16 Oct 03. DRS Technologies, Inc. was awarded a $16.8m subcontract by Raytheon Company to provide major subsystems to Raytheon for the U.S. Army’s Long Range Advanced Scout Surveillance System (LRAS3). LRAS3 provides the U.S. Army Brigade Reconnaissance Troops, Armor and Infantry Battalion Scout Platoons, and the Stryker Brigade Combat Teams (SBCT) with a long-range detection, recognition, identification and far-target location capability. The contract was awarded to DRS by Raytheon Company’s (NYSE: RTN – News) Network Centric Systems business in McKinney, Texas. The company’s DRS Optronics unit in Palm Bay, Florida will perform all work associated with the award at its state-of-the-art electro-optical design and production facilities. Product deliveries are expected to be completed in May 2004. Including the latest award, DRS has booked more than $64m on the LRAS3 program.

13 Oct 03. Lockheed Martin received a $119m contract to conduct System Development and Demonstration (SDD) for a Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) variant with a single warhead. Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Dallas, TX, Camden, AR, and White Sands Missile Range, NM. The program will replace the existing GMLRS payload of multiple submunitions with a single or unitary warhead, enhanced fuzing and an improved rocket motor. GMLRS Unitary is an evolutionary follow-on to the GMLRS system, which will extend the family line of MLRS and Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) technologies.

14 Oct 03. FLIR Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:FLIR) announced today that it has been awarded a firm fixed price supply contract from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division valued at over $19.8 million for its enhanced targeting sights for use with the Special Operations Forces Laser Marker (SOFLAM). The enhanced targeting sight is a companion sight for the SOFLAM and is based on FLIR’s MilCAM(TM) See Spot(TM) III thermal imaging camera. The MilCAM See Spot III produces high resolution thermal images for night vision, and simultaneously detects the repetitive laser pulses of a precision munitions guidance laser designating a target. The work will be performed at FLIR’s facility in North Billerica, Mass., and deliveries are expected to begin in early 2004 and be completed by July 2005.

01 Oct 03. BAE SYSTEMS has been selected by the U.S Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) for a Systems and Mission Support contract. The company will now be permitted to bid on task orders released by USSTRATCOM to provide contractor expertise in support of the Command’s mission requirements. The USSTRATCOM Systems and Mission Support (USAMS) blanket purchase agreement contract was awarded to six contractor teams, including BAE SYSTEMS Mission Solutions. Winning contractors are allowed to support the Command over one base year, with four option years under a indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract.

02 Oct 03. Thales Underwater Systems signs contract for the major
sonar processing system upgrade for Collins Class submarines Australia’s Defence Materiel Organisation has signed a AU$22.9m contract with Thales Underwater Systems Pty of Rydalmere NSW to provide a new suite of data processors and sonar displays as part of the SEA1439 Replacement Combat System (RCS) project for the Australian Navy’s six Collins Class submarines. The contract involves the implementation of Thales Underwater Systems’ (TUS) sea-proven Scylla Sonar Interface (SSI) Sonar display processing engine that has already seen service with the RAN in the Collins Class fast-track combat system augmentation project.

13 Oct 03. Alvis OMC Awarded Olifant Main Battle Tank Upgrade Contract
Armscor, the acquisition agency of the South African Department of Defence, has awarded Alvis OMC a contract for the upgrade of a number of Olifant Mk 1B Main Battle Tanks (MBT) for the South African (SA) Army. The contract value is approximately ZAR124m (South Af