24 Nov 03. Lockheed Martin received 100 percent of a Department of Defense supplemental appropriation to provide Paveway II laser guided bomb (LGB) kits, replacing those expended in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Hill Air Force Base in Ogden, UT, awarded Lockheed Martin a $56 million contract to produce kits for the U.S. Air Force and $53 million to provide them for the U.S. Navy. The award is in addition to a $106.6 million contract that Lockheed Martin received from the Air Force in February that was included in the base year of an “indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity” contract with six one-year options. All of the Air Force kits will be GBU-12s while the Navy order will include both GBU-12s and GBU-16s. Paveway II GBU-12 kits are used on 500-lb. bombs, while GBU-16 kits are used on 1,000-lb. bombs.
Nov 03. Saab received an order worth MSEK 435 for integration of Meteor on the Gripen The Gripen will be the first aircraft to test the Meteor beyond visual range missile. In an addition to the Meteor order, whereby Saab Bofors
Dynamics was awarded the development and production order by MBDA in
August 2003.
25 Nov 03. Lockheed Martin has won a contract worth approx. $600m to provide classified voice, video and data services to the U.S. Air Force Pentagon Communications Agency. Lockheed, the largest information technology provider to the U.S. government, will provide call center services and information technology support to AFPCA customers, including the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the National Military Command Center, over the 10-year life of the contract. Lockheed, the lead contractor, will work with a team of other companies including General Dynamics , SI International Inc. and Booz Allen Hamilton.
26 Nov 03. The U.S. Navy has awarded Northrop Grumman an $816.6m contract for construction of New York (LPD 21), the fifth ship in the 12 ship LPD 17 series of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships. New York will be built at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems’ Avondale Operations in New Orleans, with fabrication support from three other company facilities in Pascagoula and Gulfport, Miss., and Tallulah, La. The ship will be equipped to conduct amphibious warfare missions by embarking, transporting and landing elements of a landing force during an assault by helicopters, landing craft and amphibious vehicles.
26 Nov 03. The Australian government announced a A$230m structural upgrade of the military’s F/A-18 Hornet fighter aircraft. The work will involve strengthening the airframe of the jets and will be coordinated by the Hornet Industry Coalition, represented by Boeing Australia and BAE Systems PLC. Defence Minister Robert Hill said in a statement the government will also buy three new F/A-18 Hornet flight simulators at a cost of more than A$60m to boost pilot training by incorporating new weapons and systems being acquired for the aircraft.
24 Nov 03. Northrop Grumman Corporation’s IT sector will design, develop, integrate, test and deliver training support packages to support the program training requirements of the U.S. Army’s FCS program. Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Science Applications International Corporation are the program’s lead systems integration team.
24 Nov 03. Alvis Hägglunds has received an order worth approximately £17m (225 MSEK) for 34 Bv206S and 12 upgraded Bv206 all-terrain vehicles from the Italian Army. The order represents the second phase of a programme currently planned to total 189 new Bv206S vehicles. The first order for 112 vehicles was placed in October this year. Discussions continue on the final phase for, which contains 43 Bv206S. TWith this order Italy has bought in total brings to 94 the total number of upgraded Bv206 ordered by Italy [in recent years].
17 Nov 03. In response to an immediate operational requirement of the German Bundeswehr, Rheinmetall Landsysteme is supplying the German military with additional DURO 3 multipurp