With Cancellation of E-10 Air Force Moves to Modernize E-8

The US Air Force has been using the E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft for almost thirty years. Originally the Air Force planned to supplement it with the new, E-10 Multi-Sensor Command and Control Aircraft (MC2A); but that program was canceled last year. The new sensor for that system was the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP RTIP) which also is to go on the Global Hawk long range UAV. As MarketWatch.com reports the Air Force is now moving to insert the MP RTIP sensor onto the E-8 airframe. A contract was awarded to Northrop Grumman to begin that process. Read more

US Navy Buys Micro UAV’s

Honeywell was awarded a contract by the US Navy to provide micro, ducted fan Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.  New Mexico Business Weekly reports that the $65 M contract will supply 95 of the systems.  The T-Hawk has already been used in combat situations in Iraq and is a saucer shaped vehicle with the ability to carry video cameras for pin point reconnaissance.  The primary use of UAV like these by the US Military is to provide as close as possible real time intellgence in support of tactical operations.   Read more

Lockheed protests BAMS award

As previously discussed here the US Navy awarded the Broad Aeriel Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) contract to Northrop Grumman. The two losers were Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Now according to this story Lockheed is protesting. Northrop Grumman won with a version of the Global Hawk, Lockheed had proposed a scaled up version of the Predator UAV. It was not surprising that Global Hawk won as the Navy had already tested it, but Lockheed is basing their protest on the word that the Navy found their proposal technically adequate and cheaper then the Northrop one. Read more

Northrop Grumman wins BAMS SD&D contract

As reported yesterday the BAMS DAB was held. The Navy awarded the contract to Northrop Grumman for a version of the Global Hawk long range, large UAV. See a story here. Boeing and Lockheed Martin were the losing bidders. On top of the KC-45 contract this can be seen as a blow to Boeing by Northrop Grumman. Read more

Air Force to decide on F-35 depot

An interesting part of the entry of any new equipment into service is where to have its depot? If the military is using their traditional three level maintenance program the system will require a depot. According to this short article in The Salt Lake Tribune it sounds like the Air Force’s depots, here Hill in Utah, are competing to get the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) work. Read more