Industry News

Cyber

Facial, weapon recognition capabilities deployed to USAF base - News

November 12, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Trueface

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Trueface, computer vision technology company, announced that AFWERX, in partnership with the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), has awarded the company its second contract this year for its facial recognition and weapon identification capabilities. Trueface was selected for a Phase I Air Force contract earlier this year to assess the most impactful use cases for computer vision to be used for security purposes on base.

Radar/EW

Microscopic bomb detector to be developed by Raytheon - News

November 12, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Raytheon Company

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. Raytheon is using synthetic biology science to create a new method for detecting buried explosives, using bacteria as sensors. Under a contract from the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Raytheon and partner Worcester Polytechnic Institute will program two bacterial strains to monitor ground surfaces for explosive materials.

Comms

Tactical data link systems to be delivered to Australian military - News

November 11, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Northrop Grumman

AUSTRALIA. Northrop Grumman Corporation won a contract by the Australian Defence Force Tactical Data Link Authority (ADFTA) to deliver tactical data link (TDL) systems and training as part of the development of the Australian Defence Force?s (ADF) Joint Data Network. ADFTA ensures TDL-functionality to achieve single, joint, and combined TDL interoperability for the ADF.

Comms

Distributed common ground system contract won by ManTech - News

November 11, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems ManTech

WASHINGTON. ManTech announced that it has been selected by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) Software Engineering Center (SEC), Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors Directorate (IEW&SD), and Intelligence Support Division (ISD), to provide full lifecycle software and systems engineering for Army?s Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS-A) Family of Systems (FoS).

Radar/EW

AN/APG-81 radar delivered to its 500th F-35 Lightning II - News

November 11, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Northrop Grumman

FALLS CHURCH, Va. Northrop Grumman has delivered its 500th AN/APG-81 fire control radar for the F-35 Lightning II. The Northrop Grumman AN/APG-81 active electronically scanned array is designed to supplement the F-35?s advanced sensor suite.

Comms

U.S. DoD awards $731.8 million contract for next-gen military satellite system to General Dynamics - News

November 11, 2019

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems General Dynamics

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. General Dynamics has won an agreement worth about $731.8 million (cost-plus-award-fee and firm-fixed-price) for sustainment of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) ground system, a next-generation military satellite communications system.

Radar/EW

Electronic Attack Jammer Pod by Saab takes flight - News

November 08, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Saab

SWEDEN. Saab carried out introductory flight tests with its new advanced Electronic Attack Jammer Pod (EAJP). The pod?s interfaces with the aircraft?s hardware and software as well as cockpit control and monitoring were tested during the flight.

Radar/EW

PAC-3 interceptor completes thirteenth demonstration - News

November 08, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

DALLAS, Texas. Two Lockheed Martin PAC-3 Cost Reduction Initiative (CRI) interceptors intercepted two tactical ballistic missile targets in a test at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The PAC-3 CRI intercepts support the U.S. Army's Field Surveillance Program (FSP). The test also marked the twelfth and thirteenth PAC-3 CRI FSP intercepts in seven years.

Cyber

Cyberspace operations contract for Navy won by Parsons - News

November 08, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Parsons

CENTREVILLE, Va. Parsons Corporation won its first task order under a potential Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific (NIWC Pacific) indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, multiple award contract. The contract was originally announced by NIWC Pacific in May 2019.

Radar/EW

Missile-defense radar for U.S. Army to get critical technology supplied by Raytheon, Mercury Systems - News

November 07, 2019

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems Mercury Systems

ANDOVER, Mass. Mercury Systems announced that Raytheon has chosen its signal-processing and RF solutions as part of its advanced Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor (LTAMDS) program, the Army?s next-generation missile defense radar that is in line to replace the Army?s current Patriot radars; the LTAMDS will operate on the Army?s Integrated Air and Missile Defense network.

Unmanned

ATHENA laser weapon system defends UAS threat - News

November 07, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

FORT SILL, Okla. Lockheed Martin demonstrated their laser weapon system for the U.S. Air Force at a government test range at Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where the system engaged and shot down multiple fixed wing and rotary unmanned aerial systems (UAS). The Advanced Test High Energy Asset (ATHENA) operated in a fully-netted engagement environment with a government command and control (C2) system and radar sensor.

Comms

SOSA open architecture webcast led by Air Force - News

November 07, 2019

John M. McHale III - Editorial Director, Military Embedded Systems

SCOTTSDALE, Arizona. The defense acquisition community is looking to reduce costs and development time via open-architecture principles in a practical and consensus-driven way with all three services Air Force, Army, and Navy working together. This tri-service convergence effort set itself up for success since it is driven by the end user in the acquisition community, tied to specific programs. Open architecture initiatives such as the Hardware Open Systems Technologies (HOST) and Modular Open Radio Frequency (RF) Architecture (MORA) are all feeding into the Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA). Dr. Ilya Lipkin Steering Committee Chair, Sensor Open Systems Architecture (SOSA) Consortium, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) will lead a discussion on how these efforts will reduce life cycle costs and enable reuse in applications such as toradar, electronic warfare, and more on Thursday, Nov. 14, at 11 am Est. in a webcast titled "Enabling Open Architectures and Commonality in Military Systems."

Unmanned

Raven tactical UAS contract won by AeroVironment - News

November 07, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems AeroVironment, Inc.

SIMI VALLEY, Calif. AeroVironment, Inc., unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) company, announced it received a firm fixed-price contract valued at $6,408,542 from an existing Southeast Asian military customer for additional Raven unmanned aircraft systems. Delivery is anticipated within 12 months.

Comms

SMP prototype to provide processing power for USSOCOM - News

November 07, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Collins Aerospace

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of United Technologies Corp., is one of three companies selected to help the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) increase efficiency and reduce aircraft downtime with a modernized Special Mission Processor (SMP). The new SMP prototype will address obsolescence and provide additional capabilities and processing power across its fleet of fixed-wing AC/MC-130Js.

Radar/EW

Trident II production, support contract won by Lockheed - News

November 06, 2019

Emma Helfrich - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

BETHESDA, Md. Lockheed Martin Space won a contract modification for work on submarine-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles, part of the nation's nuclear triad, for the U.S. Navy. The $40.3 million contract covers production and deployed systems support for the Trident II D5 and is the latest in a string of contracts for the missiles issued to Lockheed this year.