EUROPE
LAND
12 Oct 23. DRS Network & Imaging Systems LLC, Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a $16,917,261 modification (P00005) to contract W91CRB-23-C-5006 for engineering services. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 8, 2025. Fiscal 2024 Foreign Military Sales (Poland) funds in the amount of $16,917,261 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
12 Oct 23. Sweden Launches Initial Studies for CV9040 Replacement. Preliminary Design for Replacement of Combat Vehicles. FMV has signed a contract with BAE Systems Hägglunds AB to carry out a preliminary design regarding replacement procurement of combat vehicles. The value of the contract is SEK 36m.The contract is a first step in defining the configuration and program for the combat vehicles that will replace the type 9040C combat vehicles that Sweden donated to Ukraine. The goal is for the preliminary design to be completed in time to be able to place a series order of the so-called CV9035 MkIIIC early in 2024. The preliminary planning enables planning of future production and that orders can be placed for certain components and materials with long lead times. The preparations for future production can thus be done in parallel with the final negotiations on the contract for new combat vehicles. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Swedish Defense Materiel Agency, FMV)
12 Oct 23. Sweden Launches $320m Upgrade of its Leopard 2 Tank Fleet. Tank 122 Becomes Tank 123A. The most extensive upgrade of Tank 122 since the tanks were acquired in the early 2000s will soon begin. 44 tanks are to be renovated and modified and will then be designated Tank 123A. On behalf of the Armed Forces, FMV has signed a contract with KMW worth approximately SEK 3.5bn (approx. $320m—Ed.) for the modernization of the tank fleet. The upgrade includes, among other things, the replacement of basically all electronic components in the vehicle so that the system is in line with other modern Leopard 2s, a new L55 cannon with a greater possibility of programming ammunition, new night sights for the gunner and vehicle commander as well as a night driving camera for the driver and finally new tracks. Deliveries of Tank 123A to the Armed Forces will take place starting in 2026. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/ Swedish Armed Forces)
12 Oct 23. Saab has received an order from BAE Systems Hägglunds for sight- and fire control capability for the CV90 combat vehicle. The order value is approximately SEK 970m and the contract period is 2023-2029. Saab will provide the sight- and fire control capability for the BAE Systems’ CV90 ordered by the Czech Republic earlier in 2023 and will carry out the work in Sweden and the Czech Republic. In May 2023 Saab received an order from BAE Systems Hägglunds for sight- and fire control capability for Slovakia’s CV90 combat vehicles. (Source: ASD Network)
AIR
12 Oct 23. Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, New York, is awarded a $379,577,128 firm-fixed-price order (N0001924F2566) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0017). This order provides for the production and delivery of eight MH-60R aircraft for the government of Spain. Work will be performed in Owego, New York (52%); Stratford, Connecticut (40%); and Troy, Alabama (8%), and is expected to be completed in March 2027. Foreign Military Sales (Spain) customer funds in the amount of $379,577,128 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
11 Oct 23. Relativity Space, the preeminent 3D printed rocket company, announced today that it has signed a multi-year, multi-launch Launch Services Agreement (LSA) with Intelsat, operator of the largest integrated space and terrestrial network in the world. Under the agreement, Relativity will launch Intelsat satellites on Terran R as early as 2026. As a medium-to-heavy-lift, reusable launch vehicle made for growing satellite launch demand and eventually multiplanetary transport, Terran R provides both government and commercial customers affordable access to space, in LEO, MEO, GEO and beyond. Relativity has a total of nine signed customers for Terran R, including multiple launches and totaling more than $1.8bn in backlog. (Source: ASD Network)
USA
LAND
10 Oct 23. Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) has been awarded a contract by General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) to provide its Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) compliant technology for use in the Managed Switch Field Upgrade program for the U.S. Army’s Stryker ground combat vehicle. Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright will supply GDLS with its compact and rugged DBH-670 Digital Beachhead line replaceable unit, which combines a flexible Ethernet switch and a powerful Vehicle Management Computer to provide an essential foundation for modern ground vehicle digital architectures. The contract will continue the deployment of Curtiss-Wright’s DBH-670 Digital Beachhead, which has been successfully fielded on the Stryker combat vehicle platform for over five years. Curtiss-Wright’s DBH-670, designed for the harshest battlefield environments, uniquely hosts a U.S. Army VICTORY network switch and vehicle management computer in a size, weight, power and cost (SWaP-C) optimized LRU. The DBH-670 provides central network services to enable a true network centric architecture whereby common services are available to all connected and authorized equipment on the platform. Curtiss-Wright is performing the work within its Defense Solutions division in the Defense Electronics segment. For more information on Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division products and MOSA technologies, please visit https://www.curtisswrightds.com.
12 Oct 23. Gentex Corp., Simpson, Pennsylvania, has been awarded an estimated $35,116,825 modification (P00006) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-23-D-0004) with four one-year option periods for advanced combat helmets. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The ordering period end date is Oct.16, 2024. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
05 Oct 23. The U.S. Army awarded L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) full-rate Manpack and Leader radio production orders under the Handheld, Manpack & Small Form Fit (HMS) program. These orders, totaling more than $247m, deliver critical cryptographic modernized communications with resilient waveforms to help ensure the Army’s Integrated Tactical Network can survive in the modern battlespace. The L3Harris AN/PRC-158 and AN/PRC-163 radios leverage software-defined architectures and integrated cross-banding between waveforms. The radios include key software-defined capabilities that will incorporate satellite communications while on the move. (Source: ASD Network)
12 Oct 23. Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to develop and deliver up to four 300 kW-class laser weapon systems to the U.S. Army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability-High Energy Laser (IFPC-HEL) prototype program. The IFPC-HEL system complements other layered defense components to protect soldiers from stressing threats, unmanned aerial systems, rocket, artillery and mortars, along with rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. Lockheed Martin will deliver two 300 kW-class IFPC-HEL prototypes with an option for two additional 300 kW-class units. Since 2019, Lockheed Martin was integral to the transition from the 100 kW-class science and technology program, the High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL-TVD), to deliver a 300 kW-class IFPC-HEL demonstrator. In 2020, Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract to develop a compact, ruggedized 300 kW-class laser for the Department of Defense. In August of 2022, Lockheed Martin delivered the High Energy Laser Scaling Initiative (HELSI) laser for use in the IFPC-HEL demonstrator, which was the most powerful solid-state directed energy technology delivered at that time. (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/)
11 Oct 23. The U.S. Army has ordered more than 7,000 Thales RT-2129 Combat Net Radios (CNR) based on the Improved Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (IMBITR) technology, demonstrating the service’s continued confidence in Thales’ ability to deliver next-generation radios for the Army’s network modernization effort. As a fully software-defined communications solution, the Thales CNR ensures interoperability with the legacy Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS) waveform, as well as enables the Army to quickly add improved waveforms to address evolving requirements. The RT-2129 CNR is a critical component to the Army’s unified network providing robust communications capabilities to the tactical edge. The Thales CNR, built around the battle proven AN/PRC-148 handheld family of radios, provides the Army a crypto modernized tactical radio solution. The flexible software-defined solution enables the Army to seamlessly replace the legacy RT-1523 fleet of mounted and dismounted radios.
SEA
11 Oct 23. The Navy has awarded HII a contract worth up to $347m to purchase up to 200 unmanned undersea vehicles, the first major acquisition for the Navy’s Lionfish program, the company announced today. The initial buy for nine UUVs and associated support, worth roughly $19m, was made on Sept. 28 through the Defense Department’s daily contract listings, but that statement did not include details about the number of drones being initially purchased or the contract’s 200 vehicle ceiling. (Source: Breaking Defense.com)
12 Oct 23. ThayerMahan Inc., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $19,296,073 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Autonomous Mobile Maritime Systems for Tactical Surveillance, Undersea Warfare, and Subsea and Seabed Warfare. This contract provides for the development of specialized long endurance autonomous platforms, sensors, autonomous behaviors, signal processors, artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, and improved endurance capacity. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in October 2027. The total cumulative value, including a 48-month base period with no option periods, is $19,296,073. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $100,000 are obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-22-S-B001 entitled “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology.” Since proposals are received throughout the year under the Long Range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-24-C-2202). (Source: https://www.defense-aerospace.com/)
AIR
09 Oct 23. Comtech (NASDAQ: CMTL) announced today that it was recently awarded a U.S. Army contract with a maximum ceiling value of $544m. Under the contract, Comtech will provide onsite professional engineering services, as well as supply and support the company’s market leading satellite and terrestrial networking communications technologies for the Project Manager (PM) Tactical Network (TN) for the Global Field Service Representative (GFSR) support program. The GFSR program provides ongoing communications and IT infrastructure support for the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and NATO-enabling U.S. and coalition forces to maintain robust, resilient, and secure connectivity for global all-domain operations in all environments. This task order was awarded on Comtech’s existing contract with the U.S. Army, which leverages the ten-year, $5.1bn Global Tactical Communications Systems (GTACS) II indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract vehicle. Comtech was initially selected as one of multiple GTACS II IDIQ awardees in 2020. The GTACS II contract is designed to support of the Program Executive Office Command, Control and Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T), and PM TN. GTACS II provides the rapid acquisition of a wide range of C3T hardware, software, engineering services and logistics support services with an emphasis on tactical satellite communications.
12 Oct 23. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $33,266,729 modification (P00031) to contract W58RGZ-22-C-0010 for UH-60M aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2027. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (Jordan) funds in the amount of $33,266,729 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
12 Oct 23. Stratolaunch, LLC announces a contract with the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to support the first flight test of the company’s second reusable Talon-A hypersonic test vehicle, TA-3. Launched from Roc, the world’s largest flying aircraft, Talon-A vehicles are rocket-powered, autonomous testbeds with the ability to fly a variety of hypersonic flight profiles while carrying customized payload experiments on board. Stratolaunch announced its first contract with AFRL in late 2022 supporting its first flight of TA-1, an expendable configuration of the Talon-A product line. Reusability is an important factor enabling an increase in the cadence of hypersonic testing. Stratolaunch’s repeatable approach enables rapid, iterative testing, increasing the pace of access to the hypersonic environment while reducing development cost, schedule, and risk. (Source: ASD Network)
10 Oct 23. X-Bow Systems Inc Announces DoD Contract for Hypersonic Solid Rocket Motor Development. X-Bow Systems Inc (X-Bow) announces its selection by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, for a $64m contract to provide large solid rocket motors (SRM) to the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Army. This contract establishes X-Bow as a new supplier of SRMs and strengthens the Defense Department supply chain in a critical period for the United States. The introduction of X-Bow’s new methods for manufacturing SRMs and energetics will lead to a significant increase in SRM production capacity and cost for production of SRMs. X-Bow’s SRMs will provide boost propulsion for the Navy-designed hypersonic All Up Round (AUR) utilized by the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike weapon system and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon System. X-Bow’s world-class team includes Leidos Dynetics and Karman Space & Defense. (Source: PR Newswire)
TECHNOLOGY
06 Oct 23. Amentum Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (HR0011-24-D-0101); Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia (HR0011-24-D-0102); ECS Federal LLC, Fairfax, Virginia (HR0011-24-D-0103); ManTech SRS Technologies Inc., Herndon, Virginia (HR0011-24-D-0104); Strategic Analysis Inc., Arlington, Virginia (HR0011-24-D-0105); and Systems, Planning, and Analysis Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (HR0011-24-D-0106), were each awarded an indefinite-delivery /indefinite-quantity contract for a maximum amount of $1,250,000,000 (total sum among all six contractors) with cost-reimbursable, fixed-price, and labor-hour task orders for technical and analytical support services. This contract provides for a range of high-level advisory and assistance services to all Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency technical and support offices. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of October 2028. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. These contracts were a competitive acquisition under solicitation HR001123R0001, and 12 offers were received. DARPA, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
25 Sep 23. Epirus, a technology company developing software-defined high-power microwave systems, and the University of Oklahoma’s (OU) Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC), the largest academic radar program in the nation, announced today an $8.16m grant from the Office of Naval Research (ONR). This collaborative, three-year endeavor is poised to dramatically enhance the field of phased arrays and enhance output power for all-digital, solid-state arrays. Researchers at OU’s ARRC, led by Dr. Mark Yeary, will serve as the principal investigators for the ONR-funded project. The research aims to determine the ability to increase the transmitted long-distance power density of phased arrays to overcome radar range limitations and counter the growing threat of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). This joint effort will, in turn, help enhance the use of directed energy systems for the U.S. Department of Defense’s counter-UAS mission. This partnership builds upon the solid foundation established over the years between Epirus and OU’s ARRC and underscores their shared commitment to creating a worldwide center of excellence to push the boundaries of radio frequency (RF) technologies and advancing the development of critical technology capabilities. The grant was secured through the support of a Congressional addition to the fiscal year 2023 budget – and will support critical workforce development initiatives throughout Oklahoma, a growing hub for groundbreaking research and development.
10 Oct 23. Immersive Wisdom, Inc., provider of a proven distributed collaborative operations center software platform for Denied, Degraded, Intermittent, and Limited-Bandwidth (DDIL) environments announced at the 2023 Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition that the U.S. Air Force has acquired an Enterprise-Class License of its software platform via a newly awarded $25m SBIR Phase III contract. This contract is designed to enable the rapid acquisition of the Immersive Wisdom software platform across the USAF and the entire Department of Defense. (Source: PR Newswire)
10 Oct 23. Pacific Defense, a leading provider of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) products and mission solutions, was recently awarded a contract by the US Army to further develop and mature mission solutions aligned with the U.S. Army’s C5ISR Modular Open Suite of Standards (CMOSS) and The Open Group’s Sensor Open Systems Architecture™ (SOSA) technical standard. The award builds on a series of prior US Army, Navy, and Air Force awards to build a family of SOSA and CMOSS aligned capabilities that enable both ground and airborne mission capabilities to reduce risk in preparation for CMOSS Mounted Form Factor (CMFF) programs. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
09 Oct 23. Palantir Technologies Inc. today announced that the Army has awarded a new contract for up to three years to provide additional capabilities in support of the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), Armed Services, Intelligence Community, and Special Forces as they continue to test, utilize, and scale artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) capabilities. The contract, posted to the Department of Defense contracting website last week, is worth up to $250 m through 2026. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
11 Oct 23. Vigilant Aerospace Systems, Inc., a leading provider of multi-sensor detect-and-avoid safety solutions for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and advanced air mobility (AAM), announced the acquisition of a contract from the US Air Force. This contract aims to develop a state-of-the-art detect-and-avoid system tailored for the Air Force’s upcoming long-endurance drone. The project aims to enhance the operational awareness of an existing long-endurance Group V UAS by integrating an advanced detect and avoid system. This system leverages emerging C-SWaP sensors and sensor fusion software to benefit both the aircraft and the pilot, facilitating safer and more efficient operations. (Source: C-UAS Hub)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
10 Oct 23. Rheinmetall receives a further order for artillery shells: third call-off from framework agreement Rheinmetall has booked a further order for artillery ammunition under a framework agreement with the German Bundeswehr. The third call-off, it encompasses the delivery of over a hundred thousand 155mm shells from the Group’s new Spanish subsidiary Rheinmetall Expal Munitions as well as additional DM 121 high-explosive rounds. Although the customer is the German government, all the ammunition is earmarked for Ukraine. The order is worth a figure in the mid-three-digit million-euro range. Tens of thousands of rounds are to be delivered in 2023, with the reminder due to ship in 2024. As recently as July 2023, Rheinmetall announced the signing of a new framework agreement for artillery ammunition with the Bundeswehr and the expansion of an existing agreement. The contracts encompass the delivery of several hundred thousand shells, fuses and propelling charges.
AIR
02 Oct 23. Aeronautics Ltd. – a world leader in designing, developing, and manufacturing Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for the global defence and HLS markets – has secured $60m worth of new contracts to supply its advanced Ground Control Stations (GCS) for its Orbiter UAV systems and to provide essential maintenance services for its Aeronautics UAV fleet. Aeronautics provides end to end solutions for UAS missions – from the UAV to the Ground Control Stations. Redefining the gathering of tactical intelligence, the Orbiter family of UAV Systems boasts exceptional endurance, unmatched manoeuvrability, advanced surveillance capabilities and the ground stations to operate the system. In one contract, Aeronautics will provide two types of state-of-the-art Ground Control Stations to complement the Orbiter UAS operations. The first is the Portable Ground Control Station (PGCS), which features flight and mission operation software, video-tracker software, payload sensor data and information. The PGCS provides flexibility and mobility for tactical deployments and caters to dynamic mission requirements in various environments. The second is the MILSTD sheltered station (GCS), an advanced modular control station for maximised mission capability and success. Designed to meet rigorous military standards, the GCS provides enhanced capabilities for complex and large-scale operations. The maintenance contract signed enables the customer to receive comprehensive maintenance for all of Aeronautics’ UAV systems ensuring maximum fleet readiness for all situations. This contract demonstrates Aeronautics’ commitment to comprehensive and ongoing customer support.(Source: www.joint-forcescom)
09 Oct 23. Honeywell has received an order for 41 T55-GA-714A engines to support South Korea’s procurement of new CH-47F aircraft as part of an effort to replace their older CH-47D aircraft. The order and supply of the T55 engines is managed through the office of U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales. Honeywell’s T55 engine is a world leader in powering heavy lift helicopters. Over 1,000 CH-47 helicopters powered by T55s are operated today by militaries and civil aviation entities around the world. Honeywell’s latest T55-GA-714A engine configuration produces nearly 5,000 shaft horsepower, powering Chinook aircraft up to 170 knots even in demanding operating conditions.
TECHNOLOGY
12 Oct 23. International Business Machines Corp., Bethesda, Maryland, has been awarded a $38,964,968 firm-fixed-price contract for the modernization of the Egyptian Air Force Integrated Logistics System. This contract provides for a fully integrated maintenance management and supply chain management system with the capability to support maintenance, repair, overhaul, operations, enterprise resource planning, forecasting, analytics, material management, and contracting operations. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and Egypt, and is expected to be completed by June 5, 2029. This contract involves foreign military sales to Egypt. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $31,336,516 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA2383-24-C-B001).