Industry News

Ball Aerospace has built and delivered a flight cryocooler for the thermal sensor instrument of an Earth observation satellite that NASA aims to launch in December 2020. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland received the Landsat 9 Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 cryocooler ahead of a scheduled instrument integration and test, Ball Aerospace said Wednesday. The cryocooler is designed to lower the temperature […] More

The U.S. Air Force has selected Garmin‘s international unit to supply aviator watches for pilots of the Lockheed Martin-built U-2 reconnaissance aircraft. Garmin said Wednesday its D2 Charlie aviator watch is designed to serve as a back-up navigation system in the cockpit through the delivery of global navigation support, moving maps and other features. The company expects the Air Force […] More

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the U.S. Air Force have tested a BAE Systems-made on-board software that works to deliver information to operators and pilots in environments where communications can be disrupted. BAE said Tuesday DARPA and the Air Force Research Laboratory conducted an 11-day flight test of the semi-autonomous Distributed Battle Management software. DBM is designed to […] More

The U.S. Air Force has announced it expects to complete Microsoft Windows 10 operating system transition by March 31 to meet requirements mandated by the Defense Department. The service branch said Tuesday it will decommission all systems not updated to Windows 10 by the deadline. The USAF will also have to replace the many computer assets within the […] More

Northrop Grumman has kicked off a search for participants that can create and test their swarm tactics for unmanned systems on Northrop’s open architecture test bed. The company said Tuesday it is developing a test bed for swarm technologies as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency‘s OFFensive Swarm-Enabled Tactics program. In December 2017, DARPA awarded contracts […] More

Lockheed Martin has selected CommAgility to supply integrated LTE hardware and software for the Bethesda, Maryland-based defense contractor’s ongoing satellite communications project. CommAgility said Tuesday it will provide a customized variant of its SmallCellPHY software and AMC-4C6678-Serial RapidIO module to Lockheed. SmallCellPHY functions as a LTE physical layer for small cells and designed to comply with 3rd Generation Partnership Project Release 10 standard. The […] More

A Textron subsidiary has received a potential five-year, $10.9 million contract from the U.S. Air Force to repair components of a technology platform used to test military combat aircraft systems. Textron Systems will perform repair work on AN/USM-670 Joint Service Combat System Tester parts under the sole-source contract, the Defense Department said Tuesday. JSECST is designed to test and fault-isolate […] More

BAE Systems has received a potential $72 million contract to help the U.S. Navy modernize a Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser ship. BAE said Monday the contract contains a $9.6 million initial value and covers USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) docking selected restricted availability efforts. “We will utilize our cruiser experience to accomplish the DSRA and return the ship back to […] More

A Mexico-based airline operator has selected a Rockwell Collins-built technology platform to help expedite the check-in process for travelers who arrive at eight airports in the country. Rockwell Collins said Monday it will provide ARINC vMulti-User System Environment Common Use Passenger Processing Systems to Grupo Aeroportuario del Centro Norte, also called OMA, for implementation at the Mexican airports. […] More

Lockheed Martin has delivered its 400th C-130J Super Hercules military transport aircraft to the U.S. Air Force on Friday. The aircraft comes in the MC-130J Commando II Special Operations variant and is assigned to the Air Force’s Special Operations Command, the company said Monday. The 400th C-130J is also the 13th MC-130J to be modified into an AC-130J […] More

Orbital ATK has showcased its side-mounted airborne gun platform to Asia-Pacific customers at the 2018 Singapore Airshow, AIN Online reported Sunday. Byron Foster, a director at Orbital ATK, said the company sees opportunities to sell the 30mm Palletized Weapon System to customers in the region. “There are threats such as those in north Asia that make it […] More