UNITED KINGDOM
AIR
08 Mar 21. ISOCOM Ltd., a County Durham optoelectronic component manufacturer, is working with Northumbria University to develop the world’s first commercially available laser-based satellite communication system via the National Space Innovation Programme. Peterlee-based ISOCOM is a leader in the design, manufacture, and testing of high-quality optoelectronic and microelectronic components for space, defence and aerospace industries. The company specialises in developing radiation-hard and hi-reliability products which can withstand vibration, shock, extreme temperatures, and radiation environments such as the CSM100, Europe’s very first 4-Pin hermetically sealed ceramic optocoupler device. ISOCOM components have been selected for space applications such as the European Space Agency’s (ESA) PROBA-3 satellite mission, ExoMars Rosalind Franklin Rover mission and NASA’s infrared Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. (Source: Google/https://durhammagazine.co.uk/)
11 Mar 21. Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $201,748,880 modification (P00055) to contract W31P4Q-18-C-0130 for the procurement of Joint Air-to-Ground Munitions. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funds; fiscal 2019 and 2020 procurement of ammunition (Army) funds; and 2019 and 2020 procurement (defense-wide) funds in the amount of $201,748,880 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
EUROPE
LAND
11 Mar 21. Marlborough Communications Limited (“MCL”) a Cohort Group Company, has been awarded three new contracts with the UK MOD with a combined value of approximately £9.2m. The contracts involve new partnerships with IAI ELTA Systems Ltd in unmanned ground vehicles and Rohde and Schwarz in the area of electronic intelligence. Deliveries will commence in the Group’s current financial year and continue through into 2022, with the majority of revenue falling in financial year 2021/22.
09 Mar 21. Saab has received an order for deliveries of Carl-Gustaf® M4 weapons and ammunition to the Estonian Armed Forces. The order value is approximately 100 MSEK and deliveries will take place in 2021-2022. The order was placed within a joint-framework agreement signed with Estonia, together with the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) and Latvia. The framework agreement allows the Estonian customer to place orders for Carl-Gustaf M4 weapons and ammunition during a ten year period. The Estonian Armed Forces has been a user of the Carl-Gustaf weapon system for more than two decades. (Source: Aerospace Daily & Defense Report)
AIR
11 Mar 21. AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), has secured a $5,922,461 firm-fixed-price U.S. Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) contract award on December 22, 2020 to provide Puma™ 3 AE tactical UAS, training and support to a European allied nation. Delivery is anticipated by April 2021.
09 Mar 21. Raytheon Technologies unit Collins Aerospace has secured a performance-based logistics (PBL) CH-47F Chinook avionics support contract. Under the multi-year contract, Collins will provide support services to the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s (RNLAF) fleet of 15 Chinook helicopters. The support services include field service engineering, programme management, as well as logistics service and repairs.
Collins will also provide ‘overhaul for the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) components’ installed on the CH-47F jets at the Netherlands’ Gilze-Rijen airbase. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
USA
LAND
05 Mar 21. Armtec Defense Products Co., Coachella, California, was awarded a $207,659,016 firm-fixed-price contract for Modular Artillery Charge Systems M231/M232-series combustible case assemblies for 155mm propelling charges. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 5, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-21-D-0005).
08 Mar 21. Camgian secures US Army contract to develop counter-UAS solution. Camgian Microsystems has secured a US Army contract to develop related technologies to prevent unmanned aircraft system (UAS) incursions. Camgian Microsystems has secured a US Army contract to develop related technologies to prevent unmanned aircraft system (UAS) incursions. The $6.9m contract was awarded by the US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Center. It requires Camgian to advance with the development of its counter-UAS solution. It carries a two-year term, with work set to be carried out in Mississippi. (Source: army-technology.com)
10 Mar 21. Raytheon Co., Dulles, Virginia, has been awarded a $178,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable contract for field support across the Distributed Common Ground System Enterprise. This includes transitional mission support from legacy to open architecture infrastructure as the system completes open architecture modernization. Work will be performed in Dulles, Virginia, and is expected to be completed March 8, 2026. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,300,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8527-21-D-0003).
SEA
08 Mar 21. BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, San Diego, California, is awarded a $34,729,132 firm-fixed-price contract for a combination of ship maintenance, modernization and repair of the USS Russell (DDG 59) to execute fiscal 2021 selected restricted availability. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $49,973,764. This is a Chief of Naval Operations scheduled selected restricted availability. The purpose is to maintain, modernize and repair the USS Russell. This is a “long-term” availability and was solicited on a coast-wide (west coast) basis without limiting the place of performance to the vessel’s homeport. BAE will provide the facilities and human resources capable of completing, coordinating and integrating multiple areas of ship maintenance, repair and modernization for USS Russell. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by September 2022. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) ($33,595,120; 97%); and 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) ($1,134,012; 3%) funding will be obligated at time of award. Funding in the amount of $1,134,012 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website with three offers were received in response to solicitation no. N00024-21-R-4456. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-4455).
08 Mar 21. BMT has been awarded a prime contract to conduct industry studies for the U.S. Navy’s T-ARC(X) cable ship replacement program. The contract consists of capability and cost trade studies in key areas, investigation of options to maximize affordability and producibility, and development of a concept design. BMT’s partners on this project include Fincantieri Marine Group (FMG), ABB Marine & Ports, and Noise Control Engineering. The industry studies are a key step in the Navy’s recapitalization of its undersea cable installation and repair capability, as the only operational ship, USNS ZEUS (T-ARC 7), is nearly forty years old and needs to be replaced. Additional missions include acoustic, hydrographic, and bathymetric survey; towing projectors; and deploying and recovering UUVs and other packages through its moonpool. BMT will develop a T-ARC(X) design that integrates its team’s portfolio of operating cable ship designs with a newly tested hull form. BMT’s approach will apply the successful methodology employed on similar industry studies performed recently. The team also integrates producibility considerations in its approach through its shipbuilding partner, FMG.
11 Mar 21. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $17,578,531 fixed-price, incentive-firm and firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6311 for procurement of six organic airborne mine countermeasure module kits, six reduced weight common support containers, 20 reduced weight basic outfitting assemblies (20 feet), and six common support container kits for integration into the Littoral Combat Ship framework. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia (45%); Marion, Virginia (45%); and Bethpage, New York (10%), and is expected to be completed by April 2024. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,578,531 will be obligated at the 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.
AIR
09 Mar 21. AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems, today announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary Arcturus UAV, now operating under the AeroVironment brand, was awarded a competitive task order valued at approximately $7m from the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). The competitive task order is for a one-year period of performance, which started February 3, 2021. USSOCOM selected Arcturus UAV as one of six companies qualified for the potential $975m Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) MEUAS contract in June 2020. The contract enables awardees to compete for site-specific task orders and provide USSOCOM with unmanned aircraft systems services and support for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) operations.
05 Mar 21. Alloy Surfaces Co. Inc., Chester, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $28,823,677 firm-fixed-price contract to produce, test, inspect, package and deliver M211 infrared countermeasure decoys and MJU-50A/B and MJU-51A/B infrared countermeasure flares. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 5, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-21-D-0014).
09 Mar 21. Cobham Mission Systems, the U.S.-based world leader in providing military oxygen life support systems for tactical aircraft, announced today it has been awarded a new contract from the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for production and delivery of two lots of GGU-25 oxygen concentrators. This program includes delivery of a fleet-wide oxygen concentrator legacy system upgrade for U.S. Navy T-45 Goshawk jet trainers. Cobham Mission Systems’ enhanced smart concentrators will deliver optimal oxygen for pilots while also monitoring and recording necessary operational data. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
10 Mar 21. Collins wins IDIQ contract for USAF’s Fast-Jet reconnaissance pod. Raytheon Technologies unit Collins Aerospace has received an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification contract. Raytheon Technologies unit Collins Aerospace has received an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification contract. The contract has been awarded by the US Air Force (USAF) for its new Fast-Jet reconnaissance pod, dubbed ‘MS-110 Multispectral Airborne Reconnaissance system’. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
09 Mar 21. Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE:GD), announced today that it has been awarded $696m in contracts from the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center for engineering services support and contractor logistics for C-20 and C-37 aircraft. The Engineering Service Contract (ESC) represents a $612m, 10-year renewal of a prior ESC. The contractor logistics support (CLS) award for $84m exercises Option Year Four of an existing CLS contract, bringing its cumulative face value to $594m. (Source: PR Newswire)
10 Mar 21. Honeywell (NYSE: HON) has won a 4-year IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity) contract for new production and spare T55-GA-714A engines that power the U.S. Army’s CH-47 Chinook helicopters. This $476m contract award will ensure that the U.S. Army’s Chinook fleet has spare engines to support future missions and available engines for Boeing’s Philadelphia Production Line through 2024 to serve the U.S. Army and foreign partner nations’ new aircraft requirements. The engines will be assembled and tested at Honeywell’s production facility at the company’s Aerospace global headquarters in Phoenix. Securing this engine production contract follows a milestone year for the T55 engine. In 2020, Honeywell won a competitive repair and overhaul contract for the T55. In addition, Honeywell completed a new, world-class engine repair and overhaul facility in Phoenix. That move allows the repair and overhaul work on the T55-GA-714A engine to be fulfilled in the same location as new engine production. The T55 center of excellence provides for a shared workforce, facilities, and engineering resources between both engine lines and delivers up to 20 engines per month to the U.S. Army, foreign military and commercial customers. Also in 2020, Honeywell entered into a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the U.S. Army to demonstrate and fly its upgraded T55-GA-714C engine on the heavy-lift, twin-engine CH-47F Chinook helicopter. The new 6,000-horsepower engine is 23% more powerful and consumes 9% less fuel than the current T55. New modifications also make the next-generation T55 easier to maintain with lower operating costs and increased readiness for the warfighter. Work is ongoing now in phase 1 of the program, and ground and flight demonstrations are expected to begin in 2022. The new 714C variant of the T55 is designed to be affordably incorporated into the 714A as an upgrade kit during overhaul at Honeywell’s R&O Center of Excellence or at the Army’s Corpus Christi Army Depot.
05 Mar 21. Kratos Defense & Security Solutions has been awarded a subcontract to upgrade CH-47F Chinook maintenance training systems. The contract is valued at $8.9m and was awarded by professional services company USfalcon. It will see the company deliver enhancements to four Kratos CH-47F Chinook Avionics Trainers (CATs) and two Kratos CH-47F Maintenance Blended Reconfigurable Aviation Trainers (MBRATs). The company will upgrade multiple avionics systems and aircraft survivability equipment of the training systems ‘to ensure concurrency of the simulators to the latest CH-47F configuration’. Work under the contract will be executed under USfalcon’s One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Pool 6 contract. CH-47F CAT is a High-Fidelity Hands-On-Training System (HOTS) to provide full-task training in an integrated configuration. (Source: army-technology.com)
11 Mar 21. Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $201,748,880 modification (P00055) to contract W31P4Q-18-C-0130 for the procurement of Joint Air-to-Ground Munitions. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funds; fiscal 2019 and 2020 procurement of ammunition (Army) funds; and 2019 and 2020 procurement (defense-wide) funds in the amount of $201,748,880 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
10 Mar 21. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Illinois, is awarded an $115,504,295 modification (P00013) to previously awarded, fixed-price incentive (firm target) contract N00019-19-C-0011. This modification exercises an option to procure the necessary Weapon Replaceable Assemblies (WRAs) hardware, systems engineering technical support, analysis and studies to integrate the Department of Navy Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system onto aircraft for the Navy, Air Force and the government of Australia. WRAs hardware procurements are as follows: 228 advanced threat warning (ATW) sensors; 79 control indicator unit replaceable (CIURs); 25 2103 signal processors; 54 infrared missile warning sensors (IRMWSs); 101 Guardian laser transmitter assemblies (GLTAs); seven multi-role electro-optical end-to-end test sets; 83 GLTA shipping containers (JPACs); 60 high capacity cards (HCCs); nine large aircraft system processor replacement (LSPR) smart connector assemblies (SCAs) and 282 personal computer memory card, international association cards for the Navy; 65 ATW sensors; three CIURs; six GLTAs; 12 HCCs and six LSPR SCAs for the Air Force; two GLTAs; 12 IRMWSs; two GLTA shipping containers JPACs; and two LSPR SCAs for the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois (34%); Goleta, California (30%); Longmont, Colorado (11%); Columbia, Maryland (3%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (22%), and is expected to be completed in June 2023. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $67,792,213; fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $12,567,298; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,408,527; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $22,240,967; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $2,495,290 will be obligated at the time of award, $22,240,967 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
08 Mar 21. NASA has awarded the Mars Ascent Propulsion System (MAPS) contract to Northrop Grumman Systems Corporation, which has been tasked with providing propulsion support and products for spaceflight missions at the agency’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. The contract is expected to advance NASA and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Mars Sample Return (MSR) program. The contract has a potential mission services value of US$60.2m ($77.9m) and a maximum potential value of US$84.5m ($109.4m). Work is expected to begin immediately with a 14-month base period, followed by two option periods — exercised at NASA’s discretion. (Source: Space Connect)
09 Mar 21. Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $15,326,863 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification under previously-awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61331-18-D-0007 to exercise options for the development, integration, testing and evaluation of prototype systems into existing or emerging unmanned vehicles, unmanned weapons and unmanned weapons control systems related to mine warfare, amphibious warfare, surface warfare, diving and life support, coastal and underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and other missions in the littoral and riverine environments. Work performance locations will be determined with each order and is expected to be completed by March 2023. No funding will be obligated at time of award. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity.
11 Mar 21. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $155,240,914 modification (P00002) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price advanced acquisition contract N00019-20-C-0047. This modification exercises an option to provide long lead parts and components in support of nine Lot Six CH-53K aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in February 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $155,240,914 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.
09 Mar 21. Space Exploration Technologies Corp., Hawthorne, California, has been awarded two individual firm-fixed-price task orders totaling $159,721,445 under the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract. These task orders provide the basic launch services and mission integration for USSF-36 and NROL-69. Work will be performed in Hawthorne, California; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Fiscal 2021 missile and space procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-21-F-0009 and FA8811-21-F-0010).
09 Mar 21. United Launch Services LLC, Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded $224,290,000 in firm-fixed-price task orders under the National Security Space Launch Phase 2 contract. These task orders provide the basic launch services and mission integration for USSF-112 and USSF-87. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado; and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, and is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023. Fiscal 2021 space procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-21-F-0011 and FA8811-21-F-0012).
TECHNOLOGY
09 Mar 21. DOD Announces $8m Defense Production Act Title III Agreement With GLOBALFOUNDRIES to Strengthen the Domestic Microelectronics Industrial Base. As part of the nation’s effort to ensure the U.S. sustains the microelectronics manufacturing capability necessary for national and economic security, the Department of Defense (DoD) has made an $8m award to GLOBALFOUNDRIES (GF). GF will conduct initial engineering baseline activities to move a key 45 nanometer (nm) semiconductor manufacturing processes from the East Fishkill, New York facility to the Malta, New York facility. This effort is the first step required to preserve the availability of the process for future use by DoD programs, as the process is slated to be discontinued upon the sale of the East Fish Kill facility. This will also serve as a precursor to major efforts contemplated by the recently passed CHIPS for America Act, championed by Senator Charles Schumer, which will allow for the sustainment and on-shoring of U.S. microelectronics capability. This $8m award is the latest collaboration in the longstanding partnership between the DoD and GF to provide semiconductors for defense, aerospace, and other sensitive applications. (Source: US DoD)
09 Mar 21. Global consulting and digital services provider ICF has won a cyber services task order from the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) Army Research Laboratory (ARL). The $53m order has a term of five years and includes an additional base option for one-year. It also includes an option for extension to four additional years. The task order was awarded as part of the multiple-award command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract. In 2018, the company was selected to compete for scientific and engineering support services work under the IDIQ contract. The first task order, estimated to be $20m, awarded under the IDIQ required the company to carry out full spectrum defensive cyber operations and research and development. Work under this latest task order has been expanded from the initial one and includes several new research initiatives worth $30m. (Source: army-technology.com)
11 Mar 21. Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado, is being awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee $1,537,874,213 modification (PZ0023) to previously awarded and announced un-priced letter contract modifications PH0001 and PH0006 to contract N00030-19-C-0025 for the design, development, build and integration of equipment for missile flight test demonstrations and fielding. This modification provides the definitization of the un-priced letter contract modifications PH0001 and PH0006. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $2,826,155,717. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (32.1%); Sunnyvale, California (19%); Magna, Utah (12.9%); Pittsfield, Massachusetts (5.3%); East Aurora, New York (3.1%); Huntsville, Alabama (3.1%); Baltimore, Maryland (2.9%); Tucson, Arizona (2.2%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (1.8%); Michoud, Louisiana (1.4%); Simsbury, Connecticut (1%); and various other locations (less than 1% each, 15.2% total). Work is expected to be completed Feb. 25, 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
09 Mar 21. MicroTech announced that The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has awarded MicroTech a spot on the potential 10-year, $12.6bn Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise III contract vehicle. SITE III provides strategic, technical, and program management guidance and support services to facilitate the operations and modernization of the agency’s infrastructure, systems, and applications. According to Pentagon, the DIA Virginia Contracting Activity awarded 144 companies the SITE III contract with more than half of those awards going to small businesses. The Department of Defense says that DIA expects the work to occur at government and contractor facilities in the U.S. and abroad through March 1, 2031. SITE III includes the delivery of IT and technical support services to DIA and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. These services are grouped into several categories, including enterprise activities and services; infrastructure development/sustainment; application development and sustainment; support core functions; and cybersecurity services, according to the final solicitation released in July 2020. (Source: PR Newswire)
11 Mar 21. XL Scientific doing business as Verus Research, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a $9,682,545 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to demonstrate and mature innovative, affordable and transition-able cognitive radio-frequency and/or free space optical communications payloads and associated payload ground control software to ensure ambient, seamless, and resilient communications and networking capabilities in contested and denied operational environments. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed March 2026. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $280,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9453-21-C-0602).
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
09 Mar 21. NIOA and Day & Zimmermann confirmed that they have entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to improve the Australian Defence Force’s HE munitions capabilities. The MoU is expected to deliver the ADF with 81mm HE and practice mortar ammunition for four years. It is hoped that the deal will also allow Day & Zimmermann to realise additional export markets for their products in Australia. (Source: Defence Connect)
SEA
09 Mar 21. Canadian defence firm JSK Naval Support (JSK) has been selected by Lockheed Martin Canada to supply its Torpedo Launcher System (TLS). The Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program is for 15 vessels and as an initial contract JSK will supply four new TLS ship sets to the CSC program between 2024 and 2026. JSK is licensed by UK-based defence and security electronic system specialist SEA, part of Cohort Plc., to design, manufacture and support its range of torpedo and decoy launcher systems in Canada. The system was chosen by Lockheed Martin Canada for its weapon-agnostic capability, as well as JSK’s commitment to developing Canadian TLS expertise. The TLS will be built and maintained in Canada, with JSK employing and training additional Canadian engineering professionals to enhance its production and integration capability. This will include a new purpose-built test facility in JSK’s Pointe Claire site in Montreal, Quebec that will be used throughout production to allow for testing and evaluation of completed systems and software and follow on support/training phases of the program. JSK has developed a fully integrated supply chain to ensure full lifecycle support capability throughout the entire program and systems life. Supplied to Lockheed Martin Canada, the systems will be installed on 15 warships built at Irving Shipbuilding in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The fully qualified TLS will provide a close range, rapid-reaction weapon agnostic launch capability for a variety of NATO standard light weight torpedoes. With a modern TLS electronics suite, the system can calculate target position based on sonar and ship data alongside control from the combat management system. An established provider of engineering services and in-service support for the Royal Canadian Navy, JSK Naval Support is headquartered in Pointe-Claire, Quebec and is a member of the COVE community in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
11 Mar 21. TAFE Queensland has been awarded a $36m Australian contract to deliver mariner training and support to the Navy crews of the Guardian Class patrol boats. The five-year contract forms part of the government’s $2bn Pacific Maritime Security Program, which aims to strengthen maritime capability in the Pacific. The program involves replacing the existing Pacific Patrol Boats with 21 new Guardian Class patrol boats to 12 Pacific island nations and Timor-Leste. (Source: Defence Connect)
TECHNOLOGY
10 Mar 21. Leidos, KBR, Fujitsu secure Australian contracts. The firms have been awarded contracts to provide end-user computing and support for Defence’s ICT infrastructure. The Department of Defence has awarded three-year contracts to Leidos, KBR and Fujitsu as part of a $175m program to upgrade Defence’s ICT infrastructure, which provides key command, control, situational awareness, and allied/partner interoperability services for ADF personnel across all battlespace domains.
Specifically, the firms have been tasked with working collaboratively to provide:
- service desk functions;
- end-user and workstation support;
- voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and email communications;
- collaboration tools; and
- network infrastructure and network services management.
The contracts also involves the continued sustainment of in-service deployed ICT environments, which involve:
- centrally-governed security and accreditation and enterprise governance;
- enhancing the capacity and skillsets of Defence’s ICT workforce; and
- building strategic partnerships.
Leidos, KBR and Fujitsu are expected to work alongside the Information Officer Group, the three services (Army, Navy, and Air Force), the Joint Capabilities Group, and the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group.
(Source: Defence Connect)