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  December 13, 2019 | International, Land

  Army Revs Up High-Tech Tank Engine

  By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR. WASHINGTON: Just outside Detroit, home of the muscle car, the Army's put together a powertrain as potent as three Trans Ams strapped together — with an electric stealth mode that sounds more like a lawnmower than a tank. The 1,000-horsepower Advanced Powertrain Demonstrator packs more diesel horsepower in less space than current engines, along with a 160-kilowatt generator that can power advanced electronics – like a drone-killing laser or anti-missile defenses – and even move an entire 50-ton vehicle for brief periods. Now installed in an M2 Bradley hull for testing, the current version of the APD can move war machines up to 50 tons, but it's meant to be easily modified for larger or smaller vehicles. “Each of the pieces can be scaled” up or down, said John Tasdemir, chief of the power & mobility branch of the Army's Ground Vehicle Systems Center (formerly TARDEC) in Warren, Mich. “It could not just fit a Bradley, it could fit a future vehicle, [or] it could fit a legacy vehicle as well.” Compact enough to fit into the notoriously cramped Bradley, the 1,000-horsepower Advanced Powertrain Demonstrator produces 48 percent more horsepower than the most-upgraded Bradley variant and 67 percent more than the standard 600-hp model. The engine could also fit the turretless utility variant of the Bradley, the Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle, or, with some rearrangement of the components, the M109A7 Paladin howitzer. And since the design is modular, the APD could be scaled down to 500 hp – potentially powering the more tank-like of the Robotic Combat Vehicles the Army's now developing – or up to 1,500 hp – enough to drive the 70-ton M1 Abrams main battle tank. Another logical candidate for APD technology is the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle now in development to replace the Bradley. Fitting the new vehicle would require some redesign, said one of Tasdemir's engineers, Mike Claus, but if they could optimize the APD components for an all-new hull without the awkward compromises of the Bradley, the resulting design could be “way more compact.” How It Works Why is it important to be compact? Well, the heaviest part of a combat vehicle is its armor. The weight of the armor, in turn, is the product of its thickness and the surface area it has to protect. The bulkier you make your vehicle – the greater the “volume under armor,” in Army terms – the more tons of armor you need to get the same level of protection. To make the APD more compact, it needs to be more efficient. To do that, the Army and its contractors went to work on every piece of the powertrain – for example: In the diesel engine itself, built by Cummins, the pistons go through a two-stroke cycle instead of the usual four, allowing them to generate more horsepower with less waste heat from the same amount of gas. Historically, two-stroke engines are also highly polluting, which is why they've not been widely adopted, but the APD uses cutting-edge emissions controls. The SAPA drive-by-wire transmission replaces traditional, inefficient mechanisms like pumps with precisely engineered electromagnetic controls called solenoids. The transmission is in fact so attractive to other Army programs that they're considering installing it even without the rest of the APD powertrain. The cooling system replaces traditional filters – which wear out in 20 hours in dusty areas like deserts – with a Donaldson pulse-jet air cleaner that lasts 500 hours and provides much more airflow. Cooling armored vehicles is always challenging, even when they're not fighting in the desert, because they're basically metal boxes in which you want to punch as few holes as possible. The L3-Harris Integrated Starter-Generator produces 160 kW – many times the current alternator on the Bradley – but doesn't require its own dedicated cooling system, unlike traditional electronics. That's because it uses heat-resistant silicon carbide components that can function at 105 centigrade (hot enough to boil water), the same as the engine block. That electrical power is as important for modern combat vehicles as diesel horsepower. During the Iraq War, the Cold War-vintage Bradleys got upgraded with so many advanced sensors, communications networks, display screens, and radio jammers to deactivate roadside bombs that they couldn't power everything at once. Now, worried about Russia's vast arsenal of RPGs and anti-tank missiles, the Army is pushing to install so-called Active Protection Systems on its armored vehicles, which use compact radars to track incoming projectiles – a big power drain – so miniature missile launchers can shoot them down. And for the near future, the Army is highly interested in high-powered laser and microwave weapons, albeit primarily against fast-moving, fragile targets like drones and rockets rather than heavily armored vehicles like tanks. The Ground Vehicle Systems Center plans to test the APD powertrain on a stationary Bradley hull through this coming March, by which point they expect to have demonstrated what's called Technological Readiness Level (TRL) 6. Then they'll fully integrate the APD into a drivable Bradley, the Advanced Mobility Experimental Prototype (AMEP), which will be tested to TRL 7 or 8 – the highest level possible for a prototype – in 2022. The next year, 2023, the Army will hold the final competition to build the Bradley replacement, the OMFV. https://breakingdefense.com/2019/12/army-revs-high-tech-tank-engine

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  May 20, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 19, 2020

  NAVY Viasat Inc., Carlsbad, California, is awarded a $998,828,164 maximum potential value, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production, retrofits, development and sustainment of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) terminals. Currently, there are three variants of MIDS JTRS terminals: the Concurrent Multi-Netting-4, the Tactical Targeting Network Technology and the F-22 variant. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and these terminals will continue to be procured, sustained and updated for future growth, including JTRS advanced networking waveforms such as: multifunction advanced data link, intra-flight data link and other advanced networking waveforms. The MIDS JTRS terminal is a line-of-sight radio system for collecting and transmitting broadband, jam-resistant, secure data and voice across a variety of air, sea and ground platforms. Work is expected to be complete by May 2025. Funds in the amount of $48,280,914 will be placed on contract and obligated on the first delivery order concurrent with contract award, which will meet the minimum order requirement. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,223,208; and other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,532,559 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $12,135,592; other procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $1,645,504; and research development test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $205,688 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 defense-wide procurement in the amount of $1,234,128; and defense National Guard and reserve equipment in the amount of $2,673,944 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Non-appropriated funds for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in the amount of $15,015,224; and foreign cooperative programs in the amount of $617,064 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force) in the amount of $3,702,384; and other procurement (Navy) in the amount of $1,295,619 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as purchases for NATO and all NATO nations under the FMS program. This contract was competitively procured, and two proposals were received. The Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting authority and awarded the contract on behalf of the MIDS Program Office (PMA/PMW-101) (N00039-20-D-0058). Data Link Solutions LLC, comprised of BAE, Wayne, New Jersey; and Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $998,828,164 maximum potential value, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for the production, retrofits, development and sustainment of the Multifunctional Information Distribution System (MIDS) Joint Tactical Radio Systems (JTRS) terminals. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (50%); and Wayne, New Jersey (50%). Currently, there are three variants of MIDS JTRS terminals: the Concurrent Multi-Netting-4, the Tactical Targeting Network Technology and the F-22 variant. These terminals will continue to be procured, sustained and updated for future growth, including JTRS advanced networking waveforms such as: multifunction advanced data link, intra-flight data link and other advanced networking waveforms. The MIDS JTRS terminal is a line-of-sight radio system for collecting and transmitting broadband, jam-resistant, secure data and voice across a variety of air, sea and ground platforms. The ordering period for this IDIQ contract is through May 2025. Funds in the amount of $64,137,404 will be placed on contract and obligated on the first delivery order concurrent with contract award, which will meet the minimum order requirement. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,970,335; other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,802,447; and ship construction procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $195,965 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $16,461,060; other procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $1,959,650; and research development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $1,175,790 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 defense-wide procurement in the amount of $1,567,720; and defense National Guard and reserve equipment in the amount of $3,331,405 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Non-appropriated funding for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) in the amount of $20,598,117; and foreign cooperative programs in the amount of $979,825 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force) in the amount of $5,095,090 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as purchases for NATO and all NATO nations under the FMS program. This contract was competitively procured, and two proposals were received. The Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting authority and awarded the contract on behalf of the MIDS Program Office (PMA/PMW-101) (N00039-20-D-0057). Intercontinental Construction Contracting Inc.,* Passaic, New Jersey (N40080-20-D-0011); FBGC JV LLC,* Hampton, Virginia (N40080-20-D-0012); Pontiac Drywall Systems Inc.,* Pontiac, Michigan (N40080-20-D-0013); Maclean-Ocean JV LLC,* Bethesda, Maryland (N40080-20-D-0014); RAND Enterprises Inc.,* Newport News, Virginia (N40080-20-D-0015); and Aimcon Design Build LLC,* Harvey, Louisiana (N40080-20-D-0016), are awarded $99,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award design-build/design-bid build construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington area of responsibility (AOR). All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Washington AOR to include District of Columbia (40%); Virginia (40%); and Maryland (20%). Intercontinental Construction Contracting Inc. is awarded initial task order at $169,821 for the construction of seven above-ground storage tanks and two pump houses at Chesapeake Beach Detachment, Maryland. The work to be performed provides repairs, new construction and alterations to shore facilities and utilities. Additionally, work may also include but are not limited to, engaging in installing and serving mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, building's equipment and other specialized trades. Work for this task order is expected to be complete by June 2021. The term of the contract is not to exceed 24 months, with an expected completion date of May 2022. Fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds (NWCF); and fiscal 2020 supervision, inspection and overhead contract funds in the amount of $194,821 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The maximum dollar value including the base period and one option year for all six contracts combined is $99,000,000. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and NWCF. This contract was competitively procured via the Beta Sam website, and 23 proposals were received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Applied Systems Engineering Inc., Niceville, Florida, is awarded a $10,600,000 modification on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order N001781-70-D-2053 for additional quantities of Advanced Tactical Navigation units as well as various upgrades, repairs and associated support. Work will be performed in Niceville, Florida, and is expected to be complete by April 2022. This modification raises the contract ceiling to $22,259,073. This modification is being awarded on a sole-source basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-2, Unusual and Compelling Urgency (see 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(2)). No funds are being obligated at the time of award, and will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. W. F. Magann Corp., Portsmouth, Virginia, is awarded a $10,234,262 firm-fixed-price modification for replacement of the Dry Dock 4 north side duct bank at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Virginia. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and includes, but is not limited to, demolition of the existing terracotta duct banks and installation of structural, concrete encased duct banks for the electrical systems, shore power, industrial power, capstan power and telecommunications systems. Work is expected to be complete by July 2022. After award of this modification, the cumulative contract value will be $174,551,064. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,234,262 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-19-C-9014). AIR FORCE Ventech Inc., Largo, Maryland, has been awarded a $99,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for performance of the Base Level Software Support V contract. This contract provides for purchasing of commercial software, software maintenance and bundled maintenance, filing purchases and license information database operations and maintenance, report generation and general support to address software, documentation and licensing issues. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed May 30, 2030. The period of performance for this services contract is for a five year base period with one five year option. This award is the result of competitive acquisition and 18 offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $106,723 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Testing Center, Eglin AFB, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2486-20-D-0009). Survice Engineering Co. LLC, Belcamp, Maryland, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $89,489,901 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). This contract provides for the acquisition, storage, retrieval, synthesis, analysis and dissemination of 22 technical focus areas and scientific technical information for the Department of Defense Information Analysis Center mission. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2026. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,600 will be obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (FA8075-20-D-0001). Sea Box Inc., East Riverton, New Jersey, has been awarded a $77,454,898 requirements order for basic expeditionary airfield resources expandable bicon shelter hygiene systems for the Support Equipment and Vehicles division at Robins Air Force Base. The order provides for the production of 43 initial quantities and best estimated quantities (BEQ) of five each under the basic period, BEQ of 26 for Option Period One, BEQ of 44 each for Option Period Two, BEQ of 30 each for Option Period Three, and BEQ of 30 each for Option Period Four. Work will be performed in East Riverton, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed May 18, 2024. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 other procurement funds in the amount of $15,422,303; and fiscal 2020 other procurement funds in the amount of $2,500,914 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8534-20-F-0026). ManTech SRS Technologies Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,916,894 cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price modification (P00056) to contract FA8811-10-C-0002 for systems engineering and integration services. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California; Vandenberg AFB, California; and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. Work is expected to be completed Sept. 22, 2020. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $17,673,379; fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,503,797; and fiscal 2020 research development test and evaluation funds in the amount of $729,723 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract modification and option is $20,916,894. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. ARMY Vigil America Inc., Deland, Florida, was awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the Electronic Automatic Activation Device. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-D-0015). WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES UPDATE: The contract announced yesterday, May 18, 2020, to Chenega Healthcare Services LLC, San Antonio, Texas (HQ0034-20-D-0008), to provide COVID-19 contact tracing for Pentagon support services, was actually awarded today. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2192036/source/GovDelivery/

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  January 21, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  The New Trend In Acquisitions: Mergers Of Equal But Different

  Michael Bruno Woodward, Hexcel, United Technologies, Raytheon, L3 Technologies and Harris at first glance have relatively little in common, except they are mostly midsize suppliers and specialists primarily serving the aerospace and defense (A&D) market. Increasingly, that is exactly why they are pairing up—and if other recent deals are an indication, it could be one of the leading trends this year in A&D mergers and acquisitions (M&A). On Jan. 12, aircraft motion-control specialist Woodward and composites leader Hexcel proposed stock merger to create one of the largest independent A&D suppliers, with capabilities running from wing and engine parts to advanced materials used to make aircraft construction lighter. The companies have minimal sales overlap, which could help ease approval by antitrust regulators. The combined company, Woodward Hexcel, would hold key supplier positions on most major A&D programs, including: the Airbus A220, A320neo, A330neo and A350; the Boeing 737 MAX, 777X, 787 and Apache helicopter; Bombardier Global 7500; Embraer E-Jets E2; Gulfstream G500/600; and Lockheed Martin F-35 and CH-53. Perhaps more important for shareholders, the “merger of equals” between Woodward and Hexcel could become a lucrative stake. According to the companies, their combined revenue of $5.3 billion would place the new Woodward Hexcel sixth among major A&D suppliers (see graph). What is more, the combined company, which will be based in Fort Collins, Colorado, should generate about $1 billion in free cash flow—the proceeds used to fuel shareholder returns—in its first year. In turn, around $1.5 billion is expected to be sent to shareholders within 18 months of the deal's completion. The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020. Initially, financial analysts who cover publicly traded A&D companies were surprised by the proposed combination. But tie-ups that see midsize specialists combining to provide greater portions of A&D systems and parts are likely to become more commonplace. Last summer, L3 Technologies and Harris paired to form L3Harris Technologies. By the summer of 2020, United Technologies and Raytheon are expected to close their own “merger of equals” to become Raytheon Technologies. “I think this deal is very similar to several other aerospace deals that we've seen the last 3-4 years,” Credit Suisse analyst Rob Spingarn says of Woodward Hexcel. “Right off the bat, it looks a lot like Harris and L3. If you line up the PowerPoint presentations from the two deals, they are almost mirror images of each other.” To that end, all of these companies have talked about increasing the amount of dollars spent on research and development (R&D). However, the so-called synergies from the combination of Raytheon Technologies are years off—assuming they occur at all—while rewards for shareholders will be almost immediate. The CEOs of Woodward and Hexcel assert that they will spend $250 million on R&D in the first full year after the deal closes, which according to analysts, is roughly in line with what they were going to spend separately. At the same time, the combined company expects to cut at least $125 million worth of recurring and redundant costs. Of course, each deal has its own criteria for justification: United Technologies looked to gain heft to fight off Airbus and Boeing supply-chain squeezes; Raytheon needed deeper pockets to fund defense technology plays; and L3 and Harris each wanted to become defense primes. Last but not least, Woodward and Hexcel CEOs say they see genuine opportunities to help commercial aviation become more sustainable through the lighter, more efficient design of aircraft and engines. A&D M&A consultants are preparing to release their year-end summaries for 2019, but dealmakers already are telling Aviation Week they expect a robust environment for M&A deals in 2020, albeit not universally across the industry. For instance, sub-tier commercial aviation suppliers like “mom and pop shops” will continue to be gobbled up, especially by private equity investors directly or through holding companies as they seek to form new middleweight suppliers. Defense technology specialists also remain hot targets, as evidenced by the mid-December announcement that government services heavyweight Leidos is buying boutique aircraft and defense systems provider Dynetics for $1.65 billion. But consolidation in space may take top billing amongst the bevy of startups funded by a venture capital surge in recent years, with major assets such as Maxar Technologies' MDA subsidiary being sold to private equity investors at the end of December. Space-sector combinations could be another major trend for 2020, according to Matt O'Connell, managing partner at Seraphim Capital—the firm that funded the buildup of GeoEye, now a core part of Maxar after MDA. “I think there are a lot of deals out there waiting to be done,” he says. https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/new-trend-acquisitions-mergers-equal-different?