August 5, 2022 | International, Aerospace
Fighter pilots will don AR helmets to train with imaginary enemies
Roughly a year from now, Air Force pilots will start wearing augmented reality helmets that let them fight imaginary enemies in the air.
April 9, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Open source platforms, flexible airframes for new drones
Kelsey D. Atherton
Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise.
Multirotor drones excel at vertical lift and hover, while fixed wing drones are great at both distance and wide-open spaces. In February, Auterion Government Solutions and Quantum-Systems announced a two-pronged approach to the rotor- or fixed-wing drone market, with a pair of drones that use the same sensor packages and fuselage to operate as either the Scorpion Trirotor or the Vector fixed wing craft.
“As we started to develop our tactical UAS Platform, our plan was only to develop a VTOL fixed wing solution (like our Vector),” said Florian Siebel, managing director of Quantum-Systems. “During the development process we decided to build a Tri-Copter Platform as well, as a result of many discussions with law enforcement agencies and Search and Rescue Units.”
Adapting the fixed-wing fuselage to the tri-copter attachments means the drone can now operate in narrow spaces and harsh conditions. Scorpion, with the rotors, can fly for about 45 minutes, with a cruising speed of zero to 33 mph. Put the fixed wings back on for Vector, and the flight time is now two hours, with a cruising speed of 33 to 44 mph.
The parts snap into place without any need for special tooling, and Auterion recommends the drone for missions in rain or snow. Both platforms share a gimbal EO/IR with 10x optical zoom, 720p EO video, 480p IR video, laser illuminator, IR laser ranger. Common between modes is also a tactical mapping tool using a 21 megapixel Sony UMC R10C camera. For the scorpion, there's also the option of a gimbaled electro-optical camera with a 30x optical zoom.
Both drones are designed to fit in rucksacks that a person can carry one at a time. While many features are common across Vector and Scorpion, the plan is not to include both rotors or wings in the same kit. Once a team packs into the field with a drone on its back, that's the mode the drone can be used in.
Auterion intends to ship the drones by the fourth quarter of 2020, with preorders available.
Designing a drone body is about settling on the right compromise. Vector and Scorpion are built on top of open source code. This includes an operating system capable of programmable autopilot , as well as machine-vision collision prevention and obstacle detection and avoidance. Software for the ground station and cloud data management of the drone are also built on open source code. The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit awarded Auterion a $2 million contract last year to work on the PX4 software to help drive compatibility standards in the drone industry.
As militaries across the world look to the enterprise sector for capable drones at smaller profile than existing military models, transparency in code and flexibility in airframe could become more widely adopted trends. In the meantime, there is Vector, and there is Scorpion.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/03/25/open-source-platforms-flexible-airframes-for-new-drones
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September 24, 2018 | International, Naval
Sub builder Electric Boat injects millions into Groton expansion
By: The Associated Press GROTON, Conn. — Submarine builder Electric Boat has announced plans for an $850 million shipyard expansion in Connecticut. The Day reports the company released plans for expanding its Groton shipyard Thursday as it prepares to build a new class of ballistic missile submarines. Electric Boat says it plans to construct a new assembly facility and a floating dry dock. The environmental consulting company helping with the project says the facilities will allow Electric Boat to bring the submarine materials to the site by water and help reduce construction traffic. Some residents have opposed the project, arguing that it will impact their waterfront views and lower their property values. Electric Boat says it looked at alternative sites, but none of them worked. Construction on the buildings is expected to start in 2019. https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2018/09/21/sub-builder-electric-boat-injects-millions-into-groton-expansion
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November 27, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Boeing, NATO to announce $1B contract for AWACS upgrades
ByChristen McCurdy Nov. 26 (UPI) -- NATO and Boeing will formally announce details of a $1 billion contract Wednesday for upgrades to Airborne Warning and Control System planes, the alliance said Tuesday. The Wednesday contract will be signed in a formal ceremony at Melsbroek Airport in Brussels with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Sir Michael Arthur, President of Boeing International in attendance. Stoltenberg confirmed to reporters last week that NATO was on the verge of inking a deal to modernize the AWACS fleet. He did not say what upgrades were needed. "I can confirm that we will sign a contract upgrading, modernizing the AWACS fleet," Stoltenberg said last week ahead of a meeting of NATO ministers of foreign affairs. "This reflects the importance of modernizing our capabilities, including our common capabilities, as the AWACS fleet is." NATO operates 14 AWACS planes, which detect enemy missiles and aircraft in NATO airspace, were introduced in 1982. The alliance intends to keep them in service until 2035. The alliance has used them to patrol the Mediterranean Sea and in missions against the Islamic State. NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu also tweeted last week that the upgrades, in addition to receipt of the first of five Global Hawk surveillance drones in Sicily, "reflects how NATO is investing in high-tech capabilities." While NATO is expected to replace the E-3 fleet after 2035, Stoltenberg did not indicate how that could happen aside from referencing the incoming Global Hawks as part of a modernization. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/11/26/Boeing-NATO-to-announce-1B-contract-for-AWACS-upgrades