Op-Eds

Unmanned

UAVs and the kill web - Blog

October 31, 2018

UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are already part of the kill web for the U.S. military, forming teams with manned aircraft, dropping bombs, and providing persistent surveillance across the globe and soon will be equipped with lasers to provide even more lethality. UAVs have reshaped warfare in modern times, but you may be surprised to learn that they have actually been around since 1849.

Avionics

Smart contactors provide intelligent avionics overcurrent protection - Blog

October 31, 2018

Karl Kitts

Think carefully when you answer this question: What's one of the fastest, most precise ways to prevent overcurrents from damaging the power circuits used aboard today's more-electrical and all-electrical aircraft? A thoughtful answer would be "smart power contactor," a circuit-switching device that not only handles high voltages, but also incorporates the intelligence to sense a variety of abnormal electrical events and respond faster and more accurately than conventional circuit breakers.

Avionics

Faster power switches for aircraft safety: Going from milliseconds to microseconds - Blog

September 28, 2018

Matthew Mishrikey TE Connectivity

In a few milliseconds, electrical arcing in aircraft wiring can release thousands of joules of energy. This is enough to ignite wire insulation, pierce hydraulic lines, and compromise critical flight-control subsystems.

Radar/EW

Helicopters and the kill web - Blog

September 28, 2018

Ray Alderman VITA Standards Organization

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: Helicopters will have a role in the kill web as they have in the kill chain dating back to their first uses in warfare. Starting with the Korean War, and later in Vietnam, the helicopter became the cavalry. Anyone serving in the Army during the 1960s and 1970s knows about the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile) in Vietnam. You could hear their UH-1 Iroquois helicopters (nickname: Huey) coming from miles away. These aircraft carried troops into battle and provided fire support for ground forces in a fight.

Cyber

Blockchain for embedded systems (Part 2) - Blog

September 04, 2018

Russell Doty

Comms

Ground combat vehicles, tanks, and the kill web - Blog

August 31, 2018

Ray Alderman

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG. When I started researching ground combat vehicles (GCV) and tanks, I suspected it was going to be messy from the start. I was not disappointed. There's a plethora of research reports and articles containing hundreds of pages on this topic.

Avionics

Long-range bombers and the kill web - Blog

July 30, 2018

Ray Alderman

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: In our last article, we examined how U.S. fighter planes fit into the kill web, along with a review of European Union (EU), Russian, and Chinese fighters. And, we looked at some of their flight characteristics and design parameters. Now, it?s time to explore long range heavy bomber aircraft.

Avionics

Fighter jets and the kill web - Blog

June 28, 2018

Ray Alderman

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: In the previous article, we explored the transition from the static kill chain to the dynamic kill web in future warfare scenarios. Now, let?s look at how fighter jets fit into this new model. That requires a review of the fighters being flown by the U.S. and our allies today. We also need to consider what the Russians and the Chinese are doing with their fighter jets.

Comms

Expand your imagination with the surprising versatility of MIL-DTL-38999 circular connectors - Blog

May 30, 2018

Scott Miller TE Connectivity

Introduced in the 1970s and still widely used today, MIL-DTL-38999 circular crimp connectors are sometimes taken for granted. Their long history and general popularity make it easy to overlook the ability of the broad 38999-connector family to help engineers solve contemporary size, weight, and power (SWaP) challenges. In fact, the 38999-connector family continues to adapt new composite materials and form factors to meet demanding weight and size requirements, while design derivatives have evolved to support higher speeds and higher frequencies in this surprisingly versatile I/O connector family.

Comms

Blockchain for embedded systems - Blog

May 30, 2018

Russell Doty Red Hat

Comms

Transitioning from the kill chain to the kill web - Blog

May 30, 2018

Ray Alderman

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: My last post outlined the strategic reviews and national defense priorities that sit on top of the kill chain. Defense planners at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are now looking at transitioning to a concept they've dubbed the kill web.

Radar/EW

Integrating warfare models with the kill chain - Blog

April 27, 2018

Ray Alderman

WARFARE EVOLUTION BLOG: My previous article covered what sits on top of the kill chain from a strategic perspective. Now, it?s time to integrate the other models: RMAs (revolutions in military affairs), warfare domains (land, sea, air, space, cyberspace, electromagnetic (EM) spectrum), strategic offsets, generations of warfare (1GW through 8GW), and the OODA loop (Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act).

Radar/EW

Higher-density RF is on your radar with VITA 67.3 standard - Blog

March 29, 2018

Michael Walmsley TE Connectivity

These days, multifunction radars handle functions from surveillance to jamming to fire control, and can track multiple targets in both short- and long-range threats. That means one thing for your active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar design--you need a lot more signal processing power.

Radar/EW

VPX power supplies and EMI filters - Blog

March 22, 2018

Leo Carbonneau Milpower Source

Electro-magnetic interference (EMI) filters are critical components in any electrical design, especially in support of military systems requiring partial or complete qualification to MIL-STD-461. EMI filters are designed to reduce high frequency conducted and radiated electronic noise which may create interference with other electrical devices. Embedding EMI filters into the power supply, a potential signal source, is a key feature in any power supply design.

Avionics

MIL-STD-1553: Do we know too much - or too little? - Blog

February 28, 2018

Abaco Systems

MIL-STD-1553 is a very tried and true, well known, serial interface for the space and aviation industry that was originally developed for critical avionics interfaces that were required to solve the problem of connecting the many sensors and controls around an aircraft and relaying information between them and the crew. Key requirements are that information is transmitted reliably and in a timely manner.