July 27, 2023 | International, Land
Australia selects South Korea’s Hanwha in military vehicle competition
The Redback beat out competition from Germany company Rheinmetall’s KF41 Lynx vehicle.
August 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Europe’s next-gen fighter club faces a dilemma: Who else can join?
COLOGNE, Germany — With mainland Europe and the United Kingdom pursuing their own sixth-generation fighter programs, differing views have started to emerge about how many nations should partake in the action.
At issue is whether the British Tempest and the German-French-Spanish Future Combat Air System can coexist in the long run without cannibalizing the continent's defense budget.
What's more, while leaders in the U.K. have openly advertised their appetite to pick up partner countries for Tempest, Paris and Berlin are divided about admitting additional members, besides Spain, for fear of slowing down their effort.
German defense officials early this year told Bundestag lawmakers they consider it risky to keep the circle of participants too small because team Tempest could go around snagging up contributors, though that concern has yet to bear out.
To Dirk Hoke, the CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, the issue comes down to the budget. His company is the co-lead for the FCAS program along with France's Dassault Aviation. Notably, the French have the lead for the Next-Generation Fighter, envisioned as the central aircraft for the larger program of supporting drones and command-and-control equipment.
“Europe can't afford two new systems,” Hoke said in a virtual panel discussion organized by a German defense industry lobbying association.
That is especially the case, he argued, because a competition between the U.K. and members of the European Union would reinforce the perception that Britain's divorce from the bloc has weakened the intra-continental defense alliance — a notion that leaders on both sides of the Channel have been trying to dispel.
Finding a way to merge FCAS and Tempest should become a top priority for decision-makers once a Brexit agreement on future trade and defense relations is in the bag, according to Hoke. Until then, he said, “we simply have to be patient.”
In order to be prepared for “an opportunity to negotiate at eye level,” both projects should continue to work through their technology development so that eventual touchpoints for cooperation are already far along, he explained.
In contrast, Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has urged caution when it comes to broadening the FCAS circle too soon.
“I don't know if there won't be some new partners in the future,” he said during a company earnings call late last month. “We must not exclude them.”
Noting that Spain already was admitted to the program after Germany and France had kicked it off, Trappier said the companies involved were still learning to work together. “We have to get to know each other and share our work together,” he said.
“If we change partners every six months, I can tell you that we will not reach 2040,” he added, referring to the envisioned in-service date for the futuristic weapon.
The next big milestone for the program is fielding a demonstrator aircraft in 2026.
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December 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 16, 2020
ARMY Central Lake Armor Express,* Central Lake, Michigan (W91CRB-21-D-0004); Bethel Industries Inc.,* Jersey City, New Jersey (W91CRB-21-D-0005); Carter Enterprises LLC,* Brooklyn, New York (W91CRB-21-D-0006); Point Blank Enterprises Inc., Pompano Beach, Florida (W91CRB-21-D-0007); and Slate Solutions Inc.,* Sunrise, Florida (W91CRB-21-D-0080), will compete for each order of the $837,591,519 firm-fixed-price contract for the Soldier Protection System. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 14, 2029. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Towill Inc., Concord, California, was awarded a $22,666,666 firm-fixed-price contract for photogrammetric and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) surveying and mapping. Bids were solicited via the internet with 38 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 15, 2025. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-21-D-0022). Oxford Federal LLC, Lone Tree, Colorado, was awarded an $11,554,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design-build construction at sites in Israel. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Tel Aviv, Israel, with an estimated completion date of June 8, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales (Israel) funds in the amount of $11,554,000 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District, is the contracting activity (W912GB-21-F-0023). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Belmont Instrument LLC, Billerica, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $133,570,787 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE2DH-16-R-0002 for a hospital and portable rapid blood infuser product line, military kits, associated consumables and accessories. This was a competitive acquisition with 132 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Dec. 15, 2025, performance completion 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 (SPE2D1-21-D-0004). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded an estimated $108,537,739 modification (P00122) to five-year base contract SPRPA1-14-D-002U with one five-year option period adding consumable items supporting various aircraft. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Sept. 16, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force and military forces in Australia, Finland, France, Israel, Greece, Kuwait and Switzerland. Types of appropriation are fiscal 2021 defense working capital funds and Foreign Military Sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $41,709,797 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (SPRPA1-21-D-9002) against five-year basic ordering agreement SPRPA1-14-D-002U for consumable and depot-level repairable parts for the KC-46 military unique program. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Dec. 15, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. OFD Foods LLC,* Albany, Oregon, has been awarded a maximum $34,162,535 fixed-priced with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for boil-in-bag dehydrated egg mix. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Oregon, with a Dec. 11, 2024, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE3S1-21-D-Z230). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $10,849,059 modification (P00122) against five-year basic ordering agreement SPRPA1-14-D-002U for additional F/A-18 A-D and E-G aircraft integrated product support. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Locations of performance are Missouri, California, Virginia, Washington, Nevada and South Carolina, with a Dec. 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 Navy operation, maintenance and procurement funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NAVY Huntington Ingalls Inc., Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded a $43,498,975 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-4203 to exercise Option Period One for the accomplishment of follow on CG 47 class integrated planning yard services. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed by December 2024. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy); and other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,176,352 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea System Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee, is awarded a $30,618,831 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification for the exercise of Option Two to extend services for a base operations support services contract at Naval Station (NAVSTA), Mayport, Florida; Marine Corps Support Facility (MCSF) Blount Island, Florida; and outlying areas. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include port operations, facility investment, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping, utilities management, electrical, wastewater, steam, water, base support vehicles and equipment and environmental. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $89,063,257. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, at NAVSTA Mayport (62%); MCSF Blount Island (37%); and outlying areas (1%). This option period is from January 2020 to December 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); fiscal 2021 O&M (Marine Corps); fiscal 2021 Navy working capital funds; and fiscal 2021 family housing O&M (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $24,963,973 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-18-D-1800). Ark Construction Management LLC,* Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for roof maintenance in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), Public Works Department, Pennsylvania, area of responsibility. This work to be performed under this contract will include provide roofing repair and replacement at locations in and around the Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, areas. A task order in the amount of $5,000 is being issued to fulfill the minimum guarantee. Work will be performed in Philadelphia and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of December 2025. Fiscal 2021 Navy working capital contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by Navy working capital funds and operation and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with five proposals received. NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-21-D-0014). DynCorp International LLC, McLean, Virginia, is awarded an $18,120,424 modification under contract N62742-17-C-3570 in the amount of $18,120,424 which provides for the exercise of the fourth option period under a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for various support services to Department of Defense (DOD) components. The work to be performed provides for various support services to DOD components (e.g., Naval Mobile Construction Battalions, Naval Expeditionary Combat Command Pacific, Explosive Ordnance Detachment Group One, Coastal Riverine Group One, etc.) conducting humanitarian assistance, civic assistance, minor military construction projects, contingency efforts, supporting various exercises and other projects located at various sites, usually in remote areas in the Philippines, Cambodia, Timor-Leste and other countries in South Asia, Southeast Asia and Oceania. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $135,215,620. Work will be performed at various locations in Southeast Asia, South Asia and Oceania, and this option period is from January 2021 to December 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $3,187,500 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $9,297,472 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise an option for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) engineering services, materials and spares. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by August 2024. FMS funds in the amount of $2,968,429 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Country name(s) are withheld due to international agreement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Hyatt Equities LLC, doing business as Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront, Jacksonville, Florida, is being awarded an $8,324,815 firm-fixed-price, three-month contract for lodging, meal and laundry services. This contract includes one three-month option period which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $16,729,503. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida. Work is expected to be completed April 12, 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through July 11, 2021. Fiscal 2021 military personnel (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $8,324,815 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website, with 16 proposals received. The Regional Contracting Office, Parris Island, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (M00263-21-C-0001). AIR FORCE CORRECTION: The $79,569,583 contract announced on Dec. 14, 2020, to The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri (FA8634-21-C-2702) for F-15 Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System low rate initial production was actually awarded today, Dec. 16, 2020. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2449367/source/GovDelivery/
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February 11, 2019 | International, C4ISR
The military wants many systems to share one language
By: Mark Pomerleau The Army, Navy and Air Force secretaries recently signed a memorandum that would establish common standards of information in future weapon systems, a move that will allow for greater coordination on a future battlefield that will require faster decision making. As the military is shifting its focus to so-called great powers and simultaneously each pursing its own version of multidomain operations — a concept of operating more seamlessly across the five domains of warfare — there is a recognition for the need for closer cooperation. According to an Air Force release Feb. 8, older weapon systems were not developed with common interface standards, which made interoperability more difficult. “This is vital to our success,” said Mark Esper, the secretary of the Army. “After reviewing the capabilities of common standards, we have collectively determined that continued implementation, and further development of modular open systems approaches are necessary to keep our competitive advantage.” In recent years, the services have developed, demonstrated and validated common data standards through a cooperative partnership with industry and academia to allow for a modular open systems approach, the release said. When the services follow the standards, contractors can build interoperable systems. This approach can lead significantly reduce development timelines and shrink costs by as much as 70 percent, the release said. “The ability for our systems and forces to exchange information and communicate effectively gives our war fighters the best capabilities to deliver the fight tonight,” Richard Spencer, the secretary of the Navy, said. “This reform will make us a highly integrated and more lethal fighting force.” With new approaches, such as multidomain operations, Pentagon leaders say it is critical for systems and forces to communicate across domains as well as cyber and land systems. "Victory in future conflict will in part be determined by our ability to rapidly share information across domains and platforms," Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, said. "Sharing information from machine to machine requires common standards." Some in industry are helping the military answer some tough problems. “How do you take all the platforms that are out there and link them together and then be able to create decisions that happen a lot faster or get to decisions that you couldn't have gotten to if you were looking at each of the domains independently,” Rob Smith, vice president of C4ISR & UAS, Rotary and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, told reporters in July. While linking systems together may sound easy, Smith said differences in planning cycles, technologies and classifications is challenging. Going forward, the Air Force release said the joint memorandum directs service acquisition executives to publish specific implementation guidance for acquisition programs, continue to identify gaps and develop new standards when needed. Additionally, capability requirements officers must write modular open systems into future requirements documents as to be able to communicate across domains. https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/2019/02/08/the-military-wants-many-systems-to-share-one-language