BAE Systems Inc. is upbeat the U.S. Army will ink an agreement to procure missile guidance systems worth $30,000 from the company in 2015, DoD Buzz reported Friday. Brendan McGarry writes the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System kit works to transmit semi-active laser guidance and control to a 2.75-inch Hydra rocket. David Harrold, director of […] More

The Huntington Ingalls-built amphibious assault ship “America” left the company’s shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi on its maiden voyage ahead of the scheduled Oct. 11 commissioning in San Francisco. “America” is built for a crew of between 1,200 and 1,900 sailors including space for Marine helicopters, F-35 jets and other aircraft, Huntington Ingalls said Friday. “The sailors and Marines serving aboard […] More

Raytheon expects to obtain approval from a U.S. military client by the end of 2014 after the company completes developmental testing on its helicopter-mounted shooter detection system, Defense News reported Sunday. Aaron Mehta writes Raytheon developed the Boomerang Air system based on its Boomerang and Warrior X ground-based technologies. Roy Azevedo, Raytheon’s vice president for advanced concepts and technology, […] More

A Lockheed Martin subsidiary has chosen North Atlantic Industries to produce flight control equipment for a vertical-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aerial system. NAI will manufacture a navigation technology for the Aerial Reconfigurable Embedded System that is being built by Lockheed’s Skunk Works arm for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency program, NAI said Thursday. “ARES seeks to demonstrate several key […] More

Northrop Grumman Corp. will work to upgrade the navigation systems of the U.S. Navy’s Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicles, Military & Aerospace Electronics reported Wednesday. John Keller writes the Naval Air Systems Command is planning to award a sole-source contract to Northrop’s aerospace systems segment to evaluate and certify the Kearfott-built KN-4073C navigation systems. The […] More

Chris Chadwick, president and CEO of Boeing‘s defense business, predicts that government spending cuts worldwide will drive more partnerships and consolidations in the defense sector, Defense News reported Wednesday. Aaron Mehta writes that Chadwick discussed the role of strategic alliances in the industry during a media event held Tuesday at a Boeing corporate office in St […] More

Following a recent Defense Department announcement that it is developing a laser weapon against enemy drones, The Telegraph listed Tuesday 10 other “weird” U.S. military weapons and gadgets in the pipeline. Rosa Prince reports on the following equipment that will soon be used in the battlefield, leveraging technologies that range from robotics to advanced weaponry and […] More

Cubic Worldwide Technical Services today announced they have been awarded a task order under the U.S. Navy‘s Fielded Training Systems Support contract. The five-year program has a value of $65 million to provide operations and maintenance support of training devices for aircraft like the MH-60S helicopter. Al Sargeant, senior vice president and general manager of […] More

Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Navy have demonstrated a new maritime surveillance radar that the company modified from a manned aircraft system built by Telephonics Corp. The company and Navy flew the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned helicopter for the demonstration as part of the efforts to help Navy commanders increase their long-range imaging and search capabilities, Northrop said Tuesday. […] More

Lockheed Martin has destroyed targets with missiles launched from its turreted weapon system for two ground demonstrations at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The HELLFIRE and DAGR missiles were fired from the long-range surveillance and attack vehicle weapon system, Lockheed said Tuesday. The LRSAV system fired the HELLFIRE II missile from a distance of 6.4 kilometers […] More

MCR Federal will help the U.S. Army manage data and review testing work for the Apache Helicopter program through engineering and support services under a potential six-year, $14.1 million contract. The program management services contractor will work with the branch’s Aviation and Missile, Development and Engineering Center in Huntsville, Ala. on reviewing airworthiness documentation, qualification test plans […] More

Exelis has won a $9.6 million contract to develop an air traffic control system for Saudi Arabia’s national guard under a foreign military sales agreement with the U.S. Air Force, Military & Aerospace Electronics reported Wednesday. John Keller writes Exelis’ surveillance and reconnaissance systems segment will provide its ground control approach system to the Saudi […] More