24 juillet 2018 | International, C4ISR
By Gina Harkins
One Marine could soon dispatch more than a dozen drones to jam enemy communications and take out targets -- all from a single handheld tablet.
The Marine Corps Warfighting Lab has successfully tested the ability to have a single Marine operate six drones in the air simultaneously. The goal is to get that up to 15 and to see the small unmanned systems stay in the air for hours at a time.
"What we're looking at is ... minimal operator burden so [a Marine's] face isn't down in a tablet," said Capt. Matt Cornachio, a fires project officer with the Warfighting Lab's science and technology division. "It's sort of having the machines do the work for you, so you give them intent and they operate."
That could help ground troops in remote or hotly contested locations augment 60mm mortar fire with precision strikes. Cornachio said they're looking for drones with a host of potentials, including swarming, automatic-target recognition, kinetic-strike and electronic-warfare capabilities.
"Your swarm is multifaceted so you have several warheads that hold their own capabilities in that cloud," he said. "... We see the precise nature of loitering munitions to augment company-level fires."
In order to carry out a range of missions -- from delivering explosives to jamming communications, the Marine Corps is on the hunt for drone swarms that can stay in the air for hours. The Warfighting Lab held a drone-endurance test in the desert this month, Cornachio said, during which one unmanned aircraft flew for nearly two hours straight.
"It's not out of the realm of possibility that these things could be in the air for three or four hours, so the smaller, the better," he added.
Getting to the point where one Marine controls a swarm of drones is a big change from unmanned systems like the Switchblade, which required one operator per drone. That kamikaze-style drone delivers a payload equivalent to a 40mm grenade.
The Warfighting Lab's efforts are part of a larger Marine Corps strategy called Sea Dragon 2025. Marines are experimenting with drones, self-driving vehicles, robotics and other technology that can limit their exposure in the field. The use of unmanned technology could be especially beneficial in complex urban environments, said Brig. Gen. Christian Wortman, head of the Warfighting Lab.
"We can use manned-unmanned teaming and unmanned systems to take on some of the most dangerous tasks that Marines are executing in that kind of an urban environment," he said.
24 août 2022 | International, Aérospatial, C4ISR
Collins Aerospace has completed the first flight test of its newest fast-jet reconnaissance pod, the MS-110 Multispectral Airborne Reconnaissance system, on an F-16 for an undisclosed international customer.
28 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
Helen Chachaty « Nous allons avoir un hackathon permanent sur le Système de combat aérien futur », a déclaré le chef d'état-major de l'armée de l'air lors de son intervention au Forum Innovation Défense, qui s'est tenu à la Cité de la mode et du design du 22 au 24 novembre dernier. Un système futur qu'il souhaite « ouvert », afin de pouvoir y intégrer les dernières innovations disponibles en la matière. « Il faut que le SCAF se mette en place au fil de l'air, on ne va pas attendre 2040 pour avoir un objet figé. » A titre d'exemple, il cite notamment le prochain standard F4 du Rafale - dont la mise en service est prévue à l'horizon 2025 - et dont certaines briques d'innovations pourront être intégrée au SCAF par la suite. « Nous devons tout le temps nous remettre en question, et nous le faisons tout le temps sur le Système de combat aérien futur », a-t-il indiqué, plaçant l'intelligence artificielle au coeur de ce programme, notamment pour intégrer les éléments de « combat collaboratif » : il s'agira ainsi de pouvoir agréger les informations de tous les capteurs, de les afficher et de les présenter en fonction du besoin. « Nous avons besoin de renseignement en temps réel, nous avons besoin de l'intelligence artificielle pour trier les informations », a poursuivi le CEMAA. « Il faut absolument de l'intelligence artificielle pour se focaliser sur l'analyse et non pas la recherche. » Autre bénéfice de l'intelligence artificielle, selon le général Lavigne, la possibilité de « diriger des essaims de drones » à partir de la plateforme de combat, « afin de pouvoir tester la défense anti-missiles ». Le travail engagé sur le SCAF en termes d'innovations implique notamment le Centre d'expertise aérienne militaire, un « laboratoire d'idées et d'idées opérationnelles, dont les grands industriels sont friands ». En parallèle ont également été montées des équipes projet, avec l'objectif de mener un travail en plateau entre industriels, forces armées et DGA. https://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/41477-le-scaf-passe-aussi-par-l-innovation
11 octobre 2019 | International, Terrestre
October 9, 2019 - Fairfax, VA. – The U.S. Army has selected General Dynamics Mission Systems to provide current generation Army Standard Family (ASF) Shelters, one-side and two-side expandable, and Modified Extendable Rigid Wall Shelters (MERWS) via a firm-fixed price contract valued at $66 million. The estimated completion date of the contract is June 24, 2024. The shelters will be used worldwide by the Army to support applications such as command posts, kitchens, maintenance shops and medical facilities. Their lightweight design and rugged durability enable them to operate in the most extreme environments. The addition of the MERWS requirements will provide greater shelter capacity for deployable conference and communication centers. In anticipation of the Army's growing requirements, General Dynamics is designing the modernized Army Standard Tactical Shelter (ASTS) to be quickly deployed on the ground or on the Army's Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, enabling rapid deployment and increased mobility. Currently under development, these next generation of ASF shelters will cost significantly less than the current ASF shelters and increase many operating features such as nine-high stacking versus six-high which enables greater transportability. They will have a larger interior operating space and will be lighter than the currently used M1087 Expansible Van, reducing fuel and maintenance costs for the vehicles transporting them. “For over forty years we have provided cost-efficient, durable shelters to meet the changing needs of the Army,” said Jared Strait, a Director of General Dynamics Mission Systems. “The new Army Standard Tactical Shelter – Expandable will provide the Army with the essential flexibility and mobility they need to quickly transport, deploy, and move shelters to support their missions.” General Dynamics Mission Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). For more information about General Dynamics Mission Systems, please visit gdmissionsystems.com and follow us on Twitter @GDMS. View source version on General Dynamics Mission Systems: https://gdmissionsystems.com/en/articles/2019/10/09/general-dynamics-provides-army-shelters-for-austere-environments