In September 2011, Elbit Systems announced a 4-year, $40 million Israeli contract for its Soltam Systems Ltd. subsidiary’s “Cardom” (Eng. “Hatchet”) 120mm mortar systems. Built around Soltam’s 120mm recoil mortar system, Cardom can be fitted to any medium armored vehicle, offering advanced fire control, navigation, and automatic aiming/pointing capabilities. The USA uses it in wheeled M1129 Stryker MC APCs, for instance, though many elements can also be found in M1064 variants of the tracked M113.
Israel has used Keshet (Eng. “Bow”) M113 tracked APC(armored personnel carrier) variants as their Cardom platform, since the system was deployed with the Nahal Infantry Brigade in 2007. The recent arrival of precision 120mm mortar shells, such as IAI’s Fireball, or ATK’s APMI, adds precision to the 120mm mortar’s traditional virtues of simplicity and low cost. That’s especially important for armies who want to use mortar fire in urban combat, but wish to limit civilian casualties.
Dassault’s Brazilian presentation lists the UAE as a country flying twin-engine fighters. Just one thing: that isn’t true yet, unless they order Dassault’s Rafale (or the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet) to replace their single-engine Mirage 2000-9s. Dassault had a team in the UAE trying to close the Rafale deal last weekend (Les Echos, in French).
WABEP (Wirksystem zur abstandsfähigen Bekämpfung von Einzel und Punktzielen) UAV double-teaming: Germany has run tests involving Rheinmetall’s KZO reconnaissance drone working with IAI’s Harop loitering kamikaze UAV. WABEP demonstrated data & imagery exchange between the UAV operators, and the ability to pass targeting information to the Harop.
Australia’s $10,000 DSTO Eureka prize goes to University of Wollongong prof. Salim Bouzerdoum, for a radar that can see through walls and edit out background clutter inside.
That’s nothing. India’s DRDO R&D agency has gone and invented… a skin cream. “Lukoskin” will fix that vitiligo condition for ya.
Affordable acquisition? Lt. Gen. William Phillips, Principal Military Deputy to the Assistant Secretary of the Army (Acquisition Logistics and Technology), wants more upfront feedback from industry on likely costs, while Stuart Hazlett, Deputy Director, Program Acquisition and Strategic Sourcing, said competitive bids that receive a single answer will be resolicited for another 30 days. Meanwhile an audit by the DoD’s Inspector General shows overpricing by Sikorsky on Black Hawk spare parts (Bloomberg, DoD IG PDF).
The Super Committee approved its rules during its 1st meeting (video embedded at the bottom of this entry). Most future meetings will be public, but possibly not all of them. A memo from Democratic staff listing possible options didn’t seem primarily focused on defense. Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ) asserted he would quit the panel if further defense cuts were made part of its deliberations. Groups such as the Sunlight Foundation don’t like that most Supercommittee members have fundraisers lined up in the fall.
Leon Panetta, who told NPR the budget was getting most his attention, will meet members of the Aerospace Industries Association’s next week to argue in favor of sustained budgets. Todd Harrison at the CSBA says the DoD budget could fall by 31% over the next decade in the most aggressive scenario (see his brief from last month).
A new Electronics.Ca Publications report predicts that the global machine vision and vision guided robotics market will be worth $15.3 billion by 2015. The Asia Pacific region is expected to continue its dominance over this time period.
MDA, Ltd. and IAI’s Stark Aerospace announce the availability of Persist-INT, a turnkey unmanned airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) service, for NATO ISAF forces in Afghanistan. MDA already operates Heron UAVs for Canada and Australia in theater.
The French government and Thales agree to pay EUR 630 million in compensation for bribes related to a contract to supply 6 frigates to Taiwan.
QinetiQ North America wins a $36.5 million Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide scientific, engineering and analytical services to the Air Force Technical Application Center‘s (AFTAC) Expert Scientific & Analytical Support (ESAS) program at Patrick AFB, FL. The ESAS contract will support AFTAC’s provision of advanced proliferation monitoring technologies and nuclear treaty compliance monitoring.
DCS Corporation receives a contract award for Missile Defense Agency Engineering and Support Service (MiDAESS). The company will provide advisory and assistance services to the MDA’s Directorates of Engineering, Test, Advanced Technology, and Information Management and Technology Operations.
Flight International reports that Elbit Systems is in talks with Honeywell and Rockwell Collins regarding cooperation on next-generation avionics for fighter, transport and rotorcraft platforms. Elbit is currently seeking investors for the development of its CockpitNG system unveiled at last year’s Farnborough Air Show.
Poland issues a request for proposals to the manufacturers interested in competing for its 16 aircraft lead-in fighter trainer contract. The firms have until July 29th to submit their final offers, with Warsaw expected to sign off on the deal by late 2011 or early 2012.
The Danish Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organisation reports that Denmark’s forces operating in Libya are running out of bombs for their F-16 fighters. The Netherlands have been asked to replenish Danish stocks.
Back in June 2006, Boeing and Raytheon teams were preparing for a big border surveillance contract. It was all part of the USA’s Secure Border Initiative (SBI), a comprehensive plan to secure U.S. borders and reduce illegal immigration, including an array of technical aids and elements on both the northern Canadian border and the southern border with Mexico. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency would lead and execute both the SBI and related SBInet “virtual fence” efforts, mirroring similar programs underway around the world.
As promised, a winner was announced in September 2006 – and it was Team Boeing. In March 2010, however, funding was frozen. In January 2011, the program was canceled.
The 70/30 Elbit/IAI joint venture Elisra Electronic Systems Ltd. recently announced a $29 million contract to supply the Korean Government’s CN-235 transporters with Airborne Electronic Warfare (EW) Suites and Missile Warning Systems (MWS) for its ROKAF CN-235 transports.
Elbit Systems Ltd. recently announced a $16 million contract from the Polish Ministry of National Defense to supply a testing set of mobile multi-sensor monitoring and surveillance systems for Poland’s Rosomak, a variant of Patria’s 8×8 AMV wheeled Armored Personnel Carrier.
The consortium of Elbit Systems Land, Elbit C4I-Tadiran and the Polish Military Communication Institute will give the APC with surveillance payloads that include TV, thermal vision systems, a motion detection battlefield surveillance radar unit, encrypted communications systems, and an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) which is presumed to be Elbit’s Skylark. The project will be performed in cooperation with the local Polish industries.
Elbit Systems of America, LLC recently announced a 5-year, $68 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity follow-on contract from the U.S. Army Contracting Command in Huntsville, AL. Elbit will supply the U.S.Army, Navy, Marines Corps and Coast Guard with its AN/AVS-7 Aviator’s Night Vision System/Head-Up Displays (ANVIS/HUD) and components, including the latest Flat Panel Day and Night Head-Up Display units. An initial delivery order for $23 million has been received under this contract, which replaces the expiring 5-year, $75 million IDIQ contract awarded in September 2005.
ANVIS/HUD has been used by the US military since the mid-1990s, and has equipped more than 5,000 helicopters belonging to 20 countries. Integrated platforms include the H-60 series, CH-46, CH-47, CH-53, V-22, AH-1, UH-1, Super Puma, Cougar, Korea’s KUH Surion, and others. Elbit also offers the IHADSS system for AH-64 and A-129 attack helicopters, and their new HeliDASH system is a higher end choice. Their major competitor these days is Thales’ TopOwl, in service with the Eurocopter Tiger, South Africa’s Rooivalk attack helicopter, NH90 variants, and the USMC’s forthcoming UH-1Y and AH-1Z helicopters.
M95 and M96 MFCS systems equip mechanized 120mm mortar carriers. The M95 can be found on the tracked M1064 M113 variant, and on wheeled M1129 Strykers. The M96 equips the M577 fire direction center M113 variant. Components include the Commander’s interface (CI) for linkage and ballistic computing, a Gunner’s Display, a Driver’s Display, and the Pointing Device and Position System (PDPS). The PDPS lets the system “know” its own location, based on inertial measurement, GPS, and a vehicle motion sensor (VMS), which can all cover for each other to ensure accuracy.
Elbit Systems of America, a Fort Worth, TX-based subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, received a $15.6 million contract from US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to supply Tactical Video Data Link (TVDL) systems for the US Marine Corps’ AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter.
The TVDL will provide helicopter pilots with live UAV video and targeting information combined with the ability to retransmit UAV and on-board sensor video to other aircraft and ground forces. The TVDL system weighs less than 8.5 lbs. The systems are planned to be operational in USMC AH-1W helicopters by the end of FY 2010…
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AH-1W, hard left
Elbit Systems of America, a Fort Worth, TX-based subsidiary of Israel’s Elbit Systems, received a $15.6 million contract from US Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) to supply Tactical Video Data Link (TVDL) systems for the US Marine Corps’ AH-1W Super Cobra attack helicopter.
The TVDL will provide helicopter pilots with live UAV video and targeting information combined with the ability to retransmit UAV and on-board sensor video to other aircraft and ground forces. The TVDL system weighs less than 8.5 lbs. The systems are planned to be operational in USMC AH-1W helicopters by the end of FY 2010…
