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 BNET system has variants for dismounted personnel and also aircraft and vehicles. (Photo: Rafael)
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems has demonstrated its BNET (Broadband MANET IP Software Defined Radio) communication system to Romanian special forces as part of an export drive to push the system which is already in service with Indian forces and has been demonstrated to German troops.
The system comes in three variants - BNET-AR (airborne), BNET-V (vehicle) and BNET Nano. The BNET-AR (11kg) is in service on Indian SU-30MKI fighters, Jaguar aircraft and the country's airborne early warning fleet and in 2021 an undisclosed Asian country ordered the same system. The BNET-V is a larger unit at 15kg.
The company did not disclose the system demonstrated to Romanian forces but it was likely the BNET Nano which weighs 0.06kg. It is the newest variant of BNET, unveiled at AUSA in 2021, and provides capabilities similar to larger BNET radios in a smaller form factor, and has separate variants for UAVs and dismounted infantry.
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According to the company the demonstration encompassed combat simulations in diverse arenas, including urban settings both above and below ground, as well as open terrain, and was supported by local company STARC4SYS.
The demonstration was designed to showcase real-time battle management, information gathering, and navigation in GPS-denied environments and other complex battle scenarios.
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.
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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.