EUROPE
AIR
29 Jun 10. BAE Systems has been awarded an £8.6m contract to integrate improved weaponry onto the Tornado GR4 fleet, by the UK MoD. Introduction of the Insensitive Munition (IM) variant of the Dual Mode Brimstone guided missile will provide the UK’s Royal Air Force with a low collateral, precision attack capability against manoeuvring and fixed targets, in line with operational requirements and forms part of a wider weaponry package known as SPEAR (Selective Precision Effects At Range). A series of flight trials which will commence in 2011 will be carried out at BAE Systems Warton site to provide the necessary evidence to clear the Tornado GR4s to carry and deploy this weapon. The contract is just one element of a larger Complex Weapons contract, awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence to MBDA (UK) under the Team Complex Weapons initiative, earlier this year.
24 Jun 10. FAUN TRACKWAY – the defence division of FAUN MV – has secured a contract with the UK’s MoD to design and build a new side fairing accessory for its fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft. The new component will act as an upgrade to the UK’s existing stock of FAUN’s Rapid Runway Repair (RRR) matting, allowing it to be used by the Eurofighter. The MoD is expected to begin tests with 15 sets of FAUN’s new fairing panels over the coming months. The UK currently uses FAUN’s RRR system to bring airfields damaged by conflict back into use.
USA
LAND
28 Jun 10. On June 11, 2010, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) issued a bridge extension for the Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC) multiple-award Omnibus contracts as a modification to the three existing contracts. Each of the three JITC Omnibus multiple-award, Time and Material (T&M) contracts that are awarded to: 1) Northrop Grumman Information Technology Inc. (NGIT) under contract number NBCHC020001; 2) Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) under contract number NBCHC020002; and 3) Interop Joint Venture II (IJV) under contract NBCHC020003 will be extended. The current contracts expire 31 August 2010. The six month bridge extension will add an additional six month period to each JITC Omnibus contract from September 1, 2010 to February 28, 2011 with three 2-month option periods. The three 2-month optional periods will cover March 1, 2011 to August 31, 2011 if exercised. The total combined ceiling values for the extension period and option period will be increased by 70 million, changing the total contract ceilings from 1.05 billion to 1.12 billion. The statutory authority for other than full and open competition is 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), posted to FedBizOps website on April 19, 2010. Performance will be at done at various DISA/Joint Interoperability Testing Command locations. The original solicitation was issued as a full and open competitive action and 8 proposals were received. All three contractors are large businesses. A follow-on solicitation is pending. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, (DITCO) ,Scott Air Force Base, Ill. (satellite branch-JITC, Fort Huachuca), is the contracting activity.
29 Jun 10. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems has been awarded two contracts from the Project Manager for Maneuver Ammunition Systems (PM MAS) at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., for production of 30mm M789 High Explosive Dual Purpose
(HEDP) ammunition and Phase III development of 25mm scalable fuze technology. The total value of the two contracts is more than $14m. The 30mm M789 HEDP is the primary tactical round of the Apache AH-64 helicopter, widely used in Iraq and Afghanistan operations. The Apache’s ability to provide accurate air support with minimal collateral damage has led to increased use and volume demands for M789 ammunition. In response to the increased demand, the U.S. Army has contracted General Dynamics to establish a full-production capability for the M789 cartridge.
AIR
30 Jun 10. BAE Systems has received a contr