General Atomics, UAE advance talks over MQ-9B drones

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  February 17, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 16, 2021

  AIR FORCE LinQuest Corp., Los Angeles, California, has been awarded a $200,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity for advisory and assistance services in support of Space Operations Command. Work will be performed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, and is expected to be completed Feb. 28, 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2021 Space Force operation and maintenance funds in the amount $12,730,301 are being obligated at the time of award. Space Operations Command/Space Acquisition Management – Directorate, Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA2518-21-D-0001). U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Reservoir International LLC, Fayetteville, North Carolina, was awarded a $200,000,000 maximum indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (H92239-21-D-0001) for Army Special Operations Forces training support services in support of the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and 1st Special Warfare Training Group. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,449,752 are being obligated at the time of award. The work will be performed in the vicinity of Camp MacKall, North Carolina, until January 2026. The contract was awarded competitively among service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses with nine proposals received. U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Valor Network Inc., Metuchen, New Jersey (HT0015-21-D-0001), was awarded a $73,532,325 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide professional diagnostic radiology interpretive services to the Military Health System (MHS). The base year amount of the contract is $13,369,448. The contract has four 12-month option periods. This enterprise contract is to support the continued implementation of the MHS organizational reform required by 10 U.S. Code § 1073c, and sections 711 and 712 of the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2019, effective Oct. 25, 2019, which eliminated separate silos of military healthcare and officially integrated healthcare under the authority, direction, and control of the Defense Health Agency, consistent with the direction provided by the secretary of defense. This contract was a competitive acquisition with eight proposals received. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $13,369,448 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Support Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb. 12, 2021) ARMY General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $20,652,845 modification (P00127) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0067 for Abrams systems technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of June 22, 2022. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (Kuwait) funds; fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds; and fiscal 2019, 2020 and 2021 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $20,652,845 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Dulles, Virginia, was awarded an $8,220,193 modification (P00042) to contract W52P1J-16-C-0046 for multinational information sharing services. Work will be performed in Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $1,895,193 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Carbro Constructors Corp.,* Hillsborough, New Jersey, was awarded a $7,773,175 modification (P00004) to contract W912DS-19-C-0035 for construction of flood-control measures for Green Brook Segment C1. Work will be performed in Middlesex, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 13, 2021. Fiscal 2010 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,773,175 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2504777/source/GovDelivery/

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  August 13, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Could Textron Become Purer A&D Company, Or Be Sold?

  By Michael Bruno As a multi-industrial manufacturer, Textron sells many transportation vehicles, from military helicopters to UAVs and even snowmobiles and recreational four-wheelers. But a new corporate review may indicate the conglomerate could be looking to become an aerospace and defense (A&D)-focused company similar to other large rivals, according to analysts. Earlier this month, Textron announced it is reviewing strategic alternatives such as a sale or spin-off of its German Kautex business unit, which produces fuel systems and other functional components. Kautex operates more than 30 plants in 14 countries and generated more than $2.3 billion in revenue in 2018. “Kautex strategic review suggests Textron wants to become an A&D ‘pure-play,'” Cowen analysts Cai von Rumohr and his team said Aug. 9. “The thesis is that ‘new Textron' could command a higher [valuation] multiple closer to A&D pure-plays; and it would have optionality for merger and acquisition (M&A) or stock repurchasing to leverage its new product-driven growth.” The Cowen analysts said they think that if Kautex is disposed of, so could golf cart maker Textron Specialized Vehicles or other units in Textron's Industrial division. In turn, the company could use proceeds and money saved to bolt on smaller A&D businesses, or it could continue active share repurchases to lever benefits of expected growth from new products such as Longitude, Sky Courier, Denali and V-280. “A third possibility is that free of Industrial, Textron could be of interest to larger primes, who would bring more lobbying clout to V-280,” the analysts said. Buying candidates could be Boeing or General Dynamics, they added. Separately, a well-known adviser to the A&D industry recently told Aerospace DAILY that Textron would make a good acquisition target for other A&D players. “Over the years I've had my clients take a hard look at that one,” the consultant said. This person listed Boeing and Lockheed for possible top-level consolidation, although getting Pentagon and Trump administration approval could be more of a challenge than for other recent M&A deals. To be sure, Textron is already an aerospace-focused multi-industrial. According to Cowen, it is the leader in Class 1-5 business jets (which make up 24% of annual total revenue), with positions in helicopters via Bell (26%), defense systems (12%), and then industrial products (25%). Defense as an end-market accounts for 29%. But conglomerates are increasingly breaking up and those with A&D elements continue to focus on those businesses. United Technologies is working to spin off its elevators and air conditioning businesses while adding Raytheon. General Electric is divesting major units but favoring aviation. Honeywell International in recent years has spun off units to focus more on A&D and related businesses. One reason for the portfolio shaping is because of pressure from major investors who want companies to be more focused, in part so they can balance their own investment portfolios rather than relying on a company to try to play in various industries. Goldman Sachs is advising Textron on its review. Textron reiterated that no decision has been made and there are no assurances that the process will result in any transaction being announced or completed. The company has not set a definitive timetable for completion of its review of strategic alternatives and does not intend to make any further announcements related to its review unless and until its board of directors has approved a specific transaction or Textron otherwise determines that further disclosure is appropriate. https://aviationweek.com/business-aviation/could-textron-become-purer-ad-company-or-be-sold

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  December 9, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Aérospatial : l'Onera, une pépite oubliée ?

  L'organisme de recherche sur lequel repose en grande partie la dissuasion nucléaire, la surveillance spatiale ou le renseignement des armées, se débat avec un budget contraint et des injonctions contradictoires. Par Anne Bauer Publié le 9 déc. 2019 à 8h00 L'Office national d'études et de recherches aéronautiques (Onera) est-il négligé ? Après une audition de son président, Bruno Sainjon, le Sénat a appelé le ministère des Armées à doter les finances de ce spécialiste de la recherche aéronautique de moyens à la hauteur des ambitions. Les « appels répétés pour doter enfin l'Onera de moyens au niveau de son excellence scientifique et technologique n'ont toujours pas été entendus par le gouvernement », s'indigne la Commission des affaires étrangères et de la défense. La querelle n'est pas nouvelle mais elle prend un mauvais tour. Dans le monde aéronautique, spatial et de défense, l'Onera (1910 salariés dont 291 doctorants) est jugé comme un outil stratégique. Les pales du nouvel hélicoptère léger des armées (le Guépard d'Airbus) sont issues de sa recherche. La France lui doit aussi son système de surveillance de l'espace (Graves). Quant à la dissuasion nucléaire, elle ne serait pas crédible sans les recherches menées par l'Onera sur les statoréacteurs et désormais les superstatoréacteurs (vitesse supérieure à Mach 6). Dans le renseignement enfin, les armées exploitent les techniques radars de l'Onera pour voir par tous les temps et au-delà de la ligne d'horizon. Budget bloqué Pourtant malgré ce palmarès, la subvention (106 millions d'euros prévus en 2020) versée à l'établissement par le Ministère des Armées, n'a quasiment pas varié depuis 2015. En outre, l'établissement, qui a fêté ses 70 ans, voit ses effectifs et ses salaires plafonner à un niveau inférieur à 2015, ce qui le met en danger pour garder ses chercheurs de haut niveau. Alors que l'enveloppe budgétaire consacrée à la recherche est en nette hausse dans le projet de budget 2020, la mise à l'écart de l'Onera est surprenante. Sa recherche étant duale : militaire et civile, l'Office est mal défendu au sein de la Défense, qui souhaiterait que les industriels (Safran, Thales, Airbus, etc.) mettent davantage au pot. En 2019, l'Onera a décroché 120 millions d'euros de contrats en sus de sa subvention, portant ainsi son budget à 235 millions d'euros. Revoir le contrat d'objectifs « L'Onera est une pépite technologique de niveau mondial mais cela ne pourra durer si nous continuons à le sous-doter alors que nos partenaires et concurrents accélèrent leur effort », avertit Christian Cambon, président de la Commission Affaires étrangères et défense au Sénat. De fait, la multiplication des projets prévus par le ministère des Armées plaide pour une renégociation du contrat d'objectifs de l'Onera, qui remonte à 2016. Avant que le gouvernement ne décide de renforcer sa lutte anti drone , ne crée un commandement militaire de l'espace ou ne décide de réaliser en coopération avec l'Allemagne le système de combat aérien du futur (programme Scaf). C'était aussi avant que l'Agence spatiale européenne ne décide d'aider la réalisation de petits lanceurs, alors que l'Onera a fait voler cet été un démonstrateur de système de lancement aéroporté de petits satellites, le système Ataïr. Le projet est gelé alors qu'il est essentiel pour l'avenir. Enfin, l'Onera attend avec impatience de savoir quel rôle jouer pour le Scaf, sachant que son homologue, le DLR, a déjà contractualisé avec l'armée allemande ses recherches sur le sujet. https://www.lesechos.fr/industrie-services/air-defense/aerospatial-lonera-une-pepite-oubliee-1154727