The Defense Logistics Agency announced that ExxonMobil won a $15.9 million contract for naval diesel fuel (USG F76) to be delivered by the end of January 2006. ExxonMobil won out over 13 other bids. The Defense Energy Support Center in Fort Belvoir, VA will manage the contract.
The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren Michigan paid United Defense $15 million, half of the total order of $30 million initiated earlier this month to deliver armor upgrades for M113A3, M1 and Bradley Survivability Enhancement Armor. The work, done in Santa Clara, CA, should be done by the end of July.
The U.S. Navy awarded Warren, MI-based Campbell-Ewald a $10.2 million contract boost to its previously-awarded assignment as part of the Navy’s efforts to find new recruits in the first quarter. The Navy Recruiting Command is having the Fleet and Industrial Supply center Norfolk Detachment Philadelphia control the contract, which is part of the Navy Recruitment Advertising Program.
Boeing receives a $14 million addition to its fixed price contract for an engineering change that will add a Channelizer Radio Frequency Bypass to its Gapfiller Satellite Program. Work should be done in 18 months. The Headquarters Space and Missile Systems Center will run the contract.
Two-way radios aren’t standard equipment for every soldier, but the battlefield can be a confusing place. Now convoy troops and other soldiers in Iraq have resorted to buying simple off-the-shelf walkie-talkie units for use in Iraq. Commanders aren’t pleased with the practice, as it allows a great deal of insecure radio chatter that could make troops vulnerable to ambush. Mind you, the Army shouldn’t be surprised. During the USMC’s “Urban Warrior 98” exercise, similar devices called “ISRs” were one of the big hits with the Marines.
To address this issue, FCW.com reports that 40,000 secure radios are being rushed (should arrive in Q1 or Q2 of 2005) to Iraq. Each brigade is to receive about 1,000 IC-F43G radios at a cost of about $1,200 per unit. An army spokesperson said the Army also started an emergency procurement of about 20,000 single-channel air/ground units that operate in the 30 MHz to 80MHz range. Those cost between $6,000 and $14,000 a piece. They are supposed to hit Iraq at a rate of about 300 per month until February, when the rate should increase into the thousands per month. See also FCW.com: Troops in Iraq buy own radios
United Defense Industries won a $34.3 million contract for systems technical support and other services to be provided to the U.S. Army Take-Automotive and Armaments Command. – CBS MW: United Defense wins $34.3M contract from US army
BAE Systems Information and Greenlawn, NY-based Electronic Systems won a $14.1 million fixed price contract to make, test and modify AN/APX-117(V) and An/APX-118(V) beacons used in friend-foe detection systems to be used on ships and in the air. The work, which was not competitively bid, should be completed in about a year. The Naval Air Systems Command will run the contract.
