09 Nov 04. Lockheed Martin selected ATK to replace Pratt & Whitney as the provider of Orbus 1A rocket motors for its Boost Vehicle Plus interceptor missile. These motors are used for second and third-stage propulsion and will be produced at ATK’s facility in Elkton, Md. The win expands ATK’s upper stage product offerings beyond the company’s proven Star(TM) motor line. ATK also provides first-stage propulsion for this missile defense system. The GEM-40 VN motors will be produced by ATK at its Magna, Utah facility. Terms of the contracts were not disclosed.
09 Nov 04. The U.S. Department of Defense ordered $4.2m of its Ceradyne Inc.’s lightweight ceramic body armor. The company said the order was made by the Defense Supply Center in Philadelphia under a indefinite-quantity contract it received in September 2003. Ceradyne also makes helicopter armor, missile nose cones and a variety of ceramic industrial products.
10 Nov 04. Mercury Computer Systems announced that the Boeing Company will use Mercury-developed software radio tuners, exciters (transmitters), and synthesizers for their WNW (Wideband Networking Waveform) test suite for the JTRS Cluster 1 Program.
09 Nov 04. The U.S. Air Force has selected Lockheed Martin to modify one C-130J aircraft for the Pennsylvania Air National Guard. The contract also contains options for two additional aircraft and has a total value of approximately $29m. The modified C-130J, referred to as “Super J” will be operated by the 193rd Special Operations Wing in Middletown, Pa. The Super J modifications are necessary for the future conversion of the aircraft to an EC-130J Commando Solo configuration. Commando Solo refers to a specially-modified Hercules transport that conducts information operations and civil affairs broadcasts in AM, FM, HF, TV and military communications bands.
08 Nov 04. Elbit Systems Ltd. was awarded a contract in an amount of approximately US$300m by the Israeli Ministry of Defense to supply advanced systems.
The contract will be performed over a multi-year period, under which Elbit Systems will supply airborne systems, command and control systems, logistic support and training. The contract includes integration of various systems, part of whose purpose includes providing advanced solutions in the area of homeland security.
08 Nov 04. Ducommun AeroStructures (DAS) subsidiary has been awarded follow-on contracts valued at approximately $60m from The Boeing Company in Mesa, Arizona for AH-64D Apache Longbow helicopter main and tail rotor blades for both original equipment and replacement blade requirements. These contracts are additive to current production and extend deliveries into 2006. The blades will be manufactured at the DAS Monrovia Facility, which has built every Apache rotor blade since the inception of the program in 1974.
09 Nov 04. General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products has been awarded a $23.4m contract from the U.S. Army’s TACOM/ARDEC Picatinny Arsenal (Picatinny, N.J.) for the production of 130 enhanced-capability reactive armor vehicle sets for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle System. Total value upon contract definitization could reach $46.7m.
11 Nov 04. Foster-Miller Inc. has begun shipping the first units of a new US$ 20.4 million order from the government for additional TALON(TM) UGVs for Iraq. The current shipment brings the number of TALONs performing explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) work in Iraq and Afghanistan to more than 100. The TALON went into Iraq with US forces in March 2003 and have now completed more than 20,000 EOD missions. (Source: Foster-Miller Inc.)
08 Nov 04. Land Systems Hägglunds has received an order from Switzerland for CV90 combat vehicle training simulators. The equipment will consist of chassis and turret trainers and will be used for training of crew and technical staff.
The original 186-vehicle contract for the Swiss Army CV90 was placed in 2000. The order included a mix of Infantry and Command v