Norwegian Offset Program
As part of an offset program associated with the $1.5 billion Norwegian New Frigate Program, Lockheed Martin, the subcontractor for the integrated weapon system (IWS), is seeking businesses that are interested in participating in partnerships with Norwegian companies. Lockheed Martin is interested in identifying companies in Norway and abroad that either have or are considering partnerships in Norway in industries related to computers and software for communications; command and control; radio, satellite and line communications; electro-optic systems; fire control systems; missile technology; ammunition and military explosives; underwater technology and sonar systems; high-speed naval craft; and space and technology. Lockheed Martin is offering grants of capital, marketing support, and financial analysis and support to companies that present superior proposals for projects to cooperate with Norwegian industry and that are selected by Lockheed Martin to be incorporated into the program. All proposed projects must conform to the published offset guidelines for Norway. Details of the guidelines and a proposal template are available online at
www.norwayfrigatebia.com. Lockheed Martin is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland
.
NATO’s Eye in the Sky
A NATO-owned and -operated alliance ground surveillance system (AGS) with a mix of manned and unmanned air platforms and interoperable groundstations will be built by a six-company consortium recently approved by NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance Steering Committee and its Conference of National Armaments Directors. A building block for NATO’s network-enabled capability, the AGS is envisioned to provide the alliance’s core surveillance capability. It will provide a shared common ground picture for NATO and national decision makers and will give the NATO Response Force a critical core capability by 2010. For more than three years, EADS, Galileo Avionica, General Dynamics Canada, Indra, Northrop Grumman Corporation and Thales have been working together on the Transatlantic Industrial Proposed Solution, known as TIPS, and will now enter the program definition phase. Once that is completed, NATO will award the design and development contracts in the first quarter of 2005.
Pilot’s Visor DisplaysThe low-rate initial production of 400 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS) for U.S. Air force F-15, F-16 and U.S. Navy F/A-18 aircraft will be performed by Vision Systems International LLC, a joint venture of Elbit, Systems, Haifa, Israel, and Rockwell Collins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The $62.6 million contract covers production commitments for foreign military sales, including Australia’s F/A-18s, Chile’s F-16, Finland’s F/A-18s, Poland’s F-16s and for the F-15K program of South Korea. JHMCS enables pilots to accurately cue onboard weapons and sensors against enemy aircraft and ground targets while performing high-g aircraft maneuvers. Critical information and symbology such as targeting cues and aircraft performance parameters are displayed on the pilot’s visor. The JHMCS initial production is a subcontract from The Boeing Company, Chicago.
Mini UAV PurchasedPositioning itself to pursue future intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition and reconnaissance programs, Canada is going forward with its collaborative mini unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) project. The Canadian Forces Experimentation Centre (CFEC) has purchased a mini UAV system to be shared by CFEC; Defence Research and Development Canada; and the Canadian navy, army and air forces for concept development, experimentation, and evaluation of training, tactics, procedures and concepts of operation. Thales, Paris, partnering with Advanced Ceramics Research, Tucson, Arizona, will deliver the $649,000 system in the next month. Thales will provide support services until mid-July 2006. Advanced Ceramics Research will produce the aircraft, known as the Silver Fox UAV, various sensor payloads, datalinks and UAV control system as well as the launch and recovery equipment.
Encryption for Defense ForcesSweden is investing in the latest generation of high-speed encryption to protect secret information in the Defense Forces Telecom Network. With the new equipment from Sectra Communications AB, Linkoping, Sweden, designated FKK 521, the Swedish Defense Forces will protect voice, data and video information at data rates from 155 megabits to 622 megabits. The order is valued at SEK 10 million.
Development Contract SignedSysdel CC, Centurion, South Africa, has purchased five Sea Raven cockpit display systems from Aktelux, a division of Toronto-based Luxell Technologies Incorporated. Aktelux designs and manufactures flat panel display technologies and avionics solutions, and Sysdel specializes in the development, manufacture and support of tactical passive and active electronic warfare systems. The cockpit display systems will be used on maritime LYNX helicopters for the South African National Defence Force.
