EUROPE
LAND
03 Mar 10. The defence division of FAUN MV – has shipped three complete portable roadway systems for use by the Italian Ministry of Defence (MoD) on beach landing exercises.
JCB SPA, the Italian subsidiary of global vehicle manufacturer J C Bamford, has purchased150 metres (3 x 50m) of FAUN’s Medium Ground Mobility System (MGMS) roadway and three specially designed beach dispensers for use on its medium-wheeled loading shovels.
The order is FAUN’s first with the Italian military, making it the latest addition to a roster of 30 armed forces that rely on its products around the world. The MGMS roadway, which is capable of taking vehicle loads of up to 30 tonnes, are attached onto the beach dispensers and can be mounted on the chassis of any medium wheeled tractor.
02 Mar 10. NDPD has signed a new contract with Thales for further development of XOmail, an efficient and fully secure communication system, in order to provide a secure information exchange service for all defence branches. The goal is to satisfy the need for a secure information exchange service that
can be used on all levels in the armed forces; from the headquarters at the strategic level and all the way down to dismounted soldiers or vehicles at the battlefield level. The extended system will also provide interoperability within the Armed Forces (Joint, Land, Sea and Air) as well as interoperability with NATO and other allies. (Source: Google)
03 Mar 10. The European Defence Agency (EDA) has contracted with Rheinmetall and its partners in Germany and France to create a demonstrator system for protecting military assets and installations in a multinational context. Standing for “Future Interoperability of Camp Protection Systems”, the Franco-German FICAPS project seeks to develop methods and means to harmonize semi-static and mobile protection systems for the combined (multinational) protection of co-located sections, camps and critical infrastructure. Development of a common system architecture for linking various semi-static and/or mobile protection systems will enable better cooperation between the armed forces of different nations, thus fostering greater interoperability. Interoperability of equipment and systems has emerged as a critical factor in coalition operations. After all, in this era of international conflict management and intervention, a growing number of missions involve troops from more than one country.
AIR
02 Mar 10. Engineering consultancy Frazer-Nash has been awarded a further major contract to support the MoD in its upgrade programme for the Puma Helicopter. Working with the prime contractor, Eurocopter, Frazer-Nash is developing a safety case and aircraft loss model for the helicopter as part of the Puma Life Extension Programme (LEP). The Puma HC2 is expected to replace the current Puma HC1 from 2012, and will ensure that the Puma model continues in service until 2022. Eurocopter is installing new Turbomeca ‘Makila’ engines, glass cockpits with software-driven displays, new communications and navigation systems, and a new automatic flight control system. Assuring the upgraded aircraft’s safety will be one of the main factors in the programme’s success.
USA
LAND
01 Mar 10. Insight Technology, Inc., Londonderry, N.H., is being awarded a $34,080,706 firm-fixed-price contract for the Fusion Goggle System Version 4 (FGS V4). U.S. Special Operations Command requires the FGS V4 for special operations force elements currently engaged in the overseas contingency operations. The application for this item is combined thermal imaging and image intensification which provides increased situational awareness. Work will be performed in Londonderry, N.H., and is expected to be completed by March 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Ind., is the contracting activity (N00164-10-D-JQ58).