EUROPE
LAND
29 Oct 19. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or “the Company”) announced today that following extensive testing by Federal Office for Defense Procurement (“Armasuisse”) and the Swiss Armed Forces, the Company was selected by the Swiss Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport (“DDPS”) to provide the Swiss Armed Forces with an army-wide tactical Software Defined Radio (SDR) solution under the Telecommunications Armed Forces (TK A) program, Ersa mob Komm. Contract award is subject to Swiss Parliament approvals. The solution that will be supplied by Elbit Systems to the Swiss Armed Forces is based on the open architecture E-LynX SDR family. The evaluation of the two candidates for the replacement of mobile radio devices as well as on-vehicle intercom systems and headsets for the Swiss Armed Forces has been completed, with a decision having been made on the model and supplier. Elbit Systems Ltd (Israel) has been selected as the supplier. A request will be made to parliament for the purchase of the devices to be included as part of armaments programme 2020. As part of the Armed Forces Telecommunications project, some of the obsolete radio devices and the associated accessories will be replaced. Specialists from armasuisse and the Swiss Armed Forces have tested the radio devices, on-vehicle intercom systems and headsets from two providers under identical conditions, evaluated the submitted costs and made their recommendations to the project oversight board. In consultation with the Chief of the Swiss Armed Forces, the National Armaments Director has now followed this recommendation and accepted the tender from Candidate Elbit Systems Ltd. from Israel. The contract was awarded to Company Elbit Systems Ltd. due to its quote being the best value for money. The better price/performance ratio can be attributed to a slightly better fulfilment of performance and a considerable difference in the commercial sphere. The Material Competence Centre (MKZ) for the maintenance and repair of the devices will be established within RUAG MRO. It has been planned that the Swiss Federal Council will put the procurement of these devices to parliament as part of the armaments programme 2020. The second provider was Company Roschi Rohde & Schwarz AG, Ittigen. Other procurements in the Armed Forces Telecommunications project will not be prejudiced by the choice of Company Elbit Systems Ltd.
29 Oct 19. Exensor & Siltec Announce the Signature of a Major Contract in Eastern Europe. Exensor, a subsidiary of Bertin Technologies (CNIM Group), and its partner Siltec, have been selected by the Polish Ministry of Defense to supply 116 Unattended Ground Sensor (UGS) systems designated for Reconnaissance and Intelligence Gathering operations. The total contract value exceeds 15m euros and the ordered systems will be delivered within 2019-2022 time frame. Exensor will supply to the Polish Armed Forces a completely integrated and scalable sensor and camera UGS platform including the latest version of the UMRA Mini seismic and acoustic sensor with replaceable battery as well as the tactical Scout motion camera equipped with Bertin’s CamSight LP Thermal Imaging camera module. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
29 Oct 19. Serbia buys Pantsir-S1 air defence system. Serbia has purchased and will soon receive the Pantsir-S1 air defence system from Russia, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has announced. He made the announcement on 24 October at Batajnica airbase, Belgrade, while visiting the first Russo-Serbian air defence exercise ‘Slavic Shield 2019’, the second part of which is being held in Serbia on 23-29 October. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
SEA
29 Oct 19. Terma completed a study program for Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) to identify the best possible way of protecting the NH90 aircraft against IR seeking missiles. The study pointed out the MASE system as the preferred choice giving the best compromise between improved self-protection, mission/aircraft compatibility, cost and fleet commonality. The MASE installation is based on the proven modular Aircraft Survivability Equipment concept consisting of the Terma ALQ-213 EW controller, a modular self-protection Pod equipped with Hensoldt MILDS-F Missile Warning System (MWS), and the latest generation Advanced Countermeasures Dispenser System from Terma. Based on inputs from key operational experts Terma was also contracted for installation of Hostile Fire Indicator System (HFI) to protect the aircraft against small arms fire. This additional capability is fully integrated into the MASE system based on data provided by the Missile Warning sensors. The architecture of the MASE system is highly modularized, thereby prepared for future growth such as Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) or new sensors. The Pod is mounted on a dedicated carrier for optimum 360 deg. threat detection and countermeasures dispensing without compromising other NH90 capabilities. Control and operation of the system is provided through the Electronic Warfare Management System, ALQ-213. The MASE concept has previously proven its effectiveness on other aircraft types and has performed very well in several deployments. Providing better self-protection through improved situational awareness, optimized flare dispensing program and automatic mode of operation, thereby reducing aircrew workload. The modularity of the MASE pod has enabled tailoring for a number of helicopter platforms, including AH-64D, EH101, Mi-17, Mi-24, and AS 550 Fennec.
AIR
31 Oct 19. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that it was awarded a contract valued at approximately $50m from the Portuguese Ministry of Defense (MoD) to supply the Portuguese Air Force (“PtAF”) with a complete Electronic Warfare (EW) suite and Customer Logistics Support for the new KC-390 multi-mission aircraft. The contract will be performed over a five-year period. Under the contract, Elbit Systems will supply the PtAF’s KC-390 aircraft with a complete EW suite comprised of Radar and Laser Warning Systems, IR Missile Warning System, Countermeasures Dispensing System, a Directional IR Countermeasures (DIRCM) system and Active ECM (AECM) POD system.
28 Oct 19. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $17,868,222 undefinitized contract action for the France MQ‐9 Block 5 weaponization and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Pod Integration effort. This contract provides for the weaponization of the French Air Force MQ‐9 Block 5 aircraft and integration of the FMS Pod onto the French Air Force MQ‐9 Block 5 aircraft. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2021. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales to France. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $8,755,428 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620‐20‐F‐2390). (Source: UAS VISION)
30 Oct 19. DoD/DSCA Notifies Congress of Possible FMS to Croatia. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the Congress that the Government of Croatia has requested a possible sale of two (2) UH-60M Black Hawk Helicopters in standard USG configuration with designated unique equipment and Government Furnished Equipment (GFE), up to nine (9) each T700-GE-70 ID engines, and up to nine (9) each H-764GU/Embedded Global Positioning/Inertial Navigation (EGI). Also included are Communication Security equipment including an AN/APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponder, AN/ARC-201D RT-1478D, and AN/ARC-231 RT-1808A radios, aircraft warranty, airworthiness support, calibration services, spare and repair parts, support equipment, communication equipment, weapons, ammunition, night vision devices, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training devices, site surveys, tool and test equipment, U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistical and program support. The total estimated program cost is $115m. The principal contractors will be Sikorsky Aircraft Company, Stratford, Connecticut; and General Electric Aircraft Company (GEAC), Lynn, Massachusetts. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale. (Source: glstrade.com)
30 Oct 19. Thales Alenia Space to Build EUTELSAT 10B Satellite for Inflight and Maritime Connectivity Services. Thales Alenia Space, Joint Venture between Thales (67 %) and Leonardo (33 %), has signed a letter of agreement with Eutelsat Communications (Euronext Pars: ETL) for the procurement of a new all-electric satellite, EUTELSAT 10B. The EUTELSAT 10B satellite is based on the Spacebus NEO Thales Alenia Space product line and will address particularly HTS (High Throughput Services) missions over Europe, the Mediterranean basin, the Middle East as well as over the Atlantic Ocean, Africa and the Indian Ocean. Two of the satellite’s payloads will be to provide timely continuity of services, in C and Ku Bands, on EUTELSAT 10A. The HTS missions will allow Eutelsat to access new customers and markets, delivering high capacity Ku Band mobility services in Aviation and Maritime. The missions will be supported by a digital 14kW multibeam digital payload allowing dynamic service allocation, essential to provide extensive flexibility and robustness with respect to market evolutions. A Thales Alenia Space SpaceFlex™ VHTS Processor of 5th generation will be integrated at the heart of the payload, achieving high flexibility performance and efficiency in throughput and bandwidth. (Source: ASD Network)
USA
LAND
29 Oct 19. BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $119,938,228 modification to exercise options for the fixed-price-incentive (firm target) and firm-fixed price contract line item numbers (CLINs) 4000, 4003 and 4004 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 and depot support products. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (60%); Aiken, South Carolina (15%); San Jose, California (15%); Sterling Heights, Michigan (5%); and Stafford, Virginia (5%), and is expected to be completed in January 2022. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $119,938,228 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was based on full and open competition with the solicitation publicized on the Federal Business Opportunities website with five offers received. The option CLINs were included within that contract and are being exercised in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-7 Option for Increased Quantity-Separately Priced Line Item. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006).
01 Nov 19. Chemring Contract award – Aerosol and Vapor Chemical Agent Detector ‘AVCAD.’ Following a successful Critical Design Review earlier this month, Chemring is pleased to announce the receipt of a contract award for a further 75 units under the US DoD’s competitive AVCAD Program of Record. This award, part of the Engineering Manufacturing Development phase under the Next Generation Chemical Detector family of systems, was exercised as an option under the previously announced contract for AVCAD baseline product development with multi-year production options. These units are expected to be delivered in Chemring’s 2020 financial year.
29 Oct 19. CubicGATR Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $325,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of up to a maximum 172 Next Generation Troposcatter system manufacturing and delivery, test support, technical data delivery, logistics data delivery, training data delivery and training support, fielding support and sustainment support. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be complete by October 2029. Fiscal 2019 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $28,820,220 will be obligated on the first delivery order immediately following contract award, and funds will not expire at the end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-20-D-2000).
30 Oct 19. General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $162,403,915 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to procure small multipurpose equipment transport systems; support hardware including authorized stockage list kits and prescribed load list kits; and services for refurbishment, user training, field service representative, system technical support, program management support for pre-production meetings, and storage. Four bids were solicited with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 29, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0002).
31 Oct 19. KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a one-year $45m contract modification by the U.S. Army Contracting Command. KBR will continue to provide maintenance, supply, transportation and other logistics functions for the U.S. Army Prepositioned Stock-3 Charleston Afloat Program. This hybrid firm fixed price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract extends work on the original contract until August 2020. This is the fourth option year on the contract, which was originally awarded in August 2015. Under this contract, KBR will provide Care of Supplies in Storage (COSIS) and integrated logistics support. This support will include inventory management and control, serialization, storage, tactical vehicle maintenance, marking and labeling, and distribution at U. S. Army Field Support Battalion – Charleston in Goose Creek, South Carolina. KBR will also receive, inventory, and package various supply class stocks for storage. The company will perform maintenance on Army equipment that is prepositioned ashore and COSIS on ships afloat in the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
AIR
28 Oct 19. BAE Systems, Britain’s biggest defense company, said on Monday that its subsidiary has received U.S. Navy contract to develop and demonstrate a next-generation, dual band Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy. BAE Systems announced a $36.7m contract from the U.S. Navy to develop and demonstrate a next-generation, dual band Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) to protect aircraft and pilots from advanced threats. BAE Systems’ FOTDs are radio-frequency countermeasure systems that provide robust self-protection capabilities for any aircraft, including fighters, bombers, and transports. The company’s Dual Band Decoy development work is intended to expand the capabilities of its combat-proven AN/ALE-55 FOTD. (Source: News Now/https://defence-blog.com)
28 Oct 19. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $7,027,643,109 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-reimbursable contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification provides for the procurement of 114 F-35 aircraft for Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy; non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Specifically the modification procures 48 F-35A aircraft for the Air Force, 20 F-35B aircraft for the Marine Corps, nine F-35C aircraft for the Navy, 12 F-35A aircraft for the government of Norway, 15 F-35A aircraft for the government of Australia, and eight F-35A and two F-35B aircraft for the government of Italy. The above U.S. aircraft quantities are inclusive of fiscal 2019 (Lot 13) plus up aircraft. In addition, this modification adds scope for the Air System Diminishing Manufacturing Sources integration, software data loads, critical safety items, red gear, non-recurring engineering, recurring engineering and the Joint Strike Fighter Airborne Data Emulator. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (57%); El Segundo, California (14%); Warton, United Kingdom (9%); Cameri, Italy (4%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); Nagoya, Japan (2%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (2%), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy); non-DoD participants; and FMS funds in the amount of $7,027,643,109 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($2,812,512,346); Marine Corps ($1,297,487,314); Navy ($612,389,812); non-DoD participants ($2,243,321,947); and FMS ($61,931,690) customers. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
31 Oct 19. Lockheed Martin has secured a contract to begin engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) work on the GPS Spatial Temporal Anti-Jam Receiver (GSTAR) system for the F-35 fighter jets. The initial contract for the EMD work is valued at $25m. GSTAR, a fully digital system, is meant for installation in the F-35 as part of the aircraft’s Block 4 modernisation phase. The company will replace the Antenna Electronics Unit (AEU) of the F-35 with the GSTAR system. Integration of GSTAR will deliver next-generation, anti-jam capabilities. The Lockheed Martin-led team is focused on incorporating improvements to the stealth aircraft in areas such as sensors, engine, data links, mission systems and weapons. GSTAR provides protection to the F-35 jet against jamming and spoofing. Key components in the system include a radiofrequency (RF) front-end, digital beamformer and receiver. In June, Lockheed Martin was awarded a $1.8bn contract to continue Block 4 capability upgrades for the F-35. The contract involves design maturation and development of Block 4 capabilities in support of the Phase 2.3 pre-modernisation of the F-35 for the US and other participants. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
31 Oct 19. Lockheed Martin has received a $42.7m delivery order to manufacture additional electronic warfare systems for the US Army and international military customers. The Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometer (MRFI) will provide improved electronic warfare capabilities to helicopters of the US and coalition partners. MRFI is designed to help detect and identify threats. It identifies intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) emitters and protects AH-64E Apache helicopter pilots from threats. The system increases aircraft survivability and lethality. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems advanced product solutions vice-president Hamid Salim said: “Since the first delivery of the MRFI production unit in February 2018, the MRFI programme has delivered enhanced electronic warfare capabilities to our US Army and international coalition customers. The company was previously awarded a $60m delivery order for the MRFI systems. Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will continue to produce the systems in Owego, New York, until 2022. (Source: army-technology.com)
25 Oct 19. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $148,417,608 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N00019-20-F-0301) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0008). This order procures durability testing support for the certification of the F-35B aircraft variant to a minimum of 8,000 flight hours/30 year service life in support of the Marine Corps and non-Department of Defense participants. The effort includes the test article configuration, the test article build, the test plan, the testing itself, and teardown and analysis. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (65%); Palmdale, California (25%); and Samlesbury, United Kingdom (10%), and is expected to be completed in July 2032. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) and non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $6,083,023 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
28 Oct 19. Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) was awarded a $33m U.S. Navy Demonstration of Existing Technology contract to develop a modern towed decoy for the F/A-18 E/F over the next 27 months. The technology protects pilots by emitting signals across extended frequencies to counter advancing threats, convincing hostile weapon systems that the real target is the decoy, not the aircraft. The dual-band decoy is based in part on design lineage from the ALE-50, a decoy system that has deployed in multiple military operations protecting both U.S. and allied aircraft. Raytheon has delivered more than 29,000 ALE-50 units and will leverage ALE-50 aerodynamic performance experience and advancements in compact electronic self-protect capabilities to support the Navy’s F/A-18 E/F decoy requirements.
TECHNOLOGY
25 Oct 19. Enview wins SBIR Phase II contract from US Air Force. The US Air Force (USAF) technology accelerator programme (AFWERX) has awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract to Enview. The USAF will deploy Enview’s artificial intelligence analytics capabilities for humanitarian programmes. Enview will provide its automated geospatial analytics for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) mission planning. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
25 Oct 19. Kratos to develop virtual prototyping holodeck for US Army. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has received a contract for the development of a virtual prototyping holodeck (VPH) for the US Army. The applied research contract was awarded by Army’s Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center, Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (CERDEC NVESD). NVESD will use the VPH to assess the physical and psychological performance of troops in simulated real-world equipment and battle conditions. The directorate will employ Cross Reality (XR) technologies to understand the impact of the technology on soldiers. Used for training purposes, holodecks allow participants to engage with different virtual and real environments. NVESD will use the knowledge from the applied research to support future research and capabilities development. Kratos Training Solutions senior vice-president Jose Diaz said: “Utilising our immersive simulation platform and XR technologies, Kratos has developed simulation environments that can be deployed at the point of need (PoN), be that in holodecks, simulators or even real air and ground platforms. The company develops training solutions to increase learning retention and troop readiness. In July, the army issued a request for project proposal for a cross-reality holodeck prototype capable of emulating real-world battle conditions. The contract was awarded through the Sensors Communications and Electronics Consortium (SCEC) other transaction agreement (OTA). (Source: army-technology.com)
25 Oct 19. Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling value of $10,000,000,000 over a period of 10 years, if all options are exercised. The JEDI Cloud contract will provide enterprise level, commercial Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service (PaaS) to support Department of Defense business and mission operations. Work performance will take place at the awardee’s place of performance. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000,000 are being obligated on a task order against this award to cover the minimum guarantee. The expected completion date is Oct. 24, 2029, if all options are exercised. Washington Headquarters Services, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-20-D-0001). Task Order HQ0034-20-F-0009 was awarded for the minimum guarantee of $1,000,000. Task Order HQ0034-20-F-0010 was awarded for $0.00 for Cloud Computing Program Office (CCPO) Program Management (PM) Support.
31 Oct 19. The US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has contracted Perspecta’s innovative applied research arm to mature and enhance the 1553 Bus Defender solution. Perspecta Labs will work on the solution to prepare it for operational testing in weapons and airborne systems. According to the company, the solution is currently at technology readiness level six. Bus Defender is being developed to safeguard airborne platforms carrying the MIL-STD-1553 data bus from cyberattacks. The solution is designed to identify and thwart cyberattacks while preventing further threats from occurring. It will also ensure the bus transmission works properly. The contract will involve developing Bus Defender’s small form factor version prototype. The version will feature low size, weight and power. The company will also work on improving diagnostics and will assist its incorporation into the workflow. The contract has a total value of $1.0m with a base period of one year. Perspecta also noted that its Bus Defender has been successfully tested in the US Department of Defense (DoD) system integration labs. Work on the solution was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), and NAVAIR. (Source: naval-technology.com)
30 Oct 19. The US Air Force (USAF) has awarded SRC a general services administration (GSA) blanket purchase agreement for intelligence mission data (IMD) support services. Under the contract, the company will provide services for the USAF’s National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC). Effective from 1 October, the contract has a base period of five years and includes five option years. It has a ceiling of $376m. The company will carry out the work under the contract at its offices in Dayton in Ohio, Syracuse in New York, Charlottesville in Virginia and San Antonio in Texas. As a prime contractor for the IMD contract, SRC will lead a team comprising Altamira, Booz Allen Hamilton, Dynetics and Macauley-Brown. It is one of the two prime contractors. The other contractor teaming arrangement awardee is Radiance Technologies and its team includes AT&T Government Solutions, Battelle, COLSA Corporation, Leidos, and Parsons Government Services. Both awardees will compete for task orders to support NASIC’s IMD programme. Support services will enable the USAF’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base to conduct activities such as IMD staging, engineering analysis, development of technologies and training. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
29 Oct 19. Unisys wins $214m contract from US Defense Information Systems Agency. The US Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has awarded Unisys a contract worth up to $214m to support the IT service optimisation, modernisation and consolidation strategy for defence agencies in the US and overseas. Under the four-year deal, Unisys will provide secure global service desk and field service support for 19 of the Department of Defense’s fourth estate agencies. The Fourth Estate includes the Missile Defense Agency, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the DISA, which delivers IT support for military operations. The information technology firm will deliver capabilities of its InteliServe platform of service desk managed services. It will also work with DISA to decrease the cost of duplicative common-use IT environments and to help increase cyber readiness. Using a shared support infrastructure, Unisys service agents will investigate and resolve IT incidents, as well as service requests from DISA mission partners across the globe. The company will serve DISA headquarters in Fort Meade in Maryland, Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, and DISA offices in Germany and Bahrain. (Source: army-technology.com)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
29 Oct 19. Bangladesh Air Force orders Leonardo’s Kronos Land radar. Italian company Leonardo announced on 29 October that it has signed a contract for the supply of an undisclosed number of Kronos Land 3D radar systems to the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) to provide air surveillance. Leonardo, which announced the contract during the 28-30 October Bahrain International Defence Exhibition and Conference 2019 (BIDEC 2019) tri-service exhibition, said that it will also supply communications equipment, 12 months of technical support services, spare parts, and a comprehensive training programme for BAF personnel as part of the deal, the value of which was not revealed. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
30 Oct 19. Multimillion-euro contract: International customer orders air defence systems from Rheinmetall. Rheinmetall has won an order from an international customer for state-of-the-art air defence systems. The contract, which is now official, is worth a total of around €210m. Delivery is to be complete by 2022. Among other items, the order encompasses Skymaster command and control systems, X-TAR 3D radars, Oerlikon Revolver Gun MK3-automatic cannon as well as an ammunition package that includes airburst-capable AHEAD rounds. Spare parts, technical documentation and service support round out the order. As the world’s leading supplier of comprehensive ground-based air defence solutions, Rheinmetall combines all relevant sensors, effectors, platforms and C4I assets in overarching, scalable networks. This results in highly effective, modularly configurable ground-based air defence systems that assure maximum operational flexibility throughout the military mission spectrum.
SEA
30 Oct 19. Brazil buys new submarine rescue ship. After completing negotiations on 23 October that began months ago, the Brazilian Navy has acquired the offshore support vessel DSV Adams Challenge to replace its current submarine rescue ship, NSS Felinto Perry (K-11). Purchased from Adams Offshore WLL, a firm registered in Bahrain, the ship was built and completed in 2009 at the Balenciaga Shipyard in Spain and registered in the United Kingdom. It is 85.7 m long, has a gross tonnage of 4,098 tonnes, and is equipped to perform diving support, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) support, survey support, cable laying, and offshore construction and maintenance. A Brazilian Navy crew consisting of 35 officers and specialists flew in late October to Abu Dhabi, where the vessel is moored, to embark on a familiarisation and training period. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
24 Oct 19. Brazil acquires equipment for its nuclear sub programme. The Brazilian state-controlled company Nuclebrás Equipamentos Pesados (NUCLEP) was awarded a contract earlier this month by another local state-controlled company, Amazônia Azul Tecnologias de Defesa (AMAZUL), to manufacture equipment for the onshore 48 MW nuclear power plant pressurised water reactor prototype. AMAZUL ordered the pressure cylinder, internal containment structures, and a primary reinforced tank from NUCLEP on 11 October. The Electronuclear Energy Generation Laboratory (LABGENE), which is being built at the Brazilian Navy Technological Center in São Paulo (CTMSP) facilities at Iperó in the state of São Paulo as part of the Navy Nuclear Program (PNM), is intended to serve as a test bed for developing the nuclear propulsion for the Brazilian Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine SN Álvaro Alberto. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
AIR
29 Oct 19. DoD/DSCA Notifies Congress of Possible FMS to Japan. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the Congress that the Government of Japan has requested the upgrade of up to ninety-eight (98) F-15J aircraft to a Japanese Super Interceptor (JSI) configuration consisting of up to one hundred three (103) APG-82(v)1 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) Radar (includes 5 spares); one hundred sixteen (116) Advanced Display Core Processor II (ADCP II) Mission System Computer (includes 18 spares); and one hundred one (101) ALQ-239 Digital Electronic Warfare System (DEWS) (includes 3 spares). Also included are Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) with software, training and support; Selective Availability Anti-spoofing Module (SAASM); ARC-210 radio, aircraft and munition integration and test support; ground training devices (including flight and maintenance simulators); support and test equipment; software delivery and support; spare and repair parts; communications equipment; facilities and construction support; publications and technical documentation; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor engineering; technical and logistics support services; studies and surveys; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The estimated total program cost is $4.5bn. The prime contractor for the FMS portion will be Boeing Aircraft Company, Everett, WA. The prime contractor for the DCS portion will be Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) with Boeing being a sub-contractor in supporting integration of the FMS and DCS elements. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. (Source: glstrade.com)
30 Oct 19. Australian company Quickstep awarded more work in global F-35 programme. Australian company Quickstep has picked up more work in the global programme for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, Minister for Defence Industry Melissa Price announced on 30 October. The Sydney-based firm was awarded a contract for the production of 10 new composite parts in support of JSF programme in a move that comes just weeks after the company opened an expansion of its Bankstown facility. “This work on the centre fuselage is in addition to the 35 unique components Quickstep already supply into the global F-35 JSF programme, and is expected to add an additional AUD3-4m in annual revenue at full rate production,” said Price, pointing out that there is currently USD250,000 worth of Australian Quickstep equipment on every F-35 JSF globally. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
TECHNOLOGY
31 Oct 19. Sydney-based Saber Astronautics has confirmed a $2.1m contract with the Australian Department of Defence and Defence Innovation Hub to provide an intelligent data fusion network to process a large number of space objects. The contract will use new and existing sensor networks to provide advanced insights in space domain awareness and democratise access to spacecraft location data. Sensors vary widely in size and capability and come from both commercial and government sources. Saber Astronautics will use its decade of heritage with machine learning and data fusion algorithms to merge these myriad types into a single solution. (Source: Space Connect)