Industry News

A Textron subsidiary and Poland’s state-owned defense company Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa have signed a letter of intent to explore possible areas of cooperation on the UH-1Y Venom utility helicopter platform. The LOI is in addition to a similar agreement Bell Helicopter and PGZ signed last year to identify business opportunities for the AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter in Poland, Textron said […] More

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center has issued a broad agency announcement to solicit science and technology ideas to address “urgent” problems with very low frequency and low frequency communications platforms. A BAA document published Monday on FedBizOpps says the U.S. Air Force aims to identify and assess potential advancements in key focus areas that include […] More

The U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation’s GEOINT professional certification program has obtained accreditation from the National Commission for Certifying Agencies. USGIF said Monday the accreditation validates that its Certified GEOINT Professional program meets national and international credentialing industry standards for development, implementation and maintenance. NCCA granted accreditation to all three certification exams under the CGP program, including exams […] More

Lockheed Martin will continue to produce Trident II D5 submarine-launched fleet ballistic missiles for the U.S. Navy and provide support for deployed D5 systems under a  $51.1 million contract modification. The Defense Department said Wednesday work will primarily occur in California, Florida, Georgia, Washington, Utah, Virginia, Maryland and Georgia through Sept. 30, 2017. The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs […] More

Boeing has secured a two-year, $24.6 million modification to a previously awarded delivery order to perform additional engineering work on the U.S. Navy‘s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. The Defense Department said Thursday Boeing will support systems engineering technical and critical design reviews for P-8A’s Increment 3 Block 2 upgrades under the modification. Work will occur in Seattle, Washington and Greenlawn, New […] More

Huntington Ingalls Industries‘ Ingalls Shipbuilding unit has conducted builder’s sea trials on an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer built for the U.S. Navy. HII said Tuesday it tested the combat, main propulsion and other systems of USS Ralph Johnson for more than three days in the Gulf of Mexico. “DDG 114’s sea trials showcase the skill of our […] More

D-Wave Systems has agreed to provide the Energy Department’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory cloud access to its D-Wave 2000Q quantum computing system in an effort to advance development of hybrid computing applications. D-Wave will collaborate with Tennessee-based ORNL to leverage the quantum computer to help address DOE’s environmental, energy, nuclear and other scientific challenges through […] More

Aerojet Rocketdyne has tested a third RS-25 engine flight controller the company developed to support the launch of a future NASA heavy-lift rocket. The RS-25 flight controller is designed to monitor the health of a rocket engine using real-time adjustments to combustion pressures, turbopump speeds and other configurations such as engine thrust and propellant mixture […] More

 NASA has enlisted commercial space company Techshot and kitchenware provider Tupperware Brands to help the agency optimize a plant growth system on board the International Space Station. Techshot said Tuesday it will work with Tupperware to further develop NASA’s Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System, a design concept meant to replace the component of ISS’ Vegetable Production System […] More

BAE Systems has developed a Bluetooth-based sensor system designed to determine the stress and strain on military bridging platforms. The wireless system uses a set of sensors attached to bridge components to record strain readings for computer analysis and transmit data to warfighters in order to determine bridge parts that need to be replaced or […] More

Tom Sharpe, former commissioner of the General Services Administration’s Federal Acquisition Service, has established a consulting firm with Kevin Youel Page, former FAS deputy commissioner, FCW reported Tuesday. Sharpe and Page told FCW in an interview that they have registered on the agency’s System for Award Management, established financial operations and held meetings with company executives […] More

Rocket Crafters Inc. has received a $542,600 contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to develop and test a large-scale hybrid rocket engine. RCI said Tuesday it will use its Direct-Digital Advanced Rocket Technology to design, build and test a throttle-capable hybrid rocket engine with a thrust capacity of up to 5,000 pound-force. The […] More