February 14, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
NAVY
British Aerospace Engineering Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00421-D-0035); Coherent Technical Services Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0036); Engility Corp., Andover, Maine (N00421-D-0037); J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0038); KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (N00421-D-0039); Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia (N00421-D-0040); and Valkyrie Enterprises Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00421-D-0041), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $235,005,530, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. These contracts provide for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore support services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) - Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division (NAWCAD 4.11.7). Services to be provided include operational, technical, logistical and system engineering support for system certification; technical assistance; systems analysis and engineering; test and evaluation; installation and maintenance; hardware design, development, technical logistics support; configuration management; training support; equipment manufacturing; quality control; and project management of Mobile Air Battle management systems and communication-electronic systems. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (20 percent); and at various contractor locations within the continental U.S. (80 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with seven offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Diversified Maintenance Systems,* Sandy, Utah, is awarded a maximum amount $49,000,000 indefinite-delivery indefinite quantity contract for commercial and institutional building construction alterations, renovations, and repair projects at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. 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 administration buildings, maintenance/repair facilities, aircraft control towers, hangars, fire stations, office buildings, laboratories, dining facilities and related structures. Work will be performed in Ridgecrest, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of January 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 eight proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2612).
The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $43,000,000 fixed-priced-incentive modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6307 for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements. The Orca XLUUV will be an open architecture, reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle. The Orca XLUUV will be modular in construction with the core vehicle providing guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, power distribution, energy and power, propulsion and maneuvering, and mission sensors. The Orca XLUUV will have well-defined interfaces for the potential of implementing cost-effective upgrades in future increments to leverage advances in technology and respond to threat changes. The Orca XLUUV will have a modular payload bay, with defined interfaces to support current and future payloads for employment from the vehicle. The competition for XLUUV requirements is still in source-selection, and therefore the specific contract award amount is considered source-selection sensitive information (see 41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101 and 3.104) and will not be made public at this time. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (29 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (27 percent); Waukesha, Wisconsin (8 percent); East Aurora, New York (7 percent); Concord, Massachusetts (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (5 percent); Smithfield, Pennsylvania (4 percent); Attleboro, Massachusetts (3 percent); City of Industry, California (3 percent); El Cajon, California (3 percent); Fairfield, New Jersey (2 percent); Ontario, California (1 percent); and Farmingdale, New York (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by June 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $43,000,000 will be 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.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $14,498,758 for modification P00009 to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive firm contract (N0001918C1048) to provide for initial lay-in of repair material for seven F-35 Lightning II systems at various depots in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (34 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (27 percent); Jackson, Mississippi (16 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (16 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (4 percent); and East Aurora, New York (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2024. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps, and Navy); fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force); non-U.S. DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $14,498,758 are being obligated at time of award, $4,582,113 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($6,332,003; 43.68 percent); Marine Corps ($3,128,745; 21.58 percent); Navy ($1,453,368; 10.02 percent); non-U.S. DoD Participants ($2,470,964; 17.04 percent), and FMS customers ($1,113,678; 7.68 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
EPS Corp., Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is awarded a $10,980,406 modification to a previously awarded hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract (N00174-17-D-0026) to exercise an option for technical expertise in the development and testing of underwater weapons and underwater weapons systems components. This requirement is to develop an underwater weapons system acquisition/procurement program that provides underwater weapons systems (including authentic foreign mines) for research, development, test and evaluation of underwater weapons systems and mine countermeasures systems. Work will be performed in Tinton Falls, New Jersey (95 percent); Montenegro (2 percent); Bulgaria (2 percent); and Italy (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by February 2020. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded a $10,517,749 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12). Work will include clean and gas-free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, main engine and electric motor maintenance, 10-year crane maintenance and recertification, dry-docking and undocking, propeller shaft and stern tube inspect, freshwater (closed loop) stern tube lubrication, underwater hull cleaning and painting, 2.5-year bow thruster maintenance and tunnel grating modification, renew flight deck nonskid, and auxiliary pre-stage area refrigeration installation. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $10,583,543. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by July 16, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,517,749 are obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The U. S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C6002).
AIR FORCE
Nimbis Services Inc.,* Oro Valley, Arizona, has been awarded a ceiling increase of $49,500,000 to their indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. The Trusted Silicon Stratus contract's objective is to achieve an initial operational capability of a novel microelectronics life-cycle verification ecosystem implemented to enhance microelectronics supply chain risk management. Work will be performed in Columbus, Ohio. There are two orders currently on this IDIQ. The first task order (FA8650-18-F-1605) is expected to be complete by July 30, 2021, and the second task order (FA8650-18-F-1656) is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated on future task orders. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Tau Technologies LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a cost reimbursement type contract with a base period contract price of $8,913,357 for directed energy modeling for cross-domain analysis. This contract seeks to advance directed energy technologies and weapon systems in engagement and mission-level analysis to enable data-driven wargaming, military utility assessments, and weaponeering. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed May 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $300,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-19-C-0002).
ARMY
Phylway Construction LLC,* Thibodaux, Louisiana, was awarded a $48,654,095 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River levee construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $48,654,095 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0015).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Lions Services, Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $11,403,650 modification (P00020) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-17-D-B008) with two one-year option periods for advanced combat helmet chinstraps and hardware. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Texas, with a Feb. 16, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019, through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
CompQsoft Inc., Leesburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,710,468 a hybrid contract which includes firm-fixed-price labor hour and time and materials contract line item numbers. The contract is to provide audio-visual/video conference support services, by Joint Service Provider to supported agencies in the most efficient manner possible. Work performance will take place primarily in the National Capital Region, including the Pentagon, Mark Center and Crystal City, Virginia. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,710,468 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Sept. 29, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-C-0118).
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
Solers Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for Systems Engineering, Technology, and Innovation. This was a competitive solicitation for a multiple-award ID/IQ contract, with an unrestricted pool and a pool set-aside for small businesses. The original awards for the unrestricted pool were initially made in June 2018. Four post-award protests were submitted to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Following the GAO decisions, issued in October 2018, the agency took corrective action that resulted in the decision to award a contract to Solers Inc. The face value of this action is a ceiling amount of $7,500,000,000. The awardee will each receive a minimum guarantee of $500 applicable to the base ordering period only. All other funding will be obligated at the task order level. The primary performance will be at Defense Information Systems Agency Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland, as well as contractor facilities and DoD locations worldwide to be determined at the task order level. The period of performance is a five-year base period with one five-year option period. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-2015).
*Small Business
https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1757113/source/GovDelivery/
October 27, 2024 | International, C4ISR
Defense and industry officials said the White House's AI policy memo should be accompanied by greater investment in enabling infrastructure.
June 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The House Armed Services Committee wants to limit the amount of money the Air Force and Navy get for their respective sixth-generation fighter programs until it gets some answers. The Navy and Air Force are leading separate efforts to develop a follow-on fighter jet to the F-35, with both services calling their programs “Next Generation Air Dominance.” Both projects are in the early stages of development, with the services hoping to ramp up activities this year. But HASC intends to fence off 85 percent of the fiscal 2021 funding requested for the NGAD until the committee receives an independent review performed by the Pentagon's director of cost assessment and program evaluation, according to the Tactical Air and Land Forces Subcommittee's markup of the FY21 defense policy bill. A committee aide told reporters on Monday that the stipulations are “nothing out of the ordinary” and are meant to allow lawmakers to gain further insight into the programs, not to permanently strip funding from the efforts. “When they field their capabilities, we just want to make sure that they've thought them through, that the department has determined that they are affordable and that anything else that is already in the budget into the future that's high priority as well is not going to get pushed out unintentionally if they have unexpected cost growth or run into problematic issues when they field the capabilities,” the aide said. How's the Air Force effort going? Earlier this month, Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper said the service is on track to finalize a business case for its NGAD program this summer. The Air Force envisions NGAD as a family of systems that could include aircraft, drones and other advanced technologies. But when it comes to developing new advanced aircraft, Roper wants to pursue a new strategy he calls the “Digital Century Series” that would have multiple companies continuously developing new jets and competing against each other for small-batch contracts. The business case, which is being put together by the program executive office for advanced aircraft, will explore whether the Digital Century Series idea is technically feasible, how the development and procurement process should be structured, and whether it would be cheaper than traditional contracting methods. “That is going to really help us, I hope, because we'll show that data and argue that it is not just better from a ‘competing with China and lethality' standpoint. It's just better from a business standpoint,” Roper said. “If it breaks even or is less [than traditional methods], I will be exceptionally happy. If it's more expensive — and I hope not exceptionally more — then we're going to have to argue” on behalf of the program. The Air Force has asked for $1 billion for its NGAD program for FY21. It received $905 million for the program in FY20. How's the Navy's effort faring? The Navy's NGAD program, also known as F/A-XX, is more mysterious. In its FY21 budget rollout this year, the service announced it would curtail its Super Hornet buy, purchasing a final 24 F/A-18E/Fs and then using the savings from a planned 36 jet buy from FY22 to FY24 to invest in its own future fighter. Little is known about the Navy's requirements. The service completed an analysis of alternatives in June 2019, as well as broad requirements and guidance for a concept of operations. The effort is now in the concept development phase, during which defense companies explore ideas “that balance advanced air dominance capabilities and long-term affordability/sustainment,” Navy spokesman Capt. Danny Hernandez told Defense News earlier this month. Congress has signaled that it may not be willing to allow the Navy to stop buying Super Hornets in future years. HASC inserted language into the FY21 defense policy bill urging the Navy to continue buying new Super Hornets, warning the service that next-generation fighter procurement does not always proceed according to plans. “The committee recalls the Navy curtailed F/A-18 procurement approximately 10 years ago with aspirational goals to maintain strike-fighter inventory levels with planned procurement of F-35C,” the committee said. “That plan was not realized due to F-35 program execution and subsequently required the Navy to procure additional F/A-18E/F aircraft to reduce operational risk. The committee expects a similar outcome may occur with the Navy's current plan for FA-XX due to affordability and technological challenges.” The bill also directs the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Defense Department's inspector general to provide more information on the operational risk incurred by not buying additional Super Hornets, as well as F/A-18 squadron adherence to maintenance practices. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/06/23/congress-has-questions-about-the-air-force-and-navys-next-generation-fighter-programs/
December 19, 2018 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Helen Chachaty Mise à jour 13h (heure française) : Le lancement est reporté de 24 heures en raison de conditions météorologiques défavorables. L'observation spatiale prend une nouvelle dimension. Le premier satellite CSO (Composante spatiale optique) doit en théorie être mis sur orbite ce 18 décembre par un lanceur Soyouz, depuis le Centre spatial guyanais (CSG) de Kourou. La constellation CSO - composée de trois satellites - remplacera à terme le système Hélios II et reprendra les missions d'observation spatiale pour les forces armées françaises, mais aussi pour les pays partenaires du programme MUSIS (Multinational space-based imaging system). D'une masse de 3,5 tonnes, CSO-1 sera placé sur une orbite héliosynchrone à 800 kilomètres d'altitude et déployé pour des missions de reconnaissance, avec la capacité de produire des images très haute résolution. CSO-3 aura les mêmes fonctions, alors que CSO-2 sera quant à lui placé sur une orbite polaire à une altitude différente, soit 480 kilomètres d'altitude, afin de remplir la mission d'identification. Le deuxième satellite bénéficiera donc d'une résolution augmentée par rapport à CSO-1 et -3 et sera capable de produire des images d'extrêmement haute résolution - une donnée non-dévoilée. CSO-2 sera théoriquement lancé en mai 2020, toujours par Soyouz, CSO-3 devrait quant à lui être tiré par Ariane 6 en octobre 2021. Ces satellites de nouvelle génération représentent un « saut qualitatif en termes de résolution d'image, de précision de localisation et de nombre de prises de vue », explique un aviateur. Les satellites CSO sont destinés à effectuer des prises de vue en fonction des besoins militaires de la France et des pays partenaires (Allemagne, Belgique, Espagne, Italie, Suède). Dotés de capacités multispectrales et infrarouges, les satellites CSO permettront de disposer d'images mono- et stéréoscopiques. La participation de la Suède, qui met à disposition une antenne à Kiruna, permettra par ailleurs au satellite de « décharger » les données toutes les 90 minutes, contre environ deux fois par jour pour l'antenne de la base aérienne de Creil. La capacité journalière maximale est estimée à environ 800 images. La composante spatiale optique est articulée autour des trois satellites, d'un segment sol de mission pour le contrôle des satellites et d'un segment sol utilisateur. CSO-1, -2 et -3 ont été réalisés sous maîtrise d'oeuvre d'Airbus Defence & Space, l'instrumentation optique a été fournie par Thales Alenia Space France. Le segment sol mission est opéré par le CNES depuis Toulouse. Il est composé d'un centre de programmation (Capgemini) et de commande-contrôle (Airbus Defence & Space) et d'un centre d'expertise qualité image (Thales Service et Capgemini). Quant au segment sol utilisateur, situé à Creil, il a été conçu et réalisé par Airbus Defence & Space. La Direction générale de l'armement est responsable de la conduite du programme et assure la maîtrise d'ouvrage du segment sol utilisateur. Elle a délégué au CNES la maîtrise d'ouvrage pour la réalisation des satellites et du segment sol de mission, ainsi que le lancement des satellites - qui sera effectué par Arianespace. Le lancement de CSO-1 intervient alors que la ministre des Armées Florence Parly doit prochainement rendre au président de la République Emmanuel Macron un rapport sur la stratégie spatiale militaire française. « Il faut avoir en tête que l'espace devient le thé'tre de confrontations », avait-elle déclaré à l'occasion d'une rencontre avec des journalistes début septembre, mettant en avant la nécessité de disposer de capacités spatiales efficientes. Florence Parly avait également rappelé que « protéger l'espace, c'est protéger nos opérations. C'est aussi garantir notre souveraineté et trouver l'opportunité de partenariats avec nos alliés européens, et c'est surtout protéger nos modes de vie et notre quotidien ». La Loi de programmation militaire 2019-2025 inclut, outre la mise en oeuvre du programme CSO-MUSIS, la mise en service du programme CERES (Capacité d'écoute et de renseignement électromagnétique spatiale), des deux premiers satellites du système Syracuse IV et le lancement du programme OMEGA (Opération de modernisation des équipements GNSS des armées). Les premières images produites par CSO-1 sont attendues « dans quelques mois », explique-t-on au CMOS (Centre militaire d'observation spatiale). Après le lancement du satellite suivra une période de calibrage des instruments de bord et de calage du télescope et de la structure. https://www.journal-aviation.com/actualites/41584-l-observation-spatiale-nouvelle-generation-paree-au-lancement