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  June 20, 2019 | International, Naval

  Navy Mulling How to Make Surface Fleet Flexible, Lethal

  By: Otto Kreisher WASHINGTON, D.C. — A panel of senior Navy civilian officials said the planning efforts for the future combat fleet was focused on making the fleet more flexible, interoperable and lethal. There also is an emphasis on open architecture to make it easier, quicker and cheaper to upgrade combat systems, they said. Those priorities would reduce the cost of sustaining the fleet going forward, the officials said at the American Society of Naval Engineers' annual Technology, Systems & Ship symposium on June 19. Michael Stewart, deputy director for integrated warfare systems, said his job was to look at the available capabilities across all the different surface platforms to make the fleet more capable and lethal. He also would ensure that all requirements going forward were clearly tied to the National Defense Strategy, since “we can't afford to fund everything.” John Hootman, the deputy director for surface warfare, said he was looking at the architecture for the future surface combatants in the 2030-2040 timeframe, when the Ticonderoga-class cruisers and some of the early Arleigh Burke destroyers would be retiring. But, he said, “we can't know what we'll need until we know how we'll fight.” In response to a question, Hootman praised the creation of the Surface Development Squadron, which will help in that effort to determine how the future fleet would fight. Hootman also emphasized the need to look at capabilities across the fleet, not at specific platforms, to promote commonality across the fleet, including a common combat system that could equip the whole range of surface combatants and even the amphibious ships. But that focus on common systems also could apply to the hull, mechanical and electrical elements of future ships. “The push for commonality is key.” Another official extended that quest to communications systems, arguing that every different circuit in the fleet reduces capacity, flexibility and the ability to integrate operations in the strike group. Steven Dries, filling in for Rear Adm. Steven Pardoe, director of integrated warfare, noted that the capabilities that ships would need in the future will change, which makes it all the more important to field systems that can be modernized with software changes, rather than having to tear out hardware. Hootman stressed the same thing as a way to more efficiently modernize ships and gain commonality. He also cited the savings in training sailors to operate and maintain systems that are common across platforms. https://news.usni.org/2019/06/19/navy-mulling-how-to-make-surface-fleet-flexible-lethal

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  October 30, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Collins Gets $700M to Upgrade F-15 Ejection Seats

  Oct. 29, 2020 | By Brian W. Everstine F-15 Eagle drivers will get upgraded ejection seats under a new $700 million contract to Collins Aerospace, a Raytheon Technologies subsidiary, awarded on Oct. 29. The new ACES 5 ejection seat will replace the F-15's older ACES II ejection seat, found in most of the Air Force's fighter and bomber fleet. Collins, in a release, said its new seat includes improved head, neck, arm, and leg “flail prevention,” along with a catapult that can adjust based on the occupant's weight. The company claims the new seat reduces ejection-related injuries to less than 5 percent, and spinal injuries to less than 1 percent. Work will be conducted in Colorado Springs, Colo., and is expected to be complete by Oct. 22, 2030. ACES 5 has already been selected for the T-7A Red Hawk, and will also be installed on the F-16, F-22, B-1, and A-10 fleets. Under a justification and approval notice posted in October 2019, the service plans to buy 3,018 of the seats, according to FlightGlobal. https://www.airforcemag.com/collins-gets-700-million-to-upgrade-f-15-ejection-seats/

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  October 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense – October 27, 2020

  NAVY American Rheinmetall Munition Inc., Stafford, Virginia, is awarded a $32,449,901 modification to previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract M67854-18-D-5225 to increase the contract maximum value, including the third, fourth and fifth option years, from $59,703,284 to $92,153,184. This modification will allow the ordering of up to a maximum of 1,051,734 additional MK281 MOD 3 40MM high velocity day/night practice cartridges. Work will be performed in Camden, Arkansas, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 25, 2023. No funds are being obligated on this award and no funds will expire. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-18-D-5225). Energetics Technology Center, Indian Head, Maryland, is awarded a $15,606,996 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Automated Global Energetics Science and Technology (S&T) Awareness effort. The proposed effort has three major components: a national energetics study, automated global energetics S&T awareness, and creating an energetics ecosystem. The national energetics study will collect and analyze information in support of the requirement to develop a plan that fulfills the request of National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2020, Section 253. The automated global energetics S&T awareness will develop and demonstrate the feasibility of an approach to enable machine-assisted energetics S&T global awareness. The energetics ecosystem will utilize a tool to assist Department of Defense research and development centers with establishing/enhancing innovation and commercialization ecosystems. Work will be performed in Indian Head, Maryland. The period of performance is 72 months, including a 36-month base period from Oct. 27, 2020, through Oct. 26, 2023, and one 36-month option period. The total cumulative value of this contract is $15,606,996. The base period is $7,722,823 and option period is $7,884,173. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,722,823 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-20-S-B001, “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science & Technology.” Since proposals are received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-21-C-1016.). MRIGlobal, Kansas City, Missouri, is awarded a $12,674,104 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop a flexible detection system consisting of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-based assays paired with reconfigurable point-of-need and massively multi-plexed devices for diagnostics and surveillance. This two-year contract includes four options which, if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $36,732,661. All work will be performed at the contractor's facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland (19%); Kansas City, Missouri (19%); San Francisco, California (30%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (25%); and Salt Lake City, Utah (7%). The period of performance of the base award is from Oct. 26, 2020, through Oct. 25, 2022. If all option periods are exercised the period-of-performance would extend through Oct. 25, 2024. Funds in the amount of $5,285,258 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Funds will be obligated as individual options are exercised using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency broad agency announcement solicitation HR0011-20-S-0016 published on the beta.SAM.gov website. Seven proposals were received and two were selected for award. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-C-4048). (Awarded Oct. 26, 2020) Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded an $11,478,415 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N66001-16-D-0033. Support includes production management, integration and fabrication, and system and component procurement for Network Integration Engineering Facility production services. This six-month modification increases the overall value of the existing contract to $111,356,945. The period of performance is from Oct. 27, 2020, through April 26, 2021. All work will be performed in San Diego, California. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Funds will be obligated as individual task orders are issued. Funds will be obligated using operations and maintenance (Navy); Department of Defense working capital funds; other procurement (Navy); Foreign Military Sales; research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and shipbuilding and conversion (Navy). The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-16-D-0033). Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $10,757,780 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N66001-16-D-0032. Support includes production management, integration and fabrication and system and component procurement for Network Integration Engineering Facility production services. This six-month modification increases the overall value of the existing contract to $105,116,891. The period of performance is from Oct. 27, 2020, through April 26, 2021. All work will be performed in San Diego, California. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Funds will be obligated as individual task orders are issued. Funds will be obligated using operations and maintenance (Navy); Department of Defense working capital funds; other procurement (Navy); Foreign Military Sales; research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and shipbuilding and conversion (Navy). The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-16-D-0032). AIR FORCE KOMAN Construction LLC, Chandler, Arizona, has been awarded a $20,062,515 firm-fixed-price, definitive contract for renovation and repair construction services. This contract provides for the complete repair and replacement required to provide humidity control and repair the interior administrative areas of B3 at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Work is expected to be completed April 26, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8137-21-C-0005). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Kandor Manufacturing,** Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $9,824,940 modification (P00010) exercising the first one-year option period of an 18-month base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1163) with three one-year option periods for various types of blouses and trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with an Oct. 29, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military services are Navy and Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ja Apparel Corp.,* New Bedford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $9,342,555 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for men's dress coats. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with an Oct. 26, 2021, ordering period end date. Using customer is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-21-D-1410). *Small business **Small disadvantaged business in historically underutilized business zones https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2396088/source/GovDelivery/