Israeli military seeks another made-in-Woodstock fan

On October 16, as Israel pursued its ethnic cleansing and collective punishment of civilians in Gaza, its Ministry of Defense invited tenders for a "sample" 200AC fan "made by Rotron Inc." Ametek Rotron's contributions to foreign militaries mostly fly under the radar -- we've reported on their sales to Israel before -- but this request, unusually, turned up online. It's just one fan, but the word "sample" suggests that more will follow, and it confirms that the Israeli military continues to rely on made-in-Woodstock components as it violates international law. The government set a quick deadline of Nov. 1, suggesting the fan(s) are to be used soon.

We know that made-in-Woodstock Rotron fans are used in many of the advanced weapons systems deployed by Israel and supplied by the US -- warplanes, tanks, rocket launchers, military helicopters, drones, armed personnel carriers, and warships.

The procurement notice was published by Al Bawaba, a Jordan-based news site (paywall) and also by Bidsinfo.

Business as usual

 It's a long time since this blog has reported on the latest sales of weapons system components by Woodstock's largest employer, Ametek Rotron. Even fewer of their contracts seem to leave online traces than before, but here are a few items from recent months, gleaned from Nexis, that are doubtless typical of Woodstock's ongoing contributions to worldwide warfare:

• August 2022: Rotron provides the US Naval Sea Systems Command with components for two new submarine tenders (support ships for nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed submarines). These items are "of a critical nature" and no-one else makes an equivalent product.
• August 2022: "The United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Technology Application Contracting Office (TAKO) anticipates contracting on a sole source basis with Ametek-Rotron" for "Avionics Cockpit Blowers" -- "the Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under the authority of FAR 6.302-1, Only One Responsible Source and No Other Supplies or Services Will Satisfy Agency Requirements."
•  December 2022: Bharat Electronics, an Indian Government-owned military contractor, orders a "high speed fan" made by Ametek Rotron.
•  December 2022: The Defense Department wants to order "Blower, Blade; H-60" -- an aircraft component. This is an open solicitation but Ametek Rotron is the only listed supplier.