BAE Systems receives additional contracts for Amphibious Combat Vehicles

On the same subject

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  May 1, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  How The Pentagon Is Reaching Small Suppliers

  Jen DiMascio The Pentagon is employing new ways to track and funnel dollars to small- and medium-sized aviation suppliers hit hard by a drop-off in their commercial business since the novel coronavirus took hold. One way has been to accelerate up-front progress payments to prime contractors. Ellen Lord, the Pentagon's acquisition chief, announced April 30 that in this week alone, the Defense Department processed more than $1.2 billion out of $3 billion to defense contractors in accelerated payments. The acceleration was enabled by a March 20 memo which lifted the amount that large contractors could receive before delivering a contracted item from 80%-90% and for small contractors from 90%-95%. Lord singled out Lockheed Martin for praise for committing to speed $450 million to its supply chain. As those payments are being released, the U.S. Air Force is studying the needs of small suppliers and charting the flow of those progress payments through the industrial base, service officials said during an April 29 Aviation Week MRO webinar. After the first COVID-19 stimulus package was released, Col. Kevin Nalette, vice director, 448th Supply Chain Management Wing, Air Force Sustainment Center, said his office was asked to find out how much money small companies would need to maintain a constant flow of work to continue to support the defense sector. They had two days to ask contractors–the third- and fourth-tier “mom-and-pop shops” whose work becomes an end item purchased somewhere up the stream. The majority of defense vendors do more work–55% or more–for commercial aviation businesses. “As soon as the commercial sector shut down, we had an amazing ability. We now had their full attention,” Nalette said. “When you come to their attention with basically free cash, it's amazing what you can get done.” Tony Baumann, director of contracting for the Air Force Support Center, is capturing data about where the money and progress payments are going. And he is tracking some 2,700 contracts to find out the COVID-related constraints they are operating under. “My guys talked to all of them,” Baumann said, and they stay in contact so that the Air Force knows when a supplier needs to shut down to clean a business. Then Nalette's group is looking at whether that closure might impact deliveries of critical supplies or inventory. That has caused the Air Force to rewrite service contracts using new authorities granted by the CARES Act COVID-relief bill passed by Congress to keep multiple teams of service personnel on contract so that one group can work and another can be ready to backfill so that no group would experience a 14-day interruption, Baumann said. All of those changes are being tracked and coded based on COVID-19, he added. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/budget-policy-operations/how-pentagon-reaching-small-suppliers

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  April 9, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Boeing’s KC-46 tanker now has a pathway for autonomous aerial refueling

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Last week's deal between Boeing and the U.S. Air Force on a fix for the KC-46 could pave the way for the tanker to refuel other aircraft without a person needed to manually control the process, a top service official said Thursday. On April 2, Boeing agreed to fix the KC-46's troubled Remote Vision System by creating an overhauled RVS 2.0 with new hardware and software. Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper told reporters those changes would include the addition of 4K high-definition cameras that will display imagery in color as well as modern processors and LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) sensors that will help improve depth perception. “A proper RVS like that is right on the doorstep to autonomy,” Roper said. “All you have to do is take that data that tells the world inside the jet the reality of geometries between the airplane and the boom outside the jet. Once you have that, you simply need to translate it into algorithms that allow the tanker to tank itself.” The KC-46's Remote Vision System has been a thorn in the side of the aircraft program since 2017, when issues with the system were first discovered. The RVS is basically a suite of cameras, sensors and software that is supposed to allow boom operators sitting inside the aircraft to safety steer the boom into the aircraft needing fuel. But in certain conditions, the system produces distorted imagery that increases the risk of the boom hitting another aircraft. The new LIDAR system will be key to fixing that problem, said Roper, who likened it to a backup camera on a car that also provides cues to a driver for parallel parking or assessing whether a vehicle is aligned flush to a curb. “We'll have something very similar to that for the boom operators, so telling them are they left, right and how close are they getting to the airplane,” he said. “[It's] something very intuitive and easy to work with, and I think that will help significantly with them understanding their distance [from the other aircraft] because LIDAR is extremely accurate.” Because Boeing is locked into a firm fixed-price contract for the development of the KC-46, it will have to pay for the upgrade to RVS 2.0 out of its own pocket, as the Air Force maintains that the current system does not meet requirements. But the service is so confident in the prospect of using the RVS 2.0 as a stepping stone to an autonomous tanker that it included an option in last week's agreement to fund the development of technologies that enable autonomous or semiautonomous refueling. “We have added an engineering change proposal into the deal with a not-to-exceed threshold of $55 million, so that when RVS 2.0 is done, we can then take the next step beyond 2.0 to develop those autonomy algorithms and install them if we think we can certify them for safe use,” Roper said. “We took that step because, one, we're excited about being on the doorsteps of autonomy and, [two], we wanted to send a clear signal in the deal that this is our tanker for the future,” he said. If the Air Force decides to move forward with those design changes, more will need to be done to hammer out the contractual details, said Jamie Burgess, Boeing's KC-46 program manager. “There was no commitment one way or another on who pays for what. But there's definitely a strong partnership between Boeing and the Air Force as far as developing this technology,” he said. Autonomous refueling capability has been of increasing interest to the Air Force over the past few years, as sensing and artificial intelligence technologies grow by leaps and bounds. Boeing previously signaled it could include such technology as part of a menu of potential upgrade options for the KC-46, as reported by FlightGlobal in 2018. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/04/08/boeings-kc-46-tanker-now-has-a-pathway-for-autonomous-aerial-refueling

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  March 12, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 8, 2019

  ARMY Unit-ASRC Construction LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded a $128,657,500 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of Long Range Discrimination Radar power plant at Clear Air Force Station, Alaska. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Anderson, Alaska, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction; and research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $128,657,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, is the contracting activity (W911KB-19-C-0001). Carothers Construction Inc., Oxford, Mississippi, was awarded a $22,821,540 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction a standard-design, general-purpose storage building with loading dock. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 7, 2020. Fiscal 2015 and 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $22,821,540 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-19-C-0020). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $19,502,855 modification (P00207) to domestic and foreign military sales (Netherlands and Kuwait) contract W58RGZ-13-C-0040 for aviation field maintenance services. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; Germany; and Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2019. Fiscal 2010 and 2019 foreign military sales; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the combined amount of $19,502,855 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Metova Federal,* Cabot, Arizona, was awarded a $16,706,404 hybrid (cost and firm-fixed-price) contract for Security Force Assistance Brigade support. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fort Benning, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of April 14, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $6,922,987 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Benning, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W911SF-19-F-0014). NAVY Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded $85,718,447 for modification P00017 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm target contract (N00019-17-C-0015). This modification provides for the upgrade of four MV-22 aircraft from the Block B to the Block C configuration in support of the Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization Program (CC-RAM). In addition, this modification provides for the planned maintenance interval effort for one of the CC-RAM aircraft. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (93 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (7 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Fiscal 2017, 2018, and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $85,718,447 will be obligated at time of award, $22,314,593 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $41,835,268 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-18-C-4301 to staff, operate and accomplish the efforts associated with supporting a nuclear regional maintenance department at Naval Submarine Base New London, Groton, Connecticut, in support of returning mission-ready submarines to the fleet. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by March 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $17,400,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. SRI International, Menlo Park, California, is awarded an $11,312,731 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for low frequency high power satellite calibration research and development. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to a total of $63,482,059. The places of performance will be at the contractor's facility located in Menlo Park, California (65 percent); and at the Bluestar Antenna Facility in Stanford, California (35 percent). Work is expected to be completed March 7, 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2024. Fiscal 2019 Navy Working Capital funds in the amount of $50,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and no funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured using sole-source procedures under request for proposal N00173-18-R-WR07. The Naval Research Laboratory, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00173-19-C-6000). Cabrillo Enterprises* (doing business as R.W. Little*), National City, California (N55236-16-D-0005); South Bay Sand Blasting and Tank Cleaning Inc.,* San Diego, California (N55236-16-D-0006); and Surface Technologies Corp.,* Atlantic Beach, Florida (N55236-16-D-0007), are awarded a combined $10,000,000 for modifications under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contracts to exercise Option Year Three for deck covering removal and non-skid installation services on board Navy ships. Each contractor shall provide all management, administrative services, materials, tools, equipment, labor, rigging, scaffolding, utilities (i.e. air, water and electricity, etc.) and required services/support to accomplish deck covering removal and non-skid installation on board Navy ships within a 50-mile radius of San Diego, which may include Oceanside, California. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, which may include Oceanside, California, and is expected to be complete by April 2020. No funding is being obligated at the time of award. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. ALLTRACK, Inc.,* Pendleton, Indiana, is awarded a maximum amount $10,000,000 requirements contract for railroad maintenance and repair services at the Naval Support Activity, Crane. The work to be performed provides for maintenance and repairs on railroad trackage. Services include, but are not limited to, replacement of rails, ties, crossings and accessories, surfacing, alignment, dressing of ballast, ditch maintenance, and incidental related work. No task orders are being issued at this time. All work will be performed in Crane, Indiana, and the term of the contract is not to exceed 48 months, with an expected completion date of March 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as future task orders will be primarily funded by working capital (Army) and working capital (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-19-D-7701). Web Business Solutions Inc.,** Fredericksburg, Virginia, is awarded a $9,595,573 task order (M67854-19-F-7822) under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-18-D-7821) for support services to the Command and Control Training and Education Center of Excellence (C2TECOE). The C2TECOE main effort is to provide a continuum of standards-based C2 systems instruction and home station training. Work will be performed at Camp Pendleton, California (27 percent); Quantico, Virginia (23 percent); Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (17 percent); Okinawa, Japan (16 percent); Twentynine Palms, California (10 percent); and Marine Corps Base Hawaii (7 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 10, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $9,595,573 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will expire the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with four offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contract activity. AIR FORCE Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nevada, has been awarded a $23,702,941 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P-00021) to previously awarded contract FA8509-17-C-0002 for the permanent installation of the MC-130J Airborne Mission Networking (AbMN) Program. This modification provides for the procurement of additional hardware and labor necessary to support the AbMN program through flight test. Work will be performed in Sparks, Nevada, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 16, 2021. Fiscal year 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $12,293,268; and fiscal year 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $11,409,673 are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $67,977,580. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. S&K Engineering & Research, St. Ignatius, Montana, has been awarded an $18,581,032 indefinitely-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Reliability, Availability, and Maintainability Logistics Engineering Support System for Pods and Integrated Systems program. This contract provides for RAMPOD, which supports the collection of maintenance and inventory data for all Air Force pods, support equipment and specialized avionics. The services to be provided are continuous operations, system engineering, and software sustainment support for RAMPOD program, servers, applications and users. Work will be performed in St. Ignatius, Montana, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,408,000 are being obligated (on the first task order) at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8523-19-D-0003). Peerless Technologies, Fairborn, Ohio, has been awarded an $18,470,211 task order under the General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical support services to the gravity systems program. This task order provides for efforts to transition from procurement to sustainment require a diverse staff to formulate a solid framework for systems engineering, testing, sustainment, and operational support for integration of the B61-12 All Up Round and legacy gravity systems. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is expected to be complete by March 7, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive and four offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,300,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Foreign Military Sales funds will also be used during the task order period of performance. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9422-19-F-5003). DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE Guidehouse LLP, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $12,473,349 labor hour contract modification to previously awarded contract HQ042318F0055 to exercise an option for audit finding remediation support services. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Defense-wide operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,473,349 are being obligated at the time of this option award. This award brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $24,537,771. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (HQ0423-18-F-0055). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Galois Inc., Portland, Oregon, was awarded a $9,925,508 modification to previously awarded contract HR0011-18-C-0013 for the System Security Integrated Through Hardware and firmware (SSITH) program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $16,553,298 from $6,627,790. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon (88 percent); Menlo Park, California (7 percent); Framingham, Massachusetts (4 percent); and San Francisco, California (1 percent), with an expected completion date of March 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,949,500 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business **Service disabled veteran-owned small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1780721/