Kollsman, Elbit to bring experience to Boeing's SBInet bid
Kollsman, the New Hampshire subsidiary of a high-tech Israeli defense company is part of Boeing’s team bidding on the $2 billion SBInet contract; Kollsman and Elbit have experience in building border security surveillance systems
As we reported a couple of days ago, Merrimack, New Hampshire-based Kollsman Inc., a subsidiary of Israeli high-tech company Elbit Systems (Nasdaq: ESLT; TASE: ESLT), is part of a consortium bidding on the $2 billion DHS SBInet border security project. Boeing (NYSE: BA) is leading the consortium. SBInet, is a multiyear plan to secure the U.S. borders with Canada and Mexico by integrating cameras, sensors, communications systems, and other equiment into a comprehensive solution to make U.S. borders less porous.
Kollsman says that it and Elbit Systems have a solid track record in the type of security systems DHS is envisioning for border security, and that Elbit Systems provided a border control and management system to the Israel Defense Force (IDF) Border Security Program known as the Long-Range Reconnaissance and Observation System (LORROS), which the company believes is the best in the world. Donald Goff, Elbit Systems vice president for government relations, said: “Which country has the most secure border? It’s Israel.” He added that Boeing selected Kollsman to be part of its team to provide detection and surveillance systems because of Kollsman proven record of work as a worldwide provider to commercial and military markets of advanced electro-optical and avionics systems. Goff said that the contract would be for three years, with an option for three additional years, and that the deadline to submit proposals for SBInet was 30 May. He added that he expected the number of competitors to be cut to two by mid-September and the contract would be awarded before the end of September.
In addition to the Boeing consortium, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon (NYSE: RTN), Northrop Grumman (NYSE: NOC), and Ericsson (Nasdaq: ERICY; SAX: ERIC) are leading teams competing for the SBInet contract.
Last December Kollsman was awarded an initial order in the amount of approximately $33.6 million to provide high-performance Thermal Binocular System Long Range Thermal Imagers (LRTI) for the U.S. Marine Corps. The LRTI is a portable binocular, hand-held, battery-operated thermal imager for long-range observation and reconnaissance.
-read more in Son Hoang’s Union Leaderreport; read more about LORROS at Kollasman Web site
