Boeing tests tech for US Air Force

Boeing has been awarded a US Air Force contract for a Ground Situational Awareness Toolkit that integrates a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system with a ShotSpotter gunfire detection and location technology system.

The integrated solution is designed to provide additional force protection for military convoys and bases against sniper fire.

The Air Force's 820th Security Forces Group at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, will conduct a four-month military utility assessment to validate ground detection and aerial location of sniper fire. If successful, the system could join Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Nokia has been awarded a US Army contract to build a WCDMA 3G/HSDPA network, reports InformationWeek.

Noting that it already provides high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) technology to 66 3G customers, Nokia said the Army will evaluate HSDPA for potential applications for defence purposes.

Nokia said it will install the network at an undisclosed army research and development centre. The mobile communications operator indicated its Nokia MSC Server System can save operating expenses of between 30% and 70% compared to legacy switching technologies.

The uplink and downlink phased array antennas developed by Northrop Grumman for the first advanced extremely high frequency (EHF) military satellite communications payload have been successfully integrated onto the first flight structure, and their performance has been verified alongside other essential payload components.

Using phased array antennas, advanced microelectronics, extremely high data rate waveforms and efficient protocols, advanced EHF will deliver a significant increase in capacity and connectivity over the legacy Milstar system.

The US Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $98.7 million contract in December to complete the full-rate production phase of the ICBM Guidance Replacement Programme (GRP).

This award capped a year of achievements by the Northrop Grumman ICBM Prime Integration contract team to modernise and keep viable America's land-based strategic deterrent.

The GRP programme is a key modernisation effort aimed at upgrading the guidance system electronics in the Minuteman III ICBM to extend the missile's service life through 2020.

Tadiran Communications has received a $20.5 million order from Israel's Ministry of Defence in addition to a previous $19.6 million contract for the supply of next-generation radio communications systems for use by various branches of the Israel Defence Forces.

The radio systems are software definable (Software Defined Radio), providing high-speed simultaneous voice and data communications capabilities and supporting multiple advanced communications protocols.

This opens the way to third-generation wireless military communications, meeting the demands for advanced voice and high-speed data communications in the network-centric warfare environment.