29 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC) to deliver US$240 Million in contracted air services to the U.S Air Force

Newport News, VA - July 27, 2020 - Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC), part of the Textron Systems segment of Textron Inc (NYSE: TXT), announced today that it has been selected to provide two U.S. Air Force bases with adversary air live training under the Combat Air Forces (CAF) Contracted Air Support (CAS) program.

Under the awards, worth up to a combined $240 million, ATAC will provide adversary air live training to pilots at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, and Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. The combined awards provide for over 3,000 sorties per year for up to 4.5 years, which will be provided by ATAC's fleet of Mirage F1 fighter aircraft and are expected to commence by Fall 2020.

The awards are part of an initial round of 5 operating locations the Air Force has selected under the CAF CAS program, with the Air Force stating its intention to contract for such services at up to 22 operating locations: 12 for adversary air and 10 for contracted close air support.

"ATAC is thrilled to have been selected to provide adversary training at Luke and Holloman AFBs, enabling us to continue our excellence in providing training to US and allied pilots,” said Scott Stacy, ATAC General Manager. “With additional ATAC F1s and pilots coming online, we are well positioned to expand our flight operations and provide adversary training at additional bases and locations, as needed."

ATAC is the global leader of tactical airborne training, having pioneered much of what are now contracted air services industry standards with a fleet of over 90 aircraft, over 60,000 flight hours, and 20 years of operating experience. ATAC has provided a wide range of contracted air support capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense in locations world-wide, including the Continental United States, Hawaii and the Western Pacific region. ATAC has helped train crews from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps and regularly operates out of as many as 25 different air bases per year.

About Airborne Tactical Advantage Company (ATAC)

ATAC provides tactical flight training and adversary aggressor services for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force, including live military air-to-air, air-to-ship, and air-to-ground training and support services. ATAC comprises the world's leading civilian-provided, tactical airborne training organization and proudly provides the highest quality live training to squadrons, Air Wings, and Battle Groups.

For more information visit: www.atacusa.com

About Textron Systems

Textron Systems is a world leader in unmanned air, surface and land products, services and support for aerospace and defense customers. Harnessing agility and a broad base of expertise, Textron Systems' innovative businesses design, manufacture, field and support comprehensive solutions that expand customer capabilities and deliver value. For more information, visit www.textronsystems.com

About Textron Inc.

Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Artic Cat, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information visit: www.textron.com

Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, changing priorities or reductions in the U.S. Government defense budget, including those related to military operations in foreign countries; our ability to perform as anticipated and to control costs under contracts with the U.S. Government; the U.S. Government's ability to unilaterally modify or terminate its contracts with us for the U.S. Government's convenience or for our failure to perform, to change applicable procurement and accounting policies, or, under certain circumstances, to withhold payment or suspend or debar us as a contractor eligible to receive future contract awards; and risks related to multi-award contracts.

Contact
John Rupp, ATAC
Tel (757) 298-8467
Jrupp@atacusa.com

View source version on Textron Systems: https://investor.textron.com/news/news-releases/press-release-details/2020/Airborne-Tactical-Advantage-Company-ATAC-to-Deliver-240-Million-in-Contracted-Air-Services-to-the-U.S.-Air-Force/default.aspx

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 1, 2019

    4 février 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 1, 2019

    ARMY General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $517,375,800 cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Improved Turbine Engine Program. Two bids were solicited via the internet with two bids received. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $130,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0003). Ravenswood Solutions Inc., Fremont, California, was awarded a $39,906,590 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of hardware components making up two FlexTrain multi-mission instrumentation systems, along with Orion software licenses. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Fremont, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2019. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $39,906,590 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-C-0018). Lockheed Martin Corp. Missile and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, was awarded a $24,969,700 cost-plus-incentive-fee Foreign Military Sales (Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Germany and Republic of Korea) contract for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target, Advanced Capability-3 and Missile Segment Enhancement. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2010 Foreign Military Sales; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $24,969,700 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-F-0196). Raytheon Co., Andover, Massachusetts, was awarded a $19,471,861 modification (P00026) to Foreign Military Sales (Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Romania and Sweden) contract W31P4Q-17-C-0042 for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target missile support center, missile assessments, testing, recertification, and repair activities. One bid was solicited via with one bid received. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $19,471,861 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $9,020,518 modification (P00183) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle trailers, kits, systems engineering and program management. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 procurement, Marine Corps; and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $9,020,518 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. NAVY Andromeda Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $41,977,403 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering support services and associated engineering technical services in support of the Fleet Readiness Center South East's In-Service Support Center. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida (90 percent); Seattle, Washington (2 percent); Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (2 percent); NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia (1.5 percent); NAS Whiting Field, Milton, Florida (1.5 percent); Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, South Carolina (1.5 percent); NAS Corpus Christi, Texas (1.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; seven offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N6134019D0006). DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $21,537,760 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5395 to exercise options for production of the AN/SPQ-9B radar systems and associated equipment. This modification is for the production of five AN/SPQ-9B radar systems; five combat interface kits; three digital signal processor upgrade kits; and three periscope detection and discrimination upgrade kits. The AN/SPQ-9B provides Navy ships the capability to detect and track low-flying, high-speed, small Radar Cross Section anti-ship missile targets in heavy clutter environments. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be complete by April 2021. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $21,537,760 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin – Rotary and Mission Systems, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is awarded $10,939,237 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00019-18-F-2684 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0057). This delivery order provides for the management, sustainment, and upgrade of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System software product baseline and the required system and software documentation for the Navy and the government of the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (98 percent); and Patuxent River, Maryland (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,939,237 will be obligated at time of award, $1,361,805 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($8,687,257; 79.4 percent); and the government of the United Kingdom ($2,251,980; 20.6 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a maximum $39,038,317 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (PZ0003) for an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (H92241-18-F-0022) for finalization of four new-build MH-47G rotary wing aircraft. This action is required to satisfy an urgent need to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft in light of increased SOF operational demands. Fiscal 2018 procurement, defense-wide funds in the amount of $15,817,890; and fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $23,220,427 shall be obligated at time of modification award. The funds are multiyear. The majority of the work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. The delivery order number is W91215-16-G-0001. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aurora Industries LLC,* Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $30,507,300 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for jackets, extreme cold/wet weather, GEN III. This is an 18-month base contract with one one-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with an Aug. 1, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1133). Coachys & Associates LLC,** Roswell, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $28,390,500 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for jackets, extreme cold/wet weather, GEN III. This is an 18-month base contract with one one-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. Locations of performance are Georgia and Tennessee with an Aug. 1, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1134). Ohio Ordnance Works Inc.,* Chardon, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $26,141,125 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for receiver cartridge's. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. Location of performance is Ohio, with a Feb. 1, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0050). Saft America, Valdosta, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $7,920,163 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for storage batteries. This is three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses. Location of performance is Georgia, with a Jan. 31, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0082). JLG Industries Inc., McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $7,572,265 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for atlas rough terrain forklift transmissions and diesel engines. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c) (1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Wisconsin, with a Feb. 1, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Army working capital funds. 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Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a $10,000,000 modification (P0009) to increase the ceiling on contract FA7037-15-D-0001 for the Digital Integration Combat Engagement program. The contractor will perform systems engineering and analysis supporting the research, development, security and accreditation, integration and evaluation of new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor, data link and tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination. Location of performance will be determined on individual task orders is expected to be completed by Feb. 29, 2020. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Acquisition Management and Integration Center-Detachment 2, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (BAH), McLean, Virginia, was awarded a hybrid firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to exercise Option Year 4. The face value of this action is $10,621,332.98 and incrementally funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,655,333; and fiscal 2019 research, testing, development and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,283,307. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $49,940,116. Performance will be at Defense Information Systems Agency and contractor facilities. Proposals were solicited via the General Services Administration (GSA) Alliant Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), and only one proposal from BAH, the incumbent contractor, was received from all GSA Alliant GWAC contract holders proposals solicited (approximately 58). The current action, modification P00056, is to exercise the last option year for the period of performance of Feb. 4, 2019, to Feb. 3, 2020. Award will be made on Feb. 1, 2019, with performance to begin on Feb. 4, 2019. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1047-15-F-0005 P00056). WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Tecolote Research Inc., Goleta, California, has been awarded a $7,718,193 firm-fixed-priced contract. The contract is to procure services for management of the Department of Defense's cost data collection repository, the Cost Assessment Data Enterprise (CADE), used by analysts to develop cost estimates for major acquisition programs. Work performance will take place primarily in Arlington, Virgina ; Goleta, California; and Tacoma, Washington. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,564,914; fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,216,061; fiscal 2019 Defense Acquisition Workforce Development funds in the amount of $680,218; and fiscal 2019 Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration funds in the amount of $257,000 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Feb. 2, 2020. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (GS-00F-052CA). *Small Business **Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1746786/source/GovDelivery/

  • Germany’s to-do list: A spring of (in)decisions is brewing in Berlin

    25 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Germany’s to-do list: A spring of (in)decisions is brewing in Berlin

    By: Sebastian Sprenger MUNICH — As the European Union wrestles to assert its role in world affairs, its members are increasingly looking to Germany and France. But the two allies have yet to find their groove when it comes to weapons cooperation and joint operations. The recent Munich Security Conference added new assignments to Germany's to-do list, taking the already immense expectations of Berlin to a new level. Officials are slated to announce key program decisions this spring that could redefine the trans-Atlantic relationship on a political and industrial level. The government also wants to put teeth to the promise of an operational role together with France by initiating a naval protection mission in the Strait of Hormuz under an EU flag. But Germany is famously sheepish on defense matters, its coalition-government parties CDU and SPD are far apart on key strategic questions, and Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer oversaw an intra-party struggle that some in Germany say left her weakened. Here's a look at some of the key items in Germany's portfolio: Speaking at Munich, French President Emmanuel Macron once again offered French nuclear weapons in the context of protecting EU members, now that the U.K. is leaving the bloc. He largely repeated his points from an earlier speech in Paris, which amounted to an overture to European allies to discuss the issue further. German officials appeared unsure about the whole idea, even though Munich Security Conference emcee Wolfgang Ischinger flagged the proposal as an open invitation that requires a formal response. When asked about the idea, Kramp-Karrenbauer stressed Germany's dependence on the NATO nuclear umbrella, which is underwritten by the U.S. arsenal. Since Macron has ruled out putting his country's atomic weapons under some kind of EU authority, what exactly is on the table, she wondered. For example, does the proposal imply some kind of European nuclear industry — a no-go for Germany? “We must have the conversation,” Kramp-Karrenbauer said. “But I can't imagine coming to a decision that would have us leave the American umbrella only to slip under a French one that is much smaller.” Creative law Germany previously punted on a Strait of Hormuz naval protection mission to protect cargo ships against Iranian harassment, but Berlin wants to try again. Doing it with the Americans is off the the table because Europeans are spooked by Washington's “maximum pressure” campaign, so a strictly European mission would be ideal. And since the French and the Dutch already have sent ships to patrol the crucial waterway under their own moniker, why not expand that mission into an EU-led affair? Putting the mission under the auspices of the European Union would require “better use” of permissions granted in the bloc's founding legal texts, Kramp-Karrenbauer told the Munich conference audience. According to a German Defence Ministry spokesman, that's a reference to Article 44 of the Treaty on European Union. The section says the European Council can authorize a group of countries to carry out certain missions if they have the desire and wherewithal to do so. As for the wherewithal, Kramp-Karrenbauer left open exactly what types of assets the German Navy would be able to contribute to a Strait of Hormuz mission. The timing also remains murky. While the minister mentioned the need for an EU summit on the topic, her spokesman said there was no information yet about when such a gathering could happen. Issue experts have said protecting global shipping lanes should be considered low-hanging fruit for Germany, as the mission is inherently defensive in nature. “It's the mission that Germany should have chosen months ago,” said Jeffrey Rathke, president of the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Tornado warning Replacing Germany's fleet of aging Tornado aircraft is a can of worms like no other. That's because a portion of the fleet is assigned to carry American nuclear-tipped gravity bombs into Russia in the event of a major war. Though largely symbolic, the idea of German pilots using German aircraft to deliver American nukes is something of a quiet cornerstone of trans-Atlantic relations. People here don't like to talk about it much, but the effect is significant. The Tornado aircraft are getting old, which means the nuclear weapons will soon need a new ride. And this is where things get even trickier: Each of the replacement candidates can satisfy one requirement of Berlin's decision-making calculus, but not all of them. Boeing's F-18 fighter jet would represent a political commitment to the United States as the guarantor of nuclear deterrence. In such a scenario, the Pentagon presumably would lean forward to quickly sort out the requisite modifications and certifications, which is no small matter when it comes to nuclear weapons employment. The Airbus-made Eurofighter, on the other hand, would dovetail with plans by Germany and France to build the Future Combat Air System — and prop up local industry at the same time. Airbus said it would consider a pick of the F-18 as a death knell for the futuristic program, a view that France is reportedly also pushing behind the scenes. At the same time, there is the question of the U.S. government's willingness to approve a European aircraft for the most sensitive of missions, especially when the Trump administration already feels cheated by the continent on defense and trade. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, once in the running, is not expected to make a return to the competition, the German Defence Ministry spokeswoman told Defense News. Kramp-Karrenbauer said she will decide by the end of March. Speaking at Munich, she also hinted at a new round of fundamental discussions about the nuclear-sharing mission in general. “That is the political dimension of the decision that we have to debate within the coalition,” she said. “I want to have that debate relatively quickly, as we need clarity.” Three strikes? The “Taktisches Luftverteidigungssystem,” or TLVS, is one of those German word creations that sounds as complicated as it is. The program would replace the venerable Patriot anti-missile system that's been in service for decades. Made by Lockheed Martin and its German junior partner MBDA, it boasts several new features, like 360-degree radar, interceptor coverage and open-data architecture. Crucially, Berlin wants complete control over all system components, as opposed to simply buying something akin to a license for using American-made gear, which is how many weapon sales work. While officials had been gung-ho about the program, things have gone quiet since last December, when the government disclosed that contract negotiations over the industry consortium's second offer weren't going as expected. At the time, the plan was to conclude talks by the end of the year, though that didn't happen. As of earlier this month, the talks were still ongoing, according to the defense spokeswoman. “The negotiations are on a good track,” she told Defense News. Once considered a must-have project by Berlin, TLVS' future may now look iffy, especially given there is talk of yet another, third offer to be solicited from the vendor team. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/munich-security-conference/2020/02/24/germanys-to-do-list-a-spring-of-indecisions-is-brewing-in-berlin/

  • Missile Defense Agency picks 2 vendors for hypersonic weapon tracking sensor prototypes

    26 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial

    Missile Defense Agency picks 2 vendors for hypersonic weapon tracking sensor prototypes

    Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — The Missile Defense Agency selected two companies to build prototype sensors capable of tracking hypersonic weapons from space. L3Harris and Northrop Grumman will create the prototypes for the agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor. L3Harris won a $122 million award Jan. 14, while Northrop Grumman received a $155 million award Jan. 22. In tandem with the Space Development Agency's tracking layer, the HBTSS constellation is the Pentagon's answer to hypersonic weapons, which are too dim to effectively track with current sensors in geostationary orbit and can potentially avoid terrestrial sensors. The constellation will be closer to the planet's surface in low Earth orbit, allowing sensors to more easily see the dimmer threat. However, being closer to the Earth's surface results in a far narrower field of view for each satellite. In order to get worldwide coverage, the Pentagon is pursuing a proliferated constellation made up of dozens of satellites. SDA's tracking layer satellites will initially pick up a threat, with each satellite tracking the weapon and then passing off custody to the next satellite as the weapon leaves its field of view. Ultimately, the threat will be passed on to the more sensitive HBTSS, which can provide targeting data. “The combination of high speed, maneuverability and relatively low altitude of some of the emerging advanced missile threats makes them challenging targets for our current missile defense systems,” the agency said in a statement. “HBTSS is needed, since we cannot populate the Earth and the oceans with terrestrial radars to meet this need. The ‘birth-to-death' tracking that HBTSS can provide when integrated with terrestrial sensors will make it possible to maintain custody of missile threats from launch through intercept regardless of location.” Four companies were in the running to build the new HBTSS prototypes, but MDA stated on Jan. 22 that L3Harris and Northrop Grumman will be the two moving forward into the on-orbit prototype demonstration. The other transaction authority contracts covers the prototypes through launch and early on-orbit testing. According to MDA, the prototypes should “demonstrate the sensitivity and fire-control quality of service necessary to support both the emerging hypersonic threat kill chain and dim upper-stage ballistic missiles.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2021/01/25/missile-defense-agency-picks-two-vendors-for-hypersonic-weapon-tracking-sensor-prototypes

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