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Amercias The US Army is exploring a significant acceleration in the production of 3D-printed drones capable of replicating the capabilities and behaviors of enemy systems. The push comes as the army anticipates the rollout of a program aimed at rapidly developing low-cost target drones for training exercises. According to Gen. James Rainey, head of Army Futures Command, there is a critical need to simulate unmanned aerial system (UAS) threats, particularly for preparing platoons to counter drone swarms. Conti Federal has completed the modernization of an F-35 sustainment facility at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) in Fort Worth, Texas. The Maintenance Hangar Building 1643 project is a milestone for the US Air Force’s 301st Fighter Wing, which covers on-call response duty using their F-16 Fighting Falcons and the newer F-35 Lightning IIs. The deal to renovate this “critical” part of the base was secured by the company in February 2023 and is valued at $8.4 million. Middle East & Africa Maj. Gen. Saddam Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA) Ground Forces, met with senior Turkish officials on April 4, 2025, which was the anniversary of Libya’s second civil war that began in 2018. Haftar, son of eastern Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar, […]

Americas American defense firm CoAspire has test-launched its 3D-printed Rapidly Adaptable Affordable Cruise Missile (RAACM) from a fighter jet. The missile has the same physical dimensions as a 500-pound (227-kilogram) class MK-82 general-purpose or GBU-38 guided bomb. CoAspire explained that the RAACM is designed for compatibility with any aircraft equipped to carry a GBU-38. Company-provided images show the system configured with several platforms, including the F-15E Strike Eagle, F/A-18 Hornet, F-16 Fighting Falcon, and F-35 Lightning II. The US Army has put its precision strike capability on full display, successfully launching the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) from an M270A2 artillery launcher during a recent trial. The test, conducted at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, validated the missile’s ability to launch from multiple platforms while maintaining accuracy, range, and rapid responsiveness. According to the US Army, the M270A2-launched PrSM delivered optimal performance across all parameters, meeting all test objectives and expectations. Middle East & Africa Iran’s foreign minister will visit ally Russia this week to discuss nuclear negotiations with the United States, ahead of a new round of talks between the foes planned for Rome. On Saturday, Abbas Araghchi held talks with US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff in Oman, the highest-level negotiations since […]

Americas The New Zealand Defense Force has finalized the sale of four retired Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130H Hercules aircraft to American aerial firefighting company Coulson Aviation for $9 million. The deal, announced on April 11, marks a new chapter for the venerable aircraft that were officially retired from military service earlier this year. The aircraft will be prepared for flight and flown to Coulson’s Maintenance Base in Thermal, California by a commercial crew over the next few months, where they will undergo substantial upgrades and conversion to firefighting tankers. Bell Textron, based in Fort Worth, Texas, has received a contract extension worth about $14.6 million to continue supporting H-1 military aircraft. This extension covers the fourth and fifth years of a long-term agreement that originally included five optional one-year periods. The contract is a firm-fixed-price agreement, meaning the price won’t change. It was awarded without competition, following specific government rules that allow for sole-source contracts when only one supplier is considered suitable. The support will continue until April 13, 2027, for the US Marine Corps. The funding for the project will come from the defense budget for the years 2025 through 2027. The contract was issued by the […]

Americas Collins Aerospace, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $33.5 million order under a previously issued basic ordering agreement. The contract supports the replacement of the obsolete Control Display Navigation Unit (CDNU) 900 with the updated CDNU-7000 series for the US Navy’s C/KC-130T aircraft. Work will be carried out in Cedar Rapids and is scheduled for completion by December 2027. The full contract amount will be funded by Fiscal Year 2025 Navy aircraft procurement funds, which will be obligated at the time of the award. These funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was not competitively awarded. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, located in Patuxent River, Maryland, is managing the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin in Moorestown, New Jersey, received a $23.8 million contract modification to provide cooling systems and AEGIS combat system support equipment for U.S. Navy and allied ships under the Foreign Military Sales program. If all options are used, the total contract could reach $36.1 million. The work will be done mostly in New Jersey and partly in Florida, and is expected to finish by May 2030. The contract is funded by the U.S. Navy, Canada, and […]

Breakthrough… (click to view full) The US Navy flies the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters, and has begun operating the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare & strike aircraft. Many of these buys have been managed out of common multi-year procurement (MYP) contracts, which aim to reduce overall costs by offering longer-term production commitments, so contractors can negotiate better deals with their suppliers. The MYP-II contract ran from 2005-2009, and was not renewed because the Pentagon intended to focus on the F-35 fighter program. When it became clear that the F-35 program was going to be late, and had serious program and budgetary issues, pressure built to abandon year-by-year contracting, and negotiate another multi-year deal for the current Super Hornet family. That deal is now final. This entry covers the program as a whole, with a focus on 2010-2015 Super Hornet family purchases. It has been updated to include all announced contracts and events connected with MYP-III, including engines and other separate “government-furnished equipment” that figures prominently in the final price. Hornet MYP: Aircraft Types Hornet vs. Super Hornet (click to view full) Super Hornets are flown by the US Navy, replacing the service’s retired F-14 Tomcat fighters, and by Australia’s RAAF. […]

Americas Austal USA has christened the US Navy’s sixth Navajo-class towing, salvage, and rescue vessel, the USNS Billy Frank Jr. (T-ATS 11), in Mobile, Alabama. The ceremony is part of a 10-ship development program to replace the force’s Powhatan-class ocean tugs and Safeguard-class rescue vessels, which have been operational since the 1980s. The new system was named after a Nisqually tribal member and Korean War veteran awarded the Albert Schweitzer Prize for humanitarianism, Martin Luther King Jr. Distinguished Service Award, and a Presidential Medal of Freedom for more than three decades of service to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. Fairbanks Morse Defense and South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore potential collaboration on future international naval programs, the companies announced today. The agreement, signed during the Sea Air Space conference, marks the latest example of growing cooperation between the US maritime sector and major shipbuilders from South Korea and Japan. These partnerships align with the US Navy’s ongoing effort to bolster the domestic shipbuilding industrial base by encouraging international investment and strategic collaboration. Middle East & Africa General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems said it signed a memorandum of understanding with Israeli defense contractor Rafael to manufacture a new […]

Americas Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $22.5 million contract change to continue its support for international partners in the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet program. The funding will go toward operating and maintaining special labs used by Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom to reprogram their F-35 systems. This includes providing supplies and on-site technical support. Most of the work (80%) will be done in Eglin, Florida, with the rest (20%) in Fort Worth, Texas. The project is expected to finish by April 2026. The full amount is being funded by the participating countries, not the US Department of Defense. The contract was awarded without a competitive bidding process by the Naval Air Systems Command in Maryland. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, located in Moorestown, New Jersey, has received a $62.6 million contract modification to continue work on modernizing the AEGIS system, building new DDG-51 Navy destroyers, and producing systems for allied navies. This is part of an existing contract, and if all options are used, the total contract value could reach $80.5 million. The work is being done for both the US Navy, which covers 46% of the cost, and the Australian […]

Americas Raytheon won a $117 million modification to exercise an option and provide funding for manufacturing, assembly, test and delivery of Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Tactical All-Up Rounds in support of full rate production requirements. Work is expected to be completed by April 2029. Fiscal 2025 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $117,066,704 was obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. The US Space Force announced more than $13.5 billion in launch contracts Friday to SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and Blue Origin for missions that will fly between fiscal years 2027 and 2032. The awards are part of the service’s National Security Space Launch program, or NSSL, which it uses to acquire nearly all military launch missions. Under the deal, SpaceX will receive $5.9 billion to fly 28 missions, ULA $5.3 billion to launch 19 and Blue Origin $2.3 billion to conduct seven. Middle East & Africa Israeli forces have launched a ground offensive in Gaza City, the military said Friday, expanding their operations as rescuers reported at least 30 killed across the Palestinian territory since dawn. Since renewed military […]

Americas The US State Department has approved the sale of M4A1 carbine assault rifles to Ecuador in a deal valued at up to $64 million. The sale is expected to strengthen Ecuador’s ground defense capabilities by providing modern, versatile weaponry to enhance the operational effectiveness of its armed forces. Along with the rifles, the deal includes Magpul PMAG M4 magazines, technical manuals, training, and program and logistics support. American Fuel Cell and Coated Fabrics Co. LLC, based in Magnolia, Arkansas, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract valued at $17,144,712 for the supply of KC-135 fuel cells. This competitive acquisition process yielded two responses. The contract spans three years with an additional six-month option period, set to conclude by April 2, 2028. The U.S. Air Force will utilize these services, funded by fiscal 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting authority for this project is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Middle East & Africa The US Department of State has approved a potential $400 million sale to Kuwait for the upgrade and recertification of its Patriot missile systems. The planned foreign military sale will include equipment, maintenance services, training, and logistical support. According to the Defense […]

Americas Polaris Government and Defense has introduced two military snowmobile models built with enhanced capabilities for sub-zero conditions. Powered by the 850 Patriot engine, the 2026 Military 850 TITAN 155 arctic workhorse vehicle features 25 percent more torque and power than its predecessor, the 2025 Military 650 TITAN 155.  Meanwhile, the lightweight 2026 Military 850 RMK 155 is optimized for deep snow and off-trail patrol and reconnaissance operations. GE Aerospace has secured a subcontract from Bell Textron to design, develop, and deliver avionics systems for the US Army’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) program. The award follows Bell’s Milestone B approval in August 2024, advancing the program into the engineering and manufacturing development phase. Under the subcontract, GE Aerospace will develop a digital backbone for the future attack helicopter, incorporating Time-Sensitive Networking for high-speed, reliable data exchange. Middle East & Africa Yemen’s Houthis said a strike they blamed on the US killed a guard at a communications tower on Thursday, as rebel media reported more than 20 strikes before dawn. There was no immediate statement from Washington, which has carried out a wave of strikes against Houthi targets in recent weeks after President Donald Trump vowed to pummel the rebels […]

P-8A Poseidon (click to view full) Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important, but the USA’s P-3 Orion turboprop fleet is falling apart. The P-7 Long Range Air ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Capable Aircraft program to create an improved P-3 began in 1988, but cost overruns, slow progress, and interest in opening the competition to commercial designs led to the P-7’s cancellation for default in 1990. The successor MMA program was begun in March 2000, and Boeing beat Lockheed’s “Orion 21” with a P-8 design based on their ubiquitous 737 passenger jet. US Navy squadrons finally began taking P-8A Poseidon deliveries in 2012, but the long delays haven’t done their existing P-3 fleet any favors. Filling the P-3 Orion’s shoes is no easy task. What missions will the new P-8A Poseidon face? What do we know about the platform, the project team, and ongoing developments? Will the P-3’s wide global adoption give its successor a comparable level of export opportunities? Australia and India have already signed on, but has the larger market shifted in the interim? Program Summary [youtube:v=EcgIjsRo3uM] A P-8 primer The Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft program to replace the P-3 fleet began in earnest in 2000, and […]

Americas Lockheed Martin won a modification, which adds scope to provide engineering and program management support as well as test assets, testing, and solution development in support of the F-35 reliability and maintainability improvement program for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), and non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in March 2028. This contract action was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International won $10,965,150 for a firm-fixed-price delivery order under previously for the repair of 42 aircraft power units used on the P-8 aircraft. The delivery order does not include an option period. All work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, and work is expected to be completed by May 2027. Annual working capital funds (Navy) in the full amount of $10,965,150 will be obligated at time of award and the funds do not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Middle East & Africa Rafael Advanced Defense Systems’ Typhoon 30 remote weapon station (RWS) has successfully completed […]

F-35B: off probation (click to view full) The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. al.; the F-35B Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing for the US Marines, British Royal Navy, et. al.; and the F-35C conventional carrier-launched version for the US Navy. The aircraft is named after Lockheed’s famous WW2 P-38 Lightning, and the Mach 2, stacked-engine English Electric (now BAE) Lightning jet. Lightning II system development partners included The USA & Britain (Tier 1), Italy and the Netherlands (Tier 2), and Australia, Canada, Denmark, Norway and Turkey (Tier 3), with Singapore and Israel as “Security Cooperation Partners,” and Japan as the 1st export customer. The big question for Lockheed Martin is whether, and when, many of these partner countries will begin placing purchase orders. This updated article has expanded to feature more detail regarding the F-35 program, including contracts, sub-contracts, and notable events and reports during 2012-2013. The F-35 Lightning II Fighter Family F-35 Family Variants: Door A, B, or C? […]

Asia-Pacific The US Navy has awarded Boeing Co., based in St. Louis, Missouri, a $12,943,999 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00383-25-F-YY1F) for the repair of the leading edge flap antenna used on F/A-18 aircraft. This sole-source contract was issued under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1), with Boeing as the only offeror. Work will be conducted at three locations: Mesa, Arizona (60%); Lansdale, Pennsylvania (31%); and St. Louis, Missouri (9%). The project is expected to be completed by March 2030. Funding from Navy working capital funds was fully obligated at the time of award and will remain available beyond the current fiscal year. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is managing this contract. Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $4.9 billion contract by the USArmy for the production of its long-range Precision Strike Missile (PrSM) under Increment One. The contract follows a competitive solicitation process, with only one bid submitted. The award builds on successful tests, including a live-fire exercise in mid-2024 where the PrSM engaged a moving maritime target, and a production qualification flight test in 2023. Work will be completed by March 2030 at an undisclosed location. Middle East & Africa A senior Hamas official on Monday […]

Americas The US Marine Corps has created the Marine Corps Attack Drone Team (MCADT) to enhance combat effectiveness by integrating advanced drone technology into its operations. This team will focus on training Marines to use first-person view (FPV) drones, which are increasingly important in modern conflicts. MCADT will also act as a hub for expertise in drone tactics, helping the Marine Corps develop new capabilities and refine requirements for unmanned systems. Based at Weapons Training Battalion in Quantico, Virginia, the team will collaborate with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory to ensure Marines remain agile and effective in evolving battlefields. The initiative reflects lessons learned from recent conflicts, such as the Russia-Ukraine war, where FPV drones have proven their value in disrupting enemy formations and providing precise battlefield intelligence. MCADT’s mission includes integrating combat lessons, competing in national and international drone competitions, and refining drone capabilities through hands-on training. Its first public appearance will be at a military drone championship this summer, where it will compete against elite units like the Army’s 75th Ranger Regiment. This effort marks a significant step in modernizing Marine Corps capabilities by leveraging cost-effective and scalable drone solutions for future conflicts According to Defense News, the […]

Americas General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., based in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $31.3 million contract modification to provide design and maintenance services for the US Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships. The work will include engineering, lifecycle sustainment, and system upgrades for these ships, with operations taking place in San Diego, California. The project is expected to be completed by March 2027. Funding for the contract comes from various Navy budgets. The fiscal 2025 procurement funds amount to $8,513,491, which is 78% of the total. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance funds contribute $1,537,260, or 14%. Additionally, there are $470,000 from fiscal 2023 procurement funds (4%), $367,970 from fiscal 2024 procurement funds (3%), and $48,448 from fiscal 2025 research and development funds (1%). A total of $2,007,260 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division in California is overseeing the contract. Raytheon Co., based in Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $13.5 million modification to an existing contract to provide engineering, management, and technical sustainment for V-22 Avionics Systems software. This work supports the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Special Operations Command by maintaining and updating software at on-site […]

Austal Team Trimaran LCS Design (click to enlarge) Exploit simplicity, numbers, the pace of technology development in electronics and robotics, and fast reconfiguration. That was the US Navy’s idea for the low-end backbone of its future surface combatant fleet. Inspired by successful experiments like Denmark’s Standard Flex ships, the US Navy’s $35+ billion “Littoral Combat Ship” program was intended to create a new generation of affordable surface combatants that could operate in dangerous shallow and near-shore environments, while remaining affordable and capable throughout their lifetimes. It hasn’t worked that way. In practice, the Navy hasn’t been able to reconcile what they wanted with the capabilities needed to perform primary naval missions, or with what could be delivered for the sums available. The LCS program has changed its fundamental acquisition plan 4 times since 2005, and canceled contracts with both competing teams during this period, without escaping any of its fundamental issues. Now, the program looks set to end early. This public-access FOCUS article offer a wealth of research material, alongside looks at the LCS program’s designs, industry teams procurement plans, military controversies, budgets and contracts. LCS: Concept & Needs LCS-I missions (click to view full) Ultimately, the US Navy is […]

(click to view full) In March 2008, the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, TX received a $10.4 billion modification that converted the previous N00019-07-C-0001 advance acquisition contract to a fixed-price-incentive-fee, multi-year contract. The new contract rose to $10.92 billion, and was used to buy 143 MV-22 (for USMC) and 31 CV-22 (Air Force Special Operations) Osprey aircraft, plus associated manufacturing tooling to move the aircraft into full production. A follow-on MYP-II contract covered another 99 Ospreys (92 MV-22, 7 CV-22) for $6.524 billion. Totals: $17.444 billion for 235 MV-22s and 38 CV-22s, an average of $63.9 million each. The V-22 tilt-rotor program has been beset by controversy throughout its 20-year development period. Despite these issues, and the emergence of competitive but more conventional compound helicopter technologies like Piasecki’s X-49 Speedhawk and Sikorsky’s X2, the V-22 program continues to move forward. This DID Spotlight article looks at the V-22’s multi-year purchase contract from 2008-12 and 2013-2017, plus associated contracts for key V-22 systems, program developments, and research sources. The V-22 Program [youtube:v=mGebyL7P5HA] Documentary V-22 Initial Operational Capability didn’t begin until 2007, about 24 years after the initial design contract. A long series of design issues and mass-fatality crashes almost […]

Americas Leonardo DRS has received a contract to create a new version of the weapons control system for the US Army’s M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzer. The goal is to use modern electrical technology to make the system more precise, responsive, and reliable. The company must ensure that the new system does not reduce any of the Paladin’s current capabilities. This is important because the Paladin is a critical combat system used by the military. Leonardo DRS is excited to provide this advanced technology to the Army. The company believes its innovative solutions will support the military’s long-term needs. Lockheed Martin has demonstrated the hypersonic defense capabilities of its Aegis Combat System in a US Navy test conducted aboard the USS Pinckney destroyer. The live exercise, dubbed Flight Test Other-40 (FTX-40) or “Stellar Banshee,” simulated a real-world engagement with a hypersonic medium-range ballistic missile target. Supported by the Missile Defense Agency and industry partners, the demonstration involved using the Aegis system with a simulated SM-6 Block IAU interceptor to detect, track, and engage the hypersonic threat. The Aegis multi-mission combat system combines various sensors and weapons to provide integrated air and missile defense with both sea-based and land-based configurations. Middle East & Africa The […]

AEGIS-BMD: CG-70 launches SM-3 (click to view full) The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system, in order to give ships the ability to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. Like its less-capable AEGIS counterpart, AEGIS BMD can also work with other radars on land and sea via Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). That lets it receive cues from other platforms and provide information to them, in order to create a more detailed battle picture than any one radar could produce alone. AEGIS has become a widely-deployed top-tier air defense system, with customers in the USA, Australia, Japan, South Korea, Norway, and Spain. In a dawning age of rogue states and proliferation of mass-destruction weapons, the US Navy is being pushed toward a “shield of the nation” role as the USA’s most flexible and most numerous option for missile defense. AEGIS BMD modifications are the keystone of that effort – in the USA, and beyond. The AEGIS Naval Ballistic Missile Defense System What Is AEGIS? AEGIS Combat Control (click to view full) Aegis, named after the legendary protective shield of […]