HERNDON, Va. -- BlackSky Technology Inc. has received a seven-figure funding commitment to continue its work under the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Luno A facility monitoring delivery order. This funding follows the company's performance during the initial phases of the four-year contract, which focuses on high-frequency satellite imagery and automated change detection.

The delivery order requires the monitoring of military and economic sites globally, including airfields, ports, and railway hubs. BlackSky utilizes artificial intelligence to identify shifts in activity involving aircraft, naval vessels, and ground equipment. This automated approach is designed to detect anomalies and patterns of life across more than 14 million square kilometers of the Earth's surface.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) uses these services to manage large volumes of data that would be difficult to process manually. By integrating machine learning with a satellite constellation, the program aims to provide predictive analytics and frequent search capabilities.

Recent updates to the company’s infrastructure include the deployment of Gen-3 satellites, which provide higher resolution imagery. These technical assets support the Luno A program's goal of identifying human-driven changes at scale. Since the inception of the Luno A program, BlackSky has secured several related delivery orders focused on automated detection and broad area search.

This development underscores a shift in how the U.S. intelligence community manages global surveillance. Rather than relying solely on government-owned hardware, the NGA is increasingly leaning on commercial "high-cadence" constellations to fill data gaps. The move toward AI-enabled change detection reflects a necessity to process massive datasets in real time, allowing analysts to focus on interpreting threats rather than manually scanning thousands of square miles of imagery.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://blacksky.com

DENVER, Colo.-- Lockheed Martin has been selected to provide an anti-jamming communications payload for Japan’s Next-Generation Defense Satellite Communication System. The project follows a contract award from the Japan Ministry of Defense to Mitsubishi Electric, with Lockheed Martin serving as a mission partner on the initiative.

The agreement specifies that Lockheed Martin will develop the advanced payload at its facilities in Colorado. Once completed, the hardware will be delivered to Japan, where Mitsubishi Electric will manage the final assembly, integration, and testing. This partnership marks a shift toward a domestically produced defense satellite for geostationary orbit.

The new satellite system is designed to succeed Japan’s current X-band defense communications infrastructure. It is intended to expand available frequency bands to accommodate increasing data demands while providing interoperability with allied nations. A primary technical focus of the payload is to enhance resistance to electronic interference and signal suppression.

This collaboration follows a prior Memorandum of Understanding between the two aerospace companies to cooperate on geostationary defense satellites. Both organizations have indicated they will continue to evaluate further partnership structures to provide similar communications technology to other nations within the Asia-Pacific region.

This development signifies a deepening of industrial defense ties between the United States and Japan, moving beyond traditional off-the-shelf purchases toward integrated co-development. By incorporating American anti-jamming technology into a Japanese-assembled platform, Japan strengthens its sovereign space capabilities while ensuring its military hardware remains compatible with U.S. and allied standards. As electronic warfare capabilities evolve globally, the transition to high-resiliency, next-generation communication bands is a strategic necessity for maintaining secure command and control in the Pacific.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: www.lockheedmartin.com

SANDY HOOK, Conn. - The FY26 defense appropriations bill signed into law earlier this month included a significant injection of new resources from Congress to support a mix of core capabilities and advanced technology development efforts. While lawmakers were largely supportive of the Pentagon’s spending plans, they pushed back on several proposals and sought additional clarification on how billions of dollars in previously appropriated reconciliation funding will be spent.

Topline Spending Exceeds Pentagon’s Request

Congress provided $858.9 billion in base discretionary spending for the Pentagon in FY26, which is around $10.6 billion more than requested. Those figures include the regular defense appropriations bill, as well as military construction funded through a separate piece of legislation. Lawmakers frequently add funding to develop and procure military hardware that wasn’t requested by the Pentagon, and the FY26 budget is no different. Congress added a total of $18.3 billion for acquisition programs above the request, split between $14.4 billion for procurement and $3.9 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation (RDT&E).

The spending bills only address the Pentagon’s base budget, but the military also has access to around $151 billion in reconciliation funds in FY26 as well. Topline details of the final appropriations bill are available through Forecast International’s U.S. Defense Budget Spotlight, a free tool that tracks acquisition spending through the entire defense budget process.

Shipbuilding, Aircraft, and Missiles Drive Procurement Gains

The defense appropriations bill provided each service with a windfall in their procurement accounts, but the additional funding wasn’t distributed evenly. The Navy and Air Force were the big winners, gaining an additional $7 billion and $3.7 billion for procurement, respectively. The Army also gained $1.7 billion, while Defense-Wide programs were increased by $2 billion, largely reflecting additional resources for the Missile Defense Agency. Three key areas stand out when looking where Congress added procurement dollars in the FY26 spending bill: shipbuilding, aircraft, and missiles.

Read the full post on Forecast International's Defense and Security Monitor using the link below.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://dsm.forecastinternational.com/2026/02/27/analyzing-the-final-fy26-defense-appropriations-bill/
Author: s. McDougall, Defense Analyst