Rheinmetall Wins A400M Cargo Hold System

A400M Cargo System

Rheinmetall Group subsidiary Rheinmetall Defence Electronics GmbH (RDE) of Bremen, Germany has been awarded a subcontract to supply the complete Loadmaster Control System for the new EADS Airbus A400M military transport aircraft throughout the entire period of production. Under the currently envisaged order volume of 180 planes, the value of the order comes to approximately EUR 72 million in 2005. RDE expects the total value of this project – which is set to run 20-25 years – to be in the region of EUR 200 million.

Modern transport aircraft require a cargo hold system that is easy to operate, and completely reliable both electrically and electronically.

Less Ambitious Goals Ahead for JTRS?

The August 2005 issue of National Defense Magazine reports that the Pentagon’s $20 billion JTRS program to develop a family of digital combat radios is expected to see substantial changes in scope and technical requirements. The focus of the program would reportedly shift from replacing current radios to developing advanced networking technology that could be applied to existing devices.

JTRS, conceived in the late 1990s, was intended to eventually supplant more than 750,000 radios in the current US military inventory. Unlike conventional radios, JTRS devices are programmable and designed to operate a variety of radio “waveforms.” Key struggles for the program have included…

MD Helicopter Recapitalizes, Prepares for LUH Competition

MD 500 Defender

Light helicopter manufacturer MD Helicopters, Inc. in Mesa, AZ, completed a significant restructuring transaction this month. As part of the transaction, Patriarch Partners, LLC, a New York based financial firm with approximately $4.5 billion under management, acquired a controlling interest.

The restructuring ensures that MDHI is designed to provide adequate working capital to continue production of existing product lines, aggressively improve customer support and fulfill existing orders. Following the recapitalization, MDHI is an independent Arizona-based company. As part of the recapitalization…

$157.4M to Alaskan Contractors for Work in KS, NC

Two US Army Engineer districts in Kansas and North Carolina have issued a total of $157.4M in construction contracts to Alutiiq LLC and its subsidiaries. Alutiiq, LLC is a subsidiary of Afognak Native Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation formed under the Alaskan Native Claims Settlement Act.

$5.5M Contract for M1 Abrams Improvements Brings Total to $685M

M1 Abrams

The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI a $5.5 million modification to an existing contract for M1 Abrams tank systems technical support (STS). Work will be performed in Kuwait by existing General Dynamics employees and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2006. This modification is part of a contract initially awarded in November 2001 and brings the cumulative value to $685 million.

STS funds engineering studies and investigations on Abrams tanks with the purpose of identifying improvements and changing obsolete parts, while keeping Abrams tanks current to their base configuration. The STS program’s objective is to maintain Abrams tanks at high operational readiness.

$12.3M for GIG Optical Network Architecture R&D

Opticomp Corp. in Zephyr Cove, NV is being awarded a $12.3 cost-plus fixed-fee contract. The contractor will design and deliver an initial prototype, an advanced prototype, an experimental prototype and a production level prototype of an optical/ electronic network architecture for use by satellites and UAVs in the Global Information Grid. The program, Massively Parallel Optical Interconnects, is intended to develop ultra-wide bandwidth, multi-channeled, air and space-based communications networks on and between various platforms. Solicitation began August 2003, negotiations were completed July 2005, and work will be complete by July 2009. The Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome, NY issued the contract (FA8750-05-C-0110).

$17.4M for Stryker Brigade Logistics Support

Stryker

The U.S. Army TACOM Lifecycle Management Command awarded General Dynamics Land Systems in Sterling Heights, MI a $17.4 million contract modification for logistics support for Stryker Brigade Combat Teams. See also DID’s July 5/05 article POGO Defense Critics Get A Stryker Surprise.

Contractor logistics support includes ordering spare parts, managing a spare parts warehouse, worldwide distribution of repair parts and completing maintenance services on Stryker wheeled combat vehicles at U.S. Army garrisons and overseas bases.

$11.5M for Wood and Tools

Veteran-owned business Buie Wholesale Supply Ltd. in Boerne, TX received a maximum $11.5 million fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for lumber, plywood, millwork, wood working tools and machinery prime vendor for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Federal Civilian Agencies, and Foreign Military Sales.

DHS Hiring Acquisition Staff

Chief Acquisition Officer Greg Rothwell of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently noted that the biggest challenge for chief acquisition officers governmentwide is either rebuilding or growing their workforce. His own department is no exception.

DHS itself has 115 Tier 1 programs that cost more than $100 million each, but only 18 of those programs have certified project managers. DHS’ Office of the CIO is the procurement office’s biggest customer, he said. DHS’ fiscal 2006 budget, $13 billion is procured and $6 billion of that is IT spending. DHS is working to hire and attract a new workforce to replace a large percentage of DHS procurement employees who have been downsized or who are retiring over the next five years. Rothwell now has permission to increase the size of his office to 127 people in fiscal 2006 and 220 in fiscal 2007, he said. Building an IT acquisition center to centralize buying decisions is the second goal (of five). Further details can be found in Federal Computing Weekly (July 25/05) – Rothwell: DHS needs more acquisition staff

$53.9M from USN for 81 more Digital Modular Radios

General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, AZ received a $53.9 million firm-fixed-price contract for 81 AN/USC-61C digital modular radios (DMR), DMR 100 and 200 watt power amplifiers, and other ancillary hardware. Currently approximately 300 software-defined radios, each with four channels, have been shipped to the Navy to be installed on ships, submarines, shore sites, and test facilities. Based on DID’s research, the U.S. Navy has now spent approximately $175 million all told on DMR radios and software, including this contract.

This software-controlled and re-configurable digital radio system currently features some JTRS capabilities such as expanded frequency range, multiple software-defined waveforms, multiple independent level security, advanced software, etc. The system can be used to replace multiple existing radios with a single, easy-to-use system which communicates seamlessly with different armed services as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and NATO allies. More specifically…