Rockwell Collins has successfully conducted UHF SATCOM and HF waveform Functional Qualification Testing (FQT) on the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) vehicular Ground Mobile Radios (GMR). This testing is conducted to ensure that the Software Communications Architecture compliant waveforms met all allocated JTRS requirements.

FQT reasonably simulates the production environment. Successfully conducting FQT verifies that the UHF SATCOM and HF waveforms will provide expected operational waveform functionality before GMR systems are fielded. The waveforms can then be used to support the Production Qualification Testing phase of the GMR program.

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The programme to build the UK’s new aircraft carriers gained further momentum today, as BAE Systems began construction at Portsmouth Naval Base – the future home of the Queen Elizabeth Class ships.

Secretary of State for Defence, Bob Ainsworth, was invited to push the button on the company’s new state of the art plasma steel cutter, marking the start of full scale production at the site. The team at Portsmouth is building Lower Block 2, one of the large structures, that forms part of the hull on the first ship, HMS Queen Elizabeth. Housing machinery spaces, stores, switchboards and some of the ship’s accommodation, this block alone will weigh around 6,000 tonnes and will stand over 18 metres tall, 70 metres long and 40 metres wide.

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Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Fire Scout Vertical Unmanned Aircraft System (VUAS) demonstrated how the U.S. Army and other land forces could rely on its ability to ferry unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and other logistics items into combat zones during the Army’s recent Expeditionary Warrior Experiment (AEWE) at Fort Benning, Ga.

Fire Scout demonstrated how the soldier can rely on its multifunctional capability for force protection, reconnaissance surveillance target acquisition (RSTA) and communications relay that only a VUAS of its caliber can provide.

During the AEWE, Fire Scout flew to a named area of interest, surveyed the area to ensure it was clear, and landed autonomously within its pre-planned landing point. When Fire Scout’s on-board skid sensors detected contact with the ground, a command was sent to release the unmanned ground vehicle. Seconds later, Fire Scout ascended and then loitered at a higher altitude to observe and provide a relay for commands between the UGV and its controller.

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