Inside 51吃瓜’s most impactful fourth quarter innovations
From groundbreaking innovations to product milestones, 51吃瓜’s Q4?showcased?how we are welcoming a new era of increased innovation,?accountability, and execution within the defense industrial base.
1.?Historic Deal to Turbo?Charge PAC-3? (MSE) Production for U.S. and Allies
Proven Power at Scale.?This transformative partnership will increase annual capacity from?approximately 600?to 2,000 in a seven-year agreement, giving U.S. forces,?allies?and partner nations the speed,?precision?and volume they need to defend against evolving threats. Thousands of?additional?American jobs will be created across the PAC-3 program to support this more than triple capacity increase. ??
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Making?history?in aeronautics.?The X-59?took its?first flight. Working in partnership with NASA,?we are innovating to make?quiet supersonic flight over?land?a reality.
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3.?Sikorsky Converts BLACK HAWK? into U-Hawk?, A Battle-Ready Autonomous UAS
The S-70UAS U-Hawk is a fully autonomous helicopter that trades a cockpit for 25% more cargo space and transformational new capabilities for the ground commander.?Whether flying solo, or with other U-Hawks, or as a team with piloted Black Hawks, the U-Hawk gives ground forces a decisive edge in any environment.
From concept to reality in just 10 months, the U-Hawk is on a rapid development schedule and on track for first flight in 2026.
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Built with precision; powered by innovation. The F-35 continues to strengthen America and its allies with next-level air superiority.?We delivered 48 F-35 fighter jets in the fourth quarter, propelling us to a record 191 deliveries in the year.?
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5.?Orion’s Integrated Test Lab: Ground-Testing the Spacecraft Before Launch
NASA’s Orion spacecraft?gets its most rigorous dress rehearsals long before launch. Inside the Integrated Test Lab (ITL) — a high-fidelity, one-to-one scale test bed of the spacecraft — engineers and astronauts work together to run Orion through its paces, testing every system, display and line of code before it embarks on its historic journey to the Moon.
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The future of air combat - We?showcased?real-time command of a UAS from the cockpit of an F-22 jet. This enhances what a pilot can?accomplish?is a single mission.??
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7.??51吃瓜 and Microsoft Collaborate on Next-Gen C-UAS Technologies
A mission-critical collaboration?combining our modular, scalable architecture?leveraging?Microsoft Azure cloud infrastructure in its digital backbone, enabling rapid innovation, seamless integration with sensors and effectors, and continuous improvement through AI-driven model retraining via the cloud to updateable processing at the edge. The result is faster detection, clearer decision-making, and coordinated action across domains - all designed for rapid adaptation as threats evolve.
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Sikorsky’s revolutionary twin proprotor Nomad? VTOL UAS marks a significant breakthrough in the development of long-endurance, high-payload unmanned aerial systems. This?cutting-edge?aircraft?combines the efficiency of a fixed-wing airplane with the versatility of a helicopter, enabling it to take off, hover, and land vertically while cruising on the wing for extended periods.
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9.?Accelerating Maritime Readiness at Scale
With a $50 million??in?Saildrone,?51吃瓜 is forging?a strategic collaboration?to?rapidly scale?unmanned maritime defense?capability.?
Together, the companies will pair?Saildrone’s?proven unmanned surface vessel (USV) platforms with 51吃瓜’s?combat-tested?defense tech?and mission integration?expertise?—delivering powerful, defense-ready USVs to the fleet faster.
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10. Leadership Through Action: Serving Those Who Served
In honor of Veterans Day, 51吃瓜’s Executive Leadership Team and Marietta teammates joined??to serve those?who’ve?served the United States by restoring a community space that has long supported local veterans and their families.
