Back to news

September 5, 2018 | International, Aerospace

Lockheed Martin, General Atomics, Boeing compete for laser-armed drone

By Stephen Carlson

Sept. 4 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin, General Atomics and Boeing have received contract modifications for drone-mounted Low Power Laser Demonstrator system missile defense testing.

Lockheed Martin's contract has increased to a total value of $37.7 million, while General Atomics and Boeing's have been increased to $34 million and $29.4 million respectively, the Department of Defense announced on Friday.

Work for all three companies will take place in various locations across the United States. The contract modifications come from the Missile Defense Agency and can extend as far as July 2019.

Specifications listed include a flight altitude of at least 63,000 feet, the endurance to stay on station for at least 36 hours after a transit of 1,900 miles, and a cruising speed of up to Mach .46 while patrolling its station.

The aircraft needs to be able to carry a payload between 5,000 and 12,500 pounds and sufficient power generation to operate a 140 kilowatt laser, with the possibility of up to 280 kw or more.

The system must also be able to operate the laser for at least 30 minutes without affecting flight performance, and be capable of carrying a one- to two-meter optical system for the laser.

The Missile Defense Agency is responsible for the defense of U.S. territory and its allies from ballistic missile threats. It coordinates a network of land-based and ship-based missile interceptors, along with radars and satellites to detect and destroy enemy ballistic missiles.

ICBMs are at their most vulnerable during their boost phase. A UAV capable of targeting them before they exit the atmosphere would greatly increase the possibility of intercept, the Pentagon said.

https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2018/09/04/Lockheed-Martin-General-Atomics-Boeing-compete-for-laser-armed-drone/9251536091266/

On the same subject

  • The New Trend In Acquisitions: Mergers Of Equal But Different

    January 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    The New Trend In Acquisitions: Mergers Of Equal But Different

    Michael Bruno Woodward, Hexcel, United Technologies, Raytheon, L3 Technologies and Harris at first glance have relatively little in common, except they are mostly midsize suppliers and specialists primarily serving the aerospace and defense (A&D) market. Increasingly, that is exactly why they are pairing up—and if other recent deals are an indication, it could be one of the leading trends this year in A&D mergers and acquisitions (M&A). On Jan. 12, aircraft motion-control specialist Woodward and composites leader Hexcel proposed stock merger to create one of the largest independent A&D suppliers, with capabilities running from wing and engine parts to advanced materials used to make aircraft construction lighter. The companies have minimal sales overlap, which could help ease approval by antitrust regulators. The combined company, Woodward Hexcel, would hold key supplier positions on most major A&D programs, including: the Airbus A220, A320neo, A330neo and A350; the Boeing 737 MAX, 777X, 787 and Apache helicopter; Bombardier Global 7500; Embraer E-Jets E2; Gulfstream G500/600; and Lockheed Martin F-35 and CH-53. Perhaps more important for shareholders, the “merger of equals” between Woodward and Hexcel could become a lucrative stake. According to the companies, their combined revenue of $5.3 billion would place the new Woodward Hexcel sixth among major A&D suppliers (see graph). What is more, the combined company, which will be based in Fort Collins, Colorado, should generate about $1 billion in free cash flow—the proceeds used to fuel shareholder returns—in its first year. In turn, around $1.5 billion is expected to be sent to shareholders within 18 months of the deal's completion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020. Initially, financial analysts who cover publicly traded A&D companies were surprised by the proposed combination. But tie-ups that see midsize specialists combining to provide greater portions of A&D systems and parts are likely to become more commonplace. Last summer, L3 Technologies and Harris paired to form L3Harris Technologies. By the summer of 2020, United Technologies and Raytheon are expected to close their own “merger of equals” to become Raytheon Technologies. “I think this deal is very similar to several other aerospace deals that we've seen the last 3-4 years,” Credit Suisse analyst Rob Spingarn says of Woodward Hexcel. “Right off the bat, it looks a lot like Harris and L3. If you line up the PowerPoint presentations from the two deals, they are almost mirror images of each other.” To that end, all of these companies have talked about increasing the amount of dollars spent on research and development (R&D). However, the so-called synergies from the combination of Raytheon Technologies are years off—assuming they occur at all—while rewards for shareholders will be almost immediate. The CEOs of Woodward and Hexcel assert that they will spend $250 million on R&D in the first full year after the deal closes, which according to analysts, is roughly in line with what they were going to spend separately. At the same time, the combined company expects to cut at least $125 million worth of recurring and redundant costs. Of course, each deal has its own criteria for justification: United Technologies looked to gain heft to fight off Airbus and Boeing supply-chain squeezes; Raytheon needed deeper pockets to fund defense technology plays; and L3 and Harris each wanted to become defense primes. Last but not least, Woodward and Hexcel CEOs say they see genuine opportunities to help commercial aviation become more sustainable through the lighter, more efficient design of aircraft and engines. A&D M&A consultants are preparing to release their year-end summaries for 2019, but dealmakers already are telling Aviation Week they expect a robust environment for M&A deals in 2020, albeit not universally across the industry. For instance, sub-tier commercial aviation suppliers like “mom and pop shops” will continue to be gobbled up, especially by private equity investors directly or through holding companies as they seek to form new middleweight suppliers. Defense technology specialists also remain hot targets, as evidenced by the mid-December announcement that government services heavyweight Leidos is buying boutique aircraft and defense systems provider Dynetics for $1.65 billion. But consolidation in space may take top billing amongst the bevy of startups funded by a venture capital surge in recent years, with major assets such as Maxar Technologies' MDA subsidiary being sold to private equity investors at the end of December. Space-sector combinations could be another major trend for 2020, according to Matt O'Connell, managing partner at Seraphim Capital—the firm that funded the buildup of GeoEye, now a core part of Maxar after MDA. “I think there are a lot of deals out there waiting to be done,” he says. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/new-trend-acquisitions-mergers-equal-different?

  • US Air Force eyes NGAD deliveries by 2030. Can it be done?

    September 27, 2022 | International, Aerospace

    US Air Force eyes NGAD deliveries by 2030. Can it be done?

    "The odds are against it happening" by 2030, John Venable of the Heritage Foundation said. "In the last 25 or 30 years, nothing's come in on time.'€

  • Lithuania to buy US helicopters to bolster NATO capabilities in Baltics

    July 8, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    Lithuania to buy US helicopters to bolster NATO capabilities in Baltics

    By JOHN VANDIVER | STARS AND STRIPESPublished: July 7, 2020 STUTTGART, Germany — The U.S. plans to sell six UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters to Lithuania to boost allied quick response capabilities in a region regarded by some security analysts as one of NATO's most vulnerable. The deal, which will also include a full stock of related Black Hawk gear and weaponry such as M240H machine guns and missile warning systems, is worth $380 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement Monday. The Black Hawks will help Lithuania support U.S. and NATO forces' “rapid response to a variety of missions and quick positioning of troops with minimal helicopter assets,” the statement said. The deal was announced as Lithuania modernizes its armed forces, and one year after the former Soviet republic entered into a new security agreement with the U.S. that calls for closer defense cooperation. “The proposed sale of these UH-60 helicopters to Lithuania will significantly increase its capability to provide troop lift, border security, anti-terrorist, medical evacuation, search and rescue, re-supply/external lift, combat support in all weather,” the agency said. Lithuania, which shares borders with the militarized Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to the south and Russia's strategic partner of Belarus to the east, is considered by many security analysts to be one of NATO's most exposed members. Of particular concern is a 40-mile stretch of land along Lithuania's border with Poland, known as the Suwalki Gap, which, if seized by Russian forces in the event of a conflict, could result in the three Baltic states being cut off from the rest of the alliance. NATO in recent years has added multinational battle groups in Lithuania and the other Baltic states, Latvia and Estonia, as well as in Poland, to act as deterrents against potential Russian aggression. The battle group in northeastern Poland is led by the U.S., and is particularly focused on security around the Suwalki Gap. https://www.stripes.com/news/europe/lithuania-to-buy-us-helicopters-to-bolster-nato-capabilities-in-baltics-1.636600

All news