US Air Force wants to transition software aboard C-130s

On the same subject

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  February 15, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Silent Falcon UAS Technologies Offer Mission Selectable Capabilities to Solar/Electric sUAS Aircraft

  Albuquerque, New Mexico (February 12, 2020): Silent Falcon UAS Technologies (SFUAS) is excited to announce new options for it solar-powered, electric driven Silent Falcon E1 sUAS aircraft. The new customer selectable options allow the drone to:  Extend flight time 10+ hours  Select launch and recovery options o Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) o Conventional o Catapult launch with parachute recovery  BVLOS beyond 100 km Grant Bishop, SFUAS CEO, said of the new options “Our customers have different missions and CONOPS, and our 20lb payload capacity allows our platform to meet those unique missions and CONOPS easily. The E1 is simple to operate and the new suite of options expands the mission capability for our customers. Need multiple sensors? More range? Operate in a confined space? As one customer likes to say, ‘PPMC-Plug and Play Mission Capability.'” Bishop added, “Our new options allow the E1 to have Sensors on time, On target anywhere in the world. The E1 is the ‘go to' sUAS aircraft for ISR: easy to operate, affordable, rugged, and adaptable.” Don't have a flight department? SFUAS provides global full service ISR and analysis with our E1 fleet. Recently several cities have turned to manned aircraft surveillance for security as reported by CBS “60 minutes.” A much better alternative is Silent Falcon ISR services. We provide better coverage and lower costs. SFUAS ISR Services can fly longer with more coverage and a live feed to multiple users on the ground with no gas, no noise, and zero carbon emissions. It's a better choice for cities that want safety, clean air and no fuel costs. The SFUAS ISR Services team recently provided 24/7 security for the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS), helping them maintain safety and security during the Port of Spain Carnival, a massive multi day celebration. Over four days, Silent Falcon assisted the TTPS in: identifying and pinpointing criminal activity, traffic management, crowd control, and managing and directing police assets. The long-endurance and long-range were key for this mission as Silent Falcon was able to provide continuous information and city-wide situational awareness to TTPS operational command center. This allowed the TTPS to have enhanced visibility and access to otherwise hard to capture situations. All SFUAS equipment and parts are designed and built in Albuquerque, New Mexico with NO Chinese content. The full line of SFUAS products, services, and support is available via GSA Contract No. GS07F248BA. SFUAS provides full service to customers, including operators for the aircraft and a full turnkey collection of data analysis, report, and storage services. From a smooth flight to an easily readable data report, customers will find the effectiveness of the aircraft options paired with the professionalism of the SFUAS staff to be ideal for any UAS requirements. ABOUT Silent Falcon™ UAS TECHNOLOGIES Silent Falcon UAS Technologies manufactures patent pending, state-of-the-art small Unmanned Aircraft Systems and components and sensors for the security, military and commercial markets including oil and gas and pipeline inspections, power utility inspections, large scale agriculture, natural resource management, security/ISR, public safety, and mapping/surveying. Silent Falcon is the only solar electric UAS to provide long endurance and range, silent operations, and an open interface payload bay accommodating a wide- variety of payloads that are also quick and easy to change. The company is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. https://www.suasnews.com/2020/02/silent-falcon-uas-technologies-offer-mission-selectable-capabilities-to-solar-electric-suas-aircraft/

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  June 15, 2023 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Epirus, DroneShield combine on UAS-roasting air defense

  Epirus earlier this year won a $66 million contract with the U.S. Army.

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  October 5, 2018 | International, Land

  Army testing more effective ghillie suits

  By David Vergun, Army News Service FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- The Army is looking for an improved ghillie suit to replace the flame-resistant, camouflage suit now worn by snipers to keep them from being seen by the enemy. The current ghillie suits are bulky, somewhat uncomfortable and hot in warm weather, said Debbie Williams, a systems acquisition expert with Program Executive Office Soldier, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment. The current suit is known as the Flame Resistant Ghillie System, or FRGS. The replacement the Army is looking for will be called the Improved Ghillie System, or IGS, Williams said. She added that although the term "flame resistant" is not in the new name, the IGS will still have flame-resistant properties. Soldiers will receive most of their protection from the base layer worn under the IGS, such as the Flame Resistant Combat Uniform, or FR ACU. The IGS will be a modular system, worn over the field uniform, she said. It will be modular in that it can be taken apart, with pieces added or subtracted as needed, such as sleeves, leggings, veil, cape and so on. Another change is that the IGS will not come with the accessory kit, like the one supplied with the FRGS, Williams said. It was found that Soldiers were not using a majority of the items in their accessory kit or preferred a different material. Williams said the cost of the IGS will be lower than the current $1,300 FRGS. Mary Armacost, a textile technologist with Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, said the IGS will be made of lighter, more breathable material than the FRGS. Also, the material for the skeins that accompany the IGS will be stiffer than that of the FRGS, thereby making the IGS more effective at camouflaging the Soldier. A request for proposal for the IGS went out Aug. 28 and closed Sept. 24, she said. Vendors must each provide three samples. About 3,500 suits are expected to be produced under the contract for approximately 3,300 snipers in all three Army components, as well as Soldiers in U.S. Special Operations Command, Williams said. After the samples are obtained, lab and field testing will begin at various locations in November, she said. For example, the Army's Night Vision Laboratory will do full-spectrum testing. It will also use night vision goggles to see how well the suits remain hidden in darkened conditions. Daytime testing for visual camouflage effectiveness will take place as well, with sniper-qualified Soldiers at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Williams said. Additionally, acoustic testing will be done by the Army Research Laboratory to determine how much noise the IGS produces in field conditions. ARL will also test the effectiveness of the fabric regarding tear resistance and fire retardant effectiveness, she added. Following all of this, a limited user evaluation should commence next spring using instructors from the Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia. https://www.army.mil/article/211933