JLTV update from BAE and Navistar

BAE Systems and Navistar have announced an operational system the team will use to compete forthe U.S. multi-service Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) program.

"The BAE Systems Ground Systems-Navistar JLTV design optimizes what's referred to as the "iron triangle" - payload, protection and performance - to meet all requirements of the JLTV program. The 16,000-pound vehicle incorporates lessons learned from the U.S. Department of Defense's Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program and features the latest in lightweight, advanced armor and a v-shaped hull design to provide unmatched crew protection. The vehicle will out-perform existing tactical systems by providing exportable power that exceeds JLTV requirements and existing MRAP capabilities. Its modular design maximizes commonality across JLTV variants and enables the seamless integration of future technologies."

Sources: BAE

Photo: Navistar

US Army gets robotic security

"The Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS) is a joint Army-Navy development effort to provide an automated intrusion detection and inventory assessment capability for use in DoD warehouses and storage sites."

"The Exterior Program, initiated in 1993, awarded a BAA contract for the development of the outdoor mobility platforms to Robotic Systems Technology (RST, now GDRS), Westminster, MD.

"The mobility base is a rugged four-wheel hydrostatic-drive diesel-powered vehicle equipped with active-laser, ultrasonic-sonar, millimeter-wave-radar, and stereo-vision sensors for collision avoidance."

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Robotic Systems a contract with a total potential value of $40 million for production of the robotic Mobile Detection Assessment and Response System (MDARS).

GDRS will produce the semi-autonomous vehicles, provide spare parts, training and technical services for a five years.

Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada will receive the first four robotic security vehicles produced under this program. Since 2005, the MDARS demonstration vehicles have been evaluated at the depot logging more than 8,000 hours and 28,000 miles of service.

Sorces: SPAWAR and GDRS

Foreign orders for Force Protection

Force Protection of Ladson, SC has announced new foreign sales.

The UK MoD has added an aditional 174 Cougar Mastiff vehicles, vehicle spare parts, and field support to its' current arrangement. The cost is $115,167,467 and work is expected to be completed in July 2009.

Force Protection has also received an order from he Italian Ministry of Defense for six Cougar 6X6 troop transports and four Buffalo route clearance vehicles. This is an additional $8,353,715 for the company.

Sources: DoD and Force Protection
Photo: Force Protection

New JLTV participant

We wrote last month about the Northrop Grumman and Oshkosh joint bid on the JLTV (Joint Light Tactical Vehicle) program. They have now announced bringing Israeli manufacturer Plasan on board for armor expertise.

“Plasan specializes in the design of armor protection systems,” said Dani Ziv, chief executive officer of Plasan. “We are pleased to be designing an armor solution exclusively with Oshkosh Corporation for the JLTV program.”

“Oshkosh Corporation Defense Group has demonstrated that it has the technology and expertise to design and build some of the world’s toughest military trucks,” said John Stoddart, executive vice president, Oshkosh Corporation and president, Defense Group. “By teaming with Plasan, we will be able to deliver a JLTV concept that meets the survivability and mobility needs of soldiers and Marines.”

Sources: Press Release and as cited

Photo: Plasan

DARPA releases "wish list"

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has released a Broad Area Announcement (BAA) on the direction it expects its' Strategic Technology Office (STO) to take into 2009.

The document is, indeed, broad but while the STO is open to suggestions there is some focus. "This includes Space and Near-Space Sensors and Systems; Strategic and Tactical Networks; Information Assurance; Counter Underground Facilities; Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Defense; Small Unit Operations; Maritime Operations; and Core Strategic Technologies." STO examples of interesting technologies include:

• Novel systems and enabling technologies for high-resolution, deep sub-canopy surveillance;
• Intruder proximity detection by measurement of field perturbations;
• Distributed, grid, and networked computing systems;
• New approaches to self-forming, wireless, mesh networks of over 10,000 devices with high throughput
• Low-cost military grade encryption mechanisms / devices;
• And low-cost (<$100) expendable GPS sensors.

Funding and grant possibilities may apply.

Source: STO

ARVs to Army and Marines

BAE has been awarded a $185,983,972.00 firm fixed price contract for the production of 90 Army-configured M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles, four Marine Corps-configured M88A2 HERCULES recovery vehicles, and 7 sets of ASL Spares. The work will be performed in York, PA, (98 percent); and Aiken, SC., (2 percent) and is to be completed Sept. 30, 2011.

"The M88's primary role is to repair or replace damaged parts in fighting vehicles while under fire, as well as extricate vehicles that have become bogged down or entangled. The main winch on the M88A2 is capable of a 70 ton, single line recovery, and a 140 ton 2:1 recovery when used with the 140 ton pulley. The A-frame boom of the A2 can lift 35 tons when used in conjunction with the spade down. The spade can be used for light earth moving, and can be used to anchor the vehicle when using the main winch." The M88A2 has NBC defences, a smoke screen generator, 50 Cal machine gun, 432 mm ground clearance, 2.6m fording depth, 1.1m wall climb and 2.6 m trench crossing capabilities.

Sources: DoD, Wikipedia

Report: IED crisis avoidable

One of the best defense writers on the web is Sharon Weinberger. She may be known to some of you for her investigations of whacky weapons. In Danger Room, however, Ms Weinberger looks at the report of a Marine Corps insider that "recounts in painstaking detail the missteps that delayed the fielding of bomb-resistant vehicles to Iraq."

The problem? Well, simply put "a 'Byzantine' acquisition system that pushes bureaucrats to protect their own programs and priorities, rather than seeking out the best available option."

The brief article and report will be of interest to anyone involved with or interested in: policy, politics, purchasing, or armored vehicles.

Sources: As cited

Visibuilding moves forward

Visibuilding is a program inside the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Strategic Technology Office (STO). "VisiBuilding will develop technology that will re-establish surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities into buildings to perform three main functions:

• Determine building layouts,
• Find anomalous quantities of materials,
• Locate people within the building.

VisiBuilding's approach to this addresses three main areas of technical concentration:

• Phenomenology of signal penetration into buildings,
• Sensor positioning and utilization to maximize information about the building,
• Model-based 3-D building deconvolution that operates in a multipath-rich, diffractive environment."

Science Applications International Corp., (SAIC) has been awarded a $5,270,000.00 cost-plus contract to develop and test the VisiBuilding concept.Work will be performed in San Diego, CA and is to be completed by Aug. 15, 2009. There were 70 bids received.

Sources: As cited and DoD
Photo: STO

Conference listing updated

The Defense, Security & Tech conference listing has been updated. You will find it in the menu section on the right under "Research and References".

If you know of any conference that may be of interest to your fellow reader, please let us know. As arrangements can often require considerable coordination we ask for at least one month advance notice.

Source: Various
Photo: Shizhao

Tech support and project management for MRAP program

EG&G Technical Services, Inc., Dumfries, Va., was awarded $11,267,986 ... to provide on-going acquisition and technical support to the Joint Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle Program (JMVP). This includes contractor support directly to the Joint Program Manager (JPM), product and functional team leaders and their deputies.

This effort will include comprehensive Joint Program Management services for all MRAP vehicles and systems; systems engineering; production, test and evaluation, integration, transportation, logistics and acquisition management support. Key events include expedited testing, integration, fielding, and training for MRAP vehicles; concurrent integration of system and component improvements to both MRAP and related low density vehicles and comprehensive assessments, selection, and fielding of other Improvised Explosive Device countermeasure equipment, all in response to Urgent Universal Needs Statements (UUNS) generated by the Operating Forces (OPFORs).

Source: DoD
Photo: Marine Corps News

Editor's Note: EG&G is a division of URS Corporation.

Naval airborne anti-mine system update

Raytheon has been awarded a $7,733,484 contract modification for three Low Rate Initial Production units of the Airborne Mine Neutralization System (AMNS). The purpose of the AMNS is to reacquire and neutralize mines after detection. The AMNS will be employed by the MH-60S helicopter to explosively neutralize unburied bottom, close tethered and moored sea mines that are impractical or unsafe to counter using existing minesweeping/mine neutralization techniques.

Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I., (56 percent); Waterlooville, United Kingdom (23 percent); Claremont, N.H., (11 percent); Windber, Pa., (5 percent); West Wareham, Mass., (3 percent); Biddford, Maine (1%), and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (1 percent) and is expected to be completed by Nov. 2010. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Source: DoD
Photo: Sikorsky

Lots of activity at Tata

India's Tata Group is a huge industrial organization. This week has seen several major announcements.

Tata and Boeing announced a collaboration to handle an initial 500 million dollars of defence-related aerospace component manufacture. Then Sikorsky and Tata have firmed up in a joint helicopter manufacturing project in India. Finally,EADS and Tata have joined together to bid on a one-billion dollar program to supply tactical communication systems to the Indian army.

Sources: Various

More money for GPS hardware

"Rockwell Collins, Inc., of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is being awarded a contract modification for $116,467,023. This action exercises production options for the purchase of 52,039 Defense Advanced GPS Receivers (DAGRs) and accessories.

The DAGR will provide authorized Department of Defense and Foreign Military Sales users of GPS User Equipment a Precise Positioning System, hand-held, dual-frequency (L1/L2), lightweight receiver (less than one pound) that incorporates the next generation, tamper-resistant GPS “SAASM” (Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module) security module.

The DAGR will serve as a replacement for the Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver in integrated platforms as well as for the advanced and basic GPS user."

Source DoD
Photo: Rockwell Collins

Editor's Note: The "plugger" replacement program has been up and running for several years. The "dagger" is quite a piece of kit by comparison. Size and weight reductions were phenomenal. At the same time there are several points to note.

Military GPS must now face comparison with what is available to civilians. "Is this as easy to use as my TomTom or Garmin? Are the maps as easy to read" Does the DAGR do enough? Is a "simple" GPS enough of a tool? Is a PDA or radio combined with GPS a better option? Soldiers only have so many pockets.

Finally, SAASM is really not an option. It is a necessity especially for Blue Force awareness. Foreign military sales (FMS) only make sense in these days of combined ops.

UMaine engineers to unveil blast-resistant wood building technology

New technology, developed at the University of Maine, has led to the construction of a prototype blast-resistant wood building at the university's Advanced Engineered Wood Composites (AEWC) Center. Sen. Susan Collins and U.S. Rep. Michael Michaud will be at the center on Tuesday Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. to unveil the building for the first time.

UMaine engineers, including undergraduate and graduate students, have constructed the building inside the AEWC facility. AEWC technology, including a design methodology and coating treatments applied to the construction material, gives the building properties that will allow it to withstand blasts and severe weather. This construction has potential applications for military troop deployments, homeland security and hurricane-resistant construction.

This project follows the AEWC development of ballistic tent panels for the U.S. Army. The prototype version of those panels, which go inside tents and protect soldiers living in combat situations from nearby blasts, was presented to the Army last year. That technology was recognized for the American Composites Manufacturing Association as the "Best of the Best," signifying its status as the top composites technology innovation in the world in 2007.

Sen. Olympia Snowe and Rep. Tom Allen will send representatives to help celebrate that award at the Feb. 19 UMaine event.

Prof. Habib Dagher, AEWC director, will host Tuesday's event, which will include UMaine President Robert Kennedy and Reed Mosher from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Source: University of Maine

Joint IED defeat report

The Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) has released its' 2007 Annual Report.

The bottom line is that while IED attacks in Iraq are down it's the opposite story in Afghanistan. "The number of IEDs employed against U.S. forces in FY07 reached an all-time high, more than doubling over the last half of the fiscal year."

The 20 page report is an interesting read but it may raise as many questions as it answers. Just how successful is counter-IED technology? Is it the "best bang for the buck"?

Source: As cited
Photot: DoD

Fox Block 1 upgrade

The M93 was originally developed for the German military and the first U.S. unit was equipped with the NBCRS-Fox Block 1 system (M93A1) in October 1998.

The role of the M93A1 is to: "Detect, identify, and mark areas of nuclear and chemical contamination; sample soil, water and vegetation for nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) contamination; and report accurate information to supported commanders in real time."

The Department of Defense has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems a $5,977,752 firm-fixed-price contract for integrated logistics support for the FOX Block 1 upgrade plus program. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2009.

Sources: Various
Photo: U.S. Army

BAE and M&M in talks

Indian vehicle manufacturer Mahindra & Mahindra has announced that it is in discussion with BAE Systems to develop an Indian MRAP. It is expected this new vehicle will be based on the BAE RG-31.

Currently M&M supply armouring solutions for light combat vehicles, multi-utility and sports utility vehicles. These are already in service with the Indian Army, Air Force and the Paramilitary and State Police Forces.

Sources: The Economic Times and Mahindra

NGOs to receive new mine detectors

Thanks to Ares, a recent article in Financial Times Deutschland indicates that the American Handheld Standoff Mine Detection System will be available to NGOs in Afghanistan.

The HSTMIDS looks like a standard metal detector but takes multisensor approach with stand-off alerting to mines out to 10 meters.

Sources: As cited
Photo: US Army

Brazil to purchase additional Piranhas

General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS) has announced that the Brazilian Navy and MOWAG GmbH have signed a contract for a further batch of 5 PIRANHA IIIC 8x8 in amphibious version.

The newly signed contract comprises 5 PIRANHA IIIC 8x8 APC vehicles in the configuration as delivered previously. The contract signed now is a follow-on order to the 7 vehicles ordered in 2006 (6 APCs and 1 Recovery Vehicle). The PIRANHAs will be used primarily within the framework of international UN mission of the Brazilian Marines in Haiti.

The PIRANHA IIIC amphibious has a length of 7.57 m, a width of 2.71 m, and a GVW of 18.5 t. The vehicle reaches a speed of up to 100 km/h on the road. The PIRANHA IIIC manages gradients of up to 60%, fording depths of up to 1.50 m and is able to swim up to a speed of 10 km/h. The 400 HP engine, together with the 7-speed automatic transmission, the modern independent wheel suspension, the tire pressure control system, and the disengageable all-wheel drive, give the PIRANHA IIIC a high degree of mobility even in difficult terrain. Moreover, the protection against ballistic threats and against mines provides the crew with a maximum degree of protection in a mission. The vehicle is equipped with all necessary features (NBC system, autonomous power supply, A/C system, etc.) that are required for the 24-hour operation of the integrated systems.

Source: Press Release

Photo: GDELS

Problems at Protected Vehicles deepen

MRAP builder Protected Vehicles Inc. of North Charleston, SC has filed for Chapter 11. Protected Vehicles was founded by Garth Barrett, a former Force Protection executive.

In July, Force Protection, of Ladson, SC, launched a suit claiming, among other things, computer fraud and misappropriation of trade secrets.

Of course the Marine Corps announced in December '07 that they were drastically cutting back on MRAP purchases and looking toward the JLTV.

Protected Vehicles and Rafael had developed the GOLAN MRAP platform.

Sources: Various
Photo: Protected Vehicles

JLTV update

An RFP has been issued for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV).

"JLTV will replace all the HMMWVs for the Marine Corps and will be the centerpiece of the light tactical wheeled vehicle fleet as part of the tactical mobility triad to maintain our expeditionary capability," Lt. Col. Ben Garza, JLTV program manager for the Marine Corps at Quantico, Va., said.

Like the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle will stress a commonality of capabilities and components. There are expected to be 10 sub-configurations in three different payload categories.

Sources: Various

Heavy truck contract awarded

Oshkosh Truck Corp., Oshkosh, Wis., has been awarded a $272,682,027 firm-fixed price contract for the purchase of a Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wis., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

Source: Press Release

Editor's Note: In July Oshkosh received an order for Family of Heavy Tactical Vehicles including Trucks, PLS Trailers, ancillary equipment and services.

Canadian Forces’ vehicle casualties

Stephen Priestley, a researcher at the Canadian American Strategic Review has put together a listing, by vehicle type, of Canadian Forces’ casualties in southern Afghanistan from Oct 2005 to the present.

Causes of casualties is broken down by IED, RPG, and accidents.

Source: As cited

MoD upgrades BRACIS

The UK Ministry of Defence has awarded a contract to Bruhn NewTech for the upgrade of BRACIS (Biological, Radiological and Chemical Information System), its custom-designed CBRN risk-management system.

The contract award follows a successful evaluation by Dstl (Defence Science and Technology Laboratory) scientists from Porton Down. BRACIS has been in service with the UK Ministry of Defence since 1994, and the new long-term contract is an extension to further upgrade BRACIS to meet the latest NATO ATP-45 standards and CBRN requirements ... BRACIS is deployed throughout the UK Armed Forces providing the UK Ministry of Defence with a leading edge in CBRN warning and reporting.

Source: Press Release

Thales opens EW lab in Leicester

Thales UK today announces the opening of its new Joint Electronic Warfare Experimentation Laboratory (JEWEL). The JEWEL laboratory combines a fully operational Electronic Warfare Operation Centre (EWOC) to provide a complete simulation of land electronic warfare (EW) scenarios, support tools and mission planning and reporting.

Its ability to simultaneously simulate up to nine sensors, including two live sensors, allows Thales to demonstrate the capability and flexibility of sensor remote control. This will enable customers to carry out training and operational modelling of the battlespace under realistic conditions.

"The JEWEL is an extremely powerful tool and a breakthrough in our research, development and testing capability," says Richard Deakin, Managing Director of Thales' aerospace business in the UK. "It allows us to work hand in hand with our customers to model, test and refine their land EW operational requirements, thereby leading to refined solutions that save development time and - crucially - reduce costs."

The laboratory adds to Thales' impressive EW capability. In the UK alone more than 400 people are dedicated to the research, development and delivery of Thales' integrated EW systems.

Long-term plans include the ability to link the JEWEL with Thales' existing Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition And Reconnaissance (ISTAR) Theatre in Crawley to conduct even more extensive modelling and simulation exercises.

Source: Press Release

Sweden's SEP stopped

BAE Systems Land Systems Hagglunds has announced that developement of the SEP (Spitterskyddad Enhets Platform) armoured vehicle system will cease.

Tracked and 8x8 variants had been produced. However, competition was stiff and an international partner for the project was never found.

Source: NyTeknik
Photo: BAE

Patria AMVs to the UAE

Finnish manufacturer Patria has announced the sale of their AMV 8x8 vehicle to the United Arab Emirates. The size of the order and delivery schedule have not been made public.

"Patria AMV 8x8 - with well over 1200 vehicles contracted and some 200 already delivered - is the choice of the Polish, Finnish, Slovenian, South African, Croatian and now also United Arab Emirates’ armies. Patria AMV is currently in serial production in three countries – Finland, Poland and Slovenia - and production will be starting soon in Croatia and South Africa.

Being fully NATO compatible, Patria AMV offers effective protection, increased mobility, modularity and combat proven performance. The vehicle is very easy to operate and maintain. Patria AMV is one of the few wheeled vehicles in the world capable of carrying also heavy weapon systems, like the 105 mm cannon or the 120 mm mortar turrets without reducing the mobility of the vehicle.

Patria AMV is the only vehicle in its kind to have passed the demanding ARMSCOR mine tests in South Africa. The AMVs (Rosomaks in Polish) are currently in active use in the mission in Afganistan by Poland. The experiences have been very positive and shown that Patria AMV vehicles deliver what they promise: excellent mobility, protection and performance."

Source: Press Release