Search

Textron’s Secure Cellular Net Could Put Droids On Front Lines

By B.C. Kessner Textron [TXT] last week unveiled FASTCOM, a lash-up of mostly existing intelligence, operations, and communications systems that would allow brigade commanders to set up encrypted 3G or 4G cellular networks and swap information with front line soldiers equipped with smart phones such as Motorola's [MOT] Droid. "We actually have a private 3G Sprint network functioning live here in the basement of the Washington Convention Center," Steven Reid, Textron's vice president, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), told Defense Daily.…

Subscriber-only content. Please log in below.

Not a subscriber or registered user yet?

Please contact us at clientservices@accessintel.com or call us at 888-707-5814 (Monday – Thursday 9:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and Friday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. ET.), to start a free trial, get pricing information, order a reprint, or post an article link on your website.



Congress Updates

House Appropriators Add Restrictions And Reporting Requirement To Battleship, Reject Cut

The chairman’s mark of the House Appropriations Committee’s (HAC) fiscal year 2027 defense appropriations bill funds the administration’s $1 billion request for the BBG(X) Trump-class battleship, but adds restrictions requiring […]


House Appropriators Concerned With ‘Risky’ Reconciliation Approach To Fund Munitions, F-35 Plans

The House Appropriations Committee has raised concern with the Trump administration’s “risky” approach to seeking significant fiscal year 2027 funding for key priorities such as critical munitions and F-35 procurement […]


Lawmakers Push Shipbuilding Accountability And Submarine Reports In House Appropriations Bill

The House Appropriations Committee’s mark of the FY ‘27 defense spending bill includes shipbuilding accountability provisions given increasing cost-to-complete requests and perennially delayed shipbuilding programs. The bill report said that […]


Six F-35Bs Delivered Without Radars Thus Far, Program Director Says

The U.S. Marine Corps thus far has received six F-35B fighters without radars, as the service waits on Northrop Grumman‘s [NOC] delivery of the AN/APG-85 radar, which is to replace […]