Skip to main content

Third RAAF F-35 Makes First Flight

05 Desember 2017 A35-003 takes off from Fort Worth. (photo : AustralianAviationCarl Richards) The Royal Australian Air Force’s third F-35A Lightning II, A35-003, has completed its first flight. Photographer Carl Richards captured these images of A35-003 taking off on its first flight, from Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, on December 1. The aircraft is due to be delivered to Luke Air Force Base, Arizona in early 2018 to be used for pilot and maintainer training, before being permanently relocated to Australia in 2020. A35-003, known to its manufacturer Lockheed Martin as AU-3, had its RAAF markings, including its 3 Squadron tail flashes, applied in early November, the final phase of the aircraft’s production process. 3 Squadron is due to become the first RAAF F-35 operational unit. ( AustralianAviation )

New Zealand Digitises Its Army

23 Oktober 2017


Command & Control and Battle Management System SitaWare (image : Systematic)

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has purchased the Command & Control and Battle Management System SitaWare, which provides a complete picture of the battlefield and allows information to be shared quickly. Learn why New Zealand decided to invest in SitaWare from Systematic.

Digitising the New Zealand Army

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has acquired the Command & Control and Battle Management System SitaWare from Systematic. Until now, the New Zealand Army relies mostly on manual processes to receive and disseminate information, but with the purchase of SitaWare the army will soon have access to cutting-edge communication systems.

“The purchase is a part of a programme to digitise the Army to provide modern command, communication, battle management, and surveillance capabilities,” the Defence Minister, Gerry Brownlee, says in a press release from the New Zealand Government. 

Why have a network enabled army?

“The new system will enable NZDF to gain a complete picture of the situation on the ground and share information quickly,” Gerry Brownlee says.

Furthermore, SitaWare eases the process of collaborating with partners. “It will also enable the Defence Force to operate seamlessly with partners when deployed in a coalition,” Gerry Brownlee continues.

“The SitaWare system will link headquarters, units, vehicles and individuals, allowing Army to get a full picture of the battlefield and share information quickly."

Support for the soldiers

Despite an extensive technological transformation, the acquisition of SitaWare does not change what the Army does. “This system won’t change what the Army does, but it will provide advanced tools and techniques to support our soldiers, such as ‘blue force tracking’ and a common operating picture of troop movements," Gerry Brownlee explains.

The New Zealand Army has used the SitaWare system for several years for training, experimentation, and field exercises supported by Systematic’s local business partner, Eagle Technology Group Ltd. 

The role of Systematic

SitaWare is developed by Systematic, but the responsibility goes far beyond that. “We will also assist the NZDF team in providing architecture and system design services, along with implementation and integration support,” Mike Magill, President Systematic Asia-Pacific explains.

“A key feature of the support services is that they will take account of evolving and maturing requirements through the set-up of an ‘Agile’ project environment managed by Systematic,” Mike Magill continues.

(Systematic)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

HMNZS ENDEAVOUR - Final Harbour Entry with Pennant Flying

05 Desember 2017 HMNZS Endeavour (photo : RNZN) The Royal New Zealand Navy’s 30 year old tanker support ship, HMNZS Endeavour is about to be retired and enters the Waitemata Harbour for her final time on Friday 1 December. She will be flying her decommissioning or paying off pennant - the longest pennant in the Navy. Endeavour is expected to berth at Devonport Naval Base at 10am and will be visible from East Coast Bays and North Head for up to an hour as she enters the Rangitoto Channel, approaches the inner harbour and progresses to her berth. For her final ceremonial harbour entry, naval tradition allows the Commanding Officer of Endeavour, Commander Martin Doolan, to fly the decommissioning pennant from the ship. The custom is inherited and adapted from the Royal Navy since before the Napoleonic Wars when it was tradition for ships to fly a ‘Paying-off Pennant’ at the masthead when they left their fleet to return to their home port to ‘Pay Off’. The length of the pennant was equal t...

15th Strike Wing will Operate 6 Brand-New Super Tucanos

04 Desember 2017 A-29 Super Tucano (photo : Rafael Nunes) PAF unit to get 6 'Super Tucanos' MANILA -- Once delivered in 2019, the six brand-new Embraer A-29 "Super Tucano" light attack aircraft will be turned over to the Philippine Air Force’s (PAF) 15th Strike Wing, a defense official said. "They will be turned over and maintained by the 15th Strike Wing, the PAF's end-user," Department of National Defense (DND) public affairs office chief Arsenio Andolong told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in an interview late Friday. Andolong said the A-29 is a durable, versatile, and highly advanced aircraft capable of carrying out a wide range of missions. "(It can) even (operate) on unimproved runways," he added. The 15th Strike Wing, based in Sangley Point, Cavite City, is the operator of all the Air Force's ground attack aircraft, including the venerable Rockwell OV-10 "Broncos" and assorted armed helicopters. Earlier, Andolong announce...

BAE Systems Integrates VBS3 and VBS IG for Use with the ADF's AADS

04 Desember 2017 VBS3 simulator (photo : BISims) WILLIAMTOWN, NSW (Australia) — BAE Systems, a global defence, aerospace and security company, engaged Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim), a global developer of advanced military training and simulation software, to integrate BISim’s VBS3 and VBS IG products into the Advanced Air Defence Simulator (AADS) used by Australian Defense Force personnel to train in a simulated RBS-70 platform (Ground to Air Missile System). The Training facility for the RBS-70 ground-based missile defence system is located at the Australian Defence Force's Woodside Barracks in South Australia and is managed by BAE Systems. “The AADS provides a fully immersive collective training environment for Air Defence soldiers,” said Steve Baldock, Manager, Support Engineering, BAE Systems Australia. “It continues to deliver quality training outputs without the high logistic and ammunition costs. With the inclusion of VBS3/VBSIG, the immersive experience has increa...