Military Technology 05/2021

Homeland Security Forum MT 5/2021· 81 Amphenol Launches STINGRAY 7 Magnetic Connectors at DSEI 2021 Amphenol launched the STINGRAY 7 at DSEI 2021 in London in September – a magnetic connector optimised for body-worn and quick-disconnect applications, aimed at first responders, military and se- curity personnel. Compliant with DEF STAN 23-012, STINGRAY 7 offers compact, low profile, metal-shelled connectors, resistant to moisture, dust, dirt and chemicals. The magnetic, non-keyed coupling system has no moving parts, and allows the connector to be easily mated without the need for pre-alignment, and eliminating the need to operate any mechanical coupling mechanisms. The magnetic technology allows the connector to quickly disconnect, making it ideal for connection between non-tethered equipment, such as helmet-to-torso or connecting to a vehicle, and there- fore protects users from potential injury due to cable snagging. STINGRAY 7 is supplied with a last-mate, first break ‘sense’ contact as standard. This can be used in conjunction with the system design to support ‘hot-swapping’ of circuits. It has also been optimised for USB 2.0 data transmission and provides a 90 Ω USB data pair, while all other contacts are rated at 5A, allowing fast charging of batteries. The attachment of the connector ‘lid’ is common between connector genders, meaning that either the female connector with annular rings or male connector with sprung contacts can be cable- or equipment-moun- ted. This provides a level of ‘keying,’ in that two signals could safely be transmitted via two co-located STINGRAY connectors, providing they are different genders. STINGRAY 7 features a modular system on the cable mount connec- tors that allows different mounting plates to be fitted to a common fea- ture on the connector housing. The connector can be supplied with either Box-Mount or MOLLE loop versions, but other options could be intro- duced on request. The connector is easily terminated and uses either solder or IDC ter- minals that do not require stripping of individual conductors. The cable shield can be terminated to the connector housing using standard pro- ducts and tooling and STINGRAY 7 can also be supplied as an overmoul- ded cable harness. STINGRAY 7 connectors were introduced to the defence, security and HLS communities at DSEI 2021 in London in September. (Photo: Amphenol) Databac CONNECT – Cloud-Based Platform for Mobile Credentials ID solutions provider and card manufacturer, Databac, has embra- ced digital transformation in identification with the launch of Databac CONNECT. The cloud-based platform offers a secure solution to issue and manage virtual ID cards for identification, access control, vending and other applications. Powered by technology partner any2any, Databac CONNECT combi- nes security with a high degree of convenience, for an entirely intuitive end-user experience. Once enrolled on the system via the LOOP app, Homeland Security Forum The British MoD has awarded a £3.8 million ( € 4.5 million) contract to US firm Anduril Industries for an advanced base protection system, the Ministry announced on 10 September. Contracted under the TALOS programme, overseen by Strategic Command’s jHub innovation facility, the solution employs an AI-assisted operating system and a network of sensors (towers, ground sensors and drone technology) to autonomously detect, classify, and track po- tential threats, alerting operators to intrusions and presenting options for response. TALOS seeks to accelerate a defence-wide approach to integrated C2, and the acquisition has been made through a new subscription model, meaning both software and hardware will be updated with the latest tech- nology, while also being maintained for operational use. This approach ensures that Defence is equipped with the latest technology, while also allowing jHub to work with the company to trial and deploy new technol- ogy as it is developed. It forms part of jHub’s work on a Sustainable Tech Adoption Model (STAM), which examines different ways of working with industry to procure new capabilities. Programme TALOS previously experimented with towers aimed at countering ground intrusion at the UK’s base in Akrotiri, Cyprus, to see whether the systems could be integrated into the existing C2 network. This next step allows the UK to continue to develop advanced, multi-­ domain, integrated force protection technology. “This state-of-the-art technology will give our serving men and women help by identifying and assessing external threats in nanoseconds. The artificial intelligence at the heart of this system has great potential to pro- tect our people and sites. It’s another success for our innovation team at jHub, working closely with Anduril to help create a bespoke system, from idea to implementation at pace, to meet the specific requirements of our armed forces,” commented Gen Sir Patrick Sanders, Commander of UK Strategic Command. Towers form part of the integrated panoply of features and capabilities the Anduril solution encompasses. (Photo: Anduril Industries) UK MoD Contracts Anduril for Base Protection