Americas L3Harris has announced that its new electronic warfare suite “Viper Shield” is nearing another major milestone ahead of planned production in 2025. Company official Anna Gragossian told Breaking Defense that the next program milestone will demonstrate the system’s ability to detect enemy radar activities, helping military pilots evade threats. The demonstration is expected to take […]

0 Reaper, ready… (click to view full) The MQ-9 Reaper UAV, once called “Predator B,” is somewhat similar to the famous Predator. Until you look at the tail. Or its size. Or its weapons. It’s called “Reaper” for a reason: while it packs the same surveillance gear, it’s much more of a hunter-killer design. Some […]

RENK Systems won a $49 million deal, which is for the design, development, fabrication, and testing of three test stands to include: one for testing the main gearbox assembly, one for testing the tail/intermediate gearbox assemblies, and one for testing the nose gearbox assemblies, as well as associated logistics, calibration, maintenance, and sustainment support; equipment […]

Americas Systems Application & Technologies won a $35.8 million deal for waterfront operations support at Building V-47 at Naval Station Norfolk. The services under this contract includes the operation, maintenance, repair, testing, and evaluation of small watercraft assigned to the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division (NSWCCD). This is a follow-on requirement which includes work […]

Italian Eurofighters (click to view full) The multi-national Eurofighter Typhoon has been described as the aerodynamic apotheosis of lessons learned from the twin engine “teen series” fighters that began with the F-14 and F-15, continued with the emergence of the F/A-18 Hornet, and extended through to the most recent F/A-18 Super Hornet variants. Aerodynamically, it’s […]

Americas Boeing won a $33 million deal for Small Diameter Bomb I sustainment and titled contractor logistics support. The deal provides for the SDB-I program and requires continuous contractor logistics support throughout production, fielding, and sustainment. The Small Diameter Bomb I (SDB I) is a type of precision-guided bomb used by military aircraft. It’s designed […]

UCAS-D/ N-UCAS concept (click to view full) The idea of UAVs with full stealth and combat capabilities has come a long way, quickly. Air forces around the world are pursuing R&D programs, but in the USA, progress is being led by the US Navy. Their interest is well-founded. A May 2007 non-partisan report discussed the […]

P-8A Poseidon (click to view full) Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important, but the USA’s P-3 Orion turboprop fleet is falling apart. The P-7 Long Range Air ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Capable Aircraft program to create an improved P-3 began in 1988, but cost overruns, slow progress, and interest in opening the […]

Americas CFM International won a $47.8 million modification, which exercises options to procure three CFM56-7B27AE spare engines, two for the Navy and one for the government of Germany, in support of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The P-8A Poseidon is a military aircraft used for maritime patrol and reconnaissance. It’s often used for tasks like searching […]

Americas Raytheon won a $94.1 million modification for fiscal 2023 Guided Missile Assemblies, shipping containers, and spare parts in support of the fiscal 2021-2023 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile Block 2 full rate production requirements. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona; Raufoss, Norway; Edinburgh, Australia; San Jose, California; Mississauga, Canada; Ottobrunn, Germany; Cambridge, Canada; Nashua, […]

AEGIS-BMD: CG-70 launches SM-3 (click to view full) The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system, in order to give ships the ability to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. Like its less-capable AEGIS […]

RIM-162: sections (click to view full) The RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) is used to protect ships from attacking missiles and aircraft, and is designed to counter supersonic maneuvering anti-ship missiles. Compared to the RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, ESSM is effectively a new missile with a larger, more powerful rocket motor for increased range, a […]

US Army HH-60Ms (click to view full) In July 2012, the US military signed another huge contract with Sikorsky. With production of the Army’s HH/UH-60M, and the Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters, all in full swing, there’s no question about the need for future orders. In that environment, multi-year contracts allow efficiencies in purchasing, and […]

BAMS Operation Concept (click to view full) The world’s P-3 Orion fleets have served for a long time, and many are reaching the end of their lifespans. In the USA, and possibly beyond, the new P-8 Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft will take up the P-3’s role. While the P-8’s base 737-based airframe offers strong service […]

P-8A Poseidon (click to view full) Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important, but the USA’s P-3 Orion turboprop fleet is falling apart. The P-7 Long Range Air ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Capable Aircraft program to create an improved P-3 began in 1988, but cost overruns, slow progress, and interest in opening the […]

0 Reaper, ready… (click to view full) The MQ-9 Reaper UAV, once called “Predator B,” is somewhat similar to the famous Predator. Until you look at the tail. Or its size. Or its weapons. It’s called “Reaper” for a reason: while it packs the same surveillance gear, it’s much more of a hunter-killer design. Some […]

Trident II D5 Test Launch (click to view full) Nuclear tipped missiles were first deployed on board US submarines at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, to deter a Soviet first strike. The deterrence theorists argued that, unlike their land-based cousins, submarine-based nuclear weapons couldn’t be taken out by a surprise first […]

(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 […]

Americas Bell Boeing won a $12.3 million deal for CMV-22B Osprey deployment support. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Pennsylvania, with a November 30, 2024, performance […]

(click to view full) Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft, designed to give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkeye versions in 1973. […]