DefenseNews

The Air Force’s first Skyborg autonomous drone prototype made its first flight

WASHINGTON — The Air Force carried out the first flight test of a “Skyborg” drone last month with an Kratos UTAP-22 Mako equipped with a bespoke autonomy system, moving the service one step closer to fielding an uncrewed “loyal wingman” for human pilots. During a two-hour and ten minute flight test held April 29 at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, a UTAP-22 equipped with the Skyborg…
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DefenseNews

Egypt bumps up its Rafale fleet by 30 new planes

PARIS – Egypt has bought 30 more Rafale aircraft from France, according to statements issued on Tuesday by the Egyptian and French defense ministries and Dassault Aviation, the aircraft’s manufacturer. The new acquisition complements the first Egyptian purchase of 24…
DefenseNews

US Army’s next-gen protection system for helos cleared for full-rate production

The U.S. Army’s Northrop Grumman-manufactured next-generation protection system for its fleet of helicopters has been cleared for full-rate production, according to an April 30 Pentagon announcement. The Army awarded Northrop a nearly $1 billion contract to produce the Common Infrared Countermeasures program, known as CIRCM, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2026. The service…
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DefenseNews

Point Blank throws hat in ring to design US Army’s Bradley replacement

WASHINGTON — Point Blank Enterprises is the most recent nontraditional business to come out of the woodwork as a competitor for the U.S. Army’s concept vehicle design phase to replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle. The company announced April 26 on its website that it had submitted a bid. The announcement comes almost two weeks after the Army’s deadline for solicitations. While…
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DefenseNews

Army Fields First New Air Defense Strykers in Europe

The 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-4 ADA), 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, is the first unit in the Army to receive the Mobile Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system, April 21, 2021. (Jordan Allen /U.S. Army) U.S. Army modernization…
DefenseNews

Raytheon’s first-quarter earnings beat Wall Street expectations

WALTHAM, Mass. — Raytheon Technologies on Tuesday reported first-quarter net income of $753 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier. The Waltham, Massachusetts-based company said it had net income of 50 cents per share. Earnings, adjusted for costs related to mergers and acquisitions and restructuring costs, came to 90 cents per share. The results beat Wall Street…
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