EUROPE
LAND
08 Feb 07. Italy Buys Turrets To Protect Pumas. Italy is to equip its Puma patrol vehicles with remote-controlled turrets after deaths caused by Pumas overturning. The Italian Army ordered a first batch of 19 Hitrole 12.7mm machine gun turrets from local firm Oto Melara in December, with deliveries by June for installation on the six-wheeled versions of its light scout Puma vehicles. The turret will replace an open hatch with a manned machine gun, thus avoiding the need to leave a soldier exposed during dangerous patrols. (Source: Defense News)
08 Feb 07. Romag upgrades on the way. Glass manufacturer Romag Holdings has announced a 10 year supply deal with European solar power cell manufacturer Q-Cells which will provide feedstock for Romag’s new production line, due to open later this year.
31 Jan 07. Sniper Rifles: Low Light Systems. The Defence Procurement Agency expects to issue invitations to tender on 7 Mar 07 for the supply of 24 Sniper Low Light Systems, “each to include a sniper’s weapon sight and matched spotter’s scope”. Tenders are expected to be returned by 9 May 07, with the successful company/ies delivering two samples on 11 May 07.
Comment: The Contracts Bulletin (31 Jan 07) classifies the notification as a ‘Potential Urgent Operational Requirement’. The small number required indicates a Special Forces requirement, while an educated guess suggests that the systems would be of particular value in Afghanistan. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0706, 05 Feb 07)
AIR
06 Feb 07. Honeywell has been selected by DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS) to install its SLS-4000 Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) at Bremen Airport in Germany. The contract marks Honeywell’s first sale of the innovative new technology. Honeywell’s satellite navigation system will enable precision aircraft landings by enhancing the accuracy of Global Position System (GPS) signals. Initially a prototype system will be installed at Bremen Airport in April. It will be replaced by a certified SLS-4000 system in 2008 following Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Category One approval.
08 Feb 07. The Empire Test Pilots’ School (ETPS) at Boscombe Down in England, part of the QinetiQ Group, has added an AgustaWestland A109 Power helicopter to its training fleet. The addition of the A109 has significantly increased the capacity of the School to train helicopter test pilots and flight test engineers and will help ETPS to meet the growing demand for places on its rotary wing courses.
09 Feb 07. Saab Avitronics has received a contract for development, production and support of a Terrain Masking Low Level Flight Computer for the A400M military transport aircraft. The contract is worth an amount in the range greater than 10 Million EURO depending on the aircraft sales.
USA
LAND
07 Feb 07. DRS Sustainment Systems Inc., St. Louis, Mo., was awarded on Jan. 31, 2007, an $18,393,224 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for M1200 Armored KNIGHT Vehicles and associated stock list spares. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Mo., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on April 14, 2006. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-06-C-0523).
07 Feb 07. Force 3, Incorporated*, Crofton, Md., is being awarded a $7,964,532 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for local area and wide area network infrastructure material and network routers and switches to support the Local Area Network Upgrade Project in CONUS and OCONUS TRICARE Regions for the Military Health System (MHS) Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) at Army, Navy, and Air Force sites. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $15,929,064. Work will be perfo