GitHub Patches Critical Security Flaw in Enterprise Server Granting Admin Privileges

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  August 12, 2019 | International, Land

  Texas university to build $130M complex to test Army’s combat tech

  By: Kelsey Reichmann WASHINGTON — A Texas university will be home to a $130 million combat development complex used by Army Futures Command. Texas A&M University System's RELLIS campus in Bryan will be the new home to accelerator space, laboratories and offices for the four-star command. The announcement was made in a news release Thursday after the board of regents authorized the contract. The building will cost Texas A&M System $50 million, according to the release. It will also invest $30 million in infrastructure improvements for the new facility. The remaining $50 million was appropriated by the Texas legislature and will go toward an outdoor testing area at RELLIS. The complex will include a kilometer-long tunnel that will make Texas A&M Engineering “the hypersonics research capital of the country,” said M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of engineering. The campus held a robotic combat vehicle prototyping competition in May involving six industry teams with a total of eight vehicles. The event came in anticipation of Army whitepapers and request for prototype proposals for ground vehicle robots. Gen. John “Mike” Murray, the head of Army Futures Command, said in the release that the command would develop, test and evaluate technology from industry and universities around the country at the facility. “We are humbled and grateful to the people of Texas, Texas elected leaders, and the Texas A&M University System for the opportunity to further develop our strategic partnership through the establishment of the combat development complex on the RELLIS Campus,” he said. “This effort will certainly prove vital as we work together to discover, develop, and test ideas and concepts that will help our Soldiers, and our future Soldiers, to protect America's tomorrows — beginning today.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/the-americas/2019/08/09/texas-university-to-build-130m-complex-to-test-armys-combat-tech/

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  February 15, 2021 | International, Naval

  It will be at least a decade before Canada sees any of its new frigates

  New frigates are being packed with more combat capability than comparable ships of allies Murray Brewster It will be 2031, at the earliest, before the navy sees the first of its new frigates; a setback brought about partly by the fact Canada, Britain and Australia are still feeling their way around how to build the ultra-modern warship. The outgoing president of Irving Shipbuilding Inc., which is in charge of constructing combat ships for the federal government, said he anticipates steel will be cut on the first of the new generation high-end warships by mid-2024. "We have been trying to take an honest look at where we are and what it will take to build the ship," said Kevin McCoy who recently announced his retirement from the East Coast shipbuilder. The current estimate is that it will take up to seven-and-a-half years to build the surface combatant, a timeline being used by Britain's BAE Systems Inc., which is constructing the first of what's known as the Type 26 design. Both Canada and Australia are building their own variants. "Early on [in the shipbuilding process] estimates are not very good," said McCoy. "Early estimates are not very good for price; they're not very good for size; they're not not very good for duration," McCoy said. "The British ship has a seven-and-a-half year build cycle. So, we're locked in. We said our build cycle will be seven-and-a-half years as well." If they can find ways to speed up the process, they will, he said. ANALYSIS Battle of the budget: DND gears up to defend cost of new warships in the new year Serving military member sues DND over mould exposure on warship Ottawa awards $2.4B contract to finish building navy's supply ships If that timeline holds, it means the federal government's marquee shipbuilding strategy will be two decades old by the time it produces the warship it was principally set up to create. While Irving has been pumping out smaller, less complicated arctic patrol ships and Seaspan, in Vancouver, is building coast guard and science vessels, the strategy conceived by the former Conservative government was driven by the necessity of replacing the navy's current fleet of Halifax-class frigates. Originally, when the shipbuilding strategy was unveiled, it envisioned Canada receiving the first new frigate in 2017. A lot of water, wishful thinking and even money has gone under the bridge since then. Building off existing design The current Liberal government, since taking over in 2015 and embracing the strategy, has been opaque in its public estimates of the build time; suggesting, in some documents, a delivery time in mid-2020s while other more internal records have pegged the first new frigate in the 2027 timeframe. The Department of National Defence, in a statement, acknowledged some of the design and build intricacies are now better understood, and because of that; the first warship will be "approximately 2-3 years later than the previous estimate." A spokeswoman echoed McCoy's remarks about finding ways to move construction along. "We continue to look for efficiencies and are actively working with industry to accelerate the project in order to deliver this important platform to the RCN as soon as possible," said National Defence spokesperson Jessica Lamirande. One of the ways they could do that, she said, would be to construct some, less complex modules of the warship early, the way it has been in the navy's Joint Support Ship project at Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyard. $1 billion and counting: Inside Canada's troubled efforts to build new warships Industry briefing questions Ottawa's choice of guns, defence systems for new frigates McCoy, a blunt-talking former U.S. Navy admiral, suggested the expectations going to the surface combatant program were ultimately unworkable because the federal government came in expecting to do a so-called "clean sheet" design; meaning a warship built completely from scratch. It was the shipyard, he said, which ultimately inched the federal government toward building off an existing design because of the enormous risk and expense of purpose-built ships, a position the Liberals adopted in the spring of 2016. The selection of the British Type 26 design by the Liberal government has spawned criticism, a court challenge and will figure prominently in upcoming reports by the auditor general and the Parliamentary Budget Officer. Combat capability packed into ship The nub of the complaints have been that the frigate is not yet in the water and is still under construction in the United Kingdom. The defence department acknowledged that adapting the British design to Canadian expectations and desires will take a year longer than originally anticipated and is now not scheduled to be completed until late 2023, early 2024. Canada, McCoy said, can expect to pay no more $2.5 billion to $3 billion, per ship as they are produced, which is, he claimed, about what other nations would pay for a warship of similar capability. "This is a big ship, lots of capability" he said, indicating that full displacement for the new frigate will likely be about 9,400 tonnes; almost double the 4,700 tonnes of the current Halifax-class. How much will Canada's new frigates really cost? The navy is about to find out PBO pushes up cost estimate for Canada's frigate build by $8 billion McCoy said what is not generally understood amid the public concern over scheduling and cost is the fact that the Canadian version of the Type 26 will be expected to do more than its British and Australian cousins. Where those navies have different warships, performing different functions, such as air defence or anti-submarine warfare, Canada's one class of frigates will be expected to perform both because that is what the government has called for in its requirements. Dave Perry, a defence analyst and vice president of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, has studied the program and said he was surprised at the amount of combat capability that was being packed into the new warship. "On the one hand, Canada's one [class] of ship will have more combat capability than many of the other classes of ship that our friends and allies sail with, but it also adds an additional level of complexity and challenge getting all of that gear, all of that firepower into one single floating hull and platform," he said. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-shipbuilding-decade-frigates-1.5912961

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  March 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 16, 2020

  NAVY United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $319,792,357 modification (P00018) to a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract (N00019-18-C-1021). This modification exercises an option for the production and delivery of 20 F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the Navy, six F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the Air Force, and six F135-PW-100 propulsion systems for the government of Japan. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (67%); Indianapolis, Indiana (26.5%); and Bristol, United Kingdom (6.5%), and is expected to be complete by December 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $193,331,533; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $73,835,550; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $52,625,274 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $46,100,000 for the second increment of the firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction replacement of Pier 8, Naval Base San Diego, California. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by October 2021. The work to be performed will provide for the design and construction of a new single-deck pile, and a supported and reinforced concrete pier to replace the existing Pier 8. Utilities include potable water, sanitary sewer, compressed air, oily waste and compensating ballast water collection systems. Electrical utilities include underground distribution lines from shore side to pier including switching station, primary and secondary distribution systems, telephone, fire alarm systems, coaxial and fiber optic communications, supervisory control and data acquisitions systems for energy monitoring and control. The pier includes primary and secondary fenders, and new load out ramp cradles on the quay wall on each side. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $46,100,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-C-1208). Patriot Contract Services LLC, Concord, California, is awarded a $33,411,234 modification for the fixed price portion of a previously awarded contract (N00033-14-C-3210) to fund the operation and maintenance of eight government-owned, contractor operated Watson-class large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off ships. Work will be performed at sea worldwide beginning April 2020 and is expected to be complete by September 2020. This modification awards a bridge that includes a six-month base period, and one six-month option period. The ships will continue to support Military Sealift Command's worldwide prepositioning requirements. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $33,411,234 are obligated for fiscal 2020, covering the six-month base period's daily operating hire and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This bridge was not competitively procured and was prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code § 2304(c)(1). The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00033-14-C-3210). Naval Systems Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $28,181,538 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides program management, lifecycle logistics, business process improvement, functional assessment, data and gap analysis, engineering requirements as well as management and requirements analysis in support of the Aviation Logistics Environment. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (70%); Patuxent River, Maryland (28%); and San Diego, California (2%), and is expected to be complete by March 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 a small business set-aside, competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal. Three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0019). Raytheon Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded $18,189,730 for a ceiling-priced delivery order (N00383-20-F-N700) under previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00383-18-G-N701 for the repair of the APG 65/73 radar systems in support of the F/A-18 aircraft. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be complete by March 2022. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $8,912,968 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One firm was solicited for this sole-source requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. West Point-Granite JV LLC,* Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $14,990,280 firm-fixed-price task order (N62473-20-F-4216) under a multiple award construction contract for the design and construction of water treatment plant repairs to Basins 343-348 and 352-353 Naval Air Facility (NAF) El Centro, El Centro, California. Work will be performed in El Centro, California, and is expected to be complete by September 2021. The contract amount provides for all labor, materials, equipment, transportation, supervision and incidental related work. Work to be performed provides for the construction, procurement and installation services for replacement of six existing damaged and degraded million-gallon, reinforced concrete sedimentation basins; two existing damaged and degraded 200,000-gallon decant basins; and their associated piping and infrastructure replacement within the existing water treatment plant at NAF El Centro. Work includes demolition and replacement with a new million-gallon reinforced concrete sedimentation basin to be constructed in its original size, footprint and volume. Structural repairs include replacement of structural slabs, reinforced concrete grade beams and helical anchorage of the reinforced concrete basins to address buoyancy. The existing source water intake channel will be replaced with a new intake system, including a screening vault, a flow metering vault, a mixing vault and distribution pipes. Cross-basin transfer piping will be replaced with new pipes, overflow weirs and slide gates to maintain existing basin operations. A chemical storage building will be included to replace the existing chemical storage shed. Mechanical repairs include the replacement of valves and pumps, replacement of waste water piping and replacement of the existing eye-wash station for code compliance. Electrical repairs include replacing electrical panels, service for mechanical pumps and providing site lighting for code compliance. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $14,990,280 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-1206). Mustang Technology Group LP, doing business as L3 Mustang Technology, Plano, Texas, is awarded a $14,849,324 fixed-price-incentive-firm-target modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-5313 for 808 rounds of 57mm MK 332 high explosive-4 bolt guided (HE-4G) cartridge ammunition. Work will be performed in Plano, Texas (78%); and Cincinnati, Ohio (22%); and is expected to be complete by March 2021. This contract action is for the delivery of 808 rounds of 57mm MK 332 HE-4G cartridge ammunition leveraging the long lead materials procured at time of award. The HE-4G cartridge is a 57mm electrically-primed cartridge which is designed to function in the 57mm MK 110 GM and is intended for combating surface and air targets. Fiscal 2019 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $14,849,324 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. Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Archbald, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $14,686,324 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-17-C-0022). This modification provides for the procurement of 4,001 laser guided training rounds BDU-59B/B. Work will be performed in Archbald, Pennsylvania (45%); Marlton, New Jersey (10%); Vaudreuil-dorion, Canada (6.5%); Rochester, New York (5.5%); Westford, Massachusetts (3%); Plainville, Connecticut (2.75%); Joplin, Missouri (2.75%); Hauppage, New York (1.5%); Quakertown, Pennsylvania (1.5%); San Jose, California (1.5%); Laconia, New Hampshire (1.5%); Dunedin, Florida (1%); Clifton, New Jersey (1%); Londonderry, New Hampshire (1%); Canton, Pennsylvania (1%); Honesdale, Pennsylvania (1%); Mount Laurel, New Jersey (1%); Medford, New Jersey (1%); Irvine, California (0.5%) and various locations within the continental U.S. (11%). Work is expected to be complete by July 2021. Fiscal 2020 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $14,686,324 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $13,107,282 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-2120 for additional fiscal 2020 development studies and design efforts for Virginia Class Submarines. Work will be performed in McLeansville, North Carolina, and is expected to be complete by September 2020. This contract modification provides additional development studies and design efforts related to Virginia class submarine improvements. The contractor will continue development studies and design efforts required to fully evaluate new technologies for Virginia class submarines. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,500,000 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. AIR FORCE Blaine Warren Advertising LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, has been awarded a $20,057,674 modification (P00007) to previously awarded contract FA6643‐17‐D‐0001 for Air Force Reserve Command (AFRC) Recruiting Service advertising. This modification exercises Option III under a requirements contract for all necessary management, supervision, labor, material and equipment required to plan, create, design, produce, place, evaluate and measure the effectiveness of advertising and special events in support of AFRC national, regional, and local recruiting marketing. Work will be performed in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2021. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $78,339,534. Headquarters AFRC, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. L3 Technologies Inc., Link Training and Simulation Division, Arlington, Texas, has been awarded a $10,863,740 firm-fixed-price modification (P00029) to previously awarded task order FA8621-19-F-6251 for F-16 aircraft simulator training program services. This modification will provide contractor logistics support to manage, maintain, and support the F-16 Simulators Training Program to include all training devices, software, firmware, spares and the Training System Support Center. Work will be performed in various locations within the continental U.S. and outside continental U.S. locations. Work is expected to be complete by March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance; and research, test, development and evaluation funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $51,180,238. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8621-19-F-6251). ARMY Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $13,419,452 modification (000182) to contract W52P1J-14-G-0023 for logistics support services for the Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise (EAGLE) program. Work will be performed in Yokohama, Japan, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 16, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, defense funds in the amount of $13,419,452 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Rae Management Services LLC,* North Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded a $10,100,516 firm-fixed price contract for laundry services supporting organizational linens, sleeping systems and blankets for 60 military locations. 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 March 11, 2025. The 419th Combat Support Brigade, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W9124-C-20-D0001). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2113905/source/GovDelivery/