Aerospace & Defense

Stockholm – October 15, 2026 -- Saab has presented the first of three GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft ordered for the Swedish Air Force by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV).

Aircraft enters testing and verification ahead of first flight

The aircraft now moves into a testing and verification phase. First flight and delivery to the customer follow. The source gives no dates for either milestone.

Sweden has ordered three GlobalEye aircraft across two contracts

FMV contracted the first two aircraft in 2022, with an option for additional aircraft. A third GlobalEye was ordered in 2024. The option has not been exercised beyond that third order, according to the information provided.

Las Vegas – October 15, 2026 -- SAFE Structure Designs, a Las Vegas-based defense engineering and manufacturing company, has partnered with Zo's Bravehearts Foundation to send three children with leukemia and their mothers to Rome, Italy.

As a major donor to the nonprofit, SAFE took part in a trip that included a meeting with the Pope and a private tour of the Vatican. The program gave the families time together outside the demands of cancer treatment.

Zo's Bravehearts Foundation provides transport, meals and home support across the Las Vegas Valley

The Las Vegas-based 501(c)(3) offers family-centered childhood cancer support. Its services include transportation assistance, meals, home support, essential supplies and family experiences. The foundation says these services ease the practical and emotional burdens of pediatric cancer.

Delray Beach – October 15, 2026 -- The autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) market will grow from USD 3.67 billion in 2026 to USD 10.94 billion by 2031, a compound annual growth rate of 24.4%, according to MarketsandMarkets. Unit volumes are forecast to rise from 1,123 in 2026 to 2,771 by 2031.

Large AUVs deployed beyond 1,000 meters lead segment growth at 25.1% CAGR

Large AUVs (>1,000 meters) are expected to record the highest CAGR of 25.1% and to dominate the market by type. Demand comes from deep-sea exploration, subsea cable route mapping and complex military missions requiring long-duration operations beyond 1,000 meters.

Large platforms offer greater payload capacity, advanced sonar systems and extended endurance. That makes them suited to mine countermeasures, environmental monitoring and geophysical surveys.

Falls Church – – October 15, 2026 -- BAE Systems (LON: BA) has won a contract from the U.S. Space Force Space Systems Command (SSC) to design and demonstrate ultra-compact radio-frequency (RF) terminals for a space-based data layer. The source does not disclose the contract value or schedule.

BAE Systems bases the terminals on its space-hardened software-defined radios

The company will adapt its existing family of space-hardened software-defined radios for the program. The radios are designed to perform reliably in contested or degraded environments, including jamming, electromagnetic interference and space radiation, from deployment into various orbits.

Terminals must pass space-characterization tests and operate from LEO to GEO

The system will carry military-grade security and pass space-characterization tests. It will support operations from low Earth orbit (LEO) to geosynchronous Earth orbit (GEO).

Irvine, Calif. – October 15, 2026 -- Getac Technology Corporation will present an end-to-end public safety lineup at booth 1501 at the IACP Annual Conference & Exposition in Orlando, Florida, Oct. 24–27, led by a new release of its Getac Video Suite evidence management platform and Copilot+ PC rugged devices.

Video Suite adds modules for officer review, mobile evidence capture and plate recognition

The latest Video Suite release extends the platform beyond video collection and management. Officer Review is a configurable quality-improvement tool that uses randomized data tailored to an agency's policies and objectives. The Evidence OnSite Mobile App lets officers capture and classify video and photos on department-issued phones and give community members a QR code to submit evidence.

Scottsdale – October 15, 2026 -- Federal agencies added more than 22,000 Axon body-worn cameras and digital evidence management licenses this year, the Nasdaq-listed public safety technology company said in announcing a set of recent federal contract awards.

DHS selects Dedrone platform for counter-drone work under IDIQ contract

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chose Axon's Dedrone platform under an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. The platform will deliver real-time airspace monitoring, drone identification and threat mitigation for critical infrastructure protection. Axon did not disclose the contract value or ceiling.

VA adds more than 1,600 TASER 10 devices for police at medical centers

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) added more than 1,600 TASER 10 devices to begin equipping VA police officers. The officers protect medical centers, veterans and healthcare staff.

Boston – October 15, 2026 -- The United States Air Force has extended its use of PTC's Servigistics service supply chain optimization solution under its Enterprise Supply Chain Analysis, Planning, and Execution (ESCAPE) program, PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) announced. The renewal continues a relationship that is nearly a decade old and centers on modernizing the Air Force service supply chain and improving aircraft and system readiness.

Air Force first selected Servigistics in 2017 for global service parts planning

The Air Force chose Servigistics in 2017 to transform service parts planning across its global supply chain. Its use has since expanded to cover more sophisticated planning and optimization requirements, consolidate legacy systems, and modernize the supply chain planning environment.

Houston – – October 15, 2026 -- Bristow Group (NYSE: VTOL) has appointed Paul Armstrong as incoming Chief Operating Officer, Government Services, with a start date of February 22, 2027, to succeed retiring COO Alan Corbett.

Armstrong to join Bristow in February 2027 and work from the United Kingdom

Armstrong is expected to start after completing his current professional commitments. He will be based in the United Kingdom.

Corbett stays through March 2027 to run the handover

Corbett, who had previously announced his retirement, will remain with the company throughout the transition period, anticipated through March 2027. The overlap with Armstrong's start date is about five weeks. Bristow says the arrangement is meant to ensure continuity for customers, employees and other stakeholders.

Anaheim – October 15, 2026 -- Crest Coating, Inc. has earned AS9100D certification from Amtivo after an eight-month effort to build a quality system to aerospace standards. The Southern California coating specialist can now pursue aerospace and defense work that commonly requires the credential.

Certification covers five coating processes

The certification applies to powder, Teflon, Xylan®, Halar® and BCS bakeware coatings. CEO Jeff Erickson said the certified work is backed by documented traceability, disciplined inspection and processes designed to catch problems before parts reach customers.

Dallas – October 14, 2026 -- Lockheed Martin plans to create 6,000 jobs across the United States, including 2,000 in Texas, as it expands advanced manufacturing capacity for critical munitions. The company is investing $300 million at its Grand Prairie, Texas, operation and growing the site's footprint to more than 735,000 square feet.

Grand Prairie expansion adds 100,000 square feet of new space

The build-out includes 100,000 square feet of new space and 85,000 square feet of office space being converted for advanced manufacturing. The added room will support automation, digital manufacturing and high-precision machining.