Norwegian Firm’s GMG Soft Mount Wins US Interest

MK47 Striker on Hummer

Vinghog AS in Tonsberg, Norway received an $8.4 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for an Improved Crew Served Weapons Mount (ICSWM) for the MK47 “Striker” Advanced Lightweight 40mm Grenade Launcher (ALGL). Vinghog’s ICSW Mount, with adapters, will also be used with other fielded machine guns such as the M2 .50 caliber and M240 7.62mm. It is envisioned that the ICSWM will improve accuracy when firing on the move.

This project will evaluate a soft-mount for Special Operations Forces (SOF) crew served weapons such as the MK47 MOD 0 ALGL and machine guns. The ICSWM mount program will test the soft-mount technology to verify that it does improve the performance of the MK47 Weapon System in accordance with objective joint Operational Requirements Document. Work will be performed in Tonsberg, Norway, and is expected to be complete by November 2011. All funding will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was competitively procured and advertised on the Internet, with 1 offer received by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division in Crane, IN (N00164-07-D-4883).

Elbit’s Elop Provides Thermal Sights for Korea’s K1A1 Tanks

ROK K1A1 tank

Elbit Systems Ltd. subsidiary Elbit Systems Electro-Optics Elop Ltd. has announced a $19 million contract for Thermal Imaging kits for the Gunner Periscope Sights of the Korean K1A1 tank.

Primary contractor Samsung-Thales will supply, install and test the systems, while Elop will provide the main components for the thermal sensors. The Integrated Sights modular design combines direct view observation, TV channels, eyesafe laser rangefinders and a wide variety of night vision technologies with line-of-sight stabilization and hunter-killer solutions. See Elbit release [PDF]

GDLS Wins $48.3M Contract for M1 Thermal Sights

M1A1 Abrams

General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI received a delivery order amount of $19.8 million as part of a $48.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for loader’s thermal weapon sights for the M1A1 and M1A2 Abrams Tanks. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, MI and is expected to be complete by May 30, 2008. This was a sole source contract initiated on April 19, 2006 by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (W56HZV-06-G-0006).