May 20, 2022 | International, Aerospace
South Korea selects Bell's 505 helicopter for military training
Deliveries of the aircraft, also known as the Jet Ranger X, are slated to be completed by 2025.
May 19, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Land
India ups foreign investment, but will stop importing weapons that can be made locally
By: Ashok Sharma, The Associated Press
NEW DELHI — India announced Saturday that global companies can now invest up to 74 percent in the country's defense manufacturing units, up from 49 percent, without requiring any government approval.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman expressed hope that the new policy will attract foreign companies with high-end technologies to set up their manufacturing bases in India in collaboration with Indian companies.
Sitharaman's announcement came as part of reforms Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government is implementing to revive India's economy, which has been shattered by the coronavirus pandemic.
She also told reporters that India will stop importing weapons that can be made in the country.
“We will notify a list of weapons and platforms for ban on their imports and fix deadlines to do it,” she said, adding that this will improve self-reliance on defense manufacturing.
India introduced up to 49 percent foreign direct investment in defense production in 2016 to attract modern technology in the country. That attracted more than 18.34 billion rupees (U.S. $244 million) until December last year, according to a government statement.
India issues defense-industrial licenses for making tanks, military aircraft, spacecraft and their parts, UAVs, missiles for military purposes, and warships.
India, a major buyer of military equipment, depended largely on the former Soviet Union during the Cold War. But it has been diversifying its purchases by opting for U.S. equipment as well.
During U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to India in February, the two countries signed a deal for India to buy from the U.S. more than $3 billion in advanced military equipment, including helicopters.
On the same subject
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July 5, 2019 | International, Aerospace
The Department of Defense wants ideas for a tiny autonomous space station
By Andrew Liptak The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) has issued a solicitation for a tiny, “self-contained and free flying orbital outpost” that can host experiments and equipment in orbit and could eventually be scaled up for human habitation. The Orbital Outpost that's being solicited would be small: it needs to have at least a cubic meter of space inside, be able to carry 80 kilograms, have continuous power, and should have a pressurization of anywhere from 0 to 1 atmospheres. It should be able to move around in orbit on its own, and it has to be built quickly; the military wants it ready to go within two years after it awards a contractor a contract. The military also says that it eventually wants the station to be modular (able to attach other components or other outposts), have a robotic arm, be able to carry people, and be hardened against radiation for “beyond [low Earth orbit] applications.” Full article: https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/3/20680849/department-of-defense-autonomous-space-station-ideas-experiment-human-habitation
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October 15, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 12, 2018
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Iridium Satellite LLC, Tempe, Arizona, was awarded a non-competitive, firm-fixed-price $44,000,000 contract modification (P00008) for the extension of services on the current airtime contract (HC104714C4000) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8. Fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds will be used. Performance will be at the contractor's facility. The period of performance for the option period is Oct. 22, 2018, through April 21, 2019. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott AFB, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Creighton AB Inc., Reidsville, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $35,000,000 fixed-price contract for Air Force lightweight jackets. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Maximum dollar amount is for the life of the contract. Locations of performance are New York and North Carolina, with an Oct. 11, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1104). Simmonds Precision Products Inc., Vergennes, Vermont, has been awarded an $11,024,500 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for electro-me actuators. This is a five-year base contract with four one-year option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. Location of performance is Vermont, with an Oct. 15, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-19-D-0004). Transaero Inc., Melville, New York, has been awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for assembly clutches. This is a five-year base contract with four one-year options periods. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. Location of performance is New York, with a Nov. 30, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-19-D-0002). ARMY Medvolt LLC,* Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $19,978,985 firm-fixed-price contract for upgrading the chilled water line system at the Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $19,978,985 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-19-C-0001). AIR FORCE Rockwell Collins, Richardson, Texas, has been awarded a $12,010,975 definitization (P000013) to previously undefinitized contract FA8204-18-C-0010 (P00005) to implement Security Classification Guide changes. Work will be performed at Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 3, 2020. Fiscal 2018, research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $818,227 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. NAVY Complete Parachute Solutions, Deland, Florida, is awarded a $9,270,000 modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M00264-18-C-0007) for the Multi-Mission Parachute Course. The Multi-Mission Parachute Course provides training and technical support for all Military Free-Fall training to ensure compliance with all Federal Aviation Administration Regulations and Marine Corps Orders to safely meet the Marine Corps Training Input requirements. This contract includes four one-year option periods which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $42,763,854. Work will be performed in Coolidge, Arizona, and is expected to be completed Sept. 27, 2019. If all options are exercised, work will continue through Sept. 27, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $9,270,000 will be obligated at the time of contract modification award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The original contract was competitively solicited and competitively procured via solicitation on the Federal Business Opportunity website, with one proposal received. The Marine Corps Installation National Capital Region-Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity. FlightSafety Services Corp., Centennial, Colorado, is awarded an $8,354,866 modification (P00004) under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N6134018C0019) for aircrew training services in support of the TH-57B/C community, including instruction, operation, and curriculum support. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station, Whiting Field, Florida, and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds are being obligated at time of award. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $7,031,737 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2103) to exercise an option for the accomplishment of planning and design yard functions for standard Navy valves of nuclear-powered submarines and aircraft carriers. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $600,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1660999/source/GovDelivery/