The fast descent of deal values in aerospace and defence (A&D) spurred by recession and the banking crisis of 2008 continued into 2009 with the first quarter of the year seeing a near-stalling of deal value. Since that time, deal values have revived but small deals continue to dominate the sector's activity, according to the PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) report 'Mission Control', an annual review of merger and acquisition activity in the global A&D industry released on February 22, 2010.

While deal activity stayed high, values plummeted:
• The average value of larger deals (US$50 million or above) fell 27% to US$379 million in 2009 from US$519 million in 2008.
• The total value of these larger deals dropped 62% from US$20.8 billion in 2008 to just US$7.9 billion in 2009.
• Total A&D deal value in 2009 fell 54% year-on-year to US$10 billion, its lowest level of the decade, and a 76% fall from the US$41.6 billion high of 2007.

Deal activity, as measured by the total number of deals, has stayed buoyant at near record levels as companies limit their acquisition budgets but continue to take advantage of opportunities to make small but strategic purchases.

The considerable moderation in deal ambition reflects continuing concern about program cost delays and overruns, lower orders for large military platforms and reduced passenger and freight travel.

Vector Aerospace Component Services – UK has received a 2009 Boeing Performance Excellence Award. The Boeing Company issues the award annually to recognise suppliers who have achieved superior performance. Vector Aerospace Component Service – UK maintained a Gold composite performance rating for each month of the 12-month performance period, from October 1, 2008 to September 30, 2009.

U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada a USD$29.2 million delivery order to supply 127 independent suspension kits for its Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program. General Dynamics Land Systems, the Canadian company's parent corporation, is a business unit of General Dynamics.

The TAK-4 independent suspensions, produced by Oshkosh, will be installed in-theatre onto previously delivered RG-31Mk5EM vehicles to enhance their ride quality and robustness.

U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) has awarded General Dynamics Land Systems-Canada a $227.4 million delivery order to produce 250 RG-31 Mk5E vehicles for its Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle program.

Vehicle production will occur at BAE Systems Land Systems OMC of Benoni, South Africa. Deliveries will be completed by October 2010.

This contract is in addition to the 1,402 RG-31 Mk5 vehicles already supplied by General Dynamics under the MRAP program. Separately, an additional 584 RG-31s were previously ordered by the U.S. Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command for route-clearance vehicles.

Ultra’s Precision Air Systems business, based in Gloucester, has won a contract worth over $8m from the US Navy to supply its HiPPAG airborne compressors for Canadian CF-18 aircraft. The contract is for High Pressure Pure Air Generators (HiPPAGs™) and was procured under a Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to meet a Canadian Air Force requirement to support Sidewinder missiles on CF-18 aircraft. This latest order brings the total number of HiPPAGs purchased for F-18 aircraft to over 1,900 systems.

exactEarth Ltd., the data services subsidiary of COM DEV International Ltd., has signed a $1.4 million contract with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) to provide space-based Automatic Identification System (S-AIS) data. exactEarth will supply the CSA with both historical data collected previously by its AIS nanosatellite (NTS) as well as with datasets to be captured at times and locations specified by the CSA through March 31, 2010. Launched in April, 2008, originally for technology validation purposes, NTS continues to orbit the Earth and gather valuable data on global maritime traffic.

The newly collected data for this Canadian government contract represents the first use of exactEarth's new Data Processing Centre in Toronto. The multi-million dollar, high-reliability facility has been under development for several months and is now operational. exactEarth began delivering data under this contract on February 12, 2010.

The Government of Canada has extended the Interim Contracted Airborne Training Services (ICATS) with Discovery Air Inc. for a one-year period.

Top Aces, a wholly owned subsidiary of Discovery Air, is the prime supplier of Airborne Training services to the Canadian Army, Navy and Air Force. On February 23rd, 2005, the Government of Canada awarded three national standing offers to Top Aces to provide "fast jet" (known as Type 1) airborne training services to the Canadian Forces.

The standing offers were for a period of five years, and this extension will extend that service until 2011. Top Aces is the only compliant bidder in any area of ICATS Type 1 services.

The Chief of the Air Staff, Lieutenant-General Andre Deschamps, announced that Lieutenant-Colonel Dave Cochrane has been selected to take command of 8 Wing Trenton effective on 19 February 2010, upon his promotion to the rank of Colonel.

"I believe Colonel Cochrane has the exceptional leadership qualities necessary to lead 8 Wing Trenton at this challenging and critical time, as the Canadian Forces are experiencing an unprecedented operational tempo," said Lt.-Gen Deschamps. "He is a highly experienced, trustworthy and capable commander who is well known in the local community, as are his wife and children. He is a respected member of the air mobility community and has my utmost confidence."

Colonel Cochrane takes over from Lieutenant-Colonel David Murphy, who was designated acting Wing Commander on 8 February 2010 following the arrest of Colonel Russell Williams, accused of several serious crimes committed in the local area."

Northstar Network Ltd. (Northstar) has been awarded another add-on to the multi million contract awarded by L-3 MAPPS Inc. in March 2009 to build consoles for land-based trainers for the Halifax Class of ships.

The original contract to manufacture 66 Standard Marine Consoles and 60 Local Operating Panels as part of the Integrated Platform Management System (IPMS) was broadened in August 2009 to include the design and manufacture of the land-based training simulators for the East Coast Navies. Now the contract is once again being expanded to add the Canadian Navy’s west coast training simulators, engineering support for the program and additional components for both domestic and foreign naval upgrade programs.

“These additional opportunities reflect the strong relationship being built between Northstar and L-3 MAPPS, and confirms Northstar’s commitment to delivering the best possible support to its customers. Our dedicated engineering and project management teams provide word class support to L-3, ensuring that the delivered products meet or exceed the customer’s requirements. With these additions, Northstar has become the largest domestic supplier to L-3 MAPPS on its marine console program” said Howard Nash, President of Northstar.

Esterline CMC Electronics (CMC) has received initial orders from Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) to supply its Cockpit 4000 Integrated Avionics Suite for 24 T-6C trainer aircraft for the Royal Moroccan Air Force.

Morocco is the first customer to purchase HBC’s newly introduced T-6C trainer, which is an improved version of the T-6A Texan II. The avionics suite to be supplied by Esterline CMC Electronics will include an Integrated Avionics Computer (IAC), a Head-Up Display (HUD), Up Front Control Panel (UFCP), six Multifunction Displays (MFDs), Inertial Reference Unit (IRU), Digital Video Recorder/Data Transfer System (DVR/DTS) and Radar Altimeter (RADALT).