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13 Feb 19. South Korean consortium selected for F-35 MRO. A consortium of South Korean aerospace companies has been selected by the US government to provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) has announced.
DAPA said in a statement on 13 February that the consortium – termed by DAPA as ‘Team ROK’ – includes Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Aerospace, Korean Air Aerospace Division, LIG Nex1, and logistics specialist Hyundai Glovis.
DAPA said it was notified of the decision by the US Department of Defense (DoD). It added that the selection of Team ROK followed a review undertaken by the DoD of proposals to expand MRO involvement in the F-35 programme by countries involved in developing the aircraft and by countries committed to procuring the platform.
DAPA said that Team ROK has been allocated responsibility to provide MRO services in support of components and systems across three areas: avionics, “machinery and electronics”, and in-flight egress systems, adding that the decision supports local industry’s efforts to gain access to the F-35 global supply chain and, at a wider level, to boost the country’s defence exports.
“DAPA is promoting innovation to transform domestic defence companies into a competitive export-oriented industry,” it said. “The selection of [Team ROK] is a success story that shows the way for the defence industry to move forward.” (Source: Google/IHS Jane’s)
13 Feb 19. British Aerospace Engineering Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00421-D-0035); Coherent Technical Services Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0036); Engility Corp., Andover, Maine (N00421-D-0037); J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0038); KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (N00421-D-0039); Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia (N00421-D-0040); and Valkyrie Enterprises Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00421-D-0041), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $235,005,530, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. These contracts provide for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore support services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) – Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division (NAWCAD 4.11.7). Services to be provided include operational, technical, logistical and system engineering support for system certification; technical assistance; systems analysis and engineering; test and evaluation; installation and maintenance; hardware design, development, technical logistics support; configuration management; training support; equipment manufacturing; quality control; and project management of Mobile Air Battle management systems and communication-electronic systems. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (20 percent); and at various contractor locations within the continental U.S. (80 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with seven offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
12 Feb 19. ARQUUS launches its Trust Online portal dedicated to customer support. A European expert in supporting land armored vehicles, ARQUUS has set up a new web portal dedicated to customer support. Known as Trust Online, this new portal has been designed to provide close assistance for customers and meet their needs in terms of support. A key player in maintenance with over 20,000 supported vehicles in the Army and numerous international support contracts, ARQUUS places its experience at the service of its partners. The company provides dedicated support by improving the reactivity of its services, together with monitoring and knowledge of customers, their needs and operating modes. Trust Online meets this double need by offering the services necessary for optimizing the operational technical availability of vehicles, and presenting a structured and innovative support offer.
The new Trust Online portal offers ARQUUS’ customers and partners access to the Trust services – Classic, Premium, and Ultimate – and remote assistance. These services cover all support-related needs and range from technical assistance, training and in-service maintenance to complete fleet management.
Trust Online also serves as a platform for the various tools established by ARQUUS to facilitate maintenance at the customer’s site. These tools include remote assistance solutions, in particular through the ARQUUS connected viewer which connects an operator on the ground to an ARQUUS technical expert. They also include the Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul & Diagnostics (MROD) tools for fleet and maintenance management. Trust Online also gives access to a webshop to meet all needs for spare and service parts on-line.
The new portal also presents innovations in the field of support, developed by the company’s technical teams. Thanks to its investment in R&D, ARQUUS is able to offer a wide range of innovative tools for guaranteeing maximal Technical Operational Availability (DTO), such as the Health & Usage Monitoring System (HUMS), Virtual reality training, or 3D printing…
In addition, Trust Online improves communication with and support for the customer by enabling him to submit service requests and parts orders at any time and to communicate with the ARQUUS network. These new features guarantee the reactivity of the TRUST teams and speedy processing of customer needs.
The latest tool for ARQUUS support solutions, Trust Online allows ARQUUS’ customers and partners to access its range of services and parts as easily as possible, both on the national soil and for export. ARQUUS’ logistics organisation is based on the new ARQUUS HUB at Fourchambault, which was designed to provide a very rapid response to orders for parts and exchange assemblies.
12 Feb 19. AERTEC Solutions says it is facing a new year of consolidation in the Spanish defence sector, thanks to two important milestones that have occurred in parallel. Firstly, the company has just signed an agreement that will regulate its collaboration with the Ministry of Defence/Air Force for the next four years. This establishes the terms under which support will be provided for carrying out the ground and flight tests required by some of the company’s products currently being developed in the field of Security and Defence. Among other things, AERTEC will carry out tasks involving engineering, requirement design, parameterisation, detailed design, prototyping, monitoring and testing of prototypes in unit tests, integration tests, “permit to fly” tests, support for flight tests, and analysis of results.
The first project to be developed under this agreement is called BASGE (Air-to-Surface Guided Bomb for Training), a proposal developed entirely by AERTEC Solutions. It has been selected as a technology development project of interest for Defence within the Programme for Cooperation in Scientific Research and Development in Strategic Technologies (Coincidente Programme). The company has an important background in laser guidance systems in the military sector, and since 2016 it has been working with the Air Force to identify a number of improvements in the area of military pilot training. Thanks to this call for proposals from the Coincidente Programme, which is organised and managed by the Directorate-General for Armament and Material (DGAM), 22 business and scientific projects will be funded, including BASGE. Over the next two years, AERTEC will develop a prototype, 30% of which will be financed by the Ministry of Defence.
Pedro Becerra, the corporate manager of AERTEC Solutions for the Defence market, has highlighted the “importance of, firstly, being awarded this research project and, at the same time, signing an agreement with the Air Force, which will allow us to continue applying our technology in the defence sector in collaboration with the Spanish Ministry”.
AERTEC Solutions also presented another technological project within the call for proposals from the Coincidente Programme, called SAMFOX (Safe Separation Air Missile FOX). This project has been kept in reserve, but will go ahead in the event that any of the initially selected proposals relating to a specific subject matter are not contracted. (Source: Google/https://www.aero-mag.com)
12 Feb 19. Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) welcomes the announcement by the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) in the U.S. that the U.K.’s European repair hub for F-35 avionics and aircraft components, based in North Wales, has been awarded a second major assignment of work. This builds on the global assignment awarded to the U.K. in November 2016 to provide maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade (MRO&U) services for F-35 Lightning II Air Vehicle Depot-Level Repairable Components.
Northrop Grumman is a full partner in the Sealand Support Services Ltd. (SSSL) joint venture with the U.K. government-owned, Defence Electronics and Components Agency and BAE Systems. SSSL will provide maintenance and repair of avionics and aircraft components for hundreds of European-based F-35 aircraft at MOD Sealand.
“The selection of the U.K. and SSSL to undertake this work recognises the military aircraft support skills and capabilities that we have here,” said Nick Chaffey, chief executive, Northrop Grumman U.K. and Europe. “Northrop Grumman’s commitment to the U.K. and the F-35 programme, deep expertise in air systems and proven experience working alongside global customers delivering support solutions, will ensure that engineering excellence and world-class innovation will be brought to F-35 component MRO&U services.”
This new assignment of work, worth some £500m, will support hundreds of additional F-35 jobs in the U.K. – many of them at the MOD’s Defence and Electronics Components Agency (DECA) at MOD Sealand, where the majority of the work will be carried out. It will see crucial maintenance, repair, overhaul and upgrade services for an even wider range of F-35 avionic, electronic and electrical systems for hundreds of European-based F-35 aircraft.
Rear-Admiral Rick Thompson, SSSL managing director said, “From 2020, there will be hundreds of F-35s flying across the globe and SSSL will be central to sustaining operations in the European region and around the world, providing essential MRO&U services. Together with our partners from DECA, BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman, as Team U.K., SSSL will be able to offer the F-35 programme engineering excellence, world-class innovation and agility. It is hoped that this will be the start of a 40-year endeavour that continues the U.K.’s already long and proud involvement in the F-35 programme, which makes us very much part of this aircraft’s DNA and the F-35 global enterprise.”
“MRO&U components are one element of the Northrop Grumman F-35 global sustainment solutions. As the U.S., partner nations and global customers activate their fleets, Northrop Grumman and the industry team will continue to ensure F-35 Lightning II weapon systems are available for tasking and mission training,” said Steve Hogan, sector vice president, global sustainment and technology services supply chain, Northrop Grumman.
This award builds upon the significant contribution made by Northrop Grumman in the development and production of the aircraft as a principal member of the F-35 industry team, together with its strong pedigree in platform support, upgrade and sustainment.
11 Feb 19. Leonardo DRS to construct engineering and manufacturing facility in US. Leonardo DRS has revealed plans to invest in an engineering development and light manufacturing facility and offices for its land systems business. The new engineering, research and development and laboratory space will be located in Bridgeton in Missouri, US.
According to the company, the more than 50-year old existing facility is unable to meet efficient manufacturing and daily operational requirements. Leonardo DRS has plans to use the new facility to support the business unit’s development and platform systems integration activities.
Leonardo DRS land systems vice-president and general manager Aaron Hankins said: “Our company has been growing and together with the expanding mission-critical needs of our customers, we now require a more modern and efficient facility.
“The St Louis area has been our long-time home, and we look forward to being a part of this community for years to come.”
The new facility will become home to the business unit’s headquarters and will accommodate leadership, management functionality and a centralised back office.
Hankins added: “This region and Leonardo DRS will benefit as the business continues to be anchored in the greater St Louis area as a result of this new investment.”
US Capital Development will build the new facility, reported claytontimes.com. Construction of the facility is expected to be completed by early 2020.
Leonardo DRS land systems serves as an integrator of several solutions for US military customers.
It also has an 85-acre heavy manufacturing campus in West Plains, Missouri. The company will build a new office and conference facility on its campus for administration and production activities. (Source: army-technology.com)
08 Feb 19. GD to support US Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team. The US Army Contracting Command has awarded a $402m contract to General Dynamics (GD) Land Systems for Stryker system technical support services. Under the cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, the company will provide systems technical support (STS) for the US Army’s Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) for a period of five years. The company will carry out a range of activities such as log, development, and support of government testing. This will enable high operational readiness maintenance for the soldiers who serve in the SBCT. SBCT is an infantry-centric organisation that seeks to bridge the operational gaps between the army’s light forces and heavy forces. It provides the army with a lethal, deployable, survivable, and mobile option formed around the ten flat-bottom variants of the Stryker vehicle.
According to the company, current employees at its operations in Sterling Heights and London, Ontario, will support the contract work. Work on the contract started last month and is estimated to be completed by 31 January 2024. GD is under contract to modify and modernise the Stryker fleet of vehicles, which are considered to be the backbone of the army.
Upgrades and improvements delivered to the fleet include the addition of the 30mm, up-gunned Infantry Carrier Vehicle – Dragoon (ICVD), and the Double-V Hull A1 platform.
Currently, the army has fielded approximately 4,700 vehicles.
Designed to provide seating for nine soldiers, plus a three-soldier crew, the Stryker A1 eight-wheeled vehicle provides the service with increased power, survivability and mobility.
In September, the army announced the conversion of the Fort Bliss-based 1st SBCT, 1st Armored Division to an armoured combat brigade. This conversion is part of the army’s efforts to meet combatant commander requirements under the 2018 National Defense Strategy. (Source: army-technology.com)
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About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
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