PartYard Defense

With artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics on the cusp of revolutionising global business, the defence industry could be at risk of falling behind if vendors cannot adapt at pace, according to a recent deep-dive study by Defence IQ.

The report, to be published in October, examines the role intelligent enterprise (IE) technologies – including AI, the internet of things (IoT, robotic process automation, machine learning and data analysis – within the future defence industry, looking at which providers are investing, which areas are not – and considering where opportunities might lie.

Almost half of the defence professionals surveyed said they expected the impact of intelligent technological innovation to significantly affect the wider defence industry over the next two years – however the majority of those surveyed anticipated major hurdles to implementation – with internal culture within the defence industry found to be a particularly debilitating factor.

Almost half of defence professionals surveyed said they expected the impact of intelligent technological innovation to significantly affect the wider defence industry over the next two years

Other concerns include organisations’ struggles to keep up with the rapid pace of technological change and the inherent challenges involved in upgrading legacy systems.

The full report entitled ‘AI 2020: the future of defence and security’ is being produced in association with AIIA.net, a new portal designed to help companies build the intelligent enterprise.

The report is part of IQPC’s cross-sector market study on the adoption of IE technologies, which includes deep-dive analysis of the oil and gas, pharmaceutical and customer experience sectors.

(news source)

US group will provide a range of simulation planning and technical support and to enhance synthetic training events

Cubic Global Defense – a division of US-based Cubic Corporation – has been selected as the primary contractor for the development and delivery of local and distributed simulation-enabled training events for the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).

The four-year contract – valued at US$7.1 million (AUD$9 million) – provides a wide range of simulation planning, technical support and professional interactors to enhance RAN’s multisite synthetic training events at the Navy Synthetic Warfighting Centre (NSWC).

SEE ALSO: Counter-terrorism goes virtual

The NSWC was recently established at the HMAS Watson Naval Base on Sydney Harbour. The NSWC will facilitate synthetic training events and focus on delivering local and distributed mission training activities in both land-based simulators and ships in an agile manner.

Source: Cubic Corporation

“We look forward to leveraging the expertise of our Australian simulation team and the best practices of our various global programs to aid the RAN in achieving world-leading capabilities for simulation-enabled individual and collective training,” said Miles Macdonald, general manager Cubic Defence Australia.

Cubic’s solutions and services are designed to further enhance warfighting capabilities and improve training for crews and ships throughout their evolution cycle. In addition, Cubic’s contract will increase the potential of live, virtual and constructive training integration across the RAN. Supporting both individual and collective training, Cubic will design and deliver synthetic training events and networks involving a combination of dedicated simulators, which will be distributed to naval vessels.

In addition to its partnership with the RAN, Cubic is the incumbent Simulation Support Service contractor for the Australian Defence Simulation and Training Centre (ADSTC), which supports joint collective training. Cubic also provides training as well as simulation systems and services to the Australian Army and the Royal Australian Air Force.

(news source)

With consumer drones a growing threat to military assets, there is now a strong investment case for countermeasures

The Pentagon issued a classified policy to US forces in July declaring that military bases now have full legal rights to shoot down private or commercial drones deemed to be a threat. Local communities have since been notified that any unmanned aircraft system (UAS) trespassing in military airspace could be seized or destroyed.

As news of the rule came to light, the UK’s Royal Navy policies became subject to scrutiny when an amateur photographer managed to land his drone on the brand new Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier while docked at Invergordon in Scotland. With no attempts made to stop the curious UAS from infiltrating the 70,000-ton warship, the security gap seems self-evident.

Source: Black Isle Images

As Defence IQ has previously reported, consumer drones have now been employed on multiple occasions by ISIS forces in Syria and Iraq. Video footage has even emerged of the aircraft being retrofitted with grenades to destroy armoured vehicles from above or to provide makeshift, mobile booby-traps.

Even unarmed, the surveillance capabilities of most commercial drones present a significant threat in their own right, offering the chance for an adversary to use footage to coordinate a future attack. This is becoming all the more possible because the technology is experiencing rapid miniaturisation.

Settling on a single countermeasure is risky, particularly when many of the options have specific drawbacks depending on the environment in which they are used. It is therefore likely that many armed forces will be exploring layered defence shields, accounting for potential failure along the ‘soft kill’ to ‘hard kill’ chain.

Militaries must also consider issues of scale and modularity, as well as the ability to integrate these solutions alongside more conventional weapons suites. Each of these factors will have a considerable effect on both cost and operational relevance.

Fortunately, there is a raft of possible counter-UAS approaches already on the commercial shelf…

Blunt force

Perhaps the most obvious and most low-tech solution on the UAS mitigation market is to knock the drone out of the air with another object. Effectively, this is the equivalent of conventional anti-air and missile defence, but on a smaller and slower-moving scale.

One of the leading options in this category is the SkyWall100 system from OpenWorks Engineering. The device is a man-portable compressed air launcher that fires a 22-pound net to physically capture the drone before dropping it back to the earth by parachute. Although short in range, the benefit of this approach is that seizing the drone intact could allow for forensic analysis of the aircraft’s data, potentially offering vital intelligence.

Source: OpenWorks Engineering. Gif: Defence IQ

US-based Advanced Ballistic Concepts have taken a similar approach using 12 gauge and 40mm shells that deploy nets. Other US companies are simply selling standard 12 gauge shells as an ultra-basic short-range solution.

Signal hijacking

Military facilities and assets are not always isolated. There is often a risk that scrambling or destroying a drone can risk harming people on the ground, particularly if those drones have been rigged with explosives or other hazardous material.

Department 13’s MESMER – which competed in last year’s MITRE Counter-UAS challenge – actively hacks the connection between the pilot and the drone by manipulating the radio communication protocol. The operator can then force the drone to land or return home.

The UAV D04JA UAV Jammer from Chinese company Hikvision can also disable and take over remote control signals, including GPS and GLONASS positioning. It has been tested for use in sports stadiums and other urban areas where the danger to civilians is high, making it a popular consideration for civil authorities and private security firms.

Source: Hikrobotics. Gif: Defence IQ

Directional RF interference

Higher-grade, large-scale options are now being marketed for the rigours of military use in the form of multi-tiered, radar-based systems. These solutions are vital when there is a need for long-rage engagement and when GPS-spoofing alone is not enough.

Operating a high gain quad-band antenna system, the British-made Anti-UAV Defence System (AUDS) combines electronic-scanning radar target detection, electro-optical (EO) tracking and directional RF inhibition capability. The system can not only detect a drone five miles (8 km) away, but will track it, classify it and disrupt its flight.

Source: Blighter. Gif: Defence IQ

Directed energy

For what could be the fastest and most decisive capability on the list, lasers are becoming a feasible option. However, directed energy weapons are still experimental from an operational standpoint and drawbacks include an inability to limit the distance of a shot and the general safety risks to operators.

Col. (R) John Haithcock, director of the US Army’s Fires Battle Lab, told Defence IQ that within the next five years, 30 – 50 kw lasers will likely be employed on vehicles to “defend against the full suite of air threats”. Meanwhile, the US Navy’s USS Ponce is already at sea boasting the Laser Weapon System (‘LaWS’) to target a range of possible threats from small boats to UAS.

As one of the leaders in this field, Rheinmetall has for several years been developing laser-based products for countering air threats, including commercial drones and military-grade UAVs.

Source: Rheinmetall. Gif: Defence IQ

Boeing has also unveiled its Compact Laser Weapons System designed for easy transport.

Other types of directed energy are being explored, such as sonic waves. A team of Chinese researchers demonstrated a system at this year’s Black Hat security conference that uses audible sound and ultrasound emitters to disrupt the microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) chips – including accelerometers and gyroscopes – that commercial drones use to orient themselves. This proved effective on a range of electronic devices, not just UAS.

Other drones

Using UAS technology to counter UAS technology seems a natural step – and indeed several organisations have taken this approach.

While some of these solutions employ electronic countermeasures, French company Malou Tech has developed the Drone Interceptor MP200, employing the much simpler concept of hanging a net off a drone before flying directly into the target’s path. While it may look cheap, demonstration footage shows that it can have the desired effect.

Source: Malou Tech. Gif: Defence IQ

(news source)

It has been a good week for the British aerospace sector. The Farnborough Air Show – largely considered to be one of the most important aerospace/defence events – is at full throttle, with huge reveals and deals capturing the minds of audiences, such as the reveal of the UK’s sixth-generation jet fighter Tempest.

A timely report has emerged suggesting that aerospace is the UK’s second fastest growing export sector. The research was commissioned by Wyelands Bank to gain a greater grasp on the role of imports and exports and how they affect the British economy.

SEE ALSO: Tempest: UK unveils its sixth-generation unmanned fighter jet

In comparison to the growth rate of other export sectors, this puts aerospace (3.7%) ahead of precious metals (2.3%), the automotive industry (1.7%) and pharmaceuticals (0.8%). It is only behind food and beverage exports (6.3%).

Here are some of the biggest finds

The UK aerospace sector

The UK aerospace industry is the UK’s eighth largest export sector the fourth largest aerospace exporter globally after the US, France and Germany where exports are worth $136bn, $74bn and $47bn respectively.

Iain Hunter, CEO of Wyelands Bank, said: “SMEs within aerospace contribute 30% of sector turnover making them an important part of the industry. Smaller, more innovative companies – especially in manufacturing – play an important part in the UK’s foothold in global supply chains, as these aerospace businesses demonstrate.”

UK aerospace imports were worth $20.1bn in 2017, giving the UK a moderate trade surplus of $1.4bn in this sector. Looking at the sector in more detail, while the UK exports more large aircraft and more helicopters than it imports, the UK imports nearly twice the number of aircraft parts than its exports. In particular, the UK imports significantly more aircraft engines and radar, radio navigational aid and radio remote control apparatus than it exports.

In consideration of theTempest jet fighter reveal and the Air Combat strategy guideline, the UK will be on the lookout for strong partners for future projects. This report will come as a timely boost to those efforts. The UK expects decisions around acquiring next-generation capability will be made by the end of 2020, with final investment decisions by 2025.

At the Farnborough Air Show, the Defence Secretary indicated as much, saying, “It shows our allies that we are open to working together to protect the skies in an increasingly threatening future – and this concept model is just a glimpse into what the future could look like,”

Iain Hunter, CEO of Wyelands Bank, added: “Behind these headline economic figures, trade is important because it enables companies to grow. However, in order for businesses to succeed, they need working capital. It is only by providing better access to funding that we can support businesses to trade and grow.”

(news source)

An overview of hypersonic missiles

An overview of hypersonic missiles

After a long hiatus, hypersonic missile research and development is back in full swing. Major Powers, such as Russia, China and the US have been racing to develop hypersonic missile – a missile system so fast that it cannot be intercepted by any current missile defence system.

Hypersonic missiles will play a huge role in foreign policy in the years to come, as core pillars of geopolitics such as geography and technological power can be undermined by hypersonic missiles. And, given a recent uptick in “successful” tests from the likes of China and Russia, hypersonic missiles are much closer than we think, forcing a global re-assessment of traditional notions of deterrence.

Defence IQ wanted to explore this topic in greater detail, so we have sought the expertise of Dr James Bosbotinis, a UK-based specialist in defence and international affairs, with a particular focus on maritime and air force developments.

What is a hypersonic missile?

A hypersonic missile travels at speeds of Mach 5 and higher – five times faster than the speed of sound (3836 mph), which is around 1 mile per second.  Some missiles, such as Russia’s upcoming Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, are allegedly capable of reaching Mach 10 speeds (7672 mph) and distances up to 1200 miles. 
For comparison, the US Tomahawk cruise missile – the United States Navy and Royal Navy’s go-to long range missile-system – is subsonic, travelling around 550 mph and travelling a maximum distance around 1500 miles.

A subsonic US Tomahawk missile - Source: US Navy

Subsonic missile – US Tomahawk. Source: US Navy

Hypersonic missiles come in two variants; hypersonic cruise missiles and hypersonic glide vehicles.

Check out the video below for a more detailed look at the different types of hypersonic missile

When hypersonic missiles become operational, the gap between missile defence systems and missile offence will be huge. Simply put, there is no operational missile defence system that is capable of intercepting a hypersonic missile, which is why the race to develop hypersonic weapons is such an important one.

Hypersonic missiles remain a closely guarded secret, but in recent months, many governments have announced successful tests and future projects.

What impact will hypersonic missiles have? 

“Hypersonic missiles offer a number of advantages over subsonic and supersonic weapons, particularly with regard to the prosecution of time-critical targets (for example, mobile ballistic missile launchers), where the additional speed of a hypersonic weapon is valuable,” Bosbotinis said.

“It can also overcome the defences of heavily-defended targets (such as an aircraft carrier).

“The development and deployment of hypersonic weapon systems will provide states with significantly enhanced strike capabilities and potentially, the means to coerce. This will be particularly the case where a major regional power, such as Russia, may seek to coerce a neighbour, leveraging the threat of hypersonic strikes against critical targets. As such, the proliferation of hypersonic capabilities to regional states could also be destabilising, upsetting local balances of power. However, it could also strengthen deterrence.

“In this regard, consider the implications of Iran deploying hypersonic weapons versus an Israeli deployment. Hypersonic weapons may also be problematic in terms of escalation control in the context of a NATO-Russia or US-China confrontation. This concerns dual-capable systems, that is, systems with both conventional and nuclear capabilities, for example, the Kinzhal.”

Bosbotinis also explained that dual-capable systems raise the issue of discrimination: how does one know if the incoming threat is conventional or nuclear? In the context of hypersonic threats, this is compounded by the reduced time available to decision-makers to respond to an incoming threat.

Moreover, the development of submarine-launched hypersonic missiles would raise the potential threat – real or perceived – of attempted decapitation strikes, utilising the combination of the inherent stealth of a nuclear-powered submarine and the speed of a hypersonic missile.

What is the difference between subsonic, supersonic and hypersonic?

Supersonic missile – Brahmos. Source: Wikimedia

What countries are developing hypersonic missiles?

There have been suggestions, including from senior US military officials, that theUS has fallen behind Russia and China in the race for hypersonic missiles. This is to an extent, true.

United States hypersonic missiles

The US is developing a range of advanced hypersonic systems and has recently awarded Lockheed Martin contracts for the development of two systems: the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon ($928 million) and AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon ($480m).

Hypersonic missile – Boeing X-51. Source: US Air Force

With regards to current US projects, Bosbotinis says the US has not focused to the same extent as Russia and China on the operational deployment of hypersonic capabilities.

“Moscow and Beijing both seek to counter US missile defence systems and are developing respective anti-access/area denial capabilities.

“The US, in contrast, has not prioritised hypersonic systems to the same extent as Russia and China, and is pursuing arguably more advanced systems capable of long-range conventional precision strike, as opposed to nuclear-armed weapons where accuracy is not so important (although the Kinzhal, Tsirkon, Avangard and Chinese systems include conventional variants).”

That said, the US can be accused of relying too heavily on its nuclear-powered aircraft carrier groups to project power. Russia and China will have the capability the hit carrier groups with hypersonic missiles before they can get in operational range to launch airstrikes, as the upcoming F-35 stealth fighter jets have a combat radius of 450-600 miles, meanwhile hypersonic missiles potentially have a range in excess of 1,200 miles.

Current supersonic missiles, such as BrahMos, have a range of around 370 miles, but this can be increased with glide vehicles, meaning that carriers will have to move dangerously close to hostile territory to be effective.

President Donald Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which authorised a $717 billion defence budget for 2019. It is clear that the US is aiming to bridge the gap with regards to missile technology – a gap which has widened over the last decade as Russia and China have poured resources into their respective hypersonic projects.

United Kingdom and France hypersonic missiles

Since 2011, the Royal Navy and the French Navy have also been co-developing a hypersonic missile designed to replace the ageing Harpoon and Exocet respectively. The missile, Perseus, is expected to feature an agile and stealthy airframe that is powered by a ramjet motor built around a high compact Continuous Detonation Wave Engine. It is expected to come into service around 2030.

Chinese hypersonic missiles 

China has a number of ongoing hypersonic projects. The nation is reportedly close to deploying a ballistic missile-launched hypersonic glide vehicle, the DF-17 and has publicly exhibited a scramjet-powered missile, the Ling Yun.
Chinese operational doctrine calls for a weapon that would ward of US carrier groups, keeping them out of their operational range. The DF-ZF is a short to mid-range hypersonic missile glide vehicle and – when operational – would be able to largely mitigate any potential threat stemming from US carrier groups, fulfilling a long-term strategic goal without having to compete through naval strength.

In addition, China has also allegedly performed successful tests of the Starry Sky-2 hypersonic vehicle. The Starry Sky-2 can achieve a top speed of Mach 6 (4603 mph), switch direction mid-flight and can carry a payload consisting of either conventional warheads or nuclear weapons. It will likely take China another five years to make the weapon operational.

Russian hypersonic missiles

Russian doctrine calls for short and long-range capability, as the Kremlin will have to contend with European NATO members as well as the US on the other side of the Atlantic. As such, Russia has an array of missiles that fit this purpose, such as the U-71, BrahMos II and the 3m22 Zircon.

In addition, Russia has deployed an operational hypersonic system, the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, capable reportedly of attaining a speed of Mach 10 and a range of 1700 miles, and is believed to be close to deploying a hypersonic cruise missile, the 3K22 Tsirkon. The Tsirkon, a sea-and ground-launched missile is intended to attain high supersonic to hypersonic speeds, between Mach 4.5 and Mach 6, and have a range of 300-620 miles. Russia has also developed an intercontinental ballistic missile-launched hypersonic glide vehicle, Avangard, which may enter service in 2019.

Can hypersonic missiles be stopped?

Hypersonic missiles are so valuable because there is currently no operational or reliable method of intercepting them. However, as defence technology progresses countermeasures will emerge. Technologies such as directed energy weapons, particle beams and other non-kinetic weapons will be likely candidates for an effective defence against hypersonic missiles.

Checkout the highlights from International Fighter Conference 2017

“Hypersonic weapons reduce the time required to prosecute a target (especially compared to current subsonic cruise missiles), the warning time available to an adversary, and the time available for defensive systems to engage the incoming threat,” says Bosbotinis.

Although hypersonic threats would pose a significant challenge to current surface-to-air and air-to-air missile systems, such systems would, particularly in the conventional precision strike role, require a robust intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (ISTAR) network.

“Targeting the supporting network kinetically and through means such as cyber and electronic attacks could significantly degrade the operational effectiveness of long-range hypersonic weapons. In addition, counterforce operations targeting the launch platforms ‘left-of-launch’ can be undertaken, although, this may not be possible in the case of long-range systems such as the Kinzhal and Avangard. In the mid-to-long term, directed energy weapons and electromagnetic rail guns, as well as enhanced performance missile interceptors, could provide defence against hypersonic threats.”

The USN is already close to outfitting its ships with a 150-kilowatt laser that will be able to target missiles, drones and other modern threats.

Another countermeasure has been proposed by the Missile Defense Agency. A network of space-based satellites and sensors would theoretically be able to track hypersonic glide vehicles globally. This would be a huge first step in hypersonic missile defence. In addition, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $2.9 bn contract to develop Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared Satellites. There is a high chance that these satellites will aim to fill the hole that exists for early supersonic/hypersonic detection.

This is all future technology though. At the moment, the race for operational hypersonic missiles is closely contested between the US, Russia, and China.

However, is the strategic value of hypersonic missiles limited? After all, there is still no effective defence against a barrage of conventional ICBMs.

(news source)

After a long hiatus, hypersonic missile research and development is back in full swing. Major Powers, such as Russia, China and the US have been racing to develop hypersonic missile – a missile system so fast that it cannot be intercepted by any current missile defence system.

Hypersonic missiles will play a huge role in foreign policy in the years to come, as core pillars of geopolitics such as geography and technological power can be undermined by hypersonic missiles. And, given a recent uptick in “successful” tests from the likes of China and Russia, hypersonic missiles are much closer than we think, forcing a global re-assessment of traditional notions of deterrence.

Defence IQ wanted to explore this topic in greater detail, so we have sought the expertise of Dr James Bosbotinis, a UK-based specialist in defence and international affairs, with a particular focus on maritime and air force developments.

What is a hypersonic missile?

A hypersonic missile travels at speeds of Mach 5 and higher – five times faster than the speed of sound (3836 mph), which is around 1 mile per second.  Some missiles, such as Russia’s upcoming Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile, are allegedly capable of reaching Mach 10 speeds (7672 mph) and distances up to 1200 miles. 
For comparison, the US Tomahawk cruise missile – the United States Navy and Royal Navy’s go-to long range missile-system – is subsonic, travelling around 550 mph and travelling a maximum distance around 1500 miles.

For a company that has one of the most seasoned histories in the U.S. defence market, dating back more than 40 years, it is no surprise that its role in supporting the field artillery needs of both its American and international customers is held in high regard. From the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), we take a look at where the company’s artillery focus lies today in this exclusive feature.

(news source)

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For a company that has one of the most seasoned histories in the U.S. defence market, dating back more than 40 years, it is no surprise that its role in supporting the field artillery needs of both its American and international customers is held in high regard. From the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS), we take a look at where the company’s artillery focus lies today in this exclusive feature.

(news source)