UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
LAND
18 Aug 20. Avon Protection has been awarded a 10-year contract by the NATO Support & Procurement Agency to supply FM50 mask systems, powered and supplied air systems, filters, spare parts and accessories. Avon Protection anticipates receiving the first order under this contract shortly, with initial deliveries contributing to our expected Rest of World Military revenues for the 2021 financial year.
20 Aug 20. UK MoD Awards Contract to Demonstrate Electric-Drive Foxhound and Jackal Vehicles. NP Aerospace has been awarded a £3m contract by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to demonstrate hybrid electric-drive systems on Foxhound and Jackal vehicles, with the project being delivered in collaboration with General Dynamics Land Systems UK, Supacat and Magtec. The contract award is part of the Protected Mobility Engineering & Technical Support (PMETS) programme which is being led by NP Aerospace as the Engineering Authority for the vehicle fleet. General Dynamics Land Systems–UK and Supacat are the partner vehicle OEMs, and Magtec is the electric drive and battery technology partner.
20 Aug 20. General Dynamics Land Systems–UK is awarded a contract to demonstrate an electric-drive Foxhound. General Dynamics Land Systems–UK has been awarded a contract by NP Aerospace, under the UK Ministry of Defence Protected Mobility Fleet Vehicle Programme, to demonstrate an electric-drive (e-drive) Foxhound vehicle.
18 Aug 20. SMART SHOOTER has been Considered as a Potential Solution-Provider for a NATO Defense Against Terrorism Program of Work. SMART SHOOTER’s technology has been selected for a NATO Defense Against Terrorism Program of Work (DAT PoW) exercise in the domain of the fight against small UAVs. [SMART SHOOTER, a world-class designer, developer, and manufacturer of innovative fire control systems that significantly increase the accuracy and lethality of small arms, announced that the company has been considered as a potential solution-provider and its technology has been selected for a NATO Defense Against Terrorism Program of Work (DAT PoW) exercise in the domain of the fight against small UAVs. Smart Shooter’s SMASH Fire Control Solution will be tested and evaluated on the engagement part of the UAV kill chain.
EUROPE
SEA
19 Aug 20. Kongsberg Maritime is celebrating the signing of a contract with Vard to deliver its market-leading sonars to the Norwegian Coastguard. The sonars will be used on board three new craft planned for launch between 2022 and 2024, replacing the existing Nordkapp-class vessels. KONGSBERG will equip the new 136-metre, ice-strengthened vessels with its SS1221 sonars, which boast acoustic properties which make them ideally suited for multiple operations safeguarding Norwegian territorial waters, especially those requiring deployment in shallow-water environments. The SS1221, principally devised for ASW operations and capable of detecting torpedoes or other small objects in the water column, is an active hull-mounted sonar which utilises sophisticated tracking algorithms. Its electronically-stabilised transmitting and receiving beams can be tilted to adjust to challenging sound speed profiles, with its integrated Sound Propagation Model determining the optimal tilt settings and enhancing the Probability of Detection (PoD) ratio. The SS1221 sonars will be delivered to the Coastguard complete with retractable hull units and gate valves for ice protection, ensuring safe and efficient operation.
AIR
20 Aug 20. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) has signed a Foreign Military Sales contract with the U.S. Air Force for Belgian Ministry of Defense to acquire the MQ-9B SkyGuardian® Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS). The contract covers the design, development, integration and production of the RPAS with its EO/IR video and SAR/GMTI surveillance payloads, as well as Certifiable Ground Control Stations (CGCS), Portable Pre-Flight/Post-Flight Equipment (P3E), ground support equipment and spares. First delivery is expected in 2023. SkyGuardian has garnered significant interest from customers throughout the world. The UK Ministry of Defence selected SkyGuardian for its MQ-9B Protector program, and recently concluded the production contract for deliveries to the Royal Air Force. SkyGuardian was also selected by the Australian Defence Force under Project Air 7003. MQ-9B is GA-ASI’s most advanced RPAS. GA-ASI named its MQ-9B aircraft SkyGuardian, and the maritime surveillance variant SeaGuardian®, which is fitted with a multimode 360-degree field-of-regard Maritime Patrol Radar and optional sonobuoy capability.
USA
LAND
19 Aug 20. General Dynamics Ordinance and Tactical Systems, St. Petersburg, Florida, received a ceiling increase modification in the amount of $48,901,837 to an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production of Ground Mobility Vehicle 1.1 (H92222-13-D-0013). This modification raises the contract ceiling to $613,850,752 and extends the contract by two years for a total performance period of nine years. The work will be performed in Anniston, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by August 2022. This modification was awarded through a sole-source acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302.1. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity.
17 Aug 20. Kaman Corp. (NYSE:KAMN) announced today that it received an order under Option 15 of its Joint Programmable Fuze (“JPF”) contract with the U.S. Air Force (“USAF”). This order has an expected value of approximately $57.3m for the procurement of JPFs for 25 foreign militaries. Kaman has been the sole provider of the JPF to the USAF since 2002. In addition to the USAF, Kaman provides the JPF to forty other nations. The JPF allows the settings of a weapon to be programmed on wing in flight and is qualified for use on a number of weapons including general purpose bombs, and guided bombs that use JDAM or Paveway kits, on U.S. aircraft such as F-15, F-16, F-22, F-35, A-10, B-1, B-2, B-52 and the MQ-9 UAV as well as on international aircraft such as Mirage 3 and Gripen. Kaman produces the JPF at facilities in Orlando, Florida, and Middletown, Connecticut. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
20 Aug 20. Teledyne Brown Engineering, Inc., a division of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), today announced it has been awarded a $29m contract from Raytheon to produce and sustain the Army Navy/Transportable Radar Surveillance (AN/TPY-2) Cooling Equipment Units (CEU). The AN/TPY-2 is the world’s most powerful ground mobile radar system and requires one CEU per unit. The system interfaces with Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Fire Control and Communications and the remainder of Lockheed Martin supplied weapon systems. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
SEA
17 Aug 20. Gibbs & Cox, Inc. announce and award from NSWCPD to provide program management and technical service to support modernization to the US. Army and Navy’s assault craft, submarines, and surface ships. We look forward to continuing our longstanding relationship with The NSWC Philadelphia Division of preforming testing, and refurbishment for in-service assets, as well as fleet support. As one of the five firms selected for the potential $165M IDIQ contract and the United States’ largest independent ship design agent with 91 years of history, we have a proven record of providing quality support to our customers while being cost effective and reliable. Gibbs & Cox is committed to delivering the highest quality design and engineering products and services to each and every customer, every single time. Our Philadelphia Navy Yard office emphasizes client relationships by making ourselves available for onsite support and delivering quality results. G&C, along with our teammates, have collaborated with NSWCPD for years, and the recognition of this trusted partnership with an award makes G&C honored to be a valued member of the NSWC Philadelphia Division’s Code 442 technical team. (Source: PR Newswire)
18 Aug 20. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has received a contract from the U.S. Navy for the Medium Unmanned Surface Vehicle (MUSV) program. This is the Navy’s first program for an unmanned surface vehicle to support the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations strategy. The $35m initial award is part of a $281m program that includes a prototype and options for a total of nine MUSVs. L3Harris will integrate the company’s ASView™ autonomy technology into a purpose-built 195-foot commercially derived vehicle from a facility along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana. The MUSV will provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to the fleet while maneuvering autonomously and complying with international Collision Regulations, even in operational environments. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
AIR
19 Aug 20. Airbus delivers first of 16 advanced law enforcement H125 helicopters to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Airbus Helicopters, Inc. (AHI) has delivered the first of 16 new H125 helicopters uniquely configured for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Air and Marine Operations (AMO). AMO collaborated with AHI as part of a long-term fleet upgrade initiative, and the resulting configuration has led to one of the most advanced, high-tech law enforcement helicopters ever developed. The first helicopter for the new configuration was tested and delivered from Airbus Helicopters, Inc.’s facility in Grand Prairie, Texas. The remaining aircraft are being built in Columbus, Miss, where a workforce made up of 40 percent U.S. veterans also produces the UH-72A Lakota for the U.S. Army and has delivered more than 450 single-engine H125 aircraft for the North American market. Following a rigorous analysis of its mission needs and next generation aerospace technology, AMO developed a set of requirements for the new helicopters, which Airbus put in place through nearly 30 Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs). The series of STCs are tied together through a primary all-encompassing STC that ensures all of the systems interact properly with one another and with the basic aircraft.
11 Aug 20. Accion’s TILE Ion Electrospray Propulsion Tech Earns AFWERX Contract. Accion Systems has been awarded a follow-on Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract through AFWERX, in partnership with Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). The award recognizes the successful completion of the Phase I SBIR contact earlier this year and exciting promise for Accion’s TILE ion electrospray propulsion for use in national security missions. (Source: Satnews)
18 Aug 20. CAE USA has secured a contract to support the US Air Force (USAF) Air Education and Training Command (AETC) and its Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT 2.5) initiative. The contract was awarded by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), a US Department of Defense organisation. A part of Pilot Training Transformation (PTT) programme, the UPT 2.5 initiative involves implementing necessary commercial technologies and learning methodologies to streamline pilot training. The initiative also seeks to create a more open and adaptive student-centred training environment. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
TECHNOLOGY
20 Aug 20. Abaco today announced that it had won orders from a major systems integrator, who specialize in providing advanced technologies for the aerospace and defense market, for a quantity of Abaco’s PC821 FPGA Cards and FMC120 FPGA Mezzanine Cards. The boards will be deployed in a subsystem that will provide the FPGA processing capability needed to scan, analyze, and action satcom data transmissions for the US Air Force. The customer had a number of stringent selection criteria for the FPGA processing solution. It should be based on the PCIe™ architecture, and offer flexibility in terms of FPGA choice. The requirement was for a single vendor complete board set solution that would support four analog-to-digital (A/D) and four digital-to-analog (D/A) channels at 16-bit resolution. Most importantly, it should be capable of straightforward transition from the PCIe-based proof-of-concept stage to rugged deployment in a 3U VPX system – meaning that the chosen vendor would need to offer common BSPs across multiple architectures. (Source: PR Newswire)
20 Aug 20. Accenture Federal Services (AFS) has won the US Air Force (USAF) strategic transformation contract. According to the contract, the company will compete for orders to provide services that will help USAF manage and improve transformation initiatives at the enterprise level. The indefinite-delivery / indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract has a five-year ordering period with a ceiling value of $990m. AFS is one of eight companies to win a position on the contract. The advisory and assistance services will support the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Office of Business Transformation and Deputy Chief Management Officer. Other companies that won a position on the contract include BCG Federal, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte Consulting, Digital Mobilizations, Grant Thornton Public Sector, KPMG and McKinsey & Co. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
20 Aug 20. Arm and DARPA Sign Partnership Agreement to Accelerate Technological Innovation. Arm today announced a three-year partnership agreement with the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), establishing an access framework to all commercially available Arm® technology. With DARPA’s Electronics Resurgence Initiative gaining momentum, the new agreement will enable the research community that supports DARPA’s programs to quickly and easily take advantage of Arm’s leading IP, tools and support, accelerating innovation in a variety of fields. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
17 Aug 20. L3Harris Technologies Inc., Clifton, New Jersey, has been awarded a $55,000,000 single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for innovative research and development and to provide the Integrated Demonstrations and Applications Laboratory simulation and testbed capabilities required to rapidly develop, integrate, mature, insert and transition technologies/systems to meet critical/urgent warfighter mission requirements. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 18, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,785,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-D-1960).
19 Aug 20. Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical technologies for aerospace and defense, announced the receipt of a new U.S. patent covering various methods to protect controller area network (CAN)-based systems from malicious cyberattacks. This new patent adds to Mercury’s intellectual property portfolio of more than 80 issued patents. A wide range of applications and market segments utilize CAN-based systems, such as electronic control units (ECU) in automotive electronics or avionics. When these systems are interconnected, cyberattacks may potentially compromise them, leading to financial loss or even safety issues. Mercury’s Broadcast Bus Frame Filter protects ECUs against hacking attempts with zero latency and can be used with any system with a CAN bus, including automotive, military, and industrial systems. (Source: ASD Network)
19 Aug 20. Software company Mocana has received a contract to provide cybersecurity support to the US Air Force (USAF). The Air Force Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract is worth $1.5m. As agreed, Mocana will deliver advanced cyber protection for military systems, establishing end-to-end digital supply chain security. The company will work with USAF to deliver a solution for recording digital chain of custody. It will increase the integrity of data and reduce the cyber attack risks on key embedded systems. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
20 Aug 20. Udemy, the largest global marketplace for learning and teaching online, was selected by Business and Enterprise Systems Product Innovation (BESPIN), a United States Air Force (USAF) agile development lab, to upskill Airmen across the entire organization with the newest and most in-demand technical and business skills, including machine learning, web development, artificial intelligence, leadership, data science, and more. Airmen now have unlimited access to an extensive library of courses under Udemy for Business, the corporate product of Udemy. The content can be accessed through Digital University, a new BESPIN and USAF initiative, that invests in the digital modernization of the USAF. Digital University is a critical initiative of the Air Force’s broader “Digital Air Force” strategy, which kicked off in early 2020. The primary focus of this strategy is to consolidate and advance Air Force IT systems while creating better data efficiencies across the entire organization. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
17 Aug 20. BAE Systems Australia secures Army APC support, sustainment contract. Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price has announced a $5.3m contract extension with BAE Systems Australia to provide technical support to the Army’s Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) fleet for another three years, securing continued employment for 20 Adelaide staff. (Source: Defence Connect)
SEA
17 Aug 20. Elbit Systems Awarded a $27m Contract to Supply Air-to-Air Combat Training Systems to a Navy in South Asia. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or “the Company”) announced today that it was awarded a contract valued at approximately $27mi to supply air-to-air combat training systems for the Navy of a South Asian Country. The contract will be performed over a two-year period, to be followed by three years of availability-based maintenance. The contract calls for the supply of EHUDTM Air Combat Maneuvering Instrumentation (“EHUD ACMI”) systems, to be operated from the Navy’s shore bases as well as onboard aircraft carriers.
AIR
18 Aug 20. Airbus has been contracted by Arabsat, one of the world’s top satellite operators, to build BADR-8, their new generation telecommunications satellite. BADR-8 will replace and increase Arabsat’s capacity and augment its core business at the BADR hotspot 26°E. The BADR-8 satellite will be based on the-state-of-the-art Airbus Eurostar Neo electric orbit raising platform giving access to a wide range of launchers. BADR-8 will also include the innovative Airbus developed TELEO optical communications payload demonstrator. This payload will enable very high capacity analogue optical feeder link communications, as part of the development by Airbus of a new generation of optical communications technology in space to be integrated in its future commercial products, which is highly robust against jamming. This new contract reinforces Airbus Defence and Space’s position as the world’s number one in electric propulsion satellites, with three full electric satellites operational in orbit and 15 additional full electric high-capacity telecommunications satellites under construction.