US Navy hunting for info warfare experts, Aeschbach tells Old Crows

On the same subject

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  January 14, 2021 | International, Naval

  Naval Group prints first propeller for powering French warship

  By: Christina Mackenzie PARIS — France's Andromède mine-hunting ship is now being propelled by a 3D-printed propeller designed and manufactured by Naval Group, the company announced on Wednesday. Emmanuel Chol, director of Naval Group's Nantes-Indret site where the propeller was made, said, “It is the largest metal 3D-printed thruster ever to have been manufactured and the first propeller resulting from this technology, embarked on board a military ship and manufactured for use beyond just sea trials.” Weighing 1 metric ton, the propeller is made of five 200 kg (441 pounds) blades which were manufactured using a wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) procedure, less well known than other metal 3D printing techniques but better suited for large-scale applications. It works by melting metal wire heated by an electric arc. The process is controlled by a robotic arm. The French subsidiary of the Japanese group Yaskawa provided the robots and manufacturing tools for this project. Naval Group worked with Bureau Veritas to guarantee that the testing, inspection and certification requirements (like corrosion, fatigue, shock resistance) were met so that the Fleet Support Services organization and the DGA French procurement agency could authorize the trial of the blades on a military ship. The propeller was transferred from the manufacturing site to Brest in October 2020 where it was mounted on the propeller shaft of the Andromède. The ship is one of France's 10 Tripartite mine hunters built in the 1980s, eight of which – including the Andromède – will not be retired for another decade. Sea trials in December were successful, so now the mine-hunter can return to normal operations, equipped with its printed propeller. Eric Balufin, director of Naval Group's site in Brest says “the assembly of this 3D-printed propeller shows great promise for the future. This new technology will enable us to considerably reduce technical constraints, and therefore allow for new manufacturing solutions for complex geometrical shapes which cannot be produced through conventional processes.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/13/naval-group-prints-first-propeller-for-powering-french-warship/

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  November 21, 2023 | International, Naval

  Pentagon seeks to rapidly build up information-warfare force

  Emerging technologies play a critical role in both waging and foiling influence campaigns, according to the Defense Department's strategy.

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  August 11, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

  Pentagon clears 100 MHz of spectrum for 5G development

  Nathan Strout The Pentagon has cleared 100 megahertz (MHz) of contiguous mid-band spectrum to be used for commercial 5G following a 15-week review, determining that they can share that bandwidth while minimizing impact on military radars. While that 3450-3550 MHz mid-band spectrum is highly desired by commercial 5G developers, it's been historically used by the military for critical radar operations for air defense, missile and gunfire control, counter-mortar, bomb scoring, battlefield weapon locations, air traffic control, and range safety. But now, leaders from the Department of Defense say the Pentagon can continue using the spectrum for those purposes while making it available for commercial development. DoD Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy said the department will move toward sharing most of that spectrum without limits while setting up a Spectrum Relocation Fund Transition Plan to minimize risks. “DoD is proud of the success of the [America's Mid-Band Initiative Teams (AMBIT)] and is committed to working closely with industry after the FCC auction to ensure timely access to the band while protecting national security,” Deasy told reporters Aug. 10. The White House and Department of Defense established AMBIT to free up spectrum for 5G development quickly back in April. Over a 15-week period, the working group was able to bring together 180 subject matter experts, and ultimately were able to identify 100 MHZ of spectrum used by the military that could be safely shared with commercial 5G efforts.The decision expands the amount of connected mid-band spectrum open for 5G development to 530 MHz. The Federal Communications Commission will auction off the spectrum. One government official said action was expected by the end of this fiscal year. https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/08/10/pentagon-clears-100-mhz-of-spectrum-for-5g-development