RESENDE, Brazil - BAE Systems Hägglunds and Knightec Group Brazil have launched a joint engineering initiative in the state of Rio de Janeiro to manufacture components for military vehicles. The program involves the transfer of technical expertise to the Resende facility to support the global supply chain for the BvS10 all-terrain vehicle.

Knightec Group Brazil, which formed following a 2024 merger between Knightec and Semcon, is tasked with developing conceptual designs for gear housings used in the amphibious BvS10. The project focuses on optimizing production costs and improving the performance of the vehicle components by applying Knightec’s existing experience in the automotive engineering sector.

This pilot program establishes a framework for localized industrial activity as BAE Systems seeks to expand its production capacity. The company currently manages a global fleet of approximately 1,200 BvS10 vehicles across five European nations, with more than 650 additional units on order for international customers, including the United States.

The collaboration represents an extension of an existing relationship between the two firms in Europe. According to project details, the goal is to align manufacturing processes early in the development cycle to accommodate increasingly complex designs as the program evolves. The initiative is also intended to strengthen the domestic defense ecosystem in Brazil by increasing local engineering competence.

The Swedish-based BAE Systems Hägglunds has maintained a presence in Brazil for over a century, previously supplying M113 and M109 vehicles to the Army and various warships to the Navy. Company officials indicated that the current permissions for export controls are already in place to support expanded manufacturing, including the potential domestic production of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle if selected for future Brazilian military requirements.

This effort signals a strategic shift toward decentralized defense manufacturing in South America. By integrating Brazilian automotive engineering into a specialized military supply chain, BAE Systems is addressing global production bottlenecks caused by a surge in international orders. For Brazil, the project provides a pathway to modernize its industrial base and secure high-tech jobs, while BAE Systems gains a cost-optimized production hub capable of supporting NATO-standard equipment outside of its traditional European facilities.

Source: Forecast International
Associated URL: https://www.baesystems.com

MOJAVE, Ca. -- Northrop Grumman’s Talon IQ testbed completed its first partner mission autonomy flight with Shield AI’s Hivemind software.

During the flight, Shield AI’s Hivemind software commanded the aircraft, executing combat air patrol and target engagement maneuvers. Talon IQ then swapped back to Northrop Grumman’s own Prism autonomy software.

Shield AI notes that Hivemind required only a single-day hardware-in-the-loop test.

Source: Shield AI
Associated URL: https://shield.ai/northrop-grummans-talon-iq-flies-shield-ais-hivemind-software/

WASHINGTON - LeoLabs Federal Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $9.8 million contract modification (P00004) to a previously awarded contract (FA8820-25-C-B004) for Advanced Ultra-High Frequency (UHF) Phased Array Radar. The modification brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $23.9 million from $14 million.

Work will be performed at Chantilly, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 22, 2029. The Space Systems Command Directorate of Contracting, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.

Source: U.S. Air Force
Associated URL: http://www.defense.gov