April 29, 2024 | International, Land
EC backs Thales-led AI and shared image database project
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September 12, 2019 | International, Aerospace
DSEI: British, Italian defense companies jump on Tempest
By: Sebastian Sprenger and Andrew Chuter
LONDON – BAE Systems and Leonardo on Wednesday formalized a partnership agreement to cooperate on the Tempest next-generation combat aircraft, following a pact signed between the U.K. and Italian governments late Tuesday afternoon.
The inclusion of Italy in the ambitious project marks the third partner nation, following Sweden, that the British were able to sign. And BAE officials on hand here at the DSEI defense trade show hinted that more could follow soon.
Leonardo brings with it a smattering of Italian companies, including Avio Aero and Elettronica, adding to the team of MBDA and Rolls Royce already onboard.
BAE Systems chief Charles Woodburn said both nations and their respective industries are “committed” to seeing Tempest through. The program is envisioned to be a sixth-generation, aerial combat system featuring manned planes, drones, sensors and weapons working in unprecedented collaboration.
The two countries already work together on the American-led F-35 as well as the Eurofighter Typhoon. Advancing those programs is also an explicit objective in the new partnership between London and Rome.
A statement released by the UK Ministry of Defence Wednesday morning framed the government agreement – signed by Simon Bollom, the head of Defence Equipment and Support, and Lt. Gen. Nicolò Falsaperna, Italian Secretary General of Defence – as a broad pledge to cooperate on matters of “combat air capability.” The idea is to “deepen discussions on Tempest military requirements,” come up with a “road map” for feeding advanced Eurofighter capabilities into the future program, and facilitate an industry ecosystem to make it all happen, according to the statement.
“The U.K. and Italy have a proven 50-year track record of working closely together on Combat Aircraft development and support through the Panavia Tornado and Eurofighter Typhoon programs,” reads the defense ministry statement. “Both governments confirmed a common desire for a strong industrial base to develop key capabilities and boost prosperity in both nations. The agreement also paves the way for closer industrial collaboration, including through shared industrial entities such as Leonardo and MBDA.”
Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo lauded the joint Tempest effort as an “ambitious and strategically important” program. Joining it this early in the process, he said, would allow his company greater say in future decisions.
The U.K.-Italy venture comes as France, Germany and Spain are working on their own version of Europe's next-generation weapon, the Future Combat Air System. With much pomp and circumstance accorded here to the Tempest effort, including promotion under the banner of the Royal Air Force and a full-scale mockup sitting prominently in the exhibit hall, the continental counterpart appeared more of a distant theory in comparison.
The FCAS program, led on the industry side by Airbus and Dassault, has been dogged by a fundamental disagreement between German and France about the exportability of its envisioned components. Berlin taking a more restrictive stance than Paris when it comes to potential buyers in the Middle East.
Following Spain's recent inclusion in the program, the Madrid government has designated electronics specialist Indra as the national industry lead, a move that left the Spanish Airbus division feeling burned, according to sources.
Trade show attendees here associated with the FCAS program brushed aside the notion of Tempest as the more concrete proposal, noting how Brexit would cast a shadow of uncertainty on the UK's budget, not to speak of Italy's ongoing financial troubles.
At the same time, the U.K.-Italian-Swedish and the Franco-German-Spanish efforts make for formidable competition in a continent where military budgets are limited.
Asked by a reporter how he sees the two programs play out over the next ten years, Profumo only stated the obvious: “Two programs are more expensive than one.”
So where might the British turn next in their quest for international partners?
Woodburn, the head of BAE, told Defense News that talks with other possible partners are ongoing. "We are in discussions with other nations, but what it shows is there are plenty of people who want to join the team although they may be different types of partners to the ones we have right now," he said.
Leonardo U.K. boss Norman Bone said Team Tempest hadn't stopped talking to core companies but were also looking at partners who bring other benefits. “We haven't drawn the line on industrial capability but maybe there are partners who bring money and markets in exchange for technology transfer,” said Bone.
Enzo Benigni, the CEO of Elettronica, said his company's participation in Tempest is a crucial milestone for the company. “It's a partnership that will last 40 or 50 years,” he told reporters.
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February 11, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 09, 2021
ARMY Covalus LLC,* Dallas, Texas (W912DY-21-D-0006); Holitna Construction LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (W912DY-21-D-0007); Martek Global Solutions LLC,* Bethesda, Maryland (W912DY-21-D-0008); and Workplace Solutions Inc.,* Jacksonville, Florida (W912DY-21-D-0009), will compete for each order of the $495,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to support military healthcare construction/renewal projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 3, 2026. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded an $18,337,000 modification (P00021) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0025 to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items and non-personal services necessary for food services at the Area Support Group-Kuwait dining facility. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $18,337,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Garland, Texas, was awarded a $12,722,355 modification (P00004) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0052 for MK82-1, MK82-6, MK82-8, MK83-4, MK84-6 and BDU-56/B bomb bodies. Work will be performed in Garland, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $12,722,355 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Chromalloy Component Services, San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $74,632,104 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the remanufacture of the F108 Module 14 low pressure turbine assembly. This contract provides for the remanufacturing of the F108-200 (CFM56-2A) low pressure turbine assembly (Module 14) to like-new condition. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed Feb. 8, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Defense agencies working capital funds will be used, but no funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8122-21-D-0002). CORRECTION: The $95,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract awarded on Feb. 4, 2021, to Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia (FA7037-21-D-0001), is for Full Spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operational numbered Air Forces Support; not Full Spectrum Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance operational non-appropriated funds Support. NAVY Gichner Systems Group Inc., Dallastown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $57,319,314 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures up to a maximum quantity of 732 mobile facility shelters used for human habitation as well as permanent equipment storage or operation to support the testing, repairing, and operation of various avionics and non-avionics gear for the Navy, Marine Corps and Army. Work will be performed in Dallastown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed in February 2026. 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 and two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-21-D-0214). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $26,825,606 modification (P00010) to previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract N00019-20-C-0037. This modification exercises an option to provide continued support for training system product development, integration and test for current, fielded and planned hardware baselines in support of the F-35 training systems labs for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (98%); and Fort Worth, Texas (2%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,000,000; fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $2,000,000; and non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $881,107, 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. General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $21,095,294 firm-fixed-price modification (P00016) to previously awarded contract N00019-18-C-1007. This modification procures 4 T408-GE-400 turboshaft spare engines and various spare engine parts in support of CH-53K Lot 5 low rate initial production aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in December 2024. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,390,291; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $705,003 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 LOGISTICS AGENCY KBR Services LLC, Houston, Texas, has been awarded an estimated $38,110,000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for automated fuel handling equipment maintenance. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. The estimated dollar amount is for the life of the contract and the maximum dollar amount is $49,500,000. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, Greenland, Japan and Spain, with a March 12, 2022, base ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio (SP4702-21-D-0001). Abbott Rapid DX North America LLC, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $48,750,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for laboratory supplies. This was a competitive acquisition with 32 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a Feb. 8, 2026, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DE-21-D-0017). Metro Medical Equipment and Supply, Saint Ann, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $42,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 140 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Feb. 8, 2026, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-21-D-0058). Base Utilities Inc.,* Grand Forks and Cavalier, North Dakota, has been awarded a maximum $16,285,037 modification (P00012) to a 50-year utilities privatization contract (SP0600-18-C-8322) with no option periods for additional utility services for two water and two wastewater systems at Grand Forks Air Force Base and Cavalier Air Force Station. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is North Dakota, with a Jan. 31, 2069, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2069 Air Force operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Perspecta Enterprise Solutions LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HC1084-21-D-0002), has been awarded a competitive single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for Global Content Delivery Services II for the Defense Information Systems Agency Operations Center. The contract ceiling is approximately $201,543,314, and the minimum guarantee is $10,000. The place of performance will be at government data centers or future government centers within the continental U.S.; data centers outside the continental U.S.; and other government-approved locations worldwide, in which the government may acquire an operational responsibility. Solicitation HC1084-20-R-0005 was posted on the beta.SAM.gov website as a competitive acquisition and four proposals were received. The period of performance consists of a three-year base period and three one-year option periods, for a total contract life cycle of six years. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2498742/source/GovDelivery/