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The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract to Boeing to develop the P-8A patrol aircraft while another variant is being designed for signals, communications and intelligence gathering. The patrol aircraft is expected to replace the aging EP-3Es.

Clark Construction Group won a contract to build the Navy's Nuclear Power Training Complex by leveraging its experience on a similar contract and investing heavily to gain information about the Charleston, SC project. The approach enabled Clark to submit the low bid on the contract, $104 million. By winning the contract, the company demonstrated its ability to navigate the new federal procurement playing field.

The U.S. Navy (USN) is going ahead with its plans to acquire unmanned cargo aircraft to meet the requirements of the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC). The main demand is for such unmanned cargo planes to be deployed in the remote mountainous areas of Afghanistan.

The U.S. Navy's (USN's) Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) competition will help tackle the problem of electronic and cyber attack and will make use of advanced technologies such as an active, electronically scanned array (AESA), advanced radars, digitized exciters and techniques generators. ITT Electronic Systems and Boeing are quite optimistic about being selected for the forthcoming maturation phase along with three other competitors, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Lockheed Martin.

Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin have received a request from the U.S. Navy to develop a blueprint for an EPX aircraft. The design should incorporate the use of single radar along with use of receivers for intelligence gathering missions.

The successful destruction of two short-range ballistic missile targets by the Aegis cruiser USS Lake Erie displays the prowess of the U.S. navy in developing reliable sea-based missile defense abilities.

The U.S. Navy examines options for purchase of single-seater aircrafts over double-seaters in cost cutting effort.

The companies like Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Lockheed Martin are struggling to win the bid for the U.S. Navy's Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) competition. Northrop Grumman's officials feel that the BAMS competition is only one where the testing is performed on full basis.

There was a surge in new competition and plans for large, long-endurance aircraft since the US Air Force and Navy parted ways over the joint unmanned combat air systems (J-UCAS) program. The aerospace companies are considering designs with multiple engines, wingspans of more than 100 ft and the potential to generate the power needed for directed-energy weapons or large active electronically array (AESA) radars.

The Boeing Company puts finishing touches on the design of a signals intelligence aircraft that will replace the aging EP-3. Although primarily meant for the US Navy, Boeing believes that the new airplane, which is derived from the P-8A multimission maritime aircraft, could prove useful across service lines, particularly to the US Air Force that is lagging behind in state-of-the-art intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems.

Northrop Grumman officials in 2001 have designed and built an unmanned combat aerial vehicle demonstrator named Pegasus as a foundation for the company's work in the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's and the Navy's UCAV programs.

The article discusses the latest developments that the U.S. Navy (USN) is undertaking in the development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' reduced-signature Predator C is one such development that has a turbojet engine with hidden exhaust and recessed air intakes, swept wings and V-tail.

In 2003, the United States military intends to build or expand over 50,000 housing units through deals with private firms. The article discusses housing projects at many military bases throughout the United States and the positive and negative aspects of signing deals with the military.

The U.S. Navy (USN) is all set to focus all its energies on the development of the Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) as the backbone of its future electronic attack capabilities. The main goal of the USN is to find a primary airborne electronic attack initiative that manages to strike the right balance between performance and acceptable program risk.

Unexpected complexity of the interface between the air vehicle and the carrier have been responsible for a delay in the first flight of the Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) demonstrator by another six months. However, U.S. Navy (USN) and Northrop Grumman officials have said that they are quite optimistic of being able to meet the set goals of operating the UCAS in 2013.

The article discusses the growing emphasis that the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force (USAF) as well as the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) and U.S. Navy (USN) are placing on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations. ISR services first began with the deployment of the ScanEagle for ISR operations in Iraq with the USMC, and now Insitu's Integrator is being looked upon as a replacement for the ScanEagle.

The article discusses the key aspects that the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the U.S. Navy (USN) need to keep in mind when deciding on the next-generation fighter aircraft. The main component that the sicth-generation aircraft should have is affordability.

The decision of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the U.S. Navy (USN) to coordinate efforts on their respective high-altitude reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has raised a number of questions and doubts. The main purpose of the agreement between the two is to bring about savings and financial efficiency in the USAF Global Hawk and the US Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) programs.

The article discusses the shift in the U.S. government's new bandwidth procurement setup and ways in which it will impact satellite operators. The key aspects and features of the new procurement initiative known as the Commercial Broadband Satellite Program (CBSP) as well as its aims and objectives are highlighted.

The U.S. Navy (USN) is looking to the framework of the Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) program as a means of helping deal with non-kinetic and irregular warfare of the future. Some of the different technologies that are being developed for use by different services of the armed forces are highlighted.

The U.S. Navy (USN) is planning to develop the EP-X signals and communications intelligence aircraft which will be the eyes and ears that find the signals that the Next-Generation Jammer (NGJ) will jam and manipulate. The USN's EA-18G Growler is the lead platform for NGJ.

The article discusses the novel design features of Northrop Grumman's X-47B unmanned combat air system (UCAS) demonstrator, which focus on all-aspect stealth as desired by the U.S. Navy. Structural proof tests for the X-47B are expected from March to May 2009 to be followed by taxi tests from June 2009.

The U.S. Navy (USN) is getting all set to integrate the manned and unmanned rotary-wing operations on its warships looking at the international interest shown in the Seahawk shipborne helicopters. Six of the Navy helicopters are being replaced by two new versions of the Seahawk, built by Sikorsky.

The U.S. Navy has awarded the contract for its unmanned combat air vehicle demonstrator to Northrop Grumman but the Boeing Company will be in the running for future projects.

The U.S. Navy's E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, built with advanced production tooling and carrying a next-generation radar capable of detecting fighter size and smaller targets at longer ranges.

The U.S. Navy is all set to accept the proposals for stealthy unmanned combat aerial system (UCAS) vehicles that have a capability to operate from carriers. Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin will be sending their designs for the U.S. UCAS competition.

A newly completed operational assessment has revealed that the next-generation radar for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18F Super Hornets is not very effective and hence not suitable for combat operations. The Raytheon-built APG-79 radar is suitable for training and it is in use with the service's first active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar-equipped Super Hornet squadron.

The improvements are being carried out by US Navy in the new group of F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to make sure that the multirole fighter will be combat-compatible in future. The aircraft's stealth performance is being enhanced and enhanced EA-18G Growler is being introduced and also Raytheon APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar will be retrofitted in the aircrafts and efforts are in progress to improve on the drawing board which would allow the aircrafts to gather its own images.

The US Navy has signed a system design and development contract with Sikorsky that lead to the replacement of the CH-53Es with CH-53KS, while the Navy also manages the development and procurement of the CH-53K for Marine Corps. The Navy is assessing its need to replace the MH-53 vertical replenishment and mine countermeasures helicopters and is considering whether CH-53K would serve as a replacement.

Concepts for future long-range strike and long-range reconnaissance aircraft are merging in 2006 due to low speed, stealth, large payload and persistence all in the same platform. The most visible is the breakup of the Joint Unmanned Combat Air System (J-UCAS) program, which was funded by the Air Force and Navy.

The termination of Aerial Common Sensor (ACS) program by the US Army may lead to interservice battles as the Air Force, Army and Navy each try to impress their intelligence priorities on their sister services, while the project termination leaves the Pentagon with two major problems regarding how to continue to meet near-term signals intelligence needs and how to achieve cooperation among the various services. Planners are looking at UAV combinations like the Predator and Global Hawk as well as new aircraft, including the Navy's MMA, to carry common sensor packages.

The Italian government would sign up for the US Navy's P-8A Multimission Maritime Aircraft (MMA) by the end of 2005, and with it, could commit the country to buying new airborne early warning aircraft. The commitment would make Italy, the Pentagon's last prospect of bringing in a foreign partner for the MMA's system design and development phase since Australia and Canada, which had contemplated partner status, but withdrew owing to budget problems.

The various plans of the participants of the US Navy's broad-area maritime surveillance unmanned aircraft competition, that are prepared to present demonstration of a new vehicle, are detailed. Participants include General Atomics with Lockheed Martin and its arch-rival Northrop GrummanEs Global Hawk.

Northrop Grumman and General Atomics will compete for a contract with the U.S. Navy to provide the service with unmanned aircraft for its broad area maritime surveillance program (BAMS). Both companies will provide an aircraft with a 3,000 lb. payload.

Boeing Aerospace Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. compete for contract to build 130 to 150 new surveillance aircraft. Industry analysts say the Navy's aging fleet of aircraft needs to be replaced and upgraded to meet today's military equipments.

The author examines Northrop Grumman's design for the U.S. Navy's unmanned combat aircraft. Topics include foldable wing extensions, use of stealth technology, and operational requirements.

The US Navy plans to select a contractor to develop an Engineering/Manufacturing Development of its Advanced Integrated Electronic Warfare System to protect ships from antiship missiles. This business is expected to be worth over $1 billion.

The US Navy and the Jacksonville Electric Authority have inked a long-term power-purchase agreement with a buyer escape clause. The deal, which conflicts with the new competitive electric market, has been received favorably by the financial community.

The Navy and Air Force are outsourcing a greater share of aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul work and are seeking repeal of the 60/40 law, which limits outside contracting to 40% of total work. Military authorities are confident the law will be repealed by 1997 or 1998. The Navy has been the most aggressive in privatizing. Thirty-six percent of its work is farmed out. Twenty-eight percent of the Air Force's work is done privately.