The Navy's top civilian called the establishment of a robotics warfare rating "a significant milestone" in the service's journey toward a hybrid fleet.
Under the deal, the Denver, Colorado-based firm will develop and prototype a new design for the Navy’s Mk 104 rocket motor using additive manufacturing.
As the F-35C fleet expands at Naval Air Station Lemoore, the service and a government oversight group worry the jets aren’t available for missions enough.
The Navy's wish list seeks to accelerate future capability development and fill in gaps that have arisen since the service drafted its FY25 budget plans.