WIESBADEN, Germany. U.S. Army Europe and Africa will add two new units in the coming months and retain three sites previously scheduled to be returned to the German government, due to growing operational requirements in Europe, according to an annoucement by the U.S. Army.

ITALY. Leonardo has been contracted by Boeing to provide its new software-defined radio (SDR), the SWave Airborne SDR SRT-800 for NATO’s fleet of E-3A Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. The AWACS fleet is being modernized by Boeing to maintain its operational viability through 2035 under the Final Lifetime Extension Program (FLEP).

BETHESDA, Md. Lockheed Martin has announced a new line of tactical Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) satellites. These satellites, based on Lockheed Martin’s LM 400 mid-size bus, are intended to enable tactical warfighters to track moving targets at long ranges and operate in contested and denied environments.

SEATTLE, Wash. Taqtile and Booz Allen Hamilton are working together to demonstrate the capabilities of 5G and the Manifest augmented reality (AR) platform at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) in Washington state. The JBLM project is designed to test the security, scalability, and resilience of 5G networks and the advanced capabilities of augmented reality (AR)/virtual reality (VR).

DALLAS, Texas. COMSovereign Holding Corp., a U.S.-based developer of 4G LTE Advanced and 5G Communication Systems and Solutions, announced that it is acquiring Innovation Digital, LLC, developer of mixed analog/digital signal processing solutions, intellectual property (IP) licensing, design, and consulting services.

FRANCE. NATO has awarded Thales a contract for the delivery of Increment 2 for the NATO Common Operational Picture (NCOP) program, which will aim to provide joint forces under NATO command with enhanced situational awareness and decision support in the theater.

FALLS CHURCH, Va. The U.S. Navy recently awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a $115 million production contract for U.S. Department of the Navy’s Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (DoN LAIRCM) systems. Northrop Grumman was also awarded additional contracts recently including integration, sustainment, and support of the DoN LAIRCM systems.

RA'ANANA, Israel. D-Fend Solutions, company specializing in counter-drone, radio frequency-based, cyber-takeover technology, has announced the general availability of its new Multi-Sensor Command & Control system (MSC2).

WILMINGTON, Mass. Analog Devices Inc. (ADI) has launched a 16-channel, mixed-signal front-end (MxFE) digitizer aimed at use in such defense and aerospace applications as phased array-radar, electronic warfare (EW), and ground-based satellite communications (SATCOM). 

NASA -- STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. The powerful hydrogen-fueled rocket engine built by Aerojet Rocketdyne, the RS-68A, completed its final hot-fire acceptance test in preparation for its use on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle.

NORTHBROOK, Ill. The market for airborne optronics -- optical and vision equipment used by armed forces and security personnel for monitoring, identification, and classification purposes -- is projected to grow from $1.4 billion in 2020 to $2.5 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 12.7% during the study period, according to a new study by MarketsandMarkets, "Airborne Optronics Market by End Use, System, Technology (Hyperspectral, Multispectral), Application (Commercial, Military, Space), Aircraft Type (Fixed Wing, Rotary Wing, Urban Air Mobility, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and Region - Forecast to 2025." 

DUBLIN. The global use of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics in the defense arena, valued at $39.22 billion in 2018, is projected to grow at a combined annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.04% to reach $61 billion by 2027, according to a study by Research and Markets, "Global Artificial Intelligence & Robotics for Defense, Market & Technology Forecast to 2027."

LEWISVILLE, Texas. MilesTek (an Infinite Electronics brand) announces the launch of a line of ruggedized USB 3.0 cables that are aimed at use in military, government,  and industrial connectivity applications.

RESTON, Va. Leidos announced that it has completed delivery of an autonomous vessel to the U.S. Navy, known as Seahawk. The Office of Naval Research awarded Leidos the cost-plus-fixed fee contract to build the vessel, with an approximate value of $35.5 million, in December 2017. Work was principally performed on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

WESTFORD, Mass. Symetrica Inc., a radiation detection and identification business, announced that it has been awarded a $35 million multi-year contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to provide several hundred of its VeriFinder radioisotope identification devices (RIIDs) for deployment across all branches of the United States armed forces.