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.
USN MTRS Inc II EOD UGVs are to be upgraded with an improved radio. (Photo: Teledyne FLIR)
Persistent Systems has revealed new details of a contract to supply MPU5 mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) radios as replacements for current equipment used on USN Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II (MTRS Inc II) EOD UGVs.
The deal is part of the Flexible Cybersecure Radio (FlexCSR) contract, worth $55 million awarded to Tomahawk Robotics by the Naval Surface Warfare Center's Indian Head Division. The MTRS Inc II UGV, also known as Centaur, is a medium-sized system and deliveries began in 2020.
Persistent Systems will provide 600 radios, including spares, with deliveries expected to begin in late 2024. The units will replace legacy radios used to control and communicate with UGVs and have been incorporated by Tomahawk Robotics into a solution that includes NSA Type 1 encryption.
Teledyne FLIR stays ahead of the pack on MTRS Increment II
According to Persistent Systems, 'it shows how other military robots with our MANET systems can be upgraded with Type 1 encryption, when deemed appropriate'.
The detail follows the announcement last month that the company had created a firmware upgrade for the radio which adds AI capability and also expands the library of EW countermeasures that can be employed by the MPU5 when operating in congested or contested environments.
The MPU5 is in service worldwide with more than 1,000 ordered for the UK Royal Marines in support of the Future Commando Force programme. The marines have conducted trials with the radios during exercises in the Mojave Desert in the US and in Oman.
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.