Radio Shack v2.0: Bombots, Start Your Engines!

BOMBOT

Past DID articles covering the future of ground robots on the battlefield and the MTRS TALON/Packbot surveillance and explosives disposal robots both noted a role for smaller examples, from Dragon Runner “Throwbots” to Exponent’s field-iterated MARCBot. Some US troops were even taking initiative and using remote-control toys as part of their patrols.

Now Innovative Response Technologies Inc. in Fairmont, WV has received a $10 million firm-fixed-price contract for 309 explosive ordnance disposal “BOMBOT” vehicles for IED mine neutralization. The BOMBOT has been described by its proponents as a “high-tech toy truck with a camera and a dump bed.” How does that help soldiers neutralize IED mines, and how did an Air Force Research Laboratory project end up being procured by the USA’s Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)?

$32.9M for Harrier Support and Upgrades

AV-8B attack run

DID has covered the V/STOL(Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing) AV-8B Harrier II’s improvement of its flying record, and the discovery of its niche among the rough airfields of Afghanistan and the urban warfare scenarios of Iraq. A pair of ongoing maintenance and avionics and weapons upgrade initiatives provide a window into the efforts that are making the modernized Harrier an effective weapon on the Global War on Terror’s battlefields.

Painting Ohio

SSBN/SSGN USS Florida

International Marine and Industrial Applicators, LLC in Irvington, AL won a $42 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the painting and preservation of the USA’s Ohio Class SSBN nuclear missile subs and SSGN special ops & strike submarines. Work will be performed in Kings Bay, GA and is expected to be complete by December 2010. This contract was competitively procured with 16 proposals solicited and 4 offers received via the Commerce Business Daily. The South East Regional Maintenance Command at Mayport Naval Station in Jacksonville, FL issued the contract (N40027-05-R-0091).

Lockheed Wins USAF Spares Contract for up to $750M

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Service International in Greensville, SC received a maximum $225 million fixed-price with economic price adjustment / indefinite-quantity contract. It covers integrated prime vendor support for spare parts and industrial hardware support to the U.S. Air Force air logistics centers. Under this program, Lockheed Martin will provide approximately 50,000 bench stock items for a variety of aircraft through Lockheed Martin field offices at the three air logistics centers at Robins Air Force Base, GA; Hill Air Force Base, UT; and Tinker Air Force Base, OK.