Military Embedded Systems

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Autonomous aircraft company Reliable Robotics obtained military airworthiness approval to begin flight testing and operational missions of its remotely piloted Cessna 208 Caravan for the U.S. Air Force, a milestone that will enable it to demonstrate dual-use automated flight capabilities for military use cases, including cargo missions.

WHITE SANDS, N.M. Raytheon (an RTX business) and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) report successful completion of a three-week field test of the CHIMERA [Counter-Electronic High-Power Microwave Extended-Range Air Base Defense system] high-power microwave (HPM) weapon at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. 

ARLINGTON, Va. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) announced the selection of five companies that will develop autonomous aircraft for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program: Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Anduril, and General Atomics. 

NORTHBROOK, Ill. The satellite communication (SATCOM) equipment market, which stood at $22.6 billion in 2023, is projected to rise to $38.7 billion by 2028, at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.3%, according to a study from MarketsandMarkets, "Satellite Communication (SATCOM) Equipment Market Size, Share, Industry Growth & Analysis, 2028."

MENLO PARK, Calif. Orbital information provider LeoLabs won a Consolidated Pathfinder order from NOAA's Office of Space Commerce (OSC) for the development of the civil-led, national Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS). 

NEVADA NATIONAL SECURITY SITE/U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, Nev. In mid-December 2023, National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Principal Deputy Administrator Frank Rose and Associate Administrator for Defense National Security Lew Monroe visited the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) and Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to view tests of counter-uncrewed aerial system (UAS) technology that would be used to thwart unauthorized access of UASs entering these and other NNSA sites unlawfully.

ARLINGTON, Va. Artificial intelligence (AI) platform provider Interos announced a multiyear contract with Canada’s Irving Shipbuilding, a move Interos describes as a "strategic partnership to fortify the Canadian defense industrial base through Canada’s nationwide initiative to expand its maritime capabilities and readiness."

WASHINGTON. The Space Development Agency (an agency within the U.S. Space Force) announced plans to acquire 20 satellites carrying a new type of payload to outfit a military communications network. 

MOBILE, Ala. The U.S. Navy launched its newest Overlord Unmanned Surface Vessel Vanguard (OUSV3) from Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, on its way to join sister ships, dubbed OUSV2 Ranger and OUSV4 Mariner, as part of the Navy’s USV Division 1 (USVDIV 1).

SAN DIEGO. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and several team members demonstrated a hardware-agnostic, open standards-based autonomy ecosystem for uncrewed combat air vehicles (UCAVs) on a GA-ASI MQ-20 Avenger as part of a battery of live flight tests during November 2023.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. Wireless-communications provider Axnes Inc. will collaborate with the U.S. Army Program Executive Office, Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) to field-test and evaluate the Axnes PNG Wireless Intercom System (WICS) on the M88 armored recovery vehicle. 

PALMDALE, Calif. NASA and its design partners officially rolled out the X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft on Friday, January 12, at prime contractor Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works facility Palmdale, California. The X-59 is the centerpiece of NASA’s Quesst mission, which aims to make sonic booms quieter, one of the major challenges to supersonic flight over land.

AUSTIN, Tex. Firmware security company NetRise received an STTR [small business technology transfer] Phase 1 grant focusing on identifying and managing the risk in firmware and software of connected devices to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF). 

STAFFORD, Va. BAE Systems delivered the first of its amphibious combat vehicle command and control (ACV-C) variants under a full-rate production contract with the U.S. Marine Corps.

BOSTON. Quantum-computing startup QuEra announced that it will accomplish error correction for quantum computing in two years, and enable useful computations using it, by 2026. 

WASHINGTON. The U.S. Space Force signed a deal with Microsoft worth $19.8 million under which the tech giant will develop a virtual and mixed-reality training environment for Space Force personnel.  

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Engineering research laboratory Draper won a $26 million (with all options) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to expand the capabilities of its uncrewed autonomous systems (UAS) software to perform chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance missions in collaborative teams and in unfavorable operating environments. 

ARLINGTON, Va. Intelligent robotic systems company AeroVironment reported that it -- together with Corvid Technologies and L3Harris Technologies -- successfully completed its first multi-drop of live-fire GPS-guided Shryke munitions from its VAPOR 55 MX electric uncrewed aerial system (UAS). 

SAN JOSE, Calif.  Lynx Software Technologies -- a provider of open architecture software for use on the mission-critical edge -- has acquired Thompson Software Solutions (TSS -- Atlanta, Georgia), which offers software development, engineering, and integration solutions to mission-critical aerospace and defense (A&D) platforms.

SELBYVILLE, Del. The worldwide market for displays used in military applications will experience a more than 5.5% combined annual growth rate (CAGR) between 2023 and 2032, according to a study by Global Market Insights, "Military Displays Market -- By Type (Computer Display, Smartphone & Handheld Display, Vehicle-mounted Display, Wearable Device Display, Simulator Display), By Technology, By Screen Type, By End-use Industry, Forecast 2023 - 2032."