DoD awards TRICARE omnibus contract
Filed under: Contract Awards, Department of Defense, General Dynamics, IT, logistics, medicine
General Dynamics was one 23 companies awarded a possible right to get work under a large ID/IQ contract for planning and support. See a press release here. The contract if all options are exercised could be worth up to $5 B. Like all of these contracts, though, there is no guarantee that any company will get work, or that any will actually be exercised. This contract again demonstrates that DoD is paying a great deal of money to support its soldiers, retirees and dependents.
Congress protests DDG-100 cancellation
Filed under: Congress, Federal Budget Process, General Dynamics, Maine, Massachusetts, Northrop Grumman Corp., Restructuring, U.S. Navy, development program, production program
Recently the US Navy announced that it was not going to continue the DDG-100 program. Two ships are under construction by Northrop-Grumman and General Dynamics. Not unexpectedly the Senators from the affected states, mainly Massachusetts and Maine, have protested. See an article here. The major recent the Navy cites is the continued cost growth of the program. The first two were projected at under $4 B each, but now the estimates are over $5.5 B. Other than the shipbuilders, Raytheon is the most affected company as it was building the combat system of sensors for the ship. The Navy intends to continue production of the DDG-51 class instead. Read more
First MUOS groundstation installed
Filed under: General Dynamics, IT, Satellites, U.S. Air Force, development program, space
General Dynamics as part of the Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite base communication network installed the antennas for the first of four groundstations. See a press release here. MUOS will provide a cell phone like communication system through satellites. It will eventually have four ground stations with the first being in Hawaii. This system continues the US focus on upgrading communications through more use of satellites.
USMC buys more, smaller MRAP vehicles
Filed under: Contract Awards, General Dynamics, U.S. Marine Corps, logistics, production program
The USMC purchased 773 MRAP from General Dynamics. See a press release here. The contract is worth over $500 M. These are RG-31 MRAP designed in South Africa and will be sent to Afghanistan. The RG-31 was selected as it is smaller and lighter then other MRAP in the inventory and according to this article the US military is now concerned with rollovers and the size of the MRAP vehicles already purchased. Although wheeled they are very heavy and have issues with the roads and bridges in Iraq and Afghanistan. MRAPs are very all as well and can roll over more easily then other tactical vehicles.
GD wins new UK armored vehicle contract
Filed under: Contract Awards, England, General Dynamics, development program
As part of the Future Rapid Effect System (FRES), General Dynamics was selected to provide the wheeled utility vehicle. See an article here. The FRES is a long term program to modernize and upgrade the British Army. It is similar in concept to the US Army’s Future Combat System (FCS) in that it is a system-of-systems. The utility vehicle is the first part to be awarded. According to this article the order to GD could be worth up to $12 B, with the next two parts to be awarded also worth this much.
Contracts for March 27, 2008
ARMY
General Dynamics Land Systems, Inc. Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded on Mar. 26, 2008, a $151,161,050 cost-plus fixed fee contract for system technical support for the Abrams tank program. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Mich., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One bid was solicited on Jun. 8, 2006. TACOM Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-07-C-0046).
Read moreNavy awards AEGIS contract
Filed under: Contract Awards, General Dynamics, MDA, SETA, U.S. Navy, development program, missile defense, production program
General Dynamics won an engineering support contract from the Navy for support to the AEGIS missile system. See the story here. They will support the sea-based system that recently shot down the wayward spy satellite. The contract is worth $191 M.
GD to expand facility in Maine
Filed under: Contract Awards, General Dynamics, Maine, production program
Even Maine is getting in on the defense business as General Dynamics announced that they will be expanding a facility in Saco, ME to build machine guns for the US military. See the press release here. The contract was for $36 M, but not all the work will be done at that facility.





