EUROPE
LAND
17 Aug 11. Cobham has been awarded a contract by the Spanish armed forces to provide three more units of the telerob Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robot tEODor. This award finalizes a ten year purchasing program of advanced bomb disposal technology within the Spanish military. The Spanish Army now operates the world’s fourth largest fleet of tEODor type robots, featuring 27 systems in total. (Source: ASD Network)
Aug 11. JAMES: Addition of Laptop Computers. Desider (August 2011) records the Defence Equipment & Support signature of a £30m contract with Getac for the provision of 12,500 portable laptop computers. The ‘laptops’ are an addition to the Joint Asset Management Solutions (JAMES) project, which has entered service. Personnel should now be able “to manage any of the nine million pieces of Armed Forces’ land-based equipment from wherever they were based in the world”.
Comment: JAMES is designed to assist with the management and maintenance of (land-based) equipment from vehicles to small arms; basically anything with a serial number. Distribution of the dedicated laptops started in April 2011 with 4 Mechanized Brigade. JAMES is said to be on target to achieve its full operating capability on 31 Mar 14. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 11/32, 22 Aug 11)
AIR
22 Aug 11. BAE Systems Manufacturing will provide procurement and electronic manufacturing services for the Typhoon jet fighter. The delivery forms part of a contract with SELEX Galileo to deliver the Typhoon Tranche 3a Captor radar programme, which is the primary sensor for the Typhoon fighter. The Captor radar programme comprises multiple types of complex printed circuit boards and electronic modules, which make up one of the most vital elements of the radar system. Work on the contract worth in excess of £20m is due to commence at BAE Systems’ Hillend, Scotland, facility this year, and will run until 2013. (Source: airforcetechnology.com)
22 Aug 11. Boeing received a £1bn (US$1.64bn) contract from the UK MoD to provide 14 new CH-47 Chinook helicopters and associated support for the first five years to the Royal Air Force (RAF). The new-build CH-47 Mark (Mk)-6 Chinooks are part of the MOD’s Strategic Helicopter Vision to modernize its helicopter force structure, and will expand the RAF fleet to 60 Chinooks.
17 Aug 11. MBDA France will install Donaldson tank pressurization devices in the company’s Exocet MM40 Block 3 missiles. The Donaldson tank pressurization device regulates air pressure within the missile fuel tank during operation and avoids overpressure or de-pressure of the fuel tank during storage.
16 Aug 11. Survitec Group Limited has been selected by the German Air Force to provide an aircrew ensemble providing cold water immersion protection, thermal insulation and protection from fire/flame exposure. The new ensemble will be introduced across all of German Air Force flying platforms. The contract has been awarded by BWB (Bundesamt für Wehrtechnik und Beschaffung), the procurement agency for the German Air Force. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
USA
LAND
16 Aug 11. Caterpillar, Inc., Government and Defense Products, Mossville, Ill., was awarded a $37,667,837 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the procurement of 172 motorized graders with Type A-kit, and 10 days of support. Work will be performed in Mossville, Ill., with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2012. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with two bids received. The U.S. Army TACOM, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-08-D-0037).
17 Aug 11. FLIR Systems, Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., is being awarded a $9,547,000 firm-fixed-price, basic ordering agreement for gyro-stabilized long-range thermal imaging sensor systems and pan-and-tilt long-range thermal imaging sensor systems, spare parts, upgrades and repairs in support of the Ground Based Operations Surveillance System. The gyro-stabilized long-rang