US Armed Forces

[Khafee]

The Army prepares for electronic warfare prototypes
17 Oct 2019

The Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS), above, is one prototype the Army is using to inform the development of its Terrestrial Layer System. (Photo credit: Army)

Within the next six months, the Army is expected to choose at least two companies for prototypes and experiments on the service’s first integrated signals intelligence, electronic warfare and cyber platform.

The Army has been conducting what it calls “pre-prototypes” to test capabilities, concepts and receive feedback from soldiers for the platform, known as the Terrestrial Layer System.

The window for proposals to evolve these pre-prototypes closes Oct. 31 and the Army’s electronic warfare program manager said the plan is to have a decision on the winners by April.

“The next goal is for them to provide some prototypes and we’ll put those prototypes on a platform and then we’ll actually put those in the soldier’s hand to help evaluate those,” said Col. Kevin Finch, program manager for electronic warfare and cyber within Program Executive Office Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors. Finch spoke to C4ISRNET during an interview Oct. 15 at the annual Association of the U.S. Army conference. “Then we’ll downselect to one vendor and then we’ll go forward."

Finch said the plan is to have the first units equipped with the system by fall 2022.

The two primary pre-prototypes include the Tactical Electronic Warfare System (TEWS) — mounted on a Stryker and its smaller Flyer72 based variant Tactical Electronic Warfare Light (TEWL) — and the Tactical Signals Intelligence Vehicle (TSIG). Both are integrated platforms the Army is using to experiment with technologies that would allow for sensing, signals intelligence, electronic warfare and RF-enabled cyberattacks.

TEWS is being used with 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, which took the system to the National Training Center as a way for Army leaders to learn how it was used. It was also part of the Cyber Blitz experiment in September.

TEWL has also been used by 173rd airborne brigade combat team in Vicenza, Italy, according to officials with General Dynamics. Army leaders aren’t just interested in the capability itself, officials and members of industry have said, but the concepts for how they will be used.

Finch explained that service leaders aren’t exactly sure which vehicle types TLS will be outfitted to.

“The feedback that we’re receiving from [Forces Command] is driving that as well as the feedback from the units,” he said. “Obviously, they want to see a vehicle that is like to the formation. For a Stryker to have a Stryker. For an armored formation it would be an [Assault Breacher Vehicle] type of platform. Right now that’s actually one of the decisions we’re waiting to get finalized moving forward is ‘hey, what platform do you need to put this on?’”

Officials have described a TLS family of ground systems to include an extended range, which will be used as a division and corps asset, TLS large, which will be a mounted on a large vehicle like a Stryker, TLS small, which will likely remain vehicle mounted but feature a smaller form factor, and TLS dismount.

TLS large is expected to be the first to be developed and fielded.

 

[Khafee]

Trump blasts Mattis as ‘the world’s most overrated general’
17 Oct 2019

President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in the Oval Office of the White House on Oct. 16, 2019. (Evan Vucci/AP)

President Donald Trump called former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis “the world’s most overrated general” during a tense White House meeting Wednesday with lawmakers over the growing Syria/Turkey conflict, according to sources familiar with the meeting.

The incident wasn’t the first time Trump has attacked the popular former Marine Corps general, once one of his most highly praised Cabinet officials. But since Mattis announced his resignation from the top Defense Department job last December, the president’s view of Mattis has increasingly soured.

The latest incident came after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., invoked Mattis during the White House meeting, saying that Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. forces from northern Syria could help the Islamic State group resurface.

Schumer quoted Mattis, who earlier this week said that “if we don't keep the pressure on, then ISIS will resurge. It's absolutely a given that they will come back.”

According to sources close to the meeting, Trump immediately cut off Schumer to attack Mattis. In an appearance on MSNBC Thursday morning, Schumer said he was shocked by the response.

“(The president) bragged that he was much better at this than Mattis,” he said. “Mattis is one of the most respected people here in Washington, by all parties. I worked with him closely.

“For the president to berate a man who has served the country, who is respected as a human being and as a general and as a Secretary of Defense, and not have a policy … what bothered Mattis was the same thing I think that bothers so many of us.”

Nervous Nancy's unhinged meltdown! pic.twitter.com/RDeUI7sfe7
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 16, 2019

Mattis, in his resignation letter from the defense secretary post, said that his policy views no longer aligned with Trump’s, in particular when it came to support for American allies overseas.

Administration officials said Trump’s promises to quickly withdraw U.S. forces from the Middle East and Afghanistan also played a factor in Mattis’ decision to step down.

According to sources close to the meeting, Trump blasted Mattis as “not tough enough,” adding “I captured ISIS. Mattis said it would take two years. I captured them in one month.”

During his appearance on “Meet the Press” earlier this week, Mattis indicated he does not believe administration statements that ISIS is completely defeated.

"We have got to keep the pressure on ISIS so they don't recover," he said. “We may want a war over; we may even declare it over. You can pull your troops out — as President Obama learned the hard way out of Iraq — but the enemy gets the vote.”

Trump said earlier on Wednesday downplayed the U.S. withdrawal in Syria, saying that only about 28 U.S. troops were moved from forward bases in Syria in advance of planned Turkish military activities to keep them from getting caught up in a regional conflict.

But numerous Democratic and Republican lawmakers have criticized the move as abandoning Kurdish allies in the region and undermining U.S. military relationships worldwide.

The White House meeting was marked by several tense exchanges between the president and Democratic leaders, who are currently involved in impeachment investigations against the president over his alleged moves to push foreign allies to investigate the family of former Vice President Joe Biden, a rival candidate in the 2020 presidential race.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said at one point Trump called her “a third-grade politician” and “a very sick person.” Pelosi in turn questioned Trump’s mental health.

On Thursday, ahead of a congressional briefing on the Syria situation, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., called the president’s attack on Mattis “delusional” and praised the former U.S. Central Command leader as “one of the finest public servants I have ever worked with in 25 years of public life.”

Mattis remains one of the most popular figures in recent military history, both in the civilian world and within the ranks. A September 2018 Military Times poll found that nearly 84 percent of troops had a favorable view of his work leading the armed forces. Among officers, the figure was almost 90 percent.

When Mattis announced his resignation in December, he planned to serve another two months as defense secretary to ensure a smooth transition to a new Pentagon leader. But Trump abruptly fired him a few days later, leaving the defense secretary post vacant for almost seven months.

Trump also on several occasions has said that Mattis was “not too good” at his job. In his book released earlier this summer, Mattis declined to take any direct shots back at the president.

Mattis has not publicly commented on the latest round of attacks from Trump. Schumer said on Thursday he was offended on his behalf.

“Mattis wouldn't care what the president said about him, but he'd care that this country is off track,” he said.

 

[Khafee]

General Dynamics unveils proposal for U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle program
October 17, 2019

Photo courtesy of General Dynamics Land Systems

General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS), a business unit of General Dynamics, has unveiled its proposal for the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle acquisition project.

A scale model of the TL1 Robotic Combat Vehicle was displayed for the first time at the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) annual meeting in Washington, DC, in October.
“It’s designed to exceed Army objectives for weight and payload for the Robotic Combat Vehicle-Light and RCV-Medium programs,” according to GDLS.

The new Robotic Combat Vehicles are developing as part of Army’s Next Generation Combat Vehicle program, which in turn part of the ‘big six’ priorities of the service that also includes long-range precision fires, Future Vertical Lift, the network, air and missile defense, and Soldier lethality.
The main goal of the RCV project – a creation of the next generation of vehicles that are not only more lethal and survivable than current combat platforms but much smaller, lighter, and more fuel efficient. Soldiers in the field need the right equipment to be successful. A tank that is too heavy to cross a bridge or maneuver through rough terrain and high altitudes can have a serious impact on mission success.

With no human operators inside it, the RCV can provide the lethality associated with armored combat vehicles in a much smaller form. Plainly speaking, without a crew, the RCV requires less armor and can dedicate space and power to support modular mission payloads or hybrid electric drive batteries.

The family of RCVs will include three variants. Army officials envision the light version to be transportable by rotary wing. The medium variant would be able to fit onto a C-130 aircraft, and the heavy variant would fit onto a C-17 aircraft.

The new combat vehicles also will have cutting-edge features such as a remote turret for the 25 mm main gun or more lethality weapon systems, 360-degree situational awareness cameras and enhanced remote stations. The new RCV will also be able to keep pace with infantry and other armored vehicles during off-road maneuver and movement on paved streets and highways.

The Army reportedly envisions employing RCVs as “scouts” and “escorts” for manned combat vehicles.

Initially, RCVs would be controlled by operators riding in NGCVs, but the Army hopes that improved ground navigation technology and artificial intelligence will permit a single operator to control multiple RCVs.

 

[Khafee]

Bell offers its new helicopter as ideal military trainer
October 17, 2019

Textron subsidiary Bell is promoting its new light helicopter as an ideal military trainer, according to a company news release. The world’s largest manufacturer of helicopter training aircraft is offering Bell 505 as a basic helicopter trainer.

With optional dual pilot controls, the Bell 505, which recently surpassed 20,000 flight hours globally, is an excellent aircraft for training pilots to fly today’s modern aircraft with integrated glass flight decks, FADEC controlled engines, and other advanced technologies.

These modern technologies coupled with proven dynamic systems and a high inertia rotor system for excellent autorotation capabilities create the optimal platform for helicopter training.

In 2018, Bell delivered four Bell 505 helicopters to the Japan Coast Guard (JCG), making the JCG the first governmental agency globally to use the Bell 505 as a basic helicopter trainer. In addition to the standard equipment on the aircraft, the JCG Bell 505s come equipped with the first entry-into-service 505 Emergency Flotation System, a technical solution designed by DART Aerospace and developed with Bell.

Forty five percent of all training configured turbine aircraft currently in service are the Bell 206 single engine variant, which saw over 8,000 aircraft delivered over 50 years in numerous variations. A popular variant of the Bell 206 that is used primarily for training is the TH-67 Creek. In operation with the US Army since the early 1990s, this is largest helicopter training fleet in the world. In addition to the US Army, the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard also use a variant of the Bell 206, the TH-57 Sea Ranger, as their primary helicopter trainer. The Bell 505 continues the proud legacy and tradition of the 206 while improving performance, safety and making it easier to fly.

With most training helicopters globally comprising light single helicopters (3,680 lbs max takeoff gross weight), the Bell 505, with its advanced technologies and versatility, is well suited to prepare future military pilots all around the globe to meet the myriad of challenges they will face in their missions. In 2015, Bell participated in and proposed the Bell 505 for the Republic of Korea (ROK) Military TH-X program, which aims to procure training helicopters for the ROK Army and Navy. The aircraft met all the ROK Military’s Required Operational Capability during testing and evaluation phase in 2016.

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Army reveals details of its largest deployment to Europe in 25 years
October 17, 2019

The U.S. Army revealed details upcoming, largest deployment of U.S.-based Soldiers for an exercise to Europe in 25 years.

More than 20,000 troops and 20,000 pieces of equipment shipped from the U.S., as well as 13,000 pieces drawn from prepositioned stocks, will participate in the Defender-Europe 20 exercise.

Defender-Europe 20 is slated to be the largest deployment of U.S.-based Soldiers for an exercise to Europe in 25 years, according to Army News Service.

The exercise kicks off a new Defender series of exercises, which will be conducted in the Pacific on alternate years, to rehearse large movements to both regions. The exercises aim to operationalize the National Defense Strategy, which asserts Russia and China as near-peer adversaries.

“We are starting it with a bang,” said Lt. Gen. Christopher Cavoli, commander of U.S. Army Europe, during a panel discussion at the Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting and Exposition.

After the last U.S. tanks left Germany in 2013 as part of a drawdown, the Army began nine-month rotations of brigade combat teams to bolster its presence and practice rapidly deploying units to Europe. It also built up prepositioned stocks on the continent to equip incoming units.

In March, an emergency deployment readiness exercise sent an armored unit of over 1,500 Soldiers from Fort Hood, Texas, to Europe. In less than two days, the unit was able to fall in on prepositioned stocks and travel to Poland for a live-fire exercise, Cavoli said.

“We’ve been practicing this strategy of power projection for about three to four years now into Europe,” he said. “Now it’s time to practice it at scale.”

Defender 20 plans to have U.S. Soldiers from five divisions — 1st Cavalry, 82nd Airborne, 1st Armored, 1st Infantry and 3rd Infantry — as well as 11 National Guard states and seven Army Reserve units.

It will consist of five phases with several key objectives across Europe.

The first phase includes a reception, staging, onward movement and integration, or RSOI, of a division-sized element while many other units, including a National Guard brigade, will draw prepositioned stocks in Belgium and Germany.

In the second phase, an immediate response force from the 82nd Airborne Division will conduct joint forcible entries into the country of Georgia.

The third phase has a division command post exercise that will have units spread out across the continent. It will also involve a Joint Warfighting Assessment to test multi-domain operations as well as capabilities being pursued by Army Futures Command.

Soldiers will then conduct a river crossing in the fourth phase, as well as forward passage of lines and a maritime prepositioned force off-load mission. The fifth phase will consolidate Army forces and redeploy them.

The exercise will cover 4,000 kilometers of convoy routes and rely on 10 European countries to host exercise activities.

Allies and partners will also get the opportunity to train alongside U.S. Soldiers, increasing interoperability within the NATO alliance.

“Defender really helps us enhance relationships,” said Lt. Gen. J.T. Thomson, commander of Allied Land Command, which oversees NATO land forces.

More than half of NATO’s member states, he said, will play a role in the exercise.

“Cohesive multinational forces give us a competitive advantage, no doubt about it,” Thomson said during the panel. “When you look at our adversaries, they do not enjoy the advantages we have and the power of synergy that comes from good, trusted friends.”

While there are similarities to the REFORGER exercise, or Return of Forces to Germany, which practiced deploying Army units into Europe during the Cold War, leaders say that Defender will be more complex.

“We cannot fail prey to nostalgia of REFORGER and think Defender Europe is just a reincarnation,” Thomson said. “Our security environment has changed significantly in terms of geography and borders [and] in terms of allies and partners.”

Technology and doctrine, he noted, is also different, as well as threats in the region.

 

[Khafee]

Pentagon delays F-35 full-rate production decision by 13 months
18 October 2019

View attachment 11154
Delays developing the JSE forced the Pentagon to delay its F-35 FRP decision by 13 months. Source: US Air Force

Key Points

• The Pentagon is pushing back its F-35 full-rate production decision by more than a year owing to issues with Joint Simulation Environment progress
• The facility is required to perform high-end threats that cannot be replicated in an open-air range

The Pentagon is delaying the full-rate production (FRP) decision for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) owing to a lack of progress with the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE) that will test the aircraft against high-end threats that it cannot replicate on the range.
Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), told reporters on 18 October that this announcement means the FRP decision will not be made in December, as originally anticipated, but instead potentially in December 2020 or January 2021.

Dan Grazier, military fellow with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) watchdog group in Washington, DC, told Jane's on 18 October that
range restrictions prevent the F-35 from being tested against very high-end missions such as super dense, highly-integrated air defence networks. In theory, he said, the Pentagon should be able to replicate these missions in the simulator. Grazier said the Pentagon must have a properly functioning JSE to complete initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E), which is required to properly inform the FRP decision.

There will be at least three JSE facilities. Grazier said the US Navy (USN) has been developing one at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland, for approximately three years. The US Air Force (USAF) is also planning on a pair of its own JSEs with groundbreaking for both facilities scheduled for May 2020. The first is a 21,988 sq m facility planned for Edwards Air Force Base in California, while the other 15,535 sq m facility will be located at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

 

[Khafee]

US unfazed by Beijing’s capabilities in South China Sea, reiterates commitment to regional partners
USS Ronald Reagan
18 October 2019

An F/A-18 approaching USS Ronald Reagan for a full-stop landing after flight operations in the South China Sea.

Key Points

• The USN is not intimidated by Beijing's latest deployments in the South China Sea and has reiterated its commitment to partners in the region
• The assurance comes against the backdrop of a US Congressional Research Service report that described China's navy as the first such threat posed since the Cold War

The People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN's) latest capabilities do not intimidate Washington and the US Navy (USN) remains committed to fly, sail, and operate in international waters in accordance with prevailing maritime laws - even in areas claimed by Beijing.

This oft-repeated commitment was reiterated again by Rear Admiral George Wikoff during an interview with reporters on board the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) on 16 October.

Based on distance and flight-time calculations deduced by Jane's while on board the vessel, Ronald Reagan was likely sailing through China's unilaterally declared 'nine-dashed-line' demarcation at the time of the interview.

"Things are clearly different here," said Rear Adm Wikoff as he pointed towards the horizon from Ronald Reagan 's bridge. "I was out here almost 20 years ago and [China] had different capabilities [then]," said the admiral in response to questions on the types of equipment that Beijing is believed to have been progressively deploying into the disputed region.

"That said, I slept very well last night, I slept very well the night before, and I will sleep very well as we transit back through the South China Sea [SCS]," the admiral, who assumed the duties of Commander, Task Force 70, and Carrier Strike Group Five in September 2019.

Ronald Reagan was accompanied by the Ticonderoga-class cruisers USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS McCampbell during the transit through the SCS towards Singapore, where it was scheduled to make a port call.

 

[Khafee]

Next-gen satellite communications system ready for use, U.S. Navy says
OCT. 19, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

U.S. Navy personnel demonstrate the Mobile User Objective System of satellite communications. The system was declared fully operational this week by Navy testers. Photo by MCS1 Samuel Souvannason/U.S. Navy

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy's next-generation satellite communications system passed its final test before operational capability determination, the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command said.

The Mobile User Objective System [MUOS] this week completed its required Multiservice Operational Test and Evaluation [MOT&E], which involved the Navy, Marine Corps and Army, and was judged to be operationally effective.

"Since MOT&E was the last prerequisite, we expect FOC [Full Operational Capability] designation shortly," NAVWAR spokesman Steven Davis told USNI News. The test was the last critical milestone before involving MUOS in full operations.

The system uses a constellation of five satellites to obtain global connectivity to terminals, platforms, tactical operators and operations centers. Each satellite carries a communications payload to maintain Department of Defense narrowband communications during the transition to MUOS, and the advanced MUOS Wideband Code Division Multiple Access capability.

The MUOS system can carry 10 times the data of the slower and less mobile Ultra High-Frequency Follow-On satellite communication system developed in the 1990s, which it replaces.

The MUOS system can also simultaneously transmit voice, video and mission data to military networks. Its radios operate from anywhere around the world at speeds considered comparable to those of smartphones delivering photos to social media.

The program was originally estimated to achieve full operational capability in January 2017, a time estimate adjusted after tests in 2016 called it "not operationally effective and not operationally suitable."

 

[Khafee]

House subcommittee calls for action on environmental, cyber threats to military bases
OCT. 18, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

Two members of a House Armed Services subcommittee charged on Wednesday that the Pentagon is unprepared for weather emergencies, such as the hurricane that struck Tyndall AFB, Fla., in 2018, as well as cyberthreats. Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Defense

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- The Pentagon is unaware of the scope of environmental and cyber threats to its military bases, members of the House Armed Services Committee charged.

Rep. James Langevin, D-R.I., chair of the intelligence, emerging threats and capabilities subcommittee, at a hearing this week cited four U.S. military bases which collectively sustained over $10 billion in damage from weather events.

He referred to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., and Tyndall AFB, Fla., overwhelmed by hurricanes last year; the flooding of Offutt AFB, Neb., by overflowing rivers; and earthquakes in July 2019 which damaged China Lake Naval Weapons Station, Calif.

The hearing on Wednesday came after the subcommittee requested an assessment by the Defense Department of its risk exposure to weather events and cyberattacks.

"I must say I have been disappointed in the department's response to our oversight," Langevin said in an opening statement. "The [Pentagon's] initial accounting of at-risk bases we received did not include Camp Lejeune or Tyndall Air Force Base at all. We need a clear accounting of the risks, with dollar figures attached, or else we will continue the cycle of throwing good money after bad, which is not only fiscally irresponsible but places our service members and readiness at risk."

In testimony, Robert McMahon, the assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, agreed that building standards on military bases need to be improved, but added that he is unaware of the costs involved. Langevin asked McMahon, "Do you feel you have an adequate understanding of the dollars and cents involved?"

McMahon responded, "I don't," added that he has asked each service branch to submit financial estimates of potential damage to military facilities.

The Pentagon has said it has over 500 installations worldwide, and over 500,000 buildings, valued at over $1 trillion.

In her opening statement at the hearing, Rep. Elise Stefanik, D-N.Y., said the military is unprepared for emergencies.

"First, we remain vulnerable to extreme weather events and climate change," she said. "We must therefore factor in these environmental changes when discussing resiliency of military installations."

Stefanik also noted a 2017 Congressional directive, asking the Defense Department to assess the digital threat to military bases and begin strengthening their defenses.

"We are still incredibly vulnerable to attack," she said. "I fear we have not yet identified the scale and scope of our problems, let alone begun to mitigate our most concerning shortfalls."

 

[Khafee]

Decommissioned Coast Guard cutter Bramble to go to auction
By Ed Adamczyk
OCT. 19, 2019

The cutter USGCS Bramble, which served the U.S. Coast Guard from 1942 until its decommissioning in 2003, will be auctioned in November. Photo courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard

Oct. 19 (UPI) -- The decommissioned U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Bramble, once a familiar site on the Great Lakes, will be auctioned in November.

The vessel left its military service in 2003 and in 2013 was sold to a company which refurbished it and displayed it as a floating museum. The company's unpaid bills will force an auction of the historic, 180-foot long ship in Mobile, Ala., on Nov. 6.

"We hope that a passionate person or institution will be able to save her," said a spokesman for Inchcape Shipping Services, Inc., the plaintiff in the case.

The ship is one of 39 seagoing buoy tenders built for the Coast Guard between 1942 and 1944, and in 1947 participated in Operation Crossroads, the first test of an atomic bomb's effect on surface ships in the Pacific Ocean. The Bramble was located about 15 miles from the atoll to watch the detonation of an atomic bomb over the target area before departing for Hawaii.

In 1957, the reinforced ship was one of three Coast Guard vessels to successfully attempt a Northwest Passage, sailing through semi-charted waters north of Canada from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. The 4,500 nautical mile trip took 64 days.

The Bramble spent its last days in the Coast Guard involved in law enforcement, search-and-rescue work and buoy tending on the Great Lakes, with home ports of Detroit and Port Huron, Mich. After it was decommissioned, it briefly sailed around the Caribbean Sea and was featured in the 2016 film Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.

 

[Khafee]

Space may soon become a war zone
OCT. 19, 2019
By Gareth Dorrian and Ian Whittaker

The SpaceX Falcon 9 Heavy rocket launches the STP-2 from Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on June 25. The payload consists of a cluster of 24 satellites for the U.S. Air Force, NASA and private industry. File Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- At a summit in early December, NATO is expected to declare space as a "warfighting domain," partly in response to new developments in technology.

If it does declare space a war zone, NATO could start using space weapons that can destroy satellites or incoming enemy missiles. But what is this technology and how could it enable a war?

In a recent first for space technology, Russia has launched a commercial satellite specifically designed to rendezvous with other satellites. The purpose of this vehicle is peaceful: It will perform maintenance tasks on other satellites in orbit.

The fact that commercial companies have this capability probably means that it exists for global military powers. This has caught the attention of NATO. If a country or company can maneuver its own satellites into close proximity of others, then it can do so for military or sabotage purposes -- potentially without detection.

Another development is France's recent announcement that it will build "bodyguard" satellites armed with either machine guns or lasers. This follows an announcement that the United States will launch a space force in 2018. Many other nations may soon follow suit.

Electronic warfare
But how would sabotage and warfare happen exactly? One method involves firing an intense beam of microwave radiation at an object. In fact, such concepts have been tested before by the police as a means of bringing a speeding car to a halt by disabling electrical devices on the vehicle.

Such a concept deployed on satellites would constitute a "directed-energy weapon," enabling nations to disable other countries' satellites without creating large clouds of orbital debris. You could potentially make such an attack look like an accident and deny involvement.

The use of "radio jamming" to disrupt radar and communications dates back to World War II. By swamping a radio receiver with, effectively, radio noise, one can obscure the reception of genuine signals and render the system inoperative. This is a little like trying to spot the light from a candle against the glare of car headlights.

Satellites are thoroughly tested for self-generated radio noise before going into space. But if a "hostile" satellite nearby were to deliberately direct broadband radio transmissions at the target satellite, then communications could be disrupted.

Space-based electronic warfare is likely to become an increasing concern for military planners. In fact, many military services on Earth now depend on space technology to work.

Kinetic kills and lasers
By far the most obvious method of interfering with a satellite is a solid projectile. Moving satellites have very high kinetic energy and momentum. If a slower-moving object can be placed briefly in the path of a satellite, then the resultant collision will be particularly devastating.

These so called "kinetic kills" have previously only been used to take satellites out of commission at the end of their life, with the United States, Russia, China and India demonstrating their ability to perform this. This type of removal consists of a ground-launched missile aimed at the satellite. If aimed at an adversary satellite, such a missile would be fairly obvious and could be tracked by other nations using radar.

A more subtle method would be to destroy a satellite owned by the country or company launching the missile and aim to produce as much debris as possible, which then lies in the orbital path of the intended target. This could look like an accident and actually accidentally occurred in 2007.

As far as kinetic weapons in space are concerned, machine guns are generally problematic due to the recoil involved. If the weapon is fired at any angle which is not in the exact direction of the orbital path the satellite is travelling along, then a torque will be applied, rapidly changing the direction of it. The idea of kinetic weapons has been attempted before. The Soviet space station Salyut-3, for example, was armed with a rapid-fire cannon in the mid-1970s.

Lasers are also being considered as defensive weapons, with the idea being to take out attacking satellites' solar panels. With no power, the satellite will be unable to communicate with the ground station and is essentially lost. The recoil from a laser is much smaller and the lack of atmosphere would allow them to perform better than on the Earth's surface.

A laser could be used to blind instrumentation on an opposing satellite thereby reducing the efficacy of either rendezvous or aiming software.

The most likely satellites to be targeted would be those dedicated to communication or observing. With the newest research satellites able to take images down to a 30cm resolution, military versions are likely to be even better. A nation with no communication facilities or ability to observe others will never know who has launched an attack against them.

But what would a space war look like from Earth? While sci-fi films have conditioned us to believe that space lasers would use visible light, shorter wavelengths actually produce more power. Any observers on the surface would be unlikely to directly see any effects from space warfare, unless a kinetic kill actually breaks up a spacecraft - with debris lighting up as it re-enters the atmosphere. That said, attacks could still affect our lives on Earth, disturbing GPS, television services and even cash withdrawals.

Nuclear weapons?
The use of nuclear weapons and weapons of mass destruction in space is banned under the Outer Space Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test Ban Treaty. But not all nuclear armed nations have ratified the latter, including the United States and North Korea.

A small number of nuclear tests in space were conducted in the 1960s, including Starfish Prime. These resulted in artificial radiation belts forming around the Earth, which were still detectable decades after the event -- posing a danger for astronauts.

These radiation belts also disabled half a dozen satellites in low Earth orbit. If the results of Starfish Prime are anything to go by, then clearly it would take only a handful of nuclear detonations to make space unusable for any satellites for decades to come.

Given the options now becoming available, it seems important to remember that, under the Outer Space Treaty, space is supposed to be used only for peaceful purposes and remain the domain of "all mankind."

 

[Khafee]

U.S. Army will transform into multi-domain force by 2035
October 19, 2019

The U.S. military leaders are set to transform Total Army (Regular Army, National Guard, Army Reserve, and Army Civilians) into a multi-domain force by 2035, meet its enduring responsibility as part of the Joint Force to provide for the defense of the United States, and retain its position as the globally dominant land power.

Today’s challenges to global security aren’t just changing – they’re accelerating faster than ever before. Adversaries are highly adaptive and confronting us from every domain across air, sea, space, land and cyber.

Near-peer competitors such as China and Russia seek to achieve their aims by using multiple layers of stand-off across all domains – land, sea, air, space, and cyberspace – to separate U.S. forces and allies in time, geography, and function. They hope to deny U.S. ability to project combat power, thereby creating de facto spheres of influence. American competitors will do this through a combination of long-, mid-, and short-range weapons systems, conventional forces, integrated air defenses, electronic warfare and jamming, cyber-attacks, and denial of space-based capabilities, such as reconnaissance, navigation, and communications, as well as an array of political and informational tools.

To solve the problem of layered stand-off, the Multi-Domain Operations concept describes how a strategically postured Army, operating as part of the Joint Force, will compete below the threshold of armed conflict, penetrate and exploit windows of opportunity to break through enemy standoff capabilities, and then return to competition on favorable terms.

The Multi-Domain Operations concept will ensure the Army’s ability to fight and win in any conflict.

In multi-domain operations, forces generate combat power through the Strategic Support Area, namely the support functions that provide people, supply and equipment resources needed to build, project and sustain troops in the operational and tactical arenas.

The concept of cross-domain operations is not new. It has been an inherent part of military thought since antiquity.

The 2018 U.S. Army Modernization Strategy (AMS) Report to Congress introduced the Army’s six materiel modernization priorities (long-range precision fires, the next-generation combat vehicle, future vertical lift, the network, air and missile defense, and soldier lethality) to make Soldiers and units more lethal to deploy, fight, and win our Nation’s wars.

This 2019 AMS expands the Army’s approach beyond those six priorities, outlining a more holistic approach to modernization while maintaining continuity of priorities.

Modernization is a continuous process requiring collaboration across the entire Army. Therefore, while this AMS outlines an end state for the future Army in 2035, Army modernization will remain ongoing as we must continue to test and refine operating concepts, draw on emerging technologies, and anticipate changes in the operating environment.

 

[Khafee]

FLIR Systems partnered with Textron to develop new robotic combat vehicles
October 19, 2019

Photo courtesy of FLIR Systems

Skyraider UAS. Photo courtesy of FLIR Systems

FLIR SUGV. Photo courtesy of FLIR Systems

TacFLIR 280-HD. Photo courtesy of FLIR Systems


FLIR Systems, a company that specializes in the production of thermal imaging cameras, partnered with aerospace and defense company Textron to develop next-generation robotic combat vehicles.

The Textrom-lead team has developed the Ripsaw M5 unmanned vehicle in an armed configuration that can launch a FLIR SUGV, Skyraider, and features a TacFLIR 280-HD, as well as a 360 SA system for situational awareness.

Ripsaw M5 is the 5th generation of Ripsaw providing speed, mobility and unmanned capability. The M5 can silently maneuver and keep pace with the current and future maneuver forces, pushing capabilities beyond the human formation.

The Ripsaw is intended to perform various missions including convoy protection, perimeter defense, surveillance, rescue, border patrol, crowd control, and explosive ordnance disposal. For perimeter defense or crowd control, a belt of M5 Modular Crowd Control Munitions (MCCM) can be mounted around the vehicle to break up crowds or non-lethally engage personnel with flash-bang effects and rubber bullets. Cameras provide 360-degree coverage for situational awareness for the operator.

The vehicle is received the modern portable, single-person-lift robot with dexterous manipulation for dismounted and mobile operations, called the FLIR SUGV. SUGV provides dismounted EOD technicians and other responders with a highly mobile robot that climbs stairs and manipulates objects. SUGV is carried and deployed from packs while on the move. The robot weighs about 30 lb (13 kg) with the manipulator and batteries installed. The SUGV manipulator lifts up to 22 lb (10 kg).

Also, Ripsaw M5 can launch SkyRaider Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). With its ability to carry and deliver multiple payloads up to 4.4 lbs, an open architecture, and one of the fastest, most powerful embedded artificial intelligence (AI) computing devices available on as UAS, the SkyRaider is redefining what’s possible with a man-packable UAS.

Additionally, the newest robotic combat vehicle features TacFLIR 280-HD high-performance land-based imaging system designed to identify and track smugglers, terrorists, or any other threat – day and night, and in the toughest terrain. Tailored for mobile deployment with high definition imaging and powerful optics and INS, TacFLIR 280-HD reveals the details necessary for long range vehicle detection, identification, and threat assessment.

 

[Khafee]

The F-35 jet might hit full-rate production more than a year late
19 Oct, 2019

View attachment 11193
An F-35A taxis in front of the setting sun prior to takeoff from Hill Air Force Base, Utah, on Aug. 20, 2019. (R. Nial Bradshaw/U.S. Air Force)

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department will not clear the F-35 fighter jet for full-rate production this year, and it may even have to push that milestone as far as January 2021, the Pentagon’s acquisition executive said Friday.

The Pentagon had intended to make a full-rate production decision — also known as Milestone C — by the end of 2019. But because the Joint Simulation Environment continues to face delays in its own development, the Defense Department will have to defer that milestone by as many as 13 months, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord told reporters during a news conference.

The Joint Simulation Environment, or JSE, is needed to conduct simulated evaluations of the F-35 in a range of high-threat scenarios.

“We actually had signed out of the JPO [F-35 Joint Program Office] earlier this week a program deviation report that documented expected schedule threshold breach in the Milestone C full-rate production decision of up to 13 months,” Lord said.

It is unclear whether the delay will cause an increase in program costs.

Although the Defense Department already buys the F-35 in large numbers, the full-rate production decision is viewed as a major show of confidence in the program’s maturity. During this time, the yearly production rate is set to skyrocket from the 91 jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin in 2018 to upward of 160 by 2023.

But before Lord signs off on the production decision, the F-35 must complete operational testing, the results of which will be validated by Robert Behler, the Pentagon’s director of operational test and evaluation.

The F-35’s testing community intended to complete initial operational test and evaluation, or IOT&E, by this summer; however, the JSE is not yet complete.

“We are not making as quick progress on the Joint Simulation Environment, integrating the F-35 into it. It is a critical portion of IOT&E. We work closely with Dr. Behler and DOT&E [[the office of the director of operational test and evaluation]. They are making excellent progress out on the range with the F-35, but we need to do the work in the Joint Simulation Environment,” Lord said.

“We have collectively decided that we need the JSE [to be] absolutely correct before we proceed, so I will make some decisions about when that full-rate production decision will be made shortly," she added.

Specifically, the Defense Department and F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin are lagging behind in integrating the "'F-35 In-A-Box” — the simulated model of the F-35 and its sensors and weapons — into the JSE, reported Military.com, which broke the news of the testing delay in September.

Even before IO&TE formally started, the F-35 test community had noted the challenge of maintaining the planned schedule.

The F-35 began operational tests in December 2018, three months after the originally scheduled start date in September. The program office maintained that its goal was to see the test phase finished by the summer of 2019. However, F-35 test director Air Force Col. Varun Puri documented concerns in a September 2018 presentation that the test phase could slip until September 2019, which could add budget pressure to the program.

In a statement, Lockheed Martin expressed confidence in its ability to ramp up production over the next few years.

“As Secretary Lord stated earlier today, the F-35 is performing exceptionally well for our customers and we continue to ramp up production, modernize the aircraft and improve sustainment performance,” the company said. “This year our goal is to deliver 131 aircraft and that is on track to grow to over 140 production aircraft deliveries next year. We are confident the full F-35 enterprise is prepared for full rate production and ready to meet growing customer demand.”

 

[Khafee]

Navigation systems that counter jamming and spoofing for Army vehicles, plus some goodies for the dismounted soldier
19 Oct 2019

Engineers, assigned to Alpha Troop, Regimental Engineer Squadron, 2nd Cavalry Regiment, take part in a force-on-force training exercise as a part of Saber Guardian, June 8-9, 2019 in Ujdorogd, Hungary. The 2-CR's Styrkers new electronic warfare equipment is designed to protect them from jamming. (Spc. Joseph E. D. Knoch/Army)

Over the past few years, the Army’s 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Germany has seen its Stryker combat vehicles up-gunned and upgraded with better firepower and stronger protection. A recent fielding amid follow-on efforts will give that regiment’s soldiers and their supporting rotational brigade protection from invisible threats.

That’s because the Mounted Assured Position Navigation and Timing System, or MAPS, has been fielded to 62 Strykers in the regiment, with another 339 systems expected next year.

Willie Nelson — the director of the Assured Positioning, Navigation and Timing Cross-Functional Team — and Col. Nickolas Kioutas — project manager for PNT — recently spoke with reporters about both the testing, development and fielding of MAPS and its dismounted version, known as DAPS.

The two systems are key for soldiers to not only navigate but also use weapon systems and communications gear in heavily jammed and spoofing environments.

Some of the most contested spaces with those challenges are in Europe.

The first generation of the MAPS system has replaced then seven GPS antennas with just one, anti-jamming-capable GPS antenna that can distribute information across all systems in a vehicle, Kioutas said.

That iteration has anti-jamming capabilities, a robust GPS receiver and a chip-scale atomic clock.

The system has a seven-element array antenna. If it detects radio frequency energy from one direction that’s attempting to jam a signal, then the array shuts off detection from that general direction but continues to scan the sky for the correct radio frequency signals to communicate.

The clock keeps everything in time if the system is jammed for lengthy periods, Nelson said.

The other threat, spoofing, involves an adversary introducing a decoy-type signal.

Researchers are working on a capability for the next generation of MAPS that provides both anti-jam and anti-spoof capabilities. Testing that capability is scheduled for next year, with fielding expected by 2021.

Even as the first generation is used by troops, the Army can continue to upgrade the system with new capabilities as it comes off the production line. Army leaders will decide next year if the fully fielded MAPS gear will serve as its first generation with upgrades, or a revamped, second variant, Nelson said.

And it’s not just for Strykers.

The next wave of fielding will go to Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicles, Paladin howitzers and Abrams tanks, which provide the firepower enabled by cavalry formations. And the focus will be to first provide 2nd CR and then the rotational brigade that heads to Europe each year, Kioutas said.

Ultimately, a focused fielding plan will see 20,000 Army vehicles with the new MAPS onboard by 2028, officials said.

For the individual soldiers, the same groups are working on the dismounted version. DAPS does not have an anti-jam capability yet, but it does use the new GPS M-Code signal that has more complicated encryption.

DAPS will replace the existing antenna for the Nett Warrior system, and it is lighter and more effective, Kioutas said.

Nett Warrior is an Android smartphone-based navigation, friendly forces and battlefield chat tool that will connect into the Integrated Visual Augmentation System, a mixed reality goggle expected to tie in communications, navigation, targeting and night vision into an individual soldier’s heads-up display.