August 19, 2024 | International, Naval
HENSOLDT receives order for further TRS-4D radars for German Navy F126 frigates
The TRS-4D naval radar from HENSOLDT will be installed in its non-rotating version with four fixed antenna arrays.
October 10, 2018 | International, Land
US Army triggers start of possible ground mobility vehicle competition after long delay
By: Jen Judson
WASHINGTON — The Army seemed geared toward holding a rapid competition to buy a Ground Mobility Vehicle in 2016, but the plan was delayed without much explanation in favor of buying an interim vehicle already in use by special operations forces.
Buying the GMV was a top priority following the fall 2015 release of the Army's Combat Vehicle Modernization Strategy, which called for such a vehicle in future and current operations.
After a competition never materialized, however, rumors began to swirl that the Army may decide to buy more of the U.S. Special Operations Command's GMV — General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems' Flyer 72 — even after the service had spent several years prior testing a wide variety of commercial off-the-shelf options.
But Congress spurred the effort in its fiscal 2018 defense policy bill, mandating the Army hold a competition and move forward with a program.
The Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support's product lead for the GMV has quietly stated on its website that the Army plans to pursue a competition for the GMV — calling it an Infantry Squad Vehicle — as a formal program of record.
The office states that it is projected to enter into a production contract in fiscal 2020 to procure 2,000 vehicles, roughly a year later than originally planned.
The Army took a big step forward on Sept. 24, releasing a market survey to industry, via the Federal Business Opportunities website, soliciting offerings for an Infantry Squad Vehicle.
The notice states the service is looking for a vehicle that provides mobility for a nine-soldier infantry squad as well as its associated equipment to “move around the close battle area.” The vehicle should be lightweight, highly mobile and transportable “by all means” to include CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters, UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters and by Low Velocity Air Drop.
Responses to the solicitation are due on Oct. 26.
While the Army has already bought quantities of the SOCOM vehicle for five airborne infantry brigade combat teams, other companies have continued to wait in the wings for the possibility to compete. And the pool of readily available ultralight vehicles is deep.
In addition to GD's Flyer, these vehicles all participated in vehicle demonstrations at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in 2014:
- Boeing-MSI Defense's Phantom Badger.
- Polaris Defense's air-transportable off-road combat vehicle DAGOR.
- Hendrick Dynamics' Commando Jeep.
- Vyper Adamas' Viper.
- Lockheed Martin's High Versatility Tactical Vehicle, which is a version of the British Army's HMT-400 Jackal.
The Army launched its new-start GMV program in 2017 as planned, based off the service's new combat vehicle modernization strategy released in 2016, which called for the capability.
The Army planned to reach a full-rate production decision on a vehicle by the end of FY19.
But then it decided to split GMV procurement into two phases in the FY18 budget request and, in the first phase, planned to exclusively buy 295 of GD's Flyers through a previously awarded contract with U.S. Special Operations Command. The second phase would open up into a competition to build 1,700 more GMVs.
Procuring the GMV vehicles from SOCOM raised the unit cost of the vehicle higher than the unit cost of ones that would have been procured through competition, according to FY18 budget documents.
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October 2, 2019 | International, C4ISR
INVISIO Awarded Five-Year Framework Agreement for up to SEK 290 Million From the U.S. Department of Defense
STOCKHOLM, October 1, 2019 /PRNewswire/ - INVISIO has been awarded a five-year IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity) contract from the U.S. Department of Defense for communication and hearing protection systems. The framework agreement is for up to SEK 290 million over the time period, but no volumes are guaranteed. The Department of Defense has awarded INVISIO a five-year framework agreement for the supply of advanced communications and hearing protection systems to American troops. The maximum order value of the agreement over the five-year time period is USD 30 million, equivalent to approximately SEK 290 million. This is the second time the Department of Defense has awarded INVISIO a long-term contract. The new contract replaces the first one received in 2017 which expired earlier this year. The INVISIO systems provide enhanced communication capabilities in noisy environments while protecting the users hearing, which gives operational benefits and increased tactical advantages including improved situational awareness for the users. "We are very proud of receiving a new long-term contract with the U.S. Department of Defense. This contract and the size of it, together with our other U.S.-engagements confirms our market leading position", says Lars Højgard Hansen, CEO, INVISIO Communications. For more information, please contact: Lars Højgard Hansen CEO INVISIO Communications Mobile: +45-53-72-7722 | E-mail: lhh@invisio.com Michael Peterson Director IR & Corporate Communication INVISIO Communications Mobile: +45-53-72-7733 | E-mail: mpn@invisio.com This information is information that INVISIO Communications AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the CEO, on October 1, 2019, at 08:30 CEST. About INVISIO Communications AB (publ) INVISIO develops and sells advanced communication systems with hearing protection that enable professionals in noisy and mission critical environments to communicate and operate effectively. The company combines insights in acoustics and human hearing with broad engineering know-how in software, materials technology and integration. Sales are primarily via a global network of partners and resellers, as well as from the headquarters in Copenhagen and the sales offices in the USA, France and Italy. INVISIO's registered office is in Stockholm, Sweden, and the company's share is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm (IVSO). Read more on the company's website, www.invisio.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/invisio-communications-ab/r/invisio-awarded-five-year-framework-agreement-for-up-to-sek-290-million-from-the-u-s--department-of-,c2921729
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April 27, 2021 | International, Aerospace
Why the U.S. Air Force Won't Follow the F-35 Model for Future Aircraft
No one likes the idea of reliving the troubled development process that produced it.