Global Ordnance and Sparkz disclose plans for 500,000 US-made UAV batteries a year
The companies have outlined plans for US$25 million manufacturing lines and initial deliveries in 2027 as Washington tightens restrictions on Chinese UAV components.
Boeing remains prime on US Minuteman ICBM guidance system
The Minuteman guidance system have logged more than 40 million hours of continuous operation. (Photo: US DoD)
Boeing will continue to to maintain readiness and accuracy of the Minuteman nuclear missile’s guidance system for the US Air Force.
The USAF has selected Boeing as prime contractor for the US’s intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) guidance subsystem support.
The contract, announced on 1 February, is worth up to $1.6 billion over 16 years and will be primarily performed in Utah and Ohio.
Boeing said it will maintain the ‘around-the-clock readiness and accuracy’ of the Minuteman ICBM guidance system to ensure safe, secure and effective strategic deterrence into the late 2030s.
The guidance system has logged more than 40 million hours of continuous operation.
‘We built the Minuteman’s guidance system, so no one knows it like Boeing. Our highly specialised facilities and top-flight engineers enable us to sustain it with unmatched quality and precision,’ Ted Kerzie, programme director of Strategic Deterrence Systems at Boeing, noted in a statement.
‘We look forward to continuing our partnership with the air force on this all-important mission.’
BAE Systems is also supporting the US’s ICBM efforts. Last summer the USAF Nuclear Weapon Center awarded the company a contract with a potential value of $12 billion to continue providing integration and engineering services for ICBMs.
Work on this contract is expected to be completed at Hill AFB, Utah, by December 2040.
The main function of the Integration Support Contract (ISC) 2.0 is to support the LGM-30 Minuteman III, the next-generation LGM-35A Sentinel missile and any future ICBM developed during the term of the contract.
BAE Systems has acted as the prime contractor for the ISC since 2013.
You may also like
More from Defence Notes
-
![Global Ordnance and Sparkz disclose plans for 500,000 US-made UAV batteries a year]()
-
![Patria OPTIME and ILIAS: Orchestrating operational readiness across every domain]()
Patria OPTIME and ILIAS: Orchestrating operational readiness across every domain
Patria OPTIME is a sustainment concept that integrates MRO and lifecycle services into one solution, powered by the ILIAS digital defence platform
-
![US military seeks common controllers for drones and robotic systems]()
US military seeks common controllers for drones and robotic systems
US Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Special Operations Command initiatives signal demand for interoperable uncrewed systems control, creating opportunities for suppliers of hardware, software and integration services.
-
![“Start planning much earlier”: delivering defence support in an era of disruption]()
“Start planning much earlier”: delivering defence support in an era of disruption
In Conversation… The geopolitical landscape is increasingly uncertain, with the UK and its allies confronting the most unpredictable international environment for decades. To adapt, defence readiness must begin long before assets reach the front line, forging a resilient support enterprise that can thrive in a time of ongoing disruption, argue the partners of Team ORION.
-
![“Communicating at mission speed”: why data security is essential for operational success]()
“Communicating at mission speed”: why data security is essential for operational success
In conversation… Everfox’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dave Wajsgras and Managing Director, International, Colin McKinty discuss the critical importance of information security in defence, minimising insider risk and the company’s international growth strategy with Shephard’s Andrew White.
-
![“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence]()
“Engage with the operational problem”: how software innovation can boost UK defence
In Conversation… Shephard’s Andrew White talks to Zafer Şen, CEO and co-founder of OBSS, about the future of command-and-control software in the age of artificial intelligence, and his company’s ambitions in the UK defence market.
