Raw Intel

CH-53K concept (click to view full) The U.S. Marines have a problem. They rely on their CH-53E Super Stallion medium-heavy lift helicopters to move troops, vehicles, and supplies off of their ships. But the helicopters are wearing out. Fast. The pace demanded by the Global War on Terror is relentless, and usage rates are 3 […]View the full article

Americas Champion Aerospace won a $9 million contract to procure 252 175 ampere (amp) Transformer Rectifier Unit (TRU) retrofit kits (240 for the F/A-18E/F fleet and EA-18G squadrons, and 12 for the EA-18G Growler capability modification operational test in support of upgrading the current 150 amp TRU to a 175 amp TRU). Work will be performed in Liberty, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed in December 2023. General Electric Aviation said it and the US Air Force finished testing the firm’s second adaptive engine, which it hopes the military will adopt for the F-35 jet, and is ready to move into the engineering and manufacturing development phase. Middle East …

Americas The Charles Stark won a $95.1 million modification, which exercises fiscal 2023 options to provide technical and engineering services necessary to maintain and sustain the Trident II Strategic Weapon System MK 6 Guidance subsystem. The effort also includes a requirement for strategic guidance, navigation, and control subject matter expertise and resources to plan and […]View the full article

Americas Oshkosh Defense won a $22.6 million deal to exercise available options to support the fielding of Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, packaged and installed kits, and trailers. Work will take place in Wisconsin. Estimated completion date is September 30, 2024. The US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. The Chilean Air Force has inducted into service two Boeing E-3D Sentry airborne early warning Mk 1 (AEW1) aircraft from the UK Royal Air Force. The two operational Airborne Warning And Control System (AWACS) aircraft were acquired along with a third aircraft to be used for spares, earlier in 2022. Middle East & Africa …

Americas Sikorsky won a $22.5 million contract modification, which adds scope for the procurement of four VH-92A aircraft MT-1 cabin interiors and MT-1 spares in support for depot level stand up for the Presidential Helicopters Replacement Program. The new Marine One, also referred to as VH-92A, is the next-generation presidential transport helicopter being developed for the US Marine Corps (USMC). Sikorsky Aircraft, a Lockheed Martin company, is responsible for the production of the VH-92A helicopter. Work will take place in Washington, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Connecticut. Expected completion will be in July 2022. Argentinian media reported that a Chinese team is in …

Americas Boeing’s Compact Laser Weapon System (CLWS) has engaged and neutralized Group 3 Uncrewed Aerial Systems (UASs) for the first time. This is a significant development in counter-drone technology as Group 3 UASs, which can weigh up to 1,320 pounds, present a greater threat due to their capacity to carry heavier and more sophisticated payloads. The successful demonstration took place at the Red Sands Integrated Experimentation Center in Saudi Arabia, where the CLWS, equipped with a 5-kilowatt laser, effectively neutralized the Group 3 drones. A Breaking Defense exclusive reveals that the partnership between American defense contractor L3Harris and Brazilian aircraft …

Americas India’s Cochin Shipyard Limited has signed a maintenance and repair agreement with the US Navy. The third Master Shipyard Repair Agreement with an Indian company follows agreements with Larsen & Toubro in 2023 for Mazagon Dock and Kattupalli Port. The US Navy’s effort to expand maintenance and repair centers in the Indo-Pacific stems from the […]View the full article

Americas General Atomics won a $30 million modification, which exercises options to provide maintenance, supply chain and spares management, logistics, and sustainment support for the MQ-9 Reaper aircraft, and dual control mobile ground control stations to ensure they are mission capable for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Oahu, Hawaii (35%); Yuma, Arizona […]View the full article

Americas Collins Aerospace, a company based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has won a contract worth about $80 million to create a new avionics system for the Army’s H-60M helicopters. The new system will use a Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA), which means it will be easier to upgrade and modify in the future. The contract was awarded by the Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal in Alabama. Only one company submitted a bid for this project, which was advertised online. The work is expected to be completed by March 7, 2029. The H-60M is a newer version of the Black Hawk helicopter, used by the Army for various missions. This upgrade will improve the helicopter’s elec…

Americas Collins Aerospace, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $33.5 million order under a previously issued basic ordering agreement. The contract supports the replacement of the obsolete Control Display Navigation Unit (CDNU) 900 with the updated CDNU-7000 series for the US Navy’s C/KC-130T aircraft. Work will be carried out in Cedar Rapids and is scheduled for completion by December 2027. The full contract amount will be funded by Fiscal Year 2025 Navy aircraft procurement funds, which will be obligated at the time of the award. These funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was not competitively awarded. The Naval Air Warfare Cen…

Americas Northrop Grumman demonstrated a scaled-down electronic attack system prototype during the US Navy’s Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise last year. The company demonstrated key components of the future Ultra-Lite Electronic Attack (EA) Prototype System aboard a US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. Northrop developed the anti-ship missile defense system for smaller ships that cannot […]View the full article

Americas Columbia Helicopters won a $54 million deal for maintenance and overhaul of the CH-47 Chinook rotor head. The Chinook CH-47 is a multi-mission helicopter manufactured by American aerospace and defense firm Boeing for the US Army and international defense forces. It’s used for the transportation of troops, artillery, supplies, and equipment to the battlefield. […]View the full article

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $54,5 million modification to a cost-plus-fixed-fee order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement. This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering and associated materials in support of power thermal management system controller and gun lube diminishing manufacturing sources and material shortages redesign effort in support of F-35 Joint Strike […]View the full article

Amercias The US Army is exploring a significant acceleration in the production of 3D-printed drones capable of replicating the capabilities and behaviors of enemy systems. The push comes as the army anticipates the rollout of a program aimed at rapidly developing low-cost target drones for training exercises. According to Gen. James Rainey, head of Army Futures Command, there is a critical need to simulate unmanned aerial system (UAS) threats, particularly for preparing platoons to counter drone swarms. Conti Federal has completed the modernization of an F-35 sustainment facility at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base (NASJRB) in Fort Worth, Texas. The Maintenance Hangar…

Americas BAE Systems Controls Inc., based in Endicott, New York, has received a contract modification to repair the KC-135 Stratotanker’s fuel management panel and integrated fuel management computer. This fixed-price modification increases the total contract value from $5.2 million to $7.6 million and extends the contract term. The work will continue in Endicott, New York, with completion expected by March 14, 2026. Currently, no additional funds are being allocated for this extension. Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma oversees the contracting activities. Raytheon Co. has been awarded an $18.5 million contract modification for the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) and NA…

On Sept 30/08, “The USA’s National Cybersecurity Initiative” focused on the belated but growing reaction to recent uses of cyber-attacks as an adjunct to warfare, and by the growing rate of attempted intrusions into American systems from countries like China. “Secure Semiconductors: Sensible, or Sisiphyean?” discussed the growing realization within the US military that massive […]View the full article

Sponsored: Cyber security firm CyberCatch will host a free webinar on November 18 to review current threats and soon-to-be-required compliance requirements. View the full article

Americas Raytheon won a $10.8 million delivery order for deploy and retrieve systems in support of the AN/AQS-20 mine-hunting program. The AN/AQS-20C sonar mine-hunting system is the U.S. Navy’s latest mine-hunting technology, which is integrated into the littoral combat ship mine countermeasures mission package. Work will take place in Washington and Those Island. Estimated completion will be by December 2023. DARPA has announced its new X-plane concept, a low-cost long-range seaplane that can fly up to 10,000ft. However, the aircraft will utilize the “wing-in-ground effect” to extend its range so that it can serve as a strategic or tactical transport. Middle East &amp…

Americas The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) demonstrated the first at-sea refueling of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. A pair of unmanned surface vessels (USV) — the Ranger and the Mariner — demonstrated the task originally designed for the program’s Defiant USV. A long-endurance NOMARS USV is intended to be designed from the ground up without the necessity for humans on board. Bollinger Shipyards has started the construction of the US Coast Guard’s initial vessel planned under the Polar Security Cutter (PSC) program. The PSC effort will replace the service’s aging ships deployed for national, maritime, commercial, and economic securit…

Americas According to Defense Post, L3Harris has failed to overturn the US Army’s decision to award Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) a $991-million contract to produce the HADES next-generation spy plane. This after the US Government Accountability Office (GAO) ruled in favor of SNC to proceed with production despite a protest filed in October. The GAO’s decision confirms that the winning vendor met all operational and regulatory requirements and that the contract award was made in full compliance with the law. The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) demonstrated the first at-sea refueling of the No Manning Required Ship (NOMARS) program. A pair of unmanne…