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Jan 07. The EDS-led ATLAS Consortium has announced that the UK Ministry of Defence has approved an amendment to the Defence Information Infrastructure (Future) (DII (F)) contract, confirming ATLAS will deliver DII Increment 2a. This is a further element of the ten-year contract awarded in March 2005, to modernise and create a single coherent MoD information infrastructure. The ATLAS Consortium comprises EDS as lead contractor, tier 1 partner Fujitsu Services and key sub-contractors General Dynamics, EADS Defence and Security Systems and LogicaCMG. Increment 2 of the DII programme is comprised of three elements: in the Deployed Environment (Component Command HQs); at Above Secret classifications; and also a further tranche of workstations in the office (Fixed) environment. Increment 2a covers the Fixed element, which will provide for nearly 44,000 additional User Access Devices and 58,000 User Accounts in support of the Defence Change Programme and other identified business priorities.
The DII (F) project will replace numerous individual information systems throughout the MoD with a single, more efficient information infrastructure. It will also enable many of the defence efficiency measures under the Defence Change Programme to be achieved. These include Network Enabled Capability – the ability to improve the capability of the Armed Forces through a single network of information – announced in the Defence White Paper.
DII (F) will achieve this by extending into the operational arena, interfacing with battlespace systems and improving shared information between headquarters, battlefield support and the front line. DII (F) will allow greater interoperability between the MoD and its allies, allowing significantly more effective operational support than currently available. (Source: MoD Defence Contracts Bulletin)
17 Jan 07. Defence Training Review (DTR): Preferred Bidder Selected. The Defence Secretary announced (17 Jan 07) that the Metrix consortium had been awarded Preferred Bidder status for DTR Package 1 and Provisional Preferred Bidder status for DTR Package 2. Contract signature for Package 1 “is anticipated for the second half of 2008”. The MoD has yet to decide on the way ahead for Package 2, which may not go forward as originally envisaged.
Comment: The MoD expects that some 30 training sites will be reduced to about 10 in the future, with a main (tri-Service) campus at St Athan, South Wales. DTR Package 1 involves the provision of engineering and communications training while Package 2 covers logistics, security, policing and administration.
The sites affected by Package 1 are: Arborfield, Bordon, Blandford, HMS COLLINGWOOD (but see also Item 4), Cosford, RAF Cranwell, RAF Digby, HMS SULTAN and St Athan. Over a five-year period from late 2008, the training at these nine sites is to be concentrated at HMS SULTAN and at St Athan. Marine Engineering is to remain at HMS SULTAN until 2017, when it is due to be moved to St Athan.
The Metrix consortium includes AgustaWestland, EDS, QinetiQ, Raytheon and Serco. The losing bidder, for Package 1 only, was MC3 which included BAE Systems and the VT Group. (See: BATTLESPACE ALERT Vol.9 ISSUE 2, 17 January 2007, QINETIQ CONSORTIUM WINS U.K. DEFENCE TRAINING AWARD) (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0704, 22 Jan 07)
Jan 07. German army orders 157 MAN trucks from the SX range. MAN military vehicles offer maximum protection for German soldiers in areas of service. The German army has ordered 157 protected trucks from the SX range for the safe transport of German soldiers in areas of service. Representatives of the Federal German Office for Military Technology and Procurement signed the serial contract in Koblenz on December 20th. The vehicles of the MAN SX 45 model will be delivered to the German forces between 2007 and 2012. The four-axle MAN SX 45 sets standards for wheel-driven military vehicles with its combination of torsion-resistant box-body f