The Air Force awarded Harris a $36.3 million contract to upgrade five Counter Communication System Block 10 units to the 10.1 configuration. Under this contract, Harris will also provide spare parts “to meet operational reliability requirements,” according to the Air Force’s write-up of the deal, which is included in the Pentagon’s list of major contracts for Nov. 9. This work is slated for completion by February 2014. CCS is a mobile, ground-based system designed to disrupt an adversary’s satellite communications temporarily. It falls under the Air Force’s counterspace portfolio. The 4th Space Control Squadron at Holloman AFB, N.M., and 76th SPCS at Peterson AFB, Colo., operate the system.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…