Lockheed Martin announced March 30 that it expects to develop a “more efficient and reliable process for space vehicle component and flight software integration through its newly established Space Vehicle Integration Laboratory (SVIL). The lab, located at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems facility in Denver, has state-of-the-art computer hardware and software technologies to enable space vehicle developers to better understand how their spacecraft will operate on-orbit. “The ability to field both large and small satellites quickly and reliably is a critical capability supporting the warfighter,” said Rick Ambrose, Lockheed’s vice president and general manager of surveillance and navigation systems. He said the SVIL will help the company in “eliminating cost, schedule, and weight drivers to provide mission-focused solutions.”
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.