CONTRACT NEWS IN BRIEF
EUROPE
LAND
17 Nov 08. Otokar, celebrating its 45th anniversary, has been awarded a $43.2m contract to deliver the COBRA armored wheeled tactical vehicle. Delivery is scheduled to be in 2009. The leading designer and exporter of military vehicles in Turkey, Otokar continues to grow in defense industry with local and international orders.
SEA
17 Nov 08. ITT Corporation has been awarded a $9.2m contract to supply a fixed site complete radar approach control (RAPCON) system for the Turkish Navy’s Cengiz Topel airbase through prime contractor Eriktronik Engineering. The contract is comprised of a terminal air surveillance radar and PAR-2000 precision approach radar, as well as spare parts, training, and assistance with installation. The Turkish Ministry of National Defence (MND) is a long-standing customer of ITT Radar Systems-Gilfillan (Van Nuys, California), having previously procured 13 radar systems, including 10 RAPCONs for use by the Turkish Air Force. This sale represents the first RAPCON for the Turkish Navy and will be delivered early in 2010.
AIR
18 Nov 08. Defence and support services company VT Group (VT), through VT Support Services, has signed a contract valued at £160m to provide initial flying training for all three Armed Forces. The new contract, over a period of ten years, extends and expands the scope of VT’s aircraft maintenance, logistics and provision of assets for flying training. VT will expand its activities to deliver up to 57,000 hours of flying a year through the provision of aircraft and associated support, including instructors. The augmented University Air Squadrons (UAS) and Elementary Flying Training (EFT) service will start from April next year and the contract follows VT’s selection as preferred bidder in June.
USA
LAND
18 Nov 08. DRS Technologies, Inc. A Finmeccanica Company, announced that it received a $21.3m delivery order under pre-existing contract to provide JV-5 ultra-rugged vehicle computing and display systems for the U.S. Army’s Force XXI Battle Command, Brigade and Below (FBCB2) program and Blue Force Tracking (BFT) and the United States Marine Corps (USMC) situational awareness requirements. The company received the contract from the Army’s CECOM Life Cycle Management Command at Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. The JV-5 vehicle computing system includes new technologies such as multi-core processors, increased memory, greater data storage and expansion capability to allow for future technology improvements. These enhancements provide the computer systems with better graphics processing, data handling and system networking capabilities. The company’s DRS Tactical Systems unit in Melbourne, Florida will manufacture the systems and is scheduled to begin delivering them in January 2009 with completion expected in May 2009. The company’s vehicle computer systems are being installed on more than 40 types of U.S. Army and Marine Corps wheeled and tracked vehicles, at tactical operations centers and other command post platforms.
SEA
19 Nov 08. General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems (GDAIS), Pittsfield, Mass., is being awarded a $52,253,352 modification (#P00013) under previously awarded contract (N00030-08-C-0041) for FY09-FY11 U.S. and U.K. TRIDENT II (D5) fire control system (FCS) and the U.S. SSGN attack weapon control system (AWCS) support. These efforts include: US/UK weapon control systems (WCS) and weapon control training system (WCTS) operational support, US/UK WCS operational support, US/UK WCS and navigation system repair and return (R&R), FCS software 344 (Mk 6 life extension (LE) development, US/UK Mk 98 Mod 8/9 FCS development, engineered refueling overhaul service, Mk 98 Mod 4, 5, 6 and 7 FCS updates, AWCS training unique, and strategic weapon system training unique. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Mass., and work is expected to be completed Apr. 1, 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $25,799,969 will expire a