October 16, 2020 | International, C4ISR
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army's tactical network modernization office released a request for information Wednesday for commercial satellite communications as a service.
The RFI, released by Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical, will give the Army tactical network team an improved understanding of existing industry best practices, technological advancements and innovative business models for commercially managed satellites that could replace the operating design of its logistics network, known as the sustainment tactical network.
“We are looking to our industry partners to provide us with inventive approaches to meet our logistics transport capabilities needs,” said Col. Shane Taylor, the Army's project manager for Tactical Network (PM TN), in a press release. “This includes both end item material solutions, as well as what corresponding leasing cost models could look like to enable the Army to maximize capabilities while balancing long-term affordability.”
Commercially managed SATCOM would be an improvement over the standard SATCOM capabilities because currently the Army must purchase all the hardware, software, maintenance and sustainment needs, along with other related capabilities, on independent, standalone contracts, the press release said. With SATCOM as a service, the PEO C3T will procure all the capabilities under a single contract, paying for each leased Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) ground satellite terminal.
"We want to deliver the right STN SATCOM capability at the right price, while keeping current with technology and ahead of obsolescence,” said Lt. Col. Natashia Coleman, product lead for Unified Network Capabilities and Integration. “To do that we need to better understand how and what industry can provide, what their different managed services models would look like, how they could each best support our hardware and support services requirements, and then compare that to the more traditional way we are providing the capability now and determine which would work best.
“Whatever the outcome, taking the time upfront to review all of the options will enable us to deliver the best solution for the Army,” she added.
According to Paul Mehney, communications director for PEO C3T, the program office expects industry to demonstrate their SATCOM as a service capabilities for engineer and operational assessment. Mehney said that the office will consider the companies' ability to provide and maintain terminals, obtain host nation agreements for use of bandwidth, provide a help desk to address network access issues, and technical support to users and VSAT systems.
Mehney also said that the logistics network modernization efforts aligns with increased capacity, resiliency and convergence goals of Capability Set '23, the next iteration of new network tools set to be delivered in fiscal 2023.
“We are looking to incorporate STN design goals as part of CS23 and beyond; providing initial STN elements for CS23 (such as modernized VSAT and Local Transport capabilities) to support CS priorities over time,” Mehney said.
Responses are due Nov. 6.
February 22, 2024 | International, Land
The firm-fixed price Other Transaction Authority contract was one of two awarded by the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Hill Air Force Base in February
January 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Gareth Jennings, London Switzerland has issued a second request for proposal (RFP) for its Air2030 requirement to procure new combat aircraft and ground-based air defence (GBAD) systems. The supplementary solicitation, which came about 12 months after the first RFP, was issued by the country's Armasuisse defence procurement agency on 10 January. As noted by the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection, and Sport (VBS [previously DDPS]) that announced the new RFP, the second request builds on data already gathered from tests and evaluations of the five candidate fighter aircraft and two GBAD types. For the requirement to replace the Swiss Air Force's current Northrop F-5E/F Tiger II and Boeing F/A-18 Hornet fleets, Air2030 is considering the Eurofighter Typhoon, Dassault Rafale, Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Saab Gripen E, and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). For the GBAD requirement, Air2030 is considering the Eurosam SAMP/T and Raytheon Patriot. For the fighter aircraft element, the companies contacted via the government authorities are requested to submit the most advantageous offer for Switzerland. The proposal should include prices for 36 and 40 aircraft (including logistics and weapons), as well as other defined industrial aspects of the bid including offsets. "The starting point for determining the number of fighter aircraft are the requirements to cope with a situation of increased tension. In such a situation, the Swiss Air Force must be able to permanently conduct air patrols with at least four aircraft for at least four weeks in order to preserve air sovereignty, prevent unauthorised use and violations of Swiss air space, and thus contribute to keep Switzerland out of armed conflict. In addition, the Swiss Air Force will use the new fighter aircraft for air policing around the clock, and, in case of armed attack, defend the air space for a limited period of time and support the ground forces," the RFP said. https://www.janes.com/article/93660/swiss-issue-second-rfp-for-fighter-gbad-replacements
May 21, 2024 | International, Land
The Marine Corps is developing a new radar, designing its next Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle variant and mulling additional counter-unmanned systems.