14 Sep 05. The Rockwell Collins Rubicon II jammer has been selected for the U.S. Marine Corps Communication Emitter Sensing and Attack System (CESAS) and the Mobile Electronic Warfare Support System (MEWSS). The contract is valued at $28 million over the life of the program. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in March 2006. The Rubicon II, with its smart jamming capabilities and wide frequency range, is the next generation of Rockwell Collins command and control warfare system that enables the U.S. military to monitor, target and deny enemy communications. Utilizing the all-VME open systems architecture design, the Rubicon II is capable of incorporating future technology insertions that are required to defeat ever-evolving threats. This includes planned growth options to counter Remote Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices. CESAS provides the Marine Air Ground Task Force commander with an organic capability to conduct electronic attack for the Commander’s Information Warfare and Electronic Warfare plans supporting Expeditionary Maneuver Warfare. MEWSS provides a light armored yet highly mobile signals intelligence and electronic warfare capability that can operate in a wide variety of tactical situations. The Rubicon II is the electronic attack component of the MEWSS system.
14 Sep 05. AgustaWestland has recently been awarded a training contract by General Dynamics UK Limited, for the New Integrated Marines Communications and Information System (NIMCIS). NIMCIS is a two-year programme to equip the Royal Netherlands Marine Corps (RNLMC) with the BOWMAN C4I system, which is currently being rolled out to the UK Armed Forces by General Dynamics UK Limited.. The contract requires AgustaWestland to develop and conduct “Train the Trainer” courses in the Netherlands for the Royal Netherlands Navy’s Instructors and provide:
* Bowman phase 2 Training Needs Analysis and development of a Conversion Training Plan
* A Learning Management System (LMS)
* A Training Infrastructure and Facilities Specification, which will identify the detailed infrastructure requirements
* Classroom equipment, including Interactive Electronic Training Delivery System (IETDS), network servers, projectors and screens and all courseware and applications
* Training Management and Instructors
14 Sep 05. Thales UK SWARM remote weapon system selected for US Marine Corps Gladiator Programme. The Thales UK SWARM Remote Weapon System has been selected for the United States Marine Corps Gladiator Programme following a rigorous competition conducted by General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products (GDATP), based at Burlington, Vermont, USA. The Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV) is a remotely operated combat vehicle capable of carrying out search-and-discovery missions in potentially hostile areas. It is able to warn dismounted troops of potential dangers ahead such as minefields, craters, trenches and hidden enemy positions, as well as alerting them to the presence of chemical, biological and nuclear hazards. The SWARM weapon system, fitted with a 7.62mm M240 machine gun and day/night sensors, will provide a potent offensive capability. A team headed by Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, including BAE Land Systems (York, Pennsylvania) and GDATP won the $26.4M contract in February to design, develop and deliver six prototype Gladiator vehicles to the Marine Corps, the production quantity is expected to be in the order of 200 units.
14 Sep 05. Thales contracted for Battlefield Target Identification. Thales has received funding from UK MoD, Sweden’s FMV, France’s DGA and the United States Marine Corps to supply Battlefield Target Identification Device (BTID) hardware for the US led NATO Coalition Combat Identification (CCID) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator (ACTD) programme. The CCID ACTD culminates in a multi-national Military Utility Assessment hosted by UK MoD on Salisbury Plain Training Area in Autumn 2005 named “Exercise U