F-35A Jet Price To Rise, But It's Sustainment Costs That Could Bleed Air Force Budget Dry

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  June 26, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 25, 2019

  ARMY Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $91,291,064 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to provide engineering and other support services for all versions of the H-60 Blackhawk. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 27, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-D-0079). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $12,337,211 modification (P00034) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0011 for modification of five C-12R aircraft to a C-12V. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $12,337,211 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. MCR Federal LLC,* McLean, Virginia, was awarded an $8,135,050 modification (0001 20) to contract W31P4Q-16-A-0016 for technical engineering support services. Work will be performed in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of June 29, 2020. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales admin and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $8,135,050 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. NAVY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $62,975,474 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical services to meet fleet requirements for Synthetic Signature Generation based training systems. This contract will provide scientific, engineering, and technical services required for the design, development, fabrication, integration, test, fleet implementation and maintenance. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by December 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy), fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy), and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,762,779 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, West Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00167-19-D-0004). L3 Systems Co., Camden, New Jersey, is awarded an estimated $41,518,454 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus fixed-fee contract. The Battle Force Tactical Network program requires the procurement and integration of commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) high frequency internet protocol and subnet relay hardware, COTS software and government off-the-shelf software into a specified configuration for the Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence. This contract has a five-year ordering period up to the contract award amount. There are no options. Work will be performed in Camden, New Jersey, and work is expected to be completed by June 2024. No funding is being placed on contract and obligated at the time of award. Contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract was competitively procured as a full and open competition with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-19-D-0035). Wyle Laboratories Inc. (aka, KBRwyle), Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $41,081,160 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering, technical, operational, test and logistics services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's (NAWCAD's) Surface/Aviation Interoperability Laboratory. In addition, this contract provides for facilities testing and laboratory equipment, installed avionics and ship-combat systems maintenance. Work will be performed at NAWCAD, Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in July 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; four offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0070). Gilbane Federal, Concord, California, is awarded a $31,683,336 firm-fixed-price contract for unaccompanied enlisted housing at the Naval Base Guam. Buildings 5, 6, 18 and 20, will undergo conversion and alteration of each structure to house double-occupancy, permanent-party housing units and building common areas including multipurpose spaces, shared kitchens, vending areas, shared laundries and other miscellaneous support spaces. This project will also include the full renovation of the second floor existing double-occupancy permanent-party housing units in Building 18. The contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $32,966,436. Work will be performed in Joint Region Marianas, Guam, and is expected to be completed by October 2022. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $31,683,336 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-19-C-1310). BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Louisville, Kentucky, is awarded $14,134,492 for a firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00174-19-C-0004 for one overhauled/upgraded MK45 Mod 4 gun mount, and their associated components. The 5-inch MK 45 light weight gun mount system provides an effective weapon for anti-surface, naval surface fire support, and anti-air warfare missions, and is installed aboard DDG- 51 and CG-47 class ships. This contract is to provide all necessary material and services required to overhaul and upgrade MK 45 gun mounts to support AEGIS Modernization and Arleigh Burke new construction requirements. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky, and is expected to be complete by October 2023. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $14,134,492 will be obligated at time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Innovative Technologies International Inc., Lynchburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Katana Hardware Fabrication effort. The contract provides for concept design analysis and advanced fabrication capabilities to rapidly manufacture products meeting specific characteristics through a partnering arrangement by fulfilling research, development, test and evaluation requirements for Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, with organization-specific tasks. Work will be performed at Lynchburg, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 25, 2024. This contract is the result of a sole source award. Fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $24,897.00 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity, Eglin AFB, Florida (FA8651-19). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1887115/source/GovDelivery/

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  September 13, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

  New Swedish government advocates for greater defense spending

  By: Gerard O'Dwyer STOCKHOLM — The Swedish military can expect to see a sizable increase in its annual budget regardless of the composition of the new government that will be formed in the wake of parliamentary elections. All of the mainstream parties, including the ruling Social Democrats (SDP), the Moderates, the Center, Liberals and the Sweden Democrats' right-wing nationalist party, campaigned on delivering a stronger national defense and channeling a much higher level of spending to the Swedish Armed Forces over the next 10 years. "Sweden needs a more resilient national defense capability that is better funded and resourced," said Stefan Löfven, the SDP's leader and Sweden's prime minister. The SDP is hoping to assemble a new government in partnership with the Leftist and Green parties. These three parties secured a 40.8 percent share of the popular vote in the recently concluded September 2018 election. Löfven's main challenge is the center-right Alliance group, which includes the Moderates, the Center, Liberals and Christian Democrats. Together, the four Alliance parties won 40.3 percent of the popular vote. The Alliance is looking to form a new government that excludes both the SDP and the Sweden Democrats. The Sweden Democrats raised its share of the popular vote to 17.6 percent. All mainstream parties have ruled out forming a coalition that includes the Sweden Democrats. Defense will be very much on the minds of Sweden's new government, against a backdrop of an unpredictable Russia and a domestic military that is unable to either fund major new procurement programs or work within the tight parameters of the current budgeting framework. By: Aaron Mehta “Sweden's national defense has been neglected for decades. What has happened is shameful. The budget allocated to the armed forces must reflect needs, operational realities and the requirement to replace outdated equipment. The goal should be to raise spending on defense to 2 percent of GDP, the recommended NATO level, inside 10 years,” said Ulf Kristersson, leader of the Moderates and someone being widely tipped to become Sweden's next prime minister. The Alliance supports a more ambitious spending plan for the military that would increase the armed forces' budget by $2.3 billion in the 2019-2021 budgetary period. “The [Swedish Armed Forces] needs to be able to afford to run essential equipment-replacement programs. We need more Army brigades, more fighter aircraft, and among other things an increased cyber defense capacity,” Kristersson said. Restoring the military's budget and finances to levels that actually reflect the force's capability requirements will take time. The organization's budget has been in decline since the Cold War era of 1963, when defense spending amounted to 3.68 percent of Sweden's gross domestic product. Spending as a ratio of GDP had dropped to 1.1 percent by 2015. It currently stands at about 1.03 percent, a historic low. A force development plan endorsed by the armed forces favors an increase in annual spending on defense to between $7.36 billion and $9 billion by 2025. In the longer term, and by the year 2035, the military would like to see defense spending rise to more than $12.1 billion. At the same time, the Swedish Armed Forces would be strengthened from the current 50,000 personnel of all ranks to 120,000 by the year 2035. This proposed new look, improved capability and reinforced organization would comprise at least four brigade-level units, a light infantry special forces regiment, a fleet of 24 surface combat naval vessels and six submarines, eight fighter squadrons, and 120 Gripen combat aircraft. Stefan Löfven's SDP-led government adopted new measures in 2017 to increase annual spending on the military from about $4.7 billion to $6.6 billion by 2019. Under the spending plan supported by the Alliance, defense expenditure would grow year on year after 2019, reaching $8 billion by 2024. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/09/12/new-swedish-government-advocates-for-greater-defense-spending

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  February 16, 2018 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  Canada joins alliance seeking new maritime surveillance aircraft

  Posted on February 15, 2018 by Ken Pole Canada has joined an international program which is expected to yield a new generation of maritime surveillance aircraft that will eventually replace platforms such as the extensively-upgraded CP-140 Auroras first deployed by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in the early 1980s. The Department of National Defence confirmed in a statement that Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, in Brussels for the latest North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defence ministerial meeting, had signed a letter the previous day signalling Canada's intent to join the Maritime Multi-Mission Aircraft (M3A) forum, where the allies would “share force development resources and knowledge, in the pursuit of maritime patrol aircraft recapitalization.” Poland also confirmed plans to join France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain and Turkey on developing follow-on solutions for aging fleets of maritime anti-submarine and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft which are becoming increasingly costly to maintain. The original six began collaborating last June, hoping that a common approach could help to contain the cost of developing new aircraft. “This joint effort recognizes the fact that the majority of allies' maritime patrol aircraft fleets will be reaching the end of their operational lives between 2025 and 2035,” said NATO Deputy Secretary General Rose Gottemoeller during the signing ceremony. Gottemoeller, a United States career diplomat, said the eight countries now needed to push on to the implementation phase for the M3A. “The goal here isn't just a drawing board design,” she said. “We need a new generation of aircraft . . . fulfilling what is an increasingly important mission.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/canada-joins-alliance-seeking-new-maritime-surveillance-aircraft/