November 17, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
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March 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Land
UK Army robotics receive £66m boost
The Defence Secretary has committed £66m of defence's new multi-million-pound Transformation Fund to fast-track military robotic projects onto the battlefield this year.
It was announced today at the Autonomous Warrior Exploitation Conference at the Science Museum, Kensington that the British Army will benefit from:
- New mini-drones, providing troops with an eye-in-the-sky to give them greater awareness to outmanoeuvre enemies on the battlefield.
- Systems to fit Army fighting vehicles with remote-control capability, so they can be pushed ahead of manned vehicles and used to test the strength of enemy defences.
- New autonomous logistics vehicles which will deliver vital supplies to troops in warzones, helping remove soldiers from dangerous resupply tasks so they can focus on combat roles.
Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson said:
This announcement is a clear demonstration of how our Armed Forces are reaping the benefits from our new multi-million Transformation Fund. Each of these new technologies will enhance our Army's capabilities whilst reducing the risk to our personnel and I'm delighted we will be revolutionising frontline technology by the end of the year.
The MOD has always embraced pioneering technology and this fund will ensure the UK stays at the forefront of global military capabilities and ahead of our adversaries.
The injection of funding from the new £160m Transformation Fund will see some of this equipment set to deploy to the likes of Estonia, Afghanistan and Iraq before the end of the year. The Defence Secretary will also look to make a further £340m available as part of the Spending Review.
The investment comes after the Army tested a range of projects as part of the biggest military robot exercise in British history at the end of last year, Exercise Autonomous Warrior.
Yesterday, the Defence Secretary visited 16 Air Assault Brigade in Colchester which will be among the recipients of the new battlefield technologies. He discussed how the new equipment will benefit troops on the ground to help increase their safety and combat effectiveness.
The Brigade is specially trained and equipped to deploy by parachute, helicopter and air-landing. Its core role is to maintain the Air Assault Task Force, a battlegroup held at high readiness to deploy worldwide for a full spectrum of missions.
Chief of the General Staff Sir Mark Carleton-Smith said:
Rapid adaptation is an essential ingredient for success on the battlefield. The fielding of the next generation of armoured fighting vehicles and ground-breaking robotic and autonomous systems will keep the British Army at the cutting edge of battlefield technology, improving our lethality, survivability and competitive advantage.
Assistant Head of Capability Strategy and Force Development, Colonel Peter Rowell said:
Robotic and autonomous systems make our troops more effective; seeing more, understanding more, covering a greater area and being more lethal. They unshackle them from the resupply loop. These are game-changing capabilities; and not just for combat operations. They are equally useful in humanitarian and disaster relief operations.
After securing an extra £1.8bn for defence and overseeing the Modernising Defence Programme, the Defence Secretary has dedicated millions of pounds to transforming defence, arming the British military with innovative technology through fast-tracking new projects.
The MOD is embracing transformation at an ever-faster rate and the Transformation Fund is focused on investments in truly high-tech innovation that will create the armed forces of the future.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/army-robotics-receive-66m-boost
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October 7, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security
La Chine perfectionne son premier drone militaire autonome
THOMAS ROMANACCE Le drone autonome Wing Loong-2 a réussi de nouveaux essais de communication d'urgence en zone montagneuse, démontrant les progrès de Pékin dans le développement technologique des appareils de combat. Une fois n'est pas coutume, la Chine a diffusé via ses chaînes de télévision officielles des nouvelles images de son premier drone militaire autonome : le Wing Loong-2. Habituellement très secrète sur son appareil dernier cri, la République populaire a fait une exception pour fêter l'accomplissement d'une nouvelle étape décisive de son développement. Le drone vient en effet de passer une série de tests, qui prouvent sa capacité à envoyer des images même lorsque les réseaux de communication classiques sont coupés. Afin de s'assurer que le Wing Loong-2 ne pouvait capter aucun signal lors des essais, les militaires l'ont déployé au dessus de la commune de Muli. Il s'agit d'une zone très montagneuse, située au coeur de l'administration autonome tibétaine du Sichuan, dans le Sud-Ouest de la Chine. Sur place, le drone a effectué un vol ininterrompu d'une vingtaine d'heures, pendant lesquelles il a été capable de se diriger sans aide extérieure à travers les récifs et tout en relayant informations sur son environnement aux soldats restés au sol. L'engin a notamment pu répérer la localisation de sites de catastrophes simulées ou encore des routes endommagées. Même si cet exercice visait surtout à évaluer l'intérêt du Wing Loong-2 pour des missions d'aide humanitaire, le drone n'en reste pas un moins un appareil militaire avant tout. Dotés de similitudes évidentes avec son cousin américain, le MQ-9, il a déjà été utilisé dans les zones de conflits. Les Émirats arabes unis ont notamment acheté plusieurs exemplaires de ces drones à la République populaire. Actuellement, ces appareils sont toujours déployés en Libye, où leur efficacité a été démontrée lorsqu'ils ont abattu plusieurs drones adverses. Les appareils chinois prouvent donc encore leurs capacités sur le terrain et montrent l'avancée technologique de la République populaire dans ce domaine. https://www.capital.fr/economie-politique/la-chine-perfectionne-son-premier-drone-militaire-autonome-1382445
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September 4, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Counter-drone tech and state-of-the-art radar for the RAF
RAF Typhoons are to be equipped with next generation radar thanks to a £317 million investment, Defence Minister Jeremy Quin today announced. The new contract will secure over 600 jobs and make sure the UK remains at the forefront of radar technology development. The RAF is also one step closer in bringing its ORCUS technology into force, which can jam radio signals from drones and has already been successfully deployed during drone sightings at airports. Confirming the news at the Defence Procurement, Research, Technology & Exportability (DPRTE) 2020 event, the Minister, said: It is vital that our Armed Forces are equipped with the latest technology to counter emerging threats from our adversaries. Today we announce the investment in the latest in radar technology for our fighter jets and pioneering new defence systems to counter threats from drones. This demonstrates our commitment to maintaining security in the air whilst supporting highly-skilled jobs across the UK. Typhoon radar The new Typhoon radar investment will ensure the aircraft are equipped with world-class technology. Crown copyright. Typhoon aircraft will be equipped with next-generation radar thanks to £317 million investment that will allow it to locate, identify and suppress enemy air defences using high-powered jamming. The integration of the new European Common Radar System (ECRS) Mk2, which is based on Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) technology, will provide a capability edge in the increasingly contested battlespace. Currently fitted with mechanically-scanning radar, the Typhoon is designed to be continuously upgraded to meet operational demand no matter the challenge or threat. The ECRS Mk2 will allow the aircraft to simultaneously detect, identify and track multiple targets in the air and on the ground in the most challenging environments. Planned to be in service by the mid-2020s, the radar development programme will sustain hundreds of highly skilled jobs, including more than 300 at Leonardo's Edinburgh site and 100 at their Luton site; 120 at BAE Systems' site in Lancashire and 100 at their site in Dunfermline, Fife; and 50 at sub-contractor Meggitt in Stevenage. Counter-drone technology ORCUS counter-drone technology is part of the RAF's SYNERGIA research and development programme. Crown copyright. The Royal Air Force's SYNERGIA counter-drone research and development programme has reached a significant milestone with the ORCUS counter-drone capability achieving initial operating capability (IOC). IOC was achieved after ORCUS completed successful testing of a full range of integrated detect, track, ID, and defeat technologies. Vital to protecting UK air bases from hostile drone activity, ORCUS will enable the RAF to evaluate a range of capabilities including advanced radar, electro-optic and radio frequency sensors, plus an electronic attack countermeasure. The device looks similar to a camera module placed on top of a tripod, allowing for unparalleled versatility in operations. The technology is part of the RAF's Counter-Unmanned Aerial System (C-UAS) research and development programme with Leonardo to establish the most effective way to detect, track, identify and defeat hostile drones. Elements of Leonardo's C-UAS equipment played a supporting role in RAF Force Protection in 2018 and 2019, following drone sightings at Gatwick and Heathrow airports, allowing airport operations to resume. The current phase of the programme, which started in 2019, supports more than 50 highly skilled jobs with over 20 at Leonardo, with the primary integration work undertaken at its Basildon and Southampton sites and real-time testing taking place at several MOD locations within the UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/counter-drone-tech-and-state-of-the-art-radar-for-the-raf