EUROPE
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02 Feb 21. HENSOLDT modernizes COBRA artillery location radars. Sensor specialist HENSOLDT will modernize the artillery location radar COBRA which is in service with several NATO armies. Under a contract awarded by the multinational procurement organization Organisation Conjointe de Cooperation en matière d’Armement (OCCAR) – Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation, HENSOLDT will replace the Radar Target Generator (RTG), a core element for the test environment of COBRA indispensable for determining optimum deployment and testing system performance. The RTG is designed to generate primary radar returns and can be placed in the Radar’s far field in order to simulate target trajectories. The RTG is the key element to test and verify the COBRA Radar performance with reproducible target trajectories. The new RTG takes into account changes of the user nations operational requirements such as long-term deployments in stationary locations, simultaneous operation of several systems and 24/7 surveillance missions. This contract also emphasizes the commitment of HENDSOLDT to a trustful partnership with the OCCAR COBRA System and demonstrates the support for the challenges ahead in the In-service support phase and the COBRA Mid-Life Update activities. COBRA is a mobile radar system for locating hostile artillery and missile positions and for calculating in advance the flight path of projectiles in order to give early warning and enable protective action. Its first configuration was developed by the EuroArt consortium comprising HENSOLDT, Thales and Lockheed Martin around the turn of the century for the German, French and British armed forces. Today, a total of more than 40 systems of various configurations have been deployed by Germany, France and Turkey as well as several armed forces outside Europe.
29 Jan 21. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $15,261,587 modification (P00079) to contract W56HZV-20-C-0050 to exercise available options for Marine Corps procurement of vehicles and kits for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle family of vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales (Macedonia, Slovenia and Montenegro) and 2021 USMC procurement funds in the amount of $15,261,587 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
04 Feb 21. France places additional order for Thales’s O-NYX night vision goggles.
- The French armed forces have demonstrated renewed trust in Thales, extending a long-standing partnership in night vision solutions with a new order for 3,000 O-NYX goggles.
- The additional 3,000 night vision goggles ordered by the French Armament General Directorate (DGA) will be delivered in 2021 for deployment into French Army units alongside the 3,500 O-NYX goggles already delivered.
- O-NYX goggles offer higher performance and are lighter and more comfortable to wear than other night vision devices. They are manufactured at the Thales site in Saint-Héand.
The French armed forces have demonstrated renewed trust in Thales, extending a long-standing partnership in night vision solutions with a new order for 3,000 O-NYX goggles.
AIR
02 Feb 21. The European Space Agency (ESA) has signed a further contract with Airbus for the construction of three more European Service Modules (ESM) for Orion, the American crewed spacecraft for the Artemis programme. With these additional Service Modules, ESA ensures continuity in NASA’s Artemis programme beyond the three modules which are already under contract with Airbus. The European Service Module will be used to fly astronauts to the Moon. As the powerhouse of the new Orion spacecraft for NASA’s Artemis missions, it will provide critical functions such as the propulsion system to get the astronauts to the Moon, and the consumables the astronauts need to stay alive.
01 Feb 21. BMT selected by the European Space Agency to lead innovative study. BMT has been awarded a project by the European Space Agency (ESA) to assess the feasibility of using space-based data to support the decommissioning of energy assets. The decommissioning of all energy assets, such as oil and gas platforms and wind farms, is currently a pertinent issue worldwide. Oil and gas decommissioning activities are ramping up due to installations developed from the 1970s onward reaching their end of life. The wind farm decommissioning market is also emerging, as assets installed in the 1990s and early 2000s start to approach their end-of-life phase. Decommissioning activities need to be carefully handled to minimise environmental impact as they create operational and financial risk for the asset owner. Earth observation data from satellites can play a key role in the decommissioning activity, providing regional overview of the maritime environment and allowing operational data from decommissioning teams in the field to be interrogated in real-time. This presents exciting opportunities for the European industry to create new commercial decommissioning solutions enabled by space data and through collaboration with decommissioning sector knowledge industry leaders. The study will look to provide accurate information relating to hazards such as sea and weather conditions, maritime traffic and environmental pollution. It will enable a reduction in the cost of energy asset decommissioning by providing improved scenario planning in advance of decommissioning, as well as minimising/optimising vessel usage resulting in a reduction in fuel usage and therefore reduced Green House Gas (GHG) emissions. The results of the technical feasibility study will establish the roadmap for service implementation through follow-on demonstration projects.
29 Jan 21. Dassault Aviation Receives Order for 12 Rafales for French Air and Space Force. Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, today signed a contract for the sale of 12 Rafale aircraft with Florence Parly, French Minister of the Armed Forces. These aircraft will replace the 12 Rafales of the French Air and Space Force (FASF) sold to the Hellenic Air Force. The contract was signed during a visit by the French Minister of the Armed Forces to the Argonay plant in Haute-Savoie which has produced the flight control systems for all Dassault aircraft since 1963. Dassault Aviation and its industrial partners would like to thank the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, the French defense procurement agency DGA and the Armed Forces for their renewed confidence. The only totally “omnirole” aircraft in the world, able to operate from a land base or an aircraft carrier, capable of carrying 1.5 times its weight in weapons and fuel, the Rafale has been designed to perform the full spectrum of combat aircraft missions:
- Interception and air-to-air combat using a 30-mm gun, Mica IR/EM missiles and Meteor missiles.
- Close air support (CAS) using a 30-mm gun, GBU laser-guided bombs and AASM GPS-guided bombs.
- Deep strike using Scalp/Storm Shadow cruise missiles.
- Maritime strike using the Exocet AM39 Block 2 missile and other air-to-surface weapons.
- Real-time tactical and strategic reconnaissance using the Areos pod.
- Buddy-buddy in-flight refueling.
- Nuclear deterrence using the ASMP-A missile.
The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air and Space Force (FASF) in 2006, gradually replacing the seven types of previous-generation combat aircraft. It has been combat proven in different theaters: Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria. Of the 192 aircraft ordered by France to date, 152 have been delivered. A total of 114 Rafales have been ordered by Egypt, Qatar, India and Greece. (Source: ASD Network)
29 Jan 21. Lockheed Martin, Owego, New York, has been awarded a $64,266,809 supply contract for F-16 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) mission planning. This contract provides for the development, integration, test and delivery of the Joint Mission Planning System Unique Planning Component/Mission Planning Environment software updates. Work will be performed in Owego, New York, and is expected to be completed by January 2029. This contract involves FMS to Slovakia, Bulgaria, Taiwan, Morocco, Greece, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Chile, Colombia, Croatia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia and Thailand. This award is the result of a directed-source acquisition. FMS funds in the amount of $17,172,548 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-21-C-0001).
USA
LAND
03 Feb 21. Allison Transmission Awarded $3.6m Engineering Contract to Maintain Superior Performance of the Abrams Powertrain. The U.S. Army selected Allison Transmission, the largest global manufacturer of medium- and heavy-duty fully automatic transmissions for commercial and military vehicles, to undertake an engineering program that builds upon previous analysis and evaluates the X1100-3B1 transmission and final drive changes necessary to expand the Abrams’ performance edge in speed, cruising range and durability. The Abrams tank, introduced in the early 1980s, has been the subject of continuous capability improvements throughout its service life. This effort represents a deliberate plan by U.S. Army program managers and engineers to maintain the superior performance necessary to succeed in combat. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
01 Feb 21. Citadel Defense Lands Multi-Million Dollar Contract for their AI Powered Counter Drone System. Citadel’s Titan will protect ships, vehicles, robotic platforms, and bases from drone threats and swarms. Citadel Defense has received a multi-million-dollar government contract for their Titan, an AI-powered, radiofrequency (RF) based counter drone system. Citadel’s technology was selected following a competitive evaluation of two dozen competitive counter small unmanned aircraft systems (C-sUAS). Titan proved highly effective in complex urban environments and was preferred by operators as it exhibited technical superiority across many unpredictable threat scenarios including drone swarms. The Titan protects troops and high value assets against unwanted drone activity and swarms when large and expensive multi-sensor systems cannot be deployed. At locations where integrated systems are installed, Titan serves as the RF defense layer, bringing an industry-leading low false alarm rate, targeted countermeasures, and broadest level of threat coverage to highly integrated counter drone solutions. The number of commercial drone platforms that pose a threat continue to proliferate and evade legacy C-sUAS systems. Adversaries have become increasingly sophisticated with the technologies used, creating significant challenges for C-sUAS systems that rely on slow-to-update UAS threat-libraries and countermeasures. Under this contract, Titan systems are being delivered in response to urgent needs. (Source: ASD Network)
03 Feb 21. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $329,891,030 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6327 to exercise options for Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One (I1B1) dismounted systems, mounted systems, mounted auxiliary kits, operational level spares, depot level spares and engineering support services. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to the government of Australia. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by December 2022. FMS (Australia) funding in the amount of $116,491,337 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
SEA
04 Feb 21. Leonardo’s New SRT-400 HF Radio To Equip E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Fleet. E-2D Advanced Hawkeye prime contractor Northrop Grumman has placed a contract with Leonardo to provide its SRT-400 high frequency (HF) radio system. The radios will provide secure and stable voice and data communications. Leonardo has been awarded a contract by Northrop Grumman to provide its new high frequency (HF)radio system, the SRT-400, for the U.S. Navy’s fleet of E-2D Advanced Hawkeye airborne early warning and control aircraft. (Source: News Now/https://www.navalnews.com/)
01 Feb 21. Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded $175m US Navy Support Contract. Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Technical Solutions division was awarded a contract last week to provide maintenance, training and planning support for U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract includes a five-year ordering term, with a total potential value of $175m. HII will provide engineering services, maintenance and operator training as well as technical and repair services in support of maintenance and planning for the overhaul, modernization and repair of shipboard elevators, cargo-handling equipment and associated systems installed within U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. The work, contracted by Naval Sea Systems Command, will be performed onboard U.S. naval aircraft carriers in Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego, California; Bremerton and Everett, Washington; Japan, and other fleet concentration areas to be determined. (Source: HII/ASD Network)
29 Jan 21. US shipbuilder Metal Shark announced on 25 January that it was selected to develop and implement the Long Range Unmanned Surface Vessel (LRUSV) system under an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreement with the US Marine Corps’ (USMC’s) Marine Corps System Command (MCSC). The company will design, build, test, and handle the integration of the autonomy system and a command-and-control (C2) software suite. Spatial Integrated Systems (SIS), which was recently acquired by Huntington Ingalls Industries, will provide the autonomy solutions for the LRUSV system. It will also produce manned support vessels – based on its 40 Defiant patrol craft – for the LRUSV programme, along with the associated programme management, system engineering, configuration management, quality assurance, logistical support, and development of technical publications and manuals. According to the Department of Defense’s (DoD’s) requirement, the LRUSV is expected to be 10.7 m to 11.7 m long and primarily function as a fires platform in support of USMC operations. The system will have the ability to be optionally manned during launch and recovery, and will be able to operate beyond line of sight. The DoD also stated that the autonomy engine should enable at least five LRUSVs to perform collaborative operations. Metal Shark was one of the 40 vendors awarded an Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in February 2020 to support the broader US Navy (USN) USV Family of Systems effort. (Source: Jane’s)
AIR
01 Feb 21. BAE Systems will provide lifecycle, engineering, and sustainment support to ensure precision approaches and further enhance the safety of America’s warfighters. The U.S. Navy selected BAE Systems for a five-year $65.7m single-award indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract for air traffic control (ATC) platform sustainment and engineering services. The company will continue to utilize its engineering, technical, and operational expertise to develop, produce, equip, test, evaluate, sustain, and update key expeditionary ATC aviation systems for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s (NAWCAD) Webster Outlying Field (WOLF). This new contract continues BAE Systems’ more than a decade of supporting critical work on key systems, including the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS); Air Traffic Navigation, Integration, and Coordination System (ATNAVICS); Airfield Mobile Tactical Air Navigation System (AMTAC); and ATNAVICS Data Link System (ADLS). Under the contract, the company will develop and maintain operational software and supporting test beds, field change programs, and supplies for ATC systems. These systems are integral ATC tools that enhance platform flight safety, especially when end users are operating in new or rough terrain airfields with no existing military base. (Source: ASD Network)
03 Feb 21. NASA has selected FMI, a subsidiary of Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE: SPR), for a contract providing thermal protection systems (TPS) to support several emerging missions under the Science Mission Directorate: Mars Sample Return (MSR) Earth Entry Vehicle; MSR Sample Return Lander; and Dragonfly. Each of these projects require ablative TPS materials for ground testing and flight. Dragonfly is a planned mission in the New Frontiers Program scheduled to launch in 2027. Dragonfly will send a robotic rotorcraft to the surface of Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, to study chemistry and habitability. FMI manufactures a material called PICA for the Dragonfly spacecraft’s heat shield that will enable it to enter Titan’s atmosphere. PICA is a proven (TPS) material which has supported several NASA missions including Stardust, Mars Science Lab and the Curiosity Rover, OSIRIS REx, and Mars 2020, which is currently on the way to Mars and scheduled to land in February 2021. (Source: PR Newswire)
03 Feb 21. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) was awarded a $121m U.S. Missile Defense Agency contract to build space flight hardware to demonstrate the company’s solution for the Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor (HBTSS) program. HBTSS is one of several proposed missions within the Department of Defense’s next-generation proliferated low-Earth orbit space architecture. The program’s objective is to detect and track traditional and emerging missile threats using infrared sensors and advanced processing capability. The Missile Defense Agency awarded L3Harris a study contract in 2019 as the prior phase in this development program. L3Harris has also been competitively selected for two other layers of the missile warning and defense architecture. In December 2020, the Space Development Agency selected L3Harris to build and launch four space vehicles to detect and track ballistic and hypersonic missiles for launch in 2022. In April 2019, the U.S. Air Force selected L3Harris to design prototype payload and mission concepts for what has evolved into the U.S. Space Force’s medium-Earth orbit track custody demonstration. (Source: ASD Network)
02 Feb 21. Space systems technology solutions provider LinQuest has secured an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract from the US Space Force (USSF) for analysis support. The five-year enterprise contract is valued at $500m. According to LinQuest, the contract allows the service and space analysis organisations to establish task orders. The latest contract expands on the company’s work performed by its Integrated Analytics & Support (IAS) business unit under the US Department of Defense’s (DoD) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programme. In August, the USSF Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC) awarded a contract to the company to support Space Force Special Capabilities division. LinQuest has been supporting sophisticated satellite communications (SATCOM) since 1977. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
29 Jan 21. Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $72,874,164 firm-fixed-price modification (P00024) to previously awarded contract N00019-17-C-0081. This modification exercises an option to procure 33 production AE1107C V-22 Osprey engines; 14 for the Marine Corps and 19 for the Navy for production of MV-22 and CMV-22 tiltrotor aircraft. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $39,749,544; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,041,540; and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $22,083,080 will be obligated at the time of award, $22,083,080 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
01 Feb 21. Triumph Group (NYSE: TGI) announced that its Systems & Support business has finalized a low-rate initial production (LRIP) order from Sikorsky for the CH-53K King Stallion rotorcraft. The contract consists of LRIP 1 and 2 deliverables, including spares, for the U.S. Marine Corps next generation heavy-lift platform that is being produced to replace the CH-53E Super Stallion. According to the contract Triumph will provide the blade fold actuation and dampening systems for the CH-53K. These systems were designed and qualified for the extreme environment required by the U.S. Marine Corps. LRIP 1 and 2 deliveries for the program will run through 2021. Work in support of the contract is being performed at the Triumph Systems & Support facilities in Redmond, Washington and Valencia, California. (Source: ASD Network)
03 Feb 21. Vertex Aerospace, LLC has been awarded a $38m firm-fixed–price, indefinite–delivery/indefinite–quantity (IDIQ) contract for contractor logistic support (CLS) of the U.S. Air Force’s C–12 fleet. This is a modification to a previously awarded contract with a cumulative face value estimated at $158m. CLS support will be performed at seven domestic locations and 16 international sites. This contract award follows Vertex’s prime seat awards on the U.S. Air Force Installation Contracting Center’s Aircraft Maintenance Enterprise Solution and Consolidated Rotary Wing Maintenance contract vehicles, allowing the mid-level aerospace defense company and the USAF to further advance innovative fixed and rotary-wing solutions together. Work is expected to be completed by December 31, 2021. Funds in the amount of $6,648,772 were obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. (Source: PR Newswire)
02 Feb 21. ViaSat Inc., Carlsbad, California, has been awarded a $50,800,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for development on prototype space systems. The contractor will provide studies, design, manufacturing, integration, performance qualification, network space segment elements, launch, flight and demonstration of prototype space systems. This also includes the development, integration and demonstration with ground terminals in conjunction with the government ground segment to reduce risk and assess performance and functionality for future protected service. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and is expected to be completed May 2, 2028. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $754,337 will be obligated when the first task order is awarded. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9453-21-D-0029)
TECHNOLOGY
03 Feb 21. Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $68,600,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for the Threat Assessment and Aircraft Protection Defensive Electronic Warfare program. This program will conduct innovative research and development to design expendable (ordinance) and directed-energy (signal) countermeasure concepts, in electro-optical and multi-spectrum electro-optical/radio-frequency domains, in response to an ever-changing missile threat landscape using threat exploitation; modeling and simulation evaluation; and hardware and field testing. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed Jan. 29, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,431,071 will be obligated at the time of award on the first task order. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-21-D-1014).
01 Feb 21. The U.S. Air Force has added Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) to Platform One, an advanced software development program that aims to accelerate the development and deployment of new software applications for defense missions. Platform One is a standardized and widely-mandated Department of Defense (DoD) DevSecOps Infrastructure program used for future software development. It enables faster software development and deployment with continuous updates to warfighters and will be used on programs like the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) and AEGIS. The Air Force recently awarded Lockheed Martin a Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) for Platform One Software DevSecOps Services to support DevSecOps engineering, software development, cybersecurity and operations, and IT support. The BOA deepens Lockheed Martin’s ongoing collaboration with the Platform One team, creating opportunities for Lockheed Martin to help build and support the Platform One solution and transition systems to Platform One. The company is currently applying Platform One for DevSecOps within the Lockheed Martin Software Factory, a company-wide initiative that delivers the cloud-based infrastructure, tools and processes that are transforming the way software is created and delivered.
01 Feb 21. The U.S. Air Force has selected Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) as one of multiple companies competing for task orders under the five year Software Development Security Operations (DevSecOps) Basic Ordering Agreement (BOA) contract. Under the BOA, Northrop Grumman will support the Air Force’s LevelUP Code Works Platform One team’s product development by providing full-stack DevSecOps engineers, cloud engineers, infrastructure engineers and other key personnel to include developers, trainers and consultants. LevelUp is the cyber software factory for the Air Force. With the help of industry partners, LevelUp is developing the next generation of advanced cyber tools for the Air Force and Department of Defense by leveraging military compliant Lean-Agile and DevSecOps methodologies. Northrop Grumman is currently providing Lean-Agile and DevSecOps services to the U.S. Air Force as the Unified Platform system coordinator, a contract the company was competitively awarded in 2018. Work awarded under the BOA will be performed in San Antonio, Texas; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Ogden, Utah; and in other locations throughout the United States.
04 Feb 21. Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a $95,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Full Spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Operational Non-Appropriated Funds Support (FUSIONS). This contract will deliver a key decisional advantage to the 16th Air Force/Component Commander and Joint Force Air Component Commander by delivering timely and relevant intelligence data/products to the war fighter. The FUSIONS contract will enable critical support functions in all major work centers of the operations center and will further enable the 16th Air Force/Component Commander to exercise both command and control authorities as well as service cryptologic element roles. The majority of work will be performed at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland, Texas, and is expected to be completed Feb. 28, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Acquisition Management and Integration Center, JBSA-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA7037-21-D-0001).
REST OF THE WORLD
AIR
03 Feb 21. BEL Delivers Transmit/receive Modules to Thales for Rafale RBE2 Radar. Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) has manufactured T/R (transmit/receive) modules for the RBE2 radar on the Dassault Aviation Rafale and delivered them to Thales. As part of Thales’ Offsets commitments under the Rafale India contract, and in line with the Make in India policy, Navratna Defence PSU Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) (bel-india.in) has manufactured T/R (transmit/receive) modules for the RBE2 radar on the Dassault Aviation Rafale and delivered them to Thales. Thales is demonstrating its commitment to the Make in India policy through transfers of technology and production, and associated training for BEL engineers in France. BEL has implemented a set of rigorous industrial processes and played an active role in the transfer programme. Thales is an active stakeholder in the Make in India policy, promoted by the Indian Government, and in the Offsets conditions included in the Rafale India programme. In November 2020, the first RBE2 AESA (active electronic scanning array) radar with a front end manufactured by BEL in India was delivered by Thales to Dassault Aviation (dassault-aviation.com). BEL implemented a set of rigorous processes at its Bangalore facility in order to achieve this key milestone. (Source: Google/https://www.newswiretoday.com/)
02 Feb 21. Israeli firm sells Harop, Rotem kamikaze drones to several Asian countries. Israel Aerospace Industries on Monday announced more than $100m in contracts for loitering munitions in three deals that include the Rotem VTOL and the Harop drones. The latter was sold in its land and naval versions. In keeping with the usual policy in Israel, the company did not reveal its customers, only saying that a foreign country acquired Rotem, while the naval and ground versions of Harop were sold in Asia. Loitering munitions are sometimes referred to as kamikaze drones because they can be used as a weapon by crashing into a target. These weapons can also hunt down enemy air defenses, among other critical targets. (Source: Defense News)
04 Feb 21. L3Harris Technologies Inc., Clifton, New Jersey, is awarded a $45,888,334 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides engineering maintenance and repair support services for Advanced Self-Protection Jammer AN/ALQ-165, Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures AN/ALQ-214, and aircraft self-protection optimization software in support of F/A-18 series aircraft for the Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in Clifton, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed in February 2026. 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 Warfare Center, Weapons Division, Point Mugu, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-21-D-0006).
TECHNOLOGY
04 Feb 21. Abaco Systems announces a multi-million-dollar design win for sixty units of the VP430 radio frequency system-on-chip RFSoC, direct RF processing system, which will be used on a counter fire target acquisition radar upgrade. This new generation of counter fire sensor increases the ability to respond to newly identified threats and changing missions which enables more efficient counter measures. Abaco’s conduction cooled, rugged, chip down, RF processing board is built on a 3U VPX form factor. Mounting the RFSoC directly on a carrier card results in a reduction in space requirements and optimized thermal transfer while increasing the mean time between failure (MTBF). The VP430 reduces RF signal chain complexity, maximizes input/output channel density, utilizing a flexible and secure processing powerhouse and offloading data more efficiently. Abaco’s engineering team worked closely with the customer to ensure that the VP430 will meet the system’s technical design requirements and provided a proposal that was selected over other embedded systems providers. In this fast-changing defense industry, our expert engineers support our customers so they can focus on other core system elements to deliver their best technology solutions. This program is expected to be delivered over three years, meeting the customer’s needs for price, schedule, and functionality. (Source: PR Newswire)
03 Feb 21. Qatari research center chooses Leonardo for cyber range. A Qatari cyber research center has selected Leonardo to provide a cyber range and training system to support security operations, the Italian firm announced Feb. 3. The Qatar Computing Research Institute, or QCRI, was established by the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development. The training platform ordered by the QCRI is capable of simulating cyberattacks so users can assess the resilience of digital infrastructure. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/C4ISR & Networks)