Defense`s Feeds

Americas General Dynamics won a $151 million modification for long lead time material associated with the Virginia Class submarines SSN 814, SSN 815, SSN 816, and SSN 817. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Spring Grove, Illinois; York, Pennsylvania; Annapolis, Maryland; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Windsor Locks, Connecticut; Cleveland, Ohio; and other locations, and […]

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has launched a call for contributions for market research on innovative unmanned solutions for military logistics. EDA actively engages in market research to discover innovative unmanned technologies for military logistics applications, collecting inputs from commercial entities about their innovative products and services.

The survey aims to identify and understand the market readiness regarding capabilities of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and Unmanned Ground Systems (UGS) that can support military logistics. The platforms should be able to transport a payload of at least 5kg.

EDA intends to create a representative overview of available solutions, including general technical specifications and operational capabilities.

Participate in the survey by 15 March 2024 and contribute to shaping the future landscape of military logistics.

• Access the questionnaire here 

Americas Bell Boeing won a $11.5 million modification, which adds scope to procure three shipsets of proprotor gearboxes in support of the Nacelle Improvements Step 2 requirement for CV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Amarillo, Texas; Fort Worth, Texas; and Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed in January 2026. Naval Air […]

Americas The US Air Force has tapped Merlin Labs to test autonomous flight technology for the KC-135 aerial refueling aircraft. The stepwise approach will begin with reducing crew workload and then proceeds to reduced crew operations, the Boston-based aviation technology firm explained. A reduced workload could help the crew avoid costly mistakes.  Autonomous uncrewed operations at […]

Americas Raytheon won a $38.2 million order for the procurement of AEGIS modernization kits for Navy guided-missile destroyers and allied nations. This contract combines purchases for the US. Navy; and the governments of Japan and Australia, under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work is expected to be completed by February 2028. Naval Sea Systems […]

Americas Ecuador’s foreign minister said the country did not plan to send Soviet-era weapons to Ukraine after the president’s vow to do so sparked a spat with Moscow over banana and flower exports. “Ecuador will not send any war material to a country that is involved in an international armed conflict,” Foreign Minister Gabriela Sommerfeld told […]

Super Tucano Embraer’s EMB-314 Super Tucano trainer and light attack turboprop continues to rack up global orders, solidifying its position as the globe’s pre-eminent manned counter-insurgency aircraft. The latest order set of about $180 million expands the plane’s footprint into 3 African states: Angola, Burkina Faso, and Mauritania. They join Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican […]

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $8.1 million modification by the US Navy to exercise options for Combat System Ship Integration and Test on Littoral Combat Ships and Large Unmanned Surface Vessels. Work will be performed in Camden, New Jersey; Pittsfield, Massachusetts; Jacksonville, Florida; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Moorestown, New Jersey; San Diego, California; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and […]

South African JAS-39D (click to view full) As a neutral country with a long history of providing for its own defense against all comers, Sweden also has a long tradition of building excellent high-performance fighters with a distinctive look. From the long-serving Saab-35 Draken (“Dragon,” 1955-2005) to the Mach 2, canard-winged Saab-37 Viggen (“Thunderbolt,” 1971-2005), […]

Americas SpaceX launched six US missile-detection satellites to low-Earth orbit on Wednesday. They include two Missile Defense Agency Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) satellites and the final four Space Development Agency (SDA) Tranche 0 Tracking Layer satellites of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture. Of the 27 Tranche 0 satellites in orbit, 19 perform data […]

AIM-120C from F-22A (click for test missile zoom) Raytheon’s AIM-120 Advanced, Medium-Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) has become the world market leader for medium range air-to-air missiles, and is also beginning to make inroads within land-based defense systems. It was designed with the lessons of Vietnam in mind, and of local air combat exercises […]

Americas The US Marine Corps is set to test an unmanned boat prototype designed to covertly supply ground troops with missiles. The Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) has already been tested from surface vessels over the last year. However, it will be tested in an operational environment for the first time at Project Convergence Capstone 4 […]

The European Defence Agency (EDA) brought together 19 European Union Member States and NATO, the European Commission and the EU Satellite Centre for a two-day meeting from 14 February to coordinate and streamline efforts, as the EU develops its space strategy for security and defence. The EU Military Staff and the European External Action Service were also present at EDA's headquarters in Brussels. 

The Defence in Space forum was the fifth and largest gathering since its inception in 2022. It discussed the new 2023 EU Capability Development Priorities in space and the tasks assigned to EDA in implementing the EU space strategy.

The  space strategy was proposed by the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the European Commission in March 2023. EDA will focus on providing military requirements to the Commission, as well as developing space education and training for security and defence.

Some EU Member States already have strategies governing the way they work in space. For others an EU Space Strategy for Security and Defence might serve as an inspiration for stronger involvement in the domain. 

Observation, navigation, communication

In the search for collaborative opportunities in space for defence, EDA’s expertise plays a unique role as a bridge between space projects run by different initiatives, such as Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO), the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the EU Space Programme.  

At the February forum, space planners discussed not just the implementation of tasks stemming from the proposed EU Space Strategy but also how to implement the 2023 Capability Development Priorities. They include space situational awareness, access to space, protection of space systems, space-based earth observation capabilities, positioning, navigation and timing, and satellite communication.  

The Defence in Space forum was launched within EDA in October 2022. It was an outcome of the EU’s defence review, CARD, which identified defence in space as a focus area in which collaboration was assessed to be most pressing, most needed, and most promising.   

EDA's wider role  

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.  
 
Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see here. 
 

Americas A Utah National Guard AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter involved in a landing exercise crashed at the South Valley Regional Airport on Monday, February 12, at approximately 1:20 PM. While both pilots (one is from the 419th Fighter Wing) onboard sustained injuries, they are reported to be in stable condition. No other casualties were reported. […]

Americas The US Senate approved $60 billion in funding for Ukraine on Tuesday, but the Republican-led House Speaker indicated his chamber will reject the bill. The $95 billion package includes funding for Israel’s military and key strategic ally Taiwan, but the lion’s share would help Ukraine restock depleted ammunition supplies, weapons and other crucial needs […]

Austal Team Trimaran LCS Design (click to enlarge) Exploit simplicity, numbers, the pace of technology development in electronics and robotics, and fast reconfiguration. That was the US Navy’s idea for the low-end backbone of its future surface combatant fleet. Inspired by successful experiments like Denmark’s Standard Flex ships, the US Navy’s $35+ billion “Littoral Combat […]

Americas L3Harris Interstate Electronics won a $15.1 million for TRIDENT II (D5) Flight Test Instrumentation systems support. This contract award also benefits a foreign military sale to the United Kingdom. Work is expected to be completed by February 8, 2027. This contract is being awarded on a sole source basis under 10 US Code 3204(a)(1) […]

Trident II D5 Test Launch (click to view full) Nuclear tipped missiles were first deployed on board US submarines at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s, to deter a Soviet first strike. The deterrence theorists argued that, unlike their land-based cousins, submarine-based nuclear weapons couldn’t be taken out by a surprise first […]

European Defence Agency (EDA) has published on 9 February 2024 its call for applications to its EDA Research, Technology, and Innovation Papers Award 2024. The competition, now in its second year, focuses on innovative technologies, processes, and applications for enhanced future defence capabilities. EDA is looking to hear from early career researchers before the deadline for applications on 29 March 2024. The awards will be presented at Eurosatory in Paris in June with each prize winner receiving €4,000.

Innovators of tomorrow

This year, papers shall be related to the topic of “Innovative technologies, processes, and applications for enhanced future defence capabilities.” The winning entries will come up with ideas which, if implemented between now and 2035, would contribute to enhance specific EU defence capabilities. Entries will be judged on their quality and impact, with a special emphasis on technology and innovation to help cover the European Union’s defence needs and shortfalls.

The contest aims to promote and support the work of early career researchers by introducing their work to the defence community, stimulate engagement of innovators to widen their access to emerging and potentially disruptive research, and identify areas in which additional investment is needed to address future defence capability needs. 

More than a prize

EDA’s award seeks to increase the visibility and impact of tomorrows innovators, with the contest conceived to offer more than just the financial prize. The winners will have the opportunity to expose their ideas during the dedicated session at EUROSATORY 2024 exhibition and conference in Paris on 19 June, 2024. An official EDA Booklet of papers to be edited and published in a scientific review by EDA, including ISBN (International Standard Book Number) reference. The Best Papers Award and names of the winners will also receive coverage on the EDA website and social media channels.

How to apply?

The deadline for submitting applications is 29 March 2024, with the following documents.

• Rules of Contest
• Annexes to the Rules of Contest
  
  

The contest is open to all citizens of EDA’s 27 participating Member States. For the first time in 2024 the contest is open also to citizens from Switzerland.

HEDI 

The EDA Research, Technology, and Innovation Papers Award is done under the ‘’umbrella’’ of HEDI (Hub for EU Defence Innovation), which is the new platform for innovation, led by EDA, that was established in March 2022 as an action derived from "Strategic Compass for EU Defence and Security’’.

HEDI has the objective of fostering innovative technological solutions following a systemic approach towards cutting-edge military capabilities. Furthermore, HEDI serves as a platform to stimulate and facilitate cooperation on defence innovation while ensuring synergies with related European Commission activities, notably the EU defence innovation scheme, coherence of output with NATO innovation and other EU Defence Innovation organizations.

This Call for Papers complements other HEDI’s services, such as e.g., the EDA Defence Innovation Prizes, or Proofs-of-Concept.

EDA's wider role  

EDA supports its 27 Member States in improving their defence capabilities through European cooperation. Acting as an enabler and facilitator for Ministries of Defence willing to engage in collaborative capability projects, the Agency has become the hub for European defence cooperation with expertise and networks allowing it to the whole spectrum of defence capabilities.  

Member States use EDA as an intergovernmental expert platform where their collaborative projects are supported, facilitated, and implemented. For more details, please see here. 

 

Americas Austal USA has teamed with Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. and Pearlson Shiplift to design and construct a new part of its manufacturing facility in Mobile, Alabama. The “major expansion” will see the development of a hub at the southern portion of Austal’s existing waterfront yard. Three branches of the US military have joined forces for […]