APRIL 2020

RELEVANT. TRUSTED.
ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES.

AI algorithms
for unmanned
jet fighters
Researchers focus on
creating future teams of
manned and unmanned
combat jets. PAGE 4

Power
supplies
Systems designers
grapple with open
systems, and the need
for more power. PAGE 20

militaryaerospace.com

Artificial intelligence
in unmanned vehicles
Today’s unmanned vehicles
have built-in intelligence
to learn from their
experiences and make
their own decisions. PAGE 12

2004MAEc1-c2.indd 1 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 The Big Thing in

RFSoC is Here.
(And it’s only 2.5 inches wide!)

Small Powerful Deployable

k’ 00 F b q k F
h h z W
k’ U V X h
Q zX ® h b
h — h k
k
" 2 5" b
h
•
• ® U +™ S C h b b / / &

•
•
q
•
Unleash the Power of the RFSoC.
• ® S F k Download the FREE White Paper!
h X V ® www.pentek.com/go/marfsoc
All this plus FREE lifetime applications support!

k O k W U NJ 07 5
h : 20 5900 • F : 20 590 • : @ k • k
Worldwide Distribution & Support, Copyright © 2019 Pentek, Inc. Pentek, Quartz, QuartzXM and Navigator are trademarks of Pentek, Inc. Other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

2004MAEc1-c2.indd
Pent_MAE_1905 1 2 4/6/20 10:48
4/5/19 11:24 AM
AM
 APRIL 2020
VOL. 31, NO. 4

2 TRENDS

4 NEWS

5 IN BRIEF

12 SPECIAL REPORT
Artificial intelligence
COvER STORY

for unmanned vehicles

The latest generation of unmanned vehicles
operating on land, in the air, and at sea no longer
simply are remotely operated; they have built-in
intelligence to learn from their experiences and
make their own decisions.

20 TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Power supplies grapple with open
systems, need for more power
The emerging SOSA standard seeks to promote
interoperable 12-volt embedded power systems, yet
this level may not be enough.

28 RF & MICROWAVE

30 UNMANNED VEHICLES

32 ELECTRO-OPTICS WATCH

35 PRODUCT APPLICATIONS

37 NEW PRODUCTS

FOLLOW US
FACEBOOK.com TWITTER LINKEDIN.com
/MilitaryAerospaceElectronics @MilAero /showcase/military-&-aerospace-electronics

Military & Aerospace Electronics® (ISSN 1046-9079, print; 2688-366X, digital / USPS 005-901) is published 12 times a year by Endeavor Business Media, LLC, 1233
Janesville Avenue, Fort Atkinson WI 53538. Periodicals postage paid at Fort Atkinson, WI 53538 and at additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIPTION PRICES: USA $185 1yr., $327
2 yr., $466 3 yr.; Canada $280 1 yr., $479 2 yr., $618 3 yr.; International $335 1 yr., $638 2 yr., $834 3 yr. POSTMASTER: Send address corrections to Military & ­Aerospace
Electronics, P.O. Box 3257, Northbrook, IL 60065-3257. Military & Aerospace Electronics is a registered trademark. © Endeavor Business Media, LLC 2020. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. We make portions of our subscriber list available to carefully screened companies that offer products and
services that may be important for your work. If you do not want to receive those offers and/or information via direct mail, please let us know by contacting us at List Services
Military & Aerospace Electronics, 61 Spit Brook Rd., Suite 501, Nashua, NH 03060. Printed in the USA. GST No. 126813153. Publications Mail Agreement no. 875376.

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   1

2004MAE_CraneAerospace 1 3/27/20 9:21 AM

2004MAE01_toc.indd 1 4/6/20 11:28 AM

 trends BY JOHN KELLER, EDITOR IN CHIEF

The military’s role in containing the

Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19)
Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19), as installations, and then to Europe with In a separate project, military
everyone knows, is changing life as we the first Doughboys heading to the researchers launched the Pandemic
know it, and its effects will be felt for trenches of the Western Front. The Prevention Platform (P3) program (DAR-
years, if not for decades, to come. People Spanish Flu, some speculate, may PA-SN-17-20) in February to develop
are huddling at home, with little hint have started in a military hospital pandemic-prevention countermea-
of when life will get back to normal. camp in Étaples in France, and spread sures to patients within 60 days of an
Work has ceased or is altered heavily, from there to the trenches. Either way, outbreak.
sporting events on all levels have dis- the military was a major culprit in the The P3 program of the Biological
appeared. Even a trip to the grocery virus’s spread. Technologies Office of the U.S. Defense
story is fraught with fear and anxiety. No one wants to see that again. Advanced Research Projects Agency
U.S. military forces are not exempt Today, in fact, the military is taking (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., aims to
from the physical and cultural effects measures to control and mitigate revolutionize outbreak response by
of the virus reverberating through soci- the spread of COVID-19. U.S. Army enabling rapid discovery, characteriza-
ety. So how might the military play a researchers released a solicitation in tion, production, and testing of medical
role in bringing this pandemic under March asking industry to develop tech- countermeasures to counter biological
control? Certainly military leaders have nologies to slow the spread of, and treat threats like COVID-19. The program
an interest in taking part. Warfighters those with the virus. seeks to generate virus stock, evolve
by the thousands can move quickly The solicitation, MTEC-Presolici- antibodies, and develop gene-encoded
and widely in the world, through areas tation-COVID-19, is called Prototype antibody delivery methods.
widely infected with the virus, and run Development to Combat Novel Corona- DARPA briefed industry on the P3
a big risk of spreading the virus if lead- virus Disease COVID-19. It was released program in late February and early
ers fail to take the proper precautions. on 15 March 2020 by the Medical March at two separate locations on the
History shows that the military Research Acquisition Activity of the U.S. East and West Coasts. Doubtless these
played an unenviable role in virus spread Army Medical Command at Fort Det- are only some of the first military ini-
in previous pandemics — most notably rick, Md. The solicitation is on behalf tiatives to combat the COVID-19 virus.
the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918, which of the Medical Technology Enterprise In this spirit, Military & Aerospace
killed between 50 million and 100 mil- Consortium (MTEC) in Summerville, Electronics will continue with its online
lion people. One range of speculation S.C., and seeks to develop prototypes communities and products to provide
has it that the Spanish Flu actually aimed to combat COVID-19. industry updates and key information
began in the U.S., not Spain, in Haskell To do that, researchers want rapid to readers during the current social-iso-
County, Kan. Young men infected with new ways to accelerate the inquiry, test- lation periods to contain COVID-19. Mil-
the virus spread it to Camp Funston, ing, and fielding of new ways to detect, itary & Aerospace Electronics continues
Kan., outside of Fort Riley, which was a prevent, contain, and treat COVID-19 to offer multiple social channels and
training site for U.S. recruits gathering and similar future emerging medical websites, along with digital products
to fight in World War I. threats. The project is fast, too; research- such as webinars, white papers, and
From Camp Funston the virus ers want solutions as soon as possible, eBooks to keep readers informed of the
quickly made its way to other U.S. and no later than the end of December. global business effects of COVID-19. 

2  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE02-03_tre.indd 2 4/6/20 11:24 AM 2002MA

 Largest Selection of
High Power Amplifiers

Class AB High Power Amplifiers with Available Heatsinks

Pasternack brings you a broad offering of ready-to-ship high power amplifiers covering RF, microwave
and mmWave bands:

• Saturated output power up to 200W

• Numerous heatsink options for high reliability
• Feature-rich: Class AB operation, temperature and power monitoring, TTL logic controls
• High efficiency, low distortion
• Latest GaN and GaAs pHEMT semiconductor technology
• Uniquely qualified for military radio, radar and communication systems, and test & measurement

In-Stock and Shipped Same Day

USA & Canada +1 (866) 727-8376

International +1 (949) 261-1920
pasternack.com

2004MAE02-03_tre.indd 3 1
2002MAE_PasternackHigh 4/6/20 11:24
1/31/20 AM
9:02 AM
 news

The U.S. still needs to keep strategic sur-

veillance systems like the Solid State Phased
Array Radar Systems (SSPARS) in good
repair, and has chosen InDyne to do this job.

InDyne to upgrade, maintain, and operate

long-range missile-defense radar system
BY John Keller

PETERSON AFB, Colo. — Radar experts at arate locations: Beale Air Force Base, vides data to help evaluate the severity
InDyne Inc. will maintain, upgrade, Calif.; Cape Cod, Air Force Station, of ballistic missile attacks.
and operate a global distributed radar Mass.; Clear Air Force Station, Alaska; A sister system — the Perimeter
network in place to provide missile-de- Royal Air Force Station Fylingdales, Acquisition Radar Attack Characteri-
fense and early warning of enemy bal- England; and Thule Air Base, Greenland. zation System (PARCS) is a large radar
listic missile launches and potential Air Force radar experts have been installation in North Dakota that pro-
threats in space. considering technology refresh for the vides ballistic missile warning and
Officials of the U.S. Air Force 21st front-end and remoting capabilities of attack assessment, as well as space
Contracting Squadron at Peterson Air those radar systems, and have received surveillance data to the North Amer-
Force Base, Colo., announced a $51.4 significant upgrades to their data- and ican Aerospace Defense Command
million order to InDyne in Sterling, signal-processing subsystems. (NORAD) at Peterson Air Force Base,
Va., to exercise option year two for the The SSPARS ballistic missile defense Colo., as well as to USSTRATCOM and
management, operation, maintenance, radar provides U.S. Strategic Command regional combatant commanders.
and logistical support of the Solid State (USSTRATCOM) at Offutt Air Force Base On this order InDyne will do the
Phased Array Radar Systems (SSPARS). near Omaha, Neb., with warning and work at Beale Air Force Base; Cape
These radar systems — once referred attack-assessment information on Cod Air Force Station; Clear Air Force
to as the Phased Array Warning System all intercontinental ballistic missiles Station; Thule Air Base; and Royal Air
(PAVE PAWS) and the Ballistic Missile (ICBMs) launched throughout the world Force Fylingdales, and will be finished
Early Warning System (BMEWS) — rep- that might be headed for U.S. territory. by April 2021. 
resent a radar, computer, and commu- The system also helps warn
nications system for missile warning USSTRATCOM and NATO authorities For more information contact InDyne Inc. online
and space surveillance. of submarine- and sea-launched bal- at www.indyneinc.com, or the Air Force 21st
SSPARS sites are located at five sep- listic missile (SLBM) attacks and pro- Contracting Squadron at www.peterson.af.mil.

4  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 4 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 Could DARPA program pave to the Lockheed Martin Space Systems and is deployed aboard U.S. Navy Ohio-
the way to containing the segment in Titusville, Fla., to provide for class ballistic missile submarines. The
COVID-19 pandemic? Trident II (D5) missile production and U.S. Navy operates 14 of these ballistic
Starting in 2017, the U.S. Defense deployed systems support. The Trident missile submarines, each of which can
Advanced Research Projects Agency II D5 is one of the most advanced long- carry as many as 24 Trident II missiles.
(DARPA) in Arlington, Va., launched range submarine-launched nuclear Although the Trident II is designed to
the Pandemic Prevention Platform (P3) missiles in the world. It is the primary carry as many as 12 multiple inde-
program to create a new medicine to U.S. sea-based nuclear ballistic missile, pendently targetable reentry vehicle
treat infections within 60 days and
prevent spread of the infection. Now

Fill Your Tank

the P3 program could play a role in
ending the disruptions caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic and decrease dis-
ruptions to the military and home-
land. These disruptions have hit the RUN UP TO THREE SUPPLIES IN PARALLEL.
military, with everything from strained
telework resources to canceled exer-
cises to actual infections among ser- Dawn VITA 62 6U
vice members. One of the companies AC/DC Power Supply
awarded contracts by DARPA was
AbCellera Biologics Inc. in Vancou-
RUGGED, RELIABLE AND READY,
ver, B.C., which through the program
the Dawn VITA 62 compliant 6U
refined its approach to the discov-
AC/DC PSC-6265 operates
ery and manufacture of antibodies
continuously at 580 watts in
that are most effective in containing
diverse environments. Standard
a novel infection. While DARPA proj-
model is conduction to wedge
ects often anticipate the future, it has
lock cooled. Operating range
been a fast turnaround from antici-
-40°C to +85°C, nonoperating
pating greater pandemics in 2017 and
range -55°C to +105°C.
2018 to tackling one in 2020. AbCel-
lera announced it is partnering with Dawn’s HLD-6262 Holdup
Eli Lilly to develop and manufacture Module works in conjunction with
an antibody treatment that can bind our PSC-6265 to overcome ‘gaps’
and neutralize COVID-19. or ‘glitches’ in the normal input
power source up to 50 msec, as
Lockheed Martin to build additional specified by MIL-STD 704F.
Trident II D5 nuclear missiles
Strategic weapons experts at Lockheed
Martin Corp. will build additional UGM-
133A Trident II D5 submarine-launched
ENCLOSURES BACKPLANES CARD CAGES ACCESSORIES
ballistic nuclear missiles and support
POWER SUPPLIES VPX PRODUCTS RUSH™ MONITORS
deployed D5 nuclear weapons under
terms of a half-billion-dollar order You need it right. You want Dawn.
announced in March. Officials of the
U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs (510) 657-4444
(SSP) office in Washington are awarding
a $601.3 million contract modification
dawnvme.com

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   5

2004MAE_DawnVME 1 3/16/20 10:38 AM

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 5 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 news

Military seeks AI algorithms for

(MIRV) warheads, current treaties
reduce this number to four or five.

future unmanned jet fighters

Each Trident II missile has a range
of 4,000 to 7,000 miles. The Trident II
D5 was first deployed in 1990 and is
BY John Keller scheduled to remain in service until
at least 2027.
ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. military research- aerial vehicles (UAVs), and ultimately
ers are asking industry to develop arti- to full-scale combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman to build
ficial intelligence (AI) algorithms for The project will develop air combat AARGM anti-radar missile
future experimental high-performance maneuvering algorithms for within-vi- for EW combat jets
unmanned combat aircraft, with an eye sual-range air combat maneuvering U.S. Navy air warfare experts are
to creating future teams of manned that involve one-versus-one, two-ver- ordering another batch of the
and unmanned jet fighters. sus-one, and two-versus-two engage- AGM-88E Advanced Anti-Radia-
Officials of the U.S. Defense ments against adversaries with a broad tion Guided Missile (AARGM) to
Advanced Research Projects Agency spectrum of performance. equip the service’s carrier-based
(DARPA) in Arlington, Va., have released The ACE program overall seeks fighter-bombers and electronic
a broad agency announcement to increase trust in combat auton- warfare (EW) jets. Officials of the
(HR001120S0028) for the Air Combat omy using human-machine collabo- Naval Air Systems Command at
Evolution (ACE) Technical Area 1: Build ration in aircraft dogfighting, as well Patuxent River Naval Air Station,
Combat Autonomy project. as develop enabling technologies to Md., announced a $165 million
This project seeks to increase war- enhance collaboration among humans order last week to the Northrop
fighter trust in combat autonomy by and unmanned combat aircraft in a Grumman Corp. Innovation Sys-
automating aerial within-visual-range variety of combat scenarios. tems segment (formerly Orbital
maneuvering using realistic aircraft. The idea is to enable one human ATK) in Northridge, Calif., for
The ACE Build Combat Autonomy pilot to become a more deadly war- lot nine full-rate-production
project seeks to advance artificial intel- fighter by leading several semi-au- of the AARGM anti-radar mis-
ligence technologies for individual and tonomous artificially intelligent sile. The order includes convert-
team aerial dogfighting tactics. To do unmanned aircraft, all from his own ing Advanced Guided Missile-88B
this, DARPA wants to develop an air- cockpit. This would shift the human High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles
craft autonomy able to move to pro- role from sole operator to system mis- (HARM) into 253 AGM-88E AARGM
gressively more realistic environments, sion commander. all up rounds for the Navy, and
including live subscale unmanned In particular, ACE aims to enable a two captive air training missiles
pilot to handle a broad, global air com- for Germany. AARGM is the newest
mand mission while his aircraft and version of the AGM-88 missile, and
unmanned aircraft team members is compatible with U.S. and allied
attack enemy aircraft and ground targets. strike aircraft, including the F/A-18
Companies interested in participat- fighter bomber, EA-18G electronic
ing in the ACE Build Combat Autonomy warfare jet, Tornado, F-16, and F-35.
project should upload full proposals no The AARGM features an advanced
later than 30 April 2020 to the DARPA digital anti-radiation homing sen-
BAA Website at https://baa.darpa.mil.  sor, millimeter wave radar terminal
seeker, global positioning system/
DARPA researchers are asking industry to Email questions or concerns to DARPA at inertial navigation system (GPS/
develop technologies to enable unmanned HR001120S0028@darpa.mil. More information INS) guidance, net-centric connec-
jet fighter aircraft to maneuver just as if is online at https://beta.sam.gov/opp/06abac37 tivity, and weapon-impact-assess-
they had human pilots. e9f0483181f6d3903542843b/view. ment transmit (WIA).

6  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 6 4/6/20 11:24 AM

2002MA
 Marines ask the Navy MUOS of about 20 MHz. Marines learned ton announced an $8.8 million order
satellites could handle that the signal could survive jam- to the Lockheed Martin Rotary and
electronic jamming ming as strong as about 50 percent Mission Systems activities in Manas-
Maj. Gen. Robert Castellvi, command- of that threshold. That’s a signifi- sas, Va., and in Syracuse, N.Y., to pro-
ing general of the 1st Marine Divi- cant amount, officials said, because vide kits and spares for the AN/BVY-1
sion, said March 2 that the Navy’s jamming a greater portion of the Integrated Submarine Imaging Sys-
narrowband communications satel- spectrum more would require more tem (ISIS). These kits and spares will
lites were able to withstand signifi- power and, in turn, compromise an be for the AN/BLQ-10 submarine elec-
cant interference during a December enemy’s position. tronic warfare (EW) system, technol-
exercise at Camp Pendleton, Calif. ogy insertion 18 (TI-18), versions. ISIS
Marine Corps leaders asked the Navy to upgrade electro- provides mission critical, all-weather,
Army’s Threat Systems Management optical surveillance system visual, and electronic search, digi-
Office to intentionally jam parts of for submarine fleet tal image management, indication,
the spectrum that the Navy’s Mobile Submarine combat systems experts warning, and platform architecture
User Objective System operates in for at Lockheed Martin Corp. will upgrade interface capabilities for Los Angeles-,
the Steel Knight 20 exercise at Camp and support a U.S. Navy electro-optical Ohio-, and Virginia-class submarines,
Pendleton north of San Diego. MUOS, surveillance system designed for sev- Navy officials say. The system has the
a constellation of five on-orbit com- eral classes of attack and guided-mis- potential for installation on Ohio-class
munications satellites built by Lock- sile submarines. Officials of the Naval ballistic missile submarines and other
heed Martin, operates over a span Sea Systems Command in Washing- kinds of submarines. 

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 7 4/6/20 11:24 AM

2002MAE_FairRite 1 2/6/20 8:47 AM
 news

Military wants to develop rugged materials for

hypersonic radomes and infrared windows
BY John Keller

ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. military researchers than five times the speed of sound. ical, and chemical environments during
are asking industry to develop rugged The HEAT program is a classified hypersonic flight that can limit their
RF radomes and infrared windows able effort, so any contractors participating performance. For example, shock
to withstand the severe heat, shock, must have facility clearance licenses waves and high heat loads can impose
and vibration of hypersonic flight. and personnel with collateral secret wavefront distortions and boresight
Officials of the U.S. Defense Advanced security clearances. errors on guidance electronics.
Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in High speed aerospace systems like Solutions may involve affordable
Arlington, Va., have issued a broad hypersonics require RF radomes or IR and manufacturable means of con-
agency announcement (HR001120S0038) windows to protect sensitive electron- trolling thermo-optical and elas-
for the High Enthalpy Aperture Technol- ics from the environmental extremes tic-optical effects; maintaining desired
ogy (HEAT) project. of high-speed flight while providing transmission amplitude and band-
HEAT seeks to demonstrate new transparency for radar and RF com- width; and reducing thermal defor-
material approaches and solutions to munications transceivers, as well as mation, mismatch, and radiation.
enable RF and IR apertures on hyper- infrared sensors used for guidance, HEAT program is a four-year, two-
sonic missiles and aircraft to withstand communications, and sensing. phase effort, which is divided into
extremes in heat and dynamic pressure. These aperture materials must three technical areas: integrated RF
Hypersonic vehicles typically fly faster withstand extreme thermal, mechan- aperture materials; infrared aperture
materials; and next-generation aper-
ture materials.
Performers should consider new
materials approaches that combine
metals, ceramics, and coatings into
innovative high-performance struc-
tures, as well as new computational
capabilities necessary to develop these
materials.
The program’s first phase will
develop integrated aperture materi-
als, and the second phase will involve
ground testing.
Companies interested were asked to
submit abstracts no later than 9 April
2020, and full proposals no later than
21 May 2020. Email questions or con-
cerns to the HEAT program manager,
William Carter, at HEAT@darpa.mil. 

More information is online at https://beta.sam.gov/

The intense heat and vibration of hypersonic flight is focusing attention on how to pro- opp/46a722b19a2a486196648e2ddc0478ea/view.
tect sensitive electronics like radar and electro-optical guidance sensors.

8  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 8 4/6/20 11:24 AM 2004MA

 The big name in miniature components.
Transformers & Inductors,
DC-DC Converters, AC-DC Power Supplies
The most demanding applications require the world’s most reliable components. For over 50 years PICO
Electronics has been providing innovative COTS and custom solutions for Military, Commercial, Aerospace
and Industrial applications. Our innovative miniature and sub-miniature components are unsurpassed in any
industry.  PICO Electronics’ products are proudly manufactured in the USA and are AS9100D Certified. 
To learn more about our products and how you can benefit from our expertise think...
visit our website at picoelectronics.com or call us today at 800-431-1064. low profile
from
.18" ht.

TRANSFORMERS & INDUCTORS Surface Mount & Thru Hole

Think Pico Small -
Over 5000 std Ultra Miniature Military • COTS • Industrial
• Ultra Miniature Designs
• MIL-PRF 27/MIL-PRF 21038
• DSCC Approved Manufacturing
• Audio/Pulse/Power/EMI Multiplex Models Available
• For Critical Applications, Pico Continues to
Be the Industry Standard

DC-DC CONVERTERS
2V to 10,000 VDC Outputs — 1-300 Watt Modules
• MIL/COTS/Industrial Models
• Regulated/Isolated/Adjustable
Programmable Standard Models
• New High Input Voltages to 900VDC
• AS9100C Facility/US Manufactured
• Military Upgrades and Custom Modules Available

PICO Electronics Inc.
143 Sparks Ave, Pelham, NY 10803
Call Toll Free: 800-431-1064
Mail: Info@picoelectronics.com  •  FAX: 914-738-8225

VISIT OUR EXCITING NEW WEBSITE: www.picoelectronics.com

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd
2004MAE_PicoElect 1 9 4/6/20
3/3/20 11:24 AM
3:48 PM
 news

Lockheed Martin to build AN/SQQ-89

shipboard ASW and counter-mine systems
BY John Keller

WASHINGTON — Undersea warfare experts at the Lockheed Mar- multi-sensor track correlation and target track management
tin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems segment in Manas- control, and forwards data to the ship’s weapons and deci-
sas, Va., will provide the U.S. Navy with AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 sion-support systems. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 works together
anti-submarine warfare (ASW) systems for surface war- with the ship’s active and passive hull sonar, multi-function
ships under terms of a $65.8 million order. towed array, sonobuoy processing, torpedo alerts, fire-con-
Officials of the Naval Sea Systems Command in Wash- trol system, sensor performance predictions, embedded
ington are asking Lockheed Martin to for production and operator, and team training systems.
engineering services for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 shipboard The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 has an open electronics archi-
ASW system. tecture to accommodate system upgrades, and makes the
The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is an undersea combat system most of data accessibility and system modules, Lockheed
designed to search, detect, classify, localize, and track under- Martin officials say. Its software application programs are
water contacts, and to attack or avoid enemy submarines, isolated from hardware with open middleware to render
floating, tethered, or bottom-attacked mines, and torpe- applications processor-independent.
does. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Navy The system uses POSIX-compliant system calls and Motif
and the government of Japan. and X-compliant display service calls. Symmetric multi-pro-
The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 uses active and passive sonar to cessors (SMPs) using Linux-based processing handle signal,
enable Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers and Ticondero- data, display, and interface processing.
ga-class cruisers to detect, locate, track, and attack hostile Virtual Network Computing (VNC) enables rapid re-allo-
submarines, mines, and torpedoes. cation of operator console displays to suit the tactical sit-
The counter-mine and anti-torpedo system provides uation, Lockheed Martin officials say.
Recent and planned upgrades to the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15
include improved automated torpedo detection, sonar per-
formance prediction, advanced active sonar processing,
re-designed active displays to reduce operator loading, and
integrated training and logistics.
The AN/SQQ-89 is integrated with the Aegis combat sys-
tem, vertical launch anti-submarine rocket (ASROC) sys-
tem. A variant of the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is integrated with
late-version Aegis combat systems being installed onboard
new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. A back-fit program is
in place to retrofit existing DDG-51 class ships and Ticon-
deroga-class cruisers.
On this contract modification Lockheed Martin will do
the work in Lemont Furnace, Pa.; Clearwater, Fla.; Syracuse,
Hauppauge, and Owego, N.Y.; Manassas, Va.; and Tewksbury,
Mass., and should be finished by May 2022. 

Lockheed Martin is building additional AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 systems to For more information contact Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Sys-
help surface warships like the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer to detect tems online at www.lockheedmartin.com, or Naval Sea Systems Com-
enemy submarines, mines, and torpedoes. mand at www.navsea.navy.mil.

10  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 10 4/6/20 11:24 AM

2004MA
 Military & Aerospace Electronics
continues providing important news and
information amid social distancing
To the loyal followers and friends of multiple social channels and websites,
Military & Aerospace Electronics, along with digital products such as
As we are all feeling the impact webinars, white papers, and eBooks —
of in-person social distancing, we all with the intent of helping to keep
wanted to reach out to you to let you you informed of the global impact of
know you can count on the Military today’s evolving business environment.
& Aerospace Electronics online com- At Military & Aerospace Electronics, we
munities and products to continue want you and your families to stay safe
providing industry updates and key and healthy. As a community, we will
information you need to continue to make it through these turbulent times.
do your job.
Military & Aerospace Electronics pro- John Keller, chief editor
vides our news and information through Military & Aerospace Electronics 

2004MAE04-11_nb.indd 11 4/6/20 11:24 AM

2004MAE_Vectornav 1 3/31/20 9:25 AM
 S PECIA L REPORT

U.S. Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Isaiah Trujillo,

an unmanned aircraft system maintenance
technician, recovers a U.S. Marine Corps
RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft at
Canon Air Defense Complex in Yuma, Ariz.

Artificial intelligence and embedded

computing for unmanned vehicles
The latest generation of unmanned vehicles operating on land, in the air, and at
sea no longer simply are remotely operated. These advanced systems have built-in
intelligence to learn from their experiences and make their own decisions.

BY J.R. Wilson

The two most prevalent terms in mil- military wants to use them and other manager in the U.S. Defense Advanced
itary and civilian technology repre- platforms — unmanned ground vehi- Research Project Agency (DARPA)
sented little more than science fiction cles (UGVs), unmanned surface vehi- Information Innovation Office (I2O) in
a generation ago. But today, unmanned cles (USVs), unmanned underwater Arlington, Va., says some of the most
vehicles and artificial intelligence (AI) vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned space difficult unmanned technology chal-
command center stage in any discus- vehicles (USVs) — in the future had to lenges involve UUVs.
sion of future military requirements wait for at least rudimentary AI. “While each evaluation environ-
for platforms, tactics, techniques, and Each of those has its own unique ment is distinctive, undersea envi-
procedures. operational environments that require ronments present a unique set of
Unmanned vehicles, in the form specific AI capabilities to make auton- challenges,” Neema explains. “In these
of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), omous underwater vehicles (AUVs) environments, things move much more
arrived on the scene first, but how the practical. Sandeep Neema, program slowly, missions can take longer due to

12  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 12 4/6/20 11:24 AM 2003MA

 The Right RF Parts.
Right Away.
As a leading provider of RF components to the military and
its contractors, we understand that having the correct RF parts
in a timely way for Mil/Aero system prototyping, testing, and field
deployments can mean the difference between program success
and failure. We’re certain we’ve got the parts you need, with more
than one million components in-stock and available to ship today.

We’ve Got That!

The Source for Mil/Aero RF Components,
Shipped Same Day.

fairviewmicrowave.com
+1-800-715-4396
+1-972-649-6678

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 13
2003MAE_PasternackFairview 1 4/6/20
3/2/20 11:24 AM
9:09 AM
 S PECIAL REPORT

for autonomy, quick reaction capa-

bility, and untethered cognitive func-
tionality remote from fixed resources,”
explains John Bratton, director of prod-
uct marketing at Mercury Systems in
Andover, Mass. “Nowhere is this more
pronounced than in the rapidly emerg-
ing and well-funded autonomous plat-
form domain.”
To scale the data center across smart
fog and edge layers requires their com-
posing servers to become smaller,
resilient to harsh environments, and
DARPA has completed its Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Continuous Trail Unmanned human attempts to tamper with them.
Vessel (ACTUV) program and has officially transferred the technology demonstration Distributed deployment requires serv-
vessel, christened Sea Hunter I, to the Office of Naval Research (ONR). ers to be miniaturized, while remain-
ing well-cooled; protected from hostile
harsh environmental conditions, and expanded the capabilities of embedded environments and conditions; secure
the limits of physics and navigation/ computing greatly across the range of and resilient to reverse engineering,
sensing/communications issues exac- unmanned vehicles, but especially on tampering, and cyber threats; trusted
erbate the challenges. Advanced auton- smaller platforms like hand-launched across hardware, software, middleware,
omy could significantly aid operations UAVs, UUVs, and UGVs operating and other intellectual property; deter-
in the underwater domain.” underground. ministic for mission- and safety-critical
Smaller, faster processors and “Big data processing is increasingly effector control and edge layers; and
enhanced onboard memory have being deployed in edge applications affordable through the leverage of the
best commercial intellectual property,
independent research and develop-
ment, and manufacturing capabilities.

The need for big processing

“As platforms become smarter and more
capable, greater on-board AI and big pro-
cessing in general is required to handle
the torrents of sensor and situational
awareness data for autonomous deci-
A
sion-making and effector control,” Mer- TE
cury’s Bratton says. “Effectors being the
highly deterministic, reliable and safe
N
vetronics, avionics and other safety- EQ
and mission-critical functions required
for platform control and mission suc-
cess within the defense domain. As the FOR
number of smart platforms grows, so IT S
does the need for a greatly expanded, CHO
Sea Hunter II, designed by Leidos and under construction by U.S. Marine Inc. in Gulfport, distributed fog layer with big process-
Miss., is the Office of Naval Research’s second Medium Displacement Unmanned Surface ing capability that safely and efficiently
Vehicle Program prototype. manages the increased traffic.”

14  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 14 4/6/20 11:24 AM 2004MA

 S PECIAL REPORT

The evolutionary range of artificial Using independent research and doing a lot with high-power FPGAs to
intelligence, from machine learning development (IRAD) funds, the Leidos improve our sensing capabilities, espe-
to total AI, requires more and faster Innovations Center (LInC) in Reston, cially for smaller vehicles,” Bowers says.
embedded computing as its capabil- Va., is charged with advancing the state “Embedded computing has really been
ity increases. As the size, weight, and of the art of embedded computing and pushing the envelope of what’s possi-
power consumption (SWaP) of embed- AI for unmanned vehicle applications. ble in terms of fast response and high-
ded computing improves at a rapid “Embedded computing has gotten level computing, which is giving us a lot
pace, so does the ability to place more more and more advanced, especially more capability. We’re still using other
and better levels of AI on smaller and SWaP constraints and being able to embedded techniques — traditional
smaller platforms. fit into smaller packages, says Rich- computing in a smaller form factor —
“We can recreate in an Open VPX ard Bowers, lead software engineer for but the FPGAs are almost transforma-
system at the tactical edge,” Bratton unmanned surface vessels at Leidos. tive rather than just shrinking the size
says. “Miniaturization and cooling are “The more advanced systems are much of the computer.”
critical. You need very sophisticated better at handling hard environments.
cooling to remove the heat associated We’re testing in the Arctic circle, in high Harvesting commercial technology
with smaller processors. The support sea states, ensuring whatever we build Technology advances in computing,
they need includes the ability to reduce can work in any environment” sensors, and other areas once were led
the footprint of the circuit board. Then Field-programmable gate array by the military. Today’s techno-world,
you have to get the heat away from (FPGA) embedded computing is a chief however, sees commercial companies
that and all the components it inter- enabling technology for these kinds pushing enabling technologies in appli-
acts with.” of unmanned vehicles. “We’ve been cations ranging from smartphones

AN ELITE
TEAM…
NEEDS ELITE
EQUIPMENT
FOR THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF Computer system reliability and maximum cyber security are
IT SECURITY AND FLEXIBILITY, crucial in any military control room. So it’s essential you choose a
CHOOSE THE KVM EXPERTS KVM system you can trust completely.

KVM solutions from G&D prove their quality every day in vital
operations, constantly building on our worldwide reputation for
technical excellence, reliability and safety. They improve working
conditions for both personnel and equipment, enabling quicker G&D North America Inc.
and better decisions to be made. www.gd-northamerica.com
sales@gd-northamerica.com
Talk to the KVM experts. Talk to G&D. Phone +1-818-748-3383

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 1
2004MAE_Guntermann 15 4/6/20 11:24
3/19/20 10:25 AM
AM
 S PECIAL REPORT

Embedded computing and AI

The military no longer can afford ser-
vice-specific answers that may not
work or may even be in conflict with
inter-service and allied/coalition oper-
ations — especially given the rapid
pace of technology development. That
is markedly the case with embedded
computing and AI.
“The point is, we try to get these
capabilities into the warfighters’ hands
as quickly as possible to save lives and
make our defense more effective,” says
Stephen Kracinovich, director of auton-
Unmanned vehicles equipped with artificial intelligence are becoming a hot commodity for omy strategy at the Naval Air Systems
explosives ordnance disposal applications in the arctic and in other extreme environments. Command (NAVAIR) Aircraft Division at
Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md.
to self-driving vehicles. Commercial chief technology officer at the Cur- “We in naval aviation do a great job,
companies today provide the fastest, tiss-Wright Corp. Defense Solutions but collaborating with industry, aca-
least expensive path to solving mili- segment in Ashburn, Va. “It comes demia, other government entities and
tary problems. down to are there chips that can run the other services and domains is part
“The state-of-the-art today is in what we need to run and fit on the of our strategy to move forward,” Kra-
the commercial market,” notes Greg platform? Are the parts available from cinovich says.
Tiedemann, product line director for industry and are we allowed to use “To implement these capabilities,
mission systems at Mercury Systems. them in the defense market? There you have to have a business strategy
“There are companies that have devel- are some chip makers in the broad that allows you to rapidly add new
oped very-low-power sensors behind tech industry that aren’t interested functionality.”
cameras to do facial recognition, in the defense market and they just The trick is finding the right mix
for example. How do we take those won’t talk to you. So we can’t just do of defense industry expertise to meet
devices, put them behind huge imag- anything we want with those chips. At design goals; no one company can go
ing cameras, and look for objects on the end of the day, it’s about the engi- it alone. “No defense contractor can be
the ground or in the air? We’ve also neering support. the best of breed in everything,” Kra-
deployed massive graphics processing “The whole point of AI is the cinovich points out. “So one goal is to
units [GPUs] into exploitation appli- upper level DOD [U.S. Department make it possible to bring in third par-
cations. Those GPUs are very power- of Defense] policy — the third off- ties by designing our systems to rap-
ful to do some of the AI algorithms. set strategy — which is why we are idly take an automated capability and
So we’re doing a lot of work to apply doing a lot of this. The DOD strategy integrate it into our systems, whether
what’s best in industry today to mil- is we are going to get machine learn- from the original defense contractors
itary problems.” ing and cyber-hardened equipment or not. A lot of our warfighters know
However, some chip makers do not to the services, such as man-machine what’s out there and they expect it in
want to sell chips directly — especially interfaces. That’s a huge driving pol- the systems they use. So the idea of
to the military — and have to support icy force behind all this, getting AI to having a well-defined, modular archi-
someone else putting those on an the battlefield to help the warfighter tecture that allows automated capabil-
embedded card; instead, they will make be more effective, using machine ities and an acquisition strategy that
the module themselves and sell those. learning to provide greater capabili- allows us to bring in new capabilities as
“There’s nothing magical to make ties beyond what the individual war- they come up is fundamental to what
AI deployable,” says David Jedynak, fighter can do now.” we’re doing.”

16  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 16 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 S PECIAL REPORT

DARPA remains DOD’s primary

source for advanced military tech-
nologies, and typically pursues what
one former director called “Far-Out”
technologies that might not become
mainstream for decades. Yet in recent
years, the agency has put more effort
into technological breakthroughs and
advanced prototypes that could be
deployed to warfighters quickly. While
that includes embedded computing
and AI, Neema says one of the big-
gest areas of concern for AI is safety,
to ensure that an unmanned vehicle
with no human operator does what Systems like this help U.S. Marines test out an unmanned underwater vehicle to evalu-
its operators intend. ate its hydrographic survey capability.

Trusted artificial intelligence complex design, which needs to be “Embedded computing is part of a
That does not reflect a fear that AI optimized for multiple applications,” larger system. The base layer is some
might follow the path of “The Termi- Neema continues. “To get good, effi- degree of embedded control,” DARPA’s
nator’s” Skynet controller. Still, there is cient, higher-performing designs, you Neema continues. “The next step is the
concern that one or more components need to co-optimize across all the autonomy layer that provides some
might fail, and cause unintended con- designs.” higher-level planning. These are the
sequences. That is the goal of two of Within those safety and higher core in employing any unmanned sys-
Neema’s programs: Assured Autonomy, level design goals, DARPA is working tem. AI is potentially game-changing.
which is taking an assurance approach, to improve the SWaP parameters of In a lot of manned systems, the high
fixing things they know are not work- embedded computing and enable the level integration of complex functions
ing properly; and Symbiotic Design for use of appropriate levels of AI in a range is provided by human operators. These
Cyber-Physical Systems (SDCPS), which of unmanned vehicles — all sizes, all typically are not possible to implement
will launch later this year with a focus domains, all services, all environments, autonomously.”
on using AI-based approaches to design and all missions.
systems and build more complex and “We are able to put more powerful AI in dogfighting
innovative designs than today’s tradi- computing capabilities onboard now, DARPA and the U.S. Air Force also are
tional designs. but are limited by power and other con- conducting three AlphaDogfight Trials,
“DARPA’s role is building some of the straints. From a software perspective, with eight teams in a virtual competition
early stage technologies,” Neema says. there are multiple classes we try to designed to demonstrate advanced AI
“With Assured Autonomy, we focus on deploy on these systems — planning algorithms that can perform simulated
looking at safety and correctness of sys- software, high-level control, etc. — but within-visual-range air combat maneu-
tems that will use AI components. Past the state of the effort does not use AI. vering. The first two competitions were
unmanned systems are, for the most Collecting data onboard and bringing in November 2019 and January 2020,
part, remotely manned. To make them it back to a ground station is where with the final in early April in Las Vegas
truly autonomous and unmanned, we we are today,” Neema says. “The main at the Air Force’s innovation hub, AFW-
need to use learning techniques in their AI technique currently being used is ERX, and nearby Nellis Air Force Base.
operation. We currently don’t have the to extrapolate data, using COTS com- “The Trials aim to energize and expand
safety and correctness elements in ponents; other AI techniques employ a base of AI developers and potential
place,” he explains. machine learning to guide the vehicle proposers prior to an anticipated algo-
“These kinds of systems have a in operation. rithm-development solicitation to be

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   17

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 17 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 S PECIAL REPORT

released under DARPA’s Air Combat Evo- Ethics and AI be subject to testing and assurance
lution (ACE) program,” according to the “The United States, together with our within those defined uses across their
lab. “ACE seeks to automate air-to-air allies and partners, must accelerate the entire life-cycles
combat and build human trust in AI as a adoption of AI and lead in its national Governable — The Department will
step toward improved human-machine security applications to maintain our design and engineer AI capabilities to
teaming. DARPA’s vision is that with strategic position, prevail on future fulfill their intended functions while
trusted AI able to manage lower-order battlefields and safeguard the rules- possessing the ability to detect and
operations, pilots could focus on high- based international order,” Esper said avoid unintended consequences and
er-order strategic challenges, such as at the time. the ability to disengage or deactivate
orchestrating teams of unmanned air- “AI technology will change much deployed systems that demonstrate
craft across the battlespace under the about the battlefield of the future, but unintended behavior
Mosaic Warfare concept. nothing will change America’s stead- While the new guidelines align with
The AlphaDogfight Trials are related fast commitment to responsible and President Donald Trump’s 2019 Ameri-
to the ACE program but are not formally lawful behavior. The adoption of AI eth- can AI Initiative to advance trustworthy
part of it. Those participating in the Trials ical principles will enhance the depart- AI technologies and encourage U.S.
represent a wide range of research enti- ment’s commitment to upholding the allies to do the same, some nations —
ties — Aurora Flight Sciences in Manas- highest ethical standards as outlined notably China, Russia, Iran, and North
sas, Va.; EpiSci Science Inc. in Poway, in the DOD AI Strategy, while embrac- Korea — have not implemented similar
Calif.;, Georgia Tech Research Institute ing the U.S. military’s strong history of principals. That could enable them to
in Atlanta; Heron Systems Inc. in Cal- applying rigorous testing and fielding move forward more quickly with what
ifornia, Md.; Lockheed Martin Corp. in standards for technology innovations.” is considered one of the most critical
Bethesda, Md.; Perspecta Labs in Bask- According to DOD, the Department’s developments in human history, but
ing Ridge, N.J; physicsAI in Pacifica, Calif.; AI ethical principles encompass five with significantly higher risk of unin-
and SoarTech in Ann Arbor, Mich. major areas: responsible, equitable, tended consequences, especially with
“Warfighters trust things that work traceable, reliable, and governable. armed unmanned vehicles.
and this contest is the first step along Responsible — DOD personnel will
the road to trusting this new kind of exercise appropriate levels of judgment Leading AI development
autonomy,” notes Lt. Col. Dan Javorsek, and care, while remaining responsible “The United States currently leads
ACE program manager in DARPA’s Stra- for the development, deployment and in AI research, but the race is on
tegic Technology Office. “In the larger use of AI capabilities to develop and wield AI advances,”
ACE program, we want to demonstrate Equitable — The Department will warned retired Marine Corps Lt. Gen.
that human pilots teamed with AI can take deliberate steps to minimize unin- Robert M. Shea, president of the
achieve greater effects in aerial com- tended bias in AI capabilities Armed Forces Communications and
bat than either could achieve alone. Traceable — The Department’s AI Electronics Association (AFCEA), in
Ultimately, ACE is about enabling capabilities will be developed and July 2018. “China has made no secret
human-machine teaming for complex deployed such that relevant personnel of its long-term plans to lead the
air combat scenarios.” possess an appropriate understanding world in AI by 2025, at the latest. It
In February, DOD officially adopted of the technology, development pro- has its eyes on the prize and consid-
ethical principles guidelines for AI, cesses and operational methods appli- ers AI a national priority. What’s both-
based on recommendations Secretary cable to AI capabilities, including with ersome about this is that China does
of Defense Mark Esper received from transparent and auditable methodol- not follow global behavioral norms.”
the Defense Innovation Board in Octo- ogies, data sources and design proce- One of the most ambitious U.S.
ber 2019. Those recommendations were dure and documentation efforts is Sea Hunter II, being built
the result of 15 months of discussions Reliable — The Department’s AI by Leidos as the second fully autono-
with AI experts in commercial indus- capabilities will have explicit, well-de- mous vessel in a program to develop
try, government and academia, as well fined uses and the safety, security and unmanned, AI-operated ships for the
as public input. effectiveness of such capabilities will U.S. Navy. It is a trimaran — a main

18  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 18 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 S PECIAL REPORT

hull and two smaller outrigger hulls

— capable of autonomous navigation WHO’S WHO IN AI-BASED UNMANNED VEHICLES
as it spends weeks at sea. Its mission
designs include tracking enemy sub- Aurora Flight Sciences Leidos Innovations Center physicsAI
Manassas, Va. (LInC) Pacifica, Calif.
marines, removing mines, detecting https://www.aurora.aero Reston, Va. https://physics-ai.com
torpedoes, and acting as a communi- https://www.leidos.com/
Curtiss-Wright Corp. SoarTech
company/our-business/
cation relay before it has to return to Defense Solutions Ann Arbor, Mich.
leidos-innovations-center
port — all at a fraction of the cost of a Ashburn, Va. https://soartech.com
https://www.curtisswrightds. Lockheed Martin Corp.
manned ship. U.S. Defense Advanced
com Bethesda, Md.
Research Projects Agency
With updated embedded computing https://www.lockheedmartin.
EpiSys Science Inc. (DARPA)
com
throughout, Sea Hunter II will incorpo- Poway, Calif. Information Innovation Office
https://www.episci.com Mercury Systems Inc. (I2O) Arlington, Va.
rate what was learned from Sea Hunter
Andover, Mass. https://www.darpa.mil/
I to further develop and mature auton- Georgia Tech Research
https://www.mrcy.com about-us/offices/i2o
Institute
omy, both as a stand-alone mission Atlanta Perspecta Labs U.S. Naval Air Systems
vessel and in cooperation with Sea https://www.gtri.gatech.edu Basking Ridge, N.J. Command Aircraft Division
https://www.perspectalabs.com Patuxent River Naval Air
Hunter I, which remains an active part Heron Systems Inc.
Station, Md.
California, Md.
of the program, as part of the Navy’s https://www.navair.navy.mil
https://heronsystems.com
goal of deploying collaborative ships,
manned and unmanned.
“We’re looking at attributable sys- mance in harsh environments without In combat or hazardous environ-
tems, unmanned systems that might having someone involved at every step, ments, fully autonomous platforms
go into harm’s way and might not watching how everything works.” almost certainly will encounter times
come back, so there is a lot of push when communications with other
for lower cost, higher power systems. Working as a team unmanned vehicles, manned mis-
We look at virtualization systems and Of growing importance as AI advances sion components, or higher command
quantum computing,” Bowers says. and becomes an integral part of become compromised.
“Customer demands are pushing for- unmanned vehicles across all domains “One thing the AI community
ward on all kinds of AI — perception, is not only the ability of the different has not really understood about the
decision-making, preventative main- platforms to communicate and coordi- unmanned environment is what
tenance, checking the health of the nate, regardless of service, but the ability happens when you have no access
vehicle. There also is a lot of work of an AUV to learn on its own, without to communications,” says Karen Zita
on AI verification, making sure it’s human intervention, then pass what Haigh, fellow chief technologist at
doing the right thing. The harder you it has learned on to other AUVs. While Mercury Systems. “For example, the
work to make a computer smart, the considered invaluable capabilities, Mars Rover has communications [with
harder it is to figure out if it is doing they also represent a further removal Earth], but with a significant tempo-
the right thing. of humans from the training and opera- ral delay. Underwater, you have an
“You can’t do without AI for a lot of tions chain and an even greater demand acoustic modem, but the amount of
solutions. I love the definition that AI is for safety and assurance. data it can handle is very small and
teaching a computer to do things that “We want to be able to extract infor- there also is latency. Being able to act
right now a person does better, Leidos’s mation from their operations and uti- without communications is critical.”
Bowers continues. “You’re always try- lize them in learning situations. But Leidos’s Bowers summed up the
ing to figure out how to do that. When how do we maintain the safety guar- status and future of military embed-
doing unmanned systems, you are get- antees as these systems learn and ded computing and AI research by
ting people off the plane and away from evolve?” DARPA’s Neema says. “That corporations, government labs, and
the vehicle. AI enables you to do that learning by one should be able to be academia: “We push a lot of bound-
without having to do monitoring. We’re shared is the expected goal, but it is aries, but a lot of the really exciting
pushing for vehicles to do high-perfor- not currently available.” work is classified.” 

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   19

2004MAE12-19_sr.indd 19 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 TECHNOLOGY F CUS

Next-generation vehicle power generation

like the Titan On-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP)
from Leonardo DRS might enable military vehi-
cles to set up their own remote power grids.

Power supplies grapple with open

systems, and the need for more power
The emerging SOSA standard seeks to promote interoperable 12-volt embedded power systems,
yet this level may not be enough. Is there a need for 28, or 48-, or even higher voltages?

BY John Keller

Electrical power aboard military ships, for operational energy at the Leonardo radar systems, electronic warfare (EW),
planes, combat vehicles, and command DRS Network & Imaging Systems seg- propulsion, and future applications no
posts typically is a design afterthought, ment in Melbourne, Fla. “Power doesn’t one’s even considered yet.
and rarely gets widespread consider- shoot or communicate, but you can’t do Power keeps systems designers
ation alongside headliners like laser either of those things without power.” awake at night because they know that
weapons, computerized avionics, and Electronic systems designers can’t even the leading edge of today’s power
hypersonic weapons. ignore power. They know they have electronics technologies is nowhere
Still, something as fundamental to generate it, control it, and provide close to satisfying expected needs for
as electronic power simply cannot be ever-increasing amounts of it to satisfy power as the U.S. military moves into
ignored, because without it the mili- the voracious and growing appetites the 2020s.
tary’s infrastructure grinds to a halt. of new and emerging aerospace and
“Power isn’t sexy,” says Carlos Agu- defense electronics for electricity to Generating adequate power
irre, business development manager power powerful new microprocessors, The technological challenges for mili-

20  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 20 4/6/20 11:24 AM 2002MA

 Largest RF Selection
Available for Same-Day Shipping

The Engineer’s Immediate RF Source

Pasternack meets the immediate needs of engineers who are building the future of RF communications.

• Over 40,000 RF, microwave, and mmWave components in 100+ categories

of interconnect, passives, actives, and antennas
• 99.4% in-stock availability
• Shipped same day
• No minimum order required

In-Stock and Shipped Same Day

USA & Canada +1 (866) 727-8376

International +1 (949) 261-1920
pasternack.com

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 21
2002MAE_PasternackRFSelect 1 4/6/20 11:24
1/31/20 AM
9:04 AM
 TECHNOLOGY F CUS

task. “We need to generate more effi-

cient power than we do today, and
that’s where the DOD [U.S. Department
of Defense] has not focused enough
attention. Every combat vehicle seems
to be suffering from what I call a power
gap. If we look at MRAPs and Bradleys,
we are looking at bigger alternators to
generate electrical power, and it’s still
not enough.”
As an example, Aguirre points to
directed-energy weapons, such as
high-energy lasers, high-power micro-
waves, and similar systems that mili-
tary planners will depend on to defend
forward-deployed warfighters from
The OBVP power-generation system creates power at the vehicle transmission, and can enemy unmanned aerial vehicles
provide 55 to 120 kilowatts of power — far more than a typical vehicle alternator. (UAVs), rockets, mortars, artillery shells,
and low-flying aircraft like helicopters.
tary systems designers begin the sec- on providing power to military vehi- Directed-energy systems “are not
ond an applications move away from cles, which increasingly are under pres- that efficient today, so that translates
the established power grid — namely sure not only to support power-hungry into power loss,” Aguirre says. “We
to mobile systems like aircraft, com- on-board systems like high-perfor- need at least 90 kilowatts of power for
bat vehicles, unmanned systems, and mance computing, laser weapons, and a counter-UAV laser. So where do we
to a lesser extent to surface warships silent operations, but also to serve as get that power on a combat vehicle?
and submarines. “Electric power can mobile power stations to run deployed Alternators simply are not powerful
be considered a commodity, but the command posts and power batteries for enough, and if a belt breaks, we are out
warfighter doesn’t have that luxury,” the warfighter’s wearable electronics. of power.” Towing gasoline-powered
says DRS’s Aguirre. “Power for him is DRS’s Aguirre claims that traditional generators into the field isn’t always a
not always at the ready.” vehicle power systems built around viable alternative because they limit a
Leonardo DRS experts are focusing alternators simply are not up to the vehicle’s speed and maneuverability.

Enhancing on-board power

DRS engineers have designed the Titan
On-Board Vehicle Power (OBVP) system.
“Every vehicle has an engine that spins
something,” Aguirre explains. “There is
a lot of power being transferred from
the engine to the transmission. If I
can convert that power into electri-
cal energy, there is a lot of potential
to change the dynamic. It might not
require an alternator.”
The DRS OBVP system can gener-
ate upwards of 120 kilowatts of power
Emerging standards like SOSA are pushing power suppliers for military systems to back- inside the transmission, which Aguirre
plane-type architectures, which promote economy and interoperability. says could power a medium-to-large-

22  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 22 4/6/20 11:24 AM

2004MA
 MODULAR POWER
DISTRIBUTION SOLUTIONS
FOR MILITARY APPLICATIONS

INNOVATIVE DESIGN. UNMATCHED CONTROL.

SINGLE-CHANNEL, PRESET CONFIGURATIONS AND CUSTOM DESIGNS
DESIGNED TO MEET MIL-STD-704, MIL-STD-1275 AND DEF STAN 61-5
TRUE CURRENT LIMIT PROTECTION VIA CONTROL OF SERIAL ELEMENT
AUTONOMOUS MONITORING AND TRIP
INPUT SPIKE AND REVERSE VOLTAGE PROTECTION
HIGH RESOLUTION CURRENT AND VOLTAGE TELEMETRY

CONTACT US TODAY TO DISCUSS YOUR

POWER DISTRIBUTION REQUIREMENT
603-267-8865 | SALES@MILPOWER.COM | WWW.MILPOWER.COM

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 23 4/6/20 11:24 AM

2004MAE_MilpowerREV 1 4/1/20 11:38 AM
 TECHNOLOGY F CUS

size pharmacy, a nursing home, a medical facility, or even a

residential neighborhood. The system can generate as much
as 55 kilowatts of power when the vehicle is moving, and
as much as 120 kilowatts when the vehicle is stationary.
“Unique is the packaging,” Aguirre says. “We make these
fit in places never intended for electrical machines. We just
shrank the size to fit inside the transmission. DRS partners
with Allison Transmission Inc. in Indianapolis to provide
the OBVP system, which is seeing limited deployment on
military vehicles like the U.S. Army’s Terminal High Altitude
Area Defense (THAAD) missile battery command and con-
trol, and launcher vehicle, which is a version of the Heavy
Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) from Oshkosh Although still in prototype phase, the OBVP power system from
Defense in Oshkosh, Wis. Leonardo DRS is seeing limited military deployment in systems
With OBVP “a vehicle can leave the airport tarmac oper- like the U.S. Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)
ationally read to go, because power is at the ready,” Aguirre missile battery command and control, and launcher vehicle.
says. Although the system still is in the prototype stage, he
says it is applicable not only to the Oshkosh HEMTT, but helicopters, air-interdiction jets, and UAVs.
also for the Stryker wheeled combat vehicle, which can The OBVP also could be adapted to the Joint Light Tac-
carry the Short Range Air Defense (SHORAD) anti-aircraft tical Vehicle (JLTV) of the Army and U.S. Marine Corps to
weapon for defense against low-altitude air threats like provide several new battlefield capabilities such as mobile
server center or mobile battery charger.
“A group of vehicles could start their own power grid in
a forward-deployed area, share power with other vehicles,
Aircraft Avionics & Cockpit Displays and as the military logistics tail catches up could go back
to their primary missions,” Aguirre says. “I’m hopeful that
within the next five to seven years the OBVP could deployed
widely.” The system’s benefits could extend beyond mili-
tary operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster
recovery, he says.

COMMERCIAL MILITARY CORPORATE

SOLUTIONS FOR OBSOLETE LCDs

SALES • REPAIR • OVERHAUL

EXCHANGE • SUPPORT • UPGRADES
TCAS/IDENT • NAV/COMM
LCD & CRT Displays

The Vicor DCM2322 ChiP family of isolated, regulated DC-DC con-

verters for military and transportation applications like unmanned
avionics411.com • 816.524.7777
vehicles, communications, and rail.

24  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com
2004MAE_MillenniumIntern 1 3/19/20 3:01 PM

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 24 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 TECHNOLOGY F CUS

Open systems applications, as well as for industrial SOSA also seeks to blend digital and
After military systems can generate and commercial installations. analog power electronics in a way to
sufficient electrical power, the next “We are making a number of prod- create interoperable, affordable smart
challenge is controlling that power ucts in alignment with the SOSA guide- power. “The military wants intelligence
efficiently and economically. One way lines,” Pozzolano says. The first official on these power devices,” Behlman’s
to that goal is open-systems architec- version of SOSA should be approved by Pozzolano says. “This is all part of the
tures like the emerging Sensor Open industry committees and ready for use SOSA technical standard. Intelligence
Systems Architecture (SOSA) standard, as early as the end of this year. enables an embedded computer to
administered by the Open Group in
San Francisco.
SOSA seeks to specify a limited
number of established industry stan-
dards for power control, embedded POWER YOUR
CRITICAL
computing, communications, and
software to promote interoperability

MISSION
among components from different ven-
dors to enable military systems design-

TODAY
ers to achieve economies of scale, while
enabling suppliers to capitalize on their
value-added technologies.
SOSA also seeks to settle on 12-volt
power systems to make it less likely
that systems designers will need cus-
tom-designed power conditioning and
control. It’s the hope that standardized
12-volt power systems will provide suf-
ficient power to satisfy the needs of
high-performance computing and sen-
sors, while promoting systems interop-
erability. “12 volts can deliver more
power, as opposed to 5-volt systems,”
says Joseph Pozzolano, vice president of
High Reliability
Solutions for High
sales and marketing at Behlman Elec-
tronics Inc. in Hauppauge, N.Y.
“The military wants to standardize Reliability Programs
on a certain number of voltages, and
VPT provides proven DC-DC converters
there is a transition in industry to get and EMI filters for leading global space,
away from 5-volt devices,” says “The military, industrial, and avionics programs.
driving force from the military is open
systems such as MOSA, SOSA, HOST,
and all those open systems.
Behlman has been in business www.vptpower.com
for more than 60 years, and provides
open-systems and custom AC power
sources, frequency converters, invert-
ers, DC-DC, AC-DC, and DC-AC power
systems for military mission-critical
MIL-PRF-38534 CLASS H & CLASS K | EFFICIENT & RELIABLE | PRODUCTS SHIP FROM STOCK
www.militaryaerospace.com 25 YEARS OF PROVEN HERITAGE

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 25 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 TECHNOLOGY F CUS

send a signal to whatever power device power, and monitor for temperatures; the power industry, as well as among
it wants, and get a response back. From if it’s outside the normal range, there embedded computing suppliers. “We
the power perspective, the system might be something wrong.” have had a massive number of requests
can query for input power and output SOSA also is starting to catch-on in for SOSA-aligned cards,” says Brian
Paul, general manager at MilPower
WHO’S WHO IN POWER ELECTRONICS Source Inc. in Belmont, N.H., a spe-
cialist in custom and tailorable power
supplies for mission-critical military
Absopulse Electronics Ltd. Crane Aerospace & MilSource
Ottawa Electronics El Segundo, Calif. and industrial applications.
https://absopulse.com Redmond, Wash. https://militaryethernet.com Serving customer requests for SOSA,
www.craneae.com
Advanced Energy Industries Murata Power Solutions however, can be easier said than done.
Inc. Crystal Group Mansfield, Mass.
Fort Collins, Colo. Hiawatha, Iowa www.murata-ps.com “SOSA means so many things to so
www.advanced-energy.com www.crystalrugged.com many different people,” Paul points out.
North Atlantic Industries
Aegis Power Systems Inc. D6 Industries Inc. Bohemia, N.Y. “We are trying to counsel our customers
Murphy, N.C. Lawrence, Mass. www.naii.com on what SOSA-aligned mean, and help
www.aegispower.com https://d6industries.com
Nova Electric them understand how that standard
AMETEK VTI Instruments Data Device Corp. (DDC) Bergenfield, N.J.
Irvine, Calif. Bohemia, N.Y. https://novaelectric.com can impact their systems.” Officials
www.vtiinstruments.com www.ddc-web.com of the Open Group insist that “SOSA-
Nova Power Solutions Inc.
Analytic Systems Ware Ltd. Energy Technologies Inc. Sterling, Va. aligned,” rather than “SOSA-compliant”
Delta, British Columbia Mansfield, Ohio www.novapower.com must describe SOSA-like components
www.analyticsystems.com www.ruggedsystems.com
Pico Electronics Inc. before the standard becomes official.
Anaren Inc. Falcon Electric Inc. Pelham, N.Y.
Syracuse, N.Y. Irwindale, Calif. www.picoelectronics.com Likewise power-control specialist
www.anaren.com www.falconups.com Vicor Corp. in Andover, Mass., is field-
Rantec Power Systems Inc.
Astrodyne TDI Gaia Converter Inc. Los Osos, Calif. ing SOSA requests from customers.
Nashua, N.H. Le Haillan, France www.rantec.com “SOSA fits into our plans quite promi-
www.astrodynetdi.com www.gaia-converter.com
Raycom Electronics Inc. nently,” says Rob Russell, vice president
AVX Corp. General Atomics Dover, Pa.
Fountain Inn, S.C. Electromagnetic Systems www.raycomelectronics.com of aerospace and defense marketing
www.avx.com Group at Vicor. “We released two 3U and are
Renesas Electronics Corp.
San Diego
Behlman Electronics Inc. (formerly Intersil) about to release a 6U SOSA power sup-
www.ga.com/ems
Hauppauge, N.Y. Milpitas, Calif. ply . We have designed these parts to be
General Micro Systems Inc.
www.behlmanpower.com https://www.renesas.com/
Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. fairly modular, and we intend to pro-
us/en/
Calex Mfg. Co. Inc. https://www.gms4sbc.com
Solitron Devices, Inc. vide SOSA-compatible parts.”
Concord, Calif.
Infineon technologies West Palm Beach, Fla.
www.calex.com
(formerly International www.solitrondevices.com
Coilcraft Inc. Rectifier) SOSA: more work to be done
SynQor
Cary, Ill. El Segundo, Calif. While SOSA widely is considered to
Boxborough, Mass.
www.coilcraft.com https://www.infineon.com
www.synqor.com be a promising step toward system
Comdel Inc. Intellipower Inc.
TDI Power interoperability and affordable tech-
Gloucester, Mass. Orange, Calif.
Hackettstown, N.J.
www.comdel.com https://www.intellipower.com nologies, some in industry point out
http://tdipower.com
ConTech Lind Electronics Inc. that more needs to be done for the
TDK-Lambda Americas Inc.
Concord, Calif. Minnetonka, Minn. standard to be successful in its aims.
San Diego
www.contech-us.com www.lindelectronics.com
www.us.tdk-lambda.com Embedded computing General Micro
Cornell Dubilier Electronics Maxim Integrated Products
Vicor Corp. Systems Inc. in Rancho Cucamonga,
Inc. Inc
Andover, Mass.
Liberty, S.C Chelmsford, Mass. Calif., designs power-control electron-
www.vicr.com
www.cde.com www.maximintegrated.com
ics for internal use only, but eventually
VPT Inc.
MilPower Source may expand its offerings to include
Bothell, Wash.
Belmont, N.H.
www.vptpower.com off-the shelf power, says Chris Ciufo,
www.milpower.com
the company’s chief technology officer.

26  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 26 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 TECHNOLOGY F CUS

Although supportive of SOSA and its overall aims, Ciufo power specify three voltages: 3.3, 5, and 12 volts, Ciufo says.
says the emerging standards “does not go far enough in “Next-generation power supplies need to output more power.
giving the right output voltages and correct input voltages Instead of sending 12, 4, and 3.3 volts, they should send out
into the system, and cannot provide the right amount of 28 or 48 volts, or something even higher than that.”
power for next-generation systems in 3U and 6U embed- Without open-systems support for higher voltage levels,
ded systems.” systems designers could face a wiring nightmare that sim-
Ciufo says a quick calculation of power needs shows ply couldn’t be supported. “We had a customer who asked
how SOSA in its current form may fall short for demanding us about our rackmount server for a vehicle,” Ciufo says.
embedded computing. “Today a 6U VPX power supply is on “It has 28 volts DC typical vehicle power for a 2,500-Watt
the order of 1,000 Watts, with a notional top of end of 1,500 server. That would require wires bigger than battery cables.”
Watts — that is one card supplying a whole backplane.” One solution is designing-in several power inverters, but
Yet Ciufo points to the power-hungry computing com- these kinds of components are relatively inefficient and
ponents being chosen or considered for high-performance generate a lot of heat. Instead, perhaps the answer involves
embedded computing. “With one power supply, you top-out the creative use of point-of-load regulators.
quickly. One Xeon processor card is 150 Watts. You add other “The 12-, 5-, and 3.3-volt designs are not typically used in
processors, memory, and 40 Gigabit Ethernet, and soon your digital electronics anymore,” Ciufo points out. “Yet now we
6U single-CPU card with a mezzanine card is approaching have these point-of-load DC-DC regulators that convert from
1,500 Watts all by itself — just one processor card.” a higher load on one side to a smaller load on the other. You
The picture can get even bleaker for the power engineer, can take these higher voltages, and then apply point-of-load
however, Ciufo says. “If you add what people really want regulators for the voltages needed. The less current you have
— artificially intelligent cards like GPGPU and FPGA, those on your wiring board, the smaller those traces can be. 
cards will be 250 to 600 Watts each. Now you are out of power
from that single 6U OpenVPX power supply.”
So what’s the solution? “We need to be able to increase Dual Channel mini PCIe
the power output of that 6U OpenVPX power supply,” Ciufo
says. “It’s being talked about to bring it up to 2,000 Watts,
Reference Design for MIL-STD-1553
but beyond that it becomes difficult to cool. If we increase
the pitch in those cards, we can increase the size of the
wedge locks and can move more heat off the cards. If you
do that you can increase from 1,500 Watts to 2,000 Watts.
Perhaps one place to look for relief might involve increas-
ing the voltage of the system. Current OpenVPX-standard

• Full size F2 mini PCI-Express Interface Card

• PCIe interface using small, cost effective Xilinx Artix-7 FPGA
• Includes Board Schematic/Layout, FPGA Source and
Software Drivers/API
• Easily portable to any board design requiring PCI-Express
• 1 or 2 Dual Redundant MIL-STD-1553 channels
– (BC, MT, 1 or 2 RTs)
• Uses Holt fully integrated HI-2130 MIL-STD-1553 terminals
• 64K Bytes of shared RAM with optional ECC
The Vicor DCM family for military commercial off-the-shelf power
For further information on these and other Holt products contact:
applications consists of high-density DC-DC modules that are iso- (949) 859-8800 • sales@holtic.com • www.holtic.com
AS9100D: 2016 Registered
lated and regulated, and which work for 28- and 270-volt line inputs.

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   27

2004MAE_HoltInt_RM 1 3/30/20 3:52 PM

2004MAE20-27_tec.indd 27 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 RF&
mi crowave

Air Force increases buy of F-16

jet fighter radar avionics
BY John Keller

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio — U.S. Air Force ment in Linthicum Heights, Md., for 15 Last December Northrop Grumman
aerial warfare experts are ordering developmental-models, 90 production won a $1 billion order for as many as
additional modern active electroni- radars, spare parts, and avionics sup- 372 AN/APG-83 AESA radar systems for
cally scanned array (AESA) radar for port equipment. the F-16. This order is a modification
F-16 jet fighter aircraft under terms of The APG-83 AESA fire-control scal- to a $243.9 million Air Force contract
an order worth more than a quarter able agile-beam radar (SABR) integrates to Northrop Grumman in May 2017 for
billion dollars. within the F-16’s structural, power, and 72 APG-83 radars.
Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle cooling constraints without Group A In a 2013 competition, Lockheed
Management Center, Fighter Bomber aircraft modification, Northrop Grum- Martin Corp., the F-16 manufacturer,
Directorate, F-16 Division, at Wright Pat- man officials say. The company lever- selected the APG-83 as the AESA radar
terson Air Force Base, Ohio, announced ages technology developed for the avionics for the F-16 modernization
a $262.3 million order to the Northrop APG-77 and APG-81 radar systems on and update programs of the U.S. Air
Grumman Corp. Mission Systems seg- the U.S. F-22 and F-35 combat aircraft. Force and Taiwan air force.
The bandwidth, speed, and agility of
AESA radars enable legacy fighter air-
craft like the F-16 to detect, track, and
identify many targets quickly and at
long ranges, and to operate in hostile
electronic warfare (EW) environments.
Northrop Grumman is building
APG-83 radar systems for global F-16
upgrades and new aircraft produc-
tion, as well as for the U.S. Air National
Guard. Northrop Grumman also has
installed a production APG-83 SABR
on a U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hor-
net jet fighter-bomber, company offi-
cials say. 

On this order Northrop Grumman will do the

work in Linthicum Heights, Md., and should be
finished by December 2022. For more informa-
tion contact Northrop Grumman Mission Sys-
The Northrop Grumman APG-83 AESA fire-control scalable agile-beam radar (SABR) offers tems online at www.northropgrumman.com, or
enhanced bandwidth, speed, and agility to detect, track, and identify many targets quickly the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at
and at long ranges. www.aflcmc.af.mil.

28  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE28-29_rfm.indd 28 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 RF&
mi crowave
Military must coordinate on EW This increase in software content across nected even in contested, degraded, and
and the electromagnetic spectrum 5G deployments continues to fuel an operationally limited environments.
The Pentagon is expected to spend $47 exciting faster development pace. But Under this SATCOM vision, military and
billion over the next five years to mod- with this comes some challenges since commercial satellite providers would
ernize its electronic warfare (EW) sys- these 5G technology innovations are also be integrated, allowing warfighters to
tems. Without this funding, experts say expanding the attack surface of the sys- switch seamlessly to whatever net-
that the U.S. military, already trailing tem. While 5G core network functions work or signal is available while main-
Russia and China in some areas, would are making use of a new and different taining connectivity. The Space Force
struggle on a future battlefield. But sev- software architecture, common technol- refers to this approach to maintaining
eral experts and government person- ogies like HTTP and REST APIs that are communications even in degraded or
nel now insist the U.S. Department of well known are replacing proprietary contested environments as “Fighting
Defense (DOD) needs a top-down vision interfaces of the past. SATCOM,” and the nascent service has
to the services that would help guide asked for $43 million in research, devel-
operations, investments and capabili- SATCOM vision for maintaining opment, test & evaluation funding to
ties within the electromagnetic spec- communications in degraded, develop the Fighting SATCOM Enter-
trum. Leaders from Russia and China limited environments prise in its budget request for fiscal year
have said that in future conflicts they The U.S. Space Force released its new 2021. Under the new vision, all SATCOM
will target communications systems Enterprise SATCOM Vision Feb. 19, for- requirements collection, planning, allo-
first to prevent opponents from coordi- mally laying out a desire for a single sat- cation, and operational management
nating and to stop radars from detect- ellite communication architecture that processes will be brought under a sin-
ing threats. “To start a war without is capable of keeping warfighters con- gle command to exploit efficiencies. 
controlling the electromagnetic spec-
trum is tantamount to defeat,” said
Anatoly Tsyganok, a retired colonel and
member of the Russian Center for Polit- ENCLOSURE SYSTEMS &
ical-Military Studies. CHASSIS MANAGERS GEARED
FOR SOSA/OPENVPX DEVELOPMENT
5G set to revolutionize
mobile communications
5G is set to revolutionize the mobile
communications industry — offering
high data rates, low-latency, and ubiq-
uitous connectivity with levels of reli-
ability not previously seen. This will
enable new services and use cases that
go far beyond communication between
individuals. The rapid progression of
5G deployments has huge potential for
connecting economies at scale, while
simultaneously exposing potential vul- •
nerabilities that must be addressed. To • 3U and 6U OpenVPX
• Optical - VITA 66.x
deliver higher performance and lower
• RF - VITA 67.x
cost, 5G networks are leveraging technol- • VITA 46.11 Shelf Mgmt
ogies that are software-centric and virtu-
alized, moving from custom hardware to
www.pixustechnologies.com
software components running on com-
mercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware.

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   29

2002MAE_PixusTech 1 2/4/20 9:36 AM

2004MAE28-29_rfm.indd 29 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 UN M A N N ED
vehicles

Navy moves to low-rate initial production of

minehunting unmanned surface vessel
BY John Keller

WASHINGTON — U.S. Navy unmanned sur- mine types only. The UISS program pro- AB3100H embedded computer from
face vessel (USV) experts are making vides rapid wide-area mine clearance Astronics Ballard Technology in Ever-
one of the first low-quantity produc- to neutralize magnetic and acoustic sea ett, Wash. The AB3100H rugged com-
tion purchases of quickly deployable mines in a small, lightweight package. puter is part of the company’s AB3000
fast-moving unmanned boats for the LRIP describes the phase of initial, line of small, lightweight embedded
littoral combat ship (LCS) to clear large small-quantity production of military computers with the Intel E680T pro-
ocean areas of sea mines that could weapons and platforms. LRIP gives the cessor, MIL-STD-1553 and ARINC
threaten aircraft carrier battle groups, Navy time to determine if the UISS per- 429/708/717 interfaces, Ethernet, USB,
commercial ship traffic, and other forms to requirements before agreeing video, audio, and PMC expansion.
ocean assets. to mass-production contracts. The AB3000 series from Astronics
Officials of the Naval Sea Systems The UISS uses the Textron Common Ballard Technology comes with facto-
Command have announced a $21.8 mil- Unmanned Surface Vessel (CUSV), and ry-installed PCI mezzanine card (PMC)
lion order to the Textron Systems Corp. will travel aboard the LCS to deploy as modules that enable designers to add
Unmanned Systems segment in Hunt necessary to detect, pinpoint, and trig- an Ethernet switch, synchronous and
Valley, Md., for low rate initial production ger explosive sea mines hidden under asynchronous serial interfaces, and
(LRIP) of the Unmanned Influence Sweep the surface to damage or destroy sur- isolated double-throw relays.
System (UISS) unmanned patrol boat. face warships or commercial shipping. The Textron CUSV and its unmanned
The UISS is one of the minehunt- The system consists of the CUSV maritime command and control station
ing systems that will enable the LCS to unmanned power boat that tows an use a modular architecture that accom-
perform mine warfare sweep missions. acoustic and magnetic minesweep sys- modates platform reconfiguration and
UISS will target acoustic, magnetic, and tem that emits acoustic and magnetic interchangeable payloads.
magnetic and acoustic combination signals that provide a false signature This CUSV unmanned boat can exe-
that triggers mines. The surface ves- cute mine warfare; anti-submarine
sel while operating will be far enough warfare; communications relay; intel-
away so that it will not be damaged by ligence, surveillance and reconnais-
a detonating mine, Navy officials say. sance; anti-surface warfare; and UAS/
The UISS uses the Navy’s Multi- UUV launch and recovery missions. 
ple Vehicle Communications System
(MVCS) aboard the LCS, which handles On this order Textron will do the work in Hunt
communications between the LCS sur- Valley, Md., and Slidell, La., and should be fin-
face ship and different mission pack- ished by August 2021. For more information
ages, including the UISS, that involve contact Textron Unmanned Systems online at
The U.S. Navy is nearing production for the mine countermeasures, anti-subma- www.textronsystems.com, Astronics Ballard
Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) rine warfare, and surface warfare. Technology at www.astronics.com, or Naval Sea
unmanned patrol boat. For the MVCS the Navy is using the Systems Command at www.navsea.navy.mil.

30  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE30-31_umv.indd 30 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 UNMANNED
vehicles
Army to recompete robotic turing a lead truck with soldiers followed
mule unmanned ground by unmanned vehicles in a convoy; and
vehicle (UGV) for infantry minimally manned, a “bridging” concept
The U.S. Army has renewed a competi- featuring a soldier in the driver’s seat of
tion to acquire unmanned ground vehi- each of the follower trucks to monitor the
cle (UGV) for light infantry after leaders automated system and driving environ- Optical Fiber
canceled a previous award following ment. Minimally manned Army convoys and Cable Solutions for
a protest. The service posted a new could enhance safety by putting 28 per-
AEROSPACE & DEFENSE
Request for Proposals (RFP) in February, cent fewer soldiers at risk compared to
allowing the four finalists in the original current practices. A partially unmanned
ground vehicle competition to recom- convoy would put 37 percent fewer sol-
pete for a chance to build the Small Mul- diers at risk, and a fully autonomous con-
tipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) voy would put 78 percent fewer soldiers
ground robotic vehicle. The General at risk. The machine autonomy tech-
FLIGHT COMMUNICATIONS
Dynamics Land Systems Multi-Utility nology to make an Army convoy fully Commercial and Defense
Tactical Transport, or MUTT, won the autonomous doesn’t exist yet. Part of the
original contract to build SMET at the challenge for the Army is that current
end of October, but Textron, one of the automated technology is still limited and
other three competing companies, filed has mainly been tested in settings with
NAVIGATION
a protest claiming that GDLS had been well-manicured infrastructure, including
allowed to change its vehicle signifi- standardized road markings and signs.
cantly following a soldier evaluation.
Four companies were chosen from a 2021 DOD budget emphasizes
larger pool in 2017 to compete to build critical technologies in
DIRECTED ENERGY
the robotic vehicle: GDLS, a Textron artificial intelligence (AI)
& LIDAR
offering from its subsidiary Howe & The Pentagon wants to focus its 2021
Howe, a team of Applied Research Asso- investments on four emerging criti-
ciates and Polaris Defense, and HDT cal technologies that will increase the
Expeditionary Systems. Each team built United States’ comparative advantage
20 platforms issued to infantry brigade against near peer adversaries. With
combat teams for testing and analysis. $106.6 billion set aside for research
and development, U.S. Department of
Army could save lives with Defense (DOD) officials claim their fis-
machine autonomy and unmanned cal year 2021 budget request, which was
ground vehicles (UGVs) released Feb. 10, includes the largest
U.S. Army convoys could be made safer research funding request in more than
for soldiers by implementing unmanned 70 years. This is spearheaded by $7 bil-
ground vehicle (UGV) technology to lion in investments in four areas that
reduce the number of service members leaders are calling the “advanced capa-
needed to operate the vehicles, accord- bility enablers.” These include hyper-
ing to a new study from the RAND Corp. sonics, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G and
in Santa Monica, Calif. RAND experts microelectronics, and autonomous plat-
examined three different autonomous forms. For 5G and microelectronics, the
vehicle concepts: the fully autonomous Pentagon is asking Congress for $1.5 bil-
employment concept, where all the lion next year; $841 million for artificial
www.ofsoptics.com/
vehicles are unmanned; the partially intelligence; $1.7 billion in autonomy; aerospace-defense
unmanned employment concept, fea- and $3.2 billion for hypersonics.

www.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE_OFS 1 3/30/20 1:32 PM

2004MAE30-31_umv.indd 31 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 ELECTRO

watch
OPTICS

Border Patrol asks industry for sensors to

watch difficult-to-monitor waterways
BY John Keller

WASHINGTON — U.S. border security experts along banks or deviated shorelines

are asking the sensors industry for new that provide naturally occurring con- Raytheon enters full-scale
ways to monitor ship and boat traffic cealment opportunities such as coves development of bunker-
on streams, rivers, and lakes. and isles and overgrown vegetation. busting Tomahawk missile
Officials of the Border, Immigra- These conditions can limit the U.S. Navy land-attack experts
tion and Maritime Division of the U.S. effectiveness of existing short-, mid-, are asking the Raytheon Co. to
Department of Homeland Security and long-range surveillance technol- start full-scale development of a
(DHS) Science and Technology Direc- ogies. To overcome these limitations, blast and penetration warhead to
torate in Washington have issued DHS officials want technologies for enable the Tomahawk missile to
a request for information (70RSA- improved situational awareness of destroy bunkers and other hard-
T20RFI000004) for the Unattended mechanized surface watercraft pass- ened targets. Officials of the Naval
Sensor Technologies for Monitoring ing through remote, difficult-to-mon- Air Systems Command at Patux-
Riverine and Littoral Zone Vessel Traf- itor border waterways. ent River Naval Air Station, Md.,
fic project. Technology solutions should be announced a $90.4 million con-
Solutions should involve automated affordable; quick to transport and tract to the Raytheon Missile Sys-
detection, identification, classification, deploy; offer unattended remote oper- tems segment in Tucson, Ariz., for
tracking, and alerting Border Patrol ations; connect to Border Patrol com- the engineering and manufactur-
agents who are monitoring waterways mand centers; able to detect, identify, ing development (EMD) phase of
for interdiction of suspicious activity. classify, track, and alert on vessels of the Joint Multiple Effects Warhead
Border Patrol agents who monitor interest autonomously — including System (JMEWS). The JMEWS proj-
waterways along international borders location, range, bearing, and speed. ect seeks to improve the Tactical
often have limited or no surveillance Technologies should be able to oper- Tomahawk Land-Attack Missile
capabilities. Complicating keeping ate year-round, day and night; be easy to for bunker busting and large-
watch on these areas can be ridges use; foil computer hackers; scale from area target capability. EMD is the
small to large installations; and over final phase of weapons develop-
open architectures and data sharing.  ment before full-scale production.
JMEWS is developing a warhead
Companies interested were asked to email five- that combines blast-fragmenta-
page white papers about their systems to DHS tion and enhanced penetration in
by 25 March 2020 at WaterwaysUSS_RFI@ one warhead. This would enable
hq.dhs.gov. Email questions or concerns to the Tomahawk to attack soft tar-
WaterwaysUSS_RFI@hq.dhs.gov. More infor- gets like parked aircraft, vehicles,
Border Patrol agents are looking for sen- mation is online at https://beta.sam.gov/ and formations of soldiers, as well
sors to help monitor concealed areas along opp/831c684923b54979b3edc1cd95633e60/view. as hardened targets like bunkers,
remote rivers, lakes, and streams.

32  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE32-34_eow.indd 32 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 ELECTRO

watch
OPTICS

underground command posts, and air- Navy’s Optical Dazzling Interdictor, or just a piece of a larger demonstration
craft in hardened shelters. For more ODIN laser weapon, has been installed that the lead shooter, and top Army
information contact Raytheon Mis- on the Navy destroyer USS Dewey, a enlisted soldier, Sergeant Major of the
sile Systems online at www.raytheon. report from Naval Sea Systems Com- Army Michael Grinston, tested in Feb-
com, or Naval Air Systems Command mand said. The ODIN is configured to ruary on his visit to explore the Inte-
at www.navair.navy.mil. track and disable enemy drones by grated Visual Augmentation System,
throwing them off course and jam- or IVAS. The IVAS consists of ‘mixed
Navy installs laser weapon on ming their sensors, says a December reality’ goggles in development to give
destroyer to attack enemy drones 2019 Congressional Research Service individual soldiers a wealth of infor-
Enemy drones over the ocean could report called Navy Lasers, Railgun, and mation from navigation aids to loca-
track and surveil U.S. Navy ships, des- Gun-Launched Guided Projectile. tion of friendly troops, weapons sights’
ignate targets for aircraft or maritime views, facial recognition software and
attacks, or even fire dangerous weap- Army’s top enlisted soldier field- augmented reality avatars for train-
ons themselves at surface ships. This tests augmented reality goggle ing scenarios. With tens of thousands
reality is one of many key reasons the Rushing into the room, an infantry sol- of new soldiers arriving to Army units
Navy has now installed a new counter dier sees a dog to his right his atten- every year, the goggle gives squad lead-
drone “dazzler” laser weapon aboard tion quickly turns to two men firing ers a chance to put the new soldier into
one of its destroyers for the first time, from behind a waist-high barricade. a unit and run through battle drills,
bringing new offensive and defensive He takes cover with another soldier keeping the small unit ready at the
warfare possibilities to the fleet. The behind a wall a few feet away. This is lowest levels. 

Slow& TIBERCON
ERCON JOINS
TIMBERCON RADIALL
RADI
JOINS RADIALL

Steady
WINS THE RACE

ERM E P OX Y S Y S T E M
T H EP
29L
EX O HIGH T
LARGE HE PS
FOR NGS
OW L CONDU RMA P
A I CTIV L
IDE CAST cosity 9-10 ITY
L

AO

s
w i 00 cps
v
Lo -15,0
BTU•in
/ft 2•
00 hr•
4,0 °F
5-7 ho G LIFE

CR viceab 5°F

RELIABLE ELECTRICAL
WIT ENIC SHO
YOG
Ser K to +27
RKIN

INSULATION PROFILE
per 100 urs

HSTA CKS
gram

FIBER OPTIC CABLE ASSEMBLIES

LONG WO

Volume resistivity
NDS
le from

Engineered fiber optic solutions AS9100, ISO 9001, ITAR

>1015 ohm-cm Design for manufacturing Box builds with fiber optics,
through full scale production copper and electronics

Passive optical cable For military, aerospace, medical,

assemblies, reels, harnesses data communications and
and fiber management industrial applications

Ruggedized fiber optic cable Hybrid fiber/copper cable

assemblies assemblies

154 Hobart St., Hackensack NJ 07601, USA

+1.201.343.8983 ∙ main@masterbond.com
https://www.radiall.com

www.masterbond.com
https://www.timbercon.com

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   33

2004MAE_Masterbond 1 3/16/20 8:39 AM

2004MAE_RadiallAEP 1 3/27/20 10:35 AM

2004MAE32-34_eow.indd 33 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 ELECT RO

watch
OPTICS

IARPA eyes satellite electro-optical

sensors to detect events over time
BY John Keller

WASHINGTON — U.S. intelligence experts of other imagery. man-made events or activities using
are asking industry to blend data from The idea is to reduce uncertainties time-series spectral imagery from sev-
satellite-based multispectral imag- inherent in single-sensor data, and eral space-based or airborne sensors.
ing sensors and visible-light sensors reduce the sheer amount of intelligence Examples include heavy construc-
to detect heavy building projects and imagery data that can overwhelm intel- tion; real estate or urban development;
highway construction from space. ligence analysts by developing tools to crop disease propagation; forest fires,
Officials of the U.S. Intelligence help analysts analyze intelligence imag- severe weather consequences such as
Advanced Projects Agency (IARPA) in ery using Big Data, IARPA officials say. flooding and mudslides; insect or bat-
Washington has released a broad-agency The volume of GEOINT data con- tle damage; human migration; mining,
announcement (IARPA-BAA-19-04) for tinues to grow, while analysts struggle logging, farming; and earthquakes.
the Space-based Machine Automated with the volume, variety, and velocity Applications range from geospa-
Recognition Technique (SMART) project. of space-based data. IARPA is seeking tial intelligence, disaster recovery,
SMART will rely on geographical automated broad-area search, monitor- and humanitarian aid, to automated
information from satellite cameras, and ing, and analysis of man-made activ- assessment of land-use for commercial
develop multi—spectral and multi—tem- ities based on data fusion of spectral purposes. The project has two techni-
poral sensor processing to overlay data and temporal space-based imagery. cal areas: data fusion, and algorithms
from infrared and multispectral sensors While one sensor may have resolution to detect and characterize natural and
to make the intelligence analyst’s job sufficient to detect changes and man- man-made events.
easier. IARPA is the research arm of the made disturbances, intelligence experts Data fusions seeks to quantify data
U.S. Director of National Intelligence. still struggle with the inability to analyze quality and cross-sensor inconsisten-
Many space and airborne sen- images over time because of infrequent cies in time-series satellite imagery,
sors today can provide imagery suit- satellite orbits or weather cover. and develop automated data calibra-
able for geographical intelligence IARPA experts want to push the tion techniques. Algorithms seeks to
(GEOINT). SMART will demonstrate that technology state of the art in high-per- develop algorithms capable of broad-
GEOINT gleaned through data fusion is formance analytics that scales to area search over areas larger than 8,000
greater than the simple sum of GEOINT extremely large data sets; data mining, square meters.
gleaned from several electro-optical ranking and visualization; and image Algorithms will use spaced-based
sensor images analyzed in the absence analyst tools like automated broad- time-series imagery to detect and
area search of man-made processes. locate evolving natural or man-made
By blending data from several dif- events, and analyze the progression of
ferent electro-optical sensors, IARPA these activities. 
experts want to improve the ability to
detect and monitor man-made distur- Companies interested were asked to submit pro-
bances to track the progress of major posals by than 7 April 2020 to the IARPA Distri-
construction projects. bution and Evaluation System online at https://
The SMART program’s primary iarpa-ideas.gov. Email questions or concerns to
objective is to develop tools and tech- Torreon Creekmore, the SMART program man-
U.S. intelligence analysts are looking for sat- niques for automated broad-area ager, at dni-IARPA-BAA-19-04@iarpa.gov. More
ellite-based electro-optical sensors that can search to detect, monitor, and char- information is online at https://beta.sam.gov/
detect and characterize big events over time. acterize the progression of natural or opp/103b342c8a864c45843bc93d321ed47f/view.

34  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE32-34_eow.indd 34 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 PRODUCT
applic at ions
RADAR Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems online The Elbit PAWS systems are suitable for fixed-
Navy asks Raytheon to at www.raytheon.com, or the Office of Naval wing combat aircraft, helicopters, and commer-
upgrade radar RF sensors Research at www.onr.navy.mil. cial passenger jets. It can fit on the AH-1 Cobra,
for maritime surveillance AH-64D Apache Longbow, AW-101, 412, CH-47
U.S. Navy reconnaissance experts needed ELECTRONIC WARFARE (EW) Chinook, Mi-8/17/24, Super-Puma, and UH-60
improved radar for surveillance applications, Elbit to provide infrared Black Hawk helicopters; the A-1M, F-15, F-16,
they found their solution from the Raytheon missile warning in upgrades and F-18 combat jets; the 737, 747, 767, 777
Co. Space and Airborne Systems segment in to F-16 jet fighters passenger jets; and the C-130B, C-130H, C-130J,
McKinney, Texas. U.S. Air Force aerial warfare experts needed CN-235, and Il-76 military utility aircraft.
Officials of the Office of Naval Research in infrared missile warning systems for upgrades On this contract Elbit will do the work in Fort
Arlington, Texas, announced a $23.3 million four- to the Air Force fleet of F-16 jet fighters. They Worth, Texas, and should be finished by February
year contract to Raytheon in February for the found their solution from Elbit Systems of Amer- 2030. For more information contact Elbit Sys-
naval surveillance application upgrade. ica in Fort Worth, Texas. tems of America online at www.elbitsystems-us.
The contract calls for Raytheon to improve Officials of the Air Force Life Cycle Man- com, or the Air Force Life Cycle Management
RF sensors for naval surveillance applications. agement Center at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Center-Hill Air Force Base at www.hill.af.mil.
These improvements potentially will enhance announced a potential $471.6 million contract
size, weight, power, and cooling; modular to Elbit for a pylon-based infrared missile warn- UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
open-systems architectures; and resolution ing system for F-16 sustainment. Army chooses Griffon to
against small ocean vessel and aircraft targets. Elbit manufacturers the Passive Airborne provide unmanned aircraft for
These improvements also are to enhance the Warning System (PAWS) family of aircraft mis- aerial targets and training
detection of moving targets in synthetic aperture sile-defense systems. U.S. Army fire-control experts needed two kinds
radar, as well as form and extract imagery and PAWS provides early warning of threaten- of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) targets to help
other detection and classification features, and ing missiles and by automatic management of ground forces train to attack and defeat enemy
demonstrate multi-source autonomous surveil- onboard countermeasures. It uses digital sig- UAVs. They found their solution from Griffon
lance capabilities, Navy officials say. nal processing and algorithms to detect and Aerospace Inc. in Madison, Ala.
This contract is part of an overall Navy tech- track incoming missiles, identify threatening Officials of the Army Contracting Command
nology research program called Long Range ones, alert the aircrew with audio-visual warn- in Orlando, Fla., announced a $50 million con-
Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy ing signals, dispense flares, and cue directional tract to Griffon Aerospace for MQM-170 Outlaw
and Marine Corps Science & Technology. IR countermeasures. remotely piloted vehicle targets, and MQM-171
On this contract Raytheon will do the work The PAWS processing unit supports radar Broadsword unmanned aerial targets.
in McKinney, Texas, and should be finished by warning and laser warning, and hands-off threat The MQM-170 Outlaw comes in two versions
February 2023. For more information contact information to other electronic warfare (EW) and — the MQM-170C Outlaw G2, and the MQM-
defensive avionics. 170 G1. The Outlaw G1 weighs 120 pounds
gross weight, and was designed in 2004 as a
low-cost UAV target. The UAV also is for intel-
ligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; and
UAV flight training.
This legacy UAV target has a low radar cross
section, and available sensor payload bays, which
can be configured interchangeably for fuel or
sensors. It typically launches from a pneumatic
launcher and then it is recovered by skid landing.

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   35

2004MAE35-36_pro.indd 35 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 PRODUCT
applic at ions
unmanned remote combat vehicles (RCVs), sen-
sors, and weapons. In turn the Army will net-
work these optionally manned vehicles with the
broader force and command structure.
For that to happen, these manned-un-
manned teams will need a robust, secure, and
high-throughput communications network.
The Outlaw G2 is the successor to the Out- “The Army wants RCVs that can be remotely
law G1, and is the basic UAV for U.S. military operated in groups over very long distances,
UAV targets. It integrates the G1 engine, radio, The SCO is to be a magnified optic for infantry in cities, forests, and open terrain,” says Brian
autopilot control, and servos into a larger, and rifle systems to improve target acquisition and Soles, vice president of business development
more aerodynamically efficient fuselage. probability of hit at ranges from zero to nearly at Persistent. “These manned-unmanned teams
The G2 uses an inexpensive pneumatic 2,000 feet. The Marines want to buy between also will have to deal with the threat of enemy
launcher, and offers enhanced visual signature 18,000 and 30,000 systems. hacking and jamming.”
and increased hit area. Operators also can use it The SCO will include a non-caliber-spe- The Persistent Systems MPU5 with its Wave
as an inexpensive payload development platform. cific reticle, is variable power, and will have a Relay mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) radio
The Broadsword UAV target is a larger deriv- user selectable illuminated or non-illuminated was selected previously by the Next Generation
ative of the MQM-170A. It weighs 400 to 500 aim-point. Combat Vehicle cross functional team (NGCV-
pounds, and is designed as an aerial target, and The Marine Corps is asking Trijicon to allow CFT) and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center
to evaluate new sensors, payloads, propulsion for future reticle designs; changes in magnifi- (GVSC) as the MANET network of choice for
systems and other UAV components. cation; and allow for attachable or integrated RCV Phase 1 and has been under evaluation
The Broadsword uses a large pneumatic field-adjustable magnification change capability by the U.S. Army for over a year.
launcher and then is recovered by skid landing. for quick magnification changes. As part of its 14-month-long contract, Per-
It also can have an optional landing gear for On this contract Trijicon will do the work in sistent is working with the Army C5ISR Center’s
sensitive payloads. Wixom, Mich., and should be finished by Feb- Space and Terrestrial Communications Director-
The Army contract includes depot repair and ruary 2025. For more information contact Tri- ate to adapt the MPU5 to meet the anti-jam and
maintenance; storage; base operations; field jicon online at www.trijicon.com, or Marine cyber hardening demands of MUM-T operations.
operations; qualification training; and inven- Corps Systems Command at www.marcorsy- “The application of the work done under
tory support. scom.marines.mil. this contract won’t be limited to vehicles,” Soles
For more information contact Griffon Aero- says. “The idea is to get these same hardened
space online at www.griffonaerospace.com, or COMMUNICATIONS capabilities to dismounted soldiers, which will
the Army Contracting Command-Orlando at Persistent Systems to provide greatly enhance our ability to operate against
https://acc.army.mil/contractingcenters/acc-orl/ networking communications for more sophisticated adversaries.”
PALT_update.html. manned and unmanned vehicles For more information contact Persistent Sys-
U.S. Army needed secure communications to help tems online at www.persistentsystems.com, or
FIRE CONTROL enable soldiers to work together with unmanned the Army Combat Capabilities Development
Marine Corps picks optical rifle sight vehicles. They found their solution from Per- Command C5ISR Center at www.army.mil/arti-
from Trijicon to provide electro- sistent Systems LLC in New York. cle/157832/ccdc_c5isr_center. 
optical guidance for infantry rifle Persistent Systems officials have announced
U.S. Marine Corps infantry weapons experts that the Army Combat Capabilities Development
needed a common optical sight for the M27 Command C5ISR Center at Aberdeen Proving
and other infantry assault rifles. They found Ground, Md., has awarded the company a $5.4
their solution from Trijicon Inc. Wixom, Mich. million contract to develop Protected Communi-
Officials of the Marine Corps Systems Com- cations for Manned-Unmanned Teams (MUM-T).
mand at Quantico Marine Base, Va., announced Army officials say they envision a next-gen-
a potential $64 million five-year contract to Tri- eration optionally manned fighting vehicle
jicon for the Squad Common Optic (SCO) system. (OMFV) that can network with as many as four

36  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE35-36_pro.indd 36 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 To submit new products for consideration,

new products
contact John Keller at jkeller@endeavorb2b.com.

CONNECTORS
USB Type-C connectors for laptop
computers introduced by Stewart
Stewart Connector, a Bel group company in Glen Gigabit Ethernet with fiber or dual copper inter-
Rock, Pa., is introducing two USB connectors connects. The data recorder USB Type C interface
with Type-C right-angle receptacles for Inter- rugged construction with a six—point mount- provides direct download to the embedded stor-
net of Things (IoT), laptop computers, and other ing connection for set-and-forget installation. age and carries a 5-gigabit-per-second USB 3.1
applications where space and faster data rates These antennas deliver SISO or 2x2 MIMO for link with ISB PD2 Power Delivery, which enables
are a premium. The connector receptacles have increased capacity and can survive in 155-mile- the CAR to switch roles automatically and func-
different PCB thickness options that include SMT per-hour winds, and come with dual-polarized tion as either standard USB storage or as the host
and through-hole signal pins. Stewart USB Type-C N-type connector options. The 2-foot model is computer. For more information contact Ampex
connectors are designed to support data speeds to a high-performance ETSI Class 2, FCC Cat B Data Systems online at www.ampex.com.
10 gigabits per second for USB 3.1 Gen 2. The USB antenna and the 3-foot model is an ETSI Class
Type-C connectors have plug-and-play capabilities 3, FCC Cat A antenna. Both models include a DATA STORAGE
where hot insertion and ejection may occur with- Ubiquiti airFiber 11FX mounting kit. For more Rugged data recorder for aircraft
out issue, under a load. USB Type-C connectors information contact KP Performance Antennas and vehicles offered by Pentek
are rated to withstand a peak current of 1.5 amps online at www.kpperformance.com. Pentek Inc. in Upper Saddle River, N.J., is intro-
per contact. The Stewart USB Type-C connectors ducing the RTX 2684 26 GHz RF Sentinel intel-
are in stock with Digi-Key, Mouser, and Newark. DATA RECORDERS ligent signal scanning small-form-factor data
For more information contact Stewart Connector Low-cost data recorder for recorder for mobile and space-limited military
online at https://belfuse.com/stewart-connector. expendable applications signals intelligence (SIGINT) applications. The
introduced by Ampex Data RTX 2684 is for use in extreme operating envi-
ANTENNAS Ampex Data Systems in Hayward, Calif., is intro- ronments, combines the Pentek Talon Record-
11 GHz parabolic antennas for ducing the Common Architecture Recorder (CAR) ing System with a 26 GHz RF tuner and Sentinel
point-to-point communications to meet demands for low-cost data acquisition,
introduced by KP recording, and network attached storage (NAS).
KP Performance Antennas in Irvine, Calif., The CAR is for expendable systems like unmanned
is introducing the ProLine 11 GHz parabolic aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned ground vehi-
antennas for high-density, point-to-point RF cles (UGVs). The CAR offers low cost, small size,
and microwave backhaul applications or cli- and scalability. It weighs two pounds, has a vol-
ent-premises. The antennas operate in the 10.7 ume of 62 cubic inches, and offers as much as 2
GHz to 11.7 GHz frequency range, and come terabytes of data storage. The non-proprietary
in 2- and 3-foot diameters. They deliver gain modular, extensible, Linux-based open-architec-
performance of 34.4 dBi and 39 dBi respec- ture, providing the flexibility to add third-party
tively, and are engineered to suppress side-lobes applications without exclusionary constraints. Its
and back-lobes. The communications antennas two mini-PCI Express sites enable data options like
are designed to reject interference, and feature video with H.264 encoding, MIL-STD 1553, and

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   37

2004MAE37-40_np.indd 37 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 new products

intelligent signal scanning software, and comes POWER ELECTRONICS amplifier provides the
in an extremely rugged, small-form-factor half- Solid-state power high reliability of sol-
ATR chassis. The system operates in tempera- amplifiers for military and id-state technology
tures from -40 to 50 degrees Celsius, and can commercial satellite command to support critical com-
handle most thermal environments, making them systems from Paradise Datacom munications between the
suitable for unmanned aircraft, aircraft pods, The Teledyne Defense Electronics Paradise Data- Earth and satellites, in a rugged outdoor-rated
tight equipment bays, military vehicles, and most com segment in State College, Pa., is introducing enclosure. Compared to older vacuum-based tech-
outdoor environments. The recorder weighs 23 dual L- and S-band solid-state power amplifiers for nology, the enhanced reliability and ease-of-use
pounds and is optimized for small size, weight military and commercial satellite command sys- gives operators the opportunity to support com-
and power consumption (SWaP). It is available tems. The L/S dual-band amplifier is available in mand and control facilities with non- or semi-tech-
with to 61 terabytes of removable solid-state- two power levels in rugged outdoor-rated enclo- nical staff. S- and L-band frequencies have been
drive data storage. A Pentek model 78141A Jade sures. Power levels to 800 Watts are available the industry’s bands of choice for satellite com-
transceiver module serves as the data acquisition in the HPAS2800GHXXXXXG high-power out- mand positioning and tracking applications like
engine of the Talon RTX 2684 data recorder. One door amplifier package, and to 400 Watts in the global positioning systems (GPS) and tracking,
of its dual 3.2-gigabit-per-second 12-bit A/D con- HPAS2400GCXXXXXG compact outdoor ampli- telemetry, and control ground stations. For more
verters operates at a sample rate of 2.8 gigabits fier enclosure. Both units are available covering information contact Teledyne Defense Electron-
per second. For more information contact Pentek 1.75 to 2.12 GHz. A fit for military and commercial ics Paradise Datacom online at www.teledyned-
online at www.pentek.com. command and control environments, the L/S-band efenseelectronics.com/paradisedatacom.

PRODUCT & LITERATURE SHOWCASE

VIDEO DISPLAY & TRANSMISSION

Proven Solutions

F-35 Sim . Phalanx . THAAD . AEGIS . DVIDS

Integrated COTS solutions for baseband & networked video

sales@rgb.com (510) 814-7000 rgbdefense.com

2004MAE37-40_np.indd 38
1912MAE_RGBspectrum 1 4/6/20 11:24
11/21/19 2:54 AM
PM
 new products

ADV ERTIS ERS IND E X

ADVERTISERPAGE
Crane Aerospace & Electronics.............................................................. 1
Dawn VME Products................................................................................. 5 SUBSCRIP TION INQUIRIES
Fair-Rite Products Corp............................................................................ 7 Phone: 1-877-382-9187 / International Callers: +1-847-559-7598
Fairview Microwave................................................................................ 13 E-mail: MAEM@omeda.com
Web: www.mae-subscribe.com
General Micro Systems Inc...................................................................C4
Guntermann & Drunck GmbH............................................................ 15
Holt Integrated Circuits......................................................................... 27 VICE PRESIDENT/GROUP PUBLISHER Alan Bergstein
L-Com........................................................................................................C3 603 891-9447 ⁄ abergstein@endeavorb2b.com
Master Bond Inc....................................................................................... 33 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF John Keller
Millennium International...................................................................... 24 603 891-9117 ⁄ jkeller@endeavorb2b.com
Milpower Source...................................................................................... 23 ASSOCIATE EDITOR Jamie Whitney

OFS............................................................................................................. 31 603 891-9135 ⁄ jwhitney@endeavorb2b.com

Pasternack Enterprises...................................................................... 3, 21 CONTRIBUTING EDITOR WESTERN BUREAU J. R. Wilson

702 434-3903 ⁄ jrwilson@endeavorb2b.com
Pentek........................................................................................................C2
Phoenix International............................................................................ 39 EDITORIAL ART DIRECTOR Kermit Mulkins

Pico Electronics Inc................................................................................... 9 PRODUCTION MANAGER Sheila Ward

Pixus Technologies................................................................................. 29 AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Debbie Bouley

Radiall AEP Inc........................................................................................ 33 603 891-9372 ⁄ dbouley@endeavorb2b.com

RGB Spectrum.......................................................................................... 38 MARKETING MANAGER Adrienne Adler

603 891-9420 ⁄ aadler@endeavorb2b.com
VectorNav................................................................................................. 11
VPT Inc...................................................................................................... 25

www.endeavorbusinessmedia.com

EDITORIAL OFFICES
Endeavor Business Media, LLC
AS 9100D / ISO 9001:2015 CERTIFIED Military & Aerospace Electronics
61 Spit Brook Road, Suite 501, Nashua, NH 03060

PHALANX II:
603 891-0123 ⁄ www.milaero.com

N THE ULTIMATE NAS

SALES OFFICES
EASTERN US & EASTERN CANADA & UK
Keith Gregory, Sales Manager
Supports AES-256 and FIPS140-2 encryption 508 1/2 Ocean Park Ave., Bradley Beach, NJ 07720
732 897-9550 / Cell 917 993-3741
kgregory@endeavorb2b.com
WESTERN CANADA & WEST OF MISSISSIPPI
Maureen Elmaleh, Sales Manager
7475 Miller Street, Arvada, CO 80005
303 975-6381 / Cell 212 920-5051
melmaleh@endeavorb2b.com
REPRINTS Jessica Stremmel
717 505-9701 x2205 ⁄ Jessica.stremmel@theygsgroup.com
DIRECTOR LIST RENTAL Kelli Berry
918 831-9782 ⁄ kberry@endeavorb2b.com
For assistance with marketing strategy or ad creation,
please contact Marketing Solutions
Utilizing two removable SSDs, the Phalanx II is a rugged Kaci Wheeler
918 832-9377 ⁄ kwheeler@endeavorb2b.com
Small Form Factor (SSF) Network Attached Storage (NAS)
file server designed for manned and unmanned airborne, CORPOR ATE OFFICERS
undersea and ground mobile applications. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Chris Ferrell

CHIEF REVENUE OFFICER Scott Bieda

w w w . p h e n x i n t . c o m CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Patrick Raines

CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER Eric Kammerzelt

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER June Griffin

EVP, TECHNOLOGY GROUP Lester Craft

www.militaryaerospace.com MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICS  A P R I L 2 0 2 0   39

PhoInt_MAE_1802 1 1/23/18 8:53 AM

2:54 PM 2004MAE37-40_np.indd 39 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 new products
Con) for use in harsh underwater environments. These embedded computing boards feature the
NiobiCon makes electrical connections underwa- Xilinx Zynq UltraScale+ MPSoC, which allows
ter to transfer power and exchange data without for standalone operation, and for several inter-
using seals, oil, or moving parts. This technology faces that can operate simultaneously. Options
was developed to address the inefficient recharg- include PCI Express, Aurora, 40/100 Gigabit
ing of unmanned vehicles in underwater environ- Ethernet, and user-defined protocols. For more
ments. When the niobium connector contacts information contact Annapolis Micro Systems
RF AND MICROWAVE the water, it creates its own thin isolating layer, online at www.annapmicro.com.
RF detector to convert an RF which the connection scrapes off. Once discon-
input signal to a DC output nected, the layer instantly regenerates. Northrop TITLE
signal from BroadWave Grumman has entered into an agreement with 3U VPX SOSA-aligned rugged
BroadWave Technologies Inc. in Greenwood, iCONN Systems LLC in Lombard, Ill., which makes embedded computing
Ind., is introducing the model 854-142-POS RF connectors for harsh environments. For more introduced by Concurrent
detector designed to convert a RF input signal to information contact Northrop Grumman Mission Concurrent Technologies Inc. in Woburn, Mass.,
a DC output signal. The model 854-142-POS is a Systems online at www.northropgrumman.com, is introducing the TR J4x/6sd-RCx rugged 3U
positive-polarity 50 Ohm RF detector that oper- or iCONN Systems at www.iconnsystems.com. VPX embedded computing board that aligns
ates from 200 kHz to 1500 MHz. Input power with the evolving Sensor Open Systems Archi-
is +20 dBm maximum, voltage standing wave EMBEDDED DATA STORAGE tecture (SOSA) for compute intensive aerospace
ratio (VSWR) is 1.40:1 maximum, and flatness Rugged embedded computing data and defense applications. The SOSA-aligned TR
is +/- 0.3 dB maximum. The RF input connec- storage from Annapolis Micro Systems J4x/6sd-RCx has a 40G Optical Ethernet Inter-
tor is BNC male while the DC output connector Annapolis Micro Systems Inc. in Annapolis, Md., face, and is fitted with a 12-core Intel Xeon
is BNC female. The output capacitance is 1000 is introducing the rugged WILDSTAR OpenVPX Processor D-1559 and 64 gigabytes of sol-
pf maximum and the operating temperature embedded computing data storage boards to dered-down DDR4 memory for server-grade
range is 0 to 70 degrees Celsius. BroadWave handle high-bandwidth and high-density data applications and workload consolidation in chal-
manufactures negative and positive polarity RF recording systems that operate in harsh environ- lenging environments. The embedded computing
detectors. Other connector types and 75 Ohm ments. These next-generation 100 Gigabit Ether- board has two 10GBASE-KR Ethernet connec-
RF detectors are available. Please contact us net storage boards are aligned to the emerging tions and as many as eight lanes of Gen 3 PCI
with your unique requirement for the appropri- Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) and Express for high-speed point-to-point connec-
ate model number. For more information con- VITA 65 open-systems standards. The WILDSTAR tivity with adjacent accelerator boards. A front
tact BroadWave Technologies online at www. 6SN0 6U OpenVPX data storage board features connection with VGA and USB ports enables
broadwavetechnologies.com. 64 terabytes of capacity in one 1-inch 6U slot, setup with Linux or Windows Server operat-
and as much as 10 gigabytes per second read/ ing systems or hypervisors from vendors like
CONNECTORS write bandwidth. The 6SN0 is now shipping. The VMware. Concurrent Technologies offers several
iCONN to introduce wet-mateable WILDSTAR 3SN0 3U OpenVPX storage board security enhancement utilities, such as secure
connectors for undersea military uses features 32 terabytes of capacity in one 1-inch boot and sanitization, and Guardian, a security
Officials of the Northrop Grumman Corp. Naviga- 3U slot, and as much as 5 gigabytes per second package that can be tailored to customer needs.
tion & Maritime Systems segment in Annapolis, read/write bandwidth. Orders are now being For more information contact Concurrent Tech-
Md., have signed a non-exclusive agreement to accepted, with shipping starting in June 2020. nologies online at www.gocct.com. 
manufacture niobium-based connectors (Niobi-

40  
A P R I L 2 0 2 0   MILITARY & AEROSPACE ELECTRONICSwww.militaryaerospace.com

2004MAE37-40_np.indd 40 4/6/20 11:24 AM

 Ruggedized Connectivity Solutions
Keep Networks Operating –
Anytime. . .Anywhere.

Available for Same-Day Shipping!

Operating in a Harsh Environment?

Are you operating in a harsh environment where cabling
and interconnectivity components must withstand
temperature extremes, moisture, corrosive materials,
shock and vibration? To address these challenges
L-com delivers connectivity solutions to keep your
networks operating – anytime…anywhere.

• Weatherproof and Waterproof

• Resilient to Temperature Extremes
• EMI and RFI Resistant
• Shock, Vibration, Corrosive Materials Protection

Our ruggedized connectivity solutions are in stock and

available for same-day shipping.

Learn more at:

www.L-com.com/ruggedized-solutions
+1 (800) 341-5266

2004MAEc3-c4.indd 3
2002MAE_PasternackLCom 1 4/6/20
2/3/20 11:23 AM
1:19 PM
2004MAEc3-c4.indd 4 1
2002MAE_GeneralMicro 4/6/20 11:23
2/10/20 10:37 AM
AM