WASHINGTON — The Air Force will continue pushing for the retirement of its oldest Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawks, the service’s top officials said Friday, potentially setting up another fight with Congress about the future of the embattled surveillance drone.
“The Air Force will continue to pursue the [fiscal 2021 National Defense Authorization Act] RQ-4 Block 30 divestment waiver in…
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is tapping nontraditional businesses to tackle the challenge of future robotic combat vehicle sustainment, according to a statement from the Army Applications Laboratory.
The AAL is establishing a cohort of innovators “who can develop…
WASHINGTON — More than 130 members of the House of Representatives have signed a letter urging continued financial support for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, signaling a potential roadblock for lawmakers hoping to cut F-35 procurement in fiscal 2022.
The April…
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…
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…
ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey’s top defense procurement official, Ismail Demir, said in an April 30 TV interview that the government will prioritize the production of its indigenous TF-X fighter jet amid an estimated loss of $1.4 billion for local industry following the…
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…
Army Eyes Autonomous Robotic Arm to Rapidly Resupply its Futuristic Long-Range Howitzer
April 30, 2021
Extended Range Cannon Artillery System, or ERCA, being tested in an M109A7 self-propelled howitzer at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona in 2019. (U.S. Army)
An Austin, Texas, startup company will show off a new type of autonomous robotic arm for Army officials looking for a way…
Watchdog expresses concern over using US Navy interceptor for homeland missile defense
April 30, 2021
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Government Accountability Office is skeptical the Navy’s SM-3 Block IIA interceptor would work as part of a new plan for a layered homeland defense against intercontinental ballistic missiles.
In a report released this week, the GAO said the SM-3…
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…
