Belarus begins military drills near border with Poland and Lithuania

On the same subject

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  November 8, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Northrop Grumman to Support the Australian Defence Force’s Joint Data Network

  CANBERRA, Australia – November 6, 2019 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract by the Australian Defence Force Tactical Data Link Authority (ADFTA) to deliver tactical data link (TDL) systems and training as part of the development of the Australian Defence Force's (ADF) Joint Data Network. ADFTA ensures TDL-functionality to achieve single, joint and combined TDL interoperability for the ADF. “Northrop Grumman has extensive experience in networking and tactical data links across multi-domain forces, and a robust capability roadmap that will deliver increasingly enhanced data link technology in the years ahead,” said Chris Deeble, chief executive, Northrop Grumman Australia. “The Northrop Grumman engineers that delivered the F-35 Multifunction Advanced Data Link and communications, navigation and identification technologies will now be developing the ADF's future TDL technology.” The technology at the core of Northrop Grumman's advanced multi-TDL system provides vital connectivity between legacy 4th generation platforms and advanced 5th generation platforms, as well as future data links and networks. This is critical as forces seek to maximize the long term value of existing platforms and systems by making certain that they can interoperate with emergent 5th generation capabilities. As a leading global systems integrator and data link provider, Northrop Grumman's experience includes the software and hardware of individual communication systems; and the architectures, implementation and scalability of TDL systems and services. Awarded earlier this year, the three-year contract advances the long-term relationship between Northrop Grumman and ADFTA. Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter, @NGCNews, for more information. View source version on Northrop Grumman Corporation: https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-to-support-the-australian-defence-forces-joint-data-network

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  February 14, 2019 | International, Naval

  Navy Awards Boeing $43 Million to Build Four Orca XLUUVs

  By: Ben Werner The Navy awarded Boeing a $43-million contract to build four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) that will become multi-mission for the service, according to a Wednesday Pentagon contract announcement. Boeing based its winning Orca XLUUV design on its Echo Voyager unmanned diesel-electric submersible. The 51-foot-long submersible is launched from a pier and can operate autonomously while sailing up to 6,500 nautical miles without being connected to a manned mother ship, according to the Navy. Eventually, the Navy could also use the Orca XLUUV for mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, electronic warfare and strike missions, according to a Navy outline of the system's capability development. The company acknowledged a USNI News request for a statement on the award but did not issue one as of this posting. The Navy also considered the Lockheed Martin Autonomous Underwater Vehicle system. In October 2017, both companies received design phase awards – $43.2 million to Lockheed Martin, $42.3 million to Boeing. Meanwhile, the Navy is also exploring the possible use of Large Diameter Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (LDUUVs) as another rapid acquisition program. The LDUUV would be a vehicle launched from either a Virginia-class fast attack submarine or from a surface ship. LDUUVs could perform similar missions as the XLUUV, however, the LDUUV would need to remain relatively close to the mother ship instead of operating autonomously like the XLUUV. The following is the Navy contract announcement: The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $43,000,000 fixed-priced-incentive modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6307 for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements. The Orca XLUUV will be an open architecture, reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle. The Orca XLUUV will be modular in construction with the core vehicle providing guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, power distribution, energy and power, propulsion and maneuvering, and mission sensors. The Orca XLUUV will have well-defined interfaces for the potential of implementing cost-effective upgrades in future increments to leverage advances in technology and respond to threat changes. The Orca XLUUV will have a modular payload bay, with defined interfaces to support current and future payloads for employment from the vehicle. The competition for XLUUV requirements is still in source-selection, and therefore the specific contract award amount is considered source-selection sensitive information (see 41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101 and 3.104) and will not be made public at this time. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (29 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (27 percent); Waukesha, Wisconsin (8 percent); East Aurora, New York (7 percent); Concord, Massachusetts (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (5 percent); Smithfield, Pennsylvania (4 percent); Attleboro, Massachusetts (3 percent); City of Industry, California (3 percent); El Cajon, California (3 percent); Fairfield, New Jersey (2 percent); Ontario, California (1 percent); and Farmingdale, New York (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by June 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $43,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. https://news.usni.org/2019/02/13/41119

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  April 22, 2024 | International, Aerospace

  How L3Harris is shoring up its small satellite supply chain

  The president of L3Harris’ space systems sector, recently sat down with C4ISRNET to discuss the challenges of developing a diverse yet mature supply base.