A Leonardo subsidiary has received a $10.7 million contract from the Eastern Shipbuilding Group to supply nine hybrid electric drive systems for integration into the U.S. Coast Guard‘s future Offshore Patrol Cutters. Leonardo DRS will provide motor-based Auxiliary Propulsion Systems that work to boost the mission duration capacity of ships as well as help vessels reduce emissions, the company said Thursday. The system is designed to also provide emergency take-home […] More

Lockheed Martin has conducted the first flight test of a second trainer aircraft that the company plans to offer in the U.S. Air Force‘s T-X trainer competition. The company said Monday the demonstration of its second production-ready T-50A  aircraft occurred in Greenville, South Carolina, where Lockheed’s final assembly and checkout facility is located. T-50A is designed to train pilots of F-22 […] More

Jim Condon, former vice president for business development at TRICON Defense International and a former director at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command Europe, has been appointed as a principal for Deep Water Point‘s new office in Germany. Deep Water Point said Wednesday Condon will work to boost visibility of Europe-based activities for U.S.-owned and European […] More

The U.S. Army‘s Aviation and Missile Command has awarded a business unit of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions a three-year, $23.4 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide technical and engineering support services to a foreign military sales customer. Kratos said Thursday its defense and rocket support services division’s Madison Research Corporation business unit will also deliver Class V short-range missile […] More

Leidos and Endeavor Robotics have forged a partnership to bid for increments two and three of the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System program. Tom Frost, president of Endeavor Robotics, said in a statement released Monday the company will combine its experience in ground robotics systems integration with Leidos’ resources and defense systems integration experience […] More

A team comprising subsidiaries of Kratos Defense & Security Solutions and Safran Electronics & Defense has been awarded a prime contract to provide unmanned aerial vehicle launcher systems to the U.S. Army. The Madison Research Corp.–Robonic team will deliver two KONTIO launchers to the Army’s Program Management Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation Targets Management Office under the contract, Kratos said Wednesday. The service branch […] More

A team comprising General Dynamics, DRS Technologies and Leonardo-Finmeccanica will build a training facility in Comox, British Columbia if the team wins a $3 billion contract to build search-and-rescue aircraft for Canada. Former Canadian Air Force chief Steve Lucas told a press conference that Team Spartan offers to construct a 73,000-square-foot building to serve as the location for the group’s […] More

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy have finished a critical design review of a robotic technology the company designed to support explosive ordnance reconnaissance and threat assessment operations. The assessment determined that Northrop’s final design for a dismounted operations variant of the Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System is ready to enter  the program’s system fabrication, assembly, integration and testing phases, the company […] More

An Esterline subsdiairy has been chosen to supply a suite of avionics systems for the C-27J Spartan platform a General Dynamics-led team aims to offer to Canada’s Fixed-Wing Search and Rescue program. Team Spartan comprises General Dynamics’ mission systems business, DRS Technologies and Leonardo-Finmeccanica‘s aircraft division, Esterline said Wednesday. The consortium seeks to integrate Esterline CMC Electronics‘ CMA-9000 Flight Management System, TacView Portable […] More

The U.S. Army is testing a range of vehicle-mounted systems that feature radar, computer processing, fire control technology and interceptors to detect and destroy enemy fire, Scout Warrior reported Tuesday. Kris Osborn writes the Army is looking at both domestically produced and allied international technologies to take part in the Modular Active Protection Systems program. The service branch wants […] More

Rockwell Collins will deliver approximately 2,000 MicroGRAM GPS receivers to Neya Systems and Northrop Grumman to support the Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System. Rockwell Collins said Wednesday the GPS receivers will be integrated into Neya’s Autonomous Behavior Capability Module that will support AEODRS Increment 1 — the first of three robots under the AEODRS program. MicroGRAM […] More

A near-unanimous majority of shareholders at Italy-based defense and industrial conglomerate Finmeccanica have approved the company’s proposal to officially change its name to Leonardo from Jan. 1, 2017 after the famous scientist Leonardo Da Vinci. Finmeccanica said Thursday it will operate under the name Leonardo-Finmeccanica through Dec. 31, 2016 in an effort to facilitate continuity of relationships with other […] More