WASHINGTON. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) released its plans to drive interoperability and integration in information technology (IT) across the department, with a new blueprint called "Fulcrum: DOD Information Technology Advancement Strategy" that emphasizes an IT approach that ensures future capabilities align with warfighter needs. 

ARLINGTON, Virginia. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officially designated the hybrid-electric uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) developed under its Series Hybrid Electric Propulsion AiRcraft Demonstration (SHEPARD) program as the XRQ-73, the agency announced in a statement.

JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii. The Air National Guard/Air Reserve Command Test Center tested a new satellite communications (SATCOM) suite on the HC-130J aircraft during the recent Sentry Aloha exercise, the Air National Guard announced in a statement.

PARIS, France. Thales has received the inaugural full Design Verification Report (DVR) from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for its light uncrewed aerial system (UAS) designed for medium-risk operations under Specific Assurance Integrity Level (SAIL) III, the company announced in a statement.

WILMINGTON, Massachusetts. Analog Devices introduced the ADPA1116, a gallium nitride (GaN) power amplifier that operates across a frequency range from 0.3 GHz to 6 GHz and is designed to enhance RF and microwave applications by providing a saturated output power of 39.5 dBm, the company announced in a statement.

ARLINGTON, Va. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) reports that a partnership under its Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase II (SBIR Phase II) program completed its $1.25 million contract to deliver innovative software to enhance transmission of mission-critical intelligence to the edge and support next-generation communcations technology.

MIRABEL, Canada. Bell Textron Canada Limited conducted the first flight of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s (RCAF) modernized CH-146 Griffon helicopter under the Griffon Limited Life Extension (GLLE) project, the company announced in a statement.

LONDON, England. BAE Systems' new Cross Domain Solution (CDS), the XTS IRIS Large Scale Enterprise platform, has successfully passed the UK CAPS evaluation alongside the Secure Voice and Video Gateway (SVG) Application, the company announced in a statement.

PALO ALTO, Calif. The efforts of university students involved in the Hacking for Defense (H4D) program will continue this summer with the help of the H4XLabs enterprise accelerator; students involved in H4D work on solving national security-problems related to challenges such as unmanned aircraft systems, autonomous space operations, and efficient use of satellites. 

PARIS, France. Rheinmetall and Anduril Industries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the design, development, and production of new layered counter-small unmanned aerial system (C-sUAS) air defense systems, targeting primarily European markets, the companies announced in a statement.

PARIS, France. Thales signed three agreements with Ukrainian industry to enhance operational support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces and strengthen local defense capabilities, particularly in the areas of electronic warfare, tactical communications, air defense systems, radars, and uncrewed aerial systems (UAS), the company announced in a statement.

BRUSSELS, Belgium. Thales Belgium, WB Electronics, and AREX have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a new remote weapon system equipped with 70mm rockets, the companies announced in a statement.

BURLINGTON, Mass. Artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled sensing company MatrixSpace won a $1.25 million contract from AFWERX to develop a prototype low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) multifunction, multiband antenna payload based on the MatrixSpace radar hardware platform.

VALLEY FORGE, Pa. Lockheed Martin and the U.S. Air Force (USAF) conducted a planned flight test of the unarmed, developmental Mk21A reentry vehicle -- which will serve as the front-end of the USAF's future intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) weapon system --  in the Pacific Ocean during mid-June 2024. 

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. During his Day 1 keynote address at the MOSA Industry & Government Summit in National Harbor, Md., Dr. David Honey, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense, said that modular open systems approach (MOSA) initiatives like the SOSA [Sensor Open Systems Architecture] Technical Standard creates opportunities for innovative small companies.