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Tech Juice 2512. The Rafale Aircraft Avionics Source Code – What is it and why are we asking for it?

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Introduction.  There are numerous reports of the Indian Air Force attempting to obtain the source code of the Rafale aircraft, the lead fighter aircraft in the IAF’s inventory.    The purported reasons are to bolster technological sovereignty, defence autonomy, and integration of indigenous weapons and avionics. For good reasons, when a software-intensive system is bought off the shelf, it is not normal for the contract to involve the supply of the ‘source code’ with the intent of technology transfer.   When the software-intensive system is part of a weapon delivery platform,   the ‘source code’ goes through a rigorous process, before it is allowed to function in the real world and deliver weapons.   The ratio of source code lines to certification documentation is potentially three to 10 times the volume.   DO-178C certification at the highest level of integrity demanded for weapon delivery systems would normally demand over 10x the size of the source ...
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Tech Juice 2511 Part V: The Shadow Warrior and His view on Military Capital Equipment Profiles

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Introduction 1.  In the previous two Tech Juice Articles of the 2511 series, we discussed the trajectory of equipment profiles of armed forces if the Conventionalist and the Technophile had their way.  Let's examine the mind of the Shadow Warrior (a third type of General officer) of a different mettle.   2.  Shadow warriors are generals who have risen from special forces and intelligence agencies. Just to give you a flavour of the way they think, have a look at the cover and contents of this book by Gen Sean McFate who started his life as a paratrooper and officer of the US army 82 airborne division, left the service became a defence contractor (aka mercenary company owner) and ended up as a a professor of strategy at the National Defense University and Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service after a PhD.   Gen Stanley McChrystal, the JSOC commander in Iraq and of Al Zarqawi fame, has written a glowing tribute to this book.   3.  Th...
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Tech Juice 2511 Part IV: The Technophile's View On The Impact of Disruptive Technologies on Armed Forces.

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Introduction 1.  In Tech Juice Part III of this series, I discussed the impact of disruptive technologies on equipment profiles of the armed forces from a conventionalist's point of view.  In this article, I will cover the view of the Technophile and in the next, that of the Shadow Warrior. 2.   The technophile, wants to change the armed forces in line with Industry Revolution 4.0 technologies. They bat for robotised tanks, unmanned combat systems which are underwater, on surface, in the air/space, AI enabled cyber protection, network management, war gaming, quantum keys, space networks for C4ISR (Communications, Computers, Command, Control, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance), swarm drone soldiers etc. The lists and possibilities are endless.   3.   For the technophile, everything is robotised. Modern war is a war with robots and computers. According to the technophile, the unmanned combat air vehicle replaces the manned fighter, robotic ta...
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