Contracts
Army Contract Seeks New Kinetic Missile Interceptor To Kill Rockets, Artillery
The Army is awarding contracts for design and demonstration of a prototype kinetic-kill missile interceptor that would take down enemy rockets, artillery and mortars.
Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC] received one of the contracts, worth $6 million in the first phase and up to $40 million if all options are utilized. The other contract went to Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT], worth some $100 million if all options are used, a Lockheed spokesman said.
This new system would be developed as rogue nations and terrorists are gaining rockets and missiles in increasing numbers, a rising threat to U.S. forces.
The contract calls for design, fabrication, integration and test hardware and software for the system, a new battle element (BE) that is part of the Extended Area Protection and Survivability Integrated Demonstration (EAPS ID) program.
The purpose of the EAPS ID is to create a mobile missile system (or BE) that can engage multiple, in-flight RAM threats accurately, and protect forward-deployed forces over a larger defended area at a much lower system cost, and cost-per-hit, than is currently possible, according to Northrop.
The Army Aviation and Missile Command/Research, Development, and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Ala., manages the contract.
During the next five years, Northrop and its subcontractors will demonstrate technology for a complete kinetic energy weapon system battle element. The BE includes a low-cost missile, a launcher, fire control radar, and fire control computer to defeat a wide range of RAM threats.
By the end of the contract, Northrop will have demonstrated this new capability to the Army during interceptor system testing at the Yuma Proving Ground, Yuma, Ariz.
Companies working with Northrop on the program include Miltec Corp. and Torch Systems, both of Huntsville. The initial award, option one, is for $6 million and extends through November. Options two through five will be executed annually for a total contract value of up to $40 million.
Northrop Gains $37.3 Million For Radar Sets Work
The Navy gave Northrop Grumman Corp. [NOC] a $37.3 million contract change for radar equipment.
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems, Inc. of Melville, N.Y. will provide seven AN/SPQ-9B Radar Sets with Traveling Wave Tube Amplifier (TWTA) transmitter upgrades.
As well, the company will provide three combat interface kits for CEC, and four combat interface kits for the Aegis weapon control system.
The AN/SPQ-9B Radar is an over the horizon anti-ship missile defense radar whose function it is to provide enhanced capability to detect, track and respond to very low flying altitude threats, small radar cross section, high-speed targets.
This option will provide SPQ-9B Radars for installation on several ship classes, including aircraft carriers, cruisers, Coast Guard vessels and amphibious transport dock ships.
Work will be performed in Melville, N.Y., Norwalk, Conn., and Baltimore, by October 2010.
The Naval Sea Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard, handles the contract.
Aerojet Signs Deal With Boeing On Ares 1 Upper Stage Rocket
Aerojet, a GenCorp [GY] company, signed an associate contractor’s agreement (ACA) with The Boeing Co. [BA] on the Ares I upper stage rocket.
Ares will lift to orbit the Orion space capsule, the next-generation U.S. spaceship, now moving through development and into its first physical reality. (Please see separate story in this issue.)
Participating companies within the ACA include: Aerojet, Boeing, the Hamilton Sundstrand unit of United Technologies Corp. [UTX], Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Moog Inc. and Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc.
Aerojet director of space propulsion & systems, Carla Bossard, participated in the signing ceremony.
The company has been under an existing contract with NASA Marshall Space Flight Center since last May to develop the roll control system for Ares I.
The two-stage rocket will carry NASA’s next generation Orion crew launch vehicle to Earth orbit. The roll control system is designed to ensure the Ares I stays on its designated trajectory throughout the first two minutes of flight.
Raytheon Given $31 Million Contract For Tomahawk Launching Gear
The Navy gave Raytheon Co. [RTN] a $31 million contract change to provide Tomahawk missile launching system gear.
The Raytheon unit, in Tucson, Ariz.., will provide 68 Tomahawk Composite Capsule Launching System (CCLS) Capsules and 20 SSGN/SSN CCLS Retrofit Kits. SSGNs are missile- launching submarines.
Work will be performed in Tucson, by January 2010.
The Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, Md., handles the contract.
NASA Awards Support Services Contract For Kennedy Space Center
NASA awarded a support services contract to Rede-Critique of Metairie, La., to provide support services to Kennedy Space Center.
The indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract has an estimated value of $45 million during a four-year, six-month performance period, which includes a six-month base period and four one-year option periods.
The contract consolidates several current institutional support service contracts.
Offices supported by the contract include the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, Launch Services and Constellation programs, as well as Engineering, External Relations and the Kennedy center director.
Services will include non-technical administrative support such as technical training, clerical support, financial management support, personnel program activity, employee development and training, employee benefits, personnel action processing, procurement acquisition and administration support, business systems support, technical training programs, and records management.
Lockheed Submits Proposal To Build Goes-R Satellite
Lockheed Martin Corp. [LMT] submitted a proposal to design and build the satellite for a new constellation of environmental observers, in hopes of winning a contract likely to be awarded late this year, the company announced.
Lockheed proposes to provide the spacecraft for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite – Series R (GOES-R) system for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Lockheed is proposing to build the satellite using the A2100 geosynchronous spacecraft bus and imaging capabilities from past remote sensing programs such as IKONOS and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.
The contract is scheduled to be awarded by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in late 2008, and will include two GOES-R satellites — with first delivery in 2014 — and options for two more spacecraft. The total program value is expected to exceed $1 billion.
Lockheed has build environmental and weather satellites for NASA and NOAA for 48 years, the company stated, including TIROS, NIMBUS, UARS, Terra and Landsat. In addition, the proposal incorporates knowledge from Lockheed Martin’s successful GOES-R Program Definition and Risk Reduction contract.
Data from NOAA’s GOES spacecraft provide accurate real-time advance weather warnings to the commercial, educational, and public sectors.
The future GOES-R mission will improve the quality and timeliness of its forecasts, thereby generating significant economic benefits to the nation in the areas of weather and water, climate, ecosystems monitoring and management, and commerce and transportation, according to Lockheed.