Awarded by the US Defense Information Systems Agency, the agreement covers the continuance of operational and sustainment services for the Pentagon and the National Capital Region’s digital connectivity.

Work for the network, used by over 55,000 users, will be accompanied by the optimization of related IT environments to enhance the “speed, security, and reliability” of the infrastructure.

Associated tasks will be performed for a one-year base period and two six-month options.

“Enhancing the Pentagon’s network infrastructure will further advance technological superiority for our warfighters,” GDIT Defense Senior Vice President Brian Sheridan stated.

“We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with [Defense Information Systems Agency] and reimagining new ways to provide a modern, secure and reliable network.”

GDIT’s Latest DoD Projects

GDIT’s renewal contract followed the firm’s acquisition of a cyber firm based in Florida to improve its ongoing support for the US Special Operations Command and international allies.

In May 2024, the company received a $185-million award to provide digital security services for the US Air Force’s civil engineering division in Texas.

This followed another $922-million project two months earlier to apply a widescale update for the US Central Command’s IT infrastructure.

Alongside technical support, GDIT has also partnered with the Department of Defense to assist in training courses for over 200,000 combatants under the US Army’s III Armored Corps.

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The investment is part of the government’s “Secure Enclave” strategy, which seeks a secure, reliable supply of microelectronic hardware for defense applications.

Funding for the initiative was sourced through Washington’s CHIPS and Science Act, bipartisan legislation signed in 2022 to improve production, supply chains, corresponding research and development, and the workforce associated with the semiconductors used for national security purposes.

“Intel is proud of our ongoing collaboration with the US Department of Defense to help strengthen America’s defense and national security systems,” Intel Federal General Manager and President Chris George stated.

“Today’s announcement highlights our joint commitment with the US government to fortify the domestic semiconductor supply chain and to ensure the United States maintains its leadership in advanced manufacturing, microelectronics systems, and process technology.”

Intel’s award follows another $8.5-billion CHIPS and Science Act award received by the company in March 2024 to develop critical semiconductor infrastructure at multiple US locations.

The project sites will be built in Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon and will incorporate manufacturing and experimentation facilities.

“With this agreement, we are helping to incentivize over $100 billion in investments from Intel – marking one of the largest investments ever in US semiconductor manufacturing, which will create over 30,000 good-paying jobs and ignite the next generation of innovation,” US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said during the previous award.

“This announcement is the culmination of years of work by President Biden and bipartisan efforts in Congress to ensure that the leading-edge chips we need to secure our economic and national security are made in the US.”

The post Intel Bags $3B for Military-Grade Microchip Production in US appeared first on The Defense Post.

The University of Washington’s Milgard Women’s Institute led the discussions focused on strategies for building networks and mentorship. These discussions also addressed how to navigate unconscious bias in a male-dominated workplace.

Participants toured several installations as part of the program, including the 194th Wing and 194th Air Support Operations Group, the 10th Civil Support Team at Camp Murray, the Western Air Defense Sector at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the 141st Air Refueling Wing.

For their part, RTAF officers presented on the role women play in their respective air force and other areas of opportunity. 

“Women bring a unique perspective and leadership style to the military as well as a distinct way of solving problems,” said US Air Force Col. and Director of Staff Carrie Wentzel.

“This foundation will allow us to develop initiatives and strategies to remove barriers and empower females in our respective militaries,” Wentzel added. 

RTAF Squadron Leader Karnchanok “Maestro” Chunyaruck, a C130 pilot and one of only seven female RTAF pilots, explained that this engagement can widen opportunities for women in the RTAF. 

“We also have many, many talented [non-commissioned officers] but they just don’t have the chance,” she said. “This good beginning might be a good initiative that we can bring back and let those females have the opportunity like us to improve themselves, improve the Royal Thai Air Force.” 

US-Thailand Relations

This engagement is part of the US Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program designed for capacity-building with partner nations’ national guard members for future missions. 

The WA ANG and RTAF began their State Partnership Program relationship in 2002. 

Additionally, 2024 marks the 191st year of the military and economic alliance between the US and Thailand.

The post Washington Air National Guard, Thai Air Force Strengthen Ties Through Female Leadership Engagement appeared first on The Defense Post.

The award will help further Reliable Robotics’ work on military cargo missions using autonomous flight systems, while also advancing the commercial development of these systems to meet airworthiness standards set by both the Department of Defense and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The funding comes from AFWERX’s Tactical Funding Increase (TACFI) program, which supports small businesses in developing technologies for military use.

AFWERX official Lt. Col. Josh Fehd emphasized the air force’s need for highly reliable autonomous aircraft systems to support critical air logistics, operational readiness, and tactical air dominance.

Reliable’s Automation System

Reliable Robotics is the only company with an FAA-approved certification plan for full aircraft automation, including all necessary navigation and autopilot systems. 

The company’s autonomous flight technology is built to meet strict FAA standards and integrate smoothly into the National Airspace System.

The aircraft-agnostic system incorporates redundancy, high-integrity navigation, and an “always on” autopilot that is engaged through all phases of operation for enhanced safety and reliability. 

“These contracts have given us access to exercises that have allowed us to demonstrate our technology,” Reliable Robotics CEO Robert Rose shared with The Air Current.

Once the company gains full military approval, “the Department of Defense can just call on us whenever they want, and we can support them with autonomous flights anywhere,” Rose explained.

Matched Funding

Venture capital firm Eclipse Ventures provided matching funds to complement the TACFI award to Reliable Robotics.

“Eclipse believes in the dual-market application of aircraft autonomy and we are excited to provide the commercial matching funds to support this TACFI award for Reliable Robotics to further demonstrate autonomous capabilities for the Department of Defense,” said Eclipse Partner Greg Reichow.

“Reliable is leading the industry with the maturity of its autonomous flight technology, and has made unparalleled progress on certification with the Federal Aviation Administration.”

The post Reliable Robotics Secures USAF Funding to Advance Autonomous Flight Tech appeared first on The Defense Post.

For the initiative, the firm will create a Reactivating Nerve Agent Treatment System (RNATS) to “enhance the current standard of care” for troops and increase their survivability in chemical warfare.

Battelle’s Ohio-based subsidiary CMC Pharmaceuticals will lead the technology’s laboratory production, Good Manufacturing Practice testing, and Contract Manufacturing Organization oversight.

The resulting treatment from the 6.5-year effort is planned to receive Food and Drug Administration approval once completed.

The RNATS Solution

The reactivators incorporated into the RNATS will disrupt the effects of toxic agents by “setting on” the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme, which is an integral part of the human body’s naturally-occurring neurotransmitters.

These neurotransmitters relay signals between neurons, glands, muscle cells, and the brain.

The RNATS technology will be sealed in a vial and be made available for the US military and its allies, the companies noted.

“Our expertise and vast breadth of knowledge in drug product development and manufacturing is a crucial component of this important program,” CMC Pharmaceuticals President Mike Radomsky stated.

“We are excited to begin work with Battelle and the DOD on this program and are honored that our team will help deliver an improved therapeutic to our troops against the threat of nerve agents.”

Expanding CBRN Medical Countermeasures

The Pentagon first revealed the RNATS strategy during a medical countermeasure convention in November 2023.

The event discussed and demonstrated various approaches that could potentially secure the servicemen’s health across the spectrum of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) warfare.

The post Battelle to Develop Anti-Nerve Agent for Pentagon appeared first on The Defense Post.

The MQ-20s will be modified with advanced sensors, data links, and mission systems, enabling them to act as advanced air-to-air threats to current fourth and fifth generation US fighters.

The $98-million prototyping effort is contracted by the Test Resource Management Center (TRMC), an arm of the Office of the Secretary of Defense. 

“GA-ASI (General Atomics) has continued to invest and deploy our open architecture autonomy ecosystem integrated with best-of-breed mission systems,” GA-ASI VP for Agile Mission Systems Jeff Hettick said.

“We are thrilled to partner with TRMC to bring these capabilities that create operationally relevant Red Air surrogates and significantly improve Blue Force mission success in realistic air-to-air training scenarios.”

Revives Canceled AFRL Program

Project Red 5 revives a US Air Force adversary air training program that was canceled in 2023 and has its funds diverted to the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, according to Aviation Week.

American firm Blue Force Technologies was contracted to supply four drones for the Bandit program to act as adversaries for US fighter pilot training.

Blue Force was later acquired by Andrunil and the Bandit drone was offered for one of the two Increment 1 CCA development contracts.

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The $1.9-billion contract covers the manufacture and assembly of the SM-3 in its Block IIA All-Up Round configuration.

Raytheon will facilitate corresponding works at its facilities in Tucson, Arizona, and Huntsville, Alabama.

The project is expected to be completed by February 2031.

The contract follows the US Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s bilateral test of new software supporting SM-3 intercept operations against ballistic missiles.

In 2018, the services conducted their first joint flight trial of the weapon at the Pacific Missile Range Facility at Kauai, Hawaii.

The Standard Missile 3

The SM-3 is a surface-to-air system co-developed by the US and Japan for short to intermediate-range anti-ballistic missions.

Alongside maritime applications, the missile is used for anti-satellite and other low-Earth orbit operations.

The SM-3 weighs approximately 1.5 tons and measures 6.55 meters (21.6 feet) in length.

It is powered by multiple solid-fuel engines as well as a divert and attitude control system for a speed of Mach 13.2 or 4.5 kilometers (2.5 miles) per second.

The missile has a maximum flight ceiling of 1,050 kilometers (652 miles) and a range of 1,200 kilometers (746 miles).

Latest US-Japan Missile Projects

In July 2024, the Japanese Ministry of Defense signed a letter of acceptance to acquire Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles – Extended Range (JASSM-ER) from the US.

The request for the JASSM-ER purchase was approved in August 2023. Four months later, Japan bought Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) as well as Sidewinder missiles from the US.

In January 2024, the US announced a contract for the supply of 400 long-range Tomahawk missiles to Japan. This followed Washington’s approval of a $2.35-billion sale of two Tomahawk prototypes to Tokyo in November 2023.

The post Raytheon to Supply Standard Missile 3 for US, Japan appeared first on The Defense Post.

The five-year effort will optimize network connectivity for 30,000 to 160,000 users including 14 Fourth Estate Defense Agencies and Field Activities (DAFAs), which administers enterprise-wide support for the Pentagon.

Throughout the program, the company will improve the DoDNet domain’s security, preserve its scalability, and assist corresponding operations with “resilient and flexible information technology (IT) solutions.”

These tasks incorporate cybersecurity and technical support, systems engineering, and management.

Leidos noted that the deal will also distribute a new Virtual Desktop solution to enable a dependable network anytime, anywhere on any device for DISA.

Once completed, the initiative is expected to support about 370,000 DAFA users and workstations.

Supporting Migration

According to Leidos, the task order is part of the company’s ongoing $11.5-billion single-award contract with DISA to support the modernization of the DoDNet.

The 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity agreement encompasses different DAFA teams as they migrate from legacy systems to a more advanced and consolidated DoDNet.

Leidos accepted the contract in February 2022 and has leveraged the firm’s Defense Enclave Services framework since the program’s implementation.

“As one of DISA’s largest IT service providers, Leidos is focused on leveraging our innovation, speed, and agility to deliver an exceptional user experience and establish a strong foundation of operations and maintenance support to expand the DoDNet user community,” Leidos Digital Modernization President Steve Hull stated.

“By delivering the standardized DoDNet, our goal is to enable more efficient service delivery and support across DAFAs to advance the mission of our nation’s warfighters and secure our combat operations around the world.”

Recent Network Contracts

Leidos signed a $180-million contract in October 2023 to provide digital healthcare technology for US servicemen.

This contract replaces the DoD’s aging Military Health System Video Connect, ensuring modernized connectivity across hospitals, clinical experts, and warfighters.

One month earlier, the company received a contract to supply tactical IT hardware solutions for the US Army.

The 10-year effort covers existing unified networks under the Joint All Domain Command and Control strategy and will cost $7.9 billion if all options are exercised.

The post DISA Taps Leidos for Defense Network Operations, Maintenance Services appeared first on The Defense Post.

Revealed by the White House during the 2024 NATO Summit, the Icebreaker Collaboration Effort or ICE Pact seeks a “best-in-class” fleet that will address the “expanding presence” of potential enemies and competitors in the High North.

Although specifics have not yet been released, Bollinger said it will leverage its shipyards to aid the program and play a “critical role” in the capacity and know-how for the ships’ development.

The company has a long record of producing vessels for international military customers. Currently, it is engaged with the US Coast Guard’s Polar Security Cutter program to replace the service’s heavy and medium icebreaker vessels by the 2030s.

“As the premiere builder of American-made polar icebreakers, Bollinger Shipyards is proud to support the United States and our NATO allies with our deep expertise and capacity,” Bollinger Shipyards CEO and President Ben Bordelon said.

“Our goal is to create a world-class American-owned shipyard capable of producing the first fleet of American-made polar icebreakers in over half a century, and we’re honored that responsibility lies with Bollinger.”

The ICE Pact

According to the US, the ICE Pact will bolster each participating nation’s industrial base by supporting jobs across shipyards, marine equipment manufacturers, and associated services.

The program’s initial phase will consist of comprehensive information exchange between the members, workforce integration, and the promotion of icebreaker sales to allied and partner nations.

The government wrote that the program’s first six months will focus on the joint implementation plan to construct the vessels.

“This partnership is about more than the collective production of polar icebreakers and capabilities, including Arctic and polar-capable ships,” the White House said.

“It is about providing the capability for like-minded nations to uphold international rules, norms, and standards to sustain peace and stability in the Arctic…for generations to come.”

Canadian Arctic Submarines

During the latest NATO meeting in DC, Canada also announced a new program to build a dozen conventionally-powered submarines to secure all of its three major coasts.

These systems will receive an “under-ice” design that will enable operability in low-temperature environments such as the Arctic Ocean.

Once inducted, the fleet will replace the Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria-class submarines, introduced in the early 1990s.

The post Bollinger Joins US, Canada, Finland Icebreaker Fleet Initiative appeared first on The Defense Post.

The move supports a $10-billion investment to strengthen the alliance between the US and Japanese armed forces and further maintain security in the Indo-Pacific.

According to the Pentagon, the project includes the replacement of 48 F-15C/D combat aircraft stationed at the Kadena US Air Force Base in Okinawa with 36 F-15EXs.

This shift followed a decision in 2022 to employ “newer, more advanced systems” to “uphold treaty obligations” with the Japanese government.

The agency wrote that the Joint Force will continue its rotational presence at the air base using fourth and fifth-generation fighter jets until the transition concludes.

The US Air Force will also withdraw 36 F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from the Misawa Air Base and replace them with 48 F-35A Lightning IIs.

Meanwhile, the US Marine Corps will reconfigure its F-35Bs deployed in Iwakuni as part of the enhanced presence.

The service will sustain “an enduring and rotational aircraft presence” as the transition in the city moves forward.

“​The Department’s plan to station the Joint Force’s most advanced tactical aircraft in Japan demonstrates the ironclad US commitment to the defense of Japan and both countries’ shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” the US Department of Defense said in its press release.

Osprey Returns to Flight

In a separate notice, the US Air Force confirmed that it has resumed flight operations for the  CV-22 Osprey vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft at the Yokota Air Base in Western Tokyo.

This announcement lifts the restriction caused by an incident in late November 2023, in which an Osprey crashed off the coast of Japan and killed eight US airmen.

The air force noted that the decision to pass this order was based on “a meticulous and data-driven approach” and supported by maintenance and procedural mitigation training to ensure the platform’s safe return to flight.

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety of the men and women who operate our aircraft and the safety of our community both on base and in Japan,” Special Operations Squadron Commander Col. Matthew Davis explained.

“These safety mitigation measures have been taken seriously, and we would not fly this aircraft without full confidence in the measures, the maintenance professionals implementing them, and the skilled professionals who fly it.”

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