Redwire is awarded a contract to manufacture Link-16 antennas for a national security LEO constellation
Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) has been contracted to deliver 42 high gain antennas for an undisclosed national security customer for an LEO satellite constellation with significant follow-on potential.
Scheduled to be delivered within the next 18 months, the antennas will enable beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) communications for the warfighter using a secured tactical network. Earlier this year,
Redwire successfully delivered antennas for the initial phase of this constellation. This production lot will be manufactured in Redwire’s recently expanded Longmont, Colorado, facility, which uses modular array work cells that enable a factory capacity well in excess of 120 antennas. The award builds on years of development of advanced antenna systems for industry and military customers.
Redwire’s antenna technology was selected for the original pathfinder mission to demonstrate this waveform from space. Redwire’s antenna technology delivers unmatched gain performance over an ultra-wide bandwidth and also interfaces to radios that support wideband, frequency-hopping, tactical networking. The antenna technology was demonstrated in part under an Air Force Commercialization Readiness Program.
“Redwire is proud to continue to develop critical, enabling antenna technology for our national security customer,” said Dean Bellamy, Redwire’s Executive Vice President of National Security. “This antenna product line encompasses years of research and development of advanced antenna systems alongside industry and military customers. Redwire has already begun investing in the development of future mission critical antenna technologies for future phases of this constellation, as well as other Department of Defense and Intelligence Community missions.”
Redwire Corporation (NYSE: RDW) is a leader in space infrastructure for the next generation space economy, with valuable IP for solar power generation and in-space 3D printing and manufacturing. With decades of flight heritage combined with the agile and innovative culture of a commercial space platform, Redwire is uniquely positioned to assist its customers in solving the complex challenges of future space missions. For more information, please visit www.redwirespace.com.
Northrop Grumman to build multi-level space mesh networking prototype for DoD’s connected battlespace vision.
Northrop Grumman to build multi-level space mesh networking prototype for DoD’s connected battlespace vision.
Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) and Aeronix, Inc. have been selected to build a secure, connective, networking layer in space that will help enable the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) vision for the joint force.
The companies will develop a Space End Crypto Unit (ECU) prototype that will connect platforms and weapons in LEO across common architecture, providing added network security to critical missions for the Space Force.
Northrop Grumman’s prototype is a flexible, high throughput design based on a single chip, reprogrammable solution and is expected to provide a connected network solution that helps warfighters make decisions faster across a full range of platforms.
Northrop Grumman collaborated with Aeronix to incorporate high- speed encrypt/decrypt firmware, designed and tested to National Security Agency standards. Leveraging a crypto development kit, Northrop Grumman proved that third-party developers can further contribute to the already rich library of cryptographic algorithms.
As part of this new award, this capability will be implemented onto the Space ECU prototype for delivery in 2024.
As the DoD seeks to connect the joint force, Northrop Grumman’s networking capabilities play a vital role in providing secure global connectivity. Recent demonstrations of the Software Programmable Open Mission Systems Compliant radio terminal have successfully connected third- party industry providers and securely shared information in a platform agnostic, all-domain environment.
“Our open architecture space mesh networking prototype enables new capabilities in Space Layer Networking to address emerging and evolving customer needs,” said Kevin Berkowitz, director, network solutions, Northrop Grumman. “This offering provides data, communications connectivity, and cryptographic processing at mission speed – a critical element of connecting the joint force.” www.northropgrumman.com
Raytheon Intelligence & Space’s success with machine-to-machine communications exercise before Valiant Shield 2022
JADC2 is the Department of Defense’s vision for a future command and control operating construct that connects the battlespace across every domain — sea, air, land, space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum.
Raytheon Intelligence & Space, (RI&S) a Raytheon Technologies business, successfully demonstrated machine- to-machine (M2M)communications across multiple assets during a communications exercise.
During the exercise, RI&S relayed data securely in seconds between the Raytheon Multi-Program Testbed (RMT-727), an airborne KC-135, a ground station located at Beale Air Force Base, California, and a satellite to address a set of joint warfighting mission requirements in the multi-domain battlespace.
This exercise served as risk- reduction preparation ahead of the company’s participation in the Valiant Shield 2022 exercise in Guam.
Valiant Shield is a U.S. only, biennial field training exercise with a focus on integration of joint training among U.S. forces. This training enables real- world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas.
At Valiant Shield, RI&S will demonstrate multi-domain, multi- intelligence, edge-based processing in an operationally representative and contested environment, emphasizing capabilities in advanced analytics, artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/M2M), and machine- to-machine operations. Valiant Shield occurred from June 1 to 17 at Andersen Air Force Base.
JADC2 is the Department of Defense’s vision for a future command and control operating construct that connects the battlespace across every domain — sea, air, land, space, cyber and the electromagnetic spectrum. RI&S is contributing its multi-domain capabilities in space systems, resilient communications, sensors, AI/ML, and mission software to the DOD JADC2 architecture.
“This successful communications exercise sets up our team — spanning our military and industry partners — for success in advance of Valiant Shield” said Conn Doherty, vice president of Future Assured Systems Technologies at RI&S. “During the exercise we will collaborate in a truly, experimental environment to strengthen that partnership and demonstrate the critical capabilities required to enable elements of Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) for the joint force.” ratheonintelligenceandspace.com
U.S. Indo-Pacific command joint forces participated in exercise Valiant Shield (VS) 2022, on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Palau and at sea around the Mariana Island Range Complex.
Participants include USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) Carrier
Strike Groups, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), 94th Army
Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), I
and III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF), 36th Wing, 15 surface ships, more than 200 aircraft and an estimated 13,000 personnel from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Space Force.
VS22 is a U.S.-only, biennial field training exercise (FTX) focused on integration of joint training in a multi-domain environment. This training builds real-world proficiency in sustaining joint forces through detecting, locating, tracking, and engaging units at sea, in the air, on land, and in cyberspace in response to a range of mission areas. Exercises such as VS22 allow forces across the Indo- Pacific the opportunity to integrate Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Space Force, and Special Operations to train in precise, lethal, and overwhelming multi-axis, multi-domain effects that demonstrate the strength and versatility of the Joint Force.
VS22 FTX prepares the Joint Force to rapidly respond to crises and contingencies across the spectrum of operations from humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to armed conflict. VS22 assists U.S. forces in developing regional and global power projection capabilities. Integrated training provides a full range of options to succeed in defense of U.S. interests and those of its allies and partners around the world. This is the ninth iteration of the VS series that began in 2006 
TINIAN, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (June 7, 2022) Mineman 3rd Class Anthony Roman and Mineman 3rd Class Deondra Fontenot, assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 5, launch a MK18 Mod 1 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) in the vicinity of Tinian Harbor from a commercial maritime support vessel in support of Valiant Shield 22.