The instrument was due for launch on 30 June but at the time of writing had been rescheduled for 1 July due to inclement weather at Cape Canaveral. (Photo: United Launch Alliance) payload, over six feet tall and weighing over 365lbs, was developed in Wilmington, MA. L3Harris is prioritising investments in space-based missile defence programmes, and has accelerated development of resilient, end-to-end satellite solutions in spacecraft, payloads and ground software, as well as advanced algorithms. In a related effort, the US Missile Defense Agency awarded L3Harris a missile-tracking study contract in 2019, followed by the prototype demonstration in January 2021. In December 2020, the Space Development Agency selected L3Harris to build and launch four space vehicles to demonstrate the capability to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles. Inzpire to Develop Deployable MR Simulator for UK MoD Existing expertise and already developed solutions will inform development of the new simulator. (Photo: Inzpire) Inzpire Limited has signed a contract with the British MoD’s Defence & Security Accelerator (DASA) to develop a prototype mixed reality (MR) deployable simulator. The nine-month Synthetic Aviation Gunnery Equipment (SAGE) project calls on the company to work with RAF crew-served weapons instructors to deliver an air door gunner simulator. The project will encompass design, build, test, evaluation and development of the prototype, in order to support the requirement for a live training alternative to deliver Joint Helicopter Command’s (JHC) Operational Shooting Policy (OSP). To ensure the project is supported by personnel with both practical and technical experience in the design, development and delivery of synthetic training products and exercise scenarios, experts from Inzpire’s Mission Training Devices Division and Helicopter Services Division will be involved. RAF personnel from 22 Squadron will also provide advice and support throughout the test and evaluation phases, and be directly involved in trialing the product. The SAGE team will undertake an initial design period, followed by a build, test and acceptance phase before a series of tests, demonstrations and system development. Each phase will last approximately three months. The simulator will demonstrate how commercial MR technology can be used to deliver a deployable, cost-effective system, capable of rapid modification between different helicopter platforms and weapon types. It is hoped the simulator development will identify opportunities for using synthetic training in the future for JHC personnel across multiple platforms and weapon systems. “Inzpire has always been committed to a development concept that sees products and services designed by users for users. This contract is another fantastic opportunity to work with the customer to create a revolutionary way of conducting this essential training at their base or on deployed operations,” observed Inzpire Director of Operations, Jonny Priest. Industrial Focus MT 4/2022· 3rd cover reality and ‘gamification,’ as well as the growing need for interoperability. Customers increasingly seek end-to-end solutions covering complete training needs – at the highest, most demanding and advanced levels, where Indra develops top-level simulators, and in the earlier stages of training, where more functional simulators, such as those developed by Simumak, are required. “This operation aligns with our strategy of making acquisitions that contribute to further accelerating our international growth in areas with strong potential, both in the civil and military fields. Indra and Simumak are highly complementary in their professional teams as well as in their product lines and customer base. This will allow us to offer a broader portfolio of training solutions and explore important new business opportunities. The collaboration is also expected to multiply development capabilities and bring significant improvements in production times,” commented Ignacio Mataix, Indra CEO. David Morán, CEO of Simumak, points out that “Simumak joins the Indra group as an independent company with its own product line, the result of its knowledge and experience in Spain and Latin America over the last 15 years, and with scalable capabilities for the provision of training services and solutions. Becoming part of Indra will help us strengthen our product portfolio, enhance our international presence and have the business and operational capabilities of a company that is a global leader in the sector.” Simumak’s practical, tactically-oriented simulation solutions offer enormous potential for training tank and armoured vehicle crews, providing a key component to ensuring readiness and mission success. System interoperability and connectivity in turn facilitates joint virtual training of soldiers regardless of location, thus saving time and cost. Simulator training contributes significantly to operational safety, mission execution and cost-efficient preparation. L3Harris IR Technology Boosts Missile Defence Detection An L3Harris Technologies IR instrument set to launch on 30 June will significantly improve the ability to capture high-resolution imagery and other important battlefield information from space – a critical capability for US future missile defence efforts. L3Harris is providing the instrument as part of a wide-field-of-view satellite that also will help inform future space-based missile defence missions and architectures. The satellite will be positioned 22,000 miles from Earth, enabling the infrared system to see a wide swath and patrol a large area for potential missile launches. “The L3Harris instrument can stare continuously at a theater of interest to provide ongoing information about the battlespace, which is an improvement over legacy systems […] It also provides better resolution, sensitivity and target discrimination at a lower cost,” commented Ed Zoiss, President, Space & Airborne Systems. The instrument was built for Space Systems Command and is integrated into a Millennium Space Systems satellite. The f
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