France Delivers EUR 7.1B of Arms in 2004, Says Report

Not counted.

France booked arms export orders worth EUR 3.4 billion (about $4 billion) in 2004, and delivered EUR 7.1 billion (about $8.4 billion under current conversion rates) of military equipment to foreign buyers, according to the official report to the French Parliament.

This annual report to Parliament analyzes arms export agreements concluded by France in 2004, as well as military equipment actually exported during the same year. The information is broken down by region, by country and by type of equipment, and numerous appendices are provided to allow detailed analysis. Most of the information covers the last ten years. As defense-aerospace.com notes, however: “This report’s greatest failing is that it is available only in French.” Naturellement.

Lockheed Receives $308M more for ABM Work

Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems and Solutions of Gaithersburg, MD received a cost-plus-award fee modification for the development, integration, and installation of the command, control, battle management and communications capability for the Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS). This modification extends the period of performance, and increases the agreement value by $308 million. Lockheed’s work is believed to be central to the integration of formerly stand-alone system elements into an effective, layered BMDS, and the interoperability of missile defense command and control operations at the various combatant commanders’ sites.

The current effort is expected to be complete on December 31, 2005. The Missile Defense Agency issued the change, and work under this modification will be funded using Fiscal Years 2006, 2007 and 2008 funds (HQ0006-02-9-0002).

International Order for Mini-DAMA Submarine Transceivers

AN/USC-42 Mini-DAMA

L-3 Titan Systems Corp. in San Diego, CA received a not-to-exceed $5.9 million firm-fixed-price letter contract to procure 13 AN/USC-42A(V)2 Mini-DAMA terminals, 39 DSP II cards, 40 E-HUB COMSEC assemblies plus other ancillary Mini-DAMA hardware. This contract contains requirements for the Governments of Australia, Canada, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, South Korea, and United Kingdom under the Foreign Military Sales program.

What’s a DAMA? For that matter, what’s a mini-DAMA? Glad you asked…

$12.2M to EDS for Defense Finance Data Management

The USA’s Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has picked up a fourth year option with Electronic Data Systems Corp. in Herndon, VA. This indefinite delivery contract (MDA210-02-D-0001) has a maximum face value of $12.2 million, and covers production support, hardware/software support and system improvements for electronic data management. This brings the aggregate value of the contract to a maximum of $59.6 million.

Work will be performed at DFAS Columbus, OH; DFAS Indianapolis, IN; DFAS Omaha, NB; and DFAS Charleston, SC. Under this option, work will be performed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2006. Funding includes nine months of fiscal 2006 dollars and three months of fiscal 2007 dollars, to be issued by task orders. The DFAS Contract Services Directorate in Columbus OH issued the contract (MDA210-02-D-0001).

Up to $2.9B to Boeing to Support F/A-18 Super Hornets Over Next Decade

F/A-18F Launch

Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Corp. in St. Louis, MO received a base five-year, $995 million, firm-fixed-price requirements, performance-based logistics support contract for the US Navy’s new 3rd-4th generation F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet fighters. This contract includes one five-year base period, with an additional five-year option period that would bring the total estimated value of the contract to $2.9 billion if exercised.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, MO and the five-year base period will end in September 2010. This contract was not competitively procured; McDonnell Douglas is the Super Hornet’s original manufacturer. The US Naval Inventory Control Point issued the contract (N00383-06-D-0001J). See all DID articles related to the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

Thailand to Buy 12 Sukhoi Fighters?

SU-30, Export Star

The Moscow Times newspaper reports that Russia has signed a preliminary agreement to sell 12 two-seat, multirole Sukhoi SU-30MK fighter jets to Thailand in a deal worth $500 million in cash and in kind. The source for the report was an unnamed Irkut official who claims the memorandum of understanding was signed at the Asian summit in Malaysia, and added that the deal also includes some helicopters. Irkut spokesmen declined to comment when asked by Agence France Presse. Interfax news agency reported that a definitive contract on the sale would be signed toward the middle of 2006, and that Bangkok would pay part of the bill in kind by delivering various products to Russia for resale on international markets. Read the full article at SpaceWar.com.

The Royal Thai Air Force generally flies American machines, and allegations of corruption are part of the domestic controversy that now swirls around this reported buy…

$156.4M Delivery Order to ATK for Small-Cal Ammo

Alliant Lake City Small Caliber Ammunition Co. LLC in Independence, MO received a delivery order amount of $156.4 million as part of a $166.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for “small caliber ammunition.” In the USA, this designation usually refers to ammunition of .50 caliber (12.7mm) or lower. DID has featured ongoing coverage of the USA’s small-caliber ammunition shortages, some of the steps being taken to address them, and recent expansions of the supplier base. ATK’s protest of the recent second-source award to General Dynamics was recently withdrawn.

Work on this delivery order will be performed in Independence, MO and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on Oct. 5, 2005 by the Army Field Support Command in Rock Island, IL (DAAA09-99-D-0016). DID has covered developments related to this contract before.

$152.5 million Multinational ESSM Missile Order

ESSM Launch

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $152,454,637 firm fixed price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-05-C-5482, to procure 198 (ea) RIM-162 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM), 59 (ea) shipping containers and spares for the NATO Sea Sparrow Consortium. This modification procures ESSMs for Germany, Greece, Norway, Spain, The Netherlands, Norway, and the United States. The NATO Sea Sparrow consortium, which includes the United States and 9 other countries, will fund the effort. DID covered a similar, $162.8 million contract in May 2005.

Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (38%); Andover, MA (10%); Camden, AR (5%); Minneapolis, MN (1%); Australia (13%); Canada (7%); Germany (7%); Norway (7%); The Netherlands (6%); Spain (3%); Denmark (1%); Greece (1%); and Turkey (1%), and is expected to be completed by October 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC issued the contract.

$9.5M Engineering Services Contract Includes ASDS Work

ASDS Cutaway

The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA is being awarded a $9.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract to provide engineering and technical services in the areas of system integration, implementation, and management, including hardware and software (see solicitation). CSDL will be providing its integration experience to the following technology development programs:

• Advanced SEAL Delivery System
  
• Military Flight Operation Quality Assurance Demonstration Project
  
• Submarine Class Ship Control System

Work will be performed in Cambridge, MA and is expected to be complete by December 2010. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in West Bethesda, MD issued the contract (N00167-06-D-0001). Among other projects, CSDL is also a major participant in the for the life-extension program for the Trident II D-5 submarine-launched nuclear missile.