Breaking Defense is reporting that the Navy has awarded $76.6 billion in contracts to General Dynamics Electric Boat and HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding for the construction of new Virginia and Columbia-class submarines. It said the Army also added $54 billion to an existing Lockheed PAC-3 agreement, bringing the total to $59 billion, though this contract remains undefinitized.
The outlet is also reporting that SpaceX secured a $1.6 billion contract to launch Space Force ‘sensing and targeting’ satellites. This marks the first task order under the Space Force’s recently increased $11.4 billion NSSL Phase 3 Lane 1 contract vehicle ceiling.
Breaking Defense said the Air Force plans to downselect for a second batch of Collaborative Combat Aircraft next year, with a separate competition to replace the MQ-9A Reaper expected to begin concept refinement early in the next fiscal year. Ukraine and NATO have launched a new funding program aimed at countering Russian drones, focusing on active protection systems, counter-shaded systems, electromagnetic support for signals intelligence, electromagnetic attack technology, and high-altitude platforms.
A Leidos subsidiary has been selected to design an Australian nuclear submarine dry dock, a critical step for Australia to receive its first Virginia-class submarine under the AUKUS agreement. The Pentagon is also evaluating options to license Patriot missile production to Ukraine, according to Michael Cadenazzi, assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy. Additionally, DARPA's Rads to Watts program is funding seven teams to develop miniature, long-lasting nuclear power cells.