January 15, 2020 | International, Aerospace
By Frank Wolfe
Lockheed Martin is to integrate the Raytheon Next-Generation Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (DAS) into all F-35 variants over the next two years under a nearly $99 million contract announced by the Pentagon on Dec. 30.
The system is to provide "360-degree situational and environmental awareness day or night," according to Raytheon, for navigation, missile and aircraft detection and tracking. The pilot's helmet is to receive high-resolution, real time imagery from six external infrared cameras.
Northrop Grumman developed the current AN/AAQ-37 DAS, but bowed out of a bid for the follow-on program in 2018, as company executives said that the pay-off would be higher for other business opportunities. Lockheed Martin is to perform the integration work on the new Raytheon DAS in Ft. Worth and finish the work by July 2022 for delivery to the F-35 fleet beginning in 2023 with production Lot 15 aircraft.
As Pentagon officials follow congressional direction to reduce F-35 sustainment costs and improve aircraft performance, Lockheed Martin has said that the Raytheon DAS will lead to more than $3 billion in life cycle cost savings, a 45 percent reduction in unit recurring costs, a more than 50 percent reduction in operations and sustainment costs, five times more reliability, and twice the performance capability.
Raytheon has also been moving to install the Stormbreaker smart bomb, previously known as Small Diameter Bomb II, on the F-35. Stormbreaker has a tri-mode seeker that uses imaging infrared, millimeter wave, and a semi-active laser to destroy moving targets in adverse weather from up to 45 miles away.
Raytheon said that it completed integration of the Stormbreaker on the U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagle by Boeing in April, 2018. Integration of the Stormbreaker on U.S. Navy F/A-18 E/F aircraft by Boeing and the Lockheed Martin F-35 has begun.
All F-35 variants are to carry Stormbreaker by 2023, according to Raytheon, which said that the F-35 can carry eight Stormbreaker weapons internally and eight on the wings.
June 18, 2024 | International, Aerospace, Security
The single-award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a one-year base period of performance, with four one-year options and one six-month option.
December 18, 2020 | International, Land
By Christen McCurdy Dec. 17 (UPI) -- GM Defense announced Thursday that it has started renovation of an existing General Motors building to support production of the Infantry Squad Vehicle, an all-terrain troop carrier designed to transport a nine-soldier infantry squad. The 750,000-square-foot facility is located in Concord, N.C. Construction at the facility is likely to continue into early spring, with the production line delivering vehicles in April. "We have tremendous momentum behind our ISV win, featuring a first-of-its-kind tactical wheeled vehicle that gives our Soldiers speed, durability and performance to enhance mission success," said Tim Herrick, interim president of GM Defense. "GM Defense is responsible for the design, engineering and manufacturing of the ISV. This facility will enable us to meet our customer's timeline for delivery while continuing our journey to bring commercial technologies and transformative mobility solutions to the defense market." The 5,000-pound ISV is based on the 2020 Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 midsize truck architecture and uses 90 percent commercial-off-the-shelf parts, but is engineered to fulfill military requirements and designed to provide rapid ground mobility. The ISV is light enough to be sling loaded from a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and compact enough to fit inside a CH-47 Chinook helicopter, and includes a Rollover Protection System for transportability on any battleground. The facility is slated to manufacture 649 ISVs in support of the production of the 2,065 vehicles GM Defense is contracted to deliver per a $214.3 million award awarded to GM Defense in June. The deal is the first major award since GM created a defense subsidiary in 2017. GM Defense delivered its first ISV to the Army in October. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2020/12/17/GM-Defense-begins-renovating-NC-facility-to-build-ISVs/4241608253661/
December 26, 2024 | International, Aerospace
The German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, have entered into an agreement with TAURUS Systems for the upkeep and enhancement of the TAURUS stand-off missile system.