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October 10, 2018 | International, Aerospace

Boeing: Apache helicopter fix could take until past 2020 to complete

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WASHINGTON — Boeing has made progress on installing a “safety critical” part across the AH-64 Apache fleet, but it will probably take until at least 2020 for the company to finish the retrofit process, Boeing program officials said Tuesday.

In April, Defense News revealed that the U.S. Army had suspended AH-64E Apache attack helicopter deliveries due to corrosion the service noticed on the aircraft's strap pack nut, which hold the heavy bolts that attach the rotor blades to the helicopter. The service resumed accepting deliveries on August 31 after Boeing designed a new strap pack nut that will be outfitted on AH-64Es coming off the line.

The company has now retrofitted new strap pack nuts on about 25 percent of the Army's AH-64D/Es, Kathleen “KJ” Jolivette, director of U.S. Army Services for Boeing Global Services, said during an Oct. 9 roundtable with journalists at the Association for the U.S. Army annual conference.

However, Steve Wade, vice president Boeing attack helicopters, said the fastest the company could move to finish retrofitting the Apache fleet is 2020, saying that “the limiting factor is how fast we can build” retrofit kits.

Boeing's best case completion date appears to be at least a full year behind the Army's own projections. In September, Brig. Gen. Thomas Todd, the service's program executive officer for aviation, said that he expected retrofits of the U.S. Army's Apache fleet to occur by 2019, with the strap pack nut replacements paid for by the company.

Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/09/boeing-apache-helicopter-fix-could-take-until-past-2020-to-complete

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 06, 2020

    February 7, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 06, 2020

    NAVY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $172,424,000 modification (P00004) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract (N00019-19-C-0008). This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of two MQ-4 Triton unmanned air systems for the Navy, one Navy main operating base, trade studies and associated technical and administrative data. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (30.5%); Red Oak, Texas (12%); Palmdale, California (10%); Baltimore, Maryland (9.7%); Salt Lake City, Utah (7.9%); Bridgeport, West Virginia (4.9%); Indianapolis, Indiana (3.8%); Moss Point, Mississippi (3.6); Chantilly, Virginia (3.5%); Waco, Texas (1.7%); San Clemente, California (1.3%); Newton, North Dakota (.9%); various locations within the continental U.S. (8.8%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1.4%), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $172,424,000 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. Toland & Mizell Architects Inc.,* Atlanta, Georgia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $30,000,000 for professional architectural and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast (SE) area of operations (AO). Initial task order is being awarded at $267,865 to provide engineering design for Server Rooms 1 and 2 within Building 514 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by September 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR including, but not limited to Florida (20%); Georgia (17%); South Carolina (15%); Louisiana (10%); Mississippi (10%); Texas (10%); Andros Island, Bahamas (5%); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (5%); Tennessee (3%); Alabama (1%); Arkansas (1%); Kansas (1%); Missouri (1%); and Oklahoma (1%), and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M N) contract funds in the amount of $267,865 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M N and military construction (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 26 proposals received. NAVFAC SE, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-20-D-0001). Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $14,822,628 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-6204 to exercise options to provide engineering and technical services for Navy submarines and aircraft carriers via the software infrastructure and build process related to a maintenance management tool. This option exercise is under Small Business Innovation Research Topic N05-051 for software build production, engineering and technical services, and includes all material travel, subsistence and incidental material in support of the related production orders and services. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (30%); Groton, Connecticut (25%); Bremerton, Washington (15%); Las Vegas, Nevada (10%); Cleveland, Ohio (10%); Chesapeake, Virginia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (2%); San Diego, California (2%); and Kings Bay, Georgia (2%), and is expected to be completed by January 2021. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,058,930 was obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $7,598,226 undefinitized contract action to the previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111 to perform Phase III of the Virginia Class Main Propulsion Machinery control systems effort. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,598,226 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Construction Helicopters Inc., Howell, Michigan, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R007 in the amount of $168,964,521. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $703,381,606 from $534,417,085. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) Berry Aviation Inc., San Marcos, Texas, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R008 in the amount of $157,889,835. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $674,556,717 from $516,666,882. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) Erickson Helicopters Inc., Portland, Oregon, has been awarded a contract modification, P00007, on contract HTC711-17-D-R009 in the amount of $93,601,765. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $379,378,242 from $285,776,477. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) ARMY Akima Support Operations LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $101,329,977 cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise logistics support and services at Fort Hood, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed at Fort Hood, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-F-0137). Federal Resources Supply Co.,* Stevensville, Maryland, was awarded a $40,365,948 firm-fixed-price contract for metal working and machine shop set shelters. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 25, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, is the contracting activity (W9098S-20-D-0005). Vectrus Systems Corp, Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $23,026,701 modification (P00012) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0025 to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform Area Support Group-Kuwait Dining Facility food services. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army; defense cooperation agreement operations and maintenance; and Air Force operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $23,026,701 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Pine Bluff Sand And Gravel Co., White Hall, Arkansas, was awarded a $16,389,850 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in New Orleans and Black Hawk, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2023. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $16,389,850 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0002). Messer Construction Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $13,960,000 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement and relocation of an existing fuel farm located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of June 17, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0006). Skookum Educational Programs, Bremerton, Washington, was awarded a $7,335,413 modification (P00006) to contract W911S8-18-D-0004 to provide regularly scheduled custodial services to a multitude of federal facilities at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Work will be performed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. The 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc.,** Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $24,465,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various types of trousers. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Washington, District of Columbia, Texas, Illinois and North Carolina, with an Oct. 5, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-F057). *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2077018/source/GovDelivery/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 30, 2018

    November 1, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 30, 2018

    AIR FORCE ACR Technical Services Inc., Newport News, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1001); APRO International Inc. Vienna, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1002); Goldbelt C6 LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1003); Science and Management Resources Inc., Pensacola, Florida (FA4890-19-D-1004); and Yulista Support Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (FA4890-19-D-1005), have been awarded a ceiling $473,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Air Force Enterprise Contracted Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories Services II. This contract provides Air Combat Command, the Air National Guard, and other major command and combatant command customer management, supervision, personnel, equipment, tools, materials and other items necessary to perform equipment calibrations by professional and technical metrologists. Work will be performed at various Air Force bases in the continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2028. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,300,000 will fund the current requirement. Headquarters Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $365,730,330 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price contract for new-construction DDG Aegis Weapon System Baseline K2 development and integration in support of the Republic of Korea Navy. This contract involves foreign military sales to the government of South Korea. This contract will provide for combat system installation, staging and integrated logistics support required for the installation, test and delivery of the Aegis Combat System K2 baselines for three Republic of Korea Navy DDGs. These efforts include program management, system engineering and computer program development; ship integration and testing; technical manuals and planned maintenance system documentation. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (66 percent); Ulsan, South Korea (18 percent); Seoul, South Korea (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (7 percent); and Washington, District of Columbia (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. Foreign military sales funding in the amount of $111,535,109 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(4) (International Agreement). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5102). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded a $244,714,371 not-to-exceed, firm-fixed-price contract to procure long lead material for Harpoon full-rate production Lot 91 in support of multiple Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (54 percent); McKinney, Texas (23 percent); Toledo, Ohio (8 percent); Burnley, United Kingdom (3 percent); Middletown, Connecticut (2 percent); Grove, Oklahoma (2 percent); Elkton, Maryland (1 percent); Lititz, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Galena, Kansas (1 percent); Huntsville, Alabama (1 percent), and various locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. FMS funds in the amount of $244,714,371 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 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0016). BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $72,049,627 indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division. Support to be provided includes fleet services, equipment improvement, technical efforts, operational software, test bed efforts, repair, fabrication, and restoration; training; local area network, and quality assurance and system safety effort. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (80 percent); and various ship and shore locations (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2023. No funds are being obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0001). General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $54,436,930 modification (P00023) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (W15QKN-15-D-0001). This modification provides integrated logistics support for multiple foreign military sales (FMS) customers using purchased Navy defense articles including weapon systems, various aircraft, and other components procured under FMS programs. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (52 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (2.5 percent); Pensacola, Florida (1.5 percent); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (1 percent); various locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (28 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Northrop Grumman Technical Services, Sierra Vista, Arizona, was awarded a $74,569,127 modification (P00024) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0019 for extension of services for Hunter Contractor Logistics Support. Work will be performed in Sierra Vista, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Applied Visual Technology Inc.,* Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $26,000,000 modification (P00007) to contract W900KK-13-D-0001 to develop, test, integrate and field hardware and software subsystems to achieve a fully functional and concurrent Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer system. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 12, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. Joseph B. Fay Co., Tarentum, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $22,246,265 firm-fixed-price contract for a new stilling basin and abutment protection wall at the Charleroi Locks and Dam. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Monessen, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 general construction funds in the amount of $22,246,265 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W911WN-19-C-8000). Bodell Construction Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded a $20,323,384 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a C-17 refueling hydrants and ramp expansion. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Charlotte, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 1, 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $20,323,384 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W91242-19-C-5001). KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $14,793,363 modification (0001 40) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0061 for Army Prepositioned Stock Four (APS-4) Korea, logistics support services. Work will be performed in Waegwan, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 29, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Southwind Construction Services LLC,* Edmond, Oklahoma, was awarded a $9,253,009 firm-fixed-price contract for anti-terrorism/force protection at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $9,253,009 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-18-F-0184). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aurora Industries LLC, * Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $52,928,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for flame resistant coats for the Army Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with 13 responses received. This is an 18-month base contract with one, one-year option period. Maximum dollar amount is for the life of the contract, including options. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with an April 29, 2021, estimated performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1111). Belleville Shoe Co., Belleville, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $12,049,936 modification (P00003) exercising the first one-year option period of one-year base contract (SPE1C1-18-D-1001) with four one-year option periods for hot-weather combat boots. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Illinois, with an Oct. 29, 2019, performance completion date. Using customer is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY IntelliDyne LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, has been awarded a $15,695,542 firm-fixed-price contract to provide direct support to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Global Service Center and the enterprise to fully support the integration of all desk side support, remote, or onsite troubleshooting; onsite IT touch labor; network support services activity program management; network security; and infrastructure assurance activities to include risk management framework support, in-room video teleconferencing support, Defense Health Headquarters site asset management, and network/systems engineering where required into the Military Health System Joint Active Directory Management and the Military Health System Medical Community of Interest network environment systems and infrastructure. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This contract will have a six-month base period of performance (Oct. 30, 2018, to April 29, 2019) with one six-month option period. This short-term contract provides continuity of services until DHA is able to conduct a competitive award anticipated in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. This award utilizes fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $15,695,542. The Defense Health Agency, Contracting Office – Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HT0011-19-F-0001). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1677051/source/GovDelivery/

  • Army to buy more than 1,000 Switchblade drones through Replicator

    June 23, 2024 | International,

    Army to buy more than 1,000 Switchblade drones through Replicator

    The Army’s vice chief of staff, revealed the quantity for the first time during a June 21 House Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing.

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