June 15, 2020 | International, Land
David Burke · CBC News · Posted: Jun 14, 2020 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: June 14
The Department of National Defence is reaching out to Canadians for innovative solutions to problems it's facing due to COVID-19.
The department is willing to pay $15 million for that assistance.
The effort is being funded through DND's Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, which pays for research by outside organizations, typically businesses and universities.
In this case, DND has three specific goals.
The military wants to be able to rapidly sanitize workplaces and vehicles containing sensitive equipment like computers. It wants to be able to quickly clean uniforms and COVID-19 protective gear so it can be reused.
It's also looking for ways to gather data to support the early detection and monitoring of contagious disease outbreaks.
"We're reaching out to Canadian innovators because we know that there is some creativity out there, we know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster," said Eric Fournier, director general of innovation for DND.
He said DND is working with the Centre for Security Science Program, the National Research Council of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada to hunt for solutions that will benefit the whole country.
If a solution to any of the problems is found, it will be passed along to federal, provincial and municipal agencies.
"Although the program doing this is a national defence program," said Fournier, "we are doing this for public safety across Canada. So it's for the first responders, it's also for national defence, it's for everybody and those solutions will be made available to all those government entities."
Rapid, thorough cleaning is DND's goal.
Fournier said it can take a lot of time to sanitize by hand. During a crisis, that time can be in short supply, he said.
He said if a military aircraft is used to transport a COVID-19 patient, the entire vehicle, along with the uniforms and the personal protective equipment worn by the crew, would have to be cleaned.
"We want to make sure that the people are ready to respond, again and again and again and again," said Fournier. "In a pandemic like this, we see that people have to work constantly."
While dropping uniforms and flight suits into the washing machine might be an option, the military wants something faster.
"So we want to make sure you can do it quickly," Fournier said. "In some cases just putting it in the laundry might work, but we might not have the time to do it that way. We might need something to clean it up faster for reuse in a few hours, for example."
It's the same thing with cleaning vehicles by hand. It works, but getting it done fast is hard to do.
Finding a way to sanitize aircraft, ambulances, offices and other spaces without damaging computers or other electronics is essential, Fournier said.
He said it's also important to find ways to collect data on how the virus is moving through the population and to locate hot spots.
DND will choose several winners in each of the three categories.
The winners will be given up to $200,000 and up to six months to deliver on their solution. If the solution works, DND could provide them with more funding for fine-tuning or to adapt it for more widespread use.
Anyone looking to apply for the program can go to the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security website.
There have only been a handful of applications, but Fournier said that number usually jumps up in the final days before the deadline. Applications for the program are due June 23.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/military-dnd-covid-19-research-solutions-1.5607535
February 8, 2024 | International, Land
The aim of the multi-phased program is to replace the Army’s family of heavy tactical trucks, with production of up to 40,000 trucks valued at up to $14 billion.
February 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
NAVY The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $93,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract incorporates the next three planned configurations of the operator flight program/system configuration set into the Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 F and EA-18G aircraft training systems. Additionally, this contract procures spares, support equipment, technical manual updates and on-site training. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (85%) and Amberley, Australia (15%) and is expected to be completed in February 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)(4). Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61340-20-D-0003). Arwi JV LLC,* National City, California, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $10,000,000 for roofing repair and maintenance at Naval Base Point Loma, California. Initial task order is awarded at $350,180 for re-roofing at Buildings 260 and 262. Included is the requirement to repair and maintain roof components that are incidental to the main roof structure, such as scupper drains, downspouts, gutters, as well as roof-mounted hardware that may require to be removed and reinstalled by reason of the primary roof repair requirements. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by June 2020. All work on this contract will be performed in San Diego, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (OMN) contract funds in the amount of $350,180 are obligated on this task order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by OMN. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-20-D-0041). Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $7,992,944 cost plus fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-5405) for design agent engineering and technical support services for the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, SeaRAM, and Land-based Phalanx Weapon System. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) is a fast-reaction terminal defense against low and high-flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other defenses. CIWS is an integral element of the Fleet Defense In-Depth concept and the Ship Self-Defense Program. Operating either autonomously or integrated with a combat system, it is an automatic terminal defense weapon system designed to detect, track, engage and destroy anti-ship missile threats penetrating outer defense envelopes. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 weapon procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,992,944 will be obligated at 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), this contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY Griffon Aerospace Inc.,* Madison, Alabama, was awarded a $49,957,259 order-dependent contract to procure MQM-170 "Outlaw" Remotely Piloted Vehicle Targets, MQM-171 "Broadsword" Unmanned Aerial Systems - Targets, depot level repair and maintenance, storage of government furnished equipment, base operations services, field operations services, qualification training execution, and inventory and transfer support for targets management office and other Department of Defense customers. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 23, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-D-0006). L-J Inc.,* Cayce, South Carolina, was awarded a $13,456,000 firm-fixed-price contract for furnishing plant, equipment, labor, transportation, fuel, lubricant, supplies and materials, and performing all operations in connection with raising dikes and berms, installation of geotextile, and installation of new spillway systems in Clouter Creek, Berkeley County, South Carolina. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 18, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (W912HP-20-C-0001). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2092565/source/GovDelivery/
February 3, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Mark Pomerleau The Pentagon has finalized the long anticipated cybersecurity standards contractors will have to follow before winning contracts from the Department of Defense, a new process called the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 1.0. The model is a tiered cybersecurity framework that grades companies on a scale of one to five based on the level of classification and security that necessary for the work they are performing. “The government and the contractor community must keep working together to address real and growing cybersecurity threats, and we need a robust response to protect our infrastructure, information, and supply chains,” said David Berteau, president and chief executive of the Professional Services Council, a trade association for federal contractors. “With today's announcement, DoD has achieved a significant milestone. Here's what industry officials need to know about the version finalized Jan. 31. Why it was needed Previously, the Pentagon did not have unified standard for cybersecurity that businesses needed to follow when bidding for contracts. Companies could claim to meet certain industry standards for cybersecurity, but those assertions were not tested by auditors, nor did the standards take into account the type of work a company was bidding to complete. Since then, defense officials have said that cybersecurity is not a one size fits all approach. In the meantime, adversaries have discovered it is easier to target unsuspecting down tier suppliers, rather than prime contractors. “Adversaries know that in today's great power competition environment, information and technology are both key cornerstones and attacking a sub-tier supplier is far more appealing than a prime,” Ellen Lord, the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, told reporters in a briefing at the Pentagon Jan. 31. Officials have said cyber theft by adversaries costs the United States about $600 billion a year. What will change? Contracts will mandate bidders reach a certain level of certification to win specific jobs. For example, if businesses aren't bidding on a contract that has extremely sensitive information, they must only achieve the first level of certification, which involves basic cybersecurity such as changing passwords and running antivirus software. More sensitive programs will require more stringent controls. Smaller companies down the supply chain will not, however, have to have the same level of certification as primes, said Katie Arrington, chief information security officer for the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and the point person for the certification. Another significant change with the new process is the creation of an accreditation board and assessors. The board is an outside entity, separate from DoD, that will be charged with approving assessors to certify companies in the process. The accreditation body was formed earlier this month and officials are working on identifying and training the assessors, which will be called Certified Third-Party Assessment Organizations (C3PAO). What's next? Officials explained Jan. 31 that CMMC will follow a crawl, walk, run approach to ensure companies aren't unprepared for the change. The accreditation board is in the process of training the auditors that will oversee the certificaion. Once the requirements are met, a company's certification is good for 3 years. In the meantime, DoD plans to release 10 requests for information and 10 requests for proposals that will include the new cyber standards this year. The first solicitation could come as early as June. Arrington said earlier this week that she expects 1,500 companies to be certified by the end of 2021. She added that all new contracts starting in fiscal year 2026 will contain the cybersecurity requirements, however, Lord noted that they will not be not retroactive to previous contracts. https://www.fifthdomain.com/dod/2020/01/31/pentagon-finalizes-first-set-of-cyber-standards-for-contractors/