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 Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) has conducted testing on Northrop Grumman's new hull-mounted acoustic Advanced Flank Array (AFA), the company announced on 14 November.
The testing, carried out under a Work for Private Parties agreement, demonstrated that the new system addresses next-generation requirements.
The system has been designed to support a variety of flank array programmes, including those for the US Navy's Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine and Virginia-class fast attack submarine.
Northrop Grumman invested over $3 million to develop its alternative AFA product line and proved that the manufactured prototypes meet or exceed the navy’s strict performance specifications.
Alan Lytle, VP, undersea systems business unit, Northrop Grumman, said: ‘We are not just designing systems for today’s fleet, but we are developing solutions with the future in mind - the missions, requirements and applications our submarine force will face over the lifetime of these ships.'
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.