Category Archives: ISR
Russia’s Ratnik “Future Soldier Uniforms” Closer To Implementation.
Following France’s foot steps Russia’s military may soon have a fully integrated soldier system designated Ratnik. Ratnik is a subset of our, now debunked, FCS, Future Combat Systems. This represents a major inflection point in Russia’s approach to its military. … Continue reading
The 2013 Counterterrorism Calendar
The Holidays have now passed into history. You had a tactical Christmas, and you even received the much coveted Hot Shot Calendar. So, what’s next? Look to the folks at the National Counterterrorism Center. The NCTC has published its 11th … Continue reading
US Army To Acquire Additional Thermal Weapon Sights From Raytheon
Raytheon announced that it was selected by the U.S. Army to supply thermal weapon sights (TWS). The award has a maximum potential value of $131 million. The contract is not new business, but a three year extension to the existing … Continue reading
DARPA Is Looking For A Multiband Camera System For Dismounted Soldiers
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) would like to see proposals for advanced helmet-mounted and clip-on camera systems, as part of its pixel network for dynamic visualization (PIXNET) program. The objective is to fuse all sensors, visible, near infrared … Continue reading
Thales Acquired Gentex Corporation’s Visionix Business
Thales announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire the Helmet Mounted Display (HMD) and motion tracking businesses from Gentex Corporation. Called “Visionix,” the combined group designs, develops and delivers HMD, inertial tracking and sensor fusion technology for … Continue reading
Vectronix, Inc. Awarded Contract for U.S. Army Handheld Precision Targeting Devices (HHPTD) Requirement.
Vectronix, Inc. Ashburn, VA a wholly owned subsidiary of Vectronix AG in Heerbrugg, Switzerland, has been awarded the contract for the U.S. Army Handheld Precision Targeting Devices (HHPTD) requirement (Solicitation No. W91CRB-12-R-0028). The HHPTD, sponsored by the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force … Continue reading
Apache Helicopters Engage Taliban Fighters: The Need To Strengthen C2ISR
This LiveLeak video is an outstanding example on the importance of our rotary wing assets, particularly in asymmetric conflicts. It illustrates the challenges faced by forces as they attempt to coordinate engagements. As the video chronicles, ground forces with visibility of insurgents, unavailable to … Continue reading
SRW on Falcon III AN/PRC-117G
SRW or Soldier Radio Waveform is a byproduct of the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) initiative. SRW runs under software control on a software definable radio or SDR. SRW is a wide-band communications architecture providing concurrent voice and data communications along … Continue reading
ReconRobotics To Supply Throwbot XTs To U.S. Army.
ReconRobotics makers of the Throwbot XT, an amazing throwable miniature robot, was awarded a $13.9 million contract by the U.S. Army’s Rapid Equipping Force for up to 1,000 miniature, throwable, mobile robots. The Throwbot XT has been in use for sometime … Continue reading
SOFIC 2012 / ISOF 2012 – AeroVironment Raven® UAS
When I first started talking about the UAS and UAV systems, I alluded to the fact that these devices are increasingly becoming and extension of the soldier operator and as important as anything else in his array of tools. My assertion is proving to be … Continue reading
The Vehicle Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (VICTORY)
The Vehicle Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability (VICTORY) initiative was news to me and I want to thank Steve Graves, Vice President of Marketing at Acumentrics, for introducing it to me. So, what is VICTORY? The Vehicle Integration for C4ISR/EW Interoperability … Continue reading
SOFIC 2012 / ISOF 2012 – SpotterRF Makes Its Debut
SpotterRF is a one-of-a-kind item in that it is the only surveillance radar in existence that will fit in a backpack. SoptterRF weighs a mere 3 pounds for the M80 and 4 pounds for the larger M600C model. The radar operates in … Continue reading
Vectronix’s Terrapin Pocket Laser Range Finder
There are laser range finders and then there is a Vectronix PLRF. The Terrapin offers robustness, reliability and accuracy at a manageable price point. If you’re a law enforcement organization struggling with diminishing budgets the Terrapin will give you basic … Continue reading
Vectronix Introduces NiteSpotMR Its New Medium Range Clip-On Night Sight
Vectronix AG, Heerbrugg Switzerland, introduced the NiteSpotMR, a medium range clip-on night sight that adds night vision capability (I²) to a wide variety of rifles, at DSA 2012 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. NiteSpotMR attaches to the front of a day-sight objective … Continue reading
USSOCOM Is Looking For New Radios.
The USSOCOM’s CAR (Capital Equipment Replacement) Program was implemented to finance a series of tactical and strategic acquisitions. Towards the top of that list is communications. As USSOCOM is increasingly tasked with spearheading the low intensity asymmetric effort, their reliance … Continue reading
BAE Systems OASYS Secures Deal To Supply USSOCOM With SkeeterIR®
BAE Systems announced yesterday , April 11, 2012, that it has been awarded an $11 million contract to provide USSOCOM with its mini weapon mountable IR monocular, SkeeterIR®. The SkeeterIR uses a Wilcox interface so it can be mounted to the helmet … Continue reading
Vectronix PLRF25C Pocket Laser Range Finder
It’s not often that one has the opportunity to T&E a piece of military technology that is truly excellent, and there’s certainly no shortage of laser range finders available to the warfighter; however, they generally involve compromising on … Continue reading
SOF Get New Wireless Appliance – RTHD-2 from VT Miltope
Just when you thought life couldn’t get better, technology steps in shattering the illusion. VT Miltope’s RTHD-2 is a ruggedized handheld computer that obviates a need for a smartphone. It is a, first of its kind, wireless appliance integrating a … Continue reading
Vectronix Introduces STERNA at AUSA, Whashington D.C.
STERNA PTLS STERNA is a full range of ultra-light, non-magnetic Precision Target Location Systems (PTLS) . All STERNA Precision Target Location Systems (PTLS) are based on Vectronix` new and unrestricted true north-finding capability providing very precise target coordinates, even in magnetically charged or … Continue reading
Elbit Kicks Up The ISR Game One More Notch With ENGAGER…
Elbit Systems introduced today, during a media and analysts visit to its subsidiary, Elbit Systems Electro-optics Elop, “ENGAGER”- a new advanced remote reconnaissance gathering system. ENGAGER is designed for day and night operations and is highly suited for missions such as intelligence … Continue reading
Elbit Systems Launches a Family of Multimedia Routing Solutions for Tactical Radio Networks at DSEi 2011
There is a great deal of interest in advancing the netcentric battlefield; however, relatively little attention has been given to the infrastructure that supports multi-IP and multimedia applications. It seemed that planners lacked a clear understanding of bandwidth requirements and performance metrics, … Continue reading
German Army Deploys Carl Zeiss Panoramic Reconnaissance and Surveillance Systems To Protect FOB
Panoramic reconnaissance and surveillance systems by Carl Zeiss Optronics GmbH protect the German forward operating bases (FOBs) in northern Afghanistan. The German army has ordered them to meet immediate deployment requirements. Comparable systems by Carl Zeiss Optronics have monitored the … Continue reading
US Army’s AH-64D Apache Avionics Integration Program Gets JTRS
Lockheed Martin delivered the first secure joint tactical radio to US Army’s AH-64D Apache Avionics Integration Lab. The airborne, maritime / fixed station joint tactical Radio System, or AMF-JTRS as it is called, is a two channel radio running the Link … Continue reading
SOFIC 2011 – Engage
The last part of the USSOCOM equation “Understand, Communicate, Move, Engage” addresses the kinetic component of the SOCOM mission. Active projects embraced by the engage variable include weapons, munitions, operator survivability, signature reduction, non-lethal technologies, vision augmentation and a variety of other … Continue reading
SOFIC 2011 – Communicate
In my last SOFIC 2011 post, I touched on the “Understand” component of Adm. Olson’s vision for USSOCOM post Geronimo EKIA. It is at the heart of everything that USSOCOM does but more importantly it is key to meeting our military and … Continue reading
Algiz 7 Tablet from Handheld Now Certified by Verizon Wireless
Handheld US, a North American supplier of rugged PDAs and devices, announced that its Algiz 7 rugged tablet computer is certified for connectivity on the Verizon Wireless network. The Algiz 7 is an ultra-rugged, 7-inch widescreen tablet that runs Microsoft … Continue reading
Vectronix Selected To Supply 1400 MOSKITO, Commander’s Target Locator (CTL), For UK’s FIST Program.
Vectronix MOSKITO CTL Vectronix, of Heerburg Switzerland, designs and manufactures extreme high quality optical ranging devices. I’ve had the opportunity to use a variety of their equipment over the years, and I can say, without reservation, that it leaves the competition … Continue reading
FOG HORN 