Battlefield Tech

US Air Force mints program to hone command and control

“In order to fight as joint and coalition forces,” Lt. Col. Steve Wyatt said, “we need to understand each other’s capabilities and limitations, and how each entity operates and communicates.”

US Air Force seeks tech sweet spot for Advanced Battle Management System

“Those who have followed this ABMS journey, they’ve probably seen that it’s evolved over time as we learn more,” said Gen. CQ Brown, U.S. Air Force chief of staff.

Viasat to test 5G networking for Marine Corps operations

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to conduct expeditionary advanced base operations in the near future, both for offensive and defensive reasons. But command and control remains a big barrier.

Pentagon should consider ‘National Hypersonic Initiative’ to speed development, lawmakers say

The House Armed Services Committee wants DoD to explore options for creating a National Hypersonic Initiative that would guide collaboration among the services and agencies involved in development and testing activities and help accelerate production and fielding of hypersonic systems.

Five questions for Army’s Robert Collins as he moves to Pentagon acquisitions office

"I’ve been doing this for 30 years," the general said, "and any time the coach puts you back in for a couple more plays on the playing field, I'll tell you, that gives you a lot of energy."

Lockheed Martin blends AI decision aide, virtual Aegis combat system in drill near Guam

A pair of Lockheed Martin tools recommended offensive and defensive firing solutions to joint force commanders at Valiant Shield 2022, and a second system digitally sent the targeting data to shooters on the ground.

US Army reaches for the sky to solve communication needs

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's aerial tier networking.

House lawmakers eye 70% funding boost for Pentagon’s commercial innovation hub

The recommended budget growth follows calls from committee members for greater DoD investment in commercial technology.

US Air Force’s ‘flying car’ coming to an exercise near you

The Air Force is gearing up for Agility Prime's first procurements in 2023, and is getting ready to start fielding the innovative eVTOL aircraft.

Space Force seeks a bigger voice in military operations

The Space Force is vying for influence after the space enterprise has been in the background for several decades.

How war in Ukraine is informing future US Air Force networks

“If I were to summarize a lesson learned, it would be we can’t have enough coalition connectivity fast enough.”

Space Development Agency plans for ‘enduring’ satellite experimentation testbed

The initial solicitation will be for 10 satellites, the agency expects the program to provide an “enduring” test and experimentation capability.

Ukraine to get thousands of secure radios in latest US package

The radios will be sourced using Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative funds and will not be siphoned from existing U.S. stockpiles.

How Russia telegraphed invasion of Ukraine in space and online

While the discussion of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine at Europe’s largest land warfare tradeshow has focused on how militaries fight on the ground, Major Gen. Michel Friedling, the head of France’s Space Command, said Russia’s use of cyber and space weapons sent a critical message.

Space Force envisions digital future for testing and training

The Space Force is on a path toward creating a National Space Test and Training Complex, but the endeavor also presents some challenges — most of which lie in creating virtual training and testing environments that realistically depict the space domain.

Lawmakers propose ‘Technology Competitiveness Council’ to champion US innovation

The council, chaired by Vice President Kamala Harris, would craft a National Technology Strategy that assesses U.S. competitiveness and recommends policy and funding measures to support innovation within the national security sector.

French military turns to sci-fi to fight Russia hacking, spur innovation

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has forced nations around the world to reconsider how they invest in future technologies.

Network Security

AT&T demonstrates 5G capability for US Navy ‘smart warehouse’

Throughput speeds of 3.9 gigabits per second, with less than 10 milliseconds of latency, were delivered during an April 28 event in California.

Pentagon chooses design for ‘Project Pele’ portable nuclear reactor prototype

The Pentagon awarded BWXT Advanced Technologies a contract worth up to $300 million to build a full-scale mobile reactor and deliver it in time for a 2024 demonstration.

House cyber panel seeks review of delayed Air Force Link 16 upgrade

“I’m concerned that the can’s been kicked down the road a lot,” Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., said at a budget hearing in April.

Space Force urged to use single company for managing national security launch integration

As the service projects an increase in national security launch missions in the coming years, a House panel wants the Space Force to consider using a common launch integrator to reduce costs and drive out risk.

How Space Development Agency contractors are mitigating supply chain issues

Early planning, as well as collaboration and problem solving from its prime contractors, has helped SDA lessen the impact of supply chain issues that have affected the space industry in recent years.

Lawmakers want Austin to report on progress, cost of JADC2

Concerns exist about the complexities and costs of Joint All-Domain Command and Control, a marquee Pentagon effort, and Congress has expressed its skepticism in the past.

House panel wants independent look at how Pentagon funds testing

“We place a lot of demands on that community, and those demands are not always aligned with the resources that they have,” one committee staff member said. “This is geared towards shining a light on some of the shortfalls.”

Network Security

Army verifies info-sharing abilities with forces joining Project Convergence 22

The U.S. Army said a communications test known as COMMEX 1B was a success, replicating and informing the scale and scenarios of Project Convergence in far-flung laboratory and field settings.