The Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) has been the U.S. Army’s overarching strategy to establish a single integrating framework to create a joint expeditionary (on the move) network of networks for communications and C4I. In both wars in Iraq, in 1990-91 and 2003, U.S. forces outran their own communications networks, and today’s increasing dependence on C4ISR information has made a high-rate-of-movement mobile broadband communications network even more important.

Teal Group’s Military Electronics Briefing covers a multitude of Raytheon’s primary airborne FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) sensor ball systems for helicopters and slow-flying fixed wing aircraft, including UAVs. Recent updates include the AN/AAS-44 MTS/MTS-N & AAS-52 MTS-A & DAS-1/4 MTS-B & AAS-53/DAS-2 CSP Multi-spectral Targeting Systems, as well as speculative forecasts for MTS/CSP-scale Future MALE UAV EO/IR Sensors and Future Manned EO/IR Sensors

Teal’s 2019/2020 study provides forecasts for a wide range of UAV payloads, including Electro-Optical/Infrared Sensors (EO/IR), Synthetic Aperture Radars (SARs), SIGINT and EW Systems, and C4I Systems, forecast to grow in overall value from $5.5 billion in FY19 to $8.3 billion in FY28. Steady growth will occur in the “default sensor” EO/IR market, following a funding downturn in recent years as several legacy endurance UAV sensor programs ended.

The total number of rockets launched in 2018 is 112, including the three failed launches. That’s an increase of 19.6% over 2017, and it is the first time in the past quarter of a century that the number has surpassed 100. For most of the last 25 years, the number of attempted launches ranged between 55-90 annually.