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In That Number
2 x 7-years
L3Harris secured 2 x 7-year agreements with the Department of War and Lockheed Martin to expand the production of critical propulsion and maneuvering components for PAC-3 MSE and THAAD interceptors.
On the Radar
Lockheed Martin
Cheap Patriot. Lockheed Martin announced it’s developing a low-cost Patriot interceptor called the PAC-3 ACE, with a target cost of ~$2M each—less than half the cost of the PAC-3 MSE interceptor. It will use the same supply chain, same launcher (M903), and same fire control system (IBCS), with first flight expected in early 2028.
The Merge's Take: The playbook for making a cheaper PAC-3 is to make a less-capable PAC-3. That means using a simpler motor (not a dual-pulse SRM), simpler seeker (not Boeing’s Ka-band millimeter wave), and getting rid of all of the Attitude Control Motors (the side-thrusters near the nose that give the PAC-3 MSE extreme end-game maneuverability). The rest of the cost improvements (“advanced manufacturing”) are probably budget dust compared to those three. The bigger question: how will it fare against the Army’s unproven low-cost interceptor (LCI) program (<$1M per missile goal), the wave of start-ups trying to build Patriot alternatives, or the proven Tamir interceptor (<$100k per missile) used in both Israel’s Iron Dome and the U.S. Marine Corps’ new Medium-Range Intercept Capability (MRIC) system?
RTX
Decoy Restart. Raytheon is restarting ADM-160 MALD production, with shipments within 2 years of a contract award. As part of the restart, the air-launched decoys will get a modular nose for jammers or warheads, additively manufactured airframes, and a planned second production line in Europe.
The Merge's Take: MALD is a very useful, yet very underutilized quiver in the U.S. airpower arsenal. The resurgence in MALD interest is largely due to Ukraine, where they have been adapted for use on MiG-29s and SU-27s since 2023 and paired with long-range strike packages. MALD is also the OG of cargo-launched cruise missiles before it was cool—the concept was tested on a C-130 way back in 2011 (video!) What to watch: Raytheon is doing this ahead of need; which customers will come?
@Gabriel64869839 on X
UK Storm Drones. The Royal Air Force unveiled a “Storm” family of drone efforts. Storm Fighter will be a large CCA with £300M to get the program going, Storm Chrome will be for electronic attack, and Storm Fire will be a one-way attack drone.
The Merge's Take: Expect BAE’s Brontanax and MGI’s Vortex to be the top Storm Fighter contenders, though the former is much larger (and expensive) than the latter. It’s too soon to tell what Storm Chrome is, but Storm Fire is likely QinetiQ’s Lanner (aka Malfy), a foam-based flying wing that flies 600+ miles and costs under $25k. The UK has been experimenting with them for over a year.
TRIVIA
On this day in 1911, Harriet Quimby became the first American woman to achieve which milestone?
A) aircraft mechanic
B) aircraft pilot
C) balloon pilot
They Said It
“I believe they put a silly goal in here for a low-end [cost]. Anybody that bids that number is very suspicious.”
— Dave Alexander, President of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, regarding the cost targets set for the Defense Innovation Unit’s Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) project
Knowledge Bombs
Chaos Industries acquired Atropos Group
Leonardo DRS agreed to acquire Raft for $450M
The DIU launched a $100M challenge for drone-carrying surface vessels
X-Bow Systems unveiled a flight-tested interceptor priced under $100,000
CACI won a $500M contract for non-kinetic counter-drone systems
The Air Force revealed plans to test a VTOL bomber prototype
AeroVironment was awarded a $117M Army contract for P550 drones
Lockheed Martin unveiled an X-rotor drone with a microwave weapon
Embraer & Anduril are putting Barracuda cruise missiles on the C-390
CoAspire won a $70M Navy deal for CHAOS cruise missiles
Anduril has rolled off its first Ohio-built Fury fighter drone
AV & Applied Intuition partnered to add autonomy to Mayhem 10
Hidden Level won a $100M contract for counter-UAS passive radar tech
Performance Drone Works secured an $820M loan from the OSC
Firehawk Aerospace won a contract to develop hybrid rocket engines
The Coast Guard wants tech to detect and defeat UUVs
Agon emerged with $30M in funding for autonomous defense simulation
Powerus (a drone company) is merging with Aureus Greenway Holdings (a golf course) to go public on the stock exchange (both are backed by the Trump family)
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ANSWER
B. On August 2, 1911, Harriet Quimby received license #37 from the Aero Club of America, becoming the first woman pilot in the United States (and the second in the world). In 1912, she became the first woman to fly across the English Channel, but it went largely unnoticed because the Titanic sank the same day. Unfortunately, she died soon after in a flying accident.
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