Kelvin Hughes
Enfield, UK
+44 19 9280 5200
www.kelvinhughes.com

Kelvin Hughes recently installed its new SharpEye™ upmast radar system on four new vessels commissioned by the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force. The Damen Stan Patrol 5009 Coastal Patrol Vessels are all now fitted with a Kelvin Hughes Advanced Surveillance System incorporating a SharpEye™ X-Band radar, located upmast in a carbon composite housing with a stealth profile, as well as a tactical radar display. The four craft - the TTS Speyside, Quinam, Moruga and Carli Bay - will patrol Trinidad and Tobago's coastal waters and are also capable of operating in its Exclusive Economic Zone.

Charles River Analytics
Cambridge, MA
617-491-3474
www.cra.com

Charles River Analytics Inc., a developer of intelligent systems solutions, has received a follow-on contract from the US Navy to develop more efficient training tools in virtual environments. Shiphandling Educator Assistant for Managing Assessments in Training Environments, or SEAMATE, supports experienced instructors as they monitor and interact with larger numbers of students in the classroom, increasing training efficiency while reducing costs and maintaining effectiveness. The contract is valued at just under $1 million with a contract extension option close to $500,000, if exercised.

The defense and aerospace market continues to push for reductions in size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) to support advanced sensor/vetronics payloads onboard unmanned platforms. Groundbreaking SWaP-C reduction for processor and network switch systems are enabling UAS (unmanned aircraft system) and UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) platforms to expand their mission capabilities. Several technologies are driving this small form factor revolution, including tightly integrated system- on-chips (SoCs), semiconductor packaging advancements (i.e. smaller nanometer dies, lower voltage chips), and micro-miniature rugged connectors.

While the military’s proliferation of unmanned aircraft, or drones, continues to grab the headlines, the deployment of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) is also anticipated to expand based on their role in helping military operations become more agile, responsive and safe. Intensifying mission requirements for UGVs called for in Future Combat Systems (FCS) depends on their ability to cost-effectively contribute to significant increases in intelligence through reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition, coupled with the ability to handle high-risk or labor intensive tasks and the efficient transporting of personnel and materials.

Since 2001, there has been a proliferation of robots within the U.S. military to assist with Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) missions. Ground robotics systems are able to detect and dispose of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with the help of robotic manipulator arms.

Advances in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) are providing government agencies and commercial organizations with new capabilities across a variety of mission requirements. However, many underwater vehicles only address specific criteria or support well-defined (and limited) niches. As an example, the Naval Sea Systems Command’s (NAVSEA) Littoral Battlespace Sensing (LBS) system includes the LBS-G long-endurance glider to collect oceanographic data, but also needs the LBS-AUV for military applications.

The use of Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIED) has increased each year. Current anti-VBIED technology is not only expensive, but requires months or years of training by Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) technicians to operate the equipment. The process of unloading the EOD robot, attaching the detonation wire to the robot, attaching the water charge to the EOD robot, driving the water charge to the VBIED, placing the charge under the vehicle, and then retrieving the EOD robot is a time consuming event. With a typical EOD robot costing $100k - $200k, there is a large financial risk to the EOD team if the robot is damaged or destroyed in the process. WM Robots PAWN was developed to offer the EOD technicians another option in reducing the time needed to neutralize the threat and cost of the operation.