US Navy foresees an uncrewed future for its surface and underwater fleet
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
ECA Group has unveiled an International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)-Catcher signal intelligence module for its IT180 mini UAS, the company announced on 21 November.
IMSI is a unique ID number contained in a SIM card used to identify the user of a mobile phone network. The IMSI-Catcher is designed to perform electronic intelligence missions, such as the detection and identification of communication systems.
According to the company, IMSI catchers are already used by agencies during ground and airborne vehicle operations in the field, and its integration into a UAS will expand this operational envelope.
The IT180 platform can carry different types of IMSI catchers to conduct operations in multiple contexts depending on mission, country, regulatory and environmental objectives. The IT180's payload capacity allows for a high-definition camera to also be carried, enabling the collection of additional and detailed information, both electronic and visual.
The IT180 UAS can fly up to 50 minutes with a flight range of 30kms.
Francis Duruflé, sales manager of the aerial UAV business at ECA Group said: ‘Complementary to operations already carried out by aircraft, the UAV will enable detection missions to be carried out discreetly in hard-to-access areas with rapid and flexible deployment conditions.’
The service has been conducting various procurement and development efforts to integrate unmanned surface and underwater vehicles into its inventory.
Tekever has manufactured the AR3, AR4 and AR5 UAS with all systems sharing common electronics and software architecture, which has enabled the reuse of ground segment elements within the new ARX UAS.
As the dynamics of aerial combat rapidly evolve, Chinese scientists have engineered a sophisticated air separation drone model that can fragment into up to six drones, each capable of executing distinct battlefield roles and challenging the efficacy of current anti-drone defences such as the UK’s Dragonfire laser system.
Advancements in air defence technologies have begun to reshape aerial combat dynamics in the Middle East, as illustrated by recent events involving the Israeli Air Force and Hezbollah.
Both sides of the Russia-Ukraine war have been using UAS for effective low-cost attacks, as well as impactful web and social media footage. Thousands more have now been committed to Ukrainian forces.
The US Army has intentions to develop light, medium and heavy variants of the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) as part of the branche’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle family.