Motors Assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot Power Drone to World-Record Flight

Aug. 21, 2026 | By Lindsay Grant, U.S. Army Materiel Command |

A battery-powered small unmanned aircraft system recently shattered a world endurance record, flying for more than eight hours in the desert heat — a milestone achieved using critical propulsion components assembled by the Army's organic industrial base.  

During the Game of Drones 26-2 demonstration at Edwards Air Force Base, California, July 15-17, two brushless direct current motors assembled at Tobyhanna Army Depot, Pennsylvania, successfully powered a Group 1 small UAS to a record-breaking flight time of eight hours, 41 minutes and 43 seconds. The aircraft flew for approximately 300 miles before safely landing, surpassing the previous record by 50 minutes.  

The record-breaking flight represents a major milestone for Army Materiel Command and its efforts to build secure, domestic supply chains for critical defense technologies. The demonstration served as the first major outdoor operational test of the Tobyhanna-assembled motors on an active aircraft.  

"AMC is proud to provide materiel solutions to support innovation across the uncrewed systems spectrum," said Army Capt. Lee Washburn, AMC military liaison for advanced manufacturing of small UAS. "From providing components to soldiers at innovation labs, to providing industry clean supply chain solutions in support of drone dominance, it is our goal to continue to participate in events that demonstrate our capabilities and help refine our components for the warfighter based upon realistic testing."  

Rapid, collaborative on-site manufacturing made the achievement possible. The drone was designed in less than 10 minutes using computer prompts via adaptability software. Within 24 hours of takeoff, the aircraft was fabricated inside a mobile containerized production factory using commercial 3D printers, integrated with the Tobyhanna brushless motors and a battery from an industry partner and assembled on-site by a three-person team.  

The event, sponsored by the Defense Contract Management Agency blue list team, highlighted a strategic shift toward domestic production. By establishing manufacturing capabilities within the Army's organic industrial base, the service is working to eliminate foreign dependencies for critical parts.  

"This is a huge milestone for AMC and Tobyhanna, considering the fact that we just cut the ribbon on the new brushless motor line on June 30," said Jon Strzelec, the AMC advanced manufacturing lead for small UAS.  

AMC recently began transforming the organic industrial base to produce and assemble various critical small UAS components, including frames at Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center, Illinois, and batteries at Red River Army Depot, Texas.  

A key focus of this initiative is developing organic industrial base capabilities to help government, industry and academic partners secure Defense Contract Management Agency approval for systems and components to be included on the blue list. The blue list is an aggregated reference portal of compliant, cybersecure and U.S.-manufactured UAS platforms and components, facilitating safer, faster procurement for defense users. AMC is already seeing positive results through this initiative, having sent small UAS that the organic industrial base fully assembled to several Army units for use in training events. Additionally, two brushless motor form factors and multiple lithium-ion battery configurations from Tobyhanna are being tested on various platforms at Redstone Test Center's new UAS test operations center.  

"Game of Drones was proof that industry and the government can work together in creative ways to produce exceptional results," Strzelec said. "The event showcases exactly what the Army set out to do — provide opportunities for industry to partner with the Army and let the Army leverage the innovation and technical depth of industry."  

As AMC continues to scale its advanced manufacturing capabilities including chassis, circuit card assemblies and propellers, its coordination with Defense Contract Management Agency remains vital.  

"As AMC's production efforts across the [organic industrial base] continue to expand, we will continue to work with [the Defense Contract Management Agency] in not only blue listing these components but also providing them to the experimental test force for Game of Drones events to innovate and break other performance and endurance records," Washburn said.  

The small UAS performance data from Edwards Air Force Base has been officially submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records for verification.

Army Develops Ultra-Light Vehicle for Changing Battlefields

Aug. 18, 2026 | By Jacqueline Hames, Army Acquisition Support Center |

Getting troops and equipment across the battlefield is a vital part of every theater operation — soldiers and their kits, as well as spare ammunition and other supplies, all need to arrive quickly, with nothing left behind — or risk jeopardizing the mission. 

The Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and Humvee have done a great job at performing those tasks so far, but the battlefield is always changing. In some cases, those vehicles are too heavy and impractical for the task at hand. So, the Army chose to develop a new, ultra-light troop transport vehicle.

The Infantry Squad Vehicle is an ultra-light tactical vehicle that carries nine passengers and their equipment. Its evolution was informed by soldier touchpoint events.

"We are extremely proud of this program and what we've been able to achieve in a short period of time," said Susan Fung, Portfolio Acquisition Executive Maneuver Ground's mobile brigade combat team deputy project manager. "In this high-stakes environment of modern warfare, playing it completely safe is often the most dangerous thing a leader can do for decades."

Fung explained that the team is intentionally trading the illusion of a risk-free acquisition process for the ability to use commercial products and iterating with continuous soldier feedback through the Army's Transformation in Contact program.

"Traditional defense acquisition has prioritized its bureaucratic processes and zero-defect mentality over speed, and while well-intentioned, that approach often meant our soldiers had to wait quite a bit for critical capabilities to reach the field," she said.  

Exponential Growth

The Infantry Squad Vehicle program began in 2019, with a procurement objective of 649 vehicles. However, based on soldier feedback and TIC experimentation, Fung said soldiers told them what they truly needed. 

"This led to an explosive growth driven entirely by operational demand," she added.

The number of vehicles required increased to 900 in February 2021. It increased two more times and was set at 2,593. In April 2025, the service approved the ISV utility variant and increased the Army procurement objective, bringing the total to 5,733 vehicles across both variants, Fung explained.

"In February of 2026, the Army established the current position objective and procurement objective at 11,582 vehicles," she said. "That shows you the increased objective based on soldier demand, and that's really equivalent to about an 18-fold increase from the original requirement. Not because of requirements creep, but really because soldiers validated the capability in the combat training environments and demanded more."

John Hufstedler, the product director for ground mobility vehicles at PAE Maneuver Ground, said that connecting with the system's mission was critical during the development of the vehicle. 

"Early on, the ISV succeeded by staying locked-in. A few key requirements were transportability, [but] mobility and payload and resisting requirements creep," he said, adding Army senior leaders kept the vehicle's mission in focus. 

"Anytime somebody wanted to add a radio with encrypted keys or hang another piece of encrypted equipment off the platform, leadership just didn't buy into it. And that allowed the vehicle to stay focused and true to its mission, so we didn't have to leave a soldier back with the vehicle. All nine could go execute the mission and objective," Hufstedler said.

The traditional acquisition approach allows custom military specifications, extensive government testing and sequential milestone gates. Hufstedler explained that this process can take four to 10 years, often resulting in cost overruns and technological obsolescence.

Instead, he explained that the ISV took the rapid acquisition approach, using commercial off-the-shelf solutions and minimal military modifications. That approach resulted in the first unit being equipped within 24 months. 

Transparency Aids Progress

Taking a more risk-positive approach to developing the ISV required somewhat of a culture change within PAE Maneuver Ground. Specifically, it required more direct, transparent communication.

Hufstedler believes that leading by example, empathy, listening, incorporating team feedback into decisions and a willingness to stand by those decisions as leaders were key. He added that providing team autonomy, while clearly defining boundaries and success criteria and transparency at all levels of communication, also contributed to their success.

Next-Generation Variants

"With the ISV program, we prove[d] that calculated risk works," Hufstedler said. "We keep going back to commerciality — I think that has helped us a lot — trusting our soldiers' judgment and moving at the speed of relevance; I think we've delivered that capability."

The Army's willingness to accept commercial standards as a starting point and make the soldiers the primary evaluators of the equipment will be critical to the success of developing ISV variants, he noted.

Fung said the team is currently developing the ISV heavy variant. It will include enhanced onboard power generation and storage capability to support next-generation command and control equipment.

"Overall, the ISV program is a great example of our acquisition reform, which allows getting capabilities to the field faster, leveraging commercial technologies while staying agile and giving soldiers what they really want," she said.

Department of War, Boeing, and RTX Forge Agreements to Strengthen Production of Critical SM-3 Block IIA and SM-3 Block IB Munitions

Aug. 14, 2026 |

The Department of War (DoW), in cooperation with Boeing and RTX, today announced two major framework agreements to increase production of key components of Standard Missile-3 Block IB (SM-3 IB) and increase production of components for Standard Missile-3 Block IIA (SM-3 IIA).

Both agreements will strengthen production of the series of critical ship-fired surface-to-air interceptors that underpin the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System and form the backbone of U.S. sea-based missile defense at home and abroad.

"These agreements ensure our Warfighters get the munitions they need to win," said Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary of War for Acquisition and Sustainment. "We are stabilizing our supply chains, expanding munitions production and putting our entire defense industrial base on a wartime footing."

Production of the SM-3 Block IIA and Block IB, a backbone of U.S. missile defense, will accelerate under these new frameworks, with Boeing driving component manufacturing. This directly accelerates the pipeline from the factory floor to the fleet.

The DoW's Acquisition Transformation Strategy (ATS) enabled these agreements, removing red tape and allowing the Department to engage with suppliers at every level of the industrial base.

Azimuth Program Immerses Cadets in Space Force Missions

Aug. 13, 2026 | By Brandon Kalloo Sanes, Space Training and Readiness Command |

Approximately 300 cadets participated in the Space Force's Azimuth program throughout the summer at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they gained exposure to its missions, organizations and guardian culture.

The program serves cadets already selected to commission into the Space Force and those considering Space Force career opportunities. It also introduces future officers from other services and Canada to the role of space capabilities in joint and coalition operations.

Detachment 1, Space Delta 1, hosted three sessions of the three-week pre-commissioning program, with most of the cadets hailing from either the academy or an Air Force ROTC detachment.

"Through classroom instruction, operational visits, hands-on experiences and capstone exercises, cadets gain the knowledge and perspective to arrive at their first assignment better prepared to contribute," said Space Force Maj. Sarah Dawdy, the detachment's chief of staff. "More importantly, we want them to understand where they fit into the bigger picture and arrive at their first assignment ready to learn, contribute and lead."

The Azimuth program directly supports the Space Training and Readiness Command's mission to prepare combat-ready forces to fight and win in a contested, degraded and operationally limited space environment. By prioritizing the deliberate development and education of these cadets early in their careers, Starcom is actively shaping the next generation of space warfighters.

The curriculum progressed from foundational instruction to operational exposure, culminating in an exercise requiring cadets to apply what they had learned.

During the first week, cadets learned about the Space Force's organization, missions, threat environment, space weather, international partnerships and access to space.

They reinforced those lessons through hands-on electives involving cyber operations, imagery analysis and satellite operations. Other activities included neutral buoyancy training and high-powered rocketry.

The second week moved cadets from the classroom to operational units in Colorado at Schriever, Peterson and Buckley Space Force Bases as well as other mission locations.

"The operational visits are always a highlight because cadets get to see the mission firsthand and interact directly with guardians doing the job every day," Dawdy said. "Apollo Dagger, the space policy game and the hands-on electives also give them the opportunity to apply what they've learned and see how it all comes together."

Cadet Austin Smith, Michigan State University Air Force ROTC, said the program provided additional exposure to the space mission.

"For me, Azimuth has been absolutely wonderful," Smith said. "It's been the ability to actually see Space Force competencies, Space Force career fields and Space Force life in a way that I never would have been able to if I didn't have this opportunity."

During the final week, cadets participated in Apollo Dagger, a capstone exercise conducted alongside a special warfare orientation course.

Participants served as a space planning cell supporting special operations forces during scenarios focused on electromagnetic warfare, orbital warfare and missile warning. They developed mission products and space domain awareness information in support of operational planning.

This year's program placed greater emphasis on operational missions, mission planning and the Space Force's role within the joint force and the international community. It also covered the military, political and economic implications of decisions involving space operations.

While addressing cadets, Space Force Col. Krista St. Romain, Delta 1 commander, challenged them to embrace the responsibility of serving in the space domain.

"There are new opportunities for each one of you, should you choose to become a guardian," St. Romain said.

She went on to explain that space comes with its own unique set of challenges, requiring solution-oriented recruits with an eye for problem-solving.

"Don't just identify a problem," St. Romain said. "Who's going to solve it? We're moving fast and those are the individuals we're looking for in the Space Force."

Industry representatives also discussed how the commercial space sector contributes to national security and future capabilities.

"Azimuth wouldn't be possible without the tremendous support from across the Space Force and our partners," Dawdy said. "Operational units and organizations, academia and industry partners volunteer their time to mentor and educate."

The program concluded with a post-course assessment, end-of-course survey and closing ceremony for each group.

"Whether they commission into the Space Force or another service, we want them to understand how space capabilities support and enable the joint force," Dawdy said. "For those becoming guardians, we want them to have a solid foundation they can build on."

Army Corps of Engineers Rehabilitates 1942 Flood Mitigation Machinery

Aug. 12, 2026 | By Andrew Byrne, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District |

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is currently rehabilitating two cranes used for the past 84 years to position the steel gates that manage water output at the Loyalhanna Dam in Saltsburg, Pennsylvania.

In 1942, as the United States was redirecting its steel, machinery, labor and federal resources toward World War II, some plans were put on hold, such as extending the Pennsylvania Turnpike. However, constructing the Loyalhanna Dam remained a priority. 
 
The project was already authorized and underway before the U.S. entered the war. As Pittsburgh factories downstream worked around the clock producing steel and other materiel, the dam went into operation as part of the region's growing flood-mitigation system. 
 
The nation was also investing in another piece of wartime infrastructure: pigeons. It's not as ridiculous as eight decades of hindsight makes it sound. During the war, the U.S. Army Signal Corps furnished approximately 54,000 pigeons to the armed services, relying on trained birds to carry messages when radios, telephone wires and other communications were unavailable or unreliable. 
 
Some pigeons became decorated heroes, such as G.I. Joe — the pigeon credited with carrying a message that prevented an Allied bombing and saved troops in Italy. 
 
The pigeons are no longer on the payroll, and soldiers assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District now manage the Loyalhanna Dam.  
 
Throughout the past 84 years, the dam has prevented more than $658 million in flood damage, partly because it uses five colossal steel gates to help manage output during high-water events. Two 64-ton bridge-shaped machines, called gantry cranes, use hoists and wire ropes to position the gates. 
 
The Army Corps of Engineers Pittsburgh District is currently rehabilitating the cranes, which have spent more than eight decades exposed to weather, corrosion and the gradual betrayal of obsolete parts. 
 
The cranes also attracted pigeons, many of which infiltrated the spaces through the machinery-room louvers and established a homestead around moving mechanical equipment.  
 
The contamination complicated access for crews and added an unscheduled layer of work to a project already contending with lead paint, asbestos flooring, aging electrical systems and machinery positioned roughly 65 feet above the dam. 
 
The cranes had become flood-control equipment, historic machinery and an avian HOA under one roof — until the local food chain intervened. 
 
"There was a hawk, and he scared away the pigeons for a while," said Wayne Carney, a civil engineer assigned to the district. "But now the hawk is gone, and the pigeons are back." 
 
However, responsible infrastructure strategy is not based on a single hawk's continued cooperation, so the district modified the rehabilitation contract to include barriers designed to keep pigeons away from the equipment. 

It is one part of a much larger effort to extend the service lives of two machines that are older than six constitutional amendments. The gates act as an additional contingency to help the district manage the reservoir during high-water events, making the cranes an important part of the region's flood-control system. 
 
In April, contractors began removing equipment from the operator cab, electrical components, mechanical systems, wire ropes and other interior hardware. 
 
Each crane has roughly 16,000 square feet of painted surface. After more than three decades since the previous paint restoration, much of the coating had corroded, rusted or begun flaking. The contractor removed the lead-based paint, stripped the steel to bare metal and applied a modern epoxy coating designed to resist corrosion. 
 
The coating work is not cosmetic; paint protects the steel beneath it, and neglected corrosion eventually causes section loss, holes and water infiltration. At that point, maintenance work becomes reconstruction work. 
 
"Catching this maintenance opportunity as early as possible and making sure there's no section loss in the steel is a big deal," Carney said. "We're avoiding other maintenance issues that come from letting the coatings decay." 
 
The project also replaces the cranes' aging wire ropes and brakes. As part of the project, electrical systems will receive an equally thorough overhaul. Crews will install new control panels, power distribution equipment, variable-frequency drives, lighting and operator consoles. 
 
The rebuilt cabs will receive steel flooring, insulated walls, new windows and doors, heating, and ventilation. A projecting window and closed-circuit television system will give operators better visibility during gate movements. 

"The controls were getting antiquated," Carney said. "New controls were definitely needed to bring them up to today's operational acceptance criteria." 
 
When the rehabilitation is finished, the cranes will retain their original purpose, but with modern controls, renewed mechanical systems, protected steel and considerably fewer pigeons. 
 
Crews expect to complete installation, testing and commissioning for the first crane by the end of 2026, and maintenance on the second crane is expected to begin next year.

 

ManTech Marks 70 Years of Creating Innovative Military Solutions

Aug. 11, 2026 | By David Vergun, Pentagon News |

This year marks a 70-year milestone for the War Department's Manufacturing Technology enterprise, which has been solving challenges beyond industry partners' investment capacity and risk tolerance for decades and has spawned separate service and agency specific programs. 

The ManTech program was established in 1956 to solve manufacturing problems that were too costly for industry partners to take on, said Emil Michael, undersecretary of war for research and engineering, during a commemorative event at the Pentagon yesterday. 

He added that investments in the enterprise have been the unseen force behind precision-guided munitions, stealth aircraft, combat vehicles, advanced microelectronics and other advances. 

For instance, the Navy ManTech program is using robots to increase submarine construction, and the Army ManTech program is using the investment capital to build ballistic helmets for troops. Also, the Defense Logistics Agency ManTech program has restored domestic production capability for legacy defense microelectronics, thereby extending the life of critical weapon systems.

As military systems become more complex, investments have evolved to tackle broader challenges in the defense industrial base, with a focus on workforce, public-private partnerships and collaboration, Michael said. 

"We're moving fast to bring on new entrants, lowering the barriers for entry, so that agile startups, nontraditional defense contractors and commercial innovators can rapidly plug into our ecosystem," he said. 

The department has been increasing the number of industry competitors, Michael pointed out.  

"And it's working," he said. "There's been more defense tech investment dollars in new entrants than ever before."  

The department is working on ways to help them succeed, so that it has a more robust, competitive ecosystem. 

"We have processes. We have procedures. We have things that are not designed for small companies, for new entrants, for new innovators to succeed as easily as the big guys," Michael said, adding that it's incumbent upon the department to give those small companies and new innovators a helping hand to ensure they have a shot at working for the Pentagon.  

One of the ManTech enterprise's primary vehicles to build at speed and scale is the Manufacturing Innovation Institute, which has more than 2,200 member organizations that have trained over 700,000 workers and students. 

The department's ManTech program showcased cost-effective, innovative technologies during events at the Pentagon yesterday and today. Technologies included additive manufacturing, robotics, advanced materials for munitions, combat vehicle modernization, microelectronics and artificial intelligence.  

The enterprise doesn't develop weapon systems — it develops the manufacturing capabilities needed to build them, through collaboration across the military services, War Department agencies, industry, academia and public-private partnerships.  

Many of today's advanced defense systems, including stealth aircraft, submarines, advanced munitions, combat vehicles and radar systems benefited from ManTech enterprise manufacturing investments. A few of their other many advances include: 

• The Air Force ManTech program lowered production costs for active electronically scanned array radar used aboard ships, aircraft and on the ground. 
• The Army ManTech program introduced advanced armor materials and robotic welding to improve production speed, quality and worker safety. They also helped modernize cannon tube production, reducing production time by about 50%.   
• The Navy ManTech program developed a ceramic coating that extends the service life of submarine seawater valves to match the operational life of the sub, saving more than $100 million in life-cycle costs.

Department of War Launches the 'Golden Dome for America Hub' To Accelerate Industry Engagement, Revolutionize Homeland Missile Defense Partnerships

Aug. 11, 2026 |

The New Digital Portal Slashes Bureaucratic Red Tape, Connecting Commercial Innovators, Venture Capital, and Nontraditional Startups Directly with the Office of Golden Dome for America

At the annual Space and Missile Defense Symposium today, Gen. Mike Guetlein, Director of Golden Dome for America, announced the official launch of the "Golden Dome for America Ecosystem Hub" (the Hub), a groundbreaking digital platform designed to streamline collaboration between the Department of War (DoW) and the commercial technology sector.

Accessible immediately at hub.goldendome.mil, the Hub represents a fundamental shift in how the United States builds its next-generation, multi-layered homeland missile defense shield. By removing legacy organizational barriers, the Hub serves as a unified entry point for traditional defense contractors, commercial tech companies, venture capitalists, academic institutions, research laboratories, and nontraditional entrepreneurs to deliver innovative capabilities at the speed of the market.

"To defeat a new generation of sophisticated, maneuvering aerial threats, we must build a defensive shield that adapts faster than the adversary," said Guetlein. "We are doing this by cutting bureaucratic red-tape, harnessing innovation through partnerships, and leveraging the true power of the Arsenal of Freedom. We are dismantling the historical walls separating commercial innovation from national defense and short-circuiting the 'Valley of Death' that so often stalls the deployment of critical technologies."

Guetlein emphasized this paradigm shift is built upon strict fiscal accountability. "While we are committed to making the necessary investments to defend and protect the nation, we are equally committed to being responsible with every dollar of the $185 billion we need to deliver Golden Dome. To do that, we are leveraging commercial-off-the-shelf technologies and fostering a competitive environment to drive down costs."

He explained this approach helps to ensure that Golden Dome for America is not only the most effective, but also the most affordable, defense system for the nation.

"Defense of the Homeland is a national imperative, and as a result requires a close partnership between industry and the government to leverage innovation to the maximum extent possible," Guetlein added.

A Unified Platform to Mobilize the Free Market

The newly established Hub is the collaborative tissue that connects authorized experts, like program managers, directly with commercial providers, venture capitalists, and academic researchers. Key capabilities and features of the Hub include:

• Direct Engagement and Rapid Submissions: Traditional and nontraditional innovators can easily register, upload concepts, and submit designs directly to program decision-makers, bypassing months of administrative delays.
• Transparent Demand Signals: The Hub provides real-time, unclassified visibility into the immediate capability gaps of the Golden Dome program, allowing the private sector to align investment and R&D with active mission requirements.

Strengthening the Supply Chain and Industrial Base

In coordination with the DoW, the Hub will help to facilitate strategic supply chain security and industrial base revitalization. Through the Hub, qualified suppliers can connect with innovative capital tools.

This diversified strategy actively encourages multi-vendor participation, mitigates sub-tier supply chain vulnerabilities, prevents vendor lock-in, and establishes a highly resilient foundation for rapid production scaling.

The Hub was developed with industry partners to leverage an innovation mindset and partnering on best practices to deliver this mission-critical platform.

"Our mission is to establish an unassailable, highly resilient industrial base built on transparency and collaborative problem-solving," Guetlein added. "By bringing private capital, commercial agility, and national defense objectives into a single, accessible environment, the Hub ensures that our defensive network remains affordable, scalable, and secure against the very real threats of today and tomorrow."

Immediate Action Required for Industry Partners

The Golden Dome for America Hub is now live. The DoW strongly encourages all interested defense contractors, commercial tech firms, research laboratories, and nontraditional entrepreneurs to register their organizations and submit initial capability overviews at: hub.goldendome.mil