Posts Tagged ‘ contracts – awards ’

South African JAS-39D c. Gripen International (click to view full) Swedish upgrade project, issue with India competition, BAE divesting, South African fleet just for show? (March 10/10) As a neutral country with a long history of providing for its own defense against all comers, Sweden also has a long tradition of building excellent high-performance fighters with a distinctive look. From the long-serving Saab-35 Draken (“Dragon,” 1955-2005) to the Mach 2, canard-winged Saab-37 Viggen (“Thunderbolt,” 1971-2005), Swedish fighters have stressed short-field launch from dispersed/improvised air fields, world-class performance, and leading-edge design. This record of consistent project success is nothing short of amazing for a country whose population over this period has ranged from 7-9 million people. This is DID’s FOCUS Article for background, news, and contract awards related to the JAS-39 Gripen (“Griffon”), a canard-winged successor to the Viggen that was built as one of the world’s first 4+ generation fighters. Gripen remains the only lightweight 4+ generation fighter type in service, its performance and operational economics are both world-class, and it has become one of the most recognized fighter aircraft on the planet. Unfortunately for its builders, that recognition has come from its appearance in Saab-Volvo TV commercials, rather than from hoped-for levels of military export success. With its 4+ generation competitors clustered in the $60-120+ million range vs. the Gripen’s claimed $40 million/ $50-60 million for Gripen NG, is there a light at the end of the tunnel for Sweden’s lightweight fighter? JAS-39: The Gripen Program JAS-39NG: A Way Forward? JAS-39 Gripen: Sales Opportunities JAS-39 Gripen: Major Events [updated] JAS-39 Gripen: Contracts & Awards [updated] Additional Readings & Sources (more…)

Read more: The JAS-39 Gripen: Sweden’s 4+ Generation Wild Card

EU warns US about protectionism in KC-X tanker RFP. EU release Brazil’s president not yet sure what fighter to buy . Raytheon gets $152 million order to provide engineering services for the Patroit anti-air missile defense system . Up to $600 million to Rolls-Royce to provide logistics support for the AE 1107C-Liberty engines powering MV-22 and CV-22 Ospreys . USJFCOM ready to deploy Valiant Angel system that uses commercial technology to access, retrieve and store large data files for US troops in Afghanistan.

View post: Rapid Fire: 2010-03-10

QF-4: the QF-16 predecessor (click to view full) QF-16s [pdf] are former F-16 fighters that will be fitted with remote-control equipment and used as aerial targets and decoys for testing against missiles and radars. Boeing in St. Louis, MO recently received a $69.7 million contract to provide QF-16 full scale aerial targets. The USAF expects to buy 220 QF-16 with full rate production expected in FY 2014. The QF-16 is a follow-on to the QF-4 aerial target drone… (more…)

Link: QF-16s: Look Ma, No Hands!

M1A2 SEP (click to view full) 22 more tanks, program details. (March 8/10) America’s M1 Abrams tanks come in a number of versions. In addition to the M1A1 that is now standard, the US Army is beginning to field its M1 TUSK for urban warfare . It also operates the M1A2 System Enhancement Program (SEP), currently the most advanced standard variant. This Spotlight article covers the M1A2 Abrams SEP upgrade program, and will be updated and backfilled as new contracts are issued and key events take place. M1A2 SEP: Additional Background M1A2 SEP: Related Contracts, 1996 – Present [updated] Additional Readings & Sources (more…)

Read the rest here: Digital Abrams: The M1A2 SEP Program (updated)

P-3P Orion (click to view full) Covering the Atlantic side of Europe out of the Azores, and sitting near the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea, Portugal has a lot of maritime territory to patrol. The FAP has received a number of upgraded P-3 Orion aircraft over the years, from the US P-3Bs that became P-3Ps via upgrades etc., to a recent set of P-3Cs from The Netherlands. Maintaining their long range maritime patrol capabilities, and keeping the fleet at acceptable strength as aircraft are retired , is critical to Portugal’s ability to watch those important sea lanes. Soon the Dutch P-3Cs will constitute Portugal’s entire P-3C fleet, as the P-3Ps are being retired. These 5 Orions will be supplemented by shorter-range CASA C-295 VIMARs – but they will also require their own capability upgrades…. (more…)

See the original post: Upgrades for 5 Portuguese P-3Cs

(click to view full) FY 2009-2011 budgets, $172M sub-contract to Lockheed for radars.(March 4/10) Northrop Grumman’s E-2C Hawkeye is a carrier-capable “mini-AWACS” aircraft, designed to give long-range warning of incoming aerial threats. Secondary roles include strike command and control, land and maritime surveillance, search and rescue, communications relay, and even civil air traffic control during emergencies. E-2C Hawkeyes began replacing previous Hawkeye versions in 1973; they fly from USN and French carriers, from land bases in the militaries of Egypt, Japan, Mexico, Singapore, and Taiwan; and in a drug interdiction role for the US Naval Reserve. Over 200 Hawkeyes have been produced. The $17.5 billion E-2D Advanced Hawkeye program aims to build 75 new aircraft with significant radar, engine, and electronics upgrades in order to deal with a world of stealthier cruise missiles, saturation attacks, and a growing need for ground surveillance as well as aerial scans. It looks a lot like the last generation E-2C Hawkeye 2000 upgrade on the outside – but inside, and even outside to some extent, it’s a whole new aircraft. DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. This DID FOCUS Article covers the E-2D program, from the new platform and its capabilities to the budgets, contracts, and companies making it all fly. From E-2A Hawkeye to the E-2D E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: Program E-2D Advanced Hawkeye: Contracts & Key Events [updated] Additional Readings (more…)

Link: E-2D Hawkeye: The Navy’s New AWACS

(c) DJ Elliott (click to view full) DJ Elliott is a retired USN Intelligence Specialist (22 years active duty) who has been analyzing and writing on Iraqi Security Forces developments since 2006. His Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle is an open-source compilation that attempts to map and detail Iraqi units and equipment, as their military branches and internal security forces grow and mature. While “good enough for government use” is not usually uttered as a compliment, US Army TRADOC has maintained permission to use the ISF OOB for their unclassified handouts since 2008. This compilation is reproduced here with full permission. It offers a set of updates highlighting recent changes in the ISF’s composition and development, followed by the full updated ISF OOBs in PDF form. Reader feedback and tips are encouraged. This month’s developments include… Peshmerga Iraqi Army Iraqi Navy Iraqi Air Force Ministry of the Interior Additional Readings: Full ISF OOB Additional Readings: DID Articles (more…)

Read more: Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle 2010: 02/03

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) awarded 5 multiple-award indefinite-delivery/ indefinite quantity contracts worth up to $3 billion for development of command and control (C2) software for the US Department of Defense. The winners will compete for task order to provide software design/ development/ modification, software integration (unit-level and system-level), related test and evaluation services, and software systems engineering. The contractors will also provide integrated logistics support, configuration management and program management. The winners of the 5 DoD C2 software contracts are… (more…)

Continued here: Up to $3B to 5 Companies for US DoD C2 Software Program

Australian CH-47D: Afghanistan, 2006 (click to view full) In December 2005, Australia decided to upgrade its CH-47D Chinook fleet , in preparation for use on the front lines. Afghanistan’s high altitudes and sometimes-scorching temperatures reduce rotor lift. That made the Chinooks a far better choice than upgrading the ADF’s S-70 Black Hawk helicopters, whose reduced carrying capacity would limit their tactical uses. Those CH-47D Chinooks have gone on to play an important role in Afghanistan, amidst a general shortage of useful helicopters . Now, Australia seems determined to supplement its older CH-47D fleet with new and improved CH-47F models , which feature more modern electronics, uprated engines, and numerous other improvements. The question is when that request will become an actual contract. It hasn’t, yet, but “second pass approval” and clarifications have brought that day much closer. (more…)

Read the original post: Australia Ordering CH-47F Chinooks

BAE to supply 250 MRAP vehicles to US forces under $140 million order . Harris gets $78 million order for MRAP radios . General Dynamics NASSCO delivers USNS Matthew Perry supply ship to US Navy’s Military Sealfit Command. NCI receives $84 million order for BRAC IT relocation work at Ft Meade, MD . German Army report criticizes NH90 helicopter for limited capabilities and other deficiencies . DID has background on the NH90 helicopter program . Frost & Sullivan: Indian army’s land combat systems modernization to generate $33.76 billion in revenues .

Read more: Rapid Fire: 2010-02-26