VINCORION LLC, the US subsidiary of the German company VINCORION, has been awarded two major contracts by the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) of the US Army worth up to $67 million.
El Paso, Texas. VINCORION LLC, the US subsidiary of German technology company VINCORION, has signed major five-year framework agreements worth up to $33 million each with the US Army’s Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). The contracts cover the maintenance of the Patriot missile defense system’s generator systems to guarantee their operational readiness.
The Patriot system is a globally recognized, state-of-the-art air defense system that plays an important role in defense against ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and aircraft. The system serves as a key pillar of air defense for the United States, Germany, and NATO.
VINCORION Reaches Important Milestones
The technology company VINCORION is a leading supplier of components for complex defense systems. It can look back on more than thirty years of experience as a supplier for the Patriot system and has received several awards for its outstanding performance during this time.
“We are extremely proud of the fact that the US Army has once again placed its confidence in us and selected our company to supply components for the maintenance of its Patriot systems,” said Thomas Gathmann, President of Vincorion LLC, in El Paso. “These contracts represent an important milestone for VINCORION and confirm our position as a leading supplier of reliable power supply components for defense systems.”
VINCORION Contributing to the Safety and Security of the USA and Its Allies
“The Patriot systems play a crucial role in protecting the population and critical infrastructures,” noted Sascha Brüning, Vice President Business Development at VINCORION. “Through our maintenance services, we are making an important contribution to the operational readiness of these defense systems and therefore to the safety and security of the USA and its allies.”
“The spare parts contract with the US Army is further proof of VINCORION’s expertise, hard work, and dedication,” said Gathmann. “As a subsidiary in the United States, we are ideally positioned to continue playing an important role in maintaining the operational readiness of Patriot systems and other complex defense systems in the future.”
Design of the Patriot Power Supply
Three different power systems are used to supply electricity to Patriot in the field. A generator with an output of 15 kW is used for the launcher, i.e., the unit that carries the Patriot missiles together with the launching device. The command post also has its own power supply with an output of 30 kW.
The heart of the system, however, is the radar and firing control station (known as the “engagement control station”). The largest power system, the “electric power plant,” is used to power this part of the Patriot system. Each EPP is designed with redundancy for maximum reliability and has a capacity of 2x 150 kW as well as load distribution and cabling to the Patriot systems being powered.
Technology Company Delievers Energy Supply
Switzerland has ordered five Patriot™ air and missile defense systems from U.S. manufacturer Raytheon as the Swiss air defense solution under the “Air 2030” program. The power supply for the systems is being provided by the technology company VINCORION, based in Wedel near Hamburg, Germany.
VINCORION is proud to provide the power supply for one of the world’s best air defense systems, as it has again been proven in the Ukraine recently. “This provides the Patriot system with a stable, reliable and battle proven power supply for the radar and fire units”, Stefan Stenzel, CEO of VINCORION, affirms.
Self-Sufficient Radar Operation
The order includes “EPP radarV” (“Electric Power Plants”) units that supply power to the radar system and 15-kilowatt power generators that will be supplied for the Patriot launcher. The order further includes frequency converters rated at 150 kilowatts and converters rated at two times 15 kilowatts each. This allows to power the Patriot System without any CO2 emissions directly from the public grid. In this configuration, the generators remain as back-up power source. “Security and military superiority depend on reliable radar operation that is self-sufficient at all times,” emphasizes Stefan Stenzel. VINCORION manufactures the power supply for Patriot at its site in Altenstadt, Bavaria.
In June of 2021, the Swiss Government announced its intent to purchase the proven Patriot™ system for its ground-based air defence, selected as the preferred solution after evaluation as part of the competitive BODLUV GR Air2030 tender.
Modernizing the Patriot system’s energy supply
Patriot is an air and missile defense system consisting of radars, command and control, and interceptor missiles. It can detect, identify, and engage cruise missiles, drones, advanced fighter aircraft and other airborne threats.
VINCORION is consistently working on modernizing the energy supply. To this end, the company is developing new hybrid solutions. These can reduce fuel consumption and thus lead to lower operating costs. This is because lower emissions mean lower consumption of resources – and help reduce the number of personnel who have to be deployed for refueling operations, for example. However, there are no compromises in terms of performance.
The Patriot system is the basis for an integrated air and missile defense system for 18 nations. In Europe, the system’s customers include Germany, Spain, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and Romania. VINCORION has been a supplier to Patriot for 30 years.