November 20, 2024 | International, Land, C4ISR, Security
AV to acquire BlueHalo in $4.1bn all-stock deal
AeroVironment (AV) has entered a definitive agreement to acquire BlueHalo in an all-stock transaction valued at approximately $4.1bn.
March 1, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Bell out to win Australia’s bid for special ops helicopters
By: Mike Yeo
MELBOURNE, Australia – Bell is positioning itself for Australia's special operations helicopter requirement by showcasing its offerings and promoting local industry tie-ups at the Avalon Airshow.
Speaking to Defense News, Dan McQuestin, Bell's business development director for Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea, confirmed that the company responded to a request for information issued by the Australian Army, offering the Bell 407 or Bell 429 helicopters with local partner Hawker-Pacific.
The helicopters being offered for Australia's Land 2097 Phase 4 requirement will be commercial off the shelf, with kits developed to meet the majority of mission requirements spelled out in the RFI. These include air assault, intelligence-gathering, and troop transport. There is also a potential requirement for the helicopter to be weaponized in the future.
McQuestin said that 60 weaponized Bell 407 are already operating with a customer in the Middle East, and existing customers have expressed interest in an armed configuration of the Bell 429. The company is preparing to offer a similar weapons kit tfitted to the 407 on the 429, with two, four or six weapons stations.
McQuestin also confirmed that four Bell 407s can fit inside a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III airlifter, adhering to one of the requirements set out in the RFI. He added that testing is ongoing with the Bell 429 to assess its compatibility on the C-17 with government customers elsewhere.
The company has its Bell 407 and 429 helicopters painted in camouflage on the static display at the show currently being held at Avalon Airport outside Geelong in Victoria, Australia.
Partner Hawker Pacific in Australia submitted the response to the RFI as the prime contractor.
Trevor Thomas, government relations adviser to Hawker Pacific in Australia added that the company, which is well-established in defense and performance-based sustainment contracts in Australia, is a “natural fit” with Bell. It also has local experience with special operations equipment, and is fulfilling a sustainment contract to support the Royal Australian Air Force's fleet of 49 Pilatus PC-21 trainer aircraft.
Defense News reported last year that Land 2097 Phase 4 is seeking at least 16 helicopters to fulfil the requirement, with major delivery of equipment to be delivered in 2022 and initial operating capability to follow soon after. A request for tender is expected at the end of this year.
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October 15, 2019 | International, C4ISR
L3Harris to provide ROVER transceiver upgrade in deal worth over $90M
By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has selected L3Harris Technologies to provide ROVER 6 transceiver equipment upgrades in support of the U.S. Army's One System Remote Video Terminal program of record, meant to improve situational awareness for soldiers in the field, the company announced Monday at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference. The company did not disclose the value of the award but said it was more than $90 million. The portable ROVER systems deliver full-motion video and geospatial data from manned or unmanned aircraft to enhance reconnaissance, surveillance, target acquisition and general situational awareness on the battlefield. The move comes as the Army envisions advanced manned-unmanned teaming, or MUM-T. Within the last month, the Army acquisitions office for unmanned aerial systems awarded a contract for the Rover 6S and the Tactical Network ROVER2E, a newer version of the man-portable radio. The Army is scheduled to receive its first deliveries beginning in November 2020, the company said at the AUSA meeting in Washington. According to L3Harris, the updated systems expand frequency capability. They also reduce the equipment's size, weight and power needs, as well as add processing resources. They also include Cryptographic Core Modernization. The systems are meant to transform sensor-to-shooter networking and allow increased levels of collaboration and interoperability with virtually all large airframes, unmanned aerial vehicles and targeting pods in theater today. The upgrade included modernizing the waveform the equipment uses such that more users are able to transmit video, according to Kevin Kane, L3Harris' vice president for international business development. “Being able to share that real-time situational awareness more broadly on the battlefield is really what it's all about,” Kane said. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2019/10/15/l3harris-to-provide-rover-transceiver-upgrade-in-deal-worth-over-90-million
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June 17, 2022 | International, Land
Lessons from Ukraine could help shape Europe's new tank ' if there is one
After weeks of watching videos of burned-out Russian tanks in Ukraine, the world is once again writing an obituary for the vehicle type.