August 14, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Can the F-35—and the United States—keep up with new competition?
August 12, 2023 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR, Security
The Space Rapid Capabilities Office is leading an effort to develop and integrate a modernized suite of tools to perform dynamic space operations.
August 9, 2018 | International, Aerospace
Pat Host The United Kingdom plans to work closely with US industry as it develops its next-generation Tempest fighter jet concept, according to the UK defence secretary. “We have a great tradition at producing the best fighters in the world and we have a great tradition of having that national sovereign capability, and we are never going to be wanting to surrender that,” Gavin Williamson told an audience on 7 August at the Atlantic Council think tank in Washington. “In terms of actually working with international partners, we're very open to it.” Williamson announced the Tempest concept in mid-July at the UK Farnborough International Airshow. The Tempest team currently comprises BAE Systems, Leonardo, MBDA, and Rolls-Royce. The United Kingdom wants a Tempest business case by the end of the year, a final investment decision by 2025, and the aircraft flying by 2035. The United States is home to leading fighter jet companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing. Lockheed Martin is developing the fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), developed the fifth-generation F-22 Raptor, and supports the F-16 Fighting Falcon while Boeing supports the F-15 Eagle. The United Kingdom is a partner on the F-35 programme. There is already international interest in Tempest. Japan has approached the United Kingdom about participating, having had an “exchange of opinions” about the possibility of a joint air combat project. Japan is looking to replace its Air Self-Defense Force's (JASDF's) Mitsubishi F-2 fighters. https://www.janes.com/article/82256/uk-welcomes-us-participation-in-tempest-fighter-jet-concept
January 16, 2020 | International, C4ISR
By: Nathan Strout The Space Development Agency wants its satellites to be able to easily talk to each other and is considering using optical intersatellite links for communications within its future low earth orbit space architecture. Now, the organization is looking for industry's help on what standards should be used for those links. On Jan. 15, the agency issued a request for information to industry to inform its attempt to establish an Optical Intersatellite Link Open Standard. Most satellites don't speak with each other directly. Instead, they utilize radio-frequency communications with a ground station to relay communications between satellites. Some satellites, however, are able to use optical links to provide direct communications between satellites without a ground station acting as an intermediary. The SDA wants to use this technology for what it calls its “transport layer,” the backbone of its plans for a new space architecture in low earth orbit. The SDA was established in March 2019 to design the Department of Defense's future threat-driven space architecture, a setup it has since defined as a multi-layered constellation of hundreds of small satellites providing several capabilities from LEO. The SDA will not be directly responsible for every layer or constellation within the architecture — most notably, the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor is being developed primarily by the Missile Defense Agency — however, the SDA will be the agency in charge of integrating those various efforts into a single architecture. Key to the entire enterprise is the Tracking Layer, a family of satellites in low earth orbit that will facilitate the flow of data between satellites in orbit and between satellites and the ground. The Transport Layer will be essential in connecting the various sensors and capabilities on orbit with weapons systems on the ground or in the air. In order to build that capability, the SDA plans to use Optical Intersatellite Links. The optical links will also need to provide range estimates of the distance between satellites in orbit and between satellites and the ground to within a meter in order to provide highly precise timing and positional data for the constellation. The SDA also envisions each satellite utilizing a chip-scale atomic clock as well as GPS signals. The problem is that there are currently no industry standards for those links. To ensure the interoperability of various vendor technologies used for those links, the SDA wants to establish that standard, and it's asking industry for help. Responses are due by Feb. 5. More specifics about what the SDA is considering for its standards is available on beta.sam.gov. According to the request, the SDA plans to issue a solicitation for Tranche 0 of the Transportation Layer in Spring 2020, with additional solicitations for the other capability layers to follow in the summer. That first tranche, known as the war fighter immersion tranche, will consist “of tens of satellites providing periodic, regional sensing and data transport capabilities, including the capability to detect hypersonic glide vehicles and to disseminate time sensitive targeting solutions over tactical data links.” According to the agency, that initial tranche could be delivered as early as fiscal year 2022 https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/c2-comms/2020/01/16/the-pentagon-wants-help-for-its-satellites-to-talk-to-each-other/