UNITED KINGDOM
LAND
04 Mar 20. Ravenswood to support British troops training in Kenya. Ravenswood Solutions has been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide turnkey exercise support and instrumentation training services. Under the five-year contract, Ravenswood will provide the British Army with tactical engagement simulation in Kenya (TESIK). Ravenswood Solutions will partner with three other companies to train British troops in Kenya and other locations. The companies include Swiss-based laser system provider RUAG, logistics provider Agility and UK-based technical services corporation QinetiQ. The TESIK contract is the first major contract for Ravenswood awarded by the UK MoD. (Source: army-technology.com)
28 Feb 20. TP Group to support British Army HQ’s communication programme. Mission-critical solutions provider TP Group has won a contract from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide customer support to the army HQ’s communication programme. Under the two-year contract, the company will provide multi-disciplinary support to the Army HQ’s Land Environment Tactical Communication and Information Services & Systems (LE TacCIS) Programme. Worth around £5m, the contract has an option for a six-month extension, worth an additional £1m. Jointly funded by the UK’s Joint Forces Command (JFC) and by army HQ, the programme comprises five projects and will address critical system obsolescence, as well as introduce a more agile TacCIS solution. The solution will be designed to provide information superiority’ to UK commanders. (Source: army-technology.com)
SEA
02 Mar 20. Thales UK has secured a contract worth around £330m from BAE Systems Submarines to work on the British Royal Navy’s Dreadnought-class submarines. BAE Systems is currently building four next-generation nuclear submarines for the Royal Navy. Under the contract, Thales UK will develop the Dreadnought sonar system at its sites in Templecombe, Somerset and Stockport. The company will also build periscopes for all four nuclear submarines. Known as the Combat System Masts, the periscopes will be developed and manufactured in Govan. The workforce in Crawley will provide technical input. The Dreadnought vessels will also feature Thales Sonar 2076, a visual and situational awareness sensor that will combine electronic warfare technology with cameras to provide the crew with a visual link to the sea surface. (Source: naval-technology.com)
28 Feb 20. Ultra has been selected to continue extending support for the British Royal Navy Type 45 Destroyer Gun System, Automation (GSA9) contract. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded the in-service support contract to Babcock International in October last year. It covers all aspects of GSA9 support, including electro-optical gunfire control system (EOGCS), electro-optical sensor platforms (EOSPs), and quick pointing devices (QPD). The three-year contract comes with an optional extension of two years. Ultra will support the electro-optical (EO) tracking system as part of GSA9. Ultra is the UK’s primary supplier of naval EO surveillance and tracking systems. The EO system features high-resolution video performance, extensive automation levels, and the latest proven sensors and servo technologies. It has been developed using a common set of commercially/modified off-the-shelf (COTS / MOTS) baseline modules. (Source: naval-technology.com)
TECHNOLOGY
03 Mar 20. Dstl to fund AI in warship damage control research programme. The Defence and Science Technology Laboratory (Dstl) has awarded a £1m research contract to Frazer-Nash, Decision Lab and Survivability to take part in the ‘Intelligent Ship -The Next Generation’ project. The three companies will collaborate to assess how AI can reduce information overload of a defence platform crews and support their day-to-day work. Neil Hunt, Business Manager at Frazer-Nash said: ‘Our project focuses on optimising damage control and firefighting strategies on warships. Recovering the capabilities of a damaged ship during operations makes for a highly complex and challenging environment.’ Hunt continued: ‘By using artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, huge amounts of data on the ship’s systems can be gathered and analysed much more quickly than would be possible by humans.’ The programme is being overseen by the Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). (Source: Shephard)
EUROPE
LAND
05 Mar 20. The Slovak Ministry of Defence has signed a contract with Eurospike (a European Joint Venture between Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd., Diehl Defence and Rheinmettal Electronics) for the supply of the advanced 5th generation SPIKE LR2 ATGM and dismounted advanced ICLU launchers (Integrated Control Launch Units). The procurement was carried out through the NATO Support & Procurement Agency (NSPA). The Slovak army is the 6th armed force to choose the modern 5th generation SPIKE LR2, and it is part of another 34 SPIKE user nations. Slovakia is also the 3rd NATO nation which will be using the SPIKE LR2 and follow the seamless transition by SPIKE Missile user nations from 4th generation SPIKE LR missiles to the 5th generation SPIKE LR2 Missile variant fired from the same vehicle or dismounted launchers. In April 2018 the Slovak MOD published the successful results of the field testing phase of the Slovak Turra 30 mm Remote Control Weapon Stations (RCWS) mounted on Patria vehicles including multiple launch of vehicle-mounted SPIKE Missiles from the EVPU RCWS. The current contract includes dismounted launchers, signifying that the SPIKE LR2 is now the ATGM of choice both for the Slovak infantry as well as for its cavalry. SPIKE LR2 is a cutting-edge 5th generation, multi-platform, multi-mission and multi-range electro-optical missile, with enhanced standoff range of 5.5 km, fire & forget capabilities as well as man-in-the-loop features, such as retargeting mid-flight, attack of hidden targets beyond-line–of-sight, as well as the ability to launch to non-line-of-sight targets based solely on their geo-coordinates. Slovakia is among 19th EU / NATO SPIKE missile user nations. More than 33,000 SPIKE missiles have been supplied to-date around the world, with over 6000 SPIKE missiles firings, both in training and in combat. The selection of the SPIKE LR2 missile by the Slovak armed forces will allow the Slovakia army 5th generation tactical overmatch. This purchase is part of the ongoing modernization of armed forces taking place around Europe, in which the SPIKE Missiles have assumed a major role in enhancing deterrence and capability.
02 Mar 20. L3Harris Technologies’ (NYSE:LHX) WESCAM MX™-RSTA land sighting system has been selected by Armasuisse, the Swiss federal office for defense procurement, as the electro-optic/infra-red (EO/IR) sighting sensor of choice for the Swiss Armed Forces’ new TASYS tactical reconnaissance system. L3Harris will supply 100 WESCAM MX-RSTA sensors for the TASYS program, which will have vehicles fielded between the years 2023 and 2025. WESCAM MX-RSTA is a key element of the intelligence gathering solution for the TASYS platform, providing long-range state-of-the-art reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition capabilities. The WESCAM MX-RSTA was successfully integrated onto the newly contracted General Dynamics European Land Systems’ Mowag EAGLE 6×6 vehicle for extensive technical and user evaluations trials. The sensor was mounted on a telescopic mast for mobile and static surveillance. Trial results included higher performance and stabilization control when compared to competing systems. Armasuisse is the first European land force to field the WESCAM MX-RSTA in a significant quantity which further extends the established WESCAM MX product line into the land domain. WESCAM MX-Series land products have been selected by several U.S. and international vehicle OEMS for U.S. DODs and their domestic programs.
05 Mar 20. Leonardo to upgrade Italian land and naval IFF systems. Leonardo will provide new-generation IFF (NGIFF) systems to land and naval platforms operated by the Italian Armed Forces, to bring them to a Mode 5 Baseline 3 standard. In a 5 March statement, Leonardo confirmed that the contract is worth EUR75m ($83.9m) and will run until March 2026. The project is expected to expand to cover military helicopters and aircraft at a later date. NGIFF will ensure that the Italian Armed Forces remain fully NATO-interoperable as the organisation requires Mode 5 capable systems for air-to-air and surface-to-air identification. Leonardo has previously supplied IFF upgrades to the UK armed forces for more than 400 air, land and naval platforms. (Source: Shephard)
04 Mar 20. The Government of Poland has requested to buy one hundred eighty (180) Javelin missiles and seventy-nine (79) Javelin Command Launch Units (CLUs). Also included are Basic Skill Trainers (BST), Missile Simulation Rounds (MSR), Battery Coolant Units (BCU), tool kits, modified 2-level maintenance parts, training, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, transportation and other related elements of logistics support. The total estimated program cost is $100m. The prime contractors will be Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin Joint Venture, Orlando, Florida and Tucson, Arizona. There are no known offset agreements proposed in connection with this potential sale. However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s). (Source: glstrade.com)
28 Feb 20. Raytheon/Lockheed Martin Javelin JV, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded an $18,431,215 modification (P00022) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0059. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of June 25, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army, and foreign military sales (Australia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Indonesia, Ireland, Jordan, Lithuania, New Zealand, Norway, Oman, Qatar, Turkey, Ukraine and United Arab Emirates) funds in the amount of $18,431,215 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
06 Mar 20. Rheinmetall to supply the Swiss Army with VarioRay LLM laser light modules. As part of its 2019 defence procurement programme, the Swiss Army recently placed an order with Rheinmetall for the VarioRay LLM laser light module. A contract to this effect was signed in December 2019 with Switzerland’s Federal Office for Defence Procurement (Armasuisse). Delivery of 9,640 devices is set to commence in May 2020 and be complete by the end of 2022. The order is worth a figure in the lower two-digit euro million range. It also includes accessories, spare parts and training support. Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is the general contractor for the project; Rheinmetall Soldier Electronics GmbH is the manufacturer. Used for detecting, identifying and marking targets, the laser light modules – known as the LLM 19 in Swiss military parlance – will be mounted on soldiers’ assault rifles. Weighing approximately 240 grams, the VarioRay LLM can be mounted on a MIL-STD 1913 rail on any assault rifle, and operated via a trigger cable. Together with the night vision and thermal imaging devices also acquired under the 2019 defence procurement programme, it will enable Swiss troops to perform their missions around the clock and in all weather conditions. Among other things, the VarioRay LLM forms part of Germany’s Future Soldier System-Extended System, or IdZ-ES, used by the Bundeswehr. The British Army, which calls it the Laser Light Module MK3, also employs the system. As it happens, Rheinmetall-made aiming lasers are already in service with the Swiss Army. In 1996 Rheinmetall supplied the Swiss military with the REM096 laser marker. In winning the latest order, Rheinmetall has thus succeeded in keeping the Swiss Army as an important customer for its laser light technology. Rheinmetall offers an extensive portfolio of infantry equipment, including numerous aiming and illumination modules. These were developed in order to enhance the tactical effectiveness of small arms. Among the most recent products is the Variable Tactical Aiming Laser (VTAL) module. This aiming and illumination module is compatible with all standard night vision devices and can be coupled with the separate modular Lumenator weapon lamp, also made by Rheinmetall. Another top-of-the-line Rheinmetall product is Tac-Ray Ballistic, a rangefinder/ballistic computer for snipers.
SEA
02 Mar 20. The Government of the Netherlands has requested to buy sixteen (16) MK-48 Mod 7 Advanced Technology (AT) torpedo conversion kits. Also included are spare parts, containers, associated hardware, torpedo handling equipment, and cables; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated program cost is $85m. The prime contractor will be Raytheon Company, Portsmouth, RI. The Netherlands may require offset agreements in connection with this potential sale. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the Purchaser and the prime contractor. (Source: glstrade.com)
AIR
27 Feb 20. Babcock to Provide Helicopters and Support for the French Navy. In a contract led by the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) for the French Navy, Babcock, will work in partnership with Airbus Helicopters (AH) and Safran Helicopter Engines (SHE) to provide four H160 helicopters, helicopter modifications and through-life support. The H160 is a part of the interim fleet which will replace the Alouette III before the Guépard’s entry into service. The aircraft will be used by the French Navy on demanding Search and Rescue (SAR) missions and will be based at two locations in North and West France. Babcock is the global launch customer for the H160 helicopter. This 10-year contact commences operations in 2022 and represents a milestone in the French MOD procurement process as it is the first time that a contract includes both hire and purchase of a brand new aircraft and its global support. Babcock Aviation is focused on defence and emergency services operations. Our mission is to save lives, protect communities and support the defence of nations. (Source: ASD Network)
28 Feb 20. Nova Systems wins contract to support NH90 helicopter programme. Nova Systems Norway has secured a contract from the Norwegian Armed Forces to support the NH90 maritime helicopter programme. The company won the two-year €15m framework contract through an open and competitive tender. The latest contract signifies a significant expansion and will double the size of Nova Norway’s Norwegian operations. Nova Systems developed the medium-sized, twin-engine, multi-role military helicopter NH90 in response to the Nato requirements for a multiple capability helicopter. The helicopter is a Norwegian Naval Frigate Helicopter (NFH) variant of the NH90. Nova will initially provide a team of ten to 12 operators, engineers and software specialists fully embedded with RNoAF and Royal Norwegian Navy (RNoN) personnel at the new squadron building, which is based at Haakonsvern Naval Base near Bergen. (Source: naval-technology.com)
USA
LAND
05 Mar 20. AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, has been awarded a $15,558,008 firm-fixed-price modification (P00003) to a previously awarded contract FA4890-19-C-0002 for the exercise of Option Period Two. This modification provides for force-protection efforts at airfields located within the Air Force Central Command’s area of responsibility, including a non-developmental contractor-owned and contractor-operated unmanned aerial system, intelligence, reconnaissance and surveillance solution to perform operational, engineering, and sustainment efforts necessary to effectively execute pre-deployment, deployment operations, post-deployment, and engineering support activities. Work will be performed at Bagram and Kandahar Airfields, Afghanistan, and is expected to be complete by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $114,064,396. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
03 Mar 20. The U.S. Army is buying additional advanced BONUS munitions manufactured by BAE Systems and Nexter of France. BONUS is a 155-millimeter munition designed for destroying armored targets and will be employed by the Army’s fleet of M109 self-propelled howitzers and M777 ultra-lightweight towed howitzers. The Army is purchasing BONUS through the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), which provides effective and cost efficient multinational solutions to the Alliance, its Nations and Partners. The BONUS round contains two sensor-fuzed warheads with advanced target-seeking sensors. Once deployed they independently seek, track and strike targets within an area of 32,000 square meters.
28 Feb 20. Ceradyne Inc., Irvine, California (W91CRB-20-D-0007); and TenCate Advanced Armor USA Inc., Hebron, Ohio (W91CRB-20-D-0008), will compete for each order of the $264,638,260 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for X-Side Ballistic Insert hard armor plates. 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 Feb. 27, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
02 Mar 20. FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced that the United States (U.S.) Air Force has ordered more than 180 of the company’s Centaur™ unmanned ground vehicles (UGV), plus spares. The $23m contract is sourced through the Dept. of Defense Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II (MTRS Inc II) program. In 2017, the U.S. Army chose FLIR Systems’ legacy business, Endeavor Robotics, as its medium-sized robot provider for MTRS Inc II. The company created a newly designed UGV, Centaur, as its MTRS Inc II solution. FLIR has begun delivering Centaur units to the Army under that multi-year program of record, which upon award was valued at up to $158m, including options. Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams will use the FLIR Centaur to assist in disarming improvised explosive devices (IEDs), unexploded ordnance, and similar hazardous tasks. Multiple sensors and payloads can be added to Centaur to support other missions.
28 Feb 20. General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded an $83,859,066 modification (P00074) to contract W56HZV16-D-0025 to extend the period of performance by 12 months on the contractor’s efforts to maintain and deploy the Stryker Family of Vehicles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
04 Mar 20. Heckler & Koch Defense Inc.,* Ashburn, Virginia, was awarded a $33,500,000 modification (P00028) to contract W15QKN-16-D-0051 for the Compact Semi-Automatic Sniper Systems and the Squad Designated Marksman Rifle. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
05 Mar 20. SIG SAUER, Inc. is pleased to announce the Vermont State Police has adopted the SIG SAUER M400 Pro Rifle as the official patrol rifle of the Vermont State Troopers. The Vermont State Police has jurisdiction for public safety throughout the Green Mountain State, with over 300 sworn state troopers. The SIG SAUER M400 Pro is an AR-platform rifle with a direct impingement gas operating system. The M400 features a full-length free-float M-LOK™ hand guard, enhanced SIG trigger, 6 position telescoping stock, a rotating lock bolt, and is chambered in 5.56 NATO.
SEA
28 Feb 20. AAI Corp. (doing business as Textron Systems), Hunt Valley, Maryland, is awarded a $21,795,236 fixed-price incentive modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-6322 for low rate initial production for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) Unmanned Surface Vehicle Program. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland (70%), and Slidell, Louisiana (30%), and is expected to be completed by August 2021. The UISS will allow the littoral combat ship to perform its mine countermeasure sweep mission and will target acoustic, magnetic, and magnetic/acoustic combination mine types. The UISS program will satisfy the Navy’s need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability, required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines. UISS seeks to provide a high area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $21,795,236 will be obligated at time of award. Funds in the amount of $7,950,616 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
02 Mar 20. BAE Systems Inc. was awarded a five-year $188.2m contract to provide the U.S. Navy’s AEGIS Technical Representative (AEGIS TECHREP) organization with critical large-scale system engineering, integration, and testing expertise for the AEGIS Weapons and Combat Systems aboard U.S. Navy surface combatant ships. As part of the AEGIS Technical Representative Engineering Support Services contract, BAE Systems will provide Navy acquisition managers with on-site leadership and systems engineering to validate Total Ship Combat design at Navy sites in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey; Bath, Maine; and Pascagoula, Mississippi. The company also will support systems engineering and test and evaluation personnel to provide fleet experience and operational insight. Additionally, the company will provide logistics, cybersecurity, production, acquisition, and waterfront support required for upgrading and maintaining development of AEGIS Combat System capabilities and baselines across the entire life cycle. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
02 Mar 20. Ocean Aero, Inc.—designer and builder of the world’s first environmentally-powered, autonomous, underwater and surface vehicles (AUSVs)—announced today a multi-million-dollar agreement to deliver a variety of the company’s AUSV models to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) for a ground-breaking research, evaluation, and testing program. Ocean Aero will be delivering a mix of its Navigator and Discovery models and working closely with DHS and other program participants—the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), The University of Southern Mississippi, the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), and Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs, LLC. Ocean Aero’s vehicles will be deployed in a wide range of ocean environments, providing a platform for the integration, testing, and evaluation of a variety of advanced sensors. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
02 Mar 20. Raytheon funded to develop JMEWS warhead for Tomahawk. Raytheon Missile Systems has been awarded a USD90.4m engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract by the Naval Air Systems Command to complete development of a new multi-effect warhead for the RGM-109E/UGM-109E Tomahawk land-attack cruise missile. The Joint Multiple Effects Warhead System (JMEWS) is designed to greatly expand the land target set that the Tomahawk missile is capable of defeating, by combining the blast and fragmentation capabilities of the current warhead with a new penetration capability and improved mission planning. JMEWS will also be compliant with insensitive munitions requirements to improve safety during transportation and storage on land and aboard ships and submarines. (Source: Jane’s)
04 Mar 20. Serco Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded $60,747,812 which provides for exercise of the fourth option period under a fixed-price contract for lifecycle sustainment of physical security/access control and command, communications, computers and intelligence systems in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command anti-terrorism/force protection ashore program at various Navy installations worldwide. Work will be performed in California (12.47%); District of Columbia (11.70%); Florida (7.98%); Italy (7.61%); Virginia (7.23%); Washington (6.59%); Hawaii (5.65%); Japan (5%); Maryland (4.52%); Guam (4.31%); Texas (2.67%); Rhode Island (2.57%); Bahrain (2.21%); Spain (2.06%); Mississippi (2.02%); Illinois (2%); Georgia (1.53%); Connecticut (1.23%); Tennessee (1.22%); Indiana (1.21%); Greece (1.10%); New Jersey (1.08%); Pennsylvania (0.98%); United Kingdom (0.86%); New Hampshire (0.81%); Cuba (0.72%); Nevada (0.63%); Louisiana (0.63%); Republic of Korea (0.54%); New York (0.52%); Singapore (0.26%); and Maine (0.09%). The work to be performed provides for preventive maintenance of hardware, associated firmware and software; response and resolution of service calls for corrective maintenance to include equipment repair, overhaul, or replacement; information assurance vulnerability alert to include version control, patch management and vulnerability scanning; asset management to track, maintain, upgrade and dispose of systems; configuration management to establish and maintain consistency of the system attributes with operational requirements and evolving technical baseline; technical refreshments, upgrades and installation of new systems; and programmatic trend analysis to identify systemic sustainment issues such as technology obsolescence. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $245,745,412. This option period is from March 2020 to March 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $55,365,560 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-16-C-1811).
AIR
03 Mar 20. Airbus Helicopters Inc., Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $122,655,293 modification (P00012) to contract W58RGZ-18-C-0007 for procurement of 15 UH-72 Aircraft. Work will be performed in Columbus, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $122,655,293 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
28 Feb 20. Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $165,275,894 modification (P00028) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0015) for the manufacture and delivery of two MV-22B variation in quantity aircraft for the Marine Corps and to provide funding for additional repairs in support of the Common Configuration-Readiness and Modernization Program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30%); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (15%); Amarillo, Texas (13%); Red Oak, Texas (3%); East Aurora, New York (3%); Park City, Utah (2%); McKinney, Texas (1%); Endicott, New York (1%); various other locations within the continental U.S. (CONUS) (28%); and various other locations outside CONUS (4%); expected completion by September 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $165,275,894 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.
05 Mar 20. Elbit Systems of America Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $471,634,000 ceiling firm-fixed-price contract for F-16 sustainment. This contract provides for a pylon-based infrared missile warning system for the F-16 platform. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be complete by February 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. National Guard and Reserve Equipment Account funds in the amount of $17,050,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8232-20-D-0003). (Awarded Feb. 28, 2020)
28 Feb 20. USAF Awards OTA Agreement to Gentex Corporation for NGFWH System. Gentex Corporation, a global leader in personal protection and situational awareness solutions for defense forces, aircrew, emergency responders, and industrial personnel, announced today that it was awarded an Other Transactional Authority (OTA) Agreement by the United States Air Force for its Next Generation Fixed Wing Helmet (NGFWH) System, following a global-scale competition. The United States Air Force challenged individuals and businesses from across the world to submit a NGFWH prototype, focusing on addressing shortfalls in previous helmet models, including stability, equipment compatibility, and mass properties. After being tested by USAF pilots and maintainers, the Gentex NGFWH System prototype, created by Gentex’s international team of designers and engineers, was awarded an OTA Agreement for further development and testing. The Gentex NGFWH System fully integrates the latest Gentex advancements and innovation in all facets of helmet system design and integration, including the helmet system itself, optics, hearing protection, communications and situational awareness, respiratory protection integration and helmet mounted device integration. The NGFWH System will provide a higher level of protection and operational capability for current and future Aircrew. (Source: ASD Network)
28 Feb 20. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas is awarded a $141,655,639 modification (P00028) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract (N00019-18-C-1048). This modification provides for the stand-up of organic level repair capabilities for the combat aircraft F-35 communications, navigation and information system. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (39%); Fort Worth, Texas (28%); Melbourne, Florida (12%); Genoa, Italy (10%); White Plains, New York (5%); Oslo, Norway (4%); and Beverly, Massachusetts (2%), and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $70,827,820, fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $35,413,910 and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $35,413,909 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.
03 Mar 20. Meggitt has been awarded a contract by Bell Textron to deliver components for the V-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft. The $73m contract includes the supply of composite ice protection components for the aircraft over five years. Specifically, the British firm will deliver composite de-icing propeller rotor blankets, fairings, heated spinners and pendulums. Electro-thermal ice protection components are produced using composite material integrated with thermal technology. According to the company, Meggitt’s electro-thermal technology is designed to safeguard the edges of helicopter blades, spinner cones, skirts and fairings. The company’s electro-thermal ice protection and advanced heating elements are mostly integrated into the airframe’s blade systems. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
28 Feb 20. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $262,281,057 firm-fixed price modification (P00027) to previously awarded contract FA8615-17-C-6047 for Active Electronically Scanned Array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. This modification is for the exercise of options to include 15 engineering, manufacturing and development and 90 production radars, as well as associated support equipment and spares. Work will be performed at Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 2022. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $553,448,803. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $34,182,567; fiscal 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $88,201,189; and fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $197,955,911 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Fighter Bomber Directorate, F-16 Division, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
28 Feb 20. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has announced that it received a $110m production order from the U.S. Air Force late last year for FMU-167/B, also known as the Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze. The Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze is an all-electronic, cockpit programmable, intelligent fuze capable of destroying deeply buried and targets. It provides multiple delay arming and detonation times, as well as a void-sensing capability, which allows for precision activation of the fuze.
TECHNOLOGY
02 Mar 20. Applied Research Associates, Albuquerque, New Mexico (HHM402-20-D-0007); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0008); CACI NSS Inc., Reston, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0009); Centauri LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0010); General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Herndon, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0011); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Cincinnati, Ohio (HHM402-20-D-0012); and Radiant Geospatial Solutions, Gaithersburg, Maryland (HHM402-20-D-0013), were awarded a five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ), multiple-award contract called DORE2 with a combined ceiling value of $990,000,000. Through this award, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) will procure Data Science, Operations, Requirements, Exploitation and Engineering (DORE2) services to support DIA Directorate for Science and Technology missions. Work will be performed at contractor facilities and at government facilities in the National Capital Region with an estimated completion date of March 1, 2025. The contract was awarded through a full and open solicitation and eight offers were received. Each company will receive a $10,000 minimum guarantee. Task Orders (TO) will be issued competitively under this IDIQ which will allow for the following TO contract types: firm-fixed-price; fixed price, level of effort term; fixed-price incentive (FPI includes firm and successive targets; fixed-price-award-fee; cost-plus incentive-fee; cost-plus-award-fee; cost-plus-fixed-fee term and completion; and time-and-material or labor hour). The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
05 Mar 20. Cubic Corporation (NYSE:CUB) today announced its Cubic Mission Solutions (CMS) business division was awarded a contract by the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to continue operating DISA’s Unified Video Dissemination System (UVDS) architecture and related services that meet Airborne, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (AISR) Full Motion Video (FMV) requirements. The single award, firm-fixed-price contract has a one-year base period followed by four single year options for a total potential value of $99.3 million, if all options are exercised. Work will be performed in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and locations overseas. The DISA UVDS architecture is a next-generation FMV processing, exploitation and dissemination (PED) system that provides persistent, focused, real-time, operational information flow to tactical and enterprise end users worldwide. Its six globally dispersed hubs provide dynamic, proximity-based access to real-time FMV through the unified video portals. Its robust data agnostic network connects multiple Department of Defense (DoD) Gateways, Combatant Commands, military services, operation centers and intelligence agencies. As part of the agreement, Cubic will also continue its work with DISA to integrate UVDS with emerging cloud and cross-domain technologies. The original UVDS contract was awarded to TeraLogics in 2008, with a competitive follow-on contract awarded in 2014. TeraLogics was acquired by Cubic in 2015. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
28 Feb 20. Elbit Systems of America (NASDAQ: ESLT) (TASE: ESLT) was selected by Cubic Mission Solutions to design and develop the Full Motion Video Data Link (FMVDL) amplifier module for the communications suite of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The amplifier module is a critical component of increasing the aircraft’s advanced sensor suite by providing enhanced situational awareness to both airborne and ground forces. The F-35 FMVDL modules will be designed and manufactured at Elbit Systems of America in Fort Worth, Texas. (Source: PR Newswire)
04 Mar 20. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has won a contract to support a US military combat system. The $6.8m contract has been awarded to Kratos’ Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Combat & Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) division. The unit will be responsible to deliver support equipment for the combat system. The company will engineer and produce specialised tactical mobility equipment. The combat system will be used by the US Armed Forces’ various branches. The exact location where the work on the system will be done has not been revealed, however, Kratos noted that it will be carried out at its secure production facilities. The company has not disclosed further details about the contract due to certain related considerations. (Source: army-technology.com)
03 Mar 20. ManTech (Nasdaq: ManTech (Nasdaq: MANT) today announced that on January 31, 2020 it was awarded a five-year $920m prime task order by the General Services Administration (GSA), Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM), on behalf of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane. ManTech will modernize intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) sensors and electronic intelligence (EI) processing for U.S. Navy maritime reconnaissance and patrol aircraft (MRPA). ManTech will digitize ISR and EI capabilities of U.S. Navy manned, unmanned and persistent surveillance MRPA and associated platforms. The work spans cyber, model-based systems engineering, platform integration and modernization for Mission Crew Workstations (MCW), Networking and Communications Equipment, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) equipment, and many other critical systems such as ElectroOptical/Infrared (EO/IR), Combat Systems Hardware (CSH) and Electronic Support Measures (ESM). (Source: Armada)
03 Mar 20. Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical technologies for aerospace and defense, announced it received a $24m order from a leading defense prime contractor for SWaP-optimized radio frequency (RF) modules ready for integration into an advanced electronic warfare system. The order was booked in the Company’s fiscal 2020 second quarter and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters. (Source: Armada)
05 Mar 20. Palantir has been awarded a contract to support follow-on production work under the US Navy’s Naval Operational Business Logistics Enterprise (NOBLE) Family of Systems (FoS). Under this contract, Palantir will deliver its commercial software to serve as NOBLE’s Integrated Data Environment (IDE) – providing an open architecture for data ingestion, integration, management, and analytics capabilities to service the Navy’s supply and operational maintenance communities both at shore-based sites and on platforms deployed at sea. In this new phase, the Palantir IDE will continue to interoperate with several other modern commercial software Programs of Record (PoR) that comprise the larger NOBLE architecture:
- Naval Operational Supply System (NOSS): Provides Naval Operational Forces (NOF) a single end-to-end auditable Financial and Supply Chain Management (SCM) capability.
- Naval Aviation Maintenance System (NAMS): Provides NOF a single enterprise-wide Aviation Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) capability.
- Naval Operational Maintenance Environment (NOME): Provides NOF a single enterprise-wide Maritime MRO capability.
This award follows Palantir’s participation in an initial 6-month competitive prototyping phase under which the Navy pursued an innovative acquisition approach using Other Transaction Authority (OTA), allowing for faster delivery timelines and higher risk reduction via a focus on continuous delivery and evaluation of working software rather than traditional, paper-based competitive procedures. Under this approach, Palantir provided monthly, live demonstrations of its capabilities utilizing real data and use cases to a diverse group of Navy stakeholders from NAVWAR PMW 150, OPNAV N4, US Fleet Forces Command, and others. By providing a modern IDE to support NOBLE’s PoRs, Palantir will assist the Navy in modernizing and streamlining its current legacy architecture and systems, the largest of which is the Naval Tactical Command Support System (NTCSS). NTCSS houses a suite of maintenance, supply, and administration capabilities to generate and sustain operational readiness of Naval forces – including surface ships, submarines, and aviation squadrons. Under NOBLE, Palantir will work in conjunction with other solutions to facilitate the phased transition from the legacy architecture, which is comprised of data and functionality from over 700 disparate applications and databases. NOBLE will provide a more modern, flexible, and open “data-oriented-architecture” (DaaS), including the use of Government-certified commercial cloud infrastructure, to align with the Navy’s emerging needs and broader trends and best practices from the commercial marketplace. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
05 Mar 20. Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $7,460,890 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop concepts for a heterogeneous underwater network. Work will be performed at contractor facilities in California (5%); Massachusetts (75%); Rhode Island (5%); Virginia (10%); and government test facilities (5%). The work to be performed includes dynamically reconfigurable architecture that leverages advancement in undersea communications and autonomous ocean systems and demonstrate utility at sea with advanced prototypes. The period of performance of the base award is from March 5, 2020, through May 4, 2021. This 15-month contract includes two options which, if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $37,399,156. The period of performance of the base award is from March 5, 2020, through May 4, 2021. If both options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through Feb. 4, 2024. Funds in the amount of $499,663 will be obligated at the time of award. The type of funding to be obligated will be research, development, test and evaluation (Department of Defense). This contract was competitively procured via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency broad agency announcement solicitation published on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Seven proposals were received and three were selected for award. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-C-4006).
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
04 Mar 20. US clears sale of M88A2 HERCULES vehicles to Morocco. The US has approved a potential sale of 25 M88A2 Heavy Equipment Recovery Combat Utility Lifting Extraction System (HERCULES) vehicles to Morocco. The estimated cost of the vehicles and/or M88A1 long supply HERCULES refurbished vehicles with associated equipment is expected to be $239.35m. The possible foreign military sale is subject to the approval of Congress, which has been notified about the deal by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA). Morocco will procure 25 M2 .50 calibre machine guns, 25 export single channel ground and airborne radio system (SINCGARS), 30 AN/VAS-5B driver vision enhancer (DVE) kits, 25 M239 or M250 smoke grenade launchers, as well as 1,800 M76 (G826) or L8A1/L8A3 (G815) smoke grenade rounds. In addition, the package may include 25,000 A576 cartridges, .50 calibre linked 4 API/API-T F/M2, as well as 300 G815 – grenade with smoke screening L8A1/A3. The customer request also comprises 2,500 A541 – 50 armour-piercing incendiary tracer M20 F/M2, 91,800 A557 – cartridge, .50 calibre 4 ball/1 tracer linked M33 F/M2, as well as 54,000 A598 – cartridge, and .50 calibre blank F/M2. (Source: army-technology.com)
05 Mar 20. New Zealand has signed a contract with Babcock NZ to replace the New Zealand Defence Force’s fixed high frequency radio capability. With Babcock delivering similar capability to the UK and proposals to the Australian Defence Force in the works, this could be a huge step towards ensuring interoperability within the ‘Five Eyes’ community. Babcock runs HF operations with the UK and the technology and advancement from those projects will be transferred into the New Zealand operations as part of the contract, according to Ruff. Babcock is also proposing operations with Australia to include it within its HF communications portfolio, citing added value to the Australian context by increased interoperability with Five Eyes allies in the UK and New Zealand as well as continued technology advancement. An additional requirement on the Australian context is not only upgrading the existing system and managing it through life by the contractor but also to include spiral technological advancement to keep it current with the latest technologies and threat scenarios. The investment has a capital cost of $26.6m, which is being funded from existing Defence budgets. A support contract for $2m per annum was also signed by the New Zealand Defence Force. The new HF system is expected to be fully operational by August 2023. (Source: Defence Connect)
27 Feb 20. US counter drone specialist Citadel Defense reports a contract award from a “top tier military service customer” for its AI-powered counter drone system Titan. The equipment is destined for “mission-critical ground and airspace perimeter security deployments overseas” although further details about the number of Titan systems and contractor have not been disclosed. Titan C-UAS system is designed to detect, identify and defeat ground, sea and airspace drone threats using patent-protected technology. It uses radiofrequency combined with software-defined capability to detect and protect against drone concerns. (Source: www.unmannedairspace.info)
03 Mar 20. Elbit Systems Ltd. announced today that it was selected by Rheinmetall Canada Inc. to provide Satellite-on-the-Move (“SOTM”) communication systems to the Canadian Armed Forces, as part of the Land Command Support System Life Extension (LCSS LE) program. Elbit Systems will supply the Canadian Armed Forces its triple band ELSAT 2100 SATCOM on-the-Move systems that enable reliable, real-time, on-the-move broadband communication solution. Using military and commercial satellites, including the Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS) network of the U.S. Department of Defense, the ELSAT 2100 SATCOM on-the-Move systems will enable the Canadian Armed Forces to maintain long-range voice and data connectivity between mobile command vehicles, liaison elements, high-priority sensor vehicles as well as tactical headquarters or command posts, providing them with high capacity network services and battle command-on-the-move capabilities.
02 Mar 20. The Government of Jordan has requested to buy up to seven hundred (700) Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) software license copies with a tailored, international ballistic kernel. Also included are up to two hundred (200) each laptop and tablet computers, ancillary computer mounting hardware, battery kits and chargers, printers, scanners, network routers and communication hardware, modems, two hundred fifty (250) each diesel-fueled 5-kilowatt auxiliary power units (APUs), one hundred (100) each diesel-fueled electrical power generators, fifty (50) each model 7800-HF 150-Watt high-frequency radios, five hundred (500) each model 7850-MB 50-Watt multiband (UHF&VHF) radios, five hundred fifty (55) each model 7850-MB IO-Watt multiband (UHF&VHF) radios, all the required cables and components, required engineering and installation services, operations, integration, and maintenance services, contractor furnished support, communications support equipment, tools and test equipment, training, U.S. Government technical/logistical Support, contractor technical support, spares and support equipment, and other related elements of logistical and program support services. The estimated cost is $300m. The prime contractors for the AFATDS and supporting equipment include Raytheon Company and the Harris Company. There are no known offset agreements in connection with this potential sale. (Source: glstrade.com)
SEA
04 Mar 20. thyssenkrupp, Embraer and Atech sign a contract to build Brazilian Navy’s Tamandaré Class Ships. On March 5th, in Rio de Janeiro, Emgepron, an independent state company, linked to the Ministry of Defense through the Brazilian Navy Command, and Águas Azuis, a company created by thyssenkrupp Marine Systems, Embraer Defense & Security and Atech, signed the contract for building four state-of-the-art Tamandaré Class Ships, with deliveries scheduled between 2025 and 2028. The construction will take place 100% in Brazil, in Itajaí, Santa Catarina State, and is expected to have local content rates above 30% for the first vessel and 40% for the others. thyssenkrupp will supply the naval technology of its proven MEKO® Class shipbuilding platform of defence vessels that is already in operation in 15 countries. Embraer will integrate sensors and weaponry into the combat system, bringing also to the program its 50 years’ experience in systems technology solutions and in-service support. In addition to construction, the contract includes a sustained transfer of technology in naval engineering for building military ships and combat and platform management systems, as well as integrated logistical support and lifecycle management. The Tamandaré Class Programme has the potential to generate direct and indirect job opportunities of high level of qualification. It provides for a solid national partnership model with proven ability to transfer technology and qualify local labour, which guarantees the development of future strategic defence projects in Brazil. The naval alliance between thyssenkrupp Marine Systems and Embraer Defense & Security can also enable creating a base for exporting naval defence products from Brazil.
AIR
03 Mar 20. The U.S. State Department has approved a possible $2.4bn sale of eight KC-46 refuelling tanker jets to Israel, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said on Tuesday in an official notification to Congress. The potential deal is for up to eight of the jets made by Boeing Co as well as spare equipment and radios. The KC-46 aircraft, which refuels other aircraft mid-air, has been plagued with problems, including foreign object debris found in the planes and issues with the mechanism for delivering fuel. (Source: Jane’s)
03 Mar 20. Defence signs multimillion-dollar contract for JATTS. Defence has signed a $330m contract with Raytheon Australia to deliver Joint Adversarial Training and Testing Services (JATTS) to the Australian Defence Force for a period of eight years. The JATTS contract consolidates three existing contracts that form the ability to support ADF exercises with ‘enemy’ airborne force aircraft, aerial targets and electronic warfare capabilities across a range of ADF platforms, including:
- the Air Force‘s Joint Strike Fighter, Super Hornet, Growler, Wedgetail airborne early warning and control capabilities and ground-based aircraft control units;
- Navy’s helicopter frigate and guided missile destroyer capabilities; and
- Army’s ground-based air defence capabilities.
The critical services to be delivered by the JATTS contract include aerial opposing force effects, manned and unmanned targets and sophisticated electronic attack. (Source: Defence Connect)
02 Mar 20. The Government of Tunisia has requested to buy four (4) AT-6C Wolverine Light Attack Aircraft with supporting equipment, to include: three hundred twelve (312) MAU-169 Computer Control Groups (CCG); three hundred twelve (312) MXU-1006/B Air Foil Groups (AFG); four hundred sixty-eight (468) MK81 250 LB GP bombs; eighteen (18) BDU-50s (MK-82 Filled Inert); sixty-six (66) MXU-650 C/B Air Foil Groups (AFG), GBU-12; sixty (60) Guidance Section, guided bombs, MAU-209, GBU-10,12,16; forty-eight (48) MK-82 500lb bombs; five hundred sixteen (516) FMU-152 A/B fuzes; eighteen (18) MAU-169H(D-2)/B Computer Control Groups; and three thousand two hundred ninety (3,290) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems (APKWS); two (2) Pratt & Whitney PT6A-68D 1600 SHP engines (spares); six (6) L-3 WESCAM MX 15D Multi-Spectral Targeting System; six (6) Machine Gun Caliber .50; Cartridge Actuated Device/Propellant Actuated Device (CAD/PAD); High Explosive Warhead; bomb components, repair and return of weapons, weapons training equipment, practice bombs, TTU 595 Test Set and spares, fin assemblies, rocket motors, training aids/devices/spare parts, aircraft spare parts, support equipment, clothing and textiles, publications and technical documentation, travel expenses, medical services, construction, aircraft ferry support, technical and logistical support services, major modifications/class IV support, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor program support, and other related elements of logistics and program support. The estimated value is $325.8mi. The prime contractor will be Textron Aviation Defense LLC, Wichita, Kansas. There are no known offset agreements proposed with this potential sale. However, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. (Source: glstrade.com)