Leonardo CEO sees European 'change of mindset' on defence

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  December 10, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 7, 2018

  NAVY General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $346,500,311 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111 for fiscal 2019 lead yard support and development studies and design efforts for Virginia class submarines. This lead yard support will maintain, update, and support the Virginia class design and related drawings and data for each Virginia class Submarine, including technology insertion, throughout its construction and post shakedown availability period. The contractor will also provide all engineering and related lead yard support necessary for direct maintenance and support of Virginia class ship specifications. In addition, this contract modification provides development studies and design efforts related to the Virginia class submarine design and design improvements, preliminary and detail component and system design, integration of system engineering, design engineering, test engineering, logistics engineering, and production engineering. The contractor will continue development studies and design efforts related to components and systems to accomplish research and development tasks and prototypes and engineering development models required to fully evaluate new technologies to be inserted in succeeding Virginia class submarines. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (91 percent), Newport News, Virginia (8 percent); and at other various sites throughout the U.S. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $129,889,865 will be obligated at time of award and no funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded a $41,528,204 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-13-C-5314 for Mk 21 mod 2 (SM-3); and Mk 21 mod 3 (SM-6) canisters in support of the Mk 41 Vertical Launching System (VLS). The Mk 41 VLS provides a missile launching system for CG 47- and DDG 51-class surface combatants of the Navy, as well as surface combatants of allied navies. This effort includes the manufacture, production and test of Mk 21 mod 2 and Mk 21 mod 3 canisters. The canisters provide rocket motor exhaust gas containment and a launch rail during missile firing. The canisters also serve as missile shipping and storage containers. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, South Dakota (90 percent); and Minneapolis, Minnesota (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy); fiscal 2018 Defense-wide procurement; and fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $41,528,204 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. DRS Power & Control Technologies Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is awarded a $13,339,019 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-14-C-4200 to exercise an option for DDG 51-class power conversion modules (PCM) for the Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) production ship sets, engineering services and associated support. This contract provides for the AMDR PCM non-recurring engineering, long-lead-time material, low-rate initial production units for testing, associated engineering services and support, and up to 12 production ship sets for DDG 51-class ships. The requirements support the DDG 51 class flight III new construction program (PMS 400D) and the electric ships office (PMS 320). The AMDR PCM will supply power to the radar from the ship's service electrical system. Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is expected to be completed by April 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $13,339,019 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Progeny Systems Corp., Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $12,739,130 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-14-C-6220) to exercise options for engineering services and Navy equipment. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2020. Fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $12,739,130 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded a $9,062,606 firm- fixed-price contract for USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) mid-term availability commencing on Jan. 8, 2019. Work will include general steel and piping repairs, air conditioning plant installation, air conditioning plant maintenance, steam driven fire pump turbine inspection, bilge and ballast segregation, lifeboat and life raft davit falls replacement, and ventilation duct cleaning. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $11,323,572. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 21, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,062,606 and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C6500). (Awarded Dec. 6, 2018) AIR FORCE Affordable Engineering Services, San Diego, California; Logmet LLC, Round Rock, Texas: Powerhouse Resources International, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and SkyQuest Aviation, Glendale, Arizona, have been awarded a ceiling $160,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple-award, five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for maintenance with an option to extend the ordering period by one year. This contract will support maintenance and related tasks for Ogden Air Logistics Complex, Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group, Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona; Vandenberg AFB, California; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; Minot AFB, North Dakota; Randolph AFB, Texas; and Francis E. Warren AFB, Wyoming. Work is expected to be completed Dec. 6, 2025. This multiple-award is the result of a competitive acquisition and eight offers were received. Fiscal 2018 consolidated sustainment activity group - maintenance funds in the amount of $10,000 ($2,500 per awardee) are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8224-19-D-0011). ARMY Fluor Federal Solutions LLC, Greenville, South Carolina, was awarded a $145,720,840 firm-fixed-price contract for a weapons storage and maintenance facility. Bids were solicited with five received. Work will be performed in Laramie, Wyoming, with an estimated completion date of April 17, 2020. Fiscal 2016 military construction funds in the amount of $147,965,622 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-18-C-0029). Intelligent Decisions LLC, Ashburn, Virginia, was awarded a $46,500,000 modification (P00005) to contract W912DY-18-F-0004 for information technology hardware, agnostic parts and accessories. Work will be performed in Ashburn, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 11, 2019. Fiscal 2019 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers revolving funds in the amount of $46,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Arrowpoint Corp.,* McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $17,022,960 modification (P00012) to contract W9133L-15-F-0011 for the management of the reserve component manpower system. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 15, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $17,022,960 were obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. FN America LLC, Columbia, South Carolina, was awarded a $13,273,603 modification (P00015) to contract W15QKN-15-D-0003 for work on the M240 series machine gun. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 8, 2019. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. The 106 Group Ltd.,* St. Paul, Minnesota (W912PP-19-D-0003); Brockington and Associates Inc.,* Peachtree Corners, Georgia (W912PP-19-D-0004); Desert Archaeology Inc.,* Tucson, Arizona (W912PP-19-D-0005); R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates Inc.,* Las Cruces, New Mexico (W912PP-19-D-0006); Harris Environmental Group Inc.,* Tucson, Arizona (W912PP-19-D-0007); Keres SEAS JV,* Albuquerque, New Mexico (W912PP-19-D-0008); Northland Research Inc.,* Tempe, Arizona (W912PP-19-D-0009); North Wind Resource Consulting LLC,* Phoenix, Arizona (W912PP-19-D-0010); Statistical Research Inc.,* Redlands, California (W912PP-19-D-0011); and Stell Environmental Enterprises Inc.,* Exton, Pennsylvania (W912PP-19-D-0012), will share in a $9,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for tribal consultation, cultural resources, and environmental services. Bids were solicited with 12 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 6, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Parker-Hannifin Corp., Irvine, California, has been awarded a maximum $14,202,759 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order (SPRRA1-19-F-0113) against a three-year contract (SPRRA1-19-D-0031) for hydraulic manifolds. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is California, with a Nov. 30, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. Aurora Industries LLC,* Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $36,835,535 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for duffle bags. This is a two-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive 8(A) set-aside acquisition with three responses received. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Dec. 6, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1117). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1708175/source/GovDelivery/

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  June 27, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

  ‘We need to be impatient’: Estonia’s No. 2 defense official dives into NATO priorities

  By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON ― As a border state with Russia, Estonia is well aware it is ground zero for any potential conflict between Moscow and NATO. The country is hitting the target of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense, as requested by the alliance, and it is trying to modernize and build up its military capabilities. But like many nations in Europe, Estonia faces tough budgetary realities. Jonatan Vseviov, the permanent secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defence, serves as the point man in directing those investments ― and per local news reports, he is on the short list to be the next ambassador to the United States. He talked to Defense News about those issues, as well as cyber challenges, during a June visit to Washington. I want to start with the big picture. Estonia is going to the summit in a couple of weeks. What are some of the priorities you are looking at? NATO is the cornerstone of our security. We expect a lot, not only from this summit but from NATO in general. NATO has been doing a lot of good work on defense and deterrence, bolstering up its presence in the Baltic states as well as in other regions in the eastern part of the alliance. I think that work needs to continue, and we expect a good number of decisions from the summit regarding the readiness of alliance forces, regarding reinforcement, the ability of the alliance to reinforce different regions. Obviously burden-sharing is going to be a key topic for NATO. We, as you might know, are one of the nations that contribute more than 2 percent of our GDP towards national defense. That is going to be a topic that will be discussed, I'm sure at length, at the summit. We are obviously aware of the fact that output is as important as input. And what I mean by that is that what you actually get for your defense dollars or euros is what, at the end of the day, matters. But there is no output without sufficient input. So both input and output are important. We need to be impatient. We need to ask for more and faster results. And we've been doing that for the past few years, and I think we are on the right track. One of the things that is expected to come out of the summit is standing up a new Atlantic Command. There's been a lot of talk about something along those lines for the Baltic. Where is Estonia on the idea of a Baltic command? And can it happen, given how NATO resources are always constrained? When it comes to, for instance, reinforcement, there are several key elements to that. One is the readiness of all forces. Military mobility, which has become a very famous topic, which is obviously crucially important not only for the Baltic states but for the alliance in general. Discussion on pre-positioning, for instance, as part of the overall military mobility issue. Planning and exercise: It's something that we often talk about in the context of defense and deterrence and then obviously also command structure. The NATO command structure has been and will be adapted to make it more fit for the time we're in right now. There is also NATO force structure, which is crucially important. We do expect to see a divisional level or two-star HQ that would concentrate on the Baltic states. Discussions are underway between us and the Latvians and Danes to set up what is known as a Multinational Division North to complement what Multinational Division North East in Poland is already doing, to complement what the NATO force structure in general, as well as the command structure, is doing. So I think our command structure needs to evolve as the challenges evolve, and as the forces that we have available for our defense evolve. I think we're on the right path; and the Multinational Division North ― not only is it necessary, it is also a decision that will come at a very, very right time. There are no silver bullets when it comes to security in general ― no silver bullets in policy and no silver bullets and capability. It's a complex picture, so we need to concentrate on alliance relationships. Part of your job is to figure out investments for the money you're spending ― the best way to build Estonian forces. What are some of the key investments that Estonia is making in the next couple years? And what are the areas that you're hoping to start investing in the next couple of years? Most of our procurement, a good portion of procurement, is relatively small stuff, but more than 20 percent [of defense spending] is major equipment. Some of the examples: We're mechanizing one of our battalions, which is a lengthy process. It started back in 2013 [and] will continue for the next few years. We are investing heavily in infrastructure not only for our own purposes but for the purposes of hosting allies. We are investing in ammunition. All of our acquisitions are targeted at making sure that we are not creating a hollow force. And the most important element of making sure that you don't have a hollow force is ammunition, whether you have it or you don't. So we're spending a lot out of our procurement budget on making sure that we actually have the ammunition for the weapon systems that we have in the armed forces. Self-propelled howitzers, one of the latest developments that we are about to procure together with Finland, which is a good example of a joint procurement. We spent a lot of money on intelligence early warning both within the military as well as within the civilian sector, and we're setting up a cyber command within the armed forces. We've been talking about cyber for a long time, we've been working on cyber. We are a very internet-dependent society, but only now are we creating a separate cyber command within the armed forces, so that will require additional investments. These are probably some of the key areas where we intend to spend our money on in the next few years. Since you mentioned it, let's talk cyber. If Estonia is known for anything worldwide, it might well be cyber capabilities. You're also home to the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. Where is NATO on cyber? Is it getting where it needs to be or lagging behind? How concerned should the allies be about where they stand on cyber? I think we should always be concerned when it comes to cyber, and this is a very fast, developing domain. During the summit in Warsaw, for instance, the heads of state and government declared cyber to be one of the domains in security. I think that was a very important decision. In theory, it could trigger Article 5 now. Well, there is a good level of what I would call “constructive ambiguity“ built into the wording of the Washington Treaty and also Article 5. So Article 5 is what we decide to be Article 5, and that is very useful. We don't want to give anybody a list of attacks that would trigger Article 5 because that would obviously mean that we automatically also create a list of potential attacks that would not trigger Article 5. Cyber is certainly a new domain. We are, I think, still scratching the surface of what it all means. It took us several years, perhaps even several decades, to think through, for instance, the air domain after airplanes arrived on the horizon and were used in major conflicts. We still didn't have an air force until, in most cases, in the late 1940s or 1950s. So it will take us time to figure out how best to operate, how best to organize ourselves in the cyber domain. What is certain, though, is that the government alone cannot defend the cyber society, if you will. And will require not only a whole-of-government but really a whole-of-society approach. And secondly, obviously, the physical borders do not matter in cyber. So national initiatives are important, but they are nothing if there is no international component to our efforts. So figuring out all of this, thinking through the legal aspects, the policy aspects, is one of the things that the center of excellence in Tallinn does. We're certain that we are again on the right path, in both NATO and the European Union, but I think it will take time for us to fully comprehend the best way to operate in this new domain. But how well, in your estimation, are the NATO allies integrating with cyber? I think there's still a long way to go. Cyber tends to be a very sensitive area for obvious reasons, oftentimes also harnessed within intelligence organizations. But we're making progress. There is more sharing, information sharing in NATO as well as between allies bilaterally, than there was a few years ago. So I think people are realizing that we need international cooperation; and without international cooperation, we simply cannot succeed in this new domain. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/nato-priorities/2018/06/26/we-need-to-be-impatient-estonias-no-2-defense-official-dives-into-nato-priorities/

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  March 3, 2021 | International, Aerospace

  The pre-release of the following Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) topics has been EXTENDED until March 9, 2021:

  ATTENTION: The pre-release of the following Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) topics has been EXTENDED until March 9, 2021: Space Development Agency (SDA), HQ085021S0001 SBIR Topic HQ085021S0001-01: Free-Space Optical Communication (FSOC) Technology for Optical Intersatellite Links (OISLs), published at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/7e60b2b1a9014888925a1d4b4fecd0df/view SBIR Topic HQ085021S0001-02: L-Band Multiband/Interleaved Electronically Scanned Array (ESA) Antenna, published at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/6b1fd1d4efca4e3aad5d7ad4699ac4eb/view SBIR Topic HQ085021S0001-03: Advanced Space Mesh Networking, published at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/338239928d54409ea01ee400325b2e5e/view STTR Topic HQ085021S0001-04: Advanced Space Mesh Networking, published at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/002cf1a4efcb472dbb5f87c9e23aab26/view SBIR Topic HQ085021S0001-05: Mesh Network NSA Certifiable Cryptographic Solution, published at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/262cd2b6216e4002bdd6b15789d5a73e/view STTR Topic HQ085021S0001-06: Mesh Network NSA Certifiable Cryptographic Solution, published at: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/533dbc7e30e4452eb3cc814b882c21a7/view IMPORTANT DATES: [NEW] March 9, 2021: Topic Q&A opens; BAA opens, begin submitting proposals in DSIP [NEW] March 24, 2021: Topic Q&A closes to new questions at 12:00 p.m. ET March 31, 2021: BAA closes, full proposals must be submitted in DSIP no later than 12:00 p.m. ET Topic Q&A During pre-release, proposers can contact TPOCs directly. Once DoD begins accepting proposals on March 9, 2021, no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed. Topic Q&A will be available for proposers to submit technical questions at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login beginning March 9, 2021. All questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing. Topic Q&A will close to new questions on March 24, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET, but will remain active to view questions and answers related to the topics until the BAA close. DSIP Help Desk Contact Info Phone Number: 703-214-1333 Email: DoDSBIRSupport@reisystems.com Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. ET Thank you for your interest in the DoD SBIR/STTR Program. DoD SBIR/STTR Support Team To sign up and receive upcoming emails, please follow this link: https://secure.campaigner.com/CSB/Public/Form.aspx?fid=667492&ac=g9gk