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19 Jan 11. The German Bundeswehr has awarded a contract to Astrium, the European leader for space technologies for the delivery of “Welfare Communication Services” to deployed German troops. The multi-million euro contract covers current and future Bundeswehr operations. A six month implementation phase started on the 1st January 2011, after which services will be available to troops from the 1st July 2011, for four years. Providing troops with easy access to telephone, email, the Internet, sports info, local news from their home city or region, and social networks is vital in maintaining morale. The Bundeswehr also intends to provide 30 free phone minutes per week for each deployed German soldier.
18 Jan 11. The UK MoD awarded a research contract to Cambridge
Design Partnership (CDP) to develop a lightweight portable oxygen generator for use on the battlefield. CDP Consultant Stephen Lamb explained that forward oxygen deployment to casualties can improve survival rates after blast injury. CDP’s concept is based around a lightweight oxygen generator with an integral micro diesel engine, which can run for hours on a small quantity of fuel. A prototype device of the system was successfully demonstrated to the MoD by a team from CDP.
Lamb and his team are working on integrating the engine and oxygen generator to reduce weight and improve efficiency of the device, whilst also developing a miniature version of the same. (Source: armytechnology.com)
13 Jan 11. Cosworth Group is expanding its activities with the UK Ministry of Defence and will deliver a series of contracts to help reduce costs and improve safety on the front line. As an extension of a contract secured in August last year, Cosworth Group will investigate the use of motorsport accident data recorders to improve the safety of UK armed forces vehicles in combat. The original contract was to identify the potential for using electronics from motorsport to provide accident data recording and blast event monitoring capabilities to UK armed forces vehicles. Cosworth Group demonstrated the potential to save lives by monitoring the number and ferocity of the blast incidents encountered by vehicles in Afghanistan. The company will also identify new technologies that could monitor the effect improvised explosive device blasts have on UK armed forces vehicles. Cosworth Group will develop their Blast Event and Vehicle Integrity System, and will begin testing in early February on the Mastiff. The contract represents significant support for Cosworth Group to develop a system fit for the rigor of Afghanistan.
20 Jan 11. Treatment of around 20,000 people who suffer major trauma each year is set to improve as the Government announces significant new investment into trauma and microbiology research. The Department of Health, the Ministry of Defence, University Hospitals Birmingham and University of Birmingham are investing £20m in a new initiative to share medical lessons learned. The initiative will bring both military and civilian trauma surgeons and scientists together to share innovation in medical research and advanced clinical practice in the battlefield to benefit all trauma patients in the NHS at an early stage of injury.
18 Jan 11. French defense procurement agency DGA announced that, following international competitive bidding, it had awarded a contract to Sagem (Safran group) for 1,175 JIM LR 2 new-generation long-range multifunction infrared binoculars, intended for the French armed forces. This contract is part of the “JIR-TTA-NG” program to acquire new-generation infrared binoculars for deployment by all services of the armed forces. JIM LR 2 binoculars are designed for threat detection, precision target designation and intelligence gathering for front-line and command units. As an integral part of the digital battlefield, JIM LR 2 will be interoperable with the command and coordination systems used in the FELIN (1) integrated suite for