USAF technicians performing a pre-flight check of an F-35A. (Photo: USAF)
US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $213.3 million to deliver engineering, maintenance, logistics, and material support for the Australia, Canada and UK Reprogramming Laboratory (ACURL) at Eglin AFB, Florida.
The work, in support of the Phase 2 ACURL construction upgrade at Eglin, also includes the provision of a new Mission Data Load (MDL) production and test line to support sovereign F-35 reprogramming capabilities for Australia and the UK.
Work will be performed at Eglin (65%) and Fort Worth (35%) for completion by July 2027, the DoD announced on 27 July.
MDLs for the F-35 help the various sensors aboard the F-35 to identify threats. MDL files are loaded aboard the aircraft before flight via a portable hard drive.
Australia operates the F-35A conventional take-off and landing variant while the UK flies F-35B short take-off and landing aircraft.
Canada only recently joined the F-35 programme as a customer, choosing the F-35A in March 2022 as a replacement for its fleet of CF-18 Hornets.
The communications company has upgraded two of its Beyond Line-of-Sight Multi-Purpose Terminals (MBTs) by introducing advancements in satellite communication technology and AI-driven maintenance capabilities.
Norway's Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace has announced that its subsidiary Kongsberg NanoAvionics will produce three satellites and launch them in 2025.
In 2015, South Korea named a consortium of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems, along with Thales Alenia Space providing the SAR payload derived from its HE-R1000 product, as preferred bidder to develop new Korea 425 Project reconnaissance satellites.
The German defence minister claimed the reforms would mean the 2025 military budget would require an additional €6.5 billion (US$7 billion).
UK-based company will launch the Phasor L3300B land antenna for mobile communications following a US$113.7 million investment from parent firm Hanwha.
At the Future Soldier Technology Conference, Thales Land Communications highlighted the necessity of establishing a digital trust environment to enhance armed forces’ decision-making and operational resilience.
Connect with us on socials
