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.
The MSAS-100 anti-jam antenna is one of the components of MAPS Gen II. (Photo: Collins Aerospace)
The US Army has formally ordered production versions of the Mounted Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing System (MAPS) Gen II from Collins Aerospace.
The manufacturer announced a five-year, $583 million IDIQ production contract for the anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology on 12 September.
MAPS Gen II is designed with a modular open systems architecture for operations with crewed vehicles and UGVs.
It was selected following a competitive Other Transaction Authority phase of the programme that ‘demonstrated the system’s ability to counter PNT [positioning, navigation and timing] threats and provide warfighters with decisive advantages over their adversaries’, Collins Aerospace noted in a statement.
The system comprises NavFusion technology from Collins Aerospace that fuses data from multiple sensors, along with M-Code GPS with advanced anti-jamming and anti-spoofing technology, to ensure multi-domain operations can be conducted even in contested electromagnetic environments.
‘Warfighters can navigate through high-threat environments with the confidence of knowing where they are, where they need to go, at the precise time with weapons on target,’ Collins Aerospace added.
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.