September 21, 2018 | International, Aerospace
COLOGNE, Germany – Dutch defense minister Ank Bijleveld has eliminated the country's budget cap for F-35 purchases, opening the possibility of buying more planes in the future, a spokesman confirmed to Defense News.
The defense ministry spokesman described the move as “just a formality” that would not require parliamentary approval, as the Dutch objective of buying 37 copies of the Lockheed Martin-made jet for €4.7 billion remains in place. But it means “we leave the option open to buy new planes” beyond those already envisioned in the budget, the spokesman said.
The development was first reported by the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, which wrote that the air force was angling to eventually get 67 aircraft. That amount would be enough to field four squadrons in the Netherlands, according to the newspaper.
Dick Zandee, a defense analyst at the Dutch Clingendael foreign policy think tank, said the recently released 2019 budget still reflects the government's target of buying 37 planes. But the budget cap elimination at this time could set the stage for additional contracts in a few years' time, once deliveries of the batch already on order are nearing completion.
The Dutch are set to take delivery of eight F-35s in 2019. That's in addition to two test aircraft already produced. The fifth-generation aircraft are meant to replace the country's fleet of 60 or so F-16s, with yearly deliveries scheduled between six to eight planes until the target number of 37 is reached.
That inventory will allow the Netherlands to field four F-35s for operations, considering that a certain number is always set aside for training, undergoing maintenance or otherwise unavailable to deploy, said Zandee.
“There is a lot of pressure from NATO that 37 are not enough,” he said, adding that there has been talk in Dutch defense circles to up the number to 52. “The air force always wants more” of the planes, and the service would consider an increase to 52 as an intermediate step to get an even greater number later, Zandee told Defense News.
Meanwhile, the jet is facing some pushback in the Netherlands over its development price tag and the high cost of ownership. “The criticism is that you're buying an aircraft that is not fully developed yet," said Zandee.
But, he added,"The attitude is that the Americans are throwing so many billions at the program that problems will be solved."
https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/09/20/dutch-defense-chief-opens-door-for-more-f-35s
March 14, 2023 | International, Naval
Experts are warning that, as the U.S., Britain and Australia move ahead on an expanded military pact, Canada's omission from that group suggests a larger problem with how this country is perceived by its friends.
April 26, 2019 | International, Aerospace
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Only about half of the F-35s worldwide were ready to flyduring an eight-month period in 2018, with the wait for spare parts keeping jets on the ground nearly 30 percent of the time, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office. Over the past several years, the Defense Department has sought to improve mission capable rates by making improvements to the way it and F-35 contractor Lockheed Martin order, stockpile and repair spare parts. However, GAO's findings imply that the situation may have gotten worse. The GAO's report, released April 25, investigated how spare parts shortages impacted F-35 availability and mission capable rates in 2018, with most data gathered between a May and November sustainment contract period. “In 2017, we reported that DOD was experiencing sustainment challenges that were reducing warfighter readiness, including delays of 6 years in standing up repair capabilities for F-35 parts at its depots and significant spare parts shortages that were preventing the F-35 fleet from flying about 20 percent of the time,” GAO said in the report. “According to prime contractor data, from May through November 2018, F-35 aircraft across the fleet were unable to fly 29.7 percent of the time due to spare parts shortages,” it said. “Specifically, the F-35 supply chain does not have enough spare parts available to keep aircraft flying enough of the time necessary to meet warfighter requirements.” That lack of improvement may make it more difficult for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps to hit an 80 percent mission capable rate by the end of fiscal year 2019, as mandated by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis last fall. The military services stopped providing mission capable rates for aircraft last year, citing operational sensitivities. However, the data put forth by the GAO indicates that progress stagnated in the lead up to Mattis' order. From May to November 2018, mission capable rates — which measure how many planes possessed by a squadron can perform at least one of its missions — hovered around 50 percent for all versions of the F-35. But when GAO assessed how many planes were fully mission capable — meaning that they were ready to fulfill all of their mission sets — all variants were far from meeting the 60 percent target. Only 2 percent of F-35C carrier takeoff and landing versions hit the fully mission capable mark, with the F-35Bs slightly better at 16 percent and the F-35A at 34 percent. The GAO is skeptical that the services will be able to hit the 80 percent mission capable rate goal this year, and it is even more critical of the Defense Department's plans to fund spares in future years. The department intends to buy “only enough parts to enable about 80 percent of its aircraft to be mission-capable based on the availability of parts.” However, that planning construct will likely only yield a 70 percent mission capable rate at best, the GAO said, because it only accounts for the aircraft on the flight line and not jets that are in the depot for longer term maintenance. No silver bullet for parts shortage issues Like all complicated problems, there is no single solution for the F-35 spare parts shortage, which is driven by a number of factors. GAO indicated that the Defense Department still has “a limited capacity” to repair broken parts, creating a backlog of 4,300 parts still needing to be addressed. Between September and November, it took more than six months to fix parts that should have been repaired in a window of two to three months. The F-35's much-maligned Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS) was designed to be able to track parts and automate the process of generating and expediting work orders, however, GAO notes that the system still requires manual workarounds from users in order to accomplish tasks. Supply and maintenance personnel cited challenges such as “missing or corrupted electronic spare parts data,” limited automation and problems caused by ALIS's subsystems not communicating with each other properly, it said. As the F-35 is still a relatively new platform, it has taken time for the program to assess which parts have been failing more often than previously estimated — but that is an area where the Defense Department is making progress, the GAO stated. “DOD has identified specific parts shortages that are causing the greatest aircraft capability degradation, and it is developing short-term and long-term mitigation strategies to increase the quantity and reliability of these parts,” the report said. One such component is a coating used on the F-35's canopy to help it maintain its stealth characteristics, which has been found to peel off at an unexpected rate, creating a heightened demand for canopies. “To address these challenges, the program is looking for additional manufacturing sources for the canopy and is considering design changes,” the GAO stated. But — somewhat paradoxically — the F-35 has been flying for a long enough time that there is significant parts differences between the first jets that rolled off the production line to the most recently manufactured planes. The GAO found “at least 39 different part combinations across the fleet” on top of variations in software. “According to the program office, DOD spent more than $15 billion to purchase F-35 aircraft from the earliest lots of production, specifically lots 2 through 5 ... but it faces challenges in providing enough spare parts for these aircraft,” the report stated. One problem — the cannibalization of F-35 aircraft for parts — is partially user-inflicted. “From May through November 2018, F-35 squadrons cannibalized (that is, took) parts from other aircraft at rates that were more than six times greater than the services' objective,” the GAO stated. “These high rates of cannibalization mask even greater parts shortages, because personnel at F-35 squadrons are pulling parts off of other aircraft that are already unable to fly instead of waiting for new parts to be delivered through the supply chain.” During an interview this February, Lt. Col. Toby Walker, deputy commander of the 33rd Maintenance Group, told Defense News that F-35 maintainers at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., had stopped pulling parts off a cannibalized F-35 and had seen some improvements to mission capable rates as a result. “We're not continually moving parts from one aircraft to another. We're relying on the program to provide our parts,” he said. “It was a very strategic plan to do that to increase aircraft availability by not sitting an aircraft down.” In a statement, Lockheed Martin said that it had taken key steps to improve parts availability, such as transitioning some suppliers to performance based logistics contracts that incentivize companies to meet certain targets, as well as “master repair agreements” that will allow other suppliers to make longer term investments in their production capability. “These actions are beginning to deliver results and we're forecasting additional improvement. Newer production aircraft are averaging greater than 60 percent mission capable rates, with some operational squadrons consistently at 70 percent,” the company said. “From a cost perspective, Lockheed Martin has reduced its portion of cost per aircraft per year by 15 percent since 2015. Our goal is to further reduce costs to $25,000 cost per flight hour by 2025, which is comparable to legacy aircraft while providing a generational leap in capability.” https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/04/25/government-watchdog-finds-more-problems-with-f-35s-spare-parts-pipeline
January 28, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
AIR FORCE Harris Corp., Space and Intelligence Systems, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $72,261,464 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Combat Mission Systems Support (CMSS) program. The CMSS contract will sustain the Space and Missile Systems Center portfolio of ground-based electronic warfare systems and develop the Counter Communications System Block 10.3. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Palm Bay, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 29, 2024. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,733,417; and fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,190,818 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8819-19-C-0002). Spectrum Federal Solutions LLC, St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded an $8,585,466 firm-fixed-price modification (P00003) to contract FA7014-18-C-1000 for procurement of various health care providers. The contract modification is for exercise of an option for embedded health care providers into various high-risk units and locations to provide assistance and treatment for airmen. Work will be performed in St. Louis, and is expected to be completed Jan. 31, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 10, 2019) ARMY Olin Corp. - Winchester Division, East Alton, Illinois, was awarded an $85,131,683 modification (P00036) to contract W52P1J-16-C-0003 for 5.56mm, 7.62mm and .50 caliber ammunition. Work will be performed in Oxford, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2020. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $85,131,683 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. L3 Technologies Inc., Victor, New York, was awarded a $68,964,170 modification (P00005) to contract W56JSR-17-D-0006 to test, inspect and repair components of the CSS VSAT AN/TSC-183A system. One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 27, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Ibis Tek Inc.,* Butler, Pennsylvania (W15QKN-19-D-0016); and O'Gara Hess & Eisenhardt Armoring Company LLC,* Fairfield, Ohio (W15QKN-19-D-0017), will share in a $49,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for armor hardware turret systems, platform integration kits, spare parts and hardware kits. Bids were solicited via the internet with 14 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. AECOM Management Services Corp., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $9,050,209 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of linear demolition charge systems, spares and data items for the Assault Breacher vehicle weapon system. One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 17, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-D-0003). Goodwill Industries of San Antonio,* San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a $7,886,436 modification (P00003) to contract W81K04-18-C-0002 for record processing services. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 25, 2020. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 operations and maintenance, Army (subject to availability of funds) funds in the amount of $7,886,436 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. NAVY Thales Defense and Security Inc., Clarksburg, Maryland, is awarded a $30,931,029 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the continued procurement, manufacturing, testing and delivery of High Frequency Distribution Amplifier Group system components and engineering services. This contract has a five-year ordering period up to the contract award amount. Work will be performed in Clarksburg, Maryland (55 percent); and West Sussex, United Kingdom (45 percent). Work is expected to be completed by January 2024. Contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds will be placed on contract with an initial delivery order issued shortly after award of the base contract. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole-source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source (Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 6.302-1). The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-19-D-0001). Harper Construction Co., Inc., San Diego, California, is awarded $17,281,265 for firm-fixed-price task order N6247319F4183 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-18-D-5853) for design and construction of a Marine Corps Reserve Training Center and a vehicle maintenance facility at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, California. The task order also contains two planned modifications, which if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $17,429,251. Work will be performed in Seal Beach, California, and is expected to be completed by February 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy Reserve) contract funds in the amount of $17,281,265 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $16,322,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee order against previously awarded contract N00024-11-C-2301 to provide engineering, management, and production services in support of prefabrication efforts, material procurement, and execution of work items for littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) extended industrial post-delivery availability (EIPDA). The EIPDA is accomplished within a period of approximately 12 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion, (Navy) obligation work limiting date. Efforts will include program management, advance planning, engineering, design, prefabrication, and material kitting. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama, and is expected to be complete by August 2019. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,011,000; fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,550,000; and fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $600,000 will be obligated at time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1739856/source/GovDelivery/