Leidos Achieves Milestone in Next Generation Hypersonic System Development; Completes Key Reviews for Mayhem

Rhea-AI Summary

Leidos has successfully completed two significant reviews—conceptual design and system requirements—for the Air Force Research Lab's (AFRL) Mayhem hypersonic system. These reviews, conducted within a digital engineering environment, demonstrate advanced designs and technologies for high-speed systems.

Utilizing a System Design Agent (SDA) construct, Leidos coordinated a team of 15 industry and academic entities, including Calspan, Draper, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions. This collaboration facilitated modular architectures and government data rights, also fostering a workforce pipeline through the University of Michigan's Aerospace department.

Despite facing temporary funding challenges, Leidos remains committed to advancing hypersonic technologies through AFRL's Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Platform Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract.

Positive

• Successful completion of conceptual design and system requirements reviews for Mayhem.
• Collaboration with 15 entities including leading industry and academic experts.
• Utilization of digital engineering environment for streamlined design and review process.
• Focus on modular architectures and government data rights.
• Partnership with the University of Michigan to foster a workforce pipeline.
• Commitment to advancing hypersonic technologies despite funding challenges.
• Potential for further advancements under AFRL's Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Platform IDIQ contract.

Negative

• Facing temporary funding challenges.

Insights

Aerospace Engineer

The successful completion of the conceptual design review and system requirements review for the Mayhem hypersonic system marks a significant milestone in the development of advanced air-breathing hypersonic technologies. These reviews are critical steps in the engineering process, ensuring that the design concepts and requirements meet the stringent demands of hypersonic flight, which involves speeds exceeding Mach 5. Modular architectures and the emphasis on government data rights by Leidos can streamline further development and integration phases, potentially reducing time to deployment. This aligns with the broader strategic goals of the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) to maintain technological superiority in defense capabilities.

For retail investors, this achievement underscores Leidos' strong engineering capabilities and their potential to secure future defense contracts, which could have positive financial implications in the long term.

Financial Analyst

From a financial perspective, the completion of these key reviews for the Mayhem program highlights Leidos' ability to advance high-stakes, cutting-edge defense projects. This progress is significant as it may lead to further funding opportunities through contracts like the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Platform IDIQ. Although the project has faced temporary funding challenges, the success of these reviews could build investor confidence in Leidos' capability to navigate and overcome such hurdles. Investors should watch for contract awards and funding appropriations, which could boost Leidos' revenue streams and enhance stock performance over time.

Moreover, the collaboration with various entities, including academia, fosters innovation and positions Leidos as a leader in hypersonic technology development, which could attract more partnerships and investment.

Defense Industry Expert

Leidos' progress in the Mayhem hypersonic system not only highlights their technical achievements but also their strategic operational approach. The System Design Agent (SDA) construct and collaboration with 15 industry and academic entities, such as Calspan and Kratos Defense, enhances the robustness and versatility of the project. This collaborative model ensures that the best available technologies and talent are utilized, which is essential for maintaining a competitive edge in the defense sector. The involvement of academic institutions like the University of Michigan also helps in cultivating a skilled workforce, which is vital for sustaining long-term innovation.

For investors, this collaborative approach can be seen as a positive indicator of Leidos' strategic foresight and commitment to pushing the boundaries of defense technology, which could result in sustained growth and leadership in the market.

DAYTON, Ohio, June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos, a global leader in technology and defense solutions, has achieved successful completion of two key reviews for the Air Force Research Lab's (AFRL) cutting-edge airbreathing hypersonic system, Mayhem. Completion of the two reviews—conceptual design review and system requirements review—marks a significant step forward in advancing the next generation of air-breathing hypersonic technologies. The reviews were executed within the digital engineering environment and showcased the designs and technologies envisioned for high-speed systems such as Mayhem.

A pivotal component in this monumental accomplishment was Leidos' use of a system design agent (SDA) construct. As part of the SDA approach, Leidos brought together a national team of hypersonic experts, fostering collaboration between a total of 15 entities from both industry and academia, each contributing their expertise to the successful execution of task order one. By leveraging the SDA construct, Leidos and the SDA team, Calspan, Draper, and Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, were able to focus on modular architectures and government data rights, creating an environment that facilitates a best of breed technology while cultivating a workforce pipeline through collaboration with the University of Michigan's Aerospace department and the U-M x88 Model-Based Systems Engineering lab. The combination of the SDA business model and AFRL's vision for digital engineering laid the groundwork to streamline the acquisition life cycle.

Driven by future capability needs and designed by the top hypersonic experts in the country, the conceptual system design of Mayhem surpasses current capabilities taking its position in the evolution of hypersonic weapons. AFRL plans to leverage the SDA and Leidos' expertise through the Expendable Hypersonic Multi-Mission Platform Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to further advance hypersonic technology maturation.

"Mayhem represents a leap forward in hypersonic capabilities and we are thrilled with the outcomes of these reviews," said Mayhem Program Manager, Tiffany Creamer. "Despite temporary funding challenges, we remain committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and collaboration with AFRL to deliver impactful solutions to our warfighters."

Certain statements in this announcement constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. These statements are not guarantees of future results or occurrences. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the "Risk Factors" set forth in Leidos' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Leidos does not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that arise after the date the forward-looking statements were made.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500^® innovation company rapidly addressing the world's most vexing challenges in national security and health. The company's global workforce of 47,000 collaborates to create smarter technology solutions for customers in heavily regulated industries. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $15.4 billion for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2023. For more information, visit www.leidos.com. 

CONTACT: shawna.m.hicksli@leidos.com, 256-929-5229

 

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SOURCE Leidos

FAQ

What milestone did Leidos achieve in June 2024?

Leidos successfully completed conceptual design and system requirements reviews for the AFRL's Mayhem hypersonic system.

What is the significance of Leidos' System Design Agent (SDA) construct?

The SDA construct enabled collaboration among 15 industry and academic entities to focus on modular architectures and government data rights, facilitating advanced hypersonic system development.

Which entities collaborated with Leidos on the Mayhem program?

Entities collaborating with Leidos include Calspan, Draper, Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, and the University of Michigan's Aerospace department.

What challenges did Leidos face in the Mayhem project?

Leidos faced temporary funding challenges in the Mayhem project.

How does the completion of the reviews impact the Mayhem hypersonic system?

The successful reviews mark a significant advancement in developing next-generation air-breathing hypersonic technologies for the Mayhem system.