INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
28 Apr 08. Saab in extensive Norwegian industrial cooperation. Saab is planning for extensive industrial cooperation with Norwegian industry in connection with a potential Gripen deal. As a part of this Saab has signed cooperation agreements with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, Norwegian Thales, Nammo, Simrad Optronics, Natech and TotAl-group. In the next few years Norway will be renewing its aircraft fleet and has asked for binding information for up to 48 fighter aircraft. Saab is offering Gripen next generation, which is now under development. It can be delivered from 2016 and is a fully Nato-compatible aircraft fulfilling all Norwegian requirements. A Gripen deal will generate extensive cooperation and development of new technologies together with Norwegian industry. The cooperation agreement with Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) spread over 10-15 years covers the areas of aviation, space, defence and civil security. Cooperation with KDA includes advanced composite production and development for both military and commercial aeronautics and development, integration and marketing of the JSM missile. Total business value more than 12bn NOK. Thales Norway will deliver important parts of Gripen, foremost within data link communication, SATCOM and Nato interoperable crypto solutions. Thales Norway and Saab are also planning extensive co-operation in other defence communications areas. Total business value more than 2bn NOK. Nammo will develop 27 mm APEX ammunitions for Gripen and Counter Rocket-Artillery-Mortars. Total business value more than 1 billion NOK. Together with Simrad a new company is formed for development and world wide marketing of various products including high tech optronics. The agreement also includes the establishment of a ISTAR/UAV center of excellence. Total business value more than 6bn NOK. The agreement with Natech includes production of cabling, panels and racks for Gripen and electromechanical manufacturing for several other Saab military products in Narvik. TotAl-group will design and produce Gripen structural parts and complete assemblies.
30 Apr 08. The U.S. Army Sustainment Command (ASC) announced that it has awarded the Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) IV contract to Fluor and two other contract teams. ITT’s Systems Division, headquartered in Colorado Springs, CO, is a major teammate with Fluor. The 10-year program has a ceiling value of $5bn per year to each team, although work on the contract is procured through individual task orders. Task orders are expected to require a broad range of essential logistics support services to U.S. and allied forces during combat, peacekeeping, humanitarian and training operations. General functional areas include facilities, supply, transportation, construction, base camp operations, communications and maintenance.
30 Apr 08. United Digital is accelerating its European expansion plans and is actively seeking European distributors. Spearheaded by the SuperStar 6116RM, which outperforms the Xserve RAID but at a lower price, United Digital is looking at entering a number of new markets over the coming months including Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Benelux, Poland, the Baltic States, Austria, Hungary and Greece. During the past year United Digital has re-vamped its entire product range to include a superior palette of RAID solutions, all purpose-designed with the Apple environment in mind. In addition, the whole UD range now features energy-saving GreenPower hard drives from Western Digital, bringing substantial energy savings and reducing CO2 emissions by up to 84 kilograms per drive per year – the equivalent of taking a car off the road for 19 days every year. The new RAID range also features Western Digital’s latest IntelliPark™ technology which parks the heads during idle periods, reducing aerodynamic drag and power consumption – not only lowering energy consumption by up to 40% but running cooler and more quietly tha