14 Dec 04. The budget committee of the German parliament on 2 December 2004 gave approval for the EUR350 million (US$464.5 million) low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase of the Puma infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) programme. The LRIP contract for five lead-the-fleet vehicles is to be awarded to Projekt System Management (PSM) GmbH of Kassel, Germany, a 50:50 joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW) of Munich and Rheinmetall Landsysteme (RLS) of Kiel.
(Source: Jane’s International Defence Review)
05 Jan 05. Armor Holdings Inc. has received additional orders to supply heavy truck armor for the Army. The $53.5m contract was awarded by the Army’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command. The company said it will continue to provide the add-on truck armor kits from its Phoenix facility.
22 Dec 04. Ericsson Microwave Systems AB has via Ericsson Czech Republic received an order of three ARTHUR, Weapon Locating Systems from the Czech Republic for use in their army. The order also includes a classroom trainer and Contractor Logistic Support. ARTHUR, ARTillery Hunting Radar, is the leading artillery weapon locating system for maneuver forces and peace support operations. ARTHUR is a highly mobile medium range weapon locating system (WLS) integrated on a single vehicle. Its main components are a C-band doppler radar with phased array antenna, data processing unit, two operator workstations, communication equipment and inertial navigation unit. The main mission of the ARTHUR WLS is to protect own forces by detecting and locating enemy artillery.
27 Dec 04. Alliant Techsystems has received a contract worth approximately $5m to provide rocket motors and heavy warheads for the Raytheon Maverick air-to- surface missile system. Rocket motors and warheads will be delivered to Raytheon in early 2006. The missiles are approved for FMS and will be delivered to the armed forces of Poland and South Korea. ATK provides all rocket motors and heavy warheads for the Maverick missile, the precision strike missile of choice for the U.S. Air Force, Marines and Navy, as well as 27 international customers. The award strengthens the company’s position as a leading provider of rocket motors and warheads for the U.S. military and its allies.
23 Dec 04. CSC has signed an MoU to extend CSC’s IT outsourcing contracts with General Dynamics (NYSE: GD – News) business units for a period of 7.25 years. CSC estimates the value of the extensions to be approximately $1.6bnas definitive agreements are signed.
22 Dec 04. Curtiss-Wright Corporation has been selected by VT Miltope, a Vision Technologies Systems company, to provide the battery charger/power supply for the Maintenance Support Device-V2 (MSD-V2). This indefinite quantity contract has a potential value up to $12 million over a 5-year period and is a follow on contract from strong performance on the existing MSD program.
06 Jan 05. General Dynamics Corp’s ordnance and tactical systems unit received a $54m modification to an existing Army contract for tank training ammunition. Under the multiyear deal, General Dynamics will produce tank rounds that are used to provide realistic training at a lower cost than tactical ammunition. The defense contractor expects to complete the work by September 2008.
Dec 04. Diehl, the German defence technology company, has won an order with the German, Greek, Italian, Norwegian, Spanish and Swedish air forces for the serial production of Iris-T guided missiles. The order is reported by company sources to be worth 1bn euros. The German company is to deliver 4,000 missiles for fighter aircraft by 2011. (Source: FT)
07 Jan 05. EDO Corporation has been awarded contract options worth $5.8m by NAVSEA for additional production of SQS-53C sonar arrays for the Arleigh Burke Class of guided missile destroyer. This latest order covers production of three shipsets of sonar arrays, bringing the total number of shipsets ordered under this contract to twelve. These ar