WASHINGTON — Anduril Industries unveiled a detonating variant of its Anvil drone it said is capable of intercepting and obliterating nimble overhead threats.
The company, which specializes in autonomy and unmanned aerial systems, said the new Anvil-M was built using input from “real-world combat operations and customer feedback” and can more reliably seek and destroy incoming drones in the…
WASHINGTON — It’s been called an “entirely new breed of U.S. Navy warship” and a “lemon.” A “mothership” for unmanned systems and “the wrong ship at the wrong time.” A cornerstone of the Navy’s “transformation” and the “little crappy ship.”
This…
WASHINGTON — The Army has accepted the first of its long-delayed next-generation engine, which is set to power the U.S. Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft as well as AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, the service announced Oct. 4.
The second T901…
Wittman lukewarm on Air Force plan to ‘quickstart’ programs
October 4, 2023
WASHINGTON — A leading House lawmaker is downplaying the value of an Air Force and Pentagon proposal that would allow services to start working on new programs before Congress officially passes a budget funding them.
Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., told Defense News last week he is “still on the other side” of backing the so-called “quickstart” proposal. Instead, Wittman said from his office on…
Wittman says patience wearing thin on F-35 sustainment plan
October 3, 2023
WASHINGTON — A leading House lawmaker wants to see some hard details — and soon — from the F-35 Joint Program Office about how it plans to fix the jet fighter’s long-lagging availability rates.
And Rep. Rob Wittman’s patience with the JPO on the fighter’s low…
WASHINGTON — As the Pentagon prepares to field thousands of autonomous systems in the coming years, its commercial innovation hub is seeking a modular test platform that it could use to validate payloads, sensors and other technology.
The Defense Innovation Unit wants a…
The stalwart E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System plane flew its last operational mission Sept. 21, capping a three-decade career as a military “eye in the sky” in conflicts from Operation Desert Storm to the war in Ukraine.
The sortie is a stepping stone on the airframe’s journey into retirement, as the Air Force reshapes its inventory for the demands of modern…
Boeing to pay $8.1M to settle Osprey false claims allegations
September 29, 2023
WASHINGTON — Boeing agreed to an $8.1 million settlement with the federal government to resolve allegations that the company submitted false claims and made false statements regarding its contracts with the U.S. Navy to build the tiltrotor V-22 Osprey, the Justice…
BAE Systems to supply US Army with jam-resistant navigation tech
September 29, 2023
WASHINGTON — BAE Systems will provide the U.S. Army high-tech, embeddable computer cards used for secure navigation on foot and aboard armored vehicles in a contract worth $318 million.
The five-year contract for M-code GPS modules and related engineering support…
F-35 program finishes years-late tests needed for full production
September 29, 2023
WASHINGTON — The F-35 program has completed a long-delayed series of crucial tests, which could pave the way for a decision next year to officially move the advanced fighter jet into full-rate production.
The Joint Simulation Environment tests, known as “runs for score,” were finished Sept. 21, as was the initial trial validation, F-35 Joint Program Office spokesman Russell Goemaere said in…
