US Space Force increases efforts to plug training capabilities gaps
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
Applied Research Associates (ARA) received a sole-source contract in January to integrate its advanced Augmented Reality, Command, Control, Communicate, Coordinate (ARC4) software into the US army’s current and future vision systems and vision device displays.
Ground combat operations depend on gaining and maintaining situational awareness of terrain, friendly troops, control measures, weapon systems and enemy forces. Existing tools require soldiers to access data on smartphones and tablets in a heads-down posture, which distracts from close-combat tasks, potentially compromising safety.
ARC4 provides support to the user by enabling them to acquire time-critical geo-spatial information with their head up and eyes out on the environment, viewing geo-registered icons overlaid on the soldier’s real-world view. ARC4 allows teams to perform tasks with high awareness of their surroundings, in close coordination with each other, with enhanced safety and speed.
The ARC4 software integrates with a variety of hardware vision systems and runs on a variety of computing platforms, including Windows, Linux, and Android. ARC4 integrates with existing C2 utilities, including TAK and Nett Warrior.
The service has been seeking simulation and emulation solutions capable of reproducing multiple in-orbit threats.
The service has been conducting several acquisition and upgrading efforts involving artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve communication, data analysis and ISR systems.
The Syracuse 4B communications satellite, developed by Airbus and Thales Alenia Space, was launched last year, bolstering secure military satellite communications for the French Armed Forces. Thales has now been selected to provide terminals for vehicles.
The growing importance of space in modern warfare, advancements in satellite technology, and increasing threats from rivals like China and Russia were among the topics of a Eurosatory 2024 panel on military space operations.
AN/ARC-232A is a Starfire radio that provides VHF/UHF communications to airborne platforms and the transceiver is software-programmable, allowing for multiple waveform support as well as optional national electronic counter counter-measure (ECCM) capability.
During the 18-month period of the contract, Lockheed Martin will apply Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques to create surrogate models of aircraft, sensors, electronic warfare and weapons within dynamic and operationally representative environments.