20 septembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Terrestre

The Corps just slapped a counter-drone system on an MRZR all-terrain vehicle

By:

In yet another sign the Corps is becoming increasingly concerned about air defense, the Corps decided to slap a counter-drone system on a Polaris MRZR all-terrain vehicle.

It's called the Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System, or LMADIS, and it's comprised of two MRZR vehicles, a command node and a sensor vehicle.

The system is a “maneuverable ground-based sensor, electronic attack, C2 [ command and control] system," 1st Lt. Ariel Cecil, the commander of the Low Altitude Air Defense detachment for Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 166, said in a video posted by the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The LMADIS can detect, track, identify and take down drones with electronic attack, according to Cecil.

The MRZR counter drone system is currently deployed with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit where it recently participated in the Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsal exercise in Djibouti.

The Corps has been investing heavily in counter air and drone threats. It's an issue the Marines really haven't had to focus on for some time now.

But as the Corps begins to face down more sophisticated hostile actors there's no guarantee Marines will always operate on a battlefield where they own the airspace.

That means enemy air or drone attacks are now a reality the Corps must plan for.

And increasingly, drone technology has found its way into the hands of terrorist groups and ragtag militias.

ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria have been known to weaponize small commercial quadcopter drones, dropping small munitions and hand grenades on Iraqi and partner nation forces. Even the Taliban in Afghanistan have gotten in the game, using small drones to film attacks on remote Afghan army outposts.

But the big threat, according to the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert B. Neller, is that adversaries will eventually learn how to control these small attack drones in massive swarms.

“When you think about enemy air attacks, you think about jets and bombers and stuff,” Neller said at the Atlantic Council in April. “I think the real future in enemy air attack is going to be swarming drones.”

So, the Corps has embarked on an ambitious plan to field a new suite of tech to bolster the Corps' air defense and counter drone capabilities.

Two such systems are the Ground Based Air Defense-Transformation, or GBAD, and the Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar, or G/ATOR.

The GBAD systems is basically a detection system with laser weapon that can track and destroy drones, and it's mountable on the Corps' new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle or Humvee. That program is still undergoing testing and evaluation.

The G/ATOR system has been in the Corps' arsenal since 2013 and it can detect rockets, mortars, artillery cruise missiles, and drones. The system is highly mobile making it integral to the Corps' distributed operations plan in the Pacific should a conflict come between the U.S. and China.

And the Corps is also dishing out money to modify Stinger missiles as part of Service Life Extension Program.

https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2018/09/19/the-corps-just-slapped-a-counter-drone-system-on-an-mrzr-all-terrain-vehicle

Sur le même sujet

  • L3Harris Technologies Providing US Army New Networked Night Vision Goggles with Advanced Mobility Capabilities

    15 octobre 2019 | International, Terrestre

    L3Harris Technologies Providing US Army New Networked Night Vision Goggles with Advanced Mobility Capabilities

    MELBOURNE, FLA., October 14, 2019 - L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has begun initial deliveries of its new Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular (ENVG-B) that provides U.S. Army soldiers with improved situational awareness, mobility and protection. The delivery is part of an initial order under a $391 million ENVG-B Directed Requirement contract from the U.S. Army received in 2018. L3Harris delivered the first 40 combat-ready systems as part of an initial fielding that is expected to be completed by early 2020. This advanced binocular night vision goggle supports the Army's Soldier Lethality Cross-Functional team priorities. The ENVG-B includes L3Harris' high-performance white phosphor image intensification technology in a dual-tube goggle, as well as a separate thermal channel for image fusion and thermal target detection. This technology will enhance the ability to locate and engage threats and access common operating environment imagery. “The ENVG-B is the result of a year-long collaboration with the U.S. Army to deliver the most advanced night fighting system ever fielded,” said Dana Mehnert, President, Communication Systems, L3Harris. “This is the first networked night vison system that brings battlefield imagery and data directly to the soldier's eye, providing situational awareness beyond the capability of near-peer threats facing the U.S. military and our allies around the world.” Following the delivery of the first 40 units, L3Harris received two additional delivery orders totaling approximately $153 million for nearly 7,000 additional systems and logistics support. Combined with the initial $88 million delivery order, L3Harris has received orders to deliver just over 10,000 ENVG-B systems under the Directed Requirement contract. The ENVG-B includes a new high-resolution display and an embedded soldier wireless personal area network, rapid target acquisition and augmented reality algorithms to interface with the U.S. Army's Nett Warrior. The complete system will interface with the Army's family of weapon sights, while enhancing interoperability and data sharing. About L3Harris Technologies L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers' mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $17 billion in annual revenue and 50,000 employees, with customers in 130 countries. L3Harris.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that reflect management's current expectations, assumptions and estimates of future performance and economic conditions. Such statements are made in reliance upon the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The company cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and future trends to differ materially from those matters expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements about system capabilities, contract values and number of systems to be delivered are forward-looking and involve risks and uncertainties. L3Harris disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. View source version on L3Harris Technologies: https://www.l3harris.com/press-releases/2019/10/88486/l3harris-technologies-providing-us-army-new-networked-night-vision-goggles-with-advanced-mobility-capabilities

  • Russian frigate enters service, with plans for hypersonic armaments

    27 décembre 2023 | International, Sécurité

    Russian frigate enters service, with plans for hypersonic armaments

    Russia has commissioned the frigate Admiral Golovko, the country’s first ship that will regularly carry Zircon hypersonic missiles.

  • Germany First To Modernize Eurofighters With AESA Radar

    23 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial

    Germany First To Modernize Eurofighters With AESA Radar

    Tony Osborne June 22, 2020 Germany is set to become the first of the Eurofighter Typhoon partner nations to retrofit an active, electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, a move that should bolster the fighter's export potential. The German Parliament has given a green light for Berlin to spend €2.8 billion ($3.1 billion) to install the Euroradar consortium's Captor-E radar in all—around 106—of the German Air Force's Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft from around 2023. Contracts should be signed in the coming weeks. Hensoldt will be the design authority for the retrofit program Germany is receiving the Mk. 1 version of the Captor-E AESA Export customers will receive Captor-E first. Kuwait has ordered 28 aircraft, and Qatar 24, and a batch of Kuwaiti aircraft will be delivered this year. But program officials believe that with the AESA finally receiving partner nation backing, the Typhoon's chances in competitions closer to home may have moved up a notch. AESA-equipped Typhoons are proposed for both Finland and Switzerland. But the radar's capabilities could not be evaluated when the fighter took part in trials in those countries, as the participating aircraft were not fitted with it; its competitors were. All four Eurofighter partner nations, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK, supported development of the radar, done by a consortium of Leonardo, Hensoldt and Indra, but have been reluctant to make the retrofit investment. That is due in part to budgets, but also reflects their satisfaction with the currently installed mechanically scanned Captor. The AESA, however, boosts radar performance and range, giving the aircraft a sensor that can match the performance of the MBDA Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. A mechanical repositioner helps widen the radar's field of view to around 200 deg., from 120 deg. with the existing mechanically scanned radar. For the German retrofit program, Hensoldt will take a leading role in the production and delivery of the radars and act as the design authority, while Airbus will act as the test and integration lead. “With this decision, Germany is taking on a pioneering role in the field of key technology for the Eurofighter for the first time,” says Hensoldt CEO Thomas Muller. “It is a signal for Europe that Germany is investing in a technology that is of crucial importance for European defense cooperation.” Airbus Defense and Space CEO Dirk Hoke says the addition of the radar will increase the mission effectiveness of the aircraft and help integrate it with the Franco-German Spanish Future Combat Air System. Leonardo, which led Captor-E development, will provide support to Hensoldt in its role as design authority. Leonardo will also supply the radar's processor. Three different versions of the Captor-E have been developed or are under development. The German retrofit program calls for the installation of the Mk. 1 radar, which has been developed from the Mk. 0 radar that will be delivered to Kuwait and Qatar. The Mk. 1 adds new modes and a multichannel receiver. Along with being retrofitted to the German Tranche 2 and 3 aircraft, it also likely will be fitted to the 38 new-build aircraft planned under Berlin's Quadriga buy to replace its existing Tranche 1 Eurofighters, which lack the computing and electrical power for an AESA installation. Work has also begun on the Radar 2 being developed for the UK, which will feature an electronic attack capability. It is expected to enter service in the mid-2020s, and the UK plans to install it on its Tranche 3 model aircraft. Spain too is planning a retrofit program with the Mk. 1 radar, but also limited to its Tranche 3 fleet. Airbus revealed last November, however, that the novel coronavirus pandemic appears to have delayed Madrid's plans. An AESA has been part of the Eurofighter's development road map for around 15 years. The consortium had originally hoped that it could form part of the Tranche 3 fleet. The capability was also part of the consortium's ultimately unsuccessful offer for India. But it was not until 2014 that the first Captor-E development radar began flying in the aircraft, making an appearance at the 2014 Farnborough Airshow. The AESA radar capability is added through the Eurofighter's Phase 3B Enhancement (P3E(b)) package that will be delivered to Kuwait. Leonardo completed flight trials in support of the Mk. 0 radar development and P3E(b) in late May. Along with the Quadriga purchase, known in Germany notionally as Tranche 4, the country is also planning to use the Eurofighter, as well as the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, to replace the Panavia Tornado fleet, although these plans are subject to parliamentary approvals that could come as late as 2022-23 (AW&ST May 4-17, p. 50). Egypt is also reportedly interested in purchasing up to 24 Eurofighters, possibly as part of a multibillion euro procurement from Italy that also includes jet trainers, helicopters and warships. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/sensors-electronic-warfare/germany-first-modernize-eurofighters-aesa-radar

Toutes les nouvelles