
The VH-3D presidential helicopter is shown in flight. (Image:United States Naval Air Systems Command)
Northrop Grumman Systems will be given a $19.8 million Navy contract for work related to the Navigation Systems Replacement (INS-R) Inertial Sensor Module (ISM), which will be used as the Navy’s primary position source in the event that a GPS cannot be used aboard ships.
The contract will have a total value of $47.7 million if all of the options related to the contract are exercised.
According to the announcement made by the U.S. Department of Defense, “The INS-R will provide mission critical ship positioning, velocity, and altitude data to shipboard sensors, combat systems, guns, and missile systems.”
Under the contract, Northrop Grumman Systems will conduct INS-R ISM design, development, and production work. The company will also provide related technical support and spares. The labor will be performed throughout the U.S. and should be finished by November 2016. Two offers were submitted for the contract.
Also included in the DoD statement was a $14 million contract that will be awarded to Sikorsky Aircraft for upgrades to the Presidential Helicopter Program. Helicopters under the program are used to transport the president and vice president of the United States, heads of state, and other parties such as foreign dignitaries.
The Lockheed Martin subsidiary will provide aircraft sustainment services, such as project engineering, security, helicopter training, and logistics support. The majority of the labor (88 percent) will be conducted in Stratford, Conn., while the rest of the work will take place in Quantico, Va. All of the labor should be finished in November 2016.The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract was not competitively obtained.
San Diego-based Kratos Defense & Rocket Support Services was given a $7.9 million contract for rocket motors and hardware that will go into Aegis Readiness Assessment Vehicles (ARAVs), which are sub-orbital target vehicles.
“These ARAVs are well characterized have been in use for over 10 years to support fleet training and proficiency exercises. The vehicles have also been used for weapon system upgrade tests.
More than $6 million in fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation will be assigned with the award, none of which will expire at the end of the 2015 fiscal year. The firm-fixed-price contract was not competitively obtained. The majority of the labor (75 percent) will be conducted in Rocket Center, W.V., with the remaining work taking place in Glen Burnie, Md. All of the labor should be finished by November 2017.
Filed Under: Aerospace + defense