The Essential Situational Awareness Kit from Propagation Co is a downloadable dataset of emergency services locations for Tactical Awareness Kit or Google Earth.
It enables the user to quickly find the locations of LE, EMS, Hospitals, Emergency Shelters, etc.
Sold state by state and updated regularly. One time purchase gets you updates as well.
Check them out at thepropagation.co.
Rheinmetall, a leading system supplier for defence technology and Auterion, the leading supplier of drone operating systems, will be working closely together to develop standardised software-based components for unmanned drone systems. The two companies signed an agreement, thereby establishing a long-term co-operation.
The two partners are combining their expertise in order to create a military industry standard for controlling and operating unmanned aerial, land and naval drone systems. The co-operation includes joint product development and sales activities for unmanned platforms. The resulting homogeneous operating system is expected to provide military users with a significant advantage.
As a drone manufacturer, Rheinmetall is drawing on the operational experience gained from the Luna NG and Aladin systems and incorporating it into its work with the customer. Various drone systems from the Düsseldorf-based technology group have already been in service for many years with the German Armed Forces / Bundeswehr and have been deployed in Ukraine for several months.
Dr Timo Haas, Chief Digital Officer at Rheinmetall AG, explains: “We see over two hundred different aerial unmanned systems in Ukraine. This makes military training very costly and time-consuming, and system interoperability is not guaranteed. Co-operation with Auterion and the development of a homogeneous operating system will enable the efficient and scalable deployment of unmanned systems. With our approach, there will be no need for system-dependent user training or system-specific integration into an overall system network in the future”.
Lorenz Meier, CEO of Auterion: “In the future, drones will be used in large quantities and, like computers and smartphones, they need a common operating system to make this happen. AuterionOS allows the customer to combine all drones on a common basis and to integrate different manufacturers into a common architecture. Our software stack has already been tried and tested in operation and thus enables software-defined defence”.
I have mentioned the Harding Project quite a bit recently. It is the Army’s effort to encourage Soldiers to offer their expertise to others via professional writing. I join the Army in hoping that the Harding Project invigorates discourse and improves operational readiness by sharing knowledge and encouraging debate.
During the recent Modern Warfare Week at Fort Liberty, I met one of the authors of, “Find, Fix, Commit: How Commanders Will Win The Next Conflict With Software.”
CW3 Nicholas Vettore and I had a great conversation about AI, drones, and the industrial base. He and his fellow author CPT Nicholas Moellering coined a new phrase, “The Software Development Cycle Is The New OODA Loop” and what they mean is we have entered an era where how data is processed and how we control systems must constantly evolve. The better and faster we process information, the faster we will better our foes. Their example is quite poignant, drone use in Ukraine.
This article is an absolute must read. I hope it inspires you to consider the information they present and hopefully to share your knowledge with others.
Read it here.
Note: This article was originally published in our newsletter. If you’re interested in content not found on the website, sign up for our free weekly newsletter here.
DroneShield (“DroneShield” or “the Company”) is pleased to announce it has released the latest update to its full range of Radio Frequency (RF) sensors including the RfPatrol, DroneSentry-X and RfOne models.
This update adds new drone models and communication protocols which can be identified by RFAI, including new types of home-made or non-commercial UxS. RF devices operate with greater stability and accuracy resulting in faster, more reliable drone detection.
New features include:
Faster Scanning with AI: Detection scans are now 17% faster, so users are notified of drones sooner and kept up to date in near-real-time. Settings can be configured to further optimise scan time based on mission requirements
New Drone Types: RFAI drone library has been expanded to recognise more signals which are used in custom and aftermarket drones
Growing API: Each device’s inbuilt gRPC API extends to cover greater control of positioning systems. Disruption protocols are faster and more regular, providing dependability when it matters most
Cybersecurity Resilience: Onboard firmware has seen a slew of security improvements in line with expectations from leading defence clients
AI & Software Improvements: Increased accuracy in direction-finding calculations, as well as future-proofing features for upcoming performance improvements in 2025
Angus Bean, DroneShield Chief Technology Officer, commented, “DroneShield always aims to provide our customers with industry-leading technology so they can maintain the highest degree of safety and security in the face of an evolving drone threat.”
For more information on product capabilities, visit www.droneshield.com.
Rheinmetall has set new standards with its innovative and powerful Gladius 2.0 soldier system. With its open, modular, scalable architecture, the system is unrivalled worldwide for a user-centric soldier system solution. An up-to-date situational awareness with a consistent, stable communication infrastructure enables operational sensor-to-shooter networks. Gladius 2.0 guarantees a decisive advantage on the digital battlefield under even the most challenging of conditions.
Rheinmetall continues to improve its systems and has now entered a partnership with QUS in vital data tracking to jointly develop a solution in this area. Live tracking of vital data allows training units to be adjusted during training to ensure optimal fitness development. During operations, current information on the physical condition of individual soldiers or the entire unit is available, which is important for further tactical decisions. This is particularly crucial for soldiers in current complex operational scenarios under difficult conditions.
Modern Equipment Supports Mission Fulfillment
QUS, with its established system, already meets many requirements relevant for successful integration into soldier systems. Therefore, it can be easily integrated and significantly expands the capabilities of soldier systems.
“We are very pleased about the new partnership with Rheinmetall. Together, we will develop a system that seamlessly integrates into Rheinmetall’s battlefield management system, creating additional value in this area. Knowing and assessing the vital data of soldiers at any time is very important for performance,” says Hannes Steiner, QUS CEO & Founder.
Timo Haas, Chief Digital Officer (CDO) of Rheinmetall AG and Managing Director of Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH: “Biomonitoring, as we know it from competitive sports, will also play an important role for soldiers in the future to optimize operational readiness. For us as a system provider, QUS’s solution offers an additional component in our modular soldier system. And with a view to digitization, AI-supported data can make an important contribution to tactical decisions at higher command levels.”
The joint solution of QUS and Rheinmetall within the partnership will combine everything related to body data and fully exploit its potential. The ability to combine already proven sensors (heart rate, respiratory rate) with other external sensors (such as temperature, etc.) enables a new basis for tactical decisions based on the knowledge of the current condition of the soldiers.
The fusion of this data with tactical information represents a new dimension of information superiority regarding one’s own troops and will not only improve the performance of soldiers but also the command process.
Credo of the New Partnership: Protecting Those Who Protect Us
Hannes Steiner: “The joint solution with Rheinmetall combines the best of both worlds and primarily protects those who protect us. The vital data tracking using textile sensors integrated into the equipment offers an important additional benefit and supports the way to becoming the infantryman of the future.”
At EUROSATORY, Rheinmetall and QUS are looking forward to welcoming interested guests to their stand E115/F115 on the outdoor area of the Paris exhibition center from June 17 to 21, 2024.
The Tactical NAV app was created by a US Army fire support officer to help simplify MGRS-based navigation and map use on an iPhone. The app is available via the App Store.
The creator, Jon Springer, received this email and passed it on to me. I agree with Jon that it’s worth a share.
Apparently, some of Roman’s family not only used Tactical NAV to get to safety in Poland, but others are using it in combat in Ukraine.
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. — U.S. Army Central’s Task Force 39, the team dedicated to developing innovative ideas throughout USARCENT, facilitated a test of CARPE Dronvm at McEntire Joint National Guard Base and Poinsett Range on July 18, 2023.
CARPE Dronvm is a DoD funded application developed by MITRE Corporation that uses crowd-sourced information to detect unmanned aerial systems, or UAS. This test used a version of the application on cell phones to detect a UAS. Maj. Travis Valley, the Task Force 39 operations officer, said the potential for crowd-sourced UAS detection increases force protection capabilities.
“The CARPE Dronvm experiment, or proof of principle, was a huge success for ARCENT.” said Valley. “This was the largest experiment ARCENT has conducted to date. We expanded the experiment footprint, covering 50 kilometers, with multiple individuals in the area using the CARPE Dronvm app. This was all to prove the CARPE Dronvm app works. It did, in fact it exceeded my expectations on the simplicity of use and the program’s drone detection ability. This has the potential as a force protection multiplier, adding another tool to help protect Soldiers in a deployed environment.”
During the test, Soldiers used government provided cellular devices to test the functionality and capability of the application by capturing images of a UAS. The UAS used in the test flew from McEntire JNGB to Poinsett Range to provide the maximum amount of testing space available.
CARPE Dronvm is the result of a U.S. Air Forces Central initiative to develop systems to detect UAS. U.S. Army Central is testing the ability to operate this application at the Soldier level.
“Countering the drone threat in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility is essential to keeping our personnel, aircraft and equipment safe,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Steven Norris, AFCENT counter-UAS cell chief. “Our MITRE partners have been helping make CARPE Dronvm a reality since 2019. Every single warfighter can help sense and warn, creating a comprehensive layered defense that will tie into our existing command and control architecture and increase awareness of threats in the region.”
In recent years, the threat posed by UAS increased as malign regional actors continue to use and experiment with this relatively cheap weapons system. Due to its low cost to entry, it is becoming the weapon of choice for potential adversaries resulting in rapid technology proliferation and increased employment. Lt. Gen. Patrick Frank, the USARCENT commanding general said his command is focused on developing technologies to counter this threat.
“The UAS threat is a shared security challenge for the U.S. and our regional partners,” said Frank. “To combat this threat, CENTCOM and USARCENT will test and field counter-UAS systems. The advanced measures we intend to pursue regarding innovation and experimentation will provide critical, real-time data to inform Army and defense decisions on counter-UAS technologies.”
United States Army Central is the U.S. Army service component command for United States Central Command and is responsible to the Secretary of the Army for the support and administration of more than 12,000 Soldiers, including those assigned to joint task forces and embassies, across the 21 countries in the CENTCOM area of responsibility.
Story by CPT Richard Moore
Photos by SFC Michael Behlin, SSG Leo Jenkins, and SGT Amber Cobena
DroneShield is pleased to announce the release of the latest update for its DroneOptID platform.
DroneOptID is a computer vision-based system used to control various thermal and optical sensors, detect, classify and track small drones or UAV targets.
Customers enrolled in DroneShield’s DroneSentry-C2 with DroneOptID software subscription, receive quarterly updates to the proprietary DroneOptID classification engine. DroneOptID is a camera agnostic software solution and DroneShield offers multiple camera options along with it to support various customer use cases, performance and budget requirements.
Major upgrades include:
• Improved Scan Pattern Performance: Major performance improvement to the optical scan pattern algorithm for faster target acquisition from radar and RF detections.
• Improved Object Size Estimation: Significant improvement to the passive optical object size estimation, enabling dynamic optical distance estimation adjustments when distance was previously acquired by other sensors.
• Deep DroneOpt2 Integration: Full featured integration of the DroneOpt2 model supporting both thermal and optical feeds with DroneOptID classification.
• AI Model Optimisation: Detection model optimisation for faster acquisition and improved high-speed target optical tracking.
• Integration for Sensor Fusion Applications: DroneOptID provides data stream designed to integrate with Sensor Fusion based systems such as DroneSentry-C2.
• Reduced Optical False Detections: Expansion of the DroneOptID data sets, reducing false detection probability.
DroneShield DroneSentry-C2 Command-and-Control System with DroneOptID module
Angus Bean, DroneShield Chief Technology Officer, commented, “As the counterdrone industry matures and our end user community begin taking back control of their low altitude airspace, the use of electronic countermeasures becomes a vital part of the response action. Our partners often require visual confirmation of target prior to the use of such countermeasures. This DroneOptID quarterly firmware release expands the reliability, accuracy, and functionality of a critical piece of technology.”
