Rapid Fire 2011-06-10: AFTAC ESAS Support

• A new Electronics.Ca Publications report predicts that the global machine vision and vision guided robotics market will be worth $15.3 billion by 2015. The Asia Pacific region is expected to continue its dominance over this time period.

• MDA, Ltd. and IAI’s Stark Aerospace announce the availability of Persist-INT, a turnkey unmanned airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) service, for NATO ISAF forces in Afghanistan. MDA already operates Heron UAVs for Canada and Australia in theater.

• The French government and Thales agree to pay EUR 630 million in compensation for bribes related to a contract to supply 6 frigates to Taiwan.

• Oshkosh Defense is to deliver more than 730 trucks for the U.S. Army’s Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles (FHTV), including new and recapitalized Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Truck (HEMTT) A4s and new Heavy Equipment Transporter (HET) A1s, following orders from TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC).

• QinetiQ North America wins a $36.5 million Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide scientific, engineering and analytical services to the Air Force Technical Application Center‘s (AFTAC) Expert Scientific & Analytical Support (ESAS) program at Patrick AFB, FL. The ESAS contract will support AFTAC’s provision of advanced proliferation monitoring technologies and nuclear treaty compliance monitoring.

• DCS Corporation receives a contract award for Missile Defense Agency Engineering and Support Service (MiDAESS). The company will provide advisory and assistance services to the MDA’s Directorates of Engineering, Test, Advanced Technology, and Information Management and Technology Operations.

• Flight International reports that Elbit Systems is in talks with Honeywell and Rockwell Collins regarding cooperation on next-generation avionics for fighter, transport and rotorcraft platforms. Elbit is currently seeking investors for the development of its CockpitNG system unveiled at last year’s Farnborough Air Show.

• Poland issues a request for proposals to the manufacturers interested in competing for its 16 aircraft lead-in fighter trainer contract. The firms have until July 29th to submit their final offers, with Warsaw expected to sign off on the deal by late 2011 or early 2012.

• The Danish Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organisation reports that Denmark’s forces operating in Libya are running out of bombs for their F-16 fighters. The Netherlands have been asked to replenish Danish stocks.

• The internet continues to provide plenty of speculation regarding recently released pictures of China’s supposedly new fifth-generation fighter. One blog adds to the JH-7B debate by overlaying pictures of the aircraft.