Tuesday, December 14, 2010

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Ecuador Purchases Ex-SAAF Cheetah Fighters

Defense News: DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Ecuador Purchases Ex-SAAF Cheetah Fighters
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources The South African Air Force
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 14, 2010: An agreement to conclude the deal was recently signed by the CEO of Denel Aviation, Mike Kgobe in the capital city of Ecuador, Quito.

Denel Aviation has confirmed that the total contract value of the 12 Cheetah fighter aircraft sold to Ecuador is expected to be $78.4 million.

Denel Aviation is the design authority of the Cheetah single-seat fighter that was locally developed with Isreali assistance in the 1980’s. The aircraft is a variant of the Mirage lll, with improved aerodynamics and superior avionics, radar and weapon systems. In terms of the agreement with the Ecuadorian Air Force, Denel Aviation will continue to provide a comprehensive maintenance and support service for at least five years following the sale, with an option for renewal.

Nine dual-seat and seventeen single-seat Saab Gripen fighter aircraft were acquired in 1998 under the Strategic Defence package acquisition programmes to replace the Cheetah C and Ds in service. The Cheetah system was only to be phased out once all the Gripens had been delivered in 2012. However, the Cheetah was phased out in April 2008 to save costs and the Gripens are still in the process of being delivered.

"This is an exciting business deal for South Africa," says Kgobe. "The Denel Cheetahs have been in storage since they were retired from active duty in 2008. Denel Aviation and the South African Cheetah Support industry in conjunction with the South African Air Force were directly involved in the decommissioning and packaging for storage of the aircraft and support infrastructure.

Kgobe stated that Denel’s offer met the needs of the Ecuadorian Air Force (FAE) that was looking to modernise its fighter fleet. Negotiations between Denel Aviation, Armscor and the FAE have been continuing since 2009. A FAE team visited South Africa in April this year to inspect the Cheetah fleet and to witness specific evaluation flights. The aircraft have been made available for sale through Armscor, the state agency responsible for the sale of surplus military products and equipment.

Complete maintenance and acceptance flight testing will be conducted in South Africa and in Ecuador, now that the deal has been finalised. Denel Aviation earlier visited FAE facilities to review the infrastructure and technical capability of the Ecuadorian Air Force to accommodate the Cheetah aircraft to evaluate the level of support required and to identify the need for further training.

"This is a huge breakthrough for Denel Aviation and it will open up a number of new opportunities for Denel and other players in the local industry involved in Cheetah support," says Mr Kgobe.

*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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  • DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated December 14, 2010

    Defense News: DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated December 14, 2010
    Source: U.S. DoD issued No. 1145-10 December 14, 2010
    (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - December 14, 2010: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued December 14, 2010 are undermentioned;

    CONTRACTS

    NAVY

    BAE Systems Land & Armaments, LP, Ground Systems Division, York, Pa., is being awarded a $41,864,246 firm-fixed-priced modification to previously awarded delivery order #0011 under contract M67854-07-D-5025 for field service representative support, in and outside the continental United States, for Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles. Work will be performed in Tampa, Fla., and in Iraq, and is expected to be completed by December 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $41,864,246 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

    K2 Solutions, Inc.*, Southern Pines, N.C., is being awarded a $24,880,894 firm-fixed-price contract for improvised explosive device detector dog (IDD) procurement, training, sustainment and conditioning, and handler training. The contract will also provide for kenneling of the IDDs and basic care during the period of performance. The work will be performed in Richmond County, N.C., and team integration training venues designated by the Marine Corps (currently Twentynine Palms, Calif.) prior to deployment. This contract is expected to be completed December 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $24,881,000 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This requirement was competitively procured as a 100 percent set-aside for small business, with three proposals solicited and three offers received. The U.S. Marine Corps, Regional Contracting Office, National Capitol Region, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity for contract (M00264-11-C-0004).

    Jacobs Technology, Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded $10,028,003 for task order #0034 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (M67854-02-A-9017). The scope of this effort is to provide technical support to the Marine Corps Systems Command, Information Systems and Infrastructure Product Group, Marine Corps Network and Infrastructure Services Program Office to provide sustainment support and additional transition support to include assisting in monitoring the cutover progress and attending daily meetings. Throughout the contract period, the contractor will be required to coordinate schedules, assist with data collection for assets, user requirements management; application inventory; and related actions necessary to effect transition activities and seat cutover, technical refresh schedules and activities and life-cycle sustainment in the Navy Marine Corps Internet environment and the continuity of services contract. The scope of this task shall be structured to reflect support for major commands across the Marine Corps sites. Work will be performed in Quantico, Va., and is expected to be completed in December 2011. Contract funds will expire are the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps System Command, Quantico, Va., is the contracting activity.

    RSA Engineering, Inc., Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded a maximum amount $7,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineer services contract for construction surveillance and inspection Title II services and engineering services for various National Science Foundation projects at Antarctica and New Zealand. Work will be performed in Antarctica (95 percent) and New Zealand (5 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of December 2015. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-11-D-0004).

    AIR FORCE

    Northrop Grumman Space and Missions Systems Corp., Intelligence Systems Division, San Jose, Calif., was awarded a $7,405,554 contract modification to incorporate the Phase II, mobile calibration equipment, flight line support equipment, flight line support equipment spares, and program support into the delivery order in support of the Airborne Signals Intelligence Program family of sensors. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. ASC/WINK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-08-G-3007 0002 09).

    The Boeing Co., Newark, Ohio, was awarded a $27,453,613 contract to provide Minuteman III guidance repair alignment test sets. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated. OO-ALC/AFNWC/PKME, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (F42610-99-D-0006-0053).

    *Small business


    *This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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    • DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated December 14, 2010

      Defense News: DTN News: Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News Dated December 14, 2010
      Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources including latest updates Defense News, Aerospace/Defense Headlines - News & Yahoo
      (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 14, 2010: Comprehensive daily news related to Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY.
      *Comprehensive daily news related on Aerospace/Defense for the world of TODAY

      Tuesday December 14, 2010

      Monday December 13, 2010


      *This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News, contact: dtnnews@ymail.com

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