EUROPE
LAND
02 Apr 13. The Irish Defence Forces has extended its relationship with FAUN TRACKWAY – the leading manufacturer of portable roadways and runways – as it looks to bolster its capabilities in challenging environments through expedient surfacing solutions. The latest contract for FAUN TRACKWAY’s innovative Heavy Ground Mobility System (HGMS) follows an initial order of the product in 2009. The HGMS comprises MLC 70 aluminium matting that can be used to prevent heavyweight vehicles from becoming bogged down and protect valuable military assets. The system works by mounting the roadway– or Trackway as it is named– on an electronic spool affixed to a chassis. Requiring minimum man power, it is powered by a vehicle’s engine, with the full length of Trackway being deployed by two men in six minutes. In total, the Irish Defence Forces now owns 500m of the company’s aluminium Trackway and HGMS laying and recovery equipment, having built up its capability since its first purchase in 2009. Ireland is one of five participating nations in the Nordic Battlegroup. Alongside Sweden, Finland, Norway and Estonia, the Battlegroup supplies soldiers and artillery to the European Union in crisis situations, which means the HGMS could potentially be deployed in EU humanitarian and relief missions.
29 Mar 13. The French DGA awarded Thales the ALTEA1 study contract to analyse the LTE2 standard and its use by the French armed forces. The technical and operational study will identify the potential capability gains of commercial LTE technology for French land, air and naval forces on domestic and expeditionary operations in collaboration with security forces. The 10-month study will be conducted in two phases. The first phase will analyse technical and commercial aspects of the LTE standard and its compatibility with military usage. The second will focus on the research and study of specific solutions that use LTE technology. Once concluded, the study will provide decision-makers with insights into the range of options available and their impact on programme costs, timeframes and risks.
1 ALTEA: Analyse de la norme LTE et son exploitation au sein des forces Armées
2 LTE (Long Term Evolution) or 4G is the latest generation of standards for mobile telephony
SEA
29 Mar 13. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, Calif., is being awarded an $18,665,888 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide engineering/technical support for UK Trident II Missile Systems. The contractor shall provide technical planning, direction, coordination, and control to ensure that UK Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) Program requirements are identified and integrated to support planned milestone schedules and emergent requirements. This includes: UK FBM Program efforts; deliverable materials; UK Resident Representative technical support. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale Calif. (72.9 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (12.3 percent); Coulport, Scotland and Aldermaston, England (10.3 percent); St. Mary’s, Ga. (2.7 percent); other U.S. (0.8 percent); Silverdale, Wash. (0.7 percent), and Poway, Calif. (0.3 percent). Work is expected to be completed by March 2015. United Kingdom funds in the amount of $18,665,888 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(4). The Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00030-13-C-0034).
02 Apr 13. QinetiQ Maritime has been awarded a contract by the MoD to carry out research into the co-ordinated defence of the Royal Navy fleet against the emerging threat of attacks from small, fast and agile boats that might be used by pirates, terrorists or other hostile forces. The contract has been awarded by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), a trading fund of the MoD which maximises the impact of science and technology for