GKN Aerospace and Boeing extend partnership on significant military aircraft contracts

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  December 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 05, 2019

  ARMY Tidewater Inc.,* Elkridge, Maryland, was awarded a $230,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 25 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 4, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-D-0012). Woodward Inc., Loves Park, Illinois, was awarded a $54,054,836 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance and overhaul of the common hydro-mechanical unit. 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 Dec. 4, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0011). Merrick & Co., Greenwood Village, Colorado, was awarded a $28,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for facilities and infrastructure studies, engineering, design and construction projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 4, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-20-D-0003). NAVY General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, is awarded a $145,754,568 cost-plus-award-fee modification, against a previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-4452 to exercise an option for Destroyer Designated Guided or Guided Missile Destroyer Planning Yard Services. This modification exercise is for the continuation of integrated planning yard services for Arleigh Burke-class ships. Work will be performed in Bath, Maine, and is expected to be complete by January 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding for $2,139,971 will be obligated at time of award and expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. CH2M Hill Constructors Inc., Englewood, Colorado (N62470-13-D-6019); Environmental Chemical Corp., Burlingame, California (N62470-13-D-6020); Kellogg, Brown, & Root Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia (N62470-13-D-6021); and URS Group Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina (N62470-13-D-6022) are awarded a $92,000,000 modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for global contingency construction projects worldwide. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $1,242,000,000. The work to be performed provides for the Navy, the Navy on behalf of the Department of Defense, and the Navy on behalf of other federal agencies when authorized, an immediate response for construction services. The construction and related engineering services would respond to natural disasters, humanitarian assistance, conflict or projects with similar characteristics. Work will be predominately construction. The contractor, in support of the construction effort, may be required to provide initial base operating support services, which will be incidental to construction efforts. The term of the contract is not to exceed 71 months with a completion date of May 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on subsequent modifications for work on existing individual task orders. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. General Dynamic Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $47,285,685 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-4321 to exercise options for the New England Maintenance Manpower Initiative for non-nuclear maintenance on submarines based at Naval Submarine Support Facility, New London. This option exercise will allow Electric Boat to continue non-nuclear repair services required to support submarine overhauls, maintenance, repair and modernization upgrades; ship alterations, temporary modifications and field changes; supplies and/or ancillary services, and corrective and preventative maintenance. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be complete by December 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds for $2,500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Far Western Anthropological Research Group Inc.,* Davis, California (N62473-20-D-0009); PaleoWest LLC doing business as Paleo West Archaeology,* Phoenix, Arizona (N62473-20-D-0010); Statistical Research Inc.,* Tucson, Arizona (N62473-20-D-0011); and UltraSystems Environmental Inc.,* Irvine, California (N62473-20-D-0012), are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for cultural resource services located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility (AOR). The maximum dollar value, including the base period and four option years, for all four contracts combined is $30,000,000. No task orders are being issued at this time. The work to be performed provides for contractors to perform cultural resources services at various locations within NAVFAC Southwest's AOR. The contractors shall furnish all labor, management, supervision, tools, materials, travel, lodging/subsistence, equipment and transportation to provide cultural resources related studies, investigation, preparation of historic and archaeological documents, and implementation of plans in accordance with Sections 106 and 110 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended. All work on this contract will be performed in California (95%); Arizona (1%); Colorado (1%); Nevada (1%); New Mexico (1%); and Utah (1%). On occasion, work may also be performed in other locations for the Navy or Marine Corps. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of December 2024. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $20,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N and O&M, Marine Corps. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities websites with nine proposals received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. CACI National Security Solutions Inc. (CACI), Reston, Virginia, is awarded a modification to a previously awarded (N65236-16-D-8011) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee performance based contract. This single award contract (SAC) is currently in its fourth year with a contract expiration date of Sept. 14, 2020. This modification increases the basic contract estimated ceiling by $21,678,272 and changes the cumulative estimated value of the contract from $104,541,625 to $126,219,897. This SAC is for Special Operations Communications Systems Satellite Communications and Network Support Services in support of U.S. Special Operations Command and other joint warfighting commands. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina; Tampa, Florida; and Fayetteville, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by September 2020. This SAC was previously procured competitively by full and open competition via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-commerce Central website and the Federal Business Opportunities website. This sole source contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). Naval Information Warfare Center, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. Boston Ship Repair LLC, Boston, Massachusetts, is awarded a $13,379,140 firm-fixed-price contract (N32205-20-C-4015) for an 87-calendar day shipyard availability for the mid-term availability of the USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195). The $13,379,140 consists of the amounts listed in the following areas: Category “A” work item cost, additional government requirement, other direct costs and the general and administrative costs. Work will include furnishing general services, port side shell repair, starboard main engine overhaul, port main engine overhaul, ship service diesel generator turbocharger overhaul, new life boat installation, tank deck overhead preservation and underway replenishment station eight deck and steel replacement. The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $15,142,310. Funds will be obligated Dec. 5, 2019. Contract completion will be May 20, 2020. Work will be performed in Boston, Massachusetts, and is expected to begin Feb. 24, 2020, and is expected to be completed by May 20, 2020. Contract funds for $13,379,140 excluding options, are obligated for fiscal 2020 using (Navy) working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and two offers were received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Alliant Techsystems Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $37,788,519 firm-fixed-price modification (P00052) to previously awarded contract FA8106-16-C-0004 for contractor logistic support for the Iraqi Air Force's Cessna 208 and 172 fleet. Work will be performed in Iraq and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2020. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales to Iraq. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. The dollars obligated is $169,153,380. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $235,000,000. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $19,429,623.80 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems, McKinney, Texas, has been awarded a $13,121,979 modification (P00002) to previously awarded agreement FA8650-19-9-9326 for High Energy Laser Weapon Systems (HELWS). This modification provides for the purchase of one additional HELWS being produced under the basic agreement, including outside continental U.S. (OCONUS) field assessment for purposes of experimentation. Experimentation includes, but is not limited to, six months of in-field operation by Air Force personnel against unmanned aerial systems threats. In addition, experimentation includes, but is not limited to, full mission capable, partial mission capable and non-mission capable operator training in theater maintenance of systems while collecting availability; reliability, maintainability and supportability data; and system operation against real-world or simulated hostile vignettes without disrupting other necessary installation operations. Work will be performed at OCONUS locations and is expected to be completed by Nov. 1, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the agreement is $36,939,636. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $13,121,979 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The $988,832,126 definitization modification (PZ0010) announced on Dec. 2, 2019, to previously awarded contract FA8681-18-C-0021 (Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida), was actually awarded today, Dec. 5, 2019. All other information in the Dec. 2 announcement is correct. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $8,870,921 cost-plus-fixed-fee, bridge contract for automated tank gauging, independent alarm system and overfill protection equipment Pacific maintenance. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 21-month base contract with one three-month option period. Locations of performance are Alaska, Hawaii, South Korea, Okinawa, Wake Island, Marshall Islands, Guam, Diego Garcia and Japan, with a Sept. 12, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio (SP4702-20-C-0003). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2033316/source/GovDelivery/

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  February 2, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  Companies seek end to haggling over FCAS rights with fresh offer this week

  By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany – Airbus and Dassault executives hope to finalize their offer for the next phase of the Future Combat Air System by the end of the week, putting to rest a dispute over the handling of intellectual property rights that has been simmering between partner nations Germany, France and Spain. At issue is whether countries participating in the development of mainland Europe's futuristic weapon system are free to use the technology to make adjustments of their own later on, said German Air Force Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ingo Gerhartz. “It should be clear that if we're developing a European system, there can be no black boxes,” he said at an virtual press conference organized by German aerospace industry association BDLI. The term “black box” refers to technology purchased as-is, with no means by customers to understand, replicate or modify it. “It must be possible to hand intellectual property rights from branch of industry to another so that it's possible for all partners to make their own developments in the future,” Gerhartz added. The tri-national FCAS program aims to replace the German Eurofighter and French Rafale fleets by 2040. As envisioned, it will consist of a next-generation manned jet and a series of drones, dubbed remote carriers, that can be tasked to work in concert on anything from reconnaissance to strike missions. Germany's Airbus and France's Dassault are the primary contractors for the program. As Europe's most ambitious weapons project ever, it is estimated to have a price tag in the hundreds of billions of euros. Spain is meant to be a full participant, with Indra as national lead, getting access to a third of the overall work share. Next up for the program is additional development work culminating in the presentation of a demonstrator aircraft and remote carriers by 2026 or 2027. Those could be simple, throw-away drones or more elaborate unmanned planes in the style of a “loyal wingman” to the human pilot, said Dirk Hoke, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space, at the same event. An agreement on intellectual property usage is needed both on the government and industry level before submitting an offer for the upcoming program stage. The idea is to find a compromise by Feb. 5, have the Berlin government submit the documentation to the Bundestag, Germany's parliament, for approval over the next few months, and get the green light to spend additional money before the summer break, Hoke said. While Airbus is used to sharing its intellectual property rights when selling to the German government, partner nations, France and Spain handle those occasions differently. “I'm confident that we can find a common solution,” Hoke said. Reinhard Brandl, a lawmaker of Bavaria's Christian Social Union who sits on the Bundestag's appropriations committee, said he shared the optimism but singled out IP rights as a continuing sticking point. “We will look at the agreement very carefully,” he said. “We don't want to see unfavorable concessions just for the sake of an agreement.” Brandl belongs to a faction of German lawmakers who fear that domestic companies could lose out in a cooperative program with France. That is especially the case, following that logic, because Airbus, as the German lead contractor, is partly French to begin with. The French, meanwhile, have at times become frustrated with Germany's piecemeal approval process for FCAS funding, a dynamic that could become even more pronounced if money gets tight as a result of the coronavirus crisis. Thomas Jarzombek, the point person for aerospace policy at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, said the program remains crucial for German industry, describing it as a recovery activity for companies post-COVID. “It's become even more important than before,” he said. Brandl said he still worries about spending cuts in the future, especially during development, as the defense ministry may seek opportunities for more near-term fixes to lagging readiness rates across the force. He proposed anchoring FCAS funding elsewhere in the federal government other than under the auspices of the Bundeswehr, at least until the program gets close to showing actual military utility. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/02/01/companies-seek-end-to-haggling-over-fcas-rights-with-fresh-offer-this-week

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  May 6, 2024 | International, Land, C4ISR

  Electronic warfare in Ukraine has lessons for US weapons, navigation

  Washington and other governments have committed billions of dollars of aid to Ukraine, including armored vehicles and secure communication devices.