L-3 Communications‘ international customers are increasingly seeking to acquire simulation systems that multiple people can participate in as they want to create a virtual battlespace for training, L-3 Link Simulation & Training President Leonard Genna told Defense News in an interview published Monday. Genna described the goal of the “live virtual constructive” scenarios as being able […] More

Northrop Grumman‘s Hunter unmanned aircraft system has surpassed 100,000 combat flight hours in service for the U.S. Army since the drone’s initial deployment in 1996. The Army has used the RQ-5A Hunter and the MQ-5B Hunter variant to support global contingency operations, Northrop Grumman announced Monday. MQ-5B Hunters are built with a fuel-carrying extended center […] More

Rockwell Collins has received approval from the National Security Agency for a data link system designed to help soldiers transmit radio communications in the battlefield. NSA certified Rockwell Collins’ TacNet platform to manage and secure network-centric communications up to the Top Secret classification level, the company said Thursday. Mike Jones, vice president and general manager […] More

A U.K. fighter jet equipped with metal components made with BAE Systems‘ 3D printing technology has taken its maiden flight. The Tornado aircraft flew from the UK Ministry of Defence’s airfield at Warton, Lancashire late last month, BAE announced Monday. 3D printing has the potential to yield approximately $2 million in maintenance and service savings for […] More

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy have reached the halfway point of testing work on the company’s Triton unmanned aerial system nearly eight months after the drone completed its first flight. Testers have flown Triton for up to 9.4 hours at a time on one mission and have sent the UAS into altitudes of up […] More

Harris Corp. and ViaSat Inc. have jointly tested a new version of small tactical terminal integrated with Harris’ power amplifier for extended range operation. The 16 pound two-channel tactical terminal is built for simultaneous 63-watt link 16 and 50-watt soldier radio waveform radio communications, ViaSat said Monday. ViaSat intends for the terminal to help customers […] More

Boeing and Lockheed Martin want to grow their footprint in the U.K. defense and aerospace market as well as maintain partnerships with existing customers there, the Daily Mail reported Monday. Ben Griffiths write the two U.S.-based contractors have sought growth opportunities abroad to help weather downturn in their home country. Sir Roger Bone, president of […] More

John Rader serves as the vice president of electronic and sensor solutions of the electronic and information solutions division at Boeing Network and Space Systems, where he manages the division’s electronic warfare portfolio. Rader focuses on EW technologies related to surface, subsurface, land and airborne communications and signal intelligence sensors for the company’s C4ISR offerings. Programs […] More

Saab has won a potential $29.3 million contract to integrate the Meteor weapon system onto the Swedish Air Force’s Gripen E multi-role fighter aircraft. This award follows an aircraft development and modification contract that the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration awarded to Saab in February, MBDA Inc. said Dec. 20. MBDA is building the Meteor beyond-visual-range […] More