Kaine Challenger. Hung Cao, a retired Navy captain, has filed paperwork to run for the Republican nomination to represent Virginia in the U.S. Senate. Cao is the latest Republican to announce a challenge to two-term incumbent Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. In 2022, Cao unsuccessfully ran for Virginia’s 10th Congressional district seat, losing to incumbent Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.).
Lethal Drones.
The Army’s Program Executive Officer-Soldier said on July 4 it has assumed responsibility for the service’s lethal unmanned systems requirement, and has since initiated work on a new program called Low Altitude Stalking and Strike Ordnance (LASSO). The new LASSO capability is intended to be a “man-portable, tube launched, lethal payload munition, unmanned aerial system,” according to the Army. PEO-Soldier is utilizing an urgent capability acquisition pathway to rapidly deliver LASSO to Infantry Brigade Combat Teams, while the Army’s Maneuver Capability Development and Integration Directorate is working on developing the enduring requirement for a future program of record. “We’re really excited to partner with industry and bring this capability to our IBCTs,” Maj. John Dibble, assistant product manager for LASSO, said in a statement. “This anti-tank capability is a key contributor to our efforts to increase the lethality of the Army of 2030’s IBCT and maintain overmatch against our near-peer threats.”
Taiwan FMS. The State Department on June 29 approved a potential $332.2 million foreign military sale with Taiwan for 30mm ammunition. The deal includes 30mm High Explosive Incendiary-Tracer rounds, 30mm multi-purpose rounds and 30 mm training rounds to be produced by Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. “The proposed sale will contribute to the sustainment of the recipient’s CM34 Armored Vehicles, enhancing its ability to meet current and future threats. This ammunition will contribute to the recipient’s goal of maintaining its military capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
Romania FMS. The State Department has also approved a potential $105 million FMS case with Romania for cryptographic devices to upgrade 32 F-16 fighter jets the country is set to receive from Norway. Romania signed a $425.6 million deal with Norway last November for the transfer of the Lockheed Martin-built F-16s, which has also received approval from the U.S. government. The new FMS case also includes for AN/PYQ-10C Simple Key Loaders, Joint Mission Planning Systems, Night Vision Device aviator vision systems and spare Image Intensifier Tubes and electronic warfare database support for Romania’s future F-16s. “The proposed sale will improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by bolstering its operational readiness while enhancing air and defense capabilities with a modernized fleet,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
New Leidos Facility. Leidos last week said it will open a new 150,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in North Charleston, S.C., that will be used to manufacture security detection equipment used at airports, shipping ports, border crossings and critical infrastructures around the world. The $31.7 million investment is for the Leidos Security Enterprise Solutions business and will bring more manufacturing back to the U.S. The facility, which will be the third U.S. manufacturing site for the security business, is expected to be fully operational in the first half of 2024.
Navy Arctic UAS. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global last week issued a request for information for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) capable of ice detection and mapping, domain awareness, object recognition, payload delivery, GPS-limited navigation at high latitudes, launch and recovery from air bases and surface ships, and long endurance in arctic winter temperatures in fog and day and night. The Navy is also interested in sensors and communications systems that can be integrated in Group 1, 2 and 3 UAS for maritime domain awareness, automated target recognition, and meteorological conditions assessment, ice detection, classification, and mapping. ONR Global is planning a live demonstration for “standout systems” in December at Oliktok Point, Alaska, and a potential follow-on event for “successful candidates” in March 2024 in Greenland.
Artemis Acquires SightLine. The private equity firm Artemis last week said it has acquired SightLine Applications, a developer of imaging on-board artificial intelligence and machine learning-enabled video processing solutions used in unmanned aerial and ground vehicle systems, and pan-tilt-zoom electro-optical platforms. “As an established market leader in edge video processing with a talented team and blue-chip customers, we believe SightLine is well positioned to benefit from the anticipated growth in unmanned real-time applications in defense and commercial markets,” Euan Milne, Artemis principal, said in a statement. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
AFWERX Autonomy Award. Darkhive last week said it has received a $5 million Phase II small business innovation research contract with the Air Force AFWERX Prime to integrate and test next-generation autonomy software into various uncrewed aerial system (UAS) platforms. “In order to achieve dynamic, autonomous systems both within the U.S. Department of Defense and with foreign partners, we have to break away from fragmented, vendor-locked approaches to software development and secure deployment on uncrewed systems,” Steve Turner, Darkhive’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “By establishing open, accessible, discoverable, and adaptable interfaces, we can unlock the potential for cohesive, collaborative behavior.”