The Watch Staff In December 2019, Japan approved a record defense budget of U.S. $48.5 billion for 2020 with the aim of strengthening the nation’s capabilities in outer space and cyberspace, according to a Kyodo News report. The draft budget was up 1.1% from fiscal 2019 to a record high for the sixth consecutive year as Japan improves its ability to deal with North Korean missile and nuclear threats and the maritime assertiveness of the People’s Republic of China. Japan will form the country’s first space operation in 2020 as part of the Air Self-Defense Force. Money will be budgeted…
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Reuters A cooperative NATO defense project that gives the alliance a state-of-the-art ground surveillance system gained steam in December 2019 with the delivery of the second of five unmanned aircraft to an air base in Italy. The U.S.-made RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft delivered to Sigonella, Italy, is part of a U.S. $1.5 billion surveillance system the alliance hopes to have operational in 2022. NATO says the surveillance system will be the world’s most advanced and will give the alliance 24-hour, near-real time surveillance of land and sea and provide greater visibility than satellites. “We are basically creating a small…
NATO countries simulate cyber attacks to boost capabilities THE WATCH Staff In April 2007, Russian hackers incapacitated Estonia’s internet with distributed denial of service attacks aimed at government and financial institutions. In August 2008, Georgia, another former subject state of the now-defunct Soviet empire, was hit by similar attacks during an arms invasion by Russian conventional forces. This was the first time cyber attacks were used in coordination with an armed attack as Russia introduced its new “hybrid” warfare model. In March 2014, Russia used similar tactics, but magnitudes greater, when its armed forces seized control of Crimea from Ukraine.…
New technology links sensors, shooters to speed military response THE WATCH Staff The U.S. military is field testing a new approach to warfighting that breaks down technological and communications barriers to speed up responses to missile attacks. A three-day exercise that demonstrated the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) in December 2019 gave military leaders a look at how advanced technology that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning can more seamlessly produce a coordinated response to the cruise missile threat. “We’re trying to make a system of systems that connects sensors, shooters and C2 nodes with the latest technology, to optimize…
The Watch Staff The U.S. Army and Dartmouth College are teaming up to find ways to better deliver energy to military bases in extremely cold weather. The partners announced in September 2019 that Dartmouth’s Arthur L. Irving Institute for Energy and Society and the Thayer School of Engineering will collaborate with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) to look for ways to improve energy delivery, storage and mobility for Arctic military bases. Energy delivery is central to cold-weather military operations, and the Arctic is drawing international attention for its natural resources and strategic…
THE WATCH Staff The U.S. Navy wants to work with private industry to build the world’s largest unmanned warship. The Navy wants 10 Large Unmanned Surface Vehicle (LUSV) ships in five years, according to an August 2019 report by Popular Mechanics magazine. The ships would serve as scouts for the main battle fleet and would carry sophisticated radar and sonars or floating magazines with extra anti-air and cruise missiles. The larger unmanned ship would build upon the Navy’s experience with Sea Hunter, pictured, an unmanned ship that in 2019 was the first to sail from the mainland to Hawaii. The…
THE WATCH Staff An Israeli company’s unmanned aerial system designed for military and homeland defense completed an Israeli record-breaking 25-hour flight in December 2019, according to a report in The Jerusalem Post newspaper. The Orbiter 4 is Aeronautics Ltd.’s most advanced tactical unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The lightweight system has an operating range of up to 150 kilometers, the company stated. With its endurance capabilities, the UAS extends its intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance missions. The company reported that the Orbiter 4 can be used for artillery fire management and bomb damage assessment, target acquisition for precision-guided weapons, communications…
Nations beefing up defenses against unmanned aircraft systems THE WATCH Staff ASeptember 14, 2019, attack on oilfields in Saudi Arabia by 18 unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and three low-flying missiles temporarily shut down more than 5% of the global oil supply and caused an international spike in fuel prices. More significantly, the attack served notice to homeland defenders worldwide that shoring up defenses against unmanned systems remains a top priority. The attack, which was attributed to Iran by the United Kingdom and United States, underscored long-held fears of counterterrorism experts about the rapid evolution of inexpensive yet lethal technologies. A…
Cold-weather training readies maintenance squadrons for difficult missions Alaskan Command Public Affairs A combination of virtual reality training and exposure to bone-chilling Alaskan cold helped Airmen from Travis Air Force Base, California, gain the certifications they needed to perform critical missions in extreme weather conditions. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) hosted a five-day training event November 18-22, 2019. Fighter, transport and refueling aircraft were used as part of the de-icing/anti-icing training, which allowed the Airmen to gain the qualifications and certifications needed to de-ice aircraft and vehicles and to perform aircraft maintenance during cold-weather conditions. A de-icing simulator allowed them to practice…
Test of next-generation integrated air and missile defense system successful THE WATCH Staff Victory on the battlefield of the future will not necessarily go to the largest or strongest force, but rather to the most agile — to the force that gathers, processes and communicates information rapidly and effectively. The Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS) is a force multiplier that aims to enable the United States and eventually allied forces to do just that. The IBCS, a “system of systems” in development by Northrop Grumman, is the future command-and-control system for U.S. Army air and missile…