Denmark became the 9th and final partner nation to join the production and support phase of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter program. Minister of Defense Soren Gade signed the F-35 Production and Sustainment and Follow-on Development Memorandum of Understanding, in Copenhagen, Denmark. See Lockheed Martin release.
Mainstream GS, LLC in Loveland, CO received a $90 million, 7-year firm-fixed-price contract for a Continuous Process Improvement (CPI) Program. They will provide contractor support in the achievement of USAF Smart Operations 21 (AFSO 21) initiatives at Ogden Air Logistics Center and throughout the Air Force. The associated contract line items include: CPI Master, Training and Certification, Facilitation of Events and Projects, Courseware Development, Training Course Materials, and Data. Mainstream is already employed by the USAF to teach lean operations principles.
Solicitations began May 2006, negotiations were complete January 2007, and work will be complete February 2013. Headquarters Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill Air Force Base, UT issued the contract. (FA8224-07-D-0001).
In late 2002, India signed a Rs. 880 million (about $20 million) deal with Israel Military Industries for 3,070 TAR-21 Tavor assault rifles, a new bullpup design developed for use by the Israeli Defense Forces. The Israelis had just selected the compact Tavor over the Colt M4/M16 as its next-generation assault rifle, and the compact new weapons would be issued to India’s special forces personnel, where its ergonomics, reliability in heat and sand, and and fast-point/ fast-shoot design might give them an edge in close-quarters shootouts and employment from inside vehicles.
Then problems began, in India and in Israel. By 2005, IMI had supplied 350-400 TRA-21s without grenade launchers to India’s northern Special Frontier Force (SFF). These were declared to be ‘operationally unsatisfactory,’ however, due to problems with their foldable butt; meanwhile, Israeli units like the Galatz were voicing complaints of their own. The required changes appear to have been made, however, and the Tavor now looks set to enter operational service within a couple of months – even as India gears up for a larger competition that could feature a 9mm Tavor version…
Australian Minister of Defence Dr. Brendan Nelson announced that Australia’s DoD has signed a 5-year contract with Qantas airlines for the ongoing engineering, maintenance, supply and training support of Australia’s 5 Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft. The A330 MRTT aircraft, also called the KC-30B, will replace the RAAF’s fleet of KC-135 (Boeing 707) tankers. In addition to dispensing fuel, it can also function in a secondary cargo role and carry up to 270 people, and/or combinations of people and up to 32 463L cargo pallets. It is scheduled to enter RAAF service in 2009, was recently chosen by the UAE, and is currently facing off against Boeing’s smaller KC-767 for the USA’s $20-30 billion, 100-plane KC-X aerial tanker competition.
Wellco Enterprises in Waynesville, NC won a maximum $7.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for safety flight deck boots on behalf of the US Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Proposals were solicited using a Bidders List and 8 responded. The contract will end on June 22, 2008, and was issued by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA (SPM1C107D0039).
