The U.S. Army has chosen Leidos-owned Dynetics to build prototypes for its enduring system to counter both drone and cruise missile threats, sources tell Defense News. The decision comes after the service held a shoot-off that pitted Dynetics against a Rafael and Raytheon Technologies team. Israeli-based Rafael and Raytheon offered up the Iron Dome launcher […]
US; Air Force experiments with air to surface Dialable Effects Munition
The Dialable Effects Munition (DEM) delivers a precision effect. The DEM is a 2,000-pound munition containing a number of AFRL Munitions Directorate technologies as well as contributions from the Army Combat Capabilities Development Command and contractor partners including Faxon Machining and L3 Harris. DEM technologies include a pre-formed fragment warhead case, an electronic safe and […]
US; Air Force tests palletized munitions drop from C-17
The U.S. Air Force Rapid Dragon Program completed two more successful demonstrations during its first system-level flight tests of this potential new capability at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in July 2021. The tests assessed the operational utility of delivering long-range strike weapons en masse from military cargo aircraft, and showcased the ability for […]
US; DARPA plans development of ground-effect vehicles
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) released a request for information (RFI) on August 18 to industry seeking technologies that would support its development of new ground-effect vehicles (GEVs). Also called wing-in-ground-effect (WIG) vehicle, ground-effect craft, wingship, flarecraft or ekranoplan, it can move over the surface by gaining support from the reactions of […]
US Navy; Mobile anti-UAV HELWS order
U.S. Navy Awards Contract for Anti-UAV High Energy Laser Weapon System The U.S. Navy awarded MZA Associates Corp., New Mexico, $19 million for the counter unmanned aerial vehicle (C-UAS) High Energy Laser Weapon System (HELWS). The contractor will design, develop, deliver, integrate, test and demonstrate a compact, portable, low-cost and reliable C-UAS HELWS using the […]
US; Army mulls development of HELEIOS aerostat stand off cyber/SIGINT array
The U.S. Army wants to develop a high-altitude intelligence, cyber and electronic warfare sensor that can fly above enemy territory to provide data and potentially jamming or disruption capability. The system, dubbed High-Altitude Extended-Range Long Endurance Intelligence Observation System, or HELEIOS, is part of the Multidomain Sensing System family, a series of high-altitude systems that […]
US/Canada; Joint program to update NORAD
U.S. and Canadian military officials have decided to join forces to modernize the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) to protect the continent of North America from complex conventional missile threats. The Minister of National Defence of Canada, the Honourable Harjit Sajjan, and the Secretary of Defense of the United States, Lloyd James Austin III […]
US; Army formally launches FTUAS tender to replace Shadow UAVs
The U.S. Army has given the green light to proceed into a competition to replace its aging, runway-dependent Shadow unmanned aircraft system with a new tactical drone. The Army Requirements Oversight Council approved requirements for the service’s Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, or FTUAS, in the form of an Abbreviated Capabilities Development Document, which will […]
US; Air-Force awards commercial development of a hypersonic aircraft
In an effort to accelerate the commercial development of hypersonic aircraft and propulsion systems, the U.S. Air Force is investing in the Hermeus Corporation – a U.S. based aerospace company –via a $60 million jointly funded contract that was awarded July 30. Currently, the company is developing a hypersonic aircraft capable of flying at five […]
US; AFRL seeks industry partners for Mjolnir HPM counter UAV swrams technology
US Air Force Research Laboratory seeks to build Mjolnir, a new counter electronics for THOR family The US Air Force Research Laboratory’s Directed Energy Directorate is seeking partners to build a new counter electronics weapon system, to defend against the ever increasing threat of adversarial drone activity. Building upon the success of the Tactical High-Power […]