Rob Weiss, a Lockheed Martin executive, has said the company could deliver training aircraft three years earlier than 2024 that would help the U.S. Air Force save $1 billion in training and maintenance costs over a six-year period, Defense One reported Thursday. Marcus Weisgerber writes Weiss, executive vice president and general manager of advanced development programs […] More

MBDA has appointed Pasquale Di Bartolomeo, Dave Armstrong and Gianni Bongianni to new roles within the company in a series of executive appointments. The company said Monday Di Bartolomeo, executive group director for strategy, will take the additional role of managing director of MBDA Italia as successor to Antonio Perfetti, effective immediately. Di Bartolomeo was with Leonardo-Finmeccanica prior to joining MBDA in […] More

CAE has reported $76.3 million in defense contracts from sector customers such as U.S. military agencies and other companies Insitu and Rotorsim. The company said Tuesday the U.S. Air Force and Navy have exercised contract options for continued KC-135 tanker and T-44C aircrew training services respectively. Work to support the Air Force’s KC-135 program will […] More

A report from research firm Visiongain estimates that global revenue for military land vehicle electronics will reach $3.3 billion this year. The company’s “Military Land Vehicle Electronics Market Report 2016-2026” report also predicts that technology development efforts will help drive sales growth for the sector over the next 10 years, ReportBuyer said Monday. Vistronics also forecasts China will experience a significant increase […] More

Poland is considering whether to buy Sikorsky-built S-70i Black Hawk helicopters through the aircraft manufacturer’s locally-based subsidiary PZL Mielec, Flightglobal reported Monday. Bartosz Glowacki writes Antoni Macierewicz, Poland’s defense minister, said that he met with Mielec’s chief executive and the government looks to finalize a procurement deal by the end of the year. Macierewicz added the acquisition will be open to all interested manufacturers […] More

Northrop Grumman has shipped an initial batch of Common Infrared Countermeasure missile defense systems to the U.S. Army as part of an engineering and manufacturing development contract awarded in August 2015. The Army received the CIRCMs after the company completed software qualification tests to evaluate the system’s performance and compliance with program requirements, Northrop said Tuesday. CIRCM is designed to help protect rotary […] More

Marc Allen, president of Boeing’s international business, has said Canada is evaluating data from five potential contractors that could help replace the country’s fleet of CF-18 aircraft, Reuters reported Monday. Leah Schnurr writes Canada requested information such as aircraft features and economic factors from Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Saab, Dassault Aviation and the Eurofighter Typhoon consortium comprised of BAE Systems, Leonardo-Finmeccanica and Airbus Group. […] More

Britain-based industrial team UK Dragonfire will conduct the Laser Directed Energy Weapons Capability Demonstrator under a potential $39.2 million deal with the U.K.’s ministry of defense. MBDA said Friday the group will look to mature the country’s high energy laser weapon systems capacity as well as technologies for a high energy defensive laser weapon system that can engage with targets […] More

Lockheed Martin and Elbit Systems have partnered to compete for a contract to update the U.K. army’s fleet of Challenger 2 tanks. The U.K. subsidiaries of Lockheed and Elbit Systems will submit a bid to the U.K. defense ministry to extend the British army’s main battle tanks through 2035 under the Life Extension Project, Lockheed […] More

Lockheed Martin has delivered a 30th updated Merlin Mk2 helicopter to the U.K.’s military during a ceremony at a Leonardo facility in Yeovil, England. The delivery was part of a $985.2 million contract that required 30 Mk1 helicopters to be upgraded in support of the British navy, the company said Thursday. Each helicopter contains new radars, sonar systems, infrared cameras and large flat, […] More

The U.K. military has selected MBDA to demonstrate a capacity to field laser-directed weapons that can potentially urge the country’s navy and other services to utilize similar systems, Defense News reported Sunday. Andrew Chuter writes MBDA leads a bid team called UK Dragonfire that includes BAE Systems, Leonardo-Finmeccanica, Marshall Defense and Aerospace and Qinetiq to develop a solid state high power demonstrator weapon […] More

A team comprising General Dynamics, DRS Technologies and Leonardo-Finmeccanica will build a training facility in Comox, British Columbia if the team wins a $3 billion contract to build search-and-rescue aircraft for Canada. Former Canadian Air Force chief Steve Lucas told a press conference that Team Spartan offers to construct a 73,000-square-foot building to serve as the location for the group’s […] More