Contracts | Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

Archive for the ‘Contracts’ Category

U.S. Marine Corps Awards Production Contract to KONGSBERG for C-UAS Capability

Wednesday, October 6th, 2021

Significant Milestone for Ground Based Air Defense

JOHNSTOWN, Penn. – Oct. 5, 2021 – The U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) has awarded a production contract to Kongsberg Protech Systems USA to deliver remote weapon systems (RWS) as part of the Marine Air Defense Integrated System (MADIS) program. The indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has a ceiling of $94 million and includes a series of Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) systems and full-rate production units. This production contract award follows a Sept. 2020 contract award from the USMC to KONGSBERG for test articles and activities, which included Design Verification Testing (DVT).

The KONGSBERG RS6 RWS for MADIS leverages technology and competence drawn from multiple counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) and air defense programs. The system leverages commonality with the family of PROTECTOR RWS delivered and fielded with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps and will be integrated on the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) together with external sensors and effectors.

The first 30mm remote weapon system to be qualified on the JLTV platform, the KONGSBERG RS6 RWS for MADIS RWS includes the XM914E1 30mmx113mm DC driven cannon with a co-axial M240 (7.62mm) machine gun, an integration kit for the Stinger Air-To-Air Launcher (ATAL) and provisions for future C-UAS defeat systems.

“The MADIS program with KONGSBERGs RS6 30mm remote weapon system signifies a powerful lethality capability for the Marine Corps, initiating a new era in U.S. Marine Corps ground-based air defense operations,” said Pål E Bratlie, Executive Vice President, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

KONGSBERG is the world’s leading manufacturer of RWS, having delivered over 20,000 units to more than 20 countries worldwide. KONGSBERG is also the sole provider of RWS and remote turrets to the U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps. All RWS and remote turrets delivered to U.S. customers are manufactured in the Kongsberg Johnstown, Penn. facility and leverage our extensive American supply base. The company takes great pride in its continued support to, and for the United States, U.S. employees, and U.S. supply base.

Posted in Contracts, Press Release, UAS, USMC | Comments Off on U.S. Marine Corps Awards Production Contract to KONGSBERG for C-UAS Capability

Revision Awarded Contract to Supply Prescription Carriers to U.S. Troops

Thursday, September 30th, 2021

Essex Junction, Vermont (September 30, 2021) – Revision Military has been awarded a contract with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) to supply Universal Prescription Lens Carriers (UPLC) over the next five years. The contract, issued by DLA Troop Support, has an estimated value of up to $37.5 million, began on September 17, 2021 and is for one three-year base period and two one-year option periods. Revision has been the incumbent supplier of the UPLC to DLA since 2013, when the U.S. Army moved to a single prescription carrier solution for all Rx-capable eyewear on the Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL). The customizable UPLC allows for an individual prescription to be filled into the carrier by an optometrist, and the carrier fits securely behind the standard lens of their ballistic eyewear.

Above: Revision Prescription Carrier Solution – Universal Prescription Lens Carrier (UPLC) – provides an easy solution for vision correction in ballistic military eyewear platforms on the U.S. Army Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL). Revision was selected for a follow-on 5-year contract to deliver UPLC to Defense Logistics Agency (DLA).

“Over the past 8 years, Revision has delivered thousands of UPLCs to DLA which have been issued widely across the U.S. military branches,” said Revision CEO Amy Coyne. “Revision recognizes the unique challenges for an end-user that requires vision correction and provides a universal vision correction solution that can be used across multiple styles and brands of protective eyewear without compromising end user protection.”

Above: Revision UPLC easily integrates into StingerHawk® Spectacles by clipping into the nosepiece. The UPLC securely offers vision correction while meeting all military ballistic standards.

Above: Revision UPLC is designed to offer vision correction in most of Revision spectacles and goggle systems, as well as most eyewear solutions on the U.S. Army Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL).

Revision’s Prescription Rx Carrier accommodates single vision prescriptions up to +/-11 and fits into the Revision Sawfly® and StingerHawk® Spectacles, and Desert Locust®, SnowHawk®, and Bullet Ant® Goggles. Its secure press-fit design ensures that it is properly positioned every time and its rugged and ergonomically designed frame provides wide field-of-view and durability. Revision’s Prescription Rx Carrier meets ANSI Z87.1-2010 and MIL-PRF-32432A ballistic impact requirements and is on the U.S. Army Authorized Protective Eyewear List (APEL).

Posted in Advertiser, Contracts, Eyepro, Press Release | Comments Off on Revision Awarded Contract to Supply Prescription Carriers to U.S. Troops

Aptima Receives USSOCOM Contract for Holistic Sleep Optimization and Remediation Platform

Monday, September 27th, 2021

RESTORE aims to enhance a warfighter’s ability to achieve the restorative effects of sleep through innovative restoration technologies and personalized regimens.

July 28th, 2021—Woburn, MA— Aptima, Inc. announced today that it has received a contract valued at up to $1.29 million from the United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), to develop RESTORE: Restorative & Efficient Sleep Technologies for Optimizing Operator Resiliency and Effectiveness, a holistic sleep optimization and remediation platform.

About one-third of a human being’s life is spent sleeping, the need for sleep is an undeniable biological imperative, however, methods for reducing amounts of sleep without long-term negative effects remain elusive.

Sleep issues are prevalent across all the Services, including USSOCOM

Adults need at least six, ideally seven to nine, hours of sleep within a 24-hour period to perform at peak efficiency. Military operations, particularly in the Special Operations Forces (SOF) domain, are unpredictable and do not lend themselves to a tidy 24-hour period. Furthermore, sleep issues can persist after returning home from overseas combat or training deployments, for both SOF and non-SOF personnel.

Aptima and partners at West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, Oura Health Ltd., and Fusion Sport, will develop a holistic sleep optimization and remediation platform that will provide restorative sleep solutions throughout an operator’s entire deployment cycle, through training, recovery, and deployment. RESTORE leverages existing technologies that can optimize or remedy sleep in controlled settings, narrowed down to the three most

Data sources utilized in RESTORE’s personalized sleep recommendation system

effective and practical technologies: the enhancement of slow-wave sleep activity via auditory stimulation, photobiomodulation (PBMT) therapy, and floatation therapy. The platform packages these technologies so that they can be used when they are needed most. RESTORE employs a cyclical sense-assess-augment taxonomy for optimizing human effectiveness. The first sense component of the RESTORE platform is a measurement strategy that collects data on current sleep patterns, including objective measurement techniques such as polysomnography (PSG) for laboratory studies, wearable commercial sleep monitors for applied applications, and subjective measures such as sleep scales and other smartwatch-based survey methods.

The platform intelligently and securely fuses human state assessment data with enviornmental factors to get a complete picture of the user’s sleep and subsequently deliver tailored sleep recommendations via personalized sleep regimens and cutting-edge, empirically validated technological interventions.

Despite RESTORE being developed to address military needs, Aptima’s Business Development team sees a great deal of potential for RESTORE to address the needs of a wide array of consumers in commercial markets who are prone to sleep disruptions such as collegiate/professional athletics, business travelers, on-call physicians, parents of newborns, etc.…

This article reflects work performed on a SBIR Phase II project entitled, “RESTORE II: Restorative & Efficient Sleep Technologies for Optimizing Operator Resiliency and Effectiveness”, sponsored by the USSOCOM, Special Operations Forces Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, Science and Technology Directorate, whom the authors wish to thank.

For more information about RESTORE, please contact aptima_info@aptima.com.

Posted in Contracts, Medical, Press Release, Research, SOF | 5 Comments »

Elbit Systems of America Awarded $54 Million Order as Part of the U.S. Army’s Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular (ENVG-B) Program

Friday, September 24th, 2021

FORT WORTH, TEXAS – September 23, 2021 – Elbit Systems of America has been awarded a second production order worth approximately $54 million to supply Enhanced Night Vision Goggle – Binocular (ENVG-B) systems, spare parts, logistics support, and test equipment for the U.S. Army.

“Elbit America’s ENVG-Bs provide warfighters with unprecedented situational awareness during limited visibility conditions, increased lethality through faster target acquisition, and other game-changing advantages on the battlefield” said Raanan Horowitz, President and CEO of Elbit Systems of America.

These systems will be produced in Roanoke, Virginia, and will be supplied through February 2023.

“We are eager to support the U.S. Army’s transition to higher ENVG-B production rates, which will create additional jobs at our Roanoke facility, and throughout our extended US-based supply chain, generating a positive economic impact in the communities they reside,” Mr. Horowitz added.

This order is part of an Other Transaction Authority (“OTA”) contract announced by Elbit America on October 22, 2020, that could reach a maximum of approximately $442 million. The U.S. Army did not define an overall time frame for performance of the OTA contract.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Optics, Press Release | 1 Comment »

NP Aerospace Awarded Contract Under the UK MoD’s Vehicle Support Capital Spares Framework Agreement

Friday, September 17th, 2021

NP Aerospace confirms it has been awarded a contract under the UK MoD Vehicle Support Capital Spares Multi-Supplier Framework Agreement (VSCAPS). Further details will be announced to the market over the coming weeks.

James Kempston, CEO, NP Aerospace: “NP Aerospace has an extensive history of providing through life vehicle spares and engineering support for the UK MoD’s fleet of vehicles. Our award of the VSCAPS contract continues this legacy into the future and reinforces NP Aerospace’s long-term commitment to the UK MoD’s fleet of vehicles and personnel who depend on them.”

The multi-year contract covers the full range of British Army vehicles and cements NP Aerospace’s position as a tier one supplier.

Members of the NP Aerospace Vehicle Systems and Services Team responsible for the contract are exhibiting at the DSEI event in London this week (14-17 September, stand H4-622).

Posted in Contracts, DSEi, International, Press Release | Comments Off on NP Aerospace Awarded Contract Under the UK MoD’s Vehicle Support Capital Spares Framework Agreement

£100m Contract for High Frequency Radio Communications

Friday, September 17th, 2021

• New radio service to boost communications across multiple terrains and domains

• Investment will improve interoperability and enhance emergency communications

• Multi-million-pound contract to support 150 UK industry jobs

A £110 million contract has been awarded to deliver the new Defence Strategic Radio Service (DSRS) to critical military operations.

DSRS uses the Earth’s ionosphere, part of the upper atmosphere, to allow radio signals to be sent and received across thousands of kilometers. This allows communications to be rapidly delivered across a variety of domains to service personnel, regardless of whether they are on land, in the air or at sea.

The new communications service removes the traditional requirement for direct-line-of-sight between the transmitter and user. Members of the Armed Forces will be able to communicate more effectively and quickly in notoriously challenging terrain, such as built-up cities, mountains and jungles.

Awarded to Babcock International Group, the nine-year contract will support around 150 jobs across England, Scotland and three of the UK’s Overseas Bases.

Babcock Chief Executive David Lockwood said:

“Babcock is delighted to be awarded the new Defence Strategic Radio Service contract which builds on our extensive experience and knowledge in this field. In collaboration with both our partners and customer we will work together to deliver a secure, resilient and advanced solution that will ensure DSRS users receive assured services, in support of the critical operations they perform, that are fit for today and ready for tomorrow.

“We are proud to continue our drive to ensure that high frequency (HF) skills and capabilities are maintained in the UK, both now and into the future, through our unique HF Communications BTEC apprenticeship programme.”

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“This multi-million-pound investment in frontline radio communications will provide our Armed Forces with cutting-edge technology that allows them to connect effectively across a range of challenging environments.

“Underpinned by commitments outlined in the Defence Command Paper, industry expertise will be at the core of developing this innovative capability whilst supporting more than 150 jobs in the process.”

Outlined in the recent Defence Command Paper, the MOD is committed to ensuring that innovation and investment are at the forefront of the Armed Forces giving them a cutting-edge advantage whenever and wherever they are deployed. This is further enhanced by the £24 billion increase in Defence spending over the next four years, as announced by the Prime Minister last year.

Commander of Strategic Command General Sir Patrick Sanders said:

“It is vital we have a range of robust communications options available to us, including satellite, internet and high frequency, to offer Commanders and decision-makers in the field the information they need at the speed of relevance.

“As we see a continued rise in threats to our security in the cyber and electromagnetic domain, our network resilience is what will give us the competitive edge against our adversaries.”

The new system will also be critical for flight safety communications to all military aircraft while also supporting the ‘mayday’ fallback facility for the wider UK aviation community.

While used by the UK Armed Forces, the radio system will also support civilian tasks when required, including mountain rescue and civilian aircraft emergency communications.

DSRS works across all single Service capabilities and can be integrated with communication systems of global allies, improving the UK’s ability to command and control its forces worldwide.

www.babcockinternational.com

Posted in Comms, Contracts, International, Press Release | Comments Off on £100m Contract for High Frequency Radio Communications

The Wing Group Announces the Largest Contract Award in its 47-year History

Wednesday, September 15th, 2021

Arcata, Ca/Lafayette Ca. September 14, 2021

For Immediate Release

The Wing Group of companies have built deep, trusted relationships with elite users and consumers over a collective span of nearly 75-years. Built on a rich and authentic heritage of delivering confidence to people in the harshest operating environments in the world, the company brands have earned loyalty and recognition for designing and manufacturing innovative and high-quality product solutions.

The Company is thrilled to announce that the Department of Defense, on behalf of the United States Marine Corps, has awarded Wing Inflatables, Inc. the single largest contract in our company’s history.

“Wing Inflatables Inc., Arcata, California, is awarded a $31,921,100 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of up to a maximum of 904 Enhanced – Combat Rubber Reconnaissance Craft. Work will be performed in Arcata, California, and is expected to be complete by August 2026. “as quoted from the United States Department of Defense.

Wing inflatables has been working on an evolutionary new design based on next generation fabric for over five years. The new craft reduces operational stress by over 52% and significantly enlarges the potential mission profiles.

With this award, Wing Inflatables will need to add roughly 45 new positions in its current Arcata location.

Commenting on the award, Andrew Branagh, CEO of the Wing Group, “I don’t believe that there is a more focused center of excellence anywhere in the world for inflatable small combat rubber raiding boat design and manufacturing than has been created in Arcata California. This is a stunning achievement. With this evolutionary design, the team has changed the definition of an inflatable high-performance craft. This is an exciting time, and we are opening our doors for additional people to join the build team.”

The contract award required the first 10 boats to be delivered for first article testing in the 4th quarter of 2021.

Posted in Contracts, Maritime, Press Release | Comments Off on The Wing Group Announces the Largest Contract Award in its 47-year History

Spectra Group Receives Another SlingShot Order from Major European Customer

Monday, September 13th, 2021

Spectra Group, the specialist provider of secure voice, data and satellite communications systems, has received an order for their SlingShot satellite communications system from an undisclosed European ministry of defence. The order is for specialist use by troops currently deployed on remote operations globally. This announcement coincides with DSEI taking place in London 14-17 September where Spectra Group will be exhibiting on stand H6-107.

Spectra Group’s SlingShot system is unique in that it can be integrated with in-service UHF and VHF tactical communications radios to extend the range from 30km to 1000(+) km on the move, in all conditions. By integrating SlingShot and Inmarsat’s L-TAC satellite service with in-service radios, the deployed troops have immediately gained communications capability that would otherwise not be available. In addition to Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) voice, SlingShot includes a data capability supporting critical applications such as situational awareness tools; GPS tracking; reporting and other data messaging without the requirement for ground-based line-of-sight rebroadcasting infrastructure. Enabling an extension of the in-service radios with the robust SlingShot system also means that troops do not need to carry both VHF radios (for line-of-sight) and UHF TACSAT radios (for strategic rear link). With SlingShot, a single radio can carry-out both functions. Finally, the small omni-directional antennas utilised with SlingShot provide manpack, land, sea and air platforms, with real-time Comms on the Move (COTM) rather than Comms on the Pause, as experienced with traditional TACSAT systems.

In March 2021, the British Armed Forces announced that they had equipped regular Army units with Spectra Group’s SlingShot system, as they deploy on Operations and Exercises, to enable tactical satellite communications across the area of operations. At the time, Major General Jonathan Cole, Director of Information and CIO of the British Army, said: “SlingShot is a fantastic addition to our communications inventory, delivering vital capability to deployed troops. Of particular note is the fact that the training burden is minimal as the system is effectively a ‘bolt-on’ to our current BOWMAN radios. SlingShot is a game-changer in allowing our troops to operate at reach without the additional requirement to deploy more troops to provide rebroadcast capability when operating at Battle Group level and below. I am delighted to be working with Spectra on the fielding of such an important capability”.

Simon Davies, CEO of Spectra Group, said: “We are very pleased to receive yet another order from a European specialist user group. We have seen SlingShot become a battle-winning capability used by Special Forces across the globe, but we’re delighted to see our SlingShot system now being procured for use on operations by this new customer for the first time”. He added: “The beauty of SlingShot is that it can be “plugged into” any in-service tactical radio system. Numerous Armed Forces, including the British Army, are leading the way with this kind of approach to the integration of SlingShot but we’re now seeing other global forces, including the USA, adopt a similar strategy to meet every Beyond Line Of Sight communications scenario”.

Posted in Contracts, DSEi, International, Press Release, weapons | Comments Off on Spectra Group Receives Another SlingShot Order from Major European Customer