UNITED KINGDOM
SEA
05 Dec 18. Thales contracted for RN V/UHF communications upgrade. Thales UK has been contracted by the UK Ministry of Defence to replace very-high frequency/ultra-high frequency (V/UHF) communications systems fitted to Royal Navy (RN) and Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ships. The contract, valued at GBP23 m (USD29 m), covers the design, manufacture, installation, and in-service support of a V/UHF Communications Replacement (VCR) solution across the RN fleet. The implementation, which repackages the V/UHF system previously delivered by Thales for the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier programme, forms Phase 2 of a wider update programme known as Project Calliope, which aims to address communications obsolescence in RN and RFA surface vessels. Under the terms of the contract, awarded by the Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) organisation’s Combat Systems Communications and Situational Awareness team, Thales will replace legacy V/UHF radios with a single solution based on modern digital technology. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
EUROPE
LAND
04 Dec 18. Bittium announced on November 23, 2018, that its cooperation partner, Austrian information technology company Kapsch BusinessCom AG was informed by the Austrian defense administration (Bundesministerium für Landesverteidigung BMVL) that it should be selected as the provider of the new IP-based tactical communication system for the Austrian defense forces in case no appeals by the losing parties of the competitive bidding will be filed during the next 10-days appeal period. This is a typical process in such public competitive bidding. The 10-day appeal period has expired and no appeals have been filed. The signing of the contract is scheduled to December 2018. Bittium’s products for tactical communications are a significant part of Kapsch BusinessCom’s winning bid, including the Software Defined Radio based Bittium Tactical Wireless IP Network™ (TAC WIN) system, which will be the core of the new communication system, as well as Bittium Tough Comnode™ and Bittium Tough VoIP™ products. Bittium’s share of the total value is around EUR 30m (excl. VAT). The product deliveries are expected to take place during the years 2019-2021 and the majority of the net sales is estimated to realize during the years 2020 and 2021. This does not change Bittium’s financial outlook for the year 2018, published on August 8, 2018 in the company’s half year interim report.
05 Dec 18. The next generation of containers for the Dutch Armed Forces is to be supplied by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group following the award of contract worth in excess of £100m by the Dutch Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO). The acquisition of the container systems is part of Defensiebrede Vervanging Operationele Wielvoertuigen, or DVOW, which is a major programme to update the Dutch Armed Forces with new vehicles, containers and support equipment. Marshall will be providing more than 1400 container systems over the next five years. These include command and control shelters, workshops, controlled atmosphere and basic stores units, together with a 14 year fully integrated availability support package. As part of the design work Marshall is providing a new expandable container which uses lighter materials but maintains the strength of its in-service Matrix Expandable products. Marshall will be working with a range of suppliers during all stages of the contract and its subsidiary company, Marshall Aerospace Netherlands BV based in Leiden, which will be providing engineering and supply chain management and acting as a focus for the contract.
06 Dec 18. The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has awarded a contract to defence contractor Saab for Giraffe 4A multi-function radar and artillery locating system Arthur. Financial details of the order have not been disclosed by the company. Under the contract, the company will deliver the modern ground-based multi-function system Giraffe 4A to the Swedish Armed Forces. In addition, Saab will carry out life extension of Arthur. The development and maintenance of the artillery and weapon locating capability will enable the country’s armed forces to better tackle existing and future threats. In the long run, the order will help create conditions for the armed forces’ long-range surveillance capability. Work under the contract will be performed at the company’s Gothenburg facility. The company expects to start deliveries from next year. Arthur and the Giraffe radar family are manufactured at the Gothenburg facility, which is a microwave and sensor technology centre where a number of advanced radar and sensor systems are also produced. (Source: army-technology.com)
USA
LAND
06 Dec 18. BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $140,354,780 modification to exercise options for the fixed-price-incentive (firm target) Contract Line Item Numbers (CLIN) 3001, 3002, and 3003 portions of a previously awarded contract (M67854-16-C-0006). This modification is for the purchase of 30 Amphibious Combat Vehicles and associated production, fielding and support costs. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (85 percent); and Aiken, South Carolina (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2020. Fiscal 2019 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $140,354,780 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website. The option CLINs were included within that contract and are being exercised in accordance with FAR 52.217-7 option for increased quantity-separately priced line item. The U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006).
30 Nov 18. ManTech to research and develop future combat technologies for USMC. The US Air Force Installation Contracting Agency has issued a task order to ManTech for research and development of future combat technologies for the US Marine Corps (USMC) troops. The $35m contract will see the company provide support for the USMC Warfighting Laboratory Division of Science and Technology (MCWL S&T) over 44 months. Under the order, ManTech will mainly focus on areas such as USMC Aviation, command, control, communications, computer, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR), cyber, electronic warfare, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The company’s services will also focus on additive manufacturing 3D printing to allow modification of technologies in close to real-time in a bid to add capability and capacity to MCWL S&T. (Source: naval-technology.com)
06 Dec 18. SRC has been awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract to deliver new AN/TPQ-49A systems for the US Marine Corps (USMC). Awarded by the Marine Corps Systems Command, the contract will also involve sustainment support and technology refresh of the USMC inventory of AN/TPQ-49 systems. The contract has a maximum value of $93m and comes with a base period of performance of five years. Under the contract, the company will perform activities that include system refresh kit installation, programme management, initial/sustainment spares provisioning, live fire testing, and new system production and equipment training. AN/TPQ-49 is a counterfire radar that uses a non-rotating, electronically steered antenna to provides continuous 360° surveillance and 3D rocket, artillery and mortar (RAM) location. It is a current US Marine Corps programme of record (Source: naval-technology.com)
AIR
30 Nov 18. Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, is awarded $28,574,689 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00002 to a previously awarded contract (N00030-18-C-0025), to exercise options for hypersonic booster technology development seeking to demonstrate technologies related to intermediate range capability through booster design, fabrication and validation testing. Work will be performed in Magna, Utah (51.03 percent); Elma, New York (14.08 percent); Sunnyvale, California (14.03 percent); Denver, Colorado (10.52 percent); Titusville, Florida (7.53 percent); Huntsville, Alabama (1.08 percent); Mooresville, North Carolina (1 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (0.52 percent); and Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (0.21 percent), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $28,574,689 are being obligated on this award, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
06 Dec 18. Northrop Grumman Amherst Systems, Buffalo, New York, has been awarded a $450,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for U.S. agencies (Air Force, Navy, etc.); and Foreign Military Sales countries for Joint Threat Emitter production end-items, spares, support equipment, testing, training, etc. Work will be performed in Buffalo, New York, and various contiguous U.S. and outside the continental U.S. locations, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 5, 2025. This contract involves foreign military sales to U.S. partner countries. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2018 other procurement funds in the amount of $9,150,318 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8210-19-D-0001).
TECHNOLOGY
06 Dec 18. IFS, the global enterprise applications company, has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) for 2,600 user licences of IFS Applications™ modules for supply chain management, warehouse management, purchasing and other functionality. IFS Applications software will be a key tool for Lockheed Martin as they deliver on a seven-year, $3.5bn contract to globally sustain more than 300,000 fielded Training Aids, Devices, Simulators and Simulations (TADSS), including live-fire ranges and instrumentation systems in support of the US Army TADSS Maintenance Program (ATMP) contract. IFS Applications will be used to ensure that materials, parts and resources are available to sustain these assets. As part of a subsequent phase, IFS will provide powerful scheduling capabilities for mobile technicians servicing the assets.
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
06 Dec 18. Belarusian special forces receive more Kaiman ARVs. Belarusian special forces will receive more domestically produced Kaiman armoured reconnaissance vehicles (ARVs), a Ministry of Defence armaments department source told Jane’s on 3 December. “In 2018–2019, the special forces will receive more than 33 Kaiman ARVs armed with AGS-17 Plamya 30mm automatic grenade launchers and Kalashnikov PKT 7.62mm medium machine guns. Ten vehicles will be delivered to the troops this year,” the source said. He reported that Kaiman manufacturer 140 Repair Plant “has increased the proportion of locally made components to 90%”.(Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Nov 18. Morocco seeks sale of enhancements to 162 Abrams tanks from US. The Government of Morocco has requested the sale of enhancements for 162 Abrams tanks from the US for an estimated cost of $1.259bn. Congress has been notified about the possible foreign military sale by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Approved by the US State Department, the enhancements will be procured through the excess defense article (EDA) programme and will involve variants such as M1A1 Abrams situational awareness (baseline version), M1A2M with commander’s independent thermal viewer, or M1A1 US Marine Corps version that includes slew to cue. The potential sale will also cover 162 M2 Chrysler mount machine guns, 324 M240 machine guns, 1,035 M865 training SABOT rounds, and 1,610 M831Al heat rounds. Additional items to be procured include 162 export single channel ground and airborne radio systems (SINCGARS), 162 RT-1702 receiver transmitters, 162 M250 smoke grenade launchers, and special armour, as well as other related elements of logistics and programme support. In a statement, DSCA said: “This proposed sale of M1A1 tank enhancements will contribute to the modernisation of Morocco’s tank fleet, enhancing its ability to meet current and future threats. These tanks will contribute to Morocco’s goal of updating its military capability while further enhancing interoperability with the United States and other allies.” General Dynamics Land Systems will serve as the prime contractor for the sale. DSCA noted that the enhancement work will be carried out at Anniston Army Depot in Anniston, Alabama, and the Joint Systems Manufacturing Center in Lima, Ohio. Under Moroccan law, one offset agreement is expected in connection with this potential sale. Approximately 55 US Government and 13 contractor representatives will manage the programme’s fielding and training for up to five years. (Source: army-technology.com)
07 Dec 18. Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. unit ELTA Systems has won a contract to provide the Drone Guard system for detection, identification and disruption of UAVs and drones to Argentina. Drone Guard, which has sold hundreds of units around the world to date, features an integrated sensor system: flying objects detection radar, dedicated COMINT system that identifies the drone by its transmission frequency and unique protocol (using the information to verify the target and reduce false positive rates) and a camera identification confirmation of the detected object. The Drone Guard sold to Argentina will be used for securing large-scale international events held in Buenos Aires this year, including the 2018 Youth Olympics, and the G20 Summit that took place in the Argentinian capital in November. During the Youth Olympics, Drone Guard secured the opening ceremony, which took place in the heart of the city on Avenida 9 de Julio, followed by a guest reception at the famous Teatro Colon. (Source: UAS VISION)
SEA
06 Dec 18. Argentina Buys Four OPVs from France for €318m Euros. Argentina and France signed a contract during the G20 meeting in Buenos Aires for the financing of four Naval Group patrol vessels for the Argentinian Navy at a cost of 318m euros. The first ship to be delivered is L’Adroit, an offshore patrol vessel built as a private venture by Naval Group and leased by the French Navy to explore and validate its design concept. Her delivery to Argentina is planned for 2019, after a general refit and specific modifications requested by the Argentine Navy. The contract was signed by French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire and his Argentine counterpart, Nicolás Dujovne, and was authorised by decree n° 1078-2018 published in Argentina’s official bulletin. Altogether, the four ships will cost 319.03 m euros, that Argentina will pay thanks to a financing package put together by French banks Crédit Agricole Corporate and Investment Bank and Natixis, together with Spain’s Banco Santander. The other three ships are to be built to Naval Group’s Gowind OPV-90 design. (Source: defense-aerospace.com)
AIR
07 Dec 18. Japan has signed for the second of four Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker aircraft it plans to field from 2020. A Foreign Military Sale (FMS) contract for a single aircraft for Japan was announced by the US Department of Defense (DoD) on 6 December, following the award of the first aircraft in December 2017. While that first award included support and was valued at USD279m, this latest contract is for the aircraft only and is valued at USD159m. The first KC-46A is due to be delivered to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) in 2020, with this second aircraft to follow by 30 June 2021. However, with delays to Boeing’s programme to deliver up to 179 KC-46As to the US Air Force (USAF), this schedule might be pushed back. Japan selected the KC-46A under its KC-X aerial refuelling competition in October 2015. The JASDF is looking to acquire four new tankers to augment its current fleet of four Boeing KC-767J platforms, with the total value of the procurement expected to be USD1.9bn. The KC-46A is a 767-2C provisioned freighter with a 767-400 flight deck that features the Rockwell Collins large-format displays of the 787 airliner. Boeing has highlighted the almost tactical nature of its aircraft, with it being deployed ‘closer to the fight’ to better support expeditionary operations; being fitted with ballistic armour in the cockpit, passenger cabin, and fuel tanks; electro-magnetic pulse hardening; and nuclear, biological, and chemical protection. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
03 Dec 18. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ:ESLT and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that it was awarded a $112m contract to supply a country in Asia-Pacific with advanced airborne intelligence systems. The contract will be performed over a six-year period.
TECHNOLOGY
07 Dec 18. Three Australian cyber security projects have received nearly $4m in funding from the federal government. The Cyber Security Growth Centre, AustCyber, selected the recipients as the second allocation of matched funding under its project fund. The companies receiving the funding are as follows:
- $1,594,400 to Sydney-based Laava ID for a Smart Fingerprint project that enables people to identify and verify the quality of the products they buy through their smartphone, as well as a wide range of other uses;
- $1,285,450 to Melbourne company Forticode to create a highly scalable cryptographic-based technology that will allow for the independent authentication of personal data stored and managed on mobile devices; and
- $995,500 to Sydney-based Cog Systems for a project that improves cyber security methods and techniques for internet of things device makers. The project includes convenient software to incorporate secure-by-design techniques into hardware platforms. (Source: Defence Connect)