Elbit Systems UK to supply British Armed Forces target acquisition solution

Elbit Systems’ UK subsidiary secured a $137 million five-year deal for future target acquisition solutions for the British Armed Forces.

It is part of the Dismounted Joint Fires Integration (D-JFI) program, which will provide close air support and other capabilities to infantry and other ground forces. The acquisition solutions are included in the joint terminal attack controllers and fire support teams portions of system, intended to be in operation by 2027.

“We understand the need for full operational sovereignty and freedom of action for the UK. This is why we have invested in new facilities in Kent and Bristol in the last 18 months and will continue to invest in our people as we move forward with the delivery of these vital programs,” said Martin Fausset, the CEO of Elbit Systems UK.

The contract is part of series of deals for Elbit in the UK, which has shown interest in Israeli technology. Last year Elbit brought its RHINO mobile command to the Army Warfighting Experiment on Salisbury Plain in the UK to showcase how armies can use more digital technology on the modern battlefield.

The company also pitched its Hermes 900 UAV last year for maritime patrols in the UK and announced Jan. 11 that it had received a $166 million contract for modernization of a shore-based naval training facility.

“Our successes are not just with the Armed Forces but for the UK as a whole. Last year, using the Hermes 900, we successfully delivered a series of search and rescue demonstrations for the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the National Police Air Service, helping them assess their future fleet requirements and operational concepts,” said Fausset, who also pointed to the naval training and simulation contract.

The company has seen a strong start to 2021, he said. “We will continue to build on our position in the UK market over the coming months and remain committed to providing high-technology products to the UK Armed Forces through our local supply chain.”

The D-JFI solution “is a networked, passive and active target acquisition solution that acquires, generates and communicates target information to effector systems for effective engagement of joint precision and nonprecision fires,” according to the company. Powered with artificial intelligence, it integrates Torch-X and HattoriX systems that are used for precision targeting.

Elbit rolled out HattoriX in 2018 and has demonstrated it for eight countries in Western Europe. It consists of a lightweight system with electro-optics that can be packed and deployed in the field. “The D-JFI solution will enable fast and secured transmission of target information across the British and allied armed forces, allowing swift and accurate utilization of artillery and close air support,” the company said.

Seth J. Frantzman is the Israel correspondent for Defense News. He has covered conflict in the Mideast since 2010 for different publications. He has experience covering the international coalition against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, and he is a co-founder and executive director of the Middle East Center for Reporting and Analysis.

Elbit Systems 的英国子公司与英国武装部队签订了一份价值 1.37 亿美元的五年期合同，为其提供未来的目标获取解决方案。

这是“步兵联合火力一体化”（D-JFI）计划的一部分，该计划将为步兵和其他地面部队提供近距离空中支援及其他能力。该采购方案包含在联合终端攻击控制员和火力支援小组系统中，计划于2027年投入使用。

“我们理解英国需要完全的运营主权和行动自由。因此，在过去的18个月里，我们在肯特郡和布里斯托尔投资兴建了新的设施，并且随着这些重要项目的推进，我们将继续投资于我们的员工，”埃尔比特系统英国公司首席执行官马丁·福塞特表示。

这份合同是埃尔比特公司在英国达成的一系列交易之一，英国一直对以色列技术表现出浓厚的兴趣。去年，埃尔比特公司将其RHINO移动指挥系统带到了英国索尔兹伯里平原举行的陆军作战实验，以展示军队如何在现代战场上运用更多数字化技术。

该公司去年还向英国推销了其 Hermes 900 无人机，用于海上巡逻，并于 1 月 11 日宣布获得了一份价值 1.66 亿美元的合同，用于对岸基海军训练设施进行现代化改造。

“我们的成功不仅体现在武装部队方面，也体现在整个英国。去年，我们利用 Hermes 900 直升机，成功地为海事和海岸警卫队以及国家警察航空服务队进行了一系列搜救演示，帮助他们评估未来的舰队需求和作战理念，”福塞特说道，他还提到了海军训练和模拟合同。

他表示，公司2021年开局强劲。“未来几个月，我们将继续巩固在英国市场的地位，并致力于通过本地供应链向英国武装部队提供高科技产品。”

据该公司称，D-JFI解决方案“是一种联网的被动和主动目标获取解决方案，能够获取、生成目标信息并将其传输至作战系统，从而有效执行联合精确和非精确火力打击”。该方案采用人工智能技术，集成了用于精确目标定位的Torch-X和HattoriX系统。

埃尔比特系统公司于2018年推出了HattoriX系统，并在西欧八个国家进行了演示。该系统采用轻型光电技术，可打包并部署于野外。“D-JFI解决方案将使英国及其盟军能够快速安全地传输目标信息，从而实现火炮和近距离空中支援的快速精准运用，”该公司表示。

塞思·J·弗兰茨曼是《防务新闻》的以色列记者。自2010年以来，他一直为多家媒体报道中东冲突。他曾报道过打击伊拉克和叙利亚境内伊斯兰国组织的国际联盟行动，并且是中东报道与分析中心的联合创始人兼执行主任。