Anduril Industries has begun the third phase of the UK Ministry of Defence’s (MoD) TALOS programme to accelerate an integrated command and control (C2) solution.
Over a period of 31 months, the US autonomous systems supplier, alongside UK Strategic Command's jHub innovation agency, will explore technologies used in its Lattice Software Platform (LSP), which integrates various systems and technologies including edge processing, big data and artificial intelligence (AI) to advance the MoD’s approach to C2.
Under the contract, the company will provide its services for the force protection of fixed installations in a deal worth £17m ($20.6m) with an option to grow to £24m.
Previously, phase one of TALOS delivered an initial understanding of Anduril’s autonomous Sentry Towers and their utility at active Royal Air Force (RAF) bases while phase two introduced the assurance of multiple force protection layers at multiple locations across the MoD estate.
Now, the third phase – designated ‘Entrelazar’ – will experiment and explore advancements in key technologies that could open the force protection network up to new additional capabilities.
“The contract with jHub will allow Anduril to expedite modern defence technology and robustly support UK Defence,” Greg Kausner, Anduril’s head of global defense stated.
“Force protection and counter intrusion are increasingly important as the nature of threats expand, and Anduril’s Lattice platform can play a key role.
“Our objective is to meet the specific requirements of armed forces to best shape the future of defence with advanced, modern technology.”
What other prospective technologies are out there?
Recently, MARSS showcased additional technologies it had integrated into its NiDAR C2 solution at the Defence Security and Equipment International exhibition in September.
One area that MARSS expanded on was its layered surveillance systems. Integrated into the wider NiDAR network, RADiRguard – an intelligent all-in-one perimeter surveillance solution – provides 24/7 autonomous monitoring, detection, tracking and decision support in the event of a security incident.
Likewise, MARSS applies the same concept to its ‘smart streetlamps’, which besides the added benefit of public lighting, provides the same surveillance solution around a fixed complex such as the RAF’s Air bases.
Such surveillance systems dotted around a fixed installation may also make use of electro-optical and/or infra-red (EO/IR) imagery.
According to GlobalData intelligence the global military EO/IR systems market is valued at $10.1bn in 2022, and the company projects the market to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 3.1% over between 2022-32. It is expected to reach $13.6bn by 2032 and cumulatively value $124.1bn over the forecast period.
