Defense`s Feeds

Americas The Georgia Air National Guard has received its first of eight C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifters from defense giant Lockheed Martin. The new jet builds on a tradition of Hercules operation for the 165th Airlift Wing, which received its first model in 1975 and has been operating many versions of the military transport aircraft […]

RAAF C-130J-30, flares (click to view full) The C-130 Hercules remains one of the longest-running aerospace manufacturing programs of all time. Since 1956, over 40 models and variants have served as the tactical airlift backbone for over 50 nations. The C-130J looks similar, but the number of changes almost makes it a new aircraft. Those […]

Americas General Dynamics won a $96.4 million modification for Long Lead Time Material associated with the Virginia Class submarines SSN 812 and SSN 813. Work will take place in Colorado, California, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and other locations within the US as well as the United Kingdom. The United States and Britain launched […]

Virginia Block I-II (click for SuperSize) “GDEB Receives $148M as Virginia Class Lead Yard” described changes to the Virginia Class submarine’s design that are expected to reach 20% of the $200 million savings goal by the time orders for the versatile sea attack/ land attack/ special forces submarines rise to 2 per year, in 2012. […]

Americas Canada has awarded Bell Textron a $2.28-billion contract to deliver in-service support for its air force’s CH-146 Griffon multirole utility helicopters. The agreement will cover program management as well as technical, engineering, and design change services for the fleet. The US Army has awarded Allison Transmission an $83.3 million contract to supply upgraded and new X1100 […]

Americas Boeing’s KC-46A Pegasus has encountered some turbulence. Plagued by technical glitches and safety concerns, the aerial refueller has faced a $7 billion headwind. Boeing is taking the Pegasus back to the hangar for a thorough overhaul. Six critical issues stand between the Pegasus and its full potential. Michael Marrow from Breaking Defense toured Boeing’s […]

A ground-breaking defence research project exploring the application of quantum technologies in defence in the areas of secure communication and navigation has successfully closed. QuantaQuest – Quantum Secure Communication and Navigation for European Defence - a 28-month EU-funded project under the Preparatory Action on Defence Research (PADR) held its final meeting in December 2023, after delivering on a variety of operational scenarios and developments.

Led by THALES SA (France), the p roject brought together nine defence companies and research institutes from three Member States - France, Italy, and the Netherlands - with a budget of approximately € 1.5 million. The project proposed the development of quantum sensors and communication for defence applications in the following fields:

• Fully autonomous positioning and timing for military platforms;
• Secure communication for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR);
• Quantum network of sensors for synergic connection.

During the final meeting at the European Defence Agency (EDA), QuantaQuest consortium detailed the scenarios and requirements and presented the main technological developments across the three areas highlighted above.

In the positioning and timing part, the project developed an important building block toward a deployable fully quantum inertial measurement unit for fully autonomous positioning and timing. Using cold atoms trapped in a chip and photonic integrated circuit technologies will take the benefits of ultraprecise quantum measurements while reducing its size. This will allow to integrate the technology into future mobile systems to navigate precisely with reduced drift even in global satellite navigation systems denied environments.

In the field of secure communications for C4ISR, the project implemented a free-space quantum key distribution in an urban environment. With this the photons are sent via free air instead of transferring them via an optical fibre connection. Future systems applying this technology will help in operation to securely transfer the keys for encrypted communication.

Finally, the project developed a quantum interface and evaluated the performances of a quantum synchronisation of two clocks, leading to disruptive improvements concerning the sensors sensitivity.

QuantaQuest also investigated operational scenarios of use of the previously mentioned quantum technologies to build the next step roadmap for the military application of quantum technologies. Building on the progress made over the past 28 months, QuantaQuest also kicked off a follow up project “ADEQUADE - Advanced, Disruptive and Emerging Quantum technologies for Defence” funded under European Defence Fund (EDF) 2021.

QuantaQuest and PADR

QuantaQuest project is funded under the Preparatory Action for Defence Research (PADR) call on the topic “Future Disruptive Defence Technologies – Emerging Game-changers”, subtopic “Quantum Technologies for defence applications”.

PADR was launched by the European Commission in 2017 to assess and demonstrate the added value of EU supported defence research and technology (R&T). It paved the way for a proper European Defence Programme to come as part of the European Defence Fund (EDF), under the EU’s Multiannual Financial Framework (2021-2027). 

The PADR implementation is run by EDA following the mandate via a Delegation Agreement between the European Commission and EDA signed on 31 May 2017. Under this agreement, the Commission entrusts EDA with the management and implementation of the research projects launched within the PADR. 

Americas Boeing won a $102.7 million cost-plus-fixed-fee modification, which exercises options for the production and delivery of ten P-8A increment three retrofit A-kits and provides for three retrofit kit A-kit installs, in support of anti-submarine warfare capabilities upgrades for the Navy. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; and Mesa, Arizona, and […]

Americas According to the Defense Post, the US Air Force is seeking a vendor to integrate the upcoming Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) nuclear missile on the B-52H Stratofortress bomber. The service expects the vendor to build and integrate the Bomber Weapon Interface Equipment (BWIE) on the aircraft in support of the LRSO. The US military remains […]

Americas BAE Systems has delivered the US Marine Corps’ first Amphibious Vehicle Command and Control (ACV-C) variant following tests ensuring its mission-critical effectiveness. The ACV-C is part of a $256.8-million production contract for the vehicle’s Personnel and Combat variants. The production is estimated to be worth $111.5 million. BAE Systems is currently producing and developing Personnel, […]

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $23 million modification for Global Hawk (RQ-4) aircraft sustainment. The contract modification is for the purchase of replenishment spares for operational use and to support depot repair. This modification also provides an option for procurement of an additional quantity of spares. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of […]

RQ-4A Global Hawk (click to view full) Northrop Grumman’s RQ-4 Global Hawk UAV has established a dominant position in the High Altitude/ Long Endurance UAV market. While they are not cheap, they are uniquely capable. During Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), the system flew only 5% of the US Air Force’s high altitude reconnaissance sorties, but […]

Americas Bell Boeing won a $23.3 million modification, which exercises an option to provide continued flight test support for the V-22 Osprey aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and the government of Japan. Work will take place in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas and Florida. Expected completion date is in January 2025. Boeing won a […]

Harpoon in flight (click to view full) The sub-sonic, wave-skimming GM-84 Harpoon is the US Navy’s sole anti-shipping missile, with the minor exception of small helicopter-borne AGM-119B Penguin missiles. The Harpoon has been adapted into several variants, and exported to many navies around the world. At present, the Harpoon family includes AGM-84 air, RGM-84 sea/land, […]

Americas Northrop Grumman won a $16.5 million firm-fixed-price delivery order for the KC-135 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) Generation 3 Pods. This effort supports the production of the LAIRCM pod for the KC-135 aircraft. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by March 23, 2026. The US Army […]

Dassault Rafale (click for cutaway view) Will Dassault’s fighter become a fashionably late fighter platform that builds on its parent company’s past successes – or just “the late Rafale”? It all began as a 1985 break-away from the multinational consortium that went on to create EADS’ Eurofighter. The French needed a lighter aircraft that was […]

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $101.5 million deal for AEGIS development and test sites operation and maintenance. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey and is expected to be completed by January 2028. The Aegis Combat System is an advanced integrated naval weapons system developed by the United States. It is primarily designed for […]

Americas Sikorsky won an $18,4 million modification, which definitizes a previously awarded change order modification (P00009) and adds scope to provide logistics and airworthiness support for CH-53K Heavy Lift aircraft configuration changes for the government of Israel. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in February 2026. Naval Air […]

Americas The US military is looking for a new sniper rifle that can strike targets at extremely long range. According to a notice, the weapon must be capable of delivering precise fire at a range of up to 2,500 meters or 1.6 miles. It should also have a modular design, with overall length and weight […]

Americas Raytheon won a $34.4 million modification to exercise options and provide incremental funding for engineering and technical services in support of SeaSparrow missile systems programs. This contract action combines purchases for the US government; and the governments of Japan, and Chile, under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work is expected to complete December 2025. […]