Three local corporations were awarded a total of five contracts from the military in February according to Media Mouse's ongoing monitoring of military contracts awarded to corporations in the Grand Rapids and West Michigan area. The contracts were for a total of $864,000. While not an exceptionally large amount compared to past months, it is representative of the way in which many local firms are quietly doing work that is necessary for the United States to maintain its occupation of Iraq and its presence elsewhere in the world. The contracts went to the following corporations:
- L-3 Communications Avionics, a local operation that is part of L-3 Communications (one of the top 10 military contractors in the United States), received a $99,200 contract for work on an attitude indicator for the Navy as well as a $575,910 contract for guidance and navigation instruments from the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command.
- Borisch Manufacturing received two contracts from the Army for circuit board manufacturing. The contracts totaled $103,890.
- Progressive Technologies received a $85,000 contract from the Army for work on waterjet cleaning devices that it produces for use on various military aircraft.
Media Mouse also has produced a map of military contractors in West Michigan. This map offers an alternative way of viewing the information in the database, as well as providing a resource that could be used to more strategically plan antiwar protests around institutions that are connected to the war. Reviewing the map shows that most of the area companies doing work for the military are located within a fairly close range of the Gerald R. Ford International Airport, an area that receives considerable traffic throughout the day.
