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UNITED KINGDOM
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16 Jan 23. QinetiQ Group plc (“QinetiQ” or the “Company”) has won an £80m contract with the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). The contract will provide expertise, training and support to accelerate and transform mission data production; this will enable military platforms and personnel, from the UK and its allies, to be better protected in a rapidly changing threat landscape and enhance the performance of our advanced military systems. We will work in partnership with the MOD for a 10-year period on the transformation project, providing a specialist mission data and electronic warfare skills solution alongside training and IT support. This win is a great example of our cyber and information advantage distinctive offering and the strength of our partnering across industry, bringing together extensive experience of electronic warfare, mission data analysis, communication and information services and data-led transformation to achieve operational advantage over our adversaries.
18 Jan 23. The Ministries of Defence of France, Italy and the United Kingdom, represented by OCCAR, have signed a contract renewal with Thales for the maintenance and support of the S1850m volume search radars in use by their Navies. Thales confirms its key position in maintaining operational availability of these radar systems and demonstrates its commitment to work more closely with its customers all over the world.
- Thales signed a service contract with OCCAR (Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation) on behalf of the French, Italian and UK Navies. This new substantial service contract covers a period of 3 years, with an additional optional 2 years.
- As a trusted partner for the armed forces, Thales demonstrates the reliability and the endurance of its naval sensors such as the S1850m and its commitment to support navies.
- The S1850M Long Range Air Surveillance Radar is a derivative of the SMART L radar.
SEA
19 Jan 23. A £1.6bn contract has been awarded to Team Resolute to manufacture the vessels providing munitions, stores and provisions to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers, destroyers and frigates. Creating 1,200 UK shipyard jobs, hundreds of graduate and apprentice opportunities, and an expected 800 further jobs across the UK supply chain, Team Resolute, comprising BMT, Harland & Wolff and Navantia UK, will deliver three Fleet Solid Support ships for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Set to invest around £100m into UK shipyards, including £77m of infrastructure at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast and Appledore shipyards, and a further £21m in skills and technology transfer from Navantia UK, Harland & Wolff will create one of the most advanced shipyards in the UK – significant for future export and domestic shipbuilding. With around 900 jobs alone to be created at Harland & Wolff’s Belfast site, the contract is a welcome boost for Northern Ireland, bringing naval shipbuilding back to Belfast. (Source: https://www.gov.uk/)
AIR
09 Jan 23. Speedcast wins APAC teleport services contract from Airbus and UK’s MoD. Speedcast has been awarded a contract extension by Airbus to provide gateway hosting services offering secure access to the Airbus SKYNET military satellite system from the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. Airbus is the trusted partner for the UK’s secure military satellite communications (MILSATCOM) program. In 2016, Speedcast built two 11m antenna systems at one of the company’s leading teleport facilities in Australia and has successfully provided secure hosting and maintenance services since that time. This contract award extends this successful partnership. (Source: Satnews)
EUROPE
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17 Jan 23. Navistar Defense, LLC (Navistar Defense) announced the signing of a sales agreement with Polski Holding Obronny sp.z o.o. (PHO) which enables Navistar Defense to provide parts to support vehicles used in Ukraine and the Eastern European region. Under this agreement with PHO, Navistar Defense will provide genuine Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) and aftermarket spare parts for militarized commercial off-the-shelf and tactical vehicles to PHO. In addition, PHO will facilitate vehicle sales in the Eastern European region. It is Navistar Defense’s first step towards providing training, logistics, and service support in the region.
12 Jan 23. Nexter has been awarded a new order for renovated Leclerc tanks.
- On 29 December 2022, the French defence procurement agency (DGA) awarded Nexter an order for 50 renovated Leclerc tanks (XLR);
- Industrial qualification tests are continuing in close collaboration with the DGA and the French army;
- A first prototype tank was delivered to the DGA at the end of 2022, and the first 18 operational tanks will be delivered to the Army in 2023, according to the planning of the renovation contract awarded to Nexter on 1 June 2021.
A renovated tank integrated into the SCORPION collaborative warfare system: The first objective of this renovation is to integrate the Leclerc main battle tank, known as ‘XLR’, into the SCORPION collaborative warfare system with a new combat information system (SICS). The XLR is equipped with the CONTACT radio and the vetronics common to SCORPION vehicles. In addition, its protection and aggression capabilities are raised to the highest level, thanks to:
- Enhanced protection against mines and rockets;
- The addition of a 7.62 mm remotely operated turret for urban combat;
- The development of a new fire control system with the ability to fire ammunition with a programmable effect or trigger. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
17 Jan 23. Photonis, the world leader company regarding night vision products, is very proud to announce that the Special Forces of the Spanish Army have decided to buy night vision binoculars using Photonis 4G intensifier tubes. The Spanish Army has concluded a contract worth several m euros with the company NVLS (Night Vision Lasers Spain) for the delivery of 450 night vision binoculars. The delivery of the products was made at the end of 2022. Through this agreement, the Spanish army thus confirms its trust. Indeed, it had already bought Photonis intensifier tubes through a multi-year contract signed in 2019 for AN/PVS14 type monoculars. These massive and successive orders support the reputation of excellence of Photonis 4G tubes regarding night vision. The many features of Photonis products have managed to convince the vast majority of European armies these past years: lightness of equipment, longevity of tubes, ability to see farther in increasingly low levels of darkness, ultra fast auto-gating function preventing blinding. The technology company
19 Jan 23. Rheinmetall wins contract for regenerating Bundeswehr’s modular medical equipment. Germany’s Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) has contracted with Rheinmetall for the conversion of modular medical equipment (MSE). Worth a figure in the mid-single-digit m-euro range, the order will be complete by December 2023. MSE containers comprise a family of modular ambulance facilities manufactured by Zeppelin Mobile Systeme. In the 1970s, various user states procured rescue station, rescue centre light, rescue centre and emergency hospital variants, which are now undergoing a comprehensive overhaul. MSE rescue centres and field hospitals are used in Bundeswehr areas of operation. Individual systems are designed for special tasks such as the generation and supply of medical gases in the equipment supply container, or GVC. In deployed operations, the technical and medical equipment of the GVC supports the adjacent operating theatre. The container systems are CSC-classified, stackable and thus suitable for transport on container ships. The systems and their equipment are adapted in terms of scope and functionality. Responsible for mobile deployable mission solutions, Rheinmetall Project Solutions GmbH has been pooling resources and capabilities for mission support since 2019. Rheinmetall AG created the company to handle services and projects for mission support. It provides customers with long-term mission support via specific services. The order underlines Rheinmetall’s high level of competence in mission support for the German Bundeswehr in the medical domain.
17 Jan 23. VINCORION from Wedel has been commissioned to promote the improvement of the energy system in the PUMA infantry fighting vehicle. In this context, the power electronics will be revised and made more robust with modern components. The Federal Ministry of Defense had also certified the “effectiveness superiority” of the vehicle – even if there had to be improvements in the operational suitability. Stefan Stenzel is convinced that this is possible: “Of the 18 failed infantry fighting vehicles, 17 are back in operation. The system will be able to operate very successfully in the long term.” Advanced functions are built inn. Wedel is now working on improving PUMA’s power electronics in an area that was not affected by the recent outages. This includes the recertification of components that are no longer available on the market, but also the integration of extended functions. Examples of this are the supply of an electric exhaust gas turbocharger and the external charging of the infantry fighting vehicle. The VINCORION project team communicates closely with the customer: The list includes, for example, the measurement of the current energy system. The specifications for systems and components should be ready by the end of the first quarter of 2023. Based on this, new components are then developed transparently. The first components for functional models and prototypes will be procured from the end of 2023 and quickly assembled into assemblies. VINCORION will deal intensively with new technologies. The company benefits from synergies with other future projects in the field of energy systems. The project has an initial volume of €8m. The PUMA is the most powerful infantry fighting vehicle delivered to the Bundeswehr. The vehicle, which has been produced since 2015, is one of the most powerful infantry fighting vehicles in the world. It can transport nine people and weighs 31 tonnes in protection level A and 41 tonnes in protection level C. The additional armor can be mounted modularly – which even makes the PUMA portable in aircraft such as the A 400 M. With its 1090 hp engine, the vehicle can reach a speed of 70 kilometers per hour on the road. The armament consists of a machine gun, a 5.56-mm machine gun and an explosive device launcher. Compared to its predecessor, the Marder infantry fighting vehicle, the PUMA has an autocannon with a caliber of 30 millimeters (Marder 20 millimeters), which is also stabilized and therefore more accurate. In addition, this is set up in such a way that target acquisition is separated from target combat, as is the case with modern battle tanks.
AIR
13 Jan 23. France’s defense procurement agency, the DGA, announced on January 12 the earlier awarding on December 22 of a pair of 18-month, €10.9m ($11.8m) contracts for the study of maritime patrol aircraft variants to Airbus and Dassault. The aim is to examine replacement options for the French Navy’s current fleet of 22 1990s-vintage Atlantique ATL2 maritime patrol aircraft operated from the Lann-Bihoue naval air base. A total of 18 units from this fleet are being upgraded to Standard 6 configuration thereby enabling the fleet to remain in service through 2032. The variants being examined involve the Airbus A320neo and Dassault’s Falcon 10X platforms. The contract calls for each aerospace manufacturer to provide an economically attractive solution to the French Navy’s operational needs post-2030. (Source: Google/https://dsm.forecastinternational.com/)
19 Jan 23. Austria finalises additional AW169 helo buy from Italy. Austria has finalised a contract to acquire an additional 18 Leonardo AW169 medium-twin helicopters from Italy. The manufacturer announced the milestone on 19 January, saying that the EUR304m (USD329m) deal for the AW169M Light Utility Helicopters (LUHs) follows a declaration of intent signed between Austria and Italy in December 2022. The deal was signed between Leonardo and the Directorate for Air Armaments and Airworthiness of the Italian Secretariat General of Defence/National Armaments Directorate, and brings the number of AW169M LUH helicopters acquired by the Austrian Ministry of Defence (MoD) to 36. The AW169M LUHs will be able to conduct a wide range of missions supporting Austrian defence and civil support requirements, such as troop transport, combat operations, disaster relief and emergency response, firefighting, mountain rescue, and medical evacuation. Janes was told that some of the helicopters will be equipped with a weapons package that will consist of 12.7 mm heavy machine gun pods, 70 mm unguided and laser-guided rockets, as well as an electro-optic/infrared sensor. (Source: Janes)
16 Jan 23. The Biden administration notified Congress on 12 January of its intention to sell F-16 fighter jets to Turkey. The planned sale would include 40 Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter jets and 79 modernisation kits. The notification was met with resistance by Senator Bob Menendez, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who signalled his strong opposition to the sale until Turkey approves the accession of Sweden and Finland to NATO. The administration must seek formal approval from Congress on significant arms sales. Turkey has repeatedly held up the prospective approval of Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership. Congressional resistance will likely strain relations with Turkey, as the country leverages parallel NATO accession negotiations in exchange for approval of the F-16 sale. Consequently, there is a rising risk for NATO and regional security. (Source: Sibylline)
18 Jan 23. Consortium formed by Sabena technics and Thales has been notified by the French defence procurement agency (DGA) to upgrade the avionics on the CN-235 aircraft operated by the French Air and Space Force.
- The consortium formed by Sabena technics and Thales has been awarded a contract for the upgrade of the French Air and Space Force’s fleet of CN-235 twin-turboprop tactical transport and logistics aircraft.
- The 27 CN-235s will be upgraded with state-of-the-art avionics to allow integration into general air traffic, significantly enhance capabilities for tactical and public service operations, increase fleet availability and extend service life to 2040 and beyond.
- The first upgraded CN-235s will begin operations with the Air and Space Force in 2027.
USA
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18 Jan 23. American Rheinmetall Systems Wins Contract for Continued Delivery of Subsystems Supporting U.S. Army’s Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station Program. Rheinmetall has received a significant order in the USA in connection with a long-standing US Army program. The subsidiary American Rheinmetall Systems has signed a framework agreement with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace to support the Army’s Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) Program. The 5 year frame contract could result in order intake valued in the double-digit m-dollar range for Rheinmetall. It enables the continued delivery of precision subsystems including high-definition image stabilized EO sensors (day cameras), weapon mounts and other critical assemblies to support the Army’s CROWS Program. American Rheinmetall Systems, Biddeford, ME, is a leader in the integration of next-generation intelligent systems for ground vehicles and ISR platforms. CROWS systems allow Warfighters to remotely engage targets with precision fire while mobile or stationary, and in day or night conditions with its day camera, thermal camera and laser rangefinder. Kongsberg has supplied more than 23,000 CROWS systems to 26 nations worldwide over the course of 17 years. American Rheinmetall Systems has delivered supporting subsystems since 2008 while also completing thousands of repairs, overhauls and upgrades to fielded systems in that time.
18 Jan 23. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Liverpool, New York, was awarded an $84,938,768 modification (P00015) to previously awarded contract FA8730-21-C-0022 for Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) systems. This modification provides for the exercise of options for four 3DELRR radars, associated production management, travel and other direct costs, and data under the basic contract. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $182,981,058. Work will be performed in Liverpool, New York, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2025. Fiscal 2023 other procurement funds in the amount of $84,938,768 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity.
13 Jan 23. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $141,018,624 firm-fixed-price contract for A2 Medium Tactical Trucks and Medium Tactical Trailers. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-23-F-0111).
17 Jan 23. Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) has been awarded a $112m contract to develop Cloud Based Command and Control (CBC2) for the U.S. Air Force Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). SAIC will deliver mission-ready, highly available and resilient command and control to the Department of the Air Force’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications, and Battle Management (DAF PEO C3BM) and Combatant Commands, aligning with the Department of the Air Force’s operational imperative to achieve optimized ABMS and JADC2. SAIC will design, develop, integrate and operate the Air Force ABMS CBC2 microservices, leading a number of industry teams contributing to a robust suite of software applications and infrastructure.. In the first application of CBC2, SAIC will deliver the modernized Air Defense capabilities to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and Pacific Air Forces to defend the homeland from evolving threats. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
SEA
13 Jan 23. The US Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast has awarded a task order for the construction of a new Littoral Innovation and Prototyping facility. Value of the new firm-fixed-price task order is approximately $58.5m. It has been awarded to US-based company Gilbane Federal as part of the multiple award construction contract vehicle. The new Littoral Innovation and Prototyping Facility will come up at the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Panama City, Florida. The construction project will support Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD). The Littoral Innovation and Prototyping Centre will replace around nine building that were damaged in 2018 during the Hurricane Michael. It is being constructed to boost the collaborative and equipment capabilities of NSWC PCD to perform Research, Development, Test & Evaluation related to mine warfare and expeditionary warfare operations conducted in littoral environments. (Source: naval-technology.com)
18 Jan 23. BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded a $71,909,045 definite-quantity, fixed-price incentive, firm-fixed-price, fixed-price economic price adjustment contract for the manufacture and delivery of five Columbia-class submarine components. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (100%), and is expected to be completed by May 2030. Fiscal 2023 National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund funds in the amount of $7,075,000 (100%) will be obligated at time of award, of which none will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the System for Award Management website, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00167-23-D-0004).
17 Jan 23. General Dynamics NASSCO – Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $149,452,553 firm-fixed-price contract action for maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Arlington (LPD 24) fiscal 2023 docking selected restricted availability. The scope of this acquisition includes all labor, supervision, facilities, equipment, production, testing, and quality assurance necessary to prepare for and accomplish the CNO Availability for managing critical modernization, maintenance and repair programs. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $168,452,352. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $136,192,304 (91.1%); and fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,260,249 (8.9%), will be obligated at the time of award, of which $13,260,249 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the System for Award Management website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-23-C-4413).
AIR
18 Jan 23. Acorn Growth Companies’ member Berry Aviation has received an award to support the US Marine Corps Special Operations Command (MARSOC). Under the terms of the contract, the company is required to provide Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (A-ISR) system services. The ISR services will be offered in support of MARSOC’s air-to-ground integration training. The company will provide a specially modified Cessna 206 platform, aircrew who have combat experience, and a remote portable ground control station (GCS). Berry Aviation Special Operations Support director and MARSOC combat veteran Stan Green said: According to the company, Special Operations teams will use the A-ISR system to obtain and crucial key skills in a ‘realistic, scenario-based training’ before being deployed across the globe. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
19 Jan 23. DARPA has selected Aurora Flight Sciences to move into the detailed design phase of the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. This follows successful completion of the project’s Phase 1 preliminary design, which resulted in an innovative testbed aircraft that used active flow control (AFC) to generate control forces in a wind tunnel test. Phase 2 will focus on detailed design and development of flight software and controls, culminating in a critical design review of an X-plane demonstrator that can fly without traditional moving flight controls on the exterior of the wings and tail. The contract includes a Phase 3 option in which DARPA intends to fly a 7,000-pound X-plane that addresses the two primary technical hurdles of incorporation of AFC into a full-scale aircraft and reliance on it for controlled flight. Unique features of the demonstrator aircraft will include modular wing configurations that enable future integration of advanced technologies for flight testing either by DARPA or potential transition partners. (Source: ASD Network)
18 Jan 23. NASA has selected Boeing [NYSE: BA] and its industry team to lead the development and flight testing of a full-scale Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) demonstrator airplane. The technologies demonstrated and tested as part of the Sustainable Flight Demonstrator (SFD) program will inform future designs and could lead to breakthrough aerodynamics and fuel efficiency gains. When combined with expected advancements in propulsion systems, materials and systems architecture, a single-aisle airplane with a TTBW configuration could reduce fuel consumption and emissions up to 30% relative to today’s most efficient single-aisle airplanes, depending on the mission. The SFD program aims to advance the civil aviation industry’s commitment to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050, as well as the goals set forth in the White House’s U.S. Aviation Climate Action Plan. (Source: ASD Network)
19 Jan 23. CAE announced today that CAE Defense & Security has been awarded the competitive re-compete for Fixed-Wing Flight Training Service by the United States Army. The contract provides comprehensive initial and recurrent training for more than 600 U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force fixed-wing pilots annually. The firm-fixed-price award has an approximate total value of US$250m through 2032 distributed from an initial base period and seven single-year options. (Source: ASD Network)
18 Jan 23. The USAF has awarded a contract to Raytheon BBN for the development of a rocket cargo mission planning and command-and-control (C2) system. The new contract has an estimated potential value of approximately $8.7m and a performance period of more than four years. The contract has been awarded as part of the USAF’s 2030 Science & Technology Strategy’s transformational science and technology initiative. As part of the initial work, Raytheon will develop a mission planning and C2 system, design cognitive engineering-based advanced human-machine interfaces, as well as identify and build the primary workflows and processes of rocket cargo. Raytheon will also provide solutions to mission-planning and C2 stakeholders for addressing available gaps in processes, knowledge and organisations by identifying coordination points in the new system. Work will be carried out across different locations in the US, including Cambridge, Massachusetts; Stanford and Mountain View in California; Asheville, North Carolina; Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Austin, Texas. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
TECHNOLOGY
17 Jan 23. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) has been awarded a $406m contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate (AFRL/RI) for the Intelligence Systems Infrastructure, Tools and Enhancements (InSITE) program to advance information collection and analysis across its customer set. InSITE will modernize the AFRL/RI’s intelligence information collection, sharing and analysis capabilities by implementing state-of-the-art artificial intelligence solutions. This will enable warfighters to make faster, better-informed decisions to deny, disrupt or defeat threats across all domains and with our global allies. Utilizing its digital capabilities, Northrop Grumman will provide cloud-enabled applications to foster data exchanges across U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Community customer centers and satellite locations, including the U.S. Space Force’s recently established National Space Intelligence Center in support of “One AFRL, Two Services.”
REST OF THE WORLD
LAND
18 Jan 23. Allison Transmission, a leading designer and manufacturer of conventional and electrified vehicle propulsion solutions for tactical wheeled and tracked defense vehicles, and medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, is proud to work with Larsen and Toubro (L&T) Ltd., to provide the Allison 3040 MXTM propulsion solution for the Indian Army’s Futuristic Infantry Combat Vehicle (FICV) prototype. Allison will manage engineering design, development, fabrication, testing and demonstration of the 3040 MX for the FICV prototype vehicles through 2024. The Indian Army intends to procure approximately 1,750 FICVs over the next two decades. The FICV is a fully tracked armored vehicle consisting of Infantry Fighting Vehicle (IFV), Reconnaissance and Surveillance, and Command and Control variants. It is essential to the “Make in India” modernization program, designed to replace India’s fleet of aging BMP-1 and BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles. Allison’s 3040 MX was developed based on its proven X300 propulsion solution, which has been integral to the European CV90 and Warrior IFV drivetrain solutions for over 30 years. The 3040 MX is now equipped with advanced electronic system controls enabling performance optimization and additional functionality that was not previously available. Today, the 3040 MX is also found in the U.S. Army’s newest tank, the Mobile Protected Firepower Light Tank. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
17 Jan 23. Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems” or the “Company”) announced today that it signed a contract in an amount of approximately $95m with the Israeli Ministry of Defense (IMoD) to supply and maintain advanced electro-optical systems for the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) infantry forces. The contract will be performed over a period of 10 years. As part of the contract, Elbit Systems will supply long-range deployable observation systems and tactical target acquisition systems. In addition, the contract includes maintenance services for the electro-optical systems produced by the Company.
18 Jan 23. HENSOLDT delivers more air surveillance radars to Ukraine. TRML-4D high-performance radars detect targets within a radius of 250 km. Sensor specialist HENSOLDT is supplying two more of its TRML-4D high-performance radars to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence. As part of an order worth a two-digit m euro sum, the two radars will already be delivered in the next three months. At the turn of the year, HENSOLDT had already contracted four TRML-4D radars as part of the IRIS-T SLM air defence system for Ukraine. TRML-4D uses the latest Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar technology with multiple digitally shaped beams. It is capable of detecting, tracking and classifying various types of aerial targets, with a focus on small, fast and low-flying and/or manoeuvring cruise missiles and aircraft, as well as helicopters. It ensures the rapid detection and tracking of about 1,500 targets in a radius of up to 250km.
18 Jan 23. Indian Army orders Mahindra Scorpio SUVs. The Indian Army has ordered Scorpio sports utility vehicles (SUVs) from Mahindra Automotive, the company announced in a social media post. The SUV has been selected under the 4×4 light utility vehicle – general services (LUV-GS) category. Mahindra has received an order for 1,470 Scorpio Classics from the Indian Army. The seven-seater SUV is fitted with a 2.2-litre diesel engine that generates a maximum power of 130 HP and torque of 300nm, the company said. In March 2022, India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the procurement of 4×4 LUV-GS. The new LUVs are intended to replace the in-service Maruti Gypsy vehicles. In 2016, the Indian Army selected the Tata Safari Storme over Mahindra Scorpio to replace fleets of Maruti Gypsy and Mahindra MM Jeep-derived models. Tata was awarded a contract to supply 3,192 4×4 Tata Safari Storme vehicles at that time. (Source: Janes)
22 Jan 23. MSI-DS Ltd Announced First Sales of New TERRAHAWK VSHORAD System. On 22nd December MSI-DS Ltd announced first sales of the new TERRAHAWK VSHORAD land based mobile gun system on the London Stock Exchange. In the company’s half year results for the period ended 31st October 2022, MSI-DS Ltd made reference to continuing development of new military products and that during the period, company launched first land based mobile gun system incorporating unique ‘counter-drone’ capability, that had already attracted considerable attention in the international market. Further to this update, MSI-DS Ltd are pleased to announce that the company have signed a contract with an overseas customer to supply in 2023 a number of land based mobile gun systems, which are aptly named MSI-DS TERRAHAWK VSHORAD dual feed weapon systems – mobile air defence. The total contract value to the Company is £22.4m and we are aiming to fulfil the contract as soon as practicable. Revenues under the contract are expected to be recognised during the 2023 calendar year. (Source: MSI/LSE)
18 Jan 23. XTEND – the developer of XOS, a human-guided autonomous operating system that is revolutionizing ‘human to machine’ interaction, has been awarded a $20m contract by Israel Ministry of Defense, for the development and supply of a first-of-its-kind multi-drone operating system. The new joint project with MAFAT and the Israeli Ministry of Directorate of Defense Research & Development, will see XOS enable the remote, safe, and intuitive operation of dozens of human-guided semi-autonomous drones simultaneously, utilizing the latest virtual reality, edge processing and AI technology. XOS will allow XTEND’s drones to be deployed remotely by military units in various scenarios precisely, intuitively, and immersively. The unique and groundbreaking joint initiative, which embodies the IDF and XTEND’s shared vision of enabling drones to become more than just another “eye in the sky”, enable operators to control, interact, and run 3rd party applications on the drones remotely, keeping forces out of danger, while fusing an operator’s expertise with machine autonomy, VR and AI. The deal is based on performance and deliverable milestones. (Source: PR Newswire)
SEA
18 Jan 23. Thales Alenia Space, the joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo (33%), has signed a contract with prime contractor Appworks to provide Thailand with a complete Search And Rescue (SAR) operational system based on the COSPAS-SARSAT MEOSAR Service. The solution will make it possible to detect and locate distress signals from COSPAS-SARSAT beacons on land, in the air and at sea instantaneously, over a radius of 2,500 km centered around Bangkok, mainly using the Galileo satellite positioning system. This solution also includes delivery of a Mission Control Centre (MCC) dedicated to managing and distributing alerts, and a Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) to manage all search-and-rescue activities for armed forces, coastguards, sea rescue and other services. (Source: ASD Network)
AIR
18 Jan 23. Turkey is set to deliver an undisclosed number of armed drones to Kuwait in a contract worth $370m, Turkish defence firm Baykar said on Wednesday. International demand for Baykar’s TB2 drones soared after they featured in conflicts in Syria, Libya and Azerbaijan and interest in them increased further following their use by Ukraine’s military to thwart Russian forces. (Source: Google/Reuters)
16 Jan 23. Lockheed Martin Australia has awarded a contract to BAE Systems Australia for the delivery of a regional F-35 sustainment warehouse, co-located with RAAF Base Williamtown. The warehouse will store replenishment spares for F-35 operations in Australia and the broader region, with the contract valued at over $1.6m. According to the prime contractor, the Williamtown-based F-35 warehouse is a key logistics node in the F-35’s global sustainment system, and is hoped to support both Australian defence industry resilience and US forces based in the region. More than 70 Australian firms have received over $3bn in production and sustainment contracts for the capability to date, with Lockheed Martin Australia projecting continued benefits to Australian industry and the national economy over coming years. (Source: Defence Connect)
18 Jan 23. Kyrgyzstan has purchased Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI)-made Anka unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), said the Central Asian country’s Presidential Press Service head, Daiyrbek Orunbekov. Known to have supplied Baykar-made Bayraktar TB2 and Akıncı UCAVs along with TAI-made Aksungur UCAV before, Kyrgyzstan, with the latest procurement, will now have in its inventory all types of UCAVs produced by TAI and Baykar. (Source: UAS VISION)
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Comtech Telecommunications Corp. is a leading global technology company providing terrestrial and wireless network solutions, next-generation 9-1-1 emergency services, satellite and space communications technologies, and clouded native solutions to commercial and government customers around the world. Our unique culture of innovation and employee empowerment unleashes a relentless passion for customer success. With multiple facilities located in technology corridors throughout the United States and the world, Comtech leverages its global presence, technology leadership and decades of experience to create the world’s most innovative communications solutions.
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