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.
Leonardo has been contracted by the Australian Department of Defence to deliver information management software for the navy's six Collins-class submarines, the company announced on 5 October.
The contract is part of Australia’s Project SEA1439 Phase 5B2 upgrade programme.
Leonardo will provide its SmartIDMS software application which allows navy crews to upload and download data in a sophisticated, managed way when the submarine connects to a network.
Submarines share information over computer networks. However, they are cut off from their networks for long periods as they spend a lot of time deep underwater. To stay in touch, a submarine must rise to periscope depth in order to join the network and exchange data with the outside world.
Traditionally, the data would be uploaded and downloaded in the order that it was stored. This results in important information getting stuck in a queue behind bulky, low-priority files.
Leonardo’s SmartIDMS system optimises this process by intelligently choosing which information to send and receive first and which can wait - for example prioritising operating orders over personal emails.
SmartIDMS allows other network users to see a virtual submarine that is always present on the network, even when it is disconnected, enabling them to move data onto the submarine which will then be synchronised when the real submarine re-connects to the network.
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.