SpaceNews.com
• Sandra Erwin
The Pentagon’s effort to replenish missile inventories is creating opportunities for emerging manufacturers, which argue that expanding production requires more than adding factory space. Their approach focuses on redesigning how defense plants are built and operated as the U.S. seeks greater missile manufacturing capacity.
Defense Industry & Major Contractors
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The Pentagon’s effort to replenish missile inventories is creating opportunities for emerging manufacturers, which argue that expanding production requires more than adding factory space. Their approach focuses on redesigning how defense plants are built and operated as the U.S. seeks greater missile manufacturing capacity.
Northrop Grumman has unveiled Raid Hunter, a networked short-range air-defense system combining a chain gun with precision-guided 50mm ammunition for bases and critical infrastructure. Separately, precision-munitions startup Heaviside Industries raised $60 million and partnered with Nammo, while L3Harris highlighted affordable, mass-scalable weapons.
Northrop Grumman has opened a new Florida facility focused on engineering and manufacturing work for a sixth-generation aircraft. The site expands the defense contractor’s infrastructure for designing and producing next-generation military aircraft, although the company did not disclose the program’s specific identity or production timeline.
Space42 has signed a new sovereign national-security agreement with Leonardo DRS aimed at strengthening security across the United Arab Emirates. The deal brings the two companies together on a UAE-focused security effort, although the announcement does not disclose the program’s scope, value or delivery timeline.
Marlink plans to acquire GRC, a U.K.-based defense communications specialist, in a move intended to strengthen its position in European government, defense and critical infrastructure markets. The transaction expands Marlink’s focus beyond commercial connectivity into strategically important public-sector and security-related communications.
Marshall Group says it is pursuing a comprehensive sales process for Marshall Aerospace, its final remaining division and a UK-based military maintenance, repair and overhaul provider. The family-owned company aims to identify a buyer and complete the divestment by the end of this year.
DARPA’s Lift Challenge sought new approaches to small-drone design, offering millions of dollars in prize funding for innovation. The winning entry demonstrated the ability to carry a payload four times its own weight, highlighting a significant lift-to-weight target for compact unmanned aircraft.
High activity
Lockheed Martin, Verizon, NVIDIA and other technology partners have demonstrated NetSense, a system that uses radio-frequency signals from existing 5G cellular networks and artificial intelligence to detect and track low-altitude unmanned aircraft. The effort comes as the Pentagon expands counter-drone defenses across 46 U.S. sites.
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