The fourth and final phase of the Gremlins unmanned aerial system program will include collaborative autonomy software that allows one person to control multiple unmanned air vehicles. The technology extends the capability of unmanned aircraft systems to conduct long-distance engagements of mobile ground and maritime targets in areas with poor communications or limited navigational signals.
Lockheed Martin Corporation
On January 15, the U.S. Navy awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin Corp. of Baltimore, exercising an option to build an additional littoral combat ship (LCS).
Lockheed Martin will build the ship, known as LCS-31, at teammate Fincantieri Marinette Marine’s (FMM’s) naval shipyard in Marinette, Wisconsin. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will oversee the design and construction, as well as the testing and trials of the ship for the Navy.
The award is a fixed-price-incentive firm target modification to a previously awarded contract. DOD did not disclose the dollar amount of the award, as it was considered source-selection sensitive information.
Lockheed Martin Corporation is sponsoring a competition designed to encourage new ideas about enhancing global security. Titled "Innovate the Future," the competition is asking for ideas on a range of topics, including sustainable energy, cybersecurity and health care. A total of $50,000 will be awarded: one $25,000 grand prize, one $10,000 second place prize and three $5,000 third place prizes. In addition, the grand prize winner will receive an incubation contract with the Maryland Technology Institute at the University of Maryland to further validate and develop the idea. Contest entrants must submit a brief description of their idea online; a committee will select the winners.
The Missile Defense Agency is awarding Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Sensors, Moorestown, New Jersey, an unpriced change not-to-exceed $12.6 million under contract HQ0276-10-C-0001. A cost-plus-incentive-fee/cost-plus-award-fee with technical schedule performance incentives modification is contemplated. The modification accounts for schedule and within scope adjustments to the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense Baseline 4.0.1 development schedule, and accounts for the changes to the installation of the computer program aboard an Aegis cruiser. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Just as easily as a car bearing a pre-paid sticker automatically passes through a smart-card-operated tollbooth, sailors will be able to pass from ship to shore, and vice versa-and access networks-using new U.S. Navy-developed identification (ID) technology. Daniel P. Taylor discusses this new program, known as CANES-for Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services-in his article "Shipboard and Land Networks to Become Shipmates" in this issue of SIGNAL Magazine.