Engineering news
It’s taken over the entire building, with all manner of military technology on display – from helmets and helicopters through to bullets and boats. The latter were even featured in demonstrations on the Thames outside the venue. We spent a day at the event being impressed and terrified by some of the engineering being developed across the defence industry. Here’s what we spotted.
Drones built like tanks
BAE Systems was displaying Ironclad, an unmanned ground vehicle designed to take on some of the most dangerous jobs that soldiers face. The drone is small, light and mobile for use in urban environments, and can be used for reconnaissance, combat and casualty evacuation. “Ironclad has a unique set of capabilities for a UGV. Using high-endurance battery power, it offers near-silent running up to a 50km range and will come with a set of mission systems that can be quickly changed in the field,” said Craig Fennell, future programmes director at BAE Systems Land. The drone has a modular construction, so it can be fitted with different tools depending on the task at hand – a bit like Thunderbird 2.
Drones launched from cans
Lockheed Martin used the occasion of DSEI to unveil a unique drone that can be launched from a canister. The Outrider UAV is a 1.7kg fixed-wing surveillance drone designed to be launched from submarines, helicopters or the ground. A soldier can comfortably carry three canisters, and launch the drone at the press of a button. It’s also been trialled from a submarine, where it launches vertically and unfolds its wings automatically. "We are proud to offer Outrider, which has been designed and built in the UK for the international market,” said Paul Livingston, Lockheed Martin’s vice-president and group managing director for integrated systems. “It provides secure leading-edge situational awareness capabilities in its class for ground, surface, air or sub-surface operational environments and can be launched at the press of a button.”
Autonomous boats
Rolls-Royce is building an autonomous naval vessel with a range of 3,500 miles. The 60m-long ship will be used for patrol and surveillance, or detecting mines, and will be capable of reaching speeds of more than 25 knots. “Rolls-Royce is seeing interest from major navies in autonomous, rather than remote-controlled, ships,” said Benjamin Thorp, general manager of naval electrics, automation and control at Rolls-Royce. “Such ships offer a way to deliver increased operational capability, reduce the risk to crew and cut both operating and build costs.”
Pilots protected from lasers
Laser attacks on pilots have become an increasing problem, with more than 1,400 such incidents involving UK aircraft in 2015 alone. But BAE Systems, which has had a busy week, has developed a technology that can help mitigate their impact, in the form of a film that selectively blocks the spectrum of light generally used by these lasers, while leaving the pilot’s vision clear. “Lasers operate at specific wavelengths,” said BAE Systems executive scientist Leslie Laycock. “A series of successful laboratory trials have proven our method is effective against a wide range of laser wavelengths. We have been able to achieve a visible light transmission in excess of 70%, which means that our system allows the majority of the light through while providing protection without the need for heavily tinted industrial goggles. This allows pilots to more effectively see instruments and their surroundings, whilst simultaneously blocking the dangerous laser light.”
The idea was inspired by a 3D film, according to BAE Systems research engineer Daniel Black. “Rather than watching the film, I looked at the way 3D glasses form an image by blocking light,” he said. “I then started to piece together a way of creating a very specific filter that is capable of blocking harmful laser light while maintaining excellent visibility.”
Programmable ammunition
Cheap consumer drones are becoming a potent weapon on the battlefield, and, as we reported in a recent issue of Professional Engineering, companies are scrambling to fight back. Norway-based Nammo has a unique solution. Its ammunition can be programmed to explode with pinpoint accuracy, reducing some of the risk of collateral damage when shooting at objects such as drones. The technology consists of a programming unit and an antenna which transmits a message to the shell as it leaves the gun about the distance it should travel before detonating.