DefenseNews

To expand the US Navy’s fleet, we must contract

April 18, 2024
There is no substitute for fleet capacity. But generating it depends on healthy partnerships between the government and industry. After decades of corporate consolidation, the pendulum now swings toward consensus that the U.S. defense-industrial base must once again expand. Recent efforts by the Defense Department and Congress reflect this new course and a desire to attract new companies that have…
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DefenseNews

Lockheed chosen to build new homeland missile defense interceptor

April 16, 2024
Nearly a year prior to a deadline for two competing teams to reach a critical design review phase in the development of a Next-Generation Interceptor for homeland defense, the Missile Defense Agency chose Lockheed Martin to move forward rather than carry both teams through the next phase of technology development. Lockheed and its Aerojet Rocketdyne partner completed the preliminary design review…
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DefenseNews

Get the US Navy’s frigate program back on schedule

April 16, 2024
The recent review of shipbuilding progress is an important step in correcting the current cost overruns and schedule slippage. However, the U.S. Navy secretary’s rather timid response of only directing the FFG design team to gather at the shipyard was far too timid. Many…
DefenseNews

MDA awards Lockheed $4.1B contract to upgrade battle command system

April 12, 2024
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $4.1 billion to continue to field, maintain and upgrade its battle command system, according to an April 11 contract announcement from the Defense Department. The contract period runs May 1, 2024, through April 30, 2029, with an option to extend it to April 30, 2034. “This contract will accelerate innovation and…
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DefenseNews

Army pushes more safety training as helicopter crashes spike

April 11, 2024
The Army has ordered an aviation “safety stand up,” with additional aviation training across the force following a dozen mishaps that have resulted in 10 fatalities in only the first six months of the fiscal year. By comparison, the Army had 10 mishaps and 14 fatalities for all fiscal 2023. The current number of mishaps is equal to or higher than the total annual mishaps reported each year…
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