Defense Technology International - March 2008 - (Page 14)

DISPATCHES GLOBAL Israeli air force UAV cruises over Gaza in search of targets. UAV capable of long periods of stealthy reconnaissance, day or night, in winds of 30 kt. Spike-LR is electro-optically guided. Tycoon is an interactive, ﬁeldproven, easy-to-use tool that provides a common and simple language between di erent forces and helps close the sensor-to-shooter cycle between reconnaissance and assault forces, as well as increasing ﬁre-management e ciency. During the demonstration, Spike teams were spread around an area. The SkyLite B UAV acquired a target, extracted coordinates and transferred them to the Tycoon TCS, which transmitted them to the Spike command launch unit. The Spike operator locked on the target and simulated ﬁring the missile. After ﬁring, SkyLite B received target coordinates from the Spike operator via Tycoon and conducted battle-damage assessment after the target was destroyed. Another way of accelerating the kill chain involves the use of UAVs in “hunter-killer” missions. These operations are the basis for a new concept of air domination of urban areas. The missions are performed by UAVs equipped with sensors and weapons to perform surveillance and intervention simultaneously. UAVs are particularly suitable for this role because of their ability to cover large areas for extended durations. UAVs and armed unmanned combat aerial vehicles also can accurately strike targets while localizing the lethality of their weapons, thus reducing—or eliminating—collateral damage. UAVs like the Predator or the IAI/Northrop Grumman Hunter, ﬂying at 10,000-16,000 ft., are equipped with electro-optical or synthetic aperture radar and armed with Hellfire or Northrop Grumman Viper Strike laser-guided weapons. Many UAV suppliers are weaponizing their platforms. In Europe, Sperwer B, a French derivative of the combat-proven Sperwer UAV developed by Sagem, has been upgraded to carry two Spike-LR missiles. Elbit Systems’ Hermes 450 and the IAI/Malat Heron (both in service with the Israeli air force) can carry signiﬁcant external payloads, though no details have been o cially released. Experts say that in the not-too-distant future, numerous UAVs of all sizes will operate as a single unit on persistent patrol, killing terrorists, destroying mobile rocket launchers, weapon labs and arms caches, and warning of suspicious activities. Developments in the technologies AviationWeek.com/dti ISRAEL DEFENSE FORCES THINK FAST Technology closes the gap between sensors and shooters DAVID ESHEL•TEL AVIV O pportunities to engage highpriority targets in urban areas occur unexpectedly and last only minutes or seconds. The ability to process information rapidly as a target situation develops, make on-the-spot decisions and respond with split-second timing means the difference between success and failure in killing or capturing terrorists, destroying illicit arms and preventing deadly incursions. “Sensor-to-shooter” is shorthand for the process by which targets are detected, identified and engaged in modern mobile warfare. The engagement process is a time-critical operation that relies on advanced technologies. E orts to reduce the targeting cycle have been attempted, but with limited e ect. Recent developments in sensors, data transmission and integrated digital technologies, however, are shortening the kill chain and putting shooters on targets faster and with greater e ect. Examples of shorter kill chains are evident in Israel’s ongoing battles with terrorists in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and with the U.S. military’s combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. But militaries worldwide are adding or upgrading these capabilities for combat or surveillance and reconnaissance. The ability to watch troubled areas in real time and respond almost as quickly has become a key component of asymmetric warfare. Implementing such capabilities requires an extensive network that integrates all types of manned and unmanned intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. These include diverse resources like persistent sensors, satellite imagery, unmanned aerial vehicles, mast-mounted and aerostat-tethered imagers, radar and, of course, dismounted soldiers. Snipers, linked wirelessly into the sensor network, close the loop on the kill chain. When a target appears and is veriﬁed by a command level intelligence team, the commander can order the sniper to take it out, closing the loop between sensor and shooter in minutes. A major element in the sensor-toshooter cycle is the armed UAV. The best example is arguably the General Atomics RQ-1 Predator. Designed for surveillance, the Predator was originally equipped with a laser designator to guide weapons from other aircraft. It eventually acquired its own weapons in the form of Lockheed Martin’s Hellﬁre missiles. In 2006, Israel’s combined capabilities of information gathering, precision attack and shortening the sensor-to-shooter cycle at the battalion level were tested in a ﬁeld exercise involving Rafael’s SkyLite B long-endurance mini-UAV, SpikeLR multipurpose missile and Tycoon TCS tactical C4ISR system. SkyLite B, combat proven in the Second Lebanon War, is a man-portable 14 DEFENSE TECHNOLOGY INTERNATIONAL MARCH 2008 http://www.aviationweek.com/dti

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Defense Technology International - March 2008 Contents Sweden Cancels SEP; Israel Launches Imaging Satellite; Geotextiles Secure Ammo Dump U.S. Navy Taps Neural Architecture Software to Assure Job Satisfaction Shrapnel-Like Pieces of Reactive Materials Increase Explosive Force of Bombs Technology is Rapidly Closing the Gap Between Sensors and Shooters Italian Army Program Aims to Develop a Fully Networked Land Force Political and Military Uncertainties Plague U.S. Defense Budget Democrats Put Pentagon on Notice Over Spending and Policy at DTAR Conference Russian Combat Vehicle Protects Tank Formations from Anti-Armor Weapons European Battlelabs Use Simulation to Verify Technologies and Stretch Defense Funds Malaysia Accelerates Fleet Modernization to meet Long-Term Goals U.S. Navy Says Composite Raiding Boat May Reduce Injuries From Wave Shocks Seeing Isn’t Believing When it Comes to Deciphering Funds for Secret Projects Advances in Sensors and Propulsion Make Torpedoes Ever More Lethal FAA is in No Rush to Approve Rules that Let UAVs Fly in Civil Airspace USS Truman Carrier Strike Group Patrols a Rough Neighborhood 24/7 U.S. says Sino-Russian Space Disarmament Plan is Riddled with Pitfalls Hyperspeed Projectile; “Sound Cloak” Hides Subs; Improving Nuclear Forensics Dutch Air Commodore Theo ten Haaf Analyzes the Impact of Rotary-Wing Operations One Soldier’s War is a Behind-the-Headlines Look at Russia’s Campaigns in Chechnya Black Budgets are Huge and Growing, and Often Conceal Amazing Failures

Defense Technology International - March 2008

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