Contracts

General Dynamics Awarded $5 Million for Production of M2HB Machine Gun Receivers

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a $5.5 million contract from U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command, Rock Island, Ill., for the production of receiver assemblies for the M2HB machine gun. Deliveries on this contract will commence in January and extend through October 2007.

Contracts

General Dynamics Awarded $5 Million for Production of M2HB Machine Gun Receivers

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a $5.5 million contract from U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command, Rock Island, Ill., for the production of receiver assemblies for the M2HB machine gun. Deliveries on this contract will commence in January and extend through October 2007.

Contracts

General Dynamics Awarded $5 Million for Production of M2HB Machine Gun Receivers

General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products, a business unit of General Dynamics, was awarded a $5.5 million contract from U.S. Army Tank Automotive Command, Rock Island, Ill., for the production of receiver assemblies for the M2HB machine gun. Deliveries on this contract will commence in January and extend through October 2007.

Defence Industry

BAE Systems Signs an Agreement to Sell Lighting and Control Device for Fighting Vehicles

BAE Systems signed an agreement with ELTAM, a leading developer and manufacturer of intelligent Light Emitting Diode (LED) based light and control systems, to promote and sell its LED-based products for military vehicles. The first product of this family is the LED-based Light, Emergency Light, Battery Status Indicator (LEBSI).

Defence Industry

State-owned Enterprise Kharkiv Morozov Machine Building Design Bureau (SOE KMDB) of Ukraine has begun to series-produce computer-based simulators for BMP-2 Infantry Fighting Vehicles

SOE KMDB has a multi-year experience in designing, developing, and manufacturing various simulators for armoured vehicles. The specific feature of the computer-based simulators developed by the SOE KMDB is their modular design. The simulators can be used both for training the whole crew and for training the driver, commander, and gunner separately. At the customer's request, the simulators can either be installed on the universal motion platform or supplied in a static version.

Defence Industry

Rolls-Royce Invests in Electric Drive Technology

Rolls-Royce announced it has continued its development strategy in electrical systems by concluding an exclusive licensing agreement with Magnetic Systems Technology Ltd, a company specialising in power dense electric drives, permanent magnet motor systems and power electronics. As part of this agreement, Rolls-Royce is also taking a minority shareholding in Magnetic Systems Technology Ltd.

Defence Industry

Ceradyne to Develop Prototype Lightweight Ceramic Armoured Truck Cab for Mack Trucks Crew Protection Package for U.S. Army Long Term Armor Strategy

Ceradyne, Inc. received a purchase order from Mack Trucks, Inc. for a prototype lightweight ceramic armoured truck cab incorporating technology specifically designed to meet the requirements of the U.S. Army's recently announced Long Term Armor Strategy (LTAS). Ceradyne expects to deliver the armoured cab to Mack in August 2006.

Contracts

BAE Systems Awarded $30.5 Million to Upgrade Additional Carriers

BAE Systems has been awarded a contract option worth $30.5 million to upgrade 112 M1068 Standard Integrated Command Post System (SICPS) carriers to the A3 model for the U.S. Army. The additional option is expected to take production through to November 2007.

Term of the day

Male and Female Tanks

During the First World War, the British Mark 1 tank was armed either with guns or machine guns. If it was fitted with two 6-pounder guns, it was called 'Male tank'; if it was fitted with machine guns only, it was called 'Female Tank'. So, the term 'Male Tank' has no significance other than to distinguish this tank from a Female Tank.

Contracts

General Dynamics Land Systems Receives $135 Million to Upgrade M1A2 Main Battle Tanks to the Most Advanced Configuration

The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics, a $134.6 million contract to upgrade 60 M1A2 Abrams main battle tanks to the System Enhancement Package (SEP) configuration (M1A2 SEP) - the latest, most technologically advanced Abrams tank. The contract includes a $145 million option to upgrade 60 additional M1A2 Abrams battle tanks.

Defence Industry

Cubic Delivers First Comprehensive Homestation Training System to U.S. Army Command in Korea

The defense segment of Cubic Corporation announced it had delivered the U.S. Army's first Initial - Homestation Instrumentation Training System (I-HITS) - the world's most advanced deployable training system - to the Eighth U.S. Army at Camp Casey, Korea. I-HITS provides high-fidelity training capabilities, including battle tracking, data collection and after-action reviews, without the need for a fixed infrastructure.

Contracts

Armor Holdings Announces $172M Body Armor Component Award

Armor Holdings, Inc., a leading manufacturer and distributor of safety and survivability systems, tactical wheeled vehicles and vehicle armor systems serving military and homeland security announced that the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command had awarded a new three year Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity contract having a maximum value of $172 million.

Term of the day

High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) or High Explosive Plastic (HEP) Round

This is a type of anti-tank ammunition in which the explosive is contained in a thin-walled projectile which deforms on contact with the target, allowing the explosive to spread. A base fuse then detonates the explosive which sends shock waves through the armour. The shock waves are reflected from the internal face of the armour and when they meet the next incoming wave, the resulting wave front causes the armour to fracture. This type of ammunition is not velocity dependent as it relies on chemical energy to achieve its effect.

Contracts

Ultralife Batteries Awarded $1.3 Million Military Battery and Charger Contracts

Ultralife Batteries, Inc. has been awarded contracts valued at approximately $1.3 million for UBI-2590 rechargeable batteries and MRC-119 battery chargers from an undisclosed foreign military. The batteries and chargers will be used to power tactical military radio transceivers. Deliveries are expected to begin in August and be completed during the 3rd quarter.

Term of the day

High Explosive Anti-Tank Round

A type of chemical energy ammunition (i.e., ammunition where the penetrative power is generated by explosive energy rather than by kinetic energy) fitted with a high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) – or hollow charge – warhead. The HEAT warhead is not velocity dependent. In order to achieve penetration, the limited amount of explosive is shaped into an inverted, rearward-facing cone lined with a metal such as copper or some other ductile material. When the charge is detonated by a nose fuze, a jet of high energy gas and vaporised metal is projected forward at speeds, typically, of 6,000 m per second. This plasma jet acts like a cutting torch.