October 7, 2024 | International, Aerospace
December 22, 2020 | International, Land
General Dynamics to build upgraded Abrams tanks in $4.62B contract
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Dec. 21 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army will purchase the latest iteration of the M1 Abrams tank in a $4.62 billion contract with General Dynamics, the Defense Department announced.
The battle tank, regarded by many as the world's best, first entered service in 1980.
The newest version, known as the M1A2C or the M1A2 SEPV3, includes a variety of improvements, notably a gunner's sight and commander's sight for increased lethality and a 120mm cannon.
It also has an ammunition datalink to fire improved rounds, 12 batteries for longer silent watch, reinforced armor, a jammer to counter radio-activated improvised explosive devices, replaceable modules for easier maintenance and other features.
The tank "provides the lethality, survivability and fightability necessary to defeat advanced threats well into the future," an Army statement said. "The Abrams tank is the Army's primary ground combat system."
At 71.2 tons, it is regarded as the most reliable Abrams tank ever produced, and the platform for future modernizations.
The Army intends to field over 2,100 M1AC tanks through its Abrams Upgrade Program and the eight-year, single-bid contract with General Dynamics Land Systems.
The Defense Department did not disclose the number of new tanks to be delivered in its announcement, but noted a completion date of 2028.
More than 10,000 Abrams tanks have been built since 1980, and are included in the equipment of the armies of Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Morocco.
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September 22, 2020 | International, C4ISR
How Relativity Space plans to win the Pentagon’s launch contracts
Nathan Strout Relativity Space wants to be the first company to launch an entirely 3D-printed rocket into orbit and it wants the Pentagon as a customer. While the COVID-19 pandemic has thrown a wrench into plans, a growing number of companies are looking to provide small and medium launch services to the U.S. government. The establishment of the U.S. Space Force, Space Development Agency and U.S. Space Command in 2019 signaled the Pentagon's ambitious plans for launching more payloads into space, and providing a vehicle for just a portion of those launches would prove lucrative to any company. For Vice President of Business Development and Government Affairs Josh Brost, Relativity Space stands out from the competition, bringing disruptive 3D printing technology to bear on the small launch sector. Prior to joining Relativity, he worked at SpaceX for nine years, where he was responsible for the company's government sales. Even as the company works toward the launch of its first Terran One rocket in fall 2021, Relativity has worked to secure contracts in the commercial world. In June, the company announced it had secured a deal with Iridium Communications for six dedicated launches to low Earth orbit, with the first launch taking place no earlier than 2023. That same month, Relativity also announced a Right of Entry Agreement with the 30th Space Wing for development of rocket launch facilities at Vandenberg Air Force Base. Recently, Brost and Relativity Space co-founder and CEO Tim Ellis spoke with C4ISRNET about how the company plans to win launch contracts with the U.S. government. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/09/21/how-relativity-space-plans-to-win-the-pentagons-launch-contracts/