EUROPE
LAND
04 Sep 06. BAE Systems Bofors has received a contract worth SEK 40m from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration for detailed design work on the Archer program. The contract includes an additional option worth up to SEK 50m. Archer is a self-propelled 155 mm artillery gun based on a commercial off-the-shelf chassis, originally made for construction equipment, allowing for a system that is both simple and inexpensive to maintain. The three-man crew – as opposed to the normal six to 10 – operates all activities through computers in the splinter-proof cab. Each gun carries shells required to perform its mission. An Archer gun provides the same operational capability as four to six traditional guns. BAE Systems Bofors previously delivered two demonstrator guns that are now undergoing testing by the Swedish Armed Forces. Order of the final development of a series of 24 guns (two artillery battalions) is planned for 2007-2008 with the first delivery in 2009. Final delivery is scheduled for two years later.
08 Sep 06. Paradigm Secure Communications Ltd., a subsidiary of EADS SPACE, has today signed an export contract to deliver military satellite communications services to the Netherlands Ministry of Defence. This contract forms the second part of a unique, two-phased approach where Paradigm provides managed secure communications services to the Netherlands MoD. The first phase, with an interim contract already in-place, gives the Netherlands MoD direct access to secure satellite communications over the Skynet 4 system, on an as-and-when required basis until the end of December 2006. The second phase contract signed today runs from 1st January 2007, and will see full service provision provided using a combination of the existing Skynet 4 and the new Skynet 5 systems. Thanks to the state of the art performance of Skynet 5 and to the flexible approach, this will enhance the Netherlands MoD communications capability in remote areas, facilitate its role in national and allied operations, and enable cost-effective management of these resources. The Netherlands MoD will be guaranteed an aggregate level of service, defined by the amount of data transferred, measured in Mbps, with the flexibility to increase the total throughput in the event of a change in requirements.
05 Sep 06. QinetiQ wins £1.4m contract to develop novel radar target simulator. QinetiQ has won a £1.4m contract to develop a novel radar target simulator to emulate realistic radar echoes from targets such as missiles, aircraft, small surface craft and submarine periscopes. The contract includes provision for initial trials to evaluate interaction between the Radar Research Target Generator (RRTG) and the UK ARTIST (Advanced Radar Technology Integrated System Testbed) radar system. The RRTG will then be used to extensively test and evaluate the performance of ARTIST. The contract is due to be completed by December 2007 and be delivered two thirds of the way through the current ARTIST programme. QinetiQ’s digital signal processing technology and Roke Manor Research’s analogue radio frequency hardware will be used in the RRTG development. In addition to testing ARTIST, the technology will be used for auditing, acceptance and through-life testing of in-service and future radar systems.
SEA
05 Sep 06. Lockheed Martin U.K. has been awarded a seven-year contract to provide combat system upgrades to the sonar systems aboard four Royal Navy Vanguard Class ballistic missile submarines. More than 70 percent of the work will be performed in the United Kingdom. The Vanguard Class submarine’s 2054 sonar suite is facing near-term obsolescence. Lockheed Martin will use the Acoustic Rapid COTS Insertion (ARCI) business model, proven in U.S. Navy service, to provide the Royal Navy submarine force with an open- architecture system that will negate obsolescence issues. The move to an open architecture also will make it easier for the Royal Navy to cont