BAE Systems has received a contract to produce electronic warfare systems for the F-35’s Block 4 upgrade, according to Air & Space Forces Magazine. The award covers work on the fighter’s electronic warfare suite, a core component of the Block 4 modernization package for the stealth aircraft.
The contract was reported on Oct. 9, 2026. Specific dollar amounts and delivery quantities were not disclosed in the available source material. The Block 4 upgrade is a major capability refresh for the F-35, encompassing improvements to sensors, computing, and electronic warfare systems.
The F-35A has gained customers in Europe, and the Middle East represents a potential new market, according to Shephard Media. A proposed Saudi Arabian purchase of 48 stealth fighters could signal a broader regional opportunity for the F-35 as European programmes mature, the outlet reported.
In a separate development, the U.S. Army’s Combat Training Centers (CTCs) are set to discuss how they integrate emerging technology like small unmanned aerial systems, robotics, and electronic warfare into training scenarios at the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 13, according to DVIDS News. The CTCs include the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany; the National Training Center in Fort Irwin, California; the Joint Readiness Training Center in Fort Polk, Louisiana; and U.S. Army Pacific’s Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center.
Brig. Gen. Terry Tillis, commanding general of 7th Army Training Command, said the centers apply lessons observed into lessons learned and rapidly iterate on current capability and innovation efforts to increase the rate of learning for rotational training units. “We replicate the most challenging threat that they will face on the battlefield, iteration after iteration, to ensure that no Soldier or formation goes to combat untrained,” Tillis said.
The CTCs are evolving with the changing character of warfare, incorporating lessons from Ukraine, Africa, and U.S. Central Command into realistic, multi-domain training environments, Tillis said. The opposing forces at the centers are the driving force in experimentation, he added.
Separately, AEVEX Maritime Systems has delivered 350 vessels of the Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC), now called LYNX, a U.S. Navy Program of Record, according to Breaking Defense. The company is revamping the vessels to increase the communications and navigation solution, Craig Anders, senior vice president of growth at AEVEX, told the outlet.
Sources: DVIDS News · Shephard Media