Industry News

Radar/EW

DoD certifies ViaSat's IFF flight-environment generator - News

September 07, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems ViaSat

CARLSBAD, Calif. ViaSat announced that the Department of Defense (DoD) AIMS Program Office has certified its ViaSat Radio Frequency Generator 1000 (VRG-1000), a system that replicates a crowded airspace, enabling organizations to perform realistic Identification, Friend or Foe (IFF) testing. Designers can use the VRG-1000 to replicate a true-to-life lab environment in their work to reduce flight test time and overall flight testing costs.

Avionics

Solid rocket booster avionics for SLS passes qualification test - News

September 07, 2017

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

DULLES, Va. Orbital ATK recently finished a milestone qualification test of the avionics system for the solid rocket boosters the company has developed and is now manufacturing for NASA?s Space Launch System (SLS).

Avionics

Helicopter-based electronic warfare system passes Navy review - News

September 06, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

SYRACUSE, N.Y. Lockheed Martin reported that its Advanced Off-Board Electronic Warfare (AOEW) system has passed its Preliminary Design Review from the U.S. Navy on schedule, which means that the system has demonstrated outstanding sustained performance. The AOEW system will provide Navy MH-60 helicopters with enhanced electronic warfare (EW) surveillance and countermeasure capabilities against anti-ship missile (ASM) threats.

Comms

Northrop Grumman awarded $265 million USAF airborne comms contract - News

September 06, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems Northrop Grumman

HERNDON, Va. Northrop Grumman has won a contract worth $265 million from the U.S. Air Force to handle aircraft maintenance and logistics support of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) system.

Unmanned

Navy, Georgia Tech develop system to identify talented UAS operators - News

September 05, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR)

ARLINGTON, Va. Georgia Tech and the Naval Aerospace Medical Institute are developing a series of specialized tests to assess cognitive abilities and personality traits, as well as identify potential Navy and Marine Corps unmanned aerial system (UAS) operators. Office of Naval Research (ONR) officials are sponsoring these tests called Selection for UAS Personnel (SUPer).

Comms

U.S. Air Force's GPS III space vehicle completes acoustic testing - News

September 05, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

DENVER. Lockheed Martin engineers completed a realistic simulation of the second GPS III space vehicle (GPS III SV02) during its future launch experience and passed this critical acoustic environmental test. The test was conducted on July 13.

Radar/EW

General Dynamics, Army agree to Abrams tank modernization project - News

September 05, 2017

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

LIMA, Ohio. General Dynamics Land Systems recently received two large contract awards from the U.S. Army for upgrades to the M1A2 Abrams main battle tank brigade.

Comms

ViaSat deploys end-to-end Link 16 comms system on Canadian naval frigates - News

September 05, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems ViaSat

CARLSBAD, Calif. Broadband services and technology company ViaSat announced that it has delivered an end-to-end Link 16 communications system to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) for its Halifax-class frigates.

Avionics

CH-53K King Stallion helicopter production to begin - News

September 04, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

STRATFORD, Conn. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Maryland, selected Lockheed Martin for a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 1 contract to build two production CH-53K King Stallion helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps. The contract is worth $303,974,406 million.

A.I.

Air Force shares UAV software with focus on improved human/machine interface - News

September 01, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio. The 711th Human Performance Wing?s (711 HPW) Airman Systems Directorate entered into five information transfer agreements (ITAs) with commercial companies to share and provide access to its Vigilant Spirit Control Station (VSCS) software package, which allows operators to control multiple unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) at once.

Avionics

ManTech selected for $39.6 million NAVAIR diagnostic and safety testing contract - News

September 01, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems ManTech

HERNDON, Va. U.S. Navy officials selected ManTech International Corp. for a $39.6 million contract with the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) for Systems Integration, Diagnostics and Safety Hazard Testing services for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR).

Radar/EW

Littoral Combat Ship USS Little Rock completes acceptance trials - News

September 01, 2017

Mariana Iriarte - Technology Editor, Military Embedded Systems Lockheed Martin

MARINETTE, Wis. The future USS Little Rock, the fifth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine, completed acceptance trials earning the right to fly brooms atop its mast signifying a clean sweep of the ship's sea trials.

Cyber

CACI obtains $51 million task order to develop software for Air Force cyber operations - News

September 01, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems CACI

ARLINGTON, Va. Information-systems provider CACI International has been awarded a $51 million task order to provide software development support to the 90th Cyberspace Operations Squadron (90th COS), a subordinate unit of the 24th Air Force, the Air Force?s component to U.S. Cyber Command. The three-year task order was awarded under the Air Force's Network-Centric Solutions-2 (NETCENTS-2) contract vehicle.

Avionics

State Dept. approves $360 million upgrade program for Australia's MH-60R helicopters - News

September 01, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems

WASHINGTON. The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Australia to support an upgrade program for its fleet of MH-60R multimission helicopters; the estimated cost of the program is $360 million.

Avionics

Dream Chaser undergoes captive carry test - News

September 01, 2017

Lisa Daigle - Assistant Managing Editor, Military Embedded Systems Sierra Nevada Corporation

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. The Dream Chaser -- a reusable automated cargo lifting-body spaceplane being developed by Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) Space Systems -- underwent a captive carry test at NASA?s Armstrong Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB on August 30. The test was part of the spacecraft?s Phase Two flight test efforts to advance the orbiter closer to space flight, according to a press release from SNC.