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
Scottish firm expands in the US
Filed under: Contract Awards, General Dynamics, IT, Scotland, WFS, development program
The Scottish company, WFS, has won a development deal from GD. See an article here. WFS works on advanced radio waves propagation techniques. Like many Europeon companies they have looked to the US and the expanded defense budgets of the last 7 years to gain work. It also again demonstrates that in the long run it is cheaper and more efficient for US companies to look overseas for existing capabilities, rather than develop them internally.
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 good to Massachusetts
Filed under: Contract Awards, Federal Budget Process, General Dynamics, IT, Massachusetts, production program
According to this article, GD is rapidly expanding their facility in Pittsfield, MA due to several contracts from DoD. The Advanced Information Systems Division is responsible for developing weapon control systems and other electronic networks for Navy ships. They have recently built a new facility and have created over 140 jobs. This again illustrates how important the DoD budget is in creating high paid, high skilled jobs all over the country.
Canada looks at new armored vehicles
This story says that GD is pitching upgraded Light Armored Vehicles (LAV) used by the US to the Canadian Defense Department. Because the US chose a variant of a Canadian assembled vehicle originally designed in Europe the GD proposal is actually made in Canada. Kind of a win-win for the Government there. Canada is not necessarily looking for a new vehicle, but due to operational experience in Afghanistan a heavier, more armored vehicle is attractive. More to come, I am sure, on this issue.
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.
Two rivals team together for missile contract
Filed under: Boeing, Department of Defense, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon, development program
Two of America’s largest defense contractors will join together to pursue the next generation air launched missile. Raytheon and Boeing announced that they signed a teaming agreement to prepare for the Joint Air to Ground Munition (JAGM) development program. See the press release here. The JAGM will replace Hellfire and Maverick missiles for launch from both fixed wing aircraft and helicopters. JAGM is at the early stages of its life and was started after the failure of the Joint Common Missile (JCM) program. See this for more on that. There is certainly no denying that the aging Hellfire and Maverick need replacing, although the Hellfire especially has seen a lot of use from OH-58D, AH-64 and Predator UAV in Afghanistan and Iraq. If Boeing and Raytheon team that leaves Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics as the only other US companies that might bid on such a program.
Navy 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.
General Dynamics Austrian subsidiary, Steyr Daimler Puch, given second chance on Czech contract.
Filed under: Contract Awards, Czech Republic, General Dynamics, Seyr Daimler Puch, production program
The new Czech government had cancelled a contract with Austrian based Steyr Daimler Puch for armored vehicles due to the General Dynamics subsidiary’s problems with schedule and performance. The government has now decided to allow more negotiations on this contract. See CNNMoney.com for more information here.
US Army to develop guided tank round for M1
Filed under: Contract Awards, General Dynamics, Raytheon, U.S. Army, development program
According to DefenseNews.com, the US Army will proceed with a development program to produce a guided round for the M1 tank. See the story here. Raytheon and General Dynamics will work together on this program with a contract valued at $232 M. The round will have a target recognition device in it that will allow it to autonomously locate and attack targets. As the article says “When no friendly forces are in the firing area, the round can use its autonomous seeker system: a 3-inch infrared camera that takes 30 snapshots of the view ahead per second, and a computer that picks edges and shapes out of the images.” The key phrase is when their are no friendly forces in the area. The Russians had developed a Anti-Tank Guided Missile (ATGM) that could be fired from the main gun of a tank, but that used conventional laser or radio guidance. This new round will also have the ability to home on laser energy, like a Hellfire ATGM.
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