Americas
The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has named 10 finalists in the Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Low-Cost Sensing challenge launched in May. The effort is coordinated with US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM), the US Army, US Navy, Marine Corps, and Indo-Pacific Command. DIU Director Doug Beck stated that the initiative supports the US Department of Defense’s priorities by involving non-traditional defense companies to develop scalable, low-cost sensing technologies that can quickly and accurately detect threats.
The US Army has picked Anduril to lead a team consisting of other tech industry heavyweights like Palantir to build its next-generation command-and-control prototype, or C2, awarding the tech company a $99.6 million contract to deliver it in less than a year, according to statements from the service and company. The prototype architecture will consist of “integrated and scalable” C2 capabilities using hardware, software and applications through a common data layer, the Army stated in a July 18 announcement.
Middle East & Africa
Syria said that it had launched investigations into reported extrajudicial killings in the country’s Druze heartland, promising to punish perpetrators including any government-affiliated personnel after a week of sectarian bloodshed. The violence, which began on July 13 and ended with a weekend ceasefire, started with clashes between Druze fighters and Sunni Bedouin tribes but soon escalated, killing more than 1,300 people, mostly Druze, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitor.
Europe
L3Harris has received a $300 million contract from Italy to supply two Gulfstream G550 aircraft equipped for electromagnetic warfare. The modified G550s will support the Italian Air Force with long-range airborne jamming capabilities to disrupt enemy communications, radar, and navigation systems. The aircraft will join Italy’s special mission fleet, which includes the Joint Airborne Multi-Mission Multi-Sensor System (JAMMS). JAMMS is part of L3Harris’ broader portfolio of multi-mission aircraft programs used by the US, Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Korea.
Asia-Pacific
Northrup Grumman Systems won a $140 million modification to support the production of five Japan configuration E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. This modification includes Foreign Military Sales to Japan. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (70%); Owego, New York (16%); Liverpool, New York (5%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); Marlborough, Massachusetts (2%); Orlando, Florida (2%); and various locations within the continental US (2%), and is expected to be completed November 2028. FMS funds in the amount of $140,827,737, will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.