Beyond the Osprey: DARPA wants high-speed vertical takeoff X-plane

On the same subject

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  July 4, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 3, 2019

  AIR FORCE DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $308,616,183 firm-fixed-price contract for aviation command and control operations and maintenance services. This contract provides for air traffic control, airfield management and associated maintenance support. Work will be performed in the Air Force Central Command's area of responsibility and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with four offers received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $379,576 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Combat Command's Acquisitions management and integration center, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-19-C-A013). AAR Supply Chain Inc., doing business as AAR Defense Systems & Logistics, Wood Dale, Illinois, has been awarded a $209,986,676 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for C-130H contractor logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force. This contract will provide the Afghanistan Air Force with full C-130H contractor logistics support to include maintenance and repair, as well as on the job training for local Afghan nationals. Work will be performed Kabul, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 29, 2025. This contract involves foreign military sales to Afghanistan. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $12,011 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8553-19-D-0006). The University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $28,527,970 firm-fixed price, labor hour and cost reimbursement-no-fee contract for F-15 sustainment engineering studies. This contract provides for systems/structural engineering field and programmed depot maintenance support, reliability and maintainability analysis and aircraft structural integrity program capability development and sustainment. Work will be performed at Dayton, Ohio; and Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by June 28, 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,464,648 are being obligated at the time of award. The contracting activity is Air Force Life Cycle Management System, Robins AFB, Georgia (FA8505-19-D-0003). The Rockhill Group Inc., Moline, Florida, has been awarded a $12,211,850 firm-fixed-price contract for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) aircrew instruction instructor support required by the 492 Special Operations Wing and operational wings. This contract provides for critical flying training unit support instruction (platform, simulator and flight) to all students going through AFSOC's initial and mission qualification school and continuation training for combat aircrews. Work will be performed at Hurlburt Field, Florida; Duke Field, Florida; Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2019. This award is the result of sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,211,850 are being obligated at the time of award. The 765th Specialized Contracting Flight, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA0021-19-C-A003). NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, is awarded an undefinitized contract action established under delivery order (N00019-19-F-4037) with a not-to-exceed value of $174,970,959. This delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0011) provides for engineering, testing, product support and ancillary support to update the current Long Range Anti-Ship Missile components and systems required to achieve objective requirements in the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 1 Capability Description Document. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (58%); Wayne, New Jersey (20%); Nashua, New Hampshire (15%); Troy, Alabama (6%); and Ocala, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed in November 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,000,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Construction Development Services Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N40085-16-D-6348); Cram Roofing Co.,* San Antonio, Texas (N40085-16-D-6349); Gallaher Management Group Inc.,* Greenville, North Carolina (N40085-16-D-6350); Industrial Contract Service Corp.,* Wilmington, North Carolina (N40085-16-D-6351); Quality Roofers & Guttering, Inc.,* Jacksonville, North Carolina (N40085-16-D-6352); and Service Disabled Contracting Group, Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N40085-16-D-6353), are awarded a combined amount $50,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contracts for roofing construction services within the Marine Corps installations east area of responsibility. The work to be performed provides for replacement and installation of roofs and associated materials. Projects include roof repair and replacement of new and existing roofs. Projects may require new construction, design, alteration or maintenance and repair of existing roofs. Roofs may be sloped or flat. After award of this modification, the total maximum dollar value for all six contracts combined will be $95,000,000. Work will be performed at Navy and Marine Corps installations at various locations including, but not limited to, North Carolina (90%); Georgia (3%); South Carolina (3%); Virginia (3%); and other areas of the U.S. (1%), and is expected to be completed by February 2021. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Marine Corps); and military construction funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Heffler Contracting Group Inc.,* El Cajon, California, is awarded a maximum amount $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for other specialty trade contractors construction alterations, renovations and repair projects at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, and Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs and construction of electrical, mechanical, painting, engineering/design, paving (asphaltic and concrete), flooring (tile work/carpeting), roofing, structural repair, fencing, heating, ventilation, air and cooling and fire suppression/protection system installation projects. Work will be performed in Twentynine Palms, California (36%); Barstow, California (36%); and Bridgeport, California (28%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2631). Elite Pacific Construction Inc.,* Kaneohe, Hawaii, is awarded $12,665,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N62478-19-F-4158 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62478-18-D-4022) to overhaul the Drydock No. 2 intermediate caisson to maintain its 10-year certification at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH). The work to be performed provides for 10-year ultrasonic testing of the caisson structural members and plating in accordance with Military Standard 1625D including, but not limited to, plating of the entire hull, top deck (weather deck), machinery deck, internal strength decks, bulkheads including breast hooks, ballast tank and machinery deck internal structural members such as stiffeners, truss frame members and seachests/ballast piping seaward of the first closure valve. Other repair scope items include sandblasting and preserving interior and exterior surfaces of the caisson, including the weather deck; cleaning, priming and painting all interior and exterior surfaces of the caisson; removing existing non-skid coating from the weather deck; and installing industrial strength adhesive-type non-skid surface material on the weather deck and machinery deck. Work will be performed in Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $12,665,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, JBPHH, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is awarded an $8,044,102 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification under previously-awarded basic ordering agreement N00164-17-G-JQ02-0004 to extend the period of performance for depot support services in support of life-cycle sustainment of the Multi-Spectral Targeting System for U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force and special operations forces platforms. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds in the amount of $275,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity. Tompco Inc.,* Seabeck, Washington, is awarded $8,209,449 for firm-fixed-price task order N44255-19-F-4274 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N44255-17-D-4014). The work will convert the Perch-Pickerel Housing area from family housing to unaccompanied housing consisting of 24 buildings with 18 eight-unit buildings and six four-unit buildings at Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor. The work to be performed includes: replace and install new carpet where required; add exterior lighting to all buildings; change thermostats in each unit; install building and unit number placards at each building and unit; remove existing playgrounds; install two picnic shelters and BBQs; replace entry doors to each unit; remove existing mailboxes; and provide fire protection. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $12,689,449. Work will be performed in Silverdale, Washington, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 4, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Commander Navy Installation Command contract funds in the amount of $8,209,449 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity. ARMY Patton-Tully Marine Inc.,* Memphis, Tennessee (W912EQ-19-D-0002); Luhr Bros. Inc., Columbia, Illinois (W912EQ-19-D-0001); Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Whitehall, Arizona (W912EQ-19-D-0003); Bertucci Contracting Co.,* Jefferson, Louisiana (W912EQ-19-D-0004); and Choctaw Transportation Co. Inc.,* Dyersburg, Tennessee (W912EQ-19-D-0005), will compete for each order of the $150,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for maintaining the Mississippi River and tributaries channel improvement project. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 3, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis, Tennessee, is the contracting activity. NCI Information Systems, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $27,956,232 modification (P00005) to contract W91RUS-18-C-0017 for information technology services for cyber network operations and security support. Work will be performed in Fort Huachuca, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2020. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,251,101 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. RSCI, Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $21,623,000 firm-fixed-price contract to design and construct a 42,000 square foot Red Flag 5th Generation facility addition. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, with an estimated completion date of June 22, 2021. Fiscal 2019 defense military construction funds in the amount of $21,623,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-19-C-0023). LGC Global Inc., Detroit, Michigan, was awarded an $11,311,046 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a physical fitness center at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Niagara Falls, New York, with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2021. Fiscal 2019 Air Force Reserve military construction funds in the amount of $11,311,046 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-C-0021). AECOM Management Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $9,866,058 modification (P00144) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0001 for aviation maintenance services and limited depot support. Work will be performed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 29, 2019. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 operations and maintenance, Army; operations and maintenance, Army Reserve; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $9,866,058 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1896502/source/GovDelivery/

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  June 4, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contracts for June 3, 2021

  Today

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  June 11, 2020 | International, C4ISR

  What the Army’s TITAN program means to multidomain operations

  Nathan Strout For a little more than one year, Brig. Gen. Rob Collins served as the program executive officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (IEW&S), where he was responsible for ensuring the soldier can detect, recognize and identify the enemy. Collins' vast portfolio included airborne and terrestrial sensors, position, navigation and timing devices, biometric solutions, and the TITAN ground station program, which will take data from aerial, terrestrial and space sensors to distribute essential data to shooters. The officer has a long career working in this arena: he previously served as project manager for the Army's Distributed Common Ground System and before that as product manager for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increments 2 and 3. On June 1, Collins officially took over as the new head of the Army's Program Executive Office – Command, Control and Communications (Tactical) where he will oversee the Army's network modernization efforts and work with the network cross functional team at Army Futures Command. In May, during his final days at PEO IEW&S, Collins talked to C4ISRNET's Nathan Strout about his approach to acquisitions, how the Army fits into Joint All Domain Command and Control, and the legacy he'll leave at the program office. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. C4ISRNET: How has your office helped the Department of Defense's shape its approach to Joint All Domain Command and Control? COLLINS: Enhancing deep sense and linking sensor to shooter is fundamental to our Army multi-domain operations concept, and really, the future of large-scale ground combat operations. And specifically for our PEO, we've been active partners in JADC2 efforts, working closely with our network (cross functional team) and our PEO C3T partners and the Assured Position Navigation and Timing cross functional-team in particular and the ISR task force at large, which is led by the G2. We're working on integrated architectures, multi-functional sensors that are integrated within the network for both [data] transport and mission command, and really solutions that are tailored to meet the unique requirements of our Army ground force. And when I say that, [I meant that they are] really at scale and they can meet the mobility requirements of our ground force. We operate at a scale and at an expeditionary mobile fashion which makes the Army a little bit unique. I'll tell you the collaborations that we've embarked upon with the [program officers] really assisted in some common design principles and components to assist in interoperability and really enabling sensor to shooter. Most recently within the PEO, we really helped the Army with some deep sensing ground stations — TITAN circuits if you will — that participated in some sensor to shooter threads in a training exercise [outside the continental United States]. So that really informed our approach. Across the PEO moving forward we've identified a lot of collaborative areas for experimentation demonstrations, tech maturity and really focused in on sensor integration and really data — how do we share data best across the battlefield? C4ISRNET: From the outside, it seems like TITAN will be an essential piece to the entire JADC2 concept, especially for the Army. How are you approaching redundancy and survivability to that system? COLLINS: TITAN is certainly a significant focus area in the modernization effort. It's a key component for our deep sense capability and really being scalable and expeditionary as an intelligence ground station and supporting commanders across the multi-domain operations battlefield framework. And we're really looking at TITAN to be kind of a LEGO approach that can be tailored based on the echelon it supports. And yes, one of the tenets is that it's going to leverage a multi-layered approach, a robust set of nodes from space, from high-altitude aerial to terrestrial sensors and assist with target nominations and link fires, command and control, informed by all the multi-disciplines of intelligence. And really as it connects all these various feeds, hundreds of thousands of intelligence feeds, it's going to employ artificial intelligence and machine learning to rapidly synthesize that information into meaningful info at the speed of battle —sometimes what we say is time can almost become a weapon in and by itself. Part of the analysis is taking a look at primary and alternate communications, what we call PACE, as part of the design, and I'll tell you TITAN is going to consist of a number of assured communications capabilities designed in the PACE plan, from Beyond Line-of-Sight communications, common tactical network components, direct downlinks, software-defined radios, and other IT and non-IP options that really span the gambit of the security domain. So we understand the criticality of PACE and it's one of these that we'll work closely with our network and APNT CFT partners as we continue to refine and define the concept. C4ISRNET: Speaking more broadly, a key function of JADC2 is being able to network with the other services and pull in their information to your shooters. When you look to the other services, what are the platforms, networks, or developments that you're excited to see feed into TITAN and other Army systems? COLLINS: We're always looking for opportunities to leverage national and other mission partner information, and that can span a number of sense capabilities, certainly within space. We certainly watch all things that are going on within low Earth orbit, capabilities that will provide a lot of opportunity. Across the joint force there are a number of areas — certainly within the Air Force — that have the ability to do deep sense with aerial platforms at altitude, so we watch that closely. And I would just tell you, even in the commercial arena even as far as the geospatial information there is a lot of collect capability. TITAN is really adopting an open systems architecture kind of baked in from the beginning [where it can take data from multiple sources], whether it's a [science and technology] effort — which could come from the Army or another agency — for intelligence warning capability or detect/assess/decide-type capability, or if it's leveraging a mission or national partner capability as I mentioned for deep sense, or really even adopting a commercial capability like geospatial collect or adopting a high performance data platform. C4ISRNET: Leaders at the Space Development Agency frequently note that the Army is the biggest customers for data collected from space. Can you speak a little bit about how you're looking at their architecture and tying into their transport layer? COLLINS: At least on the ISR side, we work closely with many of our partners as we look at opportunities to be able to leverage investments that they're making into the space sense capability, and certainly some of the things we have to be conscious of are the responsiveness to our tactical command. If they have intelligence requirements [we need to be able] to provide those back so we can get the persistent stare or the on demand access that we need for the tactical war fight. We certainly are also aware as we push that information down, some of the impacts that it may have on the Army networks that often operate on disconnected, intermittent, limited bandwidth environments, so to the extent that we can do processing as far forward at the point of collect and sense so we can only distribute the information that's absolutely necessary, we're working those concepts to do that. And that's where the artificial intelligence and machine learning comes into play. C4ISRNET: How have acquisitions changed over the last few years? From the outside we've seen a lot more usage of Other Transaction Authorities across the Department. What is your thinking on OTAs and other acquisition vehicles? COLLINS: We have really adapted our acquisitions — now more than ever — using more agile and more tailored acquisition approaches. Each endeavor, each capability that we go to pursue, often has a unique set of circumstances such as the technology maturity, the types of requirements, the types of things that we need to integrate—even our intellectual property approaches. Now more than ever, we've got multiple pathways on the acquisition approach that we can pursue: tailoring traditional, pursuing mid-tier, there's now software pathways, and there's always quick reaction and engineering change proposals to existing programs. So there's a number of different approaches, and I would tell you, too, our ability to involve soldiers in the operational feedback and operational perspective in the process is also kind of new and something that we've really underscored as part of the process. That starts not only from the requirements process, but how we include them in our source selection to assessing soldiers' hands-on kit and providing that feedback. OTA is just another tool that we have at our disposal. Certainly, if we need to do a little bit more maturation of prototypes prior to finalizing requirements, the OTA does offer an opportunity to more quickly pursue those prototypes in advance of transitioning into a more traditional FAR-type approach. I think there's a lot of flexibility and we're starting to do our critical thinking to decide how we approach each acquisition, because each acquisition and capability is unique. I'll tell you the other thing that we're really doing too is—where appropriate—exercising a DevOps or DevSecOps type of approach, and really that's where you bring material developer, combat developer, user, interoperability certifier, tester, and even to the extent the accrediter for those approaches, and they're all collectively together so you do things in parallel and you can dramatically speed up the process. Those are a number of things that we are really using at our disposal to move both more rapidly but also more efficiently and effectively. C4ISRNET: How do you incorporate smaller, nontraditional vendors that can bring in solutions? How do you bring more people into the fold, especially in tech hubs like Silicon Valley? COLLINS: We've got a lot of footprints in a lot of these technical hubs ... I would tell you that we've also done a tremendous amount of industry outreach even within the portfolio. I think in my tenure, in about a year I've probably done close to almost 200 industry engagements, and that spans from small, medium and large. And we're continuously trying to encourage and build relationships beyond just the traditionals. It is probably one of the advantages of the OTA that we've got, to be able to attract non-traditionals. I think there's other opportunities that we've got within Small Business Innovative Research-type initiatives that we've pursued, and then also CRADAs, the Cooperative Research and Development (Agreements). So we kind of span the gamut of that and I'll tell you we've got a pretty healthy teaming relationship between us and the [cross functional teams] to be able to get out there and attract that type of non-traditionals that really have a lot of the innovative and forward thinking ideas that we want to bring into our Army. C4ISRNET: We know a lot of the programs at places like PEO IEW&S take years to develop, with multiple PEOs overseeing and influencing different platforms. As you finish out your tenure, what are the milestones, programs you're proud of? COLLINS: First and foremost, I'll depart extremely proud of the people and the mission that the PEO IEW&S portfolio has accomplished and continues to accomplish. I'll tell you one of the unique things about our portfolio is about 50 percent of our programs support overseas operations, and so we do a significant amount of investment of things that are going on abroad. Much of our Army is deployed and so for that I'm extremely proud. I'll tell you the other thing — I think we have established a healthy culture that is ready, that is resilient and adaptive to change. And I think that has certainly been one thing that I'll be proud of, that I think will be a lasting legacy within the organization. We kind of walked in focused on a couple basic attributes. First and foremost, people and leadership was one. Two, exercising acquisition discipline. Three, integrating our kits so it can collectively operate and inform on the battlefield. And then four, really working with our partners and stakeholders. I think in each one of those areas we've made tremendous progress and really established a lot of momentum. Some of the major programmatics moving forward ... the Terrestrial Layer System, I think we've made some good progress there. Missile Defense and Space Systems set the conditions for our future aerial deep sense capability and really tightened kind of the major deep collect and nesting in with a lot of collecting in space and with our national mission partners. And then all of that data coming down to the foundational component are probably some of the big areas where we've established a lot of positive, irreversible momentum that will allow us to move forward on our Army modernization front. C4ISRNET: And as you move over to PEO C3T, what are you excited to tackle there and what lessons will you bring with you from PEO IEW&S? COLLINS: Well, I must admit that I am a signal officer and so I am excited to return to my roots as a network professional. And so I do find very much the network (to be) an exciting endeavor, and so I'm looking forward to getting back and contributing with the team. And I think what I would certainly take with me is that ... I have a better appreciation of the types of information, the types of data, the types of intelligence ... that need to traverse our networks, the type of demands that it puts on the network, the types of speed of service and quality of service and performance that are required to support those users of the network. So I think that's one of the key things that I'll take with me as I get ready to move over and be part of the C3T team, which I'm very excited (about). I've been very thankful for the experience here at the IEW&S team— a phenomenal group of professionals — and I'm excited to continue my Army mission. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2020/06/09/what-the-armys-titan-program-means-to-multidomain-operations/