Piercing the fog of war via battlespace management
Battle Management Systems are emerging as increasingly important tools for commanders making decisions in fluid combat situations.
Northrop Grumman’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) pod for the KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft has achieved Milestone C, the company announced on 17 April.
The milestone, awarded by the US Department of Defense Milestone Decision Authority, marks the completion of the pod's development and testing phase and the beginning of the production and deployment phase.
To achieve Milestone C, Northrop Grumman worked closely with the KC-135 Program Office, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve Command to thoroughly test LAIRCM for KC-135 in the laboratory and the field.
The Generation 3 podded LAIRCM system, previously known as Guardian, is an infrared countermeasure that detects, tracks and jams incoming missiles. It incorporates advanced missile warning sensors, a compact laser pointer/tracker and a processor in a single pod that can be readily transferred between aircraft to meet mission requirements.
Battle Management Systems are emerging as increasingly important tools for commanders making decisions in fluid combat situations.
According to the supplier, Athena is a next-generation missile warning sensor that provides 360-degree situational awareness.
Tyche satellite will deliver military situational awareness for Ministry of Defence decision-making.
The current pace of innovation demands a new strategy for success, focusing on developing technology to meet specific defence goals and ensuring collaborative efforts.
As the threats of nuclear weapons in space and the militarisation of the domain persist, an Australian outfit has been developing technology that defence organisations could utilise to identify objects in space to gain a better understand of what they are doing in orbit.
The mission marks the first time an active US military payload has been delivered by commercial rocket.