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March 6, 2020 | International, Aerospace

Here’s what we know about the Space Force’s acquisitions plan

By: Nathan Strout

The newly establish United States Space Force is expected to deliver a report outlining its acquisition plans to Congress by the end of the month, but in a series of hearings this week lawmakers got a first look at how Space Force leadership is approaching the problem.

One of the primary issues the Space Force faces in organizing its acquisitions is the relationship between the three main space acquisitions entities: the Space and Missile Systems Center, the Space Development Agency and the Space Rapid Capabilities Office. SMC is the largest of the three and has been responsible for most Air Force space acquisitions, while the other two organizations were established in the last two years to address specific capability gaps. Legislation passed by Congress called for creation of a position in fiscal year 2022 to oversee the three organizations, but it did little to clarify their roles or relationships, leading to some concerns of redundancy.

The Space Force seems set to follow that model. Space Force Vice Commander Lt. Gen. David Thompson reportedly stated that the three entities would be put under the jurisdiction of a new Space Systems Command, although they will continue to be three separate organizations.

When asked about this proposal at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing March 3, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein assured lawmakers the Space RCO would remain independent, as Congress intended.

“While there will be a lot of discussions about (administration) and bureaucracy, our job is to deliver capability and to deliver it fast—at the speed of relevance—because that's exactly what the threat companies are doing,” said Goldfein. “Space RCO (...) needs to stay independent, and it needs to be able to move fast without a lot of lines and boxes that all get a chance to vote on what they're doing.”

In a separate hearing before the House Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense March 4, Thompson emphasized that leaders were already working to ensure the three organizations were on the same page.

“We have already begun the process even before the Space Force was established (...) of working between the SMC, the SDA, the Space RCO (...) and others to ensure that their acquisition processes are synchronized, complementary and not duplicative in many senses,” Thompson said.

Thompson also briefly outlined the expected roles of the three organizations. SMC will continue to develop and acquire those unique capabilities the military has depended on for decades, including protected communications, missile warning and GPS, he explained, while the Space RCO, which was established two years ago, will continue to rapidly develop and prototype new capabilities. Finally, the SDA's focus will be on leveraging commercial technologies, especially when it comes to utilizing proliferated constellations in low earth orbit.

“Consolidating them under a specific acquisition organization will further integrate their activities and ensure they are not duplicative, but make sure they create one, single space architecture,” said Thompson. “Right now our focus is in driving an agile and rapid response for all of them as they continue to develop space capabilities for the mission.”

More details on the Space Force's plans will be delivered in a report to Congress by the end of the month. Space Force Chief of Space Operations Gen. John Raymond said he expects to see a draft of the Space Force's acquisitions plan next week.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/03/04/details-emerge-on-space-forces-acquisitions-plans/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 19, 2020

    February 20, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 19, 2020

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The work to be performed provides for design, engineering, inspection, testing, maintenance and repair and new construction of POL fuel systems such as pipelines, fuel storage tanks, and associated facilities at POL facilities worldwide. The maximum dollar value of the 60-month ordering period for all eight contracts combined is $880,000,000. Aptim Federal Services LLC is being awarded the seed task order in the amount of $623,600 for clean, inspect and repair services of POL fuel storage tanks located at Naval Base Point Loma. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by November 2020. All work on this contract will be performed worldwide. Based on current trends, work will be distributed to the continental U.S. (CONUS) (35%); Far East (35%); Hawaii (15%); Europe (10%); and Marianas (5%). For the CONUS locations, the 35% is estimated to be distributed to California (10.5%); Virginia (10.5%); Florida (5.25%); Washington (5.25%); Texas (1.75%); Georgia (0.35%); Louisiana (0.35%); Maryland (0.35%); Nevada (0.35%); and North Carolina (0.35%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds (DWCF) in the amount of $693,600 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by DWCF. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with 18 proposals received. These eight contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $470,813,279 firm-fixed price modification (P00084) to a previously-awarded fixed-price incentive-firm contract (N00019-14-C-0050). This modification exercises options to procure six low rate initial production lot II VH-92A aircraft, interim contractor support and six cabin interior reconfiguration kits in support of the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (50%); Coatesville, Pennsylvania (36%); Owego, New York (10%); Patuxent River, Maryland (3%); and Quantico, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $470,813,279 will be obligated at the 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. Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a $121,507,441 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-17-C-5145 for the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG) 1000 ship class integrated logistics support and engineering services. The DDG 1000 ship class is a multi-mission surface combatant designed to fulfill volume firepower and precision strike requirements. DDG 1000 combat systems provide offensive, distributed and precision firepower and long ranges in support of forces ashore while incorporating signature reduction, active and passive self-defense system and enhanced survivability features. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (40%); Tewksbury, Massachusetts (27%); San Diego, California (16%); Bath, Maine (6%); Ft. Wayne, Indiana (5%); Los Angeles, California (3%); Marlboro, Massachusetts (2%); and Nashua, New Hampshire (1%), and is expected to be completed by January 2021. 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Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES JAB Innovative Solutions LLC, Bristow, Virginia, has been awarded an $8,849,120 firm-fixed-price and time and material contract for Defense Innovative Unit (DIU) scientific and technical consulting support services. DIU requires program management consulting services, with experience in scientific and technical industries, to assist with meeting the DIU core mission as the interface node between the Department of Defense (DoD), entrepreneurs, start-up firms, and commercial technology companies in Silicon Valley, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and Arlington, Virginia, to increase DoD access to leading edge commercial technologies and technical talent. Work performance will take place in Arlington, Virginia; Boston, Massachusetts; and Silicon Valley, California. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,849,120 are being awarded. The expected completion date is Sept. 18, 2021. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-F-0434). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2088143/source/GovDelivery/

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  • IISS analysts: Russian and Western defense firms face greater competition

    January 11, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    IISS analysts: Russian and Western defense firms face greater competition

    By: Tom Waldwyn and Haena Jo Over the next decade, companies from emerging defense industrial nations will provide greater competition for the Western and Russian firms that have previously assisted in their development. Successive Turkish, South Korean, Brazilian and Polish governments have invested heavily in their defense industries over the past decade, leading to much-improved capabilities and the introduction of complex platforms. While many of these are license-builds of Western equipment, a growing share is of original designs. However, their reliance on key subsystems from Western and Russian companies will likely continue for much of this period, presenting a potential vulnerability. License-building platforms with technology transfer has been used as a means of developing a local industrial capability with a more realistic chance of success than starting from scratch. For example, in the 1980s and 1990s, Turkey and South Korea assembled hundreds of F-16 fighter jets, and both have also license-built German submarines, as has Brazil. Significant investment in these programs has meant that these countries now have the industrial capability to produce an increasing number of platforms with original designs. South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle (a trainer and light-attack aircraft with multiple variants) was developed based on both the country's experience and technology transfer from assembling F-16s. Poland's initial license-build of Finnish armored personnel carriers has now led to several local variants based on that design, and Turkey has begun to design a new attack helicopter based on its experience building the Italian-designed T129. This has gone hand in hand with procurement and industry reform. South Korea created the Defense Acquisition Program Administration in 2006 to manage procurement and develop industrial capability. Poland consolidated most of its state-owned industry under the PGZ holding company in 2015. South Korea's threefold increase in defense exports over the past decade — $1.52 billion in 2019 with a record high of $2.36 billion in 2016 — has been boosted by its companies winning contracts against European and Russian competitors. The aforementioned T-50 family has won competitions in countries such as Iraq, Indonesia and Thailand at the expense of Western and Russian aircraft. Similarly, South Korean shipyards have now signed deals to export frigates and tankers to a variety of countries including Thailand and the U.K. Significantly, in 2011, a South Korean shipyard secured a contract to supply Indonesia with submarines, beating the German original equipment manufacturer that transferred technology to South Korea in the 1980s for license-production. Although Turkey's high-profile export successes have largely come due to its political relationships rather than success in open competition, it too has seen its defense and aerospace (including civil) exports more than treble during this time, reaching $2.78 billion in 2019. Brazil's export successes ($1.3 billion in 2019) have largely come in the aerospace sector with the A-29 Super Tucano trainer/light-attack aircraft being widely exported. Recently the country has begun to secure the first sales of its KC-390 transport aircraft. Despite strong growth in defense manufacturing capability (both South Korea and Turkey report overall localization rates of around 70 percent, for example), these nations continue to rely on Western and Russian suppliers for key subsystems, with high-end electronics and engines being particular weaknesses. Attempts to fit a locally designed power pack into the K2 Black Panther main battle tank have been wracked with difficulty, forcing South Korea to order additional engines and transmissions from German suppliers. Similarly, Poland's production of its Krab howitzer ran into problems early on due to technical issues with the chassis and engine, forcing a switch to South Korean and German replacements, respectively. Turkey provides a case study of what can happen when a reliance on foreign subsystems clashes with those countries taking a dim view of your actions. Since the mid-2000s, development of the Altay main battle tank proceeded relatively smoothly, in part because the prototypes were fitted with proven German power packs. However, arms embargoes since 2016 have derailed series production. A 2015 contract to develop a local propulsion system was canceled in 2017 when the Austrian company selected to assist pulled out. Similar issues have hampered the sale of attack helicopters to Pakistan (an Italian design fitted with American engines) as well as the production of armed UAVs (Canadian sensors and engines). Beyond these emerging challengers for defense exports, other nations also warrant consideration. Japan, a country with a high localization rate since the 1990s, produces a variety of advanced platforms across different sectors. However, changing government and business practices to support export campaigns will take time. India has also invested heavily in its industry, yet bureaucratic conflicts and technical challenges have made fulfilling local requirements a challenge. The United Arab Emirates has begun to export equipment, albeit low-tech materiel. All this being said, the impact of COVID-19 on government spending will likely be felt for several years, with some importer nations already postponing programs. Whether local demand in exporter nations can make up for this remains to be seen. Tom Waldwyn is a research associate for defense and military analysis at the International Institute for Strategic Studies, where Haena Jo is a research analyst for defense and military analysis. https://www.defensenews.com/outlook/2021/01/11/iiss-analysts-russian-and-western-defense-firms-face-greater-competition/

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