EUROPE
LAND
25 May 21. Gentex Corp., Simpson, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $14,128,200 firm-fixed-price contract for the acquisition of Sentry XP helmets. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Simpson, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales (Austria) funds in the amount of $14,128,200 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Source: joint-forces.com)
AIR
27 May 21. ESA Signs Contract for New Generation of Galileo. Acting on behalf of the European Commission, ESA has signed two contracts for an overall amount of €1.47bn, to design and build the first batch of the second generation of Europe’s Galileo navigation satellites. Following an intense process of open competition, these contracts have been awarded to Thales Alenia Space (Italy) and Airbus Defence & Space (Germany) to create two independent families of satellites amounting to 12 Galileo Second Generation satellites in total. (Source: ASD Network/European Space Agency (ESA))
29 May 21. Croatia to drop €1bn on used Rafale fighter jets. Croatia’s government has made a decision to buy 12 second-hand Rafale F3-R fighter jets from France for the country’s Air Force, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said. In 2018, Croatia’s Defence Ministry announced it intended to purchase used Israeli F-16s, but in early 2019 the government scrapped the decision and re-launched the tender. Croatian officials told local media the U.S. government accused its Israeli counterpart of unfair competition in the tender. (Source: Defense News)
02 June 21. Saab and FMV Sign Helicopter Support Agreement. Saab has signed an agreement with FMV regarding full support for Helikopter 15. The agreement is valid from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2026 with additional option years up to 31 December 2030. In conjunction with the agreement, an initial order valued at SEK 550m will be registered. Helikopter 15 has been in operation in the Swedish Armed Forces for around 18 years and since 2012, Saab has had an exclusive agreement to ensure the operational availability of the helicopters. The agreement confirms the Swedish Armed Forces’ continued trust in Saab as a long-term support partner. The agreement includes the following:
- Support and maintenance of all 20 helicopters including mission equipment, military equipment, and technical personnel.
- Base personnel for command, planning and administration.
- The provision of logistics and equipment, including engine maintenance.
- Call options in the form of additional technical personnel and engineering services. (Source: ASD Network)
USA
LAND
03 June 21. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) will produce illuminating flares for General Dynamics – Ordnance and Tactical Systems (GD-OTS) that will be used for the U.S. Army’s Tactical Aviation and Ground Munitions’ (TAGM) unguided Hydra-70 Rocket program. The flares will provide greater tactical battlefield illumination in both the visible and infrared spectra. The five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract award is valued at up to $80m and is for production of the M257 visible spectrum flare, the M278 infrared spectrum illuminating flare and the newly designed M278A1 infrared spectrum illuminating flare. Hydra-70 illuminating flares can be fired from a variety of rotary and fixed-wing platforms, including the U.S. Army Apache and U.S. Marine Corps Cobra attack helicopters, as well as the U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and combat aircraft of many nations worldwide. Northrop Grumman has been providing illumination technology for 40 years, including the first Hydra-70 illumination rounds, which were first patented in 1971.
03 June 21. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $942,900,000 cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of the production, integration, engineering and logistical support, and fielding of Stryker Medium Caliber Weapon System vehicles. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 2, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-21-D-0017).
03 June 21. Textron Systems Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $92,535,540 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for One System Remote Video Terminal (OSRVT) and Soldier Portable OSRVT (SPOT) production with contractor logistics support. 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 Feb. 7, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-21-D-0059).
SEA
28 May 21. Huntington Ingalls Inc., Ingalls Shipbuilding Division, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded a $302,642,828 hybrid cost-plus-award-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee with a special performance incentive, and cost-only-type contract for planning yard support for LPD 17 amphibious transport dock ships, LHD 1/LHA 6 amphibious assault ships, LSD 41/49 dock landing ships and LCC 19 amphibious command ship. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $724,273,053. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi, with as needed on-site technical support for Chief of Naval Operations availabilities at Mayport, Florida; Norfolk, Virginia; San Diego, California; and Sasebo, Japan. Work is expected to be completed by May 2028. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,156,961 (85%); and fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $733,581 (15%) will be obligated at time of award, of which funds in the amount of $4,156,961 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with two offers received via the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-4205).
03 June 21. Northrop Grumman Corp., Plymouth, Minnesota, is awarded a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum ceiling of $81,031,456 for the delivery of up to 300 XM914E1 30mm x 113mm chain guns, spares, training, and associated engineering services in support of the Program Manager Ground-Based Air Defense — Marine Air Defense Integrated System Increment 1 program. All work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2026. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $6,787,066 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire this fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-21-D-0055).
28 May 21. Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $70,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract (N6523621D8007) with provisions for cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task/delivery orders. The contract is for engineering support services and supplies for the conception, design, development and delivery of integrated systems, networks and supporting infrastructure on an emergent basis. It also includes the corresponding engineering, technical, and management support services and equipment for air traffic control, meteorology and oceanography, and aviation command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance electronic systems. The contract includes a single five-year ordering period with an estimated value of $49,009,574 and a two-year option-ordering period, which, if exercised, would bring the estimated value of the contract to $70,000,000. Fiscal 2021 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $25,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina (76%); and San Diego, California (24%). Work is expected to be completed by May 2028. If the option is exercised, work could continue until May 2030. The contract was competitively procured by full and open competition via the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command – Electronic Commerce Central website and the beta.sam.gov website, with three offers received. Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity.
AIR
31 May 21. CAE USA has been awarded a Project Level Agreement under the SOSSEC consortium’s AFLCMC Consortium Initiative (ACI) Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) to design and develop the initial prototype HH-60W virtual reality/mixed reality (VR/MR) aircrew trainer. The HH-60W, known as Jolly Green II, is the U.S. Air Force’s new combat search and rescue helicopter. SOSSEC, Inc., manages the SOSSEC consortium and manages Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) with U.S. Department of Defense agencies to carry out prototype projects. The prototype HH-60W VR/MR aircrew trainer will be developed for the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command, which oversees the critical combat search and rescue and personnel recovery operations for U.S. military services and allies. CAE USA is partnering with Armick Inc., a small business, non-traditional defense contractor specializing in rotary-wing support equipment, to develop the HH-60W VR/MR aircrew trainer. The prototype training device will enable immersive training in a virtual and mixed-reality environment for the entire crew, including pilot, co-pilot and rear-crew special mission aviators. (Source: ASD Network)
01 June 21. KBR, Inc. (NYSE: KBR) won a new $91.8m task order to provide high-end engineering services to research, analyze and develop solutions for U.S. Air Force (USAF) aircraft and other system components managed by the 448th Supply Chain Management Wing (SCMW). The USAF Installation Contracting Center awarded the cost-plus-fixed-fee task order through the DoD Information Analysis Center’s (IAC) Multiple Award Contract, an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity vehicle for complex, integrated professional projects. KBR has supported the mission of the DoD research and development community through various predecessor DoD IAC contracts since 2005. Under the task order, KBR will identify and develop solutions for the Air Force to address Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages (DMSMS) issues associated with increasing aircraft age, such as fatigue cracking, reduced damage tolerance, and corrosion. The company will also provide engineering analyses of electronic warfare systems and components, and assess fundamental design requirements, logistics supportability, and life-limiting degradation issues. Additionally, KBR will assess software and security impacts, and modify requirements due to platform needs or redesign efforts and evaluate aircraft fleet status. This includes depot requirements, repair processes, procurement of parts, modification of procedures, engineering support, data management requirements, software requirements, and overall product support. KBR will carry out these duties in Georgia, Oklahoma, and Utah as well as other locations over the next five years. The company has performed similar tasking for the Air Force Life Cycle Management Command (AFLCMC) since 2005.
01 June 21. Learjet Inc., Wichita, Kansas, has been awarded a $464,851,645 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft. This contract provides for the purchase of up to six Bombardier Global 6000 aircraft and completion work. Work will be performed in Wichita, Kansas, and is expected to be completed May 2026. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement funds in the amount $70,000,000 are being obligated with the initial delivery order, FA8726-21-F-0073, at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8726-21-D-0006).
TECHNOLOGY
28 May 21. Palantir Technologies (NYSE:PLTR) announced today it had been selected by the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) to continue its work as their enterprise data management and AI-enabled mission command platform as part of the Mission Command System/Common Operational Picture program. The contract is valued at a total of $111m, inclusive of options, with $52.5m executed upon award. The total contract includes a base year and one option year. Palantir’s platform has been used by USSOCOM in real-time mission operations to interoperate with other components of the global situational awareness architecture since 2016. Palantir’s software is designed to aggregate disparate and siloed data sources to enable the best possible data-driven decision-making, making Palantir uniquely suited to provide a platform to support unity of effort and enhance high impact decision-making across warfighting functions. Palantir’s technology enables real-time collaboration across USSOCOM and its allies, giving its commanders situational awareness at a global scale, bringing AI to the battlefield, and improving the ability to respond to near-peer threats. Palantir’s software is used for the full life cycle of today’s continuous operations; from planning, to review coordination and approval, through to battle tracking of the actual mission execution. Palantir is proud to have supplied technology to USSOCOM for the past decade. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
02 June 21. Specular Theory Inc. announced today it was awarded a multimillion-dollar Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III contract with the Department of Defense to expand its immersive training products supporting U.S. Air Force B-52, C-17 and KC-135 aircrew training over the next three years. This expansion includes adding more airframes and functionality to the company’s Air to Air Refueling Real-Time Virtual Reality Simulator including Multiplayer capability which allows teams to train together remotely. This Phase III marks the fourth consecutive Phase III contract to be awarded to Specular Theory following the successful delivery of their SBIR Direct-to-Phase II contract with the Air Force in 2020, where they delivered an immersive training solution to teach Airmen how to perform Air Refueling at the Formal Training Unit (FTU). (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
03 June 21. Sypris Electronics, LLC, a subsidiary of Sypris Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq/GM: SYPR), announced today that it has recently received a full-rate production award from a U.S. DOD prime contractor to manufacture and test multiple electronic power supply modules for a large mission-critical U.S. Navy program. Production is expected to begin in the second half of 2021. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The program is an electronic warfare improvement program for the U.S. Navy. The upgrade will provide the capability to actively jam incoming missiles that threaten a warship, cue decoys and adapt quickly to evolving threats. The improvements to the electronic attack portion will provide integrated countermeasures against radio frequency-guided threats and extended frequency range coverage according to the Navy. The system is software-defined, meaning that, unlike analog radars of the past, the transmitters and receivers can easily adjust to send and receive different waveforms and allow the system to be more easily adaptable. The adaptability for active electronic attack comes as foreign aggressors are developing several new classes of missiles simultaneously at a significant rate. Systems like this program and new directed energy weapons are part of the Navy’s bet to improve the odds of survival in conflict without having to invest in expensive new missile systems. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
31 May 21. Barrett Communications announced multiple new contracts for High Frequency (HF) and Very High Frequency (VHF) communications systems to defence, peacekeeping and government customers around the world. Barrett Communications is currently supplying HF and VHF tactical radio communications systems in support of a multi-million dollar contract for international peacekeeping operations. The Chilean Navy is further expanding their existing Barrett HF high power systems. These systems provide monitoring and supervision services protecting the vast Chilean coastline and waters. This contract comprises state of art liquid cooled Barrett 4075 1KW high power systems and Barrett 4050 HF SDR base stations, augmenting existing Barrett radio installations for the Navy. Additionally, Barrett are completing manufacture and delivery of 541 commercial HF base station systems to the Indian Government. The new HF systems are an integral part in developing a resilient HF communications network, connecting government agencies across the country ensuring emergency communications infrastructure resilience.
28 May 21. Cook Defence Systems to support Rheinmetall’s LAND 400 push. The London-based firm has been chosen to supply track systems for Rheinmetall’s Lynx IFV, proposed for selection as part of the government’s LAND 400 Phase 3 program. Rheinmetall has tapped Cook Defence Systems to provide tracks for its Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicles (IFV), which has been proposed to replace the Australian Army’s M113 fleet under the $18.1 – $27.1bn LAND 400 Phase 3 project. Cook Defence Systems’ lightweight TR40 tracks are currently in-service on the British Army’s Ajax vehicles and are being supplied to Rheinmetall for Lynx vehicles produced for other customers. (Source: Defence Connect)
02 June 21. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that following competitive technical evaluations it was awarded an approximately $80m contract by a country in Asia-Pacific to supply SPECTROTM XR multi-spectral electro-optic (“EO”) systems for maritime forces. The contract will be performed over a period of four years. Under the contract, Elbit Systems will supply SPECTRO XR EO systems that will be integrated onboard a variety of maritime platforms. SPECTRO XR is a multi-spectral long-range EO system that provides naval, air and land forces with enhanced intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance (“ISTAR”) capabilities, in both day and night and under low visibility conditions, such as fog, humidity, smoke, haze and dust. Using Artificial Intelligence, SPECTRO XR applies multi-target video tracking, Moving Target Indication and Video Motion Detection to continuously scan for targets, extract operational insights and reduce human error.
01 June 21. Korea’s Hanwha Group has won a 24.3bn-won ($21.8m) deal from the Agency for Defense Development to develop a key device that helps laser beam weapons target drones flying several kilometers away, the company announced. Over the next four years, Hanwha will develop a prototype of an amplification device that magnifies the output and travel distance of laser beams. The program will first apply the anti-drone system at nuclear facilities and airports. (Source: UAS VISION/Korea Herald)
26 May 21. Oshkosh Defense has been awarded a $26m contract for procurement of HEMTT (Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck) variants for Egypt. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $26,067,335 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of M978A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck Tankers, M984A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck Wreckers and M1070A1 Heavy Equipment Transporters. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (Egypt) funds in the amount of $26,067,335 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. (Source: joint-forces.com)
SEA
03 June 21. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $33,105,737 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 53 distributed targeting processor-networked (DTP-N) B-kits; 44 DTP-N A1-kits; and 19 DTP-N A2 kits in support of DTP-N full-rate production to implement anti-surface warfare capability in the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft for the Navy and government of Australia. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (78%); and St Louis, Missouri (22%), and is expected to be completed in September 2023. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $ 21,740,453; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $11,365,284 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001921C0001).
02 June 21. HENSOLDT UK announced the supply of radar sensor suites consisting of Kelvin Hughes Mk11 S and X Band SharpEye radar systems to the South African Navy (SAN) for three Multi Mission Inshore Patrol Vessels built by the Damen Shipyards Cape Town, South Africa. These vessels, SAN MMIPV’s, will protect the coasts of the Republic of South Africa from such threats as piracy and illegal fishing. The SharpEye Mk11 range were an ideal choice for these demanding applications. The SharpEye Mk11 radars are approved by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and are installed in conjunction with an OSI integrated navigation bridge system. The radars will provide a navigation and surface surveillance capability. The solid-state SharpEye transceivers are located upmast in the carbon composite turning unit housing and bring additional benefits such as ease of installation and high reliability. The use of a direct drive motor system, rather than a traditional antenna rotator gearbox, reduces maintenance costs.
28 May 21. Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded an $112,690,243 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-20-C-5400 to perform Navy transition to production efforts for RAM Block 2B and exercise options for fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Egypt for the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2 guided-missile round pack (GMRP). This contract includes purchases to the government of Egypt under the FMS program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (62%); Ottobrunn, Germany (27%); Glenrothes, Scotland (4%); Midland, Canada, (1%); Plymouth, England, (1%) and other U.S. locations, each less than 1% (5%), and is expected to be completed by December 2024. FMS Egypt funds in the amount of $113,752,536 (97%); and fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,123,904 (3%) 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
03 June 21. DoD/DSCA Notifies Congress of Possible FMS of AH-64E Apache Helicopters to Australia. The U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the Congress that the Government of Australia has requested to buy twenty-nine (29) AH-64E Apache attack helicopters; sixty-four (64) T700-GE 701D engines (58 installed, 6 spares); twenty-nine (29) AN/ASQ-170 Modernized Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/AN/AAR-11 Modernized Pilot Night Vision Sensors (M-TADS/PNVS); sixteen (16) AN/APG-78 Fire Control Radars (FCR) with Radar Electronic Units; twenty-nine (29) AN/APR-48B Modernized Radar Frequency Interferometers (MRFI); seventy (70) Embedded Global Positioning Systems with Inertial Navigation Systems plus Multi-Mode Receiver (EGI+MMR) (58 installed, 12 spares); thirty-five (35) AAR-57 Common Missile Warning Systems (CMWS) (29 installed, 6 spares); seventy (70) AN/ARC-231A Very High Frequency/Ultra High Frequency (VHF/UHF) radios (58 installed, 12 spares); eighty-five (85) AGM-114R Hellfire missiles; twenty-nine (29) M36E8 Hellfire Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM); and two thousand (2,000) Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System Guidance Sections (APKWS-GS). Also included are AN/APR-39 Radar Signal Detecting Sets; AN/AVR-2B Laser Detecting Sets; AN/APX-123A Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) transponders; IDM-401 Improved Data Modems; Link-16 Small Tactical Terminal KOR-24-A; Improved Countermeasure Dispensing System (ICMD); AN/ARN-149 (V)3 Automatic Direction Finders; Doppler ASN-157 Doppler Radar Velocity Sensors; AN/APN-209 Radar Altimeters Common Core (RACC); AN/ARN-153 Tactical Air Navigation Set (TACAN); AN/PYQ-10(C) Simple Key Loader; M230E1 + M139 AWS Automatic Gun; M261 Rocket Launchers; M299 missile launchers; 2.75 inch rockets; 30mm rounds; High Explosive Warhead for airborne 2.75 rockets, inert; MK66-4 2.75 inch rocket High Explosive warhead M151 fuze M423 motor; MK66-4 2.75 inch rocket warhead M274 motor; MK66-4 2.75 inch rocket motor; M151HE 2.75 inch warhead; Manned-Unmanned Teaming-2 (MUMT-X) video receivers; Manned-Unmanned Teaming-2 (MUMT-X) Air-Air-Ground kits; training devices; communication systems; helmets; simulators; generators; transportation and organization equipment; spare and repair parts; support equipment; tools and test equipment; technical data and publications; personnel training and training equipment; U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance; technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of program and logistical support. The total estimated value is $3.5bn. The prime contractors involved in this program will be Boeing, Mesa, AZ; and Lockheed Martin, Orlando, FL. The purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor(s). (Source: glstrade.com)
31 May 21. The Australian Space Agency has tapped global firm Frazer-Nash Consultancy to deliver specialist support services for its national space program. The agreement includes the provision of risk management and technical support services for the Australian Space Agency, including launch and return services and technical support in the field of high-powered rockets The Australian Space Agency is a division of the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science and was established in 2018 to develop the local industry. The space agency’s work includes supporting the growth of local SMEs, enhancing export opportunities, and partnering with peer organisations like NASA on its Moon to Mars initiative. (Source: Space Connect)
TECHNOLOGY
31 May 21. REDARC wins export contract. The South Australia-based firm has secured a contract to deliver electronic soloutions to a foreign government. REDARC Electronics has signed a multimillion-dollar contract to deliver on board power management and control systems to Singapore. According to the firm, the contract was supported by its receipt of $150,000 in funding from the Commonwealth government under the Defence Global Competitiveness Grant. The grant was awarded to fund the development of coating printed circuit boards, providing added protection for commercial military vehicles. (Source: Defence Connect)