September 17, 2018 | International, Aerospace

Indonesia plans to buy C-130J Super Hercules, CH-47 Chinooks

MELBOURNE, Australia — Indonesia's defense minister has said the country intends to acquire new tactical airlifters and heavy-lift helicopters from the United States, as it continues its gradual drive to modernize its military.

Speaking in the capital Jakarta earlier this week, Ryamizard Ryacudu said Indonesia is looking to acquire five Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft and the Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter, according to the country's state-owned Antara News Agency.

He did not specify the number of helicopters Indonesia is seeking, but Defense News understands from an Indonesian source the number of Chinooks will be between three and five.

This expected procurement is likely to be just the first step in the southeast Asian archipelago nation's effort to recapitalize its airlift inventory. Earlier this year, the Indonesian Air Force's chief of staff, Air Marshal Yuyu Sutisna, was reported by Antara as saying that the service plans for all six of its airlift squadrons to have new aircraft by 2024, which currently operates a mix of light and medium transports alongside older variants of the C-130.

Indonesia's current Hercules fleet consists of about a dozen "B" and "H" variants of the C-130 aircraft, the oldest of which date back to the early 1960s. The inventory has also been bolstered in recent years by the ongoing transfer of nine C-130Hs from Australia, which has retired the type from service in favor of the C-130J.

However, this has been offset by the loss of five C-130s since 2000, including one of the former Australian aircraft, which crashed while landing in bad weather at one of Indonesia's remote eastern islands in December 2016, while the older aircraft have suffered from ongoing serviceability issues.

This is not the first time Ryacudu has said Indonesia was seeking the C-130J. He first flagged the intention to do so back in May, following a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in Hawaii.

There have also been earlier reports that Indonesia was interested in acquiring Chinooks; however, this is the first time the defense minister has confirmed that it will go ahead with the acquisition. Antara also quoted him as saying Indonesia had evaluated the Russian Mi-26T2 heavy-lift helicopter, but found it unsuitable for the country's requirements.

The Indonesian military currently does not operate any heavy-lift helicopters, and alongside its relatively small airlift fleet represents a key capability gap for a country made up of more than 17,000 islands that are also prone to natural disasters.

Any Indonesian acquisition of the C-130J and CH-47 will likely be done through Foreign Military Sales channels. It is unclear if Indonesia has formally submitted a request to acquire the types, which must first be approved by the U.S. State Department.

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/09/14/indonesia-plans-to-buy-c-130j-super-hercules-ch-47-chinooks

On the same subject

January 2, 2019 | International, C4ISR

Kratos Receives $65 Million in Recent Space and Satellite Communications Contract Awards
SAN DIEGO, Dec. 31, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS), a leading National Security Solutions provider, announced today that it has received recent space and satellite communications contract awards and options on existing contracts totaling approximately $65 million. Work performed under these contract awards will be performed at secure Kratos manufacturing facilities and customer locations and is expected to be substantially completed over the next 12 months. The awards include Kratos' products and services across technology application domains that are critical to defending space operations and assuring global satellite communication for the United States and its allies, as well as certain other operations that are essential to national security. Under the contract awards, Kratos will provide solutions for satellite command & control, signal monitoring, end-to-end service assurance, cloud-enabled architectures and other applications. Kratos products support more than 85 percent of United States space missions, and are used by more than 75 percent of global satellite operators. Kratos owns and operates the largest global, commercial network of space-focused Radio Frequency (RF) sensors employed to help customers identify, locate and mitigate interference challenges. The company recently announced it has begun leveraging this network to offer new Space Situational Awareness (SSA) services to bring additional clarity and insight to operations in the space environment for its customers. Due to customer related, competitive and other considerations, no additional information will be provided related to these contract awards. Phil Carrai, President of Kratos' Space, Cybersecurity and Training business, said, “The Space sector is experiencing a technology renaissance, and much of that advancement is occurring in the ground segment solutions that Kratos specializes in: those which assure the availability, reliability, security and operational goals of these missions. The range of space missions enabled by these awards and renewals is extremely broad, and Kratos is one of the only companies that can support that breadth with industry-leading COTS products, as well as cloud operations enablement, mission-specific applications and tailored waveforms.” About Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:KTOS) develops and fields transformative, affordable technology, platforms and systems for United States National Security related customers, allies and commercial enterprises. Kratos is changing the way breakthrough technology for these industries are rapidly brought to market through proven commercial and venture capital backed approaches, including proactive research and a streamlined development process. Kratos specializes in unmanned systems, satellite communications, cyber security/warfare, microwave electronics, missile defense, hypersonic systems, training and combat systems. For more information go to www.kratosdefense.com. Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Kratos and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Kratos undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Kratos believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Kratos in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Kratos for the year ended December 31, 2017, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the SEC by Kratos. Press Contact: Yolanda White 858-812-7302 Direct Investor Information: 877-934-4687 investor@kratosdefense.com http://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/12/31/1679167/0/en/Kratos-Receives-65-Million-in-Recent-Space-and-Satellite-Communications-Contract-Awards.html
February 27, 2020 | International, Aerospace

New ‘Air Force Ventures’ Set To Transform Technology Strategy
Steve Trimble The U.S. Air Force has adopted a three-phase strategy to select small, innovative companies outside the traditional defense industry to perform advanced development work and to tap Silicon Valley-style venture capital firms to help taxpayers finance the new technology. A new process could help rationalize the one-year-old Air Force effort to attract high-tech startups with dozens of Air Force Pitch Day events. These conferences have led to hundreds of small contract awards but no obvious path to guide the aspiring defense contractors further into the byzantine military acquisition process. U.S. Air Force plans to make 50 large “bets” on technology New acquisition training to be based on Fighter Weapons School For the private startups and venture capitalists involved, the Air Force Ventures initiative is designed to offer a new route to the commercial market for potentially game-changing technologies that could benefit from a risk-tolerant government customer providing funding and early support. “We don't really think of ourselves as a [stand-alone] market, but we purchase things in quantities that [are] meaningful enough that we can bridge companies until they reach a level for commercial success,” says Will Roper, assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics. “That's one reason that [venture capitalists] are interested in this.” The Air Force Ventures process starts with the Pitch Day events, during which the Air Force can place initial “bets” worth up to about $50,000 each in Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants on promising, potentially game-changing ideas, says Roper, speaking to about 1,000 Air Force acquisition officials during a Feb. 14 webinar. As the companies transition toward Phase II SBIR awards, the Air Force plans to grant about 300 contracts worth up to $1 million each—with a program office agreeing to fund about one-third of the costs. The funding match is meant to link the SBIR award to a program office, creating a path for the technology to potentially transition beyond the laboratory stage and into a program of record. The third and final step in the Air Force Ventures concept whittles the pool of awards to about 50 recipients. The amount of the award is potentially “unlimited,” Roper says, but is generally regarded as at least $10 million. The first of the “big bets” in Phase III are now under evaluation, Roper says. The contract awards could be announced at South by Southwest, a week-long technology conference and entertainment festival scheduled for March 13-22 in Austin, Texas. The initiative explicitly seeks to help the Air Force break from traditional defense contractors. As the Air Force attempts to field leap-ahead capabilities within the next decade for the Advanced Battle Management System and Next-Generation Air Dominance, leveraging the innovative ideas and technology flowing into the commercial market is seen as critical. “[R&D] in this country is 80% commercial,” Roper explains. “So in the 21st century, the [defense] industrial base should be dual-use. And so we've got to crack the code on how to have public and private funding work seamlessly inside an Air Force program.” But there are significant challenges as the Air Force tries to leverage commercial-sector technology investments: Small companies often need to find a market quickly to generate revenue and cash flow, whereas government program offices tend to make decisions slowly—and inconsistently. “In many cases, their commercialization [strategy] is devalued [by investors] if they have government funds,” Roper adds. The Air Force's program managers also face a learning curve. “If we're making 1,000 small bets a year, the reason we're making 1,000 is that we know most of them aren't going to pan out. So we can't manage the companies the way we would a traditional program,” Roper says. “But we can manage them as a portfolio—the same way that a private investor or a venture capitalist would.” To prepare, the Air Force is sending acquisition officials back to school. Next year, a cadre of program managers will be enrolled in a six-month course at Stanford University, which will teach the Air Force to manage technology investments like a venture capitalist, Roper says. The next step is to expand educational opportunities within the Air Force. A new acquisition curriculum, modeled on operational training centers such as the Fighter Weapons School, will be created, Roper says. https://aviationweek.com/shows-events/air-warfare-symposium/new-air-force-ventures-set-transform-technology-strategy
February 25, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 24, 2019
NAVY The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $93,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract incorporates the next three planned configurations of the operator flight program/system configuration set into the Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 F and EA-18G aircraft training systems. Additionally, this contract procures spares, support equipment, technical manual updates and on-site training. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (85%) and Amberley, Australia (15%) and is expected to be completed in February 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 not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4). Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61340-20-D-0003). Arwi JV LLC,* National City, California, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $10,000,000 for roofing repair and maintenance at Naval Base Point Loma, California. Initial task order is awarded at $350,180 for re-roofing at Buildings 260 and 262. Included is the requirement to repair and maintain roof components that are incidental to the main roof structure, such as scupper drains, downspouts, gutters, as well as roof-mounted hardware that may require to be removed and reinstalled by reason of the primary roof repair requirements. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by June 2020. All work on this contract will be performed in San Diego, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (OMN) contract funds in the amount of $350,180 are obligated on this task order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by OMN. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-20-D-0041). Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $7,992,944 cost plus fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-5405) for design agent engineering and technical support services for the Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, SeaRAM, and Land-based Phalanx Weapon System. Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Phalanx Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) is a fast-reaction terminal defense against low and high-flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other defenses. CIWS is an integral element of the Fleet Defense In-Depth concept and the Ship Self-Defense Program. Operating either autonomously or integrated with a combat system, it is an automatic terminal defense weapon system designed to detect, track, engage and destroy anti-ship missile threats penetrating outer defense envelopes. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 weapon procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,992,944 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY Griffon Aerospace Inc.,* Madison, Alabama, was awarded a $49,957,259 order-dependent contract to procure MQM-170 "Outlaw" Remotely Piloted Vehicle Targets, MQM-171 "Broadsword" Unmanned Aerial Systems - Targets, depot level repair and maintenance, storage of government furnished equipment, base operations services, field operations services, qualification training execution, and inventory and transfer support for targets management office and other Department of Defense customers. 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 Feb. 23, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-D-0006). L-J Inc.,* Cayce, South Carolina, was awarded a $13,456,000 firm-fixed-price contract for furnishing plant, equipment, labor, transportation, fuel, lubricant, supplies and materials, and performing all operations in connection with raising dikes and berms, installation of geotextile, and installation of new spillway systems in Clouter Creek, Berkeley County, South Carolina. 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 June 18, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (W912HP-20-C-0001). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2092565/source/GovDelivery/

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