$67.6M to Convert US and Foreign AH-64s to AH-64D Apache Longbows

Modern English Longbow

Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Co. in Mesa, AZ received a $67.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for remanufacturing of AH-64A Apache attack helicopters and Foreign Military Sales AH-64As to upgraded AH-64D Apache Longbow specifications. Work will be performed in Mesa, AZ and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on Aug. 15, 2005 by the Army Aviation and Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, AL (W58RGZ-06-C-0093).

Apache helicopter variants are in service with the US Army

• , Britain*, Egypt*, Greece, Holland*, Israel*, Japan*, Kuwait*, Saudi Arabia, Singapore*, South Korea*, and the UAE. Countries with asterisks have militaries that include AH-64D Longbows. While the DefenseLINK bulletin did not specify the FMS clients involved, countries involved in Longbow upgrade/remanufacture programs include the USA, Israel, South Korea, and the UAE (since this post was published, Greece and Saudia Arabia also have AH-64D upgrade programs).

$12M for U.S. NCO Academy

“Build it right, maggots!”

Non-commissioned officers are arguably the most important group of people in any Army – a quality NCO Corps makes the difference between an army that performs well in combat and one that can’t. So it’s nice to see TCI Architects/Engineers/Contractors Inc. in La Crosse, WI receiving an $12 million firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a non-commissioned officer’s academy at Fort McCoy, WI.

Work and is expected to be complete by Sept. 20, 2007. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the World Wide Web on Feb. 6, 2006, and three bids were received. The Army Corps of Engineers in Louisville, KY issued the contract (W912QR-06-C-0021).

$54.8M for Rebuild of M107x Trucks

M1075 PLS Truck

Oshkosh Truck Corp. in Oshkosh, WI received the full delivery order amount of $54.8 million for rebuild of M1070 Heavy Equipment Transporter, M1074 and M1075 palletized load system (PLS) trucks, fuel tank assemblies, and M1076 palletized load system trailers. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, WI and is expected to be complete by Oct. 31, 2007. This was a sole source contract initiated on Sept. 23, 2004 by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (W56HZV-04-D-0322).

Oshkosh’s HET trucks are flatbeds that usually transport tanks, and DID has covered the importance of the Palletized Loading System items before in changing battlefield logistics. The PLS has several variants, and the Fuel Tank Assemblies can be part of a PLS modular fuel farm system.