Boeing unveils Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system

The Boeing Company today unveiled the hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye unmanned airborne system, a demonstrator that will stay aloft at 65,000 feet for up to four days.

It defines our rapid prototyping efforts and will demonstrate the art-of-the-possible when it comes to persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The capabilities inherent in Phantom Eye's design will offer game-changing opportunities for our military, civil and commercial customers."

It is very efficient and offers great fuel economy, and its only byproduct is water, so it's also a 'green' aircraft."

Key Phantom Eye suppliers and partners include Ford Motor Company (engines); Aurora Flight Sciences (wing); Mahle Powertrain (propulsion controls); Ball Aerospace (fuel tanks); Turbosolutions Engineering (turbochargers); the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and NASA.

The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, $30 million to begin production of a double-V-shaped hull for the Stryker infantry combat vehicle. Preliminary testing of the new hull has proven that the design increases the level of protection and survivability provided to soldiers.

Deliveries will begin in January 2011 to allow vehicles to be available for use by the Stryker brigade that will rotate into Afghanistan next year, and will be completed by February 2012. General Dynamics employees in Anniston, Ala., and London, Ontario, will produce the vehicles.

The Stryker is an eight-wheeled combat vehicle that is lighter, smaller and more readily deployable than other United States Army combat vehicles. The vehicles are designed in 10 different configurations: Infantry Carrier Vehicle, Anti-tank Guided Missile, Mortar Carrier, Command Vehicle, Reconnaissance Vehicle, Engineer Squad Vehicle, Medical Evacuation Vehicle, Fire Support Vehicle, NBC Recon and Mobile Gun System. It is C-130 transportable, with 14.5-mm basic armor protection.

Northrop Grumman Corporation has received an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) award from the U.S. Air Force to provide mission planning software systems and tools so that warfighters can quickly and effectively plan missions and transfer required data to aircraft avionics.


Northrop Grumman is one of five companies that received an award under the Mission Planning Enterprise Contract II from the Electronic Systems Center, Air Force Materiel Command, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass. The companies will compete for delivery orders with a potential value of $919 million collectively over a five-year base period and five-year optional terms, making the potential period of performance 10 years.

The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company $59.2 million for advanced procurement of critical components of the Aegis weapons system for the next two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, DDG 114 and DDG 115.


The contract represents the latest chapter of the Navy and Raytheon's 30-year partnership on the Aegis program.

Under the contract, the Navy will receive advanced procurement materials and associated services for the AN/SPY-1D(V) transmitter group and MK99 Mod 8 Fire Control System. Raytheon's radar and fire control system equipment is key to the Aegis weapon system's ability to track and defend against multiple threats, including planes and missiles.

L-3 Communications, Nova Engineering, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, is being awarded a maximum value $52,781,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for equipment systems, equipment upgrades and repairs, and program management for the Tactical Remote Sensor System (TRSS) System of Systems (SoS).


The TRSS SoS provides the capability for all-weather remote monitoring of activity within and near a given objective area.

A prototype unmanned combat aircraft of the future, Taranis, has been unveiled by the UK Ministry of Defence for the first time today.

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress July 7 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Australia of 24 MH-60R SEAHAWK Multi-Mission Helicopters and associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $2.1 billion.


The Government of Australia has requested a possible sale of 24 MH-60R SEAHAWK Multi-Mission Helicopters, 60 T-700 GE 401C Engines (48 installed and 12 spares), communication equipment, support equipment, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services.

The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, and the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, announced today that the Government of Canada has awarded a $34.4 million contract to General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada.


Under this contract, General Dynamics will perform trade-off studies, design work, prototype build and testing to define the upgrades that will be incorporated into Canada's fleet of LAV III vehicles.