ARLINGTON, Va. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded contracts to five entities to develop artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms enabling teams of manned and unmanned combat aircraft to conduct aerial dogfighting autonomously.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. Aery Aviation, LLC is the Managing Member of a Joint Venture (JV) that has won the five-year U.S. Navy high-endurance electronic warfare jet (HEEWJ) contract by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIRSYSCOM) for a Firm Fixed Price of $146 million. The contract was awarded to Strategic Airborne Operations JV, LLC, which is a JV between Aery and Mountain Aviation LLC. 

ATLANTA, Ga. NXT Communications Corporation (NXTCOMM) announced the formation of NXTCOMM Defense, a new division focused on serving the military mobile Communications On-the-Move (COTM) market.

PLANO, Texas. Martin UAV, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology company, demonstrated the shipboard integration of its V-BAT as well as its maritime capabilities in support of United States Southern Command's (SOUTHCOM) counter-narcotics operations in the Eastern Pacific.

WASHINGTON. The U.S. Air Force has selected Elbit Systems of America to compete for future task orders within the service's Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) Indefinite-Delivery/Indefinite-Quantity (ID/IQ) contract.

CAMBRIDGE, U.K. Radar-technology firm Cambridge Pixel has set up an Employee Ownership Trust (EOT) in a move to put the award-winning radar technology firm into the hands of the team of people who work for it, thereby making them the direct beneficiaries of the company’s future success.

ASHBURN, Va. PacStar, a division of Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions, announced that it has won a five-year contract to support U.S. Army network-modernization efforts that are being undertaken by Project Manager Tactical Network (PM TN).

UNITED KINGDOM. BAE Systems and the University of Birmingham have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to form an Advanced Sensing Technologies Consortium, drawing on leading experts from industry, academia, and government. This forms part of the Government-funded National Quantum Technologies program to drive four U.K.-based hubs which includes a Sensors and Timing hub led by the University of Birmingham. 

BETHESDA, Md. The fourth Lockheed Martin-built Global Positioning System III (GPS III) satellite is now headed to orbit under its own propulsion. GPS III Space Vehicle 04 (GPS III SV04) separated from its rocket and is now using onboard power to reach its operational orbit.

HERNDON, Va. Peraton has won a $950 million ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the maturation, demonstration, and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software, and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2).

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. The U.S. Army awarded contracts to nine small businesses and nonprofit research institution partners to continue developing technologies to address military challenges. As part of the Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR), each team will receive up to $1.1 million and will spend between six and 18 months developing a demonstration prototype.

FRANCE. NEXEYA France, a HENSOLDT company, has integrated the NATO Link 22 tactical datalink into its embedded naval surveillance and defense combat management system (CMS) LYNCEA.

CYPRUS. The Royal Navy’s Littoral Strike Group has conducted trials of experimental equipment including drones, autonomous systems, quad bikes, jet skis, and new communications systems during training exercises held off the coast of Cyprus.

GREENSBORO, N.C. Radio-frequency (RF) semiconductor maker Qorvo has won a contract from the U.S. government -- worth as much as $75 million -- to create a state-of-the-art heterogeneous integrated packaging (SHIP) RF production and prototyping center.

CANADA. L3Harris Technologies announced it has won a firm-fixed price contract to missionize three new King Air 350ER aircraft for the Canadian manned airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (CMAISR) project.