The House Armed Service Panel’s approval of the FY 2006 defense appropriations bill was also a critical step toward ensuring the $1.6 billion Marine One Presidential Helicopter contract awarded earlier this year goes to the Lockheed-AugustaWestland “Team US101” partnership. Congressional maneuvering had left this result in some doubt. Under the Marine One program, 26 helicopters – three test units and 23 production aircraft – are to be produced. The contract will lead to the creation of 750 jobs at the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration plant in Owego, NY.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has signed a teaming agreement with ITT Industries of Clifton, NJ. The agreement will support Team US101’s bid to win the U.S. Air Force’s upcoming 132-helicopter Personnel Recovery Vehicle (PRV) combat search-and-rescue helicopter competition. Under the terms of this agreement, ITT will provide critical mission systems equipment for the modified US101 helicopter, and help define the spiral growth of their systems during the life of the PRV program.
Almost 4 years into the 14 year long JAS-39 Gripen economic offset program in Hungary, Gripen International confirm that another EUR 52 million of offset obligation has been approved, making the total value SEK 3.35 billion (EUR 360 million). Hungary expects to begin incorporating the highly-regarded fourth-generation fighter jet into its inventory shortly.
Meanwhile, Swedish aviation and defense group Saab announced on June 8, 2005 that it will lay off 350 workers in four business units, owing to a reduction of work for its JAS 39 Gripen fighter plane. The 350 lay-offs will concern workers at Saab Aerostructures, Saab Aerosystems, Saab Aircraft and Saab Support. Saab has already laid off 1,000 people in 2003 and 2004; and including this latest move, notice has now been given to 760 people in 2005. The company warned that it expected to lay off a further 1,000 – 1,500 people in 2005 and 2006.
K-159 before departure, moored at Gremikha base (click to expand)
According to a British report published June 10, 2005, Russia’s scrapped atomic submarines pose a serious nuclear threat. Russia must act to prevent a nuclear accident in northwest Russia’s Barents Sea region, home to 118 scrapped nuclear submarines as well as spent nuclear fuel storage sites, said Mark Gerchikov, coordinator of the report from British consulting firm National Nuclear Corporation. It was funded by the 60-nation European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
The USSR built 450 naval nuclear reactors, beginning in 1958. Of these, two-thirds are located in the Barents Sea region, representing 20% of the world’s nuclear reactors. “Certain nuclear installations are in such a state that we cannot exclude a chain reaction” leading to a nuclear accident, Gerchikov said at the report’s presentation.
In line with these efforts to preserve and upgrade the USA’s shrinking P-3C fleet, the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD has recently issued three contracts worth a total of $230.5 million.
The Government of Canada has requested a possible sale of 94 Link 16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS)/Low Volume Terminals (LVT), 1,000 MIDS batteries, plus testing, integration and other related elements of program and logistics support. The estimated cost is $34 million. The prime contractor will be the BAE/Rockwell Collins joint venture Data Link Solutions of Wayne, NJ.
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 The operational advantages provided by at-a-glance portrayal of targets, threats and friendly forces, on an easy-to-understand, relative position display, are obvious. The MIDS LVT 1 was developed by a multinational consortium to provide Link 16 capability at a lower weight, volume and cost than the Joint Tactical Information Data System (JTIDS).
BAE subsidiary United Defense LP in Santa Clara, CA received a $6.5 million modification to a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for systems technical support and logistics services for the M2/M3 Bradley Fighting Vehicle System, M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System and their derivative vehicles. Work will be performed in Santa Clara, CA, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 26, 2005. This was a sole source contract initiated on Dec. 28, 2000, and the modification was issued by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (DAAE07-01-C-M011).
We’ve covered several modifications to this contract here at DID. We’re curious as to exactly why it seems so hard to get a precise figure for this function without constant add-ons. Can any of our readers enlighten us? Email “editor” over here at defenseindustrydaily.com.
Small business qualifier Carter Industries Inc. in Olive Hill, KY won a maximum $10.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for the U.S. Army coats and trousers. Performance completion date is April 5, 2006. There were five proposals solicited and three responded. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP), Philadelphia, Pa. (SP0100-05-R-0053) issued the contract.
