Contracts for May 14, 2021

On the same subject

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  July 15, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Orolia to contribute timing system to missile defense radar

  Nathan Strout Raytheon has selected Orolia to provide a critical time and frequency system to the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense Sensor the company is building for the U.S. Army, Orolia announced July 8. The Army awarded Raytheon $384 million in October 2019 to deliver six LTAMDS radar units. LTAMDS is expected to replace the Army's Patriot radars — a system that has been fielded since the 1980s and is also built by Raytheon — operating on the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense network. While approximately the same size as its predecessor, the LTAMDS has more than twice the power and will be able to detect threats coming in from a full 360 degrees. The new radars are expected to reach initial operational capacity in fiscal 2022. Raytheon has now tapped Orolia to contribute a rugged time and frequency system. In a press release, Orolia claims it was chosen due to the low size, weight and power constraints of its system and its past work with Raytheon. The company's SecureSync position, navigation and timing solution was the first time and frequency reference system approved by the Defense Information Systems Agency for network interoperability. “Ultra-precise mission timing and sync technology are fundamental building blocks for the resilient PNT systems that war fighters rely on for continuous operations in contested environments,” said Orolia Defense and Security President Hironori Sasaki. “We are proud to be a Raytheon Missiles & Defense partner on LTAMDS and other programs that utilize GPS signals for timing, frequency and network synchronization across critical military systems.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/07/14/orolia-to-contribute-timing-sysstem-to-missile-defense-radar/

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  September 16, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  DSEI : Poland cleared to buy F-35 fleet

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has OK'd Poland to buy the F-35, America's most advanced fighter, setting up the country as the newest customer for the fifth-generation jet. The proposed order covers 32 of the conventional-takeoff-and-landing F-35A variants, with an estimated price tag of $6.5 billion, according to a Wednesday announcement on the website of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. As with all DSCA notifications, quantities and dollar figures can change during negotiations. While Congress can still act to block the sale, it's expected to run smoothly through Capitol Hill. “This proposed sale of F-35s will provide Poland with a credible defense capability to deter aggression in the region and ensure interoperability with U.S. forces,” the DSCA announcement reads. “The proposed sale will augment Poland's operational aircraft inventory and enhance its air-to-air and air-to-ground self-defense capability.” Poland formally sent its request for the F-35 in May with the goal of replacing its legacy MiG-29 and Su-22 fleets. Procuring the F-35 is part of a broader defense modernization effort from Warsaw, which will see the country spend $47 billion by 2026 on new equipment. Along with the fighters, the proposed package includes 33 F135 engines, electronic warfare and C4 systems, access to the fighter's Autonomic Logistics Information System, a full mission trainer, and other support capabilities. Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the plane, and Pratt & Whitney is the engine manufacturer. The deal will include some form of industrial offset, to be negotiated between the companies and Warsaw at a later date. Lockheed executives said Poland will get planes with the Block 4 package installed. Greg Ulmer, Lockheed's vice president and general manager for the program, has expressed an interest in having Poland take part in the industrial base for the planes. “Once Polish companies are approved as our supplier partners, they could make parts not only for the Polish aircraft but also for those supplied to other countries, such as the U.S. or Japan,” Ulmer said. However, Poland shouldn't get its hopes up about becoming a full-on partner with the F-35 Joint Strike Figher program, as the Pentagon has been adamant that the broad industrial participation program is locked in place. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/09/11/poland-cleared-to-buy-f-35-fleet

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  October 10, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Israel’s Elbit sells over 1,000 mini-drones to Southeast Asian country

  By: Seth J. Frantzman JERUSALEM — Elbit Systems is providing more than 1,000 of its THOR drones and other UAVs to a Southeast Asian country under a $153 million deal, the Israeli company announced Oct. 6. This is the latest UAV-related deal for an Israeli firm after Cyprus announced it will buy $13 million in drones from Aeronautics Limited on Oct. 3. The THOR is a multi-rotor vertical-takeoff-and-landing mini-drone. Elbit will supply a variety of drones over the next two years — including the THOR, Skylark LEX, Skylark 3 and Hermes 450 tactical UAS — as well as ground control stations. “This contract award underlines our competitive edge as armies increasingly view multi-layered UAS solutions as key to providing superior intelligence and maintaining a high level of operational flexibility,” said the president of Elbit, Bezhalel Machil. The Israel Defense Forces uses an array of UAVs, including very small ones, as it faces threats on its northern border with Lebanon and clashes with adversaries along the Gaza border. While 1,000-plus drones may seem like a lot, the U.S., Australian and Israeli militaries have each used large numbers of similar DJI Mavic-style drones for years. The THOR offers a real-time data link and a 360-degree view in all weather and terrain conditions, according to Elbit. “THOR is suitable for operation in urban areas with non-line of sight communications, as well as in marine zones,” the company said. It can fly up to 2,000 feet and has a a range of 10 kilometers. It can carry a payload of 3 kilograms for about an hour and 15 minutes. The drone was designed for surveillance and reconnaissance missions, specifically for monitoring houses, roads or other areas where lightweight versatility would be beneficial. Along with the Skylark and Hermes product line, Elbit has been highlighting it at DSEI and Milipol Paris as an effective low acoustic signature solution. Israel is a pioneer in UAV production, once exporting about $500 million worth of drones a year, but it is facing competition, particularly from Chinese exports, that reduced that figure to $100-200 million, depending on the year. But Asian markets are proving fruitful for Israeli companies, particularly India. The Philippines was reportedly nearing a $180 million deal with Elbit this summer that included Skylark and Hermes 450 drones. The country had acquired 13 Hermes UAVs in 2018. The government there has been trying to upgrade its UAVs for years, increasingly so following its fight against the Islamic State group in Marawi, which illustrated the need for small tactical VTOL drones, such as the THOR. Media reports said that under the 2018 deal, some of the UAVs might be produced at the joint venture Adani Elbit UAV complex in Hyderbad, India. Elbit would not reveal the country involved in the latest THOR sale, and a query to the Philippines Embassy in Tel Aviv went unanswered. https://www.defensenews.com/unmanned/2019/10/09/israels-elbit-sells-over-1000-mini-drones-to-southeast-asian-country