UES Inc. received a $48.7 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to research and develop laser materials. The contract supports the branch’s Blue Systems Survivability program. Work will include research for advanced laser hardened materials and techniques. The U.S. Department of Defense says the goal of the research will be to develop a wide range of…
U.S. Air Force places $909M landing gear order
The U.S. Air Force awarded AAR Supply Chain a $909 million contract to support the branch’s Landing Gear Performance Based Logistics One program. Under the contract, the company will purchase, remanufacture, distribute and provide inventory control for the branch’s C-130, KC-135 and E-3 aircraft. The deal also includes foreign military sales. According to the U.S. Department…
Saab Receives Gripen Technology Simulator
Saab received a Combat Electromagnetic Environment Simulator at its facility in Sweden, allowing the company to perform new testing with its Gripen fighter. The system, also referred to as CEESIM, was delivered by Northrop Grumman. It includes advanced pulse generation capabilities and digital modeling of multiple active electronically scanned array antennas. Northrop Grumman calls the…
Raytheon Tapped for Super Hornet, Growler Radar Upgrades
Raytheon received a $17.8 million contract to upgrade radars used on F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft operated by the U.S. Navy and the Australian air force. The AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar is already in full-rate production for both armed forces. According to Raytheon, the device allows radar beams to be steered at close to the speed…
ST Engineering to Produce Next-Gen AFV for Singapore
ST Engineering has received a contract from Singapore’s defense ministry to produce and supply its Next Generation Armored Fighting Vehicle. Singapore is procuring the platform as a replacement for its aging Ultra M113 AFV. The country’s government is expecting deliveries to begin in 2019. Under the contract, ST Engineering subsidiary ST Kinetics will also provide integrated…
Thales Delivers Flight Simulator to Malaysian Air Force
Thales Group supplied the Malaysian air force with a new FNPT II Flight and Navigation Procedures Trainer, marking the product’s first delivery in the market. The trainer is designed to prepare pilots for operating H120 helicopters, a civil rotorcraft developed by Airbus. Thales says the software it delivered will reduce costs for the force and…
U.S. Army Emphasizing Mobility for Next Combat Vehicle
The U.S. Army is seeking lighter armored vehicle concepts to better prepare for fighting in future battlefields, the service announced. Lighter combat vehicles, Army officials say, support the branch’s strategy for placing a heavier emphasis on armored mobility. Army leaders discussed future designs and procurement concepts ahead of releasing a new maneuver force modernization strategy.…
U.S., South Korea to Conduct Naval Exercises
Naval forces from the United States and South Korea are preparing to conduct a series of training exercises, the U.S. Department of Defense announced. The exercises will aim to improve regional security and interoperability between the two forces. South Korean navy officials say the event is necessary to prepare both parties to respond to North Korean…
U.S. Navy Picks Austal for Littoral Combat Ship Services
Austal USA received a $36.6 million contract modification to provide core class services and studies for the U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ships. The company’s services will include engineering assessment, production tasks, and conducting special studies to evaluate the costs of how the vessels are utilized. Austal will also test new technologies associated with the littoral…
U.S. Army Demos Laser Weapon with Stryker Vehicle
U.S. Army personnel demonstrated combat capabilities using a Stryker armored vehicle integrated with a MEHEL laser weapon. The weapon tested was the MEHEL 2.0, an upgraded version of the original 2kW device. The newer variant is able to produce 5kW beams. The demonstration was conducted by a team of members from the Army Space and…
Lockheed Martin Gets $98M for SEWIP Production
Lockheed Martin received a $98 million contract modification to continue producing the U.S. Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program systems. The modification covers work for the program’s Block 2 subsystems, which aim to expand upon the receiver and antenna groups necessary to support threat detection and improved system integration. Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program, also…
U.S. Army Looks to Air Force for Future Air Defenses
The U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force may soon cooperate on developing new capabilities to strengthen the ground force’s air defenses. The Army announced it is considering partnering with the Air Force just weeks after publishing an outline on future combat operations with the U.S. Marine Corps. According to the white paper, Russia and China are actively…
Northrop Grumman Tapped for Littoral Combat Ship Gun Support
Northrop Grumman received a $68.7 million contract from the U.S. Navy for the production of littoral combat ship gun mission modules. The contract includes outfitting assembly installation, interim depot level maintenance, engineering support and sustainment services. The deal includes other options which, if exercised, can its bring the total cumulative value to $812 million. The U.S.…
Northrop Grumman Providing Targeting Pods for Danish F-16s
Northrop Grumman has been contracted to provide LITENING advanced targeting pods for Denmark’s F-16 fleet. In a statement announcing the deal, Northrop Grumman said the Danish air force was its first international customer to purchase the equipment, and that the branch plans to expand the product’s use to additional aircraft. “As a key member of…
U.S. Navy Orders Overhaul of Mk 92 Fire Control System
The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin with a $68 million basic ordering agreement to overhaul Mk 92 fire control systems. Under the agreement, the company is tasked with performing various equipment changes, repairs, overhauls and field services to support in-service engineering requirements. Additional work will include computer programming and documentation development. The engineering efforts will…
Lockheed Martin Wins $64M Contract for F-35 Work
Lockheed Martin received a $64.6 million contract to perform work on the integrated core processor used by the F-35 aircraft. The order includes services for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and international partners. According to the U.S. Department of Defense, the work aims to alleviate diminishing manufacturing source constraints projected under F-35 production Lot…
Rafael Completes Test Firing with Protector USV
Rafael Advanced Defense Systems completed a test firing demonstration using its Protector unmanned surface vehicle, or USV. During the demonstration, the vehicle conducted a series of launches with a variety of munitions, including the Spike missile. The event marked the first missile test firing with a fully operational, remotely-controlled Protector platform. In a video released…
Mikros Contracted for U.S. Navy Radar Support Systems
The U.S. Navy awarded Mikros Systems Corporation with an $11.5 million contract to perform engineering and technical support services for radar support systems. The three-year agreement includes engineering, product support and upgrades for Adaptive Diagnostic Electronic Portable Test sets, which are used to operate and maintain advanced radars such as the AN/SPY-1 phased array integrated…
Sierra Nevada to Continue U.S. Counter-IED Support
Sierra Nevada received a $30.9 million contract from the U.S. Navy to continue supporting the branch’s effort to counter improvised explosive devices. The contract modification tasks the company with exercising Option Year 6 for the procurement and support of AN/PLT-5 IED countermeasure devices. The AN/PLT-5 is a mobile system used by military technicians to electronically…
Lockheed Martin Completes Flight Tests with Updated JASSM
Lockheed Martin performed several flight tests with an updated version of the company’s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, or JASSM, the company announced Wednesday. During the tests, the weapons were equipped with modernized GPS anti-jam hardware and software, and launched from B-2 and B-52 bomber aircraft at altitudes over 24,000 feet. Lockheed Martin officials say the…
U.S. Naval Research Lab Develops Light, Transparent Armor
U.S. Naval Research Laboratory scientists have developed and patented a transparent armor they say reduces weight while maintaining strong defensive properties. The armor is made from thermoplastic elastomers, rubbery polymers capable of being processed like thermoplastic plastics when heated. According to a study published by Ceresana in January 2015, the material can be melted, repeatedly…
U.S. Navy Test Fires Surface to Surface Missile Module
The U.S. Navy recently completed a surface to surface missile module test firing exercise from the littoral combat ship USS Detroit. The exercise marked the module’s first launch from a littoral combat ship, vessels designed to project naval power in offshore locations. It was also the first vertical missile launch from the platform. Navy officials…
U.S. Air Force F-16s to Receive Weapon Systems Update
The U.S. Air Force awarded FAAC Inc. with a $9.5 million contract to upgrade weapon systems for the branch’s F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft. The agreement is part of the Common Weapon Engagement Zone – Operational Flight program. Under the contract, FAAC will update various F-16 weapon system components including software capabilities, multi-mission computers, and mid-life updates…
U.S. Air Force Places $1B Order for KC-10 Engine Support
The U.S. Air Force awarded Kelly Aviation Center with a $1 billion contract to provide contractor logistic support for engines used by KC-10 aircraft. Under the agreement, Kelly Aviation Center will provide engine teardown and overhaul, on-wing support, various parts and logistics services. The company will also provide all labor, materials, tools, equipment and transportation…
Hughes to Provide Satellite Communications for SkyGuardian Drones
Hughes Network Systems has been selected by General Atomics to provide satellite communications for the SkyGuardian remotely piloted aircraft. The work will support Predator B variants operated by the armed forces of Britain, and will be fitted to adhere to both U.K. and NATO flight requirements. According to Hughes, the contract aims to allow the…