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October 4, 2019 | International, Aerospace

Leonardo: Europe Should Have Role In Future Vertical Lift

Tony Osborne

The managing director of Leonardo's helicopter business says he would like to see a role for European industry in the programs that emerge from the U.S. Army's Future Vertical Lift (FVL).

Gian Piero Cutillo told Aerospace DAILY on the sidelines of the 1,000th AW139 helicopter delivery in September that the European helicopter industry had generated the competencies to make it a useful partner in such a program, and said the company was in continuous talks with different partners but “there is nothing concrete.”

European industry points to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, which while securing significant sales in Europe has had an impact on the sales of European-built combat aircraft.

There is a fear that with the volume of FVL platforms likely to be purchased by the U.S., their price could make FVL an attractive proposition for export customers. Sikorsky's Black Hawk has secured an increased customer base, particularly in Eastern Europe in recent years.

The U.S. Army's work on a Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA) and Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) is beginning to attract attention from European nations, with the U.S. Army planning to begin sharing information with allies shortly. The UK already has personnel embedded into the FVL program and is working on an operational analysis of its future helicopter fleets, with a focus on what high-speed rotorcraft can offer UK land forces.

“From my heart, I would like to see European industry become one of the main actors. I strongly believe we have all the capabilities,” Cutillo said. “We are talking about what will be a global program, with more than one technology and room for the traditional technology as well.”

Any FVL partnership should not be like that of previous programs, Cutillo said.

European industry has already begun the development of high-speed rotorcraft, such as Leonardo's AW609 tiltrotor, Airbus' X3 compound helicopter and a future development of the latter, the Rapid And Cost-Efficient Rotorcraft (RACER). But so far they are targeted to the commercial market.

An Airbus proposal for FARA, believed to use the X3 technology, was rejected earlier this year, with only U.S.-based companies awarded contracts. The Italian military is said to be interested in purchasing the Leonardo tiltrotor. But contractual limitations imposed by Bell, which was previously a partner on the AW609, stipulate that the aircraft cannot be offered with armaments. It is unclear whether these limitations extend to future tiltrotor models.

Leonardo is investigating future tiltrotor technologies through the European Union Clean Sky 2 program, with a technology demonstrator, the Next Generation Civil Tilt Rotor, due to fly in 2023.

https://aviationweek.com/vertical-flight/leonardo-europe-should-have-role-future-vertical-lift

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 12, 2019

    September 13, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 12, 2019

    NAVY Black Construction-Tutor Perini JV, Harmon, Guam (N62742-19-D-1328); Caddell-Nan JV, Montgomery, Alabama (N62742-19-D-1329); Core Tech-HDCC-Kajima LLC, Tamuning, Guam (N62742-19-D-1330); Gilbane SMCC ECC LLC, Concord, California (N62742-19-D-1331); and Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-19-D-1332), are awarded a combined $990,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award, design build construction contract for projects located primarily for sites in Guam and other areas within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Pacific area of responsibility (AOR). Gilbane SMCC ECC LLC is being awarded the initial $22,997,004 task order for the design and construction of a low rise combined dining and high-intensity tactical training facility for the aviation combat element at Andersen Air Force Base, Joint Region Marianas, Guam. The work to be performed provides new construction, renovation and minor construction, and may include but is not limited to: barracks/dormitories; administrative facilities; communication facilities; educational facilities; medical/dental/hospital facilities; dining facilities; industrial facilities; warehouse facilities; ranges; operational/training facilities; roads, streets and bridges; site utilities/infrastructure; dredging, and aviation facilities (including hangars and aprons), and other base development facilities. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by April 2022. All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Pacific AOR, which includes Guam (80%); Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (10%); Hawaii (5%); and other areas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (5%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion September 2024. Fiscal 2015 and 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds for $22,997,004 are obligated on this award, of which $13,615,340 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with eight proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Walsh Federal LLC, Chicago, Illinois, is awarded a $49,845,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of P426 Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Logistics Facility at Naval Station Mayport. The work to be performed provides for construction of a new four story, Phase II building, and renovations to the existing Phase I building. The two buildings will house the ashore component of administrative functions for deployed and in-port LCSs, as well as a portion of the training component. The project also includes improvements to Bailey Avenue that will connect P426 to a new parking deck to be designed and constructed under a separate contract. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds for $49,845,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-C-0913). The Johnson-McAdams Firm P.A.,* Greenwood, Mississippi, is awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for professional architectural and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). A $33,339 initial task order is awarded to prepare an engineering study of Building 361, detailing required repairs to the interior non-load bearing concrete masonry unit walls at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. Work for this task order is expected to be completed January 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR. The work to be performed provides for professional architectural and engineering services for preparation of design-bid-build documents (100% plans and specifications) and design-build request for proposals. Services may also include field investigation and facility damage assessments after hurricanes or other storm events. Specific duties include architectural programming, geotechnical investigation, surveying, cost estimating, DD Form 1391 preparation and other preliminary project documentation. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds for $33,339 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N; and military construction, (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 26 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-D-0123). Sroka Inc.,* Strongsville, Ohio, is awarded a $22,944,161 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the manufacture of 4,500 counterbalance stand-up rider forklift trucks in support of the Material Handling Equipment (MHE) Program. Work will be performed in Strongsville, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2019 MHE procurement funds (Navy) will be obligated as each delivery order is issued, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract resulted from a full and open competitive solicitation, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-19-D-UN01). Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $17,635,905 firm-fixed-price contract for a 63-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul dry-docking of USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 202). The $17,635,905 contract consists of the amounts listed in the following areas: category "A" work item cost, additional government requirement, other direct costs and general and administrative costs. Work will include general services, ballast tank recoating, ballast tank preservation, ship service diesel generator maintenance, deck covering replacement, docking and undocking, underwater hull and freeboard cleaning and preservation, stern shaft and propeller repair and sliding block chain replacement. The contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $19,206,905. Funds will be obligated Sept. 12, 2019, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 23, 2019. Contract funds for $17,635,240 excluding options, are obligated for fiscal 2020 using Navy working capital funds. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to begin Oct. 22, 2019. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and one offer was received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-19-C-4016). The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is awarded a $15,111,310 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00019-19-F-0301) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order is for non-recurring engineering for integration of the AN/AAQ-24 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures System onto one C-40A aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (40%); Seattle, Washington (35%); and San Antonio, Texas (25%), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for $15,111,310 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $12,920,955 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N64267-18-C-0132 for Aegis design agent field engineering services. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (34%); San Diego, California (31%); Yokosuka, Japan (19%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (4%); Washington, District of Columbia (4%); Port Hueneme, California (4%); and Rota, Spain (4%), and is expected to be completed by September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,042,000; and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding for $40,000 will be obligated at time of award, and funds for $1,042,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was non-competitively procured (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The services include test and evaluation, engineering change development, ordnance/ship alterations, modernization engineering, logistics and technical support, ordnance alterations kit development, integration and test support, AN/SPY-1 series radar antenna refurbishment and Coast Guard deep-water program design agent field engineering support. These services are in support of Aegis-equipped CGs and DDGs, allied Aegis-equipped ships and Coast Guard Aegis-configured ships. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $63,992,064. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, California, is awarded a $12,901,901 firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-5250 under a multiple award construction contract to repair failing taxiway India at Naval Base Coronado. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $14,268,901. The work to be performed provides for the construction to replace the existing deteriorated concrete with new compliant airfield pavement. The options, if exercised, provides for reconstruction of taxiway, demolition, earthwork, and construction of base, pavement, shoulders, striping, associated electrical along with incidental related work, cement stabilization and replacement of waterline. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds for $12,901,901 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2437). Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $10,948,268 cost-plus fixed-fee/award-fee order, N62786-19-F-0068, against the previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-15-G-2303, to provide advance planning, accomplishment and emergent availabilities for LCS-17 post shakedown availability. Lockheed Martin will provide advance planning and accomplishment of work for emergent availabilities and post-delivery test and trial support. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida (44%); Hampton, Virginia (24%); District of Columbia (18%); and Moorestown, New Jersey (14%), and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $9,866,326 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Louisville, Kentucky, is awarded a $7,480,485 firm-fixed-price delivery order for MK38 Machine Gun System coaxial kits. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (83%); and Mesa, Arizona (17%), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 Coast Guard weapons funding in the amount of $7,480,485 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract action will provide all of the necessary materials and services required to manufacture, assemble, inspect, preserve, package and ship Coaxial Kits to support operations and maintenance for the MK38 Machine Gun Systems used by the Navy and Coast Guard. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this delivery order was not competitively procured (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-19-F-0031) KIRA Aviation Services LLC, doing business as KIRA Operations Support,* Blytheville, Arkansas, is awarded a $7,107,857 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and outlying areas. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $33,972,756. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida (97%); and outlying areas (3%), and is expected to be completed by January 2021. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping, and other related services. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N); fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds; fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program; and fiscal 2020 family housing O&M, N contract funds in the amount of $6,459,206 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-D-1919). ARMY BFBC LLC, Bozeman, Montana, was awarded a $440,000,000 modification (P00005) to contract W912PL-19-C-0014 for replacement of El Centro and Yuma vehicle and pedestrian barrier. Work will be performed in El Centro, California; and Yuma, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 5, 2021. Fiscal 2010 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $440,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. Kiewit Infrastructure Co., Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, was awarded a $264,422,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of physical security and safety improvements on and around long span bridges. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in New York, New York, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2025. Fiscal 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $264,422,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0015). Raytheon Lockheed Martin Javelin JV, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded an $185,601,502 firm-fixed-price contract for the Javelin Weapon System full rate production, All Up Rounds, Command Launch Unit retrofits, battery coolant units, Javelin outdoor trainers, outdoor trainer instruction station, tripods, Javelin vehicle launcher and electronics. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation; Navy procurement; Marine Corps procurement; and missile procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $185,601,502 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-C-0076). Dobco Inc., Wayne, New Jersey, was awarded an $111,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of barracks. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in West Point, New York, with an estimated completion date of Aug.30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $111,600,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0020). Stoa Architects,* Pensacola, Florida (W912DY-19-D-0023); Raymond Pond Full Service Solutions JV LLC,* Conyers, Georgia (W912DY-19-D-0024); PSC-Schenkel Shultz,* Lubbock, Texas (W912DY-19-D-0025); Rogers Lovelock & Fritz, Orlando, Florida (W912DY-19-D-0026); Michael Baker-Stanley JV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (W912DY-19-D-0027); and the Mason & Hanger Group Inc., Lexington, Kentucky (W912DY-19-D-0028), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for support for general military facility design studies and facility commissioning. Bids were solicited via the internet with 36 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Ashford Leebcor Enterprises LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, was awarded a $28,605,776 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs to exterior walls, windows, fire protection, interior walls, doors, insulation, interior finish, finish floors, ceilings, plumbing, HVAC, HVAC controls, electrical, building information systems, site utilities, structural improvements and asbestos abatement. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Fort Benning, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $28,605,776 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-3011). L.J. Clark Construction Inc.,* Moore Haven, Florida, was awarded an $11,373,817 firm-fixed-price contract for Picayune Strand Restoration Project, Miller Tram and road removal. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Naples, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 10, 2022. Fiscal 2010 civil construction funds in the amount of $11,373,817 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-19-C-0026). R.E. Goodson Construction Co. Inc.,* Darlington, South Carolina, was awarded an $8,622,487 firm-fixed-price contract for raising the crest elevation of the perimeter dike, clearing the interior, adding a sand cap to the existing bird island in the western portion, repairs and modifications to the five existing weir and water control structures along the western dike, clearing and grubbing and replacing the main entrance gate. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Hardeeville, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 25, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction, and civil rivers and harbors contributed funds in the combined amount of $8,622,487 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-5010). Matrix Providers,* Denver, Colorado, was awarded a $7,586,573 firm-fixed-price contract for per diem nursing services to support. Bids were solicited via the internet with 12 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K02-16-D-0001). Senspex Inc.,* Albuquerque, New Mexico, was awarded a $7,500,000 modification (P00003) to contract W56HZV-16-D-0129 for procurement of the highly specialized long-range thermal imaging camera system spare parts, and service support. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 27, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $7,493,164 modification (P00001) to contract W15QKN-19-C-0017 for foreign military sales buyback. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona; Healdsburg, California; Karlskoga, Sweden; East Camden, Arkansas; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Southway, Plymouth, United Kingdom; Glenrothes, Scotland, United Kingdom; Cincinnati, Ohio; Farmington, New Mexico; McAlester, Oklahoma; Joplin, Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; Gilbert, Arizona; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; and Santa Ana, California, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2022. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $7,493,164 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC (JHU/APL), Laurel, Maryland, was awarded a non-competitive, single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for essential engineering, research, and/or development capabilities, in line with the core competencies established by the assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, which designated JHU/APL as a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). The place of performance will be at JHU/APL, Laurel, Maryland; and at the Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland. The contract ceiling value is $245,000,000, funded by multiple appropriation types. The minimum guarantee of $5,793,933 is satisfied through the issuance of the first task order in conjunction with the contract, which is funded by fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. This is a sole source award, and as such, only one proposal was received. The ordering period is Sept. 30, 2019, through Sept. 29, 2024. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-0001). AIR FORCE LGS Innovations LLC, Applied Research & Technology, Florham Park, New Jersey, has been awarded a $12,752,488 cost-plus-fixed-fee type contract for the SALIENT GHOST software/hardware testbed. This contract provides for the development and demonstration of a function to address the security and resilience of field programmable gate arrays. Work will be performed at Florham Park, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 12, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $350,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-1515). X Technologies Inc., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $9,515,986 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the TTU-595 test sets. This contract provides for the production of TTU-595 Laser-Guided Bomb test sets to functionally check the guidance head of Paveway II and III weapons. Work will be performed at San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 11, 2023. This contract involves foreign military sales (FMS) to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2017 ammunition procurement funds in the amount of $5,052,774; and FMS funding in the amount of $912,640 are being obligated at time of award. The Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8213-19-D-0016). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,982,860 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-M21Q) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-16-G-001W) for H-1 aircraft tail rotor blades. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulations 6.302-1. This is a five-year, two-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Texas, with a January 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1959192/source/GovDelivery/

  • The Marine Corps wants to protect its Hornets from GPS jammers

    July 11, 2018 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

    The Marine Corps wants to protect its Hornets from GPS jammers

    By: Shawn Snow The Corps is looking to install antennas in its F/A-18 C/D Hornets to help the aircraft defeat GPS jammers. In a request for information posted in early June by Naval Air Systems Command, or NAVAIR, the Corps wants to install the anti-jam antennas known as the Air Navigation Warfare Program, or NAVWAR, in 120 of the legacy Hornets. The anti-jamming antenna “provides Global Positioning System (GPS) protection for Naval Air platforms by allowing for continued access to GPS through the use of Anti-Jam (AJ) Antenna Systems designed to counter GPS Electronic Warfare threats from intentional and unintentional interference,” Michael Land, a spokesman for NAVAIR, told Marine Corps Times in an emailed statement Tuesday. The development comes as U.S. aircraft have faced mounting electronic warfare attacks against aircraft in Syria. Army Gen. Tony Thomas, the commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, told audience members at a conference in April that adversaries were trying to bring down AC-130 gunships in Syria using electronic warfare, or EW. “Right now in Syria, we're in the most aggressive EW environment on the planet, from our adversaries,” Thomas said. “They're testing us every day, knocking our communications down, disabling our AC-130s, et cetera.” The Corps is amid an overhaul of its forces and equipment to prepare for a potential fight with near-peer adversaries like Russia and China. Both countries boast an impressive array of electronic warfare capabilities. Russia has been using the Syrian battlefield to hone its EW skills. The top Marine has oft repeated the threats posed to GPS systems from rising adversaries and says the Corps needs to be prepared to fight in GPS denied environments. The F/A-18 is the Corps' bridging aircraft as it moves to the new high-tech F-35. As the Corps transitions the older legacy Hornets are undergoing a service life extension, meaning the aircraft are being updated to handle the modern battlefield. “Installation in F/A-18 A-D helps ensure continued mission capability as the service life of the aircraft is extended and facilitates supportability by using more common equipment,” Land said. The Navy and the Marine Corps already use the anti-jamming GPS antenna in a number of airframes, according to Land. “Typical installations replace a platform's existing GPS antenna with a NAVWAR antenna and separate antenna electronics, while leaving a platform's GPS receiver in place,” Land added. The Corps expects the F/A-18 to be in sunset by 2030. As the Corps moves to the F-35 and phases out its Hornets, the legacy fighters will consolidate on the West Coast by 2018 with the exception of VMFA (AW)‐242, which will remain aboard the Corps' air station at Iwakuni, Japan until it transitions to the F-35 in 2028, according to the Corp's 2018 aviation plan. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/07/10/the-corps-wants-to-protect-its-hornets-from-gps-jammers/

  • How the Office of Naval Research hopes to revolutionize manufacturing

    October 16, 2018 | International, Naval

    How the Office of Naval Research hopes to revolutionize manufacturing

    By: Daniel Cebul WASHINGTON — The Office of Naval Research awarded Lockheed Martin Oct. 1 a two-year, $5.8 million contract to explore how machine learning and artificial intelligence can make complex 3-D printing more reliable and save hours of tedious post-production inspections. In today's factories, 3-D printing parts requires persistent monitoring by specialists to ensure intricate parts are produced without impurities and imperfections that can compromise the integrity of the part overall. To improve this laborious process, the Navy is tasking Lockheed Martin with developing multi-axis robots that use lasers to deposit material and oversee the printing of parts. Lockheed Martin has multiple partners on the contract including Carnegie Mellon University, Iowa State University, Colorado School of Mines, America Makes, GKN and Wolf Robotics and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The contract covers what Glynn Adams, a senior engineer with Lockheed Martin, describes as the pre-flight model of the program's development. Initial work will focus on developing computer models that can predict the microstructures and mechanical properties of 3-D printed materials to generate simulation data to train with. Adams said the Carnegie Mellon team will look at variables such as, “the spot size of the laser beam, the rate of feed of the titanium wire [and]the total amount energy density input into the material while it is being manufactured.” This information helps the team predict the microstructure, or organizational structure of a material on a very small scale, that influences the physical properties of the additive manufactured part. This data will then be shared with Iowa State, who will plug the information into a model that predicts the mechanical properties of the printed component. By taking temperature and spot size measurements, the team can also ensure they are, “accurately controlling energy density, the power of both the laser and the hot wire that goes into the process,” Adams said.. “All of that is happening before you actually try to do any kind of machine learning or artificial neural networks with the robot itself. That's just to try to train the models to the point where we have confidence in the models,” Adams said. Sounds easy, right? But one key problem could come in cleaning up the data and removing excess noise from the measurements. “Thermal measurements are pretty easy and not data intensive, but when you start looking at optical measurements you can collect just an enormous amount of data that is difficult to manage,” Adams explained. Lockheed Martin wants to learn how shrink the size of that dataset without sacrificing key parameters. The Colorado School of Mines and America Makes will tackle the problem of compressing and manipulating this data to extract the key information needed to train the algorithms. After this work has been completed, the algorithms then will be sent to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, where robots will begin producing 3-D titanium parts and learn how to reliably construct geometrically and structurally sound parts. This portion of the program will confront challenges from the additive manufacturing and AI components of the project. On the additive manufacturing side, the team will work with new manufacturing process, “trying to understand exactly what the primary, secondary and tertiary interactions are between all those different process parameters,” Adams said. “If you think about it, as you are building the part depending on the geometric complexity, now those interactions change based on the path the robot has to take to manufacture that part. One of the biggest challenges is going to be to understand exactly which of those parameters are the primary, which are the tertiary and to what level of control we need to be able to manipulate or control those process parameters in order to generate the confidence in the parts that we want.” At the same time, researchers also will tackle AI machine learning challenges. Like with other AI programs, it's crucial the algorithm is learning the right information, the right way. The models will give the algorithms a good starting point, but Adams said this will be an iterative process that depends on the algorithm's ability to self-correct. “At some point, there are some inaccuracies that could come into that model,” Adams explained. “So now, the system itself has to understand it may be getting into a regime that is not going to produce the mechanical properties or microstructures that you want, and be able to self-correct to make certain that instead of going into that regime it goes into a regime that produces the geometric part that you want.” With a complete algorithm that can be trusted to produce structurally sound 3-D printed parts, time-consuming post-production inspections will become a thing of the past. Instead of nondestructive inspections and evaluations, if you “have enough control on the process, enough in situ measurements, enough models to show that that process and the robot performed exactly as you thought it would, and produced a part that you know what its capabilities are going to be, you can immediately deploy that part,” said Adams. “That's the end game, that's what we're trying to get to, is to build the quality into the part instead of inspecting it in afterwards." Confidence in 3-D printed parts could have dramatic consequences for soldiers are across the services. As opposed to waiting for replacement parts, service members could readily search a database of components, find the part they need and have a replacement they can trust in hours rather than days or weeks. “When you can trust a robotic system to make a quality part, that opens the door to who can build usable parts and where you build them,” said Zach Loftus, Lockheed Martin Fellow for additive manufacturing. “Think about sustainment and how a maintainer can print a replacement part at sea, or a mechanic print a replacement part for a truck deep in the desert. This takes 3-D printing to the next, big step of deployment.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/industry/2018/10/15/how-the-office-of-naval-research-hopes-to-revolutionize-manufacturing

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