Rapid Fire: 2010-03-01

• “Taking Back the Infantry Half-Kilometer” – US infantry poorly equipped for rifle engagements in Afghanistan?

• EADS expects final deal on A400M military transport plane; Euro 3.5 billion funding deal in works.

• US Navy, House Armed Services Committee members, clash over FY 2011 shipbuilding budget.

• ThyssenKrupp’s Swedish subsidiary Kockums to build Sweden’s next-generation submarine.

• Israel’s Plasan secures $170 million subcontract from Oshkosh to supply 1,460 M-ATV protection kits; see Oshkosh’s recent win for 1,460 M-ATVs.

• US Army’s NETFIRES non line-of-sight launch system (NLOS-LS) fails recent tests at White Sands.

• US Marines go green.

• DARPA working on foliage-penetrating radar signal processing workstation to detect infantry moving in dense foliage.

$49.1M to NGC to Maintain MH-53E’s Minesweeping Gear

AQS-24 loading, MH-53E

Feb 25/10: Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. in Annapolis, MD received a $49.1 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for services and materials for depot level repair and maintenance of AMCM systems including the high-speed, high-resolution AN/AQS-14A side-scan sonar; AN/AQS-24 mine hunting system; AN/ALQ-141 acoustic minehunting/ minesweeping system; CP-2614/T common post mission analysis; and USM-668 intermediate level test equipment and swivel slip-ring assembly.

All of these systems are used by the US Navy’s MH-53E Sea Dragon mine hunting helicopters. With tensions rising around critical global shipping chokepoints, the USN’s new Osprey Class minehunters retired early and sold to other countries, its Littoral Combat Ship program late, and its associated MH-60S AMCM systems still a years away from full deployment, the MH-53Es and their gear are extremely important to the US Navy.

Work will be performed in Panama City, FL, and is expected to be complete by February 2015. Contract funds in the amount of $100,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/10. This contract was not competitively procured by The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division in Panama City, FL (N61331-10-D-0009).

Northrop Grumman to Support OSD under $70M MOBIS Order

Northrop Grumman Corp. received a 5-year, $70 million task order to provide business, technical and programmatic support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).

The task order was issued under the GSA’s Mission Oriented Business Integration Services (MOBIS) contract vehicle.

The MOBIS program offers a range of management and consulting services intended to improve an agency’s performance…

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-26

• Raytheon team snags $886.4 million contract for GPS OCX advanced control segment.

• PWC reports that aerospace & defense mergers hit a record low in 2009. It wasn’t a good deal year for the chemicals sector, either, but transport and logistics was busy in Q4.

• Portsmouth becomes 5th of 6 UK shipyards involved in building Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers, while Britain’s Conservative Party wants to know more about cancellation options. DID has in-depth coverage of the CVF carriers.

• Harris gets $78 million order for MRAP radios.

• Der Spiegel: A330 flight 447 from Rio to Paris may give new meaning to the term “software crash”; expect blowback into KC-X aerial tanker competition.

• General Dynamics NASSCO delivers USNS Matthew Perry, the 9th T-AKE supply ship, to US Navy’s Military Sealift Command.

• German Army report criticizes the NH90 helicopter for limited capabilities and other deficiencies.

• US Army releases RFP for next-generation armored vehicles.

• Frost & Sullivan: Indian Army’s land combat systems modernization to generate $33.76 billion in revenues.

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-25

• Pentagon officials brief Congress on terms of $35 billion aerial tanking competition, release final RFP.

• Spanish defense minister says 7 member governments backing the A400M military transport plane have reached agreement in principle. Details said to be forthcoming on Thursday.

• Israel’s “Iron Dome” rocket/artillery defense system faces skepticism in Israel.

• US Army’s new Afghan airdrop system: just heave it out the door…

• US Army Patriot missiles headed to Poland in April 2010.

• UK parliamentary panel criticizes Defense Ministry for losing track of sensitive equipment and wasting hundreds of millions of British pounds.

• BAE brings cutting edge “shake, rattle and roll” testing equipment to UK from USA; aimed at Warrior WCSP and FRES-Scout armored vehicle programs.

• New engine support contract for France’s Rafale – or just approval to negotiate one?

• USAF STRATCOM may have lifted its thumb drive ban – but the US Army hasn’t.

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-24

• USAF is expected to issue final terms for $35 billion aerial tanker competition this week.

• DEW Line: who is behind the dual-sourcing lobby for KC-X?

• USA to retire its BGM-109A nuclear Tomahawk cruise missiles.

• Dutch cabinet collapse freezes F-35 buy [in Dutch]; plane may become an election issue.

• Oshkosh to sell $500 million in senior notes to repay debt.

• USAF: No, we aren’t buying the airborne laser.

• What’s next for BAE’s Mantis close-support UCAV(Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle)?

• Jacobs secures $38.7 million contract to support transition of Navy Marine Corps Intranet to the NGEN network.

Up to $378M to AECOM-CACI Venture for Army Maintenance Services in Afghanistan

AC First, a joint venture between AECOM and CACI, received a maintenance and supply services task order under the US Army’s Field and Installation Readiness Support Team (FIRST) contract vehicle.

Under the task order, AC First will provide maintenance and management support for the Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-5) program in Afghanistan. The task order has a 12-month base year and 4 one-year options. The total value if all options are exercised is $378 million.

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-23

• As Argentina and Britain revisit their Falklands dispute, the UK conducts armed patrols, while France reportedly considers selling Argentina improved Super Etendard strike aircraft by 2015.

• Taiwan air force is not ready to withstand an attack from China, US DIA report warns. AP | Reuters

• Pakistan formally inducts 1st JF-17 fighter squadron.

• WIRED Danger Room: Where have all the MANPADS (MAN Portable Air Defense missile Systems) gone?

• United Technologies’ Sikorsky Aircraft selected for DARPA mission-adaptive rotor (MAR) technology development.

• Sikorsky upgrading its S-92 helicopters; British SAR likely to benefit.

• US Army’s proposed new IFV hitting roadblocks?

• British defense firm VT Group rejects revised GBP 1.3 billion takeover offer from Babcock.

• Israel’s Elbit Systems gets $20 million follow-on contract from defense ministry for “Snunit” aircraft trainer.

SAIC Continues Technical Support for NSWC Crane Division

Science Applications International Corp. in McLean, VA received a task order from the US Naval Sea Systems Command’s Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Crane Division in Crane, IN to provide technical and engineering support for its Joint Special Operations Response Department (JSORD). The department provides specialized training and support in sensors, communications, mobility, maneuverability, and special munitions and weapons.

The follow-on task order has a 2-year base period of performance, 3 one-year options, and a total value of more than $351 million, if all options are exercised. The task order was awarded under the Navy’s $5.3 billion SeaPort-Enhanced (Seaport-e) umbrella contract. SAIC’s Seaport-e contract number is N00178-04-D-4119.

This task order follows others awarded to SAIC to support NSWC Crane’s JSORD…

Rapid Fire: 2010-02-22

• US Air Force Chief of Staff warns F-35 Joint Strike Fighter could exceed Nunn-McCurdy limits on unit cost growth.

• Iraqi Air Force: development and current state.

• Britain, France sign Memorandum of Understanding re: Urgent Operational Request buys. UK MoD | French DGA [in French].

• L-3 to acquire Insight Technology, a supplier of night vision devices to the US military.

• Raytheon Australia gets 3-year, A$21.5 million contract to support F/A-18F Super Hornet training systems at the RAAF base Amberley. Australia’s expects 1st of 24 Super Hornets in late March 2010.

• Smart thinking under AFSO21 helps USAF improve B-1 bomber maintenance.

• New Fort Carson facilities achieving LEED Gold ratings.

• Raytheon’s Miniature Air Launched Decoy Jammer (MALD-J) completes US Air Force critical design review.