The Navy issued a classified draft request for proposal for a carrier-borne stealth remotely piloted aircraft last week. The service solicited Boeing, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman to bid on building its Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike platform, reported Flight Global. Northrop Grumman built the Navy’s X-47B demonstrator, which successfully launched from a carrier for the first time in trials last year, and all four companies are currently under contract to draft preliminary designs. The Navy requested $403 million for UCLASS development in Fiscal 2015 and plans to spend roughly $2.67 billion to field the aircraft over the next five years, according to Flight Global.
President Donald Trump wants his signature Golden Dome missile defense program to be up and running before the end of his term and has tapped Space Force Vice Chief of Space Operations Gen. Michael A. Guetlein to lead the project.