Unmanned Systems

Pentagon weapons evaluators in their latest annual report criticized the Navy's testing of an unmanned undersea vehicle designed for mine countermeasures, saying the environment was too comparable to the conditions the vessels' original creators used when developing classification algorithms.

The Air Force has selected variants of the Small Diameter Bomb I and Miniature Air Launched Decoy as the initial demonstration weapons for the Golden Horde swarming munitions vanguard program, according to a service spokeswoman.

The Navy is expected to finalize next month a major new analysis of its future surface combatant fleet that recommends how many medium- and large-displacement unmanned surface vehicles to fold into fighting formations with destroyers, cruisers, Littoral Combat Ships and frigates.

Navy officers this week expressed confidence the service can adapt to new legislation that prevents it from including a vertical launching system on a major unmanned surface vessel concept design.

Pentagon acquisition chief Ellen Lord provided new details today on the U.S. effort to field counter-drone technology, saying the military is working with foreign allies to test and evaluate a variety of potential systems.

The Army last week delivered to Ft. Sill, OK, the first three of 30 Leader Follower vehicles to be sent over this month. The 5th Transportation Company, 100th Brigade Support Battalion will now begin training with and evaluating the systems.

The Air Force Scientific Advisory Board in fiscal year 2020 is conducting three studies under the direction of the service's secretary that focus on modern communications technology, autonomous systems and space applications, according to a notice published in December.

The Navy last month directed its top surface warfare officer to develop the concepts of operations for two major unmanned surface vessel programs, according to a Dec. 19 message to the fleet.

Congressional appropriators are supporting the Navy's plans to buy two prototype unmanned surface vessels, but barred the service from initially pursuing conceptual designs that include a vertical launch system.