Technology limitations currently limit laser power output, but work in the US and Europe is progressing to the point where laser-based weapons have demonstrated their viability as the underpinnings of directed energy systems. The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service report, “Lasers Building Momentum as Viable Directed Energy Systems; High Power RF Holds Promise in Non-Lethals,” details some examples of laser-based systems being developed for air defense systems, as alternative or in addition to conventional systems.

After years of trying to develop futuristic systems with unrealistic performance specifications, companies working on the current batch of laser-based directed energy systems are taking a much more pragmatic approach. A common theme of the work at Boeing, MBDA and Rheinmetall is the development of systems based on commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) fiber lasers typically used in industrial applications such as welding. Using COTS-based fiber lasers in concert with coupling techniques is allowing practical power levels to be achieved enabling the use of laser-based directed energy systems as the basis for air defense systems supporting ranges up to around 3km. This makes the systems suitable for use as Counter Rocket, Artillery, and Mortar (C-RAM), counter-Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) systems as well as targeting new threat scenarios.

Issues still remain in fielding laser-based directed energy weapons. Unlike conventional weapons, a laser beam that misses its target has the potential to impact assets in air and space via laser dazzling effects so establishing rules of engagement will be important when these systems come into operational use.

The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense System report Lasers Building Momentum as Viable Directed Energy Systems; High Power RF Holds Promise in Non-Lethals also looks at the status of high power RF technology based systems as the basis for non-lethal weapons (NLWs). The primary goal of is NLWs to incapacitate with effects that are relatively reversible and minimize the risk of damage and injury. As well as being applied to human adversaries, NLWs can also be used to stop and disable vessels and vehicles. The US DoD Non-Lethal Weapons Program is one example of activity in this area. The Joint Non-Lethals Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) coordinates these efforts and activities on the RF front including the RF Vehicle Stopper (RFVS) as well as the fielding of HPM payloads on UAV platforms.

The most high profile example is perhaps Active Denial Technologies that use RF millimeter waves to produce an intolerable heating sensation compelling targeted individuals to instinctively move out of the beam. The systems have been fielded in two Active Denial System (ADS) configurations with initial usage designed for the provision of stand-off capabilities in a crowd control scenario, targeting up to 4 individuals at a time. However the initial usage case appears to have been overstated and the system may find more applicability in static environments, using the system in conjunction with EO/IR and radar sensors.

For more details, clients of the ADS service can read the full report here

Don’t miss our regular column in Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Ongoing activity in March and April included mergers and acquisitions, product launches and milestones, as well as seemingly healthy contract activity, but financials continue to emphasize the difficulties faced by the defense industry. Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service reports, "Defense Electronics Industry Review: March 2013," and "Defense Electronics Industry Review: April 2013," detail significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance as the first quarter of 2013 came to a close.

Taking a snapshot of financials from companies including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and United Technologies, revenues were by and large flat for most companies for the first quarter of 2013. The defense industry continues to focus on streamlining operations and ensuring profitability as revenue growth slows, stagnates or declines. While revenues stayed on a par with the prior year, most company outlooks point to full-year revenues declines as purchases are offset and uncertainty around future expenditure remains.

However, revenues are not the whole story and activity around contracts, business tie-ups, product launches and milestones remained robust over March and April. March saw several key systems passing tests such as the Northrop Grumman AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) and Raytheon testing a dual-band datalink with a Thales Nederland Advanced Phased Array Radar (APAR). The competition to upgrade fourth generation fast-jet platforms with fifth generation capabilities such as active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar is also starting to heat up with offerings from Raytheon and Northrop Grumman targeted at the F-16 platform. While the competition for the US fleet is yet to be initiated, the first skirmish between the solutions has gone the way of Raytheon’s Raytheon Advanced Combat Radar (RACR) AESA radar selected by the Republic of Korea to upgrade the country's KF-16C/D Block 52 Fighting Falcon fleet.

There were a number of new semiconductor products released over March and April targeted for use in defense systems and platforms. TriQuint was announcing products in conjunction with GOMACTech 2013 with the release of broadband integrated packaged solutions that combine a limiter with LNA for use in radar and electronic warfare as well as a 25W Ku-band GaN RF power amplifier for satellite communications. Comtech Xicom Technology also focused on GaN with the introduction of a compact and highly efficient GaN-based amplifier for X-band MILSATCOM service in March and followed this with a GaN 6-to-18 GHz RF amplifier for electronic warfare, radar transmitters, and communications applications in April. API Technologies also expanded its GaN power amplifier line targeting electronic warfare, RCIED countermeasures, and national security jammer applications. GaAs-based products were also in the offing with OMMIC announcing sampling of three new production ready X band power amplifiers as well as GaAs-based products from Custom MMIC and M/A-COM Tech.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here

Don’t miss our regular column in Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Ultra Electronics, 3eTI is a solutions provider supporting the move to net-centricity with the aim of weaving cybersecurity into defense networks. 3eTI builds out wired and wireless networks which provide baseline security and has the flexibility to allow additional sensors to be incorporated. The company has deployed its virtual perimeter monitoring systems (VPMS), based on its VirtualFence solution, and received an approval to operate from the US Navy. By establishing a wireless cloud over a base, 3eTI is also providing solutions such as its EnergyGuard System that can be used to monitor energy usage, allowing even legacy, standalone industrial controls / energy sensors and systems to be layered into the network while maintaining independent operation.

The company is now turning its attention to monitoring the RF spectrum with a new real-time monitoring and intelligent analysis solution that identifies RF interference within broadband wireless spectrum environments and alerts users of in-band and out-of-band emissions that would interfere with customer’s communications within their area of operations. UltraVision Spectrum Manager is designed as an RF monitoring tool that can scan a broad swath of frequencies ranging from 100MHz to 6GHz using a Direction Finding (DF) system with the aim of providing a fixed installation/base with capabilities to monitor potential interference around the site perimeter. Like COMINT, Direction Finding (DF) is an ESM function and simply put, the purpose of DF is to determine from which direction a received signal was transmitted and, when necessary, take tactical offensive or defensive measures to counter the signal. Usually this involves the use of location vans or specialized handheld equipment. Both approaches can be expensive and require a dedicated expert able to operate the equipment and decipher the signals being received to identify sources of interference.

The 3eTI approach builds on the company’s VirtualFence approach and involves the use of fixed units comprising an antenna, coupled with a ruggedized broadband spectrum analyser that interfaces to a Geographic Information System (GIS) type display that alerts the user to interference and provides vector-based angles of arrival on-screen, allowing the source of RF interference to be accurately identified.

The early concept comprised a cylindrical antenna of around 7 to 8 inches in diameter, which was demonstrated to the US Navy in 2012. The final solution comprises a 30-inch dome shaped antenna that provides broader spectrum capability. The passive antenna system connects to a broadband spectrum analyser (the node) comprising a front-end with LNAs and digital receivers offering coverage over 20MHz channel widths. This unit is typically configured to monitor spectrum in the LMR (380MHz), Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) and public safety (4.4GHz, 4.9GHz) frequencies. An Ethernet connection provides the data back to the operator display and there is also an option to connect the nodes wirelessly back to the operator.

A typical UltraVision Spectrum Manager system comprises the DF antenna designed by 3eTI, coupled with three sensor nodes and the C5I interface, which shows a map of the area, node positions and provides the visual alerts when the nodes detect interference. A system cost is envisaged in the range of $150K, compared to the cost of a handheld device which could cost up to $45K plus the services of a dedicated operator. The final solution – in terms of number of systems needed - would be dependent upon the site in question and factors such as the area to be covered, buildings on-site and the specific frequencies that need to be monitored. Availability for the RF monitoring system will be from Q2 2013 onwards.

In contrast to the positive swing observed at the end of the second quarter, revenue growth came to a standstill in the third quarter of 2012, with a snapshot of company results showing revenues largely flat quarter-to-quarter. For most companies, there was a common thread with revenue growth in one or two parts of a company’s business activity being counteracted by declines at other business units.

Despite the challenging quarter, early indicators suggest that the defense industry will show revenue growth in 2012 and profitability will also continue to be maintained. This is despite the uncertainties surrounding sequestration and the “fiscal cliff” in the US as well as budget uncertainties in European and other international markets.

Moving into 2013, maintaining profitability will be the challenge for the industry especially if revenue growth starts to stall. The US elections have not so far resulted in a definitive political solution from the leadership on sequestration or avoiding the “fiscal cliff”. There is however some positive rhetoric coming through and in our opinion it is highly unlikely that sequestration will actually be implemented in January 2013. The more likely scenario will see legislation coming into play that offsets sequestration possibly through to the end of 2013 (calendar-year) while the two political parties continue to engage in tit-for-tat negotiations through the end of the calendar year on the issues surrounding the “fiscal cliff” and sequestration. It does appear that the US defense budget is close to approval and the industry will end up operating within essentially a “continuing resolution” as far as sequestration is concerned.

For 2013, the defense industry will need to look towards developing and offering solutions based on next generation technologies and competencies in areas such as cyber.

RF technologies such as GaN, for example, offer a clear path towards upgrading radar, electronic warfare and communications systems capabilities. The use of these technologies in AESA radar for example underpinned a number of radar milestones in November including Raytheon meeting critical performance requirements to advance ongoing system integration on the Cobra Judy Replacement program.  Northrop Grumman completed its technology demonstration contract for the US Navy's Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR).

There is also continued momentum behind Directed Energy Weapons using either laser or RF/microwave technologies continue to be explored. MBDA Germany completed a further major step towards a laser weapon system with a high-energy laser demonstrator that demonstrated a complete deployment sequence in countering rockets, artillery and mortar shells (C-RAM). Using 40 kW of laser power, the laser demonstrator successfully acted on airborne targets at a range of over 2 km. A similar effort from Lockheed Martin Space Systems is the Area Defense Anti-Munitions (ADAM) system which demonstrated a portable, ground-based military laser system in a series of tests against representative airborne targets.

The challenges of maintaining integrity in the network and protecting the users, platforms, systems and devices operating in a net-centric environment will provide a fresh avenue of opportunity for those companies that can offer a comprehensive suite of cyber solutions in 2013. This will provide a driver for companies to acquire capabilities to bolster their cybersecurity offerings.

There were several announcements from RF component suppliers related to GaN technology including RFMD introducing a series of high-power GaN broadband power transistors (BPTs) and highly linear GaN RF unmatched power transistors. Meanwhile, TriQuint's 0.25-micron GaN on SiC TQGaN25 process demonstrated a MTTF of greater than 10 m hours at 200C. As with GaAs, Northrop Grumman has also been at the forefront of developing GaN technologies through DARPA and other military research programs maintaining an emphasis on the defense sector. The company is now starting to showcase its GaN technology for commercial availability (see Northrop Grumman Breaks from Pack with GaN Products Targeting Higher Frequency Markets) with the introduction of a series of GaN MMIC products. Offering higher frequency capabilities through to Q-band, Northrop Grumman is breaking away from a pack of competitors that have largely focused on products at the lower end of the frequency spectrum.  

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report Defense Electronics Industry Review: November 2012 which details significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance.

For 2013, the defense industry will need to look towards developing and offering solutions based on next generation technologies and competencies in areas such as cyber. Radar, communications and EW systems capabilities will increasingly be underpinned by advanced component technologies and these technologies will also form the basis for weapon systems. The challenges of maintaining integrity in the network and protecting the users, platforms, systems and devices operating in a net-centric environment will continue to provide a fresh avenue of opportunity.

Don’t miss our regular column in Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

Asif

Military applications will continue to grow and drive fundamental development of semiconductor technologies such as gallium nitride (GaN) and this was highlighted with product announcements during IMS 2012 reviewed in the Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service report, “Defense Electronics Industry Review: June 2012.” Additionally, the report details significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance for the month of June.

Strategy Analytics’ breakfast session held in conjunction with Microwave Journal during IMS 2012 included participation from Cree, Nitronex, NXP, RFMD, TriQuint and UMS with the presentations serving as a platform to confirm the applicability of GaN to addressing communications, electronic warfare, and radar applications. The panelist presentations confirmed applicability of GaN to addressing EW, radar and communications applications, by highlighting products with some combination of high power, high efficiency and wide bandwidth performance. During the conference itself, there were also a number of product announcements showcasing GaN capabilities including Toshiba’s new X-band GaN hybrid IC (HIC) targeted at TRMs (transmit-receive modules) used in active electronically scanned array (AESA) and passive electronically scanned array (PESA) radar applications.

Eurosatory 2012 in Paris was also in June allowing defense companies to showcase new products and capabilities with a focus on the land and air domains. Elbit Systems Ltd announced the launch of the VWS radar, a new, continuous wave (CW) radar, specifically designed for Active Protection Systems (APS) to provides soft/hard protection for light or heavy armored vehicles. On the EW front, Netline launched a new, extremely small, lightweight, accurate jammers, such as the C-Guard HHJ and the PJP - Portable Jammer Pack – based on new exciter technology as well as using RF capabilities provided by semiconductor technologies such as GaN.

In communications systems, ITT Exelis upgraded its hand-held SpearNet radio with enhancements that further extend its capabilities with an emphasis on providing cellular-like mobility coupled with increased bandwidth throughputs to enable voice, video and data communications. Harris introduced the Falcon III RF-7800H wideband manpack, reportedly the world's smallest, lightest and fastest wideband HF radio as well as the next generation of the combat-proven Falcon III® RF-7800W High-Capacity Line-of-Sight radio. The company has also introduced a handheld variant – the RF-7800M – designed to connect dismounted warfighters to emerging wideband tactical networks.

Other system level activity during June also included systems that employ semiconductor technologies. Boeing and Raytheon received contracts related to AN/APG-79 AESA radar upgrades, while Northrop Grumman demonstrated the capabilities of the company's AN/AAQ-37 distributed aperture system (DAS) and AN/APG-81 AESA radar, both featured on the F-35.

All of these developments will continue to drive demand for RF technologies such as GaN. As these technologies mature, the boundaries around performance and applicability are also crystallising and over the course of IMS 2012 and more recently at Farnborough, it is clear that GaN is no longer seen as a TWT (traveling wave tube) killer by either side. Where there is a need for high power at high frequency without compromising efficiency, then TWT technologies from companies such as e2v Technologies, TMD Technologies, L-3 Communications Electron Technologies will continue to play a key role in defense systems. Indeed, there is potential for these technologies to complement each other especially in the growing trend towards MPMs which utilise mini-TWTs typically in conjunction with a solid-state driver amplifier. As with commercial markets, the military sector will find that these respective technologies as well as other technologies (both existing and emerging) are best utilised in complementary fashion rather than trying to hone in on one flavour of technology alone as the panacea for all future system and platform design.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here.

Also, don’t miss this month’s column in the Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Recent defense industry developments center around future platforms with the US Navy looking ahead to the 2030s for a new fighter that could be unmanned. Other areas of focus included next generation systems underpinned by new technologies. The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service report, “Defense Electronics Industry Review: May 2012,” reviews significant defense industry news, including product announcements, milestones, contract activity and defense industry financial performance.

Even though the JSF has yet to make its operational debut, the US Navy is already looking ahead, issuing a Request for Information (RfI) for a new fighter, which could be manned or unmanned, to replace the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler in the 2030s. In the short term, unmanned platforms remain in focus also with Northrop Grumman announcing a deal for NATO's Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) system which includes five Block 40 Global Hawk UAS. Elbit Systems was also active in Europe with a contract that will see the company supply UAS platforms over the next two years. Also in Europe, BAE Systems has begun testing technology to enable conventional aircraft to fly safely without pilots, including weather-avoidance and emergency landing systems.

New technologies will underpin these new platforms and the capabilities that they bring. For example, the Block 40 UAS platforms for the AGS program will utilize the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) ground surveillance radar sensor which uses active electronically scanned array (AESA) technology based using compound semiconductors like gallium arsenide (GaAs).  In other radar related news, Selex Galileo will begin delivering a new version of its Raven ES-05 AESA radar for integration with Saab's two-seat demonstrator for the next-generation Gripen E/F. Progress is also being made on the Euroradar Captor-E AESA for Eurofighter Typhoon where Cassidian is acting as design authority.

Other examples of semiconductor technologies underpinning the next generation of systems include the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) electronic warfare program, which is providing opportunities for companies such as ITT Exelis. It will utilize AESA technology based around gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors. Cassidian is also using GaN technology for the electronic components that will be used for the German Armed Forces' new software-defined radio communications system (KommSysBw).

On the research front, TriQuint has been selected by DARPA to lead a development program focused on ultra-fast GaN switch technology for the Microscale Power Conversion (MPC) program. TriQuint is teamed with Rockwell Collins, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Northrop Grumman to create a new generation of RF power amplifiers that use contour modulation for very high efficiency performance that exceeds the capabilities of devices currently available.

GaN continues to play a large part in future defense systems and is also gaining traction in the commercial world. Strategy Analytics explored this technology in detail last week during IMS 2012 in Montreal, Canada. Our special panel session, “Where are the emerging RF market opportunities for GaN?” attracted over 130 participants and provided a great overview of where this technology is going. Thanks to Microwave Journal for working with Strategy Analytics to set up the event and a special thank you to Cree, Nitronex, NXP, RFMD, TriQuint and UMS and Nitronex for presenting such great insightful content.

Finally, laser weapons appeared to be once again in vogue. Northrop Grumman test fired the first product in its next-generation FIRESTRIKE™ family of high-energy, solid-state lasers demonstrating that the laser could burn through the skin and critical components of a target drone. Meanwhile, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is looking to develop a solid-state laser weapon prototype for multi-mission capabilities aboard a ship.

Clients of the ADS service can read the full report here.

Also, don’t miss this month’s column in the Microwave Journal’s Military Microwaves.

Finally, I’ll be attending IQPC’s Military Satellites 2012 conference this week including a site visit to the headquarters of Surrey Satellite Technology to learn about micro and nano-satellite development from a leader in the global satellite market.

See Defence iQ for more analysis on the defense industry, related news and events.

Asif

Strategy Analytics is at the Electronic Warfare 2012 Conference & Exhibition this week in Rome, Italy where this year’s theme is "Electromagnetic Operations in a Complex Environment", so the topic for this blog focuses on our thoughts for land-based EW system trends.

When the US invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 the Army had very little capability to jam RCIEDs, and the first jammers to arrive on the battlefield were frequency-specific and thus easily defeated. Similar problems continued in Iraq for several years after the March 2003 invasion.

The proliferation of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan and Iraq created a sense of tactical urgency, leading to a greater allocation of resources to counter this weapon.  The Pentagon responded with a multitude of stop-gap jammers designed for specific threats.

At the same time, the growing importance of land EW led to a strategic future-oriented focus. The Army Chief of Staff established the Army IED Task Force in October 2003. Then-Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz later transformed this into the Joint IED Task Force, and in February 2006 it was converted into the permanent Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO – www.jieddo.dod.mil).

While the first generation of stop-gap jammers were developed and delivered to the battlefield relatively quickly, they could not be easily (or at all) modified to counter the evolving RCIEDs and enemy tactics. The second generation of jammers could cover a broad range of frequencies, had more sophisticated signal response techniques, and caused less interference with other jammers and the Army’s communications gear.

An example of this is the Counter-Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (CREW 2.1) from ITT Electronic Systems Force Protection Systems group, also known as the CREW 2.1 Vehicle Receiver Jammer (CVRJ). In 2008, development and testing emphasized the spiral enhancements approach for mounted and dismounted systems, including the Combined Vehicle Radio Jammer (CVRJ). Over 8000 CVRJs were manufactured by the end of FY08, and 5600 were installed on Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and other deployed vehicles.

The spiral development model recognized that the RCEID-intensive irregular warfare in Afghanistan and Iraq required an iterative development process with fielding of Version 1 while requirements were defined and developments planned for Version 2. This has resulted in the the development of Joint CREW (JCREW) 3.X, for which JIEDDO funded development and testing of three initiatives:

• 3.1 is a man-portable system manufactured by Sierra Nevada Corp.
• 3.2 is vehicle-mounted (i.e., HMMWV, MRAP) and manufactured by ITT Advanced Engineering & Sciences
• 3.3 is a system-of-systems of mounted, man-portable, and fixed-installation versions from ITT Electronic Systems Force Protection Systems group. These share a common open architecture and are designed to be networked and communicate over the Army’s wireless battlefield networks.

DARPA also takes a long-term approach, and several of its offices are conducting research that could be applied in future land EW systems. For example, the Strategic Technology Office’s Precision Electronic Warfare Program mission is to develop and demonstrate low cost, small (size, weight, and power) distributed EW platforms for precise communications jamming. The Information Innovation Office’s Behavioral Learning for Adaptive Electronic Warfare Program is developing new machine learning algorithms and techniques for the rapid detection and characterization of new radio threats, dynamic synthesis of countermeasures, and accurate EA battle damage assessment.

Going forward, military forces will need to be demand flexibility, power, modularity, and portability for land EW digital receivers and other systems and components. This will become increasingly important in the network-centric environment, resulting in a greater emphasis on tools to enhance situational awareness and survivability. The trends toward asymmetric conflict and the hybridization of conventional warfare and asymmetric conflict, especially when it occurs in foot soldier intensive urban combat, will further drive this requirement. The decentralized control of ISR and EW assets is also a central tenet of COIN (counter-insurgency) doctrine, which itself depends on modular, flexible, portable, and integrated forces.

The effective deployment of counter-IED systems is particular challenging because while soldiers and vehicles are on the move, IEDs are either in fixed positions and thus not always a nearby threat, or mobile and thus difficult to predict when they will be nearby and quickly become a threat. In other words, the jammer may not always be where (and when) it is needed. One possible solution, being investigated by Sky Industries in Canada, is real time in-situ estimation of counter-IED ECM protection range so the ECM protection bubble (jammer) is always where it is needed (and not where it is not needed). This approach requires networked interaction between the protected asset and the ECM system.

Roke Manor Research received the Queen's Awards for Enterprise and Innovation in 2011 for the company’s modular man-pack EW system, RESOLVE. The company has emphasized the need to maintain a holistic approach to EW while optimizing systems for dismounted, close support operations. Synchronization with ISTAR assets as part of the “Sensor – Decider – Shooter” chain is also a priority.

SELEX Galileo also demonstrates the prominence of modularity and integration with its Mobile Electronic Warfare Platform (MEWP). An integrated solution for communications and non-communications tactical EW, it can be configured for EA or ES roles. It is a self-contained unit with integral EW sub-systems, communications, power, and environmental control.

Underpinning these trends for future EW systems will be RF technologies such as GaN to meet the requirements of wideband, high power capabilities. This will enable further digitization of the RF chain by allowing a “no-channel” concept to be realised, in which the systems can look at the complete frequency range. As has been mentioned in previous columns, Strategy Analytics believes phased arrays will also play a growing part in future EW systems potentially allowing both COMINT and radar capabilities to be combined. At the digital interface, ADCs will need to provide higher sample rates and higher dynamic range which will in turn drive demand for FPGAs as the demands on digital processing increase.

It will be interesting to see whether these trends are reflected at the conference...watch this space!

Asif

In electronic warfare (EW) the US Army Contracting Command, MICC, Aberdeen Proving Ground awarded BAE Systems E&IS, Electronic Warfare - Information Dominance Systems (IDS) a contract for procurement of SIGINT Traveler Pod (T-Pod) Systems for the MQ-1C Sky Warrior / Gray Eagle UAS while ITT Exelis has successfully installed and tested an advanced self-defense electronic warfare system on F-16 aircraft operated by an international customer.

Looking ahead, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon joined forces to compete for a US Navy contract that will upgrade the fleet's capability to electronically attack anti-ship missiles.

Through its Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 upgrade, the Navy seeks to cost effectively enhance the electronic attack capability of its AN/SLQ-32 V(3) and V(4) EW systems to counter threat technology advances. All US aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and other warships use the AN/SLQ-32 EW system.

Staying with EW, the team of ITT Exelis and Boeing has successfully successfully demonstrated multiple critical technology elements, including digital beam-forming, mid band and high band power amplifiers as part of the U.S. Navy Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) program’s technology maturation phase.

The digital beam-forming technology demonstrated recent advancements made in broad band electronically steerable antenna arrays which have come through the use of AESA technology in the radar field. As discussed during the Strategy Analytics webinar, “AESA Radar Trends: Fast-jets and Beyond” AESA technology is starting to extend beyond radar into EW and communications applications and the NGJ program is one example.

Another aspect discussed in “AESA Radar Trends: Fast-jets and Beyond” is the move towards GaN-based technology and NGJ program again affirms our prediction that GaN technology will become a pivotal technology for future generations of radar, communications and EW systems.

Other developments in the first month of January 2012 included Harris Corporation reporting several communications contracts. In the weapons area, MBDA was awarded the FLAADS Demonstration Phase Contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to develop the SEA CEPTOR naval air defence system. Finally, in radar applications, Raytheon received additional contracts for maintenance of the COBRA DANE radar facility while Elta Systems anticipates the first sale of its developmental system as Airbus Military completed initial flight test activities on an AEW&C derivative of its C-295 medium transport.

To read more about defense industry events in January, see Defense Electronics Industry Review: January 2012 which covers defense industry news for the month of January, covering radar, electronic warfare, weapons systems and communications. The report also looks at microwave, optoelectronic and other components discussing business event, product announcments, milestones and contract activity.

The thirtieth annual MILCOM Conference and Exposition, "Networks…Attaining the Value," was held at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Maryland, November 7-10.

The commercial sector will continue to drive innovation and we will see continued use of commercially-based technologies such as smartphones and tablets as well as networks being adapted for use in the military sector. One example was Lockheed Martin’s MONAX provides users with a 4G private network they can operate anywhere. This secure broadband network system connects off-the-shelf Smartphones to a bespoke cellular base station infrastructure that can be carried into a disaster relief area or be used on a FOB (forward operating base). By using a secure RF Link, communications are protected through strong exportable encryption enabling the transfer of pertinent and sensitive information.

Elektrobit was emphasizing the EB Android handset platform which provides integrated cellular connectivity options including LTE with Band 14 support for the U.S. Public Safety market, a high-resolution touch-screen enabled display with superior sunlight readability, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and advanced battery and power management features.

Software is an important lynchpin in the implementation of commercial hardware for military applications and Wind River was demonstrating embedded virtualization and Android solutions at MILCOM 2011 while Twisted Pair was highlighting the company’s WAVE application, designed to enable communications across smartphones, tablets etc. that are using Wi-Fi or cellular networks with tactical radios being used in-theatre.

However, the need for dedicated waveforms, specific form factors and performance capabilities will, for example, mean that devices such as smartphone will not replace tactical radios, but rather be another tool in the warfighter’s arsenal of communications capabilities.

BAE Systems was emphasizing the company’s Link 16 SAFF (small adaptable form factor) terminal which is designed to support future Link 16 enhancements and is used in conjunction with the Data Link Processor (DLP) unit to provide a battlespace awareness picture.

Raytheon’s Maingate system combines a high capacity networked radio with Maingate’s Interoperability Gateway to connect current and future forces to the Global Information Grid. The multi-mode, multi-band radio employs UHF/VHF frequencies (around 700MHz) and can operate in TV whitespace as well and provides up to 2 channels at 10Mbps and is designed to provide a terrestrial ‘Everything over IP’ MANET (mobile adhoc network) backbone to support multiple channels of voice, video, and data. A wideband power amplifier in conjunction with MIMO is used to assign frequencies to the Maingate radio.

Satellite communications is being driven by ISR trends including the requirement to provide real-time transmission of high-definition video and COTM (communications-on-the-move). iGT highlighted continuing growth in terms of providing existing solutions to new customers as well as leveraging trends for IP-based communications on airborne platforms with a shift towards Ka-band, while TCS detailed the implementation of IRIS (Internet Routing In Space) as a means of reducing latency while increasing available bandwidth in satellite communications.

Open architectures and network centricity will drive the future system design with an emphasis on configurability in the digital domain. While the performance of CPUs continues to increase and GPUs are recognized for the extreme parallel processing capabilities, FPGAs from the likes of Xilinx and Altera, for example, will remain the best solution for high-speed I/O processing requirements of military communications systems.

In support of the IP-based net-centric battlefield environment, sub-system vendors are looking increasingly to partner and incorporate RF front-end capabilities into their product offerings. However, the  RF section will still need specialist expertise and technologies dictated in the case of communications by the move towards multi-mode, multi-band systems. NXP was attending Milcom 2011 with a full suite of solutions aimed at the defense market, that extend from the RF front end through to the digital interface and RFMD was also showcasing a variety of GaN-based products, such as high-power unmatched power transistors, broadband power ICs, and broadband power transistors as well as a broad portfolio of point-to-point radio products based around GaAs technology.

Moving forwards into 2012, the impact of budgetary pressures will lead to a change in contracts from “cost plus” to “fixed price” and prime contractors will also expect more “partnering” and investment on the part of the supply chain. While the uncertainties around specific programs will become more extreme, the broad technology trends will allow RF technology providers to invest across a range of programs and help to somewhat mitigate the risk.

The latest ADS report, "Defense Electronics Industry Review: July 2011" covers defense industry news in July 2011. The focus is on news related to defense systems/electronics and avionics emphasizing radar, communications & navigation, electronic warfare, weapon systems, sensors and others.

International activity provided the largest contract awards for July with Thales and Dassault involved in a deal worth about $1.42 billion as part of India's plans to upgrade its Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft fleet. Meanwhile the UK has signed a deal worth $1bn with the US Government for three RC-135W Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft for the Royal Air Force (RAF). The MoU establishes a cooperative agreement through to 2025 for the support of the UK Rivet Joint system while also partially bridging the gap in capabilities between the decommissioned Nimrod R1s and the introduction of the RAF's new aircraft.

The increasing pace of AESA-based capability deployment was also being demonstrating with Northrop Grumman's RQ-4B Block 40 Global Hawk completing its first full system flight with the high performance AN/ZPY-2, also referred to as the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor. This will deliver long range, very high-resolution synthetic aperture radar (SAR), ground moving target indicator (GMTI) capabilities and air target tracking. The flight took place at Edwards Air Force Base, CA, on July 21.

Sticking with phased array technology, M/A-COM Tech, announced that the Multifunction Phased Array Radar (MPAR) Panel has been named as one of R&D Magazines' 2011 R&D 100 Winners. Co-developed by M/A-COM Tech and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory under sponsorship from the Federal Aviation Administration, the MPAR Phased Array Panel aims to consolidate up to eight separate radar systems.

On the weapons systems front, Raytheon was awarded a contract modification for engineering and technical services in support of the MK15 Phalanx Close-In-Weapon System. The contract combines purchases for the United States government and the governments of Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and Taiwan under the Foreign Military Sales Program.

Harris continued to dominate contracting activity in the communications sector with several contract awards totaling over $76 million with the Falcon III AN/PRC-117G featuring prominently amongst the orders for Falcon II and Falcon III variants. Meanwhile NovelSat claims to have the solution to MilSatCom bandwidth constraints with its NS3 satellite transmission modulation technology that the company claims can improve satellite bandwidth by up to 78%.

On the EO-IR side, BAE Systems was awarded another task order to produce the Driver's Vision Enhancer Family of Systems (DVE-FOS), a system of infrared sensors that provide 24-hour all-weather visibility for operators of U.S. Army and Marine Corps vehicles, while Cassidian announced a contract to provide its missile launch detection system (MILDS) equipment for KAI Surion transport helicopters operated by the South Korean army.

Space was a focus for digital processing with both Microsemi and Xilinx were targeting space-based applications. Xilinx announced availability of its radiation-hardened-by-design space-grade Virtex-5QV FPGA, while Microsemi was claiming to be the first FPGA supplier to achieve AS9100 Rev C certification for aviation, space, and defense markets.

Finally, on the RF component front, Hittite unveiled several products that included aerospace and defense amongst the target applications. TriQuint also unveiled a high-linearity power amplifier designed using the firm's GaAs power pHEMT production process to operate at 10?12 GHz for X-band communication applications.

TriQuint also announced the appointment of a new VP for its Defense and Aerospace business. James Klein was most recently with Raytheon in the Space and Airborne Systems division and responsible for design and manufacturing of advanced RF and microwave subsystems and components. He'll be working with TriQuint's current VP and General Manager of Defense and Aerospace, Thomas Cordner during a transitionary phase before Mr. Cordner retires after a successful career. We wish Tom the best of luck in his future endeavours.