EUROPE
01 Jun 05. MEADS International (MI) formally signed a definitized contract to design and develop the tri-national Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). The contract value is approximately $2bn plus €1.4bn for the program’s design and development (D&D) phase. The D&D contract extends the period of performance of a previous letter contract that was awarded to MI by the NATO MEADS Management Agency (NAMEADSMA) in September 2004. Award of the contract follows the German government’s approval on April 20 of entry into the MEADS D&D phase, a step taken earlier by the governments of Italy and the United States. MEADS International is a joint venture of MBDA Italia, EADS/LFK in Germany and Lockheed Martin in the United States.
01 Jun 05. Selenia Communications, a Finmeccanica company, has delivered six Talon satellite communications terminals to EADS Astrium for use within the UK Ministry of Defence’s Skynet 5 programme as part of the process of providing support for the Initial Operating System. With completion of this contract Selenia Communications in Christchurch will have 25 Talon systems in operation with the UK’s Armed Forces. In addition, Selenia Communications has designed, manufactured and delivered twelve tactical baseband systems to EADS Astrium, also for operation with the Talon terminals.
02 Jun 05. Selenia Communications progresses Royal Navy messaging programme. Selenia Communications, a Finmeccanica Company, has recently completed the installation of Naval Afloat Messaging Coherency (NAMC) on the Royal Navy’s HMS Westminster, and installation work is under way on HMS York, HMS Edinburgh and RFA Wave Ruler. The Portsmouth site of Selenia Communications was contracted by the prime contractor, EDS, to enhance the Royal Navy’s afloat messaging capabilities through the supply of its Message Processing System (MPS) 2000 under the NAMC programme. This is part of the UK’s wide-ranging activities to enhance networked command & control and communications across the naval battlespace and involves surface warships, submarines and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. NAMC is replacing the legacy messaging systems, DIMPS and AMHA, currently fitted to surface warships and Royal Fleet Auxiliaries. It offers a proven, easy to use system and Windows-based, online context-sensitive help. To date, seven RN platforms have been successfully fitted with NAMC and a training system fitted in HMS Collingwood. The programme is due to complete in late 2006.
25 May 05. The DFN IPT (Defence Fixed Networks Integrated Project Team), part of the Defence Communication Services Agency, based in Corsham, Wiltshire – is leading the project to replace the existing systems in Cyprus and decided that extending DFTS to Cyprus would achieve the required capability at best value for money. The new network will deliver DFTS services in Cyprus – including operator assistance and directories service, estimated at 350 calls a month. BT is expected to take on full responsibility for the delivery of services within the contract from September 2005 with a full In-Service Date of Feb 2006. DFTS (Cyprus) is a key enabler for Defence Information Infrastructure in Cyprus.
31 May 05. Lockheed Martin Corp. received a $40m contract from the Royal Danish Air Force for two long-range AN/TPS-77 transportable radar systems and a four-year logistic support package. The company said the new systems will enhance air surveillance within Denmark and over surrounding seas. Although the radars will be stationed at fixed sites, the mobility of the AN/TPS-77 allows the systems to be quickly redeployed as needed.The AN/TPS-77 provides continuous 3-D surveillance on air targets at ranges out to 280 miles and at elevations up to 100,000 feet.
01 Jun 05. Saab receive order worth MSEK 850 for IRIS-T missile. Saab Bofors Dynamics have received a production order from German Diehl BGT Defense (DBD) for subsystems of the IRIS-T IR-guided air-to-air missile worth approximat