Raytheon received a $113 million contract to perform engineering and technical services for several Standard Missile variants used by the U.S. Navy. In addition to the Navy, the contract supports procurement for other government agencies and foreign military sales to undisclosed customers. It also covers engineering work for the Standard Missile 2, 3 and 6. Raytheon’s tasks…

U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II aircraft will soon head to Europe to perform military exercises, marking the plane’s first operational deployment. In a statement released by the U.S. Department of Defense on Friday, the Pentagon revealed the Air Force will participate in training events alongside NATO and other U.S. forces to support the European…

MS-177, a sensor developed by UTC Aerospace Systems, has completed a round of testing with the Northrop Grumman-made RA-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft. The sensor is a high-resolution imaging device designed to improve capabilities for the Global Hawk in addition to several other surveillance platforms operated by the U.S. Air Force. UTC leaders say the…

Lockheed Martin announced plans to explore the military exoskeleton market after licensing bionic augmentation technology from B-Temia. By securing legal permission to use the product for defense-related applications, the company said it can use the technology to supplement its FORTIS industrial exoskeleton project. The effort aims to drastically reduce the workload for military and industrial…

Boeing received an $8.3 million contract modification to continue performing various Harpoon missile support services for the U.S. Navy. The contract also includes work on Harpoon missiles operated by various foreign military sales customers. Governments receiving the services include Brazil, Chile, Israel, South Korea, Japan, Australia, Canada, Turkey, Britain, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait,…

Raytheon received a $10 million contract from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to upgrade components for the AN/TPY-2 ballistic missile radar. The company’s work will focus on enhancing software and hardware to bolster the radar’s detection capabilities, including its gallium nitride semiconductor technology, or GaN. Raytheon says its work will help the system discriminate between…

The European Defense Agency awarded a pair of contracts to support its new study examining additive manufacturing’s potential value for the security industry. MBDA Systems and Fundación Prodintec will collaborate on the new project, called the “Additive Manufacturing Feasibility Study & Technology Demonstration.” The companies are expected to deliver their findings by December 2017. “This…

Lockheed Martin received a $372 million contact modification from the U.S. Navy to address several issues with the F-35 Lightning II. The contract facilitates deficiency corrections for U.S. operators as well as the country’s foreign military customers. The U.S. Department of Defense did not specify which capabilities would be included. The work will be performed in various…

The U.S Navy’s USS America shot down a remotely piloted aircraft with a Rolling Airframe Missile during a live-fire exercise on Thursday. According to Navy officials, the exercise was conducted to verify the new ship’s defense capabilities. USS America is the first vessel of its class, and is designed to accommodate modern fighter aircraft such as…

An F-16 Fighting Falcon performed an unmanned combat mission during a recent demonstration held by Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force. The effort involved personnel from the Air Force Research Laboratory, the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School, and contractor Calspan Corporation. Participants hailed the event as a milestone for military aerospace technology. “This…

URS Federal Services received a $3.6 billion contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide various support services for the branch’s unmanned aerial vehicles. Under the contract, the company will provide testing, tactical development, advanced training and operational need missions. The U.S. Air Force did not disclose which remotely piloted aircraft would be involved with the…

Northrop Grumman and Honeywell received separate contracts from the U.S. Air Force to provide Global Positioning navigation system technology support. The contract values for Northrop Grumman and Honeywell amount to $49 million and $30 million, respectively. Each company will provide maturation and risk reduction technical services for Embedded Global Positioning System and Inertial Navigation System -Modernization…

The U.S. Navy recently completed a round of tests with an updated variant of the Northrop Grumman-built MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle. According to the manufacturer, enhancements included software designed to improve the aircraft’s autonomous operational capabilities. Testers say the trials enable the platform to enter Early Operational Capability for the U.S. armed forces in…

Rockwell Collins received a $21 million contract modification to begin work on the second Common Range Integrated Instrumentation System for the U.S. Air Force. The system, also known as CRIIS, was designed to provide the U.S. Department of Defense with time, space and positioning information during testing with various current and next-generation defense platforms. It…

U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS America recently completed the service’s mandated Total Ship Survivability Test. The Total Ship Survivability Test, or TSST, is a trial required for all new classes of Navy warships. America-class amphibious assault ships were designed to accommodate modern warfighting aircraft such as the U.S. Marine Corps‘ F-35B Joint Strike Fighter…

Lockheed Martin’s Long Range Anti-Ship Missile was launched from a Super Hornet aircraft for the first time during a recent validation test with the U.S. Navy. The missile, also referred to as LRASM, is a precision-guided anti-ship weapon designed to track and destroy specific targets within enemy groups. According to Lockheed Martin, the recent test with…

Raytheon received a $59 million contract to conduct further Multi-Object Kill Vehicle research for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Under the terms of the competitively awarded contract, Raytheon will support the Kill Vehicle technology risk reduction effort, which seeks to improve performance and reduce risks. Work will be performed at Raytheon’s facility in Tucson, Ariz.…

Lockheed Martin received a $581 million contract to supply common F-35 spares for each of the 5th-generation aircraft’s variants. The contract includes deliveries for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy, which have each respectively procured the F-35A, F-35B and F-35C. The deal also includes foreign military sales. Work is scheduled to be performed at…

Raytheon received a $199 million contract modification to supply various missiles to the U.S. Navy and several of the branch’s allied armed forces. The contract includes the procurement of 317 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles in addition to 199 Block II captive air training missiles to be used during military exercises. Sidewinder missiles are infrared-tracking weapons used for short-range…

Boeing was awarded a $2.1 billion contract modification by the U.S. Navy for the production and delivery of 17 P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The contract includes the production of 11 planes for the U.S. Navy, two for foreign military sales customers and four for cooperative agreement partners. The U.S. Department of Defense did not disclose the identity…

General Dynamics received a $63.6 million contract to supply various 120mm production cartridges for the U.S. Army. Under the contract, the Army will receive M1002 and M865 cartridges. Once delivered, the cartridges will be used to hold 120mm tank training ammunition. The M1002 cartridges feature dummy air and ground switches, and are designed to perform similarly to the…

Lockheed Martin received a $273 million contract to produce Terminal High Altitude Area Defense Lot 9 Interceptors for the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense systems, or THAAD, are defensive platforms used to engage incoming ballistic missile attacks and other airborne threats. The system is capable of intercepting missiles from inside and outside…

Rockwell Collins received a $142 million contract from the U.S. Navy for the procurement of the Tactical Combat Training System Increment II. The system, also known as TCTS, is being designed to replace the Navy’s current methods for tracking and detecting aircraft during tactical training exercises. The U.S. Department of Defense says the new contract will…

Boeing has received a $59 million contract modification to continue its production for the U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 tanker aircraft. Under the modification, the company will provide interim contracting support, a temporary service conducted in lieu of organic capability for a predetermined time. The deal allows Boeing to defer investment in all or part of…

The U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 tanker modernization program could be facing additional delays, according to a report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office. In a 26-page report, GAO notes the project has experienced fewer engineering changes than expected, and the cost has fallen by 14 percent, or $7.3 billion. The agency adds, however, that the program…