January 15, 2021 | International, Aerospace
WASHINGTON — The Missile Defense Agency awarded L3Harris Technologies a $121 million contract to build a prototype satellite capable of tracking hypersonic weapons, the agency announced Jan. 14.
Under the contract, L3Harris is tasked with building an on-orbit prototype demonstration for the agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, a proliferated constellation in low Earth orbit that is capable of detecting and tracking hypersonic weapons.
The constellation is designed to fill the gap in the country's missile defense architecture created by hypersonic weapons, which are dimmer than traditional ballistic missiles, making them harder to see with the nation's infrared sensors based in geosynchronous orbit. In addition, they are able to maneuver around terrestrial sensors. With China and Russia developing these weapons, the Department of Defense is eager to develop a new constellation that can detect and track the threats anywhere in the world. And so is Congress — in December lawmakers set aside $130 million to fund the project.
The HBTSS design solves the hypersonic weapon problem by placing the sensor much closer to the Earth's surface in the lower orbit, making it easier to see the threat. But because the sensors are closer to the Earth, they have a far more limited field of view than the sensors in geosynchronous orbit. In order to achieve global coverage, the Missile Defense Agency wants a proliferated constellation made up of dozens of satellites on orbit.
L3Harris was one of four companies awarded $20 million contracts in 2019 to develop a prototype payload design and risk reduction demonstration for HBTSS, along with Northrop Grumman, Leidos and Raytheon Technologies. According to the initial contract announcements, work on those designs was due Oct. 31, 2020. With this most recent award, L3Harris has won the subsequent competition between the four companies to build the actual prototype.
The company has also been selected to build satellites for the Space Development Agency that will track hypersonic threats and feed data to HBTSS.
In October, L3Harris won a $193 million contract to build four of the agency's eight wide field of view (WFOV) satellites, with SpaceX building four more.
According to Space Development Agency leaders, their satellites will work in conjunction with HBTSS satellites to track hypersonic threats. The WFOV satellites will provide initial detection and tracing of the weapons, passing custody from satellite to satellite as the threats traverse the globe. Then, the WFOV satellites will pass custody to the medium field of view HBTSS satellites, which can provide targeting solutions with their more accurate sensors.
The WFOV satellites are scheduled for launch as early as September 2022. Work on the HBTSS prototype contract will be complete in July 2023.
August 2, 2023 | International, Security, Other Defence
Transport companies including Thales , MBDA and Fincantieri have won a contract to renovate French and Italian frigates, the French ministry of defence said on Wednesday.
December 2, 2019 | International, Aerospace
MBDA vient de dévoiler qu'il a procédé à plusieurs essais de la version à portée étendue de son missile surface-air CAMM et destinée à fournir une solution commune aux "trois environnements". MBDA vient de dévoiler avoir réalisé plusieurs essais de la version à portée étendue de son missile surface-air CAMM. Un programme de missile initialement lancé par MBDA pour répondre aux besoins des Forces armées britanniques. Le CAMM se décline en version aérienne, terrestre et maritime. Pour la première, il s'agit d'offrir une alternative à l'ASRAAM. La variante terrestre, parfois dénommée "Land Ceptor", doit remplacer les batteries de missiles Rapier de l'Armée britannique tandis que la variante maritime, "Sea Ceptor", doit remplacer les Sea Wolf de la Royal Navy. La variante à portée étendue ou CAMM-ER bénéficie d'un moteur plus puissant pour atteindre, voire dépasser les 40 km. MBDA indique qu'une portée supérieure à 40 km a été confirmée par les essais réalisés depuis plusieurs mois. Le CAMM-ER a été commandé par les Forces armées italiennes dans ses versions aériennes et terrestres tandis que la Marine italienne envisage d'acquérir la version maritime. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/mbda-a-mis-son-missile-camm-er-aux-essais-22126
July 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace
TOKYO, July 28, 2020 - Boeing and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) recently signed a Direct Commercial Sale agreement to support upgrades to Japan's F-15J fleet. The contract is part of a larger $4.5 billion modernization program, announced by the U.S. Government in October 2019. The upgrades will introduce state-of-the-art electronic warfare and weapons. An all-new advanced cockpit system, running on the world's most advanced mission computer, will deliver pilots enhanced situational awareness. Under the agreement, Boeing will provide MHI with retrofit drawings, ground support equipment and technical publications for the upgrade of the first two F-15J aircraft to the Japan Super Interceptor configuration. Boeing has partnered with MHI in the defense arena since the 1950s. MHI produced under license the current Japan F-15J fleet of over 200 aircraft between 1980 and 2000, and will serve as prime contractor for the upgrade. Sojitz Corporation, a trading company that works with Boeing's team in Japan, will support this effort. “Through this agreement, Boeing is honored to further our long-standing tradition of support for Japan's Ministry of Defense, the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and MHI,” said Will Shaffer, Boeing Japan President. “These upgrades will deliver critical capability for national and collective self-defense, in which the F-15J plays a key role. At the same time, they will provide MHI and our partners in Japan's aerospace defense industry with an opportunity to enhance their own extensive engineering capabilities.” This DCS contract lays the foundation of the modernization program. MHI will develop the detailed modification plan for the jets and prepare the facilities and workforce for the induction and upgrade of up to 98 aircraft beginning in 2022. ### Contact: Boeing Communications, Japan Rob Henderson: robert.j.henderson3@boeing.com Shino Yuasa: shino.yuasa@boeing.com View source version on Boeing: https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2020-07-28-Boeing-Mitsubishi-Heavy-Industries-Partner-on-State-of-the-Art-Upgrades-to-Japans-F-15J-fleet