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.
SRC is continuing its involvement with the USAF Medusa programme under a maximum $90 million sole-source contract, the DoD announced on 24 August.
The deal covers the the acquisition, upgrade, sustainment, installation support and design and analysis support of counter-small UAS (C-sUAS) force protection technology and subsystems manufactured by SRC.
Work will be performed at locations to be determined in each delivery order and is expected to be completed by late August 2028.
Relevant technology from SRC includes Silent Archer, which combines Technology Readiness Level 8/9 radar and EW systems, a camera and a 3D user display to defeat hostile UAVs, whether a lone target or a swarm.
According to Shephard Defence Insight, this system provides spatial, frequency and optical surveillance capabilities to detect, track, classify and identify the airborne threat. It then applies low-cost, low-risk electronic methods to disrupt the UAS, such as jamming the communication links between the operator and the aircraft.
Most recently, on 23 July, SRC was awarded a five-year, $425.87 million contract to develop, produce, deploy and support the Expeditionary-Low, Slow, Small Unmanned Aircraft System Integrated Defeat System, which is the US Army equivalent of Medusa.
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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.