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September 20, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Security

Drones are now a permanent part of the LAPD’s arsenal

By CINDY CHANG

Drones became a permanent part of the Los Angeles Police Department's crime-fighting arsenal Tuesday, despite opposition from privacy advocates who fear the remote-controlled aircraft will be used to spy on people.

In a yearlong trial, the LAPD's SWAT team deployed drones four times, mostly when suspects were barricaded and the device provided a bird's eye view of the property's nooks and crannies.

On Tuesday, the five-member civilian Police Commission unanimously approved new regulations that enshrine the drones' use in specific situations, including active shooters, barricaded suspects and search warrants.

The drones will not be equipped with weapons or facial recognition software, according to the regulations, which are similar to those governing the trial program.

In July, at Chief Michel Moore's recommendation, the use of drones was expanded beyond SWAT to include the bomb squad in neutralizing explosives and sweeping large public events for radioactive devices.

Drones “provide invaluable information to decision makers while decreasing the risk to human life,” Moore wrote in a July 3 report, noting that everyone is safer when the devices check out a dangerous situation instead of officers going in blind.

The LAPD joins about 600 other law enforcement agencies around the country that use drones, according to a 2018 report by Bard College's Center For the Study of the Drone.

The new regulations will ensure that the drones are not “being used in a flippant manner,” Asst. Chief Horace Frank, who runs the department's counter-terrorism and special operations bureau, told the Police Commission on Tuesday.

The LAPD's drone regulations are more restrictive than those of many other agencies, Frank said. Each drone deployment must be approved by a commander and a deputy chief, and the Police Commission will receive an annual report.

Asked by Commissioner Eileen Decker whether drones can help de-escalate volatile situations, Frank cited a June 15 incident when a drone flew near a man who had barricaded himself in a trucking yard.

“The minute we deployed the device at the entrance to the trailer and he saw it, he gave up,” Frank said.

Activists said the LAPD and Police Commission have disregarded citizens who expressed reservations about the drones in community meetings and online surveys.

One activist, Michael Novick, predicted that the LAPD would expand drone usage and infringe on civil liberties.

“We're witnessing the exact definition of mission creep,” Novick said. “Now you're upgrading. You approved a temporary pilot project. You're going to normalize it with this step. ... The next step will be they'll come back and say, ‘We actually need the ability to have facial recognition.'”

The LAPD's drone fleet will remain at four strong, Frank said. But the DJI Spark devices used in the pilot program will be replaced by DJI Mavics, which have better indoor flying capabilities, extended flight time and lights for navigating in the dark. The models are similar to those used by hobbyists.

The Police Commission accepted a $6,645 donation from the Los Angeles Police Foundation to purchase the Mavics, as well as a donation of drone flight tracking software from Measure Aerial Intelligence.

As the commission approved the drone regulations and donations, the audience broke into chants of “Shame! Shame!”

Moore said he is mindful of “concerns of Big Brother and invasion of privacy and civil liberties.”

“We're committed to striking the right balance that ... protects all of our community — their rights of privacy but also their public safety and their right to exist without threats of dangers that this tool can be used in some instances to mitigate,” he told reporters after the meeting.

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-09-10/drones-are-now-a-permanent-part-of-the-lapds-arsenal

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 18, 2019

    March 20, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 18, 2019

    NAVY General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $2,039,763,908 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2100 for additional material (to include Long Lead Time Material and Economic Ordering Quantity) associated with the Fiscal 2019 – Fiscal 2023 Virginia class submarines (SSNs 802 – 811). Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (19 percent); Annapolis, Maryland (6 percent); Tucson, Arizona (3 percent); Spring Grove, Illinois (3 percent); Stoughton, Massachusetts (3 percent); Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (3 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (3 percent); Arvada, Colorado (3 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (2 percent); Groton, Connecticut (2 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (2 percent); Florence, New Jersey (2 percent); York, Pennsylvania (2 percent); Arlington, Texas (2 percent); Newport News, Virginia (2 percent); Depew, New York (1 percent); Peoria, Illinois (1 percent); Warren, Massachusetts (1 percent); Manassas, Virginia (1 percent); Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1 percent); El Cajon, California (1 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (1 percent); Farmingdale, New York (1 percent); South El Monte, California (1 percent); Cleveland, Ohio (1 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Syracuse, New York (1 percent); Manchester, New Hampshire (1 percent); Westfield, Massachusetts (1 percent); Loanhead, United Kingdom (1 percent); Linden, New Jersey (1 percent); Louisville, Kentucky (1 percent); Orrville, Ohio (1 percent); and other U.S. sites, each less than 1 percent (25 percent). Fiscal 2019 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,039,763,908 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The statutory authority for this sole-source award is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Advantaged Solutions Inc., Washington, District of Columbia (N66001-19-A-0008); Alamo City Engineering, San Antonio, Texas (N66001-19-A-0009); Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0010); and Oakland Consulting Group, Lanham, Maryland (N66001-19-A-0011), are awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price, Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms' General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts. The overall estimated value of this BPA is $975,980,000. The four individual agreements are awarded for SAP Public Services Inc. (SAP) commercial-off-the-shelf software; software maintenance support; information technology professional services; and Cloud services in support of DoD ESI and under the direction of Office of Management and Budget Enterprise Software Category Team. The BPA provides for purchase of these products and services by the DoD, U.S. intelligence community, Coast Guard, and the federal government community world-wide. The ordering period will be for a maximum of 10 years from March 12, 2019, through March 11, 2029. This BPA is issued under DoD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders using operations and maintenance (DoD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm-fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy website among 679 vendors. Four offers were received and four selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. East Coast Repair and Fabrication LLC,* Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a not-to-exceed $212,967,725 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple award contract (MAC) for ship repair, maintenance, and modernization of surface combatants (DDG and CG) class ships and amphibious (LSD, LPD and LHD) class ships homeported in Mayport, Florida, under Lot 1. This award was made under rolling admissions of the current IDIQ-MAC Lot 1. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $376,964,825. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida, and is expected to be complete by November 2019. If all options are exercised work is expected to continue through November 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport, Florida, is the contracting activity (N4002719D1001). Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $97,784,232 cost only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-5418 for long-lead material in support of fiscal 2019 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 low-rate initial production requirements. The Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test, and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. Work will be performed in Ontario, Canada (14 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (11 percent); Munich, Germany (11 percent); Edinburgh, Australia (10 percent); San Jose, California (9 percent); Hengelo, Netherlands (8 percent); Madrid, Spain (6 percent); Nogales, Mexico (5 percent); Athens, Greece (5 percent); Aarhus, Denmark (4 percent); Ankara, Turkey (4 percent); West Village, California (4 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (4 percent); Canton, New York (2 percent); Portland, Oregon (1 percent); Marinha Grande, Portugal (1 percent); and Tampa, Florida (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2023. Non-expiring other funds; fiscal 2019 and 2018 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2018 and 2017 other procurement (Navy) and funding in the amount of $20,930,156 will be obligated at time of award, and funds in the amount of $26,881 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $93,962,658 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to design, procure, integrate, test, train, deliver, and support command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems, information and computer systems, and sensor systems for various platforms, including ships, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), shore installations and ground based systems. Services are in support of Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, PEO C4I, and other federal agencies. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (35 percent); and various locations throughout the continental U.S. (65 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2025. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-D-0047). RAM-System, Gesellschaft Mit Beschrankter Haftung, Ottobrunn, Germany, is awarded 81,411,978 Euro and $1,137,479 for firm-fixed-price definitization modification PZ000 to previously undefinitized contract N00024-18-C-5403 for fiscal 2018-2919 German Navy's requirements for Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) MK 49 guided missile launching systems, and associated shipboard hardware and spares. This contract will be funded 100 percent by the Federal Republic of Germany. The RAM MK 31 guided missile weapon system is an international cooperative development, production and in-service program between the U.S. and German governments. The participating governments operate under a series of memorandums of agreement/memorandums of understanding that establish the business principles for program execution along with contracting and financial agreements. RAM is a missile system designed to provide anti-ship missile defense for multiple ship platforms. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to 121,271,557 Euro and $29,619,115. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (21 percent); Louisville, Kentucky (21 percent); Ulm, Germany (17 percent); Roethenbach, Germany (16 percent); Schrobenhausen, Germany (16 percent); Ottobrunn, Germany (9 percent); and is expected to be complete by December 2023. German funding in the amount of 61,709,018 Euro and $1,137,479 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured under the exception 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4), International Agreement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Research and Engineering Development LLC, California, Maryland, is awarded a $42,791,557 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Human Systems Department. The Human Systems Department identifies, develops, and implements Human Engineering and Human Systems Integration analysis and design solutions for various Navy and Marine Corps aviation flight and weapon systems, and their associated maintenance and training elements. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2022. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0042). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $14,587,657 for modification P00003 to a previously issued firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0001918F2048) placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This order procures 62 low-rate initial production Organic Light Emitting Diode Helmet Display Units and spares in support of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2020. Fiscal 2017 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $14,587,657 will be obligated at time of award, $11,764,239 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($7,293,829; 50 percent) and Marine Corps ($7,293,828; 50 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Wiley Wilson Burns & McDonnell JV, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $9,337,864 for firm-fixed-price task order N4008019F4289 under a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40080-15-D-0452) for the preparation of a design bid build construction package for the construction of the Wargaming Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The design bid build construction package consists of full plans, specifications, detailed cost estimate, and other services as requested by the scope of work. The package is to constructs a new wargaming facility, parking structure, and area distributed node facility. The project replaces the Cinder City Switching Station and demolishes eight existing structures in the project area. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction, planning and development, contract funds in the amount of $9,337,864 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Scientific Applications Research Associates Inc., Cypress, California, has been awarded a $100,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Golden Horde Science and Technology demonstration effort. This contract provides for support research and development of emerging munition technologies, as well as integrated weapon demonstrations. The effort is conceptualized as a fast-paced Air Force Research Laboratory-led demonstration project executed under the auspices of the Team Eglin Weapon Consortium. Work will be performed in Cypress, California, and is expected to be complete by December 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $15,000,000 are being obligated on the first task order at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-19-D-0072). ARMY Torch Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded an $8,815,000 modification (000057) to contract W31P4Q-09-A-0021 for strategic systems engineering, integration, test and analysis. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,815,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1788196/

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    January 20, 2023 | International, Other Defence

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