* ATK announced they would split into two companies, followed by a merger of the resulting aerospace and defense arm with Orbital. The resulting company, to be named Orbital ATK, will have 13,000 employees for $4.5B in yearly revenue. ATK's sporting good business has...
Contracts – Awards Articles
US Navy Is Working on Requirements for Low Rate Production of Anti-Mine Vehicles
* The US Navy is working on an RFP for up to 18 Remote Minehunting System (RMS) Remote Multi-Mission Vehicles (RMMV), part of the LCS' MCM mission module. An industry day took place a month ago, and briefing material has been trickling in (including this Q&A) since...
US Back in the Philippines
* The Philippines and the US are signing today a 10-year military pact formalizing how American troops will be allowed to rotate in the former US colony. Video of the press conference with Presidents Aquino and Obama. * President Aquino announced last Friday the...
JPADS: Making Precision Air-Drops a Reality
The dilemma for airdropping supplies has always been a stark one: high-altitude airdrops often go badly astray, while low-level paradrops create significant dangers from enemy fire and consume more fuel. A new advanced concept technology demonstration pursued by U.S. Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM), the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center at Natick, the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command (USAF AMC), the U.S. Army Project Manager Force Sustainment and Support, and industry shows promise, and has been tested successfully in Iraq….
NATO’s Future AWACS Replacement: Desires vs. Reality
* NATO realizes they'll need to replace their invaluable NE-3A AWACS fleet around 2030. At this stage, everyone naturally wants everything, including a missile defense role. Budget realities and remorseless demographics ensure that they'll buy what's available off the...
US Primes Continue “Earning Massagement” to Counter Declining Sales
* Northrop Grumman reported Q1 2014 sales down 4.2% to $5.85B, with all business segments losing between 3% and 6% of their revenue vs. same time last year. This looks relatively close to Lockheed Martin's revenue outlook for the quarter. Total backlog slipped by...
Lockheed Martin Feels the Pinch
* Lockheed Martin's Q1 2014 sales were down 4% Y/Y to $10.65B. Aeronautics stood out as the one segment whose revenue grew this quarter, mostly thanks to the F-35 and C-5. Information systems and Mission systems sales on the other hand were down by 9% and 11%...
Taliban Election Attacks Weak Enough to Conclude Afghans Can Protect Themselves?
* Reuters reports that the U.S. force in Afghanistan may be cut to less than 10,000 troops because the Taliban were not able to disrupt the April 5 elections. USAF Acquisition Leadership * Brig. Gen. Roger W. Teague was nominated to replace Maj. Gen. McMurry as the US...
Japan to Fly Self-Made Stealth Fighter Prototype by End of 2014
* Japan's ministry of defense expects Mitsubishi's ATD-X Shinshin stealth fighter to start test flights later this year, a few months behind schedule. Mitsubishi's long history of local fighter jet production was interrupted only recently. Russia and Neighbors * After...