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October 30, 2023 | International, Aerospace

Boeing’s P-8 plane had unfair advantage in Canada tender, firms allege

Procurement officials have acknowledged they never sought input from Canadian firms or examined aircraft other than the P-8.

https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2023/10/30/boeings-p-8-plane-had-unfair-advantage-in-canada-tender-firms-allege/

On the same subject

  • Cyber Command doubled its contract spending in the past year

    March 11, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

    Cyber Command doubled its contract spending in the past year

    By Mark Pomerleau U.S. Cyber Command nearly doubled the amount of money it issued in defense contracts between fiscal years 2018 and 2019, according to figures provided in written testimony to Congress. In 2019, the command awarded $74.9 million through 81 contracting actions, Gen. Paul Nakasone, the command's leader told the House Armed Services Committee March 4. Those figures are up from the 32 contracts valued at $43 million in fiscal year 2018 that Nakasone provided in testimony in February 2019. Congress gave Cyber Command limited acquisition authority in 2016 following the model of Special Operations Command. It capped acquisition funds at $75 million per year, with a clause that is scheduled to sunset in 2021. However, some members of Congress questioned whether it needed $75 million. Nakasone lauded the role of DreamPort, a public-private partnership in Columbia, Maryland created by Cyber Command to engage with businesses, in increasing the aperture of organizations it works with. “Over the past 18 months, Dreamport has allowed the Command to engage more than 1,000 private companies, educate over 1,000 military personnel on innovative technologies, and involve more than 350 students and interns from 65 colleges and high schools on STEM initiatives,” he wrote. “It has been home to Cyber Command's effort to begin implementing the principles of zero-trust networking on the military's networks. Dreamport also hosted the public-private collaboration that resulted in kits that help enable the Cyber National Mission Force to conduct Hunt Forward operations. The traditional ways of doing business would have been too cumbersome and too slow. Dreamport is key to the command's ability to engage in public-private partnerships at the unclassified level.” Nakasone also told the committee in his written statement that the command has hired its first command acquisition executive responsible for leading the organization's acquisitions and to develop capabilities for the joint cyber force. In total, the command requested a $636 million budget for 2021, compared to the $596 million it used in fiscal year 2020. The executive is largely responsible for procuring and developing capabilities under what Cyber Command calls the Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture, which was established in the last two years to guide capability development priorities. These capabilities fall under five buckets; Common firing platforms to be used at the four cyber operating locations of the service cyber components. These platforms will be worked into a comprehensive suite of cyber tools; Unified Platform, which will integrate and analyze data from offensive and defensive operations with partners; Joint command and control mechanisms for situational awareness and battle management at the strategic, operational and tactical levels; Sensors that support defense of the network and drive operational decisions, and; The Persistent Cyber Training Environment, which will provide individual and collective training as well as a way to rehearse for a mission. The Army is managing PCTE on behalf of Cyber Command and the joint force. The cornerstone of this architecture is the command's data tool called Unified Platform. Nakasone told the House Armed Services Committee that Unified Platform is starting to come online and over the next year it will be the central focus of building the architecture allowing the force to store data and conduct worldwide operations. Budget documents from the Air Force, the service procuring Unified Platform on behalf of Cyber Command and the joint cyber force, for fiscal year 2021 indicate flat funding for the tool for 2021 as compared to 2020. https://www.fifthdomain.com/dod/cybercom/2020/03/09/cyber-command-doubled-its-contract-spending-in-the-past-year/

  • A long-term future for Robins Air Force Base and US national defense

    July 27, 2018 | International, Aerospace

    A long-term future for Robins Air Force Base and US national defense

    By: Sen. David Perdue I grew up in Warner Robins, Georgia. As a member of the United States Senate Armed Services Committee and a former member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I know that Robins Air Force Base is an integral piece of our country's national security. Since 1996, Robins has been home to the Joint Surveillance and Target Attack Radar System mission. JSTARS is a platform that helps with intelligence gathering and battle management. JSTARS planes are very much in demand. However, JSTARS is an aging platform. Russia and China have modernized their air defenses to keep America's specialized capabilities, like JSTARS, out of potentially denied airspace. There are growing areas of denied airspace around the world that JSTARS planes simply cannot penetrate. The Obama administration had proposed a JSTARS recapitalization that was on track to leave a significant capability gap. We fought that in the United States Senate and House by pushing for a JSTARS recapitalization that would continue the mission in non-denied airspace with new planes and avoid that gap. Now, President Donald Trump and his national security team have created an opportunity for a long-term solution for both denied and non-denied airspace. The final version of this year's National Defense Authorization Act is supported by President Trump, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. First, the plan in the defense authorization bill secures the future of the JSTARS platform for the next 10 years, including the more than 2,500 jobs that JSTARS supports. Second, the plan accelerates the development of the Advanced Battle Management System, or ABMS, mission, which is a multidimensional platform that can access both denied and non-denied airspace. Third, the Air Force has named Robins Air Force Base as the host base of this new ABMS mission. This means that Robins will be a force for years to come, while providing for our long-term national defense by developing this technology more quickly than we would have been able to do otherwise. Clearly, this is a major win for Robins Air Force Base, the middle Georgia community and for our national defense overall. It provides certainty for the current JSTARS mission for the next 10 years. It accelerates the development of next-generation mission capabilities so desperately needed by our armed forces today. Finally, the Air Force has assured Robins' future role in dealing with modern-day threats by naming Robins the host base of the Advanced Battle Management System. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., is a member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/07/26/a-long-term-future-for-robins-air-force-base-and-us-national-defense

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 09, 2020

    September 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 09, 2020

    NAVY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $126,934,433 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost only contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise and fund options for Navy engineering services, materials and spares. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by December 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (63%); and fiscal 2020 research development test and engineering, Navy (37%) funding in the amount of $1,400,676 will be obligated at time of award, of which $882,426 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Harper Construction Co., Inc., San Diego, California (N62473-16-D-1881); Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Irvine, California (N62473-16-D-1882); M. A. Mortenson Co. doing business as Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis, Minnesota (N62473-16-D-1883); R. A. Burch Construction Co., Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-16-D-1884); RQ Construction LLC, Carlsbad, California (N62473-16-D-1885); Solpac Construction, doing business as Soltek Pacific Construction Inc., San Diego, California (N62473-16-D-1886); and Straub Construction Inc., Fallbrook, California (N62473-16-D-1887), are awarded $92,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value including the base year and four option years for all seven contracts combined is increased from $332,000,000 to $424,000,000. The contracts are for new commercial and institutional building construction projects at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility, including but not limited to California (90%); Arizona (6%); Colorado (1%); Nevada (1%); New Mexico (1%); and Utah (1%). All work will be performed at various federal sites within the NAVFAC Southwest area of responsibility. No funds are being obligated on this award and no funds will expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); O&M (Marine Corps); and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 21 proposals received. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Core Services Group Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $29,000,000 commercial firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide test and evaluation support services for Commander, Operational Test and Evaluation Force Aviation Warfare Division. The contract will include a 60-month base ordering period with an additional six-month ordering period option pursuant of Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8. The option to extend services, if exercised, will bring the total value to $32,000,000. The base ordering period is expected to be completed by November 2025; if the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by May 2026. All work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,500 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted on beta.sam.gov as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside using commercial items procedures, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-20-D-0020). Science Application International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $17,816,869 single-award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide advanced technical training of shipboard communication and network systems in support of the Water Front Training Delivery Program for the Center for Information Warfare Training, Pensacola, Florida. The contract will include a five-year base ordering period with no options. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Florida (52%); San Diego, California (22%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (19%); and Groton, Connecticut (7%). Work is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract resulted from a full and open competitive solicitation through the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-20-D-Z032). Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $8,941,785 firm-fixed-price modification (P00018) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract N00019-17-C-0030. This modification increases the total contract value to produce, deliver, install and integrate, in country, a fully assembled AH-1Z flight training device for the government of Bahrain. Work will be performed in Broken Bow, Oklahoma (50%); Fort Worth, Texas (30%); and St. Louis, Missouri (20%), and is expected to be completed in May 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $8,941,785 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. Life Cycle Engineering Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded an $8,364,504 firm fixed price modification to task order N32253-19-F-3000 against previously issued SeaPort-e multiple award contract N00178-07-D-4077. This modification exercises Option Period One for the accomplishment of the technical, engineering, management, programmatic and education support services at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility. Work will be performed in Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $8,364,504 will be obligated at time of modification award and expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Sabre Systems, Inc.,* Warrington, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $8,174,314 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N68335-20-F-0212) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N68335-16-G-0022. This order provides support for the rapid research, development, maturation, procurement, integration, training and sustainment of cyber resilient and full spectrum cyber warfighting capabilities for the Digital Analytics, Infrastructure and Technology Advancement Group. These solutions support various systems within the Naval Air Systems Command portfolio throughout all phases of acquisition, operational field demonstrations, prototyping, experiments, operational assessments, extended user evaluations and fleet/force deployments. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in September 2025. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense wide) funds in the amount of $667,721; and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $52,000 will be obligated at time of award, $52,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a ceiling $125,000,000 four-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8675-20-D-0002) for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) system improvement program. This contract provides for delivery of software updates to the AMRAAM inventory. Software development activities are expected to use a recognized agile framework consisting of government/Prime collaboration through repeatable increments of study, development, integration, test and capability demonstration. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2026. An initial task order (FA8675-20-F-1026) will be awarded concurrently with the basic contract, for a total cost-plus-fixed-fee face value of $1,192,809. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $678,402 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. FPM Remediations Inc., Oneida, New York, has been awarded a ceiling $60,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base realignment and closure (BRAC) environmental construction optimization services to support the Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) Installations Directorate (CIB). These performance-based remediation efforts support the AFCEC BRAC mission and enhance BRAC program capabilities within AFCEC/CIB. The requirements support a variety of environmental restoration services and construction necessary to maintain regulatory selected remedies, implement optimization to enhance remedial progress and advance sites to completion in a cost-effective manner. The efforts will be executed in accordance with technical and regulatory requirements to ensure protection of human health and the environment. Work will be performed at the following deactivated Air Force bases: Bergstrom Air Force Base, Texas; Brooks AFB, Texas; Carswell AFB, Texas; Eaker AFB, Arkansas; England AFB, Louisiana; Kelly AFB, Texas; Myrtle Beach AFB, South Carolina; Reese AFB, Texas; Buckley Annex, Colorado; and Lowry AFB, Colorado. Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 BRAC funds in the amount of $2,466,636 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8903-20-D-0003). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Valneva USA Inc.,* Gaithersburg, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $60,601,800 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Japanese Encephalitis vaccines. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Maryland and United Kingdom, with a Sept. 8, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Marine Corps, Navy 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 (SPE2DP-20-D-0005). Vinyl Technology, Monrovia, California, has been awarded a maximum $10,996,200 modification (P00011) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1188) with three one-year option periods for Advanced Technology Anti-G Suits. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is California, with a Sept.16, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is 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. ARMY Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $49,525,698 modification (P00006) to contract W9132V-19-F-0005 for geospatial research, development, technology and evaluation of current and emerging geospatial technologies that will help characterize and measure phenomena within the physical and social environments encountered by the Army. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2023. Fiscal 2020 revolving funds in the amount of $1,038,309 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. Moog Inc., Elma, New York, was awarded a $46,659,837 firm-fixed-price contract to overhaul and upgrade cylinder assembly actuators for UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0032). Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $22,335,977 modification (P00035) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0071 for engineering services in support of the Hellfire and Joint-Air-to-Ground missiles. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 2, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2020 missile procurement (Air Force) funds; 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds; 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds; and 2018 and 2020 missile procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $22,335,97 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Optimal GEO Inc.,* Athens, Georgia (W912P9-20-D-0027); and Surdex Corp., Chesterfield, Missouri (W912P9-20-D-0026), will compete for each order of the $16,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for photogrammetric and lidar surveying and mapping. Bids were solicited via the internet with 38 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 3, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity. David Boland Inc.,* Titusville, Florida, was awarded a $15,472,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of Building 546 at Missile Command Headquarters. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 25, 2023. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $15,472,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-20-C-0036). Speegle Construction,* Niceville, Florida, was awarded a $13,214,700 firm-fixed-price contract to construct a two-story, 39,500 square-foot facility with reinforced concrete foundation and floor slab, steel structure, masonry walls, metal roof, heating, ventilation, air conditioning, fire detection and protection and mass notification system. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed at Hurlburt Field, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 16, 2022. Fiscal 2024 military construction (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $13,214,700 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-20-C-0028). BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., San Jose, California, was awarded a $10,457,946 modification (P00143) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0099 for Bradley Fighting Vehicle current fleet sustainment logistics management. Work will be performed in San Jose, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2022. Fiscal 2018 procurement (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $10,457,946 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Limno-Tech Inc.,* Ann Arbor, Michigan, was awarded a $9,900,000 fixed-price-level-of-effort contract for research and development services for water quality and contaminant modeling. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 8, 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity (W912HZ-20-D-0004). Accenture Federal Services, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an $8,293,896 modification (P00001) to contract W52P1J-20-C-0005 for unified enterprise resource planning capability support services. Work will be performed at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 8, 2026. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $8,293,896 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The contract announced on Sept. 8, 2020, for Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland (W56HZV-20-F-0396), for $29,034,547, was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Sept. 9, 2020. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2341844/source/GovDelivery/

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