Corroborated contract 2026-10-19
The U.S. Department of War and BAE Systems have agreed a framework contract allowing the purchase of up to 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits per year for as long as seven years, with capacity to scale to 35,000 kits. APKWS converts unguided 70 mm Hydra rockets into precision-guided munitions using a laser seeker mid-body section. The system has been fielded by the U.S. military and exported to more than 30 countries.
Why it matters: The seven-year horizon and upper capacity of 35,000 kits per year signal sustained demand for cheap precision fires — a doctrine shift visible across NATO after Ukraine demonstrated the cost-effectiveness of converting legacy munitions into guided weapons at scale.
Corroborated contract 2026-10-16
BAE Systems won a U.S. Space Force contract to design and demonstrate ultra-compact radio-frequency terminals for a space-based data layer that can operate amid jamming and radiation. No contract value was disclosed.
Corroborated product 2026-10-13
BAE Systems revealed two counter-drone solutions at AUSA: a truck-mounted Multi-Domain Artillery Cannon System (MDACS) using a 155mm gun for air defense and ground strikes, and a high-power microwave system for mass drone swarms. The MDACS prototype was shown publicly for the first time. Both systems address the growing threat of coordinated drone attacks.
Why it matters: BAE is pitching 155mm howitzers as anti-aircraft guns—a return to 1940s logic that makes economic sense when drones cost $500 and Patriot intercepts cost $4 million.
Corroborated contract 2026-10-06
BAE Systems has received a contract from Lockheed Martin to produce AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare suites for F-35 production Lots 20 through 22, plus retrofit kits for earlier aircraft. The AN/ASQ-239 provides the F-35 with radar warning, electronic support, and countermeasures capabilities integral to the aircraft's survivability.
Single source contract 2026-10-02 €15m
BAE Systems will upgrade the GPS inside the U.S. Navy's Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) to the military's encrypted, jam-resistant M-code signal under a $16 million (€14.8 million) contract from Collins Aerospace. The upgrade aims to protect carrier landing operations in contested environments.
Why it matters: The U.S. is hardening carrier ops against jamming — a recognition that close-in electronic attack on the boat is now a peer threat, not a niche scenario.
Corroborated product 2026-09-17
BAE Systems has launched Shadow EW, a family of compact, software-defined electronic warfare systems designed for integration on small drones, munitions, and other airborne platforms. The systems are intended to bring EW capabilities traditionally associated with larger platforms to low-cost, attritable assets. BAE described the offering as modular and reconfigurable, with variants tailored to different size, weight, and power constraints. No customer orders were announced.
Why it matters: BAE just productised EW for the drone-swarm era — if the price and form factor work, this could finally close the gap between expensive self-protection suites and throwaway platforms that need them.
Corroborated funding 2026-09-17 €15m
BAE Systems was awarded $16 million under Title III of the U.S. Defense Production Act to demonstrate and qualify its 45-nanometre RH45 radiation-hardened semiconductor technology for military space applications. The funding aims to restore domestic U.S. production capacity for radiation-tolerant electronics.
Single source contract 2026-09-10 €35m
The U.S. Navy has added $38.2 million to an existing BAE Systems contract to overhaul two Mk 45 Mod 4 naval guns, the main deck gun mounted on destroyers and cruisers. Naval Sea Systems Command issued the cost-plus-incentive-fee modification using fiscal 2024 shipbuilding funds.
Corroborated contract 2026-09-10
The GCAP Electronics Evolution (G2E) consortium—comprising Leonardo, BAE Systems, Mitsubishi Electric, and other partners—was awarded an 18-month contract to develop integrated sensing and communications systems for the Global Combat Air Programme's sixth-generation fighter. EDR Magazine reports the contract designates G2E as a strategic enabling partner to Edgewing, the GCAP airframe consortium. The work focuses on delivering information superiority in contested airspace.
Single source contract 2026-08-31 €136m
BAE Systems has received a $149.8 million contract from the US Navy to carry out maintenance and modernization work on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer. The work will be performed at BAE's San Diego shipyard. The contract is part of the Navy's ongoing effort to extend the service lives of Wasp-class ships.
Single source product 2026-08-31
NASA launched the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, deploying its latest flagship astrophysics observatory. BAE Systems provided sensor technology aboard the telescope, which the company says will support sky surveys up to 1,000 times faster than previous observatories. The telescope is designed to study dark energy, exoplanets, and infrared astrophysics.
Corroborated product 2026-08-24
BAE Systems Maritime Australia officially laid the keel of NUSHIP Hunter on 24 August 2026 at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia, marking the formal start of hull assembly. The Hunter-class is derived from the British Type 26 design. Twenty of 22 hull blocks are now under construction, with delivery planned for the early 2030s.
Why it matters: The Type 26 family now spans three navies and three continents, validating BAE's export bet — but Australia's timeline suggests the design's complexity remains a schedule risk even with British lessons learned.