November 3, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
US defense allies push to block new ''Buy American'' boost
Close U.S. military allies want to scuttle the "Buy American'' boost in Congress.
November 8, 2018 | International, Land
More than meets the eye: Army selects next-gen camouflage system
By: Kyle Rempfer
The Army has finally selected a company to provide it with the next generation of ultra light-weight, general-purpose camouflage.
The Army's Ultra-Light Camouflage Netting System, or ULCANS, will be an all-weather, state-of-the-art signature concealment system that provides multi-spectral protection for troops and equipment.
The program aims to replace the legacy woodland and desert camouflage variants developed in the 1990s, and will be developed in light and dark woodland, snow and alpine, desert, and urban variants.
The Army hopes ULCANS will better conceal the signatures of troops and equipment from high-end sensor threats on the battlefield.
The contract to produce the next-generation camouflage was awarded to Fibrotex USA Inc., according to a company statement provided to Army Times. The contract is a 10-year, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity award, with a total value of $480 million.
Fibrotex is expected to begin full-rate production in early 2019, according to the company.
ULCANS is the result of nearly two years of testing, trials and data collection conducted by the U.S. Army's Natick Soldier Systems Center in Massachusetts. Natick tested camouflage technologies from major global manufacturers against the Army's most advanced battlefield surveillance sensors.
Many of the technologies underpinning ULCANS are based on developments by Fibrotex's Israel-based parent company over the last two decades, but have been specially modified for the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Fibrotex system will provide multi-spectral camouflage, which conceals objects from detection across several portions of the electromagnetic spectrum at the same time. Traditional military camouflage simply hides an object in the visible spectrum, but the multi-spectral design obscures detection in the infrared, thermal and radar spectrum as well.
“Today more than ever, military forces and opposition groups are using night vision sensors and thermal devices against our troops, but by using Fibrotex's camouflage, concealment and deception solutions, we make them undetectable again, allowing them to continue keeping us safe," said Eyal Malleron, CEO of Fibrotex USA.
Fibrotex will also deliver the ULCANS material in reversible designs — allowing for the first time a different pattern and capability on each side, enabling soldiers, vehicles and systems to disappear into light or dark woodland, snow or alpine and desert or urban environments in any operational theater.
“We have more than 50 years of experience, with thousands of hours in the field and a deep understanding of conventional and asymmetric warfare," Malleron said. "The U.S. Army tested our best camouflage solutions, and the camouflage repeatedly demonstrated the ability to defeat all sensors known to be operating in the battlefield and throughout the electromagnetic spectrum.”
ULCANS will also be manufactured stateside, in a new state-of-the-art facility in McCreary County, Kentucky, creating hundreds of new skilled American jobs over the next decade, according to Fibrotex.
“I firmly believe we have the best workforce in the country, and that their hard work and dedication has earned these new jobs, helping deliver a vital new military contract from McCreary County," Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., said in a press statement. "I take great pride in knowing that our people are crafting these products to keep our warfighters and allies safe, giving them an edge on the battlefield.”
The new facility is being established next to Outdoor Venture Corporation, which is a strategic partner to Fibrotex USA and already designs modular personnel tents and command post tents for the Army.
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October 5, 2021 | International, Aerospace
UK reveals Pyramid programme to rapidly reconfigure software across multiple aircraft types
The United Kingdom has revealed a new programme, dubbed Pyramid, to rapidly reconfigure the avionics of current and future air platforms. The Tempest future fighter is set to feature the Pyramid Reference Architecture that will enable softwa...
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July 30, 2019 | International, C4ISR
Battelle Embarks on DARPA ECHO Program
COLUMBUS, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Battelle has won an Associated Contractor Agreement for a new Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Epigenetic Characterization and Observation (ECHO) program. The aim is to build a field-deployable platform technology that quickly reads someone's epigenome and identifies signatures that indicate whether that person has ever—in his or her lifetime—been exposed to materials that could be associated with weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Battelle will examine blood samples from people known to have handled materials associated with biological, chemical, explosive, pesticide or herbicide contaminants and compare those results to control subjects who have not handled these materials to identify unique epigenome signatures. The epigenome is biology's record keeper. Though DNA does not change over a single lifetime, a person's environment may leave marks on the DNA that modify how that individual's genes are expressed. This is one way that people can adapt and survive in changing conditions, and the epigenome is the combination of all these modifications. Though modifications can register within seconds to minutes, they imprint the epigenome for decades, leaving a time-stamped biography of an individual's exposures. Whereas current forensic and diagnostic screening technologies only detect the immediate presence of contaminants, the envisioned ECHO technology would read someone's epigenome from a biological sample even when other physical evidence has been erased. “We'll be developing methods to identify these signatures and how to interpret them for attribution—what did the person handle, when and for how long,” said Battelle Biologist and Principal Research Scientist Rachel Spurbeck, PhD, who is leading the effort. “This will even allow for diagnosing illnesses in individuals as a result of their exposure.” About Battelle Every day, the people of Battelle apply science and technology to solving what matters most. At major technology centers and national laboratories around the world, Battelle conducts research and development, designs and manufactures products, and delivers critical services for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Columbus, Ohio since its founding in 1929, Battelle makes the world better by commercializing technology, giving back to our communities, and supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. For more information, visit www.battelle.org. Media Contacts For more information contact Katy Delaney at (614) 424-7208 or at delaneyk@battelle.org or contact T.R. Massey at (614) 424-5544 or at masseytr@battelle.org. Contacts Katy Delaney (614) 424-7208 delaneyk@battelle.org T.R. Massey (614) 424-5544 masseytr@battelle.org https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190729005374/en