Italian shipbuilders tout systems-engineering chops ahead of French merger talks

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  April 3, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Missile Defense Agency to inject competition into homeland missile defense contract

  By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The U.S. Missile Defense Agency plans to hold a competition that could split up the work among contractors to modernize and sustain America's missile defense system, which is designed to destroy intercontinental ballistic missile threats. Boeing has held the development and sustainment contract for the Ground-based Midcourse Defense systems in place at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. Boeing's contract is set to expire in 2023. The GMD system is made up of more than 44 Ground-Based Interceptors buried in silos in the ground along with ground control stations, detection and fire control systems, and other support infrastructure. Boeing received a sole-source $6.6 billion award in 2018 to build a new silo and 20 more GBIs, as well as to sustain the system. But Vice Adm. Jon Hill, the MDA's director, told an audience in March at an Association of the U.S. Army event that “we know that contract is not giving us everything that we need for the future, so we are going to compete that contract downstream.” The agency is working to develop a Next-Generation Interceptor that would replace the current GBIs with more capable interceptors. Its plan to upgrade the GBI's exoatmospheric kill vehicle with a redesigned version was canceled in 2019 due to technical problems. Rather than rework that program, the agency decided to design an entirely new interceptor and stop building new GBIs. A request for proposals for the NGI is due imminently. But along with a new NGI, “we are going to make sure that ground systems, sensors and fire control, all the rest of the system, we have the opportunity to inject that competition because I think that is very important,” Hill said. The MDA previously considered splitting up the contract several times, believing that would reduce cost and create efficiency in the program, but nothing materialized toward that goal. This time, the MDA has released two requests for information with the possibility of splitting up the contract. The most recent RFI was posted on Beta.Sam.Gov in March. “I will tell you that our lead system integrator does a great job today and the partnerships with industry within that construct do a great job, but we think that it's so large and complex we should be doing everybody a favor by being able to split that up without losing the integration among all those pieces,” Hill said, “so our intent is to move in that direction.” The agency “is exploring different approaches for fulfilling the GMD Program Element requirements. Acquisition approaches under consideration range from an award of multiple contracts to execute segments/missions of the program scope to a single contract to execute the entirety of the program scope,” the RFI states. “Essential to all of the acquisition approaches under consideration is the establishment of an enduring arrangement strategy for the execution of the [Weapon Systems Integration (WSI)] functions across the program lifecycle, either under a single prime contract, or as one of the multiple contracts.” The RFI lays out a possible plan to split up the contract into five pieces. One contractor would provide the NGI, which is being addressed through a separate request for proposals. Another would be responsible for legacy and future ground systems, and another for sustaining the existing GBIs. And a company would operate the weapon system along with military operators and would run fleet maintenance scheduling and deconfliction, site operations, test support, and depot and parts management, the RFI lays out. Lastly, a contractor would serve as the weapon systems integrator, making it responsible for overall GMD integration “including physical and logical integration of the GMD components, GMD system and MDA enterprise level integration, planning and execution of all necessary testing to verify and validate overall requirements compliance,” the RFI states. Responses to the RFI are due April 10. https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2020/04/02/missile-defense-agency-to-inject-competition-into-homeland-missile-defense-contract/

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  March 25, 2020 | International, C4ISR, Security

  KBR Fortifies Cybersecurity of U.S. Air Force Weapons Systems

  Houston – March 23, 2020 – KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today that it has been awarded a $26.8 million task order to provide additional cybersecurity engineering support to the U.S. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) Engineering Directorate Cyber Systems Engineering Division. KBR was awarded this cost-plus-fixed-fee task order under the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center's (DoD IAC) multiple-award contract. The task order is part of the DoD IAC's Cyber Security and Information Systems Technical Area Task (CSTAT). This task order was awarded by the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Installation Contracting Center. KBR won a seat on the CSTAT contract in December 2015. Under the new task order, KBR experts will develop cybersecurity frameworks for U.S. Air Force command and control (C2) and rapid cyber acquisition (RCA) customers. C2 and RCA systems provide integrating communications capabilities that permit almost all other Air Force weapon systems to operate and communicate securely. The cybersecurity of these systems is paramount to the secure operation of key assets including fighter, bomber, and remotely piloted aircraft. KBR will provide system and software security, mission assurance, risk management, and resilience in developing, implementing, training, verifying, and executing cybersecurity strategies across the portfolio of C2 and RCA weapon systems for AFLCMC. Through this work, which will be performed at Hanscom AFB in Massachusetts, KBR will increase the cybersecurity and resiliency of USAF systems while helping to ingrain cybersecurity best practices into the engineering processes of systems in acquisition. “This award demonstrates the military's trust in KBR's ability to provide knowledge-based cybersecurity services,” said Byron Bright, KBR President, Government Solutions U.S. “KBR's growing cybersecurity portfolio underscores our position as a leading provider of cutting-edge cyber and electronic security solutions for the government.” KBR offers an array of IT and cyber capabilities, including software engineering and development; big data analytics, computer network management, defense and support; cyber certification and accreditation; cyber policy development, translation and training; vulnerability assessment and evaluation; utility monitoring and control; health IT; and cloud security. About DoD IAC Program The DoD IAC program operates as a part of Defense Technical Information Center and provides technical data management and research support for DoD and federal government users. Established in the 1940s, the IAC program serves the DoD science & technology (S&T) and acquisition communities to drive innovation and technological developments by enhancing collaboration through integrated scientific and technical information development and dissemination for the DoD and broader S&T community. About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Solutions and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full lifecycle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics Technology Solutions, featuring proprietary technology, equipment, catalysts, digital solutions and related technical services for the monetization of hydrocarbons, including refining, petrochemicals, ammonia and specialty chemicals, as well as inorganics Energy Solutions, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, integrated EPC delivery and long term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. For further information, please contact: Investors Alison Vasquez Vice President, Investor Relations 713-753-5082 Investors@kbr.com Media Brenna Hapes External Global Communications 713-753-3800 Mediarelations@kbr.com View source version on KBR: https://www.kbr.com/en/insights-events/press-release/kbr-fortifies-cybersecurity-us-air-force-weapons-systems

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  January 2, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Boeing receives $400M contract to keep B-1, B-52 bombers flying

  By Ed Adamczyk Dec. 31 (UPI) -- Boeing was awarded a $400 million contract by the Defense Department for engineering services on B-1 and B-52 strategic bombers. The contract, announced on Friday, covers recurring and non-recurring services. The B-1 has been in service since 1986, while the B-52, nicknamed the Stratofortress, was first introduced in 1955. Specific work, covered by a $35 million award as part of the contract and to be finished by Dec. 31, 2019, will be done at Tinker AFB, Okla.; Edwards AFB, Calif.; Barksdale AFB, La., and at Boeing's Oklahoma City, Okla., facility. The Air Force Life Cycle Management office at Tinker AFB is the contracting agency. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2018/12/31/Boeing-receives-400M-contract-to-keep-B-1-B-52-bombers-flying/5191546274824