US Places $3.24B Order for Night Vision Devices

AN/PVS-7: The View
(note MFALS on gun)

The U.S. Army Contracting Agency, at White Sands Missile Range, NM has just issued $3.24 billion in contracts for “Omnibus VII enhanced third generation image intensifier ground night vision devices and spare image intensifier tubes.” What this means in practice is that the US Army and US Marine Corps are using one omnibus contract to purchase the following night-vision devices, in quantity: AN/PVS-14 monocular, AN/PVS-7D binocular, MX-10130/UV image intensifier tubes, and MX-11769/UV image intensifier tubes.

Naturally, all of these items work exceptionally well when paired with the deliverables to a $1.37 billion contract for Multi-Functioning Aiming Laser Systems.

• How These Devices Work
  
• The Orders
  
• Some Program Details
  

Aim, Illuminate, Fire – MFALS Deliveries to US Troops Continue

The U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD has issued $1.37 billion in contracts for Multi-Functioning Aiming Laser Systems. What’s that, you ask? It’s a dual-use ‘flashlight’/ laser pointer that can make “point and shoot” more of a standardized reality, especially in the close-quarters battles that often characterize the Global War on Terror.

A few years ago, Laser Devices, Inc. notes that the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center and the U.S. Army Special Operations Command conducted a joint Operational Test on the effectiveness of visible laser aiming systems in low light and night-time environments. The results were eye-opening.

BAE Wins Upgrade Contract for South African Tanks

Olifant Mk1B

BAE Systems has been awarded a follow-on contract for approximately GBP 15 million (USD $27.3 million) by Armscor, the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) acquisition agency, for the upgrade of an additional batch of Olifant Mk1B Main Battle Tanks to Mk2 standard.

USMC Gladiators to Pack a SWARM

Gladiator: OGRE Mk 0.01?

The Thales UK SWARM Remote Weapon System has been selected for the United States Marine Corps Gladiator robot program, following a rigorous competition conducted by General Dynamics Armament & Technical Products (GDATP).

As DID wrote in Battlefield Robots: To Iraq, And Beyond:

Still Armoring Those FMTV Trucks

FMTV Truck

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems L.P. in Sealy, TX received a $17.6 million modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for Low Signature Armored Cabs for the Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle Trucks. Work will be performed in Sealy, TX and is expected to be complete by Oct. 31, 2005. This was a sole source contract initiated on Dec. 23, 2004 by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (W56HZV-04-C-0591). DID keeps covering these contracts, just to remind readers that this sort of thing is still getting attention.

$11M for Environmental Remediation at California Facilities

Clayton Group Services Inc. in Costa Mesa, CA received an $11 million firm-fixed-price contract for Environmental Remediation Services in Los Alamitos, CA (50%) and at Camp Roberts, CA (50%). Work is expected to be complete by Sept. 1, 2015. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on April 11, 2005, and four bids were received. The U.S. Army Contracting Agency at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD issued the contract (W91ZLK-05-C-0026).