The Raytheon Co. in Waltham, MA received an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to provide logistics support services to operate and maintain up to four forward based X-Band transportable radars to support the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The maximum potential value of the contract is $260.9 million. Most work will take place at Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in Woburn, MA from 26 May 2005 through 25 May 2010. The Missile Defense Agency issued the contract (HQ0006-05-C-0016).
Meanwhile, the final touches are being put on the 280-foot (85-metre) tall sea-based X-band radar system that’s expected to ship out on a 20,000-mile (32,000-km) trip from Ingleside/Corpus Christi, TX to Adak, AK in the Aleutian Islands. The $815 million Raytheon radar, a distant relative of the X-band radar used by police to detect speeding drivers, is designed to detect incoming missiles instead.
United Technologies subsidiary Sikorsky Aircraft in Stratford, CT received a $245 million contract to make 22 new generation UH-60M Black Hawk helicopters for the U.S. Army, company officials said Monday. First deliveries are set to begin in July 2006, and the contract contains options for another 8 helicopters.
Contracts for project systems management and for UH-60L “plus-ups” were also announced by the U.S. DoD.
DID has referred to DefenseTech.org’s and the New York Post’s investigations of Tucson, AZ energy weapon company Ionatron, Inc. in a past article. Today we’re reporting on a new technology from Ionatron that’s about to be deployed to Iraq in order to counter the improvised explosive devices (IEDs) favored by insurgents and terrorists.
Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle System L.P. in Sealy, TX won an $185 million modification to a cost-reimbursement and firm-fixed-price contract for Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle trucks. Work will be performed in Sealy, TX and is expected to be complete by Nov. 15, 2008. There were two bids solicited on Aug. 15, 2002, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI issued the contract (DAAE07-03-C-S023).
Northrop Grumman subsidiary Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. in Newport News, VA received a $9.2 million cost-type modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-04-C-2118) for CVN 21 construction preparation, long lead-time material (other than the nuclear propulsion plant) and advanced construction.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s (Sipri) 2005 Yearbook found that total spending on weapons in 2004 grew 8% to $1.035 trillion – the highest dollar value yet. Adjusted for inflation, the figure falls just 6% below the all-time peak of spending in 1987-88. Total military expenditure grew 6% in 2004 over the previous year, in line with an average annual increase since 2002.
The report is not as highly politicized as one might expect from reading the media excerpts, and does contain a few interesting nuggets of information. The combined arms sales of the top 100 arms-producing companies in 2003 were 25% higher than in 2002 when measured in current dollars. It also notes that while the pace of mega-mergers in the arms trade had slackened somewhat, it has left major military suppliers comparable in size and influence to top multinational corporations. Read the 2005 Yearbook here.
Small business qualifier Digital Authentication Technologies, Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., is being awarded a not-to-exceed $25 million Phase III, Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program contract for Topic N04-024 entitled “Strong Location-Specific Authentication for Mobile Users and Devices.”
The objective of the topic is to develop a prototype Location Specific Digital Fingerprint System for use by the U.S. Joint Forces Command Joint Experimentation Directorate. Work will be performed in Boca Raton, Fla., and is expected to be complete in June 2010. This contract was competitively procured using SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N04-024; 21 offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ issued the contract (N68335-05-D-0012).
ATK Tactical Systems Co. LLC in Rocket Center, WV received a $14.5 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to provide for the DSU-33B/B proximity sensor, a nose-mounted radio frequency proximity sensor used on M117 and MK-80 series general-purpose bombs and the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM).
This action is for procurement of 12,675 additional DSU-33B/B proximity sensors and cables for the Navy and 350 sensors and cables, 20 D-2 trainers and 6 D-5 trainers for foreign military sales under Option 4 of the contract.
MPRI in Alexandria, VA won an $18.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for Staff Recruiter Services. Work will be performed at Fort Knox, KY and is expected to be complete by Jan. 6, 2006. There were two bids solicited on May 2, 2003, and two bids were received. The Army Contracting Agency in Fort Eustis, VA issued the contract (DABJ01-03-F-0538).
