EUROPE
SEA
15 Dec 15. Abaco Systems secured orders with an initial value of £7.5m (~$11.5m) from BAE Systems Maritime Services business in the UK. Abaco’s rugged embedded computing solutions will be used within the ESCU (Electronic System Computer Unit) that will control the Royal Navy’s Spearfish Heavyweight Torpedo in deployment, providing advanced real time signal processing of the Spearfish’s onboard sonar to enable it to reach its intended destination, and networking to allow communication between the torpedo and the host submarine. Featured in the ESCU will be a number of 3U VPX Power Architecture™ and 4th generation Intel® Core™ i7 technology single board computers. Together they will provide control, tactical and DSP real time processing. An Ethernet switch will be used for communications and networking. Over a five-year period, Abaco Systems has worked with BAE Systems on the feasibility study and subsequently to develop the prototype ESCU, using a 6U VME architecture. For deployment, the prototype was simply and straightforwardly migrated to a 3U VPX platform in order to deliver a more affordable and more compact final solution.
14 Dec 15. BAE Systems awarded Pacific 24 Mk 4 RIB contract. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded the Product & Training Services business of BAE Systems Maritime a GBP13.5m (USD20.5m) contract to build 60 new Pacific 24 Mk 4 Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) for the Royal Navy (RN). Manufacture work will start in early 2016 at the company’s small boats manufacturing facility at HM Naval Base Portsmouth. The contract will extend over a four-year period. Deployed from ships or shore, RIBs are used by the RN as rapid-response craft to perform fast rescue, boarding operations, and counter-piracy and -narcotics missions. The design of the Pacific 24 Mk 4, which incorporates high performance shock-absorbing seats, reflects a concerted effort to reduce fatigue impacts on the helmsman and crew and so extend endurance. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/IHS Jane’s)
15 Dec 15. L-3 contracted by BAE Systems to provide IPMS for UK Type 26 Global Combat Ship. L-3 Marine Systems UK has confirmed the receipt of a design development agreement contract from BAE Systems Maritime – Naval Ships for initial design and development of the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) for the UK Royal Navy’s (RN’s) next-generation Type 26 Global Combat Ship (GCS). Using core technology developed by Canadian parent company L-3 MAPPS, L-3 Marine Systems UK will perform the initial design and development activities (to support ship integration) at facilities in Barrow-in-Furness, Bristol, and Burgess Hill. According to L-3 Marine Systems UK, the IPMS for the Type 26 will provide automated monitoring and control of propulsion, electrical, auxiliary, and damage control systems, together with an embedded onboard team trainer. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
15 Dec 15. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Mitchell Field, New York, is being awarded a $72,479,741 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide U.S. and United Kingdom (U.K.) Trident II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services. Specific efforts include U.S. and U.K. fleet support; U.S. and U.K. trainer systems support; Ohio-class SSBN engineered refueling overhauls; U.S. and U.K. SSI4 trainer system; SSBN-R strategic weapon training system and training system development; U.K. Successor support, software modernization; and Linked Autonomous Program Navigation Operational Trainer modernization. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to a maximum dollar value of $147,383,525. Work will be performed in Mitchell Field, New York (97 percent); Oldsmar, Florida (2 percent); and Manassas, Virginia (1 percent), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2017. If all options are exercised, work will continue through Sept. 30, 2018. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (N