August 1, 2023 | International, Aerospace, Security, Other Defence
Adaptive engine work feeds sixth-gen fighter design, says US Air Force
The Air Force is adapting AETP features into the future Next Generation Air Dominance platform’s engines.
February 25, 2019 | International, Aerospace
SpaceX, ULA each get Air Force contracts for trio of space launches
By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — The battle between military space juggernaut United Launch Alliance and its upstart rival SpaceX continues, with the two companies splitting a collection of launch contracts worth $739 million awarded by the Air Force on Tuesday.
ULA, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, picked up a $442 million award for three launches, while Elon Musk's SpaceX nabbed a $297 million contract for another three launches. Each company will be responsible for “launch vehicle production, mission integration, mission launch operations/spaceflight worthiness, and mission unique activities,” according to the contract award.
ULA will deliver the following payloads as part of its contract:
- Silent Barker, a secret payload developed by the Air Force and National Reconnaissance Office, which will improve situational awareness after it is launched in fiscal year 2022.
- SBIRS GEO-5, the fifth geostationary satellite in the Space Based Infra Red Sensor constellation, will improve early warning for missile launches. SBIRS GEO-5 is set to be launched in FY21.
- SBIRS GEO-6, the sixth geostationary satellite in the SBIRS constellation, could be launched in FY22, but no firm date has been set.
Meanwhile SpaceX will launch these payloads:
- NROL-85, a classified intelligence payload launched for the NRO, expected to be launched in FY21
- NROL-87, another classified NRO payload set for a FY21 launch date.
- AFSPC-44, an Air Force satellite also set to be launched in FY21. The service hasn't released much information about this payload's capabilities or purpose.
The contracts were awarded by the Air Force's Space and Missile Systems Center as part of the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program.
In a statement, Lt. Gen. John Thompson, commander of SMC and program executive officer for space programs, defended the service's strategy of awarding launch contracts in a way that balances rewarding low-price bids while also maintaining competition among rocket makers.
“The competitive award of these EELV launch service contracts directly supports SMC's mission of delivering resilient and affordable space capabilities to our nation while maintaining assured access to space” he said.
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August 5, 2024 | International, Land
Rheinmetall to buy South African engineering firm to meet ammo demand
Germany’s Rheinmetall is boosting its plant-engineering business to meet growing demand for ammunition factories.
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August 16, 2018 | International, C4ISR
Sprint toward new missile-warning satellites begins with first contract award to Lockheed
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force is racing to kick-start its new accelerated program to buy next-generation missile warning satellites, awarding a contract on Aug. 14 to Lockheed Martin for the first three satellites in the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared program. The award, which has a value of up to $2.9 billion, will allow Lockheed to do the design work, flight hardware procurement, early manufacturing and risk-reduction work necessary for a critical design review, the service said in a statement. Lockheed is set to provide the three geosynchronous Earth orbit satellites in the Next-Gen OPIR constellation. "As we develop these new systems, speed matters," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said in a statement. "We are focused on providing a missile warning capability survivable in a contested environment by the mid-2020s." More specifically, the Air Force has said it plans to launch its first Next Gen OPIR satellite in 2023, two years earlier than its original plan to begin fielding the replacement for the Space Based Infrared System, or SBIRS, which called for first launches in 2025. Gen. John Hyten, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, was one of the biggest critics of the Air Force's original procurement strategy for a next generation SBIRS. In December, he called the service's plan to field the new constellation by fiscal 2029 “ridiculous” and said it could be done faster. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/space/2018/08/15/sprint-towards-new-missile-warning-satellites-begins-with-first-contract-award-to-lockheed