Sensors | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Sensors’ Category

SPIE 2023: SCD to Launch the SWIFT-EI Solution – a World-First “Two-In-One” SWIR-based Event and Standard Imaging Detector, for a Broad Range of Applications

Wednesday, April 26th, 2023

The revolutionary image detector will enable SWIR capabilities for SWaP and large distribution defense applications, such as man-portable systems, weapon sights, autonomous or semi-autonomous platforms, drone payloads, laser-guided weapons, as well for commercial applications, machine vision and industrial applications.

SPIE, Orlando, FL, May 2-4, Stand 813

SCD Launches Revolutionary SWIR Detector for Defense Applications.

24 April 2023- SCD, a global leader in the development and manufacture of cooled and uncooled infrared detectors and high-power laser diodes, announces the launch of its latest product, the SWIFT-EI. This groundbreaking SWIR detector is designed as a very low Size Weight and Power (SWaP) and low-cost VGA format 10-micron pitch SWIR detector. It will be showcased at the upcoming SPIE exhibition in Orlando, FL, May 2-4.

The SWIFT-EI is the world’s first SWIR detector integrating event-based imaging capabilities, making it a revolutionary addition to the defense and industrial sectors. Its advanced FPA level detection capabilities enable tactical forces to detect multiple laser sources, laser-spots, Hostile Fire Indication (HFI), and much more. Its state-of-the-art ROIC imager technology offers two parallel video channels in one sensor – a standard imaging SWIR video channel, and a very high frame event imaging channel.

The SWIFT-EI offers SWIR imaging that supports day and low-light scenarios, enabling 24/7 situational awareness, better atmospheric penetration, and a low-cost SWIR image for tactical applications. Furthermore, its event-based imaging channel provides advanced capabilities, such as laser event spot detections, multi-laser spot LST capabilities, and SWIR event-based imaging, broadening the scope of target detection and classification.

The SWIFT-EI also opens up new capacities for machine vision applications in fields such as production line sorting machines, smart agriculture, and more, where analysis of high-level SWIR images is required for automatic machine decision-making. The SWIFT EI enables a full frame rate of more than 1200 Hz, which is essential for machine vision and machine AI algorithms.

Kobi Zaushnizer, CEO of SCD, elaborates on the company’s latest innovation: “SCD is proud to launch the SWIFT-EI – the world’s first SWIR imager to enable event-based imaging. This new product is part of our value to be ‘always a step ahead’ and our promise to our customers to ‘be the first to see’. The SWIFT-EI event-based imaging enables the next generation of AI-based systems, offering the multi-domain battlespace multi-spectral infrared imaging for better situational awareness, advanced automatic target detection and calcifications, and target handoff across platforms and forces, while increasing warrior lethality. It also enables Hostile Fire Indication (HFI) detection, and all of this at a price point that makes it possible for SWIR cameras to be integrated into high-distribution applications, such as weapon sights and clip-ons, drones, man-portable target designators, and more. The advanced detector is already being delivered to initial customers around the world, and we expect to see a significant production ramp-up in the coming months.”

Posted in International, Optics, Press Release, Sensors | Comments Off on SPIE 2023: SCD to Launch the SWIFT-EI Solution – a World-First “Two-In-One” SWIR-based Event and Standard Imaging Detector, for a Broad Range of Applications

IVAS’ Production and Fielding Remain on Track

Tuesday, March 14th, 2023

Over the past year, the Army tested, evaluated and refined the Integrated Visual Augmentation System’s (IVAS) capabilities in a manner that will result in improved systems being incrementally fielded to Soldiers over the next several years – IVAS 1.0, IVAS 1.1 and IVAS 1.2 variants.

Last June, IVAS completed its Operational Test, during which Soldiers trained on IVAS 1.0 systems in company-level missions and live-fire exercises. The Army determined that IVAS demonstrated several transformational capabilities, but three areas prevented the systems from achieving Soldier acceptance: reliability, low-light sensor performance and form factor.

The Army and its industry partner, Microsoft, used the lessons learned from testing to address concerns and adjust its fielding plan. To specifically address reliability, in November 2022 Microsoft and the Army incorporated a new software release into IVAS 1.0 resulting in a more stable and reliable user experience. Software improvement is a continuous effort that will transcend all current and future versions of IVAS.

IVAS 1.0 systems will be fielded to training and doctrine units next year to support the Army’s Campaign of Learning, an ongoing process that gathers and incorporates user feedback from user studies, user assessments, Soldier Touch Points and operational demonstrations to improve IVAS’ performance.

IVAS 1.1 upgrades reliability and features an improved low-light sensor that performs comparable to the PVS-14 night vision goggles. These systems will be delivered and fielded in Fiscal Year (FY) 2024.

The Army awarded an IVAS 1.2 technology insertion effort to Microsoft in December 2022, with the anticipation of moving to production in late FY2024 and fielding to operational units beginning as early as 4Q FY2025. The majority of the close combat force will receive IVAS 1.2; this version features an improved form factor in addition to reliability and low-light sensor upgrades, as well as a lower profile heads-up display (HUD) with distributed counterweight for improved user interface and comfort.

In recent exercises the Army has shown a number of different ways IVAS can be used on the battlefield, ranging from ingesting video and data from small Unmanned Aerial Systems to integrating with ground and air platform sensors to provide Soldiers the ability to see what the platform drivers, commanders and pilots see before dismounting into a hazardous situation.

The Army remains fully committed to IVAS. Despite some revisions to the fielding timeline, the developmental process for IVAS will result in fielding several years ahead of standard acquisition programs.

By PEO Soldier PAO

Posted in Army, Guest Post, Optics, PEO-Soldier, Sensors | Comments Off on IVAS’ Production and Fielding Remain on Track

Enforce Tac 23 – Profile Equipment

Wednesday, March 8th, 2023

Profile Equipment is a Dutch company which offers a variety of Israeli technology like the TrekAce, a wearable command and control device which provides haptic feedback to the wearer which means less time staring at the screen of an EUD.

Posted in Enforce Tac, International, Sensors | Comments Off on Enforce Tac 23 – Profile Equipment

HENSOLDT to Strengthen CAE Aviation Surveillance Fleet with High-Performance Radar

Saturday, February 25th, 2023

PrecISR multi-mission radar offers unique detection and tracking capabilities

Taufkirchen/Germany, 22 February 2023 – Sensor solutions specialist HENSOLDT will supply another multi-mission surveillance radar PrecISR™ to one of the biggest airborne surveillance providers, CAE Aviation, Luxembourg. CAE Aviation, which operates a large fleet of surveillance aircraft, has decided to renew its trust in HENSOLDT by awarding them with a contract to deliver another PrecISR™1000. This is the second order, after HENSOLDT having delivered the first PrecISR™ in 2021.

PrecISR™ radars are currently operated by experienced ISR operators from CAE Aviation in challenging areas of operations for various types of missions and for very demanding end-users.

PrecISR™ offers impressive Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) / Ground Moving Target Indicator (GMTI) capabilities, enabling its operators to detect and track, in real time, a very large diversity of small moving targets of interest (troops, convoys, suspicious vehicles, etc..). PrecISR™ technology ensures a reliable and accurate surveillance of static and moving threats, despite adverse weather conditions which might obstruct the EO/IR sensor results.

“We feel really proud that CAE Aviation keeps investing in new ISR capabilities by maintaining its trust in our plug-and-play high performance radar”, said Pierre Marquis, Sales Director Airborne ISR Radars at HENSOLDT.

“The versatility of the Hensoldt PrecISR™ 1000 radar allows us to meet the needs of our most demanding customers, regardless of the mission profiles we perform “, said David Attali, CEO at CAE Aviation.

PrecISR™ is the right solution for an operational and battle proven multi-mission radar system. Because of its compact design, the airborne platform integration of PrecISR™ is simplified significantly compared to other radars.

The superior performance of PrecISR™ enables airborne operators to accomplish large area surveillance in one flight pass and get top-notched results in real time up to 370km range. Even in the most difficult environmental conditions and sea states, PrecISR™ operators will take advantage of an unrivalled level of situational awareness with significant flight cost savings.

Posted in Aviation, Industry, International, ISR, Press Release, Sensors | Comments Off on HENSOLDT to Strengthen CAE Aviation Surveillance Fleet with High-Performance Radar

General Robotics Showcases New Integrations at IDEX/NAVDEX 2023

Tuesday, February 21st, 2023

Moshav Beit Nehemya, Israel, 20 February 2023:

170M DETECTOR USV

General Robotics, Israel’s leader in Light Weight RCWS Systems and tactical robotics, highlights advanced integrations of the company’s systems over platforms from several manufacturers. The systems are displayed by several leading integrators participating in the IDEX defense exhibition and NAVDEX naval expo opening today in Abu Dhabi.

SHARK – Naval Light & Smart RCWS

On display is the SHARK, a remotely controlled weapon system (RCWS) mounting an M2HB .50 machine gun. SHARK is installed over the 170M DETECTOR, an autonomous vessel developed by the ADSB company and IAI. (Stand 05-A05)

Built as a rugged, robust, seaworthy system, it is versatile enough to operate remotely on a cluttered deck, scoring direct hits at a sea state up to 3, where the platform and targets constantly move. With SHARK onboard, operators can benefit from advanced automation, stabilization, and platform integration functions such as the intuitive ‘Point & Shoot™ technology’. The AI-driven fire control runs a target prediction algorithm (TPA) to align the projectile’s path and the target’s expected location and points the weapon in that direction. Only then is a burst fired. This technique has demonstrated a hit accuracy of over 80 percent.

Pitbull RCWS mounting the Sig Sauer MG338

PITBULL RCWS

The latest version of the PITBULL lightweight RCWS is shown in two configurations. One is shown by the Abu Dhabi company EDT, mounted on Plasan’s ATEMM, a ground robotic vehicle that can be deployed as an unattended weapon system. The ATEMM on display carries a stack of loitering weapons, self-protected by General Robotics’ PITBULL RCWS mounting the .50 CAL H2MG. (Stand 11-C07). The PITBULL is also displayed with the new MG338 at Sig Sauer’s Stand 02-B14.

PITBULL RCWS mounted on Plasan’s ATEMM.

Teamwork – DOGO and CHAMELEON.

Robotic Teamwork

The teamwork of two operational robotic systems developed by General Robotics is also explored. DOGO, a small tracked armed reconnaissance robot optimized for operations indoors, is now geared to work with Chameleon as a marsupial robot carried on DOGO’s back or thrown up to a higher floor or roof to enhance situational awareness and extend communications link. DOGO and CHAMELEON are on display at International Golden Group (IGG) at Stand 04-C20

PITBULL provides the hard kill element of UAE’s Resource Industries’ C-UAS suite.

PITBULL Anti Drone

Another version of PITBULL highlights the system’s anti-drone capabilities. PITBULL can be equipped with electronic effectors from D-FEND Solutions or Droneshield for soft-kill or employ a firearm with its sophisticated automatic target recognition, tracking, and advanced target prediction capabilities for hard kill. Resource Industries (Booth CP-050) shows the PITBULL Anti-Drone in this configuration.

Posted in International, Press Release, Robotics, Sensors, Tradeshow | Comments Off on General Robotics Showcases New Integrations at IDEX/NAVDEX 2023

HENSOLDT Will Present Its Full Range of Radar Systems at IDEX 2023

Wednesday, February 15th, 2023

Abu Dhabi / Taufkirchen, Germany, 14 February 2023 – One of HENSOLDT’s core competences is detecting threats and protecting end users. At IDEX 2023, HENSOLDT presents its broad range of sensor solutions for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations as well as sensors to improve the safety and operational effectiveness.

“We are interconnecting all essential sensor technologies to provide our customers with information superiority at any time,” said Russell Gould, Head of International Business Development at HENSOLDT. “We thus create the basis for decisions of political leaders and military commanders, while also contributing to the success of a mission and protecting armed forces in operations.”

HENSOLDT is well-represented in the market for radar systems, optronics, and electronic protection systems. The TRML-4D is the latest member of its C-band (NATO G-band) radar family. It is designed to be used as a remote-controlled mobile unit for effective ground-based air defence and is already field proven. As a software-defined sensor system, it caters to future viability and flexibility in operation.

The COBRA Counter Battery Radar is designed to detect small cross-section targets across the entire battlefield and can also classify ammunition types and firing modes. In less than 2 minutes, more than 40 six-gun batteries can be located and reported to a higher command. In parallel to the battery location function, COBRA can be tasked to perform friendly fire registration. The radar is contained in a single cross-country wheeled vehicle assuring high mobility with rapid deployment and decamp times.

Quadome is a dual-mode, multi-mission surveillance radar for naval air- and surface-surveillance, providing naval forces and maritime security authorities with unprecedented situational awareness and extremely short reaction times. It features state-of-the-art technology and is software-defined, thus being a future-proof solution with an extended operational lifetime. Quadome builds on the reputation and track record of HENSOLDT’s naval tactical radar family, which has been very successful and has sold over 100 units over a 25-year timespan. Equipped with the latest technology, Quadome provides rapid response and high precision, at an excellent price-performance ratio.

HENSOLDT will also be showing its ARGOS-II HD multi-sensor gimbal for use in airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. It can be equipped with high resolution HD infrared and daylight cameras in addition to laser rangefinders and laser designators.

Visit HENSOLDT at IDEX 2023 on the German Pavilion Stand 08-B13.

www.hensoldt.net

Posted in International, Press Release, Sensors, Tradeshow | Comments Off on HENSOLDT Will Present Its Full Range of Radar Systems at IDEX 2023

Kromek Leads a Technology Showcase and Seminar at the Royal Academy of Engineering

Tuesday, February 14th, 2023

Kromek, the radiation detection specialists, has hosted its annual seminar and future concepts showcase at the Royal Academy of Engineering in London. A group of international experts presented and discussed the options for the future deployment of detection systems to help make the world a safer place.

One of the most important conclusions reached was that better decisions are made when decision makers have access to accurate, timely, meaningful data. This was amply illustrated by the fascinating talk and discussion led by Dr Vincent Tang from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), who was the Programme Manager of the US SIGMA programme, which built a data provision and analysis network system. The fascinating session was backed up by a lively discussion on the utility and deployment of the SIGMA Network and the need to provide robust, deployable and effective modern detectors. Such detectors must have the capability to rapidly provide useable data that can be processed into formats decision makers can use without difficulty.

The counterpoint to this was an equally fascinating presentation of the impact the War in Ukraine has had on the radiation detection system in that country. This session showed the utility of the deployability, sensitivity and effectiveness of the Kromek Radiation detection systems. Dr Oleg Voitsekhovych, Head of the Environmental Monitoring Department of the Ukrainian Hydrometerological Institute in Kyiv joined the seminar by zoom and his colleague Matthew Wrigley, Head of Operations in Ukraine for Hala, was present in person. They elaborated on the efforts to rebuild and develop the system in Ukraine. Some of the current system has been rendered useless by hazards of the war and Russian activity, while some of it is nearly obsolete. They also briefed the audience on the challenges of keeping the system operational in the light of the proximity to conflict areas of both the Chernobyl and Zaporizhzhia nuclear plants and the irresponsible behaviour by the Russians in such dangerous sites.

There was a specific session on Kromek’s suite of radiation detectors, including the launch of its newest static node detector, the Static Note R, which is equipped with both cellular and satellite connectivity for enhanced endurance in remote or high-hazard situations. It has sufficient power for a seven-day period and has a built-in full-spectral capability. Additional enhancements to existing detectors were also unveiled, including the new languages capability for the handheld D5 RIID.

Kromek’s demonstration of its radiological capabilities was backed up by a presentation on biological detection. Here, the rapid advances in the capability and deployability of Kromek’s multi sequencing rapid biological detector was a key point of the discussion and was given weight by the fact that the system is designed to be deployed against health pandemics as well as war-fighting agents.

Dr Arnab Basu, Chief Executive of Kromek said: “We were delighted to host a global panel of experts to discuss the importance of radiation detection and resilience in a time of conflict. The war in Ukraine has heightened public awareness of the genuine risks of a radiological incident and the need for national programmes for detection and resilience.

Posted in CBRNE, International, Press Release, Sensors | Comments Off on Kromek Leads a Technology Showcase and Seminar at the Royal Academy of Engineering

HENSOLDT Develops SIGINT Pod Demonstrator for Eurodrone

Sunday, January 22nd, 2023

Latest technologies enable compact design for signals intelligence

Taufkirchen/Germany, 20 January 2023 – Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT is developing sensor equipment that can be integrated into a pod to give the recently commissioned Eurodrone a signals intelligence (SIGINT) capability. The sensor technology for reconnaissance of radio and radar signals is based on a combination of the latest technologies in digitisation, electronic beam steering and metallic 3D printing, some of which HENSOLDT has already developed in its “Kalaetron” product family. The contract for the implementation and testing of a SIGINT demonstrator worth approximately 15 million euros has now been awarded by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).

“From our experience with other SIGINT projects and our own technology programmes, we are in a position to offer a flexible SIGINT solution for the Eurodrone that can be integrated into a pod, but can also be used networked with other platforms,” says Christoph Ruffner, Head of the Spectrum Dominance & Airborne Solutions Division at HENSOLDT. In addition to the sensor suite itself, HENSOLDT is also developing a system architecture for integrating the SIGINT capability into the future mission system of the Eurodrone as part of this contract.

The “Kalaetron” product family is already being used in self-protection and signals intelligence systems by the German Armed Forces, among others. On its own initiative, HENSOLDT has already demonstrated its communications reconnaissance capabilities (C-ESM) in ground and flight tests. The core elements of the system are a fully digitalised, broadband receiver, an electronically controllable antenna and a condensed structure of the electronic components that was only made possible by metallic 3D printing. In combination, these elements allow the SIGINT equipment to be incorporated into a compact pod system that can be easily integrated into flying platforms, but also scaled for sea and land applications.

Posted in Aviation, International, Press Release, Sensors | Comments Off on HENSOLDT Develops SIGINT Pod Demonstrator for Eurodrone