LAND
28 May 17. Elbit Systems Ltd. was awarded a contract, in an amount of approximately $390m, to supply an array of ground electronic intelligence capabilities to a European country. The contract, which includes various intelligence capabilities, as well as communications and command and control solutions, will be performed over a three-year period.
26 May 17. Denmark orders 15 mortar systems for its Piranha 5sDenmark’s Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) signed a USD15.3m contract with Austrian company ESL Advanced Information Technology (ESLAIT) on 18 May for the delivery of 15 automatic floor-mounted 120 mm heavy mortar systems (with an option for an additional six systems at the contract price). The contract, which was announced on 22 May, includes a 30-year sustainment agreement. The Royal Danish Army selected the ESLAIT A3MS (Advanced Automated Autonomous Mortar System) for installation on its Piranha 5 8×8 armour personal carriers manufactured by General Dynamics European Land Systems – Mowag (GDELS-Mowag); 309 vehicles in six variants – including mortar carriers – were ordered in December 2015 for DKK4.5bn (USD650m). (Source: IHS Jane’s)
02 Jun 17. Cohort, the independent technology group, is pleased to announce that its subsidiary MCL (Marlborough Communications Ltd) has been awarded two contracts by the MOD to supply and support hearing protection systems and communication ancillaries for land, maritime and air applications, worth a combined £5.5m. The two orders comprise:
•a follow-on order worth £3.2m for Tactical Hearing Protection Systems for Dismounted Close Combat Users (THPS DCCU) that provide hearing protection for RAF, Royal Navy and Reservist personnel;
•a new contract to provide In Ear Communication Devices (IECD) for RAF pilots and air crew, with an initial value of £2.3m over five years with options for a further two years.
The contracts follow previous MOD contract awards for hearing protection announced in 2015 and more recently in March 2017. The THPS DCCU solution being supplied by MCL has been developed in partnership with INVISIO Communications, a leading Danish audio technology company, whilst the IECD for RAF and air crews is being developed in conjunction with Banbury-based Advanced Communication Solutions (ACS).
AIR
01 Jun 17. Boeing [NYSE: BA] has awarded Saxony-based COTESA GmbH a five-year contract to manufacture key components for the H-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter. This is the first Boeing contract award to COTESA. With this agreement, COTESA is joining Boeing’s already established supply chain in Germany, in addition to its global supply chain of more than 20,000 suppliers and partners around the globe. COTESA will manufacture portions of the Chinook tunnel cover section – a honeycomb-like core that makes up parts of the helicopter’s external skin – for the global Chinook fleet.
01 Jun 17. Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract by the US Department of Defense F-35 Joint Programme Office to deliver the initial training, engineering, maintenance and logistics support for the UK’s F-35 fleet, the company announced on 30 May. The three-year contract is worth £80m. The company has sub-contracted work worth £40m to BAE Systems, which will take the lead sustainment role for F-35 in the UK, while Lockheed Martin will continue as prime contractor for global operations. A team will be formed at Royal Air Force (RAF) Marham for engineering and technical expertise, the delivery of air and ground-crew training, routine maintenance, and management of the fleet’s global supply chain. Work is already underway to prepare RAF Marham for the arrival of 617 Squadron, which will fly the initial operational F-35 jets from 2018. (Source: Shephard)
01 Jun 17. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has awarded a Skr1.9bn ($217.9m) contract to Saab to provide support and maintenance services for its armed forces’ Gripen C/D aircraft fleet. Saab wil