June 27, 2019 | International, Aerospace
RACHEL S. COHEN
Performance and professionalism in the Air Force's nuclear ranks has improved in the last few years following a spate of personnel issues, but there's always more work to be done to ensure the men and women who watch the arsenal are at their best, the service's top uniformed officer said this week.
“I believe we've come a long way,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein said at a June 26 AFA Mitchell Institute breakfast. “We've all had to make sure that we keep our foot on the gas on this. I'm optimistic, but I'm not comfortable.”
Nuclear operators have hit rough patches over the past several years: low morale and lost focus coupled with reports of drug use, weapons mismanagement, a proficiency test cheating scandal, and frequent staff turnover. In response, theservice launched programs to revamp training and regulations and to keep missileers in their jobs longer, rather than send them to other specialties after a few years. The Air Force has also made a conscious effort to offer bonuses, tout missileers' work, and visit the three nuclear missile bases spread across rural Wyoming, North Dakota, and Montana.
Now, the service wants to develop its missile-managing employees' leadership skills at the same time as it develops new nuclear weapons and Northrop Grumman's B-21 bomber. Some airmen at Air Command and Staff College are taking a yearlong course focused on the nuclear enterprise in one effort to bolster leadership in those career fields.
“One of the tasks I gave them was to ... give us some fresh thinking on, how do we do command and control if nuclear weapons were inserted into a conventional fight?” Goldfein said. “We built our nuclear command and control to be separate from our conventional command and control.”
If the Russians deployed a low-yield, “tactical” nuclear weapon in combat, regional commanders would need the ability to integrate nukes into their otherwise conventionally armed battle plan. However, Goldfein emphasized that a “nuclear weapon is a nuclear weapon,” saying many don't believe there is such a thing as a tactical nuke.
“Our command-and-control systems right now are not as agile as they need to be,” he continued. “This group of scholars have been doing some extraordinary work, writing papers and thinking about what is the command-and-control mechanism and how does that need to feed into [nuclear command, control, and communications]?”
The Air Force's NC3 Integration Directorate has been mulling the idea of dual-use command and control for at least two years, and points to the concept as one of the most complicated security hurdles it faces in bringing the NC3 enterprise into the digital age.
Goldfein argues efforts to modernize decades-old NC3 systems also need to dovetail with the Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System, envisioned as a network of conventional C2 assets spread across air, land, and space sensors and platforms, as well as with the push into commercial space capabilities.
February 27, 2024 | International, Aerospace
Just last month, the Bundeswehr entrusted Rheinmetall and its partner contractors with developing a system for short- and very short-range air defence known as the NNbS, in which the Skyranger...
October 2, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
AIR FORCE Faxon Machining Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (FA8681-20-D-0001); and Major Tool & Machine Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana (FA8681-20-D-0002), have been awarded a $600,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for BLU-136/B next generation area attack warhead case production. This contract provides for the procurement of 15,000 BLU-136/B next generation area attack warhead cases. Work will be performed at Cincinnati, Ohio; and Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive small business set-aside acquisition. Fiscal 2019 ammunition production funds in the amount of $109,500 is being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Direct Attack Division, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. United Launch Services, Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded a $98,549,235 firm-fixed-price contract for Atlas V Completion launch services. This contract provides launch service completion for three National Security Space Launch Atlas V missions (two Air Force and one National Reconnaissance Office) previously ordered under contract FA8811-13-C-0003. Work will be performed at Centennial, Colorado; Decatur, Alabama; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2020. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 procurement funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-20-C-0001). Tunista Logistics Solutions LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii, has been awarded a $90,000,000 contract for Barry M. Goldwater Range operations and maintenance services. This contract provides for operation and maintenance services of the government-owned, contractor-operated facilities at Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field, Gila Bend, Arizona, and support services for operation of the Barry M. Goldwater Range in support of training missions for the F-35, F-16 and A-10 aircraft pilots for Air Force and other Department of Defense agencies. Ranges are broadly categorized as either primary training ranges or major range and test facility bases. The Barry M. Goldwater Range is considered a primary training range. Services include airfield management, target and range maintenance, civil engineering, fire and emergency services, security, logistics, air traffic control, custodial, trash and refuse, environmental engineering, biological and environmental monitoring. Work will be performed at Gila Bend Air Force Auxiliary Field, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of approximately $13,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The 56th Contracting Squadron, Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, is the contracting activity (FA4887-20-D-0001). Teletronics Technology Corp., Newtown, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $90,000,000 indefinite-quantity contract, for high speed data acquisition systems (HSDAS) and support. This contract provides the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron with HSDAS and ancillary support services. The contract provides for configured systems, signal conditioning, data acquisition, multiplexing, recording and radio frequency telemetry functionality primarily used for flight and ground test. The contractor shall provide HSDAS commercial-off-the-shelf products and associated HSDAS services. Work will be performed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and is expected to be complete by March 2025. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $58,967 are being obligated at the time of award. The 99th Contracting Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, is the contracting activity (FA4861-19-D-A006). Intelligent Waves LLC, Reston, Virginia, has been awarded an $89,200,000 indefinite-quantity contract for crowd sourced data support services. This contract provides the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron with crowd support data support services. The contractor shall provide flight test mission instrumentation modifications, improvements and operations for 53rd Wing test aircraft test instrumentation packages at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and other operational flight-testing locations. The contractor shall evaluate, upgrade, modify and operate instrumentation systems before, during, and after test missions. This work may include design, integration, functional checkouts and mission data capture activities for each period of performance. Work will be performed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Yuma, Arizona; Patuxent River, Maryland; Norfolk, Virginia; Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed by March 2025. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $1,600,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The 99th Contracting Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, is the contracting activity (FA4861-19-D-A005). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $68,400,284 modification (P00033) to previously awarded contract FA4890-17-C-0005 for Air Force Central Command war reserve materiel. The contract modification provides for the exercise of Option Year Three period of performance for services being provided under the basic contract. The location of performance is Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Kuwait; Oman; Qatar; and United Arab Emirates, and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $255,195,955. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $68,379,284 are being obligated at the time of award. The Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ASRC Communications Ltd., Beltsville, Maryland, has been awarded a $66,954,742 firm-fixe-price single contract modification (P00039) to previously awarded contract FA3002-16-C-0004 for acquisition of base operations support services. Work will be performed at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive source acquisition and six offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being used and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, the 338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. Reliance Test & Technology, Crestview, Florida, has been awarded a $49,032,036 modification (P00056) to previously awarded contract FA2486-16-C-0002 for Eglin Operation and Maintenance Support Service. This contract modification increases the value of cost-type contract line item numbers for Option Period One. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,266,287,845. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $6,200,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. Crew Training International Inc., Memphis, Tennessee, has been awarded a $42,279,639 firm-fixed-price modification (P00009) to previously awarded contract FA4890-19-C-0003 for the MQ9 Aircrew Training and Courseware Development contract. The contract modification is for the exercise of option year one. Work will be performed at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada; Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; March Air Reserve Base, California; and Hancock Air National Guard Base, New York, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $223,630,953. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $30,376,922 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. L-3 Communications Integrated Systems, Greenville, Texas, has been awarded a $17,518,309 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for aircraft engineering, procurement and fabrication. Work will be performed in Greenville, Texas, and is expected to be completed by December 2022. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $17,518,309 are being obligated at the time of award. The 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-18-F-4802 P00006). SES Electrical LLC, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, has been awarded an $11,298,386 firm-fixed-price contract to repair main perimeter fence. As the result of Hurricane Michael, the contract is comprised of the removal and disposal of old damaged fence, removal and disposal of previously installed temporary fencing and replacement with new approved fencing materials at specific locations identified on Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. This award is the result of a sole source 8(a) Alaska Native Corporation acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $11,298,386 are being obligated at the time of award. The 325th Contracting Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA4819-19-C-A033). U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Twelve companies have been awarded task orders under the following International Charter Airlift Services in Support of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet contracts: HTC71118DCC37 -- Atlas Air Inc., Purchase, New York (HTC71120F1025, HTC71120F1026; $287,285,594); Federal Express, Memphis, Tennessee (HTC71120F1027; $38,903,491); Amerijet International, Fort Lauderdale, Florida (HTC71120F1041; $2,496,649); HTC71118DCC38 -- Miami Air International, Miami, Florida (HTC71120F1028; $7,084,737); Sun Country Airlines, Eagan, Minnesota (HTC71120F1029; $3,025,704); HTC71118DCC39 -- ABX Air, Wilmington, Ohio (HTC71120F1030; $9,394,053), Air Transport International Inc., Wilmington, Ohio (HTC71120F1031; $17,450,997); Kalitta Air LLC, Ypsilanti, Michigan (HTC71120F1032; $159,942,597); Omni Air International Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma (HTC71120F1033; $77,654,435); United Parcel Service Co., Louisville, Kentucky (HTC71120F1034; $13,710,325); Western Global Airlines, Estero, Florida (HTC71120F1035; $17,812,110); and HTC71118DCC40 -- National Airlines, Orlando, Florida (HTC71120F1036; $12,464,771). The task orders provide international long-range and short-range charter airlift services for the Department of Defense. Work will be performed globally. The task order period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020. Type of appropriation is Fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Air Transport International, Wilmington, Ohio, has been awarded task order (HTC71120F1037) on contract HTC71118DCC16 in the estimated amount of $86,633,164. This contract provides global air charter transportation services utilizing part 121 aircraft configured to simultaneously transport both passengers and cargo. Services required include full planeload port to port airlift transportation services, commercial equivalent economy passenger services, 463L pallet cargo services, and mission coordination. Work will be performed globally. Task order period of performance is Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds were obligated at time of award. This task order will bring the total cumulative face value of the contract to $212,167,393 from $125,534,229. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Jacobs Technology Inc., Tampa, Florida, has been awarded a contract modification (P00029) on contract HTC71117CD001 obligating funds in the amount of $22,360,471. This modification provides continued information technology service management enterprise support to the U.S. Transportation Command. Work will be performed primarily on-site at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and other locations: Defense Information Systems Agency Defense Enterprise Computing Center, St. Louis, Missouri; U.S. TRANSCOM Office, Washington, District of Columbia; Joint Enabling Capabilities Command, Norfolk, Virginia; and the Pentagon. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds, operations; and operations and maintenance funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $74,346,425 from $51,985,954. U.S. TRANSCOM, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a maximum $109,252,327 requirements contract for supplies related to the support of the T56 family of aircraft engines. 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 five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Indiana, with a Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4AX-20-D-9400). Woodward Inc., Loves Park, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $113,429,656 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine engine main fuel controls. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Illinois, with a Sept. 20, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-19-D-0133). (Awarded Sept. 28, 2019) NAVY Progeny Systems,* Manassas, Virginia, was awarded a $25,689,916 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost only contract for the procurement of Navy systems engineering. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $98,044,894. Work will be performed in Middletown, Rhode Island (70%); and Manassas, Virginia (30%), and is expected to be completed by September 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2027. Fiscal 2019 research, development test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $800,000 will be obligated at time of award. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-6201). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2019) Systems Application and Technologies Inc.,* Oxnard, California, is awarded a $25,275,828 modification (P00016) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee/cost contract (N68936-18-C-0046) to maintain and operate aerial and seaborne assets and associated equipment for the Pacific Targets and Marine Operations Division of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD), Point Mugu, California. Work will be performed at Naval Base Ventura County, California (85%); China Lake, California (6%); and Las Cruces, New Mexico (3%); Kauai, Hawaii (2%); Salt Lake City, Utah (2%); Lompoc, California (1%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1%), and is expected to be completed in September 2020. Major range and test facility base; and working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,690,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The NAWCWD, Point Mugu, California, is the contracting activity. Life Cycle Engineering Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded an $8,696,376 firm-fixed-price task order (N32253-19-F-3000) off of the SeaPort-e multiple-award contract N00178-07-D-4077 for the procurement of technical, engineering, management, programmatic, logistics, and education (TEMPLE) services at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Hawaii. This procurement of TEMPLE services will provide advisory and assistance services to various departments (C135 Quality Assurance, C200 Engineering, C300 Operations, C710 Lifting and Handling, C900T Resource and Training, and C2300 Nuclear Engineering Planning Department) at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. This task order includes one option period which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this task order to $17,563,077. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by September 2020. If the option period is exercised, work will continue through September 2021. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $8,696,376 was obligated at time of award and would have expired at the end of fiscal year 2019. This task order was competitively procured via SeaPort-e, with one offer received. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 28, 2019) CORRECTION: The Sept. 30, 2019, announcement of a $43,889,245 delivery order (N0002419F5637) under previously awarded contract N00024-15-D-5217 to Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, for 281 Technical Insertion Sixteen (TI-16) Common Display System Variant A water-cooled and air-cooled production consoles, included the incorrect completion month. The work is expected to be complete by September 2020. All other information in the announcement is correct. CORRECTION: The Sept. 30, 2019, announcement of an $8,004,622 modification (P00006) to a previously awarded contract (N00019-19-C-0004) to Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, included an incorrect work location. The correct location is Edwards Air Force Base, California. All other information in the announcement is correct. CORRECTION: The $67,371,583 contract awarded to EMCube Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (N00030-20-C-0009), to provide services for the U.S. and United Kingdom Trident II D5 Strategic Weapon System programs and the United Kingdom Dreadnought program, was incorrectly announced on Sept. 30, 2019. The contract is being awarded Oct. 1, 2019. All other information in the announcement is correct. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Alutiiq Solutions LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a $11,910,439 firm-fixed-price contract, HT0014-19-C-0012. This contract provides support to the Defense Health Agency for continuation of information management and information technology services at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, and other joint medical facilities and components within the National Capital Region. The work includes, but is not limited to, project management, application and web development, clinical informatics, information assurance, help desk, data center and network operations, system architecture and engineering, and telecommunications support. Work will be performed in Maryland and Virginia, beginning Sept. 30, 2019, with an estimated completion date of March 29, 2020. The contract includes a six-month base period. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,910,439 are obligated on this award. This was an 8(a) direct award. The Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1976774/source/GovDelivery/
June 21, 2019 | International, Aerospace
By Allen Cone June 20 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $76.7 million contract for operation and maintenance of AEGIS missile system development and test sites for the U.S. Navy, Missile Defense Agency, Japan, Australia, South Korea and Norway. Work by Lockheed's Rotary and Mission Systems is for the Combat Systems Engineering Development Site, SPY-1A Test Facility and Naval Systems Computing Center in Moorestown, N.J., the Defense Department announced Wednesday. This option exercise includes continued technical engineering, configuration management, associated equipment/supplies, quality assurance, information assurance, and other operation and maintenance efforts required for the AEGIS development and test sites. This option also includes work on upgrades for the Ticonderoga class of guided-missile cruisers, designated as CG-47, and Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, designated as DDG-51, through the completion of Advanced Capability Build 20 and Technology Insertion 16. Work is expected to be complete by June 2020. This contract modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy at 34.7 percent, Missile Defense Agency at 22.7 percent, and the governments of Japan at 34.4 percent, Australia at 4.7 percent, South Korea at 2.1 percent and Norway at 1.4 percent under the foreign military sales program. Funding in the amount of $29.7 million has been obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $4.6 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Besides foreign military sales, funding will come from the Navy's fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion; fiscal 2019 Navy operation and maintenance; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation as well as MDA fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation and fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance. The AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense system is the naval component of the Missile Defense Agency's BMD system, providing warships with the capability of intercepting and destroying short- and medium-range ballistic missiles. As of October 2017, there are 33 ships with the AEGIS system, 17 are assigned to the Pacific Fleet and 16 to the Atlantic Fleet. Japan has four destroyers that have been upgraded with AEGIS BMD operational capabilities. The first deployment of European capabilities came on March 7, 2011, aboard the USS Monterey. AEGIS Ashore is the land-based component of the system. The deckhouse and launchers are designed to be nearly identical to the version installed aboard U.S. Navy destroyers and cruisers. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/06/20/Lockheed-Martin-awarded-767M-for-AEGIS-development-test-sites/3571561038521/