UNITED KINGDOM
LAND
04 Nov 19. Avon Protection has received a £16m contract to manufacture and supply respirators for the UK armed forces, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on 1 November. The respirators have already completed 18 months of successful tests and trials. The lightweight General Service Respirators (GSRs) are designed to protect the wearer while ensuring they can communicate effectively on the battlefield. The system has a twin-canister, single-visor mask design and uses high-performance filtration technology. GSRs will be fitted and issued to all UK service personnel across the British Army, Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. The company is aiming to produce an initial batch of 15,380 GSRs over the next 12 months and will also supply in-service support for the equipment. (Source: Shephard)
08 Nov 19. UK Ministry of Defence orders more than 500 Boxers in €2.6bn contract. UK Ministry of Defence orders more than 500 Boxers in €2.6bn contract. The Artec consortium, led by Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann (KMW), has signed a contract with the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to produce more than 500 Boxer 8×8-wheeled armoured vehicles for the British Army. The total current value of the order is approximately €2.6bn (£2.3bn). The contract has been awarded to Artec via the European procurement agency Organisation for Joint Armament Cooperation (OCCAR). The contract awarded to Artec falls under the UK’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) procurement programme and includes more than 500 vehicles. Artec will each sub-contract 50% of the order volume to Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann. The total number of Boxer vehicles already delivered by Artec or currently on order now exceeds 1,400 vehicles. The Boxer vehicles ordered by the British Army will be supplied in several different configurations, including an armoured personnel carrier, command vehicle, specialist carrier and field ambulance. Delivery of the vehicles is expected to start from 2023. Most of the production will take place in the UK, safeguarding and creating a substantial number of British jobs. Full-scale production will begin in Germany, but 90% of the Boxer vehicles destined for the British Army will be produced in the UK, principally at plants operated by Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and KMW’s subsidiary WFEL. This order marks the return of the UK to a European defence programme having taken part in the Boxer project when it was still in its infancy. Boxer is now on its way to becoming one of NATO’s standard vehicles. The Boxer is a highly protective 8×8-wheeled armoured vehicle. Its modular architecture enables more operational configurations than any other vehicle system. At present, some 700 vehicles in twelve different versions are on order from three different NATO nations: Germany, the Netherlands and Lithuania. Australia has also ordered 211 Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicles (CRV) in seven variants, the first of which was recently delivered. Artec GmbH was established in 1999. It is a joint venture of Krauss-Maffei Wegmann GmbH & Co. KG, Rheinmetall Military Vehicles GmbH, and Rheinmetall Defence Nederland B.V.. The company coordinates serial production of the Boxer and serves as the point of contact for export enquiries.
AIR
05 Nov 19. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has been selected to provide 40 WESCAM MX-15 electro-optical, infrared (EO/IR) imaging systems by the UK Ministry of Defence – reinforcing the MX-15s proven mission capability and superior reliability. The award also includes comprehensive in-service support and training, as well as an option to purchase an additional 40 MX-15s. Delivery of the MX-15s and associated support services is expected to be completed by 2024.
EUROPE
LAND
04 Nov 19. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace has received a contract to supply a mobile ground-based air defence system to the Norwegian Army. The contract is valued at Nkr583m ($64.04m) and was awarded by the Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency. The Norwegian Defence Ministry and Kongsberg agreed to a direct acquisition process for the army mobile ground-based air defence system in February 2017. The mobile, short-range air defence system will feature certain capabilities from the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS), including its network and command and control solutions. NASAMS is a network-centric short-to-medium-range ground-based air defence system developed by Kongsberg and Raytheon. Other components of the air defence system are Diehl Defence’s IRIS-T missile and a radar system from Weibel Scientific. The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency and Kongsberg worked on defining the final configuration and system solution before finalising the contract. The army mobile ground-based air defence system will be used to defeat modern airborne threats. The system will also support integration with other sensors and weapons. (Source: army-technology.com)
07 Nov 19. Denmark orders four more CAESAR 8×8 artillery systems. The Royal Danish Army will acquire an additional four CAESAR 155mm wheeled self-propelled artillery systems from French supplier Nexter Systems, the country’s ministry of defence confirmed on 5 November. Denmark’s Material and Purchasing Authority has officially signed the agreement, taking the total amount of systems to be procured by the Royal Danish Army’s 1st Artillery Division to 19. The country’s MoD had previously signed a contract with Nexter Systems in 2017 for 15 examples. The CAESAR artillery pieces being procured by Denmark differ from other CAESAR systems, with the 155mm/52 cal gun mounted on a Czech-made 8×8 Tatra chassis rather than a 6×6. As part of its acceptance into service, the truck’s cab has been subjected to blast testing in Germany, according to the MoD, which included ‘two different types of blasts’. These tests damaged the wheels and suspension, but the test dummies inside ‘survived’. Firing trials have also taken place in Sweden using the first two examples, which have now been returned to France to prepare for additional testing and training that will take place next spring in Oksbøl. The Royal Danish Army is expected to take delivery of the first CAESAR 8×8 next summer, with the four additional units planned for 2023. (Source: Shephard)
SEA
07 Nov 19. MAN Energy Solutions has been selected to supply engines for the four logistic support ships (LSS) being built for the French Navy. The company will deliver a total of 16 engines for the four refuelling tankers. In February this year, the Organization for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) awarded a €1.7bn contract to a consortium of Chantiers de l’Atlantique and Naval Group to build the LSS vessels under a Franco-Italian programme. OCCAR awarded the contract on behalf of the French defence procurement agency DGA and Italy’s NAVARM. The 194m-long ships will have a diesel-electric propulsion system and a fuel capacity of 13,000m³. MAN will supply two MAN 12V32/44CR engines and two MAN 8L32/44CR engines under the contract. (Source: naval-technology.com)
TECHNOLOGY
01 Nov 19. The Norwegian Defence Material Agency has selected THURBON, an operationally proven Electronic Warfare (EW) data management system developed by MASS, an independent technology company, to provide the foundation of its EW data management system. THURBON will provide enhanced capability and will support the Norwegian Armed Forces in achieving effective control and autonomy over data, and contribute to the efficient use of resources in the preparation of mission data for EW equipment. The system will also allow fragmented information, which exists between the multiple databases that support each equipment purchase, to be brought together, enabling the Norwegian Armed Forces to benefit from enhanced management of its operational data to support its forces around the world.
USA
LAND
06 Nov 19. BFBC LLC, Bozeman, Montana, was awarded a $260,473,876 firm-fixed-price contract for the barrier wall on the Barry M. Goldwater Range land in Arizona between Mexico and the U.S. Five bids were solicited with four bids received. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 12, 2020. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $260,473,876 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon, is the contracting activity (W912PL-20-C-0002)
05 Nov 19. Hesco receives EBS contract. Hesco Bastion has received an IDIQ contract worth up to $24m for the Expeditionary Barrier System. The contract, issued by the US Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, covers systems for the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Hesco’s earth-filled barriers are designed to form compartmentalised areas to keep soldiers safe from indirect and direct fire. The units are lined with a heavy-duty polypropylene geotextile and filled with available material using commonly available equipment. This is a ten-month bridge contract which will run through to September 2020. (Source: Shephard)
01 Nov 19. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has been awarded an estimated $25,340,721 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for tire and wheel assemblies. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Wisconsin and New Jersey, with an Oct. 31, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Army and foreign military sales. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-20-D-0022).
06 Nov 19. Uptake to improve operational availability of M88 recovery vehicles. Uptake has received a contract from the US Marine Corps (USMC) to provide artificial intelligence (AI) software for the M88 armoured recovery vehicles. The company will provide its Asset IO application to help the USMC enhance the operational readiness of the M88 recovery vehicles through predictive analytics. The contract with the USMC is supported by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). (Source: naval-technology.com)
SEA
06 Nov 19. BAE Systems, San Diego, California, is awarded a $33,946,052 firm-fixed-price delivery order N55236-20-F-4001 from multiple-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00024-16-D-4416 for a selected restricted availability on USS Mobile Bay (CG 53). This delivery order is for a selected restricted availability to execute depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship’s military and technical capabilities. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by October 2020. This delivery order includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $38,188,485 and be complete by October 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds for $33,946,052 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order was competitively procured with one request for proposal solicited, and two offers received via all eligible multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contractors in the San Diego, California, area. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
01 Nov 19. Ultra Electronic Ocean Systems, Braintree, Massachusetts, is awarded a $45,161,439 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for engineering and technical service for the design, development, testing, integration, technology insertion/refreshment and system support of the AN/BPS radar software management system on new construction and in-service submarines. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia (50%); and Wake Forest, North Carolina (50%), and is expected to be completed by October 2020. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $100,861,439, and be complete by May 2026. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN); 2015 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN); 2019 other procurement (Navy-OPN); and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN) funding in the amount of $1,700,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of current fiscal year — funding: fiscal 2019 SCN (58%); fiscal 2015 SCN (18%); fiscal 2019 OPN (18%); and fiscal 2014 SCN (6%). In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5), authorized or required by statute 15 U.S. Code 638(r)(4) states: “To the greatest extent practical, Federal agencies and Federal prime contractors shall issue Phase III awards relating to technology, including sole source awards, to the SBIR and STTR award recipients that developed the technology.” The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-D-6202).
AIR
04 Nov 19. Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $146,039,547 modification (P00025) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target and firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-17-C-0015). This modification exercises the option to upgrade nine MV-22 aircraft from the Block B to the Block C configuration, as well as planned maintenance intervals for eight MV-22 aircraft, in support of the Common Configuration-Readiness and Modernization (CC-RAM) program. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (91%); and Fort Worth, Texas (9%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy – AP, N); and fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy – OM, N) funds in the amount of $146,039,547 will be obligated at time of award, $6,049,632 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (Funding: fiscal 2018 AP, N $5,654,683; fiscal 2020 AP, N $139,989,915; and fiscal 2020 OM, N $394,949). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
05 Nov 19. Cal Poly wins funding to improve security of satellites in orbit. The California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) has received grant funding to develop innovative cybersecurity solutions for space satellites. The $340,091 grant was awarded by the California Advanced Supply Chain Analysis and Diversification Effort (CASCADE), an initiative funded by the US Department of Defense. Cal Poly will use the funding to conduct a ‘Space Operations Challenge’ series to enable improved safety and security of satellites currently in orbit. Satellites pose a cybersecurity risk for various stakeholders, including governments, companies and everyday users, making their security a significant challenge. Cal Poly will create six specific ‘challenges’ under the programme. Some of the key research areas in the project include secure and reliable space to ground communication, satellite communication design, and secure satellite command and control across a distributed commercial platform. The programme will also focus on addressing how to enable the quick launch of small and medium satellites. The university will work in collaboration with a private company or public agency to address these issues. The university signed a space situational awareness agreement with US Strategic Command in August to help the command monitor objects in orbit around the Earth. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
06 Nov 19. Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $184,581,519 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm, firm-fixed-price modification (P00024) to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive firm contract (N00019-18-C-1048) to establish organic depot level repair capabilities for F-35 systems under the low-rate initial production Lot 11 non-annualized sustainment contract in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Systems included are: common components, conventional controls, surfaces and edges, electrical/mechanical activation, firewall shutoff valve, radar, wing flap actuator system, hydraulic power generation system, arresting gear, standby flight display, fuel system, exterior lighting, gun system control unit, filter modules, thermal management system fan, alternating current contactor module and rudder pedals. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (31%); Melbourne, Florida (19%); Linthicum Heights, Maryland (11%); Torrance, California (7%); Palmdale, California (7%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (6%); Milwaukee, Wisconsin (3%); Los Angeles, California (3%); Helmond, Netherlands (2%); Cheltenham, United Kingdom (2%); Lancashire, United Kingdom (2%); Montville, New Jersey (1%); East Aurora, New York (1%); New Port Richey, Florida (1%), Williston, Vermont (1%); Tucson, Arizona (1%); Irvine, California (1%); and Mansfield, Ohio (1%), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy); and non-DoD participant funds in the amount of $184,581,519 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($88,192,135; 47.78%); the Marine Corps ($44,096,063; 23.89%); Navy ($44,096,063; 23.89%); and non-DoD participants ($8,197,258; 4.44%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
TECHNOLOGY
06 Nov 19. US Army awards Phase I SBIR funding to Autonomous Solutions. The US Army has awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding to Autonomous Solutions Inc (ASI) to develop a deep learning (DL) architecture to support sensor fusion in GPS-denied environments. Funding was awarded by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicles Systems Center. Poorly lit or degraded visual conditions pose challenges to not only cameras, but also LiDAR and radar sensors. The performance of LiDAR can be affected in fog, heavy rain, snow or dust, due to its use of light spectrum wavelengths. Deep learning is a type of machine learning and artificial intelligence that allows users to extract relevant information from vast amounts of data. The grant funding will allow ASI to address the gap in existing deep learning research efforts for LiDAR and radar. The army intends to have improved data utilisation for a better understanding of a vehicle’s surroundings. In the grant solicitation, the army stated: “It is anticipated that harnessing a wide variety of sensors altogether will benefit the autonomous vehicles by providing a more general and robust self-driving system, especially for navigating in different types of challenging weather, environments, road conditions and traffic.” Under the Phase I SBIR contract, ASI will showcase the capabilities of the deep learning architecture in a simulation environment. (Source: army-technology.com)
05 Nov 19. South Australia-based CyberOps has been awarded a $299,000 contract to develop a security framework to support the nano-satellite development programs and operating systems in partnership with the Department of Defence. Supported by decades of experience in Australia and around the globe, the CyberOps team have the necessary technical expertise, business experience and communication skills to relate risks in a meaningful manner to all levels of management and executive.
CyberOps said it recognised that this is critical in an environment where solutions are not just technical, but also involve changes to business processes and operations. (Source: Defence Connect)
06 Nov 19. Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, announced that Esri and partner Figure Eight Technologies, Inc. have been awarded a contract in support of Department of Defense, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), prototyping advancements in rapid damage and consequence assessment during disasters. The world is faced with what emergency response professionals call the new normal. This means disasters are occurring with both increased frequency and massive impacts to communities at a scale which cannot be readily understood and mitigated through traditional methods used today by first responders, NGOs, government partners, and commercial entities. Under the JAIC, the Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief (HADR) National Mission Initiative (NMI) leads the fielding of Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning (AI/ML)-powered, problem solving prototypical applications to quickly identify and locate people and infrastructure impacted by natural and manmade disasters. The development of HADR AI/ML capabilities aims to streamline the processes and architecture of data aggregation, conditioning, and interpretation.
Esri’s ArcGIS platform uses the predictive power of location intelligence combined with AI to provide new insight that enables personnel to make better, data-driven decisions through near-real time situational awareness. Costs to lives and livelihood will be reduced by shrinking operational timelines for search and discovery, resource allocation, and rescue or relief execution efforts. In support of the HADR NMI providing global humanitarian assistance, training of deep learning models and inference against imagery sources will happen at scale. This solves the complex spatial problem of massive deployment of resources by rapidly distinguishing object and areas for issues such as locating flood affected areas, or identifying at-risk infrastructure and people in need of help. ArcGIS provides a geospatial AI foundation that will enable JAIC’s analysts, data scientists, and decision makers to collaborate closely together in an iterative fashion. They will be able to quickly test and validate ideas, prototype models, deploy them to production, and build meaningful information products including Dashboard, Maps, and Apps. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
06 Nov 19. Barrett Communications have recently been awarded a multiyear contract to supply the Canadian National Defence Department (DND) with Very High Frequency (VHF) radio communications equipment. This new contract follows on from the earlier contract awarded to Barrett in 2016. The Barrett PRC-2080+ VHF radio systems are designed for multi-role military applications providing rugged reliable field proven communications. The PRC-2080+ system is offered in hand portable, manpack, vehicle, base and rebroadcast system configurations, giving flexibility for its deployment in the field.
SEA
06 Nov 19. DSIT Solutions Ltd. ‒ a subsidiary of RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., a pioneer and world leader in underwater defense and security solutions based on advanced sonar and acoustics technologies for naval, homeland security, energy, and transportation applications as well as state of the art fiber-optic sensing for land applications ‒ recently won a tender to supply its Portable Acoustic Range (PAR) system to an undisclosed navy. The PAR is an advanced application of underwater signal processing designed to measure noise radiated by submarines as well as surface vessels.
01 Nov 19. South Korean shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries and Construction (HHIC) announced on 31 October that it has won a KRW246bn (USD211m) contract for the construction of four more Patrol Killer Experimental-B (PKX-B)-class fast attack craft for the Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN). Under the contract, which was awarded by the South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, HHIC is expected to deliver the four vessels by December 2022, according to the Yonhap News Agency. HHIC said that, with the latest deal, it now has orders from the RoKN for 16 of these vessels worth a total of KRW1.1trn. Additional orders are expected, possibly as part of a second batch. The first craft of the class, which was given pennant number 211, was delivered to the navy in October 2017. The following three, which have been given pennant numbers 212, 213, and 215, respectively, were launched in December 2018 and are expected to be handed over later this year. The PKX-B class, which is also known as the Chamsuri II, has a full-load displacement of 300 tonnes, an overall length of 44m, an overall beam of 7m, and can accommodate a crew of 20. Powered by General Electric’s 6,000shp LM 500 gas-turbine engines and Caterpillar Marine’s Cat C32 diesel engines in a combined diesel and gas turbine (CODAG) configuration, and propelled by waterjets, the platforms have a top speed of 40kt. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
AIR
04 Nov 19. AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced it received a firm fixed-price contract valued at $6,408,542 from an existing Southeast Asian military customer on September 17, 2019 for additional Raven® unmanned aircraft systems. Delivery is anticipated within 12 months. AeroVironment’s Raven system is designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for applications requiring low-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. With a wingspan of 4.5 feet and weighing 4.2 pounds, the hand-launched Raven provides aerial observation, day or night, at line-of-sight ranges up to approximately 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). With its stabilized gimbaled payload, the Raven delivers real-time color or infrared imagery to ground control and remote viewing stations.
05 Nov 19. AVT Australia wins ‘eye in the sky’ contract for Australian Army. The Australian Army has awarded AVT Australia a $5.2m contract to develop a system capable to improve the image quality of drones. Under the deal, AVT Australia is aiming to reduce the size of the technology to enable integration of multiple sensors as well as incorporating a range of autonomous tracking algorithms. (Source: Defence Connect)
06 Nov 19. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract by the Australian Defence Force Tactical Data Link Authority (ADFTA) to deliver tactical data link (TDL) systems and training as part of the development of the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) Joint Data Network. ADFTA ensures TDL-functionality to achieve single, joint and combined TDL interoperability for the ADF. The technology at the core of Northrop Grumman’s advanced multi-TDL system provides vital connectivity between legacy 4th generation platforms and advanced 5th generation platforms, as well as future data links and networks. This is critical as forces seek to maximize the long term value of existing platforms and systems by making certain that they can interoperate with emergent 5th generation capabilities.
01 Nov 19. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a sole source, cost only contract modification (P00069) under previously awarded contract HQ0276-15-C-0003 to increase the CLIN 0014 undefinitized contract action not-to-exceed value by $267,178,800 from $387,187,200 to $654,366,000. Under this modification, the “pacing items only” restriction is removed and the contractor is now authorized to work the full, unchanged, effort to manufacture, assemble, test and deliver 20 Standard Missile-3 Block IIA missiles and related efforts, and four missiles under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case JA-P-ATB to Japan. The value of the contract is increased by $267,178,800 from $1,198,400,240 to $1,465,579,040. The work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona; and Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of December 2022. Fiscal 2018 procurement, defense-wide funds in the amount of $209,000,000; and FMS funds in the amount of $7,652,000 will be obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0276-15-C-0003).
04 Nov 19. Schiebel wins competitive tender to supply its CAMCOPTER® S-100 System to the Royal Thai Navy (RTN). Following an extensive competitive tender process, Schiebel was awarded its first contract with the RTN, which was signed by Schiebel’s CEO Hannes Hecher and Admiral Prachachart Sirisawat, Director General Naval Acquisition Management office of the Royal Thai Navy, and authorised by Commander In Chief of Royal Thai Navy Headquarters in Bangkok. Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 will be deployed in 2020 to the Pakphanang District, in the province of Nakhon Si Thammarat in Thailand and on the RTN frigate fleet to deliver land and sea based Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) operations. This is the first time the RTN will be using Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) for maritime operations. To ensure a smooth transition into service and to provide commercial offset, Schiebel has partnered with MoraThai Defence Company Limited of Bangkok.