June 17, 2022 | International, Naval
The Marine Corps wants the option to covertly launch unmanned boats out the back of its amphibious ships. HII has tested that enabler for the first time.
November 1, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Spirit AeroSystems on Wednesday projected higher-than-expected cash burn for 2023 as it slashed anticipated deliveries of 737 fuselages, but its new CEO said returning the embattled aerospace supplier to positive cash flow will be his "principle goal."
October 16, 2018 | International, Naval, Land, C4ISR
ARMY Absolute Business Solutions Inc., Herndon, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0001); Data Systems Analysts Inc., Feasterville Trevose, Pennsylvania (W911QY-19-D-0002); DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0003); HII Mission Driven Innovative Solutions Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W911QY-19-D-0004); Integrity Consulting Engineering and Security Solutions,* Purcellville, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0005); Interactive Process Technology LLC, Billerica, Massachusetts (W911QY-19-D-0006); Joint Research and Development Inc.,* Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0007); Kalman and Company Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0008); MLT Systems LLC,* Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0009); Mustang Gray LLC,* Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0010); Patricio Enterprises Inc., Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0011); and Whitney, Bradley & Brown Inc., Reston, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0012), will share in a $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for providing resources in support of the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. Bids were solicited via the internet with 21 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. NAVY Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $152,247,409 firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for logistics support services and material for the organizational and depot level maintenance of approximately 118 TH-57 aircraft. Work will be performed in Milton, Florida, and is expected to be completed in November 2022. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal, with two offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61340-19-D-0905). WR Systems Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $49,999,996 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, performance-based contract with provisions for cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders. The contract is for the procurement of positioning, navigation and timing engineering and in-service engineering agency support services. The services required include design development, systems integration, acquisition and prototype engineering, technical documentation, and integrated logistic support in order to support the Integrated Product Team. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,200 are obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because this is a sole-source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), one source or limited sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B)). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (N6523619D8001). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $24,400,000 for cost plus-incentive-fee delivery order N0001918F2046 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides for Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) System enhancements to the ALQ-218 receiver system hardware and communication lines between assemblies to accommodate future planned functional growth and enhancements. Thirteen sets of WRA-7, WRA-8, WRA-9, and 18 AEA gun bay pallets will be modified and the associated technical directives will be written in support of the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (31 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (23 percent); St. Augustine, Florida (15 percent); Bethpage, New York (11 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (10 percent); and China Lake, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $24,400,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order combines purchases for the Navy ($23,157,457; 95 percent); and the government of Australia ($1,242,543; 5 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $14,718,840 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Next Generation Submarine Science and Technology Research. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would increase the contract value to $39,661,906. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and work is expected to be completed by Oct. 14, 2019. If options are exercised, work will continue through October 2023. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount $10,000 will be obligated at the time of award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-18-S-B001 “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology.” Proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA, therefore, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-1002). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Southwind Construction Services LLC, Edmond, Oklahoma, was awarded a competitive firm-fixed-price contract for the installation of raised floor and high density cooling and power upgrade at the Oklahoma City, Oklahoma data center. The face value of this action is $9,177,535 funded by fiscal 2018 and 2019 capital funds. Performance will be at Data Center Oklahoma City, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunity website and three proposals were received. The period of performance is 365 days after contract award (estimated period of performance is Oct. 22, 2018 - Oct. 21, 2019). The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott AFB, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC102819C0001). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1662895/source/GovDelivery/
February 5, 2021 | International, Aerospace
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The Air Force could begin to lay out its vision for a future aerial refueling tanker, previously known as KC-Z, as early as next year, the head of Air Mobility Command said Monday. The service intends to conduct an analysis of alternatives for an advanced aerial refueling aircraft in fiscal year 2022, AMC commander Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost said during a Defense Writers Group meeting with reporters. That study will help the Air Force determine precisely which capabilities a future tanker will need to to operate in more heavily contested battlefields against the threats posed by nations such as Russia and China. “We're thinking about the near peer [competition], and what we need for a near peer [competition],” she said. Key to that discussion is figuring out how much of the aerial refueling process can be performed without a human pilot or boom operator onboard the plane to fly it or give other aircraft gas. “Is going to be autonomous? Is it going to be pilot on the loop [or] pilot in the loop capability?” asked Van Ovost. “Is it going to be small? Is it going to be large? What kind of [self protection] is it going to have? What kind of electromagnetic spectrum capabilities is it going to have to both protect itself and enhance the lethality of the Joint Force while it's out there?” In April, Will Roper, then the Air Force's top acquisition official, told reporters that an agreement with Boeing for a new and improved KC-46 vision system could pave the way for autonomous aerial refueling. The addition of 4K high-definition cameras, modern processors and LiDAR (light detecting and ranging) sensors would help the new system accumulate much of the data necessary for a computer to correctly calculate all the variables that need to be solved for safe aerial refueling. “All you have to do is take that data that tells the world inside the jet the reality of geometries between the airplane and the boom outside the jet. Once you have that, you simply need to translate it into algorithms that allow the tanker to tank itself,” Roper said then. The Air Force is not the only service interested in automated aerial refueling. The Navy is flight testing the MQ-25 Stingray aerial refueling drone — which, like the Air Force's new KC-46 tanker, is built by Boeing. The Navy eventually hopes to operate the MQ-25 onboard aircraft carriers, where it will be used to extend the range of fighter jets like the F-35C and F/A-18EF Super Hornet. Van Ovost acknowledged the Air Force is still years away from being able to hold a competition for the platform formerly known as KC-Z. After the Air Force completes its procurement of 179 KC-46s — which, if its current buy rate holds, will occur around the 2027 timeframe — the service will buy a non-developmental “bridge tanker,” she said. That effort, which replaces the KC-Y program, will likely be a battle between Boeing and an Airbus-Lockheed Martin team, which joined forces in 2018 to market Airbus' A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport to the U.S. Air Force. Both teams are expected to offer upgraded versions of their current aerial refueling aircraft. Van Ovost did not say when that competition will begin. Along with tackling questions about its future tanker, the Air Force is also set to begin a business case analysis whether to pursue contracted aerial refueling to support U.S. military training and test activities across the contiguous United States. After holding a December 2019 industry day with interested vendors, Air Mobility Command conducted a study into the feasibility and affordability of commercial air refueling services and submitted a proposal to Air Force leadership. However, Air Force leaders want more information before making a final decision, and have asked for a comprehensive business case analysis that would finalize a requirement for all of the services' needs, Van Ovost said. The study would come up with options for various contracting models — which could include tankers that are leased to the government or contractor-owned and operated — as well as hammer out details on Federal Aviation Administration certification requirements. “We're working with headquarters Air Force to finalize the parameters for the study, and then likely will be contracting out that study,” Van Ovost said. “And for expectation's sake, it does take a while. These kinds of business case analysis we have seen take 18 months, so we are going to put pen to paper and take a very close look at it.” https://www.defensenews.com/air/2021/02/02/air-force-study-on-future-aerial-refueling-tanker-could-start-in-2022