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US Army Awards MATBOCK, LLC of Virginia Beach, VA, $6.9M pOTA to Develop a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Hybrid Electric Vehicle (JLTV HEV)

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022

Virginia Beach, VA: MATBOCK is an industry leader in bringing paradigm shifting technologies to the market and is excited to announce this partnership with the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to develop a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Hybrid Electric Vehicle (JLTV HEV) prototype that will utilize a M1278A1 Heavy Gun Carrier JLTV as the base platform.

In March 2022, the RCCTO awarded MATBOCK a $6.9M, including options, pOTA (Prototype Other Transaction Authority) to develop and deliver a JLTV HEV. The primary purpose of this project is to validate or negate the feasibility of prototyping a tactical Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV). The goals of the project are to increase the overall automotive performance and operational range, increase the availability of on-board and off platform power, and increase the vehicle’s overall operational effectiveness by adding additional capabilities.

In addition to being able to generate additional power, the JLTV HEV will have a new capability over the non-hybrid JLTV variants by being able to operate in a ‘silent mobility mode’ that only utilizes the battery pack, increasing the silent watch capability over the non-hybrid JLTV variant.

MATBOCK has set up a new 4,000 sq-ft space directly attached to their existing space dedicated to military hybrid-electric vehicle efforts to include the JLTV HEV. MATBOCK has nearly 30 people dedicated to making this project successful. At the helm from the MATBOCK side is Mike Pilotte. Mike is an Armor Officer in the North Carolina National Guard and an experienced Project Manager having most recently completed a successful Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II with the Special Operations Command (SOCOM).

MATBOCK will be pushing past current limits of battery and automotive technology integration and engineering results with these performance enhancements, but MATBOCK is known for tackling tough challenges like this. “Without a doubt this will be the most complex project MATBOCK has faced in our 12 years in business, but we have the right team and core technologies to produce a successful outcome.” said MATBOCK’s Co-Founder & President Zach Steinbock.

To learn more about MATBOCK and our extensive product line, check out matbock.com or email us at admin@matbock.com

Posted in Contracts, Mobility, Power, Press Release, SOF | Comments Off on US Army Awards MATBOCK, LLC of Virginia Beach, VA, $6.9M pOTA to Develop a Joint Light Tactical Vehicle Hybrid Electric Vehicle (JLTV HEV)

USSOCOM Selects L3 Communications Integrated Systems AT-802U Sky Warden for Armed Overwatch Aircraft

Tuesday, August 2nd, 2022

USSOCOM has made a decision for it’s Armed Overwatch program which will add 75 aircraft to provide dedicated Close Air Support, precision strike, and airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) from austere locations in a permissive environment.

It’s the Sky Warden from the L3 / Air Tractor team.

DoD made this announcement on 1 August:

L3 Communications Integrated Systems, Greenville, Texas, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8637-22-D-B001) in the amount of $3,000,000,000 (maximum ceiling value) in support of Armed Overwatch. Research, development, test, and evaluation; and procurement funds in the amount of $170,000,000 were obligated at time of the award. Armed Overwatch will provide Special Operations Forces deployable, affordable, and sustainable crewed aircraft systems fulfilling close air support, precision strike, and armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, requirements in austere and permissive environments for use in irregular warfare operations in support of the National Defense Strategy. The contract will be a mixture of firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time and materials, and cost reimbursement no-fee for the procurement of up to 75 aircraft, training systems, mission planning systems, support equipment, spares, and logistics support, with a period of performance from July 2022 to July 2029, including all options. The majority of the work will be done in Greenville, Texas. This action is a follow-on production contract in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 4022(f) authorized or required by statute. U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 31, 2022)

Here is the L3 Harris Press Release:

L3HARRIS AND AIR TRACTOR SKY WARDEN TEAM SELECTED FOR USSOCOM ARMED OVERWATCH CONTRACT

Highlights:

• Sky Warden™ system to expand SOCOM’s irregular warfare capabilities

• SOCOM weapon system testing begins in 2022

• Six new aircraft will be delivered under the low-rate initial production Lot 1

MELBOURNE, Fla. — U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) has selected L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) and Air Tractor, Inc.’s AT-802U Sky Warden™ system for its Armed Overwatch program. Award of the Indefinite Quantity, Indefinite Delivery contract includes a cost ceiling of $3 billion. The program includes delivery of up to 75 manned, fixed wing aircraft, with an initial program contract award of $170 million.

The fleet of modern multi-mission aircraft will address SOCOM’s need for a deployable, sustainable single-engine fixed-wing, crewed and affordable aircraft system. It will provide close air support, precision strike, armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), strike coordination and forward air controller requirements for use in austere and permissive environments. The aircraft will be used in irregular warfare operations.

“An important part of our Trusted Disruptor strategy is listening closely to combatant commanders’ needs, and responding faster than the evolving threats,” said Christopher E. Kubasik, Chair and Chief Executive Officer, L3Harris. “We want to deliver game-changing, modular solutions to U.S. special operators for their hardest missions, and Sky Warden does just that.”

L3Harris expects to rapidly modify last summer’s Armed Overwatch prototype demonstrator into the production configuration and provide for customer weapon system testing in approximately six months. Production of new, fully-modified, Armed Overwatch mission-configured aircraft will begin in 2023 at L3Harris’ Tulsa, Okla. modification center, following initial production at Air Tractor’s Olney, Texas aircraft manufacturing facility. Six new aircraft will be delivered under the low-rate initial production Lot 1.

“Sky Warden will bring powerful and affordable close air support, precision strike, armed ISR, and command and control capabilities directly to special operations forces in the battlefield,” said Sean Stackley, President, Integrated Mission Systems, L3Harris. “We are ready now to begin work on this modern, multi-mission system for the SOCOM Armed Overwatch program.”

The production-ready Sky Warden system is tailorable for a variety of mission requirements to meet U.S. mission needs.

“The Sky Warden design reflects our commitment to America’s national security and the AT-802U will be equipped with everything we’ve learned manufacturing aircraft over the past 46 years,” said Jim Hirsch, President, Air Tractor, Inc. “The L3Harris team is an excellent partner, and our production and engineering staff are ready to immediately deliver this world-class product to our nation’s special forces.”

Learn more about Sky Warden at www.L3Harris.com/SkyWarden.

Posted in Air Force, Aviation, Contracts, ISR, SOF | 21 Comments »

Steadicopter Reports Winning Yet Another Significant Tender With Its Black Eagle Electric systems, For The Israeli Navy

Monday, August 1st, 2022

The Black Eagle Electric are the first unmanned helicopters to be powered by an electric motor and have a MTOW of up to 50 kg, adapted for use in advanced maritime missions, and many other applications.

27 July, 2022. Steadicopter – a leader in the Rotary Unmanned Aerial Systems (RUAS) industry – announces another win in a significant tender, this time for the Israeli Navy, for its Black Eagle Electric systems. The Black Eagle Electric family is the first family of unmanned helicopters that are powered by an electric motor, are capable of carrying several payloads and sensors, and can be adapted to diverse applications, including complex maritime missions. Just recently, the company announced the signing of a contract to supply the systems to another Naval customer.

The Black Eagle 5O Electric helicopter has a maximum take-off weight of 50 kg, a useful load weight of 30 kg – including payload and batteries, and a flight time of two hours. These capabilities enable high performance as well as maximum operational flexibility for military applications such as intelligence, coastal security, search & rescue, and advanced maritime missions.

The electrically-powered engine significantly reduces the weight of the platform, thereby enabling the installation of additional payloads that are required for a variety of missions. Weighing just 20kg as a platform, the helicopter can carry additional batteries for longer flights, heavier mission payloads, and more. As such, the system enables the widest variety of missions, including covert operations.

The dual-electric propulsion helicopter is economical, simple to operate, easy to maintain, and needs no fuel storage, making it environmentally friendly and safe. It is based on the proven capabilities of the gasoline-powered Black Eagle, including vertical take-off and land, long hover durations, and advanced mission sensors for any mission scenario, whether day or night. In addition, like other Steadicopter platforms, it is adapted to high-altitude flights.

“In the past year, we have expanded the Black Eagle family with the addition of a hybrid and electric system of up to 50kg,” says Noam Lidor, VP Sales, Marketing & Business Development at Steadicopter. “We are proud that just one year after the launch, we have already announced the winning of several significant contracts, for both systems, the latest of which is for the Israeli Navy – considered one of the most advanced forces in the world. There is a growing global need for unmanned systems with vertical landing and takeoff capabilities. The Black Eagle family meets this need with a unique low-weight technology, which enables it to carry several payloads, for flexibility and mission success. We expect that the company will be reporting further deals in the near future.”

www.steadicopter.com

Posted in Contracts, International, Navy, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on Steadicopter Reports Winning Yet Another Significant Tender With Its Black Eagle Electric systems, For The Israeli Navy

USSOCOM Science and Technology Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 22.4

Monday, August 1st, 2022

The USSOCOM Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and the Small
Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs will soon be accepting submissions for the technology areas of interest below.

Special Areas of Interest

DIRECT TO PHASE II:

SOCOM224-D001: Track Correlation/Data Deduplication for SOF Mission Command
SOCOM224-D002: Natural Language Processing for Special Operations Forces
SOCOM224-D003: Low/No Code Data Manipulation and Discovery for Special Operations Forces
SOCOM224-D004: Human Machine Teaming for Reduction of Operator Cognitive Load

Questions? Visit SOFWERX.

Submit by 23 August 2022.

Posted in Comms, Contracts, SOF | Comments Off on USSOCOM Science and Technology Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) 22.4

GM Defense to Provide Battery Electric Vehicle to U.S. Army for Analysis and Demonstration

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

WASHINGTON, D.C. — GM Defense, a subsidiary of General Motors, was selected by the U.S. Army to provide a battery electric vehicle for analysis and demonstration. GM Defense will leverage the GMC HUMMER EV, featuring GM’s Ultium Platform, to meet the U.S. Army’s requirement for a light to heavy duty battery electric vehicle to support reduced reliance on fossil fuels both in the operational and garrison environments.

“This award showcases GM Defense’s ability to leverage the best battery electric technology in the commercial marketplace,” said Steve duMont, president of GM Defense. “With access to GM’s advanced technologies, GM Defense is able to provide proven commercial technologies adapted to meet specific defense requirements and the needs of our customers.”

The GMC HUMMER EV Pickup is the world’s first and only all-electric supertruck that features a 24-module, double-stacked Ultium battery pack and zero-tailpipe emissions. The vehicle features 1,000 horsepower, 11,500 lb-ft of wheel torque and is capable of full 350 kilowatt/800-volt DC fast charging, enabling up to nearly 100 miles in 12 minutes. The GMC HUMMER EV Pickup offers 329 miles of combined driving range for Edition 1, with 0-60 mph acceleration times as quick as 3 seconds.

“Leveraging GM’s advanced technology, this demonstration will prove to our U.S. Army customer what an all-electric supertruck can do and how the underlying technology can be leveraged for future defense needs, whether on an installation or in a tactical environment,” continued duMont.

GM Defense is leveraging GM’s $35 billion investment in electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle technology to help lead global defense and government customers’ transition to a more electric, connected and autonomous future.

www.gmdefensellc.com

Posted in Armor, Contracts, Mobility, Power, Press Release | 1 Comment »

Further Successes for 40mm Ammunition from Rheinmetall: Supply orders from Asia for Rheinmetall Denel Munition – Expansion of the Customer Base

Tuesday, July 12th, 2022

Rheinmetall has scored further contract successes in the field of 40mm ammunition. The South African subsidiary Rheinmetall Denel Munition has been awarded contracts for the supply of 40mm ammunition by two customers in Asia. In one case, this is a new customer who has ordered 400,000 40mm low-velocity grenades. These are to be delivered by December 2022. In the other case, an existing customer ordered 100,000 rounds of medium velocity grenades. These are to be delivered between December 2022 and February 2023. In total, the order is worth about 25 million euros.
“With these two contracts, we are expanding our customer base in Asia,” says Jan-Patrick Helmsen, CEO Rheinmetall Denel Munition. Negotiations are already underway to increase the quantities.

Rheinmetall Denel Munition offers a comprehensive range of high-quality 40mm ammunition, including. 40x46mm Low Velocity (LV), 40x53mm High Velocity (HV) and 40x51mm Medium Velocity (MV).

The 40mm MV ammunition has a range of up to 800 metres – 200 metres more than comparable products on the market. The 40mm LV ammunition has a range of up to 400 metres. Both types of ammunition use a High Explosive Dual Purpose projectile. This combines fragmentation and shaped charge, which has a high penetrating power. It can be used against bunkers and armoured targets and can penetrate 50 mm rolled homogenous armour (RHA).

The ammunition is manufactured in accordance with international standards and is suitable for use with suitably qualified grenade launchers of the latest generation.

Posted in Advertiser, Ammo, Contracts, International, Press Release | 1 Comment »

Schiebel Camcopter S-100 Delivers Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness For The Icelandic Coast Guard

Friday, July 8th, 2022

Vienna, 7 July 2022 – Schiebel’s CAMCOPTER® S-100 is supporting the Icelandic Coast Guard both day and night delivering enhanced maritime situational awareness for an array of operational tasks, through a contract with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).

Currently deployed from the patrol vessel ICGV Thor and from ICGV Freyja, the Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) is operated by Schiebel. The CAMCOPTER® S-100 gives the Icelandic Coast Guard the possibility of gaining better coverage of its large Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The main task is being able to identify vessels and activities of interest at a much greater range than normal, thereby substantially extending the ship’s situational awareness. The activities include fisheries inspection and control, maritime safety, ship and port security, environmental protection and response, as well as supporting Search and Rescue (SAR) when needed.

The S-100 executes these various tasks equipped with a Trakka TC-300 (and in future with an MX-10 Gen-4) Electro-Optical / Infra-Red (EO/IR) camera gimbal, an Overwatch Imaging PT-8 Oceanwatch wide area camera, a Becker Avionics BD406 Emergency Beacon Locator and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver.

Hans Georg Schiebel, Chairman of the Schiebel Group, said: “This operation is delivered as part of our ongoing service contracts with EMSA. It is great to witness that ever more European maritime authorities are making use of the exceptional capabilities of the S-100. Especially in the maritime domain, the CAMCOPTER® S-100 is demonstrating its solid level of performance and experience.”

Posted in Contracts, International, Maritime, Press Release, UAS | Comments Off on Schiebel Camcopter S-100 Delivers Enhanced Maritime Situational Awareness For The Icelandic Coast Guard

Army Publishes Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Request for Proposal (RFP)

Wednesday, July 6th, 2022

The Army’s search for a Bradley Fighting Vehicle replacement took another step forward last week when they released a request for proposals to industry for Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) Phase 3 and 4 Detailed Design, Prototype Build and Test Effort.

The last phase saw five companies involved: American Rheinmetall Vehicles, BAE Systems Land and Armaments, General Dynamics Land Systems, Oshkosh Defense, and Point Blank Enterprises. As a full and open competition, this latest round opens the program to additional comers, including foreign companies.

American Rheinmetall Vehicles Lynx

No matter how many end up bidding, only three will be down-selected for phases three and four which will take place this fall. Those companies will build a minimum of seven prototype vehicles with up to four additional prototypes and well as two ballistic hulls, turrets, and armor coupons. A phase 3 and 4 contract is worth up to $903 Million.

Like the Bradley, OMFV must carry six dismounts, with a crew of two. Reportedly, the Army envisions six OMFVs per platoon, to carry a minimum of 30 soldiers total with room for enablers in addition to close combat forces within the Armored Brigade Combat Team.

While the system must be capable of optional manning, via remote control, the Army foresees that eventually, it will be capable of autonomous movement. There are currently plans to hand off autonomous target engagement to machines although ISR and target engagement sensors are already being used to look for situations of interest to alert the human-in-the-loop.

While Infantry and Armor NCOs may currently earn an Additional Skill Identifier for operations of ground robots, the service is considering development of a non-accessions MOS of 19R for CMF 11 and 19 NCOs in grades SGT – SFC to operate the suite of remotely operated capabilities currently under development.

Posted in Army, Contracts, Mobility | 1 Comment »