US Armed Forces

[Khafee]

U.S. Forces conduct HIMARS rapid infiltration in Australia
Jul 8, 2019

View attachment 9243
Photo by Lance Cpl. Kaleb Martin

The 3rd Marine Division has announced that U.S. Forces conduct High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) training in Queensland Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 19, July 6, 2019.

According to a statement released by Capt. Gerard Farao, the U.S. and Australian bi-lateral training Exercise Talisman Sabre 19 provides an opportunity to increase interoperability and sustain readiness. In HIRAIN missions, HIMARS are flown in C-130s to an area, unloaded to rapidly conduct a fire missions, then reloaded in and relocated to follow on objectives. This minimizes the opportunity of detection and counter fire missions against the system.

In this exercise Marines from 3rd Marine Division loaded two HIMARS on to two U.S. Air Force MC-130J Commando II assigned to 353rd Special Operations Group and soldiers from the US Army’s Multi Domain Task Force from 2nd Infantry Division loaded two HIMARS onto two U.S. Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules assigned to Marine Aerial Refueler Transport Squadron 152. The team of Marines, soldiers, and airmen demonstrated the HIRAIN capability to their Australian counterparts.

“The capability that the artillery and the Marine Corps gains through HIRAIN is invaluable,” said U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. David R. Morgan, Field Artillery Chief, Q
Battery, 3rd Battalion, 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. “It allows all areas of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force to assist in timely and accurate fires that will help defeat all future enemies. It is a chance for us to actively get involved with them, to learn from them, and a chance for us to grow as a unified force ready to respond to any crisis.”

Rehearsing rapid employment tactics and techniques offers the forces an occasion to better understand the procedures each force uses to accomplish the same mission.

“What we are demonstrating is the capability of the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Army to come together with different aircrews and different HIMARS units, quickly build a plan, deploy on C-130s, travel great distances by air, land rapidly deliver long range precision fires against enemy targets, and depart their firing location prior to detection, said U.S. Army Maj. Daniel Graw, Division Assistant Fire Support Coordinator, 3d Marine Division.

The purpose of Talisman Sabre is to improve Australian-U.S. combat readiness and interoperability, maximize combined training opportunities and conduct maritime prepositioning and logistics operations. Exercises like this better prepare Australia and the U.S. for future conflict by fully integrating all domains of warfare (air, land, maritime, space and information).

U.S. Forces conduct HIMARS rapid infiltration in Australia

The 3rd Marine Division has announced that U.S. Forces conduct High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) Rapid Infiltration (HIRAIN) training in Queensland Australia, during Exercise Talisman Sabre 19, July 6, 2019. According to a statement released by Capt. Gerard Farao, the U.S. and...

defence-blog.com

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Navy newest littoral combat ship arrives in Singapore
Jul 8, 2019


View attachment 9245
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Tristin Barth

The U.S. Navy has announced that its newest littoral combat ship, USS Montgomery (LCS 8), arrived at Changi Naval Base in Singapore July 6 as part of a rotational deployment to the Indo-Pacific area of operations.

Montgomery’s arrival in Singapore marks the fourth deployment of littoral combat ships to Southeast Asia, which include USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) and USS Coronado (LCS 4).

“Rotational deployments by our littoral combat ships provide the presence and flexibility that are so important in this region,” said Rear Adm. Joey Tynch, commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific. “This platform is a utility player, ready to perform a full spectrum of tasking from maritime security operations and theater security cooperation to humanitarian assistance and disaster response. That versatility strengthens our ability to integrate with our partner navies in the Indo-Pacific.”

Like previous deployments of littoral combat ships, Montgomery will conduct operations, exercises and port visits throughout the region, as well as work alongside allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, key pillars of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific. Its unique capabilities allow it to work with a broad range of regional navies and visit ports larger ships cannot access.

“USS Montgomery’s unique capabilities and characteristics are well-suited for a broad range of missions,” said Capt. Matthew Jerbi, commander, Destroyer Squadron 7. “The maneuverability, shallow draft and tailored mission packages make Montgomery a tremendous resource to the U.S. 7th Fleet, and a capable partner to regional navies.”

According to Cmdr. Edward A. Rosso, Montgomery’s commanding officer, the crew is looking forward to making a contribution to operations in the Indo-Pacific.

“The teamwork and effort by the crew preparing for the deployment was inspiring,” said Rosso. “Bringing Montgomery on her first deployment to such an important region is a privilege and a responsibility.”

Littoral combat ships are fast, agile and networked surface combatants, optimized for operating in the near-shore environments. With mission packages allowing for tailored capabilities to meet specific mission needs and unique physical characteristics, LCS provides operational flexibility and access to a wider range of ports.

Commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific/CTF 73 provides combat-ready logistics to the U.S. 7th Fleet and is the executive agent for more than 20 bilateral and multilateral security cooperation exercises with partner nations throughout the Indo-Pacific region.

U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability, and prevent conflict.

U.S. Navy newest littoral combat ship arrives in Singapore

The U.S. Navy has announced that its newest littoral combat ship, USS Montgomery (LCS 8), arrived at Changi Naval Base in Singapore July 6 as part of a rotational deployment to the Indo-Pacific area of operations. Montgomery’s arrival in Singapore marks the fourth deployment of littoral combat...

defence-blog.com

 

[Khafee]

‘Maintenance issue’ forces U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser back to port en route to exercise
Jul 8, 2019

View attachment 9248
Photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Brent Pyfrom

The oldest and most trusted source for news and information about U.S. sailors, The Navy Times has reported that a “maintenance issue” forced the guided-missile cruiser Normandy back into port on 6 July.

The Navy Times‘ has reported that the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) returned to Naval Station Norfolk on Saturday for repairs, after spending less then 24 hours at sea while prepping for an upcoming Composite Training Unit Exercise or COMPTUEX.

“We can confirm that the USS Normandy pulled back into port on 6 July to troubleshoot a maintenance issue,” 2nd Fleet spokeswoman Lt. Cmdr. Ashley Hockycko told Navy Times.

Hockycko said that she could not discuss the specific maintenance woes plaguing the warship or how long repairs will take, indicating only that the cruiser “is expected to return” to the exercise “as soon as possible.”

According to a statement released by the U.S. Navy, the USS Normandy guided missile cruiser USS Normandy should have participated in a scheduled composite training unit exercise with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8 ships and squadrons, including USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

The COMPTUEX exercise is designed to prepare the Navy to respond before departing for deployment. Each ship and aircraft in the battle group trains in its specialty; COMPTUEX brings ships together to project force as a battle group. COMPTUEX is an intermediate-level battle group exercise designed to forge together the battle group and its components into a fully functional fighting team. COMPTUEX is a critical part in the pre-deployment training cycle, and a prerequisite for the battle group’s Joint Task Force Exercise.

Ships, squadrons and staffs expected to be tested across every core warfare area within their mission sets through a variety of simulated and live events, including air warfare, strait transits, and responses to surface and subsurface contacts and electronic attacks.

“I am excited to see what this combined strike group and air wing can accomplish during COMPTUEX,” said Rear Adm. Andrew J. Loiselle, HSTCSG commander. “The Sailors on each ship will be challenged with real-world scenarios combining live and synthetic training. This exercise will test our integrated strength as a multi-mission force. The comprehensive training evolutions are an opportunity to grow as a team, both in our ability to sustain prolonged periods at sea and to find areas where we can improve.”

Through COMPTUEX, HSTCSG will further build competencies to face whatever a carrier strike group could see on its next deployment, and units, which did not deploy in 2018 will certify to deploy. Trainers, mentors and assessors from Carrier Strike Group 4 (CSG 4), the strike group charged with training and mentoring East Coast carrier strike groups, will embark with participating units to provide training through carefully planned, realistic scenarios. Following the exercise, Commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet (C2F) will make a certification recommendation to USFF, based on CSG 4’s assessment.

‘Maintenance issue’ forces U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser back to port en route to exercise

The oldest and most trusted source for news and information about U.S. sailors, The Navy Times has reported that a “maintenance issue” forced the guided-missile cruiser Normandy back into port on 6 July. The Navy Times‘ has reported that the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60) returned...

defence-blog.com

 

[Khafee]

Aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrives in Australia
July 8, 2019
By Allen Cone
The carrier, and it's strike group, pulled in for a port visit in Brisbane ahead of participation in the Talisman Sabre 2019 exercise.

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The USS Ronald Reagan seals in the Philippines Sea with the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville before arriving Friday in Brisbane, Australia. Photo by Mass Communication Spe. 3rd Class Erwin Jacob Villavicencio Miciano/U.S. Navy

July 8 (UPI) -- The USS Ronald Reagan, the only aircraft carrier permanently based outside the United States, and its accompanying ships and planes arrived in Brisbane, Australia, for a regularly scheduled port visit ahead of an exercise.

The USS Ronald Reagan and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville pulled into Brisbane on Friday for the visit, days before it will participate in the Talisman Sabre 2019 exercise.

One day earlier, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS McCampbell docked in Townsville, Australia.

Carrier Air Wing 5, which includes the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Hawkeye and C-2A Greyhound as well as MH-60S-R Seahawk helicopters, is also part of the Reagan Carrier Strike Group.

"USS Ronald Reagan Sailors are excited to engage in Talisman Sabre 2019 with their Australian counterparts," Capt. Pat Hannifin, Ronald Reagan's commanding officer, said in a news release. "Having served alongside Aussies in every conflict for 100 years, we are truly honored to visit your beautiful country again. We look forward to the sights of Brisbane and the hospitality that Australians are known for."

Before beginning Tailisman Sabre 2019, strike group personnel can go on tours and participate in events with the local community. The Ronald Reagan Strike Group operates as part of Task Force 70.

Talisman Sabre runs from June to August, with a "peak" July 11-24 in the Shoalwater Bay Training Area and surrounding forests near Rockhampton in Central Queensland, among other areas.

The Nimitz-class carrier in May left its home port of Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, in its first deployment of 2019. Last month, the USS Ronald Reagan CSG conducted a joint naval exercise with Japan's Izumo carrier group in the South China Sea.

"As a forward-deployed force, the Ronald Reagan Strike Group enjoys the latitude and freedom to operate where it matters, when it matters, while training side-by-side with our allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific region," said Rear Admiral Karl Thomas, commander of Task Force 70. "Visiting the beautiful city of Brisbane and taking part in Talisman Sabre 19 is a phenomenal way to fortify our alliance with Australia and demonstrate to other nations in this critical region our steadfast commitment to sustaining a stable security environment."

The task force is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. The region has more than than 50 percent of the world's shipping tonnage and a third of the world's crude oil passing.

Aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan arrives in Australia - UPI.com

The USS Ronald Reagan and its accompanying carrier strike group arrived in Brisbane, Australia, for a regularly scheduled port visit ahead of its participation Australia's Talisman Sabre 2019 exercise.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

BAE nets $4.7M by DARPA to integrate machine learning into RF signals detection
July 8, 2019
By Allen Cone
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BAE System was awarded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to integrate machine learning of radio frequency signals for intelligence gathering. Photo courtesy of BAE Systems

July 8 (UPI) -- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded BAE Systems a contract worth up to $4.7 million to integrate machine learning into intelligence gathering involving radio frequency signals.

The technology will be used in platforms to decipher the signals, BAE said in a news release Monday.

Signals intelligence, or SIGINT, provides to the military advanced signal location and exploitation capabilities "to counter the threats of today and tomorrow," according to BAE.

The total contract is dependent on successful completion of milestones and includes hardware delivery, as well as integration and demonstration support.

The setup, which is called Controllable Hardware Integration for Machine-learning Enabled Real-time Adaptivity, or CHIMERA, provides a reconfigurable hardware platform for machine learning algorithm developers to make sense of radio frequency signals. BAE says the system is necessary "in increasingly crowded electromagnetic spectrum environments."

The contract is the second BAE has received under the Radio Frequency Machine Learning systems program. The first was a contract to develop data-driven machine learning algorithms.

"CHIMERA brings the flexibility of a software solution to hardware," said Dave Logan, vice president and general manager of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance -- C4ISR -- Systems at BAE Systems. "Machine-learning is on the verge of revolutionizing signals intelligence technology, just as it has in other industries."

The new system is capable of adapting to RF configurations in real time, offering better, easier control and improved performance that was not previously available. The system's open architecture interfaces also allow for third-party algorithm development, which BAE said will make it easier to upgrade and less likely to become obsolete.

And communications, radar and electronic warfare also can benefit from the new hardware platform, BAE said.

BAE nets $4.7M by DARPA to integrate machine learning into RF signals detection - UPI.com

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has awarded BAE Systems a contract worth up to $4.7 million to integrate machine learning into intelligence gathering involving radio frequency signals.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Navy hospital ship Comfort completes first 2019 mission in Ecuador
July 8, 2019
By Allen Cone

The ship arrived at Callao, Peru, on July 8 for its second port visit on its medical assistance deployment.

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Lt. Cmdr. John Arce, a Navy Doctor, assigned to hospital ship USNS Comfort, checks a patient's mouth at a temporary medical treatment center in Manta, Ecuador. Photo by Mass Communication Spec. 3rd Class Brendan Fitzgerald/U.S. Navy

July 8 (UPI) -- The USNS Comfort, a hospital ship, completed its six-day mission in Manta, Ecuador, to assist with medical care because of an influx of migrants from Venezuela.

During a symbolic closing ceremony Wednesday, Comfort leadership, as well as local and U.S. guests, described the "commitment between the partnering nations and the symbol of goodwill that Comfort brought to the citizens of Manta," according to a Navy news release Friday.

The Comfort arrived at the second port visit of its current deployment, Callao, Peru, on Monday, prepared to continue assisting with the urgent health care needs of Venezuelans who have fled from the humanitarian crisis in their home country.

The stop is the fourth time the Comfort has been to Peru.

In Manta, the 320 medical professionals of the Navy and seven partner nations cared for 7,799 patients, including medical care for 2,553 adults and 1,482 children, 2,640 optometry patients and 1,1,24 dental patients, according to a Navy infographic posted on Twitter. More than 120 surgeries were performed aboard the ship.

"What we have accomplished over the past week will far outlast the ship's visit to the region," Capt. Brian Diebold, commander of Task Force 49, said in the news release. "The medical staff has shared with me countless moving stories -- from children getting their first pair of glasses to grandparents being able to see for the first time in years after a cataract surgery. It is truly remarkable what we are capable of when we work together."

The partner nations' military and civilian personnel were from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru.

In June, the Comfort left from Naval Station Norfolk on June 14, to begin a five-month deployment to South America, Central America, and the Caribbean to "provide medical assistance in support of regional partners and in response to the regional impacts of the Venezuela political and economic crisis."

The mission is the hospital ship's seventh hospital ship deployment to South and Central America since 2007, and is expected to include stops Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia, and St. Kitts and Nevis.

The current Comfort ship entered service in 1987 and has a Naval medical staff of 956, according to the Navy. The Navy's other hospital ship is the Mercy.

Navy hospital ship Comfort completes first 2019 mission in Ecuador - UPI.com

The USNS Comfort finished up a medical mission in Manta, Ecuador, which included caring for 7,799 patients and performing more than 120 surgeries on the vessel, as it assists with care for Venezuelan migrants.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Air Force rolls out new anti-smoke goggles
July 8, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

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Simplified anti-smoke goggles, seen at left, will replace a four-part system on C-130J tactical aircraft, the U.S. Air Force announced last week. Photo by Jessica L. Kendziorek/U.S. Air Force

July 8 (UPI) -- Crews of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft will begin using simplified and innovative anti-smoke goggles, the U.S. Air Force announced.

ASGs have been a part of standard equipment aboard the tactical cargo and troop transport planes for over 20 years, used at moments when the plane fills with smoke. The new three-part system includes upgraded goggles and oxygen masks, and supersedes a four-part unit.

The new equipment, similar to goggles worn by fire fighters, is currently being tested at Keesler AFB, Miss.

"The ones that we are replacing have the same basic frame, but the goggles and the oxygen mask are two separate pieces," said Tech. Sgt. Ronald Patton, 403rd Operation Support Squadron aircrew flight equipment craftsman at Keesler AFB. "Before, you would need to put the oxygen mask over your mouth and nose, then pull the frame up and place the nape pad at the back of your head. Once that was in place you would put the goggles on and pull the straps on both sides to tighten them."

The new goggles replace equipment with no reported problems, but will enhance aircrew performance, officials say.

"It is not that the old ASGs were replaced because they were faulty, they worked exactly as they were designed to. It seems like they just needed to improve on the integrity of the system itself," Patton added. "Will it operate better under stressful situations, will it be easier to repair if it does break, does it have as many subcomponents that can break, does the aircrew member find it easier to don, and can the aircrew operate better in the environment, were questions that they asked when designing the new system."

All the parts of the new goggles are replaceable, and the new ASGs will be easier to install and remove in emergency situations.

The new systems will appear on all C-130J aircraft of the U.S. Air Force, the Coast Guard and the Air National Guard by August, the Air Force said last week.

U.S. Air Force rolls out new anti-smoke goggles - UPI.com

Crews of C-130J Super Hercules aircraft will begin using simplified and innovative anti-smoke goggles, the U.S. Air Force announced.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Admiral picked to lead Navy retires over inappropriate relationship
July 8, 2019
By Darryl Coote

]View attachment 9270
Adm. Bill Moran, vice chief of naval operations, said he will retire instead of assuming the head of the Navy, due to a professional relationship he kept with a retired Navy official accused of sexual misconduct. Photo by Peter Foley/UPI | License Photo

July 8 (UPI) -- Less than a month before he was to head the U.S. Navy, Adm. Bill Moran said he has declined the offer and will instead retire due to a professional relationship he kept with a former Navy official accused of sexual misconduct.

In a Sunday statement, Moran said as painful as it was to submit his request to retire, he did so due to "an open investigation into the nature of some of my personal email correspondence over the past couple of years and for continuing to maintain a professional relationship with a former staff officer, now retired, who had while in uniform been investigated and held accountable over allegations of inappropriate behavior."

Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer said he accepted Moran's resignation as this relationship he maintained "caused me to call his judgment into question."

Moran said his decision to maintain the relationship "was in no way an endorsement or tacit approval of this kind of behavior. I understand how toxic it can be to any team when inappropriate behavior goes unrecognized and unchecked."

According to multiple reports, the relationship in question was with Navy public affairs official Chris Servello, who retired following allegations of sexual harassment committed during a Christmas party in 2016, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Moran was nominated to head the Navy by President Donal Trump in April and he was confirmed the following month.

Bill Moran, picked to lead U.S. Navy, retires over inappropriate relationship - UPI.com

Adm. Bill Moran said he has declined the offer and will instead retire due to a professional relationship he kept with a former Navy official accused of sexual misconduct.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

US Navy's Fire Scout unmanned helicopter achieves initial operational capability
JULY 9, 2019
By Allen Cone

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The MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter conducts a flight test at Naval Air Patuxent River Webster Field Annex in Saint Inigoes, Md. Photo courtesy U.S. Navy


July 9 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has reached initial operational capability, paving the way for fleet operations and training.
On June 28, the sea-based, vertical lift drone manufactured by Northrop Grumman was declared to achieve operational capability, the Navy said Monday.

The aircraft is designed to provide reconnaissance, situational awareness and precision targeting support for ground, air and sea forces.
"This milestone is a culmination of several years of hard work and dedication from our joint government and industry team," Capt. Eric Soderberg, Fire Scout program manager, said. "We are excited to get this enhanced capability out to the fleet."

The MQ-8C is an endurance and payload upgrade to the smaller MQ-8B.

The variant can fly up to 12 hours on station depending on payload. It incorporates the commercial Bell 407 airframe, which numbers more than 1,600 Bell with more than 4.4 million flight hours.

The MQ-8C has flown more than 1,500 test hours, including more than 700 sorties. It is 34.7 feet long and 8.7 feet wide.

The MQ-8C Fire Scout system flew for the first time off the USS Jason Dunham, a guided-missile destroyer off the Virginia coast near Norfolk on Dec. 23, 2014.

Northrop Grumman is contracted to deliver 38 aircraft over the next few years. It is scheduled to deploy on littoral combat ships in fiscal year 2021. The smaller MQ-8B Fire Scout, which has completed more than 16,600 flight hours over 6,200 sorties, including in Afghanistan, is currently deployed on a LCS.

The drone complements the manned MH-60 helicopter by extending the range and endurance of ship-based operations. It will include upgraded radar that allows for a larger field of view and a range of digital modes, including weather detection, air-to-air targeting and a ground moving target indicator.

"Combined with the maturity of Northrop Grumman's autonomous systems architecture, Fire Scout meets customer requirements for a ship-based and land-based autonomous systems," according to Northrop Grumman. "It also has the ability to autonomously take-off and land on any aviation-capable ship and from prepared and unprepared landing zones."

Navy's Fire Scout unmanned helicopter achieves initial operational capability - UPI.com

The U.S. Navy's MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter has reached initial operational capability, paving the way for fleet operations and training.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

US Air Force to Begin First Tests on New AI Algorithms For Skyborg Program


View attachment 9326
©Air Force Research Laboratory artwork

The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Skyborg program is getting its first flight test this summer, with officials focusing their attention on autonomy algorithms and artificial intelligence.

The tests, set to take place at Edwards Air Force Base in Kern County, California, are expected to be conducted on a “small, but representative high-speed surrogate aircraft,” Cara Bousie, the service’s spokesperson, told Aviation Week.

Although Bousie steered clear of offering any additional details regarding the looming tests, she did indicate that the move is part of a two-year campaign for the department to determine just how the technology will perform in a controlled setting.

Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, previously revealed in a March interview that aircraft candidates that may be used during the summer trials include the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie, Composite Engineering BQM-167 Skeeter and Boeing QF-16.

Disclosed to the public just in March, the Skyborg program’s objective is to deliver a combat-ready, autonomous, unmanned aerial vehicle prototype by the end of 2023. The aircraft is expected to act as a robotic wingman for service members, using its AI tech to manage combat mission tasks on its own when the need arises.

“Skyborg is a vessel for AI technologies that could range from rather simple algorithms to fly the aircraft and control them in airspace to the introduction of more complicated levels of AI to accomplish certain tasks or subtasks of the mission,” Matt Duquette, an AFRL Aerospace Systems Directorate engineer, said in a March release on the program.

“Part of our autonomy development is building assurance into the system. You can either build assurance by using formal methods or approaches where at design time, as you develop these autonomous capabilities, you guarantee certain behaviors, or a more practical approach is to assess the capabilities of these behaviors at run time, meaning while they’re running on the aircraft. So, those are the capabilities that we’re interested in looking at from the experimentation level to see what type of assurance you need in the system so you can mix high and low criticality.”

According to comments Bousie gave to Air Force Magazine, there is a possibility that the department’s technology could slip into various other research programs. One in particular is ACT3, a fellow artificial intelligence team under AFRL whose focus is on developing air-to-air combat algorithms.

The official went on to say that only time will tell on what role humans will play as AI tech continues to advance.

US Air Force to Begin First Tests on New AI Algorithms For Skyborg Program

The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Skyborg program is getting its first flight test this summer, with officials focusing their attention on autonomy algorithms and artificial intelligence.

sputniknews.com

 

[Khafee]

US Army to Begin Testing Armoured Robotic Vehicles In 2020
14.July.2019

View attachment 9329

Armoured robotic vehicles have been developed by the army for years for the purpose of utilising less infantry power in combat zones, keeping soldiers safe as well as limiting their necessity for deployment in dangerous situations.

The US army has said in a release on Thursday that it will begin live testing a new Robot Combat Vehicle (RCV) next year.

The tests will not involve vehicles meant for immediate combat situations, they will be used to showcase new technologies which may be integrated in the future as well as how soldiers could use them in the field.

The vehicles are controlled by Mission Enabler Technologies-Demonstrators (MET-Ds), which are upgraded Bradley Fighting Vehicles that are manned by a crew inside the vehicle using touchscreen panels.

The MET-D's sport a remote turret with a 23mm gun and have 360 degree situational awareness.

Mission Enabler Technologies-Demonstrator (MET-D) vehicles: leveraging the latest tech in cameras, data display, GUI, drive-by-wire capability, unmanned aerial vehicle-provided video, & advanced comms to help w/ battlefield situational awareness & enhance communication capability pic.twitter.com/SyWTwohq5g
— U.S. Army CCDC Ground Vehicle Systems Center (@CCDC_GVSC) July 1, 2019​

There are three phases of testing planned for the new vehicles.

The first will include 2 MET-Ds and 4 RCVs and is scheduled next March at Fort Carson, Colorado. The tests will be assessed by the Army’s Combat Capabilities

Development Command’s Ground Vehicle Systems Center and the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team, who will modify the technology for further exercises.

Infantry will partake in the second test which will take place in May 2021 and will be on a much larger scale with an infantry unit in Europe and another later in 2021 with 6 MET-Ds and 4 M113 RCVs, as well as 4 light and medium RCVs to conduct company-level missions.

A third test will occur in 2023 and will include 6 MET-Ds, 4 M113 RCVs, as well as 4 medium and heavy RCVs.

While these new robot vehicles are only surrogates, they will set the stage for testing technologies which will eventually be used in active military situations.

According to David Centeno Jr., chief of the centre’s Emerging Capabilities Office, the new RCVs will allow for “freedom of air and ground manoeuvre” which will keep soldiers out of range.

Further robotic weaponry projects are being developed. The army hosted a 6 team competition in May, consisting of 8 remote-controlled prototype RCVs on a course in Texas as a means to demonstrate their abilities and further understand the role of the vehicles in the future.

Eventually, RCVs are expected get much smaller and lighter as they will not have to carry people.

US Army to Begin Testing Armoured Robotic Vehicles In 2020

Armoured robotic vehicles have been developed by the army for years for the purpose of utilising less infantry power in combat zones, keeping soldiers safe as well as limiting their necessity for deployment in dangerous situations.

sputniknews.com

 

[UAE]

Soldiers from A Co, 116 Brigade Engineer Battalion, position their M1150 Assault Breacher Vehicle during a live-fire training exercise at the National Training Center (NTC) in Fort Irwin, Calif., June 12, 2019. The M1150 is a U.S. military mine and explosives clearing vehicle, equipped with a mine-plough and line charges.

 

[UAE]

F-22 deployed to Qatar.

 

[Strike Eagle]

Marines firing their weapons during a simulated attack while training at Marines Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms , California

 

[Strike Eagle]

a USMC F/A-18D planning to take off from

Marines Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms , California​