Industry News

Avionics

Air Force contracts for additional mobility and combat-command software - News

September 29, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems

DALLAS. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has signed a continuation contract with Jacobs Engineering Group for Jacobs to continue development on its United States Air Force Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) software, which supports the USAF fleet of Air Mobility and Air Combat Command aircraft. The contract is valued at $34.6 million over five years if all options are exercised.

Unmanned

U.S. Army taps Bren-Tronics to deliver its 24V 6T Lithium-Ion batteries - News

September 29, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Bren-Tronics, Inc.

COMMACK, N.Y. The U.S. Army Contracting Command through the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) tasked Bren-Tronics, Inc. to provide automated manufacturing of military 24V 6T Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries. The total contract is valued at an estimated $6.2 million.

Radar/EW

Navy releases funds for two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers - News

September 29, 2017

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

BATH, Maine. Ship maker General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has gotten the green light from the U.S. Navy to proceed with the planning and construction of two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG 126 and DDG 127. DDG 126 was awarded under the contract that was part of a multiyear competition for DDG 51-class destroyers in 2013, while DDG 127 was approved by Congress under separate legislation.The contract modification fully funds the two ships.

Avionics

Avionics market growth driven by real-time data and increase in aircraft orders - News

September 28, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Frost & Sullivan

LONDON. Frost & Sullivan?s research, ?Global Commercial Avionics Market, Forecast up to 2030,? finds that the total commercial avionics market was worth $12.74 billion in 2016 and is expected to reach $16.65 billion by 2030.

Radar/EW

Radar boom intended for future Jupiter mission tested, analyzed - News

September 27, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems European Space Agency NASA

HEILIGENBERG, Germany. The European Space Agency (ESA) recently tested a long radar boom that will probe below the surface of several of Jupiter?s moons during the future JUpiter Icy moons Explorer (JUICE) mission, which is scheduled for launch in 2022, arriving near Jupiter seven years later.

Radar/EW

U.S. Navy officials accept delivery of future LCS USS Little Rock - News

September 27, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems

MARINETTE, Wis. U.S. Navy officials accepted delivery of future Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Little Rock (LCS-9) during a ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) shipyard on September 25.

Comms

Defense technology used to aid in hurricane disaster efforts - News

September 27, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Cubic Raytheon Company Textron

PHOENIX. Defense companies deployed their technology to aid in hurricane disaster efforts. The undertakings by Raytheon, Cubic Missions Systems, and Textron Systems enabled government officials to gather data on hurricanes as well as aid in the recovery efforts in the affected areas over the past month.

Radar/EW

Air Force Research Lab signs $49 million contract with Engility for weapons R & D - News

September 27, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems Engility Holdings

CHANTILLY, Va. Engility Holdings has won a contract worth $49 million to continue to support the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) in its Kinetic Kill Hardware-in-the-Loop (KHILS) Simulation Technology for Advanced Research (KSTAR) program.

Unmanned

USAF officials release RFI for directed energy counter-UAS demonstrations - News

September 26, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems

WASHINGTON. Officials at the Strategic Development Planning and Experimentation (SDPE) Office released a request for information (RFI) to industry as part of market research analysis in support of an upcoming experimentation demonstration using directed energy technology to counter unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).

Comms

Marine Corps chooses Harris Advanced MUOS-Enabled Tactical Radios to Connect Warfighters - News

September 25, 2017

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

ROCHESTER, New York. The U.S. Marine Corps chose the Falcon III multiband manpack radio from Harris Corp. to enable warfighters to talk and share data virtually worldwide as the radios use the MUOS (Mobile User Objective System) beyond-line-of-sight SATCOM communications waveform.

Radar/EW

Radar, electronic warfare SWaP challenges webcast led by Vita's Gipper - News

September 22, 2017

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

FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ. Reduced size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements are affecting every area of military designs especially RF and microwave solutions for electronic warfare (EW), signals intelligence (SIGINT), and radar applications. Jerry Gipper, Executive Director of the VITA Standards Organization will lead a discussion on these challenges on Thursday, Sept. 29, at 2 pm Est. in a webcast titled "Reducing SWaP in RF & Microwave Designs for EW, SIGINT, and Radar Applications." The event will cover how military electronics designers are solving SWaP challenges to enable multifunction, multi-platform systems.

Unmanned

Prospective NASA air-launch system certified as financially feasible - News

September 22, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems NASA

WASHINGTON. NASA -- following a number of years spent in testing and analysis -- has gotten word that its Towed Glider Air-Launch System (TGALS) will be financially feasible for production and use.

Radar/EW

General Dynamics, U.S. Navy sign $5.1 billion pact for ballistic-missile subs - News

September 22, 2017

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

GROTON, Conn. General Dynamics Electric Boat has inked a $5.1 billion Integrated Product and Process Development (IPPD) contract with the U.S. Navy to complete the design of the lead Columbia-class submarine, the nation?s next-generation sea-based strategic deterrent. General Dynamics Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics Corp.

Radar/EW

Navy AMDR tracks simultaneous missile targets - News

September 22, 2017

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

TEWKSBURY, Massachusetts. Raytheon's AN/SPY-6(V) Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) acquired and tracked multiple threat-representative targets simultaneously during its third dedicated flight test performed at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii.

Unmanned

Orbital ATK to supply $123 million worth of artillery guidance kits to U.S. Army - News

September 21, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems Orbital ATK

DULLES, Va. Aerospace and defense contractor Orbital ATK announced that the U.S. Army has placed an additional $123 million in orders under production contract Option 2 for the Precision Guidance Kit (PGK) used in the field; Orbital ATK had previously signed a $69 million production option in July 2016 under Option 2.