Articles by Richard de Silva

Leonie Industries publically reasserts its stance as Information Operations community attacks mainstream press. The head of the Pentagon’s chief Information Operations (IO) contractor has personally defended allegations made about his company in the press during an interview with Defence IQ . Ed Negrelli, President of Leonie Industries, spoke out this week in response to ongoing debate...Full Article »

In this infographic, Defence IQ takes a look at the current maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) requirements across the globe. It also considers in detail what future trends and requirments may be in this field over the next few years. Maritime patrol aircraft is a vital area for military operations. Emphasising this, Lieutenant Commander Mike Ruminski, Deputy Head of Logistics, Maritime Component...Full Article »

Before the start of the Afghanistan campaign, many forces had scant opportunity to fully understand the capabilities and challenges inherent to operations. Even upon entering Afghanistan, there was little hope of understanding just how long forces would need to be embedded, and what that meant for the long-term practical application of assets. Over ten years into the campaign, more lessons have...Full Article »

The United States Armed Forces has teamed with Raytheon to begin testing on a new integrated missile system specifically designed to protect Afghan Forward Operating Bases. Networking the Griffin B Missile with an ISTAR sensor payload, the plan is to provide round-the-clock 360-degree surface to air protection for troops nestled on the frontline through the use of a long endurance surveillance...Full Article »

This month, the full independent report on the sustainment of Australia’s Collins-class submarines, otherwise known as project SEA 1000, will be released. The plan for Australia’s Royal Navy is to replace its six Collins-class boats with 12 new vessels to begin entering the waves by 2025. Rumours abound that the nation’s Federal Cabinet will settle on what is in essence an...Full Article »

At last month’s International Armoured Vehicles event, three representatives from three different international armies came together to deliver overviews of their respective training and simulation programmes for the purposes of preparing armoured vehicle battalions. The individual lessons were as fascinating as they were dissimilar. Discussing the US military’s standpoint, Dr. James...Full Article »

The UK Ministry of Defence has officially confirmed that it is looking at the video game market for solutions to training its forces, as tighter budgets call for continued investment into low-cost, synthetic platforms. The recent white paper highlighting this strategy is entitled ‘ National Security Through Technology: Technology, Equipment, and Support for UK Defence and Security’ ,...Full Article »

The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) has released a paper detailing its ‘Strategic Plan’ for combating the IED threat between 2012–2016. JIEDDO has grown into the tip of the spear for anti-IED research, strategy and training since its official establishment in 2006. Today, as a joint services force, it leverages the experience and expertise of...Full Article »

The UK Ministry of Defence looks set to continue its investment into simulator technology for counter-IED efforts, given the commercial direction outlined in its recent equipment white paper and the enduring threat of the improvised explosive device in Afghanistan and beyond. In 2010, Saab was awarded a contract to provide C-IED training solutions to the British Army, which consisted of its ATES...Full Article »

Last year, Defence IQ reported on the use of Apple iPads within the British School of Artillery  as a way to enhance training. In this instance, a bespoke app was created to familiarise soldiers with terminology and procedures in a more hands-on fashion, designed to speed up their grasp of operations before deploying to Afghanistan. In recent months, the US Army has also been making leaps...Full Article »

Thirteen years ago, the South African National Defence Force began its journey to establish its own national Tactical Data Link capability as part of its 1999 Strategic Defence Procurement Packages (SDPP) initiative. The SDPP outlined a £3billion modernisation across all of its services, beginning primarily with demands for the acquisition of corvettes and helicopters, submarines,...Full Article »