Defense Industry Daily

F-15C over DC (click to view full) “Array of Aging American Aircraft Attracting Attention” discusses the issues that accompany an air force whose fighters have an average age of over 23.5 years – vs. an average of 8.5 years in 1967. One of the most obvious consequences is the potential for fleet groundings due to […]

Americas The Boeing Insitu Integrator drone demonstrated the dropping of a pair of GPS-guided Shryke munitions. It is part of a program to add strike capability to Integrator, with Corvid Technologies’ Shryke one of several kinetic payloads the drone offers its customers. A NATO Class 1 small uncrewed aircraft system, Integrator has an endurance of 24 […]

Americas Lockheed Martin won a $74 million deal for the AH-64 Apache Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor Performance Based Logistics program. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2024. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has awarded Raytheon a $10-million contract to design […]

AH-64 in Afghanistan (click to view full) The AH-64 Apache will remain the US Army’s primary armed helicopter for several more decades, thanks to the collapse of the RAH-66 Comanche program, and the retirement sans replacement of the US Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH). Apaches also serve with a number of American allies, some of […]

Americas Sikorsky won a $443 million modification for the Black Hawk helicopter program. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2027. Fiscal 2024 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $442,956,422 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is […]

US Army HH-60Ms (click to view full) In July 2012, the US military signed another huge contract with Sikorsky. With production of the Army’s HH/UH-60M, and the Navy’s MH-60S and MH-60R helicopters, all in full swing, there’s no question about the need for future orders. In that environment, multi-year contracts allow efficiencies in purchasing, and […]

Americas Boeing has been awarded a $271-million deal to produce six “remanufactured” MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the US Army. Boeing said the updates to the chopper answer the US Army Special Operations Aviation Command’s need for battle-ready heavy-lift helicopters capable of adapting to increasingly complex missions. The contract brings the total number of Block […]

CH-47Fs take off (click to view full) DII FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record; this FOCUS Article covers the CH-47F/MH-47G Chinook helicopter programs, in the USA and abroad. These helicopters’ distinctive “flying banana” twin-rotor design stems from the brilliant work of aviation pioneer Frank Piasecki. It gives Chinooks the […]

Americas Collins Aerospace won a $34.7 million modification for B-52 aircraft wheels and brakes. The performance completion date is August 31, 2028. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2028 Air Force working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Hill Air Force Base, Utah. […]

B-52H: flyin’ low, dyin’ slow… (click to view full) Officially, it’s the B-52H Stratofortress. Unofficially, it’s the BUFF (Big Ugly Fat F–cker). Either way, this subsonic heavy bomber remains the mainstay of the U.S. strategic fleet after more than 50 years of service. A total of 102 B-52H bombers were delivered from FY 1961-1963, and […]

Americas Lockheed Martin Aeronautics won a $32.3 million deal for F-16 Systems Program Office Foreign Military Sales support. This contract provides for FMS support to Poland for the F-16 Multifunction Information Distribution System-Joint Tactical Radio System Integration. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas; and Poland, and is expected to be completed by December […]

Americas Lockheed won a $13 million modification, which dds scope to provide reach back support for sustainment of all Norway and Italy Reprogramming Laboratory systems, as well as associated consumables and spare material/tooling support in support of the F-35 program for non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Eglin, Florida (80%); […]

Americas Airbus Defence and Space has recently concluded a successful two-week flight-test campaign for its A400M Roll-on/Roll-off firefighting prototype kit. The campaign, conducted in south-western and central Spain, showcased the prototype’s ability to drop 20,000 liters of retardant, creating high concentration lines over 400 meters long on the ground. Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air […]

Americas Kratos won a $23 million modification, which adds scope to provide continued non-recurring engineering in support for the XQ-58A Unmanned Aerial Systems mission systems and subsystems integration for the Marine Corps. Additionally, this modification provides for flight test and demonstration events, associated spares, materials, and repairs. Work will be performed in Sacramento, California; and […]

KC-390 refuels AMXs (click to view full) Global competition in the 20-ton air transport segment continues to intensify, with Brazil’s launch of its KC-390 program. Embraer figures reportedly place the global C-130 replacement market at around 700 aircraft. In response, it will develop a jet-powered rival to compete with Lockheed Martin’s C-130J, the larger Airbus […]

Americas General Atomics Aeronautical Systems won a $389 million deal by the US Army for the purchase of MQ-1C-25M Gray Eagle Modernized Extended Range systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of November 29, 2024. HII Ingalls […]

ER/MP, armed (click to view full) Its initial battles were fought within the Pentagon, but the US Army’s high-end UAV has made its transition to the battlefield. The ER/MP program was part of the US Army’s reinvestment of dollars from the canceled RAH-66 Comanche helicopter program, and directly supports the Army’s Aviation Modernization Plan. The […]

Americas Mercury Mission Systems won a $16.8 million modification, which exercises an option to procure 48 data transfer units and 121 high-definition video recorders for retrofit on F/A-18C-F Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircrafts in support of Small Business Innovation Research Phase III topic N102-0129 titled, “Automatic Real-Time, Reconfigurable Interface Generalization Hardware Multiprotocol Data Recorder”. Work […]

EA-18G at Pax The USA’s electronic attack fighters are a unique, overworked, and nearly obsolete capability. With the retirement of the US Air Force’s long-range EF-111 Raven “Spark ‘Vark,” the aging 4-seat EA-6B Prowlers became the USA’s only remaining fighter for radar jamming, communications jamming and information operations like signals interception [1]. Despite their age […]

Americas Fleet Readiness Center Southwest (FRCSW), a naval aviation repair and maintenance facility based at the NAS North Island, is embarking on a significant transition in naval aviation maintenance as the Navy gradually phases out its legacy F/A-18A-D series. This shift marks the inclusion of the F-16 fighter as a major program for FRCSW’s Depot […]