Shield AI to let Hivemind software fly three more aircraft

On the same subject

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  August 3, 2020 | International, C4ISR

  BAE Systems completes $1.9 billion acquisition of Raytheon’s military GPS business

  Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — BAE Systems has completed its $1.9 billion purchase of Collins Aerospace's military GPS business from Raytheon Technologies Corporation, BAE announced July 31. “Today marks the culmination of a tremendous team effort, and we are extremely proud to welcome the Military GPS employees to our company,” said John Watkins, vice president and general manager of precision strike and sensing solutions at BAE. “Together, we will build on our rich histories of providing superior, innovative capabilities to help protect our U.S. and allied warfighters.” The acquisition follows the merger of defense contracting giants United Technologies Corp. and Raytheon into Raytheon Technologies Corporation in June. The U.S. Department of Justice had approved that merger in March, but only on the condition the companies divest UTC's military GPS and large space-based optical systems businesses, as well as Raytheon's military airborne radios business. The two companies had already struck a deal with BAE in January, which saw BAE purchasing Collins Aerospace's military GPS business from UTC for $1.9 billion and Raytheon's airborne tactical radio business for $275 million. The military GPS business includes a workforce of 700 employees that design and build advanced, hardened, secure GPS products, including devices that can utilize M-Code, a more secure U.S. military GPS signal. The business boasts more than 1.5 million GPS devices installed on more than 280 weapons systems. “This partnership will enable us to build on our market leadership and bring new discriminating capabilities to our customers, including the U.S. Department of Defense and its allies,” said Greg Wild, director of military GPS. “We're excited to be joining the BAE Systems family. They appreciate our legacy of innovation and will provide opportunities for continued business growth and success.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2020/07/31/bae-systems-completes-19-billion-acquisition-of-raytheons-military-gps-business/

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  October 5, 2021 | International, C4ISR, Security

  Air Force squeezes new cyber defense teams out of its communications squadrons

  The Air Force has officially created three new mission defense teams focused on cyber defense of local installations and missions.

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  September 7, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  Viasat wins contract for internet aboard Air Force One

  By: Kelsey Atherton Air Force One's most important mission is to support managing an apocalypse. The daily function of the vehicles is, of course, regular transport of the president of the United States, an airborne White House that transports the functions of the executive branch to wherever it may travel. But it is as a command center in crisis, up to and including nuclear war, that the special modifications of highly customized Boeing 747s are most valuable. In all of that, it is the ability of the airplane to continue to communicate with people on the ground that matters most. On Sept. 6, the United States Defense Information Systems Agency awarded Viasat a contract worth $55.6 million a year to provide U.S. government senior leader and VIP aircraft with in-flight broadband and connectivity services. Valued at $559.8 million for the base year and seven follow-on years, the contract may, in a major crisis, prove that value in maintaining a consistent chain of command. Viasat first won a contract to provide the bandwidth in 2016. “The service enables an elite connectivity experience with the ability to use the in-flight broadband connection to stream full-motion high-definition video for en-route command-and-control (C2) missions,” says Viasat. It also, Viasat continues, allows the people on board the connected aircraft “to access real-time intelligence and other location-based, live-sensor data for critical decision-making and more.” With the broadband provided by the Viasat connection, a president on board Air Force One can receive the relevant intelligence reports, communicate with counterparts elsewhere in government and the military, and then respond to the crisis by crafting an appropriate response. Or even a tweet. https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/2018/09/06/viasat-is-now-responsible-for-internet-aboard-air-force-one