France wants to buy Airbus tankers sooner

On the same subject

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  November 4, 2021 | International, Naval, C4ISR

  Marine Corps will use AI to revamp recruiting and retention models

  The Marine Corps needs a more mature and more intellectual force. Digital HR systems and big data decision aids will help them cultivate that force.

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  January 4, 2019 | International, C4ISR

  Here’s what the battlefield tech industry predicts for 2019

  By: Mike Gruss The new year will likely bring a new secretary of defense, a renewed emphasis on changing how the Pentagon buys weapons systems and a continued focus on watching technological development by the Chinese government. C4ISRNET asked industry leaders what trends they expect to emerge in the battlefield landscape in 2019. Here's what they said: Accelerated acquisition “Right now, your toaster can tell your refrigerator that it needs to order more bread, but the world's most advanced military is still challenged to connect its huge array of systems. That's just not sustainable. Before the military can start tackling huge technological leaps like artificial intelligence, we have to change the way we develop weapon systems. I see 2019 as the point when the DoD really starts moving away from buying proprietary, stove-piped, closed hardware systems and instead looks to the commercial software world as a model for how we develop and integrate weapon systems. Focusing on commercial-style software development is how we'll be able to develop truly open, upgradeable, cyber-resilient systems quickly. And by quickly I'm saying weeks or months for a new system, not years or decades. The pace of technology is moving faster than ever before, especially in the software world. We need to accept that and move with it if we want to stay ahead.” — Todd Probert, vice president of mission support and modernization at Raytheon An increased need for a coordinated response “Today's environment is evolving to warfare coordinated across multiple domains driving our forces to be more adaptable and coordinated in our response. As this threat environment accelerates, we recognize that our customers require methods that will enable them to operate seamlessly and simultaneously across domains. We see C4ISR technologies as the foundation for managing and responding to these more complex missions on a shorter timeline. We will continue to invest in transformational technologies that will help make multidomain operations more predictive and more effective. This includes: Machine-to-machine communication across new and legacy datalinks; Fusion to enable information from several sources into one unified picture of the battlespace and reduce the data to decision timeline; Artificial intelligence to provide decision makers with the ability to react quickly to problems that demand fast-paced analysis and decision making. AI offers the technology to change the human role from “in-the-loop” controller to “on-the-loop” thinker who can focus on strategy versus the execution detail; ‘Algorithmic warfare' to support a partnership between humans and computer systems, exponentially increasing the pace of processing, exploitation, dissemination and C2 operations; and Advanced multi-level secure modeling and simulation to manage patterns of life and actionable changes. — Brent Upson, director of ISR Systems at Lockheed Martin A move to small form factor networking “In 2019 we expect the DoD to significantly increase its investment in small form factor networking, secure wireless and virtualization-enabled compute necessary to improve war-fighter mobility and situational awareness in tactical and expeditionary programs. Tactical communications programs have proven the efficacy of size weight and power (SWaP) reduction by moving to small form factor equipment, and the savings enable entirely new IT-enabled use cases at the network edge. In particular, tactical deployments of classified wireless using commercial technologies, data center services and storage, and defensive cybersecurity solutions will see sizable new adoption in 2019.” — Peggy Miller, chief executive officer at PacStar Audio for authentication “Audio will be the buzz word of 2019 for network solutions. Introducing audio as a security layer in IP video provides a new layer of overall security to physical security solutions. Audio technology allows security professionals to interact with people remotely, as well as provide an automated response to prevent situations from escalating to an incident by identifying aggressive voices, glass breaking and even gunshots. With this new audio technology and analytical capabilities, security professionals can proactively detect, interpret and respond to events and emergency situations.” — John Merlino, government business development manager at Axis Communications, Inc. Attacks on data in the cloud “In the past two years, enterprises have widely adopted the Software-as-a-Service model, such as Office 365, as well as Infrastructure- and Platform-as-a-Service cloud models, such as AWS and Azure. With this move, far more corporate data now resides in the cloud. In 2019, we expect a significant increase in attacks that follow the data to the cloud. With the increased adoption of Office 365, we have noticed a surge of attacks on the service — especially attempts to compromise email. One threat the McAfee cloud team uncovered was the botnet KnockKnock, which targeted system accounts that typically do not have multifactor authentication. We have also seen the emergence of exploits of the trust model in the Open Authorization standard. One was launched by Fancy Bear, the Russian cyber-espionage group, phishing users with a fake Google security app to gain access to user data. "Similarly, during the last couple of years we have seen many high-profile data breaches attributed to misconfigured Amazon S3 buckets. This is clearly not the fault of AWS. Based on the shared responsibility model, the customer is on the hook to properly configure IaaS/PaaS infrastructure and properly protect their enterprise data and user access. Complicating matters, many of these misconfigured buckets are owned by vendors in their supply chains, rather than by the target enterprises. With access to thousands of open buckets and credentials, bad actors are increasingly opting for these easy pickings.” — Sekhar Sarukkai, vice president of engineering, cloud at McAfee The expansion of technology to counter small drones "The ever-expanding proliferation of small UAS (sUAS) has resulted in a rapid rise in sUAS incidents, leaving security personnel starved for a holistic solution to this new and evolving threat. A hobbyist unwittingly flying near a flight line or a drone pilot with nefarious intentions present both risk and unmet challenges. Counter-sUAS (C-sUAS) technology is an essential tool for assessing airspace activity, understanding the severity of drone incursions, and informing new protocols to mitigate potential threats. With C-sUAS technology, security personnel can now observe a drone's behavior and deploy appropriate offensive or defensive countermeasures, which may include direct contact with the pilot or coordination with local law enforcement. In all cases, detection of sUAS activity is the critical foundation of any C-sUAS program. “2018 was a year of testing and evaluating. Rapid prototyping, experimental deployments, and government testing events validated that no single C-sUAS system is a one-size-fits-all solution. Moreover, C-sUAS technology must be flexible to meet the needs of each specific environment.” — Phil Pitsky, vice president of U.S. federal operations at Dedrone https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2019/01/02/heres-what-the-battlefield-tech-industry-predicts-for-2019/

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  December 17, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 14, 2018

  DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Spacelabs Healthcare Inc., Snoqualmie, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $450,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for patient monitoring systems, accessories and training. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with 36 responses received. Location of performance is Washington, with a Dec. 13, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-19-D-0008). OrthoScan, Scottsdale, Arizona, has been awarded a maximum $125,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for radiology systems, accessories and training. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with 50 responses received. Location of performance is Arizona, with a Dec. 13, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-19-D-0007). UPDATE: Moridge Manufacturing Inc., Moundridge, Kansas (SPE8EC-19-D-0031) has been added as an awardee to the multiple-award contract for commercial agricultural equipment, issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0007, announced May 18, 2017. NAVY Textron Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana, is awarded a $314,288,369 modification to previously awarded letter contract N00024-17-C-2480 for the procurement of additional long lead time material (LLTM) for the Ship to Shore Connector program, Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100 Class Craft 109 through 118, for the continuation of pre-fabrication activities for LCAC 109 through 112, and for the initial procurement of LLTM for LCAC 119 through 123. The SSC Program is the functional replacement for the existing fleet of vehicles, which are nearing the end of their service life. It is an Air Cushion Vehicle designed for a 30-year service life. The SSC mission is to land surface assault elements in support of Operational Maneuver from the Sea, at over-the-horizon distances, while operating from amphibious ships and mobile landing platforms. SSC provides increased performance to handle current and future missions, as well as improvements which will increase craft availability and reduce total ownership cost. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana (46 percent); Leesburg, Virginia (18 percent); Mandal, Norway (8 percent); Gloucester, United Kingdom (7 percent); Livonia, Michigan (7 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (4 percent); Eatontown, New Jersey (2 percent); Gold Beach, Oregon (2 percent); Riverdale, Iowa (2 percent); Huntington Beach, California (2 percent); Metairie, Louisiana (2 percent), and is expected to be complete by July 2023. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the combined amount of $235,716,277 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. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $149,435,507 cost-plus-incentive contract for the engineering, manufacturing, and development of Standard Missile-2 Block IIIC. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (85 percent); Wolverhampton, England (6 percent); East Aurora, New York (6 percent); Middletown, Ohio (2 percent); and Englewood, Colorado (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by October 2022. Fiscal 2019 and 2018 research, development, testing and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amounts of $50,090,148 and $234,663 respectively will be obligated at time of award. Funding in the amount of $234,663 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5412). Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $32,636,301 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5432 for over-the-horizon weapon systems. Work will be performed in Kongsberg, Norway (75 percent); Tucson, Arizona (15 percent); Schrobenhausen, Germany (4 percent); Raufoss, Norway (3 percent); McKinney, Texas (2 percent); and Louisville, Kentucky (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 weapon procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, testing, and evaluation (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) in the amount of $32,636,301 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 Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $32,162,533 cost-only contract for long lead material in support of fiscal 2019 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 low-rate initial production requirements. The ESSM program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test, and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (43 percent); and the governments of Canada, Australia, Germany, Norway, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Denmark under the NATO Sea Sparrow Consortium. Work will be performed in Raufoss, Norway (47 percent); Mississauga, Canada (32 percent); and Richmond, Australia (21 percent), and is expected to be complete by December 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2018 and 2019 weapons procurement (Navy); and non-expiring Other Funds funding in the amount of $21,991,327 will be obligated at time of award and funds in the amount of $216,649 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with the authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(4). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5418). Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $24,717,120 cost-only contract for long lead material in support of fiscal 2019 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 1 production and spares requirements. The ESSM program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test, and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. This contract includes foreign military sales to the kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed in Raufoss, Norway (44 percent); Mississauga, Canada (34 percent); and Richmond, Australia (22 percent), and is expected to be complete by December 2021. Foreign military sales funding in the amount of $23,846,439 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with the authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(4). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5410). Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, has been issued a fixed-price-incentive firm target modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2301) to exercise options for the construction of two fiscal 2019 littoral combat ships (LCS). The Navy has not completed the competition for fiscal 2019 LCS class ships, therefore, the specific contract award amount for these ships is considered source selection sensitive information (see 41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101 and FAR 3.104) and will not be made public at this time. Austal USA will perform and oversee all necessary design, planning, construction, and test and trials activities in support of delivery of these ships to the Navy. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama (50 percent); Pittsfield, Massachusetts (24 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (5 percent); Henderson, Washington (2 percent), Kingsford, Michigan (1 percent); Bristol, Connecticut (1 percent), Slidell, Louisiana (1 percent); and various other locations of less than 1 percent each (totaling 16 percent), and is expected to be complete by September 2025. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding 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. ARMY AC FIRST LLC., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $129,918,292 modification (0002 37) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0048 for logistics support services, maintenance, supply, and transportation services. Work will be performed in Bagram, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 21, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, California, was awarded a $59,467,470 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a reception barracks complex. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 14, 2020. Fiscal 2015 and 2016 military construction funds in the amount of $59,467,470 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-19-C-0003). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $30,358,753 modification (P00001) to contract W56HZV-18-F-0153 for procurement of Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin; and Liverpool, New York, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $30,358,753 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Gary Kubiak & Son Electric Inc.,* Robbinsville, New Jersey, was awarded a $12,898,760 firm-fixed-price contract for repair of the electrical distribution system (Buildings 194-194 and main base area) for Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Trenton, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,898,760 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-C-0004). Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $10,219,884 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) Foreign Military Sales (Qatar) contract for support services for the Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor for the Apache Attack helicopter. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2024. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,219,884 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-D-0006). CORRECTION: The Nov. 8 announcement that Deloitte & Touche LLP, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an $18,056,941 firm-fixed-price contract to provide a cyberspace analytics capability was announced early, and incorrectly stated the estimated date of completion and amount of obligated funds. The contract was actually awarded Dec. 12, 2018; the estimated date of completion is Nov. 11, 2023; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,736,000 were obligated at the time of the award. All other information in the announcement was correct. AIR FORCE Peraton Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $65,615,581 cost-type term order for Xdomain technology through research, evolution, enhancement, maintenance, and support software and report. The scope of this effort is to provide engineering, programmatic and technical expertise, to include: requirements definition/analysis, research, systems engineering, software engineering, development testing, software integration, quality control, configuration management, system integration, interoperability testing, security analysis/implementation, lab-based security assessment testing support, system installation planning, system component procurement, on-site installation/configuration, site security assessment testing support, system familiarization, and system operational support. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia; and Rome, New York, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 15, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $250,000; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $72,615 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-F-0003). Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $10,302,132 modification (P00001) to contract FA8682-19-C-0010 for Lot Two production of three Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2020. The award is the result of sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds will fund the contract. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1714535/source/GovDelivery/