November 7, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
David J. Bercuson
With 18 diesel electric submarines, four so-called “helicopter destroyers” that look suspiciously like small aircraft carriers, 43 destroyers and destroyer escorts, 25 minesweepers and training ships, fleet oilers, submarine rescue ships and other vessels, Japan's navy — the Maritime Self-Defense Force — is the second largest in Asia and one of the largest in the world. It is also highly advanced technologically and is growing all the time. The two 27,000 ton Izumo-class helicopter destroyers, the largest in the fleet, with flat flight decks and islands on the starboard side of the vessels, are small compared to the United States Navy's Nimitz-class aircraft carriers (approximately 100,000 tons) or Britain's new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers (65,000 tons). But if equipped with the new short-take-off-and-vertical-landing F-35B stealth fighter they will still pack a powerful punch. And Japan is considering adding more of these aircraft carriers to its fleet and advanced U.S.-style Aegis class destroyers, capable of shooting down medium-range ballistic missiles.
The irony in all of this is that Japan's post Second World War constitution still contains a provision — Article 9 — that prohibits it from possessing any offensive military capability. In the early 1950s, Japan began to build its self-defence forces and now has a powerful navy, a modern medium-sized air force that will soon fly the F-35 along with specially built F-15s, alongside more than 300 fighter aircraft and 50,000 personnel, and a growing land army and marine sea landing capability.
Are these military assets “defensive” in nature?
Partly, but aircraft carriers, high-speed destroyers, modern fighter aircraft and assault ships are surely as offensive as they are defensive. And Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made it plain that in less than two years, he intends to seek to change the Japanese constitution to drastically curtail any obligation Japan has to maintain a purely defensive capability. In other words, he will ask the Japanese people and legislature to bless what Japan has already done.
That could be more problematic than people realize.
Like Germany, Japan suffered greatly in the Second World War. Virtually all its great cities were levelled either with atomic bombs (Hiroshima and Nagasaki) or fire raids that were carried out by giant B-29 bombers at low altitude at night. The attacks burned the heart out of Japan's cities. In March 1945, 100,000 people were killed in one night in a fire raid on Tokyo and many acres of the city were burned to the ground. Submarine blockades of Japan drastically curtailed food and fuel supplies. Hundreds of thousands of Japanese soldiers were killed either in the United States' march across the Pacific or in the Russian invasion of Manchuria near the end of the war. Japan was a prostrate nation by the end of 1945 and its ancient system of government was a shambles.
Full article: https://nationalpost.com/opinion/david-j-bercuson-why-japan-is-building-its-military-fast
September 7, 2023 | International, Land
The new CAMM-MR missile concept has been created under a contract from the Polish MoD, with the new missile intended to complement CAMM & CAMM-ER within the IAMD capabilities of the...
April 30, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
ARMY FN America LLC, Columbia, South Carolina (W56HZV-20-D-0024); and Colt's Manufacturing Co. LLC, West Hartford, Connecticut (W56HZV-20-D-0025), will compete for each order of the $383,311,941 firm-fixed-price contract to provide M16A4 rifles for Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan, Grenada, Iraq, Lebanon and Nepal). Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Travis Association for the Blind, Austin, Texas, was awarded a $12,483,935 modification (P00004) to contract W56HZV-18-C-0067 to support repairing, cleaning, warehousing and distribution of organizational clothing and individual equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Austin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,483,935 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Cepheid, Sunnyvale, California, was awarded a $9,933,000 firm-fixed-price contract (W911QY-20-P-0154) for up to 333,000 COVID-19 assays. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,933,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 27, 2020) Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, was awarded a $7,675,998 modification (P00002) to contract W912P8-20-C-0010 to exercise option hours for the dredge Glenn Edwards. Work will be performed in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 civil operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,675,998 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY American Water Military Services LLC, Camden, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $70,000,000 modification (P00001) to a 50-year contract (SP0600-19-C-8327) with no option periods for additional wastewater utility system construction, repair and replacement work at Target Hill Wastewater Treatment Plant, U.S. Army Garrison West Point, New York. This is a fixed-price contract. Locations of performance are New Jersey and New York, with a Sept. 30, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2016 through 2020 Army military construction funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Raytheon Co., Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $13,688,190 firm-fixed-price, one-time purchase contract for radomes. 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 two-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a March 31, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA2-20-C-0023). UPDATE: Werres Corp., Frederick, Maryland (SPE8EC-20-D-0058) has been added as an awardee to the multiple-award contract for commercial material handling equipment, issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0002 and awarded June 9, 2017. AIR FORCE Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $32,780,869 fixed-price-incentive-fee, undefinitized contract action for StormBreaker Lot 6 Contract Line Identification Number 6001 - All Up Round (AUR); Simmonds Precision Product and multicut. This contract provides for Simmonds Precision Product and multicut material and labor for parts used in a StormBreaker AUR. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 21, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 missile procurement funds in the amount of $6,612,745 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8672-20-C-0005). (Awarded April 28, 2020) NAVY Physical Optics Corp.,* Torrance, California, is awarded a $17,783,583 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N68335-20-F-0001) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N68335-19-G-0041. This order provides non-recurring engineering for the production, test, integration and delivery of the T-45 Head-Up Display (HUD) and its associated internal software. Work will be performed in Torrance, California, and also provides airworthiness substantiation and supports the joint software support activity lab and government flight test demonstration for the HUD. This is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III for research and development performed under the SBIR Topic Numbers N091-003, N152-096 and 04-A-A1.01. Work is expected to be complete by April 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,166,435; fiscal 2019 fiscal aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,387,148; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $230,000 will be obligated at time of award, $230,000 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. Vectrus J&J Facilities Support LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded a $17,090,690 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support (BOS) services at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Patuxent River, Maryland; Webster Field, St. Inigoes, Maryland; Solomons Annex, Solomons, Maryland; and Point Lookout, St. Mary's County, Maryland. The maximum dollar value including the base period and seven option periods is $190,007,916. All work will be performed in Calvert County (8%) and St. Mary's County (92%), Maryland. The BOS services to be performed include: general information, management and administration, airfield facilities, facilities support including facility management; facility investment; integrated solid waste management; other (swimming pools); special events; and utility management, wastewater, water and environmental services. Work is expected to be complete by June 2028. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $17,090,690 for recurring work will be obligated on an individual task order issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and seven proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-D-0009). CFM International, West Chester, Ohio, is awarded a $13,582,486 modification (P00172) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-18-C-1071). This modification exercises an option to procure one CFM56-7B27AE commercial-off-the-shelf engine for the government of the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Villaroche, France (50%); and Durham, North Carolina (50%), and is expected to be complete by April 2021. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $13,582,486 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. DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc., Chicago, Illinois, is being awarded a $9,940,010 hybrid-fixed-price, time and materials schedule task order for whole facilities maintenance at various commissaries located in the U.S. and its territories. The task order is for a one-year base period beginning July 1, 2020. The task order includes four one-year option periods. If all options are exercised, the task order will be completed June 30, 2025. Quoters were solicited on the General Services Administration eBuy website, available to 03FAC contract holders, five quotes were received. The Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (HDEC03-20-F-0028). Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc., Chicago, Illinois, is awarded a $9,632,375 hybrid-fixed- price, time and materials schedule task order for whole facilities maintenance at various commissaries located in the U.S. and its territories. The task order is for a one-year base period beginning July 1, 2020. The task order includes four one-year option periods. If all four option periods are exercised, the task order will be completed June 30, 2025. Quoters were solicited on the General Services Administration eBuy website, available to 03FAC contract holders, five quotes were received. The Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (HDEC03-20-F-0027). Nelson Refrigeration Inc., La Vista, Nebraska, is awarded an $8,840,133 hybrid-fixed-price, time and materials schedule task order for whole facilities maintenance at various commissaries located in the U.S. and its territories. The task order is for a one-year base period beginning July 1, 2020. The task order includes four one-year option periods. If all four option periods are exercised, the task order will be completed June 30, 2025. Quoters were solicited on the General Services Administration eBuy website, available to 03FAC contract holders, five quotes were received. The Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (HDEC03-20-F-0033). J&J Worldwide Services, Austin Texas, is awarded a $7,822,654 hybrid-fixed price, time and materials schedule task order for whole facilities maintenance at various commissaries located in the U.S. and its territories. The task order is for a one-year base period beginning July 1, 2020. The task order includes four one-year option periods. If all four option periods are exercised, the task order will be completed June 30, 2025. Quoters were solicited on the General Services Administration eBuy website, available to 03FAC contract holders, five quotes were received. The Defense Commissary Agency, Enterprise Acquisition Division, Construction Design Branch, Joint Base San Antonio, Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (HDEC03-20-F-0030). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2170148/source/GovDelivery/
August 12, 2020 | International, C4ISR
Chantilly, Va., August 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Perspecta Inc. (NYSE: PRSP), a leading U.S. government services provider, announced today that it has been awarded a new Data Center Two (DC2) Support Services contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The indefinite delivery / indefinite quantity contract has a two-year base with two six-month option periods and a potential ceiling value of $112 million. Perspecta will provide DHS headquarters and all authorized components with full-scope managed services to support DC2 operations and consolidation. This includes baseline data center hosting and engineering services, as well as application and system migration, retirement, planning and execution support. "This award reinforces our standing as a premier provider of end-to-end next generation managed IT services," said Rocky Thurston, senior vice president and general manager of Perspecta's civilian, state and local business group. "It will also support DHS' strategic efforts to consolidate and optimize data centers. We have a long and proven history of supporting DHS on a multitude of programs, from agile DevSecOps to secure cloud migration and management, and we look forward to continuing that partnership in support DHS' long-term IT transformation goals." About Perspecta Inc. At Perspecta (NYSE: PRSP), we question, we seek and we solve. Perspecta brings a diverse set of capabilities to our U.S. government customers in defense, intelligence, civilian, health care and state and local markets. Our 280+ issued, licensed and pending patents are more than just pieces of paper, they tell the story of our innovation. With offerings in mission services, digital transformation and enterprise operations, our team of nearly 14,000 engineers, analysts, investigators and architects work tirelessly to not only execute the mission, but build and support the backbone that enables it. Perspecta was formed to take on big challenges. We are an engine for growth and success and we enable our customers to build a better nation. For more information about Perspecta, visit perspecta.com. This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Perspecta and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Perspecta undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Perspecta believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve a variety of risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/perspecta-awarded-112-million-contract-to-provide-full-scope-managed-it-services-for-data-center-and-cloud-migration-support-to-the-us-department-of-homeland-security-301108087.html SOURCE Perspecta Inc.