Munitions Production. The Army on May 29 hosted an opening ceremony for the new Universal Artillery Projectile Lines facility in Mesquite, Texas that will build metal parts for artillery shells to assist in service’s continued push to boost munitions production capacity. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems will operate the new facility, with the Army having previously awarded the company contracts totaling $576 million for design and construction of the plant. “This plant is an important example of how we are modernizing our World War II-era organic industrial base. The Army is spending more than a billion dollars every year to make these critical improvements,” Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said at the facility opening.
Tender Australia.
The U.S. Navy submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS-39) arrived in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, on May 28 for a regularly scheduled port call. This is the first port call of the ship’s current deployment that started on May 17. The vessel has several Royal Australian Navy sailors onboard as part of the Personnel Exchange Program to help ramp up Australian naval expertise in maintaining and managing nuclear-powered attack submarines under the AUKUS agreement. “Bringing the tender here lets us cooperate at a unit-to-unit level and rehearse the interoperability needed to support each other’s forces around the globe,” AS-39 Commanding Officer Capt. Brent Spillner said in a statement. Last year, Under Secretary of the Navy Erik Raven said the Navy would conduct submarine maintenance work in Australia using AS-39 in Australia this summer for the first time, featuring 30 exchange sailors from Australia on the vessel.
BALTOPS 2024. The 53rd annual NATO exercise in the Baltic region, Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2024, is set to have a pre-sail conference in Lithuania on June 4 and take place from June 7-20. This year’s edition is set to feature more than 50 ships, 85 aircraft and 9,000 personnel from 19 NATO allies. This includes four Amphibious Task Groups and Multinational Task Units taking part. The Navy said “this is set to be the largest assembled coalition of amphibious forces in the Baltic Sea, as well as the largest assembled coalition of Mine Countermeasure forces in NATO.” Participants this year include Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the U.S. The Nayv noted while Sweden has participated for over 10 years, this will be the first time it is included as a full member nation of NATO.
Four Star Bribery. Retired Adm Robert Burke was arrested on May 31 alongside two business executives in a bribery scheme where he allegedly steered workforce training contracts to a company in exchange for future employment. Burke last served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) and Africa as well as commander of Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy from 2020 to 2022. While the Navy initially terminated a contract with the company in late 2019, the executives allegedly met with Buke in July 2021 to reestablish a business relationship with the Navy. The Justice Department alleges in that meeting they agreed Burke would use his position to steer a sole-source contract to the company and influence others to award another contract to it in exchange for future employment there. Burke started working at the company in October 2022, after retiring from the Navy, for a salary of $500,000 and a grant of 100,000 stock options. Burke and the executives are charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and bribery while Burke is also charged with performing acts affecting a personal financial interest and concealing material facts from the United States. If convicted, Burke faces up to 30 years in prison.
Ground Robots. The Marine Corps has awarded Roboteam an initial $30 million production order to deliver 130 of its Micro Tactical Ground Robot (MTGR) systems. Roboteam said on May 28 the order is part of a larger contract that will ultimately cover delivery of 200 MTGR robots. “We are honored that the U.S. Marine Corps has selected the MTGR to enhance their arsenal of combat engineering robotics. Proudly selected by Tier-1 customers globally, our unmanned platforms empower defense forces to execute missions efficiently while prioritizing soldier safety,” Matan Shirvi, CEO of Roboteam, said in a statement. “We have customized the MTGR to meet the U.S. Marine Corps’ operational needs, enabling them to maintain unmatched battlefield supremacy while enhancing their daily operational capabilities.” Roboteam described MTGR as a “highly maneuverable, lightweight and man-portable robotic platform. Its robust design and agile mobility, including advanced capabilities such as stair-climbing and self-righting, excel in both indoor and outdoor terrains. Whether deployed for Explosive Ordnance Disposal missions, special operations, or tactical maneuvers, the MTGR’s unparalleled performance and adaptability ensure superiority in navigating and overcoming field challenges,” the company said in a statement.
FMTV Order. The Army has awarded Oshkosh Defense a $108.9 million order for additional Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles A2 (FMTV A2) and trailers, the company said on May 28. The new award covers FMTV A2 trucks and trailers for the Army and foreign military sales customers. “Our continued partnership with the U.S. Army underscores Oshkosh Defense’s commitment to equipping our nation’s Warfighters with the most advanced tactical wheeled vehicles in support of Army modernization,” Pat Williams, Oshkosh Defense’s chief programs officer, said in a statement. “We are pleased to provide these capabilities to allied partners around the globe.” The Army in late January detailed plans to extend its FMTV contract with Oshkosh Defense for another three years, estimating it may order an additional 1,343 vehicles over that period.
TITAN. Strategic Technology Consulting (STC) said on May 29 it’s part of Palantir’s team developing the Army’s Tactical Intelligence Targeting Access Node (TITAN) intelligence ground station. STC, a subsidiary of Arcfield, is delivering the “collaborative digital environment” for TITAN, which it said will “serve as the ‘single source of truth’ for the program to increase systems engineering efficiency by eliminating rework caused by document-based engineering.” “STC is excited to have been selected by Palantir to join its superb team of partners to deliver this next-generation capability to the warfighter,” Dan Reineke, STC’s president and general manager, said in a statement. “We are eager and ready to get to work supporting the Army in their shift from traditional systems engineering to an all-digital model.” Palantir beat out RTX in early March to continue developing TITAN, and is currently working to build 10 prototypes for the next phase of the program.
Gray Eagle 25M. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) said on May 31 the Army National Guard (ARNG) has placed an order for 12 Gray Eagle 25M UAS, the latest variant of the drone that features an updated engine and advanced avionics capabilities. “Equipping ARNG Divisions with organic GE 25Ms makes possible the necessary mission planning, targeting, communications, detailed coordination and realistic training needed to employ the systems successfully in combat. GE 25M will allow ARNG Divisions to have Divisional Reconnaissance, Surveillance, and Target Acquisition for the first time,” the company said in a statement. The Army awarded GA-ASI a production contract for Gray Eagle 25M this past December worth up to $389 million, with the company achieving first flight days after the award.
Nuke Amendments. After the House Armed Services Committee blocked adoption during its markup of the FY ‘25 NDAA, Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) is planning to once again offer the same nuclear security-related measures during the House’s floor consideration of the defense policy bill. Garamendi has offered amendments related to removing a requirement to maintain 400 ICBM silos and for the NNSA to produce 80 plutonium pits years, repealing current deadlines for expanding pit production and pausing the Sentinel ICBM program until the Nunn McCurdy process is complete “and the program has been restructured.” HASC voted down each of those measures during its committee markup. The House Rules Committee must still make each amendment “in order” if they’re to be considered during floor debate the week of June 10.
Israeli Firms Banned. France has banned Israeli companies from participating in the upcoming Eurosatory trade show, Europe’s largest defense industry exhibition, according to media reports on May 31. The decision is reportedly due to the French government’s opposition to Israel’s continued operations in the Rafah area of Gaza, where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought refuge during the war. French President Emmanuel Macron this week called for Israel to cease its operations, with his comments following an Israeli airstrike in Rafah that killed 45 Palestinians in a tent camp. Israeli firms that were set to exhibit at Eurosatory from June 17-21 include Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems.
New VTOL UAS. AeroVironment (AV) last week disclosed a new vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned aircraft system (UAS) it is developing, the Wildcat, which was one of six UAS that the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency downselected to move on in the AdvaNced airCraft Infrastructure-Less Launch and RecoverY (ANCILLARY) program. The autonomous Group 3 UAS is designed for ship-based operations and leverages AV’s SPOTR-Edge machine learning-enabled computer vision technology. AV said it is designing and developing the tail-sitting Wildcat specifically for ANCILLARY and that the UAS meets the program’s objectives for a 450 nautical mile mission radius, 12-hour endurance on station, and 60-pound payload. Group 3 UAS have a maximum gross take-off weight under 1,320 pounds. If AV is selected for the second phase of ANCILLARY, Wildcat will be flight tested in 2026.
Tiger Strike. U.S. and Malaysian forces are conducting a bilateral training exercise in Malaysia, named Tiger Strike 2024, running from May 29 to June 6. The Navy said the goal is to increase “combined, joint combat readiness and amphibious capabilities that can be applied across a range of military operations at sea and ashore.” The exercise includes about 300 servicemembers from the 10th Parachute Brigade and about 1,100 U.S. Marines and Sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD-25).
Counter-Drone Investment. ZeroMark, a defense technology startup developing an artificial intelligence-enabled automatic-aiming system for counter-drone applications, has received $7 million in seed funding. Lead investors include the venture capital firms Ground Up Ventures and Andreessen Horowitz. ZeroMark said its auto-aiming system turns a standard infantry rifle into a counter-drone weapon by leveraging computer vision and precision robotics. “Our mission is to empower every soldier with a cost-effective, highly portable counter-drone solution that delivers unparalleled performance,” Joel Anderson, ZeroMark’s CEO, said in a statement. The company refers to its system as a “handheld Iron Dome.”
…Counter-Drone Demo. Allen Control Systems (ACS), which has developed an autonomous gun turret that detects, identifies, and defeats unmanned aircraft systems up to the Group 3 size, last week said it will conduct its first public demonstration of the Bullfrog at the Defense Department’s TREX 24-2 event in August. The company said that Bullfrog was the only kinetic defeat solution selected for the Technology Readiness Experimentation 2024. Bullfrog is integrated with an M240 machine gun turret. TREX is part of DoD’s Rapid Defense Experimentation Reserve. In April, ACS announced it had raised $12 million in a seed funding round led by Craft Ventures.
Defense Innovation with Singapore. The Defense Department and Singapore Ministry of Defence last week signed a Defense Innovation Memorandum of Understanding related to adopting and scaling commercial technologies for shared operational challenges. The two agencies are also launching joint challenges to collaborate on shipboard counter-drone systems and electromagnetic interference resilience. The MoU was signed by DoD Defense Innovation Unit Director Doug Beck and Tan Peng Yam, chief defence scientists at the Ministry of Defence.
LCAC 109. The Navy took delivery of another Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) from Textron Systems on May 29, the Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC) 109. LCAC 109 is the first delivery of the 15 craft in a follow-on contract from the initial SSC detail design and construction contract. These vessels are capable of carrying 60- to 75-ton payloads of weapon systems, cargo, equipment and assault element personnel. They are built with similar clearances and dimensions as the older legacy LCACs but have improvements in engines, higher payloads, simpler maintenance and fly-by-wire controls. The Navy plans to procure up to 72 SSCs, each with 30-year expected service lives. Textron is now in serial production on LCACs 110-122.
T-AO 205 Work Done. Vigor said on May 29 it finished an eight-month Post-Shakedown Availability (PSA) on the USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) at its Swan Island shipyard facility in Portland, Ore. T-AO 205 is the lead ship of its class of new replenishment oilers for the Navy as part of Military Sealift Command’s fleet. The ship is now headed into active service. Vigor said this PSA had it incorporate systems improvements and post-delivery upgrades found to be needed during initial sea trials. Vigor said this PSA included a full redesign and install of the steering gear system and machining of all propeller blade palms and blade bolt recesses.
Orbital Debris. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) is to propose a floor amendment to the FY 25 defense authorization bill that would require Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to submit a report to Congress “on the risks posed by debris in low earth orbit and to make recommendations on remediation of risks and outline plans to reduce the incident of space debris.”
Propellant Mixing for Solid Rocket Motors. Rep. Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) says in a proposed floor amendment to the FY 25 defense authorization bill that “domestic production capabilities for solid rocket motors have inherent limitations due to the mixing technology that is currently in use, a technology that hasn’t changed for over 60 years, for which there is a single supplier, and which is particularly vulnerable to foreign object debris.” Northrop Grumman has said that its three 1,800-gallon solid rocket motor propellant mixers in Magna, Utah are the only ones in the United States. Obernolte’s proposal would direct the Air Force “to pursue efforts to research, develop, and demonstrate advanced propellant mixing technologies for solid rocket motor propulsion systems.” The proposed amendment says that “new, efficient, and ecologically friendly solid rocket motor mixing technologies have the potential to assist in ramping-up tactical missile production in anticipation of increased global instability.”