CONTRACT NEWS IN BRIEF
EUROPE
LAND
15 Jan 09. BAE Systems has been awarded a $70m contract to finalize the development of the Archer artillery system for the Swedish and Norwegian armed forces. This order consists of final development of the self propelled gun, development of ammunition handling system and modular charges. Construction of a final prototype gun is expected to be completed by September 2009.
14 Jan 09. Harris Corporation has been awarded two orders for tactical radio equipment totaling over $5m from the Estonian Ministry of Defense (MOD). The orders include the new Falcon III RF-7800M-MP multiband high-capacity data radio as well as other Harris high-performance tactical communications systems.
SEA
08 Jan 09. EADS Defence & Security, the Agent, and its co-contractors DCNS and Rohde & Schwarz, have been notified on December 22 2008, from the DGA procurement branch of the French Ministry of Defence for stage 2 of the RIFAN programme to equip the French naval air arm on exercises or on missions with a true intranet for surface ships, submarines and aircraft within the force. The framework contract, worth €240m, covers the design and deployment of an IP communication system to equip 116 ships and 64 aircraft over a period of five years, and the provision of operational support for an additional five years.
08 Jan 09. Saab signs contract with FMV regarding Gripen. Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Material Administration, FMV, for supporting Gripen’s operative capacity. The contract is valued to 550m SEK. The order includes for example programme management, product maintenance, support, flight testing, pilot equipment and simulators to support the operative capacity of the Gripen system. Work will be carried out during 2009. The contract renders possibilities for Saab to provide continued support and development of Gripen for the Swedish Air Force.
AIR
23 Dec 08. The French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) has ordered a further 22 NH90 TTH (Tactical Transport Helicopter) helicopters for the French Army Aviation on the 23rd of December from NHIndustries* consortium. With this second batch, after the initial 12 aircraft ordered in November 2007, there are now
34 NH 90 TTH to be delivered to the French Army from 2011 onwards. All the NH90 TTH for France will be manufactured at Eurocopter’s site in Marignane.
USA
LAND
06 Jan 09. Horus Vision has announced a contract award to provide U.S. Army snipers with up to 6,500 Advanced Ballistic Calculators (ABCs) – rugged handheld computers paired with the company’s ATragMX ballistics software – which can be customized to individual weapons to provide precise accuracy even at extreme distances. They have also recently been awarded a similar contract from the U.S. Marine Corps to provide more than 1,000 Ballistic Calculator Kits. The Recon handhelds (made by Tripod Data Systems, a Trimble company) will run a customized version of ATragMX software as the Advanced Ballistic Solution (ABS): the hardware and software comprising a part of the Army’s overall Advanced Sniper Accessory Kit (ASAK). Under the terms of the contract, the Army may order as many as 6,500 units, with additional options beyond that. Horus Vision will also develop and deliver training to Army personnel on advanced use of the ABCs.
08 Jan 09. The U.S. Department of Defense Biometrics Task Force (BTF) has named Lockheed Martin an industry leader capable of being awarded task orders under the Biometrics Operations and Support Services – Unrestricted (BOSS-U) vehicle. As part of the award process, 11 other corporations were also selected to participate in this indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (ID/IQ) program. At its core, the BOSS-U program is designed to give military field operations greater access to reliable, secure biometrics tools and services, empowering U.S. military forces and safeguarding the nation. BOSS-U has a potential program cap of