EUROPE
LAND
16 Apr 12. Cobham has been awarded a number of orders, totalling over £13m in the first quarter of 2012, to supply Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR) and support solutions for a number of NATO customers. The orders will be delivered during 2012 from the Cobham Antenna Systems site in Leatherhead, UK.
18 Apr 12. J&S Franklin has announced a further two contracts for the supply of nearly a kilometre of DefenCell Profile 300 to be installed at undisclosed Critical Infrastructures sites in the UK, providing discreet perimeter security and HVM protection. DefenCell is a modular protection and construction system suitable for use in Security, Environmental and Military situations. The proven cellular design combined with the strong geotextile material provides structural integrity to its structures, offering a light weight, and compact solution to the protection of personnel and infrastructures from a variety of threats in a variety of situations:
18 Apr 12. RC-135 Rivet Joint Aircraft: Airborne Signals Intelligence. The MoD confirmed (18 Apr 12) that Rivet Joint aircraft, known as Airseeker, are being procured in order to provide the UK’s airborne signals intelligence capability until 2025. Airseeker replaces the Nimrod R1 (the last of which left RAF service on 28 Jun 11).
Comment: The MoD corrected some misreporting which appeared recently in the national media (confusing Nimrod MRA4 with Nimrod R1). On 19 Mar 10, the MoD signed a bilateral agreement with the US Government to procure three Rivet Joint aircraft together with associated training and ground systems, known collectively as Airseeker, to replace Nimrod R1. The first of three Rivet Joint aircraft is expected to be delivered in late 2013, with Airseeker entering service in 2014. (Source: DNA DEFENCE NEWS ANALYSIS, Issue 12/16, 23 Apr 12)
16 Apr 12. Raytheon UK has been selected by the Weapons Technology Centre (WTC) to assess warhead fragmentation modeling and predictive techniques across UK industry. The aim of this research is to ascertain new modeling techniques which will be used to improve the process of assessing warhead effectiveness for future Complex Weapons programmes. In the near term, the research will be focused on investigating alternative warhead solutions for Paveway™ IV as part of the UK’s Selective Precision Effects At Range (SPEAR) Capability 1 programme.
USA
LAND
18 Apr 12. Harris Corporation has been awarded an Indefinite Delivery,
Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with a potential total value of $400m to provide the U.S. Special Operations Command with next-generation communication capabilities. The new five-year IDIQ contract enables the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) to acquire the Harris Falcon III® AN/PRC-117G manpack and AN/PRC-152 handheld radio systems and field support services as needed to address requirements for next-generation tactical communications. The contract is part of the Capital Equipment Replacement Program and represents an interim step in the modernization of the SOCOM tactical radio inventory.
18 Apr 12. Red River has been named to the Network Centric Solutions-2
(NETCENTS-2) Products contract by the U.S. Air Force. The Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract has an estimated value of $6.9bn. (Source: Yahoo!/BUSINESS WIRE)
SEA
17 Apr 12. Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $78,089,000 undefinitized contract action for long-lead-time material associated with the fiscal 2014 Virginia class submarine (SSN 792). This contract provides long-lead-time material for steam and electric plant components, the main propulsion unit efforts and ship service turbine generator efforts, and miscellaneous hull, mechanical and electrical system components to support SSN 792 ship construction commencing in fiscal 2014. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif. (60 percent); Coatsville, Pa. (10 percent); Tempe, Ariz. (5 percent); Groton, Conn. (3 percent)