Raw Intel

AEGIS-BMD: CG-70 launches SM-3 (click to view full) The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System seamlessly integrates the SPY-1 radar, the MK 41 Vertical Launching System for missiles, the SM-3 Standard missile, and the ship’s command and control system, in order to give ships the ability to defend against enemy ballistic missiles. Like its less-capable AEGIS […]View the full article

Block IV Cutaway (click to view full) Block IV Tomahawk is the current generation of the Tomahawk family of cruise missiles. The BGM-109 Tomahawk family began life in the 1980s as sub-sonic, low-flying nuclear strike weapons, before being developed into long-range RGM/UGM-109 conventional attack missiles. They’re most frequently launched from submarines and surface ships, and […]View the full article

Americas Bell Boeing won a $12.3 million deal for CMV-22B Osprey deployment support. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Texas and Pennsylvania, with a November 30, 2024, performance […]View the full article

(click to view full) In March 2008, the Bell Boeing Joint Project Office in Amarillo, TX received a $10.4 billion modification that converted the previous N00019-07-C-0001 advance acquisition contract to a fixed-price-incentive-fee, multi-year contract. The new contract rose to $10.92 billion, and was used to buy 143 MV-22 (for USMC) and 31 CV-22 (Air Force […]View the full article

Americas The BETA Technologies Alia electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft marked a historic moment with its first official test flight from Eglin Air Force Base on November 7, 2023. The primary objectives were to assess battery performance over designated distances and power configurations, and to evaluate the logistical aspects of consecutive flights with […]View the full article

Trident II D5 Test Launch (click to view full) Nuclear tipped missiles were first deployed on board US submarines at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, to deter a Soviet first strike. The deterrence theorists argued that, unlike their land-based cousins, submarine-based nuclear weapons couldn’t be taken out by a surprise first […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) has teamed with EDGE to integrate smart weapons into the MQ-9B SkyGuardian aerial drone. The partnership will see the Abu Dhabi company’s precision-guided and guided-glide munitions integrated into the unmanned system for increased firepower. The BETA Technologies Alia electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft marked a historic […]View the full article

0 Reaper, ready… (click to view full) The MQ-9 Reaper UAV, once called “Predator B,” is somewhat similar to the famous Predator. Until you look at the tail. Or its size. Or its weapons. It’s called “Reaper” for a reason: while it packs the same surveillance gear, it’s much more of a hunter-killer design. Some […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won an $8 million order, which exercises an option to procure diminishing manufacturing sources, to include lamp module assemblies and filter packs in support of the operation of F-35 ProSim Projectors for non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom; and […]View the full article

F-35B: off probation (click to view full) The $382 billion F-35 Joint Strike fighter program may well be the largest single global defense program in history. This major multinational program is intended to produce an “affordably stealthy” multi-role fighter that will have 3 variants: the F-35A conventional version for the US Air Force et. […]View the full article

P-8A Poseidon (click to view full) Maritime surveillance and patrol is becoming more and more important, but the USA’s P-3 Orion turboprop fleet is falling apart. The P-7 Long Range Air ASW (Anti-Submarine Warfare) Capable Aircraft program to create an improved P-3 began in 1988, but cost overruns, slow progress, and interest in opening the […]View the full article

Americas The US has agreed to co-produce the Stryker armored fighting vehicle with India in an effort to enhance New Delhi’s deterrence against China. New Delhi recently submitted a letter of intent for the deal to Washington, Nikkei reported citing a US defense official. The US Air Force has announced that its B-21 Raider stealth bomber completed […]View the full article

Americas The US has agreed to co-produce the Stryker armored fighting vehicle with India in an effort to enhance New Delhi’s deterrence against China. New Delhi recently submitted a letter of intent for the deal to Washington, Nikkei reported citing a US defense official. The US Air Force has announced that its B-21 Raider stealth bomber completed […]View the full article

B-52H, B-1B & B-2A (click to view full) The good news? 2006 saw a convergence of opinion within the USAF that a new long-range strike platform was needed. This is understandable given the B-52H Stratofortress fleet’s age (40-50 years), the B-1B Lancer’s internal power and electronics issues, both of these platforms’ low survivability against advanced […]View the full article

BAMS Operation Concept (click to view full) The world’s P-3 Orion fleets have served for a long time, and many are reaching the end of their lifespans. In the USA, and possibly beyond, the new P-8 Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft will take up the P-3’s role. While the P-8’s base 737-based airframe offers strong service […]View the full article

Americas The US Army will receive more next-generation thermal weapon sights from Leonardo as part of a new $134-million deal. According to the company, the device provides rapid target acquisition capabilities to soldiers, especially during missions in low-light environments. BAE Systems has landed a $5-million contract to develop electronic warfare solutions for the US Navy’s Common-architecture […]View the full article

Americas The US Army will receive more next-generation thermal weapon sights from Leonardo as part of a new $134-million deal. According to the company, the device provides rapid target acquisition capabilities to soldiers, especially during missions in low-light environments. BAE Systems has landed a $5-million contract to develop electronic warfare solutions for the US Navy’s Common-architecture […]View the full article

US Army HH-60Ms (click to view full) In July 2012, the US military signed another huge contract with Sikorsky. With production of the Army’s HH/UH-60M, and the Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters, all in full swing, there’s no question about the need for future orders. In that environment, multi-year contracts allow efficiencies in purchasing, and […]View the full article

M1A2 SEP (click to view full) America’s M1 Abrams tanks come in a number of versions. In addition to the M1A1 that is now standard, the US Army is beginning to field its M1 TUSK for urban warfare. It also operates the M1A2 System Enhancement Program (SEP), currently the most advanced standard variant. This Spotlight […]View the full article

Americas The US Navy together with Raytheon successfully test fired another round of Excalibur N5 munitions, the company announced on Monday. The Raytheon Excalibur N5 is a 5-inch or 127mm artillery projectile intended for use by surface warships utilizing 127mm cannons such as the Mk 45 naval gun system. The N5 is the naval variant […]View the full article