Defense News: UVisionUSA Unveils Autonomous Multi-Launch Loitering Munition System

 

UVisionUSA Unveils Autonomous Multi-Launch Loitering Munition System

The system, capable of launching and managing multiple HERO 120 munitions simultaneously, can launch munitions in waves and provide operators with full mission control and the ability to abort mid-flight 

By Eyal Boguslavsky, Israel Defense, October 14, 2024

https://www.israeldefense.co.il/en/node/63360

Hero 120 ship based 16 missile launcher 

UVisionUSA, a producer of loitering munition systems, has unveiled an autonomous multi-launch system capable of launching and managing multiple HERO 120 munitions simultaneously, paired with advanced mission planning capabilities.

According to the company, the new system provides unprecedented operational flexibility for armed forces, enabling autonomous mission management from target engagement to neutralization. It integrates seamlessly with various intelligence-gathering platforms, including tactical UAS, drones, and command and control systems. The system’s AI-driven,sensitive targets. Operators can deploy multiple loitering munitions per real-time automatic target recognition and mission management capabilities ensure rapid and accurate responses to both pre-identified and time- operator, with the system continuously processing intelligence from multiple sources.

Designed for area saturation dominance, the system can launch munitions in waves, overwhelming enemy defenses and providing operators with full mission control, including the ability to abort missions mid-flight if necessary.

The containerized design of the HERO-120 system, along with its mobility and flexibility, makes it easily integrable with existing and third-party command and control structures on trucks, naval vessels, and other mobile platforms.

Dr. Ran Gozali, Chairman of the Board of Directors of UVisionUSA and CEO of UVision Air, states: “Our new holistic battlefield solution revolutionizes mission planning and execution. With the ability to manage multiple loitering munitions and autonomously engage multiple targets, operators can focus on strategic decisions, enhancing lethality and firepower efficiency while operating from a stand-off position."

UVision Air will participate in the international UVID 2024 on unmanned systems, which will take place on November 7, 2024, at Expo Tel Aviv. The conference will be attended by Israel's entire UAS community, including those from the civilian, defense, and dual-use sectors. For more information and registration, please visit the UVID website at https://www.uvidtech.com/.

Hero 120 land based 6 missile launcher 

THIS PAGE WAS POSTED BY SPUTNIK ONE OF THE SPUTNIKS ORBIT BLOG

TTPS://DISQUS.COM/HOME/FORUM/THESPUTNIKSORBIT-BLOGSPOT-COM

Revolutionary Metal-Fueled Rockets Promise Infinite Space Journeys

BY U. OF SOUTHAMPTON, OCT. 1, 2024

https://scitechdaily.com/revolutionary-metal-fueled-rockets-promise-infinite-space-journeys/

Deep space exploration might no longer be confined to sci-fi after scientists began testing a rocket thruster that promises to boldly go further than ever before. (Scientists trial new space rocket thruster.) 

Credit: University of Southampton

Astro engineers at the University of Southampton are developing a groundbreaking propulsion system capable of using any metal as fuel, potentially enabling space exploration to continue indefinitely without the need to return to Earth for refueling.

This innovation promises to expand our reach into the universe, allowing spacecraft to harvest minerals from celestial bodies and explore previously unreachable areas.
Innovative Propulsion Technology

Astro engineers from the University of Southampton are trialing a new propulsion system that can power spaceships through the stars using any type of metal as fuel.

They say this means crafts fitted with the technology could fly indefinitely by refilling their tanks using minerals harvested from asteroids or far-off moons.
Breakthrough in Space Travel

Lead scientist Dr. Minkwan Kim, from the University of Southampton, has been tasked with testing the propulsion system in his labs to measure its thrust.

He said the tech could help spaceships and probes travel to regions of the universe previously thought unreachable.

Fuel From the Cosmos

Dr. Kim added: “Spacecraft have limited amounts of fuel because of the enormous cost and energy it takes to launch them into space.

“But these new thrusters are capable of being powered by any metal that can burn, such as iron, aluminum or copper.

“Once fitted, spacecraft could land on a comet or moon, rich in these minerals, and harvest what it needs before jetting off with a full tank.

“It could open up vast new frontiers and accelerate our understanding of the universe.”
Expanding the Frontiers of Exploration

Once blasted above the earth’s atmosphere, spacecraft are mostly propelled by rare gas phase fuels such as xenon or krypton, which also power the Starlink satellites.

Scientists from Southampton are working with British-based space firm Magdrive on the propulsion system.

Such is the potential of the technology, named Super Magdrive, that it was recently given £1 million by the UK government to bring the concept to life.

Dr. Kim, who created a plasma thruster design for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched last year, said he hopes the tech can be used for future deep-space missions.

He added: “The system could help us explore new planets, seek out new life, and go where no human has gone before – enabling never-ending discovery.”

Recommend this post 

and follow

Sputnik's Orbit

home/forum/thesputniksorbit

Defense News: Dutch Navy to buy armed sidekick ships for its air-defense frigates

 

Dutch Navy to buy armed sidekick ships for its air-defense frigates

By Rudy Ruitenberg, Defense News, September 25, 2024

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/09/25/dutch-navy-to-buy-armed-sidekick-ships-for-its-air-defense-frigates/

Family members look at the Dutch air-defense frigate Zr.Ms. Tromp leaving its home port of Den Helder on March 9, 2024. (Remko de Waal/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)

PARIS — The Netherlands plans to buy two support vessels that will act as sidekicks to its air-defense frigates, packing additional missiles to defeat swarms of anti-ship missiles and drones, for an investment in the range of €250 million to €1 billion (US$279 million to $1.1 billion).

The support vessels will also be able to provide fire support for amphibious operations using long-range loitering munitions, as well as equip underwater drones to track and identify suspicious activity in the North Sea, Dutch State Secretary for Defence Gijs Tuinman said in a letter to parliament on Tuesday.

The Royal Netherlands Navy needs to strengthen its air defenses and firepower for operations in the “higher violence spectrum,” as well as capabilities to protect critical North Sea infrastructure such as drilling platforms and data cables, according to the Ministry of Defence.

“These vessels are needed to better protect the Netherlands and allies in the event of a threat,” Tuinman said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, describing the two future support vessels as “sailing toolboxes” for the lead vessel. “The ships are capable of carrying a lot of equipment, such as additional firepower and long-range anti-aircraft missiles.”

The proposed sidekick support ships with missile containers & an automated 30mm multipurpose gun

Dutch shipyard Damen will build the vessels, with Israeli Aerospace Industries supplying its Barak ER surface-to-air interceptor, Harop long-range loitering munition as well as electronic-warfare equipment. Buying the missiles, long-range munitions and EW equipment from a single supplier will simplify integration work, the defense ministry said.

The Dutch Navy’s air-defense frigates will continue to be equipped with RTX’s SM-2 surface-to-air missile, and the frigate’s radar and fire-control systems will handle launch and targeting for the missiles on the support vessels.

The support ships will each have a crew of at least eight sailors. While current technology isn’t sufficiently mature for fully autonomous vessels, the new ships will provide the Navy with experience in operating with small crews, as a first step toward unmanned vessels, Tuinman said.

The first iteration will be available for the North Sea in 2026, and both vessels will be fully operational in 2027. Equipment on the support vessels will be packed in containers, meaning air-defense kit can be swapped out for long-range munitions based on the specific needs of the mission, according to the letter.

The Barak ER air-defense missile that will equip the support ships has a range of up to 150 kilometers and can target anything from fighters to tactical ballistic missiles and glide bombs, with eight missiles packed in a vertical launcher, according to the company’s spec sheet.

The Netherlands also looked at MBDA’s Aster missile, which the minister said can’t be fired from a container, while Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Stunner missile didn’t entirely fit the Dutch requirements.

The Netherlands needs to be prepared for swarming tactics, with massive and simultaneous attacks of anti-ship missiles and drones, which require larger stocks of missiles, Tuinman told parliament. Additionally, RTX is halting production of the SM-2, and the successor missile SM-2 Block IIICU isn’t compatible with the fire control on the Dutch air-defense frigates, the minister said.

Adversaries in coastal areas increasingly have access to advanced sensors and long-range weapons, which is changing doctrine for amphibious operations to a larger number of simultaneous landings, according to Tuinman. The IAI loitering munitions have a range of several hundreds of kilometers, and will be able to linger in the target area for some time before use, he said.

Meanwhile the threat to Dutch infrastructure in the North Sea remains undiminished, with Russia continuing to map the infrastructure in what appear to be preparations for disruption and sabotage, the minister said. The Navy escorted a Russian research vessel in June and July that spent several days in the Dutch part of the North Sea, with intelligence services suspecting the Russians were investigating opportunities for potential future sabotage.

The Ministry of Defence plans to buy off-the-shelf underwater drones equipped with long-range sensors to spot suspicious activity, while the support vessels will also be fitted with sensors to record suspicious vessels.

THIS PAGE WAS POSTED BY SPUTNIK ONE OF THE SPUTNIKS ORBIT BLOG

HTTPS://DISQUS.COM/HOME/FORUM/THESPUTNIKSORBIT-BLOGSPOT-COM

What happens to the climate when Earth passes through interstellar clouds?

Sept. 24, 2024, by M. Thompson, Universe Today

https://phys.org/news/2024-09-climate-earth-interstellar-clouds.html

Orion Molecular Cloud Complex, dominated in the center of this view by the brilliant Flame nebula (NGC 2024). The smaller, glowing cavity falling between the Flame nebula and the Horsehead is called NGC 2023. 

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech.

Noctilucent clouds were once thought to be a fairly modern phenomenon. A team of researchers recently calculated that Earth and the entire solar system may well have passed through two dense interstellar clouds, causing global noctilucent clouds that may have driven an ice age.

The event is thought to have happened 7 million years ago and would have compressed the heliosphere, exposing Earth to the interstellar medium.

Interstellar clouds are vast regions of gas and dust between the stars within galaxies. They are mostly made up of hydrogen along with a little helium and trace elements of heavier elements.

They are a key part of the life cycle of stars, providing the materials for new stars to be formed, and are seeded with elements after stars die. The clouds vary significantly in size, density and location and are an important part of the evolution of the galaxy.

Earth's journey around the galaxy is not for the impatient, for it takes about 250 million years to complete one full orbit at a speed of 828,000 kilometers per hour. Currently, the solar system is located in the Orion Arm, one of the spiral arms of our galaxy.

During the journey, Earth travels through different regions, encountering stars and different densities of the interstellar medium. It experiences gravitational interactions with nearby stars and nebulae, sometimes exerting subtle interactions. Regardless of the immense journey, the stars of our galaxy remain relatively unchanged over a human lifetime.

A team of astronomers led by Jess A. Miller from the Department of Astronomy of Boston University have traced the path of the sun back through time. In doing so, they have identified two occasions when the Earth and solar system passed through two dense interstellar clouds. The research is published in Geophysical Research Letters.

One of the crossings occurred 2 million years ago, the other 7 million years ago. Exploring the properties of the clouds, the team assert that the clouds are dense enough that they could compress the solar wind to inside the orbit of Earth.

The solar wind is a constant stream of charged particles, mostly electrons and protons that are emitted from the upper layer of the sun's atmosphere, the corona. The particles travel through the solar system at speeds between 400 and 800 kilometers per second. The edge of our solar system is defined as the point where the solar wind merges with the interstellar medium.

Previous teams have analyzed climate change events due to these interstellar medium interactions with similar findings. Global cooling has been the result, with an ice age being triggered. The study by Miller and team readdressed this very topic using modern technology and processes.

The team find that the interactions have indeed played a part in changes to the atmosphere of Earth. They find that levels of hydrogen in the upper atmosphere would have increased substantially. The newly acquired hydrogen would be converted to water molecules in the lower atmosphere and it would also have led to a reduction in mesospheric levels of ozone.

These processes would have led to the appearance of global noctilucent clouds in the mesosphere. They would not have been permanent, but may have blocked 7% of sunlight from reaching Earth, plunging our planet into an ice age.

Recommend this post and follow

Sputnik's Orbit

thesputniksorbit

Defense News: Rheinmetall unveils UK’s upgraded Challenger 3 battle tank

 

Rheinmetall unveils UK’s upgraded Challenger 3 battle tank

By Rudy Ruitenberg, Defense News, Thursday September 19, 2024

https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2024/09/19/rheinmetall-unveils-uks-upgraded-challenger-3-battle-tank/

The British Army's Challenger tank is due for significant upgrades, with a new version now running off the production line. (Daniel Leal/AFP via Getty Images)

Rheinmetall unveiled the U.K.’s new Challenger 3 main battle tank to the public at a British Army event this week, with upgraded armor and a 120mm smoothbore cannon for what the company calls the most advanced tank in NATO.

The U.K. is getting its improved tank as allies including France and Germany are still considering whether and how to adapt their heavy armor to evolving battlefield threats including drones, which have been ubiquitous tank killers in the war in Ukraine. The Challenger 3 with the Ajax fighting vehicles and Boxer infantry vehicles is set to form the backbone of the Army’s Future Soldier concept, which seeks to modernize the British forces for beyond 2030.

“The Challenger 3 will bring unmatched lethality to future battlefields,” the U.K. Ministry of Defence said in a video posted on X, formerly Twitter. “Alongside Ajax and Boxer, Challenger 3 will form the British Army’s future fleet of armored vehicles.”

Rheinmetall is upgrading the tank in a joint venture with BAE Systems, after buying 55% of the BAE business that supplies combat vehicles to the British Army in 2019. The Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) joint venture signed a £800 million contract (US$1 billion) with the U.K. Ministry of Defence in May 2021 to upgrade 148 Challenger 2 tanks.

Rheinmetall said two Challenger 3 prototypes have already rolled out of the RBSL site in Telford, England, with another six to be delivered in coming months. Testing is underway to validate the performance of the prototypes and make adjustments, before the remaining 140 tanks are built and delivered to the British Army.

The tank was on show at the British Army’s Defence Vehicle Dynamics event at UTAC Millbrook, a land-vehicle proving ground that includes off-road tracks for testing of military vehicles.

The Rheinmetall-BAE joint venture in April last year conducted firing tests of the smoothbore gun, which replaces a rifled cannon that had left Britain the only user of rifled tank ammunition among NATO members. Rheinmetall’s 120mm smoothbore guns are used on tanks including the Leopard 2 and the U.S. Abrams.

RBSL and the U.K.’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory have developed a modular armor system for the Challenger 3 which the company said is “a step change in survivability” for the tank, with trials successful so far and more planned in 2025.

                                                 Photo courtesy Rheinmetall  website.

“The RBSL team is making great strides, with Challenger 3 completing successful non-destructive testing, and further capability trials are to come,” the joint venture’s Managing Director Will Gibby said in a statement. He said the new battle tank is “the most advanced and capable” in NATO.

The upgraded 66-tonne tank, with a crew of four, features 24-hour all-weather sights, engine improvements, a hydro-gas suspension, better communications and increased electrical power that will allow for adding more power-hungry equipment in the future.

The Challenger 3 will further be equipped with the Trophy active protection system from Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, designed to protect against rockets and missiles, after the U.K. tested the system in late 2022.

RAFAEL Showcasing TROPHY APS as System is Set to Spearhead Challenger 3's Defence

France and Germany are working on a future battle-tank system dubbed the Main Ground Combat System, though that’s not expected to be ready before the 2040s, and military-vehicle makers Rheinmetall and KNDS showed off competing tank concepts at the Eurosatory defense show in June here that could plug the gap.

Gibby said capabilities used for the Challenger 3 program, including personnel, tools and facilities, are the building blocks needed for “new customers solutions,” and “we look forward to RBSL helping shape the future of military vehicle design and production with international allies.”

Rheinmetall and Finland’s Patria showed off a prototype mortar variant of the Boxer at the British Army event. The armored carrier mounted with Patria’s NEMO 120mm turreted mortar system has a maximum fire rate of 10 rounds per minute and a range of up to 10 kilometers, while able to fire on the move, the companies said in a statement on Sept. 19.

The Boxer mortar variant can provide both direct and indirect fire for greater versatility in combat scenarios, while the turret means operators stay protected, according to Rheinmetall. Patria called the variant “a significant leap” forward in terms of battlefield capabilities.

U.K. firm Babcock, in a partnership with ST Engineering, also presented a 120mm mortar system, consisting of a barrel on a ground plate deployed using a hinged system at the back of a vehicle. The system unveiled at the Army event in Millbrook was developed to “address the urgent requirement” to boost the weaponry of the U.K.’s armed forces, and would be built at the company’s site in Devonport, England, Babcock said.

The Netherlands in June picked BAE’s 120mm mortar system to equip its CV90 armored vehicles. The double-barreled turreted mortar has a maximum range of 13 kilometers, and can fire as many as 16 rounds a minute, with a sustained rate of 6 shells a minute, according to the spec sheet.

THIS PAGE WAS POSTED BY SPUTNIK ONE OF THE SPUTNIKS ORBIT BLOG

HTTPS://DISQUS.COM/HOME/FORUM/THESPUTNIKSORBIT-BLOGSPOT-COM

Chinese Scientists Have Developed an Electromagnetic Vortex Cannon

BY CHANGCHUN INSTITUTE OF OPTICS, FINE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS (CIOMP), CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, SEPTEMBER 10, 2024

https://scitechdaily.com/chinese-scientists-have-developed-an-electromagnetic-vortex-cannon/

An innovative “electromagnetic vortex cannon” capable of emitting vortex rings has been created, mirroring the behavior of natural air vortices.

 This technology could revolutionize communication and remote sensing with its enhanced data encoding capabilities and resilience to environmental disturbances. 

Credit: Ren Wang; Pan-Yi Bao; Zhi-Qiang Hu; Shuai Shi; Bing-Zhong Wang; Nikolay I. Zheludev; Yijie Shen

Vortex rings, both in air and electromagnetic waves, are fascinating structures. Recent research has developed methods to emit electromagnetic vortex rings, offering potential applications in communication, sensing, and data processing. This technology may revolutionize wireless networks and pave the way for innovations in data storage and metrology.

Vortex rings, a mysterious and fascinating natural phenomenon, display breathtaking structures and behaviors in both air and electromagnetic waves. Imagine an air cannon that can shoot vortex rings, creating a perfect air vortex that travels gracefully through the air as if an invisible hand is sketching an elegant curve in the sky. This vortex phenomenon is not just a spectacle of physics but a masterpiece of nature.

The creation of air vortices is a captivating blend of science and aesthetics. When an air cannon fires, the instantaneous pressure difference causes the air to form a rotating ring structure that propagates steadily through the air, showcasing the unique shape and dynamics of the vortex.

Electromagnetic Vortex Rings

Applying the same principle to electromagnetic waves, we can envision an “electromagnetic vortex cannon” that directly emits electromagnetic vortex rings. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of researchers, this concept is gradually becoming a reality. Recently, Associate Professor Ren Wang from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Assistant Professor Yijie Shen from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, and their collaborators from the University of Southampton in the UK proposed a method using coaxial horn antennas to directly emit electromagnetic vortices.

They observed the resilient propagation characteristics and skyrmion topological structures of these vortices. Their work was published as a Featured Article in Applied Physics Reviews.

Air cannons produce visible vortex rings by generating rotating air pressure differences, while electromagnetic cannons emit electromagnetic vortex pulses using coaxial horn antennas.

 The electromagnetic system also demonstrates self- resilience properties and skyrmion topology, offering unique potential in high-capacity communication, target detection, and data encoding due to their complex wave dynamics and topological features. 

Credit: Ren Wang; Pan-Yi Bao; Zhi-Qiang Hu; Shuai Shi; Bing-Zhong Wang; Nikolay I. Zheludev; Yijie Shen

Operating Principles of the Electromagnetic Vortex Cannon

These scientists summarize the operational principle of their electromagnetic cannon: “The principle involves utilizing ultra-wideband, radially polarized, conical coaxial horn antennas to create a rotating electromagnetic wave structure. When the antenna emits, it generates an instantaneous pressure difference that forms these vortex rings, which maintain their shape and energy over long distances. The uniqueness of this method lies in its ability to produce electromagnetic pulses with complex topological features, such as skyrmions, that showcase remarkable resilience and self-healing properties during propagation.”

Applications in Communication and Sensing

“The potential applications of this technology are vast and exciting. In high-capacity communication systems, these vortex pulses could revolutionize how we transmit information by offering efficient and robust methods of data encoding. The unique spectral and polarization characteristics of the vortex rings allow them to carry more information compared to traditional waves, making them ideal candidates for next-generation communication networks. Furthermore, their ability to maintain structural integrity even in the presence of environmental disturbances positions them as valuable tools in remote sensing and target detection. By analyzing the unique patterns of these vortex pulses, we can develop more precise and reliable methods for detecting and locating objects, whether in defense systems or space exploration,” the scientists forecast.

“As we reflect on the implications of our findings, I’m particularly excited about how this research could lead to groundbreaking advancements in metrology and information processing. The spatiotemporal inseparability of the vortex pulses provides a foundation for developing new techniques in complex data encoding and high-precision measurements.

Additionally, the skyrmion textures embedded within the vortex rings offer intriguing possibilities for topological data storage and processing, potentially leading to more efficient ways of managing and analyzing large datasets. This work not only demonstrates the incredible versatility of electromagnetic vortex rings but also sets the stage for future innovations in wireless technology, creating opportunities to redefine our understanding of electromagnetic phenomena,” the scientists added.


The study was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Aeronautical Science Foundation of China, the Natural Science Foundation of Sichuan Province, the European Research Council, a Tier 1 Thematic Grant, and a Nanyang Technological University Start Up Grant.

Recommend this post and follow

Sputnik's Orbit

home/forum/thesputniksorbit-blogspot

Defense News: Anduril unveils modular, high-production Barracuda cruise missiles

Anduril unveils modular, high-production Barracuda cruise missiles

By Stephen Losey, Defense News, September 16, 2024

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2024/09/12/anduril-unveils-modular-high-production-barracuda-cruise-missiles/

Anduril's Barracuda cruise missiles can be launched from a variety of aircraft, depending on their size. Here, a Barracuda-100 is loaded onto an AH-1Z Viper helicopter. (Anduril)

Defense tech firm Anduril Industries on Thursday unveiled a new line of autonomous, air-breathing cruise missiles that the company says will be able to be easily upgraded and produced in large numbers to bolster the military’s arsenal.

The three versions of the subsonic Barracuda cruise missile — dubbed the Barracuda-100, -250 and -500 — are built using common subsystems that can be easily swapped in and out as new technologies are developed or threats emerge, Anduril said, which makes them highly adaptable. They will be able to conduct direct, stand-off or stand-in strikes, the company said.

Barracuda’s modularity will also make it attractive to international customers, said Chris Brose, Anduril’s chief strategy officer.

“You can take it apart like Lego blocks,” Brose told reporters in a Wednesday call. “It makes it a lot easier to work through and navigate defense export issues and collaboration with allies.”

“Rather than designing bespoke capabilities for each single weapon system that you’re trying to put out there, how do we actually make this simpler, and how to we actually design out the hard parts?” Salmon said.

Anduril's Barracuda System Scales Missile Defense

Anduril also created a “hyperscale production” strategy for Barracuda based on a simple design with fewer parts that uses commercial components and requires no more than 10 tools to assemble, the company said. Besides bringing down costs, Salmon said, Anduril’s approach to Barracuda will allow the company to scale production up or down as needed.

All versions of the Barracuda would be able to fly at speeds of up to 500 knots, Anduril said. The smallest version, the Barracuda-100, would have a range of up to 85 miles when launched in the air and carry a payload of up to 35 pounds. It could be launched from the ground, from the tail of a C-130 mobility aircraft or from the rails of AH-64 Apache or AH-1Z Viper helicopters.

The Barracuda-250 would be able to fly about 200 nautical miles when air-launched, though its payload capacity would be the same as the 100. It could be launched from the internal weapons bay of F-35 fighters or bombers, and externally from F-15E Strike Eagles, F-16 Fighting Falcons and F-18E/F Super Hornets.

The Barracuda-500 could have a range of more than 500 nautical miles, carry more than 100 pounds of payload and loiter for more than two hours, the company said. Besides being launched externally from the F-15E, F-16, and F-18E/F, Anduril said, it could be launched as a palletized munition from the C-17 and C-130.

Anduril also said Barracuda missiles are highly maneuverable and able to withstand up to 5 G-forces.

Barracuda’s autonomous capabilities will allow it to fly alongside other Barracudas or aircraft and collaborate with them, according to Brose. That could include multiple Barracudas providing different capabilities in a single mission, with some detecting targets, others acting as decoys or providing countermeasures, and still others carrying out strikes.

“That package can go deliver the mission effect that you want, without having to bundle all of that into one air vehicle, and then radically drive up the cost per round of every single vehicle,” Brose said.

Anduril is testing Barracuda as part of the Air Force Armament Directorate and Defense Innovation Unit’s Enterprise Test Vehicle project, according to Brose, among other testing programs he declined to specify. ETV seeks to test prototypes of a modular drone to test payloads, sensors and other technology and be produced affordably at high rates.

All three versions have conducted flight tests, Salmon said. Anduril is also focusing on testing its subsystems, particularly its flight software, she said, to “mak(e) sure we’re wringing out all the kinks there.”

Introducing: Barracuda-M Family of Cruise Missiles

THIS PAGE WAS POSTED BY SPUTNIK ONE OF THE SPUTNIKS ORBIT BLOG

HTTPS://DISQUS.COM/HOME/FORUM/THESPUTNIKSORBIT-BLOGSPOT-COM