Military/Aerospace Electronics

BAE Systems has announced a radiation-hardened single-board space computer. Called RAD5545, it has a quad-core 32/64bit QorlQ Power Architecture processor running at 466MHz and offering 5.6 Drystone Gips of processing with 512kbyte/core L2 cache and 1Mbyte x2 L3 cache on a ANSI/VITA 78.00 SpaceVPX compliant 6U-220 board. Up to 16Gbyte of DDR3 ram can be fitted and up to 1Gbte ...

An open letter urges the United Nations to ban the use of lethal autonomous weapons internationally.

Boeing is setting up a new unit to develop avionics and electronics in-house in a move designed to cut costs. The new Boeing Avionics unit marks a reversal in its strategy of outsourcing avionics development and aftermarket services to companies such as Honeywell International and Rockwell Collins. It will focus on navigation, flight controls, information systems and other technology with ...

Scottish miniature satellite maker Clyde Space is proposing to use quantum technology to create very high accuracy space sensors for monitoring the Earth. The Glasgow-based firm, which pioneered the CubeSat, is working with Teledyne e2v and researchers at the University of Birmingham on the project which is funded by Innovate UK, the government’s innovation agency. The aim is to use ...

The US Navy’s electromagnetic rail-gun is out of the laboratory and ready for field demonstrations at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren, Virginia. Rail guns, which until now have been research tools, are a form of linear motor which accelerate objects to very high velocity using a combination of magnetic and electric fields. Testing is planned to be at 20MJ ...

Arms sales are to decline, says Jane's. A weakening defence export order backlog points to a contraction in the market by 2018.

UK defence specialist Ultra Electronics has announced a planned acquisition of US-based Sparton Corp in a deal worth $235m (£180m).

Government moves to promote the UK space industry took shape this week with the introduction of the Space Industry Bill in the House of Lords. The government wants the UK to take advantage of the growing global space industry with multiple micro-satellite launches. The Bill, which was outlined in the Queen’s Speech, represents the UK’s commitment to enabling commercial spaceflight ...

Global internet access using a constellation of satellites orbiting the earth could be the answer to the world’s data traffic needs. Behind the plan is a joint venture between Airbus of Europe and US comms firm OneWeb. The first mini-satellites will be manufactured on the Airbus assembly line in Toulouse and first satellites are set for launch in just over ...

JTAG Technologies introduces a JTAG/boundary-scan test hardware interface for multiple interconnects in ATE systems using MAC Panel connection systems.