Archives by date > 2011 > June > 13th
Training for US SOCOM's Best Friends
Jun 13, 2011 16:04 UTC
Aiiiirrrrborne!
In early June 2011, Vohne Liche Kennels, Inc. in Denver, IN received an $11.3 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for "multi purpose canine and handler training in support of U.S. Army Special Operations Command." The contract includes a base year and 4 option years, which would extend it to 2016. U.S. Army Special Operations Command manages the contract (H92239-11-D-0002).
Many military dogs are German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, or Belgian Malmois, though other breeds may be used. SOCOM's dogs became a topic of deep interest, after it was revealed that Osama Bin Laden was done in by 79 Navy SEALs… and one dog. As the humorous poster out there put it: "Man's Best Friend… because you can't strap a cat across your waist and parachute into Afghanistan." The British SAS have reportedly bought American dogs for similar operations, and Austrian special forces jumped with dogs in a recent NATO exercise; they report that the dogs are actually quite calm about it. I guess it's kind of like the world's largest, best-ever car window. Vendors like K-9 Storm provide the associated parachute harnesses, camera vests, assault vests, and other gear. The accompanying picture is US special forces dog trainer Mike Forsythe and his working dog Cara, breaking a record by jumping from 31,000 feet, wearing K-9 Storm's vest.
Rapid Fire: Evening 2011-06-13 | MoD's Major Projects Review Board
Fitch Ratings grades Lockheed Martin's financial status as 'A-'. The ratings are supported by such factors as Lockheed Martin's competitive position in the defense sector and growth prospects for several large programs. F-35 program restructuring and related cost growth gives cause for concern.
The Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency says the Defense Department is streamlining the administration of the foreign military sales program. The move comes as foreign military sales average $30 billion for each of the last three years, up almost three-fold from the 2005-2008 timeframe.
Honeywell announces that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire EMS Technologies, Inc., a provider of connectivity solutions for mobile networking, rugged mobile computers, and satellite communications, for approximately $491 million.
Rapid Fire Morning 2011-06-13: Saab Export Efforts
A new report from Pike Research predicts that global military agencies' spending on renewable energy technologies will continue to rise rapidly over the next two decades, growing from $1.8 billion per year in 2010 to $26.8 billion by 2030. Portable soldier power, land, air, sea vehicles and facilities operations will account for the majority of expenditure.
The U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development, and Engineering Center (AMRDEC) plans to award QinetiQ a $40 million 5 year contract to develop and evaluate new ground-based missile-and air-defense systems architectures in the Architecture Characterization Program (A2CP).