Contracts | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Contracts’ Category

Sons of Liberty Gun Works Awarded USSOCOM Contract for MK1 Rifle

Thursday, November 20th, 2025

San Antonio, TX – Sons of Liberty Gun Works (SOLGW) is proud to announce it has been awarded a contract by U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) for the Combat Assault Rifle (CAR) program. Following a rigorous competitive evaluation, a select-fire variant of the SOLGW MK1 rifle with an 11.5-inch barrel was chosen to equip America’s most elite warfighters.

SOCOM’s evaluation demanded the highest standards of small arms performance, including extensive trials for durability, precision, reliability, and environmental resilience. The SOLGW rifle endured extreme conditions—heat, cold, dust, mud, and salt exposure—while maintaining consistent function and accuracy.

The MK1 selected by SOCOM is the result of a multi-year development effort, building upon SOLGW’s extensive experience producing ultra-reliable rifles trusted by law enforcement and civilian shooters. Every component was analyzed and refined to maximize reliability, shootability, and durability, ensuring the platform can perform anywhere in the world.

“This is an incredible honor for Sons of Liberty Gun Works and something I dreamed about when I was building my first rifles in my garage,” said Mike Mihalski, Founder of SOLGW. “Our mission has always been to build the world’s finest fighting rifles for those who go into harm’s way. To have SOCOM select our rifle after such demanding trials is the ultimate validation of that mission.”

CEO Nate Horvath added: “I am incredibly proud of our team for their effort on this project, and excited to officially share the news. The MK1 has already seen strong adoption in the commercial and law enforcement markets, where its performance advantages are immediately clear. While this milestone is significant, our team remains focused on delivering reliable, high-quality, performance-driven fighting rifles to all ofour customers. The future of the MK1 family is bright, and there is more to come.”

See why agencies like San Antonio PD, Utah Highway Patrol, Alabama Department of Law Enforcement, St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office and USMS Fugitive Task Forces are picking SOLGW by visiting www.sonsoflibertygw.com

Posted in Advertiser, Black Rifle, Contracts, Press Release, SOF | 19 Comments »

Origin Robotics Selected by Belgian Ministry of Defense to Supply BLAZE Drone Interceptors

Wednesday, November 19th, 2025

RIGA, Latvia (18 November 2025) – Origin Robotics announced today that the Belgian Ministry of Defense has selected its AI-powered BLAZE interceptor as part of a newly approved 50 million euro national counter-drone package aimed at strengthening Belgium’s ability to detect, track and neutralize hostile unmanned aerial systems. The procurement follows several weeks of escalating drone incursions over airports, military facilities and critical infrastructure.

Belgium’s decision comes amid significant pressure to reinforce its airspace security. The country has struggled to respond to repeated air traffic interruptions due to insufficient counter-drone capacity. In recent weeks Belgium had to call in support from Germany and the United Kingdom to compensate for the shortfall. The new short-term package is intended to restore immediate operational resilience while the Ministry of Defense prepares a longer-term investment plan. In addition, Defence Minister Theo Francken has announced a 500 million euro comprehensive anti-drone program for sustained capability development.

Agris Kipurs, CEO and co-founder of Origin Robotics, said, “This decision reaffirms Origin Robotics as a leading company in the field of advanced autonomous defense systems. In essence, this is a major statement of confidence. Belgium is facing an immediate security problem and has chosen BLAZE as the solution. We are proud to support a NATO ally with a system built for exactly this type of threat environment and we remain committed to delivering reliable, cost-effective and rapidly deployable capabilities.”

Launched in May 2025, BLAZE is an autonomous interceptor designed to neutralize fast-moving aerial threats, including loitering munitions and hostile drones. It combines radar-based detection, AI-powered computer vision and operator-approved autonomy to deliver precise, rapid and scalable defensive capability. The system is man-portable, deployable in minutes and capable of high-intensity operational cycles. BLAZE delivers intercepts through airburst fragmentation and includes robust safety features such as operator-controlled wave-off commands for return or self-neutralization.

The Belgian procurement reinforces the growing adoption of Origin Robotics technologies across Europe. Following the battlefield-proven deployment of Origin’s BEAK system with the Latvian and Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as recognition through national and EU defense programs, Origin continues to expand its role as a trusted supplier of autonomous aerial defense solutions.

Posted in C-UAS, Contracts, Drone, International, Press Release | No Comments »

US Coast Guard Solicits Potential Locations for Additional Training Center

Tuesday, November 18th, 2025

WASHINGTON — The United States Coast Guard, in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, announced a Request for Information (RFI) and market research to identify prospective locations for an additional training center Monday.

The Coast Guard is conducting market research to identify facilities across the country that can be used to support projected service growth of up to 15,000 personnel. To address existing training space deficits and secure infrastructure to support increased throughput for recruit training, minimum requirements for a potential training center are defined as follows:

Lodging for 1,200 recruits
A dining facility capable of seating 400 personnel
A medical facility to support 1,000 personnel (minimum 200 medical encounters and 200 dental encounters per day)
14 classrooms sized to accommodate 30-60 students
An auditorium with a capacity of 500+ students
A pool with 6 lanes, 25 yards in length, and a minimum depth of 4 feet
A multipurpose gymnasium/athletic/sports facility suitable for sitting 1,200 personnel
Office space for 400 staff members
A land area of 150-250 acres
Proximity to a small commercial service or larger airport within 30 miles

Through the RFI, the Coast Guard released screening and evaluation criteria to evaluate those locations eligible for consideration. The Coast Guard is providing communities meeting the screening criteria an opportunity to submit potential candidate locations by responding to the RFI at SAM.gov. The Coast Guard is accepting responses to this RFI until Dec. 8, 2025. Additional information regarding the RFI and market research, including location criteria, is available at the Coast Guard’s Force Design 2028 website. Potential candidates will receive additional information from the Coast Guard as part of the assessment process, based on the approved requirements and evaluation criteria.

Earlier this year, Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, announced Force Design 2028 the Coast Guard’s bold blueprint for change to ensure the service is ready for the challenges of the future. By focusing on four campaigns – people, organization, contracting and acquisition, and technology – Force Design 2028 is transforming how the Coast Guard operates and shaping a more agile, capable and responsive fighting force. Growing Coast Guard end strength by up to 15,000 is a cornerstone of this transformation.

Posted in Contracts, Guest Post, Training | No Comments »

US Air Force Awards Skydio Initial Contracts to Bring Advanced Autonomy to Mission-Critical USAF Specialties

Friday, November 14th, 2025

Skydio X10D systems to enhance situational awareness and mission capability for Tactical Air Control Party and Explosive Ordnance Disposal units

Skydio, the leading U.S.-based drone manufacturer and world leader in autonomous flight technology, in partnership with ADS, a leading provider of products, technology, and logistics solutions for the U.S. Military, today announced two initial multi-million dollar contract awards with the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to expand the deployment of Skydio systems across multiple operational units. These efforts extend Skydio’s presence across Air Combat Command (ACC) Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) units, supporting the Air Force’s broader initiative to integrate uncrewed systems into every Airman’s toolkit.

The Skydio systems will support TACP Airmen in characterizing enemy order of battle, enhancing situational awareness, acting as communications relays, and enabling near-peer engagements through integration with strategic platforms and weaponeering solutions.

In a parallel effort, Skydio has also been selected as the aerial robot of choice for USAF EOD units deploying Skydio systems for both garrison operations and contingency deployments with additional systems planned over the next 18 months.

These contracts align with the Air Force’s broader effort to reimagine the Airman identity—integrating uncrewed systems to extend capability, situational awareness, and mission efficiency at every level. USAF Security Forces use Skydio systems on a daily basis for Base Defense and Installation Security, demonstrating the critical role of autonomous drone technology in protecting U.S. Air Force assets. Beyond security applications, units are also operating Skydio technology, such as aircraft inspection modernization at Travis Air Force Base, where the 60th Maintenance Group pioneered the Air Force’s first drone-based inspection program and reduced C-17 inspection times by more than 90 percent—demonstrating the versatility of Skydio systems across diverse mission requirements.

Skydio X10D delivers operational performance with:

A sensor package that is unrivaled in any sUAS this size, including a 48MP telephoto camera
A best-in-class Teledyne FLIR Boson+ thermal sensor that can pinpoint temperature differences at each pixel
Operational resiliency in environments of contested RF and GPS denial with onboard AI and autonomy
Built-in AI for visual navigation – up to 300m altitude – comes standard
Advanced obstacle avoidance in every direction
A proprietary navigation model for use in zero-GPS environments that utilizes a reference point chosen by the operator, ensuring the X10D can find its way back to the original take off point.
Modular, open platform that supports custom third-party attachments and controllers
Powerful, full-stack security, starting with the chipset and its firmware
IP55 rating for nearly all-weather operation

X10D, part of the Blue UAS Cleared List, also meets the stringent cybersecurity and capability requirements the Department of War demands.

These Air Force awards add to Skydio’s growing partnerships across all branches of the U.S. military, including the U.S. Army’s Short Range Reconnaissance (SRR) Tranche 2 program. The breadth of adoption—from special operations to conventional forces—reflects the operational trust earned by systems designed, assembled, and supported in the United States. Skydio also proudly supports 28 allied nations and 3,500+ public safety agencies, utilities, and enterprise customers worldwide. Skydio’s manufacturing facility in Hayward, CA, is one of the world’s largest drone manufacturing facilities outside of China.

For more information about Skydio for national security, please visit skydio.com/natsec.

Posted in Air Force, Contracts, Drone, Press Release | No Comments »

Allen-Vanguard Delivers More TURMOIL (RF Decoy) to a NATO Country

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

Allen-Vanguard, the global leader in providing customised solutions and enabling technology across the Cyber and Electromagnetic Activities (CEMA) domain, has delivered more TURMOIL (their RF Decoy capability) to a NATO country. Due to the nature of the technology and its counter-EW role, Allen-Vanguard is unable to disclose more specific details about the customer or the product’s deployment. However, suffice to say, its success has generated a follow-on order.

Allen-Vanguard’s TURMOIL RF Decoy is an Electromagnetic Countermeasure that delivers tactical advantage against adversaries by leveraging Electromagnetic Warfare (EW) capabilities and essentially mimicking friendly forces’ RF signatures in multiple locations, thereby causing disruption (turmoil) in the enemy’s EW and targeting processes. TURMOIL has complex and infinitely variable RF emulation technologies, which can be programmed and reprogrammed quickly and easily by users to adapt to the emerging tactical situation. TURMOIL aides freedom of manoeuvre in the electromagnetic space and creates time and space for formations to deliver surprise offensive operations.

Allen-Vanguard continues to expand outside its more traditional core domain of RF defeat capabilities aimed at Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) and Radio Controlled Improvised Explosive Device (RCIED) threats employed by terrorists and extremists. The expertise in RF signature detection and analysis, established over 20 years of capability delivery, has been adapted by Allen-Vanguard’s engineers and applied more widely across the CEMA domain to meet specific market demands and customer requirements such as this. The continued shift by Allen-Vanguard into wider EW activities is attracting attention within industry circles, and the team are excited by the opportunities identified across the modern Electro Magnetic Spectrum Operational (EMSO) landscape.

Steve Drover, Business Development for Allen-Vanguard, said: “We were approached by an existing customer to design an RF Decoy capability and our engineers, using their vast EW expertise, quickly developed TURMOIL. We were extremely pleased with the outcome, and the fact our customer has ordered more systems is a testament to its value in this increasingly contested and congested battlespace.”

Posted in Contracts, EW, International, NATO, Press Release | No Comments »

Gentex Corporation Secures Third Year Option on its Advanced Combat Helmet Generation II Contract Worth $38.4 Million

Thursday, November 13th, 2025

CARBONDALE, PA, November 13, 2025 — The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) has exercised the third one-year option period of the Advanced Combat Helmet Generation II (ACH Gen II) production contract (SPE1C1-23-D-0004) awarded to Gentex Corporation. Valued at up to $38,376,425, this latest action extends through October 16, 2026 with the U.S. Army, ensuring America’s soldiers continue to receive advanced ballistic protection with a significant 22% reduction in weight compared to the legacy ACH helmet system.

Building on decades of innovation, the ACH Gen II helmet integrates ultra-high-performance materials and advanced manufacturing processes to deliver superior ballistic protection and blunt-impact performance while reducing overall weight. This results in greater comfort, agility, and mission endurance for today’s warfighter.

“Gentex is proud to continue our close partnership with the U.S. Army and the Defense Logistics Agency through the ACH Gen II program,” said Kevin Reilly, Close Combat Segment Directorat Gentex Corporation. “This award reaffirms our mission to deliver lightweight head protection to America’s warfighters, built with pride by the skilled workforce of Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

“Gentex Corporation continues to be a cornerstone of our region’s defense-manufacturing strength,” said Congressman Rob Bresnahan (PA-08). “The company’s recent recognition as a Best Place To Work in PA for 2025 confirms their commitment to their employees. This contract not only supports the safety and readiness of our nation’s soldiers but also sustains hundreds of high-quality jobs here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.”

The ACH Gen II is a key part of Gentex Corporation’s portfolio of U.S. military ground-combat helmet programs, including the Enhanced Combat Helmet (ECH), High-Cut ECH, Next-Generation Integrated Head Protection System (NG-IHPS), and the USSOCOM Family of Tactical Headborne Systems (FTHS). Gentex continues to advance mission-critical technologies that enhance survivability, comfort, and communication for military personnel around the world.

Posted in Advertiser, Army, Contracts, Helmets, Press Release | No Comments »

Anduril Selected for US Army’s Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver Program

Tuesday, November 11th, 2025

Modern battlefields are defined by speed and saturation. Small unmanned aircraft systems can swarm by the hundreds, overwhelming defenses and striking before human decision loops close. Without effective counter-UAS systems, air defense operators face more targets than they can track or defeat, leaving U.S. forces vulnerable. Current command and control systems weren’t built for this fight — they can’t process data or execute kill-chain decisions at the speed required to stop autonomous, distributed attacks.

To meet this challenge, the Army has selected Anduril Industries for the Integrated Battle Command System Maneuver (IBCS-M) program, establishing Lattice as the Army’s next-generation fire control platform for Counter-UAS missions. IBCS-M provides the command, control, and integration backbone for a vast array of counter-drone systems, enabling a single operator to manage multiple threats simultaneously. It fuses sensor data, automates fire control, and integrates new capabilities, reducing operator load and compressing the time from detection to defeat.

At a recent demonstration at Yuma Proving Grounds, Anduril showcased the power of Lattice — the foundation of IBCS-M. In a seven-day trial, Lattice integrated a previously undisclosed sensor and effector within hours, executed live-fire intercepts that achieved four out of four kills, and demonstrated advanced features like autonomy-enhanced fire control, distributed tracking, and kill-chain optimization.

“We can’t think of counter-UAS as static or in the same vein as counter ballistic missile defense. It has to be maneuverable which means it has to be software-centric and adaptable above all else,” said Alex Miller, CTO of US Army. “We can’t wait a year for a new sensor or effector to be integrated and we can’t tell our deployed soldiers that we have to wait for an FSR to solve the problem. It has to support a platoon leader on the move with many small sensors across many vehicles as much as it has to support a forward operating base or garrison commander using a mix of existing and emerging systems.”

The IBCS-M effort is part of a broader modernization initiative that is reimagining how the Army commands the fight. Legacy systems were built for an era of predictability — today’s world demands an infrastructure that is open, extensible, and capable of evolving at machine speed.

“We’re uniquely positioned to deliver on the Army’s vision because Anduril helped define the new frontier of air defense technology,” said Matt Steckman, President and Chief Business Officer of Anduril Industries. “Our work in autonomous systems and command and control has built the foundation for this moment — it’s a natural extension of the lineage that began when we reimagined how modern defense should operate.”

Anduril and the Army are building a unified command and control ecosystem — one that turns data into decision advantage and ensures U.S. forces can see, decide, and act faster in the era of autonomy.

Posted in Army, C5ISR, Contracts, Press Release | No Comments »

US Army Selects Neros Archer FPV and Flatbow Ground Control System for Purpose-Built Attritable Systems (PBAS) Program

Tuesday, November 11th, 2025

LOS ANGELES–Neros is proud to announce its selection as one of the three primary manufacturers of FPV drones for the U.S. Army’s Purpose-Built Attritable Systems (PBAS) program Tranche 1 — an initiative designed to deliver effective, modular, and mission-adaptable FPV drone capabilities to platoon-level units across the force. Through PBAS, Neros will supply the Army with its Archer and Archer Strike drone platforms in both 5-inch and 10-inch variants. These platforms represent the next-generation evolution of the battlefield-tested Archer 8-inch system.

The Army package also includes Flatbow, an upgraded soldier-borne variant of Neros’ Crossbow Ground Control System. This program validates a comprehensive development cycle driven by real-world results in Ukraine and cements Neros’ position as the leading provider of FPV drones to the Department of War.

Archer Strike’s architecture integrates directly with combat-proven anti-armor and anti-personnel Kraken Kinetics Terminus strike payloads to engage targets at ranges exceeding 20 kilometers. The non-Strike variants of Archer deliver major enhancements to ISR capabilities and feature easily modifiable, fully customizable payload configurations — empowering operators to adapt the system to any mission. Flatbow extends these capabilities by providing a rugged, mobile control platform that incorporates advanced technologies to mitigate jamming threats in contested electromagnetic environments.

Together, the Archer + Flatbow PBAS package equips the U.S. Army with a flexible, domestically produced sUAS solution that delivers state-of-the-art, globally competitive FPV capabilities to the warfighter.

“The PBAS program selection caps over two years of rigorous system development and testing with both our Ukrainian and U.S. military partners. An immense amount of engineering effort and team dedication has gone into designing and producing the custom componentry required to meet our performance standards and secure our supply chain,” said Soren Monroe-Anderson, CEO of Neros. “These important procurement programs signal the Army’s and the DoW’s seriousness in addressing critical gaps in our drone capabilities and industrial base. Neros is committed to supporting these efforts and helping our nation meet the rapidly growing demand for sUAS defense solutions.”

Neros is dedicated to ensuring the West maintains an asymmetric advantage over its adversaries by manufacturing advanced FPV systems at scale through resilient allied supply chains.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Drone | No Comments »