On April 25, 2006, the Swedish Armed Forces submitted their 2007 budget proposal [note: page in Swedish]. The Armed Forces’ plans include continued commitment in the Balkans and Afghanistan, and they anticipate that from 2008, Sweden “will have the capability to contribute to two major and three minor crisis management operations simultaneously.” The English release adds that “units in the Navy and the Air Force should be given a greater role in international operations.”
There might be fewer of them, though. General Lieutenant Mats Nilsson was frank: “We need to have a proper number to be able to operate the [JAS-39 Gripen fighter] in the long-term from the type of organization which parliament and the government have determined.”
What does that mean, specifically? How could it affect a number of international fighter competitions? And where does “strategic air movement” fit into the picture?
As sizeable contingents from Canada and the Netherlands settle in to southern Afghanistan as part of a beefed-up ISAF force under British command, portable mini-UAVs are the subject of emergency orders from both countries. At the same time, Canada is also holding a full-fledged mini-UAV procurement competition.
Force Protection Industries, Inc. in Ladson, SC received a $50.9 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum ordering quantity of 79 Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles (JERRV) and associated manuals, spares, field support, and training. Work will be performed in Ladson, SC (60%) and Charlotte, MI (40%), and work is expected to be complete by May 2007. This contract is a sole source award to Force Protection Industries, Inc. as they are the sole manufacturer. The Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA issued the contract (M67854-06-D-5042).
This contract is in addition to the 27 Cougars purchased by the Marines for use in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the 122-vehicle all-services order from May 2005.
The USA Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Turkey of 50 AGM-84K Joint Standoff Land Attack Missiles-Expanded Response (SLAM-ER) as well as associated equipment and services.
As DID has previously noted, Boeing’s SLAM-ER is an advanced derivative of the Harpoon missile, and competes with precision attack missiles like Lockheed’s JASSM, and European missiles like the EADS Taurus KEPD 350 and the MBDA Storm Shadow. It is deployed with the US Navy, and will be deployed on the South Korea’s new F-15K Strike Eagles. Turkey will use the SLAM-ER as a medium-range standoff weapon on its F-16 aircraft, where it will complement the recently acquired but shorter-range Lockheed JSOW precision glide bomb. The order includes:
General Dynamics Robotic Systems in Westminster, MD received an $8.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee completion pricing arrangement contract for two unmanned surface vehicle (USV) systems for the littoral combat ship anti-submarine warfare mission module. This contract contains options, which, if exercised will bring the potential cumulative value of this contract $11.3 million. Work will be performed in Owings Mills, Md., and is expected to be complete May 2007. This contract was competitively procured via a broad agency announcement released via the Federal Business Opportunities web site and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central web site, with eight offers received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center San Diego in San Diego, CA issued the contract (N66001-06-C-2016).
See also GDRS’ May 5, 2005 news release; note that they are a subsidiary of General Dynamics Land Systems. The company plans to adapt its land robotics command and control system for the new USVs; indeed, Scott Myers President Scott Myers cited this expertise as a key reason the Navy chose them.
Bechtel National Inc. in San Francisco, CA received a delivery order amount of $27.6 million as part of a $315.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for activities to facilitate future closure of the Aberdeen Chemical Agent Disposal Facility. Work will be performed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on June 24, 2005 by the Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, IL is the contracting activity (DAAA09-02-G-0005).
