UNITED KINGDOM
AIR
11 Oct 22. Honeywell signed a contract to supply 34 T55-GA-714A engines to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence (MOD) for its new H-47 Extended Range Chinook helicopter fleet. The order and supply of the T55 engines is managed through the office of U.S. Army Foreign Military Sales. Honeywell’s latest T55-GA-714A engine configuration produces up to 5,000 shaft horsepower, powering Chinook aircraft up to 170 knots even in the most demanding operating conditions.
10 Oct 22. Serco, the international provider of services to Governments, has been awarded two new contracts to supply the Serco designed General Purpose Support Equipment (GPSE) for the Royal Air Force and the Spanish Air Force. The work will be undertaken by Serco’s Design, Integration and Test (DIT) team based at Waterlooville, Hampshire, who have been developing support solutions for Typhoon aircraft since 2005. The Serco designed General Purpose Support Equipment (GPSE) is an Automatic Test System (ATS) built and qualified for use in aircraft support environments. It was originally conceived as a general-purpose automatic test solution for the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy to support more than 130 different assemblies fitted to six different aircraft. Since then, GPSE has replaced nine separate pieces of support equipment with a single box solution, reducing operating costs for the UK Ministry of Defence and other NATO air forces.
EUROPE
LAND
13 Oct 22. The consortium led by Airbus and Capgemini was selected by the French Ministry of the Interior and Overseas territories for the role of Package 2 integrator for the Réseau Radio du Futur (RRF – radio network of the future), the secure and resilient broadband network for domestic security and emergency rescue forces. This pioneer project, led by France, is key to modernising domestic security forces. More than ever, this contract reinforces Airbus’ position as European leader of critical communications, as well as that of Capgemini as trusted partner in the modernisation of emergency rescue and security forces, and provision of sovereign services. The Réseau Radio du Futur will be a national, secure and high-speed (4G and 5G) priority mobile communication system, with a high level of resilience in order to guarantee the continuum of security and emergency rescue missions on a daily basis, including in the event of a crisis or major event. RRF intends to equip up to 400,000 users in the security and emergency rescue forces, such as the national gendarmerie, the national police force, firefighters and other civil security forces.
SEA
11 Oct 22. Kongsberg Maritime (KONGSBERG) announced a contract award with Polish shipbuilder Remontowa Shipbuilding SA (RSB) to supply three shipsets of KONGSBERG HUGIN AUV (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) systems and related HiPAP positioning and communication systems for three newbuild warships for the Polish Navy. The total contract value is in excess of €10m, with the KONGSBERG equipment destined for the next three vessels (#4, #5 and #6) in the Kormoran II Mine-Countermeasures (MCM) vessel program. These three ships will be commissioned from 2026 to 2027. The three HUGIN/HiPAP shipsets will be delivered to the yard over the next four years to match with the new vessel delivery schedule. This new contract follows on from previous contracts for the successful integration of HUGIN and HiPAP systems on the first three vessels in the Kormoran II program by Kongsberg Maritime and RSB.
13 Oct 22. Rohde & Schwarz to supply SOVERON HR for the Portuguese Army. Rohde & Schwarz and EID have formed a strategic partnership to digitalize the Portuguese Army. SOVERON HR has been selected as part of Dismounted Soldier Communications System. Rohde & Schwarz and EID, the Portuguese Defense technology company, have established a strategic partnership for the digitization program of the Portuguese armed forces. EID will supply its Dismounted Soldier system solution to the Portuguese Army, locally developed and produced. Both companies will enhance their cooperation by supplying the SOVERON HR handheld software defined radio as part of the Dismounted Soldier Communications System. The handheld radio is part of the SOVERON ecosystem, designed for highly mobile use by dismounted soldiers in today’s operational scenarios. In combination with the SOVERON VR vehicular radio, the SOVERON HR handheld radio forms a seamless connection to the higher echelons on the battlefield to provide a common operational picture in nearly real-time.
AIR
11 Oct 22. In a contract worth several m euros, Exotrail is the in-orbit logistics operator the French institutions have selected to ensure a capacity for satellites transfer into low Earth orbit (LEO). Exotrail’s in-orbit transport service spacedrop™, has been selected via a competitive tender process to perform the first orbital logistics missions ordered by French institutions. In 2021, the French government announced a national investment and stimulus package (France 2030), which included 1 bn euros to support emerging French space companies. As part of this package, Exotrail and the French government Space Agency (CNES) will ink a two-mission contract. The first mission, scheduled for 2024, will see Exotrail’s spacevan™ vehicle demonstrate its ability to change satellite altitude and plan in combined maneuvers – a game changer for small satellite constellation deployment. In a second mission scheduled for 2025, the company will transport a microsatellite from the launcher’s delivery point to its final orbit. This landmark contract is another meaningful step towards establishing Exotrail as a worldwide space logistics leader and creates significant opportunities for commercial and institutional space transportation companies to leverage the remaining capacity of these missions. Exotrail’s spacedrop™ service gives satellite operators the flexibility they need to get their satellites to their operational orbits. Exotrail offers an integrated service by procuring access to space, integrating the platform with customers satellites onboard and performing required operations in orbit. The spacedrop™ service will be inaugurated in October 2023 and the missions performed in the context of France 2030 will benefit from an upgraded version of the vehicle; notably an improved propulsion system and a platform offering a greater payload capacity.
12 Oct 22. France to Equip Eurodrones with Akeron Air-to-Ground Missile. France has selected multinational missile manufacturer MBDA to equip its future fleet of Eurodrone unmanned aircraft systems with Akeron LP air-to-ground missiles. The Akeron missiles (previously known as Missile Haut de Trame) will complement the GBU-49 precision-guided bombs as the drone’s weapons package.Described as a “unique” family of fifth-generation tactical missiles, the Akeron features a multi-effect warhead that can handle a variety of targets, including modern battle tanks and hardened combat infrastructure. It has a two-way data link that sends high-resolution images to operators through the missile’s infrared optronic seeker, allowing them to choose a point of impact or select a new target in flight. (Source: UAS VISION)
06 Oct 22. WORK Microwave, a European manufacturer of advanced satellite communications equipment, announced that the European Space Agency (ESA), with the support of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), has awarded WORK Microwave a contract to develop a state-of-the-art optical modem for space-to-ground communication. This is part of the ARTES Strategic Program Line for Optical and Quantum Communication – ScyLight and its technology development program. WORK Microwave’s modem will enable optical communication between space and Earth at a very high throughput rate with secure data connection to satisfy a growing demand for institutional and commercial space missions. (Source: Satnews)
USA
LAND
10 Oct 22. Elbit Systems of America has been awarded a U.S. Army production order worth approximately $107m to supply Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular (ENVG-B) systems, spare parts, logistics support, and test equipment. The ENVG-B integrates head-up situational awareness and powerful capabilities that allow Soldiers to navigate and perform at their best in the modern, complex battlefield. The ENVG-B system includes a wireless connection to Soldiers’ rifle-mounted thermal weapon site, allowing for rapid target acquisition, using augmented reality to better understand the environment and engage with adversaries in close combat operations during challenging conditions. ENVG-Bs are equipped with high performance white phosphor image intensifier tubes for better scene contrast providing Soldiers enhanced situational awareness in the dark, but also when there’s fog, dust, or smoke on the battlefield.
12 Oct 22. L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) announced receipt today of two production orders totaling $235m to provide leader and manpack radios for the U.S. Army. The industry’s most flexible cryptography-modernization-compliant radio, the two-channel L3Harris AN/PRC-158 radio leverages a software-defined architecture and integrated cross-banding between waveforms to provide advanced capabilities while maintaining backward interoperability with legacy systems. The AN/PRC-158 also includes Mobile User Objective System-ready hardware for satellite communications connectivity while on the move. The AN/PRC-163 radio enables soldiers to share information up and down the chain of command, integrating voice and data across the Army’s integrated tactical network and with partner nations. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
10 Oct 22. Leonardo DRS, Inc. (“DRS”) announced today that it has received a contract to produce its next-generation thermal weapon sights for the U.S. Army. The firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Army Contracting Command is valued at $579m over five years. The Leonardo DRS Electro-Optical Infrared Systems (EOIS) business will produce advanced Family of Weapons Sights – Individual (FWS-I) systems for its U.S. Army customer. Using DRS’ uncooled thermal imaging technology, FWS-I is a stand-alone, clip-on weapon sight that connects wirelessly to helmet-mounted vision systems including the enhanced night vision goggle binoculars (ENVG-B) and the next-gen integrated visual augmentation system (IVAS) and provides rapid target acquisition capabilities to the soldier. It gives users the ability to acquire targets day or night and in smoke or fog, which provides strategic and tactical advantages to the soldier. The contract was originally awarded on April 28, 2022.
12 Oct 22. Raytheon Missiles & Defense, a Raytheon Technologies business, was awarded a $207m U.S. Army contract for Ku-band Radio Frequency Sensors, or KuRFS, and Coyote® effectors. Under the contract, the systems will equip two U.S. Army divisions. Additional assets will also be provided to support ongoing Army flight tests and operational deployments. As part of the U.S. Army’s Low, slow, small unmanned aircraft Integrated Defeat System, called LIDS, KuRFS provides advanced 360-degree threat detection, while Coyote low-cost effectors defeat drones. (Source: ASD Network)
06 Oct 22. SMARTSHOOTER, a world-class designer, developer, and manufacturer of innovative fire control systems that significantly increase the accuracy, lethality, and situational awareness of small arms, announced today that its US subsidiary, SMARTSHOOTER Inc., was awarded a contract from Atlantic Diving Supply (ADS) to supply its lightest weapon-mounted fire control system, the SMASH 2000L, to the US Army. The systems will be deployed by the US Army Divisions as part of its C-sUAS defence. SMASH 2000L is also under evaluation by the US Marine Corps Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO), with recent live fire tests conducted in early August. SMARTSHOOTER will present the SMASH 2000L together with other SMASH fire control solutions at the AUSA Annual meeting and exposition in Washington DC. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
12 Oct 22. Thales announces its fifth order for the US Army Leader Program, valued at up to $100m, demonstrating continued success within the US Army’s Handheld, Manpack, and Small Form Fit (HMS) Army Leader Radio Program. In September, awards were made under the FRP-2 contracting effort and existing competitive, Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract. This most recent award represents an additional 4,000-plus AN/PRC-148D 2-channel IMBITR (Improved Multi-Band Inter/Intra Team Radios), bringing the total of IMBITR radios ordered by the US Army to more than 14,000. This contract demonstrates Thales’ ability to deliver mission critical capabilities into the Army’s Integrated Tactical Network (ITN) and Capability Set formations. As a critical component of the Army’s unified network strategy, the Thales IMBITR system extends advanced networking capabilities to the tactical edge, allowing warfighters increased flexibility in multi-domain operations. In partnership with the U.S. Army, Thales is delivering the latest WREN-TSM Mobile Ad-Hoc Networking (MANET) waveform, as well as the simultaneously critical narrowband, tactical line-of-sight and beyond-line-of-sight communications capabilities. Together, these provide cryptographically modernized assured, simultaneous networked voice, data and video communications for improved situational awareness and real-time decision-making.
12 Oct 22. XTEND to supply autonomous UAS kits to Pentagon Irregular Warfare Directorate. The Pentagon’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD) awarded XTEND, via its US defence entity XTEND Reality Inc, an USD8.9 m contract to develop an indoor-outdoor, multipayload tactical unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
The contract, announced on 10 October during the Association of the United States Army conference in Washington, DC, held from 10 to 12 October, covers “hundreds” of UAS that are to be delivered by 2023, company officials told Janes. XTEND is to provide kits that include three XTENDER UASs with modular payloads, a ground-control system, and a single-handed controller. The first kit is to be delivered during the week commencing 17 October, said Robert Peters, XTEND’s general manager for the US. The initial payload – about 1.5 lb – is to be an intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance (ISTAR) sensor, and other payloads are to be developed for a second phase scheduled to begin in boreal spring (March, April, May) of 2023, but Peters declined to detail those payloads due to customer sensitivities. (Source: Janes)
AIR
07 Oct 22. Beam Communications Holdings Ltd. has received a new order worth ~$2.5m for the manufacturing of Iridium GO! devices from Iridium Communications Inc. This new order, which is expected to be delivered in FY24, is to meet strong, ongoing demand for the portable satellite hotspot device. Even as next generation Iridium Certus™ devices are introduced to the market, the Iridium GO! is well positioned with its small size, functionality and affordability. Iridium GO!, which was jointly designed and developed by Beam and Iridium, was launched eight years ago. Over that period of time, Beam has received manufacturing orders for 67,500 units from Iridium. To give a sense of how successful the Iridium GO! has been, the initial minimum order commitment from Iridium in 2014 was only for 5,000 units. (Source: Satnews)
13 Oct 22. EOS subsidiary SpaceLink has been awarded a contract by NASA to demonstrate the integration of ground terminals with NASA’s Near Space Network. SpaceLink, which provides a secure satellite data relay system, has won a contract from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to study how commercial optical ground terminals will interact with NASA’s Near Space Network. The study will also include a demonstration of the system, with SpaceLink to show how multi-source data can be transported end-to-end from the Near Space Network at its gateway in the Mojave Desert. SpaceLink’s objective is to create an “always-in-sight” satellite system that can transfer large amounts of data from space in a secure and efficient manner. The system is well suited to NASA’s needs as the space agency transitions towards using commercial assets for its space communications and space relay system. (Source: Space Connect)
12 Oct 22. Inmarsat Government, the leading provider of secure, global, mission-critical satellite communications to the U.S. Government, today announced that the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has awarded the company the U.S. Navy Commercial Broadband Satellite Program (CBSP) Satellite Services Contract (CSSC II) for complex and worldwide end-to-end commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) services. An Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, the ceiling value of the award is $980m over a 10-year period. Under the contract, Inmarsat Government will deliver worldwide managed telecommunications services, including satellite capabilities via Inmarsat Global Xpress Ka-band, as well as C-, Ku- and X-band frequencies, for mobile and fixed satellite services on crewed and uncrewed maritime, airborne and ground platforms. The company will also provide commercial teleport services; backhaul connectivity; monitoring and control; operations; information assurance and cybersecurity. The CSSC II program is the follow-on to the CSSC contract where Inmarsat Government was the prime contractor, delivering proven, reliable connectivity between the Navy’s global fleet of shipboard terminals and shore-based telecommunications infrastructure. (Source: ASD Network)
10 Oct 22. XTEND – A leading company in human-guided autonomous drone operating systems for military forces and law enforcement agencies – competitively awarded, by its US defense entity, XTEND Reality Inc. a multi-year, $8.9m RDT&E contract to develop advanced indoor-outdoor, multi -payload, tactical UAS by the US DoD’s Irregular Warfare Technical Support Directorate (IWTSD). This new contract is the sixth consecutive contract from the US DoD, under which hundreds of XTEND’s drones, to be manufactured in the US, will be delivered to the client.
TECHNOLOGY
06 Oct 22. CounterCraft, a supplier of network cybersecurity services, said it won a contract that gives the Pentagon and the entire federal government access to the company’s “high-interaction deception technology” for active cyber defense. The sole-source contract awarded by the U.S. General Services Administration is worth as much as $26m, the San Sebastian, Spain-based company said in a statement. It’s the culmination of a three-year effort starting with trials with the Defense Innovation Unit, where CounterCraft competed with 20 other cybersecurity firms, it said. CounterCraft’s distributed Deception Platform creates automated “digital breadcrumbs” to bait hackers into thinking they are penetrating computer networks. The technology approach allows government agencies to get information on attackers’ and objectives while misdirecting them, in real time. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
12 Oct 22. HII (NYSE: HII) announced that its Mission Technologies division has been awarded a $76.7m task order by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to perform research, analysis, test and evaluation that will support and inform USAF decisions related to electronic warfare (EW) and electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) capabilities development. The EMS superiority development task order was awarded under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center’s (DOD IAC) multiple-award contract (MAC) vehicle. The USAF 774th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, part of the USAF Installation Contracting Center, awards DOD IAC MAC task orders through a competitive process. HII has been supporting the program since 2017 and is teamed with DCS Corporation, Modern Technology Solutions Inc., On-Line Applications Research Corporation, Southwest Research Institute and Vanderbilt University to perform the work over five years. The HII team will develop technical recommendations for the Advanced Capabilities and Strategic Integration team — part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Electronic Warfare and Avionics Division — that provide AFLCMC leaders with decision quality information regarding EW and EMS capability development and modernization. Areas of research may include artificial intelligence and machine learning, cyber and microelectronics among others. HII’s research and analysis will be leveraged by the USAF to reduce technical risk, provide mature technologies, and deliver systems engineering rigor needed to improve warfighter survivability at reduced total lifecycle cost. (Source: ASD Network)
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
10 Oct 22. Canadian tactical equipment distributor MD Charlton (MDC) has been awarded a contract to provide the C22 full frame modular pistol (Sig Sauer P320) and holster system. The $3.2m contract comes with options which, if exercised, will take its value to $7.6m. It also covers the supply of spares, and operator and maintenance training. The contract will initially allow the government to provide the Canadian Army with 7,000 pistols and holster systems. (Source: army-technology.com)
12 Oct 22. Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) has announced the signing of a deed of agreement with Townsville-based RGM Maintenance, aimed at supporting the delivery of medium and heavy capability services for logistics vehicles as part of the LAND 121 project. Specifically, RDA has committed to delivering field service representatives, parts, tools, equipment and technical support to RGM. The agreement is tipped to bolster job and training opportunities in the region, while also supporting Australia’s broader ambitions to build sovereign industrial capability. (Source: Defence Connect)
SEA
13 Oct 22. The Australian Government and BAE Systems signed a six-year contract today for the prime to take on a new, sustainment role designed to optimise the capability of the Royal Australian Navy’s Hobart class destroyers. The $155m contract is set to support around 100 local industry jobs in the Sydney region following a competitive tender process. As part of the realisation of the Future Maritime Sustainment Model under Plan Galileo, with the new approach will see a Capability Life Cycle Manager installed for the Hobart class destroyers – the first of its kind for a major in-service asset. Plan Galileo is Defence’s new, national approach to sustainment in support of Continuous Naval Shipbuilding. (Source: Defence Connect)
12 Oct 22. Raytheon Australia has been awarded a $322 m contract to provide in-service support for the combat system aboard the Royal Australian Navy’s fleet of six Collins Class submarines ahead of the delivery of next-generation SSNs promised under the AUKUS agreement. The five-year contract includes a life-of-type extension from 2026. ongoing sustainment, and selected capability enhancements. (Source: Defence Connect)
AIR
12 Oct 22. Malaysia has selected Italy’s Leonardo as its preferred vendor for a maritime patrol aircraft program. Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein made the announcement over the weekend following the receipt of a second transport aircraft that was converted for maritime surveillance missions with U.S. funding. Leonardo has offered its ATR 72MP, which is based on the ATR 72 turboprop regional airliner and can perform maritime patrol, search and rescue, and electronic intelligence gathering missions using its suite of onboard systems, including radar, electro-optical sensors and satellite communication technology. The ATR 72Mp can also carry lightweight torpedoes for anti-submarine operations. (Source: Defense News)
12 Oct 22. Malaysia has selected Turkish Aerospace Industries to provide three unmanned aircraft, according to the Southeast Asian nation’s defense minister. The purchase will be funded under the country’s five-year spending plan, rather than its defense budget, the minister added. TAI had pitched its Anka, a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system. According to a TAI news release from 2019 ahead of the defense and aerospace LIMA expo, the company was set to hold high-level talks on exporting the Anka. (Source: Defense News)