December 20, 2018 | International, Aerospace
The EU is establishing its future space policy programme for the years 2021-2027. EU ambassadors meeting in Coreper on 19 December agreed on the Council's position on the draft regulation on an EU space programme. This position enables negotiations to begin with the European Parliament.
The agreed text does not cover financial and horizontal issues which are being discussed as part of the negotiations on the next multiannual financial framework (MFF) for the period 2021 to 2027.
Space plays an increasingly important role in our everyday life. Space-related inventions and services are already changing the way we live and work. The European Union is determined to keep the leading edge and the place it deserves in the global space economy.
Norbert Hofer Federal Minister for Transport, Innovation and Technology of Austria
The new regulation will ensure:
It will achieve this by :
This agreement opens the way for the Presidency to begin negotiations with the European Parliament with the aim of reaching a rapid adoption of the regulation. The European Parliament adopted its negotiating mandate on 13 December 2018.
On June 2018, the Commission presented its proposal for a Regulation for a space programme for the European Union. The proposed regulation is part of the follow-up to the Commission's Communication on a Space Strategy for Europe (SSE).
The Commission proposal suggests an overall budget for the programme of €16 billion in current prices for the period 2021-2027 with the following indicative breakdown: €9.7 billion for Galileo and EGNOS, €5.8 billion for Copernicus and €0.5 billion for SSA and GOVSATCOM.
April 24, 2023 | International, Other Defence
For the first time, the review addresses the need to harden Australia’s air bases and secure fuel supplies against attack from Australia’s north.
January 27, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
ARMY Longbow LLC, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $235,794,870 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) Foreign Military Sales (Republic of Korea (South Korea), Greece, India, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom) contract for procurement of production support services for the Fire Control Radar System for the Apache attack helicopter. One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-D-0009). Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Tucker, Georgia, was awarded a $94,213,911 firm-fixed-price contract for full food services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-20-D-0003). United Materials of Great Falls,* Great Falls, Montana, was awarded an $8,450,955 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of new parking apron and connecting taxiways. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Great Falls, Montana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $8,450,955 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Helena, Montana, is the contracting activity (W9124V-20-C-0002). MCON LLC,* Wathena, Kansas, was awarded a $7,536,190 firm-fixed-price contract for raising the Missouri River levee system and installing relief wells. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Elwood, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2022. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,536,190 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-20-C-1009). AIR FORCE Rolls Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $69,087,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the T56 Engine Component Improvement Program (CIP). The T56 Engine CIP establishes a prioritized list of projects each calendar year to include developing engineering changes to the engines, developing organizational, intermediate and depot level repairs as needed, and designing modifications to existing support equipment as well as initiating new support equipment designs as required by engine driven changes. The program also provides support to resolve service-revealed deficiencies and maintain or extend the life limits of aircraft engine. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2029. Foreign Military Sales Fair Share funds in the amount of $385,938 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8626-20-D-0003). Graf Research Corp., Blacksburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $49,500,000 single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. This contract provides for applied and advanced research for the advancement of trusted and assured microelectronics technologies; trust assessment strategies in areas related to known and potential system vulnerabilities; development and implementation of mitigation strategies and methodologies to prevent vulnerabilities; development and implementation of mitigation strategies and methodologies to prevent vulnerabilities before mitigation is required. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 15, 2028. This award is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research III request for proposal. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the total amount of $5,999,985 are being obligated at the time of award for the first task order (FA8650-20-F-1880). The Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-D-1879). EWR Radar Systems Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $20,705,290 contract for the Portable Doppler Radar (PDR) program. This contract provides for the purchase of 22 PDR systems, with an option to purchase up to an additional 14 systems. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 24, 2023. This contract is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement funds in the amount of $12,662,566 are being obligated at the time of award. The Aerospace Management Systems Division, Digital Directorate, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-20-C-0033). L3 Harris Corp., Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded an $11,457,610 firm-fixed-price contract for repair services of electronic flight indicators and radar display units for the C‐130H Hercules. The work is expected to be complete by Jan. 24, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at the time of award as this is a requirements type contract. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8538-20-D-0003). Lockheed Martin Corp., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $9,856,800 cost reimbursement contract modification (P00157) to previously awarded contract FA8810-08-C-0002 for a cross domain solution (CDS). The contract modification is for an updated CDS interface and associated hardware and software changes, as well as test, installation and checkout of the modified interface. Work will be performed at Boulder, Colorado; Aurora, Colorado; Azusa, California; and Sunnyvale, California. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,451,650,654. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY Advanced Technology Construction,* Tacoma, Washington (N44255-17-D-4004); Shape Construction Inc.,* Poulsbo, Washington (N44255-17-D-4006); Vet Industrial Inc.,* Bremerton Washington (N44255-17-D-4007); and Weldin Construction LLC,* Parker, Alaska (N44255-17-D-4008) are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price modification to increase the overall multiple award contract maximum, not-to-exceed amount for the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by $50,000,000 from $99,000,000 to $149,000,000, for design-build or design-bid-build construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest (NW) area of operation (AO). All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC NW AO that includes Washington state (92%); Alaska (2%); Idaho (1%); Montana (1%); Oregon (2%); and Wyoming (1%). Work for this contract may also be performed in the remainder of the U.S. (1%). The work to be performed provides for new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition and repair work by design-build or design-bid-build of facilities located primarily within the NAVFAC NW AO. Types of projects include, but are not limited to, administrative and industrial facilities, housing renovation, child care centers, lodges, recreation/fitness centers, retail complexes, warehouses, housing offices, community centers, commercial and institutional buildings, manufacturing and industrial buildings and other similar facilities. This procurement was set aside for historically underutilized business zone construction firms. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of December 2021. Task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with 12 proposals received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. NAVFAC NW, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity. Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $20,487,223 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price requirements contract (N00019-19-D-0024). This modification exercises the option to provide T56-A-427 engine depot repair to include repair of the power section, torque meter, gearbox and accessories in accordance with Navy depot manuals and approved repair practices. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (70%); Winnipeg, Canada (25%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in January 2021. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $16,851,140 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5218 to produce Technical Insertion-20 Shore Site Systems and provide incremental funding in support of the continued development, integration and production of the Navy's AN/SQQ89-A(V)15 Surface Ships Undersea Warfare System. This option exercise is for the procurement of shore site systems to further develop TI-20 AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 systems. AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat system with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts, and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. The contract is for development, integration and production of future Advanced Capability Build and Technical Insertion baselines of the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 USW Systems. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (85%); and the government of the Commonwealth of Australia (15%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (73%); Clearwater, Florida (24%); Syracuse, New York (2%); Marion, Massachusetts (1%); and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (35%); 2019 research, development, testing and evaluation (15%); 2020 other procurement (Navy) (15%); 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (13%); FMS Australia (15%); and 2019 other procurement (Navy) (7%) funding in the amount $16,851,140 will be obligated at the time of award, and $2,617,132 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $15,284,851 firm-fixed-price contract for a 75 calendar-day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10). Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by May 9, 2020. The maximum dollar value, including base period and six options is $15,284,851. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $14,629,243 are being obligated at the time of the award. Contract funds in the amount of $14,629,243 are obligated in fiscal 2020 and do not expire at the end of year. This contract was competitively procured with one company soliciting via the Federal Business Opportunities website and one offer received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-20-C-6172). Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, is awarded a $14,484,290 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price other transaction agreement (N66001-18-9-4703) in support of prototype project “Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Autonomy for Long-endurance System Operations” to design and implement autonomy software to support long-term, continuous autonomous operation goals of the Office of Naval Research's Future Naval Capabilities system prototype. This three-year modification includes no options. The period of performance is Jan. 24, 2020 - Jan. 23, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $626,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Work will be performed in Edinburgh, Scotland (32%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (26%); Fairfax, Virginia (18%); Woburn, Massachusetts (16%); and Concord, Massachusetts (8%). This other transaction agreement was competed under the authority of Section 815 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 016, Public Law 114-92, and permanently codified in 10 U.S. Code 2371b. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-9-4703). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY DNO Inc.,* Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $48,000,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a 36-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Michigan and Ohio, with a Jan. 21, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Department of Agriculture schools. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-S741). Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Co., Inc.,* St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $12,482,499 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for mount telescopes. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Jan. 25, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0059). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $13,006,683 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the base period of the Glide Breaker program. This contract provides for the research, development and demonstration of a technology that is critical for enabling an advanced interceptor capable of engaging maneuvering hypersonic threats in the upper atmosphere. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California (73%); Mesa, Arizona (21%); Sacramento, California (4%); and Huntsville, Alabama (2%), with an estimated completion date of January 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $13,006,683 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR0011-19-S-0008. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0025). Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded a $7,483,871 modification (P00003) for the option effort on previously awarded contract HR0011-19-C-0019. The contract is for research and development of an advanced networked sensor to detect and identify biological weapons of mass destruction threats in support of the SIGMA+ program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $9,985,170. Work will be performed in Columbus, Ohio (60%); and Cambridge, Massachusetts (40%), with an expected completion date of June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,430,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2065636/source/GovDelivery/
November 14, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR
Defence firms with cutting-edge ideas ranging from laser radars to Artificial Intelligence have been awarded over £10 million after being named winners of the MOD and Defence Growth Partnership (DGP) Innovation Challenge by Defence Minister Stuart Andrew. The winners provided innovative solutions to key strategic future demands for UK defence in autonomy and big data. The companies and their ground-breaking technologies will receive combined investment and support worth over £4 million from the MOD and £6 million from industry partners to see their full development. The winning solutions announced at the Institute of Engineering and Technology today are: Close Air Solutions with Project Hyper Real Immersion QinetiQ's Software Defined Multifunction LIDAR Horiba Mira's UGV Localisation and Perception using Deep Learning Neural Networks Polaris' Ants on Deck Defence Minister Stuart Andrew said: From shrewd navigation software, A.I. driven autonomous vehicles, laser radar to mixed reality training systems, today's winners are a clear demonstration of industry rising to meet the complex challenges of modern warfare. The MOD, working with commercial partners, will see these pioneering technologies go from the drawing board to the battlefield. Training is at the core of military capabilities and Project Hyper Real Immersion is designed to provide cutting-edge realistic air combat training. This revolutionary technology from Close Air Solutions aims to enable fully networked live training exercises with NATO and Coalition partners. This will reduce costs and increase safety for service personnel. QinetiQ's Software Defined Multifunction LIDAR (laser radar) system will provide a range of high-tech capabilities including 3D imaging, optical communication and covert targeting. Conventional 3D mapping can discover a vehicle under camouflage netting but LIDAR could also determine whether the engine is on and the type of vehicle using vibration sensors. The system could be adopted onto small satellites and unmanned and manned platforms Horiba Mira is developing a super-intelligent navigation system which uses Artificial Intelligence algorithms to identify landmarks around a military vehicle to provide a greater situational awareness. This technology will be key in developing the effective operation of unmanned autonomous vehicles in dangerous areas which will remove soldiers from dangerous situations and task them to more valuable roles. This is a crucial aim of the Last Mile logistics that UK armed forces are developing. Continuing with the autonomy theme, Polaris are developing a pioneering software system that autonomously generates the best routes for Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). AntsOnDeck increases fuel efficiency which allows extended operations, provides real-time awareness of conditions and environment and can be extended to platforms across the air, land and sea domains. Co-chair of the Defence Growth Partnership, Allan Cook CBE, said: The innovative solutions developed by our own defence companies over the course of the Innovation Challenge is amazing. Using autonomy and big data these winning companies have found unique solutions to the ongoing challenges we face in the defence sector. The winners of the DGP's Innovation Challenge Final Phase have proven that their products are fundamentally important to the growth and prosperity of their companies. This final funding for the winners will enable them to complete their development and ultimately provide essential solutions in a dynamic, international and competitive market. Their success will benefit the defence sector in the UK and help us win more business in export markets. The Defence and Security Accelerator, in tandem with the Defence Solutions Centre, established the competition in 2012 to explore and develop solutions to ensure the UK armed forces stay ahead of adversaries by finding more efficient methods of communication, logistics, protection, intelligence and training. The initial investment of £10 million for the competition has been matched pound for pound with industry partners and since then, the competition has received an additional £4 million. This is part of the wider £800 million Defence Innovation Fund. Today's event brought together leading industry and military figures from the defence equipment community. This joint approach aims to create high quality UK jobs, boost defence exports and encourage collaboration between large industry, SMEs and academia. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-awarded-to-defence-firms-leading-fight-for-modern-battlefield