Military Embedded Systems
Industry News
Unmanned
U.S. Navy awards $35.5 million target drone contract to Kratos - News
June 29, 2017
SAN DIEGO. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions' Unmanned Systems Division (USD) has been awarded an amendment to a previously awarded contract to exercise an option for Low Rate Initial Production Year 1 (LRIP 1) from the U.S. Navy for BQM-177A Subsonic Aerial Target (SSAT) drone systems. The SSAT LRIP 1 order has an initial value of $34.5 million; coincident with the LRIP 1 order, Kratos also won the contract to provide contractor logistics support (CLS), with the initial value of the CLS award at $2.53 million for fiscal 2017.
Radar/EW
Vorago wins two NASA rad-hard innovation grants - News
June 29, 2017
AUSTIN, Texas. NASA has awarded Vorago Technologies two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grants to develop semiconductor devices that are hardened against the effects of radiation and extreme temperature.
Unmanned
Northrop Grumman delivers mid-boom assemblies for space telescope - News
June 28, 2017
CARPINTERIA, Calif. Northrop Grumman has delivered the mid-boom assemblies for NASA's James Webb Space Telescope; the two boom assemblies will help deploy the large sunshield once the Webb is in orbit.
Cyber
IARPA awards $12.5 million contract to improve biometrics - News
June 28, 2017
MENLO PARK, Calif. The Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) Odin Program has awarded research and engineering firm SRI International a four-year, $12.5 million contract to research and develop "dynamic biometrics" able to better detect attempts to evade or deceive biometric security systems, such as fingerprint, iris, and face scanners. The ability to detect these deceptions focuses on a critical weakness in current generation biometric security systems; boosting detection would expand biometric use cases beyond low-risk applications.
Comms
U.S. Army to receive Raytheon's foreign language translation software - News
June 27, 2017
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. U.S. Army officials selected Raytheon BBN Technologies, a Raytheon Co. subsidiary, to deliver its foreign language translation software. The contract is worth an estimated $4 million.
Avionics
NASA's supersonic X-plane completes preliminary design review - News
June 27, 2017
WASHINGTON. NASA and Lockheed Martin engineers completed the preliminary design review (PDR) of its Quiet Supersonic Transport (QueSST) aircraft design. QueSST is the initial design stage of NASA?s planned Low Boom Flight Demonstration (LBFD) experimental airplane, which is also known as an X-plane.
Comms
MIDS JTRS Lot 5 & 5A production contracts won by ViaSat - News
June 27, 2017
CARLSBAD, Calif. U.S. Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) officials awarded ViaSat Inc. with Lot 5 and Lot 5A contracts to deliver Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) terminals to the U.S. Navy and Air Force. The contract is worth an estimated $88.3 million.
Comms
AT&T and Leidos team up to transform DoD's network to a software-defined network - News
June 26, 2017
RESTON, Va. Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) officials tasked Leidos to automate private networking services. Under the task order, Leidos will team with AT&T to help transform the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) to a software-defined network.
Radar/EW
Metal Shark wins $54 million FMS contract to build coastal patrol vessels - News
June 26, 2017
JEANERETTE, La. U.S. Navy officials selected Metal Shark to build near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) for United States partner nations through the Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The contract is potentially worth an estimated $54 million.
Avionics
U.S. Army's Apache AH-64 completes flight test with high energy laser - News
June 26, 2017
MCKINNEY, Texas. The U.S. Army Apache Program Management Office collaborated with the U.S. Special Operations Command and Raytheon to complete a flight test of a high energy laser system onboard an Apache AH-64 at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. The demonstration marks the first time that a fully integrated laser system engaged and fired on a target from a rotary-wing aircraft over a wide variety of flight regimes, altitudes, and air speeds, officials say.
Comms
iGov completes production test & evaluation under TACP-MCS program - News
June 23, 2017
RESTON, Va. Engineers at iGov completed Production Acceptance Test and Evaluation on the Tactical Air Control Party-Mobile Communications System (TACP-MCS) program. Officials say, more than 200 system requirements were tested successfully, including line-of-sight, range testing for voice, data, and video.
A.I.
Air Force Research Lab teaming with IBM on advanced neural-network chips - News
June 23, 2017
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio and ARMONK, N.Y. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has announced that it is collaborating with computing giant IBM on a novel brain-inspired supercomputing system powered by a 64-chip array of the IBM TrueNorth Neurosynaptic System.
Avionics
ViaSat garners multiyear contract for terminals used on Apache helicopters - News
June 23, 2017
CARLSBAD, Calif. Boeing has awarded broadband services and technology company ViaSat a multiyear contract to produce the KOR-24A Link 16 terminal, a two-channel small tactical terminal (STT) used in the U.S. Army's AH-64E Apache Guardian attack helicopter, for U.S. Army and International Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases. The base contract -- which calls for at least 534 terminals to be produced over the next four years -- will eventually contain options.
Comms
Leonardo wins NATO ground surveillance system bid - News
June 23, 2017
ROME. Defense and aerospace company Leonardo has been chosen to develop and deliver the NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Logistics Information System (ALIS) integrated logistics platform. Leonardo has already served as a member of the Northrop Grumman-led industrial team for the delivery of the NATO AGS Core System.
Radar/EW
Precision guided munition GPS receivers complete testing by Rockwell Collins - News
June 22, 2017
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa. Rockwell Collins completed a series of seven ballistic and guided flight tests of the company's Military-Code (M-Code) Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers. Each test demonstrated live fire tracking for precision guided munitions.
-
Uncrewed logistics aircraft avionics wins NAVAIR contract
April 28, 2026
-
Global 6500 aircraft support to be provided to U.S. military by Bombardier Defense, SNC
April 27, 2026
-
F-16 Block 70 fighter aircraft selected for Peru by Lockheed Martin
April 24, 2026
-
VCNO Kilby acknowledges gap in combat surge readiness, working to reach 80% across fleet
April 22, 2026
Unmanned
-
On‑Orbit AI Is Not Ready - Act Now!
April 28, 2026
-
MQ-25A carrier-based refueling drone completes test flight with Boeing, U.S. Navy
April 28, 2026
-
Drone-delivered bunker-busting warhead tested by U.S. Army
April 23, 2026
-
Loitering munition systems to be supplied to German military by Rheinmetall
April 23, 2026
-
Mission data center to be established in Belgium by QinetiQ
April 02, 2026
-
Agentic AI capabilities to be integrated into defense platforms by BAE Systems, Scale AI
March 27, 2026
-
Artificial intelligence tools to be explored for GlobalEye aircraft by Saab and Cohere
March 24, 2026
-
Electronic warfare autonomy software demonstrated by L3Harris, Shield AI
March 12, 2026
-
Software delivery to F-22 accomplished with USAF, cybersecurity firm
March 18, 2026
-
GUEST BLOG: Making the most of the transition to IPv6
March 11, 2026
-
Cyberdefense company to leverage AI tools for U.S. federal agencies
February 23, 2026
-
IT infrastructure award announced by U.S. Air Force
February 12, 2026