Back to news

May 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace

The U.S. Navy’s New Drone Could Team Up With Stealth Fighters

The U.S. Navy is spending $13 billion buying 72 MQ-25 Stingray tanker drones for its 11 aircraft carriers. The idea is for the Boeing BA-made MQ-25s to refuel manned fighters, extending their range while also relieving the fighter squadrons of their own tanking duties.

But the MQ-25 always had potential to be more than just an aerial-refueler. With its stealthy airframe and high endurance, it could be a surveillance plane and even a light strike platform, too.

At least one fleet community isn't waiting for the Navy and Boeing to adapt the MQ-25 to other missions. The fleet's airborne command-and-control weapons school at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, California, already thinks of the Stingray as more than a tanker.

Robbin Laird, a military analyst and writer, spoke to Cmdr. Christopher Hulitt, the head of the school, and summarized the conversation at Second Line of Defense.

Laird and Hulitt's main point is that the Navy is acquiring new aircraft with highly-sophisticated communications systems and sensors. The F-35C stealth fighter. The E-2D early-warning plane. The MQ-4C high-altitude drone. And the MQ-25.

Where before, E-2s would fly over a maritime battle, detecting targets and relaying commands to fighters, now a new system is coming together. The F-35C, E-2D, MQ-4C and MQ-25 all possess the qualities of a sensor- and command-and-control platform. So instead of passing information just one way—from an E-2 to a fighter—in coming years info could begin moving in all directions.

An F-35C in stealth mode might detect an enemy ship using its passive sensors and beam, via secure datalink, the target's general location to the nearby MQ-25 that just refueled the F-35C. The MQ-25 could hand off the data to an E-2D. The E-2D crew could instruct the operators of an MQ-4C to steer their drone toward the enemy ship's location.

Once the MQ-4C pinpoints the ship, the E-2D could then pass the targeting data back to the F-35C as well as to other allied vessels and planes, all of which could fire missiles. Imagine this whole process happening in minutes.

“It is about deploying an extended trusted sensor network, which can be tapped through various waveforms, and then being able to shape how the decision-making arc can best deliver the desired combat effect,” Laird wrote.

The Navy hopes to deploy the first MQ-25s as early as 2024.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/2020/05/22/the-us-navys-new-drone-could-team-up-with-stealth-fighters/#9bc4fd875e2e

On the same subject

  • UK moves to boost warship protections against ballistic missiles

    January 22, 2024 | International, Naval

    UK moves to boost warship protections against ballistic missiles

    MBDA received contracts worth $515 million to upgrade missile-defense systems so they are effective against a greater range of threats.

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 28, 2020

    May 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 28, 2020

    ARMY Ad Hoc Research Associates LLC,* Havre De Grace, Maryland (W91CRB-20-D-0017); Beshenich Muir and Associates LLC,* Leavenworth, Kansas (W91CRB-20-D-0018); Digiflight Inc.,* Columbia, Maryland (W91CRB-20-D-0019); Integrated Defense Applications LLC,* El Paso, Texas (W91CRB-20-D-0020); Joint Research and Development Inc.,* Stafford, Virginia (W91CRB-20-D-0021); Man-Machine Systems Assessment Inc.,* El Paso, Texas (W91CRB-20-D-0022); and Science and Technology Corp.,* Hampton, Virginia (W91CRB-20-D-0023), will compete for each order of a $249,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract to provide engineering and test support services across all directorates and divisions within the U.S. Army Evaluation Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 27, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. James Construction, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was awarded a $55,050,170 firm-fixed-price contract for the Comite River Diversion Project. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $55,050,170 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0023). Jabez-Absher Small Business JV,* Orting, Washington, was awarded a $42,743,158 firm-fixed-price contract for a 22 Special Tactics Squadron operations facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed at JBLM with an estimated completion date of July 7, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $42,743,158 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-20-C-0005). PRIDE Industries, Roseville, California, was awarded a $20,281,403 firm-fixed-price contract to provide repair and maintenance support to the real property assets of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, Louisiana. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Leesville, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2021. No funds were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army 418th Contract Support Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, is the contracting activity (W91247-18-C-0011). General Electric Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $9,451,807 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance and overhaul of the Stage 1 Nozzle. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 27, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0036). NAVY R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-17-D-4626); Bristol Design Build Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (N62473-17-D-4627); I.E.-Pacific Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-17-D-4628); Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc.,* San Diego, California (N62473-17-D-4629); and Bilbro Construction Co. Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-17-D-4630), are awarded $58,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value including the base year and four option years for all five contracts combined is increased from $240,000,000 to $298,000,000. The contracts are for new construction, renovation and repair of general building construction projects at various government installations located in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. All work will be performed at various federal sites within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility. No funds are being obligated on this award and they will not expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy) funds; operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy) funds; O&M (Marine Corps) funds; and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and 20 proposals were received. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Metron Inc.,* Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $32,199,767 ceiling increase and 36-month period of performance extension modification to previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N65236-17-C-8000 for research and development of a mission planning and execution aid tool to support strategic fleet operations. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia (81%); and San Diego, California (19%), and is expected to be complete by May 2023. This modification brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $52,574,968. Fiscal 2020 research, development, testing and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,362,374 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. Kings Bay Support Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $23,589,660 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification (N69450-11-D-7578) for the exercise of the option to extend services for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. The work to be performed provides for all labor, facilities management, supervision, tools, materials, equipment, incidental engineering, environmental services and transportation to effectively execute base operations support services. Work is expected to be complete by November 2020. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $365,830,721. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,831,705 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Vectrus-J&J Facilities Support LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded a $23,274,230 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-20-D-0011) for base operations support (BOS) services at Naval Support Activity, Annapolis, Maryland, to include services at the U.S. Naval Academy. Work will be performed in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The BOS services to be performed include general information, management and administration, facility management, facility investment, pest control, integrated solid waste management, pavement clearance, special events, utility management, electrical, natural gas, wastewater, steam, water, chiller plant and transportation. Work is expected to be complete by August 2027. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and six option periods, is $154,100,049. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,172,106 for recurring work will be obligated on an individual task order issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and nine proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $17,916,867 modification (P00286) to previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract N00019-06-C-0081. This modification provides logistics, program management, training, configuration management and sustaining engineering support for the H-53K system demonstration and test article aircraft. Work will be performed in Shelton, Connecticut (57%); New River, North Carolina (35%); Patuxent River, Maryland (5%); and Bohemia, New York (3%). This modification includes pre-initial operational test and evaluation scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and software updates as well as product support packages, repair of repairable analysis and identification and interim supply support provisioning. Additionally, various pieces of peculiar support equipment and common support equipment may be identified and procured under this modification. Work is expected to be complete by December 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,500,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded a $15,827,023 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification (N62742-16-D-3552) for the exercise of Option Two under an IDIQ contract for base operations support services at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include facility investment, other (swimming pools), utilities management, electrical, wastewater, steam, water, base support vehicles and equipment, and environmental. Work is expected to be complete by November 2020. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $61,744,502. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army); and fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program contract funds in the amount of $12,228,731 for recurring work will be obligated on modifications to the task order during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land and Armaments LP, Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded an $11,038,019 modification for cost-plus-fixed-fee Contract Line Item Number 8101 to previously awarded contract M67854-16-C-0006 for Phase Two of the design and development for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) medium caliber cannon mission role variant. The ACV program is managed within the portfolio of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (85%); and Aiken, South Carolina (15%), and is expected to be complete by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $3,885,873 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract modification was not competitively procured, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $9,885,077 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification (N62470-14-D-6012) for the exercise of bridge Option Two under an IDIQ contract for base operations support services at Isa Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will be performed at Isa Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain, and provides for but is not limited to all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform galley services, bachelor quarters and laundry services, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system and base support vehicles, environmental, fire emergency services and explosive safety officer services. Work is expected to be complete by August 2020. After award of this bridge option, the total cumulative contract value will be $181,834,599. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,885,077 for recurring and non-recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe, Africa and Central, is the contracting activity. DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $8,774,725 modification (P00007) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61340-19-D-0905. This modification increases the flight hour capacity on base year two of this contract by 1,100 flight hours per month, increasing the total flight hours from 6,500 hours per month to 7,600 hours per month in support of the TH-57 aircraft. Work will be performed in Milton, Florida, and is expected to be complete by May 2023. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Interior Fusion LLC, Largo, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $45,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 115 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a May 27, 2025, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0041). Varec Inc., Norcross, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $9,584,428 firm-fixed-price task-order (SP4702-20-F-0048) against a four-year blanket purchase agreement (SP4702-19-A-0504) for FuelsManager defense deployments and on-site support. This was a sole-source acquisition as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(B). This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are inside and outside the continental U.S., with a May 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio. Genesis Vision,* doing business as Rochester Optical, Rochester, New York, has been awarded a maximum $9,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for optical frames. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a May 27, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DE-20-D-0013). Varec Inc., Norcross, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $8,829,339 firm-fixed-price task order (SP4702-20-F-0049) against a four-year blanket purchase agreement (SP4702-19-A-0505) for FuelsManager defense software maintenance services. This was a sole-source acquisition as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(B). This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Georgia and Virginia, with a May 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio. AIR FORCE Thomas Instrument, Brookshire, Texas, was awarded a $25,334,400 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for remanufacture of B-1B left/right-hand hydraulic heat exchanger. Work will be performed in Brookshire, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 21, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $1,679,680 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8118-20-D-0010). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., has been awarded a $19,354,527 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for the repairs, spares and engineering services relating to the electronic systems test set, ALQ-155 power management system, ALQ-161 defensive avionics system (DAS) and Band 6/7/9 of B-1B ALQ-161 DAS. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 9, 2028. This award is the result of a non-competitive acquisition. Fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds are being used and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8524-20-D-0011). M1 Support Services L.P., Denton, Texas, has been awarded a $12,533,445 firm-fixed-price modification (P00101) to contract FA8106-13-C-0008 for C-21 contractor logistics support services. This modification provides for the exercise of Option Seven, which includes maintenance and repair support of the C-21 fleet. Work will be performed at various locations worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $138,119,030. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Dynetics Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $10,452,506 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for the Laboratory Intelligence Validated Emulator (LIVE) Virtual Constructive (LVC) production and sustainment. The work involved with this effort includes production, test and delivery of LIVE LVC test systems and sustainment of those systems for the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Integration Support Facility, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and other Department of Defense agencies. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by May 27, 2030. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $824,186; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $3,191,926 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8523-20-D-0004). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Azusa, California, has been awarded a $7,304,322 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement modification (P00013) to contract FA8823-17-C-0001 for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program sensor sustainment. This contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for sensor sustainment of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program on-orbit constellation being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Azusa, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Boulder, Colorado; and Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be completed May 31, 2021. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $29,309,850. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missiles Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (H92238-20-C-0001) was awarded a $22,699,935 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft, with modifications in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) requirements. The contract is multi-year and funded with fiscal 2020 procurement, defense-wide appropriations. The majority of the work will be performed in Bridgewater, Virginia. This is a non-competitive award and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2200874/source/GovDelivery/

  • Italy plans to slash half a billion dollars from defense in 2019

    October 25, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Italy plans to slash half a billion dollars from defense in 2019

    By: Tom Kington ROME — Italy will cut €450 million (U.S. $512.3 million) from its planned defense spending in 2019 by suspending helicopter and missile purchases and canceling an office move by the defense ministry to help shore up social welfare and tax cuts, a defense source has told Defense News. Italy's total outlay on defense in 2019 will be announced in parliament in the next few days, as Rome's populist government seeks support by members of parliament for its state budget, which contains billions of euros for a new wage for the unemployed. To free up funds to cover spending, Rome has made its cut to the defense budget, just as most European states are increasing their military outlay. During 2019 all ongoing purchases of NH-90 helicopters for the Italian Army and Navy will be suspended, the source said. Italy is planning to buy 60 NH-90s for the Army and 56 for the Navy at a total cost of €4 billion, with the procurement due to wind up in 2024. Upgrades to Tornado aircraft will also be suspended, said the source, who added that the two measures would save €370 million. Italy's purchase of the MBDA Camm-Er missile defense system will also be put off for a year, saving €30 million in 2019, the source added. Another €50 million — to reach the total of €450 million — will come from the cancellation of plans to move the headquarters of Italy's armed forces out of their separate buildings in Rome's city center to a unified HQ in the suburbs. The plan, dubbed ‘Italy's Pentagon,' was due to cost a total of €1.1 billion, the source said. The source added that F-35 purchases would be “slowed” in order to spread out payments. Italy is currently planning to buy 90 aircraft. Italian defense minister Elisabetta Trenta will discuss the plan with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis when she visits the United States in November, the source said. The Italian coalition government which took office in June combines the anti-migrant League party with the anti-establishment Five Star party, which has long criticized spending on defense in Italy. A second defense source said that the defense ministry was about to publish its much delayed document breaking down the year's defense spending by program, which is normally released in the spring. The source said the document would this year indicate military procurement programs considered “ethical” by the new government. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/10/24/italy-plans-to-slash-half-a-billion-dollars-from-defense-in-2019

All news