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  October 3, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 02, 2019

  AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Co., doing business as Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $163,950,489 fixed-price, incentive-firm target modification (P00148) to previously awarded contract FA8810-13-C-0002 for space based infrared system contractor logistics support. This action is a bilateral supplemental agreement executed in accordance with justification and approval 18-14. Work will be performed at outside the continental U.S. locations; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado; Greeley Air National Guard Station, Colorado; and Boulder, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are used and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The total cumulative face value of the modification is $163,950,489. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity. ASES LLC, doing business as Field Aerospace, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded a $21,346,897 firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00023) to previously award contract FA8106-18-C-0002 to exercise Option One for full rate production to begin for the T-1A Avionics Modification Program. This contract provides for the replacement of the avionics suite in the Air Education and Training Command fleet of 178 T-1A trainer aircraft, 16 operational flight trainers and 14 part task trainers. Work will be performed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 14, 2025. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $9,993,753; and 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $11,353,143 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. The Texas Workforce Commission, Austin, Texas, has been awarded a $17,085,515 contract modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA3016-18-D-0009 to exercise the first option period for Joint Base San Antonio/Ft. Sam Houston full food services. The contract modification exercised the first option period. Work will be performed at Joint Base San Antonio Ft. Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $32,640,593. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,459,745 are being obligated at the time of the award. The 502d Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity. CACI Inc. - Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $12,693,283 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order to previously awarded contract FA8723-19-D-0001 for support vehicle programmed depot maintenance. This action is an in-scope bilateral supplemental agreement executed in accordance with the terms of Mobile Command and Control Systems contract. Work will performed at Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Greeley Air National Guard Station, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2023. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $12,693,283. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,916,938 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8823-19-F-0013). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Eaton Aeroquip LLC, Jackson, Michigan, has been awarded a maximum $69,387,451 fixed-price contract for hoses, assemblies and other related parts. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. This is an eight year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Michigan, with an Oct. 1, 2027, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2028 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7MX-20-D-0003). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Four Points Technology LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HT0015-19-F-0161), was awarded a firm-fixed-price order for $12,428,715 (12-months), using fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds, subject to availability. This is an enterprise level order on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solution for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP) for InterSystems Software renewal. This procurement is for InterSystems Software maintenance renewal to support the existing InterSystems Software deployed across the Department of Defense. These products provide relational databases collating all patient health information into a query engine application for use by healthcare providers. The requirement was competed on NASA SEWP as a 100% service disabled veteran owned small business set aside for InterSystems renewal, and Four Points Technology LLC provided the lowest-price-technically-acceptable quote. The amount of $12,428,715 for the base year is obligated at the time of award. The Defense Health Agency Enterprise Medical Support – Contracting Division (EMS-CD), located in San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 30, 2019) NAVY General Electric Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $10,592,822 modification (P00002) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-18-C-1061). This modification exercises an option to procure two F414-GE-400 production install engines, five engine devices, and 29 engine device K-seals in support of Lot 23 engine production for the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts (48%); Evendale, Ohio (20%); Hooksett, New Hampshire (14%); Rutland, Vermont (9%); and Madisonville, Kentucky (9%), and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,592,822 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $7,892,950 modification (P00038) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for the Communication Interface System Obsolescence for the Apache AH-64E full rate production. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $7,892,950 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The Sept. 6, 2019, announcement of an award to BAE Systems Inc., York, Pennsylvania, for a modification (P00015) to contract W56HZC-18-C-0133 included an incorrect estimated work completion date. The estimated completion date is March 31, 2022. All other information in the original announcement remains the same. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Louis Berger Aircraft Services, Greenville, South Carolina (HTC711-17-C-C002), has been awarded a $7,226,021 modification (P00008) for air terminal ground handling services contract in Kuwait. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $20,265,296 from $13,039,275. Work will be performed at Al Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait, with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds were obligated at time of award. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Oct. 1, 2019) *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1978068/source/GovDelivery/

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  April 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  La place Beauvau recherche 645 drones

  Le ministère de l'Intérieur vient de diffuser un appel d'offres portant sur 645 drones en quatre lots. Le volume total atteindrait les 3,8 M€. 645 drones de toutes tailles Le service de l'achat, de l'innovation et de la logistique du ministère de l'Intérieur (SAELSI) recherche 645 drones de toutes tailles, apprend-on dans un appel d'offres diffusé le 15 avril. Le volume atteindrait les 3,8 M€ en quatre lots. Le premier concerne les drones du quotidien, un programme initié par la gendarmerie, et qui désormais semble profiter aussi à la police nationale. Le contexte d'emploi principal concerne des opérations diurnes. Ce lot de 1,8 M€ concerne à la fois la formation, la fourniture de drones (565) et leur maintenance pour des unités non spécialisées. Tout le territoire et l'outremer pourront être ainsi dotés. Nano-drones Le deuxième lot équipera des drones pour les unités nationales spécialisées, pour une valeur de 1,58 M€. Les mini-drones concernés sont utilisables de jour comme de nuit, et plus résilients, mais aussi plus chers. Là aussi, le lot concerne la formation, le MCO et la livraison des 66 drones, de quoi équiper notamment le GIGN, le RAID et leurs antennes. Tous sont aujourd'hui dotés d'une kyrielle de modèles. Les nano-drones spécialisés constituent le troisième lot. Il sera là aussi réservé aux unités dont certaines, comme le GIGN, disposent déjà de Black Hornet. Le volume peut sembler assez minime puisque seulement 175 000 euros sont réservés. Ce qui, au prix, du Black Hornet 3 représente assez peu de systèmes. Les prévisions sont néanmoins assez élevées, pas moins de 20 nano-drones. Le quatrième et dernier lot concerne les capacités de communication afférentes, pour une valeur de 240.000 euros. 300 passerelles wi-fi sont attendues. Barkhane La gendarmerie a été motrice sur l'engagement de drones, via le GIGN, mais aussi lors de manœuvres de maintien de l'ordre, à Notre-Dame des Landes, lors des manifestations des gilets jaunes. Elle a notamment utilisée des DJI Phantom IV et des micro drones NX70 et NX110 de Novadem. Elle a rencontré des difficultés avec les NX70 de première génération, interdits de vol plusieurs mois. Ces problèmes ont apparemment été réglés sur la deuxième génération, car les militaires qui les utilisent à Barkhane n'en font pas état. L'expérimentation de drone du quotidien, qui vient de s'achever, a concerné 48 micro-drones, notamment des Mavic Pro et des Anafi du Français Parrot qui a manifestement une belle carte à jouer. https://air-cosmos.com/article/la-place-beauvau-recherche-645-drones-22936

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  February 27, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  New ‘Air Force Ventures’ Set To Transform Technology Strategy

  Steve Trimble The U.S. Air Force has adopted a three-phase strategy to select small, innovative companies outside the traditional defense industry to perform advanced development work and to tap Silicon Valley-style venture capital firms to help taxpayers finance the new technology. A new process could help rationalize the one-year-old Air Force effort to attract high-tech startups with dozens of Air Force Pitch Day events. These conferences have led to hundreds of small contract awards but no obvious path to guide the aspiring defense contractors further into the byzantine military acquisition process. U.S. Air Force plans to make 50 large “bets” on technology New acquisition training to be based on Fighter Weapons School For the private startups and venture capitalists involved, the Air Force Ventures initiative is designed to offer a new route to the commercial market for potentially game-changing technologies that could benefit from a risk-tolerant government customer providing funding and early support. “We don't really think of ourselves as a [stand-alone] market, but we purchase things in quantities that [are] meaningful enough that we can bridge companies until they reach a level for commercial success,” says Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics. “That's one reason that [venture capitalists] are interested in this.” The Air Force Ventures process starts with the Pitch Day events, during which the Air Force can place initial “bets” worth up to about $50,000 each in Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants on promising, potentially game-changing ideas, says Roper, speaking to about 1,000 Air Force acquisition officials during a Feb. 14 webinar. As the companies transition toward Phase II SBIR awards, the Air Force plans to grant about 300 contracts worth up to $1 million each—with a program office agreeing to fund about one-third of the costs. The funding match is meant to link the SBIR award to a program office, creating a path for the technology to potentially transition beyond the laboratory stage and into a program of record. The third and final step in the Air Force Ventures concept whittles the pool of awards to about 50 recipients. The amount of the award is potentially “unlimited,” Roper says, but is generally regarded as at least $10 million. The first of the “big bets” in Phase III are now under evaluation, Roper says. The contract awards could be announced at South by Southwest, a week-long technology conference and entertainment festival scheduled for March 13-22 in Austin, Texas. The initiative explicitly seeks to help the Air Force break from traditional defense contractors. As the Air Force attempts to field leap-ahead capabilities within the next decade for the Advanced Battle Management System and Next-Generation Air Dominance, leveraging the innovative ideas and technology flowing into the commercial market is seen as critical. “[R&D] in this country is 80% commercial,” Roper explains. “So in the 21st century, the [defense] industrial base should be dual-use. And so we've got to crack the code on how to have public and private funding work seamlessly inside an Air Force program.” But there are significant challenges as the Air Force tries to leverage commercial-sector technology investments: Small companies often need to find a market quickly to generate revenue and cash flow, whereas government program offices tend to make decisions slowly—and inconsistently. “In many cases, their commercialization [strategy] is devalued [by investors] if they have government funds,” Roper adds. The Air Force's program managers also face a learning curve. “If we're making 1,000 small bets a year, the reason we're making 1,000 is that we know most of them aren't going to pan out. So we can't manage the companies the way we would a traditional program,” Roper says. “But we can manage them as a portfolio—the same way that a private investor or a venture capitalist would.” To prepare, the Air Force is sending acquisition officials back to school. Next year, a cadre of program managers will be enrolled in a six-month course at Stanford University, which will teach the Air Force to manage technology investments like a venture capitalist, Roper says. The next step is to expand educational opportunities within the Air Force. A new acquisition curriculum, modeled on operational training centers such as the Fighter Weapons School, will be created, Roper says. https://aviationweek.com/shows-events/air-warfare-symposium/new-air-force-ventures-set-transform-technology-strategy