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.
Harris announced on 9 October that it has received a $5.1 million contract to supply Falcon III multiband, multi-mission handheld radios to an unnamed NATO nation. The radios will be used to provide line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight tactical communications to the country’s armed forces personnel.
The AN/PRC-152 is a JTRS Software Communications Architecture-certified and NSA Type-1 certified handheld radio, with more than 160,000 units deployed worldwide. The radio provides voice and data capabilities over the 30 MHz to 512 MHz frequency range and supports SINCGARS, Havequick II, VHF/UHF AM and FM, APCO P25 and both DAMA and the new Integrated Waveform for satellite communications.
Brendan O’Connell, president, International business, Harris RF Communications, said: ‘The Falcon III AN/PRC-152 provides warfighters with high-performance voice and data capabilities necessary for success on a range of missions. The Falcon III family of radios offers trusted, combat-proven communications solutions to meet current and emerging mission requirements by armed forces around the world.’
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.