.” But even though the strategy also recognizes the difficulty of moving to a more modular way of operations given the complex nature of supplying installations in remote areas that may be almost completely inaccessible during the winter months, it provides few answers on what a more disaggregated approach to Arctic operations could look like. The department needs to advocate for additional funding to modernize Air Force and Space Force installations in the region, which include major air bases in Alaska like Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Thule Air Base in Greenland, and remote radar sites that make up the North Warning System, the strategy said. “To survive in the region, materials need to meet standards including: high thermal efficiency; long-term durability; tolerance to repeated freeze and thaw cycles; and resistance to permafrost degradation. Infrastructure in many austere locations, like Thule, Greenland, has deteriorated due to extreme environmental factors,” it said. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/07/21/armed-with-a-new-arctic-strategy-the-air-force-seeks-increased-connectivity-in-the-region/