April 14, 2022 | International, Naval
HII, known as a shipbuilder, pursues pivot to global defense tech company
HII wants to highlight its growing offerings in the unmanned, AI and big data areas, not just the large warships it's known for building.
January 7, 2020 | International, Aerospace
The Pentagon wants self-sufficient search-and-rescue drones
WASHINGTON – The Department of Defense is seeking input from industry partners on using artificial intelligence and drones in humanitarian aid and disaster relief missions.
In a Dec. 23 request for information, the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) called for market research to identify existing technology that could contribute to the rapid deployment of self-sufficient drones on disaster response operations.
The drones should be able to fly a predetermined area and find people or man-made objects, on land or at sea, in tough conditions including haze, clouds, fire and other obstacles. The drones should prompt when to examine findings through a remote digital monitor, allowing analysts to simultaneously focus on other missions without having to constantly watch the monitor.
To support the initiative, the drones must be capable of operating for at least two hours at 50 knots airspeed; cover a minimum of 100 square nautical miles during flight; be launched from various air, sea and ground platforms; search a geofenced area; and resist being dropped from another aircraft in flight, according to the RFI.
In addition, JAIC is looking for drone manufacturers and artificial intelligence software companies to develop solutions relating to platforms, sensors, edge AI processing and detecting algorithms that would provide drones with the necessary skills to enable search-and-rescue operations.
Industry partners may respond individually or partner with other vendors to provide a joint response. Responses should be submitted electronically no later than Jan. 20.
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June 7, 2019 | International, Naval, C4ISR
New contract with the Royal Navy will extend QinetiQ's test and evaluation capabilities into ASW training
QinetiQ has confirmed it has secured a new contract to provide the Royal Navy with advanced anti-submarine warfare (ASW) training services using the latest target simulation technology from Saab. The new contract will extend QinetiQ's long-term partnership role at the MOD's British Underwater Test and Evaluation Centre (BUTEC) at the Kyle of Lochalsh into the training environment. Significantly, the new training service supports the Royal Navy's forthcoming introduction of Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers and will increase ASW training opportunities while also maximising operational deployment of the submarine fleet. It will also provide unprecedented training analytics to optimise exercise outcomes and deliver world-leading training capabilities. With QinetiQ as the lead partner, the new contract is the result of a progressive and close collaboration between QinetiQ, Saab and Serco. The new programme will capitalise on Saab's state of the art AUV62-AT autonomous underwater vehicle system to provide full and effective simulation of an operational submarine in a wide range of training scenarios. Highly experienced QinetiQ personnel will coordinate, manage and control all deployment of the simulated target, with Serco providing the vessels for launch and recovery. De-risking trials were completed by the QinetiQ team at BUTEC, and two successful training serial events have already been completed off the south west coast of England. According to the Royal Navy's Lt Cdr Ben Costley-White, Staff Warfare Officer (Under Water) to Flag Officer Sea Training, the new contract led by QinetiQ will transform the Navy's ASW training capabilities. “This move will enable us to harness the expertise of QinetiQ and the very latest simulation technologies to deliver comprehensive and first class ASW training exercises without the limitations posed by the practicalities and cost of redeploying submarine assets for training purposes. This represents a major step change in our training options and our ability to harness analytical data for effective evaluation of all ASW training.” “We're delighted to be extending our test and evaluation capabilities into the training environment for the Royal Navy,” says QinetiQ's Stu Hider, Programme Director (Maritime). “Combining our expertise and experience in programme planning and delivery with the world's most advanced target simulation technology will help to ensure the Royal Navy benefits from the most versatile, cost-effective and sophisticated ASW training solution.” https://www.qinetiq.com/News/2019/06/New-contract-with-the-Royal-Navy-will-extend-QinetiQs-test-and-evaluation-capabilities-into-ASW-training
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January 18, 2019 | International, Naval, Land
Marines Want Missiles To Sink Ships From Shores, And They Want Them Fast
By PAUL MCLEARY WASHINGTON The Marine Corps has kicked off a rapid development program to begin firing long-range anti-ship missiles from shore-based ground vehicles in an effort to add more punch to the Navy's growing anti-ship capabilities, which are aimed squarely at Chinese and Russian advances. Dubbed the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System — that's NEMSIS to you — the program has completed its design phase. For the missile itself, Marines are looking at Lockheed Martin's new Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM), with stealthy features to penetrate enemy missile defenses, a 1,000-pound warhead, and a range disclosed only as “over 200 miles”; Raytheon's Naval Strike Missile (NSM) already chosen as an upgrade for Navy Littoral Combat Ships, with a 264-lb warhead and a 115-mile range; and Boeing's venerable Harpoon, whose variants have a 500-lb warhead and ranges between 70 and 150 miles. The program kicked off last year with a request for information (RFI), after which companies signed OTA agreements with the service in September. Final proposals were submitted in December. Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2019/01/marines-want-missiles-to-sink-ships-from-shores-and-they-want-them-fast/