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.
A team led by Airbus Defence and Space has received a ten-year contract from the French Armament Procurement Agency for the production of the SI GEODE4D information system for the French armed forces, the company announced on 22 November.
The SI GEODE4D information system provides a single and secure portal to allow the services to access information on geography, hydrography, oceanography and weather for defence purposes.
Airbus Defence and Space will lead the consortium, which includes Magellium for geography; Météo France International for meteorology, hydrography and oceanography; Bertin for decision-making aids and Deloitte for change management.
The information system will allow all Ministry of Defence actors to access and share the same geophysical environment data, and select and present it in a coherent way, according to a ‘one card for all’ principle. The system is designed to provide deployed forces with an understanding of the geophysical environment, as set out in the NATO recognised environmental picture concept.
The contract also includes the refurbishment of the geographical and meteorological–oceanographic data production centres in Creil, Haguenau and Toulouse. This refurbishment is designed to meet the need for the increased volume and transmission rates involved in the visualisation of all the environmental data on the future GEODE4D portal.
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.