On the same subject

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  January 11, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  Space Development Agency confirms SpaceX, L3Harris awards following protest

  Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — Following a protest by Raytheon Technologies, the Space Development Agency has reevaluated awards it made for eight satellites capable of tracking hypersonic weapons, opting to stick with its original vendors: SpaceX and L3Harris. “The reevaluation confirmed the original selection decision announced in October and concluded that [SpaceX] and L3Harris Technologies' proposals offered the best value to the government,” said SDA spokesperson Jennifer Elzea in a Jan. 7 statement. The agency initially announced contracts Oct. 5 for the eight satellites. L3Harris and SpaceX were awarded $193 million and $149 million respectively to each design and develop four satellites equipped with wide field of view (WFOV) overhead persistent infrared (OPIR) sensors. Those satellites would make up the agency's inaugural tracking layer, a low Earth orbit constellation capable of detecting and tracking ballistic and hypersonic weapons. Shortly thereafter, competitors Raytheon Technologies and Airbus U.S. Space and Defense individually filed protests against the award with the Government Accountability Office. A stop work order was put in place, preventing L3Harris and SpaceX from moving forward with the contracts. In response to the protests, SDA elected to reevaluate proposals. Raytheon filed another protest Dec. 17 claiming the agency's corrective was inadequate, but the GAO dismissed that action as premature. SDA completed its reevaluation in late December, confirming its original awards, and on Dec. 28 the stop work order was lifted. “SDA is confident that reevaluation resulted in a fair outcome for all involved parties,” said Elzea. “The agency continues to make all efforts to keep the tracking layer of the National Defense Space Architecture on schedule.” In dismissing Raytheon's protest as being premature, GAO did note that the company could still protest the agency's actions following the corrective action. Neither Raytheon nor Airbus immediately responded to inquiries as to whether they would file more protests. Back in October, SDA Director Derek Tournear told C4ISRNET the contracts were the result of a full and open competition based purely on technical merit. “SpaceX had a very credible story along that line — a very compelling proposal. It was outstanding,” he said. “They are one of the ones that have been at the forefront of this commercialization and commodification route.” In addition, “L3Harris had an extremely capable solution. They have a lot of experience flying affordable, rapid, small satellite buses for the department,” he said. “They had the plant and the line in place in order to produce these to hit our schedule.” The tracking layer is just one facet of the agency's National Defense Space Architecture, a planned mega-constellation that will eventually be made up of hundreds of satellites in low Earth orbit. SDA is using a spiral development approach to build out that constellation, by adding more satellites every two years. These eight satellites in question will be part of the first tranche, which is set to launch starting in 2022. More tracking layer satellites will be launched in later tranches. Tournear has previously stated that one of the agency's priorities is avoiding vendor lock, hosting an open competition for tracking layer satellites for future tranches. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2021/01/07/space-development-agency-confirms-spacex-l3harris-awards-following-protest

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  January 12, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  La DGA officialise la réussite des premiers essais en vol du viseur d’étoiles diurne Vision

  Safran Electronics & Defense et Sodern offrent à la France une technologie inédite, applicable à plusieurs domaines stratégiques. Un nouveau potentiel de croissance économique pour les industriels. Un projet innovant Nous avions présenté en juin 2020 le projet de système de navigation innovant qui vise les étoiles en plein jour, et est capable de fonctionner sur avion, malgré le Soleil et au travers de l'atmosphère. Le projet est développé depuis 2016 par Safran Electronics & Defense (responsable du projet et de la fonction navigation) et Sodern (responsable de la fonction de visée stellaire), à la demande de la Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA) et de l'Agence de l'innovation de défense (AID). Désormais appelé Vision, le démonstrateur de visée stellaire diurne a été testé pour la première fois en novembre-décembre dernier à bord d'un banc d'essais volant. Embarquement sur banc d'essai volant Quatre vols d'essais (trois de jour et un de nuit) ont été réalisés par la DGA Maîtrise de l'information (DGA MI), l'expert technique du Ministère des Armées pour les systèmes d'information et de communication, la cybersécurité, la guerre électronique et les systèmes de missiles tactiques et stratégiques. Les vols ont duré une dizaine d'heures au total, à différentes altitudes. Tout au long des trajectoires de chaque vol, de nombreuses étoilées ont été accrochées et poursuivies de manière fine par le démonstrateur. Vers une production en série La France se retrouve ainsi pionnière sur cette technologie d'avant-garde, tandis que Sodern y voit un fort potentiel de croissance. Le concept désormais prouvé, l'industriel prévoit de développer un prototype raffiné cette année, puis préparer la production en série du produit d'ici 2025, d'abord pour les Armées, puis éventuellement pour le marché civil. C'est un grand nombre d'appareils qui pourrait bénéficier de ces nouveaux viseurs d'étoiles : aéronefs de transport et de ravitaillement, drones longue endurance, avions d'arme, navires, voire même, selon l'AID, des missiles à long terme. Sodern se réjouit que sa technologie puisse ainsi profiter à d'autres technologies et être essaimée dans d'autres secteurs. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/la-dga-officialise-la-russite-des-premiers-essais-en-vol-du-viseur-dtoiles-diurne-vision-24060

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  October 18, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 17, 2018

  NAVY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., doing business as Northrop Grumman Mission Systems Sector, Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $697,029,788 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for system upgrades for the EA-18G system configuration sets, Airborne Electronic Attack and Electronic Warfare systems and final upgrades for the EA-6B system for the Navy and the government of Australia under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Pt. Mugu, California (50 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (29 percent); Bethpage, New York (20 percent); and Rolling Meadows, Illinois (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in amount of $996,902 are being obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Point Mugu, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-19-D-0007). LGS Innovations LLC, Westminster, Colorado, is awarded a $15,528,008 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for engineering services, materials, training, and testing to support integration and operation of information operations payloads into unmanned aerial vehicles used by the U.S. Special Operations Command and the Navy. This two-year contract includes a three-year option which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $34,996,905. Work will be performed across three geographic zones in the areas of Westminster, Colorado (40 percent); Florham Park, New Jersey (40 percent); and Jessup, Maryland (20 percent). The work is expected to be completed Oct. 16, 2020. If the option is exercised, the period of performance would extend through Oct. 16, 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funding will be obligated via task/delivery orders using anticipated types of funding to include: operations and maintenance (Navy); other procurement (Navy); and research, development, test and evaluation (Navy). Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This sole-source procurement is issued using other than full and open competition in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-D-3401). Wiley Wilson Burns and McDonnell JV, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification under a previously awarded indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract (N40080-15-D-0452) to exercise option four for engineering and design services for general and administrative facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be is $75,000,000. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various administrative facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington area of responsibility, including but not limited to, Maryland (45 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (30 percent); and Virginia (20 percent). Work may also be performed in the remainder of the U.S. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. 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 fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Rockwell Collins Inc. Government Systems Division, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $7,062,238 five-year long-term contract for repair of 22 various navigation and communication items that are a part of the KC-130J, H-1, E-2C, P-3, common systems and other aircraft. Work will be performed at contractor facilities in Atlanta, Georgia; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Calexico, California; and Wichita, Kansas. The percentage of work at each of those locations cannot be determined at this time, and work is expected to be completed by October 2023. Working capital (Navy) funds will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One firm was solicited for this non-competitive requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The requirement was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00383-19-D-PS01). General Electric Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded $7,041,528 for modification P00012 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-17-C-0047) for the procurement of 24 F414-GE-400 engine devices for Lot 42 F/A-18 aircraft. Work will be performed in Evendale, Ohio, and is expected to be completed in February 2019. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount $7,041,528 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. (Awarded Oct. 15, 2018) AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Layton, Utah, has been awarded a $55,567,613 undefinitized, firm-price incentive-fee contract, for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Cryptography Upgrade Increment II production. This contract provides for the government's minimum requirement of the production of 75 message processor drawers; 8 digital components; and program management support. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; and Huntington Beach, California, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 11, 2019. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2018 missile procurement funds in the amount of $17,864,050 are being obligated at the time of award. Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Contracting Division, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8204-19-C-0001). ARMY TGS USA,* McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $39,543,009 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Iraq) contract for Toyota Land Cruisers and spare parts. 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 Oct. 16, 2018. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-D-0010). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY UPDATE: US Eco Products Corp., Haverhill, Massachusetts (SPE8EC-19-D-0030), has been added as an awardee to the multiple-award contract for commercial snow removal equipment, issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0009, announced May 5, 2017. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1664968/source/GovDelivery/