UNITED KINGDOM
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10 Sep 19. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that its UK subsidiary, Elbit Systems UK Ltd., (“Elbit Systems UK”), was awarded an approximately $38m contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (“UK MoD”) to supply comprehensive JFST systems to the British Army. The JFST systems will be supplied over a period of two years following which Elbit Systems UK will provide an additional four years of maintenance, technical support and on-site training. Under this contract, Elbit Systems UK will provide both fixed and mobile systems that are comprised of multiple networked simulators set to train mounted and dismounted Joint Fires teams and Joint Fires Cells. JFST systems will also be supporting exercises for reserve forces and teams deployed at sea, such as those onboard the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier.
10 Sep 19. MDH Defence has been awarded a major contract by Marshall Aerospace and Defence Group to supply in excess of 1,100 CBRN Filtration Systems. The equipment will be integrated into containers for the Dutch Armed Forces that are being supplied by Marshall for the Dutch Material Organisation (DMO) Defensiebrede Vervanging Operationele Wielvoertuigen (DVOW) programme, which is a major programme to update the Dutch Armed Forces with new vehicles, containers and support equipment.
MDH Defence will be providing more than 1,100 CBRN filtration systems over the next five years to provide collective protection for the occupants of many of the variants of container systems that Marshall are providing including command and control shelters, workshops and storage units.
10 Sep 19. The British Army’s 1st Battalion The Mercian Regiment (1 Mercian), the Salisbury-based unit specialised in urban warfare, has taken delivery of a revolutionary Inflatable Walls Training System (IWTS). It is the first ever UK reference for the technology developed to create temporary urban structures for use in combat training exercises. Survitec supplied the battalion with the Intermediate Military Package, which can be used to recreate urban structures with up eight differently sized rooms. The flexibility of the system allows different tactical challenges to be presented to trainees that can evolve to deliver a wide variety of training objectives. The modularity of the system ensures more wall sections can be added to construct larger and more complex structures.
SEA
10 Sep 19. Babcock, the Aerospace and Defence company, has been awarded a six-and-a-half-year contract from the Ministry of Defence (MOD) to provide repair and maintenance to small boats used by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines and the MOD Police. Babcock is one of a number of companies appointed by the Commercially Supported Shipping (CSS) team at Defence Equipment and Support to provide in service support for planned and reactive maintenance to the small boat fleet, including Archer Class patrol and training vessels, Rigid-Inflatable Boats, yachts, static training vessels, small cadet boats and police boats. Work will take place across naval bases such as Devonport and Portsmouth, training establishments and UK overseas territories (Gibraltar, Cyprus, Brunei and the Falkland Islands). The work will include transportation, spares, trials, post design services (PDS) and reliability monitoring. Opportunities to increase the safety, economy and reliability of the vessels will be realised using the latest machinery, navigation and material technology and equipment.
10 Sep 19. Contracts to support and maintain hundreds of high-speed rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) and other small boats used to help protect Britain’s shores have been awarded to BAE Systems under the Boats in Service Support (BISS) contract, the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) announced today. Four individual contracts valued at up to £112m form part of the wider MOD BISS agreement. Over six-and-a-half years, the contracts will help sustain existing skilled jobs as well as create new jobs at BAE Systems’ Maritime Services business in Portsmouth Naval Base, increasing the size of the current team by up to 50 per cent. The contracts awarded to BAE Systems cover the maintenance and support of more than 650 boats ranging in size from five to 18 metres, including those operated from Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels, and by the Ministry of Defence Police, British Army and Royal Marines, amounting to 27 different classes of boat. These small boats are operated from a variety of locations around the UK, including Portsmouth, Devonport and Clyde Naval Bases, as well as in other naval environments such as the training school, HMS Raleigh, and at RM Poole. Other armed forces sites include Longmoor and Chatham. New jobs resulting from these contracts include roles for shipwrights and mechanical and electrical fitters. Recruitment is already underway to meet the contract start dates of 1 October.
AIR
11 Sep 19. GA-ASI has signed a Direct Commercial Sale (DCS) contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to complete the test and evaluation activities required to certify the Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) system to fly in civil airspace. The DCS contract also funds additional Protector programme elements, including X-band SATCOM system verification, training material development and logistics planning. MQ-9B SkyGuardian is the baseline RPA that will become the Protector RG Mk1 once delivered to the RAF. Delivery is expected in the early 2020s and RAF operators will continue to support evaluation activity for Protector using the two SkyGuardian test aircraft and the Protector cockpit. The GA-ASI-developed DAA system consists of a Due Regard air-to-air Radar and processor, integrated with Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS II), and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B). Protector RG Mk1 is also being built for all-weather performance with lightning protection, damage tolerance, and a de-icing system.
12 Sep 19. The UK Ministry of Defence has chosen Leonardo and Thales, under a single source procurement, to deliver an integrated UK Defensive Aids System (DAS) to meet an Urgent Capability Requirement. The procurement will equip the RAF’s fleet of eight Shadow R1 intelligence-gathering aircraft, providing an advanced DAS which will protect the aircraft against latest-generation of Infra-Red (heat seeking) missiles. Designed, developed and manufactured in the UK, the system provides a sovereign capability which will be able to evolve in anticipation of changing threats to air platforms. The UCR will be delivered by a combined MOD/Leonardo/Thales team under a Leonardo prime systems integration contract, with the equipment being integrated onto the platform by Raytheon UK. Initial Operating Capability is targeted for early 2021. The system consists of the following subsystems:
- Thales “Elix-IR” Threat Warner
- Leonardo DAS Controller
- Leonardo “Miysis” Directed Infra-Red Counter Measure (DIRCM)
- Thales “Vicon” Countermeasures Dispensing System
EUROPE
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13 Sep 19. FLIR Systems Inc wins contract to provide UGVs to Norwegian MoD. FLIR Systems Inc has been awarded a contract to provide additional PackBot robots to Norway’s Ministry of Defence (MoD), according to a company announcement on 9 September. The contract consists of 20 plus PackBot unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) as well as spare parts and training. The Norwegian defence forces will use the PackBots to upgrade and expand their existing fleet. The man-portable PackBot can carry out various operations including bomb disposal, surveillance and reconnaissance, CBRN detection, and HazMat operations. It features a set of polymer caterpillar tracks and an additional pair of caterpillar tracked ‘flippers’ at one end, which aid the robot in ascending stairs and manoeuvring across uneven surfaces. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
12 Sep 19. Iveco Defence Vehicles, a company of CNH Industrial N.V. (NYSE: CNHI /MI: CNHI), has been awarded a contract by the Dutch Ministry of Defence to provide 1275 medium multirole protected vehicles denominated “12kN”. The acquisition is part of the Defence-wide Replacement Programme of Wheeled Vehicles (DVOW – Defensiebrede Vervanging Operationele Wielvoertuigen), with deliveries from 2022 through 2026. The Iveco Defence Vehicles’ MTV – Medium Tactical Vehicle, is designed to combine high tactical 4×4 mobility, optimal off-road performance and high crew protection, together with an excellent payload capability. Outstanding modularity and system integration capabilities are guaranteed across all range variants such as hard top, soft top, pick up, casualty transport and personnel transport, in order to support all different Military users, from Army to Marines, Navy, Air Force, Special Operational Units and Military Police.
SEA
09 Sep 19. The Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO), has selected Thales’s innovative digital wideband Radar Electronic Support Measures product Vigile D, as part of an equipment upgrade for three Royal Netherlands Navy warships, and two Portugues Navy frigates undergoing retrofit in the Netherlands. Vigile D illustrates Thales Electronic Warfare digitalization.
AIR
12 Sep 19. DoD/DSCA Notifies Congress of Possible FMS of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft to Poland. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the Congress that the Government of Poland has requested to buy thirty-two (32) F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take Off and Landing (CTOL) Aircraft and thirty-three (33) Pratt & Whitney F-135 Engines. Also included are Electronic Warfare Systems; Command, Control, Communications, Computer, and Intelligence/Communications, Navigational, and Identification (C4I/CNI); Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS); Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS); Full Mission Trainer; Weapons Employment Capability, and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities; F-35 unique infrared flares; reprogramming center; F-35 Performance Based Logistics; software development/integration; aircraft ferry and tanker support; support equipment; tools and test equipment; communications equipment; spares and repair parts; personnel training and training equipment; publications and technical documents; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, logistics, and personnel services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated cost is $6.5bn. The prime contractors will be Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas; and Pratt &Whitney Military Engines in East Hartford, Connecticut. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreements will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s). (Source: glstrade.com)
USA
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10 Sep 19. American Ordnance LLC, Middletown, Iowa (W15QKN-19-D-0109); and General Dynamics-OTS (Niceville), Niceville, Florida (W15QKN-19-D-0110), will compete for each order of the $133,212,119 firm-fixed-price contract for the Modular Artillery Charge System Load, Assemble and Pack M231/M232 type for the 155mm propelling charges. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
06 Sep 19. BAE Systems Inc., York, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $268,990,416 modification (P00015) to contract W56HZV-18-C-0133 for Bradley production. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2018 procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles funds in the amount of $268,990,416 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
09 Sep 19. Bodytrak today announced that the Defense Innovation Unit, through the Army Contracting Command, has awarded Bodytrak a contract to trial its cutting-edge in-ear physiological monitoring technology with US Navy’s fixed wing pilots. The trial will demonstrate how wearable physiological monitoring technology can help reduce the number of physiological incidents during or after a flight that pose a significant health and safety threat to personnel and contribute to aircrew deaths and aircraft losses. The aim is to prove the benefits of such technology in a controlled environment, deploy pilot tests in flight and accelerate new innovation into the US Department of Defense – and into the hands of defence personnel. Bodytrak, which sits unobtrusively in the ear, tracks a range of vital signs accurately and in real time to prevent negative physiological incidents. If an abnormality is detected, an audible alert is provided to the wearer and/or a control centre, acting as an early warning signal to initiate a rapid intervention, resulting in the prevention of a major injury and saving costly resources.
10 Sep 19. Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $310,509,144 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-18-D-0004). This modification exercises an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(v) radios for installation in over 400 strategic and tactical airborne, seaborne and land based (mobile and fixed) platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, other government agencies and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with deliveries expected to be completed in September 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
06 Sep 19. Harris Corp., Roanoke, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle systems; spare and repair parts; contractor logistics support; and test article refurbishment. Work will be performed in Roanoke, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by September 2024.Fiscal 2019 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $328,203 will be obligated at time of award and funds will expire the end of fiscal 2021.This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with six offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-D-1501).
13 Sep 19. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $57,462,554 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6327 to exercise options for engineering support services for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One (I1B1) Systems full-rate production in support of the Expeditionary Warfare program office. This option exercise is for Engineering Support Services for Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) to introduce new technologies; address diminishing material and depot repairs to keep JCREW systems viable for future production; and maintain operational readiness for the field. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by September 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funding in the amount of $2,971,124; and 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,406,871 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
13 Sep 19. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $24,397,228 modification (P00261) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 to provide total package fielding for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $24,397,228 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
23 Aug 19. Oshkosh Defense, LLC, an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK) company, announced today that the U.S. Army has awarded Oshkosh Defense along with teammate, Flyer Defense LLC, a Task Assignment award under an existing Project Agreement with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) to develop the new Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV). The ISV is a lightweight expeditionary all-terrain vehicle that can carry up to nine troops and associated combat equipment. Under the award, Oshkosh and Flyer will deliver two prototype ISVs in support of government testing and evaluation.
13 Sep 19. Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, was awarded a $427,298,588 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for procurement of Common Sensor Payload systems, spare parts and engineering and system support services. One bid was were solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 12, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-19-D-0005).
10 Sep 19. Trideum Corporation was awarded Low-Cost Subscale Aerial Target (LSAT) Systems and Services contract on July 26. The LSAT effort is a Delivery Order contract under Trideum’s Aerial Target Systems 2 (ATS 2) Indefinite Delivery/ Indefinite Quantity (ID/IQ) contract. Trideum is partnered with QinetiQ’s Target Systems business to provide as the primary target, the Banshee Jet 80+ for operation on U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) ranges, including the Orogrande and McGregor ranges in New Mexico. The agreement also comprises a suite of aerial target payload enhancements, ranging from Miss Distance Indication to supersonic drop target payloads. The Trideum / QinetiQ team will deliver engineering, technical, training, and flight services for all aspects of the Banshee Jet 80+, including integration to the US’ Army Ground Aerial Target Control System (AGATCS).
10 Sep 19. ViaSat Inc., of Carlsbad, California, is awarded a $100,465,034 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0008) to increase the ceiling of the existing production contract line item number (CLIN), and the systems engineering and integration CLIN of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Raptor, Tactical Targeting Network Technology terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits, and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The modification will increase the contract value to $889,465,034. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and is expected to be completed May 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow on, sole source, multiple award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
AIR
13 Sep 19. Chemring’s US business bags countermeasure orders. Chemring’s US-based subsidiary, Chemring Countermeasures USA, has received four contracts to supply countermeasures in support of the US Navy and US Air Force (USAF), the company announced on 11 September. Under the first contract, valued at $4.2m, the company will manufacture and deliver MJU-64/B infrared decoys for the US Navy. Deliveries will be made in 2019. The second contract is an $8.1m delivery order against an existing $94m three year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. The company will manufacture and deliver MJU-66 flares for the US Navy and USAF through to 2020. The third contract is a three year IDIQ contract for the manufacture and delivery of MJU-53/B flares for the USAF, with a maximum value of $90m. The first delivery order against this contract is expected shortly with deliveries being made in 2020. Deliveries under this IDIQ are expected to be completed by July 2023. Under the fourth, five-year IDIQ contract, the company will manufacture and deliver MJU-52A/B BOL IR flare for the USAF F-15 ANG, with a maximum value of $25m. Deliveries will take place in 2020. (Source: Shephard)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
13 Sep 19. US approves guided bombs, TOW missiles for Morocco. The US State Department has approved the sale of 4,410 bomb guidance kits and 2,401 TOW anti-tank missiles to Morocco, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) announced in two notifications released on 12 September. The first notification covered 4,125 Paveway II laser-guidance kits for 500 lb-class GBU-12 guided bombs, 180 Paveway II kits for 2,000 lb-class GBU-10 bombs, and 105 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) kits for 500 lb-class GBU-38 GPS-guided bombs. It also included 5,810 MK 82-1 (500 lb-class) and 300 MK 84-4 (2,000 lb-class) general-purpose bombs, significantly more than the number required for the guidance kits, as well as 5,178 FMU-152 standard fuzes and an unspecified number of DSU-33C/B proximity fuzes. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
10 Sep 19. ThinKom Solutions, Inc. has supplied its ThinSat 300 flat-panel phased-array antennas for Indonesian Federal Police command center vehicles to access satellite broadband on the move. The project is a collaboration of ThinKom, Skyreach, Heimdall Defence and Newtec. ThinKom supplied the antenna, integrated with the Newtec Dialog® Hub. Heimdall was responsible for system integration, installation, user interface and operator training, and Skyreach is providing VSAT connectivity. Initially, the systems have been deployed on two Indonesian Federal Police vehicles. Other installations are expected to follow in the coming months. The field-proven ThinSat 300 antenna is just 4.3 inches high and mounts on a standard roof rack. Total weight, including the radome, is 120 pounds. Based on ThinKom’s patented phased-array technology, the vehicle-mounted antenna enables robust IP networks, streaming video and voice-over-IP applications without stopping to deploy a fixed satellite terminal or waiting for a blockage recovery.
SEA
12 Sep 19. Thailand has signed an agreement with a Chinese shipbuilder that will see the southeast Asian nation’s Navy receive an amphibious transport vessel from China, giving a much-needed boost to its amphibious forces. In a signing ceremony held in China’s capital Beijing on Monday, the Royal Thai Navy signed a shipbuilding agreement with state-owned China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation for a Type 071E amphibious transport dock. The Type 071E is an export variant of the Type 071, or Yuzhao LPD, currently in service with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy. The PLAN has six Type 071s in service, with two more being built at the company’s Hudong-Zhonghua shipyard in Shanghai. No details regarding the price, delivery dates or onboard systems were disclosed, though Thai newspaper The Bangkok Post reported that the ship will cost $200.7m, with construction to last three years. Thai media reports previously said the Chinese design would cost $130m. The People’s Liberation Army’s official news portal, Chinamail.com, reported that “the Type 071E has been integrated with several major improvements and upgrades” and is “more advanced in technology and more powerful in comprehensive performance than the PLA’s in-commission Type 071 integrated LPD.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
10 Sep 19. Canada orders ship-to-shore connectors. Montreal-based shipyard Navamar Inc has been awarded a CAN12m (USD9m) contract to build five ship-to-shore connector systems for the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Awarded after a competitive process as part of the overall Joint Support Ship project budget, the modular and configurable connectors are intended to facilitate the transfer of cargo and equipment from ship to shore. The systems will be able to support a variety of missions. Examples include a temporary jetty anchored to the shoreline, as a large barge to assist in ship maintenance and repair, or to perform evacuation operations. Of the five ship-to-shore connector systems being acquired, four will be embarked on board the RCN’s two new Joint Support Ships. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
AIR
13 Sep 19. US clears possible sale of ammunition for Morocco’s F-16 fleet. US President Donald Trump’s administration has approved a potential sale of additional ammunition for Morocco’s F-16 fighter aircraft fleet. Valued at around $209m, the possible sale will be implemented under the foreign military sale (FMS) route. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has announced that it notified Congress of the sale. Under the FMS, Morocco will purchase 5,810 MK82-1 bombs, 300 MK84-4 bombs, 105 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) KMU-572F/B Tail Kits, 180 MXU-651B/B Air Foil Groups (AFG), GBU-10, as well as 4,125 MXU-650C/B AFGs, GBU-12. The government has also requested to purchase 5,178 FMU-152 fuses and 4,305 MAU-169L/B Computer Control Groups (CCG), GBU-10, 12 and 16. Other ammunition in the FMS will include flares MJU-7A/B, flares M-206, Impulse Cartridges BBU-36, Bomb Sensor DSU-33C/B, bomb components, spares and repair parts. The African nation will also receive support in the form of engineering technical and support services, logistics and programme support. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
11 Sep 19. MDA, a Maxar company (NYSE:MAXR) (TSX:MAXR), today announced that it will design and manufacture advanced space-based L-band navigation antennas as part of a hosted payload on the MEASAT-3d satellite, which is currently being built by Airbus. The MDA-built navigation antennas will be integrated on a hosted payload for South Korean KTSAT that will support the Korea Augmentation Satellite System (KASS). Scheduled for launch in 2021, the KASS navigation payload will deliver L-band regional civil navigation services over South Korea to enhance aviation safety and airplane navigation capability through improved accuracy, reliability and availability of GPS positioning signals. MDA and its parent company Maxar have successfully hosted more than 10 payloads on the company’s highly flexible 1300-class satellite platform since 2001, covering a wide variety of essential customer missions. In 2012, the company delivered a powerful multi-mission satellite for SES, which included an L-band payload for the European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service (EGNOS). (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
11 Sep 19. Algeria orders more Russian fighters. Algeria has ordered additional Su-30MKA and MiG-29M/M2 fighters, the Russian business daily newspaper Vedomosti reported on 10 September. The order was first reported by the MENA Defense website, which focuses on the Algerian military, and was corroborated by defence industry sources consulted by Vedomosti. One source said the contract is worth about USD1.8bn and covers 16 Su-30MKA (the Algerian version of the Su-30MKI) and 14 MiG-29M/M2 aircraft. He added that Algeria was expanding its fleet of Su-30MKAs – 58 of which have already been delivered – and also wanted to replace some of the obsolete MiG-29s it bought from Belarus and Ukraine in the early 2000s. Another source told the newspaper that the deal would be worth more than USD2bn when weapons and other equipment are added. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
TECHNOLOGY
13 Sep 19. The Defence Innovation Hub has signed a $3.8m contract with DMTC Limited for collaborative research and development and innovation services across a range of defence capability domains. The new contract includes delivery of four projects that will support industrial capability underpinned by technology developments aimed at enhancing land vehicle design and build; additive manufacturing of aerospace and space components; and the development and sustainment of emerging materials. DMTC has unique capabilities and an established network with leading industrial and research partners to support and enhance the Australian Defence Force capability. (Source: Defence Connect)