Related stories: Alliances,
Americas
– USA, Asia
– Other, BAE,
Boeing,
Britain/U.K.,
EADS,
Europe
– France, Europe
– Other, Fighters
& Attack, Force
Structure, Issues
– International, Issues
– Political, Lobbying,
Lockheed
Martin, Other
Corporation, Pre-RFP,
Russia

Back in 2002, the Republic
of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) selected the F-15K advanced derivative of the F-15E Strike
Eagle for its Next Generation Fighter Program. Under that $3.6 billion contract, Boeing
will deliver 40 aircraft to the ROKAF beginning in 2006 and ending in August 2008. South
Korea’s 2-seat F-15K
Strike Eagles will be the first F-15s produced with the GE
F110 engine common on many US F-16C/D aircraft, and will also carry the SLAM-ER
missile as their medium-range precision strike weapon. They will not be equipped with
the AESA radars found on some US F-15Cs and Singapore’s
forthcoming F-15SGs, however, relying instead on the standard AN/APG-63(v1) radars
that equip most Strike Eagles in service around the world. See
this RealVideo clip of the first F-15K in flight.

In May 2006, the Korean Overseas Information Service said that the ROKAF would purchase
another 20 F-15K multi-role aircraft beginning in 2009 – but that report has since been
qualified, debated, and finally superseded. Under the second phase of the F-X
next-generation warplane procurement project, South Korea’s military plans to purchase 20
multi-role fighters via open bidding, with an investment of about 2.3 trillion won
(currently about $2.4 billion). The contenders have been announced, and one aircraft was
explicitly excluded from the competition. DID readers who recall our November 2006 article
can probably guess which one…

Related stories: General
Dynamics

More than 300 Piranha-I 6×6 Panzerjagers (tank hunters) armed with TOW missiles have
been in service with the Swiss Army since the beginning of the 1990s. If the design looks
familiar, it’s because MOWAG’s Piranha family of vehicles is produced in North America by
parent firm General Dynamics Land Systems as the 8×8 LAV-II (USMC) or Stryker/LAV-III.
MOWAG GmbH was already conducting a Panzerjaeger re-role program announced in January
2006, turning
40 into protected ambulance vehicles. Deliveries began at the end of 2006. Now the Swiss
Ministry of Defence is moving ahead with a second program, another 160 of these
vehicles will be converted
to protected command vehicles ready for integration with the Swiss Army’s future
Communication and Battle Management System (FIS HE). Deliveries will take place between
2008-2010.

This second Swiss re-role program includes adjustments for the integration of
information and communication systems, and the integration of a remote controlled
Kongsberg Weapon Station for self protection. Day and night vision sensors will be updated
to make them suitable for observation and reconnaissance missions, and the re-role concept
already includes preparing measures for the integration of the future information and
communication devices of FIS HE. The prototype for the new command vehicle was developed
by General Dynamics Land Systems subsidiary MOWAG GmbH in Kreuzlingen, Switzerland in
close partnership with Swiss defense procurement agency Armasuisse. MOWAG’s release adds
that the PIRANHA I 6×6 vehicles’ excellent condition means they can be used for another
25 years following the conversion.

The Swiss have also ordered NOK 246 million (currently about $38.3 million) worth of
Kongsberg’s Protector remote-controlled weapon station for inclusion on these vehicles.
The Protector system also equips US Stryker (LAV-III) vehicles. See
Kongsberg release.

Related stories: Americas
– Other, Electronics
– General, Issues
– Political, Other
Corporation, Outer
Space, Radars,
Satellites
& Sensors, Sensors
& Guidance, Signals
Radio & Wireless, Small
Business

Canada isn’t known for space launch technologies. It does have a satellite
industry, and is the origin of both the American Space Shuttle’s robotic
"Canadarm" and the International space Station’s Mobile
Servicing System (MSS) that includes Canadarm-2 with Dextre et. al. In line with this
focus as a respected components manufacturer, The Canadian Space Agency recently
announced an investment of CDN$ 10.3 million (currently about $8.7 million) in 36
research and development projects involving new space technologies and applications.

The investments support Canada’s leadership position in niche markets such as robotics,
remote sensing both within and beyond space platforms, satellite communication components,
and radar; and for making groundbreaking technologies market-ready. Areas covered include
hyperspectral sensors, tunable on-orbit microwave filters, micro-motors, intelligent
optimization emulator for multiple spot-beam bandwidth management with quality of service,
multiple bandwidth and Q0S projects, planetary exploration sensors, more flexible
mechanical tools, navigation and control including formation flight, etc.

Their
backgrounder page has a full list of companies and projects, with 19 projects based in
the province of Ontario, 14 in Quebec, and 1 project each in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, and
Alberta. Canada-UK firm COM
DEV International Ltd. in Cambridge, Ontario was the big organizational winner, with 6
contracts totalling about CDN$ 2.35 million.

Related stories: Americas
– USA, Contracts
– Modifications, Other
Corporation, Surface
Ships – Other

Nineteenth HFC Leasing Corporation in Prospect Heights, IL received $48.6 million under
a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00033-82-C-1028) to exercise an option to
purchase Maritime Prepositioning Ship 2nd
Lt. John P. Bobo [T-AK 3008]. The ship has been under long-term charter to Military
Sealift Command since 1985, and is one of 16 Maritime Prepositioning Ships that
strategically place U.S. Marine Corps cargo at sea around the world, in order to make it
quickly available to US forces who are flown into a theater of operations. The ship will
remain crewed by about 30 civilian mariners employed by American Overseas Marine
Corporation of Quincy, MA. She will transfer to U.S. government ownership on Jan. 16,
2007, and will continue to operate worldwide. Military Sealift Command in Washington,
D.C., is the contracting activity.

Here’s the posthumous
Congressional Medal of Honor citation for 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo. It was earned in
Vietnam for, among other things, staying behind to cover his command group’s retreat with
ferocious machine gun fire after a mortar round blew off his leg.

Related stories: Americas
– USA, Bases
& Infrastructure, Contracts
– Awards, Engineer
Units, Other
Corporation

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. in Oak Brook, IL was awarded on Jan. 11, 2007, a $9.1
million firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of Wilmington Harbor., NC. Work
is expected to be complete by April 30, 2007. There were 14 bids solicited on Nov. 8,
2006, and 3 bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Savannah, GA issued
the contract (W912HN-07-C-0014).

Related stories: Americas
– USA, Britain/U.K.,
Domestic
Security, Electronics
– General, GE,
Other
Corporation, Partnerships
& Consortia, Sensors
& Guidance

Yesterday, DID covered
GE Aerospace’s $4.8 billion acquisition of aircraft control & diagnostic systems
manufacturer Smiths Aerospace, and explained the rationale for both sides. Their
relationship goes beyond that single transaction, however; on January 16, 2007, Smiths
Group and GE also announced that they have signed a letter of intent to create a detection
joint venture between Smiths Detection and GE Security’s Homeland Protection business.
Smiths GE Detection will be owned by Smiths Group (64%) and GE (36%). The transaction will
be subject to approval by Smiths shareowners as well as customary regulatory reviews, and
is conditioned on the completion of GE’s acquisition of Smiths Aerospace.

So, what are these firms’ key foci, how do they combine, and how will the new firm be
structured?