July 15, 2022 | International, Aerospace
November 30, 2020 | International, Land
Rheinmetall unveils new ground robot for armed reconnaissance
COLOGNE, Germany — Rheinmetall has unveiled a new scouting configuration of its Mission Master ground robot, ratcheting up competition in a European market segment that is set to heat up in the coming years.
The new version features a suite of sensors mounted on a collapsible, 3.5-meter mast, including an infrared sensor, a surveillance radar and a 360-degree camera. A laser rangefinder and target designator are also included on the vehicle, as is a 7.62mm gun on a remote-controlled weapon station, according to a company statement.
“The Mission Master-Armed Reconnaissance is designed to execute high-risk scouting missions and deliver a real-time common operating picture without putting soldiers in danger,” the German company said.
The six-wheeled vehicle's autonomous functions are powered by Rheinmetall's PATH kit, which the company advertises as a means to turn any vehicle into an unmanned platform. Multiple vehicles can be combined to operate as part a “Wolf Pack” cluster, a technology enabling communications, cueing and targeting toward a common mission objective, according to Rheinmetall.
Ground robots with varying degrees of autonomy are rapidly becoming critical for ground forces worldwide. Cargo transport and surveillance are some of the most obvious applications. While some of the new robots carry weapons, Western manufacturers have shied away from connecting their most advanced autonomy algorithms to the process of firing them.
Rheinmetall's Mission Master series is something of a counterpoint to Estonia's Milrem Robotics, which has been making inroads with European ground forces through its tracked THeMIS vehicle. Milrem has advertised its operational experience by way of a THeMIS deployment with the Estonian military to the French-led Barkhane counterterrorism mission in Mali.
Milrem also sits atop a smattering of European companies charged with developing a common architecture for unmanned ground vehicles under the umbrella of the European Defence Industrial Development Programme. The effort is named iMUGS, which is short for “integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System,” and it received roughly $36 million in European Union funding over the summer.
“The ambition is no less than developing an F-16 [fighter jet] of unmanned ground systems,” Kusti Salm, director general of the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments, was quoted as saying by the Baltic Times website in 2019.
The iMUGS effort centers around Milrem's THeMIS vehicle as a prototype platform. Notable European land warfare companies are part of the consortium, including Germany's Krauss-Maffei Wegmann and France's Nexter. Absent from the EU-endorsed roster is Rheinmetall, which has mounted its own marketing and outreach campaign for the Mission Master series.
Earlier in November, the company announced it had given a sample vehicle to the Royal Netherlands Army for experimentation. The robot will undergo a two-year evaluation toward what Rheinmetall described as “Future Manoeuvre Elements” to aid Dutch ground forces during operations.
The Dutch previously ordered the THeMIS from Milrem.
During the spring, Rheinmetall delivered four Mission Master vehicles configured for cargo transport to U.K. forces.
“These unmanned ground vehicles will form part of the United Kingdom's Robotic Platoon Vehicle program,” Rheinmetall said in a statement at the time. “This program is designed to determine the extent to which unmanned vehicles can boost the combat effectiveness and capabilities of dismounted troops at platoon level.”
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April 24, 2022 | International, Aerospace
Thales obtient la certification de type du système de drone Spy'Ranger 330
Thales a obtenu la certification de type du système Spy'Ranger 330, délivré par l'autorité technique de navigabilité de la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA). Le Spy'Ranger 330 équipe l'armée de Terre française au titre du programme SMDR (Système de Mini-Drones de Reconnaissance). Le certificat de type permet à l'armée de Terre de former et entraîner les opérateurs du SMDR et de mettre en œuvre le système en opérations extérieures (OPEX), sans autorisation de vol spécifique et de manière pérenne. « Le système de mini-drones Spy'Ranger 330 offre aux forces armées les technologies d'imagerie les plus innovantes disponibles sur le marché », indique Thales. Le Spy'Ranger 330 a été conçu, développé, industrialisé et produit pour le programme SMDR sous maîtrise d'ouvrage de la DGA, par la filière française des systèmes de drones légers de contact. La famille Spy'Ranger répond aux besoins des unités de contact et de renseignement, engagées sur des thé'tres d'opérations extérieures. « Ces unités disposent ainsi d'une capacité d'appui au contact et de renseignement d'origine image combinant plusieurs éléments au sein d'un même système : un drone endurant et robuste, résistant aux environnements exigeants, une chaine image contribuant à la supériorité tactique, une liaison de données sécurisée et enfin, un système de contrôle/commande (C2) simple à opérer », explique Thales. La Tribune et Zone-Bourse.com du 21 avril
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December 9, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Kratos Receives $37.7 Million Skyborg Program Contract Award from USAF Advanced Aircraft Office
San Diego, December 8, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ: KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider and industry-leading provider of high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial systems, announced today that Kratos has received a $37,771,577 award from the AFLCMC/WA Advanced Aircraft Program Executive Office for the Skyborg Delivery Order (DO) 2 contract to integrate, test, and deliver XQ-58A Valkyrie aircraft. Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “Kratos is excited to announce the receipt of the Skyborg DO 2 contract, meeting a long-term strategic objective. The Skyborg Program, one of three USAF Vanguard Programs, is focused on expanding the envelope of the application of unmanned aircraft use, particularly with respect to Artificial Intelligence. Kratos XQ-58A has been flying since March of 2019, approximately 30 months after aircraft conception, and was designed specifically for these applications and the ability to support missions from ISR to Strike in manned-unmanned teaming scenarios or in unmanned only mission sets. These capabilities are intended to substantially increase the effectiveness of our country's military mission sets, while at the same time reducing risk to the exquisite assets and manned elements—saving resources and, most importantly, lives.” The contract includes three phases of design, integration, and flight testing of the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie system, integrating multiple customer-defined mission payloads and customer-defined autonomy in coordination/cooperation with the Skyborg System Design Agent company, Leidos. Kratos currently works in partnership with Leidos' Dynetics on the Gremlins Program. About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) develops and fields transformative, affordable technology, platforms and systems for United States National Security related customers, allies and commercial enterprises. Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technology for these industries are rapidly brought to market through proven commercial and venture capital backed approaches, including proactive research and streamlined development processes. At Kratos, affordability is a technology, and we specialize in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, hypersonic systems, training, combat systems and next generation turbo jet and turbo fan engine development. For more information, please visit www.KratosDefense.com. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Kratos undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended December 29, 2019, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos. Press Contact: Yolanda White 858-812-7302 Direct Investor Information: 877-934-4687 investor@kratosdefense.com View source version on Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc.: https://ir.kratosdefense.com/news-releases/news-release-details/kratos-receives-377-million-skyborg-program-contract-award-usaf