UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
SEA
24 May 22. Type 45 Ballistic Missile Defence upgrade to support more than 100 UK jobs. The upgraded defence system, using the ASTER 30 Block 1 missile previously used only in French and Italian land systems, will help UK forces combat the increasing threats posed by anti-ship ballistic missiles at sea by developing the missile into a maritime variant. The Ministry of Defence has placed an initial contract for this work with MBDA which, when delivered, will be worth more than £300 m and support more than 100 jobs across the UK – including highly skilled technology roles in areas such as system design and software engineering in Stevenage, Cowes, Bristol and Bolton. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
AIR
23 May 22. Horizon Technologies announced a £2m contract for FlyingFish™ airborne SIGINT systems for a NATO customer. This follows a number of 1Q 2022 orders from a variety of customers around the world seeking to upgrade their ISR capabilities. Horizon Technologies’ FlyingFish™ system is currently involved in NATO operations along the Ukrainian border, and is exceeding expectations as part of these high-tempo missions.
24 May 22. Indra, a leading global engineering technology company for the aerospace, defence and mobility industries, will be equipping NATO’s Combined Air Operations Center (CAOC) in Uedem, Germany, with a state-of-the-art voice communications system (VCS) that will strengthen the Alliance’s ability to coordinate air policing missions protecting our continent’s skies north of the Alps. The company has signed a supply and support contract with the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Supports (BAAINBw) for the Armed Forces, which is funded by the NATO Security Investment Program (NSIP). Indra’s technology, which will guarantee maximum resilience and availability and allows for the management of classified information, will enhance the capabilities of this top-level centre, part of NATO’s air command structure and NATINAMDS (Integrated Air and Missile Defence System). Alliance air policing operations in central and northern Europe are directed from its facilities, including NATO’s Baltic Air Policing operations. (Source: Google/www.joint-forces.com)
23 May 22. Serco, the international provider of services to governments, has been awarded a new three-year contract to continue to deliver Glider Maintenance Services for RAF Air Cadets. The new contract enables the RAF Air Cadets (RAFAC) to deliver gliding training. It has three elements; glider maintenance, winch maintenance, and the provision and maintenance of the Aerotow aircraft system, and it builds upon the aircraft maintenance which Serco already delivers. Additionally Serco provides all spare parts to the RAF’s Grob Viking TMk1 Glider Fleet.
TECHNOLOGY
20 May 22. Thales and GEOS selected to deploy NCOP 2 at 30 Nato sites. The deployment of the NCOP 2 system aims to offer joint forces under Nato command with shared operational situational awareness. Thales and GEOS have been selected by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) to deploy Nato Common Operational Picture (NCOP 2) software at 30 sites. The deployment of the NCOP 2 system aims to offer joint forces under Nato command with shared operational situational awareness. As agreed, the software system will be installed at both fixed and deployed command centres. During joint operations, the land, air, and naval units use different types of command systems. In turn, this creates huge amounts of geo-referenced operational information. NCOP will collect, aggregate, and correlate all this information, and then generate a single comprehensive picture of the theatre of operations. The Common Operational Picture (COP) will ensure every entity has a shared view of the locations, actions, and objectives of the forces in the field. Thales’ software system is based on an open architecture and includes specialised modules. (Source: army-technology.com)
EUROPE
LAND
23 May 22. The Arquus plant in Limoges receives a grant of €800 KE for its new logistics platform project. On May 11, 2022, Mrs. Fabienne BUCCIO, Prefect of the New Aquitaine region, presented Arquus with an exceptional grant on behalf of the State to support industrial investment in the territories. This announcement was made during an evening gathering the winners of the “Territoires d’Industrie” (Territories of Industry) call for projects organized at the prefectural residence in Bordeaux. Ms. BUCCIO emphasized the strong commitment of the State to accelerate industrial projects, the promotion of trades and industrial activities in the territories. She also recalled the commitments made by France in terms of sustainable development and decarbonization for 2030, commitments that involve all economic actors in the region.
24 May 22. Poland requests six additional Patriot batteries from the United States. Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Błaszczak has announced his country is launching the second phase of its mid-range air defense program by requesting the U.S. government to sell it six Patriot batteries with related gear. According to industry sources at the event, the “omnidirectional” sensor in question is the Raytheon-developed Lower-Tier Air-and-Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, which the manufacturer has named GhostEye. The value of the planned procurement was not disclosed. The first Patriot contract, under which two Configuration 3+ batteries are to be delivered to Warsaw this year, came with a $4.75 bn price tag. (Source: Defense News)
24 May 22. Sectra (STO: SECT B) has received several orders from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV). The orders include further development and maintenance of high-performing VPN and mobile telephony solutions approved for highly classified information. The partnership and orders will strengthen protection against the quantum computers of the future, which could threaten traditional encryption technology. The order value amounted to approximately SEK 65 m and the agreements were signed in the fourth quarter of Sectra’s 2021/2022 fiscal year. Sectra has been working together with FMV since 1987 and has developed and delivered products for secure communication throughout this partnership. The continued collaboration will strengthen the communications protection capacity of the Swedish defense forces, today and in the future.
SEA
24 May 22. FMV contracts for new surface ship torpedo tubes. Sweden’s Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has contracted Saab Dynamics to supply new 400 mm diameter torpedo launcher systems for Royal Swedish Navy (RSwN) surface combatants. Announced on 24 May by both Saab and FMV, the approximately SEK150m (USD15.3m) order covers the delivery of the new Tub m/20 launch tube previously developed for the Finnish Navy’s four new Pohjanmaa-class corvettes. Deliveries are set to start in 2023. The Tub m/20 – an evolution of the existing Tub m/8502 tube used on the RSwN’s Visby-class and Gävle-class corvettes – will be used to store and launch both the in-service Torpedo 45 and the successor Torpedo 47. While the two tube types have a similar form factor, thus enabling a seamless transition in service, the Tub m/20 incorporates a number of improvements including remote monitoring from the command information centre, and improved accessibility. (Source: Janes)
AIR
23 May 22. Barnbrook Systems Ltd will provide 64 of its smart fuel pressure switches for use on 16 of Poland’s Leonardo AW101 aircraft. The device will give crews the power to refuel in mid-air, extending their flight ranges and allowing them to save more lives. Barnbrook Systems, which employs 35 people in Fareham, sealed the six-figure deal as it steps up preparations for the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow in late July. (Source: News Now/https://www.manufacturingmanagement.co.uk/content/news)
25 May 22. Kongsberg has Received a Contract Extension to Upgrade F-16 Aircrafts. Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS) has extended its existing contract with the Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) to overhaul and make ready for sale an additional batch of F-16 aircraft. The contract also includes overhaul of engines and has a value of 200MNOK. The work on the aircrafts will take place at KAMS’ facilities at Kjeller, near Oslo and will ensure that F-16 competences are maintained in Norway for years. The aircrafts will be returned to operating status and then maintained so that they are ready for service again. KAMS has 40 years of experience in maintaining, repairing and upgrading Norway’s F-16 fleet. The Norwegian Defence Material Agency has entered into a contract with Draken International for the sale of up to 12 former Norwegian F-16’s and is in the process of completing the sale of another 32 aircraft to Romania. Pending official approval from the Norwegian and American authorities, the first aircraft are expected to be delivered to Draken this year and Romania during 2023. (Source: ASD Network)
17 May 22. SpaceBridge Receives A Multi-M$ Satellite Network Infrastructure Order From Hellas Sat. Hellas Sat has awarded SpaceBridge an end-to-end VSAT project that will consist of two VSAT platforms to provide a fully encrypted, SATCOM hybrid platform that will simultaneously support Star & Mesh network topologies. SpaceBridge will provide two, fully redundant Teleports and User Terminals to serve important and critical locations for Hellas Sat end customers. (Source: Satnews)
USA
LAND
26 May 22. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida, was awarded a $50,891,362 firm-fixed-price contract for 120 mm tank training ammunition. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2026. Fiscal 2022 procurement of ammunition, Army funds in the amount of $50,891,362 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-22-C-0023).
25 May 22. Kromek (AIM: KMK), a leading developer of radiation and bio-detection technology solutions for the advanced imaging and CBRN detection segments, announces that it has received an order from a US federal entity for the Group’s D3S-ID wearable nuclear radiation detector. The order is worth $695,000 and is to be delivered in the coming months. This is a repeat order for the D3S-ID from this customer, following the award of a $1.6m two-year contract in September 2021. The D3S-ID is designed to enable first responders, armed forces, border security and other CBRN experts to detect radiological threats such as dirty bombs, radioactive contamination and smuggling of radioactive substances. It is a wearable gamma neutron RIID (radioisotope identification device) that the Group believes is one of the fastest and most accurate isotope identification devices in its class on the market. Kromek’s D3S platform – comprising the Group’s range of D3S products – is widely deployed as a networked solution to protect cities, buildings, or critical infrastructure.
26 May 22. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Plymouth, Minnesota, was awarded a $74,678,928 modification (P00081) to contract W15QKN-13-C-0074 for procurement of M1156 precision guidance kits. Work will be performed in Plymouth, Minnesota, with an estimated completion date of July 28, 2027. Fiscal 2022 procurement of ammunition, Army funds in the amount of $74,678,928 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
26 May 22. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Plymouth, Minnesota, was awarded a $66,718,889 firm-fixed-price contract for 120 mm tank training ammunition. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Plymouth, Minnesota, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2026. Fiscal 2020, 2021 and 2022 procurement of ammunition, Army funds in the amount of $66,718,889 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-22-C-0024).
25 May 22. Rheinmetall supplies light artillery cannon to U.S. Army – contract worth over two m US dollars. Rheinmetall makes a decisive contribution to the U.S. Army’s light artillery cannon project. Rheinmetall’s subsidiary American Rheinmetall Munition (Stafford, VA) has been awarded a $2.5M contract from the U.S. Army for the delivery of a shorter and lighter artillery weapon system in support of the National Defense Strategy. A lightweight artillery cannon would enhance the mobility, maneuverability and lethality of Army artillery systems and provide the long-range firing performance capability the Army is seeking for its entire howitzer fleet. It will further inform the Army’s ongoing capability assessment for a next-generation armament. American Rheinmetall Munition is currently expanding its role as a major supplier of innovative, next-generation weapons and ammunition in the U.S., drawing on a global portfolio of world class munitions and armaments offered by Rheinmetall and its affiliates. The company has been producing and supplying high-performance practice and direct fire service ammunition for American military and law enforcement customers for several decades. This new prototype artillery solution contract represents another opportunity to demonstrate American Rheinmetall Munition’s commitment to serve as a vital partner to the Army and to deliver next-generation technology. American Rheinmetall Munition is part of the American Rheinmetall family of U.S. defense companies which include American Rheinmetall Systems in Biddeford, ME, American Rheinmetall Vehicles in Sterling Heights, MI, and U.S. corporate parent American Rheinmetall Defense in Reston, VA.
24 May 22. RISE™Robotics, the Zero Emission heavy machinery company, announced today that it has been awarded a $1.2m Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Award by United States Air Force AFVentures. With this SBIR Phase II Award, RISE™Robotics will design an Ultra-Light 10K Loader enabled by RISE™Technology. The loader concept design will be capable of swift and safe manipulation of standard 463L cargo pallets in austere landing fields and will be a fraction of the weight of the legacy diesel-over-hydraulic 10K AT Forklift. RISE™Robotics CEO, Arron Acosta commented, “Unloading and loading heavy cargo pallets from austere landing fields will be done with RISE™’s lighter weight equipment that reduces transportation fuel usage. Today, commercial articulated wheel loaders with large off-road tires do the job well, but reducing fuel consumption is a new challenge best solved by RISE™.” RISE™Robotics zero emission machines incorporate the patented RISE™Cylinder (US Patent 11255416, Patent Pending: WO2019/014259), a fluid-free, electromechanical alternative to hydraulic cylinders for heavy equipment and machinery that addresses the battery-electrification problems inherent in hydraulic systems by delivering hydraulic-like forces at unprecedented efficiency, precision, speed, and weight. RISE™Cylinder uses up to 90% less energy than hydraulic cylinders. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
24 May 22. Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), has won another $14 m contract to deliver its Black Hornet® 3 Personal Reconnaissance Systems (PRS) to the United States Army. The advanced nano unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are being used to augment squad and small unit-level surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as part of the Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor (SBS) program. In late 2018 the U.S. Army began acquiring Black Hornet 3’s to support the SBS effort. Since then, it has placed orders totaling nearly $115 m for the multi-faceted nano drone. Extremely light and well suited for operations in contested environments, nearly silent, and with a flight time up to 25 minutes, the combat-proven, pocket-sized Black Hornet PRS transmits live video and HD still images back to the operator. Its information feed provides soldiers with immediate covert situational awareness to help them perform missions more effectively. Teledyne FLIR Defense has delivered more than 20,000 Black Hornet nano-UAVs to defense and security forces worldwide. (Source: ASD Network)
SEA
23 May 22. Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $422,662,824 fixed-price incentive (firm target) modification to previously awarded contract N00024-22-C-5500 to exercise options for hardware production of the AN/SPY-6(V) Family of Radars. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts (29%); Scottsdale, Arizona (14%); San Diego, California (12%); Sykesville, Maryland (10%); Syracuse, New York (8%); Stafford Springs, Connecticut (5%); Hanahan, South Carolina (3%); Indianapolis, Indiana (3%); Cerritas, California (3%); Huntsville, Alabama (3%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (2%); Dallas, Texas (2%); Riverside, California (2%); Tulsa, Oklahoma (2%); Eau Claire, Wisconsin (1%); and Newark, California (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $404,751,741 (96%); and fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,911,083 (4%) 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.
24 May 22. Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $217,121,769 fixed-price-incentive, firm-fixed-price contract. This contract procures 154 full-rate production Block V Tactical Tomahawk All Up Round Vertical Launch System missiles as follows: 70 for the Navy, 54 for the Marine Corps, and 30 for the Army. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (34%); Pontiac, Michigan (14%); Camden, Arkansas (10%); Huntsville, Alabama (7%); Clearwater, Florida (4%); El Segundo, California (3%); Spanish Fork, Utah (3%); Glenrothes, Fife, United Kingdom (3%); Anniston, Alabama (2%); Berryville, Arkansas (2%); Ontario, California (2%); Middletown, Connecticut (2%); Vergennes, Vermont (2%); Midland, Ontario, Canada (2%); Moorpark, California (1%); Anaheim, California (1%); Irvine, California (1%); Pomona, California (1%); South El Monte, California (1%); Valencia, California (1%); Westminster, Colorado (1%); Salt Lake City, Utah (1%); and various location within the continental U.S. (2%), and is expected to be completed in January 2025. Fiscal 2022 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $98,691,713; fiscal 2022 procurement of ammunition (Navy/Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $73,313,844; fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $42,296,449; and fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,819,763 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 Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001922C0031).
AIR
23 May 22. Airbus has signed a follow-on Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) contract with the U.S. Army to provide spare parts, material, and engineering support for the Army’s entire UH-72A and UH-72 B Lakota fleet of 482 utility and training helicopters. The contract includes a six-month base and 4.5 option years, with a potential total value of more than $1.5bn. Airbus will provide support across 67 Lakota sites in the U.S. and overseas. This includes National Guard bases in 43 states, and Fort Rucker in Alabama, where the UH-72A performs the Army’s Initial Entry Rotary Wing mission (IERW). The CLS contract with the U.S. Army is the largest helicopter performance-based support contract managed by Airbus worldwide.
24 May 22. BlueHalo has been awarded a $1.4bn contract by the Space Rapid Capabilities Office (SpRCO), a direct reporting unit of the U.S. Space Force. The award is for the Satellite Communication Augmentation Resource (SCAR) program. This effort will include full lifecycle development from initial design through full rate production. The SCAR program will deliver premier satellite operations capability—maximizing automation, flexibility, and commonality while enabling continuous modernization. BlueHalo’s advanced radio frequency (RF) solutions will serve as the key enabling technology for the SCAR program. The foundation of the program is BlueHalo’s proprietary Multi-band Software Defined Antenna (MSDA) technology. BlueHalo’s MSDA is a phased array technology that simplifies mission operations through agile and re-configurable beamforming tiles. BlueHalo’s Broad Area Deployable Ground terminal enabling Resilient communication (BADGER) provides a multi-band and deployable ground communications system built upon the core MSDA technology. The system is extensible across multiple mission areas, enabling communications between multiple spatial, spectral, and temporal diverse targets. (Source: PR Newswire)
26 May 22. Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: MRCY, www.mrcy.com), a leader in trusted, secure mission-critical technologies for aerospace and defense, today announced it had received a $7.9m order from a leading defense prime contractor for high-performance embedded processing systems for a ground-based radar application. The order was received in the Company’s fiscal 2022 third quarter and is expected to be shipped over the next several quarters.
25 May 22. Planet Labs PBC (NYSE: PL), a leading provider of daily data and insights about Earth, today announced that the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) has selected Planet Labs Federal, Inc. (Planet Federal), Planet’s wholly owned subsidiary, for an award to the Electro-Optical Commercial Layer (EOCL) contract. EOCL is the U.S. government’s industry-defining procurement vehicle for unclassified commercial satellite imagery and represents the Federal government’s significant investment in and commitment to the commercial remote sensing sector and the capabilities and value it provides. Planet Federal’s EOCL award will enable the NRO and its partners, including those across the US national security community, to access Planet’s high and medium resolution, daily satellite imagery for an initial period of up to five years, with options to extend the contract up to a total contract performance term of 10 years. Through the award, users will have access to Planet’s market-defining earth observation data, including daily, medium resolution PlanetScope and high resolution SkySat. Once in orbit and operational, users will also have access to Planet’s next generation, rapid revisit Pelican fleet that is expected to deliver up to 30cm resolution data. The contract also makes available Planet’s unequaled archive of over 2,000 images of every point on the Earth’s landmass, dating back to 2009. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
26 May 22. Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $408,399,834 modification (P00018) to a previously awarded, cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price incentive (firm-target), cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract (N0001921C0011). This modification provides for F135 propulsion system annual sustainment including maintenance of support equipment and unique maintenance services for conventional take-off and landing/carrier variant (F-35A and F-35C) and short take-off and landing (F-35B). Additionally, this modification provides support for common program activities, unique and common base recurring sustainment, repair of repairables, field service representatives, as well as common replenishment of spares. These efforts are in support of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Air National Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (47%); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (15%); Indianapolis, Indiana (13%); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (6%); West Palm Beach, Florida (5%); Brekstad, Norway (2%); Leeuwarden, Netherlands (2%); Williamtown, New South Wales, Australia (2%); Beaufort, South Carolina (1%); Cameri, Italy (1%); Eglin, Florida (1%); Edwards, California (1%); Hill Air Force Base, Utah (1%); Iwakuni, Japan (1%); Luke AFB, Arizona (1%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (1%), and is expected to be completed in November 2022. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $232,550,128; fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $65,624,251; fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Air National Guard) funds in the amount of $15,278,335; fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,144,650; non-U.S. DOD participant funds in the amount of $55,385,329; and FMS funds in the amount of $29,417,141 will be obligated at time of award, $323,597,364 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
25 May 22. Tactical Air Support has selected L3Harris Technologies to upgrade its F-5 Advanced Tiger (AT) fighter aircraft fleet. As part of the agreement, L3Harris will provide sensor and system capabilities that will upgrade the F-5 aircraft to the standard of the US Department of Defence’s (DoD) fourth-generation fighter aircraft. L3Harris will deliver tools including GH-4001 Electronic Standby Instrument System (ESIS) and Tactical Airborne Navigation Systems (TACAN+). The two systems will enable pilots to efficiently achieve mission-critical responsibilities via improved situational awareness and advanced flight data to enhance safety. L3Harris’ TACAN+ system features two automatic air-to-air transmit and receive modes, which provide improved tactical efficiency and mission capabilities to the aircraft. In addition, the system will allow the aircraft to track another lead aircraft in a variety of flying operations, with a minimum closest follower distance of 20m. The GH-4001 uses next-generation standby technologies to provide sensor and system capabilities, as well as cater to several evolving requirements of high-performance military aircraft. The flexible technology can also be configured for both single-seated and two-seated aircraft. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
24 May 22. Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nevada, has been awarded a $33,997,595 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement-no-fee order modification (P00003) to contract FA8509-20-F-0014, under Basic Contract FA8509-19-D-0001, for the MC-130J Airborne Mission Networking program low rate initial production. This order provides for the procurement of production kits, spares, interim contactor support and weapon system trainer support. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 19, 2023. Fiscal 2022 U.S. Southern Command other procurement funds in the amount of $8,283,414; and fiscal 2022 Air Force other procurement funds in the amount of $25,714,181 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded May 13, 2022)
TECHNOLOGY
23 May 22. KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a $44 m task order to protect U.S. Air Force systems and software from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification or destruction. This effort directly supports the Air Force Life Cycle Management (AFLCMC) Cyber Systems Engineering Directorate. KBR was awarded this contract under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s (DoD IAC) multiple-award contract (MAC) vehicle. These DoD IAC MAC task orders (TOs) are awarded by the U.S. Air Force’s 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron to develop and create new knowledge for the enhancement of the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) repository and the R&D and S&T community.
26 May 22. General Dynamics Mission Systems, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a contract in the amount of $324,516,613, including a base amount of $162,954,122 and $161,562,491 in options, to establish the ground Operations and Integration (O&I) segment for Tranche 1 of the National Defense Space Architecture. This effort designs, develops, integrates, verifies and delivers integrated mission operations and support activities, including operation center(s) sustainment. Funds obligated at the time of award are defense-wide fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Space Development Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (HQ085022C0007).
24 May 22. The United States Army has awarded Intellisense Systems, Inc., a leading provider of avionics systems and display technology, a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II contract for development of the Secure Modular Architecture for Reusable Transfer of Display Data (SMART-2D) technology. SMART-2D enables pilots to securely upload key data like flight plans, mission data, or display configurations onto the aircraft via a smart carry-on device like a tablet or electronic flight bag. This system incorporates an open-architecture approach that will significantly expand opportunities for interfacing aircraft displays with carry-on devices. SMART-2D implements Future Airborne Capabilities Environment (FACE™)-conformant data models and innovatively exchanges display data over a secure network backbone that mitigates the impact to and integrity of mission-critical systems. (Source: PR Newswire)
18 May 22. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) has been selected by the U.S. Department of Defense to deliver artificial intelligence services to improve intelligence gathering and collaboration across the defense and intelligence communities. The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) Data Readiness for AI Development contract is a five-year blanket purchase agreement that allows the DOD to more effectively use artificial intelligence. Data must undergo a preparation process before artificial intelligence is able to net useful results. The agreement allows DOD to access data management and analytic services that will ease the process. (Source: Satnews)
24 May 22. Palantir USG Inc., Palo Alto, California, has been awarded a $53,899,333 firm-fixed-price modification (P000010) to previously awarded contract FA8806-21-C-0010 for Project Brown Heron Data-as-a-Service. The contract modification provides for a Data-as-a-Service platform that supports three mission areas to automatically ingest data across the Department of the Air Force that informs personnel decisions, planning and operations and space situational awareness and command and control. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, California, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2023. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $16,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $175,399,333. Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.
20 May 22. Sarcos Technology and Robotics’ wholly owned subsidiary has been awarded a contract from the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Under the new contract, Sarcos Defense will develop a collaborative sensing platform for the US Department of Defense (DoD). The system will support the DoD to identify, track and classify time-sensitive objects in various adversarial environments. According to Sarcos, research will focus on the collaborative sensing algorithms, which can allow the autonomous and semi-autonomous systems to accurately detect, track and classify known and unknown objects of interest. The effort revolves around a new artificial intelligence (AI) concept called Closed Loop Ubiquitous Tasking and Control of Heterogeneous Exploring Sensors (CLUTCHES). CLUTCHES integrates upstream multi-sensor fusion with individual platforms or adaptive real-time sensor management systems. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
24 May 22. Fabryka Broni sells Grot rifles to African customer. Polish Armaments Group (Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa: PGZ) announced in a press release on 19 May that it had been awarded a contract by an East African country for Grot rifles chambered in 7.62×39 mm. The company would not disclose the customer‘s name and the contract value. The firearms, manufactured by PGZ subsidiary Fabryka Broni (FB) ‘Łucznik’ Radom, will be delivered with under-barrel grenade launchers (UBGLs) and daylight optical sights manufactured by another PGZ subsidiary, Przemysłowe Centrum Optyki (PCO). Janes expects the 7.62×39 mm Grot rifles to be delivered with 16-inch barrels, telescopic stocks, and 30-round magazines. The weapons can be operated in full-auto and single-shot modes and they have a theoretical rate of fire of 700–900 rds/min. (Source: Janes)
27 May 22. Australian Army makes HIMARS procurement bid. The US Department of State has approved the possible sale of Lockheed Martin’s M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) to Australia. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said on 26 May that the Foreign Military Sale of 20 M142 launchers and associated weapons and equipment is estimated to cost USD385m. The proposed deal needs approval by the US Congress. In addition to the M142s, equipment in the deal include 30 M30A2 guided multiple launch rocket systems (GMLRS), 30 M31A2 GMLRS unitary high-explosive pods, 30 XM403 extended range alternative warhead pods, and 10 M57 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) munitions. DSCA said the proposed deal supports US security objectives in the Indo-Pacific. “The proposed sale will improve Australia’s capability to meet current and future threats, and will enhance interoperability with US forces and other allied forces,” it added. (Source: Janes)
20 May 22. US State Department approves sale of TOW 2A RF missiles to Egypt. Raytheon Missiles & Defense in Tucson, Arizona, will be the principal contractor for the proposed sale. US Army soldiers from the 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division, launch a TOW missile during training. Credit: Soldiers Media Center, United States Army/ commons.wikimedia.org. The US State Department has approved a possible $691m sale of TOW 2A Radio Frequency (RF) missiles, and associated support, to Egypt. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified the US Congress of this possible foreign military sale (FMS). The move comes after the Government of Egypt placed a request to purchase 5,000 TOW 2A, RF missiles, BGM-71E-4B-RF; and 70 TOW 2A, RF missiles, BGM-71E-4B-RF (Fly-to-Buy Lot Acceptance missiles). The potential sale will also include missile support equipment, training, technical manuals/publications, spare parts, tool and test equipment, and logistical support, among others. Raytheon Missiles & Defense in Tucson, Arizona, will be the principal contractor. The potential sale proposes no other known offset agreements. The new TOW 2A RF missiles will replenish Egypt’s arsenal. It will be used during counter-terrorism operations and to improve border security against potential armoured threats. (Source: army-technology.com)
26 May 22. XTEK wins ballistic armour order. The ASX-listed defence company has received an order for its body armour and ballistic helmets. XTEK Limited has announced it has secured a $9.5m deal to supply its HighCom body armour products to an undisclosed customer over the coming weeks. The rapid supply order includes the provision of both body armour and ballistic helmets. The products, billed as “ultra-lightweight and “high-performance”, are manufactured at the company’s advanced manufacturing site in Columbus, Ohio and supported by the patented XTclave capability in Adelaide, South Australia. (Source: Defence Connect)
AIR
26 May 22. The U.S. State Department has approved the potential sale of CH-47F Chinook helicopters and related equipment to Egypt for an estimated cost of $2.6bn, the Pentagon said on Thursday. Egypt had requested to buy 23 CH-47F Chinook helicopters, the Pentagon said, adding that the principal contractor will be Boeing Helicopter Co. (BA.N). (Source: Reuters)