October 21, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 18, 2018

ARMY

Absolute Business Solutions Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0001); Adams Communication & Engineering Technology Inc.,* Waldorf, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0002); Augustine Consulting Inc.,* Monterey, California (W15P7T-19-D-0003); Addx Corp.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0004); Altus LLC,* Darlington, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0005); American Electronic Warfare Associates Inc.,* California, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0006); Array Information Technology Inc.,* Greenbelt, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0007); Advanced Systems Development Inc.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0008) Attain LLC,* McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0009); Avenge Inc.,* Fayetteville, North Carolina (W15P7T-19-D-0010) Axiom Resource Management Inc.,* Falls Church, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0011); B3 Solutions LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0012); Barbaricum LLC,* Washington, DC (W15P7T-19-D-0013); Bennett Aerospace Inc.,* Cary, North Carolina (W15P7T-19-D-0014); Bowhead Logistics Solutions LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0015); Brockwell Technologies Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0016); By Light Professional IT Services LLC,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0017); C4 Planning Solutions LLC,* Blythe, Georgia (W15P7T-19-D-0018); Cambridge International Systems Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0019); Carley Corp.,* Orlando, Florida (W15P7T-19-D-0020); Chimera Enterprises International Inc.,* Edgewood, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0021); Centech Group Inc.,* Falls Church, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0022); Chenega Technical Innovations LLC,* Chantilly, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0023); Clearavenue LLC,* Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0024); Client Solution Architects LLC,* Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (W15P7T-19-D-0025); Client/Server Software Solutions Inc., doing business as Constellation,* West, Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0026); Data Matrix Solutions Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0027); Decibel Research Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0028); Decisive Analytics Corp.,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0029) Delan Associates Inc.,* Freeport, New York (W15P7T-19-D-0030); Data Intelligence LLC,* Marlton, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0031); Edgesource Corp.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0032); Enterprise Information Services Inc.,* Vienna, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0033); Envistacom,* LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (W15P7T-19-D-0034); Polaris Alpha Advanced Systems Inc.,* Fredericksburg, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0035); Enterprise Resource Planning International LLC,* Laurel, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0036); Enterprise Resource Performance Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0037); Fibertek Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0038); Five Rivers Services LLC,* Colorado Springs, Colorado (W15P7T-19-D-0039); Frontier Technologies Inc.,* Wilmington, Delaware (W15P7T-19-D-0040); Future Technologies Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0041); Fulcrum It Services LLC,* Centreville, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0042); Futron Inc.,* Woodbridge, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0043); GaN Corp.,* Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0044); GC&E Systems Group Inc.,* Peachtree Corners, Georgia (W15P7T-19-D-0045); Glacier Technologies LLC,* El Paso, Texas (W15P7T-19-D-0046); Global Dimensions LLC,* Fredericksburg, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0047); Global Infotek Inc.,* Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0048); GS5 LLC,* Dumfries, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0049); Gstek Inc.,* Chesapeake, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0050); Hebco Inc.,* Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (W15P7T-19-D-0051); Holmes-Tucker International Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0052); Ideal Innovations Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0053); IDS International Government Services LLC,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0054); Intelligent Decision Systems Inc.,* Centreville, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0055); Innovative Emergency Management Inc.,* Morrisville, North Carolina (W15P7T-19-D-0056); Igov Technologies Inc.,* Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0057); Information and Infrastructure Technologies Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0058); Information Management Group Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0059); Integral Consulting Services Inc.,* Rockville, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0060); Intelitrac Inc.,* Fort Worth, Texas (W15P7T-19-D-0061); Intelligent Waves LLC,* Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0062); Iomaxis LLC,* Lorton, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0063); IPKeys Technologies LLC,* Eatontown, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0064); Ip Network Solutions Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0065); Impact Resources Inc.,* Springfield, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0066); ISHPI Information Technologies Inc.,* Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (W15P7T-19-D-0067); Janus Research Group Inc.,* Appling, Georgia (W15P7T-19-D-0068); Karthik Consulting LLC,* Reston. Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0069); Keybridge Technologies Inc.,* Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (W15P7T-19-D-0070); Kinney Group Inc.,* Indianapolis, Indiana (W15P7T-19-D-0071); Knowledge Management Inc.,* Tyngsboro, Massachusetts (W15P7T-19-D-0072); Link Solutions Inc.,* McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0073); Linquest Corp.,* Los Angeles, California (W15P7T-19-D-0074); Lintech Global Inc.,* Farmington Hills, Michigan (W15P7T-19-D-0075); Logyx LLC,* Mountain View, California (W15P7T-19-D-0076); Lufburrow & Co. Inc.,* Havre de Grace, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0077); Middle Bay Solutions LLC,* Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0078); Millennium Corp.,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0079); Morgan Business Consulting LLC,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0080); MSK TriTech Group LLC,* Tampa, Florida (W15P7T-19-D-0081); Manufacturing Techniques Inc.,* Kilmarnock, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0082); Navmar Applied Sciences Corp.,* Warminster, Pennsylvania (W15P7T-19-D-0083); NES Associates LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0084); Nexagen Networks Inc.,* Morganville, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0085); Nextgen Federal Systems LLC,* Morgantown, West Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0086); Oak Grove Technologies LLC,* Raleigh, North Carolina (W15P7T-19-D-0087); Object CTalk Inc.,* King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (W15P7T-19-D-0088); OBXtek Inc.,* Tysons Corner, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0089); Odyssey Systems Consulting Group Ltd.,* Wakefield, Massachusetts (W15P7T-19-D-0090); OST Inc.,* Washington, DC (W15P7T-19-D-0091); Paragon Research Corp.,* Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0092); PCI Strategic Management LLC,* Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0093); PD Systems Inc.,* Springfield, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0094); Peerless Technologies Corp.,* Fairborn, Ohio (W15P7T-19-D-0095); Pelatron Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W15P7T-19-D-0096); P E Systems Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0097); Pitech Solutions Inc.,* Durham, North Carolina (W15P7T-19-D-0098); Pluribus International Corp.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0099); Pragmatics Inc.,* Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0100); Praxis Engineering Technologies LLC,* Annapolis Junction, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0101); Premier Management Corp.,* Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0102); Professional Solutions1 LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0103); Pro-Sphere Tek Inc.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0104); Polaris Alpha Cyber and Sigint LLC,* Annapolis Junction, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0105); People, Technology and Processes LLC,* Lakeland, Florida (W15P7T-19-D-0106); QBase LLC,* Beavercreek, Ohio (W15P7T-19-D-0107); Research Innovations Inc.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0108); Sabre Systems Inc.,* Warrington, Pennsylvania (W15P7T-19-D-0109); Savantage Financial Services Inc.,* Rockville, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0110); SBG Technology Solutions Inc.,* Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0111); Sealing Technologies Inc.,* Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0112); Secure Innovations LLC,* Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0113); Sev1tech Inc.,* Woodbridge, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0114); S&K Aerospace LLC,* Saint Ignatius, Montana (W15P7T-19-D-0115); SNR Systems LLC,* Ashburn, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0116); Solers Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0117); Soliel LLC,* Vienna, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0118); Sonalysts Inc.,* Waterford, Connecticut (W15P7T-19-D-0119); Spectrum Software Technology Inc.,* Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0120); Science and Technology Corp.,* Hampton, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0121); Systems Technology Forum Ltd.,* Fredericksburg, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0122); Strategic Operational Solutions Inc.,* Vienna, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0123); Subsystem Technologies Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0124); Superlative Technologies Inc.,* Ashburn, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0125); SURVICE Engineering Co. LLC,* Belcamp, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0126); Systems Technologies Inc.,* West Long Branch, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0127); Technology and Management International LLC,* Toms River, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0128); Total Computer Solutions Inc.,* Burke, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0129); Technatomy Corp.,* Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0130); Telesis Corp.,* McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0131) Informatics Applications Group Inc.,* Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0132); Trace Systems Inc.,* Vienna, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0133); Tribalco LLC,* Bethesda, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0134); TriHawk LLC,* Houston, Texas (W15P7T-19-D-0135); TriMech Services LLC,* Glen Allen, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0136); Truestone LLC,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0137); Unified Business Technologies Inc.,* Troy, Michigan (W15P7T-19-D-0138); Universal Solutions International Inc.,* Newport News, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0139); Validatek Inc.,* McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0140); Varen Technologies Inc.,* Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0141); Veteran Corps of America,* Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0142); Wakelight Technologies Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W15P7T-19-D-0143); Windmill International Inc.,* Nashua, New Hampshire (W15P7T-19-D-0144); WinTec Arrowmaker Inc.,* Fort Washington, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0145); WisEngineering LLC,* Dover, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0146); Zantech IT Services Inc.,* Tysons Corner, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0147); Zolon Tech Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0148); Abacus Technology Corp., Chevy Chase, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0149); Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0150); AceInfo Solutions Inc., Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0151); Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Illinois (W15P7T-19-D-0152); Artel LLC, Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0153); AT&T Government Solutions Inc., Vienna, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0154); Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Beavercreek, Ohio (W15P7T-19-D-0155); Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio (W15P7T-19-D-0156); CACI Technologies Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0157); HII Mission Driven Innovative Solutions Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0158); Comtech Mobile Datacom Corp., Germantown, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0159); Cubic Global Defense Inc., San Diego, California (W15P7T-19-D-0160); DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas (W15P7T-19-D-0161); Dynetics Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0162); Engility Corp., Andover, Massachusetts (W15P7T-19-D-0163); Gryphon Technologies LC, Washington, District of Columbia (W15P7T-19-D-0164); Kbrwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0165); IAI LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0166); International Business Machines Corp., Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0167); Hexagon US Federal Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0168); Information Innovators Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0169); Polaris Alpha LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado (W15P7T-19-D-0170); Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee (W15P7T-19-D-0171); Kforce Government Solutions Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0172); L-3 Communications Integrated Systems LP, Greenville, Texas (W15P7T-19-D-0173); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0174); Logistics Management Institute, McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0175); Macaulay-Brown Inc., Dayton, Ohio (W15P7T-19-D-0176); NetCentric Technology LLC, Wall, New Jersey (W15P7T-19-D-0177); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0178); Novetta Inc., McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0179); Oasis Systems LLC, Lexington, Massachusetts (W15P7T-19-D-0180); Parsons Government Services Inc., Pasadena, California (W15P7T-19-D-0181); Preferred Systems Solutions Inc., McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0182); QED Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0183); Raytheon Co., Dulles, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0184); System Studies & Simulation Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0185); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0186); Salient Federal Solutions Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0187); Smartronix Inc., Hollywood, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0188); The KEYW Corp., Hanover, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0189); Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia (W15P7T-19-D-0190); SRC Inc., North Syracuse, New York (W15P7T-19-D-0191); SRCTec LLC, Syracuse, New York (W15P7T-19-D-0192); Strategic Resources Inc., McLean, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0193); Telecommunication Systems Inc., Annapolis, Maryland (W15P7T-19-D-0194); Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado (W15P7T-19-D-0195); Vencore Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0196); VSE Corp., Alexandria, Virginia (W15P7T-19-D-0197); and CAS Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W15P7T-19-D-0198), will compete for each order of the $37,400,000,000 hybrid (cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and firm-fixed-price) contract for provide knowledge based professional engineering support services for programs with command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) related requirements. Bids were solicited via the internet with 388 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Navistar Defense LLC, Lisle, Illinois, was awarded a $19,700,110 modification (P00010) to contract W56HZV-15-D-0037 for sustainment technical support services for the in-production and out-of-production Mine Resistant Ambush Protected MaxxPro family of vehicles. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.

NAVY

Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $57,854,366 cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract action for procurement of long-lead-time material and production engineering for the expeditionary fast transport (EPF) 13. The EPF class provides high-speed, shallow-draft transportation capability to support the intra-theater maneuver of personnel, supplies and equipment for the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. Work will be performed in Novi, Michigan (30 percent); Mobile, Alabama (15 percent); Houston, Texas (9 percent); Slidell, Louisiana (8 percent); Franklin, Massachusetts (8 percent); Chesapeake, Virginia (7 percent); Rhinelander, Wisconsin (5 percent); Iron Mountain, Michigan (2 percent); and Dallas, Texas (2 percent); with other efforts performed at various locations throughout the U.S. below one percent (2 percent); and at various locations outside the U.S. below one percent (12 percent). Work on EPF 13 is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $43,390,775 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-2227).

*Small Business

https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1666213/source/GovDelivery/

On the same subject

March 29, 2019 | International, Other Defence

Lockheed Martin Uses Virtual Reality And 3D Printing To Reduce Injuries On The Job
BETHESDA, Md., March 26, 2019 – Four Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) teams advance as finalists in the 22nd Applied Ergonomics Conference Ergo Cup® Competition, which showcases innovation aimed at reducing risk of injury in the workplace. Lockheed Martin will be one of over 20 companies discussing their ergonomic innovations in the Ergo Cup Competition. “With more than 100,000 employees developing a broad portfolio of products and solutions for national defense, cyber security, logistics and energy we must modernize our approach to ergonomics, safety and health,” says Lockheed Martin Fellow and Corporate Ergonomist Anthony Banks. “This requires new techniques and tooling. Some examples of this include 3D printed tools for helicopter assembly, performing ergonomic evaluations in a virtual environment, and drastically improving manufacturing applications. By focusing on safety, wellbeing and improved business practices, Lockheed Martin is committed to prioritizing sustainability to innovate for the future.” The Lockheed Martin teams competing include: Virtual Reality to Enhance Ergonomics Integration, THAAD Missile Canister Shock Isolator Compression Tool, Weightless High Torque Motor Application for F-35 Vertical Tails Installation and the CH-53K helicopter harness installation from Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company. Since their implementation in the workplace, each of the team's ergonomic innovations have yielded outstanding sustainability results and are projected to deliver continued cost savings. The 22nd Applied Ergonomics Conference (AEC) convenes in New Orleans March 25-28 for the annual meetup and exchange of ideas and best practices in ergonomics, healthcare, safety, human resources and risk management. To learn more about #AppliedErgo2019, visit www.iise.org/AEC. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-03-26-Lockheed-Martin-Uses-Virtual-Reality-and-3D-Printing-to-Reduce-Injuries-on-the-Job
September 1, 2017 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

Government of Canada announces new bilateral security arrangement with Bulgaria
PSPC Minister announced the signing of a new bilateral security arrangement with the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria. This arrangement will support trade between the two countries and contribute to international security http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-new-bilateral-security-arrangement-with-bulgaria-642471603.html
September 8, 2020 | International, Aerospace

MQ-NEXT: US Air Force Considers Reaper Replacement
The General Atomics-built MQ-9 Reaper — a medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle with millions of hours of operation under its belt — has had a ubiquitous presence over battlefields in the Middle East. But with the Pentagon preparing for future fights in contested, non-permissive environments against peer adversaries, the service is beginning its search for the aircraft's replacement. The Reaper — which is larger and carries more payload than its predecessor the MQ-1 Predator — provides the military with a “hunter-killer” capability by executing both strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance collection functions. But officials say it is time for a new platform that can take on those same missions and more. The service signaled its intent in President Donald Trump's fiscal year 2021 budget request by zeroing out its proposed buys of MQ-9s as it pursues a follow-on aircraft, though legislators may push back on the move. “We made the pivot to divest MQ-9s to pivot into high-end warfighting,” said Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, during a press briefing in July. The service is now pursuing a replacement system dubbed the MQ-Next. The move to acquire a new platform — the second such effort for the Air Force following a canceled program known as MQ-X in 2012 — comes as the Pentagon shifts to great power competition with advanced adversaries Russia and China, as outlined in the 2018 National Defense Strategy. In June, the Air Force released a request for information to industry seeking input about a new medium-altitude drone, with particular focus on innovative development and business practices, and digital engineering initiatives. Responses were due in late July and a number of major defense companies responded. Affordability and versatility will be key as the Air Force looks for the Reaper's replacement, Roper noted. “We're going to have to explore more than just the MQ-9 mission or else we're not going to be able to create enough of an asset within the Air Force budget itself to afford to pursue the program,” he said. “If all we do is replace the MQ-9 mission, we really generated a bill for the Air Force.” The Department of the Air Force has a number of expensive programs on its shopping list as it pursues an ambitious modernization strategy that includes fifth-generation fighters, a new nuclear-capable stealth bomber and ground-based strategic deterrent, space systems superiority and joint all-domain command and control. If the new drone is “another mouth to feed and it's not helping us with high-end warfighting, then it's not likely to be first in the queue,” he said. Using a baseball analogy, Roper said he wants to see the replacement platform be a true utility player. He envisions a future where the aircraft could go from collecting ISR data to being weaponized to conduct air-to-air operations. “Can I have a drone that I can put forward in a high-end fight that can provide a picket line that makes it difficult for enemy fighters to push through?” he asked. “Can I pull that drone back to the rear and have it protect high-value assets, aircraft and even bases?” Because the Air Force is looking for a UAS that can perform a variety of missions, it may need to pursue more than one aircraft, Roper said. “I'm open to families of systems,” he said. The service wants industry to think outside-of-the box about how the Air Force can conduct high-end warfighting against a peer adversary. Increased automation is one solution, which will also help with affordability, Roper noted. “It takes a ton of people to operate even one MQ-9,” he said. “That's not a knock against the platform — it was designed at a different point in technology. And now many of the things we have people do, we can automate.” The service intends to have airmen in the loop for critical decisions — especially lethal ones — and will not delegate that to machines, he said. But it wants to simplify how users interact with the next-generation drone. “We have to automate as much as possible if we're going to keep the platform affordable,” he said. Technology such as artificial intelligence can assist with automation and reduce operating costs, he added. “We can really drop the cost per hour of ISR ... if algorithms are doing most of the triaging of the raw video and only sending back to remote operators objects that are of interest,” Roper said during a Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies event. Additionally, in regions such as Central Command and Africa Command there is a possibility that the service could reduce the number of airmen that have to operate the MQ-Next platform if AI and new commercial technology is adopted. Meanwhile, survivability and expendability will be important considerations for the program. “I imagine being in industry shoes. I would either try to have something that is so cheap that I can proliferate it broadly — and that comes with a logistics challenge for us — or something that is reasonably defendable enough so that if I'm an adversary, I have to truly commit capital assets to take it out,” he said. Moving to an architecture that supports expendable aircraft will not be easy, he noted. “We have been able amazingly to build airplanes that we expect to return every single time they take off,” he said. “You can imagine designing things that may not return is a complete culture shift for us and for industry.” Based on informal engagements he has had with companies, Roper said he expected to see a great deal of creativity in industry responses to the RFI. The service is aiming for initial delivery beginning in 2030, and initial operational capability by 2031, according to the RFI. “In a digitally engineered future, 10 years is an eternity. I would hope we could spiral multiple times within that 10 years,” Roper said. If “we can't get it done by 2030 then something is wrong with our system. Ten years should never be the time you take for development except for extremely exceptional things.” General Atomics is responding to the RFI and plans to leverage its experience with the MQ-9 as it pursues the effort, according to a company spokesperson. “The technology advancements we propose will leverage open architecture, artificial intelligence, autonomy, modularity and interoperability to maximize both system effectiveness and service investments,” the spokesperson said. “We believe our technology advancements offer lower lifecycle cost and provide warfighters with enhanced unmanned capabilities that enable commonality and joint interoperability on the battlefield.” The company is embracing the possibility of a family of systems for the program, the spokesperson noted. It is planning to leverage more automation in future platforms and is already integrating such technology on the MQ-9. “This includes automatic take-off, landing and remote taxi, and a portable aircraft control system for aircraft launch and recovery that eliminates the need for forward-deployed launch/recovery crews,” they said. “We also developed a single-seat ground control station and have a multi-mission control capability that lets a single pilot control up to six MQ-9s.” If the Air Force were to use all of these automation tools on the Reaper, the spokesperson projected that it could reduce the service's manpower bill by 50 percent and free up 1,500 aircrew billets “that could be applied towards expanded MQ-9 mission capability, reallocated to other priority personnel requirements, or eliminated to realize multi-billion dollar savings over the remainder of the MQ-9 service life.” Analysts say the likely competitors to incumbent General Atomics include Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman. In a statement, a Lockheed Martin spokesperson said the company intended to respond to the RFI and would leverage work done by its advanced development program division, Skunk Works, which has expertise in developing unmanned platforms. Boeing and Northrop Grumman said they plan to pursue the program but declined to provide specific details on their RFI submissions. MQ-Next will be an important program for General Atomics because the MQ-9 is its bread and butter, said Phil Finnegan, director of corporate analysis at the Teal Group, a Fairfax, Virginia-based aerospace and defense market analysis firm. “They're going to fight hard to try to build a replacement,” he said. The company would be in a difficult position if it lost the competition because it brings in a lot of revenue from the Reaper. However, Larry Dickerson, a senior defense analyst at Forecast International, a Newtown, Connecticut-based marketing consulting firm, noted that it wouldn't be all doom and gloom for General Atomics if it loses the MQ-Next competition. “The Reaper systems are going to be in [service] for a long time, which means there's going to be a lot of long-term support and maintenance contracts that are going to be coming towards them,” he said. Meanwhile, while the Air Force is gung-ho about pursuing a replacement for the MQ-9, some in Congress appear to be less so. In the House fiscal year 2021 defense appropriations bill — which was passed by the chamber in late July — lawmakers included funding for 16 MQ-9s at a cost of $344 million that would keep its production line going, according to a summary of the legislation. As of press time, a final appropriations bill had yet to be passed. “The Air Force's fiscal year 2021 budget request proposes to terminate production of MQ-9 aircraft, citing an excess of aircraft compared to projected operational requirements,” said the House Appropriations defense subcommittee in its version of the spending bill. “The committee does not accept this proposal and recommends additional funding for 16 MQ-9 aircraft.” Lawmakers said they were concerned that the Air Force reached its decision without adequate planning for a follow-on system. The committee directed the service to submit a report about an MQ-9 follow-on program to congressional defense committees before the fiscal year 2022 budget request. “The report shall detail the desired features of such a system, the cost and timeline required to achieve development and fielding, proposed measures to ensure full and open competition, and an explanation of how such a system would fulfill the goals of the National Defense Strategy,” the bill said. Roper noted that the Air Force will need to convince the Hill about the usefulness of a new platform. “Building a utility player that can meet multiple mission demands is not something that our acquisition system has historically been good at,” he said. “We've got to get good quickly to convince Congress that this is a good pivot, and I look forward to having those discussions.” Finnegan noted that lawmakers' reluctance to shut down the MQ-9 production line could be a hurdle for the MQ-Next program. “If there's one thing Congress doesn't like, it's shutting down production lines. And trying to kill a program is extremely difficult,” he said. “We're already seeing that.” Meanwhile, in July the Trump administration announced that it was loosening some UAS export rules associated with the Missile Technology Control Regime, which could have impacts on both the Reaper and the MQ-Next programs. The adjustment would affect “Category 1” systems that have a maximum airspeed of less than 800 kilometers per hour. The new policy is expected to increase trade opportunities for U.S. companies, according to analysts. For General Atomics, the loosening of rules could drum up new business abroad for the MQ-9 but there are still some hurdles, Dickerson said. How the MTCR changes will affect sales of a future MQ-Next platform is still up in the air, he noted. “It depends on the type of system they select,” he said. “The U.S. will not want to sell this system to everyone.” https://www.uasvision.com/2020/09/08/mq-next-us-air-force-considers-reaper-replacement/

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