July 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace
The number of major F-35 flaws is shrinking, but the Pentagon is keeping details of the problems under wraps
The F-35 program currently has 857 deficiencies, but only seven are considered
March 26, 2019 | International, Aerospace
The Air Force wants to start a new $35M offensive cyber program
By: Mark Pomerleau
The Air Force wants to start a new program to develop a series of offensive cyber tools, according to the White House's budget request for fiscal year 2020.
This project will provide advanced cyber warfare capabilities to the Air Force's cyber mission force personnel, who work on projects for U.S. Cyber Command. In the service's budget books, the program is named Cyber Mission Force Foundational Tools.
“Activities within the program deliver operations-ready cyberspace superiority capabilities through the research, development, testing, evaluation, accelerated prototyping, demonstration and fielding of cyber technologies and capabilities," Air Force research and development budget documents state. “This program enables Combatant Commanders the ability to operate in and through cyberspace to manipulate, disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy targeted computers, information systems and networks.”
In fiscal 2020, Air Force leaders want the program to expand on past efforts to produce a family of foundational tools, to develop additional tools and software factories and to deliver prototypes that are interoperable with Cyber Command's architecture. Cyber Command leaders have vowed that the services will no longer develop stove-piped tools or infrastructure for individual service use.
The budget documents note that these foundational tools will be incorporated into the Air Force's Distributed Cyber Warfare Operations portfolio.
“The DCWO portfolio enables delivery of cyber effects to Combatant Commanders to include cyber operational preparation of the environment, offensive counter-cyber, cyberattack, electronic warfare operations, mission planning, intelligence, cybersecurity products and services and Command and Control/Situational Awareness (C2SA) tools needed to attack enemy networks, telephony, Integrated Air Defense Systems (IADS), command and control systems, and create cyber effects through the Electromagnetic Spectrum (EMS),” the document state.
Budget documents note that the program leverages previous efforts from Cyber Command and the Air Force for foundational tool development and were funded in other programs.
On the same subject
-
-
January 22, 2019 | International, Naval, Land
Marines, Navy Wrestle With How To Upgun Amphibs
By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR. The Marines want Vertical Launch System missile tubes on their new amphibious ships -- but the Navy isn't planning to leave room for them. ARLINGTON: The Marines want better-armed amphibious warships for high-end combat, but there's no money in the budget and little room on the ships for their preferred solution, the Vertical Launch System. That leaves them looking at less capable but more affordable upgrades. Those range from bolting small Naval Strike Missile pods onto the deck – as on the Littoral Combat Ship – to parking a HIMARS missile-launcher truck on the back of the ship – as they tested during last year's Dawn Blitz wargames. Why does this matter? In a major war against Russia or China, or even Iran, amphibious warships — as currently equipped — would have to rely on escorting destroyers both defensively, to shoot down attacking missiles and airplanes, and offensively, sinking enemy ships and bombarding targets ashore. But those destroyers might not always be available and, even if they are, they might overwhelmed by the sheer volume of incoming fire. So the Marines want better-armed amphibs that can, ideally, operate unescorted or, at minimum, take on some of the burden of their own defense. To do that, “the naval force must upgrade the C2 (command and control) suites and introduce Vertical Launch Systems,” Lt. Gen. Brian Beaudreault, the Marines' three-star deputy commandant for plans, policies, & operations, told the Surface Navy Association conference on Wednesday. But, I asked him during Q&A, is there actually any money in the budget to add VLS to amphibs? “I'm not aware that there's funding in the program for VLS,” said Beaudreault, who oversees Marine budgeting. “We can't afford as a Marine Corps to put it in there.” Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2019/01/marines-navy-wrestle-with-how-to-upgun-amphibs
-
August 28, 2019 | International, Naval
Rohde & Schwarz provides a future-ready investment for the Royal Navy
With the Royal Navy retaining its three Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) and the OPV(H), HMS Clyde until 2020, essential for protecting British waters, fisheries and national security, five new-generation Batch 2 OPVs have been ordered. Three of these OPVs are expected to be in service with the Royal Navy by the end of the year. Rohde & Schwarz is providing turnkey communications solutions for both batches, supporting the future of the Royal Navy. Rohde & Schwarz software defined radios (SDR) are designed for shipborne communications and feature a modular design, a high degree of flexibility and the latest technologies. Standards-based and proprietary waveforms make secure, voice and data communications in the HF and VHF/UHF frequency ranges possible. The R&S M3SR Series 4100 HF radios are innovative, versatile SDRs that belong to the popular SOVERON radio family, designed for use in permanently connected deployment in beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications. They are installed in racks within a ship's radio room or at a shore station, where they cover long-haul ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications. They support frequency hopping and provide interoperability with tactical radios in HF operating modes. The R&S M3SR Series 4400 VHF/UHF radios offer military customers LOS communications with a flexible range of applications, NATO and proprietary EPM (ECCM) waveforms. Military data transmission methods such as LINK 11 and LINK 22 are supported. “We are very proud of our work for the UK and that we help to provide a safe, future-ready investment for the Royal Navy,” says Hansjörg Herrbold, Vice President Market Segment Navy, Rohde & Schwarz. “Trusted by customers and with a reliability built over decades, Rohde & Schwarz stands for highest standard, demonstrating value for money and again that we are able to bring support locally and act globally. The SOVERON family saves on logistics effort and reduces operating costs. In particular, the costs of warehousing spare parts and of maintenance are reduced tremendously, due to the increased reliability of our products.” In addition SDRs can be kept up-to-date using SW updates. Further Rohde & Schwarz naval successes in the UK include providing communications solutions to the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Bay Class Vessels, and the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. Press & media contact Dennis-Peter Merklinghaus PR Manager Aerospace, Defense & Security +49 89 4129 15671 press@rohde-schwarz.com https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/ch-en/about/news-press/details/press-room/press-releases-detailpages/rohde-schwarz-provides-a-future-ready-investment-for-the-royal-navy-press-release-detailpage_229356-675008.html