Lockheed Martin beat out Boeing to supply the Department of Defense with a set of next-generation tactical radios for aircraft, ships, and ground installations. Under a $766 million developmental contract announced March 28 for the Joint Tactical Radio System Airborne and Maritime/Fixed Stations program, the company will build modular interoperable radios for more than 160 platforms, including Army helicopters, Air Force C-130 transports, Navy submarines and surface ships, and USAF fixed and deployable ground command and control systems, enabling the sharing of secure voice and video communications. Lockheed Martin’s team includes BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon.
A half-dozen pilots from one of the Air Force’s premier F-16 units, the 20th Fighter Wing at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., have been awarded one of the service’s highest decorations for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.