UNITED KINGDOM AND NATO
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02 Aug 22. The U.S. State Department approved the possible foreign military sale to the United Kingdom of Javelin Lightweight Command Launch units for an estimated cost of $300m, the Pentagon said on Monday. The UK government had requested to buy 513 Javelin Lightweight Command Launch Units. The principal contractor would be the Javelin Joint Venture, a joint venture of Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N) and Raytheon Technologies Corp (RTX.N), the Pentagon said in a statement. (Source: Reuters)
03 Aug 22. Major order from NATO customer: Rheinmetall supplying 155mm artillery ammunition in the upper-two-digit m-euro range. Rheinmetall has proven once again its compelling expertise in the world of indirect fire systems: a NATO customer has just placed an order with the Group’s South African subsidiary Rheinmetall Denel Munition to supply 155mm ammunition from its tried-and-tested Assegai product line. Awarded in July, the contract is worth a figure in the upper-two-digit m-euro range. Delivery will take place over the next two years. The new order encompasses the complete 155mm Assegai ammunition system, including fuses, different projectile types such as high-explosive service rounds, and Assegai artillery propelling charges. The Assegai family of artillery ammunition can be fired from any NATO STANAG-compatible artillery system, including the PzH 2000 self-propelled howitzer. Back in 2019, Rheinmetall succeeded in setting a new maximum range record in South Africa with the Assegai family and other Group products like the new Topcharge. Thanks to the Assegai system approach – from fuse to projectile to propelling charges – long ranges were attained with various artillery systems. A non-NATO 155mm artillery gun with 52 calibre lengths and a 25-litre propelling charge chamber achieved a record range of 76 kilometres. Rheinmetall Denel Munition is already working on other future artillery technologies. For example, the rocket motor in conventional 155mm Assegai projectiles is being improved. In addition to this, a new development is on the way that will boost the maximum range to over 155 kilometres.
03 Aug 22. WFEL and RBSL select Rolls Royce Services Limited to supply MTU engines for Boxer. WFEL and Rheinmetall BAE Systems Land (RBSL) have each selected Rolls Royce Solutions UK to supply their MTU engine for the British Army’s new Boxer Armoured vehicles. The MTU 8v 199 TS21 engines are proven in military applications. With a power output of 600kw, the engines allow for enhanced operational mobility and agility, and a higher electrical load. The Boxers for the British Army will be the first versions of the vehicle equipped with this engine variant, delivering 70 KW more power than the MTU engines in previous versions of the Boxer. 523 units will be produced in Rolls Royce’s facility in East Grinstead, West Sussex, for the UK MOD’s Mechanised Infantry Vehicle (MIV) programme. For the fulfilment of the contract with WFEL, the Rolls Royce engines will be delivered directly to Huddersfield-based David Brown Santasalo, another key UK partner in WFEL’s Boxer programme, who will integrate the engines into the complete Boxer Powerpack Assemblies, prior to delivery to WFEL. First delivery of the engines will take place later this year. For RBSL, assembly and testing of the Boxer Powerpack (transmission, engine and cooling systems) will take place at its world-class manufacturing site in Telford. The engines will then be integrated into Boxer vehicles as part of RBSL and WFEL’s vehicle production plans at their respective UK facilities in Telford and Stockport.
TECHNOLOGY
02 Aug 22. Flarebright has won funding for two Future Flight Challenge projects to continue development into Phase 3. The two projects, Sustainable Aviation Test Environment (SATE) and SafeZone.
EUROPE
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29 Jul 22. On July 13th, Nexter was notified by the French Ministry of the Armed Forces through the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) of the order for new CAESAR artillery systems. The systems will be delivered to the French Army by summer 2024 at the latest. Nexter, together with the DGA, have demonstrated great responsiveness in setting up the production launch of 18 CAESAR systems within a few weeks. This accelerated procedure is in line with a wartime economy. In order to allow a rapid availability while awaiting the entry into service of the CAESAR MkII, which will progressively equip the army’s artillery regiments from 2026 onwards, the Ministry of the Armed Forces has chosen the CAESAR MkI. The CAESAR MkI is the first version of this 155mm artillery system mounted on a truck chassis. Being the lightest in its class (18t), it has a very low logistical weight and demonstrates unmatched tactical, operational and strategic mobility. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
AIR
03 Aug 22. Boeing [NYSE: BA] and the Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness (DAAA) have signed an order for the company to continue providing full Performance Based Logistics (PBL) support to the Italian Air Force (ItAF) four KC-767A tankers through December 2025. Under the contract, Boeing will deliver “tip to tail” support for the four ItAF refueling tankers, including line and heavy maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), supply chain, engineering support, publications revisions, and flight and maintenance training. Boeing has provided integrated fleet support for the ItAF’s refueling tankers since 2011. The sustainment and training have enabled high utilization, including more than 9,000 missions, over 36,000 flight hours, and more than 123 m pounds of fuel offloaded. On average, ItAF KC-767s operate at twice the utilization rate per aircraft of legacy military tankers.
01 Aug 22. The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale to Greece of follow-on support for S-70 helicopters for an estimated cost of $162.07m, the Pentagon said on Monday. Greece’s request includes aircraft spares, repair parts, components and accessories to support the helicopters, the Pentagon said. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N), it said. (Source: Reuters)
USA
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02 Aug 22. Navy awards $1.3bn training services contract. Companies will compete for task orders to support of fielded training systems. The Navy has finalized awards to nine companies for a potential five-year, $1.31 bn contract to help operate and maintain training systems. Each firm that pursued this fifth iteration of the Fielded Training Systems Support contract won a seat on it, including two small businesses and seven for the full-and-open portion. Companies will compete for task orders to carry out sustainment services and training requirements in support of training systems in the field, the Pentagon said in its Friday contracts digest.
Awardees are:
- BGI-Aero Simulation
- CAE USA
- Delaware Resource Group of California
- Fidelity Technologies Corp.
- Valiant Integrated Services
- Engineering Support Personnel (small business)
- LTSS joint venture (small business)
Fidelity is the lone incumbent that will continue over to the new iteration of this contract, according to Deltek and GovTribe data.
Some of the task areas up for competition include training simulator maintenance services, contractor instructional services, training simulator modifications, training simulator relocations, training systems management, in-service engineering office support, and spares and product support. (Source: washingtontechnology.com)
03 Aug 22. AAR CORP. (NYSE: AIR), a leading provider of aviation services to commercial and government operators, MROs, and OEMs, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price (FFP) requirements contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to produce Next Generation All Aluminum Cargo Pallets. The basic contract period of performance is for 18 months with eight 12 month options and one 6 month option. The total contract value including option periods is $173.5m.
01 Aug 22. DroneShield Delivers Handheld Counter-UAS Solutions to U.S. Government. DroneShield (U.S. subsidiary of DroneShield Ltd – Australia) has received and delivered upon a follow-on order by a U.S. Government agency for the company’s portable and handheld Counter-UAS (C-UAS) solutions. DroneShield, a leading developer of artificial intelligence based multi-mission solutions, known for its industry leading C-UAS (“Counter-drone” or “Anti-drone”) systems such as RfPatrol and DroneGun MkIII, has received previous contracts from DoD, DHS, Federal and State level Law Enforcement agencies.
03 Aug 22. Textron Systems Receives up to $353m Award to Support US Army Close Terrain Shaping Capabilities. Textron Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT) company, announced today that it received a five-year contract from the U.S. Army Contracting Command – New Jersey which was executed in support of the U.S. Army Project Manager Close Combat Systems. The contract is valued up to $353,980,000 to produce the XM204 Top Attack Munition, an anti-vehicle terrain shaping system, and associated trainers. The XM204 precision anti-vehicle capability supports modernization of the Army’s terrain shaping and counter-mobility capabilities. The five-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) production contract was awarded in response to a U.S. Army Europe Operational Needs Statement and follows a 2019 development and qualification contract also awarded to Textron Systems. In addition, the first delivery order has been awarded under this IDIQ contract, which would see delivery in fiscal year 2023 of XM204 Munitions and XM98 Emplacement Trainers in support of an Initial Operational Capability. The XM204 is an anti-vehicle munition with stand-off and top attack capabilities designed to support complex terrain shaping operations by denying enemy armored vehicles freedom to maneuver. The XM204 can be rapidly emplaced and is highly portable; the system can be employed alone, in multiples or in tandem with other terrain shaping systems. (Source: ASD Network)
SEA
03 Aug 22. Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that it has been awarded contracts valued in excess of $220m to provide propulsion valves, pumps and advanced instrumentation and control systems for the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class nuclear powered attack submarine, Columbia-class submarine and Ford-class aircraft carrier programs. The awards were received from Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) and General Dynamics Electric Boat to support ship construction, spare parts and submarine back-fit procurements. Curtiss-Wright is performing this work at its facilities in New York and Pennsylvania within the Company’s Defense Electronics and Naval & Power Segments. Engineering and manufacturing have commenced and will continue through 2026.
03 Aug 22. General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), San Diego, California, is awarded an $890,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2229 for detail design and construction of fleet replenishment oilers T-AO 211 and 212. Additionally, this contract modification includes an option for the detail design and construction of T-AO 213 which, if exercised would bring the cumulative value of this contract modification to $1,625,000,000. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (58%); Iron Mountain, Michigan (8%); Crozet, Virginia (5%); Beloit, Wisconsin (4%); Mexipali, Mexico (4%); Chula Vista, California (2%); Chesapeake, Virginia (2%); National City, California (1%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1%); Walpole, Massachusetts (1%); and various other locations less than one percent (14%), and is expected to be completed by June 2027. Fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) in the amount of $890,000,000 (100%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
03 Aug 22. General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), San Diego, California, is awarded a $535,021,375 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-2235 for the procurement of detail design and construction of Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) 8. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (69%); Santa Fe Springs, California (6%); Crozet, Virginia (6%); Mexicali, Mexico (4%); Houston, Texas (3%); National City, California (1%); Aliağa, Turkey (1%); Belle Chasse, Louisiana (1%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (1%); and various other locations, each accounting for less than 1 percent (8%), and is expected to be completed by March 2026. Fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $535,021,375 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR
02 Aug 22. USAF chooses 7 for $762m data platform support contract. The “Vault” platform houses cloud-based tools for Air Force personnel to connect with each other. Seven companies have won positions on a five-year, $762 m contract vehicle to help the Air Force manage and make sense out of data for it to be used in analytics techniques. The Air Force received 27 bids in total for the Visible Accessible Understandable Linked Trusted contract that sought subject matter expertise from industry, according to the Pentagon’s Thursday awards digest. Vault is a data platform housing cyber-secure, cloud-based tools for Air Force personnel to connect, find and share information with each other.
Awardees are as follows:
- Credence Management Solutions
- Deloitte
- International Information Associates (acquired by KeyLogic)
- Leidos
- Novetta (acquired by Accenture’s U.S. federal subsidiary)
- Octo
- Tyto Athene
Companies on the new contract will compete for task orders to help the Air Force further iterate its data preparation architecture, develop algorithm-based solutions, and perform models for data governance and maturity.
The Air Force is also seeking new mathematical, machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques and other data analytic lines of research and efforts to align with the service branch’s posture regarding enterprise guidance and governance. (Source: washingtontechnology.com)
02 Aug 22. The Department of Defense has announced that US Special Operations Command has awarded a $30.5m contract to Area-I, LLC for the purchase of an unspecified quantity of the ALTIUS unmanned aerial system. ALTIUS, which stands for Agile-Launch, Tactically-Integrated, Unmanned System, is a line of three different products: the ALTIUS-600, -900, and -500. The ALTIUS-600 has been a focus in recent US Army exercises, including: Project Convergence 20 and 21; EDGE 21 and 22. At these exercises, the ALTIUS-600 was launched from the back of a Polaris Dagor, from a UH-60 Blackhawk, and from a stationary pneumatic catapult on the ground. These tests demonstrated the different conditions the ALTIUS-600 could launch in. (Source: UAS VISION/OVD)
29 Jul 22. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, was awarded a $456,246,389 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical services required to accomplish research, development, integration, test, sustainment and operation for unmanned aircraft systems. 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 July 27, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-22-D-0025).
01 Aug 22. L3 Communications Integrated Systems, Greenville, Texas, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8637-22-D-B001) in the amount of $3,000,000,000 (maximum ceiling value) in support of Armed Overwatch. Research, development, test, and evaluation; and procurement funds in the amount of $170,000,000 were obligated at time of the award. Armed Overwatch will provide Special Operations Forces deployable, affordable, and sustainable crewed aircraft systems fulfilling close air support, precision strike, and armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, requirements in austere and permissive environments for use in irregular warfare operations in support of the National Defense Strategy. The contract will be a mixture of firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time and materials, and cost reimbursement no-fee for the procurement of up to 75 aircraft, training systems, mission planning systems, support equipment, spares, and logistics support, with a period of performance from July 2022 to July 2029, including all options. The majority of the work will be done in Greenville, Texas. This action is a follow-on production contract in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 4022(f) authorized or required by statute. U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 31, 2022)
01 Aug 22. Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded an $854,368,644 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides depot-level engine repair services for the AE2100 D3 engine on the C/KC-130 aircraft in support of the Marine Corps and the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (60%); Alverca, Portugal (30%); San Antonio, Texas (5%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in July 2027. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; one offer was received. The Naval Air System Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001922D0011).
22 Jul 22. SCOUT Space Inc. has been granted a Phase II SBIR contract through AFWERX, the Technology Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and the innovation arm of the Department Air Force. SCOUT will work with AFRL/RIE (Intelligence Systems Division) and the Space Operations Command (SpOC) Delta 2 to advance classical space domain awareness (SDA) metric observation tasking and catalog augmentation using space-based sensing. (Source: Satnews)
TECHNOLOGY
02 Aug 22. Capgemini Government Solutions LLC, an independent Capgemini subsidiary working with U.S. Government Agencies, has announced the agreement of a three-year contract with the U.S. Army to modernize, transform, and grow cARMY, the Army’s Cloud Common Shared Services environment. Capgemini will support and enable the Enterprise Cloud Management Agency (ECMA) to help make data-driven decisions and decrease time-to-field in support of the Army’s mission. This engagement will also help promote cARMY’s organization-wide adoption of cloud technologies and bolster artificial intelligence and machine learning programs that thrive on data to deliver mission-readiness in new digital and physical environments. Capgemini was chosen for its deep expertise in helping large, complex organizations adopt a digital-first strategy. It will provide advanced solutions that leverage the latest in cloud technology to establish a secure, streamlined cloud adoption initiative and help drive a culture shift for the Army in terms of how data is used and stored. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
03 Aug 22. Peraton has been awarded a contract by the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide agile analytic platforms and data management solutions. The contract is worth $850 m over five years. Peraton has a decades-long relationship with the DoD and, more broadly, extensive experience in providing technological solutions across the U.S. intelligence community (IC) and military. This contract continues a legacy of delivering unique analytic and data management solutions and reinforces Peraton’s position as the leading mission capability integrator. (Source: PR Newswire)
REST OF THE WORLD
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03 Aug 22. ECS & TCI expand business operations with multi-m BlackTalon Counter Unmanned Air Systems (C-UAS) contract wins. ECS and TCI, under SPX Corporation’s Communications Technology (CommTech) group, today announce a series of multi-m dollar contract awards for its jointly developed BlackTalon Counter Unmanned Air Systems (C-UAS) solution. This follows the recent launch of BlackTalon as the first joint capability offering in the C-UAS domain. The entry level solution, BlackTalon 1, provides Passive RF Detect, Track & Active RF Defeat, whilst the advanced C-UAS solution, BlackTalon 2, uses Passive & Active RF Detect, RF and EO Tracking & Active RF Defeat with a sophisticated C2 data fusion software, delivering a scalable response to the perceived drone threat. With this announcement ECS + TCI (CommTech) will continue to jointly address customers’ evolving needs with the BlackTalon Counter UAS solution.
02 Aug 22. UAE – Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System Missiles and THAAD Fire Control and Communication Stations. The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the United Arab Emirates of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) System Missiles, THAAD Fire Control and Communication Stations, and related equipment for an estimated cost of $2.245bn. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has requested to buy ninety-six (96) Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile rounds; two (2) THAAD Launch Control Stations (LCS); and two (2) THAAD Tactical Operations Stations (TOS). Also included are repair and return, system integration and checkout, and spare and repair parts; support and testing equipment; publications and technical documentation; construction activities; encryption devices; secure communication equipment; other required COMSEC equipment; and other related elements of logistical and program support. The total estimated program cost is $2.245 bn. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to improve the security of an important regional partner. The UAE is a vital U.S. partner for political stability and economic progress in the Middle East. The proposed sale will improve the UAE’s ability to meet current and future ballistic missile threats in the region, and reduce dependence on U.S. forces. The UAE will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces, as it currently employs the THAAD system. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractor will be Lockheed Martin Space Systems Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA. It is anticipated the purchaser will request offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. (Source: ASD Network)
02 Aug 22. Saudi Arabia – PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T). The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia of PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic Missiles (GEM-T) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $3.05bn. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale today. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has requested to buy three hundred (300) PATRIOT MIM-104E Guidance Enhanced Missile-Tactical Ballistic missiles (GEM-T). Also included are tools and test equipment; range and test programs; support equipment to include associated publications and technical documentation; training equipment; spare and repair parts; New Equipment Training; Transportation; Quality Assurance Team support; U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance; engineering, and logistics support services; Systems Integration and Checkout (SICO); field office support; International Engineering Services Program Field Surveillance Program; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is $3.05 bn. The principal contractor will be Raytheon Corporation, Tewksbury, MA. The purchaser normally requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor. (Source: ASD Network)
SEA
03 Aug 22. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $9,204,306 firm-fixed-price modification (P00005) to a previously awarded contract (N0001920C0003). This modification exercises an option to procure 36 Stand-off Land Attack Missile – Expanded Response (SLAMER) data link pod assemblies for the government of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana (90%); and St. Louis, Missouri (10%), and is expected to be completed in December 2026. Foreign Military Sales customer funds in the amount of $9,204,306 will be obligated at the 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.
AIR
01 Aug 22. Raytheon Australia wins RAAF Super Hornet, Growler training contract. The prime has been tapped by Defence to deliver training and support services upgrades for the Royal Australian Air Force’s fleets of Boeing-built fighter jets. Raytheon Australia has secured a new $109.7 m contract to deliver training support services for the Royal Australian Air Force’s (RAAF) F/A-18F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft, based at RAAF Base Amberley, Queensland. The five-year Electronic Attack Air Combat Training Support deal involves upgrading and extending air combat training support through the provision of ground-based simulator training support. This is expected to include maintenance and engineering services, as well as aircrew training such as instruction courseware development and force generation tasks. (Source: Defence Connect)
01 Aug 22. Steadicopter to Provide Black Eagle Electric RUAS to Israeli Navy. Steadicopter has announced a significant tender for the Israeli Navy for its Black Eagle Electric systems. The Black Eagle Electric family is the first family of unmanned helicopters that are powered by an electric motor, are capable of carrying several payloads and sensors, and can be adapted to diverse applications, including complex maritime missions. Just recently, the company announced the signing of a contract to supply the systems to another Naval customer. The Black Eagle 50 Electric helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 50kg, a useful load weight of 30 kg – including payload and batteries, and a flight time of two hours. These capabilities enable high performance as well as maximum operational flexibility for military applications such as intelligence, coastal security, search & rescue, and advanced maritime missions. The electrically-powered engine significantly reduces the weight of the platform, thereby enabling the installation of additional payloads that are required for a variety of missions. Weighing just 20kg as a platform, the helicopter can carry additional batteries for longer flights, heavier mission payloads, and more. As such, the system enables the widest variety of missions, including covert operations. The dual-electric propulsion helicopter is economical, simple to operate, easy to maintain, and needs no fuel storage, making it environmentally friendly and safe. It is based on the proven capabilities of the gasoline-powered Black Eagle, including vertical take-off and land, long hover durations, and advanced mission sensors for any mission scenario, whether day or night. In addition, like other Steadicopter platforms, it is adapted to high-altitude flights. (Source: UAS VISION)
TECHNOLOGY
03 Aug 22. The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) has selected Mona’s intelligent monitoring solution to provide proactive insights in their AI systems. As one of the most technologically advanced organizations in the world, the Israeli MoD utilizes AI in a wide range of processes, including mission-critical operational processes. Mona, a highly flexible monitoring system, allows the MoD to monitor all these different processes and to get real-time alerts on data and model underperformance or misbehavior, thus avoiding significant risks to operational capabilities. Mona is also utilized to advance research capabilities and optimize the MoD’s ML operational layer. (Source: PR Newswire)