Raw Intel

Americas Palantir Technologies has won a $480-million contract to begin the prototyping phase for the US Army’s Maven Smart System project. Maven is an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled tool that fuses information from various sources into a unified interface to provide faster and much-improved battlefield analysis. It can identify military points of interest more rapidly than […]View the full article

Americas Parsons Government Services won a $953 million deal for US Air Forces in Europe – Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) Air Base Air Defense services. The deal provides the USAFE-AFAFRICA with a layered base defense capability. According to the DoD, the capability will be employed across various sites within the area of responsibility. Work will take place in various locations throughout Europe and Africa. Estimated completion date is July 20, 2031. Lockheed Martin won a $19 million contract modification to to procure 16 Operational Data Integrated Network Base kits, to include software installation and integration support for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fig…

Americas The United States intends to test-fire the Patriot air defense missile system in Palau on June 15, the island’s ambassador to Washington D.C. has disclosed. The 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, from Okinawa will be deployed to Palau for this event. The firing is part of Exercise Valiant Shield which will involve Palau and Micronesia for the first time this year. The Patriot unit is to be deployed at Airai, according to Island Times. Laurel Technologies Partnership won an $12 million deal for production of Launch Control Unit (LCU) MK 235 Mod 17 and Mod 18 and associated components in support of the MK 41 Vertical Launch System (VLS). The LCUs a…

HH-60G, Afghanistan (click to view full) In 2006 the US Air Force awarded Boeing a contract worth north of $10 billion for 141 HH-47 combat search-and-rescue helicopters, but by mid-2009 the CSAR-X program was cancelled during its System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase by the Pentagon. At the time Secretary of Defense Robert Gates wrote that this program had “a troubled acquisition history and raises the fundamental question of whether this important mission can only be accomplished by yet another single-service solution.” That cancellation may have been warranted, but the underlying operational constraints are increasing as years go by, with a tentative repl…

Americas Performance Drone Works (PDW) has received more than $15.3 million in contracts to deliver its proprietary C100 small unmanned aerial systems (sUAS) to the US Army. The drones will support the force’s posture across high-profile theaters, according to the Alabama-based company, with most to be distributed across the Indo-Pacific, European, and Central Command areas of responsibility. The “game-changing” capabilities are expected to provide medium-range reconnaissance and tactical air support. Raytheon has been awarded a $401.2 million full-rate production contract by the US Navy for 131 Block V Tomahawk missiles. As part of the contract, 26 missiles will be deliv…

Americas Vertex Aerospace won an $8.7 million contract modification, which adds scope to provide intermediate-level maintenance and repair services and logistics support for the T-45 aircraft and T-45 support equipment in support of the Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department for Chief of Naval Air Training aircraft, tenant activities, and transient aircraft. Work will take place in Texas, Florida and Mississippi. Expected completion is in September 2022. The Boeing-made KC-46A Pegasus multirole tanker has been given the green light to refuel all versions of F-15 and F-16 fighter jets. Gen. Mike Minihan, commander of Air Mobility Command, approved a third Interim Ca…

Americas The Pentagon has once again grounded its entire fleet of V-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. This comes after a worrying incident at Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico on November 20, where a CV-22 Osprey experienced a near-crash shortly after takeoff. Initial investigations suggest that weakened metal components in a critical part may have been a contributing factor. The decision to pause all Osprey flights came as a recommendation from Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, the head of Naval Air Systems Command, which oversees the Osprey program for the military. This incident bears a striking resemblance to a fatal crash off the coast of Japan in November of the previous year. In…

Americas The Pentagon launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Acceleration (ADA) initiative, goal of which is to rapidly advance data and AI dependent concepts, like joint all-domain command and control. Speaking virtually to the opening of the Defense Department’s Artificial Intelligence Symposium and Tech Exchange, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks said DOD’s operators must come to trust the outputs of AI systems; its commanders must come to trust the legal, ethical and moral foundations of explainable AI; and the American people must come to trust the values DOD has integrated into each of its applications. Northrop Grumman has successfully flight demo…

Americas Lockheed Martin Space won a $25.7 million contract modification for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. Work will be performed in Utah,Colorado, California, Florida and various places below one percent (0.2%). Work is expected to be completed July 1, 2025. The Trident II Strategic Weapon System (SWS) is deployed aboard Ohio-class (Trident) submarines and consists of: the Trident II (D5) Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile (SLBM); Reentry System; and supporting Shipboard Systems. The Pentagon announced on August 1 that the L3Harris and Air Tractor team has won the Armed Overwatch program. Armed Overwatch will provide Special Operatio…

Phalanx, firing (click to view full) The radar-guided, rapid-firing MK 15 Phalanx Close-In Weapons System (CIWS, pron. “see-whiz”) can fire between 3,000-4,500 20mm cannon rounds per minute, either autonomously or under manual command, as a last-ditch defense against incoming missiles and other targets. Phalanx uses closed-loop spotting with advanced radar and computer technology to locate, identify and direct a stream of armor piercing projectiles toward the target. These capabilities have made the Phalanx CIWS a critical bolt-on sub-system for naval vessels around the world, and led to the C-RAM/Centurion, a land-based system designed to defend against incoming artill…

Javelin, firing (click to view full) The FGM-148 Javelin missile system aimed to solve 2 key problems experienced by American forces. One was a series of disastrous experiences in Vietnam, trying to use 66mm M72 LAW rockets against old Soviet tanks. A number of replacement options like the Mk 153 SMAW and the AT4/M136 spun […]View the full article

Javelin, firing (click to view full) The FGM-148 Javelin missile system aimed to solve 2 key problems experienced by American forces. One was a series of disastrous experiences in Vietnam, trying to use 66mm M72 LAW rockets against old Soviet tanks. A number of replacement options like the Mk 153 SMAW and the AT4/M136 spun out of that effort in the 1980s, but it wasn’t until electronics had miniaturized for several more cycles that it became possible to solve the next big problem: the need for soldiers to remain exposed to enemy fire while guiding anti-tank missiles to their targets. Javelin solves both of those problems at once, offering a heavy fire-and-forget missil…

Americas American company Lockheed Martin won a $51 million deal in support of the French Air Force for long-term sustainment of C-130 aircraft. This contract provides for the program management, field service representatives, travel and per diem, data, replenishment of spares and other sustainment tasks. The Lockheed Martin C-130 is the US Air Force’s principal tactical cargo and personnel transport aircraft. The C-130J Hercules is the latest model, featuring a glass cockpit, digital avionics and a new propulsion system with a six-bladed propeller. Work will take place in Bae Aerienne, France as well as in Marietta, Georgia. Expected completion date is January 1, 2023. …

Americas Pratt and Whitney Military Engines a $2 million deal, which exercises options to procure materials, parts, and components for Lot 17 of the F135 Propulsion system for F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft as well as global spares requirements to include spare engines, power modules, and other hardware in support of the Air […]View the full article

Americas RTX subsidiary Pratt & Whitney has been awarded a $1.3 billion contract to continue maturing the F135 Engine Core Upgrade. The contract includes ”design, analysis, rig testing, engine test preparation, developmental hardware, test asset assembly, air system integration, airworthiness evaluation, and product support planning,” a Department of Defense contract notice stated. Work is expected to be completed in March 2028. The US Navy has contracted Raytheon to develop an upgraded Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band (NGJ-MB) system. The NGJ-MB Expansion (NGJ-MBX) will provide a greater frequency range to counter additional threats. The $192-million development contr…

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $31.8 million modification to incrementally increase the annual award of Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target Advanced Capability-3 missiles. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; Rocket Center, West Virginia; Camden, Arkansas; Chelmsford, Massachusetts; and Grand Prairie, Texas, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2024. Lockheed Martin has made significant progress in the development of its Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM). The company conducted a successful flight test of the JAGM Medium Range (JAGM-MR) on November 16 at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. The missile flew for 16 kilome…

Americas The 56th Air Refueling Squadron has unveiled the world’s first KC-46 Pegasus demonstration team at the Wings and Warriors Fly-In in San Marcos, Texas, on November 9. This debut performance marked a major milestone for the KC-46, highlighting its advanced capabilities and the crucial role it plays in modern air operations. The demonstration team, composed of pilots, boom operators, and maintenance personnel, showcased the KC-46’s impressive performance and versatility. Spectators were treated to a thrilling display as the aircraft executed a high-speed pass with its refuelling boom extended at 500 feet, followed by a low-speed pass with its landing gear and flaps …

Americas Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday backed a suggestion by US counterpart Donald Trump for Russia, the United States, and China to all cut their defense budgets in half. “I think it’s a good idea. The US would cut by 50 percent and we would cut by 50 percent and then China would join if it wanted,” Putin said in a televised interview. Russia has massively ramped up military spending since launching its offensive in Ukraine in 2022, boosting economic growth but also inflation. GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney have passed the detailed design review of their offerings for the US Air Force’s Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion (NGAP) program. The detailed …

Americas The Pentagon has awarded QinetiQ a $13.3-million contract to supply its Vindicator II uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) target support services to the US Navy (USN). As QinetiQ Target Systems is based in Canada, the deal was facilitated by the Canadian Commercial Corporation as the prime contractor together with Public Services and Procurement Canada. The five-year deal – with a six-month extension provision – came into effect in December and includes Canadian personnel deployed to provide services to the USN. Lockheed Martin won a $678.4 million modification to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft retrofit and modification efforts for the Air Force, Marin…

Americas Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems won a $34,142,015 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee type modification to exercise options for AEGIS development and test sites operation and maintenance at the Combat Systems Engineering Development Site, SPY-1A Test Facility and Naval Systems Computing Center. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to several countries. Work will be performed […]View the full article