Aircraft, UAS, Communications, Training and Intell Generation

At the Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar (SOFINS) near Bordeaux this week, Airbus will highlight a number of innovative defence and security solutions specifically engineered for national and international special operatios forces (SOF).

Over 200 A400M and C295 airlifters have been sold to 31 different operators, the latter having already been proven in all environments and operations. A true multirole platform for air mobility that is also able to meet the most demanding ISR or strike requirements thanks to the Airbus proprietary Fully Integrated Tactical System (FITS), the C295 is an optimum platform for SOF.

A scale mock-up of the pioneering Airbus ZEPHYR unmanned aerial systems (UAS) will be on show. Able to see, sense and connect for months at a time, ZEPHYR runs exclusively on solar power and flies above the weather and above conventional air traffic. It fills a capability gap and complements satellites, UAS and manned aircraft, providing affordable, persistent, local satellite-like services.

Full scale mock-ups of the SURVEY COPTER mini tactical drones, ALIACA and the DVF 2000 ER will also be at the show. ALIACA provides 360° panoramic coverage and can perform intelligence missions up to 50 km range. Thanks to its thermal propulsion, the DVF 2000 ER is a high endurance, versatile system allowing for seven-hour missions over the same range.

A portable version of the company’s 4G/LTE tactical communications system will demonstrate its mobility in extreme environments; light, easy to use, and fully operational in a few minutes. The Airbus geotracking solution, SUVISTA is a powerful tracking software tool that enables users to track and trace: a true command centre for on-site operations.

Airbus will also present its secure networked airborne communications capability ‘Network For The Sky,’ – and innovative, modular solution, which securely and reliably connects all airborne assets with other operations: ‘Delivering as One.’

For the first time at SOFINS, Airbus will conduct demonstrations of the OneAtlas platform, its unique collaborative environment for easily accessing premium imagery, performing large-scale image processing and extracting industry-specific insights and benefits for solution development.

A specialist in intelligence integration, Airbus will also exhibit for the first time its Multi-Intelligence centre, which allows users to manage the whole intelligence process from collection and visualisation to utilisation and distribution of information on one single, intuitive and secure platform.

Finally, the company will show its ‘Holographic Tactical Sandbox,’ which facilitates mission preparation by providing a 3D holographic map viewable in an augmented reality helmet. Integrated into the chain of command, this tool provides an accurate 3D representation of the battlefield using information supplied by the Airbus FORTION tactical C2 application. Operators can view and create information, which is then shared with higher decision-making levels of command.