Tag Archives: AFRL

The Demonstration and Science Experiments satellite of the Air Force Research Laboratory performed the first space-to-space very low frequency transmission within three months of its launch during a coordinated experiment with the Japanese Space Agency’s Arase spacecraft. The DSX satellite launched in June 2019 to study the interactions of space plasma, radiation belts and radio waves in near-Earth space.

Kratos Defense and Security Solutions has secured a $17.8M contract modification from the U.S. Air Force to continue helping its research laboratory arm develop low-cost, attritable unmanned aircraft systems that are reusable with minimal maintenance. Kratos said Monday it will support various efforts, including the company's own XQ-58A Valkyrie, to develop low-cost attritable aircraft technology.

Aerojet Rocketdyne and the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory conducted hot-fire tests for an 18-foot air-breathing hypersonic engine built in support of the Medium Scale Critical Components initiative.

The U.S. Air Force and Kratos Defense and Security Solutions demonstrated the flight of an attritable XQ-58A Valkyrie unmanned aircraft system designed to require fewer maintenance costs compared to other models. The fifth demonstration of the Kratos-made aircraft took place at Arizona-based Yuma Proving Ground on Dec. 9 with Air Force Research Laboratory under the attritableONE program, Robins Air Force Base said Tuesday.

Northrop Grumman has delivered a spacecraft bus to the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory in support of the Arachne program aimed at demonstrating power-beaming systems in low-Earth orbit by 2024.

An Ohio-based startup company of Aptima will further develop technology the Air Force Research Laboratory designed to monitor the safety of aircraft maintainers who work in tight spaces. AFRL said Friday its 711th Human Performance Wing transitioned the Confined Space Monitoring System prototype to Sentinel Operational Security for final development, demonstration and potential commercialization under the Small Business Innovation Research program.

The Air Force Research Laboratory's space vehicles directorate wrapped up the sixth business accelerator effort intended for small companies from the defense and national security markets.

Two Lockheed Martin officials said the company is working with U.S. military branches to develop directed energy systems to help defend military platforms and troops against various threats, National Defense Magazine reported Monday.

The Air Force Research Laboratory has indicated its intent to award Raytheon Technologies a sole-source contract to demonstrate a weapon system for defending military facilities against drone threats. The company would demonstrate a prototype of the Counter Electronic Highpower Microwave Extended Air Base Air Defense system, AFRL said Thursday in a notice of contract action.

The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory has awarded Descartes Labs a $2.2M contract for the company’s cloud-based analytics platform to support targeting operations for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions.

SES' government solutions business and Isotropic Systems will collaborate on a two-phase initiative to evaluate the potential of a multibeam satellite terminal for military connectivity under a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory and the Army Research Engineering Team.

Battelle has won a potential seven-year, $46.3M contract to help the U.S. Air Force develop a materials engineering concept and support the manufacture of technologies that can withstand extreme hypersonic environments.

Systems and Technology Research has won a potential $8.3M contract from the U.S. Air Force to provide software to support research and development work on models and seed designs related to unmanned underwater vehicles.

A PAR Technology subsidiary has won a potential five-year, $12M contract to help the Air Force Research Laboratory develop technologies and an operational concept. PAR Government Services will use AFRL's Integrated Information Management System Cyber Technology Maturation Framework Form, Fit, and Function framework in R&D, assembly, integration, analysis and testing efforts, the Department of Defense said Monday.

Parsons is scheduled to receive three task orders worth $69M combined later this year to update software applications and perform mission support for the Air Force Research Laboratory.