Abstract: The invention relates to a method of fastening panels to a substrate, and a fastener, accordingly there is a method of fastening a panel to a substrate, comprising the steps of i. providing on the substrate a first projection, ii. attaching a fastener which comprises an elongate projection, to said first projection, wherein said fastener comprises an elongate projection, wherein the elongate projection is longer than said first projection, iii.

Abstract: A projection apparatus comprising a prism assembly 7 including an input sub-prism 1 possessing a first interface surface and an output sub-prism 2 adjacent to the input sub-prism possessing a second interface surface. The second interface surface is spaced from the first interface surface immediately proximate to it and extends over it to receive display light 12 transmitted through the first interface surface. A panel 8 comprising a plurality of selectively adjustable reflecting elements is arranged to receive from the input sub-prism an illumination light totally internally reflected from the first interface surface and selectively to reflect received illumination light back through the input sub-prism for transmission through the first interface surface for receipt as display light 13 by the output prism at said second interface surface.

Abstract: An aircraft wing system and method comprising: an aircraft wing; an edge device coupled to a leading edge or trailing edge of the aircraft wing; a drive shaft rotatable about its axis; a crank arm, a first end of the crank arm being coupled to the drive shaft, and a second end of the crank arm opposite to the first end being coupled to the edge device; and a gear system (e.g. a strain wave gear system) coupled between the drive shaft and the first end of the crank arm.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of bonding and a conductively bonded joint, provided by high loadings of conductively coated nano scale particulate fillers in a conductive adhesive in combination with a conductive intermediary structure, more particularly to a lightning strike resilient bonded joint between fibre reinforced polymer composites. A method of joining a first fibre reinforced polymer composite surface and a second fibre reinforced polymer composite surface, comprising the steps of providing a conductive intermediary structure between said first and second surfaces, filling the void between said surfaces and enveloping said intermediary structure with a conductive adhesive, curing the conductive adhesive to form a bonded first and second surface. A conductive adhesive comprising a curable binder and a high aspect ratio nanoscale carbon particulate filler present in the range of from 0.1 to 40% wt, wherein said particulate filler comprises a metal coating.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for facilitating decision making on a watercraft (100). The system comprises one or more processors (102) configured to: acquire environmental data comprising measurements of one or more parameters of an environment in a locality of the watercraft (100); provide a plurality of digital models, each digital model modelling an effect of the environment on a respective capability of the watercraft (100), each capability of the watercraft (100) being assigned to one or more actions, each action being performable by the watercraft (100) or an entity on the watercraft (100); using the environmental data and the digital models, model an effect of the environment on the capabilities of the watercraft (100); receive a selection of an action; and, using outputs of each digital model that models a capability that is assigned to the selected action, determine a risk assessment for the selected action.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of producing an assembly tool for assembling a first system comprising one or more components. The method comprises: for each component, determining, when the first system is attached to a second system, a position and orientation of that component relative to the second system and positions and orientations relative to the second system at which that component is to be supported; providing a frame; attaching, to the frame, a reference structure; providing a plurality of pickup devices each having a receiving element for receiving a component; and securing each pickup device to the frame such that a position and orientation relative to the reference structure of each receiving element is the same as a position and orientation at which a component is to be supported.

Abstract: According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided a laser weapon system, comprising: one or more lasers for generating electromagnetic radiation; laser optics for routing the electromagnetic radiation to laser apertures in the platform which direct the generated electromagnetic radiation at a target, the laser apertures having an associated field of regard; and a control system, the control system being arranged to control which combination of laser, laser optics and laser aperture is used to engage the target, based on a probability of successfully engaging that target in relation to the field of regard of the laser aperture of the combination.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for detecting a fault condition in a network, making use of standard parameter data generated by a network termination device of a user of the network, the method comprising, in a training phase, the remote retrieval of selected parameters from a predetermined set of users' network termination devices in order to generate one or more representative models of expected operational status using the retrieved parameters and, in a monitoring phase, determining a measure of operational status for the set of users at some future time and comparing that with a corresponding expected model measure. Parameter retrieval takes place over substantially the same path through the network as used to supply services to a respective network termination device so that the models are generated in respect of communications over those elements of network infrastructure likely to affect operational status of the respective set of users in the event of a fault condition.

Abstract: Apparatus for and method of transmitting an optical signal by a Free Space Optical, FSO, communication system, the method comprising: transmitting, by an optical signal transmitter (104), an optical signal (700) into at least part of a volume of an optical medium (302); and controlling, by a controller, the optical signal transmitter (104), to scan the at least part of the volume (302) using the optical signal (700) in a sequence of non-overlapping loops (704, 708). The sequence of non-overlapping loops (704, 708) may be a sequence of non-overlapping, concentric circular loops.

Abstract: A communication system is configurable to operate in either a transparent mode or a data streaming mode. In the transparent mode data is transferred to a data requesting component from a data source using a request-response protocol. In the data streaming mode a second data transfer component is configured to obtain data from the data source component via a third data link, and to transfer the data to a first data transfer component via a second data link, which has a relatively higher latency, without using the request-response protocol. The first data transfer component is configured to store the transferred data and to transfer the stored data to the data requesting component via the first data link upon receiving a request for the stored data from the data requesting component.

Abstract: A directed-energy weapon counter measure apparatus and method for modifying a path of a focused electromagnetic energy beam (204) emitted by a directed energy weapon system so as to deflect it from a platform (200), the apparatus comprising an electromagnetic radiation source, communicably coupled to a control system. The control system is configured to create an atmospheric element (202) operative to simulate a physical electromagnetic radiation path modifying device within an atmospheric volume located in the path of the focused electromagnetic radiation beam (204) by causing electromagnetic radiation from the source to be applied to a selected plurality of three-dimensional portions of said atmospheric volume so as to heat and/or ionise the air with in said portions, wherein said selected portions are spatially located together in a substantially unbroken, three-dimensional configuration.

Abstract: A method for coordinating a plurality of vehicles (102, 104) comprising: defining, as a command vehicle (C), a vehicle in the plurality; storing, by one or more storage devices (204) located on one or more of the vehicles (102, 104), a list of capabilities of each vehicle (102, 104); receiving, by one or more processors (202) on the command vehicle (C), a specification of a goal; based on the stored vehicle capabilities, allocating, by the one or more processors (202), to one or more of the vehicles (102, 104), one or more tasks, the one or more tasks being such that, if each of those tasks was to be performed, the goal would be accomplished; and sending, from the command vehicle (C), to each vehicle (102, 104) to which a task has been allocated, a specification of the one or more tasks allocated to that vehicle (102, 104).

Abstract: According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of slowing down a moving projectile, the projectile moving within an electromagnetic railgun, the method comprising: using an electromagnetic field generated by the railgun to slow down the projectile, wherein the projectile is a munitions projectile, and/or a carrier for catching the munitions projectile.

Abstract: A variable frequency oscillator circuit for generating an oscillating signal of a desired frequency, comprising a fixed frequency oscillator; one or more frequency dividers, arranged to receive the output of the fixed frequency oscillator and generate a signal with a divided frequency; and one or mixers, arranged to mix the outputs of the one or more frequency dividers to generate the oscillating signal of the desired frequency. The variable frequency oscillator circuit is arranged to modify the operation of the one or more mixers to suppress any unwanted signals in the generated oscillating signal.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for centrally managing the performance of maintenance on a fleet of vehicles, the method comprising: acquiring criteria specifying vehicle availability for a predetermined time period; acquiring vehicle data specifying multiple maintenance operations to be performed on one or more of the vehicles; determining, based on the criteria, a fleet plan including, for each vehicle, a schedule of the maintenance operations for that vehicle; determining, using the fleet plan, a maintenance plan comprising, for one or more maintenance service providers, a schedule of maintenance operations to be performed on a vehicle by the maintenance service providers; and managing the maintenance service providers to perform the maintenance operations on the vehicles in accordance with the maintenance plan.

Abstract: A cavity system, comprising: a cavity (2) comprising a cavity opening; and an acoustically reflective structure (18, 20) located at least partially within the cavity (2), the acoustically reflective structure (18, 20) comprising one or more acoustically reflective surfaces (24, 26, 30, 32), each acoustically reflective surface (24, 26, 30, 32) being oblique to a plane of the cavity opening (27). The one or more acoustically reflective surfaces (24, 26, 30, 32) may be arranged to reflect incident acoustic waves out of the cavity opening while avoiding reflection into a region (48) at or proximate to a leading edge (14) of the cavity (2).

Abstract: According to the present invention, there is provided an electroacoustic transducer, comprising: a first electrode; a second electrode; a piezoelectric material at least partially sandwiched between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an optical aperture extending through the electroacoustic transducer, to allow for optical communication to take place through the electroacoustic transducer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cast explosive composition. A process for formulating a homogenous crosslinked polymer bonded explosive composition comprising the steps of: i) forming an admixture of precure castable explosive composition, comprising an explosive material, a polymerisable binder, and a cross linking reagent which comprises at least two reactive groups each of which is protected by a labile blocking group, wherein the labile blocking groups, comprise at least one resonant acoustic mixing stimulus labile linkage, ii) applying resonant acoustic mixing stimulus to the admixture, causing the at least one resonant acoustic mixing stimulus labile linkage to be removed and release said cross linking reagent, to cause the cure process to start.

Abstract: The following invention relates to occupant recovery from an armoured land vehicle, and to a system for occupant recovery.

Abstract: A method of producing an aircraft battery system, the method comprising: identifying a volume of free space on an aircraft (100); arranging a plurality of electrical power cells (112, 114) such that the plurality of cells (112, 114) are capable of fitting into the identified volume, wherein the arrangement of cells (112, 114) has a non-cuboid shape; fixing the plurality of cells (112, 114) together such that the relative positions of the electrical power cells (112, 114) are maintained; electrically connecting the plurality of cells (112, 114) together, thereby to provide a battery (102, 104); and electrically connecting a DC-to-DC converter (106, 108) to the battery (102, 104), the DC-to-DC converter (106, 108) being configured to control a voltage of the battery (102, 104) to be equal to a specified voltage or within a specified voltage range.