February 4, 2019 | International, Aerospace

General Electric wins $517 million contract to build engines for Army’s next generation helicopters

WASHINGTON — General Electric Aviation beat the Advanced Turbine Engine Company — a Honeywell and Pratt & Whitney team — to win the $517 million award for the engineering, manufacturing and development phase of the Improved Turbine Engine Program, or ITEP.

“We are honored to be chosen by the Army to continue powering their Black Hawks and Apaches for decades to come,” said Tony Mathis, president and CEO of GE Aviation's military business. “We've invested the resources and infrastructure to execute immediately, and our team is ready to get to work on delivering the improved capabilities of the T901 to the warfighter.”

The fierce competition started more than a decade ago, and its outcome will influence Army rotorcraft for decades to come. GE's T901 engine is now set to replace the T700 used by the Army's legacy utility and attack helicopters, but could also potentially outfit the Army's next generation reconnaissance helicopter in the Future Vertical Lift family of systems.

“The requirements documents for the [Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft] specifiesTHE ITEP engine. It has got the FVL stamp of approval,” Jim Thomson, Jr., acting deputy director for the Army's future vertical lift cross functional team, told Defense News in a recent interview.

ITEP answers a number of problems that emerged as the Army operated Apaches and Black Hawks during combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. The AH-64 and UH-60 became heavier as the service added armor and other upgrades during wartime, and they flew in hotter conditions and higher altitudes than would normally be optimal.

“The helicopters were originally designed to work at 4,000 feet on a 95-degree day, and they were flying them much higher than that,” Mike Sousa, GE's business development leader for advanced turboshaft engines, told Defense News in December 2018. “When you do that, you just don't have as much power from the engine.”

The Army's requirements for ITEP were clear throughout the process: Design a 3,000 shaft horsepower engine that reduces fuel consumption by 25 percent and increases its service life by 20 percent compared to the T700, a 2,000 shaft horsepower engine.

Both companies were awarded risk reduction contracts in August 2016, with ATEC getting $154 million and GE Aviation getting $102 million to further refine their designs. Both companies had already spent years conceptualizing new engines and developing novel tech.

GE, the incumbent manufacturer of the T700, offered a single spool engine. Sousa said that configuration would help the company meet weight requirements while removing cost and complexity from the design.

“Our fundamental approach there was how do we keep this engine as affordable as possible and as low weight as possible,” he told Defense News in 2018.

“Helicopters are unique in that they fly into very dirty environments, very austere environments, unprepared landing strips, unprepared surfaces,” added Ron Hutter, GE's executive director of the T901 program. “They generate a lot of dust. You really want to look at the simplicity of the architecture in terms of maintainability. That's another aspect that drove us to stick with the single-spool configuration.”

GE estimates that it's spent $9 billion in testing technologies relevant to the T901.

ATEC had proposed a double spool engine it dubbed the T900.

“We were disappointed to learn that the U.S. Army did not select our offering,” said Craig Madden, president of ATEC. “We believe that we offered the most advanced, capable and lowest risk engine for ITEP for the Army to improve the overall performance of its Apache and Black Hawk fleets.”

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/02/02/general-electric-wins-517-million-contract-to-build-engines-for-armys-next-generation-helicopters

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August 14, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 13, 2019
AIR FORCE DTH Corp., Newport News, Virginia (FA4830-19-D-A002); S&W Sales and Service LLC, Fort Valley, Georgia (FA4830-19-D-A003); Artesian Contracting Company Inc., Albany, Georgia (FA4830-19-D-A004); Pyramid Contracting LLC, Irmo, South Carolina (FA4830-19-D-A005); A.C. Blount Concrete Service Inc., Moultrie, Georgia (FA4830-19-D-A006); Veterans South Contracting LLC, Tuskegee, Alabama (FA4830-19-D-A007); Nisou LGC JV LLC, Detroit, Michigan (FA4830-19-D-A008); Precision 2000 Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (FA4830-19-D-A009); and Standard Contractors, Valdosta, Georgia (FA4830-19-D-A010), have been awarded a not-to-exceed $225,000,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-discipline construction task orders. Work will be performed at Moody Air Force Base, Georgia; and Avon Park Range, Sebring, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 12, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 40 offers were received. 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G2i LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A009); ORCOM, a division of Ortega Companies Inc., Los Lunas, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A015); Jack Wayte Construction, Alamogordo, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A013); LC Structural, Las Cruces, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A012); QA Engineering, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A010); Weil Construction, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A011); and Sky Blue Builders, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA9401-19-D-A014), have been awarded a $95,000,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract. This contract will design portions for a broad range of maintenance, repair, design, minor and/or new construction. The work includes facility upgrades, utility work, airfield pavements, roads, roofs and other assorted repair and maintenance projects. The tasks include trades such as carpentry, asbestos abatement/removal, demolition, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, concrete, masonry, welding and paving. 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Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $31,477,060 and are being obligated at the time of award. The 338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY G2 Global Solutions LLC,* Gainesville, Virginia, has been awarded a base year plus four option year time and materials contract (HHM402-19-F-0139) with a ceiling of $84,683,469 to provide analytical services for the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Directorate of Operations. Through this award, DIA will procure services of senior and mid-level analysts to who will provide strategic-level analytical support through focused all-source analysis to advance national and Department of Defense (DoD) strategic goals and objectives for protecting DoD personnel, operations and missions. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region with an expected completion date of Feb. 6, 2025. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,780,767 are being obligated at time of award. This contract has been awarded through a 100% 8(a) set-aside competition and four offers were received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY World Fuel Services Inc., has been awarded a minimum $20,284,125 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 148 responses received. This is a 43-month contract with a six-month option period. Location of performance is Arizona, with a March 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE607-19-D-0119). ARMY Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $7,124,218 modification (0001 77) to contract W52P1J-14-G-0023 for logistics watercraft and logistics support services in support of Army Prepositions Stock-4. Work will be performed in Yokohama, Japan, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $1,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *8(a) Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1933591/source/GovDelivery/
March 7, 2022 | International, Land

Les armées doivent se préparer à la haute intensité
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October 18, 2018 | International, Aerospace

Boeing Launches New Organization to Unleash the Power of Advanced Computing and Networks in Aerospace
New Disruptive Computing & Networks organization will operate as part of Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology Charles Toups to lead new organization Naveed Hussain to become new leader of Boeing Research & Technology CHICAGO, Oct. 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today announced a new Disruptive Computing and Networks (DC&N) organization to develop computing and communications solutions for advanced commercial and government aerospace applications. By leveraging core technologies in quantum communications and computing, neuromorphic processing and advanced sensing, the new organization will enable Boeing to develop breakthrough solutions in secure communications, artificial intelligence and complex system optimization. In addition to building internal capabilities, DC&N will also work closely with Boeing HorizonX, the company's innovation cell, to identify external partners for collaboration to accelerate growth. "Advanced computing and communications technologies are increasingly at the core of all aerospace innovation," said Greg Hyslop, Boeing's chief technology officer and senior vice president of Engineering, Test & Technology. "We're excited to stand up the Disruptive Computing and Networks organization because it will help us develop new businesses and partnerships in this rapidly-expanding field, delivering more value to our customers and helping further define our second century of aerospace leadership" DC&N will be based in Southern California and operate as a part of Boeing Engineering, Test & Technology. Charles Toups, formerly the vice president and general manager of Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T), will lead the organization as vice president and general manager. Prior to leading BR&T, Toups served in a number of senior engineering management and business positions at Boeing, including vice president and general manager of the Network and Tactical Systems division at Boeing Defense, Space & Security, vice president of engineering for Boeing Defense, Space & Security, and vice president of Boeing Satellite Systems, where he led multiple commercial and government communication satellite businesses. Toups earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of California at Irvine, master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and master's degree in business management from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Naveed Hussain will serve as the new leader of BR&T, the company's advanced central research and development organization. BR&T is comprised of nearly 4,000 engineers, scientists, technicians and technologists who create and collaborate with research and development partners around the world to provide innovative systems and solutions to the aerospace industry's toughest challenges. Hussain will have oversight of five facilities in the U.S. and six international research centers. Hussain is currently vice president of Aeromechanics Technology and leads the BR&T facility in Southern California. He has held a number of key leadership roles at Boeing since joining the company as a Howard Hughes Doctoral Fellow nearly 30 years ago. His accomplishments include leading Platform & Networked Systems Technology for BR&T, launching the BR&T-India research center in Bangalore and directing BDS Flight Engineering. Hussain earned his undergraduate degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, as well as a master's degree and PhD in mechanical engineering from Stanford University. He also completed his MBA at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Contact: Sandy Angers Boeing Communications Mobile: +1-206-851-7974 SOURCE Boeing http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2018-10-17-Boeing-Launches-New-Organization-to-Unleash-the-Power-of-Advanced-Computing-and-Networks-in-Aerospace

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