UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
SEA
07 Sep 20. L3Harris Technologies Awarded International Sonar System Program. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to deliver two Low-Frequency Active Towed Sonar (LFATS) systems to a NATO member. The LFATS system is used on ships to detect, track and engage all types of submarines. L3Harris specifically designed the system to perform at a lower operating frequency against modern diesel-electric submarine threats. The United States Department of Defense recently awarded this 26-month delivery order under VSE Corporation’s Foreign Military Sales contract with the Naval Sea Systems Command International Fleet Support Program Office. (Source: ASD Network)
EUROPE
LAND
10 Sep 20. Lithuania refreshes sidearms inventory. Heckler & Koch (H&K) is to provide an undisclosed number of SFP9-SF Paddle pistols to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, under a €1.57m ($1.86m) contract from the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence. The pistols will be delivered by the end of 2021. The SFP9-SF Paddle was selected ahead of 12 other models from various manufacturers in a competitive evaluation process. According to Shephard Defence Insight, the SFP9-SF is the SOF version of the SFP-9 with a short trigger travel of 6mm. ‘The decision to purchase new pistols for Lithuanian troops was made in order to abandon using different calibre pistols and change over to the use of uniform calibre 9×19 mm pistol ammunition, leaving still usable ones for reserve and replacing weapons that are running out of resources,’ the defence ministry stated on 10 September. Under the contract, H&K will also train Lithuanian personnel in using the sidearms. Today, the Lithuanian Armed Forces use Glock 17, Colt 1911 and ČZ75 pistols. (Source: Shephard)
11 Sep 20. Belgium Orders 322 OSHKOSH JLTV CLV, The Belgian Government has given the green light for the acquisition of 322 Oshkosh JLTV CLV (Command and Liaison Vehicles). On Friday 11 September, the Council of Ministers gave the green light to the acquisition of 322 Command and Liaison Vehicles (CLVs), as well as to an open multi-year agreement for technical assistance. The American company Oshkosh has won the €135 million contract with its Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV). The delivery of the first vehicles is scheduled for 2023. In accordance with the strategic vision, the CLV will succeed the current Iveco LYNX. The new CLV will dramatically increase occupant protection and equip Défense with vehicles suited to current and future threats when deployed. These vehicles will be used for command and liaison missions and will better protect personnel against mines, ballistic missiles and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The integration of a Remote Controlled Weapon Station (RCWS), the FN DeFNder Light 7.62 from FN Herstal, is planned on 135 of these vehicles. Quality: La Défense sought a Military Of The Shelf (MOTS) product to avoid unnecessary development costs. The programme was therefore looking for a mature vehicle that had already been delivered to partner countries. This means that the vehicle has undergone an in-depth lifetime charge analysis in a partner country (USA). Among other things, payload, tactical mobility and passive occupant protection were taken into account. CaMo: Within the Land Component, the need was aligned with the CaMo programme. 302 CLV and 90 LMV will ensure the Belgian level of ambition. The Medical Component will be able to count on 20 highly protected CLVs. (Source: Joint Forces)
SEA
07 Sep 20. GE’s Power Conversion business have signed a contract with Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS) to deliver an energy management and electric propulsion package intended for the new Combat Support Ship (CSS) in use at Royal Netherlands Navy. GE’s robust, proven electric propulsion technology was selected for its low noise signature, high level of reliability and commonality with the Joint Support Ship (HNLMS Karel Doorman). One of the customer’s key concerns is underwater radiated noise, meaning strict noise and vibration levels are imposed on the propulsion systems. Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) voltage source inverters feed robust, high-torque density induction motors, allowing high-performance through the modern and optimized propulsion system. GE’s scope of supply includes the main switchboards for the ship distribution system, with two shore connection cubicles, the main electric propulsion system with two shaft lines of 7.9 MW each, as well as the associated power management and remote-control systems. The ship’s Energy Management System, which controls power generation and distribution systems, also supplied by GE, will ensure availability of electrical power in the ship network. By utilizing an existing vessel design, that one of the Joint Support Ship (JSS) already in operation with the Royal Netherlands Navy, GE and DSNS will be able to deliver the ship in June 2024. The CSS will be built by Damen in Romania, after which the ship’s combat management system – amongst others – will be installed in Den Helder, Netherlands. The engineering of the vessel will largely take place in the Netherlands, with a large number of systems and components being delivered by Dutch suppliers. Once built, the CSS vessel will supplement the existing JSS, HNLMS Karel Doorman. The CSS, by its 180-meters almost in length, will accommodate 75-persons basic crew with capacity for an additional 85 persons on-board. The CSS vessel has capacity for two helicopters and up to twenty-five containers, it will be able to support longer maritime operations, both nationally and internationally. This increases the effectiveness of both national and combined operations performed by the Royal Netherlands Navy.
AIR
03 Sep 20. France Orders Three A330 Aircraft As Part of the Aerospace Industry Support Plan. Florence Parly, Minister of the Armed Forces, welcomes the order by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) on August 25, 2020 of three Airbus A330 aircraft as part of the government plan to support the aeronautical industry announced on June 9. The contract is worth 200m euros. The first two aircraft will be delivered at the end of 2020, and the third in 2022. These three A330s will be eventually be converted into Phoenix MRTT (Multi-Role Tanker Transport) military aircraft. They will then complement the 12 MRTTs expected to be in service by 2023, bringing the Air Force’s MRTT fleet to 15 aircraft, in accordance with the final objective fixed by the multiyear Military Planning Law (LPM). This order will make it possible to advance the withdrawal from service of the Air Force’s two A340s and two A310s, and will ultimately simplify the management of the strategic military aircraft fleet which will be entirely composed of MRTT Phénix. The advance order for these three A330 aircraft is a concrete and immediate measure of the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces for the aeronautical industry sector. The total amount of orders that will be placed by the DGA as part of the support of the Ministry of the Armed Forces to the aeronautics industry (advance orders for planes, helicopters and drones) will amount to 600m euros, with another 230m euros for the acquisition of helicopters for the benefit of the Civil Protection service and the Gendarmerie Nationale police. (Unofficial translation by Defense-Aerospace.com) (Source: defense-aerospace.com/ French Armed Forces Ministry)
03 Sep 20. Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $272,161,641 fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract for the production and delivery of eight UH-1Y and four AH-1Z helicopters for the government of the Czech Republic. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (60%); and Amarillo, Texas (40%), and is expected to be completed in November 2023. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $272,161,641 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(f)(2)(e). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-C-0061).
14 Sep 20. Greece orders 18 Rafale fighters. Greece plans to obtain 18 Dassault Rafale fighters and upgrade 10 of its Mirage 2000s. Cirium fleets data indicates that the Hellenic Air Force (HAF) operates 187 combat aircraft. Of these, 40 are Mirage 2000s serving in the Air Defence role. Twenty-four are Mirage 2000-5s and 16 are Mirage 2000s. The average age of the Mirage 2000 fleet is 24.3 years. Greece is upgrading 82-84 of its F-16s to the F-16V standard. This will see the jets receive an active electronically scanned array radar in the form of the Northrop Grumman APG-83, which offers a number of improvements including greater detection and tracking ranges, interleaved air-to-air and air-to-surface modes, and improved electronic protection. Other improvements include a new centre pedestal display, a digital video and high-speed data bus, and the ability carry more advanced weapons. (Source: Flight Global)
10 Sep 20. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $27,790,850 amended undefinitized contract action for the France MQ-9 Block 5 weaponization and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Pod integration effort. This contract provides for the weaponization of the French Air Force MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft and integration of the FMS Pod onto the French Air Force MQ-9 Block 5 aircraft. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2021. This contract involves 100% FMS to France. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $4,862,088 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-20-F-2390 P00003).
09 Sep 20. Safran’s new-generation EuroflirTM 410 observation system chosen for French Navy’s H160 helicopters. Babcock France, an engineering firm that provides support services for government strategic forces, has selected the new-generation Euroflir™410 optronic (electro-optical) system from Safran Electronics & Defense as part of the contract awarded by French defense procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement) to provide four H160 helicopters to the French Navy for a period of ten years. These four H160 rotorcraft from Airbus Helicopters will be part of an interim fleet that includes a dozen Dauphin N3 helicopters also fitted with the Euroflir™410. The H160s will be modified by Babcock to meet the French Navy’s evolving operational needs. Furthermore, feedback from the navy’s operations will be used to help design the military version of the H160, dubbed Guépard (“Leopard”).
USA
LAND
10 Sep 20. DroneShield Ltd (ASX:DRO) (“DroneShield” or the “Company”) has received funding from the United States Department of Defense (“DoD”) for targeted development of its DroneShieldCompleteTM Command-and-Control (“C2”) system. The section of the DoD, which has awarded the contract, is a new customer for DroneShied. The funding was awarded through a sole source contract. DroneShieldCompleteTM is an intuitive and feature rich C2, providing real time alerting, tracking and reporting information for native DroneShield as well as third party sensors. The DoD is working with DroneShield, providing funding for an agreed list of feature enhancements, for a project expected to span over several months. Importantly, following that period, the DoD is expected to make multiple purchases of DroneShield’s C-UAS equipment, which would run on the enhanced DroneShieldCompleteTM C2.
08 Sep 20. U.S. Marine Corps selects Elbit Systems of America’s ICATS solution. The United States Marine Corps selected Kollsman, Inc.’s solution for a multispectral, clip-on weapon night sight, allowing Marines to engage in day and nighttime operations at extreme stand-off distances. The selection is part of Phase II of the Integrated Clip-on Advanced Targeting Sight (ICATS) program and will require the company to design, build and test two sophisticated ICATS prototypes for the USMC over the next year. Kollsman, Inc. is a subsidiary of Elbit Systems of America.
AIR
08 Sep 20. Kaman Corp. (NYSE:KAMN) announced today that Kaman Precision Products received a follow-on order for Lots 17 and 18 of its current Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (“JASSM”) contract with Lockheed Martin Corporation. This order has an expected value of approximately $10.6m for the procurement of both the JASSM and Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (“LRASM”) fuzes with performance beginning in 2021 and running through 2023. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
10 Sep 20. The U.S. Navy has awarded L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) a $104m follow-on contract to supply the next production lot of the electronic warfare (EW) system that protects F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft against electronic threats. The announcement was made in conjunction with vHook’20 being held virtually, September 10-12. L3Harris will manufacture and deliver Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) jammer systems for the F/A-18C/D/E/F variants, with deliveries under the new contract expected to be completed by May 2024. The L3Harris ALQ-214A(V)4/5 is the key Onboard Jammer for the IDECM program, protecting the aircraft from electronic threats, including sophisticated integrated air defense systems. The company has received more than $2bn in awards to date from the Naval Air Systems Command for AN/ALQ-214 development and production.
08 Sep 20. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Roy, Utah, has been awarded a $13,293,562,839 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for a tested and fully qualified design of the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD). The GBSD will replace the Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Weapon system. This contract will provide for the engineering and manufacturing of the GBSD. Work will be performed in Roy, Utah, and multiple other locations nationwide, and is expected to be completed February 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal Year 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $85,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8219-20-C-0006).
09 Sep 20. Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a ceiling $125,000,000 four-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8675-20-D-0002) for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) system improvement program. This contract provides for delivery of software updates to the AMRAAM inventory. Software development activities are expected to use a recognized agile framework consisting of government/Prime collaboration through repeatable increments of study, development, integration, test and capability demonstration. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2026. An initial task order (FA8675-20-F-1026) will be awarded concurrently with the basic contract, for a total cost-plus-fixed-fee face value of $1,192,809. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $678,402 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.
08 Sep 20. Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $174,221,174 modification (P00022) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost contract N00019-18-C-1021. This modification exercises an option for the production and delivery of 14 F135-PW-100 low rate initial production Lot 14 propulsion systems for the Air Force in support of the F-35A conventional take-off and landing aircraft. Work will be performed in Middletown, Connecticut (46%); East Hartford, Connecticut (22%); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (16%); North Berwick, Maine (11%); Phoenix, Arizona (3%); and Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico (2%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $174,221,174 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 Sep 20. Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $579,837,316 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, which includes $146,269,941 firm-fixed-price undefinitized line items and $433,567,375 firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-plus-fixed-fee definitized line items. This contract provides unit and depot level F-135 propulsion system spare parts, spare engines and modules in support of the F-135 propulsion initial spares requirements for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-Department of Defense participants and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (93%); Indianapolis, Indiana (6%); and Bristol, United Kingdom (1%), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-D-0013).
TECHNOLOGY
09 Sep 20. Accenture Federal Services (AFS), a subsidiary of Accenture (NYSE: ACN), has been awarded a contract to establish a new cloud-based common infrastructure for the U.S. Air Force enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The contract is valued at up to $89.5m, with a five-year performance period. Under the terms of the contract, AFS will manage the existing information technology (IT) infrastructure and support the Air Force plan to establish a new cloud-based platform to host its ERP functions, including those for financial management, human resources, payroll, and logistics. The goal is to help the Air Force improve the flexibility of its ERP systems, reduce redundant infrastructure and commodity services, and strengthen the overall security of its IT environment. (Source: PR Newswire)
09 Sep 20. AirMap and DoD Partner to Develop AirBoss Aerial Intelligence Platform. AirMap has received $3.3M to further product development. AirMap, the leading digital airspace and automation company serving the drone economy, has won a US Department of Defense (DoD) award to commercialize its AirBoss platform. AirBoss is an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) software platform designed for Group 1 UAVs and developed together with Reveal Technology and the DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit. The DoD recently announced $13.4m in Title III investments to support the domestic small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) industrial base and further enhance the US warfighter’s situational awareness, improve human-machine teaming, and provide engineering support for aiding the integration of sUAS capabilities into DoD programs. Under this investment, AirMap received $3.3M to aid product development and engineering support for integration of sUAS mission planning, post-mission analysis, and unmanned traffic management software. The award coincides with the launch of the AirMap Defense Group (ADG), a defense and security business unit that provides mission-critical technologies to the DoD. AirMap is working closely with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to enhance and field test the AirBoss platform with small quadrotors. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
12 Aug 20. The U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has awarded BAE Systems a five-year $85m contract to continue to develop, deploy, modernize, and maintain cross-domain solutions that allow for secure transfer of sensitive information between government networks. The work on the contract will enable the secure exchange of data – including streaming video, images and audio—to enhance mission collaboration. BAE Systems will also provide research, development, and evaluation of new technologies, including the integration of innovative artificial intelligence and machine learning capabilities. (Source: ASD Network)
10 Sep 20. Red River, a technology transformation company, announced today that the Army Computer Hardware Enterprise Software and Solutions (CHESS) office in coordination with the Army Contracting Command – Rock Island (ACC-RI) has awarded Red River the Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 (ITES-SW2) contract. ITES-SW2 has a ceiling value of $13bn and a five-year base period of performance with an additional five-year option. Red River was one of 31 vendors named to the contract, which replaces the preceding ITES-SW, originally awarded in 2015. ITES-SW2 will expand ordering to support all Federal agencies. The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (IDIQ) is for Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) software products and maintenance across 14 product categories from audio-visual and business finance needs to cybersecurity and data management tools. This is the latest addition to Red River’s extensive federal contract portfolio, previously valued at over $120bn. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
08 Sep 20. InVeris Training Solutions will supply Defence with a mobile weapons training simulator to help Australian sailors and soldiers maintain their weapons skills wherever they are in the world. InVeris Training Solutions, based in Albury in southern NSW, is delivering and supporting a fully digitised mobile weapons training simulation system (MWTSS). The company will now help hone the skills of those using the Australian-made EF-88 assault rifle and a range of other weapon systems operated by Australian Defence personnel. Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price welcomed the announcement, saying the $4.1m contract would deliver 14 simulators by July 2021. (Source: Defence Connect)
10 Sep 20. KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it won a $93.6m task order from the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) for base operations services at the Prince Sultan Air Base (PSAB) in Saudi Arabia. Under the task order, KBR will provide resources to support the base and help ensure quality of life for the 378th Air Expeditionary Wing and partner forces. KBR will supply all personnel, supervision, labor, training, vehicles, tools, safety equipment and other force support services. The Air Force awarded this five-year task order through the Air Force Contract Augmentation Program V (AFCAP V). KBR won a seat on the $6.4bn contract earlier this year. The company has also provided critical services under AFCAP III and IV since 2005 to include key recovery efforts at Tyndall Air Force Base after Hurricane Michael devastated it in 2018.
SEA
08 Sep 20. CONTROP Precision Technologies Ltd. – a company specializing in the field of electro-optics and IR defense and homeland security solutions – has been selected to supply iSea-25HD observation systems for installation on the new ships under construction at L&T’s shipyards in India, and vessels being built for the Vietnamese Border Guard, by Hong Ha shipyards in Vietnam. The systems will be delivered during 2020 and 2021. Easily interfaced with other onboard systems, the iSea-25HD offers a full solution for naval and maritime operations. Featuring a unique, cutting-edge gyro-stabilized system, it enables a stable, continuous and uninterrupted line-of-sight (LOS) view, ensuring a very clear picture, even in the roughest of seas, and is robust enough to withstand even the harshest environmental conditions including fog, moisture, salinity and excessive splashing.
02 Sep 20. Navantia has selected an integrated bridge system (IBS) from OSI Maritime Systems for the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) new Supply-class auxiliary replenishment oilers (AORs). The IBS supplied is derived from OSI’s warship integrated navigation and tactical system (INTS), but custom built to the RAN’s requirements. The IBS has also been integrated with OSI’s warship navigation software known as ECPINS, which has been installed across the RAN’s fleet, said the company in a statement. Australia signed a contract for two AORs with Navantia in 2016 under Canberra’s Project Sea 1654 Phase 3 Maritime Operational Support Capability programme. The programme’s first-of-class, which will be known as HMAS Supply (A 195) once commissioned, completed its sea acceptance trials in August 2020, while its sister ship, the future HMAS Stalwart (A 304), was launched in August 2019. The Supply class has an overall length of 173.9 m, an overall beam of 23 m, and a hull draught of 8m. The ships are derived from the Spanish Navy’s Cantabria-class AORs, and can each embark one helicopter on the flight deck. (Source: Jane’s)
AIR
04 Sep 20. Morocco, Netherlands, and India to Gain LONGBOW Fire Control Radar for AH-64E Apache Helicopters. The U.S. Army recently awarded LONGBOW Limited Liability Company (LBL), a joint venture of Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), four Foreign Military Sales contracts to provide the AH-64E Apache helicopter AN/APG-78 LONGBOW Fire Control Radar (FCR) to Morocco, Netherlands, UAE and India Army. (Source: ASD Network)
TECHNOLOGY
10 Sep 20. Cubic Defense Applications Inc., San Diego, California, has been awarded a $193,300,000 single-award, firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable-no-fee contract for the P5 Combat Training System (P5CTS) contractor logistic support. This contract provides continuous depot-level contractor services by replacing the previous contract that expired on July 20, 2020. Work will be performed in San Diego, and is expected to be completed September 2027. This is a mix of Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and non-FMS requirements. FMS customers comprise an estimated 56% of the value of the contract and include Australia, Egypt, Morocco, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and United Kingdom. Fiscal 2020 through 2025 operations and maintenance; research, development, test and evaluation; aircraft procurement; and FMS funds are expected to be placed against the contract. FMS funding in the amount of $236,134 are being obligated at time of award. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity.