14 September 2015 by Africa Defense Forum

With unmanned aircraft changing the dynamics of warfare, it should come as no surprise that the technology is changing peacekeeping as well.

Since the end of 2013, the United Nations has used unmanned aerial vehicles, also known as UAVs and drones, to fly over the volatile eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The 5-meter-long Selex ES Falco drones monitor remote regions that U.N. peacekeeping troops can’t reach. The drones, equipped with cameras, heat-signature equipment and night-vision technology, can conduct surveillance in the dark and detect movement below a thick tree canopy — a new frontier in intelligence-gathering. The drones patrol the eastern border at a low altitude, monitoring rebels and militia, and also track illegal mining in the region. The DRC mission known by the acronym MONUSCO is the first time the U.N. has used drones for peacekeeping. Although the sophisticated UAVs aren’t cheap, they are becoming more affordable. The initial cost of the two-drone mission was estimated at $15 million per year, or about 1 percent of the mission’s annual budget. The mission has since added three more drones, although one of them crashed in October 2014. “They provide a very good bang for the buck,” a U.N. official told FoxNews.com. “When you are thinly spread in the region, these UAVs provide an extra set of eyes for our peacekeepers in the DRC.” Drone use in the military is here to stay. As of early 2012, at least 10 African countries had established some type of drone program.

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27 mars 2015 DARPA

Read Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) "Sea Hunter"

James Lackey, Redstone Scientific Information Center chairman and U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center director, and board members reviewed near-term actions as well as far-term strategic plans during Board of Directors meeting held Mar. 11 at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center.

March 20th, 2015 By Army News Service - defencetalk.com

The board of directors for the largest science and technology library in the Army met March 11 at the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center, or AMRDEC.

Redstone Scientific Information Center, or RSIC, is a unique, national asset containing a collection of specialized materials including technical reports, contractor reports, technical memorandums, informational briefs, special reports, and conference papers open to all government employees and contractors at Redstone Arsenal.

In addition to being the largest technical library, it is also the only joint Army/ NASA library.

The RSIC board of directors is composed of various Redstone organizations to include AMRDEC, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, or MSFC, Missile and Space Intelligence Center, Space and Missile Defense Command and most recently, Missile Defense Agency as an emergent funding partner.

“RSIC is extremely important to NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center as a resource for technical data on a wide variety of topics ranging from rocket propulsion to space physics, from systems design to vehicle operations,” said MSFC Center Chief Technologist and board member, Dr. Andrew Keys. “Marshall is committed to working with the ‘Team Redstone’ members to ensure RSIC has a future within our community.”

RSIC Board Chair and AMDREC Director James Lackey shared insight on future development for the center.

“One of the key challenges for RSIC is making a secure transition into a more digital future. The entire definition of what a library means is fundamentally changing,” Lackey said. “Just look at how eBooks are proliferating over traditional hardback products in your very own home. Brave new world concepts of ‘knowledge management’, ‘data mining’, and ‘cloud analytics’ prevail over traditional dusty phrases of ‘card catalog’, ‘bound periodicals’, and ‘microfiche’.”

Library customers can provide information on their topics of interest and the staff will set up a profile in several databases. Customers will then receive journal articles, conference papers, and report citations by email when something new is published on their subject. This service saves researchers time and keeps them informed about the latest publications in their field.

All registered users at RSIC also have desktop accessibility to the library’s online resources, which include access to the library’s online catalog, 20 electronic databases, the electronic books and journals, RSIC’s digital collection containing electronic documents produced by AMRDEC, MSFC, Redstone Test Center, and the Comanche Project Office.

Lackey said, “RSIC must keep pace with information technologies to remain viable and relevant for today’s and tomorrow’s technical workforce. This entails a variety of activities including converting existing collections into digital format, exploring use of information technology tool sets, and social media as well as potentially expanding partnerships of RSIC beyond the arsenal gates to include local academic institutions. All of this future greatness comes with a literal cost.”

The objective of RSIC board of directors, or BoD, was to review the current operational status of the RSIC and make decisions on near-term actions as well as far-term strategic plans, including how to secure a more stable funding future.

“While the answer to this question is complex and obviously depends on a variety of factors, BoD members remain committed to support the RSIC charter going forward in the best supportive manner under our current and projected budget constrained environment,” Lackey said.

Mar 17, 2015 ASDNews Source : AFPS

This year, the Defense Department will move aggressively to reverse the trend of chronic underinvestment in weapons and capabilities, the deputy defense secretary said here today.

Bob Work spoke this morning about defense modernization and the department’s proposed fiscal year 2016 budget before an audience attending the McAleese/Credit Suisse Defense Programs Conference.

The bottom line, he said in prepared remarks, is that “because of budget uncertainty and restrictions imposed by Congress, and because of our unrelenting focus on the readiness of forward deployed forces, we're chronically underinvesting in new weapons and capabilities.”

Work added, “That should give all of us pause because our technological dominance is no longer assured.”

Modernization = Technological Superiority

The U.S. military’s technological superiority is directly related to its modernization accounts, the deputy secretary said, so this year the department is moving to redress the long-deferred modernization to stay ahead of competitors and potential aggressor nations.

Work said the White House has helped by approving about $21 billion in added requirements over the Future Years Defense Program.

“This came with added funding, which has allowed us to make targeted investments in space control and launch capabilities, missile defense, cyber, and advanced sensors, communications, and munitions -– all of which are critical for power projection in contested environments,” he said.

The White House also added funding to help the department modernize its aging nuclear deterrent force, Work said.

Supporting Ongoing Operations

The department’s fiscal 2016 base budget request is $534 billion, or $36 billion above the FY16 sequestration caps, he said, adding that it’s “only the first year of a five-year Future Years Defense Program. When considering fiscal years 2016 through 2020, our planned program is approximately $154 billion over the sequestration caps.”

The department also is asking for $51 billion in overseas contingency operations funding, Work said, “to support our campaign against the extremist [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant], ongoing operations in Afghanistan, and other operations in the Central Command area of responsibility.”

The global demand for U.S. forces remains high, particularly for deployable headquarters units, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance assets, missile defense, and naval and aerospace forces. The global operating tempo also remains high, he added.

Together, the deputy secretary said, these requests provide funding needed to recover readiness over the next several years, invest in long-deferred recapitalization and modernization, and meet global demands placed on the military by the National Security Strategy.

The Ragged Edge

 “The leaders of this department believe firmly that any significant reduction in funding below what is in the president's budget, or a broad denial of the reform initiatives that we have proposed to Congress, would mean the risks to our defense strategy would become unmanageable,” the deputy secretary said.

 “Quite frankly,” he added, “we’re at the ragged edge of what is manageable.”

Adding to the pressure on defense systems, potential competitors are developing capabilities that challenge the U.S. military in all domains that put space assets and the command and control system at risk, Work said.

 “We see several nations developing capabilities that threaten to erode our long-assured technological overmatch and our ability to project power,” he added.

These include new and advanced anti-ship and anti-air missiles, and new counter-space, cyber, electronic warfare, undersea and air attack capabilities, Work said.

Erosion of Technical Superiority

In some areas, he added, “we see levels of new weapons development that we haven’t seen since the mid-1980s, near the peak of the Soviet Union’s surge in Cold War defense spending.”

The department, Work said, is addressing the erosion of U.S. technological superiority through the Defense Innovation Initiative, a broad effort to improve business operations and find innovative ways to sustain and advance America’s military dominance for the 21st century.

 “The DII’s leading focus is to identify, develop and field breakthrough technologies and systems,” he said, “and to develop innovative operational concepts to help us use our current capabilities in new and creative ways.”

The ultimate aim is to help craft a third offset strategy, he added.

Third Offset Strategy

After World War II the United States used nuclear weapons development to offset Soviet numerical and geographic advantage in the central front, and again changed the game in the 1970s and 1980s with networked precision strike, stealth and surveillance for conventional forces, Work explained.

Now, he said, “we will seek to identify new technologies and concepts that will keep the operational advantage firmly in the hands of America’s conventional forces, today and in the future.”

Central to the effort is a new Long-Range Research & Development Planning Program, the deputy secretary said.

The LRRDP was created to identify weapons and systems in the force that can be used in more innovative ways, promising technologies that can be pulled forward and long-range science and technology investments that can be made now for a future payoff.

Invitation to the Table

Technologies that might be associated with a new offset strategy are being driven by the commercial sector, he said.

These include robotics; autonomous operating, guidance and control systems; visualization; biotechnology; miniaturization; advanced computing and big data; and additive manufacturing like 3-D printing.

 “The third offset strategy is an open invitation for everyone to come to the table … to creatively disrupt our defense ecosystem. Because we'll either creatively disrupt ourselves or be disrupted by someone else,” Work said.

Game-changing New Technologies

Funding dedicated to the effort includes the department’s annual $12 billion in science and technology accounts, and the FY 2016 budget request creates a reserve account to resource projects expected to emerge from the DII, he said.

 “The FY 2016 budget submission also invests in some fantastic, potentially game-changing new technologies that we can more quickly get into the force,” Work added, “as well as longer-range research efforts.”

Over the Future Years Defense Program, for example, the department is investing $149 million in unmanned undersea vehicles, $77 million in advanced sea mines, $473 million in high-speed strike weapons, $706 million in rail gun technology, and $239 million in high-energy lasers.

And, he said, a new Aerospace Innovation Initiative will bring people together to develop a wide range of advanced aeronautical capabilities to maintain U.S. military air dominance.

Solving Operational Challenges

Work said the department’s innovation must be “broad-based and rooted in realistic war gaming –- a big priority of mine -– more experimentation, and new concept and leadership development to enable our people to adapt to situations we can’t yet imagine.”

The third offset strategy is looking to solve specific operational challenges, the deputy secretary said, using the electromagnetic spectrum as an example.

“Electronic Warfare is often regarded as a combat enabler, but more and more it is at the actual forefront of any conflict,” he said. “To ensure we remain ahead in this increasingly important space, today I’m signing out a memo that establishes an Electronic Warfare, or EW, Programs Council.”

Electronic Warfare Programs Council

The senior-level oversight council will have the lead in establishing and coordinating DoD’s EW policy and will be co-chaired by Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Frank Kendall and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., he said.

Compared to the platforms that carry EW suites, the deputy secretary added, it is a relatively small investment but has the potential for a very high payoff.

“Our potential competitors seek to contest the EW space, an area where we retain a decided lead,” Work said. “But that lead is tenuous, and we believe that there has been insufficient focus on EW across the department.”

Brussels - 10 March, 2015 European Defence Agency

To qualify for the DRC Finals, the new teams had to submit videos showing successful completion of five sample tasks: engage an emergency shut-off switch, get up from a prone position, locomote ten meters without falling, pass over a barrier, and rotate a circular valve 360 degrees.

Mar 06, 2015 (SPX)

Washington DC - The international robotics community has turned out in force for the DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) Finals, a competition of robots and their human supervisors to be held June 5-6, 2015, at Fairplex in Pomona, Calif., outside of Los Angeles. In the competition, human-robot teams will be tested on capabilities that could enable them to provide assistance in future natural and man-made disasters.

Fourteen new teams from Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, the People's Republic of China, South Korea, and the United States qualified to join 11 previously announced teams. In total, 25 teams will now vie for a chance to win one of three cash prizes totaling $3.5 million at the DRC Finals.

"We're excited to see so much international interest in the DARPA Robotics Challenge Finals," said Gill Pratt, program manager for the DRC. "The diverse participation indicates not only a general interest in robotics, but also the priority many governments are placing on furthering robotic technology. As this technology becomes increasingly global, cooperating with the United States in areas where there is mutual concern, such as disaster response and homeland security, stands to benefit every country involved.

"We're looking forward to seeing how the teams ensure the robustness of their robots against falls, strategically manage battery power, and build enough partial autonomy into the robots to complete the challenge tasks despite DARPA deliberately degrading the communication links between robots and operators," said Pratt.

To qualify for the DRC Finals, the new teams had to submit videos showing successful completion of five sample tasks: engage an emergency shut-off switch, get up from a prone position, locomote ten meters without falling, pass over a barrier, and rotate a circular valve 360 degrees.

"There will be roughly 15 different commercial and custom physical robot forms demonstrated at the DRC Finals," said Pratt. "Although seven teams will use the upgraded Atlas robot from Boston Dynamics, it's each team's unique software, user interface, and strategy that will distinguish them and push the technology forward."

In tandem with the DRC, DARPA is sponsoring the Robots4Us contest, which asks U.S. high school students to prepare 2- to 3-minute videos describing their vision of the roles they'd like to see robots play in future society. Up to five individual winners (with chaperones) will be selected to receive a trip to attend the DRC Finals in person and participate in a panel discussion before an audience of media, engineers, and industry leaders. The deadline for entries is April 1, and rules for the contest can be found here.

The DRC Finals event is free and open to the public and media. In addition to the competition, an on-site robotics exposition (DRC Expo) will showcase technology related to disaster response, robotics, and unmanned aerial systems, and include an overview of DARPA's mission and legacy.

24 February 2015 Ministry of Defence and Philip Dunne MP (Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered)

Speech by Mr Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology.

22.02.2015 Dan Rosh (Tel Aviv) – Israel Valley

Le géant israélien des missiles Rafael va transférer, au travers d’un accord de joint-venture, ses technologies en Inde. La firme partenaire des israéliens est Kalyani (12 000 employés). Rafael sera minoritaire dans la nouvelle société (49% des actions).

Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd, connu sous le nom RAFAEL (acronyme hébraïque de «Autorité pour le développement de l’armement ») est l’autorité israélienne pour le développement d’armes et de technologie militaire. Rafael conçoit, développe, fabrique et distribue une large gamme de systèmes de défense de haute technologie pour les armées de l’Air, de Terre, la Marine ainsi que des applications spatiales. Plus de 9 % de son chiffre d’affaires est investi dans la Recherche et Développement. RAFAEL collabore avec différentes sociétés américaines (Lockheed Martin, Raytheon) et européennes (Thales, EADS, BAE) sur plusieurs projets de missiles, drones et systèmes d’armes.

Selon L’Express : “La société commune Rafael-Kalyani fabriquera (..) des systèmes d’armement et des solutions avancées de blindage pour les clients indiens et mondiaux de Rafael”, a dit B.N Kalyani, directeur opérationnel du groupe indien, à des journalistes.

L’Inde, premier importateur mondial d’équipement militaire, veut renouveler son matériel d’armement, dont une partie risque l’obsolescence. En ouverture de ce salon de la défense, M. Modi a assuré vouloir mettre fin à ce titre de premier acheteur mondial, voulant fabriquer 70% de son équipement sur son sol d’ici cinq ans.

Le ministre israélien de la Défense, Moshe Yaalon, qui a rencontré jeudi M. Modi, a dit vouloir travailler en coopération avec l’Inde dans la production et le développement de l’industrie militaire indienne. “Cette visite nous donne l’occasion d’améliorer et de renforcer notre relation”, a dit le ministre israélien lors d’une conférence.

“Nous coopérons de manière ouverte dans tous les domaines mais nous avons aussi trouvé le moyen de coopérer discrètement dans la sécurité”, a-t-il ajouté sans plus de précision. Le salon de Bangalore réunit des centaines de groupes de la défense et de l’aéronautique pendant cinq jours. Le premier contingent d’exposants est représenté par les Etats-Unis, avec 64 entreprises, suivi par la France, la Grande-Bretagne, la Russie et Israël".

23 February 2015 Ministry of Defence and Philip Dunne MP

(Transcript of the speech, exactly as it was delivered at Chatham House)

Speech by Mr Philip Dunne, Minister for Defence Equipment, Support and Technology.

Introduction

Good Afternoon.

It’s a pleasure to be here today to take part in a timely discussion…

…as we prepare to run the triple gauntlet of a comprehensive spending review followed by a Strategic Defence and Security Review, and as you may have a noticed, both preceded by a General Election 75 days from today, or as I prefer to think of it polling stations open 1,736 hours from now.

Challenging times…require change

But looking beyond the horizon of domestic UK politics for a moment, to say these are challenging times is something of a British understatement.

The world is dangerous…and getting more so.

As a nation our appetite for taking risks with our security remains low.

While our national ambition for global influence remains resolute.

At the same time, budgets are being squeezed and traditional military advantage is being undermined by disruptive technology and hybrid warfare.

So if we’re to survive and thrive in this new international dynamic we need to think differently.

I’ll explain what I mean, shortly.

But before I do, I must emphasise that while creating and sustaining armed forces fit for the 21st century will not be plain sailing…for any nation…

In the UK, the prevailing wind is behind us.

Defence Transformation

Thanks to 5 years of defence reform, we’re on the right trajectory.

We’ve filled the black hole in the defence budget and balanced the books.

For the third consecutive year, we’ve published an affordable equipment plan, worth £163 billion over 10 years, with substantial headroom and flexibility built in…

We’ve rethought our approach to defence acquisition, redefining it along the principles of value for money and open procurement.

…and spelling it out in black and white in our 2012 white paper: ‘National security through technology’.

We’ve also got a grip on our big ticket procurement projects.

And you don’t just have to take my word for it.

We have in this country a National Audit Office admired around the world for its fearsome independence from the government of the day. Consequently its pronouncements on departmental performance, especially its report on major procurement projects, are eagerly anticipated by the Ministry of Defence each year.

So to illustrate how far we have transformed defence acquisition, you can do no better than look at the position we inherited from the NAO’s report on 2009, where the top 15 defence projects were a staggering £4.5 billion over budget in year and 336 months overdue.

Contrast this with last month’s NAO ‘Major projects report’ which confirmed the top 11 defence projects are £397 million under budget and in aggregate only 14 months over time.

A much leaner machine

And we have also got to grips with the formidable administrative machinery of the Ministry of Defence, where I see our transformation as an exemplar of this government’s approach to public service reform.

Head Office is smaller, more focused and more strategic. By the end of next month there will be 25,000 fewer civil servants supporting our armed forces, 2 times the proportionate head count reduction of the frontline.

Budgets have been devolved to the front line commands…with the men and women at the coalface taking responsibility for spending decisions.

And, when it comes to our corporate services, we’ve injected some re-invigorating private sector expertise…only last Thursday I announced the preferred bidder for outsourcing the logistics, services and commodities activity to bring defence’s antiquated inventory management and logistics into the 21st century.

Our Head Office now adopts a more commercial approach…ensuring we are a more intelligent customer; better able to get high-quality equipment and services at best value for the taxpayer.

Equipment coming on stream

Over the past year alone we’ve made a steady stream of investments in next generation kit and delivered new capability into service.

This includes:

On land, the biggest armoured fighting vehicle order for the British Army in a generation, a £3.5 billion contract for 589 fully digitalised Scout specialist vehicles…

At sea, the floating up of the Royal Navy’s flagship Queen Elizabeth Carrier, followed by confirmation it will be joined in service by our second operational aircraft carrier.

And only last Friday, the Prime Minister announced an £859 million contract for long lead items for the first 3 of our next generation Type 26 frigates.

Beneath the oceans, the launch of HMS Artful, the third of seven Astute class hunter-killer submarines.

In the air, the arrival of the Royal Air Force’s first A400M Atlas transport aircraft, which this month I helped christen the City of Bristol to reflect the contribution that city is making and will make to this programme for years to come.

And last July the Prime Minister announced an extra £800 million of investment in intelligence and surveillance assets for our emerging cyber domain.

The contrast with the previous administration’s legacy couldn’t be starker:

where there was a £38 billion budget black hole, now there is a balanced budget; where there were cost overruns, now there are cost savings; where equipment deliveries were years late, now they are either on time or a few months behind,

in short, where there was chaos, now there is competence.

But we’re not complacent.

Which is why we’re continually working to perpetuate the transformative and progressive culture that has carried us this far.

More specifically…as I said earlier…we’re ensuring that from first to last… everyone in UK defence thinks differently.

More innovatively.

More imaginatively

And more internationally.

And I’d like to touch on how we’re doing that when it comes to defence procurement.

First: thinking more innovatively

Firstly, thinking more innovatively…an imperative if we’re to prepare for the world as it will be…not as we hope it will be.

Because it’s innovation that delivers the military productivity so key to realising successful military outcomes in a climate of continuing budget pressure.

What’s more, it’s innovation that underpins national prosperity…driving productivity and helping us move towards an export led recovery.

And the wheel turns, neatly, full circle when you consider that a strong economy is the wellspring of strategic strength.

With such high stakes, and a return to a more contingent posture following drawdown from Afghanistan, the MOD is focusing our efforts to unlock innovation wherever we can.

So we’re protecting our S&T spend…ensuring it remains at least 1.2% of the defence budget…

…And we’re investing an increasing amount of that on research into game-changing “disruptive” capability…

This year it was around £40 million.

Next year, we hope to increase that to £60 million.

Meanwhile, our Centre for Defence Enterprise develops novel high risk, high potential benefit innovations on everything from complex weapons to sensor navigation and guidance.

At a showcase earlier this month I saw for myself some of this new research effort into analysing social media trends to identify potential threats of tomorrow.

But investing in innovation is only the start…

We must weave it into the very DNA of defence procurement.

Which is why we’re increasing opportunities for SMEs …where entrepreneurs and scientists provide the niche capability and groundbreaking ideas that give us the edge.

And we’re doing that by making our procurement procedures more transparent, simpler and faster…

…engaging SMEs through a dedicated forum, which I chair…

…and setting ourselves challenging targets through an SME action plan.

And beyond the confines of MOD, we’re working with defence primes…encouraging them to open up their supply chains…

…not just to those in the defence business but to SMEs from across the spectrum…from computer gaming to motorsports.

Because military technology is no longer the main driver of civilian sector advances…it’s increasingly the other way around.

And we’re doing this…amongst other ways…via the Defence Growth Partnership…

…bringing together the best brains in industry, government and academia…

…fostering a collaborative environment to ensure the UK defence industry becomes more innovative, sustainable and competitive.

Things are moving fast.

The DGP’s Centre for Maritime Intelligence Systems in Portsmouth is up and running…a UK Centre of Excellence, to become a test bed for new systems and technology that can be sold around the world.

And it’s soon to be followed by the Defence Solutions Centre in Farnborough, which I have high hopes will also become an international centre of excellence for defence innovation.

So we’re doing our best…but we are also asking industry to step up to the mark.

Which is why we are looking to recalibrate our relationship.

Whereas, in the past, defence contractors looked upon the MOD as a benevolent cash cow that would fund its R&D, and then also pay for any development cost overruns…

Under our stewardship…working with industry…we’ve established a new mechanism to share pain and gain equally above a realistic threshold by aligning our interests more closely.

I want to see industry adopt this partnership approach more widely.

Not just identifying and managing risk and opportunity but also bearing and sharing it, in a spirit of partnership as we develop capabilities for a broader defence (and sometimes adjacent civilian) customer base.

But our ask goes beyond risk.

We’re now demanding that ‘exportability’ is actively considered from the very beginning of the acquisition cycle…


…because developing bespoke capability just for the UK attracts a cost premium that is not always justifiable, or affordable.



This will require industry and government to work together to assess our own requirements in the full context of the global export market…

…sharing both the opportunities and risks that come from developing ‘export ready’ capability.

But done properly the potential benefits are tangible:

First, the MOD gets the best kit for the best price.

Second, industry will reap the rewards of a virtuous circle of innovation, exportability and productivity.

And third, UK PLC will benefit from greater security and prosperity.

Which brings me on to my second point.

Second: thinking more imaginatively

Because…just as we cannot defend our security interests from Fortress Britain, neither can we advance our prosperity solely from within our shores.

Which is why, when it comes to building a strong UK defence industrial base capable of exploiting innovation to its greatest effect…we must be increasingly imaginative in the way we champion foreign investment on the one hand and exports on the other.

So, through our Defence and Security Industrial Engagement Policy…we’re encouraging overseas primes to extend opportunities for UK innovators to become part of their supply chains.

The UK defence industry is rightly proud of its place as the broadest and deepest supply chain outside the US. We have more companies engaged in defence and security than France, Germany and Italy combined.

But we are also using wider government initiatives…

…Like reducing corporation tax to one of the lowest rates in the EU’s big 5 economies…

…tax reliefs for R&D and exploiting patents.

…and deregulation

…to ensure the UK remains the number one choice in Europe for foreign direct investment.

Our success is manifest.

As just one example, more than 30% of Saab’s Gripen multi-role fighter aircraft is supplied by British industry.

And when it comes to banging the drum for UK defence exports, we’ve worked hard too.

Through the DGP we’ve been strengthening the roles and capabilities of UKTI’s Defence and Security Organisation.

While, from the Prime Minister down, ministers have taken every opportunity to promote UK defence products across the world.

Far from being embarrassed, as frankly many in the previous administration were, supporting the British defence industry is something we’re proud to do… as I was leading the UK delegation of 80 British companies at IDEX in Abu Dhabi yesterday.

This is not least because we know we have the most robust and comprehensive export licensing process anywhere.

And when it comes to success, the figures speak for themselves:

Year on year growth in defence exports…

And a 22% share of the global defence market…making us the second largest exporter of new defence products and services, behind the US.

No less crucial are the diplomatic returns we get from engaging with other countries…

…returns that make exports a pillar of our international defence engagement strategy…and, ultimately, our national security.

Thirdly: Thinking more internationally.

Which brings me to my third point: thinking more internationally.

Because in this increasingly interconnected world, if we’re to stay ahead of the game…

From first to last, we must pool our resources more widely, a key tenet of our white paper.

It means collaborating on science and technology, as we do with 18 nations, including, of course, the US…

…with whom we have around 100 joint research and development arrangements currently underway.

And with whom I hope we can explore the potential for more joint working under their third offset strategy.

It means developing and procuring capability together…

…multilaterally as with the A400M…

Or bilaterally…as we’ve done with the French on the FASGW missile system or with US on the Common Missile Compartment.

Sometimes, it’ll mean working as equal partners, sometimes it’ll mean differing levels of national commitment, and sometimes it’ll simply mean agreeing to buy off each other’s shelf…as we’re exploring with the US when it comes to Scout and Striker.

Each approach presents pros and cons.

But whichever one we take…I believe it’s inevitable and desirable that UK capability programmes will become increasingly international.

And, if I’m right, it’ll be vital to work hand in glove with our allies and partner nations to make this shift in a coordinated and intelligent fashion…

…Ensuring we can align acquisition, access each other’s markets…and see capability collaboration for what it really is: a force multiplier and a pooling of the market; not a mechanism for eroding national sovereignty, competition or profit.

What’s more, by adopting common equipment platforms, interfaces and standards, our armed forces will be better able to interoperate with our allies…

Making collaborations more than just the sum of their parts when meeting the onslaught of emerging and rapidly evolving threats.

Conclusion

So as we approach the next SDSR…

…despite the challenging targets the MOD has had for the last 5 years…

…defence can enter the process from a position of much greater strength than the doomsayers suggest…

…a strength that is the legacy of 5 years of imagination, innovation and internationalism…

…offset by a regime of realism, efficiency and prudence.

UK defence is in a far, far better place today than we were 5 years ago.

I firmly believe that whoever holds the reins of power…

And of course now 20 minutes closer to the polls opening, I am increasingly positive about the prospects that this will be the party I have the honour to be part of….

But whoever has the rare privilege of joining the ministerial team in the Ministry of Defence, I am sure that if they continue on the course we have set…

As a nation, working closely in concert with our international allies, we will find opportunity in adversity…

To deliver security through defence…

…to secure the future for Britain.

DARPA plans to introduce lightweight, integrated systems that will provide dismounted infantry squads unprecedented awareness, adaptability and flexibility in complex environments. The SXCT projevct will demonstrate how Soldiers and Marines can intuitively understand and control their complex mission environments - DARPA artist concept.

Feb 10, 2015 Defence-Update

Warfighters in aircraft, on ships and in ground vehicles have benefited tremendously from technological advances in recent decades, with advanced capabilities ranging from real-time situational awareness to precision armaments. But many of these benefits depend on equipment with substantial size, weight and power requirements, and so have remained unavailable to dismounted infantry squads who must carry all their equipment themselves. This gap leaves squad members without the degree of real-time situational awareness and support for decision-making that warfighters typically experience while on board aircraft and ships and in vehicles.

“We are working towards advanced capabilities that would make dismounted infantry squads more adaptable, safe and effective”

DARPA’s new ‘Squad X Core Technologies’ (SXCT) program aims to address this challenge and ensure that dismounted infantry squads maintain uncontested tactical superiority over potential adversaries without being overburdened by cumbersome hardware. The goal is to speed the development of new, lightweight, integrated systems that provide infantry squads unprecedented awareness, adaptability and flexibility in complex environments, and enable dismounted Soldiers and Marines to more intuitively understand and control their complex mission environments.

“SXCT aims to help dismounted infantry squads have deep awareness of what’s around them, detect threats from farther away and, when necessary, engage adversaries more quickly and precisely than ever before,” said Maj. Christopher Orlowski, DARPA program manager. “We are working towards advanced capabilities that would make dismounted infantry squads more adaptable, safe and effective.”

SXCT is seeking to introduce overwhelming tactical superiority at the small-unit level by enabling squad members to more quickly and effectively collect, synthesize and share data about their fellow members, their environment and potential threats without increasing physical or cognitive burdens.

Among the areas included in the program are:

• Precision Engagement: Precisely engage threats out to 0.6 mile (1,000 meters), while maintaining compatibility with infantry weapon systems and without imposing weight or operational burdens that would negatively affect mission effectiveness
• Non-Kinetic Engagement: Disrupt enemy command and control, communications and use of unmanned assets at a squad-relevant operational pace (walking with occasional bursts of speed)
• Squad Sensing: Detect potential threats out to 0.6 mile (1,000 meters) at a squad-relevant operational pace
• Squad Autonomy: Increase squad members’ real-time knowledge of their own and teammates’ locations to less than 20 feet (6 meters) in GPS-denied environments through collaboration with embedded unmanned air and ground systems

Specifically, Squad X plans to focus on providing:

• Integrated access to and control of mobile sensors, including full-motion streaming video
• A three-dimensional common operating picture
• The ability to organically locate and identify friendly forces and threat locations in near real time
• In previous request the agency also requested proposals for other focus areas including sensing technologies for warfighter health and operational status and non-optical and distributed sensing solutions.

Studies commissioned by Squad X program are to define the critical issues in Squad X implementation. The agency is also looking at critical infrastructure components such as radios, networking, computing applications, sensing, autonomous systems and size weight and power (SWaP). Integration Studies should also address Squad X architecture and integration approach. The goal is to establish an open, common, commercially extensible, government-owned architecture; defining key interfaces and standards; outlining the technology integration plan.

DARPA has scheduled a Proposers Day on Friday, February 27, 2015 to discuss the program with potential participants. In addition to the regular performers the agency invited ‘non-traditional performers’, including small businesses, academic and research institutions and first-time government contractors to participate. Special Notice document announcing the Proposers Day and describing the specific capabilities sought is available here.

The US is determined to remain the world leader in defence technology. After several years of procurement and research cuts (a 14% reduction to $168 billion in fiscal year 2013 and a further 4% to $162 billion in 2014), the US is now planning to stabilise spending levels in this field. To ensure that it stays ahead in the technology game even in times of tighter budgets, the Pentagon will shift more money to basic research and early stage developments – the level where concepts are turned into prototypes.

The trade-off is that the budget for system development and demonstration is being reduced, meaning that many promising new technologies may never materialise or enter production. Meanwhile, the US will continue producing systems of incrementally improved levels of technology so as to ensure that its military keeps its edge until new breakthrough technology can be fielded.

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Security concerns for the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia were even higher than those for London in 2012. We review what security measures were put in place and whether they can be considered a success and ask whether the event will help bring long-term stability and tourism to the region.

We also examine the nuclear arsenal owned by key nations around the world, take a look at the booming biometrics market and review technological innovation in soldier kit that came out of urgent operational requirements during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Moreover, we investigate emerging threats against military satellites and the most effective measures to protect such vital networks, take a look at new breakthroughs in networked simulation training for pilots and explore recent shifts of power and the drives behind increased naval procurement activity in the Asia Pacific region.

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In this issue

A Triumph over Terror?
Despite a background of terrorist attacks and safety concerns in the run-up to the opening ceremony, the Sochi Winter Olympics passed without incidents. Berenice Baker reviews the security measures that were put in place.
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Power Shift: The World's Nuclear Arsenal
Significant progress has been made in nuclear disarmament, with the US/Russia New START treaty achieving its milestone goals. But as not all nuclear weapons states are signatories to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and North Korea continues testing, Berenice Baker asks, is the world a safer place?
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Booming Biometrics
Recent conflicts and peacekeeping missions have driven the adoption of biometric systems by armed forces. Berenice Baker takes a look at the evolution of sophisticated biometric technology.
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Evolution of the British Soldier
The British Army was dangerously ill-equipped for Iraq and Afghanistan, but a number of urgent operational requirements have achieved significant equipment upgrades. Grant Turnbull reviews how a decade of war has transformed the British soldier's kit.
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Space Wars
With today's militaries relying heavily on satellites, Grant Turnbull asks how the US is addressing growing concerns over space debris and anti-satellite weapons.
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The Digital Battlefield
Soldiers, sailors and airmen could soon be rehearsing realistic battles online across a network of simulators. Grant Turnbull explores the latest technologies from Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems that are making this virtual dream a reality.
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Sea Change
Territorial disputes in the South and East China Seas and an impetus to defend strategic access points have led to increased investment in advanced vessels. Berenice Baker examines the main drivers behind naval policy in the region.
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Super Carriers
Aircraft carriers are a key asset to any naval force, having proven their worth as floating air bases since World War II. We take a look at the world's ten biggest carriers by displacement.
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Next issue preview

In February, the British Army was drafted in to stem the tide of flooding that left parts of the UK inaccessible. We take a look at the role of the armed forces in helping out national emergencies, and the skills and equipment they bring on board that aren't otherwise available. We also explore a new generation of smart weapons, review Turkey's ambitious domestic equipment manufacturing projects and investigate the controversy surrounding Switzerland's plans to buy 22 Gripen fighter jets from Sweden.

Moreover, we find out how Europe's two revolutionary unmanned combat aircraft, the Taranis and the nEURon, compare in terms of capability, catch up with the latest developments in NATO's Ballistic Missile Defence roll-out and examine the future of BAE Systems' Scottish shipyards.

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