The Royal Navy laid the keel for the sixth Astute-class submarine at a ceremony July 18, at Barrow-in-Furness, Scotland, where the boats are built by prime contractor BAE Systems Maritime Submarines. The new submarine, HMS Agamemnon, is the sixth of seven boats in the class. Astute submarines will replace the Royal Navy's Trafalgar-class boats. Two are completing sea trials: HMS Astute, which was launched in 2007; and HMS Ambush, launched in 2011. Three others—Artful, Audacious and Ansom—are in various stages of construction.
The Spanish navy has been identified as the first customer for Saab's Skeldar rotary-wing unmanned aerial system (UAS). Saab was awarded a €2.5 million ($3.07 million) contract on June 26, but did not announce the deal until July 11 and did not initially disclose the customer. The agreement, understood to be a service contract, was concluded by the Spanish navy's supply and transport directorate.
Rear Adm. Thomas Rowden Director of Surface Warfare, U.S. Navy Age: 56 Birthplace: Washington Education: U.S. Naval Academy, 1982; M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies, U.S. Naval War College
Researchers at the U.S. Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command are evaluating the benefits of adding carbon nanotubes to specific locations within helicopter rotor blades as well as to the composite matrix that is used in their manufacture. A key goal would be to increase energy dissipation at the interface of the nanotubes and the composite matrix, and thus improve vibration-damping characteristics with few—or no—compromises in flight performance. The effort seeks to resolve trade-offs between dynamic stability and vibration.
Adm. Jonathan Greenert, chief of U.S. naval operations, exuded confidence as he assured U.S. and Asian media representatives that he is not concerned with development of the Chinese DF-21 anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). “It hasn't affected the way we operate in the region,” Greenert said during a briefing at the recent International Maritime and Defense Exhibition (Imdex) here.
The Undersea Defense Technology (UDT) conference and show here in June marked a break from previous years when much of the focus was on large and sophisticated remotely operated underwater vehicles and submarines. This time a number of small and medium-sized companies were showing novel, low-cost systems for littoral security.
U.S. Pacific Command (Pacom), in conjunction with Australia, has deployed a logistics tracking system that improves interoperability between their respective forces and helps assure faster, more coordinated responses to humanitarian crises and other contingencies. U.S. officials say the Pacific Radio Frequency Identification System also promotes collaboration and integration across the Asia-Pacific region. The system makes usse of radio frequency identification (RFID) to read bar codes, a technology that retailers and others routinely use to track goods, Air Force Brig.
The U.S. Defense Department's High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program (Haarp) is closed, at least for right now, marking an end to one of the military's more notorious research facilities. Haarp—near Gakona, Alaska—was used by researchers to study the ionosphere. The facility, which comprises of 360 radio transmitters and 180 antennas, can accelerate electrons in the ionosphere, essentially “heating” the upper atmosphere and allowing scientists to conduct experiments.
The best way to access the depths of the oceans may be from the skies. That is the thinking behind the station-keeping low-visibility glider, in development by LBI Co. of Groton, Conn., which can be deployed from standard launch tubes on U.S. Navy P-3 and P-8 aircraft and transit long distances to provide persistent surveillance in denied or hostile areas. It enables standoff aerial delivery of a stealthy, unmanned, multiple-sensor platform with low visibility on the sea surface, and is capable of long duration on station and endurance in high seas.
Most cargo containers destined for U.S. ports are not screened for hazardous substances such as explosives or even nuclear materials. A law passed in 2007 called for that to be done by 2012, with 100% scanning of freight containers at the port of loading, but that goal was not met because the available technology would have impeded trade. The equipment was expensive to acquire and use; it was based on X-ray technology, with consequent health and safety restrictions; and took too long to handle the 17 million containers imported to the U.S. each year.
The U.S. Army wants to equip soldiers with smartphones, in recognition of their computing power and ability to run apps and download vital data on battlefields or behind enemy lines. With this in mind, Vanderbilt University researchers led by Akos Ledeczi, associate professor of computer engineering, have developed two modules of microphone sensors and corresponding software that let Android smartphones detect snipers. One module, the size of a deck of playing cards, analyzes muzzle blast and the ensuing shockwave to triangulate the direction of a shot and estimate range.
Water-jet disruptors fire explosively propelled jets of water to destroy the circuitry of improvised explosive devices, substantially reducing their potential for detonation. They have been deployed for 40 years, initially by British forces in Northern Ireland. Recently, manufacturer Chemring OED of Poole, U.K., revised the design of its established Pigstick disruptor to reduce weight. The new 28-mm model, called Wasp, weighs just 1 kg (2.2 lb.), compared with 3 kg for Pigstick.
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has developed modular software with modeling and simulation capabilities allowing Army scientists to select or design “smart” weapons. Called Smart Weapon End-to-End Performance Model, or Sweepm, the software analyzes all outcomes associated with firing a round (e.g., artillery, mortar, grenade), as well as factors that affect delivery. Sweepm reflects a renewed force-on-force emphasis after a decade of counterinsurgency warfare.
Unmanned platforms have many advantages and one major impediment: interoperability. It's difficult for personnel in one service to control robot systems fielded by another, owing to the use of proprietary operational software. This may change. The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) has developed the Common Control System (CCS), which uses software that reportedly allows any unmanned system to communicate and work with any other system in the military.
Spy movies and drone imagery may give people the idea that the problem of night vision has been definitively solved, but in fact the past few years have seen a vigorous three-way technology conflict at the lower end of the market, where users need portable and wearable sensors and want to fit very small unmanned vehicles—and large fleets of trucks—with night-vision devices.
Israel Shipyards is expanding the Saar class of missile boats used by the country's navy and also sold to foreign customers. The company is making the ship a “mini-corvette,” with longer range—beyond 3,000 nm—and sophisticated defensive capabilities. The move addresses the need for Israel and other nations to project power well beyond their territorial waters.
A Chinese military unit, probably with 1,000-plus handpicked personnel, has conducted cyberespionage against defense targets in the U.S. and worldwide since 2006, a new study by network security specialist Mandiant concludes. Its release coincides with the director of the Joint Strike Fighter program's statement to a U.S. Senate committee that he lacks confidence in the measures taken by industry to protect the classified and critical technology in the stealthy fighter.
Commo. Stephen Braham Head of Global Ship Integrated Export Team, U.K. Trade & Investment, Defense & Security Organization Education: Engineering degrees (bachelor's and master's) from Royal Naval Engineering College, Royal Naval Staff College.
Recent technology advancements and risk reduction in the U.S Navy's proposed air and missile defense radar (AMDR) are slashing cost estimates by nearly two-thirds and making it more likely that the sensor suite will survive budget cuts. The technological strides and price cuts put the program on course to deliver a sensor suite relatively soon that not only protects ships against immediate and future missile threats, but helps vessels provide better ballistic missile defense (BMD) for allies.
