CONTRACT NEWS IN BRIEF

UNITED KINGDOM

LAND

19 Feb 21. Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) and Rheinmetall Landsysteme have jointly awarded a contract, worth £180m, to Thales UK to supply the state-of-the-art KONGSBERG PROTECTOR RS4 Remote Weapon Station (RWS) and the latest in automated threat warning – the Acusonic® Shot Detection System – for the British Army’s new Boxer vehicles.

SEA

17 Feb 21. Hamworthy Pumps wins big Babcock contract. As a subcontractor for Babcock International Group, Hamworthy Pumps will supply the pump solutions for five highly specialised Type 31 military vessels. By 2028, Babcock International Group will have built five new Type 31 frigates for the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy, and Hamworthy Pumps will supply the pump solutions. With this contract, the two companies strengthen an already close and long-standing collaboration on deliveries to the government market in the UK. Including the Type 23 (Duke class) frigates, which were built from 1989 to 2002 and have proven their versatility in naval operations around the world.

AIR

17 Feb 21. AERALIS, the transformational British military jet developer has agreed a three-year contract with the Royal Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) for research and development into a new modular approach to the design and development of future aircraft.  The RCO will support the requirements and design review process to gain an understanding of how AERALIS defines the ways in which agile, modular, commercially-driven aircraft design can develop and certify a broad range of future aircraft systems that could support the RAF’s ambition to rationalise its future fleet. The AERALIS modular aircraft system streamlines the design, development and in-service support processes for military aircraft across multiple training and front-line roles, helping to reduce the complexity and costs of acquisition and sustainment when compared with more traditional approaches.

18 Feb 21. UK MoD awards MBDA contract for Brimstone 3B advanced software upgrade. The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded MBDA in the UK a contract for an advanced software enhancement to the Brimstone 3 precision-attack weapon system. The Brimstone 3B (B3B) software capability upgrade will be integrated with the Brimstone 3A (B3A) Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP) – a new-build missile and stockpile augmentation package – to eventually deliver the enhanced Brimstone 3 solution. The MoD approved the B3B contract on 30 March 2020, and subsequently placed a GBP197m Demonstration and Manufacture contract with MBDA in April 2020. No formal notification of the B3B contract has been disclosed, although the programme is mentioned in the UK Defence Equipment Plan 2020, which was published on 12 January 2021. In March 2018 the MoD awarded MBDA a GBP400m Capability Sustainment Programme (CSP) contract to address obsolescence in the Brimstone 2 with a new hardware standard. Brimstone CSP, later redesignated Brimstone 3A, retains a number of key components from the legacy Brimstone 2, including the modular airframe, the MBDA-developed enhanced dual mode (94 Ghz Millimetric Wave (mmW) radio frequency (RF)/ semi-active laser (SAL) seeker, the insensitive munition (IM)-compliant Vulcan rocket motor sourced from Roxel, and the IM-compliant multi-effects warhead developed by MBDA subsidiary TDW in Germany. B3A enhancements included a next-generation microelectromechanical system (MEMS)-based tactical inertial measurement unit (IMU) developed by Atlantic Inertial Systems (AIS) and a new enhanced autopilot for improved precision at range. The missile also received an improved battery, delivering an additional 30% engagement duration. Accordingly, the maximum range that the missile can operationally work at has now been increased by more than 20%. However, engagement ranges of Brimstone 2, and the future Brimstone 3, have not been publicly disclosed. (Source: Jane’s)

19 Feb 21. Serco’s Defence business has been awarded a contract to provide all the spare parts for the RAF’s Grob Viking TMk1 glider fleet.  This new contract is in addition to the current contract that Serco has to provide maintenance for the glider fleet.  In a related move Serco has also acquired a specialist Robin DR400/180R aircraft to launch RAF Air Cadets gliders into the air. In addition to these two new contracts, last year Serco secured a two-year extension to the Glider Maintenance contract until March 2022 and Serco’s specialist glider maintenance team already works to ensure that airworthy Viking Glider aircraft and effective engineering support are available to meet the needs of 2 Flying Training School (2 FTS).  The School delivers a glider flying experience in a military environment, including solo flying, for RAF Air Training Corp Cadets through a Centralised Gliding School (CGS) and Volunteer Gliding Squadrons (VGS) at several sites across the UK.  At the 2019 RAF Aerospace Cadets Summer Camp, Serco enabled a flying experience for around 300 cadets in one week at RAF Syerston.  The RAF Air Cadets are a UK-wide cadet force with more than 40,000 members aged between 12 and 20 years.  Sponsored by the RAF, the Air Cadets promote and encourage a practical interest in aviation and the RAF Force among young people, provide training which will be useful in the Services and civilian life and encourage the spirit of adventure and develop qualities of leadership and good citizenship.

TECHNOLOGY

17 Feb 21. UK and Australia collaborate to accelerate advanced materials integration. Nine teams of partners across both nations have received Phase 2 funding worth a total of £1.48m (A$2.82m) from the UK and Australian governments to develop innovative proposals covering integration of composites, adhesives for structural joining, joining high temperature structures and improving armour systems. In the UK successful consortia are:

• Foresight Innovations Limited, Hephaestus Consulting, Nottingham Trent University and Matrix Composites
• TWI Limited
• University of Surrey and QinetiQ
• Zentraxa Limited and QinetiQ Australia

Successful Australian teams are:

• Western Sydney University, Imperial College London, Metrologi Pty Ltd, UNSW and AirBus Australia Pacific
• Qinetiq Australia Pty Ltd and RMIT
• University of New South Wales, Imperial College London, Advanced Composite Structures Australia Pty Ltd
• University of Adelaide, Research Institute of Saint-Louis (ISL – France) and Materials Science Institute
• RMIT University and BAE Systems Pty Ltd

This program is jointly funded by the Australian Next Generation Technologies Fund run by DST Group; and the Ministry of Defence Materials for Strategic Advantage programme in the UK. Both nations used a common assessment framework managed by the UK’s Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA). Assessment and Moderation of the competition was carried out collaboratively by Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) in the UK and DST Group in Australia. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)

EUROPE

LAND

16 Feb 21. Norway Upgrades the NASAMS Air Defence System. Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (KONGSBERG) has been awarded a contract of approx. MNOK 266 by Norwegian Materiel Defence Agency for upgrade of the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS). The upgrade of the NASAMS Sentinel radar’s Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) ensures the system operates in accordance with future NATO standards, further improving the already secure identification of friendly aircraft. “Norway continues to upgrade their ground-based air defence capability by implementing the latest available technology. The modernization will enhance NATO commonality and reinforce the NASAMS capability,” says Kjetil Reiten Myhra, Executive Vice President of Integrated Defence Systems in KONGSBERG. NASAMS is renowned for its distributed architecture and flexible network solution capable of solving a wide variety of air defence missions. (Source: ASD Network)

17 Feb 21. DoD/DSCA Notifies Congress of Possible FMS to Finland. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress that the Government of Finland has requested to buy twenty-five (25) M30A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems – Alternative Warhead (ER GMLRS-AW) Pods; and ten (10) M31A2 Extended Range Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems – Unitary (ER GMLRS-U) Pods. Also included is an ER GMLRS Materiel Release Package; Stockpile Reliability Program (SRP) support; Quality Assurance Testing (QAT) services; technical publications; U.S. Government and contractor technical and logistics support services; and other related element of program and logistics support. The total estimated cost is $91.2m. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Corporation, Missile and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, TX. There are no known offsets associated with this potential sale. (Source: glstrade.com)

18 Feb 21. Thales has been chosen by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) to lead a second part of the ground segment of the Syracuse IV satellite communications system for the French armed forces. The Group was selected to supply the satellites in 2015 and to lead the first increment of the ground segment in 2019. This second capacity increment will enhance the interoperable communications capabilities of the French Army, Navy and Air Force in terms of data rate, availability, threat resistance and end-to-end connectivity.

SEA

18 Feb 21. Belgium Naval & Robotics – Naval Group and ECA GROUP consortium – announces today a contract award from the Defence Material Organization (DMO) of the Ministry of Defence of the Netherlands worth over 20m euros. Complementary to and anticipating the deliveries of 6 mine hunters and associated drone systems within the Belgian-Dutch Mine Countermeasures (MCM) capability replacement programme, the Netherlands Ministry of Defence awards a new contract to the consortium to provide the Royal Netherlands Navy with unmanned and autonomous systems for their Operational Tests and Evaluation (OT&E) programme.

• The subsea drone A18-M AUV (autonomous underwater vehicle) for mine detection, which has already been successfully tested within the Sandy Coast exercise in September 2020;
• The Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) for mine identification and neutralisation SEASCAN MK2 and K-STER;
• A surface naval drone INSPECTOR 90 USV;
• A Command and Control (C2) container equipped with mine warfare data center and operating consoles;
• An advanced software suite (UMISOFT and SMMD);
• A floating dock for Launching and Recovery of the USV;
• Launch and Recovery (L&R) systems;
• Support equipment including maintenance and storage containers, spares and special tools.

15 Feb 21. Sensor solutions provider HENSOLDT is modernising the TRS-3D radars of two K130-class corvettes of the German Navy, as well as an associated shore facility. An order for corresponding electronic components was placed by the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw). The replacement deliveries will take place in the course of this year. The TRS-3D is a three-dimensional multimode ship radar for air and sea surveillance, which can correlate the position and movement data of targets with the HENSOLDT identification system MSSR 2000 I and thus improve the automatic identification of ships and aircraft. The TRS-3D is the global market leader in its class with more than 60 radars in service with navies and coastguards worldwide. In addition to K130 corvettes, vessels equipped with it include the US Coast Guard’s National Security Cutters, a number of US Navy Littoral Combat Ships, as well as ships of the Finnish Navy and the Norwegian Coast Guard.

17 Feb 21. iXblue has been contracted to deliver its navigation systems for the Spanish Navy’s five new F110-class multi-mission frigates. The contract has been signed between Spain Directorate General for Armament and Material (DGAM) and iXblue´s official distributor Grafinta. Under the order, iXblue will provide its Marins Series inertial navigation systems (INS) and Netans Navigation Data Distribution & Computation Systems. iXblue Marins INS is based on the fibre-optic gyroscope (FOG) technology and integrated with Netans data distribution and processing units. (Source: naval-technology.com)

AIR

16 Feb 21. Aix-en-Provence-based NOVADEM, has received at the end of 2020, from the France’s Defence Procurement Agency (DGA) a new order for about fifty more micro-drones NX70. This is the third order in two years and proves, once again, the confidence existing between the French Ministry of Army and NOVADEM. Since the initial order in 2018, the fleet of drones NX70 used on external operations (OPEX) has never stopped growing every year. To date, there are about 150 NX70 drones and more than 200 associated equipment and spare parts that have been acquired, for a total amount of orders to more than €6m. This new order also demonstrates an evolution for NX70 night vision capabilities. In fact, thanks to the experience feedback of the soldiers on field, Novadem has worked and equipped its drones with a thermal camera with double resolution than the current one. This night performance is unrivalled by any system of this range. Half of the NX70 drones will be delivered with this new high resolution thermal camera, named 640, for the purpose of the most demanding night missions driven by units specialised in observation and research. This is added to the existing versatility of the NX70 fleet, which is already equipped with tethered power supply for continuous observation and protection missions, and also data link terminal placed on vehicles or directly handled by soldiers allowing information sharing on field. The delivery will occur on the first half of the year, with the first units planned to be received by the DGA in April 2021. Then, after six months of work done by Novadem assembly teams in Aix-en–Provence, the rest of the systems, equipment and spare parts will close the delivery by the beginning of summer. (Source: UAS VISION)

USA

LAND

17 Feb 21. BAE Systems to Develop Advanced Military GPS Receivers and Chips. BAE Systems received a $247m contract from the U.S. Space Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center to design and manufacture an advanced military GPS receiver and next-generation semiconductor. The technology will provide positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) capabilities to warfighters so they can execute missions in challenging electromagnetic environments. Work on the program will be conducted at the company’s facility in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. For additional information, visit: https://www.baesystems.com/en-us/product/gps-products.  (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)

18 Feb 21. BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $9,571,279 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) modification to previously awarded contract M67854-16-0006 for amphibious combat vehicles (ACV).  The total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,313,454,961.  This modification provides for integration of ACV engineering change proposal for air cooling provisions in 72 full-rate production Lots 1A and 1B ACV personnel variants, ACV command and control variant engineering support in production, non-recurring engineering changes, production costs and fielding and support costs.  Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (60%); Aiken, South Carolina (15%); San Jose, California (15%); Sterling Heights, Michigan (5%); and Stafford, Virginia (5%).  Work is expected to be completed in January 2023.  Fiscal 2021 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $8,834,159; fiscal 2019 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $651,756; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $85,364, will be obligated at the time of award.  Total funding in the amount of $737,120 ($651,756 fiscal 2019 procurement; and $85,364 fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation) will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006).

15 Feb 21. Dynetics to build 100 kW laser for US Army. The US Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command has selected a Dynetics-led team to develop an experimental 100 kW laser weapon system for its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles (FMTV). On 15 May, the company announced that it had beat out Raytheon to receive a USD130m contract for the service’s High Energy Laser Tactical Vehicle Demonstrator (HEL TVD) programme. In 2018, the army selected Dynetics and its partners – Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, and MZA Associates Corporation – and Raytheon to move into the HEL TVD preliminary design phase. Under the new contract, the Dynetics team is selected to prepare for the critical design review, which will determine the final laser design, before building the system and integrating it onto a 6×6 FMTV for field testing at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The capability is also a potential technology insertion to address the army’s Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 – Intercept Block 2 objective requirements. This effort is part of the service’s latest venture into directed-energy weapons and is designed to help the service counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (RAM) attacks, as well as unmanned aircraft systems (UASs). (Source: Jane’s)

16 Feb 21. KBR (NYSE: KBR) won a $92.6m contract to perform engineering, integration and sustainment services on counter unmanned air systems (C-UAS) for the Combat Integration & Identification Systems unit within the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD). This cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract is a new opportunity for KBR to help the U.S. military with ground-based air defense. KBR will provide its expertise to various Navy identification and data link systems, which include the Negation of Improvised Non-State Joint Aerial-Threats (NINJA) system; Counter-Remote Control Model Aircraft Integrated Air Defense Network (CORIAN) system; SkyTracker® UAS detection and tracking suite; Light Marine Air Defense Integrated System (LMADIS); Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS); and ANDURIL artificial intelligence platforms. The Department of Defense (DoD) uses these C-UAS to strengthen homeland security and address potential threats in the U.S. and abroad. The systems can scan the skies for enemy aircraft and take appropriate action to deny airspace access. KBR’s specific tasks will include the integration and installation of systems; the characterization of system and sub-system components; development of training curriculum and materials, as well as delivery of formal training programs; supply system management and material control; testing and repair of C-UAS; and laboratory maintenance and quality assurance. The company will perform the five-year contract primarily at Webster Outlying Field in St. Inigoes, Maryland. KBR’s services supporting NAWCAD will also benefit programs sponsored by the Naval Air Systems Command; Naval Sea Systems Command; Naval Inventory Control Point – Mechanicsburg; U.S. Coast Guard; commercial and Foreign Military Sales customers; and other DoD and government entities.

16 Feb 21. LinQuest Corp., Los Angeles, California, has been awarded a $200,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity for advisory and assistance services in support of Space Operations Command.  Work will be performed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, and is expected to be completed Feb. 28, 2030.  This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received.  Fiscal 2021 Space Force operation and maintenance funds in the amount $12,730,301 are being obligated at the time of award.  Space Operations Command/Space Acquisition Management – Directorate, Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA2518-21-D-0001).

12 Feb 21. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Maryland, is awarded a $236,941,008 modification for the firm-fixed-price portion of previously awarded contract M67854-19-C-0043.  The total cumulative face value of the contract is $686,355,923.  This modification provides for the exercise of three option contract line items to procure eight Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar Gallium Nitride full rate production systems with associated travel and one lot of the initial provisioning package (spares) in support of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia.  Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2024.  Fiscal 2021 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $236,941,008 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The contract modification was not competitively procured.  The base contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code § 2304(c)(1).  The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-C-0043).

16 Feb 21. Silent Arrow today announced the United States Air Force has awarded contract FA864921P0478 entitled “Feasibility of Downsizing and Adapting Commercial Silent Arrow® Cargo Delivery UAS to Meet Specific AFSOC Operational Requirements” to the company effective February 5, 2021. The contract will be executed in partnership with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) with funding from AFWERX. A 1-ton Silent Arrow Autonomous Cargo Delivery Aircraft with Wings Cocked and Fuselage Loaded is Prepared for Loading Onto a Deployment Aircraft at Silent Arrow’s Flight Test Center, Pendleton Oregon.  (Source: PR Newswire)

SEA

18 Feb 21. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, Ind., has awarded Collins Aerospace Systems, a unit of Raytheon Technologies (RTX), a seven-year, $64m Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide sonar domes for surface combat ships for the U.S Navy and Allied forces. The agreement, which builds upon a previous five-year production contract, includes shipping, installation, engineering support, field services, inspection and repairs. Work will be produced by the Naval Programs (Engineered Polymer Products) group of the Aerostructures business unit at Collins Aerospace. Sonar domes, located on the hulls of warships, protect critical electronic equipment used for detection, navigation and ranging. The domes permit acoustic energy to pass through with minimal sound transmission interference. The contract includes domes made of a proprietary advanced composite material developed by Collins Aerospace that provides optimal structural and acoustic performance to the ship’s sonar system. This allows for enhanced detection and classification of underwater targets. These composite keel domes replaced traditional rubber domes on U.S. and Allied Navy frigates in 1997 because they require less maintenance and are expected to last more than 30 years even under the most extreme operating conditions. To date, Naval Programs has supplied over 25 composite bow domes for U.S. Navy Virginia Class submarines, as well as more than 25 composite keel domes and 360 rubber bow windows for U.S. Navy surface ships. (Source: ASD Network)

AIR

18 Feb 21. Astronics Awarded Contracts to Support Boeing’s MQ-25 Unmanned Tanker for the U.S. Navy. Contracts for power distribution and exterior lighting systems support the U.S. Navy’s first unmanned aerial refueling program. Astronics Corporation (Nasdaq: ATRO), a leading provider of advanced technologies for global aerospace, defense and other mission critical industries, has been awarded contracts by The Boeing Company to supply CorePower® aircraft power distribution units and custom-engineered exterior lighting for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling program. The CorePower system replaces pilot-operated, thermal mechanical breaker systems with intelligently controlled, solid-state switches to provide safe, reliable performance remotely. The system planned for the MQ-25 incorporates the use of Astronics’ latest generation ECBU products to create an evenly distributed system at a fraction of the wire weight and increased reliability compared with traditional systems. Astronics is also currently working with Boeing to design custom lighting for the MQ-25 that to provide for safe operations for flight deck personnel and aid in the aerial refueling process. (Source: ASD Network)

12 Feb 21. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. Poway, California, was awarded a $9,037,064 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Longshot Phase One.  This contract provides for the research, development, and demonstration of the Longshot. Work will be performed in Poway, California (71%); Orlando Florida (14%); Buffalo, New York (7%); Kirkland, Washington (5%); and Pontiac, Michigan (3%), with an estimated completion date of February 2022.  Research and development funds in the amount of $2,141,687 are being obligated at the time of award.  This contract is a limited sources competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR0011-20-S-0037.  The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-21-C-0023).

17 Feb 21. Kaman Air Vehicles, a division of Kaman Corporation, announced the receipt of a signed purchase agreement for a K-MAX medium-to-heavy lift helicopter. Delivery of this aircraft is expected in the first quarter of 2021 and follows the delivery of two aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2020. Development of the improved K-MAX Unmanned Aerial System continues and we expect the Optionally Piloted Vehicle module to enter ground and flight test in the first half of 2021. Kaman is continuing to develop a commercial Optionally Piloted Aircraft to support its growing customer base, while working with the U.S Marine Corps on upgrading the autonomous capabilities of the unmanned K-MAX. (Source: UAS VISION)

18 Feb 21. KBR (NYSE: KBR) won a $539m engineering task order to support rapid prototyping and fielding of systems for the U.S. Air Force’s Tactical Exploitation of National Capabilities (TENCAP) program. TENCAP takes national space capabilities and applies them at the tactical level to support operational requirements. KBR will assist the Air Force in using air, space and cyber capabilities to rapidly deliver agile, leading-edge technologies and systems for the U.S. military. This new work will include engineering services in support of geolocation tracking; sensor, data fusion and dissemination; unconventional warfare and special operations; situational awareness; cyber and spectrum warfare operations; air superiority; command, control and spectrum utilization; and real-time large data analytics and virtualization. The company will carry out these duties in Colorado as well as other locations around the world over the next five years. KBR has performed similar tasking for the TENCAP program since January 2018. The Air Force awarded the cost-plus-award-fee task order through the General Services Administration’s Federal Systems Integration and Management (FEDSIM) Center using the One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) contract, a multiple award, indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity vehicle for complex, integrated professional services.

18 Feb 21. NGC to Develop Advanced Air-to-Air Missile Engagement Concept. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency LongShot Award Supports Initiative to Increase Weapon Range and Effectiveness. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) Tactical Technology Office (TTO) to develop an advanced technology weapon concept designed to significantly increase engagement range and weapon effectiveness of U.S. Forces against adversary air threats. Spurred by rapid technological advancements and an ever more dangerous and disruptive battlefield, DARPA’s LongShot program will explore new lethal engagement concepts by leveraging multi-modal propulsion, weapon systems that can be operationally deployed from existing fighters or bombers. DARPA’s advanced aerospace systems activities are focused on utilizing high pay-off opportunities to provide revolutionary new system capabilities, as opposed to incremental or evolutionary advancements, in order to achieve undeterrable air presence at dramatically reduced costs. The LongShot program enables Northrop Grumman to combine its expertise in weapon system design, survivability, autonomy, advanced mission systems and rapid prototyping to deliver advanced solutions that help to maintain a competitive military advantage in highly contested environments. (Source: ASD Network)

TECHNOLOGY

18 Feb 21. Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a task order at $38,143,547 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $600,000,000 for the life-cycle sustainment of Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) systems and assets, worldwide.  Initial task order is being awarded for the sustainment of existing ATFP systems and assets worldwide.  The task order contains 23 options, which if exercised, would bring the total value to $153,544,286.  The work to be performed is for life-cycle sustainment of physical security/access control and command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems in support of Commander Naval Installation Command’s ATFP program, worldwide.  A “system” includes all of the hardware, associated firmware, software and cabling or other signal/data transmission subsystems necessary for the system to function as intended.  The scope of the procurement includes 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.  Work under this task order is expected to be completed by February 2022.  The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an option for an additional 36 months, with an expected completion date of February 2026.  Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) (O&M,N) contract funds in the amount of $38,143,547 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N.  This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with five proposals received.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-21-D-2230).

REST OF THE WORLD

LAND

16 Feb 21. EverFocus (TWSE: 5484), the leader of AI video analytics solution, excitedly announced it won a large national defense transportation case worthies NT$ 200m, showing market’s recognition and trust in the reliability of EverFocus. In the past few years, the company stepped into the industrial PC market. By having the same CEO, YS Chuang, EverFocus has close relationship with AAEON Technology Inc. People could find EverFocus is Intel partner alliance member and NVIDIA preferred partner member simultaneously. The AI video analytics technique and integration experience empowered EverFocus to become the dark horse in global IPC battleground. Not merely providing smart vehicle solution, the ambitious Taiwanese company is expanding the business territory to smart surveillance, smart campus and even health care market. Global Market Insight released a new survey on the National defense Transportation market. The report indicates that by 2026, the market will be worth more than 27bn US dollars. Tony Chang, the senior manager of the Asia-Pacific region, is the key man of winning the large national defense transportation case. His team helped the company entered the large potential market. (Source: PR Newswire)

SEA

12 Feb 21. German company MAN Energy Solutions announced on 10 February that it has secured a contract from shipbuilder Abeking & Rasmussen to equip the two mine-countermeasures vessels (MCMVs) ordered for the Indonesian Navy (Tentara Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut: TNI-AL) in late January 2019 with MAN 12V175D-MM engines. The company said in a statement that it will provide each of the 62 m-long vessels with two such engines to deliver 2,220 kW at 1,900 rpm; an MAN Alpha controllable-pitch, twin screw-propeller system, including Alphatronic 3000 propulsion-control system for efficient and flexible manoeuvring; and an AKA hybrid power take-in system for silent operation while mine hunting (slow speed with pure electric propulsion). A steel-cutting ceremony for the TNI-AL’s MCMV programme was held on 26 November 2020 at the shipbuilder’s facilities in Lemwerder, Germany. The vessels will be an evolution of the German Navy’s Frankenthal class and replace the TNI-AL’s fleet of two ageing Pulau Rengat-class MCMVs, both of which were commissioned in March 1988. As Janes reported, Abeking & Rasmussen has not disclosed many details about the other systems that will go onboard the vessels but a company representative who spoke to Janes at the Indo Defence 2018 exhibition in Jakarta said the MCMVs for Indonesia would feature a non-magnetisable hull, a “state-of-the-air mine-hunting sonar,” and would be capable of launching and retrieving remotely operated vehicles. (Source: Jane’s)

16 Feb 21. The State Department approved a possible $197m deal Tuesday to sell RIM‑116C Rolling Airframe Missiles Block 2 tactical missiles to Egypt. According to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, Egypt’s government has asked to buy up to 168 of the missiles. Its bid also includes shipping and storage containers, operator manuals and technical documentation as well as engineering, technical and logistical and support services. Developed and produced cooperatively with Germany, the RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile is a lightweight, quick-reaction, fire-and-forget missile built to destroy anti-ship cruise missiles and asymmetric air and surface threats. Raytheon Missiles & Defense will be the primary contractor on this sale if it goes through. At the end of December, the State Department approved a potential $104m sale of a Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures System to Egypt. (Source: Defense News Early Bird/UPI)

AIR

15 Feb 21. Vietnam orders L-39NG jets from Czech Republic. The Socialist Republic of Vietnam is to receive 12 Aero Vodochody L-39 jet trainer aircraft from the Czech Republic. Czech defence exporter Omnipol announced the sale on 15 February, noting that the L-39NG version of the L-39 Albatross will be delivered from 2023 through to 2024. “The contract includes the acquisition of 12 L-39NG aircraft, plus the training of pilots, instructors, ground crew, and mechanics. Also included will be the supply of aircraft spare parts, as well as the supply of equipment for ground-based training, logistics support, or specialised airport systems. This will give the customer the capability of complete pilot and ground crew training,” Omnipol said. The L-39NG was first rolled out by Aero in October 2018, with flights trials concluding in early 2020. The L-39NG features a more powerful Williams International FJ44-4M engine, a wet wing, a modern cockpit, and a lighter airframe than its predecessor. In the light strike role it is equipped with five hardpoints (compared with two for the baseline L-39) for a variety of air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles (AAMs), as well as other munitions and sensors. It also introduces the option for a gunpod. According to Janes All the World’s Aircraft: Development and Production, the L-39NG has a top speed of 420kt, a payload of 1,200 kg, an endurance of 4 hours and 30 minutes, a range of 1,400n miles, and a service ceiling of 38,000 ft. It is reported to cost less than USD10m to procure. (Source: Jane’s)

15 Feb 21. Indian Army leases four Heron TP UAVs from Israel. The Indian Army (IA) has leased four Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) Heron TP medium-altitude, long endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for potential deployment near India’s disputed border with China, along the Line of Actual Control (LoAC) in the Himalayas. Official sources told Janes on 15 February that the lease for the unarmed UAVs was signed around mid-January under the ‘emergency powers’ granted by India’s federal government to the military chiefs in June 2020 as part of efforts to speed up the acquisition of materiel needed to overcome equipment shortfalls amid the ongoing military tensions with China. The Indian Army has leased for Heron UAVs from Israel (similar to this one) for potential deployment near India’s disputed border with China in the Himalayas. (IAI) The IA and India’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) declined to comment on the lease for security reasons but the New Delhi-based Security Risks Asia defence management consultancy claimed the contract is worth an estimated USD200m. Industry sources said that the lease period is three years, with the proviso of extending it by another two years. The lease of military equipment by India was formally permitted under provisions incorporated in the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020 (DAP 2020), which was released in September of that year. Thereafter, the Indian Navy (IN) leased two non-weaponised General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc (GA-ASI) MQ-9B SeaGuardian MALE UAVs from the United States to monitor the Indian Ocean Region from naval air station INS Rajali in south-eastern India. (Source: Jane’s)

15 Feb 21. Drone Surveillance System to be Tested on Canadian Coast Guard Vessels. Kongsberg Geospatial announced that it has been selected by Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) to conduct trials of a new long-endurance UAV surveillance system for the Canadian Coast Guard. The MartinUAV V-BAT aircraft was selected to provide the unique ability to combine take off and landing from the small confines aboard ship with the long endurance of a fixed-wing aircraft while carrying multiple sensors. The aircraft will communicate with the Kongsberg Geospatial sensor data management system, called MIDAS, which allows a range of sensor data, including full-motion video from unmanned systems to be processed and exploited in near real-time by analysts on board Canadian Coast Guard ships. MIDAS provides the capability to compare historical and live data from the mission area, and to examine sensor data with a variety of tools, including motion and object detection, in near-real time. This near real-time analytical capability can greatly enhance the effectiveness of UAVs for a variety of mission types. The V-BAT Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) provided by Martin UAV is a fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft specifically designed to operate from very small spaces on ships, land, and nearly any environment. The V-BAT is a long-endurance aircraft capable of carrying multiple sensors, including land and maritime wide area surveillance. (Source: UAS VISION)

TECHNOLOGY

17 Feb 21. Australia funds $1.6m in tech research projects. The federal government has awarded grants to five Australian-led research groups in a bid to accelerate the development of advanced military technology.

The Morrison government has issued just under $1.6m in research funding to five locally-based organisations, in an effort to accelerate the integration of advanced materials into defence platforms. The projects, which form part of a joint-initiative between Australia and the UK, will be funded by Australia’s Next Generation Technologies Fund under the Small Business Innovation Research for Defence (SBIRD) initiative.

This is in addition to $1.6m in SBIRD funding already provided to Australian-led research groups.

A total of 14 organisations applied for funding, responding to the four capability challenges listed by Australia and the UK.

The five successful applicants include:

• Western Sydney University, Imperial College London, Metrologi, UNSW and Airbus Australia Pacific — awarded $348,204 to research the use of nanotechnology in more durable bonded joints;
• Qinetiq Australia and RMIT — awarded $349,317 to develop a modelling framework supporting the use of Multi-functional Shape Memory Alloy Tufted Composite Joints (MuST) technology;
• University of New South Wales, Imperial College London, Advanced Composite Structures Australia — awarded $349,946 to research the use of advanced materials in more effective armour;
• RMIT University and BAE Systems— awarded $330,500 to develop more effective metal-to-composite hybrid joints through the use of advanced materials; and
• University of Adelaide, Research Institute of Saint-Louis (ISL – France) and Materials Science Institute — awarded $209,510 to develop improved means of examining areas where adhesives have been used in ageing military platforms.   (Source: Defence Connect)

16 Feb 21. BAE Systems has announced that 3D volumetric display technology developed by South Australian company Voxon Photonics will be leveraged to support its UK-based submarine business and the Australian Hunter Class frigate program. Voxon has been tasked with delivering its bespoke displays to provide 3D visualisation to test situational awareness, systems integration and specialist engineering design applications. This comes just months after Voxon, along with BAE Systems, Flinders University and the University of South Australia, was awarded a Defence Innovation Partnership grant to support the advancement of the technology.   Voxon is now expected to focus on scalability, ruggedisation and specific operating functions, designed to have multiple applications across all Defence domains. BAE Systems first partnered with Voxon at the Hunter Class Innovation showcase in Melbourne in 2019, with the Global Access Program team already supporting engagement opportunities with potential users, including the research and development team within BAE Systems’ UK Submarines business. (Source: Defence Connect)