May 21, 2020 | International, Land
By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on May 20, 2020 at 1:11 PM
WASHINGTON: Over the last two years, the Army has cut or cancelled more than 240 programs to free billions for its 34 top priorities, from hypersonic missiles to new rifles. Some of those 34 may have to die as the economy and budget reel from the COVID-19 pandemic, .
“I start off with what Secretary Esper and Secretary McCarthy have said consistently, across DoD: three to five real growth is what we need,” said Gen. Mike Murray, chief of Army Futures Command. “Given what's going on in this country over the last two or three months.... my personal expectation is we're not going to see three to five percent growth. We'll be lucky to see a flat line.”
LRPF: Long-Range Precision Fires. NGCV: Next-Generation Combat Vehicle. FVL: Future Vertical Lift. AMD: Air & Missile Defense. SL: Soldier Lethality. SOURCE: US Army. (Click to expand)
While the Army is still working on its long-term spending plan for 2022-2026, the future topline is very much in doubt. “I've heard some people talk about [going] back to a BCA [Budget Control Act] level of funding,” Murray told an online AOC conference yesterday, referring to the steep cuts also known as sequestration. “And I've heard some people say that it's even going to be worse than BCA.”
“I do think budgets are going to get tighter,” Murray said. “I do think that decisions are going to get harder.”
Across its actual and projected budgets for 2020 through 2025, despite a slight drop in its topline, the Army has moved $40 billion from lower-priority programs to the 34 “signature programs.” Murray's Futures Command runs 31 of the 34, grouped in six portfolios: long-range rocket and cannon artillery is No. 1, followed by new armored vehicles, Future Vertical Lift aircraft, an upgraded battlefield network, air & missile defense, and soldier gear. Meanwhile, three most technologically demanding programs – including hypersonics and high-energy lasers – are handled by the independent Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technology Office.
“We're prioritizing what I call the 31 plus 3,” Murray said. “We have fully funded those priorities in the program at the expense of a lot of other things.”
The XM1299 Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) howitzer in an earlier test shot last year.
But Army leaders have already warned that the Big Six will need more funding as they move from concept to prototype to mass production. Even a flat budget topline will be tight — and COVID makes flat the best-scare scenario.
When and if the budget shrinks, Murray warned, “I do think we're going to have to make some tough decisions.” Hypothetically, he said, the choice may come down to something like, “Is it 31 plus three, or is it 24 plus two?”
Considering the agonies the Army went through in its multiple rounds of “night court” cuts to find money for the 34 priority programs in the first place, cancelling any of them will be painful – but not impossible.
Yes, the Army needs capabilities from each of its six modernization portfolios to work together in what's called Multi-Domain Operations against a future foe like Russia or China. Long-range precision firepower blasts holes in enemy defenses for aircraft, armor and infantry to advance; then they hunt out enemies too well-entrenched or mobile for artillery to destroy. Meanwhile air and missile defense protects the entire force, and the network passes intelligence and targeting data.
But each of the Big Six includes multiple programs, and the Army has never expected all 34 to succeed. That's a crucial difference from the service's last major modernization drive, the Future Combat Systems cancelled in 2009, which depended on each of its 20 component technologies working as planned.
Army slide showing the elements of the (later canceled) Future Combat System
“Is there room for failures? Yes,” Murray told reporters at an Association of the US Army conference last year. “This concept does not count on any specific piece of capability.”
That doesn't make cuts painless or easy, however. “Our priorities are our priorities for a reason,” Murray said yesterday. The Army's current weapons, from missiles to tanks to helicopters, largely entered service in the Reagan era. They've been much upgraded since, but there's only so much add-on armor, souped-up horsepower, and advanced electronics a 40-year chassis can take. The Army says it needs new weapons to take it into the next 40 years.
“The kids running around on armored vehicles today are riding... fundamentally the same vehicles I rode around in as a company commander, way back when,” Murray said. “My now five-year-old granddaughter [lives] up the road at Fort Hood, Texas... I've got eight grandchildren, and out of all of them, I have absolutely no doubt that she is my infantry company commander wearing an Airborne Ranger tab at some point in the future. So that makes it personal for me.”
https://breakingdefense.com/2020/05/army-braces-for-post-covid-cuts-gen-murray
December 16, 2022 | International, Aerospace
Airbus , Dassault Aviation , Indra and the Eumet joint venture between Safran and MTU Aero Engines said on Friday they had won a 3.2 billion euros ($3.4 billion) contract for the next phase of the FCAS European fighter jet programme.
August 9, 2023 | International, Land
American Rheinmetall Vehicles and Team Lynx win contract for Phase 3 and 4 of the Army’s XM30 program.
November 1, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
AIR FORCE ACR Technical Services Inc., Newport News, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1001); APRO International Inc. Vienna, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1002); Goldbelt C6 LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1003); Science and Management Resources Inc., Pensacola, Florida (FA4890-19-D-1004); and Yulista Support Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (FA4890-19-D-1005), have been awarded a ceiling $473,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Air Force Enterprise Contracted Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories Services II. This contract provides Air Combat Command, the Air National Guard, and other major command and combatant command customer management, supervision, personnel, equipment, tools, materials and other items necessary to perform equipment calibrations by professional and technical metrologists. Work will be performed at various Air Force bases in the continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2028. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,300,000 will fund the current requirement. Headquarters Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $365,730,330 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price contract for new-construction DDG Aegis Weapon System Baseline K2 development and integration in support of the Republic of Korea Navy. This contract involves foreign military sales to the government of South Korea. This contract will provide for combat system installation, staging and integrated logistics support required for the installation, test and delivery of the Aegis Combat System K2 baselines for three Republic of Korea Navy DDGs. These efforts include program management, system engineering and computer program development; ship integration and testing; technical manuals and planned maintenance system documentation. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (66 percent); Ulsan, South Korea (18 percent); Seoul, South Korea (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (7 percent); and Washington, District of Columbia (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. Foreign military sales funding in the amount of $111,535,109 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)(4) (International Agreement). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5102). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded a $244,714,371 not-to-exceed, firm-fixed-price contract to procure long lead material for Harpoon full-rate production Lot 91 in support of multiple Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (54 percent); McKinney, Texas (23 percent); Toledo, Ohio (8 percent); Burnley, United Kingdom (3 percent); Middletown, Connecticut (2 percent); Grove, Oklahoma (2 percent); Elkton, Maryland (1 percent); Lititz, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Galena, Kansas (1 percent); Huntsville, Alabama (1 percent), and various locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. FMS funds in the amount of $244,714,371 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0016). BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $72,049,627 indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division. Support to be provided includes fleet services, equipment improvement, technical efforts, operational software, test bed efforts, repair, fabrication, and restoration; training; local area network, and quality assurance and system safety effort. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (80 percent); and various ship and shore locations (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2023. No funds are being obligated at the 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; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0001). General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $54,436,930 modification (P00023) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (W15QKN-15-D-0001). This modification provides integrated logistics support for multiple foreign military sales (FMS) customers using purchased Navy defense articles including weapon systems, various aircraft, and other components procured under FMS programs. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (52 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (2.5 percent); Pensacola, Florida (1.5 percent); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (1 percent); various locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (28 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Northrop Grumman Technical Services, Sierra Vista, Arizona, was awarded a $74,569,127 modification (P00024) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0019 for extension of services for Hunter Contractor Logistics Support. Work will be performed in Sierra Vista, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Applied Visual Technology Inc.,* Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $26,000,000 modification (P00007) to contract W900KK-13-D-0001 to develop, test, integrate and field hardware and software subsystems to achieve a fully functional and concurrent Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer system. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 12, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. Joseph B. Fay Co., Tarentum, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $22,246,265 firm-fixed-price contract for a new stilling basin and abutment protection wall at the Charleroi Locks and Dam. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Monessen, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 general construction funds in the amount of $22,246,265 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W911WN-19-C-8000). Bodell Construction Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded a $20,323,384 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a C-17 refueling hydrants and ramp expansion. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Charlotte, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 1, 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $20,323,384 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W91242-19-C-5001). KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $14,793,363 modification (0001 40) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0061 for Army Prepositioned Stock Four (APS-4) Korea, logistics support services. Work will be performed in Waegwan, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 29, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Southwind Construction Services LLC,* Edmond, Oklahoma, was awarded a $9,253,009 firm-fixed-price contract for anti-terrorism/force protection at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $9,253,009 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-18-F-0184). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aurora Industries LLC, * Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $52,928,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for flame resistant coats for the Army Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with 13 responses received. This is an 18-month base contract with one, one-year option period. Maximum dollar amount is for the life of the contract, including options. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with an April 29, 2021, estimated performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1111). Belleville Shoe Co., Belleville, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $12,049,936 modification (P00003) exercising the first one-year option period of one-year base contract (SPE1C1-18-D-1001) with four one-year option periods for hot-weather combat boots. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Illinois, with an Oct. 29, 2019, performance completion date. Using customer is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY IntelliDyne LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, has been awarded a $15,695,542 firm-fixed-price contract to provide direct support to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Global Service Center and the enterprise to fully support the integration of all desk side support, remote, or onsite troubleshooting; onsite IT touch labor; network support services activity program management; network security; and infrastructure assurance activities to include risk management framework support, in-room video teleconferencing support, Defense Health Headquarters site asset management, and network/systems engineering where required into the Military Health System Joint Active Directory Management and the Military Health System Medical Community of Interest network environment systems and infrastructure. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This contract will have a six-month base period of performance (Oct. 30, 2018, to April 29, 2019) with one six-month option period. This short-term contract provides continuity of services until DHA is able to conduct a competitive award anticipated in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. This award utilizes fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $15,695,542. The Defense Health Agency, Contracting Office – Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HT0011-19-F-0001). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1677051/source/GovDelivery/