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  May 7, 2020 | International, C4ISR

  Pentagon reports boost in predatory foreign investment to US tech firms amid pandemic

  Valerie Insinna Since the coronavirus pandemic began, the Defense Department has seen a small increase in predatory foreign investment in U.S. companies, such as small drone manufacturers, the Pentagon's head of industrial policy said Wednesday. “In general terms, there has been of an uptick, but it's always been pretty high,” Jennifer Santos, deputy assistant secretary of defense for industrial policy, said Wednesday during the C4ISRNET Conference. The Pentagon has become increasingly concerned about what it calls “adversarial capital” — a tactic whereby foreign nations, particularly China, make investments into U.S. technology startups that are part of the defense market. Once those countries make their investments, they could own or have access to unique American technologies, while the Pentagon loses its own access due to security considerations. With the U.S. economy increasingly fragile due to COVID-19, the Defense Department must be vigilant about potential risk to American companies, Santos said. “We simply cannot afford during this period of economic uncertainty the loss of American know-how in critical tech.” But Santos stopped short of saying the uptick in predatory foreign investment was a direct result of the pandemic, instead noting that the Defense Department recently expanded its existing tools to monitor adversarial capital. One tool, known as the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, allows the government to block a foreign investment attempt on national security grounds. The jurisdiction of that tool increased in February, so the Defense Department has seen a boost in the number of cases it is tracking, Santos said. “Twenty percent of our [gross domestic product] is foreign direct investment, which is fantastic. But there's some areas where there are threats associated with some of that capital, and we want to protect those industry partners,” she said. Over the past eight weeks, the Pentagon hosted 25 teleconferences with industry to help guide companies that might be experiencing financial distress caused by COVID-19. Some of that outreach, such as a webinar held last week, centered around avoiding adversarial capital, Santos said. While her comments on adversarial capital did not center specifically on the small drone industry, she noted that the pandemic has made supply chain vulnerabilities in that sector more apparent to the department. “The market for UAS [unmanned aerial systems] in the United States is dominated primarily by foreign companies, especially Chinese companies,” she said, adding that Chinese firms hold 97 percent of the small UAS market, with about 75 percent of sales in the U.S. commercial market coming from Chinese drone maker DJI. “U.S. firms have struggled to compete in this drone area,” she said. "Even commercial drones manufactured in the United States often use components made in China. We don't know what the exact effects of COVID will be on this small UAS sector, but I know one thing: We will emerge from this stronger.” Brent Ingraham, the Pentagon's unmanned systems technical director, pointed to the American Drone Security Act currently under proposal by Congress. If passed, the legislation would apply the same security restrictions on UAS used by the Defense Department to the rest of the federal government, which would secure industrial opportunities for U.S. vendors that have a trusted supply chain, he said. As the Defense Department looks to expand its base of small UAS manufacturers, one of the military's legacy providers offered a word of caution. "We as a community are all in favor in faster, cheaper, better, but we need to have an exercise in caution when you do that,” said Gorik Hossepian, AeroVironment's vice president of UAS product line management. “Our past is full of examples of when we do those kinds of things, we tend to sacrifice one versus the other. We need to not lose sight that what we need is a balance.” "At the end of the day, the war fighter at the edge of the battlefield ... needs to have a product that is trusted,” he said. “Members of some of our community, to some extent, have that as some of our DNA — the DNA of working with the end user to solve those problems.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/05/06/pentagon-reports-boost-in-predatory-foreign-investment-to-us-tech-firms-since-pandemic-start/

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  August 7, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1927732/

  NAVY Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado, is awarded a maximum amount $405,770,000 un-priced letter contract modification PH0006 to a previously awarded and announced un-priced letter contract (N00030-19-C-0025) for the design, development, build and integration of large diameter rocket motors, associated missile body flight articles, and related support equipment for Army Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike Weapon System flight test demonstrations. Work will be performed at Littleton, Colorado, with an expected completion date of Jan. 1, 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $33,000,000 are being obligated on this award, which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Brantley Construction Co. LLC,* Charleston, South Carolina (N69450-19-D-0916); CCI Group LLC,* Shalimar, Florida (N69450-19-D-0917); The Clement Group,* Montgomery, Alabama (N69450-19-D-0918); EG Designbuild LLC,* Germantown, Maryland (N69450-19-D-0919); GCB JV1,* Pensacola, Florida (N69450-19-D-0920); U-SMC DeMaria JV1 LLC,* Jacksonville, Florida (N69450-19-D-0921); and Windamir Development Inc.,* McDonough, Georgia (N69450-19-D-0922), are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award, design-build and design-bid-build construction contract for construction projects located within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of operations in north Florida/south Georgia. The maximum dollar value for the five-year ordering period for all seven contracts combined is $195,000,000. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, general building type projects (new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition and repair work) including aviation and aircraft facilities; marine facilities; barracks and personnel housing facilities; administrative facilities; warehouses and supply facilities; training facilities; personnel support and service facilities, and security level facilities. These seven contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. Windamir Development Inc. is awarded the initial task order at $10,576,432 for P643 Reserve Training Building at Fort Benning. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by September 2021. All work on this contract will be performed in Florida (50%); and Georgia (50%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of August 2024. Fiscal 2019 military construction (MILCON); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,582,432 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by MILCON (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 40 proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Marietta, Georgia, is awarded $16,465,887 for modification P00005 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-19-D-0014). This modification increases the ceiling of the contract to procure consumable parts and material, technical publications and engineering services in support of the C/KC-130J aircraft. Work will be performed in Marietta, Georgia (84.5%); Miramar, California (2.5%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (2.5%); Elizabeth City, North Carolina (2.5%); Fort Worth, Texas (2.5%); Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait (2.5%); Iwakuni, Japan (2.5%); and Greenville, South Carolina (0.5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2019. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Hydroid Inc., Pocasset, Massachusetts, is awarded a $15,826,493 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering support and training services for the MK 18 Family of Systems– Unmanned Underwater Vehicle systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $84,024,996. Work will be performed in Pocasset, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by August 2020. If options are exercised, work will continue through August 2024. No funds are being obligated at this time. This contract is awarded on a sole-source basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-19-D-0010). King Nutronics Corp.,* Woodland Hills, California, is awarded an $11,865,150 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for precision pressure standard systems to support the Naval Air Systems Command, Metrology and Calibration Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Metrology and Calibration Program provides support to Navy depot level and intermediate calibration laboratories. The precision pressure standards systems provide the Naval Air Systems Command, Metrology and Calibration Program with the capability of providing inter-service calibration workload for the Air Force and Marine Corps. The precision pressure standards systems are used at intermediate level calibration laboratories afloat and ashore, as well as the depot level calibration laboratories to verify the accuracy and precision of test instruments such as dial pressure gauges and digital pressure measurement devices. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, California, and is expected to be completed by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $263,670 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)(1) - only one source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, Corona, California, is the contracting activity (N64267-19-D-0003). Raytheon Co., Keyport, Washington, is awarded $11,738,000 for firm-fixed-priced undefinitized delivery order N00024-19-F-6308 under indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61331-17-D-0001for deploy and retrieve systems in support of the AN/AQS-20 program. The highly specialized equipment under this contract will deploy, tow and retrieve the AN/AQS-20 sonar in support of mine hunting operations. The AN/AQS-20 is an advanced mine hunting sonar for the Littoral Combat Ship's Mine Countermeasures Mission package. Work will be performed in Keyport, Washington (90%); and Portsmouth, Rhode Island (10%), and is expected to be complete by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 other-procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,751,620 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)(1): only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY ECS Federal LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $78,725,114 modification (P00003) to contract W911QX-18-C-0037 for machine learning and computer vision engineering. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 16, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $35,847,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Hyman Brickle & Son,* doing business as Northwest Woolen Mills, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has been awarded a maximum of $8,198,835 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for trousers. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, with an Aug. 5, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1180). Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $7,756,450 firm-fixed-price contract for multiple radio equipment components. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-time procurement contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Virginia and Massachusetts, with a Nov. 17, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Land and Maritime, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (SPRMM1-19-F-DK0Q). CORRECTION: The $49,019,871 contract announced on Aug. 1, 2019, for Sysco Raleigh LLC, Selma, North Carolina (SPE300-19-D-3230), included an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Aug. 2, 2019. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1927732/

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  February 2, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  Armée de l'Air : vers un dernier retrofit des Gabriel

  Jean-Marc Tanguy Les deux C-160G Gabriel, opérés par l'escadron « Dunkerque » d'Evreux, vont subir un dernier rétrofit avant le retrait de service. En attendant les Dassault Falcon Archange Les deux C-160G Gabriel, opérés par l'escadron « Dunkerque » d'Evreux, vont subir un dernier rétrofit avant le retrait de service. Cette ultime opération est sensée leur permettre de durer au-delà de 2025, la date de retrait qui était initialement envisagée, et qui, on le sait désormais, ne sera pas tenue, à quelques années près. Leur relève doit être assurée par les trois Archange, co-développés par Dassault Aviation et Thales. Les deux appareils recevront des améliorations dans les interfaces homme-machine et les capacités de recueil de l'appareil. Un retrofit confié à l'AIA de Clermont-Ferrand ? C'est l'AIA de Clermont-Ferrand qui est traditionnellement chargé de ces opérations de rétrofit (comme d'entretien). On ignore, à ce stade, si ce sera encore le cas. Il est, en tout état de cause, le dernier industriel à travailler sur les Transall. Les deux Gabriel sont entrés en service en 1989 et tutoieront donc les 40 ans de service, à leur retrait. Ils ont été de toutes les opérations extérieures majeures depuis la guerre du Golfe, notamment dans les Balkans, en Afghanistan. En Libye, ils ont pris une nouvelle dimension, confirmée au Sahel puis au Levant. Des Gabriel aux frontières russes Les C-160G Gabriel sont néanmoins régulièrement aperçu aux frontières russes, comme d'ailleurs les Mirage 2000D qui ont repris la mission ROEM aux Mirage F1CR, en emportant le pod Astac. L'escadron dispose désormais de ses propres Transall ravitailleurs (également utilisables pour d'autres missions) et de quatre ALSR (avions légers de surveillance et de renseignement) dont deux postés à Barkhane. Des ALSR dont certains répondent au doux nom de Vador. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/arme-de-lair-vers-un-dernier-retrofit-des-gabriel-24148