INDUSTRY TEAMINGS
18 Oct 07. Lockheed Martin and Patria have teamed to compete for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC). The MPC will be the Marines’ next generation medium armored vehicle. The service is expected to release a request for proposals during the second quarter of 2008. Under the agreement between the two companies, Lockheed Martin Systems Integration in Owego, NY will act as prime contractor for the MPC effort, providing systems integration, survivability enhancements, U.S. production and net-centric and logistics capabilities for Patria’s proven AMV 8×8 multi-role vehicle. “The Lockheed Martin/Patria team will offer the U.S. Marine Corps a superior personnel carrier that enhances force protection while still providing the mobility necessary to execute expeditionary missions,” said Lou DeSantis, Vice President and General Manager of Systems Solutions at Lockheed Martin Systems Integration-Owego. “Our MPC is a combat-proven solution that supports the Marine Corps’ current mission with room for future capability enhancement.” The Lockheed Martin/Patria MPC will meet the U.S. Marine Corps’ anticipated performance, protection and payload requirements as a versatile armored personnel carrier. It will be optimized for unconventional warfare, but effective across the full range of military operations. The MPC is designed to fill the medium-armor ground vehicle gap, while also providing capability to “swim” through water. “This teaming agreement with Lockheed Martin is in step with Patria’s strategy to team up with strong partners with whom it offers competitive tailor made solutions to customers,” said Jorma Wiitakorpi, President and CEO of Patria. “The Patria AMV 8×8 is a combat proven solution fielded internationally and receiving great feedback from users in theaters of operations.” (Source: ASD Network)
25 Oct 07. BAE Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems have signed a memorandum of agreement to work collaboratively in support of the U. S. Army’s Heavy Brigade Combat Team modernization plan, which will upgrade, modernize and achieve commonality on BAE Systems’ family of Bradley fighting vehicles and General Dynamics M1 Abrams tanks, the primary combat vehicles of the Army’s Heavy Brigades. The agreement, developed with the Army’s encouragement, defines how both companies will work with the Army’s Project Manager for Heavy Brigade Combat Team, and the Abrams and Bradley Product Managers, to jointly translate
warfighter requirements into capabilities through collaborative design and
development of common solutions. The agreement also establishes the basic process for collaborative specification and product development and provisions for the common procurement of material to support system evolution on both companies’ combat vehicles.
22 Oct 07. Korea Aerospace and Eurocopter to form joint venture. Korea Aerospace Industries and Eurocopter are forming a joint venture to market a military utility helicopter that they are jointly developing in South Korea. The company will be operational by 2010 and be responsible for the sale of the 8t class Korea Utility Helicopter (KUH) outside South Korea. Eurocopter and KAI
are projecting that there will be a demand for around 300 units worldwide.
South Korea started work on the Korea Helicopter Programme (KHP) early this
decade and chose Eurocopter as its partner in late 2005. The EADS subsidiary
provides technical assistance on the programme through 40 engineers based in
South Korea. The companies signed a $1.3bn research and development contract in June 2006, and the entire programme is expected to cost about $5.4bn by 2011. Production is expected to begin in 2012 and continue through the next decade. The helicopter, which would be able to seat two pilots and carry about 11 troops, is primarily being developed to replace South Korea’s ageing fleet of
Bell UH-1Hs and McDonnell Douglas 500MDs. The country is expected to eventually
commi