Japan Licensed to Produce Patriot PAC-3s

Patriot PAC-3
[Lockheed-Martin photo]

The United States has concluded a deal to allow Japan to license produce Lockheed Martin’s Patriot PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles which will constitute the core of a joint missile defense system. The PAC-3 is the USA’s most modern ground-based air defense system.

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper reported that the two governments sealed a memorandum of understanding in March 2005 on the licensed production of Patriot Advanced Capability 3 (PAC-3) interceptor missiles, and Lockheed Martin Corp. is expected to sign a contract before March 2006 to license Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. for PAC-3 production. At the same time, Japan has also said that foreign export of such weapons may be considered under certain circumstances.

Chile to Buy 3 Airbus A400M Transports

Airbus A400M

EADS subsidiary Airbus Military announces that Chile had signed a declaration of intent to buy up to 3 of its A400M military aircraft on July 15/05, formalizing a deal first announced in June. The declaration provides for Chile to take delivery of the aircraft between 2018 – 2022, and for Chilean industry to benefit from aerospace-related industrial participation. While no figures were announced, the estimated cost of the A400M is USD $90-120 million per plane.

As of June 2009, this contract reportedly had yet to be finalized. In August 2010, Chile began negotiating with Brazil to buy 6 Embraer KC-390 medium transports.

$10.3M for 8 more Targeting Pods

Sniper XR Targeting Pod

Lockheed Martin Corp. in Orlando, FL is being awarded a $10.3 million firm fixed price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract to provide eight Advanced Targeting Pods, containers, pylon, warranty, spares and associated support. The mission involves the Air Force (Air Combat Command) and the Air National Guard, and the major objective is to acquire state-of-the-art targeting pods to support F-16 and F-15 aircraft. Solicitation for this contract began March 2001, negotiations were completed July 2001, and work will be complete by April 2007. The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (F33657-01-D-2029).

DID has covered the success of the F-18’s Raytheon ATFLIR targeting pods and the way they’ve changed the aircraft’s role in Iraq, the way the value of the AV-8B Harrier has been changed by its sensors, and the success of the Lockheed Martin Sniper XR pod on F-15Es in the Iraqi theater.

$24.1M to Support F100 Jet Engine Nozzles

F100 Engine Test

The nozzles of a jet engine take a lot of punishment during normal operation. So the Headquarters Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, OK has issued a pair of contracts designed to support the nozzles on the high-performance F100-PW-220 series jet engines that power many of America’s F-15 and F-16 fighters.

$17M to United Defense for Multinational Vertical Launcher Order

ESSM Launch

BAE subsidiary United Defense Limited Partnership Armament Systems Division in Minneapolis, MN received a $17 million fixed-price-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-04-C-5454 for multinational procurement of vertical air defense missile launching cannisters and associated hardware. The cannisters are designed to launch the SM-2 Standard and Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles.

More .50 cal Ammunition on the Way

In a recent article, DID described the U.S. Army’s shortage of small-caliber ammunition, and some of the steps being taken to address that shortage.

As a concrete example, Alliant Techsystems of Independence, MO just received a delivery order amount of $6.4 million as part of a $405.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for .50 Caliber cartridges. Work will be performed in Independence, MO and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2007. This was a sole source contract initiated on May 19, 2005 by the U.S. Army Field Support Command at Rock Island, IL (DAAA09-99-D-0016).