July 16, 2020 | International, Naval
The U.S. Navy wants $464 million for unmanned surface vessels, but Congress is not on the same page.
Legislators have so far declined to fully fund the massive investment into research and development for large and medium unmanned surface vessels as they work through the annual defense bill, citing the request as “excessive procurement ahead of satisfactory testing.”
Among other things, that budget request would give the Navy $239 million to purchase two Overlord large unmanned surface vehicle (LUSV) prototypes for testing.
While the Senate Armed Services Committee has declined to authorize any of the $464 million request, the House Armed Services Committee agreed to authorize just $270 million of that request — specifically cutting funding for the two LUSVs. Instead, the House version would provide the Navy $45 million to convert a Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship into a LUSV for further testing.
In a report on the bill issued by the Senate Armed Services Committee, lawmakers argued that the Navy already has the LUSVs that can fill the Strategic Capabilities Office's needs in this area.
But perhaps more importantly, the committee members do not seem convinced that LUSVs are ready for prime time.
“The committee remains concerned that the budget request's concurrent approach to LUSV design, technology development, and integration as well as a limited understanding of the LUSV concept of employment, requirements, and reliability for envisioned missions pose excessive acquisition risk for additional LUSV procurement in fiscal year 2021,” the report reads. “The committee is also concerned by the unclear policy implications of LUSVs, including ill-defined international unmanned surface vessel standards and the legal status of armed or potentially armed LUSVs.”
Furthermore, legislators remain unconvinced that the current unmanned vessels can hold up to the physical environment of extended operations at sea. While the Navy requires its unmanned platforms to be able to operate continuously at sea for 30 days without maintenance or repairs, the committee report notes the Strategic Capabilities Office's prototypes have only demonstrated two to three days of continuous operation.
The Senate version of the bill would require the Navy to formally qualify two main engines and electrical generators — including successfully demonstrating 30 days of continuous operations at sea — before Milestone B approval is granted.
An industry group hit back July 9.
In a letter to leaders of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees, the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International called on legislators to fully fund the Navy's fiscal 2021 request.
“It is imperative that Congress continues to fund the research and development (R&D) efforts included in the Navy's FY21 budget request,” wrote President and CEO Brian Wynne. “Failing to do so will disrupt the significant investment industry has made in unmanned systems over the last several years. The severe reduction in funding being considered in the FY21 NDAA would eliminate jobs, drive many small companies out of business, and cause larger companies to shift their R&D investments to more stable opportunities”
The committee report argues that its requirements do not delay these programs, but in fact will enable the delivery of unmanned surface vehicles faster by ensuring they are “capable, reliable and sustainable.”
In the meantime, the Navy has moved forward with its unmanned surface vehicle efforts.
On July 13, the Navy awarded L3Harris $35 million to develop a medium unmanned surface vehicle prototype, with an option to buy eight more later on. If all options are exercised, the contract could be worth up to $294 million.
“The award of Medium USV is the culmination of a great dialogue with industry to right-size the requirements for a capable, reliable, and affordable unmanned surface vehicle that will employ a variety of modular payloads,” said Capt. Pete Small, program manager of Unmanned Maritime Systems within the Unmanned and Small Combatants Program Executive Office. “Leveraging new rapid prototyping authorities and mature commercial technology will allow us to quickly deliver a capable prototype to the Surface Development Squadron to conduct experimentation and learning in support of the Navy's plans for a future fleet incorporating unmanned vessels.”
The prototype is expected to be delivered in fiscal 2023. However, the Navy press release announcing the award notes that funding for future MUSV prototypes is uncertain. While the Navy has asked for additional fiscal 2021 funding for a second MUSV prototype in fiscal 2023, that acquisition strategy is yet to be determined.
https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/2020/07/15/congress-skeptical-of-navys-unmanned-vessels-plans/
May 31, 2021 | International, Land
The Army takes a hit in the president's fiscal 2022 budget request, but not enough to derail modernization efforts critical to the future fight ... this time.
March 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
AIR FORCE Digitized Schematic Solutions LLC, Warren, Michigan, has been awarded a $260,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for technical data support services. This contract provides for the sustainment of Air Force Materiel Command technical data by standardizing roles, processes and methodology. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; and Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Work is expected to be complete by March 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 11 offers were received. Fiscal 2020 funds in the amount of $2,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Enterprise Contracting, Warner Robins, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8530-20-D-0002). The New Jersey Department of Human Services, Trenton, New Jersey, has been awarded a $57,806,700 firm-fixed-price contract for food service. This contract provides for full food service to the dining facilities on the Dix area of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JB MDL), New Jersey. Work will be performed at JB MDL, New Jersey, and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2021. This award was the result of a competitive acquisition and the award was made under the priority afforded under the Randolph-Sheppard Act. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance and overseas contingency funds will be obligated by individual task orders. The 87th Contracting Squadron, JB MDL, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (FA4484-20-D-0011). C. W. Roberts Contracting Inc., Tallahassee, Florida, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $49,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for resurfacing, painting, removing, replacing/reinstallation, modifying, full depth reconstruction and new full depth construction of pavements (e.g. airfield, roadways, parking lots, sidewalks, etc.); ramp-downs; foundation walls and footings; curbing; parking bumpers; and traffic control devices. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; and Duke Field, Florida, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2823-20-D-0003). Valiant Global Defense Services Inc., doing business as Valiant Integrated Services, San Diego, California, has been awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and development. This contract provides for the research, development, testing and evaluation of joint and coalition requirements for tools and technologies that allow for joint and combined planning and data interchange with U.S. coalition partners in multiple theaters of operation to maximize interoperability and mission effectiveness when combatting chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii; and the Undersea Warfare Development Center, San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 6, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,577,055 are being obligated on the initial task order; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,734,995 are being obligated on the second task order, at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Research Site, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-D-6058). Raytheon Corp., Marlborough, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $26,148,084 modification (P00092), to previously awarded contract FA8705-14-C-0001. This modification provides for delta pricing B-Tables for added and deleted work for contract line item numbers 0004, 0005 and 0006 for Global Aircrew Strategic Network Terminal. Work will be performed in Largo, Florida, and is expected to be complete by October 2021. Fiscal 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $16,533,066 are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $366,523,499. Air Force Material Command, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. ARMY The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $191,858,915 cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for post-production support services and warehouse management services for the United Kingdom AH-64E Apache helicopter fleet of 50 aircraft and three Longbow crew trainers. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2024. Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funds in the amount of $191,858,915 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-C-0014). Manhattan Construction Co., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an $85,407,155 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a new four-story, 201,000 square-foot general instruction building to support the U.S. Army War College. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Carlisle Barracks, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 29, 2023. Fiscal 2020 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $85,407,155 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-C-0007). NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp. and Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, are awarded a not-to-exceed $173,164,400 modification to a previously awarded, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target advance acquisition contract (N00019-20-C-0009). Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30%); El Segundo, California (25%); Warton, United Kingdom (20%); Orlando, Florida (10%); Nashua, New Hampshire (5%); Cameri, Italy (5%); and Baltimore, Maryland (5%). This modification procures long lead materials, parts, components and support necessary to maintain on-time production and delivery of Lot 15 F-35 aircraft for the Navy, Marine Corps and government of Italy. Work is expected to be complete by December 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $53,064,400; and non-Department of Defense participant funds in the amount of $120,100,000 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. Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $25,449,876 firm-fixed-price contract for Launch Sequencer (LSEQ) Mark (MK) 5 Mod production in support of the Vertical Launch System (VLS). The LSEQs are used in support of the VLS, which provides area and self-defense, anti-air warfare capabilities, counter-air and land attack cruise missile defense and surface and subsurface warfare capabilities. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to South Korea and Finland. Work will be performed in Oldsmar, Florida, and is expected to be completed by March 2021. This contract will provide for the manufacture, assembly, test and delivery of VLS LSEQ MK 5 Mod 2, Part Number 7104340-29. This contract includes options, which if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $74,415,030. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2020 procurement defense wide (Navy); and fiscal 2020 FMS funding in the amount of $25,449,876 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N63394-20-C-0004). Lockheed Martin Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $22,436,852 letter contract for the integration, demonstration, testing and operation of the Layered Laser Defense (LLD) weapon system prototype onboard a Navy littoral combat ship while that vessel is underway. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (30%); Baltimore, Maryland (25%); Sunnyvale, California (12%); Woodinville, Washington (10%); Manassas, Virginia (5%); Dallas, Texas (15%); San Diego, California (2%); and Santa Cruz, California (1%). Key areas of work to be performed include development of a prototype structure and enclosure to protect the LLD from ships motion and maritime environment in a mission module format; system integration and test with government-furnished equipment; platform integration and system operational verification and test; systems engineering; test planning; data collection and analysis support; and operational demonstration. Work is expected to be complete by July 2021. The total cumulative value of this contract is $22,436,852. The base period is $22,436,852 and no options are proposed. The action will be incrementally funded with an initial obligation of $11,218,426 utilizing fiscal 2019 research, development, and test and evaluation (Defense-wide) funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-20-S-B001, “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science & Technology.” Since proposals are received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-20-C-1003). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a firm-fixed-price task order, HC1013-20-F-0073, to support the Air Force Air Defense Communication Services (ADCS). The face value of this action is $7,171,537, funded by fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds. The total cumulative value of the order is $14,486,526. This task order was awarded under the competitively awarded, single-award blanket purchase agreement (HC1013-15-A-0004) against General Services Administration's Information Technology Schedule 70 contract for ADCS. The place of performance is throughout the continental U.S., as well as Alaska, Hawaii and Guam. The period of performance for this action is April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021. There are two, six-month option periods from April 1, 2021, to March 31, 2022. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2106160/source/GovDelivery/
June 27, 2023 | International, C4ISR
Under the new arrangement, Lockheed will build a prototype of the Terrestrial Layer System-Echelons Above Brigade at its facility in Syracuse, New York.