The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded a $16.9 million contract to Lockheed Martin for prototype hardware/software systems to support advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance collection and exploitation programs. The contract to Lockheed’s Information Systems and Global Solutions, of Littleton, Colo., seeks systems that would provide “innovative solutions for multi-platform signal collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination for new and existing” ISR platforms. The project would include national and tactical collaboration across multiple enterprise ISR assets, processing and exploitation, enhanced enterprise collection planning techniques, and solutions for multi-intelligence sensor cross cueing through streamlined collection management techniques. Work is expected to be complete by July 21, 2016. Fiscal 2013 research and development funds totaling $6.1 million are being obligated initially. (DOD contract announcement.)
The Air Force is now expecting delivery of the first VC-25B presidential transport by mid-2028, months ahead of its last official projection, a service spokesperson said this week. USAF also announced it is buying two used Boeing 747-8 jetliners for training and spare parts to be delivered in 2026, calling the $400 million deal part of its “acceleration efforts” for the oft-delayed presidential airlift program.
