Defense and Space

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory space camera is inspired by a hunting dragonfly.

Leonardo Helicopters and Lockheed Martin won £1.86 million ($2.43 million) contracts for an initial phase of the Merlin Out of Service Date Extension Program.

Two companies were previously expected to be selected in the Lane 2 designation of the upcoming NSSL Phase 3 competition.

This is the focus of the recently announced Fire-control On Orbit-support-to-the-war Fighter (FOO Fighter) program.

The U.S. is sending additional high-end air defense systems, precision aerial munitions and kamikaze drones to Ukraine.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman are the latest A&D OEMs to join the Department of Defense’s Rapid Assured Microelectronics Prototypes-Commercial (RAMP-C) program.

The approved package includes the AIM-120C-8 variant and up to 12 spare guidance sections, plus captive air training missiles.

The U.S. is likely to join the coalition of NATO nations establishing training for Ukrainian pilots to fly the F-16 combat aircraft.

A request for information published on July 10 by the Brazilian Army Commission requests pricing data for two types of loitering munitions.

Ukraine has depended on Starlink for expansive battlefield communication.

The UK Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter pilots are set to receive BAE’s Striker 2 helmet-mounted display as part of a national upgrade of the aircraft.

Lockheed says increasing production beyond the 156-a-year level would require a business case based on an influx of new orders from new or existing customers.

In addition to mass producing the new Hyunmoo-5 "bunker buster," South Korea has plans to upgrade the Hyunmoo-2 and Hyunmoo-3 missile variants.

Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng notes that the effectiveness of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System has been demonstrated in Ukraine.

Thailand treads a delicate balance between an old alliance with the U.S. and recent closer ties to China.

The service seeks shift from one-for-one replacement of KC-135s and C-17s to a series of aircraft, from the basic to the exquisite.

SDA in April launched its first Tranche 0 data transport satellites, which will send the datalink to military cockpits and other receivers below.

With a net profit of $1.7 billion, Lockheed posted earnings per share of $6.63, up sharply from $1.16 a share in the second quarter of 2022.

The Northrop Grumman-built resupply vessel is planned for launch on an Antares rocket from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility on Virginia’s Eastern Shore on Aug. 1

LOCKHEED MARTIN had $1.7b net income on $16.7b sales in 2Q23 vs $309m on $15.4b in 2Q22; it ended quarter with record $158b backlog. It delivered 60 aircraft/rotorcraft (45 F-35s/four C-130Js/11 helicopters) vs 71 (35/six/30) a year ago.

Neither the contract’s value nor the number of Akinci systems ordered by the Middle Eastern country have been made public.

A pre-solicitation notice is the next step on a path to selecting a design to launch an engineering and manufacturing development program within two years.

The concept of operations may pave the way for future higher-airspace operations, above 60,000 ft.

The defense ministry’s Command Paper Refresh was published July 18.

The UK’s defense procurement process is “broken” and in need of “major, comprehensive reform,” lawmakers say.