10 Aug 04. TACOM has awarded FBM Babcock Marine, part of Babcock International Group PLC – the support services company, a contract to commence the overhaul and modernisation of their fleet of specialist Bridge Erection Boats (BEBs). The contract to upgrade the existing U.S. Army BEBs of Mk1 and Mk2 specification to a new BEB-M22 specification will be managed by FBM Babcock Marine from Southampton in the UK, in conjunction with Silver Ships Inc. of Theodore, Alabama
19 Aug 04. Northrop Grumman Corporation has been selected by the U.S. Air Force to design, build and demonstrate a prototype optical aperture system that will enable laser communications between aircraft and space-based platforms. The Airborne Lasercom Terminal – Optical Aperture technology demonstration will mature technology prior to a separately awarded terminal-development effort. The future laser communications terminal will provide more intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to the user at much higher speeds than currently achievable with radio-frequency systems.
18 Aug 04. Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Michael W. Wynne today announced that the Department of Defense has accepted its first deliveries under the new unique identifier (UID) policy that requires contractors to mark and identify the cost of items delivered to the department. The accepted items are helicopter replacement cables ordered by the Defense Supply Center Richmond, Richmond, Va., from Lockheed Martin Corp. The
cables were delivered on Aug. 9. Wynne said that UID serves two purposes. It provides valuable business intelligence throughout the life cycle of an item, and it acts as the accurate source of data for valuation of property and equipment. The UID policy was started in July 2003 to enhance inventory management. It promotes greater accuracy in the tracking and control of spare parts.
August 2004. BCF Designs has won a contract to supply filter pin test sets to the Ministry of Defence. This is the first time the MOD has awarded a contract for filter pin test sets as COTS equipment. The equipment tests RFI filters on rotary and fixed wing aircraft. It is essential that filters are working correctly for aircraft to achieve EMC compliance. BCF Designs’ test set is the only equipment of its kind to measure the electrical performance of filters in situ and from one side, thus eliminating the need to break open black boxes. It records unserviceable and degraded filters and records all measurements for trend analysis. The test set measures C, Pi, L and T single section low pass filters.
18 Aug 04. Northrop Grumman Corp., Integrated Systems, San Diego, Calif. is being awarded a $30,000,000 increment of a $1,037,274,437 other transaction for prototypes agreement to design and develop three X-47B air vehicles, three mission control systems and an common operating system to meet Air Force and Navy mission capability objectives, and conduct an operational experimentation and assessment. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (70 percent); Palmdale, Calif. (10 percent); East Hartford, Conn. (3 percent); and in Costa Mesa, Calif.; Clearwater, Fla.; Irvine, Calif.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Buffalo, N.Y.; St. Louis, Mo.; Rockford, Ill.; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Burnsville, Minn.; Torrance, Calif. (less than one percent at each location). Work will be completed in September 2009. The increment of funds awarded today will not expire at the end of this fiscal year. This is a follow-on award based on a limited competition conducted in 2000. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is the contracting activity (HR0011-04-9-0009).
17 Aug 04. The U.S. Navy awarded a $107.1m advance procurement contract to Northrop Grumman Corporation that will provide funding for long-lead materials for the USS Anchorage (LPD 23), the seventh amphibious transport dock ship of the San Antonio class. The funds will be used to purchase major equipment