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August 9, 2018 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

MDA director provides rough sketch of possible space-based missile defense sensor layer

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HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Missile defense leaders within the Pentagon as well as Congress are pushing for more missile defense capability in space and the Missile Defense Agency Director Gen. Samuel Greaves laid out a rough idea of what a space-based missile defense sensor layercould look like.

The missile defense community has been talking “seriously” about a sensor layer in space “actively over the last year,” Greaves said in an August 8 speech at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium.

While many decisions still have to be made regarding requirements definitions, development paths and the acquisition process, “the key thing,” Greaves said, “is that there is serious consideration and support being given to the need to deploy these space sensors because we must do so.”

Greaves laid out a very rough sketch of what the agency is looking for to build a robust sensor layer.

First, the MDA might use something like a current system from the U.S. Air Force — the Overhead Persistent Infrared OPIR Global Scanning system — to alert and characterize activity in space, essentially “to be the bell ringer if something is going on,” Greaves said.

Full Article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/smd/2018/08/08/mda-director-provides-rough-sketch-of-possible-space-based-missile-defense-sensor-layer/

On the same subject

  • Sorry, Sierra Nevada Corp. and Textron: The US Air Force isn’t buying light attack planes

    February 11, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    Sorry, Sierra Nevada Corp. and Textron: The US Air Force isn’t buying light attack planes

    By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — At long last, the U.S. Air Force has definitively stated it will not procure light attack planes, putting to bed a three-year-long debate about whether to buy upward of 300 low-cost aircraft for the counterterrorism fight. In a statement to Defense News, Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek confirmed that the service will not move forward with a program of record for light attack planes. Instead, U.S. Special Operations Command has requested $106 million in the fiscal 2021 defense budget for its armed overwatch requirement, according to Defense Department budget materials. As part of that program, SOCOM is set to acquire as many as 75 light attack aircraft, the command stated in a Feb. 3 solicitation. The funding would support “prototype demonstrations and the testing of Special Operation Forces-unique capabilities and air worthiness release efforts” as well as the “procurement of aircraft, mission kits and associated support equipment,” according to the department. Last year, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein said the Air Force would continue experimenting with light attack aircraft, using funding from FY18 and FY19 to buy a handful of AT-6 Wolverine turboprop planes from Textron and A-29 Super Tucanos from a Sierra Nevada Corp.-Embraer team. Then, in FY22, the service would be ready to decide whether to venture into a program of record, he said. The Air Force still intends to buy two AT-6s and two A-29s, Stefanek said. However, the scope of their future operations has become more limited as the service opted to not pursue a larger buy. At Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, “[the] AT-6 will be used for continued experimentation on exportable network/data link capabilities for allies and partners,” said Stefanek, referencing a project under development known as Airborne Extensible Relay Over-Horizon Network, or AEROnet. “The Air Force has prior year funds available to continue the experiment,” she added. Meanwhile, U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command pilots will use the A-29s to conduct training at Hurlburt Field, Florida, allowing them to act as instructor pilots and advisers for partner nations that plan to operate the A-29, Stefanek said. For the past year, Air Force leaders have been sending signals that their interest in buying light attack aircraft was waning. The service originally considered a buy of several hundred planes that would be able to augment pilot absorption and provide a less expensive alternative to using high-cost fighters like the F-15 and F-35 for low-threat strikes against terrorist groups. However, a national defense strategy that prioritizes the fight against near-peer adversaries like Russia and China made it difficult to justify buying an aircraft fleet only survivable in the most uncontested environments. In contrast, SOCOM has been bullish on light attack capabilities, with its commander, Gen. Richard Clarke, describing it as “a need for SOCOM” and “a need for our nation.” In the FY20 national defense policy bill, Congress instructed the Air Force to coordinate with SOCOM on light attack capabilities and included an option “to transfer a portion of funds authorized for Air Force light attack aircraft experiments to procure aircraft for supporting the combat air adviser mission of the Special Operations Command.” While the Air Force seemed most interested in the A-29 and AT-6 as potential light attack platforms, SOCOM appears to want to explore all options. The command is holding an Armed Overwatch industry day March 4-5 to discuss an upcoming demonstration of prototype aircraft. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/federal-budget/2020/02/10/sorry-sierra-nevada-corp-and-textron-the-us-air-force-isnt-buying-light-attack-planes

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 6, 2019

    September 9, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 6, 2019

    DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Science Applications International Corp., doing business as SAIC, Fairfield, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $950,000,000 fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a variety of Federal Supply Group 80 items. This was a competitive acquisition with three offers received. This is a three-year base contract with two, two-year option periods. Locations of performance are Pennsylvania, California, Georgia, Texas, New Jersey and Arizona, with a Sept. 5, 2022, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8EG-19-D-0103). BOH Environmental LLC, Houston, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $70,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for specialized shipping and storage containers. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a two year base contract with three one year option periods. Location of performance is Texas, with a Sept. 5, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8ED-19-D-0001). General Electric Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $14,874,824 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-QH06) against a five year basic ordering agreement (FA8122-19-G-0001) for engine exhaust frames. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 USC 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 43 month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with an April 30, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19111-5098. Pomp's Tire Service Inc., New Berlin, Wisconsin, has been awarded a maximum $11,465,836 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for wheel end assemblies. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a three year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Wisconsin, with a Sept. 6, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0159). NAVY DLT Solutions LLC, Herndon, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0045); EC America Inc., McLean, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0119); Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0120); RightStar Systems Inc.,Vienna, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0022); Belarc Inc., Maynard, Massachusetts (N66001-19-A-0118); and Immix Technologies, McLean, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0121), are being awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms' General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts. This BPA provides for purchase of this category's software products and services by the DoD, U.S. intelligence community, and Coast Guard. The overall estimated value of this BPA is $820,450,000. The individual agreements are awarded for multi-reseller and multi-publisher providers of commercial-off-the-shelf information technology asset management software; software maintenance support; information technology professional services; and related services in support of DoD ESI in the enterprise software category. The resellers/software publishers are: DLT Solutions (Netscout and Tripwire); EC America (Riverbed, Netscout, Commvault and Microfocus Solutions); Carahsoft Technology (Safenet, Zscaler, Datalocker, Hytrust, Nlyte Microfocus Solutions, Beyond Trust, and Oblong); RightStar (Nlyte); Belarc Inc.; and Immix Technologies (BeyondTrust and Microfocus Solutions). The ordering period will be for a maximum of 10 years from Sept. 6, 2019, through July 11, 2029. The BPA is issued under DoD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders using operations and maintenance (DoD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy web site among 679 vendors. Eight offers were received and eight were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $266,203,768 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract special tooling and special test equipment in support of F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (50.30 percent); San Diego, California (13.18 percent); Orlando, Florida (7.30 percent); El Segundo, California (5.45 percent); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (5.23 percent); Papendrecht, Netherlands (3.90 percent); Cheltenham, United Kingdom, (2.49 percent); Rochester, United Kingdom (2.29 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (1.95 percent); Phoenix, Arizona (1.66 percent); Williston, Vermont (1.47 percent); Marietta, Georgia (1 percent); Palmdale, California (0.73 percent); East Aurora, New York (0.59 percent); Endicott, New York (0.55 percent); Kongsberg, Norway (0.43 percent); Marion, Virginia (0.34 percent); Hauppauge, New York (0.30 percent); Boulder, Colorado (0.24 percent); Owego, New York (0.23 percent); Sylmar, California (0.22 percent); Mississauga, Canada (0.06 percent); Avon, Massachusetts (0.04 percent); Montmorency, Australia (0.02 percent); Garden Grove, California (0.02 percent); and Ontario, California (0.01 percent). Work is expected to be completed by July 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy); and non-U.S. DoD participant funds in the amount of $266,203,768 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($117,424,737; 44 percent); Navy ($80,246,876; 30 percent); Marine Corps ($36,674,989; 14 percent); and non-U.S. DoD participants ($31,857,166; 12 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001919C0074). Harris Corp., Roanoke, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of Squad Binocular Night Vision Goggle systems; spare and repair parts; contractor logistics support; and test article refurbishment. Work will be performed in Roanoke, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by September 2024.Fiscal 2019 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $328,203 will be obligated at time of award and funds will expire the end of fiscal 2021.This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with six offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-D-1501). Orbis Sibro Inc., Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (N39040-18-D-0003); Q.E.D. Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N39040-18-D-0004), Delphinus Engineering, Eddystone, Pennsylvania (N39040-18-D-0005); and Oceaneering Intl., Chesapeake, Virginia (N39040-18-D-0006), are being awarded a combined cumulative $37,884,834 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple-award modification to exercise Option Period One to provide non-nuclear production support for U.S. naval submarine projects/repairs. The services under these contracts cover marine electrician, industrial fire watch/laborer, marine pipefitter, outside marine machinist, marine painter, weight handler, marine ship fitter, shipwright, welder, sheet metal, marine insulator, abrasive blaster, deck time setter and sound tile setter for upcoming submarine availabilities. Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. No funding will be obligated at time of award. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Kittery, Maine, is the contracting activity. QED Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N64498-19-D-4006); and McKean Defense Group LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (N64498-19-D-4032), are being awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity type contracts with cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price line items for engineering and technical services in support of Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) Hull, Mechanical and Electrical (HM&E) systems Modernization Program. The contract being awarded to QED Systems Inc. (QED) will be awarded for $19,847,942, and the contract being awarded to McKean Defense Group LLC (McKean) will be awarded for $21,458,714. Work under the QED contract will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia (20 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (20 percent); and various Navy port locations worldwide (60 percent). The work under the McKean contract will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (40 percent); and various Navy port locations worldwide (60 percent). Work at all locations is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funding in the amount of $100,000 ($50,000 per contract) will be obligated at time of award via individual task orders and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(a), these contracts are the result of a full and open competitive procurement via the Federal Business Opportunities portal, in which three offers were received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. American Scaffold, San Diego, California (N55236-16-D-0001); and W.V. Construction Co.,* Jamul, California (N55236-16-D-0002), are each being awarded firm-fixed-price contract modifications to exercise Option Year Four of their respective previously-awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contracts to provide scaffolding services to the Southwest Regional Maintenance Center's Commercial Industrial Services code in support of Navy ships and other government vessels within a 50-mile radius of San Diego, California, which may include Oceanside, California. American Scaffold is being awarded $10,869,649, and W.V. Construction Co. is being awarded $18,892,889. Each contractor shall provide management, administrative and production services, materials, tools, equipment and required support to accomplish scaffolding on board U.S. naval ships and other government vessels within a 50-mile radius of San Diego, which may include Oceanside, California. Scaffolding shall include rolling scaffolds, suspended scaffolds and tube-and-clamp-type scaffolds. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. No funding is being obligated at time of award. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. AS and D Inc., Beltsville, Maryland, is being awarded a $16,118,830 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00173-14-D-2016 for engineering and operational support for the command, control, data collection and mission management operations at Blossom Point Tracking Facility (BPTF). Work will be performed in Welcome, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 26, 2020. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $194,791; fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance funds (Navy) in the amount of $322,000; and fiscal 2019 research and development funds (Air Force) in the amount of $486,000, will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $516,791 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Contract funds in the amount of $486,000 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The Sept. 5, 2019, announcement of a $9,500,000 delivery order (N68335-19-F-0393) against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N68335-16-G-0028) for Oceanit Laboratories Inc.*, Honolulu, Hawaii, included the incorrect contracting activity. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The Sept. 5, 2019, announcement of a $107,067,910 contract for Hexagon U.S. Federal Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (N00024-19-D-4114) included an incorrect completion date. The contract's expected completion date is actually September 2024. ARMY BAE Systems Inc., York, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $268,990,416 modification (P00015) to contract W56HZV-18-C-0133 for Bradley production. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2018 procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles funds in the amount of $268,990,416 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Heritage-M2C1 Joint Venture,* Delta Junction, Alaska, was awarded a $40,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to execute sustainment, restoration, and modernization projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 12, 2024. U.S. Army 413th Contracting Support Battalion, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, is the contracting activity (W912D0-19-D-0005). Professional Contract Services Inc., Austin, Texas, was awarded a $26,688,913 modification (P00023) to contract W9124L-17-C-0005 for non-personal services to provide labor and supplies necessary to manage and operate the Fort Sill, Oklahoma, Directorate of Public Works. Work will be performed in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $26,688,913 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. PAE Government Systems Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $26,022,182 modification (P00014) to Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan) W56HZV-17-C-0117 for the National Maintenance Strategy Ground Vehicle Support effort. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Kabul, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of March 1, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Afghanistan Security Forces, Army funds in the combined amount of $26,022,182 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Lynxnet LLC,* Suffolk, Virginia, was awarded an $18,207,432 firm-fixed-price contract to operate and maintain the command and control and infrastructure operations for headquarters, U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 18, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $8,490,400 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W911W4-19-C-0010). General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $14,986,238 modification (P00071) to contract W56HZV-13-C-0319 to provide labor and vendor costs to furnish and install two new horizontal boring mill machines. Work will be performed in Lima, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of March 7, 2022. Fiscal 2019 procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles, Army funds in the amount of $14,986,238 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Northbank Civil and Marine Inc.,* Vancouver, Washington, was awarded a $13,075,000 modification (P00001) to contract W9127N-18-C-0081 for rehabilitation, structural, mechanical, and electrical upgrades to tainter gate. Work will be performed in Detroit, Oregon, with an estimated completion date of May 1, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, civil funds in the amount of $13,075,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon, is the contracting activity. Motorola Solutions Inc., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $10,173,475 modification (P00002) to contract W52P1J-18-D-0036 to upgrade and expand the Pacific Japan and Korea land mobile radio system, connect sites to the current joint Japan land mobile radio system and to upgrade the Army backup core infrastructure in Japan. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 24, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, 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). Trace Systems Inc., Vienna, Virginia, was awarded a single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in support of providing the full range of Mission Partner Environment (MPE)-compatible support services and associated equipment to design, implement and operate the MPE enterprise. The contract ceiling value is $98,000,000. At the time of award, the minimum guarantee of $500 will be obligated using fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funding. All other funding will be obligated at the task order level. The places of performance will be at contiguous U.S. and outside continental U.S. designated MPE Services (MPE-S) support sites including Washington, District of Columbia; Fort Meade, Maryland; Air Force facilities in Fairfax, Virginia; U.S. Africa Command, Stuttgart, Germany; U.S. Central Command, Tampa, Florida; Kuwait; Bahrain; Afghanistan; U.S. Southern Command, Miami, Florida; U.S. Northern Command, Colorado Spring, Colorado; U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida; Joint Communication Support Element, Tampa, Florida; and U.S. Forces Korea, Youngsan Air Base, Osan Air Base, Kunsan Air Base, and Camp Humphries. Additional places of performance are to be determined based on customer requirements and real world events. The specific place(s) of performance will be specified in individual task orders. A competitive solicitation utilizing full and open competition was the basis for the single-award contract. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and four proposals were received. The ordering period is five years from the date of contract award. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-4002). AIR FORCE Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC - ATK Tactical Propulsion and Control, Rocket Center, West Virginia, has been awarded a $109,929,339 firm-fixed-price contract for Hard Target Void Sensing Fuzes (HTVSF). This contract provides for the full rate production of Lot 2 and Lot 3 HTVSFs, as well as spares, trainers, and support. Work will be performed in Rocket Center, West Virginia, and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2023. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2017, 2018, and 2019 ammunition procurement funds in the amount of $109,929,339 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8213-19-C-0038). Bowhead Cybersecurity Solutions & Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a $19,689,460 firm-fixed-price contract for the Air Force National Tactical Integration Program. This contract provides for real-time, two-way interactive information exchange among the combined/joint force air component commander, other joint and Air Force customers, and the national intelligence community. Work will be performed at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas; Fort Meade, Maryland; Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; Fort Gordon, Georgia; Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida; Hurlburt Field, Florida; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; and Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. The performance period includes four option periods with expected completion by Jan. 30, 2024. This award is the result of a sole source set-aside acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $1,446,615 are being obligated at time of the award. The Acquisition Management & Integration Center-Detachment 2, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA7037-19-C-A009). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1954307/source/GovDelivery/

  • DARPA Funding Brings Machine Learning to BAE Systems’ Signals Intelligence Capabilities

    July 8, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Other Defence

    DARPA Funding Brings Machine Learning to BAE Systems’ Signals Intelligence Capabilities

    HUDSON, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems has been awarded funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to integrate machine-learning (ML) technology into platforms that decipher radio frequency signals. Its Controllable Hardware Integration for Machine-learning Enabled Real-time Adaptivity (CHIMERA) solution provides a reconfigurable hardware platform for ML algorithm developers to make sense of radio frequency (RF) signals in increasingly crowded electromagnetic spectrum environments. The up to $4.7 million contract, dependent on successful completion of milestones, includes hardware delivery along with integration and demonstration support. CHIMERA's hardware platform will enable algorithm developers to decipher the ever-growing number of RF signals, providing commercial or military users with greater automated situational awareness of their operating environment. This contract is adjacent to the previously announced award for the development of data-driven ML algorithms under the same DARPA program (Radio Frequency Machine Learning Systems, or RFMLS). RFMLS requires a robust, adaptable hardware solution with a multitude of control surfaces to enable improved discrimination of signals in the evolving dense spectrum environments of the future. “CHIMERA brings the flexibility of a software solution to hardware,” said Dave Logan, vice president and general manager of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems at BAE Systems. “Machine-learning is on the verge of revolutionizing signals intelligence technology, just as it has in other industries.” In an evolving threat environment, CHIMERA will enable ML software development to adapt the hardware's RF configuration in real time to optimize mission performance. This capability has never before been available in a hardware solution. The system provides multiple control surfaces for the user, enabling on-the-fly performance trade-offs that can maximize its sensitivity, selectivity, and scalability depending on mission need. The system's open architecture interfaces allow for third party algorithm development, making the system future-proof and easily upgradable upon deployment. Other RF functions, including communications, radar, and electronic warfare, also can benefit from this agile hardware platform, which has a reconfigurable array, front-end, full transceiver and digital pre-processing stage. Work on these phases of the program will take place at BAE Systems' sites in Hudson and Merrimack, New Hampshire, and Dallas, Texas. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190708005199/en

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