7, July 2016

Russian military tech chief says robots will determine outcome of future wars ⁰

Robots will replace conventional soldiers on the battlefield in the future, says the Russian military’s tech chief. “I see a greater robotization [of war], in fact, future warfare will involve operators and machines, not soldiers shooting at each other on the battlefield,” RT quoted Lieutenant General Andrey Grigoriev, the head of Russia’s Advanced Research Foundation (ARF), as saying on Wednesday.

Noting that days of conventional warfare are almost numbered, he stressed that the outcome of future wars would be determined by “powerful robot units fighting on land, in the air, at sea as well as underwater and in outer space.”

“They would be integrated into large comprehensive reconnaissance-strike systems,” said Grigoriev, adding, “The soldier would gradually turn into an operator and be removed from the battlefield.”

Last year, Grigoriev announced that Russian scientists had designed a robot “resembling a human in appearance” to operate in hostile environments. He added that the cyborg will be capable of running, jumping and even riding a motor cycle. Russia’s United Instrument Manufacturing Corporation (UIMC) also announced last year that it had developed the Unicum software package, which is capable of controlling up to 10 military robotic systems.

The package is capable of defining roles for the robots, allowing for a commander unit to distribute combat missions for each individual device. In March 2016, Russia sent a squad of bomb disposal robots and experts to Syria to help with the defusing of explosive devices left by Daesh in the recently recaptured city of Palmyra.

Presstv

24, June 2016

Cameroon and Israel to organize international scientific forum in Yaounde ⁰

Cameroon has reinforced cooperation ties with Israel in the domains of scientific research, technology and innovation. The revelations were made following a meeting between the Minister of Scientific Research and Innovation, Madeleine Tchuente and the Israeli Ambassador to Cameroon, Ran Gidor on the 22^nd of June 2016 in Yaounde.

Cameroon Concord News gathered from government sources that Israel and Cameroon have made public plans to organize an international scientific forum in Yaounde. Minister Madeleine Tchuente told Ambassador Ran Gidor that there were many start-ups in Cameroon and youth involved in research and innovation who need exposure and help from the State of Israel.

The Minister also reiterated that all modern economies are based on science and innovation hence Cameroon must board the train.

Rita Akana (Cameroon Concord News Group)

16, June 2016

President Ali Bongo orders military vehicles, mobile medical shelters and positioning systems from France ⁰

Gabon has ordered unmanned ground vehicles, mobile medical shelters, positioning systems and unmanned aerial vehicles from France’s Nexter. The contracts were announced by Nexter at the Eurosatory show in Paris on Tuesday. The deals involve the Findsat positioning system, Nerva LG unmanned ground vehicles, with a variety of mission kits, NX-110 unmanned aerial vehicles from Nexter partner Novadem and medical shelters from Euro-Shelter, a Nexter subsidiary. The Findsat system is a space-based blue force tracker that is able to identify and locate friendly personnel. The system has been tested by France as part of its Licorne operation in the Ivory Coast.

The Nexter Robotics Nerva LG wheeled unmanned ground vehicles are designed for reconnaissance and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) route clearance. The vehicle is designed to be an extension of the vehicle that carries it. The throwable and waterproof vehicle can be controlled from a computer, tablet or smartphone and can be operated semi-autonomously by following waypoints and automatically brought back home. Payloads can include an infrared camera, day camera etc.

Novadem’s NX-110 is a small quadcopter unmanned aerial vehicle powered by electric motors. Its rotor blades and rotor hub arms fold up so it can be transported in a single carry case. It carries a single gyrostabilised camera, which can be a CCD day camera or infrared camera. The interchangeable payload bay can also carry gas, radiometer or spectrometers and other sensors.

Gabon has previously ordered other military hardware from Nexter, and in November 2014 ordered four 15A naval mounts and a 20 mm Narwhal remote controlled gun turret from Nexter Systems to equip its Raidco RPB20 patrol boats and 58 metre OPV50 offshore patrol vessel bought from Piriou. In October 2014 Gabon also ordered the refurbished ex-French Navy P400 patrol vessel Tapageuse.

The Narwhal turret features an electro-optical sighting system and moving target auto-tracker. The turret for Gabon features the 20 x 102 mm M621 cannon, which has a firing rate of 750 rounds per minute. Weight of the turret with 200 rounds of ammunition is 390 kg. The Narwhal turret has been selected by the French Navy for its FREMM frigates.

The 15A light naval gun mount is also fitted with the M621 cannon. It is manually aimed and operated and weights 200 kg, with 160 rounds of ammunition. On 29 October 2014 Gabon also ordered 12 Aravis armoured vehicles to equip its battalion committed in the Central African Republic as part of the UN’s MINUSCA mission there. These vehicles were fitted with the ARX20 turret, the PG-Guard anti-RPG protection system and Nerva LG mini scout robots. The first were handed over to Gabon in June 2015.

Defenceweb

15, June 2016

Yaounde: Ericsson’s cream of experts say 5G will be available by 2020 ⁰

Experts from Ericsson announced on Tuesday in Yaoundé, the nation’s capital that 5G will be available by 2020. Analyzing the telecommunications environment in Sub-Saharan Africa, Ericsson’s Special Representative for Cameroon and a cream of other senior technicians of the company revealed to a group of pressmen and women the latest information on trends and innovations in the mobile telecom market.

The experts hinted that on the recommendations of the last Mobile World Congress in Barcelona (February 2016), 5G should be ready for mass deployment by 2020. Cameroon Intelligence Report learned that the number of subscriptions associated with Smartphones is on a steady rise in Cameroon.

CIR

2, June 2016