September 6, 2023 | International, Land
The Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence, will visit Halifax from September 6-7, 2023.
October 24, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Poland has picked France's Vinci Airports and Australian IFM Global Infrastructure Fund as preferred investors in a planned aviation hub for central and eastern Europe, and they may invest up to 8 billion zlotys ($1.91 billion), a Polish official said on Tuesday.
March 18, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
ARMY Sevenson Environmental Services Inc.,* Niagara Falls, New York, was awarded a $99,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for remedial action at the Raymark Superfund Site in Stamford, Connecticut. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (W912WJ-19-D-0012). Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $59,456,363 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of Advanced Munitions Technology complex. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 11, 2021. Fiscal 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $59,456,363 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0006). SourceAmerica, Vienna, Virginia, was awarded a $24,969,056 firm-fixed-price contract to re-purpose legacy body armor vests into the newly-designed Modular Scalable Vest configuration. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Lansing, Michigan; Miami, Florida; and Austin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of June, 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $24,969,056 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-19-C-0043). Wara Construction Company LLC, Tustin, California, was awarded a $22,206,641 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of unaccompanied officer's quarters for the Kuwait Ministry of Defense. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2021. Fiscal 2016 military construction funds in the amount of $22,206,641 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Winchester, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W912ER-19-C-0004). California Department of Rehabilitation, Sacramento, California, was awarded a $19,865,600 firm-fixed-price contract for full food service operations at Fort Irwin, California. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2024. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-19-D-0006). Anthony Allega Cement Contractor Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, was awarded a $13,770,342 firm-fixed-price contract for the repair of airfield paving, taxiways D & B2 and short runway at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fairborn, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 3, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13,770,342 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-C-0013). Aerovironment,* Simi Valley, California, was awarded an $11,176,242 modification (P00014) to contract W31P4Q-17-C-0193 for All Up Rounds. Work will be performed in Simi Valley, California, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2018 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $11,176,242 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. NAVY Sentient Digital Inc., doing business as Entrust Government Solutions,* of New Orleans, Louisiana, is being awarded a $49,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for information technology (IT) engineering support services. IT services in this contract will assist Military Sealift Command's (MSC) Command, Control, Communications, And Computer Systems (C4S) Division (N6) in providing and sustaining Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of the Navy (DoN) compliant technical C4S solutions. Additionally, this contract will satisfy emerging requirements, enhance and develop IT capabilities in support of MSC's mission, and assist in the development of governance to ensure IT capabilities align to MSC N6's strategic business support plan, MSC N6's technical architecture road maps, DoD, and DoN mandates. The solutions primarily satisfy emergent cyber security mandates and technical refreshes for end of life hardware and software. Work will be performed at Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by April 2024. This contract includes a five-year ordering period. Fiscal 2019 Navy Working Capital funding in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a small business set-aside, with more than 10 companies solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and 10 offers received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519D1003). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is being awarded a $45,529,117 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-6311) for engineering services to support the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules Program. Engineering services will be provided to support the existing efforts of the Littoral Combat Ships Mission Modules Program. Incidental other direct cost items are also provided in support of said engineering services. Work will be performed Bethpage, New York (34 percent); Mayport, Florida (19 percent); San Diego, California (17 percent); Port Hueneme, California (14 percent); Pittsfield, Massachusetts (8 percent); Panama City, Florida (3 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (1 percent); Dahlgren, Virginia (1 percent); Newport, Rhode Island (1 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (1 percent); and various other locations less than one percent (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy); and weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $24,194,392 will be obligated at time of award, and funds in the amount of $19,575,683 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems, Braintree, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $27,978,119 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost contract for the development and production of Next Generation Surface Search Radar qualification systems (NGSSR). The primary objective of NGSSR is to find a replacement for legacy systems due to current military threats and obsolescence issues. The contract aims to outline the requirements and approach for NGSSR development, production, integration, test, demonstration, product support, and systems engineering. The new NGSSR system will then replace all variants of the current AN/SPS-67, AN/SPS-73, BridgeMaster E series, and commercial-of-the-shelf radar systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $34,563,961. The primary objective of NGSSR is to find a replacement for legacy systems due to current military threats and obsolescence issues. The contract aims to outline the requirements and approach for NGSSR development, production, integration, test, demonstration, product support, and systems engineering. The new NGSSR system will then replace all variants of the current AN/SPS-67, AN/SPS-73, BridgeMaster E series, and commercial-of-the-shelf RADAR systems. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia (58 percent); Wake Forest, North Carolina (39 percent); Braintree, Massachusetts (3 percent); and is expected to be complete by July 2021. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,500,000 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 15 U.S. Code 638(r)(4) (under the SBIR Phase III program/2018 National Defense Authorization Act). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N6339419C0007). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, is being awarded an $8,542,569 modification to the cost-plus-fixed-fee portion of a previously awarded contract (M67854-16-C-0211) for software release and advanced electronic protection required to support ongoing Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) Gallium Nitride (GaN) efforts in support of Program Executive Office Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland (65 percent); East Syracuse, New York (20 percent); Farmingdale, New York. (14 percent); and New Brighton, Minnesota (one percent), and is expected to be completed by April 22, 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $6,124,095 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current year. The contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1)(B), with only one proposal solicited and one proposal received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Golden Manufacturing Inc.,* Golden, Mississippi, has been awarded a maximum $18,234,851 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Army Combat Uniform coats and the Improved Hot Weather Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with nine responses received. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Mississippi, with a Sept. 14, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1138). AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Information Systems, Chantilly, Virginia; and Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $16,271,270 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00079) to previously awarded contract FA8808-13-C-0001 for post operational support for the Enhanced Polar System Control and Planning Segment. This modification provides for factory expertise/support to ongoing operations, support transition from development to sustainment activities, and the delivery and installation of two software updates. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California, and is expected to be complete by January 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $221,970,679. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Military Satellite Communications Directorate, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 31, 2019). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY B.E.A.T. LLC., San Antonio, Texas, was competitively awarded a firm-fixed-price contract for a potential period of performance of 60 months and a total estimated value of $10,441,035 if all options are exercised. This award provides a non-personal services contract to provide Infrastructure Testing Center (ITC) management services and support for the day-to-day operations of all ITC infrastructure applications, networks, and environments. These services include systems management; system, application, and database administration; environment configuration, monitoring; management; and other support services. The place of performance is Joint Base San Antonio (Ft. Sam Houston), San Antonio, Texas. This contract is an acquisition under GSA's IT Schedule 70, obligating $1,027,347 in fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds at time of award. Six quotes were received in response to the solicitation. The Defense Health Agency, Health Information Technology-Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (HT0015-19-F- 0038). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Siemens Government Technologies Inc., Arlington, Virginia (HC1028-19-C0006), was awarded a competitive, single award, firm-fixed-price contract on March 15, 2019 for commercially available off-the-shelf brand-name Siemens software licenses and support in support of the Navy. The face value (and total cumulative face value) of this action is $8,324,661 funded by fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Performance will be at a Navy facility in Norfolk, Virginia. Proposals were solicited via Federal Business Opportunities, and two proposals were received. The period of performance is March 15, 2019, through March 14, 2020. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1028-19-C0006). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Agile Defense Inc.,* Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,157,890 modification (P00042) to previously awarded task order HR0011-15-F-0002 for unclassified information technology services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the task order to $139,054,004 from $131,896,114. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of June 2019. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $7,157,890 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1786958/source/GovDelivery/
March 20, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The new coronavirus pandemic may have dampened the U.S. Army's major division-level exercise in Europe, but the service's chief told Defense News in a March 18 interview that important lessons have already been learned. Defender Europe was slated to be the third-largest military exercise on the continent since the Cold War and was meant to test the Army's ability to deliver a force from forts to ports in the United States and onward to ports in Europe, and from there to operational areas throughout Europe from Germany to Poland to the Baltic states and other Eastern European nations, Nordic countries and even Georgia. The Army began to move troops and equipment into Europe beginning in January, with the meat of the exercise occurring in April and May this year. But as COVID-19 has spread across the globe, with Europe designated as the newest epicenter of the virus, the Army decided last week that it would scale back Defender Europe, according to a statement from U.S. Army Europe. “We have modified exercise Defender Europe 20 in size and scope,” a March 16 statement read. “As of March 13, all movement of personnel and equipment from the United States to Europe has ceased. The health, safety and readiness of our military, civilians and family members is our primary concern.” The Army decided to cancel linked exercises that would have been a part of Defender Europe, which already happen on a regular basis in Europe, to include Dynamic Front, the Army Joint Warfighting Assessment, Saber Strike and Swift Response. The service said it anticipates the armored brigade combat team already deployed to Europe will conduct gunnery and other combined training events with allies and partners as part of a modified exercise, and that forces already deployed to Europe for other “linked exercises” would come back to the U.S. Also last week, U.S. Army Europe announced that its commander, Lt. Gen. Christopher Cavoli, and his staff were exposed to COVID-19 at a land force commanders conference in Wiesbaden, Germany, on March 6. Out of an abundance of caution, the service decided to quarantine those exposed. According to an Army spokesperson, the quarantine has no effect on operations, and the general and his staff continue to carry out duties from an isolated location. Much was riding on Defender Europe when it comes to teaching the Army where it stands in terms of its ability to rapidly deploy a combat-credible force to Europe to support NATO and the U.S. National Defense Strategy. The exercise was also going to help the Army get more clarity on its Multi-Domain Operations concept as it morphs into official doctrine. The service had also hoped to assess through the exercise whether its pre-positioned stock in Europe had the right equipment and was in the right place. The Army made the difficult decision last week to reduce the size and scope of the exercise to “protect our troops,” Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said. The service had already deployed roughly 6,000 soldiers and 3,000 pieces of equipment from the U.S. beginning in January in support of the Defender Europe exercise, McConville said, and also deployed a brigade combat team and a division-sized headquarters. The Army also has moved about 9,000 vehicles and pieces of equipment from Army pre-positioned stocks in Europe for the exercise, he noted. “One of the big objectives of this exercise was what we call strategic readiness,” McConville said, “the ability to dynamically employ our forces from the United States, and we were able to demonstrate most of those capabilities. We were able to get our forces over there, we have a draw from the pre-positioned stocks and we're still able to train with our allies and partners, although at much less capability.” Those units that won't be able to train through some of the linked exercises in Europe are already “tactically ready” and could maintain readiness through home station training, McConville added. Lessons learned will directly feed into how the Army crafts its future doctrine and help validate that the service is ready to execute what is laid out in the National Defense Strategy. But the other thing the Army has learned from the spread of COVID-19 and its effects on the exercise is that the service is agile, McConville stressed. “We had to adapt the plan, we were re-missioning some units during the actual deployments; some units may go other places, and that's why this was a very good exercise for us,” he added. For those deployed for the exercise, McConville said that the Army has put in place a rigorous screening process for troops returning home when the exercise is complete, where they will be screened for infection before coming back and then screened again upon return to installations and posts, then quarantined as necessary. While the Army has exercised strategic readiness, testing the ability to move seamlessly from country to country throughout the modified exercise may not get a full shake due to how European countries may choose to handle the pandemic. Border crossing was a challenge in past years. For now, there are too many uncertainties to know whether border crossing and mobility across countries will pose a problem or a challenge for the Army, according to McConville. “Italy was a little ahead of us” in coping with the spread of the virus,” McConville said, “but Europe is probably right along the same lines where we are right now, where leaders are taking a hard look at how they want to try to contain this.” Meanwhile in the Pacific region, where COVID-19 originated and where many countries have been hard hit, the Army was able to complete a recent exercise — Cobra Gold in Thailand, McConville said. The service continues to conduct risk assessment for each upcoming exercise in the theater. The Army is also likely to stick to its plan to focus more largely on a division-sized exercise in the Pacific in 2021 and hold a smaller version of Defender Europe, rather than ramp up the European exercise back up to the intended size for 2020, McConville said. But there are still many unknowns, he added, and the Army will continue to assess its options. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/army-modernization/2020/03/18/covid-19-dampens-european-exercise-but-army-chief-says-all-is-not-lost/