LANCEMENT OFFICIEL DE L'AGENCE DE L'INNOVATION DE DÉFENSE

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  November 15, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Dubai Airshow Issue 1

  Welcome to this edition of the digital ShowNews, an interactive and immersive highlight of content from the Dubai Airshow.

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  July 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 15, 2020

  ARMY General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $249,000,000 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed price) contract for Increment I of the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 14, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-F-0382). Hensel Phelps, Phoenix, Arizona, was awarded a $91,819,195 firm-fixed-price contract for a ground based strategic deterrent mission integration facility at Hill Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2023. Fiscal 2020 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $35,747,184 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-20-C-0012). Burns and McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (W912HP-20-D-5000); Cromwell Architects Engineers Inc., Little Rock, Arkansas (W912HP-20-D-5001); and Exp Federal Inc., Chicago, Illinois (W912HP-20-D-5002), will compete for each order of the $49,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for multidiscipline architect-engineer services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 14, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. TeamGOV Inc.,* Hyattsville, Maryland, was awarded a $7,531,979 modification (P00003) to contract W912DY-19-F-1336 to maintain complete and functional access control point control systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Killeen and Fort Bliss, Texas; McAlester and Fort Sill, Oklahoma; Fort Polk, Louisiana; White Hall, Arkansas; Camp Roberts and Fort Irwin, California; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; Fort Huachuca, Arizona; and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of July 14, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $3,183,862 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. A Finkl and Sons Finkl Steel-Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $7,181,165 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of hollow preform forgings for Watervliet Arsenal, New York. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Chicago, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2024. Fiscal 2020 revolving funds in the amount of $7,181,165 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W911PT-20-C-0022). NAVY Raytheon Technologies, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is awarded an $88,050,510 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-6423 for the production of the MK54 Lightweight Torpedo MOD 0 and MOD 1 common part kits and spare torpedo components. This modification combines purchases for the Navy (18%); and the governments of Canada (72%); Republic of Korea (5%); Denmark (3%); Australia (1%); and Spain (1%), under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (95%); and Keyport, Washington (5%), and is expected to be completed by May 2023. FMS funding in the amount of $71,687,560; and fiscal 2020 and 2018 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $16,145,556 and $217,394 respectively, will be obligated at time of award, of which $217,394 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. ERAPSCO JV, Sparton and USSI, Columbia City, Indiana, is awarded a $71,801,600 modification (P00005) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This modification increases the ceiling of the contract to provide for the production and delivery of a maximum quantity of 20,000 AN/SSQ-125 Sonobuoys production. Sonobuoys are air launched expendable, electro-mechanical anti-submarine warfare acoustic sensors designed to relay underwater sounds associated with ships and submarines. Work will be performed in De Leon Spring, Florida (51%); and Columbia City, Indiana (49%), and is expected to be completed by July 2022. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $26,463,116 cost-plus-fixed fee and cost only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-5501 to exercise options and realign level of effort ceiling for Air and Missile Defense Radar AN/SPY-6(V) integration and production support efforts. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts (64%); Kauai, Hawaii (12%); Fair Lakes, Virginia (10%); Moorestown, New Jersey (8%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (6%); and San Diego, California (less than 1%). This option exercise is for performance of the integration and production support for continued combat system integration and test, engineering, training, software, depot maintenance and field engineering in support of the Air and Missile Defense Radar AN/SPY-6(V). Work is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $35,960,832 will be obligated at time of award. Funds in the amount of $15,410 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured under the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $12,201,000 for ceiling-priced delivery order N00383-20-F-A341 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00383-17-G-A301 for the procurement of multiple flight control surfaces in support of the Boeing F/A-18 E-G Super Hornet aircraft. All work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by May 2026. Kuwait funds in the amount of $5,978,490 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Kuwait (100%) funds will be used under the Foreign Military Sales program. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) and one offer was received. The Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. SJC-BVIL*, Montrose, Colorado, is awarded a $9,592,555 firm-fixed-price task order (N40084-20-F-4464) under a design-bid-build, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, unrestricted multiple awarded construction contract for commercial and institutional building construction contract to convert the overhead power and telephone lines to underground from wood power poles. The work is located from the Navy ammunition area to the Air Force ammunition area along DG1. The work will be performed at U.S. Naval Support Facility, Diego Garcia. All work will be performed in British Indian Ocean Territory. The work to be performed will replace the existing overhead feeder lines from technical feeder wood power poles (WPP) 26 to 82 and from non-technical feeder (WPP) 1013 to 1041 with underground loop-feed type system including conduits and conductors, pad-mounted transformer and switch, grounding system and related system appurtenances. End result is all referenced power and communication lines be underground and on the ocean side of the road. Work is expected to be completed by September 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,592,555 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Far East, Yokosuka, Japan, is the contracting activity (N40084-18-D-0068). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Boeing Distribution Services Defense, O'Fallon, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $81,000,000 modification (P00067) exercising the first three-year option period of a four-year base contract (SPE5EY-16-D-0547) with two, three-year option periods for broad supply chain management of industrial hardware relating to maintenance, repair and overhaul missions. This is a firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Missouri and Texas, with a July 31, 2023, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Grasmick Produce Co.,* Boise, Idaho, has been awarded a maximum $20,304,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruit and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Idaho, with a July 14, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force, Army, Marine Corps and Department of Agriculture schools and reservations. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-P357). AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $35,964,710 firm-fixed-price, undefinitized contract for repair of 174 B-52 Engine Nose Cowls for the B-52 Stratofortress Bomber jet. Work will be performed in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed July 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8119-20-C-0004). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2275570/source/GovDelivery/

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  February 26, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  USAF Launches Effort To Speed Up Commercial EVTOL Market

  Graham Warwick The U.S. Air Force has detailed its plans to accelerate the emerging advanced air mobility market, and potentially become an early adopter of electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) vehicles, but is making clear it does not intend to set requirements or fund development. Instead, the service wants to help developers along the way to commercial certification and volume production by providing testing resources and possibly enabling a near-term government public-use market for their vehicles in advance of FAA certification. The Air Force's Agility Prime program office published its “innovative capabilities opening” (ICO) on Feb. 25, establishing a contracting framework for prototyping projects designed to show whether, as their developers claim, eVTOL vehicles can revolutionize mobility, particularly logistics. Under the ICO framework, which will remain open until Feb. 28, 2025, the service plans to release a series of solicitations for different “areas of interest” (AOI). The first of these—AOI #1, or the “Air Race to Certification”—was also released on Feb. 25. Other AOIs could range from autonomy to manufacturing. Under AOI #1, the Air Force office plans to issue contracts to produce test reports that will substantiate company claims for their eVTOL vehicles. Based on a test report, the service could proceed to the next step, potentially an early procurement, says Col. Nathan Diller, Agility Prime integrated product team lead. “They can leverage that test report to get military certification that would allow near-term government use cases that would accelerate commercial certification, potentially providing revenue and data that accelerates the broader adoption of the technology,” he says. The Air Force has not established explicit requirements for an eVTOL. Instead, it has launched studies into potential missions in which commercial vehicles—both passenger-carrying and larger unmanned aircraft—could be used. These could include distributed logistics, medevac, firefighting, search-and-rescue, disaster relief and facility security. The Air Force is aiming for an initial operating capability (IOC) in fiscal 2023 with a “handful-plus” of vehicles in a squadron. “We have begun a series of studies to look at the business case associated with these different missions, and we have started looking at some basic constructs for what these units [operating the aircraft] might look like,” Diller says. “They may be very different units to what we are doing now.” To qualify under the first AOI, companies must have flown their vehicles by Dec. 17, 2020. Diller says some eVTOL developers are ready to submit test reports and move on to the next step, while others will take longer. “That gives us a year to see which companies are ready, but we feel we are in a position to award contracts quickly.” Agility Prime was provided with $10 million in funding in fiscal 2019 and $25 million in 2020. This is not money requested in the Air Force's fiscal 2021 budget, but Diller says there is a “strong desire and intent to fund” the program in fiscal 2022 and future years to get to an IOC in fiscal 2023. The AOI calls for vehicles that can carry three to eight people, with a range greater than 200 mi., speed faster than 100 mph and endurance of more than 60 min. As well as passenger-carrying eVTOLs, Diller says Agility Prime is looking at unmanned cargo aircraft heavier than 1,320 lb. because the other services are focusing below that weight. The Agility Prime ICO is structured to encourage participation by smaller companies and nontraditional defense contractors, but not exclude traditional Pentagon suppliers that are innovating, he says. Bidders are required to cover at least a third of the cost of the prototype project themselves. The objective of Agility Prime is to “catalyze the commercial market by bringing our military market to bear,” Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper said at a roundtable on Feb. 21. “It's equally important to make sure that commercial market catalyzes first in the U.S.,” he added. “That's equally as important as providing the capability to the warfighter. What we don't want to happen is what happened with the small drone migration to China,” he said. “It was a commercial technology, the Pentagon didn't take a proactive stance on it, and now most of that supply chain has moved to China.” U.S. government agencies have banned the use of Chinese-made drones, citing security concerns. “If we had realized that commercial trend and shown that the Pentagon is willing to pay a higher price for a trusted supply-chain drone, we probably could have kept part of the market here and not had to go through the security issues we have now,” he said. “Agility Prime is saying we are not going to let that happen again,” Roper said. Diller says the Air Force is not imposing military requirements on eVTOL developers because it wants to benefit from the low acquisition and operating costs and potentially high production volumes that could come out of the commercial market. “Since we are not putting research and development money in this, we are going to fall into accordance with what the industry partners want to do,” he says. “Our intent is that any testing they do with us will be something that takes them along the path to commercial certification and is not diverting them.” If the Air Force were to set requirements and fund development, “we would feel we are putting at risk a very large market that would allow us to eventually capitalize on that affordable quantity based on potential mass production at an automobile rate,” he says. https://aviationweek.com/shows-events/air-warfare-symposium/usaf-launches-effort-speed-commercial-evtol-market