Defense`s Feeds

Americas Boeing won a $50 million modification, which exercises options to procure eight P-8A Increment 3 retrofit A-kits, to include associated special tooling in support of anti-submarine warfare capabilities upgrades for the Navy.  Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida; and St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in July 2026.  Fiscal 2023 […]

Americas Science Application International won a $102.5 million to exercise options for the production, spares, production support material, engineering support and hardware repair of components for MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo All Up Round. This modification is in support of the MK 48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program. This contract combines purchases to support the Navy, […]

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $32.5 million modification, which adds scope to design, develop, and establish the F-35 NextGen Open Mission services in support of the Mission Planning Enterprise Software, encompassing the usage of modern cloud-based technologies and modern software methodologies for the Joint Strike Fighter Program. Work will take place in Fort Worth, Texas; […]

Americas The US Army has exercised a $76.1-million option to provide extended support for its Shadow tactical aerial drones. Under the agreement, Shadow developer Textron Systems will continue to supply maintenance, logistics, and field services for the fleet through 2023. The effort is being coordinated with the Shadow systems’ ongoing transition to the Block III configuration, […]

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has successfully closed the first phase of two projects focused on harnessing the potential of lithium-ion technology and electrified powertrains in military platforms. The results of the two projects, ELUVAT and LITBAT I, sought to put alternative power sources to the unique tests demanded by operational requirements. They have respectively shown the feasibility of an advanced electrified powertrain to meet military demands and sought to broaden the use of lithium-ion battery systems in defence applications with a set of requirements their use in a military setting and in future procurements.

ELUVAT and LITBAT I are both prepared within EDA’s Capability and Technology Group "Ground Systems” and have been executed by a consortium composed of industrial and research entities from across Europe.

ELUVAT

ELUVAT I (Innovative electric light utility all-terrain vehicle for defence purposes), involves the development of an all-terrain electrical light utility vehicle based on an existing legacy vehicle with a conventional driveline, to be modified by introducing an advanced electrified powertrain with in-wheel electric motors.

In the first phase, involving Slovenia (lead), Austria, Germany and The Netherlands as contributing Member States and Switzerland, the concept has been developed and validated through simulation, which covered space claim, weight, and performance issues, and has compared the new powertrain with the conventional powertrain. Different options for the power source of the electrified powertrain have been considered: a dedicated hybrid internal combustion engine, a battery pack, and a Polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell to be operated by hydrogen.

The results of this first phase have made it possible to demonstrate the feasibility to meet operational requirements, highlighting critical issues and technological opportunities, and to choose the best architecture for the technology demonstrator that will be developed in a second phase.

The project also supports EU goals on energy efficiency and lowering the carbon footprint in the defence domain and is consistent with EU strategy on hydrogen, while also providing an opportunity for the development of dual use applications.

LITBAT I

LITBAT I which focuses on safety concepts and safety features of lithium-ion batteries and standardisation of most common battery format for lithium-ion technology, involves Austria (lead) and Germany, as contributing Member States, and Switzerland.

The projects aim at providing Military End Users with a set of requirements as a basis for specifications to be used in future procurement procedures. As lithium-ion batteries have become a prevalent power source in military applications due to their superior energy density and long service life they can exhibit thermal runaway if subjected to misuse or accidents, resulting in the emission of flames.

Despite this potential drawback, the benefits of utilising lithium-ion batteries in military operations far outweigh the risks. During LITBAT I, military requirements have been systematically gathered, aligned, and analysed to derive design specifications for safer and more resistant lithium-ion battery systems. Based on the first phase’s results, a representative battery system for land platform applications will be developed and tested in a follow-on phase.

Pan-European Consortia

“ELUVAT I” has been executed by a consortium composed of eight industrial and research entities:  the Austrian AVL List as project leader, the German AVL Schrick, the Swiss GDELS-Mowag, HyMove and Saluqi Motors from The Netherland and AVL-AST, Elaphe Propulsion Technology and University of Ljubljana from Slovenia.

“LITBAT I” has  been executed by a consortium composed of six industrial and research entities:  the Austrian AVL List as project leader, AVL Schrick and ICT Fraunhofer from Germany and GDELS-MOWAG, Berner Fachhochschule and Armasuisse as Swiss partners.

European Defence Agency

EDA supports its 26 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 Raytheon won a $77 million modification, which adds scope to procure five APY-10 Radar System production kits, as well as provide non-recurring engineering to address obsolescence issues within the Receiver Exciter Processors and Radar Data Centers in support of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft for the government of Germany. Work will be performed in McKinney, […]

Americas The US Navy awarded Gibbs & Cox a $39.6 million future surface combatant force (LSCF) design and engineering contract. The contract, through February 2024, supports the next-generation guided-missile destroyer (DDG(X))and other emerging ship concepts. It also includes feasibility studies in support of the broader navy fleet. President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday that Moscow would suspend its participation […]

Americas The US Air Force has contracted Raytheon Technologies to produce new advanced propellers for its C-130 Hercules aircraft. Valued at $135 million, the agreement will require the company to deliver NP2000 propeller systems, including electronic control systems and spare parts. According to Raytheon, the eight composite-bladed propeller system will improve the performance of the […]

Americas The Charles Stark won a $95.1 million modification, which exercises fiscal 2023 options to provide technical and engineering services necessary to maintain and sustain the Trident II Strategic Weapon System MK 6 Guidance subsystem. The effort also includes a requirement for strategic guidance, navigation, and control subject matter expertise and resources to plan and […]

Americas A Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Alabama, killing two crew members who were part of the Tennessee National Guard. The aircraft went down on Highway 53 near the intersection of Burrell Road in Madison County during a routine training mission. The crash sparked a fire that left the helicopter a “total loss,” according […]

The European Defence Agency (EDA) issued its call on February 15 for applications for the 2023 edition of the Defence Innovation Prize, which this year is dedicated to technologies for situational awareness and technologies for communication and information systems. A total of two prizes (one prize per category) will be awarded for the best innovative ideas. The prize-winners are expected to propose ideas which would, if implemented between now and 2030, contribute to improving and enhancing specific EU defence capabilities. 

The winning ideas or concepts will each be awarded €30,000. 

The EDA Defence Innovation Prize aims to stimulate defence technological innovation in Europe by supporting non-defence Research and Technology (R&T) communities and innovators who are set to play an ever-bigger role in developing and producing Europe’s future defence capabilities.

From 2023, the EDA Defence Innovation Prize is now under the umbrella of the Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI), a  new platform for innovation lead by EDA that was established in March 2022 by the EU’s Strategic Compass for Defence and Security. The innovation prize complements other HEDI’s services such as the EDA Research, Technology and Innovation Papers Award 2023.

How to apply? 

The deadline for submitting applications is 15 June 2023. 

The contest rules and application criteria/details can be found here, (plus the annexes to the call for applications and more information here). 

The prize will be awarded during EDA's annual conference in Brussels in December. 

What is expected from applicants? 

Submitted innovations must be the applicants’ own intellectual property. However, submissions may include improvements of existing ideas, new combinations, or adaptations thereof and which are applicable in a different context. The applicants must demonstrate the innovative added-value of their ideas, compared to what already exists.  

Proposals must be innovative, implementable through a collaborative project and financially affordable in terms of future development and exploitation. 

The contest is especially, but not exclusively, aimed at non-traditional defence industries, including civil or dual-use producers, and researchers as they play a growing role in inventing and creating the disruptive capabilities that Member States’ armed forces will need tomorrow. 

The rules of the contest and the criteria for participation are available here. 

No specific defence background is required to be considered for the prize, and consideration is open to innovators from all types of industries and research institutions in EDA Member States, including defence and civil/commercial producers, large companies, start-ups / SMEs, and civil research communities. 

Americas BAE Systems has been awarded a $466-million contract to supply its M109A7 Paladin self-propelled howitzers to the US Army. According to a US Department of Defense announcement, the agreement includes the delivery of M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Support Vehicles. The precise number of howitzers and carriers under order remains to be disclosed. The precise […]

Americas The US Navy’s future USS Richard M. McCool Jr. landing platform dock has received an enterprise air surveillance radar (EASR) antenna. Also known as the SPY-6(V)2, the EASR integrates the service’s aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ships with a uniform hardware and software radar platform. The installation finalizes the delivery of EASR systems for the […]

Americas General Dynamics Mission Systems has been awarded a $5.5-million contract to sustain the US Army’s Prophet Enhanced sensor systems. The agreement, which could grow to $481.6 million, was awarded by the Army Contracting Command on behalf of the Integrated Logistics Support Center (ILSC). The company will provide spare parts and obsolescence risk management for […]

Americas Hamilton Sundstrand won a $135 million deal for C-130 production. The total estimated value of all the options is $573,028,284. The maximum ceiling value of the contract is $708,031,469. This contract provides for manufacturing and engineering support of the NP2000 eight-blade propeller, electronic propeller control system and procurement of initial spares under C-130 for […]

Representatives from 18 European Union Member States held the first meeting of the new Military Computer Emergency Response Team Operational Network (MICNET) on 9 February, following agreement among Ministers of Defence last year.

The establishment of this network of national response teams, individually known as milCERTs, is a substantial step towards enhancing the level of cooperation in the cyber domain at EU level, at a time when computer networks are increasingly contested and the number of cyber-attacks against the EU continues to grow.

Cyberattacks have increased exponentially in the past few years, having serious political, financial, and economic consequences across Europe and beyond.   

The new programme, MICNET, will be managed by the European Defence Agency (EDA) and is the first outcome of the new Joint Communication on the EU Policy on Cyber Defence

NEW METHOD, TRAINING 

Also on 9 February, EDA hosted in Brussels the launch of two other cyber initiatives: the milCERT Interoperability Conference 2023 (MIC2023) and the Cyber Defence Requirement Engineering project applied to the milCERT operational Network (CyDRE4MICNET).

Since 2020, EDA has been developing a framework known as Cyber Defence Requirements Engineering (CyDRE) to provide guidelines for cyber security information, and to establish a system-wide engineering method for all cyber defence projects and activities in EDA.

These can also be shared and used by Member States. It has already been used in maritime surveillance.

With the CyDRE4MICNET project, EDA proposes training Member States representatives on the system’s engineering methodology and using CyDRE along with the management of the new MICNET programme. 

EDA supports its 26 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 General Atomics won a $34.4 million deal, which procures eight mobile ground control stations and six ground data terminals in support of successful operational capability of the Marine Air Ground Task Force Unmanned Aircraft System Expeditionary Medium Altitude Long Endurance MQ-9A Block 5 Reaper air vehicles and ground control stations for the Navy. Work […]

Americas The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has sought proposals for a counter-anti-access(A2)/area denial (AD) drone swarm command and control (C2) system. The Pentagon agency wants the Autonomous Multi-domain Adaptive Swarms-of-Swarms (AMASS) to steer thousands of disparate drones, enabling US and coalition forces to penetrate adversaries’ theater-level A2/AD bubble. The system is intended to […]

Americas Argentina has officially declared its aim to buy 156 Guarani armored vehicles produced in Brazil, having signed a letter of intent on Dec. 23, according to an Argentine government release dated January 23. The agreement, made in Buenos Aires between Argentine Defense Minister Jorge Taiana and Brazilian Brazil’s Foreign Affairs Minister Mauro Vieira, took place […]

Americas Lockheed Martin has announced the successful firing of its Spike NLOS (Non Line-of-Sight) missile from the Apache Echo Model V6 helicopter. The demonstration was performed by the company’s Precision Strike team at the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona. During the trial, the chopper launched two Spike missiles towards a stationary target in two different […]