Lack of Workers Is Hurting Supply Chains More than COVID, Defense Execs Say

On the same subject

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  July 31, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

  How GSA is Helping Small Businesses Get Contracts Faster

  By Jack Corrigan A newly launched pilot program lets the agency's contracting experts help push deals over the finish line. Officials at the General Services Administration on Monday said a new pilot program will speed up the government's adoption of innovative technologies by helping companies in the Small Business Innovation Research program more quickly strike deals with federal agencies. Last week GSA launched a pilot that would open up Assisted Acquisition Services to agencies and vendors in the third and final phase of the SBIR program. Run by the Small Business Administration, SBIR is divided into three phases. The first and second phases focus primarily on research and development, and during the third, companies work to commercialize their products. Under the pilot, GSA would collaborate with both customer agencies and SBIR vendors to hammer out initial contracts. After the products become commercialized, GSA would work to make them more widely available across government. Most of the 13 agencies involved in SBIR don't have specialists dedicated to finalizing phase three contracts, and delegating that responsibility to GSA would enable speedier deals and make products more widely available, said Mark Lee, assistant commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service Office of Policy and Compliance. “Currently there isn't a shared services offering that provides assisted acquisition for SBIR contracts,” Lee said in a conversation with reporters. “[The pilot] would be setting up that capability across government.” While GSA will offer the additional services to all SBIR participants, Lee said he sees the program making a particular impact on the acquisition of cybersecurity and threat detection products, as well as emerging battlefield technologies. The pilot will be led by the GSA Assisted Acquisition Services' Great Lakes regional office and run through the end of fiscal 2019. Depending on the program's success, GSA will determine whether it can offer the service more broadly, said Senior Procurement Executive Jeff Koses. Koses told reporters the program originated after defense agencies approached GSA looking for ways to streamline the contracting process. The pilot comes as part of the administration's larger push to simplify acquisition policy, he said, while still including “a set of guardrails to make sure that we're innovative but with essential controls.” Koses added he hopes accelerating the contracting process would help attract more small businesses to the federal marketplace, which agencies have historically struggled to do. “I think this is a great example of us listening to our customer agencies, our industry partners and the Small Business Administration and [figuring out] where we can provide value in the federal marketplace,” said Lee. “We think this is an opportunity to inject innovation into the federal marketplace, help support commercialization of these unique solutions and ultimately help grow jobs.” https://www.nextgov.com/it-modernization/2018/07/how-gsa-helping-small-businesses-get-contracts-faster/150151/

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  April 27, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Les dépenses militaires ont dépassé le seuil des 2% du PIB en France en 2020

  DÉFENSE Les dépenses militaires ont dépassé le seuil des 2% du PIB en France en 2020 Le SIPRI (Institut international de recherche sur la paix de Stockholm) a publié sa dernière étude le 26 avril. L'institut révèle que les dépenses militaires dans le monde ont crû de 2,6% en 2020 par rapport à 2019, pour s'établir à 1981 milliards de dollars (1637 milliards d'euros). Une progression d'autant plus impressionnante que le PIB mondial a reculé de 4,4% durant la même période en raison de la pandémie mondiale, souligne le SIPRI. Les dépenses militaires représentent 2,4% du PIB mondial en 2020. A eux seuls, cinq pays concentrent 62% des dépenses : les Etats-Unis ont consacré 778 milliards de dollars à leur armée, soit 39% des dépenses mondiales, un budget en hausse de 4,4% ; viennent ensuite la Chine (13% des dépenses mondiales), l'Inde (3,7%), la Russie (3,1%) et le Royaume-Uni (3%), qui a le plus investi parmi les pays européens pour ses armées. L'Allemagne et la France arrivent respectivement à la 7ème et 8ème position avec un niveau de dépenses quasiment identique, à 52,7 milliards de dollars, soit 2,7% des dépenses mondiales. La France franchit pour la première fois le seuil des 2% de son PIB pour son effort de défense depuis 2009. Ces 2% du PIB correspondent au seuil d'investissement conseillé par l'OTAN (Organisation du Traité de l'Atlantique Nord). L'Usine Nouvelle du 27 avril

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  July 10, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Another win for Boeing: New Zealand commits to the P-8 with $1.6 billion deal

  By: Nick Lee-Frampton New Zealand has become the fifth export customer (after Australia, India, Norway and the U.K.) for Boeing's P-8 Poseidon, with a $1.6 billion order for four aircraft. Announced July 9 by Minister of Defence Ron Mark, the order includes the cost of infrastructure and training equipment. The aircraft are expected to enter Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) from 2023 and will replace six Lockheed P-3K2 Orions that have served the RNZAF for more than 50 years. New Zealand purchased five P-3B Orions in 1966 and acquired a sixth aircraft in 1985. New avionics led to new designation of P-3K in the late 1980s; they were then given new wings as part of a life extension program in 2000. New radar and digital avionics from 2011 led to the designation P-3K2. A new title for the Orion fleet was introduced too, the Airborne Surveillance and Response Force. Always operated by 5 Squadron RNZAF from Whenuapai air base, Auckland, the squadron will operate its P-8As from Ohakea. Mark says options for a complementary maritime surveillance capability will be included in the forthcoming Defence Capability Plan review, due to be completed by the end of the year. Smaller manned aircraft, as well as remotely piloted aircraft and satellite surveillance will be considered to complement the P-8s. The Annual Report of the New Zealand Defence Force shows that last year the existing P-3K2 Orions flew around 120 hours on search and rescue missions and more than 500 hours conducting humanitarian aid and disaster relief work. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/07/09/another-win-for-boeing-new-zealand-commits-to-the-p-8-with-16-billion-deal/