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February 20, 2023 | International, Aerospace

‘Smaller, better, cheaper’ — the rise of portable drone interceptors

As drones swarm modern battlefields, so do technologies for taking them down.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2023/02/20/smaller-better-cheaper-the-rise-of-portable-drone-interceptors/

On the same subject

  • Les "success-stories" des pépites EarthCube et Kalray se poursuivent à très grande vitesse

    November 20, 2020 | International, C4ISR

    Les "success-stories" des pépites EarthCube et Kalray se poursuivent à très grande vitesse

    Deux pépites technologiques françaises, deux parcours incroyables. Earthcube et Kalray vont pouvoir poursuivre leur aventure gr'ce à deux opérations de levée de fonds réussies. Ce sont deux pépites françaises extrêmement prometteuses, qui pourraient devenir un jour des licornes françaises. Earthcube, qui change de nom en devenant Preligens, et Kalray ont réussi leur levée de fonds. La première, spécialisée dans l'imagerie spatiale au moyen de techniques d'intelligence artificielle notamment, a réussi à lever 20 millions d'euros ; la seconde, pionnier des processeurs dédiés aux nouveaux systèmes intelligents, a annoncé jeudi dans un communiqué le succès d'une augmentation de capital d'un montant de 5,2 millions d'euros. Dénominateur commun pour ces deux start-up, la présence du ministère des Armées dans leur tour de table, qui surveille ces deux pépites technologique comme le lait sur le feu pour des raisons de souveraineté et d'autonomie stratégique. C'est le fonds Definvest, doté de 100 millions d'euros et opéré par Bpifrance, qui est techniquement dans le capital de Preligens et Kalray. Depuis sa création, huit entreprises ont bénéficié... https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/les-success-stories-des-pepites-earthcube-et-kalray-se-poursuivent-a-tres-grande-vitesse-862726.html

  • US Army confident any tech schedule slips are recoverable

    April 24, 2020 | International, Land

    US Army confident any tech schedule slips are recoverable

    By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is girding for modernization program delays and a rise in acquisition costs as the coronavirus pandemic ripples across its installations and through its network of suppliers. Army leaders told reporters Thursday they are confident the service can juggle schedules to make up for any emerging delays and would ask Congress to help address future cost growth. While some larger prime contractors have adapted quickly, officials said, they warned that lower-tier companies with less slack in their workforces remain vulnerable. The Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System had several major tests and evaluations scheduled, including a long-awaited limited-user test, or LUT. However, Army Futures Command chief Gen. Mike Murray said in a call with reporters that the testing schedule “will slide a little bit, but we will be on time” for the program's other milestone decisions. “I am very confident we will get the LUT done this summer or early fall,” he said. The Army is in the third year of an ambitious modernization overhaul, which depends in part on “soldier touchpoints,” or user evaluations of new equipment. The modernization efforts are now in question as commanders apply physical distancing measures to protect their soldiers. For example, a touchpoint at Fort Riley, Kansas, for a future replacement of the RQ-7 Shadow unmanned aircraft system is going ahead, but the commander at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, decided to postpone one there. Whether wider program delays are coming, “we're still watching very closely, and what I am very much focused on is there may be some slips in key decisions and soldier touchpoints,” Murray said. “The current estimate is we will deliver that [UAS] capability to our soldiers by the time we said we would.” The Army will also push a critical touchpoint for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System from the summer to the fall after Microsoft — a subcontractor for the prime — temporarily closed. The device is a set of goggles meant to provide soldiers next-level night and thermal vision as well as enhance navigation and targeting. “Not only for that program but for all our programs, input from the soldiers that were actually asked to use this equipment has been critical,” Murray said. “That has been impacted.” The comments came as the Pentagon expects a broader three-month delay for major acquisition programs and speeds progress payments to primes that should trickle to small businesses. Army acquisitions officials have worked to help get second- and third-tier suppliers access to small business loans as well as facilitate cash flow to them. “The supply chain does have some challenges, and that's probably where the vast majority of any slips would occur that are tied to individual companies,” said Bruce Jette, the Army's acquisition chief. “These companies are small, and if one person gets COVID in the company, the next thing you know you've lost 14 days with the company because everybody that didn't get it is in quarantine.” BAE Systems coordinated a temporary closure with the Army and plans to scrap a planned summer break to make up the time. Boeing's closure in Philadelphia also came and went. “It's like that down [the] chain for the primes: They tend to be coming back online,” Jette said. “The ones where we end up with two or three weeks are the ones where we've got small individual companies of maybe 20 to 30 people who were suppliers of cables, or connectors and things like that. “There's something there that tends to have a bigger impact or take a little bit longer time. And with them, we try to execute those portions of the program which aren't dependent upon those components, and then we'll come back and clean up the battlespace.” Some big agenda items for the Army don't appear to have been knocked off balance. For example, the Army is still planning on another flight test of Lockheed Martin's Precision Strike Munition, or PrSM, by April 30, which will deliver a new long-range precision fires capability to the battlefield. The capability is the Army's No. 1 modernization priority. “I'm confident enough that we're going to do the next test flight [of] PrSM that I scheduled a military aircraft to go out and see it, so I'm very confident,” Murray said. The Army's latest “night court” review — used to divest the service of unneeded programs — proceeded virtually, as much of the Pentagon shifted to remote work. As part of the review, Army leaders recently received the final brief concerning equipment. “A lot of the recommendations are pretty much close to being finalized,” Murray said. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/04/23/us-army-confident-any-tech-schedule-slips-are-recoverable/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 2, 2019

    July 3, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 2, 2019

    NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $348,223,161 for modification P00019 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification is for production non-recurring, special tooling and special test equipment in support of low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) partners and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (23.80%); El Segundo, California (23.86%); San Diego, California (17.03%); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (7.65%); Orlando, Florida (6.63%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (3.44%); Nashua, New Hampshire (2.71%); Clearfield, Utah (2.15%); Marietta, Georgia (1.77%); East Aurora, New York (1.59%); Palmdale, California (1.40%); Cheltenham, United Kingdom (0.96%); Turin, Italy (0.81%); Clearwater, Florida (0.79%); Melbourne, Florida (0.60%); Irvine, California (0.58%); Kongsberg, Norway (0.53%); Arlington, Texas (0.48%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (0.46%); Tempe, Arizona (0.38%); Inglewood, California (0.33%); Papendrecht, Netherlands (0.28); Garden Grove, California (0.21%); Montmorency, Australia (0.20%); Marion, Virginia (0.17%); Independence, Ohio (0.14%); Amesbury, Massachusetts (0.13%); Rome, New York (0.13%); Los Angeles, California (0.10%); Hot Springs, Arkansas (0.10%); Lystrup, Denmark (0.09%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (0.09%); Owego, New York (0.07%); Sharon, Massachusetts (0.06%); Wichita, Kansas (0.06%); Boulder, Colorado (0.05%); Carlsbad, California (0.04%); Ontario, California (0.04%); Delta, British Columbia, Canada (0.03%); Long Beach, California (0.01%); Lindenhurst, New York (0.01%); Eskisehr, Turkey (0.01%); Saint Peters, Missouri (0.01%); Santa Fe Springs, California (0.01%); and Rancho Cucamonga, California (0.01%). Work is expected to be completed in August 2022. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps); fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps); non-U.S. DoD partner and FMS funds in the amount of $348,223,161 are being obligated at time of award, $17,899,115 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($129,642,270; 38%); Navy ($69,738,685; 20%); Marine Corps ($61,001,500; 17%); non-U.S. DoD partners ($60,840,706; 17%) and FMS customers ($27,000,000; 8%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Anchor Innovation Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1901); Beach Marine Services Inc.,* Portsmouth, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1902); Colonna's Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk Virginia (N50054-19-D-1903); East Coast Repair & Fabrication LLC,* Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1904); Fairlead Boatworks Inc.,* Newport News, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1905); Lyon Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1906); Q.E.D. Systems, Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1907); United States Marine Inc.,* Gulfport, Mississippi (N50054-19-D-1908); and Willard Marine Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1909) for Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center Marine Boatyard and Industrial Support for Lot I, and Colonna's Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1910); East Coast Repair and Fabrication LLC,* Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1911); Fairlead Boatworks Inc.,* Newport News, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1912); and Lyon Shipyard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1913) for Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center Marine Boatyard and Industrial Support for Lot II, are each awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts to furnish the management, material support services, labor, supplies and equipment deemed necessary to provide marine boatyard and industrial support which includes modifications, upgrades, service life extension and repairs to non-commissioned boats, crafts, lighterage and service craft and/or their associated systems and periodic maintenance. These contracts include options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative ceiling value to $216,979,810. These nine small businesses will have the opportunity to provide offers for individual delivery orders. Work will be performed in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area and is expected to be complete by July 2020, and work is expected to be completed by July 2024, if all options are exercised. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $32,500 ($2,500 minimum guarantee per contract) was obligated under each contract's initial delivery order and expires at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with nine offers received. The Navy's Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a maximum $99,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, single award task order contract for aerospace medical and environmental health research support services at the Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by July 7, 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, testing and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,000,000 will be obligated upon award under an initial incrementally funded task order and the funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with six offers received. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N62645-19-D-5005). RWG (Repair & Overhauls) USA Inc., Houston, Texas (N64498-19-D-4019); and the Canadian Commercial Corp. representing Standard Aero Energy Co. (SAE) Winnipeg, Manitoba (N64498-19-D-4020) are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for depot level overhaul of Navy 501-K34 marine gas turbine engines for a program cumulative value of $70,000,000. The 501-K34 marine gas turbine engines are used on the Navy ship class DDG-51. Orders will be competed between both offerors. Work under N64498-19-D-4019 will be performed in Houston, Texas, and work under N64498-19-D-4020 will be performed in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is expected to be completed by March 2024. No funding will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated as individual orders are issued. These contracts were not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), Limited Number of Responsible Sources. 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 $21,689,142 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N00019-19-F-2972) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0029). This order procures the CH-53K Data Transfer Unit and Defensive Electronic Countermeasure System Replacement program and includes necessary Non Recurring Engineering (NRE) to replace existing subsystems within the CH-53K production aircraft. NRE tasks include investigation, systems engineering support, risk analysis, integration development, weight impact and publication updates. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (44.02%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (41.74%); Fort Worth, Texas (7.41%); Vergennes, Vermont (2.81%); City of Industry, California (1.9%); Costa Mesa, California (1.18%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (.94%), and is expected to be completed in January 2021. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $21,689,142 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. Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc.,* Portsmouth, Virginia, is awarded a $14,589,487 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the repair, restoration, overhaul, assembly and test services of the Naval Submarine Universal Modular Mast (UMM). The UMM systems will be completely overhauled off-hull at the vendor's facility to a ready-for-issue status to support the fleet during maintenance availabilities. Required services will be determined on an individual task order level. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $566,676 will be obligated at time of award via the first task order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-19-D-4027). Frequentis Defense Inc., Columbia, Maryland, is awarded an $8,454,481 firm-fixed-price contract for non-recurring engineering and logistics for the design, development, test, manufacture and repair of the MD-5A Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, which will support the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned air vehicle. The integrated computer system will transport voice communications from carrier-based air vehicle operators to local audio switches, local radio terminals and remote radio terminals. Work will be performed in Columbia, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,454,481 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 Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-19-C-0276). Tompco Inc.,* Seabeck, Washington, is awarded $8,221,449 for firm-fixed-price task order N44255-19-F-4283 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N44255-17-D-4014) for the RM #19-0166 asbestos abatement and replacement of steam condensate and high pressure drain systems, Naval Base Kitsap, Puget Sound, Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Washington. Scope of work includes the abatement of asbestos and replacement of systems throughout the steam distribution system to improve worker safety. This project consists of High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) vacuuming all surfaces, wet wiping, scraping, shoveling, scrubbing and/or mopping where HEPA vacuuming is inadequate to containment and removal of any mud, sand, soil and dust/debris from surfaces including floors, abandoned piping removal and replacement of piping and insulation. The project area is DD5 service gallery and all connected laterals, trenches, utilidors, etc. The work will be performed in Bremerton, Washington, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 3, 2020. Fiscal 2019 working capital contract funds in the amount of $8,221,449 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five solicitation emails were sent and four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity for the basic contract and the NAVFAC Bremerton Field Engineering, Acquisition Department is the contracting activity for the task order. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded $7,103,403 for cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-19-F-2555 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0029. This order procures non-recurring engineering, development, tooling, manufacturing, qualification, reporting and delivery of the nose, main, intermediate and tail gearbox gears in support of the low rate initial production of the CH-53K aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed in October 2020. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,103,403 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Yulista Support Services,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $226,911,155 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for maintenance and modifications of C5ISR flight activity platforms. Bids were solicited via the internet with zero received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 19, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGU-19-D-0002). Cornforth Consultants Inc.,* Portland, Oregon (W91237-19-D-0016); K S Ware & Associates LLC,* Nashville, Tennessee (W91237-19-D-0017); and Aterra-Schnabel JV,* Ambler, Pennsylvania (W91237-19-D-0015), will compete for each order of the $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for national dam safety engineering and design services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 1, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, West Virginia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $66,752,500 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for rapid technology development and demonstrations. This contract provides for the development of new/novel concepts for sensor and systems of sensor systems across the multiple domains and spectrums that aid in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and battlespace awareness. Work will performed in Reston, Virginia, with base support at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by June 12, 2024. This award is a result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $546,050 are being obligated at the time of award. Contracting activity is the U.S. Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (FA8650-19-C-1941). Engility Corp., Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $40,000,000 firm-fixed-price/cost reimbursement/cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services supporting the Space and Missile Systems Center, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Ground Systems and Space Operations Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This contract provides engineering, development, integration and sustainment services supporting the current ground system enterprise throughout its evolution, including the transition to and buildout of enterprise ground services. Work will be performed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Schriever AFB, Colorado; Buckley AFB, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Space Based Infrared Radar Payload On-Orbit Test Station facility, Azusa, California; the Space Management Battle Lab, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Vandenberg AFB, California, as well as future sites at Naval Research Laboratory, Blossom Point, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 20, 2019. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Space and Missile Systems Center, Advanced Systems & Development Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA8818-19-D-0004). General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., doing business as General Dynamics Mission Systems, Fairfax, Virginia, have been awarded a $35,683,952, cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00015) to previously awarded FA8307-17-F-0004 for next generation GEO overhead persistent infrared (NGG-OPIR). The contract modification provides for additional Medium/LargeSat Common Solutions (MLCS) variants for the NGG-OPIR program, additional MLCS engineering development modules, increased tempest testing and to fund an overrun. Work will be performed at General Dynamics Mission System, Scottsdale, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $12,726,494.04 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Cryptologic Systems Division, Contracting Division, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Valley Apparel, LLC,* Knoxville, Tennessee, has been awarded a maximum $10,794,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Navy working uniform parkas. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Tennessee, with a July 1, 2020 performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1172). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1895053/source/GovDelivery/

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