Future of Electronic Surveillance
A U.K. Ministry of Defence project will focus on reducing the risk of future procurement and raising technology readiness levels (TRLs) for the development and exploitation of advanced Electronic Surveillance (ES) technology. The program includes a detailed, five-year research plan and will study manned and unmanned ES concepts. Research will address ES capability needs relating to future land, sea and air procurements including Listener, Soothsayer, Helix, Shaman, Eddystone, Watchkeeper and Dabinett. The outputs are aligned with current assumptions on the critical procurement phases of these projects as well as planned incremental improvements to optimize opportunities for exploitation. The MOD’s Research Acquisition Department awarded QinetiQ the five-year, $18 million contract to engage with industry and academia on the project.
 
E-Government in China
A new e-government system is scheduled to be installed for Suizhou City, located in the Hubei province of the People’s Republic of China. The project aims to establish a national electronic government system in which existing and future government networks and applied systems can be combined to form united technology standards and regulations. This will result in a united national government service platform. The project is scheduled to commence in December 2007 and will continue for approximately 30 months. China Expert Technology Incorporated, won the contract. The award has a net value of $19.4 million after hardware purchases for the client and business tax.
 
Sweeping Mines FAST
Researchers are working to supply a mine counter measures (MCMs) flexible agile sweeping technology (FAST) technology readiness demonstrator that will enable the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MOD) to put a combined influence sweep replacement into service. The project will deliver a fully functional MCM unmanned surface vessel (USV) demonstrator with quantified and validated performance. The major objectives for the program include reducing the risk of key technologies for a USV-based MCC influence capability and the development of technology and system integration maturity, and using a design-and-build technology readiness demonstrator. The project will demonstrate quantified minesweeping performance and effectiveness against mine threats in a realistic scenario as well as deployment, recovery and capture of a FAST USV from an MCM. The program also must have an open architecture approach to the FAST components and the transfer of ministry minesweeping research knowledge to the United Kingdom industry supplier base. The Atlas-QED consortium won this research contract from the MOD.
 
French Military Telecommunications
The French military is receiving a telecommunications network with complete end-to-end service for peacetime, crisis and conflict. The SOCRATE NG program network is scheduled to deploy in 2010, with a technical and financial proposal due to the French Defense Procurement Agency (DGA) by 2008. The proposal will explain the conception, production, deployment and support of the SOCRATE NG network. The solution must combine the best available organization structure, technical capabilities, contractual terms and financial arrangements. DGA selected Thales as the prime coordinator on this project. The company will lead a consortium that includes Orange Business Services, Alcatel-Lucent and consulting firm Cogisys.
 
Defining Launcher System Concepts
Work is underway to define  launcher system concepts for the European Next Generation Launcher and the development of a European Intermediate Experimental Vehicle IXV. The studies on the launcher will lead to the preparation of key technical and programmatic data for the European Space Agency Ministerial Conference in 2008. Developers will examine options that Europe can adopt for the development of a next generation launcher. The launcher is expected to go into service between 2020 and 2025. Coinciding with the launcher’s development is work on the Intermediate Experimental Vehicle IXV, which will demonstrate Europe’s advanced re-entry technologies. The vehicle is on track for a flight in 2010. The European Space Agency awarded two contracts to NGL Prime SpA Italy, a joint Astrium/Finmeccanica company, to work on the defining and development. The contracts are worth $28 million and cover the next 16 months of industrial activities.

Submit information about international contract awards to signalnews@afcea.org.