Science Applications International Corporation announced that it won a contract from J63 Enterprise Command and Control Advanced Technology Services (EC2ATS). Under the single award, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract, SAIC and its teammates will provide a spectrum of engineering, acquisition, implementation and operational sustainment support to branches of the military and federal agencies. Work will be provided through the Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center in Charleston, SC, to the Charleston, SC; Tidewater, VA; and Washington, DC metro areas.
The contract has a one-year base term with 2 one-year options and 4 one-year award term options, for an overall potential length of 7 years and an estimated value of $423 million if the customer exercises all options. This is SAIC’s first prime contract with SPAWAR Charleston. See SAIC press release.
The Norwegian firm Kongsberg just announced that it has signed a contract valued at NOK 345 million (about $60 million) with the Netherlands for deliveries to the Dutch Army under the Future Ground Based Air Defence (FGBAD NL) program. These fully mobile systems are based on the AIM-120 AMRAAM, and will protect Dutch forces against aircraft, helicopters, cruise missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Initial Operational Capability (IOC) contract awarded in October 2004 covered 3 TRML-3D mobile surveillance radars, and mobile command and control operation shelters including a radio-based communications system. The components of the system in this round are 2 TRML-3D mobile surveillance radars from EADS, mobile command and control operation centres provided by EADS and Rheinmetall subsidiary Oerlikon-Contraves, a digital radio communication network from Oerlikon and 6 Norwegian NASAMS II systems (Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile System) supplied by Kongsberg. Each system has a number of trucks with missiles, in addition to other elements of the package. To ensure weapon coordination, all components of the FGBAD NL are networked in a wireless LAN communications infrastructure for secure, real-time exchange of information between the radar units and the command vehicle and weapon systems.
Variants of the SM-2 Standard missile are the USA’s primary fleet defense anti-air weapon, and in service with 13 navies worldwide. The most common variant is the RIM-66K-L/ SM-2 Standard Block IIIB, which entered service in 1998. It includes a number of modifications over previous versions, including greater capability at even lower altitudes, a more powerful fragmentation warhead, and a side-mounted infrared seeker developed in the Missile Homing Improvement Program (MHIP) to supplement the missile’s semi-active radar guidance system. These missiles work best when paired with the AEGIS radar and combat system, but can be employed independently.
