Navy buys WMD defenses

September 22, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Contract Awards, Gryphon Technologies, SETA, U.S. Army, logistics

The US Navy awarded Gryphon Technologies a contract to develop systems to protect against Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). The contract is worth over $35 M and is to provide engineering services and support of defensive equipment for WMD attacks. While the US Navy has designed chemical and nuclear protection into their ships, such as washdown systems designed to remove radioactive fallout and chemical systems, these defensive systems are probably more in support of personnel.

See the press release at Wall Street Journal MarketWatch.com.

Tags: engineering services, gryphon, news story, nuclear protection, press release, radioactive fallout, ships, U.S. Navy, wall street, wall street journal, weapons of mass destruction

Navy awards target contract

September 2, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Alliant Techsystems, CEi, Contract Awards, U.S. Navy, development program, training

The Navy uses a variety of targets to test new systems and also to train ship’s crew. Alliant Techsystems and CEi were awarded a contract to build the Multi-Stage Supersonic Target (MSST). This will simulate anti-ship surface-to-surface missiles. The press release says it cruises at sub-sonic speeds, but the name implies that at some point it is going over Mach 1. These kind of missiles are a dangerous threat to ships and they fly at low altitude and their speeds reduce reaction time by the air defense systems.

There is more at www.bizjournals.com.

Tags: air defense systems, Alliant Techsystems, CEi, cruises, dangerous threat, fly, low altitude, mach 1, name implies that, press release, reaction time, ships, surface missiles, target, targets, U.S. Navy

Navy continues CEC work

July 21, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Contract Awards, IT, Raytheon, U.S. Navy, development program

Raytheon was awarded a contract today to continue work on Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC). See a press release here. CEC is a natural development of the work the Navy has done with datalinks for the last 50 plus years. By the Nineties the Navy was able to share the sensor picture from one ship with others over a tactical data link. Even during the Gulf War this was not good enough for targeting. CEC’s goal is to develope a netted sensor grid that will support providing a fire control solution good enough that one ship can guide a missile launched from another. The Navy was installing CEC on selected ships by the end of the Twentieth Century. For more on CEC see this.

Tags: control solution, cooperative engagement capability, datalinks, fire control, gulf war, missile, nineties, press release, Raytheon, sensor grid, ships, twentieth century, U.S. Navy

UK moves out on CV contstruction

July 4, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: BAE Systems, Contract Awards, England, IT, development program, production program

The UK government, fresh off of awarding the construction contract for the two new aircraft carriers, has now awarded a second major one related to the effort. BAE has been awarded a contract to develop the IT backbone for the ships. See this article for more. This over $500 M contract will develop the system that integrates everything on the ship. Sure to be key as one of the goals of the new design must be to minimize crew size.

Tags: backbone, BAE, construction contract, crew size, new aircraft carriers, ships, uk government

JTRS AMF passes DAB

March 28, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: Boeing, Department of Defense, Federal Budget Process, IT, Military Aviation, development program

The Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) Airborne, Maritime and Fixed (AMF) program passed its recent Defense Acquisition Board (DAB). See an article here. This means it can move on to the next phase of the process, most likely System Development and Demonstration. JTRS is a new programmable radio for all of the services. The Army is managing the system that will go in vehicles and be carried by troops. AMF is for aircraft, ships and fixed ground stations. Boeing is the prime contractor, and will most likely be awarded the contract for this next phase, System Design and Development.

Updated 3/28/08 - Fixed broken link.

Updated 3/29/08 - Clarified that no contract has been awarded yet.

Tags: Boeing, defense acquisition board, demonstration, joint tactical radio system, jtrs, prime contractor, ships, tactical radio, U.S. Army

UK government invest 50 M Pounds in dockyard to support CV construction

February 11, 2008 by Dagpotter · Comment
Filed under: England, Restructuring, production program

Rosyth Dockyard will received a 50 M pound investment from the British government to facilitate the construction of their two new carriers. See NEWS.Scotsman.com for more. The total value of the construction and fitting out of the ships is almost 4.0 billion Pounds. For more on the new ships see this.

Tags: british government, dockyard, investment, ships