Leonardo receives threat simulation contract
Leonardo has been contracted by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide equipment that will simulate radar threats to the Royal Air Force’s (RAF) A400M military transport aircraft as part of pre take-off procedures, the company announced on 12 November.
According to Leonardo, simulating threat radars while the aircraft is still on the ground will help commanders to ensure that the complex defensive aids suite fitted to the A400M will function correctly during flight. This will allow them to make an evidence-based decision on whether or not to commit to a mission in hostile territory.
Leonardo’s threat simulation equipment uses special RF-emitting ‘hoods’ which will cover the A400M’s sensors while the aircraft is still on the ground, stimulating its RF sensors with real radar energy.
Under the contract, the MoD has purchased one full system with through-life support, with additional orders anticipated as the RAF’s fleet size grows.
The equipment will also de-risk and reduce the cost of the aircraft’s flight trials, prior to entering RAF service, by ensuring that as much testing work as possible is carried out on the ground.
Leonardo will also provide off-the-shelf handheld threat simulators to enable crews to conduct last-minute checks before taking off for a combat operation.
Related Equipment in Defence Insight
More from Digital Battlespace
-
EID to unveil new vehicle communication system at DSEI
The Portuguese company’s naval communications system is in service across more than a dozen countries. It has turned to its home nation for support in developing a new vehicle based C2 system.
-
Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker
The Vision4ce Deep Embedded Feature Tracking (DEFT) technology software is designed to process video and images by blending traditional computer vision with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to present actionable information from complex environments.
-
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
-
US Space Force’s next-generation missile warning system moves forward with $500 million in new contracts
Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (Next-Gen OPIR) satellites are intended to provide early warning of missile launches from any location worldwide and new ground stations will result in expanded coverage of critical missile warning.