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 East & Africa
Elbit Systems is taking Israel’s Iron Beam into the skies, developing an airborne version of the laser weapon for the Israeli Air Force. The original ground-based variant, developed by Rafael, can fire a 100 to 150-kilowatt solid-state laser from a truck to shoot down drones, rockets, and cruise missiles at a fraction of the cost of conventional interceptors.
Europe
The US State Department has approved the potential sale of sustainment and related elements of logistics and program support for F-35 jets to Poland for an estimated cost of $1.85 billion, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The principal contractor for the sale will be General Electric Aerospace, the Pentagon said in a statement.
Denmark’s foreign minister had the top US diplomat in the country summoned for talks after the main national broadcaster reported Wednesday that at least three people with connections to President Donald Trump have been carrying out covert influence operations in Greenland. Trump has repeatedly said he seeks US jurisdiction over Greenland, a vast, semi-autonomous territory of Denmark. He has not ruled out military force to take control of the mineral-rich, strategically located Arctic island.
Asia-Pacific
The Australian government has selected Leidos Australia as the Systems Integration Partner for Project Land 156, a 1.3 billion Australian dollar ($840 million) program designed to counter evolving threats. Under the 45.9-million Australian dollar ($30 million) contract, Leidos Australia will deliver and evolve the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) counter-small drone capability.