Additive Manufacturing for Warfare 4.0

Recognizing the advances in Additive Fabrication technologies, the United States Marine Corps has set up a dedicated Additive Manufacturing program with the aim of mass-producing militaristic items with ease and at any location.

Looking deeper, it is only right to state that this program—which was heralded by the Logistics Innovation Challenge—was developed to give the US Army a considerable edge during wartime.

The program has recorded considerable successes for it led to the development of an unmanned aerial system named ‘Scout’ with reconnaissance features which was built with approximately $600.

The fourth industrial age is here to stay and the exact roles 3d Printing will play in defining how it develops can only be speculated at for now. But one thing is sure: manufacturing in every industry vertical—bio-medicine, the military, engineering, science etc.—will come to rely heavily on the on-going innovations in the field of Additive Fabrication Technologies.

This revolution would definitely have enhanced the German war effort during the battle of Stalingrad by drastically reducing the logistics associated with carting ammunitions as well as other goods from Germany and its environs to Russia. And it is also definitely going to change modern warfare as we know, it in the coming years.

Additive Manufacturing and obsolescence management

With a view to raising awareness on the issue of obsolescence management in the defence sector and on the role that Additive Manufacturing (AM) plays today and could play tomorrow, this RAND Perspective Paper includes four contributions from experts in different sectors, bringing different analytical approaches to and perspectives on the issue.

1. The first paper, from ArmaSuisse, provides an overview of the Swiss military context and the opportunities and challenges that AM could represent.
2. The second paper, from RAND Europe, illustrates the concept of obsolescence management in the defence sector and introduces the potential game changer role that AM could play in this field.
3. The third paper, by the US Army, provides an insight into current use and future developments of AM from a more practical perspective.
4. Finally, the last paper, from Cranfield University, elaborates on the costs of obsolescence and on the role that AM could have in obsolescence management in the future.

You can download them through the following link:

http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/perspectives/PE100/PE171/RAND_PE171.pdf

Nuevo aeródromo para los Gray Eagle

El U.S. Army va a empezar a construir la próxima primavera un aeródromo exclusivo para UAVs en Fort Bliss, con el objeto de servir de base a los nueve UAVs General Atomics "Gray Eagle" que se pondrán en 2015 al servicio de la First Armored Division. El proyecto cuenta con un presupuesto de 33 millones de euros cuyo coste correrá a cargo del Army Corps of Engineers y será ejecutado por la empresa constructora SGS.

Con sus 29 pies (8,8 metros) de longitud y sus 56 pies (17,06 metros) de envergadura, Gray Eagle es el UAV más grande que posee el U.S. Army y puede ser utilizado tanto para misiones ISR como para misiones de combate. Capaz de volar durante 25 horas a una altitud de 29.000 pies (8.839 metros), el Gray Eagle está dotado de cámaras multiespectro que permiten la detección de Artefactos Explosivos Improvisados (IED, por sus siglas en inglés).

US Army awards Aerovironment

The U.S. Army has awarded three firm fixed-price orders to AeroVironment, Inc. totaling $27,178,075 for RQ-11B Raven and RQ-20A Puma AE Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) spare parts.

The company received two orders on August 29, 2014 and one on September 18, 2014.  Delivery is anticipated within 12 months. “Recapitalizing the Army’s large fleet of Raven and Puma AE systems ensures that soldiers have the most effective and reliable small UAS available to support them, wherever and whenever required,” said Roy Minson, senior vice president and general manager of AeroVironment’s UAS business segment.  “With AeroVironment-original spare parts and upgrades, operators can continue to rely on our combat-proven solutions to deliver better information, on-demand, and help them operate more safely and effectively.” added.

The latest orders increase the total value of orders for Raven and Puma AE UAS spare parts and Raven upgrades received since May 2014 to $77.6 million.

National Guard training center to host open-source UAV research

Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center will host a multi-agency research program designed to drive innovation and reduce costs of government unmanned vehicle technology.

The Open Source Unmanned Remote and Autonomous Vehicle Systems (OS-URAVS) program is a collaborative, public-private program to be based at Camp Shelby and administered in conjunction with the Army, Navy, Air Force, Department of Homeland Security, Defense Acquisition University and private-sector organizations, including the Open Source Software Institute (OSSI).

John Weathersby, executive director of OSSI, said the OS-URAVS program seeks to identify common open-source technologies and practices used within various agencies’ unmanned vehicle programs. “The goal is to identify and document specific technical, economic and administrative benefits provided by open technology solutions and to share this information with government unmanned vehicle programs, commercial suppliers and open-source development communities,” he said. OSSI developed the OS-URAVS program as part of the Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate's Homeland Open Security Technology (HOST) program. The DHS HOST program was launched in 2007 to identify open-source software solutions that support national cybersecurity objectives. The initial phase of the OS-URAVS program is scheduled to last one year.

HEL-MD takes out mortars and UAVs

High energy laser weapons are a hot area of research with companies including Lockheed Martin, Rheinmetall and Northrop Grumman.

Boeing is also in the mix with its High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD), which is being put through its paces by the US Army. Between November 18th and December 10th, the HEL MD successfully took out mortar rounds and UAVs in flight, marking a first for the vehicle-mounted system.

Intended to demonstrate the potential of directed-energy technology for protecting troops against RAM (Rockets, Artillery and Mortars), as well as UAVs and cruise missiles, the multiple test events saw the HEL MD successfully engage over 90 mortar rounds and several UAVs. Army officials say mortars and UAVs are representative of the threats faced by US and allied forces in the battlefield.

Norway to develop pocket UAV

U.S. Army researchers are asking a Norwegian company to develop a pocket-sized helicopter to provide a personal reconnaissance UAV for infantrymen and Special Forces warfighters.

Officials of the Army Contracting Command in U.S. are awarding a $2.5 million contract to ProxDynamics AS of Nesbru, Norway, to develop the Black Hornet Personal Reconnaissance System (PRS) – a one-pound force-protection micro UAV for soldiers and small infantry units.

ProxDynamics researchers will base the Black Hornet pocket UAV on the company’s PD-100 personal reconnaissance system, a mobile unmanned helicopter designed to provide infantry soldiers with immediate intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capability. The Prox Dynamics PD-100 PRS consists of the PD-100 nanocopter UAV and base station. The entire package weighs less than two pounds, excluding display, and measures 8 by 3.5 by 2 inches.

The PD-100 micro UAV system is for applications such as: search and rescue, reconnaissance in confined areas, look behind, between, and below obstacles, birds-eye view for situational awareness, object identification, proximity surveillance, crowd control, nuclear installation inspection, and checking chemical plants after incidents and accidents. The tiny helicopter UAV’s sensor payload has a steerable electro-optical camera with pan and tilt capability to provide live video and snapshot images.

Elbit Systems to sell UAV to US Army

Subsidiary of Israeli defense electronics manufacturer selected for award to provide US Army with Skylark I-LE Block II, a long-range Small Unmanned Aircraft System with capabilities normally associated with larger class unmanned system (read more)

 

US Army Looks at Unmanned Aerial System Threats

 

U.S. ground forces detect an enemy unmanned aircraft performing reconnaissance over their forward operating base. Now the Soldiers must determine how to neutralize the Unmanned Aerial System threat: whether to jam the electronic signal from its ground controller, kill the ground controller or shoot down the Unmanned Aerial System, or UAS.

Read more:

 http://www.defencetalk.com/us-army-looks-at-unmanned-aerial-system-threats-46015/#ixzz2FTt8RABd