EUROPE
LAND
18 Aug 10. Norway and Sweden have chosen Kongsberg Defence Systems (KDS) to adapt and supply its ODIN Artillery Fire System for the Archer self-propelled artillery system. The contract carries an initial estimated value of $16m, and is part of the joint Norwegian-Swedish artillery cooperation program centered on the procurement of
48 Archer systems. (Source: Defense News)
13 Aug 10. Patria wins the Swedish armoured wheeled vehicle contract. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has today announced that
the contract for 113 armoured vehicles goes to Patria. The contract
includes an option for another 113 vehicles. The value of the deal is
approximately SEK 2.5bn.
SEA
16 Aug 10. MOD takes delivery of QinetiQ’s PACSCAT technology demonstrator. Following the successful completion of initial manoeuvring and propulsion trials, QinetiQ’s PACSCAT (Partial Air Cushion Supported CATamaran) Innovative Solution Demonstrator Craft (ISDC) was accepted as a trials vessel by the UK MOD on 10 August. It will now undergo a series of tough practical evaluation trials through to the end of 2010 at the Royal Marines facilities at Instow, Devon. QinetiQ was awarded the contract to manage the design and build of the PACSCAT landing craft ISDC in September 2007 and working alongside Griffon Hoverwork Ltd at their base in Hythe, Southampton, has just completed a series of contractor evaluation trials that included spending in excess of 100 hours at sea.
AIR
12 Aug 10. Lockheed Martin recently delivered the TOPSCENE® Tactical Terrain Visualization System, a mission planning and rehearsal software package, to the United Kingdom’s MoD in support of operations in Afghanistan. U.K. helicopter forces based at RAF Odiham will use TOPSCENE® to perform mission rehearsal with greater realism than is possible with their existing system. TOPSCENE® also will enable greater interoperability with U.S. forces, which have been using TOPSCENE® for more than 20 years. TOPSCENE® converts two-dimensional data from satellites and other sources into three-dimensional “fly through” and “walk through” battlefield visualisation scenarios. TOPSCENE®, with its embedded ability to stop, scale, slew and rotate the image, enables the Warfighter at all echelons to study their mission-operating environment in depth before actually entering a hostile area. The system provides photo-based imagery, 3-D terrain and culture, and sensor simulation, which provide a high-fidelity situational awareness in the tactical mission operating environment over large terrain databases.
USA
LAND
11 Aug 10. DRS Systems, Inc., Parsippany, N.J., was awarded on Aug. 10 a $255,338,695 firm-fixed-price contract for 220 enhanced night vision goggles test articles and associated contracts date requirement lists. Work is to be performed in Parsippany, N.J., with an estimated completion date of Aug. 9, 2013. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web with six bids received. U.S. Army Research, Development & Engineering Command, Contracting Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-10-C-0178).
16 Aug 10. DRS Technologies, Inc. announces the award of a Phase II contract for On-Board Vehicle Power for fifteen Hybrid Electric High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles (HMMWVs).
• This award is the result of a down-select by the United States Marine Corps (USMC) from two competing designs.
• DRS provided a preliminary product sample and a first article test vehicle for a side-by-side technology assessment by the Marine Corps at Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Aberdeen Maryland.
• Delivery of Phase II initial production units is scheduled for February 2011.
About the Technology:
• Each HMMWV will now have the capability of producing more than 30kW of electrical power through an advanced generator system that is embedded within the HMMWV’s existing transmission.
• The OBVP will provide the USMC an enhanced mo