ASD News

Lockheed Martin is collaborating with European industry partners on a unique offering for the NATO Next Generation Modelling and Simulation competition. With Lockheed Martin’s ACES – the Advanced Center for Experimentation and Simulation – as the foundation of its proposal, the partnership combines Lockheed Martin’s 30+ years of modelling and simulation experience with local and industry experts to deliver the right mix of capability, data sets and overall force readiness.

Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY) announced that Teledyne FLIR Defense has won a $28.8 million contract from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, to support the agency’s Enhanced Mobile Surveillance Capability–Lite (eMSC-L) program to bolster border security operations.

When a storm of data streams in from satellites, UAVs, surface radars and cyber sensors, the battlefield can feel like a whirlwind—until the pieces click together to form a single, clear picture. At Lightning Surge (LS) 4, Team Lockheed Martin’s architecture unlocks the power of composable services and capabilities, delivering operational relevance at division-scale and accelerating decision-making to the speed of the battlefield.

In response to NATO’s requirements, the Thales–Leonardo Consortium contract covers delivery, training for six deployable Head Quarters (HQs) for SOFCOM, known as Deployable Points of Presence for Special Operations Component Commands (DPOP SOCC). These new DPOPs provide deployable communication and information systems (CIS) tailored to the specific needs of NATO Special Operations Forces. They form the cornerstone of a future, comprehensive, secure information and communication system for special operations, built on classified and resilient networks.

L3Harris is modernizing the Space Force’s Atlas system to improve the ability to monitor satellites, space debris and emerging threats in space. As Atlas transitioned from initial operational acceptance to mature system status, three major enhancements are positioning the system as a transformative platform for 21st-century space operations – all scheduled for 2027 delivery.

The U.S. Department of War awarded Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a contract to advance the United States’ next generation cruise missile and unmanned aerial system defense architecture. Under this Joint Laser Weapon System (JLWS) program, Lockheed Martin will develop a tactical containerized 500 kW laser weapon system, providing combatant commanders with scalable, cost-effective intercept solutions. The award acknowledges the company's collaboration with SCALED Directed Energy, one of the Department of War’s six Critical Technology Areas under the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW(R&E)).

On 9 June 2026, the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and Use of the Bundeswehr (BAAINBw) signed a contract with the Arbeitsgemeinschaft (ARGE) HEL of MBDA Deutschland GmbH und Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH for the development of a high-energy laser weapon system for the German Navy. A joint venture between MBDA Deutschland GmbH and Rheinmetall Waffe Munition GmbH is currently being established for this purpose. The laser weapon system will be operational in 2029. The contract covers the development of a complete system for maritime applications and will encompass the entire chain of operations, from reconnaissance and target tracking to engagement. In its development work, the joint venture is placing particular emphasis on German supply chains and domestic systems expertise in order to safeguard national sovereignty in this key technology.

The massive globular star cluster Omega Centauri has puzzled astronomers for decades. It should be filled with black holes left behind by exploding stars, yet evidence for them is scarce. Now, astronomers using archival data from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and supportive observations from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have finally located their first stellar-mass black hole in this cluster. Discovering the first of this missing black hole population will help refine current theories on black hole formation within environments such as Omega Centauri. The team’s findings published Monday in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.

How do black holes at the center of galaxies form and grow over time? To answer this question, scientists need to detect and study supermassive black holes at great distances, which existed much earlier in the universe’s history. New research suggests NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is on track to launch Aug. 30, 2026, will be able to detect these distant, ancient black holes that existed up to 11 billion years ago.

Leonardo DRS, Inc. (Nasdaq: DRS) announced today the company has signed a contract to supply more than 50,000 Tenum® Orbit™ thermal imaging cameras under a blanket purchase agreement, marking a major production milestone for the company and underscoring growing demand for advanced thermal imaging technology across emerging mission applications.