US Army official reveals watercraft, networks as logistics focus areas

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  July 23, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  The Army wants to build a better signals intelligence force

  By: Mark Pomerleau The Army's top intelligence official signed the service's new signals intelligence strategy July 16, a move that defense leaders believe leaves the Army better situated to better fight despite electronic warfare and cyber attacks. The new strategy ensures "our readiness to provide timely and relevant SIGINT-support [and meet] the commander's information needs in a large scale combat operation against a sophisticated adversary,” Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, said July 18 during an event on Capitol Hill hosted by the Association of Old Crows. Officials say the integration of SIGINT, electronic warfare and cyber is critical from a material, organization and doctrinal perspective. “Not only will our four lines of effort improve our SIGINT corps' capabilities and relevance in the face of rapid changes in the global security environment, it will also enable our electronic warfare and cyberspace effort to meet new challenges,” Berrier said. The four initiatives in the new strategy include: - Organizing and building the Army SIGINT force, - Educating the force, - Equipping the force, and - Developing doctrine. The new strategy increases the Army's ability to collect intelligence against peer adversaries, such as China and Russia, and provides a firm foundation for successful electronic warfare and cyber operations, Berrier said. A key component of the convergence includes the new Terrestrial Layer System (TLS), a SIGINT/EW system projected to be fielded on vehicles and used by new military intelligence-electronic warfare (MI-EW) companies the Army is working to stand up. The Army wants SIGINT, electronic warfare and cyber systems on the same platforms in the air and ground domain, Maj. Gen. Robert Walters, commander of the Intelligence Center of Excellence, said at the event. These systems, Berrier said, should be able to not only sense the environment but employ some type of action such as electronic attack or cyber capability. Why converge? Officials have stressed repeatedly in the last year the need for colleagues in similar disciplines throughout the Army to stay in touch and reap the mutually beneficial equities on behalf of commanders in the field. Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty, the head of Army Cyber Command, said commanders shouldn't have to have something explained to them by the EW guy, the SIGINT guy and then the cyber guy. “What we decided is there's a better way, we have to pull it all together” for the commander, he said at the event. “We're going to have to work together because we all operate in the same space. And so do we really need three separate tools to plan operations in the spectrum? My argument would be no.” From an organizational perspective, the 29 series electronic warfare personnel will have deep knowledge in both cyber and electromagnetic spectrum operations. On the materiel side, especially with programs like the Terrestrial Layer System, the cyber and intel community are meeting regularly to integrate their requirements, officials said. In addition, Maj. Gen. John Morrison, commander of the Cyber Center of Excellence, told reporters in June that the Intelligence Center of Excellence is working with the Cyber Center to help ensure integrated formation and integrated capabilities. https://www.c4isrnet.com/intel-geoint/2018/07/19/the-army-wants-to-build-a-better-signals-intelligence-force/

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  July 15, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Orolia to contribute timing system to missile defense radar

  Nathan Strout Raytheon has selected Orolia to provide a critical time and frequency system to the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor the company is building for the U.S. Army, Orolia announced July 8. The Army awarded Raytheon $384 million in October 2019 to deliver six LTAMDS radar units. LTAMDS is expected to replace the Army's Patriot radars — a system that has been fielded since the 1980s and is also built by Raytheon — operating on the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense network. While approximately the same size as its predecessor, the LTAMDS has more than twice the power and will be able to detect threats coming in from a full 360 degrees. The new radars are expected to reach initial operational capacity in fiscal 2022. Raytheon has now tapped Orolia to contribute a rugged time and frequency system. In a press release, Orolia claims it was chosen due to the low size, weight and power constraints of its system and its past work with Raytheon. The company's SecureSync position, navigation and timing solution was the first time and frequency reference system approved by the Defense Information Systems Agency for network interoperability. “Ultra-precise mission timing and sync technology are fundamental building blocks for the resilient PNT systems that war fighters rely on for continuous operations in contested environments,” said Orolia Defense and Security President Hironori Sasaki. “We are proud to be a Raytheon Missiles & Defense partner on LTAMDS and other programs that utilize GPS signals for timing, frequency and network synchronization across critical military systems.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/07/14/orolia-to-contribute-timing-sysstem-to-missile-defense-radar/

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  July 3, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  French firm makes moves to fund cybersecurity expansion

  By: Pierre Tran Communications & Systèmes, a specialist in mission critical systems, launched July 2 a capital increase to raise €10.2 million (U.S. $11.9 million) and finance an announced expansion in European defense and security. The rights issue is intended to raise finance for a mergers and acquisition plan, dubbed Plan Ambition 2021, and follows the approval June 26 by a CS shareholders meeting for the acquisition of Novidy's, a cybersecurity company. “I am rather delighted. This is a step forward,” CS CEO Eric Blanc-Garin told Fifth Domain July 2. “The capital increase will enlarge the shareholder base, bring in more institutional investors and improve the stock liquidity.” The main aim is to fund the company's expansion by mergers and acquisition. “We have targets; we are in active discussion,” he said, when asked if CS has a list of companies in its M&A plan. An issue of new stock is intended to raise €10.2 million, which could rise to €11.5 million if the offer meets demand from the stock market. The new stock will be priced at €5.90 per share, a 22.2 percent discount on the closing price June 28. Current shareholders are offered two new shares for every 25 shares held. A core shareholder, Sopra Steria Group, has committed to subscribe to the stock issue. Sopra Steria holds 10.36 percent of CS and has pledged to inject €1.1 million into the company by exercising its preferential rights. “This capital increase will allow CS to have the means necessary to realize other operations of external growth with priority in Europe in the growth sectors of defense and civil security, space and cybersecurity,” the company said in a statement. Current shareholders will have a preferential right for subscribing to the stock issue. The shareholders meeting approved the capital increase, which had been announced as a second step in the Plan Ambition 2010 and follows the agreed offer for Novidy's. The acquisition of Novidy's boosts CS's annual sales in cybersecurity to €40 million, with the sector accounting for 20 percent of the company's total revenue, the company said in a June 26 statement. “We are delighted that our shareholders have unanimously approved this acquisition, which allows CS to mark a new stage in its development,” Blanc-Garin said in the statement. “This is the first significant step in our strategic plan, Ambition 2021.” https://www.fifthdomain.com/industry/2018/07/02/french-firm-makes-moves-to-fund-cybersecurity-expansion/