Military Embedded Systems

MOBILE, Alabama. Austal USA has won a fixed-price incentive contract to design and potentially construct up to seven T-AGOS 25 class Auxiliary General Ocean Surveillance Ships for the U.S. Navy, the company announced in a statement. The initial contract value is $113.9 million, but if all options are exercised, the overall contract could be worth up to $3.2 billion.

In the unique and demanding world of military computing, OpenVPX has emerged as a pivotal technology. Its origins lie in VPX (VITA 46), a groundbreaking open architecture computer standard designed to accelerate the flow of data in embedded systems.

TAUFKIRCHEN, Germany. Hensoldt will supply six additional TRML-4D high-performance radars to bolster Ukraine's air defense system, the company announced in a statement. The radars are part of a €100 million order, and will be delivered in the latter half of 2023, following the completion of operator training in Ukraine.

LONDON, United Kingdom. QinetiQ will again assist in the execution of the live-fire integrated air and missile defence exercise Formidable Shield (FS), the company announced in a statement. This exercise is organized by the U.S. Sixth Fleet and NATO's Naval Striking and Support Forces (STRIKFORNATO), and will take place in MOD Hebrides, Scotland, after the first portion of the exercise was conducted Andoya, Norway.

DUBLIN, Ireland. A new report predicts that demand for military drone swarm systems will present opportunities for defense primes and start-ups alike around the globe through 2025 and beyond, fueled by insights from real and simulated battlefield experiences such as the Russo-Ukrainian War.

BOSTON, Massachusetts. The Tomorrow Companies launched its first satellite, Tomorrow-R1, and confirmed that is in operation in orbit, the company announced in a statement.

MARIGNANE, France. The VSR700 unmanned aerial system (UAS), developed by Airbus Helicopters in cooperation with the French Armament General Directorate (DGA), completed its first operational configuration sea trial earlier this month, Airbus announced in a statement. This trial involved 80 fully autonomous take-offs and landings from a civilian vessel equipped with a helicopter deck off the coast of Brittany.

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland. Kraken Robotics Inc. has won $1.1 million in orders for its AquaPix synthetic aperture sonar (SAS) systems intended for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), the company announced in a statement, which declined to identify the customers.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama. Northrop Grumman Corporation has supplied key Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) components for Poland's WISŁA medium range air defense program, the company announced in a statement. The latest delivery is a step closer to the full fielding of IBCS as part of Poland's air and missile defense program.

PATUXENT RIVER, Maryland. The U.S. Marine Corps recently took delivery of the first of eight MQ-9 Reapers under a joint contract with the U.S. Air Force, according to Naval Air Systems Command.

ARLINGTON, Virginia. Raytheon will install their PhantomStrike radar on Korea Aerospace Industries' (KAI) FA-50 Light Combat Aircraft after it was approved for direct commercial sales by the U.S. government, Raytheon announced in a statement.

Certifying avionics software has been, is, and always will be a daunting, time-consuming task for avionics hardware and software designers. Thanks to advances in aircraft technology, modernized software, a shift in the programming languages used, and the emergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) technology, certification continues to get more complex. Meanwhile, technical standards such as the Future Airborne Capability Environment (FACE) are aiding not only software certification but also overall avionics software development.

SOF WEEK 2023 -- TAMPA, Florida. Dexter Edward showcased its Fognigma software product line – which includes secure communication and collaboration, data security, and mission partner network capabilities -- during the SOF Week 2023 exhibition.

SOF WEEK 2023 – TAMPA, Fla. Despite ever-increasing power requirements for military embedded systems, defense contractors are under constant pressure to still find a way to reduce the weight of those systems – a challenge that requires innovative approaches, industry insiders said at the 2023 SOF Week annual conference.

SOF WEEK 2023 -- TAMPA, Fla. Astronics showcased two handheld radio test sets that recently won orders from the U.S. military on the exhibit floor of the 2023 SOF Week annual conference here this week.

SOF WEEK 2023 -- TAMPA, Fla. From cyber security to rapid prototyping to Faraday bags, small defense contractors crowded into the Small Business Pavilion during the 2023 SOF Week annual conference throughout the week, with many describing the event as a success with higher booth traffic than expected.

SOF WEEK 2023 – TAMPA, Fla. From data collection to tactical-level edge processing, artificial intelligence (AI) solutions were proliferated on the 2023 SOF Week exhibition floor here throughout the week, with numerous companies highlighting how AI can be used at a practical level to assist the military.

SOF WEEK 2023– TAMPA, Florida. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies will be crucial in equipping the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) with a competitive edge in future years, according to Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC) Christopher P. Maier in his keynote address on May 10 at the 2023 SOF Week annual conference.

SOF WEEK -- TAMPA, Florida. U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) is exploring a C-130 that can land on water, potentially turning the world's oceans into runways for the aircraft, Jim Smith, head of USSOCOM acquisition, said during his keynote address on Tuesday.

SOF WEEK -- TAMPA, Florida. A "decade of consequence" is on the horizon due to growing competition from countries like China and Russia, and U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) must be ready to respond, said USSOCOM Commander Gen. Fenton in his keynote address at the SOF Week 2023 annual conference today.