INDUSTRY TEAMINGS

22 May 08. DRS Technologies, Inc. and Smiths Detection recently formalized a teaming agreement for the joint development and production of the model 4A Chemical/Biological Protective Shelter (CBPS-M4A). The agreement stems from a request by the customer, the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense, for DRS Technologies and Smiths Detection to explore the idea of a single design by working jointly to meet the CBPS Model 4A requirements. Under the arrangement, the company’s DRS Sustainment Systems unit in St. Louis, Missouri, and Smiths Detection, headquartered in Edgewood, Maryland, jointly will develop the M4A system. DRS will provide major subsystems to Smiths Detection for integration under a 10-year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract. This production work could be valued at up to $190m over the period of the contract. Manufacturing for DRS Technologies will take place at its West Plains, Missouri, location.

22 May 08. General Dynamics C4 Systems has selected PacStar(TM), a
technology-based provider of communications solutions to the military and
government, to resell the Sectera(R) vIPer(TM) Universal Secure Phone. The
Sectera vIPer Phone is the only secure desktop phone to be National Security
Agency-certified to protect information classified Top Secret and below over
commercial Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks for authorized U.S.
military and government users.

20 May 08. MBDA France and Sagem Défense Sécurité signed a cooperation agreement on May 14 concerning the modular air-to-ground weapon (AASM) and infrared guidance for tactical missiles. Under the terms of the agreement, MBDA France will be responsible for all sales and marketing of the AASM family developed by Sagem Défense Sécurité. The two companies will also combine their respective areas of expertise to form a close partnership for the joint development of future versions of the AASM family. The AASM is an all-weather precision weapon, comprising a guidance kit and a range extension kit that can be added to standard warheads. It is made in two versions. The version with inertial guidance and GPS, offering “10-meter” accuracy, is already deployed by the French air force in foreign operations. A “1-meter” version, including an infrared seeker, is now being qualified. French armed forces have already ordered 700 AASM systems, including both versions. The AASM family will join MBDA France’s range of tactical weapons for aircraft, allowing the AASM family to be included in any comprehensive offers aimed at meeting the requirements of air forces worldwide. MBDA France and Sagem Défense Sécurité also agreed to leverage the commercial and technical synergies associated with their respective positions to propose highly competitive solutions to air forces around the world.