DefenseNews

Army’s high-energy laser competition to kick off early next year

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army plans to choose a few teams from a larger pool to compete to develop its Enduring High Energy Laser, or HEL, system for short-range air defense in early 2025, Lt. Gen. Robert Rasch, the Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office director, said last week. The Army will carry teams through design and development and plans to select a winner to build an…
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DefenseNews

Air Force Research Lab eyes space data transport demo in 2026

DAYTON, Ohio — An Air Force Research Laboratory team convened to help the Space Force test and prototype new spacecraft concepts plans to launch its first experimental satellites as soon as 2026. AFRL created the Rapid Architecture Prototyping and Integrated Development…
DefenseNews

Counter-drone missile competition possible in 2025, Army officials say

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — The U.S. Army is considering holding a competition in fiscal 2025 for a next-generation interceptor to take out threats from unmanned aerial systems, Brig. Gen. Frank Lozano, program executive officer for missiles and space, told an audience Aug. 6 at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium. The Army uses its Combat Capabilities Development Command Aviation & Missile…
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Boeing on track to break PAC-3 Missile seeker annual production record

In the quest to ramp up Patriot missile production this year in the U.S., Boeing is on track to break its annual seeker production record, the company announced Aug. 6. “In the first half of the year, the program has surpassed its previous three- and six-month rolling PAC-3 seeker production records,” a company statement notes. “The program is also on pace to break its annual seeker…
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DefenseNews

Air Force weighs options to make up for B-52 cost, schedule breaches

DAYTON, Ohio—The Air Force is working to make up for schedule delays and cost overruns on two central components of its plan to keep the B-52 flying into the 2060s. The 1960s-era B-52, whose missions have ranged from nuclear alert during the Cold War to precision strikes against the Taliban, is the workhorse of the Air Force’s bomber fleet. The service is undergoing a $48 billion overhaul to…
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