Latest news with #AR3
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Phantom' planes to swarm enemy radar before RAF fighter jets attack
Signal-jamming drones that generate 'phantom' aircraft are set to be deployed by the Royal Air Force to protect manned fighter jets from air defences. Swarms of the British-made StormShroud devices, which fly autonomously, will be sent into contested territory ahead of crewed F-35s and Typhoons to create confusion using cutting-edge electronic warfare systems. They are capable of blinding enemy radar or even simulating fake aircraft by creating 'phantom' electronic signatures, helping the real, manned platforms to go undetected. On Friday, the RAF revealed that StormShroud had entered operational service with 216 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, following a procurement process that lasted just a year. The drone platform is based on Tekever's AR3, which is made in Wales and Southampton, and has been used extensively by Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. The onboard electronic warfare technology, known as BriteStorm, was developed by Leonardo UK engineers in Luton. StormShroud has been rushed into service under the autonomous collaborative platforms programme, which aims to 'revolutionise the RAF's advantage in the most contested battlespaces'. Credit: X/@RoyalAirForce On Friday, Sir Rich Knighton, chief of the air staff, said: 'This is a seminal moment for the RAF to maintain our advantage in air combat and national security. 'The RAF is committed to exploring cutting-edge technologies that can enhance its lethality and survivability in a more contested and dangerous world. 'Autonomous collaborative platforms will revolutionise how we conduct a range of missions, from intelligence gathering to strike and logistical support. 'We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovation and are working closely with industry partners to explore the possibilities.' The RAF said the new capability meant that electronic warfare capabilities could now be deployed without needing to put human pilots at risk, freeing them up for other missions. An initial 24 StormShroud drones have been ordered at a cost of £19m, supporting 200 skilled manufacturing jobs. However, British-Portuguese defence company Tekever said it was preparing to invest £400m over the next five years to expand its UK presence, ahead of further anticipated orders of the AR3 from Britain and its Nato allies. An RAF source said the air force was also likely to order more StormShroud drones and would continue to 'iterate' the platform with Tekever and Leonardo. On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer visited Leonardo's site in Luton to meet staff and discuss the new StormShroud capability. He made the visit against the backdrop of grim results for Labour in the local elections and the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, where Nigel Farage's Reform UK stormed to victory. The Prime Minister said: 'Investment in our defence is an investment in this country's future. 'Putting money behind our Armed Forces and defence industry is safeguarding our economic and national security by putting money back in the pockets of hard-working British people and protecting them for generations to come. 'Together with our allies, this Government is taking the bold action needed to stand up to Putin and ruthlessly protect UK and European security, which is vital for us to deliver our Plan for Change and improve the lives of working people up and down the country.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
03-05-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
‘Phantom' planes to swarm enemy radar before RAF fighter jets attack
Signal-jamming drones that generate 'phantom' aircraft are set to be deployed by the Royal Air Force to protect manned fighter jets from air defences. Swarms of the British-made StormShroud devices, which fly autonomously, will be sent into contested territory ahead of crewed F-35s and Typhoons to create confusion using cutting-edge electronic warfare systems. They are capable of blinding enemy radar or even simulating fake aircraft by creating 'phantom' electronic signatures, helping the real, manned platforms to go undetected. On Friday, the RAF revealed that StormShroud had entered operational service with 216 Squadron, based at RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, following a procurement process that lasted just a year. The drone platform is based on Tekever's AR3, which is made in Wales and Southampton, and has been used extensively by Ukrainian forces fighting Russia. The onboard electronic warfare technology, known as BriteStorm, was developed by Leonardo UK engineers in Luton. StormShroud has been rushed into service under the autonomous collaborative platforms programme, which aims to 'revolutionise the RAF's advantage in the most contested battlespaces'. On Friday, Sir Rich Knighton, chief of the air staff, said: 'This is a seminal moment for the RAF to maintain our advantage in air combat and national security. 'The RAF is committed to exploring cutting-edge technologies that can enhance its lethality and survivability in a more contested and dangerous world. 'Autonomous collaborative platforms will revolutionise how we conduct a range of missions, from intelligence gathering to strike and logistical support. 'We are excited to be at the forefront of this innovation and are working closely with industry partners to explore the possibilities.' The RAF said the new capability meant that electronic warfare capabilities could now be deployed without needing to put human pilots at risk, freeing them up for other missions. An initial 24 StormShroud drones have been ordered at a cost of £19m, supporting 200 skilled manufacturing jobs. However, British-Portuguese defence company Tekever said it was preparing to invest £400m over the next five years to expand its UK presence, ahead of further anticipated orders of the AR3 from Britain and its Nato allies. An RAF source said the air force was also likely to order more StormShroud drones and would continue to 'iterate' the platform with Tekever and Leonardo. On Friday, Sir Keir Starmer visited Leonardo's site in Luton to meet staff and discuss the new StormShroud capability. He made the visit against the backdrop of grim results for Labour in the local elections and the by-election in Runcorn and Helsby, where Nigel Farage's Reform UK stormed to victory. The Prime Minister said: 'Investment in our defence is an investment in this country's future. 'Putting money behind our Armed Forces and defence industry is safeguarding our economic and national security by putting money back in the pockets of hard-working British people and protecting them for generations to come. 'Together with our allies, this Government is taking the bold action needed to stand up to Putin and ruthlessly protect UK and European security, which is vital for us to deliver our Plan for Change and improve the lives of working people up and down the country.'
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
British jammer drone opens door to unmanned wingmen in combat
ROME — The U.K. has launched a new jammer drone it says will fly into the battle space ahead of F-35s and Typhoons and jam and bamboozle enemy radar. The RAF StormShroud, which went into operation on Friday, is based on the 100km range AR3 drone built by British-Portuguese firm Tekever, which has been used in Ukraine. On board, the StormShroud carries the BriteStorm stand-in jammer supplied by Leonardo UK, which is designed to block enemy radar or spoof it, creating 'ghost' jet signatures. The new asset 'means for the first time, the RAF will benefit from high-end electronic warfare without needing crew to man it, freeing them up for other vital frontline missions,' the UK government said in a statement. 'This is a seminal moment for the RAF to maintain our advantage in air combat and national security,' said RAF Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton. An initial investment of £19 million ($25 million) by the RAF will see Tekever produce 'hundreds' of platforms in the UK this year, the firm said. The rail-launched AR3, which has a maximum operating weight of 25kg boasts 16 hour endurance and a cruise speed of up to 90kmh. Tekever's AR3 and AR5 drones have flown 10,000 hours in Ukraine. 'In a further vote of confidence in Britain's defense industry, British-Portuguese tech company Tekever, who manufacture the drones in the U.K., plan to invest a further £400 million over the next 5 years across the U.K. and create up to 1,000 more highly skilled jobs,' the British government said. The 2.5kg BriteStorm, which is about the size of six Coke cans, including its transmit and receive modules and antenna, uses Leonardo's Digital Radio Frequency Memory (DRFM) technology to digitally capture enemy radar signals. Leonardo has said that traditional, large manned aircraft carrying stand-off jammers must fly further back in the battle space and are less effective. Operated by the RAF's 216 Squadron, the StormShroud is designed to be expendable. Describing the BriteStorm, Leonardo said, 'On its return, BriteStorm is rapidly reprogrammable for subsequent missions, but if destroyed in the defense of higher-value or crewed platforms, its loss would be tolerable.' The drone marks a step towards the collaboration between manned and unmanned aerial platforms – an ambition of the UK-Italian-Japanese GCAP fighter program, which envisages swarms of drones flying alongside fighters. The RAF said that it was determined to bring such technologies to the front line fast. 'Lessons learned from the war in Ukraine have boosted StormShroud's production and it's taken just a year from the Urgent Capability Requirement (UCR) being endorsed to delivering the new capability, significantly reducing program time and costs,' the service said.
Yahoo
18-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Australian Rare Earths And 2 Other ASX Penny Stocks To Watch
The Australian market has been closely watching the Reserve Bank of Australia's recent interest rate cut, a move that reflects ongoing economic adjustments amid a strong labor market and fluctuating sector performances. For investors looking beyond the major players, penny stocks present intriguing opportunities, often representing smaller or newer companies with potential for growth. Despite being an older term, penny stocks remain relevant as they can offer value and growth prospects that larger firms might overlook. Name Share Price Market Cap Financial Health Rating Embark Early Education (ASX:EVO) A$0.79 A$144.95M ★★★★☆☆ EZZ Life Science Holdings (ASX:EZZ) A$1.97 A$92.93M ★★★★★★ LaserBond (ASX:LBL) A$0.575 A$67.47M ★★★★★★ Austin Engineering (ASX:ANG) A$0.485 A$300.77M ★★★★★☆ IVE Group (ASX:IGL) A$2.24 A$346.95M ★★★★☆☆ SHAPE Australia (ASX:SHA) A$3.02 A$250.39M ★★★★★★ Dusk Group (ASX:DSK) A$1.08 A$67.25M ★★★★★★ GTN (ASX:GTN) A$0.55 A$108.01M ★★★★★★ Helloworld Travel (ASX:HLO) A$2.09 A$340.29M ★★★★★★ MaxiPARTS (ASX:MXI) A$1.84 A$101.78M ★★★★★★ Click here to see the full list of 1,032 stocks from our ASX Penny Stocks screener. Here we highlight a subset of our preferred stocks from the screener. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★☆ Overview: Australian Rare Earths Limited focuses on the exploration and development of rare earths and uranium mineral resources in Australia, with a market cap of A$15.71 million. Operations: Australian Rare Earths Limited does not have any reported revenue segments. Market Cap: A$15.71M Australian Rare Earths Limited, with a market cap of A$15.71 million, is pre-revenue and debt-free, but it has a volatile share price. The company recently secured A$5 million from the Australian Government's IPCM Program to advance its Koppamurra Rare Earths Project, matched by AR3 for a total planned expenditure of A$10 million over 2025-2026. This funding supports metallurgical testwork and the construction of a demonstration plant, enhancing project viability. Although unprofitable with limited cash runway if free cash flow reduces further, AR3's short-term assets cover liabilities and it benefits from strategic partnerships like Neo's technical support. Jump into the full analysis health report here for a deeper understanding of Australian Rare Earths. Review our historical performance report to gain insights into Australian Rare Earths' track record. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: GWR Group Limited is involved in the exploration, evaluation, and development of mining projects in Australia, with a market cap of A$29.55 million. Operations: GWR Group Limited's revenue is derived from its corporate activities, amounting to A$1.69 million. Market Cap: A$29.55M GWR Group Limited, with a market cap of A$29.55 million, is pre-revenue and debt-free, focusing on mining project development in Australia. Despite being unprofitable, it has reduced losses by 1.2% annually over five years and maintains a stable weekly volatility of 7%. The company boasts short-term assets of A$40.4 million that cover both its long-term liabilities (A$4.5K) and short-term liabilities (A$2.3M). Recent executive changes include the appointment of Simon Borck as CFO and Joint Company Secretary, enhancing financial leadership amidst board transitions like the resignation of long-serving director Michael Wilson. Take a closer look at GWR Group's potential here in our financial health report. Gain insights into GWR Group's past trends and performance with our report on the company's historical track record. Simply Wall St Financial Health Rating: ★★★★★★ Overview: Legend Mining Limited focuses on the exploration of nickel and copper deposits in Australia, with a market capitalization of A$29.09 million. Operations: Legend Mining Limited has not reported any specific revenue segments. Market Cap: A$29.09M Legend Mining Limited, with a market cap of A$29.09 million, is pre-revenue and debt-free, focusing on nickel and copper exploration in Australia. Despite being unprofitable with increasing losses over five years at 62.1% annually, it trades 17.4% below estimated fair value. The company benefits from a stable cash runway exceeding three years due to positive free cash flow growth of 24.2% per year and has short-term assets (A$13.3M) that cover both short-term (A$417.3K) and long-term liabilities (A$165.3K). Management is experienced with an average tenure of 3.1 years, while the board averages 4.5 years in tenure. Click to explore a detailed breakdown of our findings in Legend Mining's financial health report. Evaluate Legend Mining's historical performance by accessing our past performance report. Unlock more gems! Our ASX Penny Stocks screener has unearthed 1,029 more companies for you to here to unveil our expertly curated list of 1,032 ASX Penny Stocks. Shareholder in one or more of these companies? Ensure you're never caught off-guard by adding your portfolio in Simply Wall St for timely alerts on significant stock developments. Invest smarter with the free Simply Wall St app providing detailed insights into every stock market around the globe. Explore high-performing small cap companies that haven't yet garnered significant analyst attention. Jump on the AI train with fast growing tech companies forging a new era of innovation. Find companies with promising cash flow potential yet trading below their fair value. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned. Companies discussed in this article include ASX:AR3 ASX:GWR and ASX:LEG. Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@ Sign in to access your portfolio
