Americas Robertson won a $35 million modification, which adds scope to manufacture and deliver 14 Delta install kits, 44 Tactical Bulk Fuel Delivery System (TBFDS) Forward Area Refueling Equipment kit insert/portable fire extinguisher kits, nine fuel control panels, nine fuel control panel power harnesses, four TBFDS b-kits, 25 tanks and four tank power harnesses to support Marine Corps requirements of the CH-53K aircraft. Work will be performed in Tempe, Arizona (100%), and is expected to be completed in January 2028. Fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $35,361,246 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract action was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. NATO has awarded Collins Aerospace a contract to supply its Electronic Warfare Planning and Battle Management (EWPBM) software, designed to help the alliance plan, coordinate, and manage operations involving radar, communications, and other electronic systems. The system integrates data from multiple sources to give commanders a clearer view of activities on the electronic battlefield and support operational planning across land, air, cyber, and electronic domains. It generates a Recognized Electromagnetic Picture, combining information […]

Americas The next generation of the US Army’s famous Abrams main battle tanks may soon find a maker. Through a questionnaire released by the army’s Ground Combat Systems office, the service is scouting potential manufacturers for the Abrams M1E3 variant. The survey asks interested firms to detail their experience integrating, installing, and verifying communication and battle command systems in ground combat vehicles. Teledyne FLIR has taken its next-gen airborne imaging pod on a cross-Canada demo tour, showcasing the Star SAFIRE’s UltraFORCE 380X variant from the nose of a helicopter. A four-person crew flew over 10 cities across seven provinces to demonstrate the multi-spectral imaging system, featuring infrared and color cameras with continuous zoom and low-light capability. Middle East & Africa The United Nations said Wednesday that Israeli drones dropped four grenades near UN peacekeepers in Lebanon, with Israel insisting there was “no intentional fire” at the force. UNIFIL, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, called Tuesday’s incident “one of the most serious attacks” since a November ceasefire ended last year’s war between Israel and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. The mission said Israeli forces had “dropped four grenades close to UNIFIL peacekeepers working to clear roadblocks hindering access to a UN position.” Europe The […]

Americas Leidos won a $12.4 million modification, which adds scope to provide for the integration of required updates to the systems requirements document critical to the functionality of the ALQ-214 system using the Adaptive Radar Countermeasure software in support of enhancing F/A-18 survivability against modern threats Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia (47%); Clifton, New Jersey (40%); and Goleta, California (13%), and is expected to be completed in September 2026. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,349,290 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract action was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Nevada Army National Guard will be converted into a mobile infantry battalion as part of the US Army’s ongoing force restructuring. The change falls under the Army Transformation Initiative, which reduces the number of Armored Brigade Combat Teams to 13 across the entire force, cutting the National Guard’s share from five to two. It will affect the 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team, a multi-state unit that includes Nevada’s 1st Squadron, 221st Cavalry. Middle East & Africa The […]

Americas BAE Systems segment Bohemia Interactive Simulations (BISim) has received an enterprise licensing contract to provide its flagship Digital Virtual Trainer (DVT) for the Canadian Army. DVT is a wargaming package that delivers immersive mission preparation, enabling troops to strategize, rehearse, perform, and evaluate operations in realistic virtual environments. The suite supports both first-person training and large-scale collective exercises, giving units flexible options to train anywhere across the world. Charles Stark Draper Laboratories won a $68 million modification for production of the Trident (D5) Guidance Subsystem. This requirement includes design analysis, testing, procurement, and manufacturing of interferometric fiber optic gyros repairs and associated material. This modification also benefits a foreign military sale to the United Kingdom. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Turkish corvette K?nal?ada made a landmark visit to Libya with port calls in both Tripoli and Benghazi this month, the first time a Turkish Navy warship has visited the country’s rival power centers in a single deployment. According to the Turkish Ministry of Defence, K?nal?ada visited Tripoli port on August 17–18, 2025, where the crew held meetings with the senior Libyan defense officials. Europe Ukrainian Armor is preparing to launch serial production […]

Americas RDA Inc.,* Doylestown won a a $10 million modification in support of Small Business Innovation Research Topics N98-035, N04-247, and N06-011 entitled “Signal Processing and System Concepts to Exploit Passive Signals in Airborne Active ASW Missions”; “Littoral Environment Parameter Estimation from Bistatic and Multistatic Fleet Air Antisubmarine Warfare (ASW) Acoustic Reverberation Data,” and “Multi-Sensor Data Fusion for Littoral Undersea Warfare,” respectively and will expedite the digitization of legacy and future sonobuoys through the development and delivery of prototype sonobuoys for initial development test. Work will be performed in DeLeon Springs, Florida (77%); and Doylestown, Pennsylvania (23%), and is expected to be completed in August 2029. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $500,000 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Guyana and Colombia have signed a defense agreement to expand their joint aerial surveillance cooperation. The memorandum of understanding, signed by the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Colombia’s Ministry of Defense, focuses on protecting their neighboring airspace, countering illegal activity, and improving awareness of potential threats. Middle […]

F-35B: off probation (click to view full) The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; the F-35B Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing for the US Marines, British Royal Navy, et. al.; and the F-35C conventional carrier-launched version for the US Navy. The aircraft is named after Lockheed’s famous WW2 P-38 Lightning, and the Mach 2, stacked-engine English Electric (now BAE) Lightning jet. Lightning II system development partners included The USA & Britain (Tier 1), Italy and the Netherlands (Tier 2), and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey (Tier 3), with Singapore and Israel as “Security Cooperation Partners,” and Japan as the 1st export customer. The big question for Lockheed Martin is whether, and when, many of these partner countries will begin placing purchase orders. This updated article has expanded to feature more detail regarding the F-35 program, including contracts, sub-contracts, and notable events and reports during 2012-2013.

KC-135: Old as the hills… (click to view full) DID’s FOCUS articles cover major weapons acquisition programs – and no program is more important to the USAF than its aerial tanker fleet renewal. In January 2007, the big question was whether there would be a competition for the USA’s KC-X proposal, covering 175 production aircraft and 4 test platforms. The total cost is now estimated at $52 billion, but America’s aerial tanker fleet demands new planes to replace its KC-135s, whose most recent new delivery was in 1965. Otherwise, unpredictable age or fatigue issues, like the ones that grounded its F-15A-D fighters in 2008, could ground its aerial tankers – and with them, a substantial slice of the USA’s total airpower. KC-Y and KC-Z buys are supposed to follow in subsequent decades, in order to replace 530 (195 active; ANG 251; Reserve 84) active tankers, as well as the USAF’s 59 heavy KC-10 tankers that were delivered from 1979-1987. Then again, fiscal and demographic realities may mean that the 179 plane KC-X buy is “it” for the USAF. Either way, the KC-X stakes were huge for all concerned. In the end, it was Team Boeing’s KC-767 NexGen/ KC-46A (767 derivative) […]

(click to view full) In March 2008, the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, TX received a $10.4 billion modification that converted the previous N00019-07-C-0001 advance acquisition contract to a fixed-price-incentive-fee, multi-year contract. The new contract rose to $10.92 billion, and was used to buy 143 MV-22 (for USMC) and 31 CV-22 (Air Force Special Operations) Osprey aircraft, plus associated manufacturing tooling to move the aircraft into full production. A follow-on MYP-II contract covered another 99 Ospreys (92 MV-22, 7 CV-22) for $6.524 billion. Totals: $17.444 billion for 235 MV-22s and 38 CV-22s, an average of $63.9 million each. The V-22 tilt-rotor program has been beset by controversy throughout its 20-year development period. Despite these issues, and the emergence of competitive but more conventional compound helicopter technologies like Piasecki’s X-49 Speedhawk and Sikorsky’s X2, the V-22 program continues to move forward. This DID Spotlight article looks at the V-22’s multi-year purchase contract from 2008-12 and 2013-2017, plus associated contracts for key V-22 systems, program developments, and research sources.

Americas Triumph Gear Systems won an $11.6 million contract for the repair of 42 pylon conversion actuators in support of V-22 aircraft. All work will be performed in Park City, Utah, and will be completed by January 2027. One source was solicited for this non-competitive, sole-source requirement in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. On December 12, 2024, under the Florida sky at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, the US Army held its breath. A massive Transporter Erector Launcher, hitched to an M983 tactical truck, elevated a canister to a near-vertical position. Inside was the Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW), a system that had, until recently, been a source of immense frustration and public setbacks. This was the moment of the Canaveral Gambit — a high-stakes test to prove that America’s premier ground-launched hypersonic program had finally overcome the crippling issues that had kept it flightless. Middle East & Africa Israel plans to acquire two Boeing KC-46 aerial refueling tankers in a deal worth about $500 million. The purchase will be financed through US military aid, pending approval from an Israeli ministerial committee for […]

Americas Raytheon Missiles & Defense won a $52 million modification to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for hardware production of the AN/SPY-6(V) family of radars. Work is expected to be completed by September 2029. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $52,981,009 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. The US Army has contracted MSM North America, a subsidiary of Czechoslovak Group (CSG), to build an advanced large-caliber ammunition loading facility. The $632-million Future Artillery Complex (FAC) is scheduled to be completed at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant within 40 months, with commissioning and full-scale production beginning in September 2029. Middle East & Africa The Iranian and Russian presidents discussed Tehran’s nuclear program on Monday as European powers threaten to reimpose sanctions on Tehran over the moribund 2015 deal. Britain, France, and Germany have threatened to trigger a “snapback mechanism” to reintroduce UN sanctions that were lifted under the agreement unless Iran agrees to curb its uranium enrichment and restore cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) inspectors. Europe Norway will help […]

Breakthrough… (click to view full) The US Navy flies the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters, and has begun operating the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare & strike aircraft. Many of these buys have been managed out of common multi-year procurement (MYP) contracts, which aim to reduce overall costs by offering longer-term production commitments, so contractors can negotiate better deals with their suppliers. The MYP-II contract ran from 2005-2009, and was not renewed because the Pentagon intended to focus on the F-35 fighter program. When it became clear that the F-35 program was going to be late, and had serious program and budgetary issues, pressure built to abandon year-by-year contracting, and negotiate another multi-year deal for the current Super Hornet family. That deal is now final. This entry covers the program as a whole, with a focus on 2010-2015 Super Hornet family purchases. It has been updated to include all announced contracts and events connected with MYP-III, including engines and other separate “government-furnished equipment” that figures prominently in the final price.

Americas Boeing won a $315 million delivery order under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement for the repair of landing gear used on the F/A-18 E/F aircraft. The delivery order does not include an option provision. Work is expected to be completed by September 2029. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Rolls Royce Marine North America won a $9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee order for the procurement of all material to manufacture, inspect, paint, and deliver one complete shipset of lightweight stator blades for Virginia-class attack submarines. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2028. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,877,737 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured under the authority of 10 US Code 3204(a)(1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 via SAM.gov with one offer received. Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, West Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Israel has approved a $1.5 billion initiative to accelerate the production of main battle tanks and […]

Americas ZenaTech has launched a new Quantum Computing Division to advance research in next-generation defense and drone systems. The division will focus on applications such as encryption, secure communications, navigation without GPS, and AI-driven fleet management for surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It begins with 12 specialists in quantum hardware, machine learning, physics, and engineering, and plans to grow to 20 by the end of the year. ACM Elite won a $10 million contract for B-52 aircraft engine hanger beams. This award is replacing contract SPE4A7-25-D-0297, which was previously announced as awarded July 18, 2025, to Infinity Fabrication. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. The performance completion date is Aug. 18, 2030. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2030 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia. Middle East & Africa Israeli firm D-Fend Solutions has launched EnforceAir PLUS, an AI-powered counter-drone system that fuses cyber takeover, radar detection, and optional jamming into one compact platform. Building on the company’s radio frequency (RF) cyber roots, the system adds auto-calibrated radar and a software-defined jamming layer, giving operators […]

Americas AI technology is set to expand what Microsoft Teams can do to support large, distributed US Air Force units. Unanimous AI has secured a contract worth up to $1 million from AFWERX, the innovation arm of the US Air Force Research Laboratory, to integrate its Hyperchat AI tool into Microsoft Teams. The goal is to enhance large-scale communication, collaboration, and decision-making across the service, where mission-critical choices often require input from widely dispersed teams. Florida-based firm HEKA has expanded its product portfolio, rolling out new aerospace and defense systems designed to meet today’s fast-moving operational challenges. The company’s internally developed technologies span simulation, navigation, and energy systems, reflecting a broad push to accelerate “mission-ready” capabilities. First in the lineup is HekaLink, a digital twin and six-degree-of-freedom flight controls design environment that enables real-time simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing, and operational flight program generation. Middle East & Africa ACG Systems Inc., Annapolis, Maryland, was awarded a $12,311,202 firm-fixed-price contract for the Ground to Air Transmit Receive (GATR) system and test equipment for the Egyptian Air Force. This contract provides for the purchase of two GATR systems. Work will be performed at Annapolis, Maryland; the United Kingdom; and Egypt, and is expected to be complete […]

Americas South Carolina-based company Tetramer Technologies has received a $12.5-million contract to integrate advanced metal-organic framework (MOF) bead technology into protective fabrics of combat-ready suits. Funded by the Pentagon-backed innovation network Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Consortium, the project will support the operational security of soldiers operating in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) domains. Texas-based Forward Edge-AI has landed a US Army contract to create a secure wireless system for predictive logistics. The system will enable military units to share critical vehicle data during missions, providing commanders with real-time updates on faults, fuel levels, and overall readiness to anticipate problems before they cause breakdowns. It is designed to maintain support flow for troops even in denied, degraded, intermittent, and limited communications environments. Middle East & Africa The US State Department has given its approval for a potential $500m foreign military sale (FMS) of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) and associated support to Bahrain. Bahrain’s request encompasses four HIMARS launchers and three International Field Artillery Tactical Data Systems. It also includes a suite of non-major non-defence (MDE) items such as M28A2 low cost reduced range practice rocket pods; high mobility multi-purpose wheeled vehicle fire direction centres; M1084A3 HIMARS resupply vehicles; […]

Americas The US Department of Defense has awarded Raytheon a contract to develop and manufacture the Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) Block IIICU surface-to-air missile. The $258.7-million contract for the missile’s engineering, manufacture, and development is scheduled for completion in September 2031. It includes $18.4 million in Foreign Military Sales funding from Canada. Block IIICU is an upgrade over the legacy Block III/IIIA/IIIB, offering enhanced targeting capabilities to engage additional threats such as anti-ship cruise missiles and tactical aircraft. Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $720 million modification to contract W31P4Q-23-C-0005 for Production Year Four of HELLFIRE/JAGM missiles. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,493,541,465. Work will be performed in Ocala, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2028. Fiscal 2025 missile procurement, Army funds in the amount of $720,120,883 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa The US State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Nigeria of munitions, including precision bombs and rockets, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced on 13 August 2025. The proposed sale, which is worth an estimated […]

Americas The US Air Force is pressing ahead with its $99-million Advanced Tracking Architecture Using AI (ATA-AI) project — an effort first launched in July 2024 to outsmart rapidly evolving threats. The effort “seeks research to design, develop, test, evaluate, and deliver innovative technologies and techniques for Next Generation Target Tracking architectures” using AI, machine learning, and high-powered computing. Leidos wants to make waves in the surface and undersea drone markets amongst startup competitors. Leidos is a longtime government contractor known for IT—as well as missiles and airport body scanners. But CEO Thomas Bell said the company is poised for a breakaway in maritime autonomy. According to Bell, Leidos’ strategic acquisitions set it apart from other companies in the industry. Middle East & Africa Israeli extended reality (XR) solutions firm Wearable Devices is developing touchless control systems that let troops run mission-critical gear with natural, gesture-based commands — no hands required. Using in-house sensors, the system picks up nerve and muscle signals and, via AI-driven neural interface tech, turns them into immediate commands. Europe Ukraine has announced that its frontline brigades will receive $170,000 per battalion to fund their own operational needs. Funding will scale with the number of battalions deployed in […]

Americas Delphinus,* Newton Square and Oceaneering are being awarded an &86 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the repair of valves and actuators within the corporate component repair program for Virginia-class and Los Angeles-class submarines. Each contract contains a provision for three option years. Work will be completed by August 2027. All work will be performed in various contractor facilities identified at task order level that cannot be determined at this time. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $1,500 will be obligated to fund the contracts’ minimum amount, and funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. These contracts were procured through full and open competition with five offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Mack Defense has secured a contract to produce up to 450 M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs) for the US Army. Costing up to $221.8 million, the deal will support the integration of new workhorse vehicles for the service’s active force, reserve force, and national guard operations. Manufacturing will take place at Mack’s Experience Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a facility dedicated to HDT production since 2021 following a $6.5 million expansion, alongside its […]

Virginia Block I-II (click for SuperSize) “GDEB Receives $148M as Virginia Class Lead Yard” described changes to the Virginia Class submarine’s design that are expected to reach 20% of the $200 million savings goal by the time orders for the versatile sea attack/ land attack/ special forces submarines rise to 2 per year, in 2012. The bow changes cover the FY 2009-2013 ships, referred to as Block III. SSN 774 Virginia – SSN 777 North Carolina are Block I, and SSNs 778-783 will be Block II. Block III begins with the 11th ship of class, SSN 784. Long lead time component orders began May 22/08, and the submarine is expected to be ready for delivery around 2015. A fuller explanation of Block III’s extensive bow changes, and an accompanying graphic, may be found below – along with contract updates that include additional improvements and sonar development.

Americas General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GDOTS) has completed the first firing test of the US Army’s 4.75-inch (12-centimeter) solid rocket motor, marking a significant milestone in advancing the service’s long-range precision fires capabilities. Tested at GDOTS’ Camden, Arkansas, facility, the engine delivered performance results within one percent of predicted values, according to the manufacturer. “This successful test reflects the strong partnership between GDOTS and the US Army,” senior vice president and general manager at GDOTS Chris Haynes said. The US State Department has approved the potential sale of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) to Canada, valued at an estimated $160 million. The Canadian government requested the purchase of up to 60 JLTVs and nine JLTV cargo trailers. Ottawa has also requested communication and mobility equipment, lethality and survivability upgrades, along with spare and repair parts. Middle East & Africa South Korea and the UAE have tested Seoul’s homegrown KF-21 Boramae fighter at Sacheon Air Base in Gyeongsangnam-do, showcasing their growing defense cooperation. At the event, UAE Deputy Minister of Defense Ibrahim Nasser Mohammed Al Alawi rode in the back seat of the jet. It was escorted by an FA-50 piloted by the Republic of Korea Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Yeon-su, Carro e Motos reported. Europe […]