Is the Army warming up to electric vehicles in its fleet?

On the same subject

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  March 12, 2024 | International, Naval

  Marine Corps budget would add range, lethality to Force Design tools

  Budget documents show a pause in NMESIS procurement, with zero units included in the FY25 request, after 24 in FY24 and 97 in FY23.

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  March 11, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 10, 2020

  ARMY Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $525,371,067 contract modification (P00131) to exercise an option for the Army MY IX Program Year 4, Lot 44, requirement of 38 UH-60M Army aircraft, and to exercise an option for two UH-60M FMS green aircraft. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022. Fiscal 2010 special and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $525,371,067 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-17-C-0009). Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $46,897,900 modification (P00037) to contract W58RGZ-19-C-0025 for aviation maintenance services. Work will be performed in Iraq and Afghanistan with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $46,897,900 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Vencore Labs Inc., Basking Ridge, New Jersey, was awarded a $14,547,132 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development effort for Autonomous Defensive Cyber Operation, tactical networks and communications. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2025. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $14,547,132 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGU-20-C-0010). NAVY L3 Harris Technologies Inc., Rochester, New York, is awarded a $383,247,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of radio systems with National Security Agency certified Type 1 encryption, radio ancillaries, provisioning kits and required documentation for the procured High Frequency (HF) radio systems. Work will be performed in Rochester, New York. The proposed contract will provide for the procurement of L3 Harris portable HF receiver transmitters (RF-300H-MP man pack systems); vehicle-based HF systems (based around a RF-300H-MP); transit case HF systems (based around a RF-300H-MP); their ancillary components and instructor training for the Program Manager of Communications Systems. Work is expected to be complete by March 2025. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $89,255,452 will be obligated on the first delivery order immediately following contract award. Funds will not expire at the end of current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and was prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2) and 10 U.S. Code § 2304(c)(4). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-20-D-2029). Jacobs EwingCole JV, Pasadena, California, is awarded a $79,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-discipline architect and engineering services. Funds will be used for large projects under the military construction program within Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest's area of responsibility (AOR). Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR, including but not limited to: California (87%); Arizona (5%); Nevada (5%); Colorado (1%); New Mexico (1%); and Utah (1%). The work to be performed provides for preparation of design-bid-build construction contract packages; site investigations; cost estimates; post construction award services; preparation of request for proposals for design-build projects; studies and reports related to the design of new facilities; technical reviews of government-prepared designs and design-build packages; preparation of planning and programming support documents; coordination of various technical disciplines; and identification and abatement methods for existing hazardous materials. Work is expected to be complete by November 2022. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $178,000,000. No contract funding is obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued; task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy). Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-18-D-5801). Tetra Tech Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $78,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for comprehensive long-term environmental architect-engineering services on Navy and Marine Corps installations at sites in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic. Work will be performed primarily in New York (31%); Florida (24%); Pennsylvania (8%); Virginia (6%); Rhode Island (5%); Texas (4%); South Carolina (4%); Mississippi (3%); Indiana (2%); Maine (2%); Massachusetts (2%); New Jersey (2%); Illinois (1%); Connecticut (1%); Arizona (1%); Minnesota (1%); Washington, District of Columbia (1%); Washington (1%); and New Hampshire (1%). The work includes architectural and engineering services to provide program management and technical environmental services in support of the Department of the Navy's Environmental Restoration Program, Munitions Response Program and other similar programs at Navy and Marine Corps activity in the area of responsibility covered by NAVFAC Atlantic. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $278,000,000. Work is expected to be complete by July 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by environmental restoration (Navy). Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-16-D-9008). Cornell Howland Hayes Merryfield (CH2M) Hill Inc., Englewood, Colorado, is awarded a $54,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for comprehensive long-term environmental architect and engineering services on Navy and Marine Corps installations at sites in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of responsibility. Work will be performed primarily in Puerto Rico (35%); California (18%); Virginia (15%); Washington (12%); North Carolina (8%); Maryland (7%); Mississippi (3%); and Washington, District of Columbia (2%). The work includes architectural and engineering services to provide program management and technical environmental services in support of the Department of the Navy's Environmental Restoration Program, Munitions Response Program and other similar programs at any Navy and Marine Corps activity in the area of responsibility covered by NAVFAC Atlantic. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $362,000,000. Work is expected to be complete by January 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by environmental restoration (Navy). Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-16-D-9000). BAE Systems, Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Nashua, New Hampshire, is awarded a $12,697,209 modification (P00004) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-19-C-0052). This modification exercises an option to procure four OE-120B antenna groups, three retrofit kits and three delta installation and checkout kits for the Navy in support of the Air Traffic Control and Landing program office. Additionally, this modification provides for the procurement of two OE-120B antenna groups for the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed in May 2023. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,892,148; fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $170,058; fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $340,116; fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,676,444; fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $834,147; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $3,784,296 will be obligated at the time of award, $1,892,148 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 9, 2020) Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $9,460,780 modification (P00008) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N00019-18-F-0016) against basic ordering agreement N00019-17-G-0002. This modification provides additional funding to support non-recurring engineering for supportability analysis, interactive electronic technical manual and technical directive requirements necessary for the V-22 Nacelle (combat aircraft) Improvements Phase One Program. This modification supports Navy, Air Force and the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (84%); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (5%); Patuxent River, Maryland (4%); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (4%) and Amarillo, Texas (3%). Work is expected to be complete by May 2021. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,846,466; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $744,575; fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,311,555; fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $647,119; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $911,066 will be obligated at time of award, $1,958,674 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $7,771,574 modification to exercise Option Period Two under previously awarded contract (GS00Q14OADU112) task order (M95494-18-F-0016). This modification provides for support services in efforts to meet Marine Corps' energy reliability and resilience requirements for utility distribution systems and various energy security positions supporting headquarters, regions and installations. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (40%); Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (12%); Okinawa Prefecture, Japan (12%); San Diego, California (11%); Quantico, Virginia (10%); Bridgeport, California (4%); New River, North Carolina (3%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (3%); Barstow, California (3%); Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (1%); and Pohang, Republic of Korea (1%). Work is expected to be complete by March 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2023. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $7,771,574 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, issued a contract modification (HDTRA1-17-C-0019-P00021) to exercise Option Period Three with a ceiling value of $34,485,270 time-and-materials contract and does not include the value of the unexercised options. This contract is for scientific and technical services in support of various projects under the Biological Threat Reduction Program. Work will be performed at various locations throughout the world. The anticipated completion date is May 13, 2021 (Option Period Three); this contract includes one additional 12 month option that would end on May 13, 2022, if exercised. The contract was a competitive acquisition; the government received 11 offers. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Cooperative Threat Reduction, Contracting Office, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY System High Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $24,731,784 modification (P00025) to previously awarded task order HR0011-17-F-0001 for program security services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the task order to $93,368,570 from $68,636,786. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $6,841,516; and fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $15,982,751 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Direct Energy Business LLC, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $24,551,424 fixed-price, requirements contract to supply and deliver retail electricity and ancillary/incidental services. This was a competitive acquisition with seven offers received. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, with a May 1, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy and Coast Guard. Using customers are solely responsible for funding and will utilize fiscal 2020 through 2022 operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE60420D8003). AIR FORCE James Talcott Construction, Great Falls, Montana, has been awarded a $15,077,162 firm-fixed-price contract for hangar renovation. This contract provides for the renovation of an existing three-bay hangar to facilitate the bed down of the new MH-139 helicopter at Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Montana. Work will be performed at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2021. This award is the result of a 100% small business set-aside competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operational and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 341st Contracting Squadron, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, is the contracting activity (FA4626-20-C-0017). U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Ernst & Young LLP, New York, New York, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price and labor hour modification for task order HTC711-19-F-D015 on contract GS00F290CA in the amount of $9,236,783. This modification provides continued non-personal services to assist U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM)/TCJ8 in accounting and financial operations and sustainment of audit readiness in compliance with generally accepted accounting principles as well as provide a broad spectrum of systems support across the USTRANSCOM enterprise. Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The option period of performance is from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds – operations funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $12,701,441 from $3,464,658. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY CORRECTION: An announcement included on March 9, 2020, for a firm-fixed-price task order to General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Virginia (HC1013-20-F-0073) has not yet been awarded. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2107920/source/GovDelivery/

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  November 18, 2019 | International, C4ISR

  One way for the Pentagon to prove it’s serious about artificial intelligence

  By: Mark Pomerleau Department of Defense officials routinely talk about the need to more fully embrace machine learning and artificial intelligence, but one leader in the Marine Corps said those efforts are falling short. “We're not serious about AI. If we were serious about AI we would put all of our stuff into one location,” Lt. Gen. Eric Smith, commander of the Marine Corps Combat Development Command and the Deputy Commandant for Combat Development and Integration, said at an AFCEA Northern Virginia chapter lunch Nov. 15. Smith was broadly discussing the ability to provide technologies and data that's collected in large quantities and pushed to the battlefield and tactical edge. Smith said leaders want the ability to send data to a 50-60 Marine cell in the Philippines that might be surrounded by the Chinese. That means being able to manage the bandwidth and signature so that those forces aren't digitally targeted. That ability doesn't currently doesn't exist, he said. He pointed to IBM's Watson computer, noting that the system is able to conduct machine learning and artificial intelligence because it connects to the internet, which allows it to draw from a much wider data pool to learn from. Military systems aren't traditionally connected to the broader commercial internet, and thus are limited from a machine learning sense. “We have stovepipes of excellence everywhere from interagency, CIA, NSA. The Navy's got theirs, Marine Corps' got theirs, everybody's got theirs. You can't do AI when the machine can't learn from one pool of data,” he said. Brown noted that he was not speaking on behalf of the entire department. Pentagon leadership has come to similar conclusions. Top officials have noted that one of the critical roles the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud program will do is provide a central location for data. “The warfighter needed enterprise cloud yesterday. Dominance in A.I. is not a question of software engineering. But instead, it's the result of combining capabilities at multiple levels: code, data, compute and continuous integration and continuous delivery. All of these require the provisioning of hyper-scale commercial cloud,” Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, director of the Joint AI Center, said in August. “For A.I. across DOD, enterprise cloud is existential. Without enterprise cloud, there is no A.I. at scale. A.I. will remain a series of small-scale stovepipe projects with little to no means to make A.I. available or useful to warfighters. That is, it will be too hard to develop, secure, update and use in the field. JEDI will provide on-demand, elastic compute at scale, data at scale, substantial network and transport advantages, DevOps and a secure operating environment at all classification levels.” Overall, Smith said that industry should start calling out DoD when policies or technical requirements hinder what it can offer. “If we're asking for something that is unobtanium or if our policies are keeping you from producing something we can buy, you've got to tell us,” he said https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2019/11/15/one-way-for-the-pentagon-to-prove-its-serious-about-artificial-intelligence/