Department of Defense & Industry Daily News
Advertisement
Defense program acquisition news, budget data, market briefings
  • Contact
    Editorial
    Advertising
    Feedback & Support
    Subscriptions & Reports
  • Subscribe
    Paid Subscription
    in-depth program analysis & data sets
    Free Email Newsletter
    quick daily updates
    Google+ Twitter RSS
  • Log in
    Forgot your password?
    Not yet a subscriber? Find out what you have been missing.
Archives by date > 2006 > March > 1st

India’s Defense Budget Rises 7%, to $20.11 Bn

Mar 01, 2006 12:44 UTC

India Flag

India-Defense reports that Finance Minister Mr. P. Chidambaram has announced a 7% increase in India’s Defense budget for the next fiscal year. The Defence Budget has been increased from INR 83,000 crore[1] to INR 89,000 crore ($20.11 billion at March 1/06 interbank conversion), with INR 39,400 crore ($8.91 billion) as capital allocations. According to India-Defence.com, India’s 1.2 million strong Army will receive INR 41,000 crore ($9.26 billion) while the Air Force and Navy are budgeted INR 25,000 ($5.65 billion) and 15,000 ($3.39 billion) crore, respectively. The Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO) is expected to receive INR 8,000 crore (1.81 billion).

$20.11 billion will still be less than 2.5% of India’s GDP. Over the longer term, however, pressure is growing to raise defense spending and change its allocation…

Continue Reading… »

India Looks to Modify Scorpene Subs With MESMA AIP Propulsion

Mar 01, 2006 10:50 UTC

Advertisement
SHIP_SSK_Scorpene_OHiggins_Cutaway.gif

Chilean Scorpene cutaway

Back on September 19, 2005, DID offered in-depth coverage of India’s $3.5 billion local-build deal for 6 SSK Scorpene Class ultra-quiet diesel-electric submarines between 2012-1017, as well as the present status and future plans of the rival Chinese and Pakistani submarine programs. Now the Times of India reports that India’s Navy wants the last 3 submarines to include DCN’s MESMA air-independent propulsion (AIP) systems, changing them from CM-2000 to AM-2000 Scorpene designation.

What’s MESMA, why does it matter, who else builds AIPs, and how does MESMA compare?

Continue Reading… »

Co-developed in China: US Homeland Security Orders EC120 Helis

Mar 01, 2006 08:15 UTC

AIR_EC120_Shoreline.jpg

Magnum’s not here…

eDefense Online notes that EADS subsidiary American Eurocopter received an order from the US Department of Homeland Security Customs and Border Protection for 10 Light Sign Cutter EC120 helicopters. This acquisition is the first order under a DHS contract that could involve as many as 55 helicopters, with a potential total value of up to $75 million.

The EADS release explains that their Light Sign Cutter designation refers to the lightweight class of rotary-wing aircraft earmarked for this mission and is a recognition of the expert trackers known as sign cutters. The EC120s have a number of characteristics useful for security patrol missions, including a very low noise level that makes them less likely to advertise their presence from afar to the targets of their surveillance.

Interestingly, a previous DID article identifies the EC120 helicopter as an EADS co-development project with China…

Continue Reading… »

Knight’s Armament Delivering on $110.8M Contract for M4-M16 MWS

Mar 01, 2006 06:50 UTC

ORD_M4-M16_Modular_Weapons_System.jpg

M4 MWS

Small business qualifier Knight’s Armament Co. in Titusville, FL received a delivery order amount of $31 million as part of a $110.8 million firm-fixed-price contract for the Modular Weapon System in support of the M16A4 Rifle and M4 Carbine. The U.S. Army Field Manual specifies for the Army that adding the Rail Accessory System (RAS) turns the weapon into the M4 MWS or Modular Weapon System.

Work will be performed in Titusville, FL and is expected to be complete by the end of the fiscal year – Sept. 30, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on Feb. 1, 2006 by the Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command at Rock Island, IL (W52H09-05-D-0073).

Continue Reading… »

US Spends $99.3M for 120mm Tank Cannon Practice Rounds

Mar 01, 2006 05:41 UTC

ORD_Ammunition_APFS-DS_Mid-Air.jpg

Practice makes perfect

The Army Field Support Command in Rock Island, IL awarded a pair of modifications to a firm-fixed-price contract for M831A1 Target Practice Tracer 120mm Cartridges and M865 Target Practice Cone Stabilized Discarding Sabot Tracer 120mm Cartridges. As tracer cartridges, they can be seen throughout their flight; this makes them excellent training rounds on the USA’s M1 Abrams tanks. There were two bids solicited on Nov. 20, 2003, two bids were received, and two modifications were issued.

  • Alliant Techsystems Inc. in Plymouth, MN received a $49.8 million modification. Work will be performed in Middletown, IA and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2008 (W52P1J-04-C-0031).

  • General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems in St. Petersburg, FL received a $49.5 million modification. Work will be performed in Middletown, IA and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2008 (W52P1J-04-C-0030).

Continue Reading… »

$9M for Improvements to Kitsap, WA Submarine Homeport

Mar 01, 2006 04:00 UTC

SHIP_SSBN_Michigan_Moored_Bangor.jpg

Sunset at NB Kitsap

Naval Base Kitsap is the largest naval organization in Navy Region Northwest and is composed of installations in Bremerton, Bangor and Keyport, hosting many SSN Los Angeles Class attack subs and SSBN Trident missile subs, plus the Nimitz Class Aircraft Carrier CVN 74 USS John C. Stennis. In 2005, Naval Base Kitsap received the Commander in Chief’s Award for Installation Excellence. KOMO-TV reports that the base will also receive the SSN 21 USS Seawolf and SSN 22 USS Connecticut by the summer of 2007. When they arrive in the summer of 2007, all 3 of the US Navy’s most advanced $4 billion SSN-21 Seawolf Class submarines will be based at NB Kitsap. The move is part of a realignment that will see the current 50/50 submarine split turn into a 60/40 Pacific/Atlantic split by 2010.

These efforts always trigger contracts. Nova Group Inc. in Napa, CA won $9 firm-fixed-price Task Order 0003 under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract (N68711-03-D-7054) for design and construction of mission support facilities for the homeporting of the two additional submarines at Naval Base Kitsap in Silverdale, WA. Work to be performed under this contract provides for all labor, material, equipment, and associated costs to design and construct support facilities, including:

Continue Reading… »
Advertisement
White Papers & Events
Advertisement
March 2006
SMTWTFS
« Feb Apr »
 1234
567891011
12131415161718
19202122232425
262728293031 
Advertisement

© 2004-2023 Defense Industry Daily, LLC | About Us | Images on this site | Privacy Policy

Contact us: Editorial | Advertising | Feedback & Support | Subscriptions & Reports

Follow us: Twitter | Google+

Stay Up-to-Date on Defense Programs Developments with Free Newsletter

DID's daily email newsletter keeps you abreast of contract developments, pictures, and data, put in the context of their underlying political, business, and technical drivers.