Americas
Delphinus,* Newton Square and Oceaneering are being awarded an &86 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the repair of valves and actuators within the corporate component repair program for Virginia-class and Los Angeles-class submarines. Each contract contains a provision for three option years. Work will be completed by August 2027. All work will be performed in various contractor facilities identified at task order level that cannot be determined at this time. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $1,500 will be obligated to fund the contracts’ minimum amount, and funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. These contracts were procured through full and open competition with five offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.
Mack Defense has secured a contract to produce up to 450 M917A3 Heavy Dump Trucks (HDTs) for the US Army. Costing up to $221.8 million, the deal will support the integration of new workhorse vehicles for the service’s active force, reserve force, and national guard operations. Manufacturing will take place at Mack’s Experience Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, a facility dedicated to HDT production since 2021 following a $6.5 million expansion, alongside its older Lehigh Valley plant in Macungie, Pennsylvania.
Middle East & Africa
The Council of Europe urged its member states on Tuesday to halt deliveries of weapons to Israel if they could be used for human rights violations. Michael O’Flaherty, the Council’s commissioner for human rights, said member states should do “their utmost to prevent and address violations of international human rights” in the conflict. “This includes applying existing legal standards to ensure that arms transfers are not authorised where there is a risk that they may be used to commit human rights violations,” he said in a statement.
Europe
The UK is pushing the boundaries of defense innovation by integrating AI with next-generation asset management technologies. BAE Systems has partnered with Oxford Dynamics, a UK-based AI and robotics startup, to accelerate the development of cutting-edge tools for defense applications.
Asia-Pacific
Rohde & Schwarz Australia has contracted UK-based STS Defence to supply a pair of configurable communication masts for each of the first three Royal Australian Navy Hunter-class frigates. The twin masts will be paired with NAVICS Multi-Level Security systems being supplied by Rohde & Schwarz Australia under a 2024 contract, enabling the vessels to communicate effectively across multiple frequency bands.