The Army’s new priorities — emphasizing heavy armor and robotics — and Rheinmetall’s successes overseas combine to give the KF41 Lynx a fighting chance to be the new Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.Modernizing our supply chain is a national security imperative
Closing supply chain gaps in innovating technology will reposition the industrial base to be a strategic source of value.
Bell and Sikorsky have started building their competing prototypes for the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) ahead of a Final Design Review in November. The vital digital architecture is still in development.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Starting with a summit this December, the Army’s acquisition chief wants to harmonize technical standards across ground vehicles, aircraft, and other systems so they can easily use common components in their design – potentially saving millions – and share tactical data in battle – potentially saving lives.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The Army has big ambitions for the Terrestrial Layer System, meant to detect, decrypt, and disrupt enemy communications. We spoke to the companies that actually have to build it.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The Stryker-mounted TLS and drone-borne MFEW are the first two nodes in a networked arsenal of sensors and jammers to combat high-tech foes.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The Pentagon’s draft “reference architecture,” which also covers high-powered microwave weapons, will be circulated for industry comment early next year.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Global recession has slowed down 5G rollouts, and Chinese overreach has alienated customers, a new CNAS study says – but the US also needs a new strategy that offers an alternative to Huawei.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
How to unlock innovation and savings for DoD: “commercial,” not COTS
Overmatch is fleeting and while traditional acquisitions can’t always keep up with new threats, a different and approved practice can.
Because open-source software lacks the same kind of cyber certification that comes with more sensitive information, it is fertile ground for start-ups looking to work on military data, provided each service makes an open-source library available.
By Kelsey Atherton
The military will consolidate from dozens of different, often-incompatible counter-drone defenses to just seven — with a single common standard for command & control.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The Army’s drive to modernize by 2035 is too big for traditional five-year spending plans, acquisition chief Bruce Jette said. So he’s reviving long-term economic forecasting used in the Cold War.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Despite disruptions worldwide, Future Vertical Lift flight tests, virtual industry days, and design reviews are all moving ahead on schedule or mere weeks behind.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
After decades of building traditional helicopters in traditional ways, contractors must get ready for the Army’s new high-speed Future Vertical Lift aircraft. Small makers of key parts need help.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
After two years of intensive digital engineering, in 2022 the Army will pick either a Bell tiltrotor or a Sikorsky-Boeing compound helicopter to replace the UH-60 Black Hawk.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
To seamlessly share data on everything from target coordinates to engine diagnostics, the Army is developing a standardized Modular Open System Architecture for all its Future Vertical Lift aircraft.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
