EUROPE
LAND
30 Nov 11. General Dynamics European Land Systems was awarded a contract by the Swiss Army for delivery of 70 additional DURO Armoured Personnel Carriers for the Swiss Global Mobility Task Force (GMTF). The procurement of these vehicles was approved in the 2010 Swiss Armament Procurement Program. Deliveries will take place in the fall of 2013. The vehicles will be manufactured at General Dynamics’ facility in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland. The DURO is a highly protected and mobile wheeled vehicle, capable of transporting up to 11 soldiers. It meets the Swiss Army’s requirements for a vehicle that provides troop protection and mobility for military applications, as well as peacekeeping operations. General Dynamics has already delivered 220 DURO GMTF vehicles to the Swiss Army, procured through the 2008 Swiss Armament Procurement Program. The Swiss Parliament approved the procurement of 70 additional vehicles to increase the DURO GMTF fleet availability for training and deployment.
30 Nov 11. KONGSBERG signed a 360 MNOK contract to deliver an upgrade of
NASAMS air defence system to the Royal Norwegian Air Force. The NASAMS system is produced by KONGSBERG and Raytheon, and the upgrade will be delivered within a 2-year timeframe. The upgrade consists of deliveries of new High Mobility Launchers for increased mobility, upgrade of the existing FDC Command & Control centres and associated training facilities. (Source: ASD Network)
02 Dec 11. WFEL, the Stockport-based defence engineering group backed by mid-market private equity house Dunedin, has secured a contract to supply £57m of tactical military bridging assets to the Swiss armed forces. The deal, which follows a two-year international procurement contest, will see WFEL supply its next generation bridging system, the Dry Support Bridge (DSB), between 2013 and 2015. Before, and since December 2010 when WFEL and the DSB were down selected as the company and bridge of choice, several delegations from the Swiss armed forces have inspected the firm’s advanced manufacturing facilities at its Stockport headquarters. WFEL supplies bridges to more than 40 different armed forces worldwide and Switzerland becomes the third nation to order the DSB after the USA and Turkey, where the company completed an £8.5m order earlier this year.
AIR
30 Nov 11. Switzerland has chosen to replace its fighter jet fleet with 22 of Swedish defence and aerospace group Saab’s JAS-39 Gripen, Defence Minister Ueli Maurer said on Wednesday, dealing a blow to French rivals.
Neutral Switzerland has wrangled for the past three years over how to replace its ageing Northrop F-5E/F Tiger fighters, purchased in 1976 and 1981, with up to 33 new aircraft. (Source: Reuters)
USA
LAND
30 Nov 11. General Dynamics Land Systems has been awarded a $9.9m contract to upgrade military vehicles for the U.S. Army. The contract was awarded by the Army Contracting Command in Warren, Mich. The work will be managed by the newly established General Dynamics Land Systems Combat Support and Sustainment business.
29 Nov 11. U.S. Army places first order for Saab’s Carl-Gustaf. Saab has signed a contract with the U.S. Army for the company’s Carl-Gustaf man-portable weapon system. This marks the first time the Army has bought the 84mm recoilless rifle system. The Army and U.S. Special Operations Command placed a combined order with a total value of $31.5m (SEK209m).
SEA
02 Dec 11. Huntington Ingalls, Inc., Pascagoula, Miss., is being awarded a $46,079,303 contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-2304) to procure long lead time material and related support for DDG 1002 products construction. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Miss. (28 percent); Benicia, Calif. (24 percent); Burns Harbor, Ind. (10 percent); Corona, Calif. (9 percent); Monroe, Conn. (4 percent); Deerpark, Texas (3 percent); Patterson, N.J. (3 percent); and other various locations with less than 1 percent