January 10, 2024 | International, Land, Security
October 12, 2018 | International, Aerospace
All US F-35s grounded worldwide
By: Tara Copp and Shawn Snow
The Pentagon announced Thursday it is grounding its entire fleet of F-35s, just days after the first crash of an F-35B led investigators to suspect there is a widespread problem with the advanced fighter's fuel tubes.
“The U.S. Services and international partners have temporarily suspended F-35 flight operations while the enterprise conducts a fleet-wide inspection of a fuel tube within the engine on all F-35 aircraft,” the F-35 Joint Program Office announced in a statement Thursday morning.
“If suspect fuel tubes are installed, the part will be removed and replaced. If known good fuel tubes are already installed, then those aircraft will be returned to flight status. Inspections are expected to be completed within the next 24 to 48 hours.”
The office said the grounding “is driven from initial data from the ongoing investigation of the F-35B that crashed in the vicinity of Beaufort, South Carolina on 28 September. The aircraft mishap board is continuing its work and the U.S. Marine Corps will provide additional information when it becomes available.”
In the Sept. 28 crash in South Carolina near the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort, the pilot safely ejected from the aircraft, which belonged to 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, known as the “Warlords.”
While the F-35′s U.S-based Joint Program Office had indicated that the grounding included aircraft purchased by foreign militaries, the British military signaled Monday that its entire fleet is not grounded.
The F-35 Joint Program Office has said safety is a top priority.
“The primary goal following any mishap is the prevention of future incidents. We will take every measure to ensure safe operations while we deliver, sustain and modernize the F-35 for the warfighter and our defense partners.”
The U.S. grounding comes after the Pentagon announced that a Marine Corps F-35B conducted the platform's first-ever combat mission on Sept. 27. The Marine Corps' aircraft launched from the amphibious warship Essex, striking targets in Afghanistan.
In April, a Marine Corps F-35B out the Marine Corps air station at Cherry Point, North Carolina, was forced to make an emergency landing when the aircraft fuel light came on.
The grounding news also comes two days after Defense News reported that Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis has ordered the military services to get readiness rates on four planes, including the F-35, up above 80 percent by next September.
According to data for fiscal year 2017, the most recent available, the Air Force's F-35A models had around a 55 percent readiness rate, well below that target.
Although the Marine Corps is the first U.S. service to fly its joint strike fighters in combat, the aircraft has been used by the Israeli air force to strike targets. In May, Israel Defense Forces officials confirmed that the country's F-35 “Adir” fighters had seen combat in two airstrikes somewhere in the Middle East.
The Marine Corps declared the F-35B operational in 2015, becoming the first service to integrate the joint strike fighter into its fleet. The Air Force followed by declaring initial operational capability for the F-35A conventional variant in 2016, while the Navy plans to declare initial operational capability for the F-35C carrier variant in February 2019.
The F-35 joint strike fighter is the most expensive program in the Pentagon's history.
Currently, the U.S. military has purchased 245 aircraft from Lockheed Martin. The Air Force has 156, the Marine Corps has 61 and the Navy has 28, according to data provided by the joint program office.
The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps plan to buy a total of 2,456 F-35s, at an estimated cost of $325 billion. In total, the aircraft program is projected to cost about $1 trillion to develop, produce, field and sustain over its lifetime, according to the Government Accountability Office.
The F-35B is the short takeoff, vertical landing variant of the aircraft, which allows the pilot to hover and land vertically like a helicopter — a necessity for the Marines, which typically operate from amphibious ships with smaller decks than aircraft carriers.
Because the problem is related to a fleetwide engine issue, rather than just in the F-35B models, it appears unlikely that the problem is unrelated to the short-takeoff and vertical-landing capabilities of the Marine's design.
The issue as described by the JPO indicates the issue is believed to come from a subcontractor who supplied the fuel tubes for engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney.
A spokesman for the F-35s manufacturer, Lockheed Martin, said Thursday morning that industry partners were working with the F-35's Joint Program Office to investigate the problems.
"We are actively partnering with the Pentagon's F-35 Joint Program Office, our global customers and Pratt & Whitney to support the resolution of this issue and limit disruption to the fleet,” said Friedman, Michael, the spokesman for Lockheed.
The U.S. Government Accountability Office has projected a total lifetime cost of $1 trillion for the program. F-35s have already been delivered to the United Kingdom, Italy, Israel, Netherlands, Turkey, Australia, Japan, South Korea and Norway.
This story is developing and will be updated.
Defense News staff writers Aaron Mehta and Valerie Insinna contributed to this report.
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May 24, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 23, 2019
AIR FORCE Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $355,493,640 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM)/Replacement Exchange In-Kind (REIK) for HARM Control Section Modification (HCSM). This contract provides for the refurbishment of live AGM-88Bs and conversion of AGM-88B into Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM-88B) for approved Foreign Military Sales countries. Work will be performed in Tuscon, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by 2027. This contract involves foreign military sales to Qatar, Taiwan, and Bahrain. Additional countries may be added after contract award. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $76,074,315 is being obligated on a delivery order at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Warner Robins, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8520-19-D-0002). Pride Industries, Roseville, California, has been awarded a $19,902,284 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract FA4484-17-D-0005 for base operations services. This modification provides for the exercise of the second option period out of four. Work will be performed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $59,441,361, and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on individual task orders. The 87th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $16,387,853 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00061) to previously awarded contract FA8615-12-C-6016 for a variety of support to the Taiwan F-16 Peace Phoenix Rising program. This contract modification provides for miscellaneous support work identified during performance of the in-country aircraft modification program, use and maintenance of product support aircraft, and additional support necessary for the successful completion of modification installs. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; and Taiwan, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2023. This modification involves 100 percent foreign military sales to Taiwan, and Foreign Military Sales funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Central Coast Water Authority, Buellton, California, has been awarded a $7,929,102 delivery order (FA4610-19-FA038) under previously awarded contract F04684-92-D-0013 for California State Water. This delivery order provides Vandenberg Air Force Base and outlying municipalities with potable water. Work will be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be complete by 2032. This delivery order brings the total cumulate face value of the contract to $157,514,286. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 30th Contracting Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded an $84,341,597 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for up to 898,320 man-hours of direct labor engineering services. These services are in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Mission Solutions Division to perform projects for Special Operations Forces command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. Services include requirements definition, solution definition, integration, installation verification and validation, and operation and sustainment. Work will be performed in California, Maryland (70 percent); St. Inigoes, Maryland (13 percent); Fayetteville, North Carolina (6 percent); Little Creek, Virginia (5 percent); Coronado, California (4 percent); and Tampa, Florida (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0055). Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded $63,701,527 for a cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price ordering provisions for business and technology management support services required to facilitate the overall Transformation Management Support Services effort in support of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPTE), OPNAV N1, and subordinate commands. The contract is a five-year base ordering period with no options. All work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia. The ordering period is expected to be completed by May 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds (Navy) in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount, and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-19-D-Z023). C.E.R. Inc.,* Baltimore, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0016); EGI HSU JV LLC,* Gaithersburg, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0017); G-W Management Services LLC,* Rockville, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0018); Huang-Gaghan JV Inc.,* Alexandria, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0019); Kunj Construction Corp.,* Mechanicsville, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0020); Ocean Construction Services Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0021), are awarded Option One under a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, multiple award construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington, District of Columbia, area of operations (AO). The combined total value of all six contractors is $49,500,000. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $99,000,000. Work will be performed at various administrative facilities within the NAVFAC Washington, District of Columbia AO, including but not limited to, Maryland; Washington, District of Columbia; and Virginia, and is expected to be completed May 29, 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and Navy working capital funds. NAVFAC Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors LLC,* Lockport, Louisiana, is awarded an $11,638,510 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase and conversion of one existing offshore supply vessel into an Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center range support vessel (ARSV). The ARSV will perform ocean engineering and range support in the launch, recovery and deep ocean mooring installation and maintenance of remote operated vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles. The ARSV will be operated for multiple days at sea, which will permit researchers onboard to remain on station at remote locations for multiple days to collect data, deploy scientific equipment, and perform scientific calculations. Work will be performed in Lockport, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by January 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $11,638,510 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-2205). Diversified Maintenance Systems Inc.,* Sandy, Utah, is awarded a maximum amount $10,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract for other specialty trade contractors construction alterations, renovations, and repair projects at Naval Air Facility El Centro. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of electrical, mechanical, painting, engineering/design, paving (asphaltic and concrete), flooring (tile work/carpeting), roofing, structural repair, fencing, HVAC, and fire suppression/protection system installation projects. Work will be performed in El Centro, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of May 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2623). Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded an $8,929,671 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the mid-term availability of USNS Lenthall (T-AO 189). Work will include general services, diesel fuel marine contaminated tank bottom replacement, vent plenum steel replacement and preservation, main engine intercooler cleaning, switchboard and motor control center cleaning, recondition air conditioning motors, cable bulkhead collar magna rock replacement, diesel fuel marine cargo piping repairs, armory air conditioning replacement, constant tension winch No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 overhaul, fire and aqueous film forming foam piping replacement, fire damper inspection and repairs, steel replacement and recoating. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $9,004,671. Funds will be obligated on May 23, 2019. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to begin on July 15, 2019, and be completed by Sept. 2, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,929,671, are obligated at the time of award. Funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C4014). BAE Systems Land and Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded an $8,924,330 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering services and waterfront services in support of the MK 45gun mount providing engineering, technical, logistics services and technical data to support the MK 45 5” Gun system design, development, fabrication, production, operation and integration. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $35,058,494. Work will be performed in Navy fleet concentration areas (various locations) (70 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (15 percent); and Louisville, Kentucky (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2013 and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,178,794 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5301). ARMY Aura Technologies LLC,* Raleigh, North Carolina, was awarded a $49,997,256 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for Small Business Innovation Research in support of advanced manufacturing environments. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911NF-19-D-0004). B.L. Harbert International LLC, Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded an $18,481,835 firm-fixed-price contract for to construct Secure Compartmental Information Facility at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Pyongtaek, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 host nation (Korea) funds in the amount of $18,481,835 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, is the contracting activity (W912UM-19-C-0002). Tribalco LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $14,425,217 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Iraq) contract for computer hardware, services and MEMEX software. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $14,425,217 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-19-C-5024). IDSC Holdings LLC, Snap-On Industrial, a division of IDSC Holdings LLC, Kenosha, Wisconsin, was awarded an $11,434,752 firm-fixed-price contract for the General Mechanic's Tool Kit. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds in the amount of $11,434,752 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-18-D-0079). Howard W. Pence Inc.,* Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was awarded an $8,825,159 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a Special Operations Forces air-and-ground integration urban live fire range. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 18, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $8,825,159 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W91Q2R-19-C-0017). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY General Dynamics, Williston, Vermont, has been awarded a maximum $42,443,476 firm-fixed-price contract for gun barrels. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Vermont and Maine, with a May 22, 2022, performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force and Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0133). Real-Time Laboratories LLC, Boca Raton, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $10,776,057 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for linear direct valves. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a May 29, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0074). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1856970/source/GovDelivery/
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March 20, 2018 | International, C4ISR, Security
DARPA wants to connect human brains and machines
By: Daniel Cebul WASHINGTON ― As unmanned platforms, cyber systems and human-machine partnering become more prevalent in 21st century war fighting, the effectiveness of combat units will be determined by how quickly information can be processed and transmitted between air-breathers and machines. To achieve the high levels of brain-system communication that will be required on future battlefields, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has launched a new program to develop a noninvasive neural interface that will connect soldiers with technology. The goal of the Next-Generation Nonsurgical Neurotechnology (N³) program is to “pursue a path to a safe, portable neural interface system capable of reading from and writing to multiple points in the brain at once,” according to Dr. Al Emondi, a program manager in DARPA's Biological Technologies Office. “We're asking multidisciplinary teams of researchers to construct approaches that enable precise interaction with very small areas of the brain, without sacrificing signal resolution or introducing unacceptable latency into the N3 system.” Although technologies that allow for high-quality brain system communications exist today, these invasive techniques are not a practical solution for ubiquitous man-machine communication. Before soldiers can communicate with their R2-D2 units, DARPA scientists must overcome several significant scientific and engineering challenges. The most significant challenge, according to a DARPA press release, will be overcoming the physics of scattering and weakening of signals as they pass through skin, skull and brain tissue. If this initial challenge is surmounted, the focus of the program will shift to developing algorithms for encoding and decoding neural signals, evaluating system safety through animal testing and ultimately asking human volunteers to test the technology. While communication neurotechnology has a stronger foothold in science fiction than reality, Emondi believes devoting resources to the enterprise will spur breakthroughs. “Smart systems will significantly impact how our troops operate in the future, and now is the time to be thinking about what human-machine teaming will actually look like and how it might be accomplished,” he said. “If we put the best scientists on this problem, we will disrupt current neural interface approaches and open the door to practical, high-performance interfaces.” DARPA wants the four-year project to conclude with a demonstration of a bidirectional system being used to interface human-machine interactions with unmanned platforms, active cyber defense systems or other Department of Defense equipment. Recognizing the potentially wide ethical, legal and social implications of such neurotechnology, DARPA is also asking independent legal and ethical experts to advise the program as N³ technologies mature. https://www.c4isrnet.com/it-networks/2018/03/19/darpa-wants-to-connect-human-brains-and-machines