Rapid Fire 2010-02-17: Super Tucanos for Lebanon?

• US SPAWAR awards up to $3.2 billion in contracts for DoD C2 software support.

• Back from driving LeMans, Lord Drayson picks up his British military reform agenda.

• EADS gets new offer from 7 member governments to save the A400M military transport plane program.

• US knows it wants a front-line LEMV surveillance blimp – but how to field one? RFP is now out.

• Russia’s 5th generation PAK-FA fighter makes its 2nd flight. And just how good could it be?

• Iran crushes popular protests using high-tech Chinese riot vehicles.

• US may help Lebanon field AT-6B Texan or EMB-314 Super Tucano counter-insurgency aircraft by 2013.

• P-8A Poseidon aircraft passes armed ground vibration tests.

• Fincantieri’s new US subsidiary hires former head of Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems & Sensors.

• AeroVironment stock selloff: an overreaction?

• India to spend billions of dollars to upgrade military equipment.

• Tata Motors plans to bid on $75.8 million Indian Army light truck contract.

• US Army confronts challenge of aging helicopter fleet.

• Alion gets $71.8 million Seaport-E task order to support US Navy’s PEO Ships.

• Up to $46 million to URS for aircraft maintenance at Robins AFB.

• China to allow nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Nimitz [CVN 68] to make a port call in Hong Kong, despite decision to suspend military exchanges with the US over Taiwan arms sales.

• Top Taliban military commander captured in Pakistan, says top US official.

Up to $3.2B to 5 Contractors for US DoD C2 Software Support

The Space and Naval Warfare System Command (SPAWAR) in San Diego, CA awarded 5 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts to provide US Department of Defense command and control (C2) software development, as well as modification and enhancement of existing C2 systems.

The contractors will provide the following services under the contracts: software design, development, and modification; software integration at the unit- and system-level; related test and evaluation support; software systems engineering support; and support functions including integrated logistics support, configuration and program management support.

The winners of the 5 contracts are:

US Navy Awards $92.5M in Net-Centric Ops Support Contracts

Net-centric ops diagram

The US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) awarded $92.5 million in contracts to support net-centric operations, information management, and decision support operations of the US military services. The contracts focus on the command and control (C2) interfaces between the services and civil agencies and nongovernmental organizations.

The contractors will provide C2 technologies and capabilities in the areas of research, systems engineering, architecture, design, development, integration, test, experimentation and implementation.

The 5 contractors, who will compete for task orders, and their contract values are:

Alion Gets $71.8M Order to Support US Navy’s PEO Ships

The US Navy’s Program Executive Office, Ships (PEO Ships) manages the design and construction of 11 major ship classes and a range of small boats and craft. Since its creation in November 2002, PEO Ships has delivered 35 major warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 20 US shipyards and boat builders.

The PEO Ships Acquisition Management (AM) Directorate is responsible for the acquisition of government-furnished equipment (GFE) and government-furnished information (GFI) systems for ship classes. Recently, Alion Science and Technology received a 5-year, $71.8 million task order under the $5.3 billion Seaport-E contract vehicle to provide acquisition management support to the PEO Ships AM Directorate…

Up to $46M to URS for Aircraft Maintenance Support at Robins AFB

Looking for cracks

URS Corp. in San Francisco, CA received a task order from the US Air Force Materiel Command to provide aircraft maintenance support to the 402nd Aircraft Maintenance Group at Robins Air Force Base (AFB) in Georgia.

The 402nd Maintenance Wing provides depot maintenance, engineering support and software development to F-15 fighters; C-5, C-130, and C-17 transport aircraft; and Special Operations Forces aircraft.

The 2-year task order, which was awarded under the $10.2 billion Contract Field Team (CFT) indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract vehicle, has a maximum value of $46 million to URS…

Rapid Fire 2010-02-16: Naval Data Usage

• 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.

Up to $387M to GDIT to Support US Army’s Constructive Training Systems

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General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT), a Fairfax, VA-based unit of General Dynamics, received a contract for Constructive Training Systems (CTS) support by the US Army’s Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation (PEO STRI).

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…

Pakistan Receives 115 M109A5 Self-Propelled Howitzers

M109 Howitzer

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.

Rapid Fire 2010-02-12: France’s DGA 2009 Program Wrap-up

• Feb 10: RF notes Tory shadow minister’s comment that Britain must be capable of acting unilaterally. Today: read Liam Fox’s full speech to the RUSI re: Britain’s coming defense review and challenges.

• Hollywood scriptwriters are preparing scenarios for the Cyber Shockwave exercise on Feb 16/10 involving top US government officials. The event is sponsored by industry and will be covered by CNN.

• France’s DGA procurement agency offers 2009 summary [ in French], says average program delays will be slightly longer.

• VCCT simulators improve convoy training, give US and allied forces an OODA loop advantage.

• Pros and Cons of Stryker wheeled APCs in Afghanistan. The Canadians know this debate well.

• Pentagon set to create a project office to manage “non standard” helicopter buys for allies – like Mi-17s for Iraq and Afghanistan.

• First flight of revamped German CH-53GA helicopter at Donauworth.

• Northrop Grumman delivers 1st AN/ZPY-1 STARlite radars for the Army’s Warrior ER/MP UAS under a $78.5 million contract.

• Northrop Grumman clarifies its SPQ-9B radar contract.

• General Dynamics awards an $18 million contract to Northrop Grumman to produce LRS-2000 rate sensor assemblies for US Army’s M1A1 Abrams tank.

• SAIC to develop integrated crew member simulators for the CH-47 Chinook and UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters under the US Army’s $17.5 billion STOC II contract vehicle.

• Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne hot-fire tests RS-68A upgraded engine for Delta IV rocket.

• VTOL UAV funding from… the State of Maryland.

• Iranian president warns Israel against pre-emptive attack.

• Japan and South Korea are demanding that North Korea return to talks to end its nuclear weapons program.

• Ike’s copy of Germany’s WW II surrender document up for sale – just $2.95 million.

Bangladesh Looks to Order Fighters, MPAs in 2010

BAF F-7MB
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Flight International reports that Bangladeshi planning minister A.K. Khandker has informed Parliament that the government intends to buy “a squadron” of fighters and 2 maritime patrol aircraft, as part of its 2010 procurement plans. This would be a significant commitment for Bangladesh, whose 2008-2009 defense budget came in at around $1 billion.

Types of aircraft sought were not specified, but dedicated maritime patrol aircraft of any kind would add a new level of capability to the force. The air force’s active fighter roster currently includes Russian MiG-29s (16), and Chinese aircraft: F-7 variants of the MiG-21 (40, but declining), and A-5 attack aircraft (18).

Bangladesh’s most significant neighbor is India, which encompasses the country’s entire border. Relations had become strained over the number of Naxalite Marxist and Islamist groups using Bangladesh as a waypoint and/or base, but a recent diplomatic thaw and set of agreements have improved the relationship.