DARPA last week introduced a concept called ArcLight, a high-speed, long-range conventional strike weapon launched from Mk 41 vertical launch system tubes on Navy ships. “DARPA believes this program will be a ground breaking way for the Navy and Air Force to engage deployed, time-critical targets,” reads the agency’s broad agency announcement, issued July 7. Utilizing the thousands of VLS in the fleet has advantages, such as the ability for worldwide coverage from just several ships, said the agency. Under a five-year, three-part program, the agency aims to demonstrate in flight a boost/glide vehicle system capable of carrying a 100 to 200-pound payload 2,000 nautical miles in approximately 30 minutes. DARPA anticipates awarding multiple phase 1 contracts to mature enabling technologies such as wing materials for the glide vehicle. Phase 1 proposals are due by August 23. (DARPA notice)
When the Space Force discusses the cyber threats faced by the service or the commercial satellite providers it uses, it typically frames the issue as a nation-state one. But for cyber defenders in the commercial space sector responsible for day-to-day operations, the reality is rather different: Like other providers of…
