Back to news

August 18, 2020 | International, Land

New partnerships formed in quest to snag US Army Stryker up-gunning deal

by Ashley Roque

Industry is bracing for surprise entries and team changes in the US Army's up-gunning competition with at least one big switch up: Pratt Miller partnering up with Rafael Defence and Oshkosh Defence.

After a two-and-a-half-month deadline extension, all Medium Calibre Weapons System (MCWS) programme proposals and bid samples are due to the army on 24 August. Although many vendors are remaining tight lipped over whether they are still competing, Janes has confirmed with multiple, wholly separate, sources that Pratt Miller is no longer teaming up with CMI Defence and is now saddled up with Rafael and Oshkosh for its bid.

The service declined to comment on any team changes and said specific vendor information, including system performance and on-going participation, are considered “source selection sensitive”.

“The US [government] does not and has not provided vendor direction on who to partner with or what systems to utilise to protect the integrity of the competition,” Ashley John, director for public and congressional affairs for the Program Executive Office for Ground Combat Systems, told Janes on 12 August. “Each vendor partnership is independent of government input and has been developed directly from party to party.”

Under the competition, the army wants to select a team to outfit Stryker vehicles with 30 mm cannons. Service plans called for a two-phased, concurrent approach involving a design integration study phase to help inform requirements development and the acquisition strategy, and a separate Stryker MCWS request for proposal (RFP).

https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/new-partnerships-formed-in-quest-to-snag-us-army-stryker-up-gunning-deal

On the same subject

  • Northrop Grumman Continues Joint STARS Sustainment and Modification Work for US Air Force

    January 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    Northrop Grumman Continues Joint STARS Sustainment and Modification Work for US Air Force

    Melbourne, Fla. – January 9, 2020 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) received a $302 million contract from the U.S. Air Force on Nov. 1, 2019 for continued support of the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS). The 2020 contract executes the Total System Support Responsibility (TSSR) program for the E-8C Joint STARS fleet with Northrop Grumman as the prime systems integrator of all nine components of support and sustainment. “The capacity and technology of the Joint STARS weapon system make it unique in the multi-domain command and control arena,” said Janice Zilch, vice president, manned airborne surveillance programs, Northrop Grumman. “Northrop Grumman has delivered innovative capability to this aircraft system for more than 30 years to give the Joint Force a strategic advantage.” Joint STARS delivers real-time battle management situational awareness and wide area search essential to the warfighter through continued investment and development in its mission systems hardware and software. Joint STARS combines high fidelity wide-area moving target detection, synthetic aperture radar imagery and robust battle management systems to locate, classify and track surface targets in all weather conditions from standoff distances. The E-8C Joint STARS fleet has flown more than 150,000 hours in support of combatant commands around the globe. Northrop Grumman is a leading global security company providing innovative systems, products and solutions in autonomous systems, cyber, C4ISR, space, strike, and logistics and modernization to customers worldwide. Please visit news.northropgrumman.com and follow us on Twitter @NGCNews, for more information. View source version on Northrop Grumman: https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-continues-joint-stars-sustainment-and-modification-work-for-us-air-force

  • German Army acquires 1500 SPIKE missiles and hundreds of launchers

    November 20, 2019 | International, Land

    German Army acquires 1500 SPIKE missiles and hundreds of launchers

    November 18, 2019 - Eurospike, a joint venture between Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Diehl Defence GmbH & Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH has signed a multi-year framework contract for the supply of SPIKE (also known as MELLS in Germany) Missiles & launchers to the German Army. The missiles and launchers will be manufactured in Germany by local German companies, in keeping with RAFAEL's global policy of teaming up with domestic industry, resulting in knowledge transfer and local job creation. The contract was signed by representatives from Eurospike and BAAINBw in a ceremony that took place at the beginning of November in the offices of the German MOD (BAAINBw) in Koblenz Germany. As part of the framework contract, the first order was made for the supply of 1500 SPIKE rounds, as well as hundreds of RAFAEL'S new ICLU (Integrated Control Launch Unit) dismounted missile launchers. The multi-year framework contract will allow the Bundeswehr to continue procuring additional SPIKE Missiles in the next few years to reach its goal of high launcher-to-missile ratio. The German Army is already currently using both the dismounted portable SPIKE (MELLS) launcher as well the as the vehicle-mounted launcher on the German army Puma, Marder & Wiesel. SPIKE is a cutting-edge precise, multi-platform, multi-mission and multi-range electro-optical missile Family, with capabilities of fire-and-forget, as well as fire, observe and update, allowing attack of hidden targets. With 33 SPIKE missile users around the world, Germany is among 19 other SPIKE users in the EU and NATO. More than 30,000 SPIKE missiles have been supplied worldwide to-date, with over 5500 SPIKE missile firings, both in training and in combat. Moshe Elazar, EVP, Head of RAFAEL's Land and Naval Division: “This is a significant contract for Eurospike and thus for RAFAEL, as a leading supplier of 5th generation ATGM in the world. It will undoubtedly cement the German Army's position as one of the strongest ATGM forces in Europe. The SPIKE missile and launcher cross-nation commonality enables the nations to manage joint SPIKE missile stocks, create joint procurement and maintain mutual support. In combination with local production within Europe by Eurospike, SPIKE is a truly common European missile.” Watch SPIKE in action, click here for video. For more information please contact Ishai David at ishai@rafael.co.il View source version on Rafael Advanced Defense Systems: https://www.rafael.co.il/press/german-army-acquires-1500-spike-missiles-and-hundreds-of-launchers/

  • Avec la mission Skyros, l’armée de l’Air entend démontrer ses capacités aériennes

    January 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace

    Avec la mission Skyros, l’armée de l’Air entend démontrer ses capacités aériennes

    L'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE) a annoncé le lancement le 20 janvier de la mission Skyros, qui se tiendra jusqu'au 5 février. Au départ de Djibouti, quatre Rafale B, deux A400M Atlas ainsi qu'un A330 Phénix y participeront. L'objectif est de « démontrer les capacités opérationnelles des forces armées françaises, de compléter la formation des équipages et de renforcer les liens entre la France et les pays visités », selon le ministère des Armées. A travers cette tournée, l'AAE visitera des pays stratégiques, soit des clients actuels du Rafale, à l'instar de l'Inde (36 Rafale) ou encore de l'Egypte (24) soit des prospects, qui ont fait part de leur intérêt pour le chasseur français. Après avoir décollé de Djibouti, qui accueille la base aérienne 188, l'AAE arrivera donc en Inde le 20 janvier. Elle se rendra aux Emirats Arabes Unis le 24, puis en Egypte le 28 et enfin en Grèce le 2 février. Air & Cosmos du 18 janvier 2021

All news