Sponsored by Hobson Industries
www.hobsonindustries.co.uk
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02 Apr 20. HII wins US Navy contract to provide logistics support for vessels. Military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Technical Solutions division has secured a contract from the US Navy to provide integrated logistics support (ILS) for systems and equipment on surface ships and submarines. The company will provide support for the hull, mechanical and electrical (HM&E) systems.
If all available options are exercised, the indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ), cost-plus-fixed-fee multiple-award contract has a ceiling of $41m over a period of five years.
HII won the contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division. The centre is responsible for all ILS work related to the HM&E systems and equipment installed on the surface ships and submarines of the US Navy.
HII will execute services relating to technical, process and programmatic support for integrated logistics and technical documentation.
This would be carried out under the direction and supervision of the Life Cycle Logistics & Readiness Division.
HII Technical Solutions Fleet Support business unit president Brad Mason said: “We take great pride in providing our customers around the globe with multiple logistics products and services to help them achieve their missions.
“ILS development, maintenance and deployment to the warfighter is a critical part of how HII sustains our nation’s fleet.”
The Technical Solutions division provides unmanned systems, defence and federal solutions, nuclear and environmental services, and fleet sustainment to support national security missions globally.
Earlier this month, HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the newest America-class amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA 7) to the US Navy. (Source: naval-technology.com)
01 Apr 20. Yokota AFB performs C-130J assault landing on Foxtrot taxiway. Personnel of Yokota Air Force Base (AFB) in Japan have conducted their C-130J Super Hercules assault landing on the Foxtrot taxiway, which was originally used for the legacy C-130H models from 1991 to 2001. Yokota AFB is a US Air Force (USAF) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force base in Tokyo.
After the taxiway was used for C-130H models, airlifters of the base used the permanently painted hard-surface on the main runway. Foxtrot taxiway has been used as a landing zone for the exercise, instead of its traditional use as a runway.
The training prepares aircrew of the aircraft for situations where C-130 J will land in an area with no availability or accessibility of a runway. This happens when C-130s use the landing zones to resupply front-line troops.
Such an operation helps the airfield team perform skilled landings on short, crowded, narrow and even unmarked strips of land.
Landing of an aircraft on a temporarily established runway is not automatic and thus requires training for the C-130J aircrew and the entire team running operations on the flightline. The 374th OSS Airfield Operations Flight covers air traffic controllers, airfield management airmen and radar and airfield weather system technicians.
They work as one to operate the airfield and airspace at the base and perform different essential skill-sets.
374th Operations Support Squadron airfield operations officer 1st lieutenant Aaron Church said: “It was really a group effort to make this exercise a success and it was great to see us all work so well together.
“Measuring out and marking a LZ would normally be an airfield management task; and clearing a C-130 to land would be an ATC task. Here at Yokota (AB), the 374th OSS is training all three essential skill sets to be able do either task, if required.” (Source: airforce-technology.com)
31 Mar 20. AAR and Sumitomo Corporation announce joint venture to provide aviation aftermarket supply chain solutions to Japanese defense and global commercial markets. AAR (NYSE: AIR), a leading aviation services provider to commercial airlines and governments worldwide, and Sumitomo Corporation, a top Japanese trading company, are launching a joint venture ― AAR Sumisho Aviation Services. This Chicago-area-based joint venture will distribute aircraft parts and offer aviation logistics management solutions to the Japanese defense market. Additionally, the partnership will distribute parts from OEMs based in Japan to the global aviation aftermarket.
This business initiative builds upon the parties’ successful, long-standing relationship, under which AAR has served as a stocking distributor for OEM factory-new parts to Japanese defense customers via Sumitomo Corporation since 2012.
“We look forward to partnering with AAR to serve our Japanese customers and make our services more accessible to customers around the world,” said Eiji Ishida, Sumitomo Corporation Executive Officer and GM of the Lease, Ship & Aerospace Business Division.
By combining AAR’s global network and competitive expertise in aviation supply chain and parts distribution with Sumitomo’s logistics specialization and large footprint in the Japanese market, AAR Sumisho Aviation Services will be equipped to provide quality services to our Japanese defense customers, as well as play a key role in the export of parts from Japanese OEMs.
“This new venture with Sumitomo presents a tremendous opportunity to further expand our market reach and capabilities in Japan, a highly strategic market for us,” said John Holmes, AAR President and CEO. “Both of our companies have a proven track record within the international defense industry, and we look forward to joining forces to become a leading aircraft parts distributor and provider of services to the Japanese defense market and global aviation aftermarket.”
We expect to form the joint venture following receipt of regulatory clearances.
31 Mar 20. ARQUUS has launched its business continuity plan to support the French Army. ARQUUS has launched a complete business continuity plan, specifically crafted to support the Army, currently committed on all grounds, on national soil as well as in foreign operations. To help the armies face the multiplicity of operations and the acceleration of operational rhythms, ARQUUS presents them with all immediately available vehicles, as well as all its capabilities in terms of vehicle support and maintenance.
ARQUUS has completed a full inventory of the means that could quickly be handed to the armies. Roughly 300 armored and non-armored, new and retrofitted vehicles have been identified and a discussion was initiated with the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA, French Procurement Agency) and the Structure Intégrée du Maintien en condition opérationnelle des Matériels Terrestres (SIMMT, French Army structure in charge of the maintenance of all Army equipment) to ensure the delivery of these fleets to the Army, even though all production activities were halted in the factories.
In this framework, the DGA’s Quality service has been conducting all necessary tests in Garchizy for 13 VAB specifically designed for foreign operations. These 13 VAB have then been handed to the Army. They complete a series of 40 vehicles, started last year, which will reinforce the units currently deployed in the framework of operation Barkhane.
Last week, the DGA’s Quality service also conducted a number of tests on a batch of 100 light tactical, non-armored VT4 vehicles in Saint-Nazaire, in order to plan and organize delivery operations to the armies, in liaison with the SIMMT. A first batch of 100 vehicles has already left Saint-Nazaire at the end of last week, and 100 more will be handed over this week. These vehicles will reinforce the means available for domestic operations.
In order to contribute with supporting the forces in their current operations, both on national soil and in foreign operations, ARQUUS has made sure that numerous support activities are kept running. Dedicated teams have been kept in place on the different industrial plants to ensure the reception and delivery of all spares and organs, in accordance with all support agreements linking ARQUUS and the SIMMT.
These teams ensure, as much as possible, the support of vital fleets such as the 10,000 trucks of the MSS PL contract (TRM10.000, TRM2.000, VLRA, GBC 180), which carry the Army’s logistics, or the VAB, VBL and PVP which constitute most of the combat vehicles deployed in operations. ARQUUS has also made sure that all French VBCI and Caesar© fleets would keep receiving all necessary spares and organs, through partner company Nexter.
31 Mar 20. Oshkosh wins contract to modernize US Army’s heavy tactical vehicles. Oshkosh Defense has won a $346m award to modernize the U.S. Army’s fleet of heavy tactical vehicles, according to a March 30 company statement. The company will recapitalize Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTT) and Palletized Load System (PLS) trucks with updated technology and safety features. Under the contract, Oshkosh will also build new PLS trailers. Upgrading heavy tactical trucks aligns with the service’s need to support operations across multiple domains against near-peer adversaries.
“Whether they’re hauling rocket launchers and missile defense systems, or transporting mission-critical equipment, the HEMTT and the PLS will continue to be an integral part of the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserve heavy vehicle fleets for years to come,” said Pat Williams, the company’s vice president and general manager of U.S. Army and Marine Corps programs. “As the military pivots its focus to near-peer adversaries, they can be confident that the [family of heavy tactical vehicles] fleet will continue to serve as a key enabler for combat missions.”
Oshkosh has already recapitalized more than 13,700 HEMTTs and 3,400 PLS for the U.S. military since 1995.
The company supplies tactical vehicles across the services, including heavy, medium and light. Oshkosh has long held lucrative contracts to supply the services and foreign partners with medium tactical vehicles; it had won a contract to provide a new variant of the vehicle but has yet to begin delivering to the Army.
Navistar Defense recently sued the Army over its continued purchase of Oshkosh’s family of tactical vehicles without competition, but the U.S. Court of Federal Claims ruled in favor of the service and Oshkosh.
Oshkosh also provides the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle to the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force. The vehicle reached full operational capability last year after overcoming some design issues. The future is unclear for the Oshkosh-manufactured JLTV as the Army looks to compete for future lots of the vehicle, according to the service’s fiscal 2021 five-year budget plan. (Source: Defense News)
31 Mar 20. USS Gerald R Ford completes first vertical replenishment exercise. The US Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) has completed its first vertical replenishment (VERTREP) exercise in the Atlantic Ocean. The exercise involved MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters delivering 77 pallets of food and other dried goods in around four and half hours. USS Gerald R Ford (CVN 78) is carrying out an 18-month phase of operations called Post-Delivery Test and Trials (PDT&T) to ensure overall deployment readiness.
Ford’s supply officer, Commander Carl Koch, stated that the VERTREP exercise will help the carrier to advance one step further to become fully mission ready.
Koch said: “Exercising and proving our ability to conduct simultaneous fuelling and replenishment-at-sea increases the ship’s flexibility to respond to mission requirements as it minimises our required time alongside a supply ship.”
The VERTREP exercise will also help the carrier to stay at sea for a longer period of time and continue its operations.
Koch added: “We can extend our endurance for both air operations and sustaining the sailors on-board to increase our time on station and minimise our time in port.
“By conducting simultaneous operations, we can be available for other missions in a shorter amount of time.”
The lead ship of its class, USS Gerald R Ford, is currently conducting carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean.
Earlier this month, USS Gerald R Ford reached the 1,000th aircraft launch milestone when an F/A-18E Super Hornet attached to Blue Blasters of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 34 landed on its flight deck. (Source: naval-technology.com)
26 Mar 20. IrvinGQ Develops Airdrop Platform Compatible for Use With Milrem Robotics’ UGV. The ability to operate in high threat environments, without putting warfighters or service people at risk, is one of the single biggest challenges faced by decision makers of the day.
Part of the solution is the use of Unmanned Vehicles that are not only ‘safer but potentially more effective than the use of current manned systems.’ The separate challenge of how to effectively deploy these assets to their operating environments is now also being answered.
An airdrop system that can be used to rapidly deploy Milrem Robotics’ UGV into warzones, or large-scale terrain fires has been developed and tested by IrvinGQ, the world-leading aerial delivery solutions provider.
Utilizing their unique, ATAX® airdrop system, IrvinGQ will integrate a pair of Milrem Robotics’ THeMIS or the Multscope Rescue UGV to be used for defence or firefighting missions, respectively.
ATAX® is a Modular, Rapid-Rig/De-Rig, Aerial Delivery System that employs Soft Landing Airbags instead of traditional energy-dissipating materials (EDM). The reusable Airbags offer a number of significant advantages over traditional methods as they; reduce load preparation and rigging times by eliminating consumable rigging materials; significantly reduce the shock forces imparted into the cargo load; and facilitate a true drive-on drive-off capability.
Given the emerging nature of unmanned autonomous and remotely piloted ground vehicles and the requirement to lessen the burden to warfighters, IrvinGQ is developing an airdrop restraint system with an auto release that enables the UGVs to self-derig and drive-off the ATAX® platform unaided. A truly autonomous capability.
“The airdrop platform will widen the possibilities of how armed forces can deploy autonomous or remotely piloted THeMIS UGVs behind enemy lines, or as part of airborne operations combined with infantry. Firefighters could use ATAX® to drop Multiscope Rescue systems to combat large-scale terrain or forest fires without endangering lives,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics. Other aerial deployment possibilities of Milrem Robotics’ UGVs include helicopter underslung or in the cargo area of a helicopter, for example the Chinook CH-47. (Source: ASD Network)
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About Hobson Industries
Hobson Industries is a private company established in 1987 by Peter Hobson, after serving as a Charge Chief Weapons Engineering Artificer in the Royal Navy. Hobson Industries is an innovative and highly technical engineering business operating to the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System which is complimented with our ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System.
Across the markets we serve in, the UK and globally, we establish close relationships with the people that trust and depend on us. We specialise in the through life support management and development of Land Rover heritage military and civilian platforms – in effect, the Land Rover need never die!
Hobson Industries offer four core services that we specialise in:
Vehicles:
We offer Land Rover vehicle builds to original specification or complete with modifications and upgrades at the customers request. All work is done in house using our bountiful facilities. In addition to vehicle refurbishment, reconditioning and homologation across all Land Rover models.
Powertrain and Transmission Units:
We offer new and reconditioned units, perfect for your Land Rover. All built using Land Rover tolerances and specifications. All for sale on our website. Additionally, we offer reconditioning services to your own units.
Parts Supply:
With over 16,000 part lines in stock, and the Asset Management programme pioneered by the company, we are able to provide a cost effective range of parts which may no longer be available. Additionally, we are offering Hobson Original branded parts to drawings for obsolete parts to help provide Land Rover owners the parts to keep them on the road. Our parts strategy ensures that all re-cycled, asset managed and reconditioned parts and units meet original equipment standards and specifications to ensure your safety while driving on or off road.
Amour – Design and Fabrication and Blast Protection
We offer armouring in steel, composite and ceramic of new and refurbished vehicles and fleets.
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