India approves full development of fifth-generation fighter

On the same subject

• 

  February 11, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Sorry, Sierra Nevada Corp. and Textron: The US Air Force isn’t buying light attack planes

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — At long last, the U.S. Air Force has definitively stated it will not procure light attack planes, putting to bed a three-year-long debate about whether to buy upward of 300 low-cost aircraft for the counterterrorism fight. In a statement to Defense News, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed that the service will not move forward with a program of record for light attack planes. Instead, U.S. Special Operations Command has requested $106 million in the fiscal 2021 defense budget for its armed overwatch requirement, according to Defense Department budget materials. As part of that program, SOCOM is set to acquire as many as 75 light attack aircraft, the command stated in a Feb. 3 solicitation. The funding would support “prototype demonstrations and the testing of Special Operation Forces-unique capabilities and air worthiness release efforts” as well as the “procurement of aircraft, mission kits and associated support equipment,” according to the department. Last year, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said the Air Force would continue experimenting with light attack aircraft, using funding from FY18 and FY19 to buy a handful of AT-6 Wolverine turboprop planes from Textron and A-29 Super Tucanos from a Sierra Nevada Corp.-Embraer team. Then, in FY22, the service would be ready to decide whether to venture into a program of record, he said. The Air Force still intends to buy two AT-6s and two A-29s, Stefanek said. However, the scope of their future operations has become more limited as the service opted to not pursue a larger buy. At Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, “[the] AT-6 will be used for continued experimentation on exportable network/data link capabilities for allies and partners,” said Stefanek, referencing a project under development known as Airborne Extensible Relay Over-Horizon Network, or AEROnet. “The Air Force has prior year funds available to continue the experiment,” she added. Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command pilots will use the A-29s to conduct training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, allowing them to act as instructor pilots and advisers for partner nations that plan to operate the A-29, Stefanek said. For the past year, Air Force leaders have been sending signals that their interest in buying light attack aircraft was waning. The service originally considered a buy of several hundred planes that would be able to augment pilot absorption and provide a less expensive alternative to using high-cost fighters like the F-15 and F-35 for low-threat strikes against terrorist groups. However, a national defense strategy that prioritizes the fight against near-peer adversaries like Russia and China made it difficult to justify buying an aircraft fleet only survivable in the most uncontested environments. In contrast, SOCOM has been bullish on light attack capabilities, with its commander, Gen. Richard Clarke, describing it as “a need for SOCOM” and “a need for our nation.” In the FY20 national defense policy bill, Congress instructed the Air Force to coordinate with SOCOM on light attack capabilities and included an option “to transfer a portion of funds authorized for Air Force light attack aircraft experiments to procure aircraft for supporting the combat air adviser mission of the Special Operations Command.” While the Air Force seemed most interested in the A-29 and AT-6 as potential light attack platforms, SOCOM appears to want to explore all options. The command is holding an Armed Overwatch industry day March 4-5 to discuss an upcoming demonstration of prototype aircraft. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/federal-budget/2020/02/10/sorry-sierra-nevada-corp-and-textron-the-us-air-force-isnt-buying-light-attack-planes

• 

  February 10, 2024 | International, Land

  Airbus warns airlines of new delivery delays -sources

• 

  November 18, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 15, 2019

  AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Littleton, Colorado, has been awarded a ceiling amount of $3,329,600,000 single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for combined orbital operations, logistics and resiliency support services. This contract provides for operations, sustainment and enhancement activities to support the Advanced Extremely High Frequency, Milstar and Defense Satellite Communications System III programs. Work will be performed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado; and Sunnyvale, California, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2029. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. No funds will be obligated on the basic contract and the type of funding will be obligated on subsequent task and delivery orders. The Space and Missile System Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8823-20-D-0001). Raytheon Co., Largo, Florida, has been awarded an $86,756,767 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Presidential and National Voice Conferencing (PNVC) Integrator contract. The PNVC capability is a new requirement for use by the president of the United States (POTUS), secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders and other senior leaders. The POTUS and national leadership require worldwide, secure, survivable voice conferencing capability that supersedes and improves upon the existing Milstar Survivable Emergency Conferencing Network system. The PNVC capability will incorporate improved voice quality, reduced latency, high availability, increased number of subscribers and a new conference management capability for the user community. Work will be performed at Marlborough, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,000,000 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals Contracting office, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8735-20-C-0001). Bismark Construction Corp., Newark, New Jersey, has been awarded a $17,108,605 modification (P00009) to previously awarded contract FA4484-16-D-0003 for maintenance and repair services requirement contract. This modification provides for the exercise of Option Four for the period of performance Nov. 16, 2019, through Nov. 15, 2020. Work will be performed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 15, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $85,540,325.00. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds will be used and no funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 87th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. AT2 LLC, Severn, Maryland, has been awarded a $14,495,776 modification (P00010) to previously awarded contract FA4890-18-C-0008 for Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command Primary Training Ranges operations and maintenance support services. This contract provides for operating materials and supplies of range threat, scoring and feedback systems. Work will be performed at Dare County Range, North Carolina; Poinsett Range, South Carolina; Grand Bay Range, Georgia; Avon Park Range, Georgia; Snyder Range, Texas; Belle Fourche Range, South Dakota; Holloman Ranges, New Mexico; Mountain Home Ranges, Idaho; and Guam Range, Guam. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $13,871,092 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $913,536,186 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-2114 for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (69%); and Schenectady, New York (31%). Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $584,866,256 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $483,735,911 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-16-C-2106 for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (66%); and Schenectady, New York (34%). Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $483,735,911 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, California, is awarded a $61,531,220 indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract for Global Positioning System-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Service (GPNTS) software support. GPNTS is used to receive, process and distribute three-dimensional position, velocity, acceleration, attitude, time and frequency in the formats required by shipboard user systems. The software support will include development, integration and test of improvements, correction of deficiencies, preparation and delivery of engineering interim/final software builds and inputs for the GPNTS software requirements and configuration baseline. The contract includes a base ordering period of five years, with a subsequent three-year option and a final two-year option for a total of 10 years should all options be exercised. The option periods, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $100,345,487. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,407,044 will be placed on contract and obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by November 2024. If all options are exercised, work could continue until November 2029. This contract was competitively procured with two offers received via the Commerce Business Daily's Federal Business Opportunities website and the NAVWAR e-Commerce Central website. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-20-D-0021). Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $31,801,007 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-2115 for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $31,801,007 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $24,103,730 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2101 to exercise an option for engineering and technical design effort to support research and development concept formulation for current and future submarine platforms. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be complete by October 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $175,000 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. Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $9,855,080 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for services and hardware systems in support of the Undersea Warfare Decision Support Systems (USW-DSS) Command and Control program. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $50,711,886. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (79%); Norfolk, Virginia (11%); Keyport, Washington (8%); Charleroi, Pennsylvania (1%); and San Diego, California(1%), and is expected to be completed by November 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through November 2024. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $3,752,402 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $807,804 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. In accordance with Section 1709 of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that modifies 15 U.S. Code 638(r)(4), this Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III contract is being awarded to Progeny Systems Corp., the same firm that received the SBIR award. USW-DSS provides a common set of integrated cross-platform and command decision support tools to enable integrated USW operations. The contract award is a follow-on to contract N00024-14-C-5209 for production and modernization of USW-DSS systems developed under the prior SBIR Phase III Contract. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5213). Pacific Federal Management Inc.,* Tumon, Guam, is awarded a $9,093,633 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at Naval Base Guam and Naval Support Activity Andersen. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $48,494,711. The work to be performed provides for all labor, supervision, management, tools, material, equipment, facilities, transportation and incidental engineering and other items necessary to accomplish all work in ground maintenance and tree trimming services for United States military facilities on Guam at various locations on Guam and Northern Marianas Islands. Work will be performed in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas area of operations, including but not limited to, Naval Base Guam (70%); and Naval Support Activity Andersen, Guam (30%), and is expected to be completed by November 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (O&M), (Navy); and fiscal 2020 O&M, (family housing) contract funds in the amount of $6,707,564 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with two proposals received. NAVFAC Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-20-D-9000). ARMY Walsh Federal JV, Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $77,308,000 firm-fixed-price contract to procure services for the design and construction of an 87,620 square foot Joint Regional Confinement Facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Tacoma, Washington, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $77,308,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-20-C-0002). Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $13,700,000 modification (P00018) to contract W912BU-15-C-0054 for dredging plants to remove the variety of material encountered in dredging. Work will be performed in Chester, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13,700,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a maximum $67,076,432 requirements contract for supplies related to the upgrade of the T-56 engine from series 3.0 to series 3.5. 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 five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Indiana, with Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense appropriated funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4AX-20-D-9405). Avon Engineered Fabrications, Picayune, Mississippi (SPE7MX-20-D-0015); and SMR Technologies Inc., Fenwick, West Virginia (SPE7MX-20-D-0016), are sharing a maximum $40,328,925 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for landing craft air cushion skirting systems. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. These are three-year base contracts with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Mississippi and West Virginia, with a Nov. 14, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7MX-20-D-0015). Peckham Vocational Industries,** Peckham, Michigan, has been awarded a maximum $8,673,0560 modification (P00008) exercising the second, one-year option of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-18-D-N029) with two, one-year option periods for the GEN III, Layer II, Mid-Weight Drawer. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Michigan, with a Nov. 21, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2018396/source/GovDelivery/