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Drug Deals: DLA Awards up to $807M for Pharmaceuticals Delivery

Related Stories: Asia - Other, Contracts - Awards, Europe - Other, Logistics, Medical, Middle East - Other, Oceans - International, Other Corporation

MED Pills

On March 17/10 DLA’s Defense Supply Center Philadelphia awarded 2 contracts to Cardinal Health, a Dublin, OH-based pharmaceutical and medical products supplier, worth up to $807.1 million for drug distribution to US military medical facilities worldwide.

Under a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity prime vendor contract (SPM2DX-10-D-0001), Cardinal Health will distribute drugs to medical facilities onboard US Navy ships. The contract has a 20-month base period with two 20-month option periods and a maximum value of $150 million, according to a DefenseLink announcement.

Under a requirements-type prime vendor contract (SPM2DX-10-D-0027), the company will distribute pharmaceuticals to US military medical facilities in Europe and the Pacific. That contract has a 20-month base period worth $206.4 million and two 20-month option periods, with a maximum value of $657.1 million, according to a FedBizOpps notice.

DLA also selected a small business qualifier as a secondary drug supplier to Europe and the Pacific.

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From Dolphins to Destroyers: The ScanEagle UAV

Related Stories: Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Asia - Other, Australia & S. Pacific, Boeing, C4ISR, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Design Innovations, Forces - Marines, Forces - Special Ops, Other Corporation, R&D - Contracted, Radars, Transformation, UAVs

ScanEagle"
ScanEagle launch
(click to view full)
DII

Insitu gets contract for support, equipment changes. (March 15/10)

ScanEagle’s base Insight UAV platform was originally developed by Washington State’s Insitu, Inc. to track dolphins and tuna from fishing boats, in order to ensure that the fish you buy in supermarkets is “dolphin-safe”. It turns out that the same characteristics needed by fishing boats (able to handle the salt-water environment, low infrastructure launch and recovery, small size, 20-hour long endurance, automated flight patterns) are equally important for naval operations from larger vessels, and for battlefield surveillance. A partnership with Boeing took ScanEagle to market in those fields, and the design is carving out a market-leading position in its niche.

This article covers recent developments with the ScanEagle UAV system, which is quickly evolving into a mainstay with the US Navy – and others as well.

Rapid Fire: 2010-03-12

Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - USA, Asia - India, Asia - Other, Chemicals & HAZMAT, Contracts - Awards, Corporate Financials, Daily Rapid Fire, Europe - Other, Helicopters & Rotary, Intelligence & PsyOps, L3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Middle East - Other, Navistar, Other Corporation, Training & Exercises, Trucks & Transport, WMD Defenses

The Wonders of Link 16 For Less: MIDS-LVTs

Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Asia - Central, Asia - Japan, Asia - Other, Avionics, BAE, C4ISR, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Europe - Other, Middle East - Other, Other Corporation, Project Successes, Signals Radio & Wireless, Small Business, Spotlight articles

Link-16 Display F-15
Link 16 Display
(click to see situation)

Multinational contracts. (March 11/10)

Jam-resistant Link-16 radios automatically exchange battlefield information – particularly locations of friendly and enemy aircraft, ships and ground forces – among themselves in a long-range, line-of-sight network. For example, air surveillance tracking data from an Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft can be instantly shared with fighter aircraft and air defense units. More than a dozen countries have installed Link 16 terminals on over 19 different land, sea, and air platforms, making it an interoperability success story.

While recent advancements may make AESA radars the future transmitters of choice, Link 16 is the current standard. The Multifunctional Information Distribution System-Low Volume Terminals (MIDS LVTs) were developed by a multinational consortium to provide Link 16 capability at a lower weight, volume, and cost than the Joint Tactical Information Distribution System (JTIDS). This free-to-view DID Spotlight article throws a spotlight on the program, explaining Link 16 and covering associated contracts around the world.

Rapid Fire: 2010-03-09

Related Stories: Americas - USA, Asia - Other, Boeing, Britain/U.K., Budgets, Contracts - Awards, Daily Rapid Fire, Issues - International, New Systems Tech, Surface Ships - Combat, Surface Ships - Other

  • Incoming US Coast Guard Commandant Papp’s honest memo [PDF] re: operational impact of their 2011 budget causes a stir.
  • The US Navy commissions the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer DDG-105 Dewey at the Naval Weapons Station in Seal Beach, CA.
  • UK institute condemns Cambodia’s plans for private businesses/ individuals to sponsor military units. The practice was widespread in Britain until 1871.

A400M Delays Creating Contract Controversies

Related Stories: Africa, Aircraft, Alliances, Asia - Other, Britain/U.K., Budgets, Corporate Financials, EADS, Europe - France, Europe - Other, Events, Partnerships & Consortia, People, Rumours, Spotlight articles

A400M rollout
A400M rollout, Seville
(click to view full)
DII

Contract re-negotiation final, capabilities reduced, Spanish threat to Britain, EADS’ loss provisions, MSN1 flies to France, Visions of American sales. (March 15/10)

Airbus’ A400M is a EUR 20+ billion program that aims to repeat Airbus’ civilian successes in the full size military transport market. A series of smart design decisions were made around capacity (35-37 tonnes/ 38-40 US tons, large enough for survivable armored vehicles), extensive use of modern materials, multi-role capability as a refueling tanker, and a multinational industrial program; all of which leave the aircraft well positioned to take overall market share from Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules. If the USA’s C-17 is allowed to go out of production, the A400M would also have a strong position in the strategic transport market, with only Russian IL-76 and AN-124 aircraft as competition. To date, 184 orders have been placed by Germany (60), France (50), Spain (27), Britain (25), Turkey (10), South Africa (8), Belgium (7), Malaysia (4), and Luxembourg (1); and Chile has expressed an unfinalized interest in 3 planes.

EADS firm’s biggest issue, by far, has been funding for a project that is more than EUR 7 billion over budget. The next biggest issue was timing, as A400M delivery penalties and Lockheed Martin’s strong push for its serving C-130J Super Hercules cast a pall over the A400M’s potential future. The entire project has been under moratorium for over a year as all parties decided what to do. Cancellation was not a realistic contractual option for most customers, but late deliveries could be refused, giving both Airbus and its customers negotiating leverage. This DID Spotlight article covers the latest developments, as the A400M project slides toward a new agreement, and production.

AMRAAM: Deploying & Developing America’s Medium-Range Air-Air Missile

Related Stories: Americas - USA, Asia - Central, Asia - Other, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Design Innovations, Europe - France, Europe - Other, FOCUS Articles, Field Reports, Middle East - Israel, Middle East - Other, Missiles - Air-Air, Missiles - Surface-Air, New Systems Tech, Official Reports, Other Corporation, R&D - Contracted, Raytheon, Support & Maintenance, Warfare - Trends

AIM-120C AMRAAM Launch from F-22
AIM-120C from F-22A
(click for test missile zoom)
DII

Continued funding for improvement program. (March 15/10)

Raytheon’s AIM-120 Advanced, Medium-Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) has become the world market leader for medium range air-to-air missiles, and is also beginning to make inroads within land-based defense systems. It was designed with the lessons of Vietnam in mind, and of local air combat exercises like ACEVAL and Red Flag. This DID FOCUS article covers successive generations of AMRAAM missiles, international contracts and key events from 2006 onward, and even some of its emerging competitors.

One of the key lessons learned from Vietnam was that a fighter would be likely to encounter multiple enemies, and would need to launch and guide several missiles at once in order to ensure its survival. This had not been possible with the AIM-7 Sparrow, a “semi-active radar homing” missile that required a constant radar lock on one target. To make matters worse, enemy fighters were capable of launching missiles of their own. Pilots who weren’t free to maneuver after launch would often be forced to “break lock,” or be killed – sometimes even by a short-range missile fired during the last phases of their enemy’s approach. Since fighters that could carry radar-guided missiles like the AIM-7 tended to be larger and more expensive, and the Soviets were known to have far more fighters overall, this was not a good trade…


Taiwan’s (Un?)Stalled Force Modernization

Related Stories: Alliances, Americas - USA, Asia - Other, Avionics, Budgets, C4ISR, Coastal & Littoral, Contracts - Intent, Force Structure, Issues - International, Issues - Political, L3 Communications, Lockheed Martin, Other Corporation, Policy - Procurement, Radars, Raytheon, Rumours, Signals Radio & Wireless, Specialty Aircraft, Support & Maintenance

GEO_Taiwan_Map.gif

Chinese economic pressure, US DIA report, Javelin missile contract. (Feb 25/10)

Despite China’s military buildup across the strait, key weapons sales of P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, Patriot PAC-3 missiles, and diesel-electric submarines to Taiwan have been sabotaged by Taiwanese politics for years – in some cases, since 1997. The KMT party’s flip-flops and determined stalling tactics eventually created a crisis in US-Taiwan relations, which finally soured to the point that the USA refused a Taiwanese request for F-16C/D aircraft.

That seems to have brought things to a head. Most of the budget and political issues were eventually sorted out, and after a long delay, some major elements of Taiwan’s requested modernization program appear to be moving forward: P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, Patriot missile upgrades; and requests for AH-64D attack helicopters, UH-60M Black Hawks helicopters, E-2 AWACS planes, minehunting ships, and missiles for defense against aircraft, ships, and tanks. These are must-have capabilities when facing a Chinese government that has vowed to take the country by force, and which is building an extensive submarine fleet, a large array of ballistic missiles, an upgraded fighter fleet, and a number of amphibious-capable divisions. Chinese pressure continues to stall some of Taiwan’s important upgrades, including diesel-electric submarines and American fighter jets. Meanwhile, other purchases continue…

Continue Reading… »

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-23

Related Stories: Americas - USA, Asia - China, Asia - Other, Britain/U.K., Contracts - Awards, DARPA, Daily Rapid Fire, Delivery & Task Orders, Elbit Systems, Europe - France, Fighters & Attack, Helicopters & Rotary, Lockheed Martin, Mergers & Acquisitions, Middle East - Israel, Missiles - Anti-Armor, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Radars, Simulation & Training, Support Functions - Other, T&C - SAIC, United Technologies

  • Taiwan air force is not ready to withstand an attack from China, US DIA report warns. AP | Reuters
  • WIRED Danger Room: Where have all the MANPADS (MAN Portable Air Defense missile Systems) gone?

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-16

Related Stories: ABM, Americas - USA, Asia - China, Asia - Japan, Asia - Other, BAE, C4ISR, Contracts - Awards, General Dynamics, Guns - 60+ mm direct, Helicopters & Rotary, Issues - International, Laser & EM Weapons, Logistics, Logistics Innovations, Missiles - Precision Attack, Northrop-Grumman, Other Corporation, Raytheon, Simulation & Training, Specialty Aircraft, Support Functions - Other, UAVs

  • India’s Mahindra Group is lobbying the government to lift foreign ownership cap for defense firms to 49%. The firm is involved in a joint venture with BAE systems, among others.

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