Bell Textron Wins $2.2B ARH Competition With 407 Variant

ARH-70A w. Hydras

Bell Helicopter Textron, Inc. of Fort Worth, TX received a $210.7 million cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for the system development and demonstration (SDD) of the U.S. Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) program, including sub-system integration and testing as well as training-device development (W58RGZ-05-C-0234). Work on the Bell LRH SDD contract will be performed at Fort Worth, TX and is estimated to be complete on Sept. 30, 2008. There were 11 bids solicited on Dec. 8, 2004, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL issued the contract.

The ARH-70 Armed Reconaissance Helicopter is a program by the United States Army to replace around 375 Bell Textron OH-58D Kiowa Warrior helicopters (first fielded in 1985), and fill the role initially proposed for the RAH-66 Comanche (cancelled in 2004). Bell Helicopter Textron won the competition, and the contract calls for 368 ARH aircraft during FY 2006 through FY 2013, at a unit cost of approximately $6 million per vs. the much more advanced Comanche’s estimated $36 million unit cost…

Senate Postpones FY 2006 Defense Appropriations Bill

The Senate’s recent decision Tuesday to indefinitely delay consideration of the FY 2006 defense authorization bill will create a tight timeline after the summer recess, in order to meet the September 30, 2005 deadline without requiring ‘continuing resolutions’ to fund wartime military operations.

If the bill is not considered until after the August recess, GovExec.com reports that it might also change the makeup and resolve of lawmakers supporting Sen. John Thune’s (R-SD) language to push back BRAC base closures until the Pentagon completes several sweeping reviews and most troops return from Iraq.

$129M for 48 More RQ-7B Shadow UAVs

RQ-7 Shadow UAV
(click to expand)

AAI Corporation, the defense subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation, has received a $129 million award from the U.S. Army for 12 additional Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (TUAV) systems. Each system includes 4 advanced RQ-7B air vehicles, 2 ground control stations, and associated components and support equipment, and will be delivered over the next 18 months.

The 7B block upgrade for Shadow systems incorporates changes to the wing, tail, and avionics.

$50.4M for Nerve Agent Antidotes

Meridian Medical Technologies Inc. in Columbia, MD received a maximum $50.4 million firm-fixed-price contract for nerve agent antidotes services and supplies for the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. This is a base year indefinite-quantity contract. Work will be performed in Columbia, MD and St. Louis, MO, and the base year will end on July 31, 2006. There was 1 proposal solicited and one responded. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA issued the contract (SP0200-05-D-0010).

$75M to Dismantle & Recycle 3 Retired USN Ships

CG 31 USS Sterrett

The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC recently issued 3 estimated ceiling cost $25 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, fixed price award-fee contracts for the dismantling and recycling of inactive ships stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Work will include environmental remediation, dismantling and metals recycling, and is expected to be complete in August 2009.

Each vessel is bid individually and awarded under a delivery order to the successful bidder, and performance incentives are also included for superior environmental and safety performance. Details of each awarded contract and retired ship follow…

$7M for Geospatial Intelligence Support

Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc. in Redlands, CA received the full delivery order amount of $7 million as part of a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Geospatial Intelligence Support to the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA). Geospatial intelligence is the exploitation and analysis of imagery and geospatial information to describe, assess, and visually depict physical features and geographically referenced activity on the earth. NGA is a national intelligence and combat support agency whose mission is to provide timely, relevant, and accurate geospatial intelligence in support of national security. Recent projects, for example, have included the creation of all-digital nautical charts for U.S. Navy warships [PDF release].

As background to this contract, it should be noted that NGA announced a Joint Operations Integration Office (JOIO) as of July 28, 2005…

9 Lynx Radars for Predator UAVs

Lynx SAR, Housing Off

General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems in San Diego, CA received a $13.9 million firm-fixed-price/ cost-plus fixed-fee contract to provide for 9 Lynx Synthetic Aperture Radars (SAR) for the MQ-1 Predator UAV, Ground Support Equipment and Spares, and a option for training manuals.

The Lynx radar, designed and developed by Sandia National Laboratories for General Atomics, provides unmatched performance for reconnaissance and surveillance in adverse weather conditions…