For Germany’s Scholz, Taurus missiles are a bridge too far in Ukraine

On the same subject

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  August 7, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 06, 2020

  NAVY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, was awarded a $65,283,976 fixed-price-incentive and firm-fixed-price contract for fiscal 2020 Aegis modernization, new construction of guided missile destroyers and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) production requirements. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (96.9%); the Kingdom of Spain (2.3%); and the government of Japan (0.8%), under the FMS program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (70%); Clearwater, Florida (29%); and Owego, New York (1%). This procurement covers the production and delivery of multi-mission signal processor equipment sets; Aegis Combat System support equipment; and electronic equipment fluid coolers and kill assessment system 5.1 equipment. This contract action also provides MK 6 Mod 0 equipment for the government of Japan and the Kingdom of Spain FMS requirements. Work is expected to be completed by November 2024. Fiscal 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2020 defense-wide procurement; and FMS case funding in the amount of $65,283,976 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and (c)(4), this contract was not competitively procured (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 31, 2020) Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $20,630,000 not-to-exceed, cost-plus-fixed-fee, undefinitized order (N00019-20-F-0078) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0008. This order procures various materials required for the 30P05 capability upgrade to all fielded pilot and maintenance training systems in support of the F-35 Program for the Navy, Marines, Air Force, non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (95%); and Fort Worth, Texas (5%), and is expected to be completed by December 2021. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,620,000; non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $1,310,000; and FMS funds in the amount of $1,385,000 will be obligated at time of award, none 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 Korte Construction Co., St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $34,420,210 firm-fixed-price contract to design and construct a two-story 72,140 square-foot Joint Simulation Environment facility at Edwards Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed at Edwards AFB, California, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (defense-wide) funds in the amount of $34,420,210 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-20-C-0030). Iron Mountain Solutions Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $15,541,629 modification (000148) to contract W31P4Q-17-A-0001 for technical support for the Utility Helicopter Project Office. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 8, 2021. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Army); operations and maintenance (Army); research, development, test and evaluation (Army); other procurement (Army); and Foreign Military Sales (United Arab Emirates) funds in the amount of $15,541,629 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Rockwell Collins Inc., Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a $14,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification (P00007) to contract FA8102-16-D-0005 for services and supplies in support of modernization, expansion and depot-level contractor logistic support. The contractor will provide support for Scope Command's High Frequency Global Communications System in support of Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard requirements. Work will be performed in Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be completed Aug. 30, 2021. This option exercise is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The estimated cumulative contract value is $70,000,000. No funds 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. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado, has been awarded a $9,682,027 contract for the Defense Experimentation Using Commercial Space Internet (DEUCSI) Call 002 Vendor Flexibility effort. This contract seeks to establish the ability to communicate with Air Force platforms via multiple commercial space internet constellations using common user terminal hardware elements. Work will be performed in Westminster, Colorado, and is expected to be completed April 17, 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition under the DEUCSI Advanced Research Announcement Call 002. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,536,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-C-9320). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2303639/source/GovDelivery/

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  August 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Japan’s Reset Raises Questions Over Big Programs

  Toyko has put the breaks on its Aegis Ashore program, and there are reports its support for the Global Hawk buy may be soft. By PAUL MCLEARYon August 20, 2020 at 4:29 PM WASHINGTON: As Japan undergoes the deepest rethink of its defense posture since the end of the Second World War, some big-ticket acquisition programs appear to be on shaky ground as the country retools to counter a rapidly modernizing Chinese military. Tokyo put the brakes on two planned Aegis Ashore missile defense systems set to be built on the mainland, a surprise June move that came after local communities protested about the powerful radars and possibility that rocket debris could fall on local communities. That reversal on a major $2.1 billion program led to questions over what other changes the government of Shinzo Abe might consider as it retools its defense strategy and considers funneling more money into offensive strike weapons, as opposed to purely defensive systems. Earlier this week, fresh reports emerged from Tokyo that the government might also be reconsidering its purchase of three Global Hawk UAVs, which would provide long-endurance surveillance capabilities. One source with knowledge of the program said, despite the reports, the Japanese government has indicated it supports the Global Hawk program, even in the face of possible divestiture by the US Air Force of its block 30 variants, the same version Northrop Grumman is making for Japan. Despite the moves in Washington, South Korea is still in the process of buying four block 30 Global Hawks, the first of which was delivered in April. Further south, Australia purchased six MQ-4C Tritons — the maritime version of the Global Hawk — with the first three to be delivered between 2023 and 2025. With those allies remaining in the program, and the US flying the drone from Guam on a seasonal basis, the allies have started to build a powerful, long-endurance sensor layer, along with its attendant supply chain. That sort of capability would fit within plans the Indo-Pacific Command pitched to the Trump administration earlier this year to invest billions in joint infrastructure across the region. The proposal has found bipartisan support on Capitol Hill, with the Republican-controlled Senate's version of the annual defense policy bill including $1.4 billion for an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative, while the Democratic-controlled House had $3.6 billion for an Indo-Pacific Reassurance Initiative focused on shoring up allies and partners. A conference committee will have to thrash out the differences and fill in almost all the details this fall. The Japanese Ministry of Defense did not respond to questions on the issue by publication. “Unmanned systems are going to be vital — in particular underwater unmanned systems and also aerial unmanned systems — given that Japan is an archipelago,” Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi, professor at Pusan National University, said during a virtual event sponsored by the Atlantic Council on Wednesday. “Those are the domains that are most vital to Japan's security. It's really about Japan thinking about what we can afford to do, what we need to do.” https://breakingdefense.com/2020/08/japans-reset-raises-questions-over-big-programs

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  April 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

  US Army seeks tethered UAV for laser-designating

  Gareth Jennings, London - Jane's International Defence Review 26 April 2020 The US Army is looking to acquire tethered unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to laser-designate ground targets from stand-off distances. A solicitation posted on 24 April by the Department of the Army calls for information on a tethered-UAV that can be used by Air National Guard (ANG) Special Tactics Operators (STOs) to observe and engage hostile ground forces using laser-guided weapons from greater stand-off distances. "The required product will allow STOs to develop tactics, techniques, and procedures for observing and engaging hostile forces with low-collateral, long stand-off, laser-guided weapons fired or released from weapons systems that are unable to self-designate and expedite targeting for systems that can self-designate but have not yet identified a target's location," the request for information (RFI) noted. Performance standards for the tethered UAV set out in the RFI comprise the ability to reach 200 ft above ground level (AGL); 24-hour flight on a 2 kw or smaller generator; a 5 lb (2.3 kg) payload capacity; AES 256 encryption of the UAV control and video data; ability for open architecture use of the UAV's onboard computer; gimballed camera with co-witness laser designator capability of 30 mj or better, laser spot tracker, and laser rangefinder (which would reduce the 5 lb payload); the ability to generate target co-ordinates; an untethered communications link range of 8 km or better; remote handoff capability desired; an untethered flight duration of at least 45 min with 3 lb payload; autonomous delivery capability of 4 lb; multiple hot-swappable payloads and batteries (ability to change payload and batteries without powering down); the ability to operate in high winds of more than 40 mph (64 kph); the ability to operate in precipitation- industry standard IP54 or better; a temperature capability of -10°F to + 120°F (-23°C to 49°C); a hover capability and forward flight speed of 35 mph or better; target recognition artificial intelligence (AI) capable for people and vehicles; an Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) integrated plugin; and the ability to operate and navigate in GPS and radar-denied environments. https://www.janes.com/article/95779/us-army-seeks-tethered-uav-for-laser-designating