January 19, 2021 | International, Aerospace

Key Upgrades Mark 2021 As Turnaround Year For KC-46A

As progress accelerates on a key visual system redesign, a wing refueling pod certification and the hopes for more international sales, Boeing believes its troubled KC-46A tanker program has finally turned a corner.

Marking a shift away from more than three years of delays, challenges and frustration for the U.S. Air Force, the program's brighter outlook builds on two agreements announced between Boeing and the service last April. The first covered the redesign and retrofit of a fully compliant boom operator remote vision system (RVS), at no cost to the government, while the second released $882 million of withheld payments to Boeing for previous noncompliance in 33 KC-46A deliveries.

“That was a real turning point, and it's been extremely collaborative since then,” says Boeing KC-46A Vice President and General Manager Jamie Burgess. “That's really been cultivated by the agreement that we reached on the new RVS system,” he says, acknowledging the change to the relationship with the Air Force. “For a while, we were at a bit of an impasse in terms of what needed to be done to address the Air Force's concerns. There's a lot of hard work left to go, but it's been a really long relationship now,” he adds.

Boeing is working on a two-phase approach to correct the well-documented RVS deficiencies that were revealed during flight tests. These defects mostly center on the oversensitivity of the aft-looking camera system to direct sunlight, which led to image issues in the hybrid 2D-3D video feed to the boom operator. “The first phase is really just intended to address that distortion piece of it, and that's primarily a software change that's being implemented now,” Burgess says. The fix, dubbed the enhanced RVS, “digitally addresses the distortion around the edges of the picture,” he adds.

The fix will also make viewing the system “more comfortable for the operator when looking through the 3D glasses,” says Sean Martin, KC-46A global sales and marketing leader, referring to the stereoscopic eyewear required for the system. “It makes the image more like what they are used to seeing in real life.”

The second phase, and the subject of the Air Force agreement, is RVS 2.0. Described by Burgess as “a full technological refresh of the system,” the revised package will include new cameras, new displays, a light-detection and ranging (lidar) system and all new supporting computing infrastructure. The redesigned aerial-refueling operator station will feature much larger 40-in. displays compared with the current 24-in. screens, giving the position “much more of a kind of home theater feel to it,” Burgess says. The image will remain in 3D but will be presented in color and 4K resolution. The Air Force has also opted for a collimated mirror projection method over an LCD option, “so we are working with them to mature that design,” the manufacturer adds.

In collaboration with the Air Force, Boeing completed the RVS 2.0 system readiness review in December and remains on track to hold the preliminary design review in the second quarter. The system is due to be fielded around late 2023 or early 2024.

The redesign will also be provisioned for semi-autonomous or autonomous aerial refueling (AAR), satisfying a long-term capability vision of both the Air Force and Boeing. “The computing-system upgrade will be able to handle the processing for future automation,” Burgess says. “In parallel, we're working toward developing all of the computing algorithms that will be required to track the receiver [aircraft] using machine-learning-type software. We will feed that into our boom control laws, so that it can go find the receptacle on that receiver,” he adds, referring to the KC-46A's fly-by-wire controlled boom.

The algorithm development work builds on the company's long-running collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory on autonomous refueling as well as other related efforts, such as the unmanned MQ-25 tanker for the U.S. Navy. “We have a lab now where we're developing those algorithms that we can move into KC-46 when the Air Force has a requirement for it,” Martin says. “We want to bring the capability to them, but we haven't received a requirement from them that says they need that. But we're working on it, and we're committed to it.”

Boeing says the end is also in sight for another issue that has overshadowed the tanker development: the long-delayed certification of the Cobham-developed wing air-refueling pods (WARP). The wing-mounted pods, along with a centerline station, form part of the tanker's hose-and-drogue system, which can deliver up to 400 gal. of fuel per minute, compared with 1,200 gal. per minute for the boom.

All KC-46As are provisioned at delivery to carry the pods, but in line with Boeing's initial decision to pursue both military and civil certification for the tanker and its systems, the aircraft cannot be operationally equipped with the system until the FAA approves the WARPs. The pods performed well during flight testing, but “the FAA has required a tremendous amount of testing in order to certify them,” Burgess says. “Similar pods have flown for years on other military aircraft, but they have never been FAA-certified.”

Although Cobham seriously underestimated how much work would be required for FAA certification, Burgess says: “We're at the very end of that testing and are just about done.” FAA approval is expected for the pod by the end of the first quarter. Previously, all certification work related to pods was concerned with ensuring that carriage of such systems was safe and would not affect the control and safe landing of the aircraft. “Now we had to look at certifying it to operate, so all the components—such as the ram air turbine on the front of the pod—had to be cleared for safe use,” Martin adds. “That's been the challenge for them, and they've done a great job stepping up to it.”

Another ongoing area of modification is revising a valve for the boom actuation system to correct a refueling issue specific to the Fairchild Republic A-10 attack aircraft. “The boom flies down and telescopes out to connect with the receiver aircraft, which pushes the boom up into a nominal refueling position,” Burgess says. At altitude, the A-10 with wing stores was only able to generate a force of about 650-lb. thrust resistance compared with the international standard of 1,400 lb. to which the boom was designed.

“We're changing the actuation system to make it just require less force to push it up,” Burgess says. “That's currently going through the critical design review with the Air Force.” He adds that the first qualification units are now being assembled. “We're also building up for a big full-scale lab test, and so that's well underway.”

Boeing is also preparing to design, develop and test a secure communications system, dubbed the Pegasus Combat Capability Block 1 upgrade, and expects to receive a contract for the enhancement package this year. The Air Force is studying which elements to include in the upgrade, and that puts the KC-46A on a path to play a potentially wider role as a battlespace communications node. But Boeing adds that a wing-mounted, podded, radio-frequency countermeasures system is not currently in the Block 1 suite.

With 42 tankers delivered by the end of 2020 and the firm orderbook bolstered by a $1.6 billion contract for the sixth production lot covering an additional 12 aircraft, Boeing is focused on maintaining a smooth assembly flow despite the disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. The process includes rigorous new quality controls introduced after a series of discoveries of foreign object contamination caused the Air Force to temporarily suspend accepting the aircraft in April 2019.

“It's no secret that we realized that we had an issue as far as foreign object debris [FOD] on airplanes,” Burgess says. “We stopped the production line, and we stopped deliveries for a while and put in place a number of controls. There's a whole lot of work that goes on in the factory around what we call ‘clean as you go.' At the end of the shift, there is a cleanup to make sure that the airplanes that roll out of the factory are perfectly clean.”

The decontamination focus continues when airframes are rolled from the factory into the nearby Everett Modification Center, where all the military equipment is installed. “We do a complete FOD sweep of the airplane when it enters and again when it leaves to go to the delivery center,” Burgess says. “The aircraft delivering today are very clean. It's been a big cultural shift for the program.”

Production is currently split roughly evenly between commercial 767-300F freighters and KC-46A variants—a divide that sustains the line at about three airframes per month. With the latest order, confirmed on Jan. 12, Boeing is now on contract for 79 tankers out of an intended total of 179. The firm orderbook is expected to grow again to 94 when the Air Force awards the next contract for a further 15 aircraft under production Lot 7, which legislators approved in December.

Although program delays held up initial deliveries to the Air Force until January 2019, Burgess says the subsequent flow of operational aircraft to four bases marks an unprecedented pace for any recent modern weapons system. “I'm not aware of any other major military program that's done this,” he adds. “We delivered 28 in 2019. We'll do 14 this year.”

Boeing maintains the flexibility to introduce slots into the production skyline for international sales, the first of which is to Japan. The aircraft, the first of four that the Japan Self-Defense Force has ordered, is due to make its first flight sometime this quarter. The U.S. Congress has also approved the sale of eight aircraft to Israel, and Boeing is pursuing other prospects in Southwest Asia and the Middle East, particularly in Qatar.

https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/key-upgrades-mark-2021-turnaround-year-kc-46a

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September 16, 2019 | International, Aerospace

The Next Big Thing: Lockheed Martin Makes Northern Alabama Flagship for Hypersonic Strike Work
COURTLAND, Ala., Sept. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Making Northern Alabama its central location for Hypersonic Strike Work, Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will establish a new facility for the assembly, integration and testing of hypersonics programs and locate the management and engineering workforce for many of these programs in Huntsville. The Courtland expansion will bring two new buildings in support of Lockheed Martin's portfolio of hypersonics programs. This decision brings 72 new jobs to Courtland and 200 new jobs to Huntsville over the next three years with additional job growth expected. During an official ceremony in Courtland today, Marillyn Hewson, Chairman, President and CEO for Lockheed Martin, with speakers Senator Richard Shelby, Governor Kay Ivey, Congressmen Robert Aderholt and Mo Brooks, and Rick Ambrose, Executive Vice President of Space for Lockheed Martin, spoke to the shared commitment it takes to expand operations in Northern Alabama and the collaborative effort between government and industry to provide this advanced capability to the warfighter. Rick Ambrose will host an event, later today in Huntsville, to celebrate the increased workforce expansion as part of this effort. Officials representing the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense, US Air Force, US Army and US Navy were in attendance to mark the occasion for the future site of the next hypersonic production facility. Lockheed Martin has a strong partnership with the state of Alabama that dates back several decades and includes research and development on rockets and space launch vehicles, tactical missiles, space exploration and air and missile defense targets. Lockheed Martin's Courtland and Huntsville employees are an established part of the community and weaved deeply into the fabric of the economy. The company employs over 2,000 people in the state of Alabama, who support local businesses, charitable organizations and volunteerism to multiple schools for STEM outreach and education. "The decision to bring hypersonic manufacturing to this region would not have been possible without the support of the State of Alabama, our local partners including Lawrence and Madison counties, the cities of Courtland and Huntsville and Tennessee Valley Authority as well as those elected representatives in Congress," said Scott Keller, vice president and general manager for Strategic and Missile Defense for Lockheed Martin. "On behalf of Lockheed Martin, we are honored to expand our presence in Northern Alabama and watch as the next cohort of innovators take advanced defense technology to levels we once thought were impossible." "Lockheed Martin has a longstanding relationship with the state of Alabama, and I am proud to see that strengthen even more as they make our state the flagship location for their hypersonic programs," said Governor Ivey. "Both Courtland and Huntsville will gain new jobs, which is always welcome news. I am proud and confident that Alabamians will help advance Lockheed Martin's goals as we begin working towards the advancements of the future." Lockheed Martin is proud to be an industry leader in the development, testing and fielding of hypersonic systems. Hypersonic Strike capabilities have been identified by the U.S. government as a critical capability that must be addressed in support of the U.S. National Security Strategy. Lockheed Martin is honored by the partnerships established with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and DARPA on key programs to meet this critical mission need. For additional information, visit our website: www.lockheedmartin.com/hypersonics https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-09-16-The-Next-Big-Thing-Lockheed-Martin-Makes-Northern-Alabama-Flagship-for-Hypersonic-Strike-Work
February 27, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 25, 2020
ARMY Palantir USG Inc., Palo Alto, California (W56KGY-20-D-0005); and BAE Systems Information and Electronic SYS INT INC, San Diego, California (W56KGY-20-D-0006), will compete for each order of the $823,263,105 firm-fixed-price contract to upgrade/replace components found in the Distributed Common Ground System-Army. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 24, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $42,088,702 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive) modification (P00054) to contract (W58RGZ-17-C-0014) for contractor logistics support services for government-owned fixed-wing fleet performing Special Electronic Mission Aircraft missions. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $42,088,721 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $19,653,151 modification (P00023) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0002 to provide Class V munitions supply support for all ammunition stocks accounted for by 1st Sustainment Command (Theater) to U.S. military/government components, Department of Defense agencies, and, as required, coalition forces in the Central Command Area of Responsibility. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $19,653,151 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Unisys Corp. Federal Systems, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $14,029,965 cost-no-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for an 18-month bridge to continue support for the Army Enterprise Service Desk. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Augusta, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 25, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $14,029,965 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-C-0010). A. WBE-CCI JV One LLC,* Itasca, Illinois, was awarded an $11,877,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a pre-engineered metal hangar with conventional construction for adjacent support shop, administrative and non-destructive inspection testing spaces. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Klamath Falls, Oregon, with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction, Army National Guard funds in the amount of $11,877,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Salem, Oregon, is the contracting activity (W50S8Z-20-C-0001). PAS MRO Inc.,* Irvine, California, was awarded a $9,787,000 firm-fixed-price contract to overhaul UH-60 tip caps. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 25, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0026). NAVY Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia; Boston Consulting Group Federal Corp., Bethesda, Maryland; Whitney, Bradley & Brown Inc., Reston, Virginia; Mid-Atlantic Technical and Executive Consulting LLC,* Arlington, Virginia; and CACI Inc., Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, are awarded a cumulative not-to-exceed $249,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts for the Navy's System-Level Cost Analysis with Total Ownership Cost Analysis initiative. The competitive ordering period for both firm-fixed-price or cost-plus-fixed-fee type orders shall not exceed five years. Work will be performed at contractor and vendor facilities as determined on individual orders and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $15,000 will be obligated at time of award to fulfill the minimum guarantees of the IDIQs and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with seven offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-D-2425, N00024-20-D-2431, N00024-20-D-2432, N00024-20-D-2433, and N00024-20-D-2434). BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $113,548,696 modification to exercise options for the fixed-price-incentive (firm target) contract line item numbers 4001 and 4005 portions of a previously awarded contract (M67854-16-C-0006). This modification is for the purchase of 26 amphibious combat vehicles and other associated production costs. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (60%), Aiken, South Carolina (15%), San Jose, California (15%), Sterling Heights, Michigan (5%), and Stafford, Virginia (5%), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $113,548,696 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was based on full and open competition with the solicitation publicized on the Federal Business Opportunities website with five offers received. The option contract line item numbers were included within that contract and are being exercised in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-7 option for increased quantity-separately priced line item. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006). Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, is awarded a $23,925,125 modification (P00005) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost contract (N00421-19-D-0031). This modification exercises the option to provide contractor owned and operated aircraft to Navy fleet customers, foreign military sales customers, and contractors as well as Department of Defense and other government agencies in support of the Contracted Air Services (CAS) program. The CAS program provides airborne threat simulation capabilities to train shipboard and aircraft squadron weapon systems operators and aircrew on how to counter potential enemy electronic warfare and electronic attack operations in today's electronic combat environment. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia (50%); Coronado, California (40%); and Kauai, Hawaii (10%), and is expected to be completed in February 2021. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. L3Harris Technologies Inc., Palm Bay, Florida, is being awarded a $14,693,123 modification to exercise priced options to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract issued by the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. This modification increases the value of the basic contract by $14,693,123; the new total value is $61,180,747. This modification provides for the exercise of firm-fixed-price options for Commercial Broadband Satellite Program Unit Level Variant (ULV) hardware production units. ULV provides terminal-to-shore, space and terrestrial connectivity to significantly increase throughput for commercial satellite communication and provides redundancy for military satellite communications. Work will be performed in Palm Bay, Florida, and is expected to be completed by August 2020. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy), and fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,693,123 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-14-C-0041). DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $10,649,613 modification (P00027) to a previously awarded cost reimbursable, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-17-C-0043). This modification provides for the planning and execution of test efforts for aircraft and weapons components through a Milestone C decision to include developmental and operational test and evaluation efforts associated with modifications to existing commercial-off-the-shelf and non-developmental items, which require engineering, design, integration, test and evaluation. This modification also provides contractor services support in administration, engineering and management functions in support of the Naval Test Wing Atlantic, Naval Air Systems Command and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in February 2021. Working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,062,000 and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $812,739 will be obligated at time of award, $812,739 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $9,913,382 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N68335-20-F-0068) against basic ordering agreement (N68335-18-G-0039). This delivery order provides for continued maturation of the Expeditionary Mission Planning System. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%) and Middletown, Virginia (35%), and is expected to be completed in February 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,100,000 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $9,329,088 firm-fixed-price contract for the maintenance, repair and preservation of Caisson Six. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $9,329,088 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility code 400, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity (N4523A-20-C-1053). Raytheon Co., Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, was 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. 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; only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Phalanx Close-In Weapon System is a fast-reaction terminal defense against low and high-flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other defenses. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Awarded Feb. 24, 2020. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $7,373,400 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00019-20-F-0573) against basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This delivery order procures 30 A1 G-Model kits and 66 A3 E-Model kits in support of F/A-18E/F and EA-18G modifications. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (86%); St. Louis, Missouri (6%); San Antonio, Texas (6%); and Mesa, Arizona (2%), and is expected to be completed in October 2023. Fiscal 2019 ($3,701,400) and fiscal 2020 ($3,672,000) aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,373,400 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Tapestry Solutions Inc., San Diego, California, has been awarded a $28,390,620 for F-15 mission planning software development and maintenance. This contract provides for the F-15 software development of the v6.1 Mission Planning Environment and supports the F-15 Organizational Flight Program Suite 9.1 through sustainment of the previously-fielded v5.0 Mission Planning Environment for the Air Force and foreign country specific releases for the foreign military sales (FMS) client nations as well as the in-test v6.0 Mission Planning Environment. The foreign military sales effort allows continued support to incorporate requirements to provide country specific versions of Air Force Mission Planning Environment updates in accordance with each country specific FMS Letters of Acceptance between the U.S. government and the foreign government. The Mission Planning Environment updates will be fielded outside the continental U.S. to the foreign military sales costumers with current Letters of Acceptance in place with the U.S. government. Work will be performed in Maryland Heights, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2023. This contract involves foreign military sales to Canada, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Korea and Qatar. Plans to include Japan and other countries are to be anticipated. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 and include operations and maintenance and research and development funds in the amount of $387,876 are being obligated at the time of award. Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-20-C-0001). L3Harris Technologies Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $22,990,454 cost reimbursement and cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Transition-On and Ground Based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance Upgrade Technical Maturation and Risk Reduction on the Maintenance of Space Situational Awareness Integrated Capabilities (MOSSAIC) acquisition. MOSSAIC will provide sustainment services for current and future ground-based Space Situational Awareness (SSA) sensors, SSA Command and Control systems, and Space Battle Management Command and Control capabilities in the Space and Missile System Center Space Domain Awareness Division Special Programs - Ground portfolio. Additionally, MOSSAIC provides for sustainment of and modernization of associated test and integration infrastructure capabilities supporting the Space Domain Awareness Division Special Programs - Ground portfolio. The MOSSAIC contract scope will also include modifications and upgrades for all MOSSAIC systems, it sustains or will sustain, to maintain operational performance and evolve system capabilities to meet new mission needs, as necessary. The location of performance is Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Dahlgren, Virginia. This awarded work is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2020. This award is a result of a competitive acquisition solicited on BetaSam and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,804,531 and fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $6,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile System Center Directorate of Contracting, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8823-20-C-0004). Call Henry Inc., Titusville Florida, has been awarded a $10,096,797 predominantly fixed-price incentive modification (P00075) to previously awarded contract FA4610-18-C-0005, to exercise option year three. This modification provides management and support, maintenance and repair, operations, other services and minor alteration related to launch operations support. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $60,535,156. Work will be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,200,000 will be obligated at the time of award. The 30th Contracting Squadron, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2094196/source/GovDelivery/
June 13, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

As European defense evolves, here’s how industry is responding
WASHINGTON — As priorities in Europe evolve, particularly with the threat of Russia growing more profound, industry partners are left to adapt. Defense News spoke to Kim Ernzen, vice president of land warfare systems in Raytheon Missile Systems, to find out the company's approach to meeting customer expectations. EU and NATO cooperation on defense is evolving. As they work out roles, is it challenging for industry? From an international or global footprint, we are looking to continue to expand in international marketspaces. As we look particularly to EU and NATO starting to cooperate more, the EU brings some capabilities to the table. Obviously NATO is typically backed more from the U.S. [But] it's how we merge the capabilities together so the fighting forces have what they need when they go into harm's way. From a U.S. defense industry perspective, we like to make sure we protect the latest and greatest. When we look to international, we work through the normal releasability channels to make sure we can release our products. I think there is going to be increased opportunity, because the threats are continuing to evolve. From a pure RMS perspective, we're well positioned to support [combatting] those threats. We continue to work closely not only with the U.S.-based customer, but through them, the international partners to look at the capabilities they may need. Missile defense remains a huge priority in Europe, but how have hybrid warfare tactics, particularly from Russia, influences defense strategies and as a result the investments? As we as a nation look at how to pivot from urban warfare of the last two decades to what many would consider more traditional warfare, but with added complexities of things like cyberattacks, EW. So now you go into overmatch capability, a long-range standoff capability. Army is focused on how to get long-range precision fires that supports the [combatant commands] in the international footprints, being able to protect the European front against advancing Russia threats. And it's got to have that standup capability, they also have to be able to see further. From a company perspective, we're involved in the PRSM [program] — the new Long Range Precision Fire competition between us and Lockheed Martin. And we're also working to enhance the sighting capability on the vehicle, so they can see farther and identity threats sooner. We see a lot of exercises in Europe. Does industry have enough of a seat at the table? We don't necessarily engage one-on-one with the exercising activities that go on; we'll get feedback through customer communities. This is something we talk with our customers about continually: the more we can be engaged, the more we can bring to bear, whether company investments, a spin on the product; the more we can partner with the customer community, sooner, the better it is for them and us as well. We just haven't necessarily always done that. We've seen a great deal of emphasis on increased defense spending of our European allies. Have you seen a bump up? Or if not, where do you see them focusing in on in terms of spending? We have seen a modest increase, particularly across the munitions fronts. Everyone [is looking] in the cupboard drawer, wanting to make sure they have the right stockpiles should they need to go into any engagement with the enemy. We're also continuing to see internationally more system integrated solutions. Not just coming forward with a product, but how a system would work and operate so they can be more nimble in the battlefield. That's a transition we're seeing. The FMS system can be painful to work through. Have their been improvements? We need to look at [whether we] can start converting more programs to direct commercial sales, depending on where we're at in a lifecycle of a product, and what it is we're trying to protect or throttle. FMS is a slow an laborious process. It hinders industry from capitalizing on market opportunities. The more we can change the paradigm and partner with the government side to do more [direct sales], the more they will benefit long term because they get the volume to drive down prices, and allow us to recoup funds to invests in future technology. But there are challenges, because each branches has organizations that support foreign military sales. There's a balance. As more and more countries seek indigenous capacities as well as a return on defense investments domestically, has the nature of partnership changed? Part of partnering with some of these countries involves offset requirements. Often as we start to partner with indigenous capable industries, it used to be ok to [offer up] basic machining. But there is more pull for being able to put high levels of noble work into these countries. Some are more advanced in capabilities, and as we look to partner, how to do we strike that balance, leveraging some technology they may bring to bear, with what we're trying to keep domestically and protected? It's an interesting paradigm. And a tipping point with how U.S. industry deals with going international. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/eurosatory/2018/06/12/as-european-defense-evolves-heres-how-industry-is-responding/

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