Marines integrate upgrades to off-the-shelf UTVs

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  October 5, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense – October 02, 2020

  NAVY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Mission Systems Sector, Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $100,798,804 fixed-price-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for follow-on production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block 3 electronic attack systems and hardware design modifications required for aircraft carrier and amphibious assault ship installation. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $1,164,529,315. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (55%); Tampa, Florida (6%); Andover, Massachusetts (5%); Chelmsford, Massachusetts (4%); Rochester, New York (3%); San Diego, California (3%); Los Angeles, California (2%); Winona, Minnesota (2%); Stafford Springs, Connecticut (2%); Glendale, Arizona (1%); Nashua, New Hampshire (1%); Elk Grove Village, Illinois (1%); White Marsh, Maryland (1%); Tucson, Arizona (1%); Chandler, Arizona (1%); Washington, North Carolina (1%); Woodridge, Illinois (1%); Richardson, Texas (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); El Cajon, California (1%); Hiawatha, Iowa (1%); Littleton, Colorado (1%); Glendale, California (1%); and miscellaneous locations - each less than 1% (4%), and is expected to be completed by May 2023. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2026. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) (67%); and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) (33%) funding in the amount of $100,798,804 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5519). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) EFW Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $35,801,006 five-year requirements type, firm-fixed-priced contract for repair of line-replaceable units in support of the V-22 aircraft. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (50%); and Talladega, Alabama (50%). Work is expected to be completed by October 2025. Annual working capital funds (Navy) will be used and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. One company was solicited for this sole-sourced requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00383-20-D-Y001). BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, was awarded a $17,290,912 firm-fixed-price contract for the production of two 57mm MK 110 Mod 0 gun mounts and associated hardware. Work will be performed in Karlskoga, Sweden (93%); and Louisville, Kentucky (7%), and is expected to be completed by May 2023. Fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $17,290,912 will be obligated at time of award and $249,448 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured; only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5300). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) Peraton Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $13,891,979 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level of effort contract (N00030-21-C-0016) for program support services for the Navy's strategic weapons systems reentry subsystem. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado (75%); Washington, D.C. (15%); Albuquerque, New Mexico (8%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (1%); and Omaha, Nebraska (1%). Work is expected to be completed by March 30, 2026. Contract will be awarded subject to the availability of funds. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Once funding becomes available, contract will be funded as follows: fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,214,639; and fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,677,340, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded to the contractor on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Beta.sam.gov (formally Federal Business Opportunities) website. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, was awarded an $8,934,292 cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price order under previously awarded blanket ordering agreement N00024-19-G-5306 for engineering services, open, inspect and repair services and spare and component parts in support of the MK 110 MOD 0 gun mount. This order includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $23,400,781. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (50%); and Karlskoga, Sweden (50%), and is expected to be completed by December 2022. Fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) (92%); and fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy) (8%) funding in the amount of $6,128,002 will be obligated at time of award, of which $495,948 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order was not competitively procured in accordance with 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, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-F-5301). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) ARMY AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, was awarded a $60,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to manufacture AZD7442, a combination antibody product intended to prevent or treat clinical effects of SARS-CoV-2, for a minimum of 100,000 treatment courses. Work will be performed in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 Army general funds in the amount of $30,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-C-0119). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) CORRECTION: The contract announced on Sept. 28, 2020, for Tatum Excavating Co. Inc., Texarkana, Texas (W9126G-20-F-0768), for $10,000,000, was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Sept. 29, 2020. CORRECTION: The contract announced on Sept. 29, 2020, for University of South Dakota, Vermillion, South Dakota (W9128F-20-D-0059), for $12,800,000, was announced with an incorrect awardee. The correct awardee is South Dakota State University, Brookings, South Dakota. MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, has been awarded a $35,582,832 sole-source, hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract (HQ0851-21-C-0001) under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Case JA-P-NCO to the government of Japan. Under this contract, Lockheed Martin will perform Aegis FMS Baseline J7.B development and SPY-7(V) 1 radar production, integration and test planning support. The work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey. The period of performance is from Oct. 2, 2020, through July 31, 2021. Funds from the government of Japan in the amount of $35,582,832 are being obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0851-21-C-0001). AIR FORCE Wolverine Supply Inc., Wasilla, Alaska, has been awarded an $8,649,500 firm-fixed-price contract for repair of the Blackstart Generator. This contract provides for repair of the Blackstart Generator at the Eielson Air Force Base central heat and power plant. Work will be performed at Eielson AFB, Alaska, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 22, 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 354th Contracting Squadron, Eielson AFB, Alaska, is the contracting activity (FA500420C0015). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) * Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2370617/source/GovDelivery/

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  July 27, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval

  Funding for naval drones in the NDAA will encourage innovation

  By: Brian Wynne Unmanned maritime systems are increasingly allowing military and commercial users alike to go farther and deeper than ever before. Initially proven by the military for their dependability and reliability, they are now also disrupting the commercial sector and enabling applications from mapping to surveillance to port security. In recognition of the many benefits UMS stand to offer, the president's budget for fiscal 2021 requested strong support for the U.S. Navy's unmanned programs. Now, as Congress considers the National Defense Authorization Act for FY21, it should fully fund UMS research and development efforts to allow innovation to flourish and for military and commercial operators alike to reap the benefits. As president and CEO of the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, I have witnessed the growth in UMS innovation firsthand. Our membership includes organizations from across the defense industrial base that support the growing integration of unmanned and autonomous systems in the force protecting the United States. Their investments have led to substantive achievements in the development of autonomy, reliability, propulsion and integration of advanced payloads and sensors. Fielding UMS will ensure continued U.S. naval dominance and support the industrial base. Unfortunately, Congress is currently considering disrupting funding to the research and development of this vital technology. Both the House and Senate versions of the NDAA drastically cut R&D funding for medium and large unmanned surface vessels, with the Senate eliminating all requested funding for the program entirely. The severe reduction in funding considered in the FY21 NDAA would eliminate jobs, drive many small companies out of business, and cause larger companies to shift their R&D investments to more stable opportunities. AUVSI is also taking issue with Congress' misunderstanding of UMS operations, focusing on the reliability of individual components rather than that of the system as a whole, ignoring the operational context in which the UMS will be used. Unmanned systems have well-documented reliability in the commercial sector performing in a range of demanding and complex environments, including deep-water exploration. If Congress attempts to apply unique reliability requirements to UMS use by the U.S. Navy, it will only serve to drive up cost, decrease competition and significantly delay fielding of the systems to the war fighters that need them. While Congress has previously demonstrated its support for the growth and integration of unmanned systems in the future Navy fleet architecture, its reliability concerns and proposed funding cuts in this instance are misplaced. Industry has determined that the wholeness of autonomy is critical to mission duration and success, and the emphasis on testing reliability should be on that wholeness rather than focusing on individual components. What's more, the Navy's R&D effort is already working to field systems that can prove reliability in a realistic operational context. The utilization of unmanned technology is inevitable and timely, but appropriate levels of R&D funding are needed to field this critical capability. Industry has invested significant resources to support the Navy's UMS programs thus far and will continue to do so if these programs are adequately funded by Congress. Conversely, proposed funding cuts will drive industry to move its investments away from UMS to other markets, drive small, developing businesses out of the unmanned maritime business, and cost jobs throughout the developing unmanned industrial base. Congress should therefore adopt the funding levels set out in the president's FY21 budget request without any cuts to ensure that innovation will flourish, R&D can continue unabated and our nation's Navy can take full advantage of the potential that UMS stand to offer. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/07/24/funding-for-naval-drones-in-the-ndaa-will-encourage-innovation/

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  August 29, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Défense: l'armée de l’air malaisienne friande des savoir-faire français

  Par Romain Mielcarek Depuis le 19 août, un détachement de l'armée de l'air française a entamé une tournée en Asie du Sud-Est, baptisée « Pegase », pour aller à la rencontre de ses alliés de la région, dont la Malaisie. Un terrain peu familier pour des aviateurs à la recherche de nouveaux partenariats face à des menaces émergentes. De notre envoyé spécial à Kuala Lumpur, Quand deux officiers d'armées de l'air différentes se croisent, ils parlent d'abord de golf - « sport d'aviateurs » -, puis de la coupe du monde de football – victoire des tricolores oblige - et enfin de leurs avions. En la matière, les Français ont sorti le grand jeu les 24 et 25 août derniers : trois chasseurs Rafale et deux A400M de transport sont déployés sur le tarmac de la base aérienne de Subang, près de la capitale, pour séduire les Malaisiens. « Notre objectif à nous, c'est de conforter la coopération sur l'A400M », résume le général de corps aérien (2S) Patrick Charaix, chef de la mission Pegase, à propos de cette escale. Les Malaisiens ont en effet acheté quatre exemplaires de cet avion européen développé par Airbus. Particulièrement sophistiqué, celui-ci demande des méthodes de travail modernes. C'est là que la France vient aider Kuala Lumpur : un officier supérieur, spécialiste de la mécanique et de la gestion aéronautique, est présent en permanence pour conseiller l'état-major sur ses procédures et son organisation, depuis 2015. La France, premier fournisseur d'armement Située en plein cœur d'une région particulièrement courtisée du fait de la forte croissance économique de plusieurs pays, la Malaisie a besoin de renouveler une grande partie de ses équipements de défense. Ce qui tombe bien pour les Français, dont les industriels sont bien implantés sur l'archipel : ils sont le premier fournisseur d'armes de Kuala Lumpur. Par le passé, d'importants contrats ont été signés, notamment pour des sous-marins, des navires, des missiles exocet et les fameux A400M. « La grande question, décrypte Dzirhan Mahadzir, un journaliste malaisien spécialiste des questions militaires, c'est de savoir si la Malaisie a les moyens et ce que le nouveau gouvernement compte faire, celui-ci n'ayant donné aucune indication sur le sujet. Les capacités opérationnelles sont un sujet permanent, la disponibilité des matériels étant un problème récurrent d'année en année. » Un espoir pour le Rafale ? Alors pourquoi pas des Rafale ? Deux commandants d'unités malaisiens, eux-mêmes pilotes de chasse, ont été invités à tester l'avion. Un officier de leur équipe résume ainsi le dilemme de son armée, en termes d'approvisionnements : « Notre principal problème, c'est que nous avons à la fois des avions occidentaux et russes. Nous, les opérationnels, nous savons quels avions sont bons. Mais ce sont les politiques qui décident. Et eux, ils choisissent souvent ce qu'ils voient le plus. Les Typhoon par exemple, viennent tous les deux ans. » Si les opérationnels préféraient avoir un seul avion pour remplir toutes les missions et pour simplifier la logistique, les politiques gardent également un problème crucial à l'esprit : multiplier les fournisseurs, c'est éviter d'être dépendant vis-à-vis d'une seule grande puissance. Dans ce domaine, la France fait souvent valoir la grande liberté dont bénéficient ses clients, Paris évitant de se montrer trop intrusif dans leurs affaires domestiques. Le Typhoon, concurrent européen du Rafale, pourrait-il convaincre le gouvernement ? Les Russes pourraient-ils placer leur Su-35, qui a déjà convaincu en Indonésie ? Les différents observateurs restent très partagés, les uns estimant que l'avion français a toutes ses chances sur ce marché, les autres qu'il est trop tôt et que les finances de la Malaisie ne lui permettront pas un tel investissement avant de nombreuses années. Paradoxalement, c'est un cadre de chez Dassault, le fabricant de l'appareil, qui se montre le plus pessimiste : « Ça a été un vrai prospect à un moment, confie-t-il. Mais ce n'est plus le cas. Ils n'ont pas les moyens. » Article complet: http://www.rfi.fr/france/20180827-armee-air-malaisienne-friande-savoir-faire-francais-A400M-rafale-aviation-defense