A&D News

Industry News

Collins Aerospace in France Earns FRA 21J Certification for Military Airborne Platforms
FRA 21J design organization approval is a first step toward achieving European Military Airworthiness Requirements (EMAR) 21 certification of military aircraft and related products, parts and appliances. EMAR certification recognizes capabilities across approximately 30 European member states.

GE H Series Begins Operation in Kazakhstan
Aircraft Industries’ Let L-410, powered by GE H Series turboprop engines, has begun commercial operations in Kazakhstan with Kazakh-based Zhetysu Airline. GE’s H Series is a family of turboprop engines offering a wide range of power and performance customized for business and general aviation aircraft.

Cubic Updates Manufacturing Facility to Accommodate Production of Air Combat Training Solutions
announced that it is completing the renovation and upgrade of its San Diego manufacturing facility to accommodate the production and testing of components for pods, ground subsystems and secure components for its live, virtual and constructive (LVC) air combat training systems.

Collins Aerospace Signs Agreement to Provide Iridium CertusSM Terminals on Boeing 737 Max and 777X Airplanes
The solution will support safety services with two voice channels and ACARS/CMU datalink simultaneously providing cockpit voice and data connectivity. It will also provide an easy upgrade path from currently installed Collins Iridium solutions with a common antenna hole pattern, tray size and modest connector re-pinning.
The Iridium Certus SATCOM terminal will be the first forward-fit Iridium Certus SATCOM terminal to be certified for the Boeing 737 MAX and 777X — with certification expected in 2021.

Mercury Systems Ships First Space-Qualified Commercial Solid State Drives for Low Earth Orbit Satellite Application
Mercury announced the first prototype shipments of the Company’s 3U TRRUST-Stor™ VPX RT space-qualified secure solid-state drives (SSD) to two leading suppliers of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. Designed to operate reliably in high radiation environments, this device is the first commercial SSD leveraging VITA 78 SpaceVPX™ standards to reduce customer cost and mitigate program risk.

Boeing Autonomous Passenger Air Vehicle Completes First Flight
Boeing NeXt, which leads the company’s urban air mobility efforts, utilized Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences to design and develop the electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and will continue testing to advance the safety and reliability of on-demand autonomous air transportation. The PAV prototype completed a controlled takeoff, hover and landing during the flight, which tested the vehicle’s autonomous functions and ground control systems. Future flights will test forward, wing-borne flight, as well as the transition phase between vertical and forward-flight modes.

Cebu Pacific Takes Delivery of Its First A321neo
The new addition complements the Manila-based airline’s Airbus fleet, which currently includes 43 A320 Family aircraft and eight A330-300 widebodies. Cebu Pacific has ordered 32 A321neo aircraft directly from Airbus, and will receive another five A320neo leased from Dublin-based Avolon. These will support the carrier’s expansion and fleet renewal program.

M&A

Rheinmetall AG to Acquire majority stake in BAE Systems plc’s Land Systems Business
Maintains and upgrades MOD and Army vehicles and bridging systems. The business manufactured and built the Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank and the Warrior, Terrier and prototypes of the BOXER vehicles, as well as the Trojan, Terrier, Warrior, military bridging and the AS90 self-propelled artillery system.

Dassault Aviation to Acquire ExecuJet Maintenance Activities From Luxaviation Group
ExecuJet provides maintenance support capabilities for a diverse collection of aircraft types in 42 countries throughout the world. The maintenance business being sold to Dassault Aviation consists of its maintenance (MRO) centers, its Fixed Base Operations (FBO) as well as its aircraft management activities.

Enlightenment Capital Acquires System High Corp.
System High Corp. provides proactive protection (P2), security engineering, counterintelligence, and cybersecurity solutions, for government and commercial markets.

The Jordan Company, L.P. Portfolio Company VT Group Acquires National Technologies Associates, Inc. (NTA)
NTA specializes in program management, engineering, and logistics services for military aviation platforms and systems. Founded in 1981, NTA provides research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) support and a full spectrum of mission-critical maintenance and sustainment services for fixed and rotary-wing, tilt-rotor, and unmanned aircraft.

digEcor Completes Acquisition of Commercial IFE Business from Collins Aerospace – Re-branding to Burrana Following the Transaction
IFE business consists of the PAVES family of seat back and overhead solutions, as well as PAVES™ On-demand, Total Entertainment System (TES), Enhanced Total Entertainment System (ETES) and content services.

Henry Schein, Inc. to Acquire North American Rescue, LLC (NAR) From Blue Wolf Capital Partners, LLC
NAR provides survivability and casualty-care medical products to the defense and public-safety markets.

NWI Holdings, an Affiliate of TECT Aerospace and TECT Power, to Acquire the Metallics Machining Business of Triumph Group, Inc.
The transaction is to include Triumph Structures – Kansas City, Inc., part of Triumph Aerostructures, LLC’s Vought Aircraft Division, Triumph Structures – Wichita, Inc., part of Triumph’s Aerospace Structures Group, Triumph Gear Systems – Toronto, ULC, which reports to Park City, Utah-based Triumph Gear Systems, Inc., Triumph Northwest (The Triumph Group Operations, Inc.), part of Triumph’s Product Support Group. The businesses provide vertically integrated assemblies, high velocity machining of monolithic components and machining of hard metal components used to manufacturer a wide variety of aerostructures.

FLIR Systems, Inc. Acquires Aeryon Labs, Inc. From Summit Partners
Aeryon Labs Inc. designs and manufactures high-performance unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for the global military, public safety, and critical infrastructure markets.

ASGN, Inc. Acquires DHA Group, Inc.
DHA Group provides mobility, cybersecurity, cloud and IT services to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other federal customers. DHA will become part of ASGN’s ECS Segment.

Contracts

Army ACC_RSA Contracts With SRC Inc. for the Low, Slow Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Integrated Defeat System (LIDS)
The contractor will provide continued development, production, integration, spares, delivery, deployment and contractor logistics support (CLS) for the LIDS.
Work will be performed in Syracuse, NY, with an estimated date of completion by Jan. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation; operations and maintenance, Army; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $53,022,699 were obligated at the time of the award.

NGA Awards MACSS Task Order to BAE Systems for Full-Motion Video (FMV) Analytic Support
BAE Systems will continue providing Full-Motion Video (FMV) advanced analytic services, training, and intelligence production support. BAE Systems will also stand up a new Performance Innovation Council to introduce NGA leaders to new FMV services, software, systems, platforms, and sensors developed by BAE Systems and its program team, made up of several industry leading intelligence and technology companies.

Pratt & Whitney Contracts With Meggitt for the Supply of Parts for F135 and F119 Engines
A 10-year global agreement valued at around $750.0 million to continue the supply of advanced composite components for the F119 and F135 engines which power the F-22 Raptor and F-35 Lightning II aircraft.

NAVAIR HQ Mods Contract With General Atomics for Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) Spare Parts
A $19.7 million firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00019-19-F-2406) under a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0006) for the manufacture, assembly, inspection, integration, test and delivery of Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) spare parts in support of the CVN 78 prior to the Advanced Arresting Gear and EMALS material support dates.

Navy SPAWAR HQ Contracts With Thales Defense and Security for High Frequency Distribution Amplifier Group (HFDAG) System Components/Services
A $30.9 million ID/IQ contract (N00039-19-D-0001) for high frequency (HF) components used in the High Frequency Distribution Amplifier Group (HFDAG) system in support of the Program Executive Officer for Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (PEO C4I), Communication Program Office (PMW/A 170).

DLA Aviation at Philadelphia Mods Contract With Collins Aerospace for 151 F/A-18E Fluid Pressure Regulating Valves
A $5.0 million firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-L306) under a previously issued basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-13-G-001X) for 151 fluid pressure regulating valves (NSN: 4810-01-469-1460, P/N: 814201-8) applicable to the F/A-18E aircraft.

NAVAIR HQ Mods Contract With Boeing for 19 P-8A Lot 10 Aircraft and Services
A $2.45 billion firm-fixed-price modification under a previously awarded contract (N00019-14-C-0067) for the production and delivery of P-8A Lot 10 aircraft for the Navy and the governments of the U.K. and Norway.

Navy MSFSC Contracts With Ocean Ships Inc. for the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of Two Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) Vessels
A $119.0 million firm-fixed-price contract (N32205-19-C-3003) for the operation and maintenance (O&M) of two Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) vessels (USNS Montford Point (T-ESD 1) and USNS John Glenn (T-ESD 2)).

NAVAIR HQ Contracts With Rolls-Royce for T56-A-427 Engine Maintenance on E-2 Aircraft
A $26.3 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/requirements contract (N00019-19-D-0024) for the depot repair of T56-A-427 engines used on E-2 Hawkeye aircraft in support of the E-2/C-2 Tactical Data System Program Office (PMA 231).

AFLCMC Wright-Patterson Contracts With USU Space Dynamics Laboratory for Global Hawk Tasking, Collecting, Processing, Exploitation, and Dissemination (TCPED) Capability for FMS to Korea
A $18.3 million undefinitized contract action (FA8620-19-C-1002) for the tasking, collecting, processing, exploitation, and dissemination (TCPED) capability to support the Republic of Korea (ROK) Global Hawk program.