DARPA

[champi]

Concluye el "Mobile Force Protection" con una demostración exitosa de este drone interceptor rehusable: https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2021-06-07

Vídeo al respecto: https://youtu.be/pXkBu8QSEYY

[Qoxo]

Concluye el "Mobile Force Protection" con una demostración exitosa de este drone interceptor rehusable: https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2021-06-07

Vídeo al respecto: https://youtu.be/pXkBu8QSEYY
...

Artículo en prensa generalista al respecto:
https://www.elconfidencial.com/tecnologia/novaceno/2021-06-11/spider-man-militar-pentagono-drones-terrorismo_3127244/

[champi]

Contrato para el programa CRANE ("Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors", 12/8/201): https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contra ... e/2730149/

...
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $12,127,144 modification (P00006) to cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HR001120C0110 to exercise Phase 1 option of the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $18,577,721 from $6,450,577. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (67%); Chicago, Illinois (17%); Niskayuna, New York (9%); Pontiac, Michigan (3%); Columbia, Maryland (2%); Tulsa, Oklahoma (1%); and East Hartford, Connecticut (1%), with an estimated completion date of May 2022. Fiscal 2021 research and development funds in the amount of $10,135,107 are being obligated at the time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
...

Algo sobre este programa: https://www.darpa.mil/program/control-o ... sideration.

Dr. Alexander M. G. Walan


The Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program aims to design, build, and flight test a novel X-plane that incorporates Active Flow Control (AFC) as a primary design consideration. Crane seeks to optimize the benefits of active flow control by maturing technologies and design tools, and incorporating them early in the design process. Active flow control could improve aircraft performance by removing jointed surfaces, which currently drive design configurations that increase weight and mechanical complexity. Demonstrating AFC for stability and control in-flight would help open the design trade space for future military and commercial applications.

[champi]

Contrato para el programa SAFE-SiM ("Secure Advanced Framework for Simulation and Modeling", 3/9/2021): https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contra ... e/2764928/

...
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Radiance Technologies Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $13,169,089 modification (P00007) to exercise an option to previously awarded contract HR0011-20-C-0146 for the Secure Advanced Framework for Simulation and Modeling (SAFE-SiM) program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $23,410,995 from $10,241,906. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Chantilly, Virginia; San Diego, California; and Rome, New York, with an expected completion date of January 2023. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,500,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
...

[champi]

Contrato para el programa CRANE ("Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors", 12/8/201): https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contra ... e/2730149/

Un artículo con vídeo de BAE, que también se ha llevado un contrato, donde se ve un curioso diseño con canards fijos (no hay partes móviles): https://www.baesystems.com/en/article/b ... 9fcaf27859

Contrato para la constelación de pequeños satélites de observación Blackjack (7/9/2021): https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contra ... e/2766444/

...
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Lockheed Martin Corp., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $25,353,435 modification (P00011) to cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HR001120C0028 to exercise Phase 3, Option 3 of the Blackjack satellite integration program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $65,809,492 from $40,456,057. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (80%); Denver, Colorado (10%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (8%); and San Luis Obispo, California (2%), with an estimated completion date of November 2022. Fiscal 2021 research and development funds in the amount of $8,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
...

[champi]

Algo sobre el programa EMBER ("Environmental Microbes as a BioEngineering Resource"), para utilizar microbios en el procesamiento de tierras raras: https://www.defense.gov/Explore/News/Ar ... -elements/

[champi]

En el "National Defense Authorization Act" para el FY2022 se incluyen fondos extra para DARPA: https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/i ... ummary.pdf

...
Authorizes an increase of more than $500 million in funding for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) high-risk, high-payoff research, including in areas such as quantum computing and university research.
...

[champi]

Contrato para la segunda fase del programa LogX (26/10/2021): https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... e/2823342/

...
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Cubic Defense Applications, Austin, Texas, has been awarded a $9,849,096 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency LogX program, Phase 2. The LogX Phase 2 program seeks innovative concepts for logistics and supply chain automated reasoning and information fusion, real-time demand forecasting, and system resilience assessment. This contract provides for the producing of systems which assess resilience of the military logistics enterprise for use by military logisticians and operations planners. Work will be performed in Austin, Texas (31%); Arlington, Virginia (45%); Basking Ridge, New Jersey (11%); Reston, Virginia (12%); and Potsdam, New York (1%). Fiscal 2021 research and development funds in the amount of $2,460,268 are being obligated at the time of award with an estimated completion date of October 2022. This contract is Phase 2 of a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR001119S0053. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001122C0040).
...

[champi]

Han logrado recuperar un Gremlins en vuelo: https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2021-11-05

[champi]

Contrato para la fase 2 del Manta Ray (17/12/2021): https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... e/2878567/

...
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Maryland, has been awarded a $41,178,619 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Manta Ray Phase 2 program. This contract provides developing, fabricating, and testing a full-scale demonstration system of a long-endurance unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland (75%); Woods Hole, Massachusetts (15%); Grandview, Missouri (4%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); North Kingstown, Rhode Island (2%); and Gulfport, Mississippi (1%), with an expected completion date of December 2023. Fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and engineering funds in the amount of $760,166 and $10,000,000, respectively, are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition under broad agency announcement HR001119S0040 Phase 2. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001122C0021).
...

[champi]

Parece que quieren iniciar un nuevo programa para desarrollar planes estratégicos generados por máquina, el SCEPTER ("Strategic Chaos Engine for Planning, Tactics, Experimentation and Resiliency"): https://sam.gov/opp/3c83c84fab8e4d30af8 ... 93de3/view

Del pdf adjunto: https://sam.gov/api/prod/opps/v3/opport ... ad?&token=

...
PROGRAM OBJECTIVE AND DESCRIPTION: The Strategic Chaos Engine for Planning, Tactics, Experimentation and Resiliency (SCEPTER) program seeks to develop machine generated strategic plans at the operational level of warfare. SCEPTER will discover novel and surprising Courses of Action (CoAs) by exploring the high complexity state-action space of military engagements at machine speeds. High CoA exploration speed is enabled by tailorable abstraction of trusted, expert informed models. A few of the highest performing CoAs will be validated in higher fidelity simulators along with a thorough human review. Initially, SCEPTER will generate synthetic CoAs to identify vulnerabilities in human generated plans. SCEPTER will also be applied in developing novel plans. If successful, SCEPTER could serve as an aid for the warfighter to plan effective CoAs and to help prevent surprise from competitors.
...

[champi]

Algo sobre el programa MELT (" Modular Efficient Laser Technology"): https://sam.gov/opp/b75c9e6f2ce14d16bb5 ... 1636b/view

...
The proliferation of small, low-cost Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) on the battlefield requires a layered defense that includes low-cost Directed Energy. The deep magazines of Laser Weapon Systems (LWS) are ideally suited to counter swarms of hostile UAS. A variety of other compelling Service LWS applications have been identified, particularly since LWS have the potential to achieve very low operational cost assuming low production costs can be achieved. The market for counter UAS and other applications encompasses High Energy Laser (HEL) sources with a broad range of power levels from a few kilowatts to megawatts. Today, however, each new LWS demands a high level of design and engineering.

The Modular Efficient Laser Technology (MELT) program seeks to develop a modular laser tile as the building block for compact, scalable, panelized HEL sources. It is envisioned that the MELT tiles will be integrated into planar arrays for scalable HEL sources with comparable or better performance than current HEL sources. Of particular interest are proposals for the development of a compact, scalable, actively coherently beam combined semiconductor-based (direct diode) HEL source technology with excellent beam quality. MELT aims to exploit technologies such as novel semiconductor fabrication techniques, coherent beam combining, photonic integration, and three-dimensional (3D) integration and packaging. The goals and timelines of MELT are aggressive. It is expected that the Proposers Day will serve as the key venue to discuss the program and form multidisciplinary teams that offer an ideal mix of capabilities and expertise. DARPA anticipates that partnerships may be necessary in order to achieve all program goals. Further, because of the nature of the work, proposers will require personnel with collateral SECRET clearances and access to both an accredited facility and secure communications in order to support classified development OR proposers must team with an organization that has personnel with collateral SECRET clearances and access to both an accredited facility and secure communications in order to support classified development.
...

[Truquichan]

Seguimos con temas relacionados con las comunicaciones (y otros)

Darpa anuncia el desarrollo de un programa para conseguir relojes atómicos portables y prácticos

https://newatlas.com/military/darpas-ro ... er-planes/

DARPA has announced a new initiative called the Robust Optical Clock Network (ROCkN) program, which will look to develop a practical, super-accurate optical atomic clock that is robust and small enough to fit inside a military aircraft, warship, or field vehicle."

Análisis de cuñado: En un mundo donde das por hecho que te van a jorobar las comunicaciones el tener un NTP(un servidor que te da la hora) cerca que te de el tiempo exacto es vital para la coordinación o validación de las comunicaciones y sincronización/consolidación de la información donde el tiempo es crítico, por ejemplo en el seguimiento de blancos por fuentes heterogéneas o la navegación inercial. En el esquema de las comunicaciónes mesh descentralizadas y resilientes que quiere USA, esto es necesario si te joden los GPS (llevan relojes atómicos en órbita) o no puedes confiar en ellos.

[Atticus]

Seguimos con temas relacionados con las comunicaciones (y otros)

Darpa anuncia el desarrollo de un programa para conseguir relojes atómicos portables y prácticos

https://newatlas.com/military/darpas-ro ... er-planes/

DARPA has announced a new initiative called the Robust Optical Clock Network (ROCkN) program, which will look to develop a practical, super-accurate optical atomic clock that is robust and small enough to fit inside a military aircraft, warship, or field vehicle."

Análisis de cuñado: En un mundo donde das por hecho que te van a jorobar las comunicaciones el tener un NTP(un servidor que te da la hora) cerca que te de el tiempo exacto es vital para la coordinación o validación de las comunicaciones y sincronización/consolidación de la información donde el tiempo es crítico, por ejemplo en el seguimiento de blancos por fuentes heterogéneas o la navegación inercial. En el esquema de las comunicaciónes mesh descentralizadas y resilientes que quiere USA, esto es necesario si te joden los GPS (llevan relojes atómicos en órbita) o no puedes confiar en ellos.

Es que se suele pasar por alto que la principal dependencia de nuestra civilizacion respecto a los GNSS es la hora. Si perdemos la capacidad de navegacion, pues se hace la ñapa de volver a usar mapas y sextante y listo. Pero si pierdes la capacidad de coordinar los tiempos lo primero que se cae son todas las redes de comunicaciones ya que dependen de la sincronizacion lograda con estos sistemas. Ojo, no solo los sistemas militares, todos los sistemas civiles tambien. Y es que el GPS nos trajo a todos los telefonos una precision en la medida del tiempo que hace no demasiado tiempo quedaba relegada a universidades y centros de investigacion muy especializados. Ahora esta en el bolsillo.

[champi]

Contrato relacionado con la gestión de redes (2/2/2022): https://www.defense.gov/News/Contracts/ ... e/2921115/

...
DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., Nashua, New Hampshire, has been awarded a $24,939,542 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Mission-Integrated Network Control (MINC) program. Work will be performed in Burlington, Massachusetts (68%); Santa Barbara, California (12%); Arlington, Virginia (14%); and San Diego, California (6%), with an expected completion date of July 2025. Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and engineering funds in the amount of $99,928 and $822,586, respectively, are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition under Broad Agency Announcement HR001121S0028. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001122C0023).
...