Officials for the Navy's MQ-25 unmanned aerial tanker program told government auditors they are at risk of having to extend developmental testing by up to three years, echoing previous warnings the service has made since recent funding cuts.
Daily News
June 04, 2020
The Air Force is looking for a new medium-altitude, unmanned aerial system to support intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike missions that can reach initial operational capability in spring 2031.
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The Air Force Research Laboratory's space vehicles directorate is wrapping up a process to determine what new space research areas to invest in and expects to finalize its decision next month.
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The Army is continuing prototype assessments in two units for the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System, an effort to replace the RQ-7 Shadow UAS in brigade combat teams, while a third unit begins testing this month.
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As the T-7A Advanced Pilot Training program moves from design into the build phase, after passing air vehicle and ground-based training system critical design reviews in March, prime contractor Boeing says the program's use of digital engineering tools is reducing the time it takes to integrate hardware and software, increasing quality and providing key analytics as the program crafts future test plans.
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The Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System program has selected 28 initial companies to participate in a new indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracting vehicle to deliver technologies that enable joint all-domain command and control.
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June 03, 2020
The Pentagon today announced plans to install fifth-generation wireless testbeds at seven new bases across the United States, bringing the total number to 12, as the military explores an expanding range of use cases for 5G technologies.
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The Navy will receive its first low-rate initial production aircraft for the Marine Corps' new heavy-lift helicopter program more than a year late, according to a new watchdog report.
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The Maneuver Center of Excellence at Ft. Benning, GA, is proposing to develop a "Heavy Off-Road Mounted Maneuver Training Area" of at least 2,400 acres to train forces under the Army's new "cross-domain movement and maneuver" training strategy, according to a recent notice.
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A new report from the Government Accountability Office reveals a projected six-month delay to the B-52 Radar Modernization Program that will push the beginning of development from this September to March 2021.
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The F-35 joint program office says despite a minor delay in the program's operational test schedule related to the COVID-19 pandemic, program-required test activities are slated to wrap up in the fall. These will be followed by a slate of "runs for score" meant to test the Joint Simulation Environment's integration with the aircraft and its subsystems.
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The Air Force plans to buy eight prototypes of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon -- the service's flagship hypersonic missile that's under development -- according to a new report.
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A new government watchdog report says the Navy is still coping with the effects of faulty welding found in the Columbia-class submarine's missile tube compartments nearly two years after a vendor identified the problem."
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The Government Accountability Office says it is encouraged by the progress the Pentagon has made managing cost growth and schedule delays in its $185 billion portfolio of major acquisition programs, but warns that many programs are proceeding without "fundamental knowledge" or oversight.
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The Defense Department provided new details this week on the memorandum of understanding with an independent accreditation authority that will certify companies under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program.
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June 02, 2020
The chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin said today the company is "exploring" whether it makes sense to adjust for the cost effects of the coronavirus outbreak at a "corporate macro level," rather than altering each program.
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The Army last month halted testing on the newest variant of the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles, the FMTV A2, in the wake of reliability issues that surfaced while being assessed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD, a move that could delay a planned production decision and could force prime contractor Oshkosh Defense to redesign portions of the new truck.
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The Army is bringing together operational and technical experts to advance future technology investments through "Team Ignite," according to the head of Army Futures Command.
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June 01, 2020
The lead ship in the Navy's new class of aircraft carriers is slated to conduct command and control exercises with a Nimitz-class carrier, as the Gerald Ford (CVN-78) continues working through its post-delivery test and trials period.
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The Army plans to restart in July its soldier operational experiment for the Robotic Combat Vehicle at Ft. Carson, CO, which is paused due to COVID-19 restrictions on travel and person-to-person contact.
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