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.
BAE Systems has now delivered its 100,000th thermal weapon sight to the US Army in support of military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The sights are widely used on rifles, machine guns, and mounted weapon systems, providing soldiers with the ability to acquire and engage targets independent of darkness and common battlefield obscurants.
BAE Systems has been producing the sights since 2004 under contracts valued at more than $1 billion.
"This is a very significant delivery milestone," said Barry Yeadon, program manager for thermal weapon sights at BAE Systems in Lexington, Massachusetts, where the sights are manufactured. "No other supplier has delivered 100,000 thermal weapon sights to the Army. BAE Systems knows that the men and women serving in harm's way depend on this critical technology, and the company has focused resources to meet contract delivery requirements so that our sights reach soldiers on time, giving them a significant battlefield advantage."
BAE Systems' electronics technology allows soldiers to see deep into the battlefield in darkness and through smoke, fog, and other obscurants, enhancing situational awareness. Developed in partnership with the US Army Program Executive Office (PEO) Soldier, BAE Systems' second-generation thermal weapon sights are lighter, smaller, and less expensive than first-generation sights.
Source: BAE Systems
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.