19 juin 2019 | International, Autre défense
Photonis has been awarded a multi-year contract for the delivery of up to 5,000 state-of-the-art image intensifier tubes for night vision monoculars. Photonis will provide the Spanish Armed Forces with high performance 4G image intensifier tubes for usage in the AN/PVS-14 monocular, that will be provided by the Spanish original equipment manufacturer Night Vision Lasers Spain (NVLS).
To increase its effectiveness at night, the Spanish Armed Forces wanted to improve their night operability by purchasing the high performance 4G image intensification technology. This technology increases the ability to locate and engage threats and to operate in all night conditions. The 4G standard is the latest technology in intensified night vision. This technology is specifically designed to address the stringent requirements of special forces operators and only 4G can offer ultra-fast Auto-Gating, the smallest halo and unrivalled spectral range from ultraviolet to near infrared. 4G provides an edge over adversaries in the darkest nights, in all terrain and operations and operators can gain from the best DRI range possible.
The 4G image intensification tubes will be used in the AN/PVS-14 monoculars, provided by NVLS. These systems are used worldwide as either a pocket scope, a right or left eye-mounted monocular or as a weapon sight. “Photonis is proud to deliver its unrivalled technology to the Spanish Armed Forces and supports their choice in the AN/PVS-14 as well, since these multi-function systems increase their flexibility and therefore help safeguard their night operations”, according to Frederic Guilhem, Executive Commercial Officer Night Vision at Photonis.
This contract comes at the same time when NVLS introduced their 16mm image intensifier binocular night vision device in Spain. NVLS developed an ultra-compact and ultra-light dedicated binocular goggle solution called MINIMUS BINO, using Photonis 16mm 4G, high FOM, black & white, ultra-fast Auto-Gated image intensifier tubes, that exceeds an independently validated lifetime of more than 10,000 hours. An initial contract of 110 goggles has been awarded by the Spanish Army and they will be used by Spanish Special Forces (Mando de Operaciones Especiales) and the crew served weapon systems operators. MINIMUS BINO represents actually the smallest system in man portable night vision devices, with less than 380 g with a FOV > 40º and integral metallic construction.
https://www.photonis.com/news/photonis-technologies-awarded-contract-spain
11 septembre 2024 | International, Terrestre
Canada's military ombudsman has launched a review of the Department of National Defence's (DND) treatment of former language and cultural advisers who served alongside Canadian troops in Afghanistan.
16 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By Yasmin Tadjdeh The Pentagon will soon stand up a counter-unmanned aerial system office that will be headed by the Army, said the Defense Department's top weapons buyer Jan. 14. Following the Dubai Air Show in November, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord visited numerous locations across the Middle East including U.S. military installations in Iraq and Afghanistan. “The thing that was really top of everybody's mind were counter-UAS,” she said during a meeting with reporters hosted by George Washington University's Project for Media and National Security in Washington, D.C. “We see that small UAS are becoming a more popular weapon of choice ... [and] we need to be agile and pivot to that challenge.” Pentagon leaders recently decided to designate the Army as the executive agent for counter-drone technologies, Lord said. The new office will be stood up in Arlington, Virginia, in the Crystal City neighborhood. It will be staffed by around 60 people. “We are just finishing off on the policy that directs the activities,” she said. The office will examine the many counter-UAS efforts across the Defense Department and come up with three to five systems that are best for the military writ large and make sure they are effectively leveraged, Lord said. The Defense Department is bringing together a number of organizations, including the office of the director of operational test and evaluation and Defense Digital Service, to work on the effort. Robert Behler, the head of DOT&E, has a group conducting independent tests and evaluation of currently fielded systems, Lord noted. “Come April we will have that evaluation completed and written up. And that coincides [with] when we want to make some decisions about downselecting ... to the three to five systems that would be utilized,” she said. The department is examining a variety of sensor modalities and defeat mechanisms. “One size does not fit all,” Lord said. “You need a system with multiple sensors ... or defeat systems. And the key is really the command-and-control and then the communication across theater.” The office aims to thwart both small and large adversary UAS, she added. Countering rogue and enemy drones has long been an objective for the Defense Department, but recent high-profile events have thrown the technology into the spotlight. That includes an alleged Iranian attack on Saudi Aramaco facilities in September using unmanned aircraft. “One of the challenges is that we know that the adversary is very agile and updates their [tactics, techniques and procedures] ... very quickly,” Lord said. “We are looking at a very nimble system where we can push patches in the same day, if you will, so that we again can stay ahead of" the threat. The Pentagon is gung-go about tackling the issue, and senior leadership involvement and funding are increasing, she noted. In terms of the industrial base, counter-UAS is one of the acquisition and sustainment office's four key focus areas, Lord said. Others include microelectronics, 5G networks and hypersonics. The department plans to establish a hypersonics "war room." “We just decided last week that we would stand up a hypersonics war room to begin to look at the defense industrial base and begin to have different companies [come] in,” Lord said. The technology is the Pentagon's top research-and-development priority and it plans to buy large numbers of systems when they are mature enough to be fielded. Last week, Secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy said missile manufacturers and other suppliers need to do more to boost their hypersonics manufacturing capability. “What we need to see is industry step up,” he said Jan. 10 during remarks at the Brookings Institution. “They've got to come forward and ... first and foremost, invest the time to work with our national lab network to understand how we've come forward with these technologies. But they're going to have to make investments to be able to produce these at scale.” https://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2020/1/14/just-in-defense-department-to-stand-up-counter-drone-office
13 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
DEFENSE MICROELECTRONICS ACTIVITY Globalfoundries U.S. 2 LLC, Hopewell Junction, New York, has been awarded a ceiling increase of $400,000,000 under modification P00068 to previously awarded contract HQ0727-16-C-0001 for access to leading edge, current and legacy microelectronics and trusted processes for the Department of Defense and other federal agencies. Increase in interest for leading edge technology and lifetime orders for end of life technology initiated the need for this ceiling increase. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,114,632,911 from $714,632,911. Work will be performed at Burlington, Vermont; East Fishkill, New York; and Malta, New York, with an expected completion date of March 31, 2021. The contract is being incrementally funded and no funds are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Microelectronics Activity, McClellan, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY AgustaWestland Philadelphia Corp., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $171,047,763 modification (P00006) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N61340-20-C-0007. This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of 36 TH-73A aircraft in support of the Advanced Helicopter Training System program. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (87%); Mineral Wells, Texas (5%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (8%), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $171,047,763 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. J. Walter Thompson U.S.A. LLC, doing business as Wunderman Thompson, Atlanta, Georgia, is awarded an $80,056,529 modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract M95494-19-C-0020. This modification exercises Option Period One to furnish supplies and services to enhance the Marine Corps' recruiting efforts. These services include a full range of services from the development of a tactical advertising strategy to the production of a wide-range of advertising formats (e.g., television, radio, print media, internet and direct marketing). Work will be performed in Atlanta, Georgia, with an expected completion date of December 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $80,056,529 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International Inc., Tempe, Arizona, is awarded a $72,944,708 for a long-term, firm-fixed-priced requirements contract for the repair of six weapon repairable assemblies in support of the V-22 aircraft. This contract includes a five-year base period with no options. Work will be performed in Torrance, California (44%); Tucson, Arizona (35%); San Diego, California (15%); and Tempe, Arizona (6%). Work is expected to be completed by November 2025. Annual working capital funds (Navy) will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One firm was solicited for this non-competitive requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00383-21-D-XP01). Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, is awarded a $53,440,000 modification (P00004) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract N00019-20-C-0001. This modification exercises an option to procure 16 AN/APG-79(V)4 radar systems. Additionally, this modification includes software, obsolescence management, engineering support and associated technical, financial and administrative data necessary for retrofit integration into the F/A-18C/D aircraft for the Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Forest, Mississippi (41.1%); El Segundo, California (32.6%); Andover, Massachusetts (18.3%); and Dallas, Texas (8%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $53,440,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $24,049,402 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-4447 to support USS Chosin (CG 65) extended dry-docking selected restricted availability. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be complete by October 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $24,049,402 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Everett, Washington, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded an $81,866,402 cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price modification (P00014) to contract FA8620-18-C-2009 for the U.K. MQ-9B Protector program. This modification provides for the design, development, integration and component-level testing of additional capabilities being added to the baseline program. Work will be performed in Poway, California, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2021. Total cumulative face value of the contract is not-to-exceed $174,889,865. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $71,563,692 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Greenville, Texas, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $24,500,078 cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract action for procurement of Group B material and the Ground System Integration Lab. Work will be performed in Greenville, Texas, and is expected to be completed March 2024. This contract involves 100% Foreign Military Sales (FMS). This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. FMS funds in the amount of $14,006,934 are being obligated at the time of award. The 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-19-F-4872 P00005). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Baxter Healthcare Corp., Deerfield, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $40,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for infusion pumps and accessories. This was a competitive acquisition with 105 offers received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Illinois, with a Nov. 11, 2025, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-21-D-0001). Cummins Inc., Commercial and Government Entity, Memphis, Tennessee, has been awarded an estimated $24,869,181 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment for multiple weapon systems program support. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a two-year base contract with four two-year option periods. Location of performance is Tennessee, with a Nov. 11, 2022, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-21-D-0007). ARMY Tutor Perini Corp., Sylmar, California, was awarded a $25,998,795 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of the Cadet Field House at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 24, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $25,998,795 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-21-C-0004). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/article/2413459/source/govdelivery/