US DoD awards big contracts to Leonardo DRS for ground combat electro-optical/IR systems

November 2018 Global Defense Security army news industry
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Leonardo DRS announced that it has won Department of Defense contracts for Electro-Optical/Infrared programs worth up to $800 million. The significant U.S. military Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity program contracts were awarded in September 2018. The contracts include: a ten-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract from the U.S. Army to produce the Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder 3, a next-generation lightweight precision laser targeting system, enabling forward observers to call for precision-guided munitions onto targets. The firm-fixed-price contract, awarded September 9, 2018, is worth up to $231 million, if all options are exercised over ten years.

US DoD awards big contracts to Leonardo DRS for ground combat electro optical IR systems
Lightweight Laser Designator Rangefinder (LLDR) 3 (Picture source: Leonardo DRS)

An Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract by the U.S. Army to provide advanced infrared components for the Horizontal Technology Integration Second-Generation FLIR for ground vehicle sighting systems. The systems provide armored vehicle crews with the ability to see clearly, regardless of light level, adverse weather conditions, and battlefield smoke and dust. The contract, announced September 6, 2018, has an initial value of $30 million and a total value of up to $435 million if all options are exercised.

A contract extension by the Naval Surface Warfare Center to continue to produce the Improved Night Observation Device (INOD) Block III thermal weapon sight for components of SOCOM and Marine snipers. The INOD system is a cooled thermal mid-wave infrared imager with the ability to import data and export images. The system enables operators to successfully engage targets beyond 800 meters as well as see their bullet trace. The Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract is worth up to $69,070,698 million, with a current delivery order of $17,590,518 million. The contract was awarded on September 25, 2018.

A follow-on contract delivery order by the U.S. Army to produce and field its advanced, uncooled, infrared Family of Weapon Sights-Individual (FWS-I). The contract was awarded on September 1, 2018. The contract delivery order, part of an existing Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity, is worth up to $44 million, advances the FWS-I program to the low rate initial production stage after successfully proving the technology during development of the system.

A contract, awarded September 19th, 2018, by the U.S. Army Contracting Command to provide stabilized infrared camera sensors for Assault Breaching Vehicles that allow the user a clear view while remaining protected during combat operations. The Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity contract for the Integrated Vision System (IVS) system is valued up to $19.8 million with the initial purchase of $4.6 million.

“We are proud to provide these state-of-the-art systems to help ensure our soldiers are able to overmatch the enemy on current or future battlefields,” said Shawn Black, vice president and general manager of Leonardo DRS’s EOIR business unit. “We have a long history of supplying the Army with advanced EOIR technology, and these awards demonstrate our customers know soldiers are getting the best product to ensure their mission is accomplished,” he said.