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.
Raytheon has delivered the first Space Enabled Effects for Military Engagements (SeeMe) satellite to DARPA, the company announced on 3 October.
The new satellite will provide increased situational awareness to soldiers on the ground.
DARPA's SeeMe programme intends to show that small satellites can be built affordably to give small squads direct and timely tactical imagery. A future constellation of small satellites would deliver high-resolution images of precise locations of interest to the soldier's handheld device.
DARPA will integrate the SeeMe satellite onto a Spaceflight Industries payload that will be launched into low-earth orbit on a SpaceX rocket later in 2018. Military users will have an opportunity to evaluate the satellite's performance during missions in early 2019.
Ultimately, a SeeMe constellation may comprise several types of small satellites, each lasting one to five years. They would then de-orbit and burn up, leaving no space debris and causing no re-entry hazard.
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.