Information Dissemination on 2008 at-sea usage data and implications for various US Navy ship types.
India to issue a new defense procurement policy, hopes to reduce delays in purchasing weapons, and to increase domestic production.
India’s Mahindra Group is lobbying the government to lift foreign ownership cap for defense firms to 49%. The firm is involved in a joint venture with BAE systems, among others.
The potential value of the 5-year indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract is $387 million if all options are exercised. The initial award value is $56.9 million for the base year.
Under the contract (W900KK-10-D-0002), General Dynamics will provide technical, management and professional engineering support services for the procurement and fielding of CTS…
India’s artillery replacement programs may be stuck, but Pakistan has had more success. On Dec 16/05, The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced [PDF] Pakistan’s official request to buy 115 used M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzers as well as spare and repair parts, support and test equipment, publications and technical documentation, personnel training and training equipment, Quality Assurance Team, and other support. The total value, if all options are exercised, was stated as $56 million.
On Feb 13/10, the US Embassy in Islamabad announced delivery of the last 48 upgraded M109A5s, to the Malir Cantonment in Karachi. This completed the 115 vehicle order. As the release noted: “The FMS/FMF case was initiated by Pakistan in 2006 and enabled the Government of Pakistan to obtain the cannons from the United States at a greatly discounted rate.”
That is true because the equipment was already in storage, and considered to be surplus. No contractor was involved, just a Technical Assistance Field Team (TAFT) and U.S. Government Quality Assurance Team for 1 year to check out the equipment, followed by 2-week TAFT intervals twice annually, to participate in program management and technical reviews. Pakistan already operated earlier model M109A2 self-propelled howitzers. They used this buy to re-equip existing units, and retire older artillery pieces.