Army makes strides toward network modernization with much anticipated radio award

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  August 12, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 11, 2020

  NAVY Continental Tide Defense Systems Inc. (Tide),* Reading, Pennsylvania (N64498-20-D-4030); Gibbs & Cox Inc. (G&C), New York, New York (N64498-20-D-4031); McKean Defense Group LLC (McKean), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (N64498-20-D-4032); NDI Engineering Co. (NDI),* Thorofare, New Jersey (N64498-20-D-4033); and Q.E.D. Systems Inc. (Q.E.D.), Virginia Beach, Virginia (N64498-20-R-4029), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts with firm-fixed-price task order provisions for a combined, not-to-exceed $165,092,379 to provide engineering, technical, logistics and program management services to perform the functions for Navy and Army surface ships, submarines, and assault craft. Functions include engineering, technical and logistics support for in-service ship systems and equipment, refurbishment and testing of electrical and electrical control equipment, program management, programmatic, engineering and implementation coordination support for equipment upgrades and ship modernization initiatives and direct fleet support for afloat units at the waterfront. Contractor support is required to provide the necessary technical expertise, technical personnel mix and support for all of these efforts. The contract awarded to Tide is not to exceed $31,764,960; the contract awarded to G&C is not to exceed $33,491,813; the contract awarded to McKean is not to exceed $31,531,799; the contract awarded to NDI is not to exceed $33,667,355; and the contract awarded to Q.E.D. is not to exceed $30,420,902. The contract awards listed above are not to exceed a program value and combined total of $34,636,452. Work will be completed at the contractors' facilities (86%); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (14%). Work is expected to be completed by July 2026. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) (91%); and operations and maintenance (Navy) (9%) funding in the total amount of $500,000 ($100,000 minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated at time of award via individual task orders, of which operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $44,800 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 10 offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $25,127,577 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N00019-20-F-0863) against basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0029. This order provides non-recurring engineering for the development of logistics support products for the Maintenance Task Analysis Phase II, a provisioning database of technical information to include 2D drawings that supports all operational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance for the CH-53K helicopter. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (63%); Jupiter, Florida (11%); Chesterfield, Missouri (6%); St. Marcel, France (5%); Rockmart, Georgia (2%); Titchfield, England (2%); Rome, New York (2%); Springfield, New Jersey (2%); Orange, Connecticut (1%); Westbury, New York (1%); Avon, Ohio (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (4%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,043,000 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Kiliuda Consulting LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded an $18,883,593 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price task orders that will be issued to provide business support services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division corporate operations. The services under this contract will provide facilities support (workspace design and physical reconfiguration); visual information support (illustration and photography/videography); security support (excluding law enforcement); Manager's Internal Control program support; material and equipment property management support; travel accounting, management and program analysis; and quality office and office clerical support. Work will be performed in Panama City, Florida, and is expected to be complete by October 2021, and if all options are exercised, would be complete by October 2025. No funding will be obligated by this action. Task orders will primarily be funded with Navy working capital funds. Navy working capital funds will be obligated on task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a Section 8(a) small business set-aside with 10 offers received. Offers were solicited via the beta.SAM.gov contract opportunities website. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61331-20-D-0016). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY US Foods, Manassas, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $51,600,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food distribution. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Virginia, with an Aug. 11, 2024, ordering period end date. Using customers are Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-3274). Claflin Service Co., Warwick, Rhode Island, has been awarded a maximum $49,500,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 127 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Rhode Island, with an Aug. 10, 2025, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0046). Telephonics Corp., Farmingdale, New York, has been awarded a maximum $44,999,380 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for communication interface units. This was a limited source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 (a)(2). This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with an Aug. 31, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-20-D-0060). Dominion Privatization Texas LLC, Richmond, Virginia, has been awarded a $42,075,122 modification (P00040) to a 50-year contract (SP0600-16-C-8312) with no option periods for additional utility services for the electric and natural gas utility systems at Fort Hood, Texas. This modification increases the obligated value from $68,019,912 to $69,377,704. This is a firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Locations of performance are Virginia and Texas, with a June 30, 2066, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2017 through 2067 Army operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Sysco Central Alabama Inc., Calera, Alabama, has been awarded a maximum $13,586,862 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food distribution. 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 132-day bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Alabama and Florida, with a Dec. 19, 2020, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-3282). (Awarded Aug. 7, 2020) ARMY Liqid Inc.,* Broomfield, Colorado, was awarded a $31,850,000 firm-fixed-price contract for high-performance computing modernization programs. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 6, 2026. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $25,480,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-20-F-0508). DigiFlight Inc.,* Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $15,304,730 modification (P00033) to contract W31P4Q-19-F-E002 for logistic support services for the Apache Attack Helicopter Project Manager's Office. Work will be performed in Columbia, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 10, 2021. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement appropriations funds in the amount of $15,304,730 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2309332/source/GovDelivery/

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  July 24, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

  Pentagon AI team sets sights on information warfare

  Mark Pomerleau About two years after it was created, the Pentagon's artificial intelligence center is setting its sights on new projects, including one on joint information warfare. This initiative seeks to deliver an information advantage to the Department of Defense in two ways. The first is improving the DoD's ability to integrate commercial and government AI solutions. The second is improving the standardization of foundational DoD data needed to field high-performing AI-enabled capabilities to support operations in the information environment, said Lt. Cmdr. Arlo Abrahamson, a spokesman for the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. Nand Mulchandani, the JAIC's acting director, told reporters in early July that this initiative also includes cyber operations — both broad defensive and offensive measures for use by U.S. Cyber Command. The DoD is discovering that it needs ways to process, analyze and act upon the vast amounts of data it receives. “As we look at the ability to influence and shape in this environment, we're going to have to have artificial intelligence and machine-learning tools, specifically for information ops that hit a very broad portfolio,” Gen. Richard Clarke, commander of Special Operations Command, said at the Special Operations Forces Industry Conference in May. “We're going to have to understand how the adversary is thinking, how the population is thinking, and work in these spaces in time of relevance. If you're not at speed, you won't be relevant. “To make sure the U.S. message and our allies' and partner message is being heard and it's resonating. What we need is adapting data tech that will actually work in this space and we can use it for our organization.” A program in support of network incident detection, called MADHAT — or Multidimensional Anomaly Detection fusing HPC, Analytics, and Tensors — is helping the JAIC develop an information warfare capability. The program allows for the exploration of network data as a way of enabling more effective detection of nuanced adversarial threats, Abrahamson said. MADHAT has already been deployed, he added, and analysts working on the High Performance Computing Modernization Program are being trained on the tool for operational use. This program accelerates technology development and transitions it into defense capabilities through the application of high-performance computing. Mulchandani also told reporters that other information warfare-related efforts include using natural language processing, which involve processing and analyzing text. “NLP and speech-to-text is actually a fairly mature AI technology that can be deployed in production. And that actually is going to be used in reducing information overload,” he said. “So being able to scan vast quantities of open-source information and bring the sort of nuggets and important stuff on the NLPs.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/smr/information-warfare/2020/07/22/pentagon-ai-team-sets-sights-on-information-warfare/

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  January 31, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Stealthy UAS Unveiled For USAF Target, Loyal Wingman Needs

  Steve Trimble A small start-up company in California has unveiled a new proposal for a stealthy unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to offer the U.S. Air Force as a “fifth-generation” target drone or a low-cost attritable aircraft. Tehachapi, California-based Sierra Technical Services, a company founded by previously retired Lockheed Martin Skunk Works engineers, unveiled the first photos of the completed Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) prototype after completing engine tests on the ground. A first flight of the 5GAT is scheduled in early 2020. The name of the aircraft is derived from its origins as a prototype funded by the Defense Department's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), says Roger Hayes, president and CEO of Sierra Technical Services. Several years ago, DOT&E recognized an emerging gap for a new target drone that could fly as a surrogate for fifth-generation fighters emerging in Russia and China such as the Sukhoi Su-57 and AVIC Chengdu J-20. In 2017, DOT&E awarded Sierra Technical Services a $15.9 million contract to develop the 5GAT prototype, Hayes said. The pace of assembly has been dictated by the availability of parts cannibalized from other military aircraft, such as the engines and metallic components from the Northrop T-38 trainer and F-5 fighter, as well as aileron actuators from the Boeing F/A-18, Hayes said. Sierra Technical Services supplemented its revenue as assembly continued by working on other programs, including supplying components for the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. As development continued, the Air Force started to develop interest in a fifth-generation target. The service has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to develop the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, which is being designed to counter the PL-15 missile fielded on China's J-20 fighter. The Air Force needs to test the AIM-260 and other missiles against a representative threat. Last May, the Air Force released a request for information for the Next Generation Aerial Target, which included a version that can replicate fifth-generation fighter attributes, such as a stealthy airframe with canted tails and serpentine inlet ducts. The Air Force also is developing a concept to pair manned fighters such as the F-22 and F-35 with an unmanned partner, known sometimes as a Loyal Wingman. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) funded Kratos' XQ-58A, which completed a first flight in March. AFRL also plans to demonstrate a UAS controlled by a “software brain” using artificial intelligence. This Skyborg program is sometimes considered a follow-on for the XQ-58A program, but Hayes said Sierra Technical Services could offer the 5GAT for the Skyborg contract. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/stealthy-uas-unveiled-usaf-target-loyal-wingman-needs