Martin UK in a 1 billion pound ($1.7 billion) competition to upgrade the British Army's Warrior infantry fighting vehicle.
BAE Systems attacked the Lockheed design for Warrior just hours after bids had been submitted for the update. (LOCKHEED MARTIN) The British armored vehicle maker is offering a new turret based on its MTIP2 development for the Warrior Capability Sustainment program (WSCP), while arch rival Lockheed is bidding an adaptation of the existing turret.
The attack on the Lockheed design was made just hours after bids had been submitted for the Warrior update.
"As the manufacturer of Warrior, we took the view that modifying the existing turret was not a satisfactory solution as it could raise safety issues. Instead, we have developed a completely new design which fully meets the U.K. MoD protection requirements," BAE said in a statement.
A spokesman for BAE said a modified turret posed safety questions in areas such as "structural integrity, protection and crew exit, as well as workload and fightability."
One industry executive said he was "stunned by the decision to go public with accusations of this kind against a rival bidder. It's unprecedented in my experience and takes bidding to a new low. If I was the customer I would be pretty angry."
The BAE statement took a further swing at its rival, implying that troops would not be able to evacuate the Warrior quickly in an emergency because hatches in existing turrets are becoming too small for the modern soldier.
"Large hatches [of the BAE design] are designed to accommodate today's and tomorrow's soldier wearing full Osprey body armour," the statement said.
"Soldiers are getting bigger and crew positions in many existing vehicles are becoming too cramped to accommodate them or allow easy exit from the vehicle in an emergency," it said. The accusation that the Lockheed design would put British soldiers' lives at risk threatens to spark a major row.
Wrapping your bid in the national flag or raising the emotive issue of job losses if an overseas bidder wins a competition has been a regular part of the procurement lobbying process for years. Attacking a rival bid on the grounds that it is unsafe is probably unheard of.
A second industry executive described BAE's move an "act of desperation, it shows how important the bid is to the survival prospects of the land systems business in the U.K."
Lockheed strongly refuted the allegation in a statement released Nov. 18.
"LMUK and its Warrior Transformation Team partners are committed to putting the soldier first. We have created a solution that increases the soldier's safety and increases mission effectiveness.
"We have conducted finite element analysis, which proves the structural integrity of our solution. We have upgraded the turret to include mine blast seats with five point harnesses," the statement said.
"We have worked with the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory and Cranfield on our integrated protection solution, which is fully compliant with the highest requirements in the [MoD's] Systems Requirement Document. We have worked with small and medium size companies throughout the development process to ensure that our solution significantly increases soldier safety," said Lockheed.
Both companies submitted their bids to the MoD by today's deadline for the WCSP. The program covers a new turret, electronic architecture, a modular protection system and other improvements.
Assuming the program doesn't fall foul of upcoming cuts in defense spending, a decision is expected early next year with an in-service date possibly as early as 2013.
Warrior, and a battle with General Dynamics to supply the platform for the special vehicles element of the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES), have assumed critical importance to BAE as their other work in the sector dwindles.
The company has announced the closure of three land vehicles facilities along with several hundred job losses in the United Kingdom in the last few months. Even if BAE wins one, or possibly both competitions, the future of its main armor manufacturing site in Newcastle will remain uncertain.
Much of the work on the Warrior upgrade likely will go to the U.K. government-owned Defence Support Group regardless of whether BAE or Lockheed win the Warrior work.
CTA International's CT 40mm cannon has been mandated by the MoD for the Warrior and FRES scout element of the special vehicles purchase.
For the FRES requirement BAE is bidding the CV-90 machine built by its Swedish operation.
General Dynamics recently signed up Lockheed as its turret design partner for the FRES special vehicles requirement.
This time, though, Lockheed has designed a new turret. Bids for FRES were submitted at the end of October.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
DTN News: BAE Challenges Safety Of Lockheed Turret In Warrior Bid
DTN News: BAE Challenges Safety Of Lockheed Turret In Warrior Bid
*Source: DTN News / Int'l Media
(NSI News Source Info) DUBAI, UAE - November 19, 2009: BAE Systems has questioned the safety of a rival turret design being bid by Lockheed 
Martin UK in a 1 billion pound ($1.7 billion) competition to upgrade the British Army's Warrior infantry fighting vehicle.
BAE Systems attacked the Lockheed design for Warrior just hours after bids had been submitted for the update. (LOCKHEED MARTIN) The British armored vehicle maker is offering a new turret based on its MTIP2 development for the Warrior Capability Sustainment program (WSCP), while arch rival Lockheed is bidding an adaptation of the existing turret.
The attack on the Lockheed design was made just hours after bids had been submitted for the Warrior update.
"As the manufacturer of Warrior, we took the view that modifying the existing turret was not a satisfactory solution as it could raise safety issues. Instead, we have developed a completely new design which fully meets the U.K. MoD protection requirements," BAE said in a statement.
A spokesman for BAE said a modified turret posed safety questions in areas such as "structural integrity, protection and crew exit, as well as workload and fightability."
One industry executive said he was "stunned by the decision to go public with accusations of this kind against a rival bidder. It's unprecedented in my experience and takes bidding to a new low. If I was the customer I would be pretty angry."
The BAE statement took a further swing at its rival, implying that troops would not be able to evacuate the Warrior quickly in an emergency because hatches in existing turrets are becoming too small for the modern soldier.
"Large hatches [of the BAE design] are designed to accommodate today's and tomorrow's soldier wearing full Osprey body armour," the statement said.
"Soldiers are getting bigger and crew positions in many existing vehicles are becoming too cramped to accommodate them or allow easy exit from the vehicle in an emergency," it said. The accusation that the Lockheed design would put British soldiers' lives at risk threatens to spark a major row.
Wrapping your bid in the national flag or raising the emotive issue of job losses if an overseas bidder wins a competition has been a regular part of the procurement lobbying process for years. Attacking a rival bid on the grounds that it is unsafe is probably unheard of.
A second industry executive described BAE's move an "act of desperation, it shows how important the bid is to the survival prospects of the land systems business in the U.K."
Lockheed strongly refuted the allegation in a statement released Nov. 18.
"LMUK and its Warrior Transformation Team partners are committed to putting the soldier first. We have created a solution that increases the soldier's safety and increases mission effectiveness.
"We have conducted finite element analysis, which proves the structural integrity of our solution. We have upgraded the turret to include mine blast seats with five point harnesses," the statement said.
"We have worked with the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory and Cranfield on our integrated protection solution, which is fully compliant with the highest requirements in the [MoD's] Systems Requirement Document. We have worked with small and medium size companies throughout the development process to ensure that our solution significantly increases soldier safety," said Lockheed.
Both companies submitted their bids to the MoD by today's deadline for the WCSP. The program covers a new turret, electronic architecture, a modular protection system and other improvements.
Assuming the program doesn't fall foul of upcoming cuts in defense spending, a decision is expected early next year with an in-service date possibly as early as 2013.
Warrior, and a battle with General Dynamics to supply the platform for the special vehicles element of the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES), have assumed critical importance to BAE as their other work in the sector dwindles.
The company has announced the closure of three land vehicles facilities along with several hundred job losses in the United Kingdom in the last few months. Even if BAE wins one, or possibly both competitions, the future of its main armor manufacturing site in Newcastle will remain uncertain.
Much of the work on the Warrior upgrade likely will go to the U.K. government-owned Defence Support Group regardless of whether BAE or Lockheed win the Warrior work.
CTA International's CT 40mm cannon has been mandated by the MoD for the Warrior and FRES scout element of the special vehicles purchase.
For the FRES requirement BAE is bidding the CV-90 machine built by its Swedish operation.
General Dynamics recently signed up Lockheed as its turret design partner for the FRES special vehicles requirement.
This time, though, Lockheed has designed a new turret. Bids for FRES were submitted at the end of October.
Martin UK in a 1 billion pound ($1.7 billion) competition to upgrade the British Army's Warrior infantry fighting vehicle.
BAE Systems attacked the Lockheed design for Warrior just hours after bids had been submitted for the update. (LOCKHEED MARTIN) The British armored vehicle maker is offering a new turret based on its MTIP2 development for the Warrior Capability Sustainment program (WSCP), while arch rival Lockheed is bidding an adaptation of the existing turret.
The attack on the Lockheed design was made just hours after bids had been submitted for the Warrior update.
"As the manufacturer of Warrior, we took the view that modifying the existing turret was not a satisfactory solution as it could raise safety issues. Instead, we have developed a completely new design which fully meets the U.K. MoD protection requirements," BAE said in a statement.
A spokesman for BAE said a modified turret posed safety questions in areas such as "structural integrity, protection and crew exit, as well as workload and fightability."
One industry executive said he was "stunned by the decision to go public with accusations of this kind against a rival bidder. It's unprecedented in my experience and takes bidding to a new low. If I was the customer I would be pretty angry."
The BAE statement took a further swing at its rival, implying that troops would not be able to evacuate the Warrior quickly in an emergency because hatches in existing turrets are becoming too small for the modern soldier.
"Large hatches [of the BAE design] are designed to accommodate today's and tomorrow's soldier wearing full Osprey body armour," the statement said.
"Soldiers are getting bigger and crew positions in many existing vehicles are becoming too cramped to accommodate them or allow easy exit from the vehicle in an emergency," it said. The accusation that the Lockheed design would put British soldiers' lives at risk threatens to spark a major row.
Wrapping your bid in the national flag or raising the emotive issue of job losses if an overseas bidder wins a competition has been a regular part of the procurement lobbying process for years. Attacking a rival bid on the grounds that it is unsafe is probably unheard of.
A second industry executive described BAE's move an "act of desperation, it shows how important the bid is to the survival prospects of the land systems business in the U.K."
Lockheed strongly refuted the allegation in a statement released Nov. 18.
"LMUK and its Warrior Transformation Team partners are committed to putting the soldier first. We have created a solution that increases the soldier's safety and increases mission effectiveness.
"We have conducted finite element analysis, which proves the structural integrity of our solution. We have upgraded the turret to include mine blast seats with five point harnesses," the statement said.
"We have worked with the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory and Cranfield on our integrated protection solution, which is fully compliant with the highest requirements in the [MoD's] Systems Requirement Document. We have worked with small and medium size companies throughout the development process to ensure that our solution significantly increases soldier safety," said Lockheed.
Both companies submitted their bids to the MoD by today's deadline for the WCSP. The program covers a new turret, electronic architecture, a modular protection system and other improvements.
Assuming the program doesn't fall foul of upcoming cuts in defense spending, a decision is expected early next year with an in-service date possibly as early as 2013.
Warrior, and a battle with General Dynamics to supply the platform for the special vehicles element of the Future Rapid Effects System (FRES), have assumed critical importance to BAE as their other work in the sector dwindles.
The company has announced the closure of three land vehicles facilities along with several hundred job losses in the United Kingdom in the last few months. Even if BAE wins one, or possibly both competitions, the future of its main armor manufacturing site in Newcastle will remain uncertain.
Much of the work on the Warrior upgrade likely will go to the U.K. government-owned Defence Support Group regardless of whether BAE or Lockheed win the Warrior work.
CTA International's CT 40mm cannon has been mandated by the MoD for the Warrior and FRES scout element of the special vehicles purchase.
For the FRES requirement BAE is bidding the CV-90 machine built by its Swedish operation.
General Dynamics recently signed up Lockheed as its turret design partner for the FRES special vehicles requirement.
This time, though, Lockheed has designed a new turret. Bids for FRES were submitted at the end of October.
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