The business of defense, October 17

Raytheon has been selected to modernize U.S. Space Force early-warning radar sites, parent company RTX announced Oct. 15, 2026. The sensors provide launch warning, object characterization and activity tracking in space, serving as the outermost layer of the nation's missile-defense architecture, RTX says.¹

common open architectureavoids vendor lockplanned

Raytheon says it will help create a common open architecture

prototype solutionsrapid fieldingplanned

The program will deliver prototype solutions before transitioning to rapid fielding for the remaining locations.

Source: RTX company release, Oct. 15, 2026.

Sources

• www.rtx.com ↗

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Through the Ground-Based Radar Digitization program, Raytheon says it will work with the Space Force to modernize long-serving systems. Working alongside the service and industry, the company says it will help create a common open architecture that improves sustainment efficiency, avoids vendor lock and simplifies future upgrades to system performance.¹

Competitive Range Solutions is challenging the Defense Information Systems Agency’s (DISA) decision to expand Leidos’ $11 billion Defense Enclave Services contract, Federal News Network reports. The disputed expansion would add combatant command network migration.²

Leidos’ existing contractProposed route for the additional work

combatant command network migrationWork the challenger argues should have been competed

Case Currently OpenCompetitive Range Solutions protest status

The protest challenges the decision to add the migration work to Leidos’ existing contract.

Reported by Federal News Network, October 16, 2026; Government Accountability Office, case B-424640.2. As of October 17, 2026.

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The company argues DISA should have competed the work and alleges inadequate advance planning and unreasonable bundling.²

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) lists Competitive Range Solutions, LLC’s protest against DISA as open.¹

Federal News Network reports that DISA renewed its effort to give Leidos the work without competition following an earlier protest by General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) in July. GDIT argued that DISA should have competed the requirement to migrate 11 combatant commands. That protest was dismissed after DISA said it would conduct new market research, make a new acquisition approach decision and develop a new acquisition plan.²

DISA gave industry several days to respond to its first sources sought notice and 24 hours for the second, the outlet reports.²

The Army is looking to add a light variant to its Common Autonomous Multi-Domain Launcher (CAML) program in partnership with the Australian military, Breaking Defense reported. The service had previously sought medium and heavy variants.¹

light variantmore than one vendorplanned

Lozano emphasized that there will be more than one vendor working on the light variant

medium variantmodular acquisition strategyplanned

Georgia Tech will lead the integration of the autonomous mobility platform and the modular munitions pallets

Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, the Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires

Reported by Breaking Defense, Sept. 1 and Oct. 15, 2026. As of Oct. 15, 2026.

Sources

• breakingdefense.com ↗
• breakingdefense.com ↗

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More than one vendor would work on the light variant, Lt. Gen. Frank Lozano, the Army’s Portfolio Acquisition Executive for Fires, said at the Association of the United States Army conference Oct. 14. Lozano said he had been asked to run a CAML-light sprint with the Australians to help them meet some of their capability requirements, but did not detail the Australian military’s role.¹

Lozano said a request for information would come in the near future, with early selections targeted for March to April. Those selections could lead to a potential live-fire demonstration in June or July, followed later by a downselect.¹

For the medium variant, the Army awarded Georgia Tech Research Institute up to $33.4 million to serve as lead weapons systems integrator, Breaking Defense reported. Lozano said awards for a munitions pallet provider and an autonomous platform provider should follow within 30 days of his remarks. For the heavy launcher, he said his office was beginning to consider the 2028–2029 timeframe.¹

Shift5 announced its selection for the Army's Next Generation Command and Control effort, or NGC2, on Oct. 15, 2026. The company says the five-year, $99 million contract expands its role from prototyping partner to NGC2 component.¹

$99MContract value announced by Shift5

Five yearsContract term reported by Shift5

Shift5's release does not specify whether the $99 million is a ceiling or obligated funds.

Source: Shift5 release, Oct. 15, 2026. As of Oct. 17, 2026.

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Shift5 says it joined the effort in February through Anduril Industries, integrating its platform with Lattice and supporting live demonstrations during the Army's Ivy Sting and Project Convergence exercises.¹

Shift5's release does not specify the award date, contract type, contracting party or whether the value is a ceiling or obligated funds.¹ The Department of War's daily contract announcements for Oct. 15 and Oct. 16 do not list Shift5.^2–3