The Pentagon announced contracts totaling $17.4 million on Friday to retain contractors’ workforce capabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All were ordered under the Defense Production Act Title III, which provides the president with broad authority to support, through economic incentives, essential domestic industrial resources involved in national defense and homeland security requirements.

A $3.1 million contract, in conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services, was announced with BioFire Defense LLC of Salt Lake City to expand production capacity for diagnostic testing for the COVID-19 virus.

AQYR Technologies received a $3.6 million contract to expand production capability of the Global Broadcast Service Portable Receiver Suite. A Defense Department statement on Friday called the New Hampshire-based company “the sole source supplier of the PRS tactical and portable terminals, which enable war fighters to receive extremely large intelligence products (streaming video, imagery, geospatial, etc.) while reducing the chances of discovery by enemy signals detection systems.”

Phoenix-based Leonardo Electronics US Ltd. received a $7 million contract to continue manufacturing Diode Pumped Alkali Laser systems, a hybrid of gas- and solid-state lasers. The statement referred to sustainment of the systems’ supply chain as a “critical domestic capability.”

A $3.7 million contract was awarded to Aero Turbine of Stockton, Calif., to build, overhaul, test and repair General Electric J85 engines used by the U.S. military on light attack and military aircraft, including the Cessna A-37 Dragonfly, Northrop F-5 and Northrop T-38 Talon.

Related Links

The Military Industrial Complex at SpaceWar.com
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UN rejects Iran arms embargo extension, crisis looms

United Nations, United States (AFP) Aug 15, 2020


The United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly rejected a US resolution to extend an Iranian arms embargo on Friday, in a move with huge repercussions for the Iran nuclear deal.

Only two of the Council’s 15 members voted in favor, highlighting the division between Washington and its European allies since President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear accord in May 2018.

Tehran mocked the Trump administration for its failure to win more than just a single vote of support, from the Dominican … read more