Sponsored By Comtech
www.comtech.com
————————————————————————
UNITED KINGDOM
LAND
08 Feb 23. The Large Capacity Aircraft Refueller Life Extension Project (LCAR LEP) is upgrading 80 tankers to improve deployability, availability and flexibility. The project is a collaboration between Defence Equipment & Support, the RAF and Terberg DTS UK, who have a number of key subcontractors including MAN Truck & Bus UK Ltd and Tasca Tankers Ltd. Air Commodore Simon Young, DE&S’ Head of Air Systems, Equipment & Training, went to Terberg’s facility in Halifax to meet key people involved in the work done so far. With 14 LCARs upgraded and delivered to the front line and more on their way, he formally acknowledged that Initial Operating Capability (IOC) had been achieved. (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
SEA
08 Feb 23. UK Ministry of Defence Award Maritime Spares Procurement Contract to TVS Supply Chain Solutions. The Maritime Spares team within the UK MOD’s Logistics Services Operating Centre have awarded one of three places on their 4 year + 1 option year FGS contract to TVS SCS, to procure a wide range of Royal Navy Fleet General Stores items. The requirement covers the provision of spares, repairs, and associated services for a wide range of equipment. This equipment includes domestic appliances, test equipment, laboratory equipment, ropes, catering equipment, and mechanical items such as seals and gaskets. Underpinning the procurement activity and to enable continued availability of contracted items is the supply of Technical Services covering Obsolescence management, Integrated Logistics Support and assistance with Safety Assessments. TVS SCS are a global supply chain organisation who manage circa 3 m items per day for customers in the automotive, beverage, defence, healthcare, rail, and utilities sector. These clients rely on TVS’s ability to create and manage a resilient supply chain that actively mitigates the risk of supply from global disruptions. The MOD’s decision to place this contract with a professional supply chain organisation aligns with their recently released Defence Supply Chain Strategy. This strategy advocates an ambition to build supply chains that are ‘resilient by design’ and able to handle the ‘new normal’ of constant disruption through a proactive, integrated, and collaborative approach.
AIR
10 Feb 23. Thales and Schiebel to deliver innovative eyes in the sky protection for Royal Navy using uncrewed rotary aircraft solution.
- Thales and Schiebel are pleased to announce they have been awarded a contract by the UK Ministry of Defence to deliver a game changing rotary wing Uncrewed Air System (UAS) to provide a protective ‘eye in the sky’ capability for Royal Navy warships.
- The contract for the Peregrine system will see a rotary-powered UAS, fitted with powerful naval surveillance sensors suite, deployed to help protect a Type 23 frigate on operational tasking.
- This partnership will bring together a combined 30 years of experience in UAS design, integration, test and operations with the S-100’s proven track record.
Thales will act as the lead systems integrator for the programme that brings together an unrivalled combination of proven UAS capability from Schiebel and a range high precision intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors and systems from Thales.
Schiebel will provide its operationally proven CAMCOPTER® S-100, a highly-effective uncrewed air system which already has more than 100,000 operating hours, including demanding deck-launched operations in challenging winds and sea states.
The S-100’s sensors, supported by an Automatic Identification System and fused together with the CarteNav AIMS Mission System provides the operator the ability to detect and identify unknown targets quickly.
The Thales I-Master radar can be operated in both Synthetic Aperture Radar and Maritime Moving Target Indication modes and once it detects and finds a contact, the on board electro-optical/infra-red sensor is cross-cued to perform the identification.
High-definition imagery and radar data is downloaded to the human operator and disseminated in real time through the host ship’s Combat Management System and made available to multiple users.
EUROPE
LAND
07 Feb 23. FN Herstal announced a first major order of FN Elity® ballistic calculators, manufactured in Europe (ITAR-free) and for use by French snipers and designated marksmen. In early 2022, the Battle-Lab Terre (BLT) – Ground Forces Battle Lab –, a structure created with the aim of boosting innovation within the French Army, acquired a first batch of FN Elity and initiated a test phase with French units composed of snipers and designated marksmen. This phase, which lasted several months, enabled operational shooters to successfully test and evaluate the ballistic calculator on various weapon platforms: 12.7mm rifles and 7.62mm sniper/precision rifles (PGM and FN SCAR®-H PR). Most importantly, it demonstrated how the FN Herstal ballistic calculator considerably improves the shooter’s performance, reduces “detection-neutralization” time by 40% and improves shooting accuracy by 25%. It also lightens the equipment carried by snipers by 6 kilos.
08 Feb 23. The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a potential foreign military sale (FMS) of M142 launcher systems to Poland. The proposed deal has already received approval from the US State Department. Estimated at approximately $10bn, the FMS deal involves the delivery of 18 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) launchers, along with the related equipment and support. The military sale package comprises 468 HIMARS launcher loader module kits, 461 M30A2 guided multiple launch rocket system alternative warhead (GMLRS-AW) pods, along with its insensitive munitions propulsion system (IMPS), and 521 M31A2 GMLRS unitary pods with IMPS, as well as 532 XM403 GMLRS Extended Range AW pods. The US will also deliver 45 M57 Army Tactical Missile Systems, low cost reduced range practice rockets, test sets, batteries, laptop computers, and spare and repair parts, along with associated support and communications equipment. Furthermore, the Polish Government has also requested to provide the necessary personnel training, equipment, facility design publications, technical data, sensors, systems integration support, US government and contractor engineering, and logistics personnel services. Deployment of Quality Assurance teams and a Technical Assistance Fielding team is also included in the sale package. (Source: army-technology.com)
03 Feb 23. A South Korean manufacturer, SNT Dynamics, said this week it will supply transmissions for the engines that will power the Altay, Turkey’s first indigenous tank. The subsidiary of SNT Holding announced it has signed a deal with BMC, a Turkish-Qatari partnership that builds the Altay, to supply the EST15K, a 1,500-horsepower automatic transmission. The South Korean company said the export deal includes $74.9m of supply until 2027 and has an option for further sourcing priced at $141m between 2028 and 2030. SNT said the deal was signed after field tests and assessment, including an endurance driving test last year. (Source: Defense News)
AIR
07 Feb 23. FCAS sensor network takes off. German industry wins contract under the Future Combat Air System programme. Following agreement by the nations of Germany, France and Spain on the continuation of the FCAS (= Future Combat Air System) project, the consortium German FCMS GbR, consisting of HENSOLDT Sensors GmbH, Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH and Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG has been commissioned with the development of core elements of the innovative FCAS sensor network. In the FCAS project, the participating nations want to develop, among other things, a successor system for the Eurofighter and Rafale fighter aircraft. As part of wider efforts, the FCMS consortium will develop advanced technologies for sensors as well as an innovative system of networked sensors. By 2025, several technology demonstrators will be created to show the possibilities of the new technologies and a platform-independent collaborative solution for sensors. On this basis, development will continue in the further FCAS demonstrator phases to provide sensor systems for the various platforms of the FCAS network. In the so-called Demonstrator Phase 1B, HENSOLDT is working within the FCMS consortium primarily in the areas of sensor technology and data fusion as well as electronic warfare and networking, Diehl Defence on an imaging target location and targeting sensor suite and on remote carrier concepts, ESG is responsible for sensor architecture and sensor resource management as well as networking, simulation and flight test, and Rohde & Schwarz is providing robust networking in the air and on the ground as an enabler for the Combat Cloud (i.e., directed links with high-performance data links connecting flying units; a robust, jam-proof network that is resistant to detection; cryptology).
10 Feb 23. HENSOLDT is developing essential core elements of the novel sensor network in the German-French-Spanish armament project FCAS (= Future Combat Air System). As a member of the German FCMS GbR (FCMS = Future Combat Mission System) consortium, HENSOLDT has been awarded a contract worth approximately 100 m euros by the French procurement authority DGA for the development of demonstrators in the core competence fields of radar, reconnaissance and self-protection electronics, optronics and also the overarching networking of sensor technology. In the FCAS project, the participating nations want to develop, among other things, a successor system for the Eurofighter and Rafale fighter aircraft as well as a novel system of networked sensors. By 2025, several technology demonstrators will be developed to show the possibilities of a platform-independent networked solution. This sensor network with different platforms will then be further developed in the other FCAS demonstrator phases. The respective technology leaders of the industry from the three countries are involved: Under the overall management of INDRA (Spain), Thales for France and the FCMS consortium for Germany, consisting of HENSOLDT, Diehl Defence, ESG Elektroniksystem- und Logistik-GmbH and Rohde & Schwarz, are working together in the so-called demonstrator phase 1b. HENSOLDT leads the FCMS consortium and therefore, in addition to its technical work packages, also takes on essential tasks in project management and in the central architecture work packages.
02 Feb 23. Indra will supply the CH-47F Chinook helicopters of the Spanish Army’s Airmobile Force (FAMET) with Talium, one of the most advanced mission planning systems currently in existence, designed to greatly increase the efficiency and safety of helicopters operating in complex scenarios. The contract totalling 15m Euro has been awarded to Indra by the DGAM (Directorate General of Armaments and Material). (Source: www.joint-forces.com)
06 Feb 23. OHB Sweden selects ENPULSION electric propulsion for the EIS mission. In December of 2022, OHB Sweden and ENPULSION signed a dedicated sales contract for a Horizon2020 IOV/IOD Mission called EIS. After delivering ENPULSION’s propulsion products to previous OHB. Sweden’s InnoSat smallsat platform missions, OHB Sweden decided to order a next series of ENPULSION thrusters for the firm’s upcoming EIS mission. OHB Sweden and ENPULSION have successfully worked together on previous missions, including the Arctic Weather Satellite (AWS) program using the ENPULSION NANO R3 thrusters, as well as the GMS-T satellite, launched in 2021, in which the ENPULSION MICRO R3 thrusters are being used. (Source: Satnews)
03 Feb 23. Virgin Orbit (NASDAQ: VORB) and satellite manufacturer SatRev have announced a follow-on, launch services agreement (LSA) for additional launches of SatRev’s satellites in 2023 and beyond. This new agreement provides SatRev with the flexibility to launch 500 kg. over multiple launches to a variety of different orbital planes from the Mojave Air and Space Port in California, USA, and/or from other international launch sites as they come online with mission requirements. Four satellites built by SatRev have already been delivered to LEO by Virgin Orbit’s LauncherOne system onboard missions Tubular Bells and Above the Clouds. The parties anticipate launching a new batch of SatRev’s satellites as soon as 2023. STORK is a CubeSat for EO and technology testing and built and operated by SatRev from Poland. The STORK 3U CubeSats features SatRev’s Vision-300 imager with a ground resolution of up to 5m. SatRev will soon start deploying ScopeSat, with the revolutionary DeploScope technology that will enable SatRev to collect high resolution data from 6U CubeSats. The STORK and ScopeSat satellites will form the Real-time Earth Observation Constellation that will provide multispectral mid- and hi-resolution data with a revisit time of 30 minutes. (Source: Satnews)
USA
LAND
09 Feb 23. AM General LLC, South Bend, Indiana, was awarded a $230,874,512 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Family of Vehicles. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in South Bend, Indiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 8, 2033. Fiscal 2023 other procurement, Army funds; procurement, U.S. Marine Corps funds; research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds; and research, development, test and evaluation, Navy funds in the amount of $230,874,512 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-23-D-0008).
09 Feb 23. Avon Protection (AVON) has landed a $6.7mn (£5.5mn) second order from the US Defense Logistics Agency under an Advanced Combat Helmet contract initially awarded in February last year. Testing of the helmets is still ongoing ahead of an expected ramp up in manufacturing, with initial deliveries expected in its 2024 financial year. (Source: Investors Chronicle)
08 Feb 23. Cobham Satcom, the leading provider of radio and satellite communication (satcom) solutions to the global maritime and land mobile sectors has been chosen by Inmarsat Government to supply new generation SAILOR XTR user terminals for the provision of fast, reliable and secure worldwide end-to-end commercial satcom for the U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) Next Generation Wideband service. Inmarsat Government is trusted with upgrading the primary MSC afloat network from Ku-band VSAT to the Global Xpress (GX) Ka-band under a 10 year, $578M Follow-On contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded in August 2022. Cobham Satcom was selected as the user terminal partner. The roll-out, which includes replacing all existing Ku-band user terminals on MSC vessels with customized rapid deployment 1 meter SAILOR 1000 XTR and 0.6 meter SAILOR 600 XTR Ka-band VSAT terminals, starts immediately. (Source: ASD Network)
08 Feb 23. INVISIO has received a first major order for the new RA4000 Magna headset, a breakthrough for the Racal Acoustics brand in the North American market. The order value is SEK 42m. The order is in support of a large defense contractor to the US Department of Defense where high noise attenuation is required, and deliveries are planned monthly through September 2023. This marks the first introduction in over 25 years in the US market of Active Noise Reduction (ANR) tactical headsets, designed for heavy armored vehicles. The RA4000 Magna™ digital headset is Racal Acoustics most recently developed product. It offers market-leading hearing protection, communication capability and situational awareness. The RA4000 Magna™ has modular, customizable, and upgradeable features and accessories, which makes it possible to meet specific customer requirements, while prolonging the life of the product. The order is a result of focused and joint efforts of INVISIO’s North American 30-strong sales organization and the experienced Racal Acoustics product team. Since the acquisition of Racal Acoustics in 2021, the brand’s products have been fully integrated with the Group’s sales and marketing. This has provided tremendously increased exposure of the brand in the US market.
03 Feb 23. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded an $84,953,107 modification (P00401) to contract W56HZV-20-C-0050 for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Family of Vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2024. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 U.S. Air Force baseline procurement funds; and fiscal 2023 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $84,953,107 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
08 Feb 23. Teledyne FLIR Defense, part of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated (NYSE:TDY), announced that it has been awarded a $13.3m contract by the U.S. Department of Defense to further expand the capabilities of its R80D SkyRaider™ unmanned aerial system to autonomously perform chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) reconnaissance missions. Teledyne FLIR Defense will integrate flight control software that enables the SkyRaider Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) to autonomously fly CBRN missions currently performed by soldiers hand-carrying detection sensors into hazardous areas. Blending the new technology with SkyRaider’s existing capabilities will allow soldiers to complete these missions without directly controlling the drone – and without exposing themselves to toxic substances. Teledyne FLIR also will design and build prototype chemical and radiological sensor payloads for the R80D SkyRaider, as well as integrate existing detectors in the U.S. Army’s inventory. This effort builds on three years of investment by several joint program offices to develop new and improved UAS capabilities for CBRN missions. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
SEA
03 Feb 23. AML3D enters US defence market with ARCEMY® sale to US Navy. Adelaide-based AML3D Limited has won a $1m contract from the US Navy to supply a large-scale, industrial ARCEMY ‘X-Edition 6700’ Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing metal 3D printing system. This will support the US Navy’s accelerating adoption of Wire Arc additive manufacturing technology which is seen as a means to produce on-demand industrial grade parts. This is critical to rapidly scaling the parts supply to the US Navy’s submarine industrial base. (Source: Rumour Control)
AIR
09 Feb 23. Advanced Systems and Software Engineering Technologies (ASSET) LLC, Ridgecrest, California, a Joint Venture (JV) between New Directions Technologies, Inc. (NDTI) and DCS Corporation, has been awarded the Weapons and Systems Integration Support Services V (WSISS V) contract valued at $292m. Through this 5-year contract, ASSET LLC will provide systems engineering, analysis, research, development, logistics, configuration and data management services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s (NAWCWD) aircraft integrated product teams for the development, integration, test, evaluation, and fielding of new and upgraded capabilities to Navy aircraft. Supported platforms include the F/A-18, EA-18G, F-35, AV-8B, AH-1/UH-1 aircraft, as well as unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Places of performance include China Lake, California; Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Point Mugu, California; and various other locations across the continental United States. To date, WSISS V is the largest contract award ever made to a Ridgecrest-based company, a momentous milestone for NDTI, the managing member of the ASSET JV. (Source: PR Newswire)
10 Feb 23. Blue Origin, the private space company founded by billionaire Jeff Bezos, was awarded its first interplanetary NASA contract on Thursday to launch a mission next year to study the magnetic field around Mars, the U.S. space agency and company said. Plans call for Blue Origin’s recently developed New Glenn heavy-lift rocket to blast off with NASA’s dual-spacecraft ESCAPADE mission in late 2024 from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the agency said. It will take the identical twin ESCAPADEs, short for Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers, about 11 months to reach Mars orbit, where they will capture data from the planet’s magnetosphere and its interactions with solar radiation. New Glenn, with a reusable first stage designed to be flown on at least 25 missions, is named for pioneering NASA astronaut John Glenn, who became the first American to orbit Earth in 1962. (Source: Reuters)
07 Feb 23. Comtech Receives Additional Funding for U.S. Army Communications. Comtech (NASDAQ: CMTL) announced today that it was awarded four Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) III Satellite Systems and Services task order modifications exceeding $20m dollars, under the Global Tactical Advanced Communication Systems (GTACS) IDIQ award, to support global U.S. Army operations. As the United States Department of Defense (DOD) continues to allocate technology resources to deter adversaries and address a wide range of geopolitical challenges, Comtech is uniquely positioned to deliver resilient, battle-proven communications capabilities that will significantly enhance information dominance, and mission effectiveness in all domain operations.” (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
07 Feb 23. Italy, is being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (H92241-23-D-0003) in the amount of $91,882,621 with firm-fixed-price requirements to design, modify, integrate and install the 1.2+ avionics update package on the C27J fixed wing aircraft. The C27J aircraft provides U.S. special operations forces with fixed wing aircraft support. This contract action supports a requirement to replace the aging avionic package on the C27J fixed wing aircraft that has components dating back more than 15 years, and to maximize commonality across the C27J fixed wing aircraft operating enterprise. Fiscal 2021-2023 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $31,916,251; and procurement, construction and improvement, Coast Guard funds in the amount of $32,143,780 were obligated at the time of the award. This is a non-competitive award in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The majority of the work will be performed in Naples, Italy. U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity.
08 Feb 23. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awarded Maxar Technologies a five-year contract to provide commercial satellite imagery to U.S. allies. The contract is worth as much as $192m, the Westminster, Colorado-based company said in a Feb. 8 statement. It includes high-resolution electro-optical imagery as well as synthetic aperture radar products, which uses radar to see through clouds and in dark conditions and detect things like material properties, precise movement and elevation. Maxar will also provide three-dimensional data services. Commercial satellite imagery is in high demand and its utility for military operations has been on full display in the war in Ukraine. Data from commercial space-based imagery providers is supplementing government-owned space capabilities, providing detailed insights into Russian troop movements. The contract follows two other awards from NGA, which Maxar announced last month. The first, a $22.5m contract, is for the agency’s Janus program and will help characterize land cover over areas that haven’t been mapped in the past. Under another $13.3m deal, the company will provide an interface that NGA can use to better access its commercial imagery archive. (Source: C4ISR & Networks)
08 Feb 23. Reliable Robotics, a leader in safety-enhancing aircraft automation systems, today announced a United States Air Force contract to explore the automation of large, multi-engine jets. This study will include a feasibility assessment of full and limited aircraft automation features for cargo operations. Remotely piloted aircraft will enable the Air Force to increase mission tempo worldwide and leverage a certifiable commercial solution for defense industry needs at fractional costs and extend aircraft capabilities. Reliable Robotics is developing a certifiable system that enables continuous autopilot engagement through all phases of flight, including taxi, takeoff and landing with a remote pilot supervising operations. Higher precision navigation, sophisticated flight planning capabilities and more robust flight controls better manage aircraft and environmental conditions and improve safety with or without onboard crew. Once certified by the Federal Aviation Administration, Reliable’s system will reduce the occurrence of common causes of fatal aviation accidents, such as controlled flight into terrain and loss of control. (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
06 Feb 23. US Navy selects Textron King Air 260 trainer to replace T-44s. The US Navy (USN) has selected the Textron King Air 260 to replace the Beechcraft King Air 90 (designated T-44 Pegasus) multi-engine trainer. The initial contract award announced on 25 January orders 10 T-54s for USD113m, with options for up to 64 of the aircraft, which will be designated T-54A Multi Engine Training System (METS). Deliveries are expected to run from 2024 through 2026. T-44 retirements will begin six months after the first T-54 delivery, the USN told Janes . The T-54s will be equipped with ‘glass’ multifunction displays, automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) transponders, weather radar, and other modern systems that the ageing T-44s lack. (Source: Janes)
TECHNOLOGY
08 Feb 23. Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division, a leading supplier of Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA)-based solutions engineered for success, was awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in excess of $8.7m by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division to supply its Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) based single board computer (SBC) technology in support of the AN/UPX-24(V) identification friend or foe (IFF) processor sets. Under the contract, Curtiss-Wright will provide its SVME-183 VMEbus SBC to the U.S. Navy at St. Inigoes, Maryland. This award is the third consecutive multi-year IDIQ contract Curtiss-Wright has received in support of this program. This contract, which began in November 2022, is scheduled to run through the end of 2024.
06 Feb 23. Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that it has been awarded a ten-year, $287m firm-fixed-price indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract by Edwards Air Force Base (AFB) – Air Force Test Center (AFTC). The contract has a base period of five years, valued at $123m, followed by a five-year option period. Under the agreement, Curtiss-Wright will provide its High Speed Data Acquisition System (HSDAS) aerospace instrumentation technology to support AFTC flight test programs, including High Speed Data Acquisition, Network, Recording, Gateway, RF, and Data Analysis Software (IADS®) products and services for Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI). The sole source contract provides products, enhancements, upgrades, repair services, field service, and technical support to the HSDAS equipment. As a total systems provider for FTI, Curtiss-Wright provides products and services that collect, collate, process, record, transmit via RF links, and analyze and display flight test data. Curtiss-Wright is a leading supplier of these solutions on the F-22, F-35, B-52 and many other programs. Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions will perform the work and fulfill the IDIQ delivery orders primarily at its TTC (Teletronics) facility in Newtown, Pa. and its IADS facility in Palmdale, Calif.
REST OF THE WORLD
SEA
08 Feb 23. Japan acquiring F-35 landing system for Izumo. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) is in the process of procuring a Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) for its Izumo – class helicopter carrier. The system would allow Japan to operate Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II fighters from the ship. In a statement on 7 February, the US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said that the US Navy (USN), in partnership with JMSDF representatives, awarded a JPY1.13bn (USD8.6m) Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in December 2022 to Raytheon Intelligence & Space for the procurement and delivery of a JPALS unit. The JPALS is scheduled to be deployed on the JMSDF’s JS Izumo in 2024, NAVAIR added. (Source: Janes)
AIR
08 Feb 23. Iraqi Ministry of Defence (MoD) has submitted Foreign Military Sales (FMS) requests for 16 Bell 412M and four Bell 412EPX medium-lift helicopters to replace the IAAC’s Russian-made Mi-17s, 15 new Bell 407Ms to replace existing 407s in the light-attack role, and 15 new Bell 505 helicopters to replace the 407s and OH-58s currently used as trainers. (Source: Janes)
05 Feb 23. Gilat receives a multi-million contract for APAC trains SATCOM expansion. Gilat Satellite Networks Ltd. (Nasdaq: GILT, TASE: GILT) has been awarded a multimillion-dollar contract for the expansion of SATCOM capabilities on trains in Asia-Pacific (APAC). Gilat’s ER7000 SATCOM On-The-Move antennas were selected by a leading integrator for installation on trains to provide continuous internet access to passengers traveling across the APAC region. Throughout the world, Gilat’s field-proven ER7000 antennas have been successfully deployed to empower SATCOM On-The-Move (SOTM) applications. They provide reliable, high-performance broadband connectivity for vehicles and rail travel, maximizing throughput with high efficiency in a low-profile system with minimal size and weight. These features make the ER7000 ideally suited for these applications, enabling real-time broadband satellite communications for video, voice, and data transfer. (Source: Satnews)
09 Feb 23. MDA Ltd. (TSX: MDA), a leading provider of advanced technology and services to the rapidly expanding global space industry, today announced a new contract award to design, build and supply all of the Ka-band multibeam antennas for the ARSAT-SG1 satellite. ARSAT is Argentina’s national telecommunications company and ARSAT-SG1 will provide high-speed internet as well as digital video and voice services across the country and to Bolivia, Paraguay and Chile. This is the first contract signed between MDA and ARSAT. MDA is a world leader in providing antennas to the geosynchronous equatorial orbit (GEO), medium earth orbit (MEO), and low earth orbit (LEO) satellite markets. (Source: PR Newswire)
03 Feb 23. Polskie Zaklady Lotnicze Sp. z.o.o., Mielec, Poland, has been awarded an $30,373,834.85 firm-fixed-price contract for M28 Block 05 aircraft. This contract provides for two new, commercially produced M28 Block 05 aircraft, associated aircraft training, spares package, medical equipment, six months of field service representative services, and ferry flight service for the M28 Block 05 aircraft from Mielec, Poland, to Kathmandu, Nepal. Work will be performed in Mielec, Poland, and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2025. This contract involves foreign military financing to Nepal. This award is the result of a country-directed sole-source acquisition. Foreign Military Financing funds in the amount of $29,232,835 are being obligated at the time of the award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-23-C-B001).
————————————————————————-
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.
————————————————————————-