6 août 2019 | International, C4ISR
By: Jen Judson
WASHINGTON — A computational neuroscientist is studying whether a dragonfly's excellent hunting skills can be replicated in a missile's ability to maneuver and destroy targets midair with better precision.
Dragonflies are vicious little creatures with a hit-to-kill track record of 95 percent, meaning only 5 percent of its prey escapes.
Sandia National Laboratories' Frances Chance is building algorithms that simulate how a dragonfly processes information when intercepting prey, and she's testing them in a virtual environment. So far, the results are promising.
The laboratories are federally funded and focus on national security missions through scientific and engineering research. The project is a yearlong, high-risk, high-gain effort that will wrap up in September, and it is funded by Sandia's Autonomy for Hypersonics Mission Campaign, Chance said.
“I think what is really interesting about insects, in general, is they do something really fast and really well, but they are not particularly smart in the way you or I would think of ourselves as being smart,” Chance told Defense News in a recent interview.
While insects may not be the right fit for studying cognitive capabilities to develop complex artificial intelligence, they are ideal for developing efficient computations for intercept capability. A dragonfly can react to a particular prey's maneuvers in 50 milliseconds, Chance explained. That amount of time accounts for information to cross three neurons in a dragonfly's brain. This indicates the dragonfly doesn't learn how to hunt, but rather the skill is inherent and part of its brain's hard-wiring.
“The challenge then is: Is there anything that we can learn from how dragonflies do this that we can then bring to the next generation of missiles, or maybe even the next-next generation of missiles?” Chance said.
By developing an artificial neural network that mimics a dragonfly's ability to hunt and then applying it to missile capabilities that rely on computation-heavy systems, one could reduce the size, weight and power needed for a missile's onboard computers; improve intercept techniques for targets such as hypersonic weapons; and home in on targets using simpler sensors.
If the model of a dragonfly's neural circuit developed through Chance's research shows enough promise, she would then pass the information to scientists, who would try to directly apply it to weapons systems.
One of the greatest leaps involves adapting an algorithm to handle the speed at which a missile flies. While a dragonfly is fast, it's not nearly as fast as a missile. Animal brains process information significantly slower than a computer, so it's possible computations can be sped up to better align with the speed at which a missile approaches targets.
“The hope is that even if the algorithm isn't wildly successful, you might be able to say something about what you can get away with in terms of what types of capabilities you give the next generation of weapons,” Chance said.
The model she's building is several steps removed from implementation onto a weapon. “I would consider the project complete when we have a viable model — ‘viable' meaning it does interception — and a bonus if it's neurobiologically plausible. There is no reason to force that for this type of research, but only because it doesn't necessarily matter; so something biologically inspired that works I would consider a success.”
https://www.c4isrnet.com/land/2019/08/05/can-a-dragonfly-teach-a-missile-how-to-hunt/
20 août 2023 | International, Aérospatial
Training had begun for Ukrainians to operate U.S. F16 fighter jets but it would take at least six months and possibly longer, Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday, two days after a U.S. official said F-16s would be transferred to Ukraine once its pilots were trained.
28 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — The U.S. Space Force's Space and Missile Systems Center will host a Space Force Pitch Day in spring 2021. While the current plan is to host the event in person in Los Angeles, California, SMC noted that it may move to a virtual environment due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The Air Force first introduced its pitch days in March 2019, and has since held several to find “defense unicorns” — nontraditional companies with innovative solutions that lack the resources and know-how to secure Department of Defense contracts. Inspired by the popular television series “Shark Tank,” select companies are given the unique opportunity to present their solutions to acquisition leaders, who are then able to award Small Business Innovation Research grants. “Space Force is committed to procuring things differently. We continue to recognize the need for faster and smarter methods to quickly identify, procure and develop military space solutions. Space Pitch Day is one way SMC is bridging the gap between small businesses and the military,” said Maj. Ryan Pennington, project lead of SMC's deputy space ventures. A major draw of the events is the responsiveness, giving smaller companies the chance to forgo the traditional, lengthy DoD contracting process. The Air Force boasts that on its first pitch day, the service awarded a contract within three minutes of seeing the presentation. During the first Space Force Pitch Day in November 2019, the Air Force issued $9 million to 12 companies. “The inaugural Air Force Space Pitch Day last year was very successful. Although SMC is hosting its second pitch day event, it really is the first under the USSF. We are excited to host another event that enables us to grow and leverage small-business innovation into thriving ecosystems,” said Roberta Ewart, SMC's chief scientist. “The next SMC Space Force Pitch Day event will have the same focus and that is to open doors for innovative technologies and ideas and then create transition on-ramps into the USSF enterprise and architecture. We are fielding tomorrow's Space Force faster and smarter and we do this by changing the way we buy things.” SMC has laid out 11 focus areas for the upcoming Space Force Pitch Day: Innovation in early missile detection and warning Space situational awareness Space communications Space visualization Multidomain command and control Data mining Operations within electronically contested environments Artificial intelligence Responsive launch systems Space logistics Protection of critical space assets Interested companies can register and submit their proposals at www.spaceforcepitchday.com. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/08/27/space-force-sets-pitch-day-for-spring-2021/
17 janvier 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
ARMY Caddell Construction Co. (DE) LLC., Montgomery, Alabama, was awarded a $143,514,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of an airmen training complex dormitory, a dining and classroom facility, supporting facilities, a free standing equipment building, a weapons cleaning pavilion, running track, exercise pads and parking lots. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June 8, 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $143,514,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-19-C-0001). IICON Construction Group LLC,* Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $15,179,720 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a National Guard readiness center. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Fort Carson, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $15,179,720 were obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W912LC-19-C-0001). CORRECTION: The contract announced on Jan. 15, 2019, for $474,084,062 to BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, York, Pennsylvania, has not been awarded. No award date has been determined at this time. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Puerto Rico Apparel Manufacturing (PRAMA) Corp.,** Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $11,648,229 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various types of coats and trousers. This was a competitive acquisition with seven responses received. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Jan. 10, 2024, estimated performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1127). Alamo Strategic Manufacturing,*** San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,550,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for knee and elbow pads. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Puerto Rico, with a Jan. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (SPE1C1-19-D-1122). NAVY Gilbane Federal, Concord, California, is awarded a $10,966,383 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract (N39430-15-D-1634) to decrease the value of the contract for the cleaning, inspection and repair of Fuel Storage Tanks 305, 307, and 308 at Defense Fuel Support Point (DFSP) Tsurumi, Japan. Work on Tanks 305, 307, and 308 is being removed from the contract due to contractor performance problems. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $6,426,985. Work will be performed in Tsurumi, Japan, and is expected to be completed by March 2019. Fiscal 2016 defense working capital (Defense Logistics Agency) contract funds in the amount of $10,966,383 are de-obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded $7,026,164 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00017 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm/cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-16-C-0048). This modification provides for Automated Logistics Environment software maintenance operating systems and obsolescence avoidance in support of the low rate initial production CH-53K aircraft. The work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in October 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,026,164 will be obligated at time of award; none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. *Small Business **Economically disadvantaged women-owned small business in historically underutilized business zones ***Small disadvantaged business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1733689/source/GovDelivery/