$5.9M for LAIRCM UV Testing on CH-53E Helicopters

CH-53E Super Stallion

Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems’ Defensive Systems Division in Rolling Meadows, IL received a $5.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-08-G-0012) for Group-A and Group-B testing support on the Navy CH-53E Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures Ultra Violet Engineering Change Proposal (ECP).

Readers who follow DID know that LAIRCM systems protect large aircraft against infrared-guided missiles by detecting the incoming missile, then firing pulsed lasers at its guidance head to confuse it. Using infrared and ultraviolet together in the detection process helps improve results, just as it does on the other end for missiles like the FIM-92B+ Stinger. A number of advanced aircraft defensive systems currently use this combination, and refinements are an ongoing process.

This particular ECP contract includes the development, operational and ECP validation and verification, support for personnel in the Safety of Flight Clearance process, and the installation of a Flight Instrumentation package. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, IL and is expected to be complete in May 2009. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contract.

$51.6M to Raytheon for 19+ ATFLIR pods

ATFLIR on F/A-18F

Raytheon in El Segundo, CA received a $51.6 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-06-C-0310) for 19 Full Rate Production Lot 6 Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared (ATFLIR) pods. These ATFLIR pods will equip the Government of Australia (18, confirmed for its new F/A-18F Bock IIs, $35.6 million; 69%) and also buys 1 ATFLIR pod and long lead time items for the Government of Switzerland (flies F/A-18C/D Hornets and may be connected to the Hornet 25 program, $5.4 million; 10.6%), plus Units Under Test and one Electro-Optical Sensory Unit for the U.S. Navy ($10.5 million; 20.4%).

Work will be performed in El Segundo, CA (60%) and McKinney, TX (40%), and is expected to be complete in November 2010. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD administers the contract.

These are ATFLIR’s first international orders beyond the USA. According to Raytheon’s release, the Swiss government’s order allows the nation to purchase up to 14 more pods in 2009, in order to equip its Hornet fleet.

Australia uses Northrop Grumman’s LITENING AT pods on its F/A-18A Hornets, but Raytheon’s ATFLIR is currently the only pod qualified with the Super Hornet. Faced with the choice of buying a different pod off the shelf, or paying the integration costs and having a common fleet resource, Australia apparently decided that buying of the shelf was the better decision.

$7.3M to Honeywell to Design New IMU Guidance

Honeywell’s current IMUs

Honeywell International Inc. in Minneapolis, MN received a $7.4 million cost-plus-fixed fee contract to design and develop “new performance and design parameters for Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) hardware and software of tactical grade and Deeply Integrated Guidance and Navigation Unit hardware and software.” Work will be performed in Minneapolis, MN and is expected to be complete by Sept 28/12. One bid was solicited on May 22/08 by the U.S. Army & Aviation Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-08-D-0025).

Developments in this field may appear arcane and technical, but advances in this area have widespread military and even commercial applications.

IMUs are small, puck-shaped units that play a critical role in a number of advanced guidance and navigation technologies. Honeywell developed the ring laser gyro in the 1960s and 1970s for commercial, space and military systems, and these systems are now in widespread use. As one example among many, JDAM bombs receive a lot of attention for their GPS satellite guidance, but inertial navigation (INS) that doesn’t require a satellite plays an important complementary role. The firm is also pioneering super-miniaturized inertial navigation systems using Micro ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS) technology. MEMS systems are smaller and can survive more intense shocks – like being fired from a gun. Raytheon’s M982 Excalibur GPS guided shells, for instance, depend on this complementary INS technology in order to function. See also Honeywell’s Inertial Measurement Units page.

$250M in Contracts for the USN’s Environmental Program

The USA’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic in Norfolk, VA recently awarded $250 million in cost reimbursement plus award fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts Contractors will provide architect/engineer services in support of the US Navy’s Environmental Program at US Navy and Marine Corps installations, and various Department of Defense sites.

Tetra Tech NUS, Inc. in Norfolk, VA won a $125 million award for work in the Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, and Northwest Regions – predominantly in Maine (15%), R.I. (15%), Mass. (14%), Ind. (9%), N.J. (8%), Fla. (6%), Texas (6%), S.C. (6%), Penn. (5%), N.Y. (4%), Ill. (3%), Puerto Rico and Guantanamo Bay (1.2%), Conn. (1%), Ga. (1%), La. (1%), Minn. (1%), Miss. (1%), Wash. (1%), Ala. (0.1%), Alaska (0.1%), Del. (0.1%), Idaho (0.1%), Mont. (0.1%), N.H. (0.1%), Ore. (0.1%), Vt. (0.1%), Ohio (0.5%), and also in Tenn. (0.5%), and work is expected to be complete May 2009 (May 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively negotiated via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 3 proposals received (N62470-08-D-1001).

CH2M Hill, Inc. in Virginia Beach, VA won a $125 million award for work in the Mid-Atlantic Region including Va. (30%), N.C. (25%), Md. (10%), W.Va. (5%), D.C. (5%), and some other overseas locations in Africa, Europe, Southwest, Asia, Bahrain, and Vieques (25%). Work is expected to be completed May 2009 (May 2013 with options exercised). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively negotiated via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 2 proposals received (N62470-08-D-1000).

Up to $85.4M for US Navy SATCOM Terminals

Harris Corp., Palm Bay, FL has won a $15.1 million initial order under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed price contract for “Multi-Band Shipboard Satellite Communications Systems; Force Level Variant.” Terminals delivered under this contract are most likely Harris’ AN/WSC-8V; they will allow the Program Executive Office-Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence and Space (PEO-C4I & Space) and Navy Communications Program Office (PMW-170) to provide commercial SATCOM connectivity capability to the Fleet. This contract includes 5 one-year ordering periods, and has a total estimated value of $85.4 million.

Work on the initial order will be performed in Palm Bay, FL, and is expected to be complete by January 2009. If delivery orders are placed throughout, work could continue until June 2013. This contract was competitively procured with using full and open competitive procedures via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center E-commerce website, with 5 offers received by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command in San Diego, CA activity (N00039-04-D-0004).

EADS Wins Renewed TETRA Comunications Contract in Qatar

On May 19/08, “GCC C3 Market Projected at $9b from 2008-2015” discussed the potential for Command, Control and Communications contracts in the [Arabian] Gulf Cooperation Council countries, which includes extensive border security and first responder related contracts.

As one recent example, EADS recently announced a EUR 12 million (about $25 million) contract from the Qatar Ministry of Interior to operate its secured nationwide TETRA radio network for several years. EADS has established a solid global position in this area, with a number of country-wide TETRA network implementatios under its belt. This contract covers the full range of services managed by the Network Operation Centre (NOC), which acts as the single point of operation and maintenance for the network. The NOC will include Element Management System, a Network Management System, a Trouble Ticketing System, a Configuration Management Database, and Service Management to allow reporting, monitoring and evaluation vis-a-vis the Service Level Agreements. A Web Portal will provide access to those applications and processes in a unified way via a standard web browser.

The effort falls under the EADS Secure Networks Evercor family of solutions, and is a follow-on to the 2006 contract awarded to EADS Secure Networks partner Atlas Telecom. Deployment and implementation of that TETRA network which is almost complete. As a next stage, EADS SN and its partners will set up a dedicated TETRA competence center and Center of Excellence, which will include a training centre as well as a test bed for applications and services. This will be the first TETRA center of excellence in the Middle East.

Up to $222M for C5ISR Assistance to SPAWAR Charleston

Eagan, McAllister Associates, Inc. in Lexington Park, MD received a $22.1 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity performance-based contract with hybrid pricing arrangements. The firm will work with the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in Charleston, SC to provide production engineering, integration product improvement, test and evaluation, and maintenance support as well as the capacity to modernize or introduce transformational technologies into systems and technical support services of various C5ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cryptology, Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance) programs. The results will be fielded on platforms such as: Marine Corps Up-Armored HMMWV, Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Rapid Responded Vehicle, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, other Department of Defense vehicle platforms, Navy C5ISR tactical vehicles, and Marine Corps C5ISR tactical vehicles, in addition to other tactical vehicles.

This contract includes four 1-year options and 3 award terms. If exercised, they would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $222 million. Work will be performed in Charleston, S.C., and is expected to be complete by May 2009 (May 2016 with all options and award terms exercised). The Request for Proposal was posted on the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center E-Commerce website, with 2 offers received (N65236-08-D-2837).

Australia Requests LAIRCMS for C-130J

LAIRCM Concept

On May 21/08, the US DSCA announced Australia’s formal request for AN/AAQ-24(V) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) systems to be installed on their C-130J Hercules transport aircraft. LAIRCM systems detect incoming infrared guided missiles, and use specific sets of laser pulses to divert them from their targets. The total value, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $100 million.

The request includes 12 Line Replaceable Units (LRUs): 12 Control Interface Units (CIU),12 System Processors (SP), 12 AN/AAR-54(V) Missile Warning Systems (MWS), 12 Small Laser Transmitter Assemblies (SLTA), Operational Flight Program (OFP) software, and spares (6 CIUs, 6 Sps, 7 individual MWS sensors, and 12 SLTAs). Installation support, engineering change proposals, minor modifications, support equipment, spare and repair parts, publications and technical documents, repair and return, depot maintenance, and other related elements of logistics and program support are also included.

The principal contractor will be Northrop Grumman Corporation in Rolling Meadows, IL. Implementation will require about 5 contractor representatives in Australia for 12 weeks after delivery. U.S. Government and contractor representatives will also participate in program management and technical reviews for two-week intervals annually.

Finmeccanica Signs Major American Deals

Most European defense budgets are currently stable or declining, despite an atmosphere of stepped up operations abroad. Unsurprisingly, many European defense firms are embarking on a globalization strategy in an effort to broaden their markets.

EADS’ light helicopter and aerial refueling wins recently allowed it to begin to match the transatlantic foothold of Britain’s BAE Systems. Now Italian defense conglomerate Finmeccanica has joined the mix, with a pair of deals: a $5.2 billion acquisition of DRS that shows some upside from the Euro’s problematic strength, and an agreement that deepens cooperation and joint marketing with Boeing in the aviation field.

US AFA: Threats to American Air Supremacy

The US Air Force Association recently released a video entitled “Threats to Air Supremacy,” which offers a very basic look at emerging land and air-based threats to America’s “teen series” fighters in particular. Given the importance of air supremacy to American military doctrine, this is an issue that can be expected to become more prominent in coming years. As such, we present a Flash-based version below, without commentary, as a service to our readers.

The video can also be viewed using Windows Media Player: [High-res | Low-res]