France: L’agence de l’innovation de défense lance un appel à proposition concernant l’intelligence artificielle

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  July 19, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 18, 2019

  NAVY ERAPSCO, Joint Venture of Sparton and USSI, Columbia City, Indiana, is awarded a not-to-exceed $1,041,042,690 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the manufacture and delivery of a maximum quantity of 37,500 AN/SSQ-36B, 685,000 AN/SSQ-53G, 120,000 AN/SSQ-62F, and 90,000 AN/SSQ-101B production sonobuoys for fiscal years 2019-2023. Sonobuoys are air launched expendable, electro-mechanical anti-submarine warfare acoustic sensors designed to relay underwater sounds associated with ships and submarines. Work will be performed in De Leon Spring, Florida (51%); and Columbia City, Indiana (49%), and is expected to be completed in September 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-D-0032). MW Services Inc.,* Temecula, California, is awarded a maximum amount $99,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial and institutional building construction alterations, renovations and repair projects at Naval Bases Coronado, Point Loma, and San Diego; and Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of administration buildings, maintenance/repair facilities, aircraft control towers, hangars, fire stations, office buildings, laboratories, dining facilities and related structures. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, with the term of the contract not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 18 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2625). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $77,708,000 modification (P00019) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target advanced acquisition contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification provides for the procurement of software data loads as well as long lead material and parts for the delivery of F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production Lots 12, 13 and 14. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30%); El Segundo, California (25%); Warton, United Kingdom (20%); Orlando, Florida (10%); Nashua, New Hampshire (5%); Nagoya, Japan (5%); and Baltimore, Maryland (5%), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. International partner funds in the amount of $77,708,000 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. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $34,670,000 undefinitized cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to develop and deliver an engineering change proposal to enable the production cut-in of the Fuselage Station 425 Bulkhead structural modification required for F-35A and F-35C to allow full-envelope internal carriage of aft heavy weaponry. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in July 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps); and non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participant funds in the amount of $9,953,400 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). This undefinitized contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($13,787,219; 39.77%); Navy ($6,893,610; 19.88%); Marine Corps ($6,893,609; 19.88%); and non-U.S. DoD participants ($7,095,562; 20.46%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0010). Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $22,558,157 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-5102 to exercise options for AEGIS Baseline 9 integration and delivery, Aegis Baseline 5.4 and 9A2A post-certification support. This contract provides for the completion of the development and fielding of the AEGIS Baseline 9 AEGIS Weapon System and integrated AEGIS Combat System on the remaining AEGIS Technical Insertion (TI) 12 configured destroyers as well as TI 12 and TI 08 configured cruisers. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by July 2020. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Missile Defense Agency); and fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,925,765 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $2,456,011 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc., Ramona, California, is awarded $17,521,988 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-4738 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-18-D-5852) for the construction of a forklift rework facility at Naval Base Coronado. The work to be performed provides for implementation of site improvements such as vehicle parking, storage and laydown yard, landscaping, and low-impact design storm water features as well as incidental related work. The facility is required in order to relocate existing tenants away from a separate project site area to make a complete and useable airfield facility. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by December 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds for $17,521,988 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) Co., a public utility company regulated by the California Public Utilities Commission, San Diego, California, is awarded $13,509,411 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-4704 under the basic ordering agreement (BOA) N62473-18-G-5615 for energy conservation measures at Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar. The work to be performed provides for energy conservation and resiliency that includes light emitted diode retrofits, replacement of cooling towers and water source heat pumps, and installation of variable frequency drives. This project will utilize the installation's reclaimed water source to provide reliability, resource reduction, and lower costs. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. This project will utilize third party financing through the utility company in the amount of $13,509,411. The energy conservation project will be amortized for a term of 20 years with an annual rate of 3.123% and the payment will be included as a separate utility bill submitted annually based upon the amortization schedule for a grand total cost of $18,970,106.57. This task order falls under the terms and conditions of the BOA with SDG&E. The BOA allows for services without full and open competition pursuant to the statutory authorities of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5) and 10 U.S. Code 2913. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-18-G-5615). International Business Machines Corp. (IBM), Yorktown, New York, is awarded a $12,000,000 cost-type contract to provide research and development of computational models that mimic core cognitive capabilities of children to include machines with the general-purpose common sense of an 18-month old to advance scientific “reverse-engineering” accounts of a child's mind. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Work will be performed in Yorktown, New York, and work is expected to be completed July 17, 2023. Research, development, test and evaluation (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) funds in the amount of $2,042,919 will be obligated at the time of award. This contract was competitively procured via Broad Agency Announcement and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 42 proposals submitted and nine selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-C-4027). Lockheed Martin Aculight Corp., Bothell, Washington, is awarded an $8,184,205 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5392 to exercise options for technical and field engineering services and a cost-only line item for travel in support of Surface Navy Laser Weapon System Increment 1, High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with Surveillance (HELIOS) system. Work will be performed in Bothell, Washington, and is expected to be complete by July 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $249,882 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Alliance Steel Construction Inc.,* Superior, Wisconsin, is awarded a $7,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract to demolish the central heating plant, steam piping and steam pits at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune, and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), New River. The work to be performed provides the complete demolition of building 1700, which is approximately 42,000 square feet at MCB, Camp Lejeune, and the demolition of steam piping, steam pits and the central steam plant at MCAS, New River. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $7,600,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-19-C-8087). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Point Blank Enterprises, Pompano Beach, Florida, has been awarded a $63,491,328 firm-fixed-price contract for medium size enhanced small arms protective inserts. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a 15-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a May 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-C-0010). Leading Technology Composites, Wichita, Kansas, has been awarded a $41,888,000 firm-fixed-price contract for medium sized enhanced small arms protective inserts. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Kansas, with an April 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-C-0011). Gossner Foods Inc.,** Logan, Utah, has been awarded a maximum $30,319,835 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for ultra-high temperature milk. This contract was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Utah, with a July 26, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE3S1-19-D-Z210). ARMY Crowley Holdings LLC,* New Orleans, Louisiana, was awarded a $21,053,340 firm-fixed-price contract for shot rock to support the temporary repair of levees at Mill Creek and Big Tarkio in Missouri. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Craig, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 19, 2019. Fiscal 2019 civil flood control and coastal emergencies funds in the amount of $21,053,340 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-C-1082). Advanced Technology Systems Co. Inc.,* McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $17,896,404 firm-fixed-price contract for helicopter maintenance. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Fort Benning, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of June 27, 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $400,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Benning, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W911SF-19-C-0019). Buchanan & Edwards Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $9,283,593 time-and-materials contract for data frameworks initiative information technology support. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Fairfield, California, with an estimated completion date of July 17, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $1,384,778 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-F-1264). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., McLean, Virginia, was awarded an $8,665,561 modification (P00002) to contract W91RUS-14-D-0002 for non-personal information technology support services for the U.S. Army Regional Cyber Center-Europe. Work will be performed in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Germany, with an estimated completion date of July 18, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $5,837,950 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. LLC, Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $7,689,500 firm-fixed-price contract for Cape May beach fill. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Cape May, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,689,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-C-0026). InfoScitex Corp., Littleton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $7,011,545 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop and demonstrate advanced teaming of manned and unmanned aviation assets to execute tactical missions with minimal human intervention, while operating as part of a combined arms team in a complex operating environment. Bids were solicited via the internet with 46 received. Work will be performed in Littleton, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,545,576 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W911W6-19-C-0067). *Small Business **Small Woman-owned Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1909668/source/GovDelivery/

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  July 19, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Esper: F-35 Won’t Hit 80% Readiness, Cites Stealth Parts

  By COLIN CLARK WASHINGTON: Presumptive Defense Secretary Mark Esper says flatly the F-35 “is not expected” to meet the 80 percent readiness goal set for it this year because of problems with a cockpit part that improves stealth performance. “Transparency (canopy) supply shortages continue to be the main obstacle to achieving this. We are seeking additional sources to fix unserviceable canopies,” Esper said in response to written questions from the Senate Armed Services Committe (SASC). The Government Accountability Office (GAO) mentioned the canopy issue in a recent report, calling it a “special coating on the F-35 canopy that enables the aircraft to maintain its stealth.” That, the congressional watchdog said. “failed more frequently than expected” so F-35 prime contractor Lockheed Martin went looking for more manufactures to produce enough canopies to meet demands. GAO also said the F-35 program was considering a new design. This is all apiece with the general problem the F-35 program has had with obtaining new and spare parts. “A key contributor to spare parts shortages is the F-35 program's limited capacity to repair broken parts,” the GAO says in its April report. “The average time to repair an F-35 part was more than 6 months, or about 188 days for repairs completed between September and November 2018—more than twice that of the program's objective of 60-90 days.” Lockheed late last night sent comments on the transparency and its general efforts to improve F-35 readiness. UPDATE BEGINS “We are working closely with our F-35 transparency provider to build production and repair capacity and we are standing up a second source of supply. As these actions deliver results, we expect to improve supply availability and overall fleet readiness,” F-35 program spokesman Mike Friedman said, “We continue to see improvements in F-35 readiness rates and are receiving positive feedback from our customers, most recently from the Air Force who have several squadrons simultaneously deployed in the Middle East and across Europe for joint exercises and operations,” Friedman added. “Newer F-35 aircraft are averaging greater than 60 percent mission capable rates, with some operational squadrons consistently at or above 70 percent. We're taking aggressive action across the full F-35 enterprise to achieve the 80 percent mission capable rate target as soon as possible.”UPDATE ENDS As the SASC noted, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis ordered the Air Force and Navy to increase mission capable rates for the F-35, F-22, F-16, and F-18 inventories to above 80 percent by the end of September 2019. “What progress,” the committee asked in the written questions, “has the Department made in increasing mission capable rates and decreasing costs for all four platforms?” The good news for the Air Force is that F-16 rates are better because the service has been able to increase parts supplies and add maintenance shifts. The F-16 fleet is expected to meet the 80 percent goal this year, Esper wrote. Not so, the F-22. It too faces stealth maintenance issue, made worse, Esper noted, “by the extreme damage at Tyndall Air Force Base from the effects of Hurricane Michael.” The F-22 fleet rates are improving but it probably won't make 80 percent this year. Oh, and Congress: “Improving mission capable rates for both fleets required additional funding investment for this fiscal year.” The Navy's fleet of F-18 is on track to meet the goal by September 2019. The Navy created a Maintenance Operations Center (MOC) to coordinate maintenance activities and optimize resources and reformed its depot and front-line maintenance process, thus improving regular inspections. Among a host of other changes, the Navy implemented supply chain reform that made it easier to track data across multiple sources. In the meantime, to address the gap in part repair capabilities at the military depots, the prime contractor Boeing has begun incentivizing manufacturers to increase their capacity to repair spare parts by establishing performance-based repair agreements. As of October 2018, according to program documentation, Boeing had established seven such agreements, with six more planned by May 2019. I contacted Lockheed and the F-35 Joint Program Office for comment and will add it when it arrives. https://breakingdefense.com/2019/07/esper-f-35-wont-hit-80-readiness-cites-stealth-parts/

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  June 2, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Renforcer la coopération pour améliorer la crédibilité européenne en matière de sécurité

  Il existe une opportunité unique de réaliser un « saut quantique » dans la manière dont l'Europe soutient sa base industrielle et technologique de défense selon une tribune d'Alessandro Profumo, président de l'Association des industries aérospatiales et de défense (ASD), et Jan Pie, secrétaire général de l'ASD. Alors que les propositions de la Commission européenne sont encourageantes, comprenant, entre autres, un instrument de passation de marchés conjoints pour les besoins capacitaires les plus urgents, soutenu par un financement communautaire de 500 M€, et un programme européen d'investissement dans la défense. La proposition visant à renforcer le soutien de la Banque européenne d'investissement à la BITDE (Base industrielle et technologique de défense européenne) est également importante, mais les États membres de l'UE doivent prendre des mesures tant au niveau national qu'européen, pour les deux dirigeants. « Nous soulignons la nécessité pour nos dirigeants d'augmenter également les lignes budgétaires de l'UE pour la sécurité et la défense. C'est important pour renforcer la coopération européenne en matière de défense et éviter de retomber dans les solitudes nationales » déclarent-ils. Les initiatives visant à renforcer la BITDE doivent donc viser à améliorer la capacité de l'industrie à remplir ses quatre fonctions : fournir à tout moment et en toutes circonstances les équipements requis et les services connexes ; améliorer les technologies de défense clés et leurs applications ; réagir aux nouvelles tendances et percées technologiques des concurrents et des adversaires potentiels ; et enfin défier les concurrents et les adversaires potentiels. L'Union européenne peut y contribuer avec ses propres politiques, instruments et ressources et en offrant à ses membres un cadre de coopération. Ensemble, l'Union et ses États membres doivent arriver à construire une base solide pour une défense européenne efficace. Euractiv du 1er juin