Le Pentagone achète pour 132 millions de dollars de parachutes "low cost, low altitude"

28.03.2012 par P. Chapleau Lignes de Défense

Le Pentagone a annoncé, le 27 mars, l’achat de parachutes « low cost » pour le largage à basse altitude (500 à 1 250 pieds). Le montant de ce contrat est de 132 millions de dollars. Trois entreprises ont été retenues : Mills Manufacturing, Paranetics Technology et Niche.

Ce type de largage est intensivement utilisé en Afghanistan. Selon des chiffres du Pentagone, entre 2002 et 2009, 60 525 969 US pounds (27 454 t) d’équipement ont été ainsi larguées. Ce volume est passé à 60 400 000 US pounds (27 396 t) pour la seule année 2010. En 2011, les largages basse altitude (avec des parachutes low cost, donc non réutilisables) ont atteint un volume record de 75 956 235 pounds (soit 34 453 tonnes).

L’intérêt de ce type de largage est double : il permet d’éviter des déplacements terrestres dans des zones d’accès difficiles et sur des routes où la menace des IED est permanente ; il se caractérise aussi par sa précision et sa rapidité. Pour voir une video d'un larguage de ce type, cliquer ici. Il s'agit d'un bimoteur Caribou qui ravaitaille une FOB US dans le Marzak.

Lire les notifications de contrats ci-dessous :

Mills Manufacturing Corp., Asheville, N.C.,* was awarded contract SPM4A7-12-D-0082. The award is firm fixed price, partial set aside, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract with a maximum $54,928,380 for low cost, low altitude parachutes. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. There were seven responses to the FedBizOPps proposal. Type of appropriation is FY12 Defense Working Capital Funds. The date of performance completion is March 24, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va.

 Paranetics Technology, Inc., San Luis, Ariz.,* was awarded contract SPM4A7-12-D-0084. The award is firm fixed price, partial set aside, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract with a maximum $54,928,380 for low cost, low altitude parachutes. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. There were seven responses to the FedBizOPps proposal. Type of appropriation is FY12 Defense Working Capital Funds. The date of performance completion is March 24, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va.

 Niche, Inc., New Bedford, Mass., was awarded contract SPM4A7-12-D-0083. The award is firm fixed price, partial set aside, indefinite delivery and indefinite quantity contract with a maximum $22,237,742 for low cost, low altitude parachutes. There are no other locations of performance. Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. There were seven responses to the FedBizOPps proposal. Type of appropriation is FY12 Defense Working Capital Funds. The date of performance completion is March 24, 2013. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Va.