CONTRACT NEWS IN BRIEF
EUROPE
LAND
21 Aug 07. Blast Munitions: Procurement. The MoD confirmed (21 Aug 07) that “a small number of enhanced blast munitions for use on Operations” were being purchased.
Comment: The MoD was responding to a Channel 4 News item (20 Aug 07) claiming that the MoD was “planning to procure thermobaric weapons and anti-structure missiles”. It is understood that the above munitions (for use in Afghanistan?) are an interim purchase. The anti-structures munition ordered from Dynamit Nobel Defence is not due to enter service until late 2009. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 0734, 03 Sep 07)
04 Sep 07. Rockwell Collins has successfully executed a $96m contract from General Dynamics to supply the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (MoD) Bowman program with Global Positioning System (GPS) cards and Appliqué handheld GPS units. The Bowman GPS System is comprised of a Miniature Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) Engine-Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM) (MPE-S) GPS card, which is embedded into existing Very High Frequency (VHF) radios, to provide GPS capability and “on-screen” situational awareness. The contract, which featured transferring manufacturing from the U.S. to the Rockwell Collins UK Ltd. facility in order to meet MoD requirements, also included accessory equipment consisting of batteries, vehicle antennas, manpack antennas and mounts.
AIR
Sep 07. The governments of Norway and the United States have signed a Letter of Offer and Acceptance (LoA) covering the sale of four Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules aircraft to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNAF). The aircraft purchase is designed to strengthen the RNAF’s domestic and international airlift capability.
Under a separate agreement, the Norwegian government has entered in to a contractual arrangement with Lockheed Martin to create an industrial cooperation program that “fully meets” Norway’s requirements regarding the C-130J procurement, said Norway’s Ministry of Defense (MoD). (Source: Defense News)
USA
LAND
31 Aug 07. The U.S. Army Sustainment Command at Rock Island, Ill., has awarded General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems $24.2m for the first year of a multi-year contract for the production of M107 projectile metal parts. The contract has a total potential value of $189m.
30 Aug 07. Lockheed Martin Corporation has been selected by the U.S. Joint Forces Command to provide Information Technology services under the new Information Systems Support Services contract, with a ceiling of $35.3m for the first year and an estimated total of more than $186m over five years. Information Systems Support Services is an indefinite-delivery-indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), cost plus fixed fee contract established by the U.S. Joint Forces Command, under which task orders will be issued. The contract has a one-year base and four additional one-year option periods. Work is expected to begin on Oct. 5, 2007. (Source: ASD Network)
31 Aug 07. Northrop Grumman Space and Mission Systems, San Diego, Calif. is being awarded a $10,617,301 contract for Joint Warning and Reporting Network (JWARN) Block 2 Increment 1 development and for initial production of the wireless JWARN Component Interface Device. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $19,693,277.Work will be performed in Winter Park, Fla. and is expected to be completed June 2008.Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, Calif. is the contracting activity.
05 Sep 07. InterSense, Inc. announced multiple orders for its wireless InertiaCube3 (IC3) sensors for integration into Raydon’s Virtual Warrior Interactive (VWI) trainers. Designed for dismounted soldiers to train on virtual battlefields and interact with convoy, tank, armored vehicles and helicopter trainers, the VWI’s 3