SAN DIEGO, California. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) completed multiple takeoffs and landings with its Mojave uncrewed aerial system (UAS) on a dirt strip near El Mirage, California, marking the first Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) on an unimproved surface for the drone, according to a company statement.

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio. A three-hour sortie led by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) demonstrated the first flight of machine-learning (ML) trained artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms on an XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed jet aircraft, according to an AFRL statement. The mission took place on July 25 in the Eglin Test and Training Complex.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. Digital-systems integrator Parry Labs has been chosen for two projects under the Aviation and Missile Technology Consortium (AMTC) MOSA [modular open systems approach] agreement, tasks that are aimed at collaboratively defining the U.S. Army's MOSA requirements for computing and software operating environments for all future Army aviation procurements.

HUNTSVILLE, Alabama. IERUS Technologies has won a contract under the TETRAS II program from the Air Force Test Center that involves advancing weapons and cyber systems, the company announced in a statement.

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma. The U.S. Air Force has awarded the fifth option on a T-1A avionics upgrade contract to Field Aerospace. This option involves the upgrade of three Operational Flight Trainer simulators, along with the provision of one new Part Task Trainer simulator, reflecting the T-1A AMP aircraft configuration, according to a statement from the company.

HAIFA, Israel. The Israeli Navy, in collaboration with Elbit Systems, has successfully concluded sea trials for the DESEAVER MK-4 Counter Measure Dispensing System (CMDS) aboard Israeli Navy vessels, Elbit Systems announced in a statement. The trials marked the assessment of the fourth generation of maritime Electronic Warfare (EW) systems in real-world scenarios.

AMSTERDAM. The global growth in uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) usage is making the development and deployment of counter-UAV systems increasingly essential in order to detect, track, and neutralize unauthorized drones, states a new report from market research firm Market Forecast. 

WASHINGTON. The U.S. Navy awarded contracts to two companies to build a total of nine Arleigh Burke-class Flight III guided-missile destroyers (DDG-51) under the terms of five-year contracts. 

NORTHBROOK, Ill. The global market for uncrewed aerial systems (UASs, also called drones) used in combat, valued at $7.2 billion in 2023, is projected to reach $10.8 billion by 2028, at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.6%, according to a new report by MarketsandMarkets, "Combat Drone Market."

WASHINGTON. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded a follow-on production other transaction authority (OTA) agreement to Booz Allen Hamilton for "Thunderdome," DISA’s zero-trust network access and application security architecture.

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands. An upcoming surge in the global military avionics market is projected, with estimates suggesting it could reach $57 billion by 2030, a new report predicts.

GDANSK, Poland. The construction of the first of two new signal intelligence (SIGINT) ships for the Polish Navy is underway at Remontowa Shipbuilding S.A. The process was initiated with a keel-laying ceremony, marking a key stage in the shipbuilding process, according to a statement from Saab, who won the contract in November 2022.

DENVER, Colorado. Lockheed Martin has won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to develop and demonstrate a nuclear-powered spacecraft as part of the Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations (DRACO) project, according to a company statement.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has expanded a contract for the development of artificial intelligence (AI) driven techniques for drone sensors to Sarcos Technology and Robotics Corporation, according to a statement from the company. This technology will be used for autonomously controlling a Heterogeneous Sensing Network (HSN).

ORLANDO, Florida. EIZO Rugged Solutions Inc. has launched the Condor GR2S-A4500-ETH, a 3U OpenVPX graphics card aligned with Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) standards and designed for compute-intensive sensor processing applications, the company announced in a statement.