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October 15, 2020 | International, Naval

Outgoing Pakistan Navy chief reveals details of modernization programs

ISLAMABAD — Pakistan's Navy is racing to plug operational and technological gaps as part of an unprecedented modernization effort, according to the outgoing naval chief, but analysts are divided on whether the move will deter adversaries.

Adm. Zafar Mahmood Abbasi was speaking during the an Oct. 6 change-of-command ceremony when he detailed measures he enacted, prioritizing “combat readiness and offensive capability” for the historically undersized force amid tension with India.

In addition to reorganizing the Navy's force structure, he outlined acquisition and development programs, some of which were mentioned for the first time or had new details confirmed. These included:

  • Expanding the Navy to more than 50 warships (more than doubling major surface combatants to 20, with plans for six additional large offshore patrol vessels).
  • The apparent free transfer of a Chinese Yuan-class submarine to train Pakistani crews for its eight Hangor subs.
  • Developing the hypersonic P282 ship-launched anti-ship/land-attack ballistic missile.
  • Establishing the Naval Research and Development Institute to nurture indigenous design talent (it is presently engaged in programs such as the Jinnah-class frigate, Hangor-class subs, UAV jammers, directed-energy weapons, underwater sonar surveillance coastal defense systems, unmanned underwater vehicles and unmanned combat aerial vehicles).
  • Replacing of the P-3C Orion patrol aircraft with 10 converted commercial jets, the first of which has been ordered.
  • Acquiring medium-altitude, long-endurance unmanned combat aerial vehicles as well as 20 indigenous gunboats, which are to be commissioned by 2025.

The Navy would not provide more details when asked, though the gunboats were previously confirmed as undergoing design.

Rivals

However, analysts are divided on whether these programs will prove a sufficient deterrent against Pakistan's archrival India.

Author, analyst and former Australian defense attache to Islamabad, Brian Cloughley, claimed it is “quite impossible for Pakistan to achieve a naval structure that even approaches that of the Indian Navy.”

It cannot afford it. At best, its deterrence value would be entirely local," he said.

Though he described India's aircraft carriers as “decidedly inferior in effectiveness in international terms, and present no threat to China,” they are a “major threat” to Pakistan's Navy when they are out of range of shore-based air power.

In the event of a conflict involving India's Navy, Pakistan “would deploy all its assets to destroy it, and although the [Indian Navy] would suffer major losses, the attrition factor would be the decider,” he added.

In contrast, expansion of the Pakistan Navy would “effectively neutralize India's growing naval capability,” according to Mansoor Ahmed, a senior research fellow at the Center for International Strategic Studies in Islamabad. He noted that India has “long enjoyed the most decisive numerical advantage; that is potentially destabilizing, as it could encourage belligerency and aggression, and fuel crisis instability.”

However, Pakistan's modernization efforts would “help keep the nuclear threshold high,” “enhance Pakistan's second-strike capability by increasing survivability of its surface and submarine fleet,” and provide considerably increased capacity for attrition, Ahmed added.

Similarly, Tom Waldwyn, a naval expert at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, said there is merit in the expansion program.

“Certainly the ship- and submarine-building plans, once realized, will be a significant boost to Pakistan's conventional maritime capability. By the end of this decade, the frigate fleet will grow by half and the submarine fleet will probably double in size. The planned gunboats could free up the new frigates to perform tasks the Pakistan Navy is currently not able to do as often,” he said.

The Hangor program is probably the most noteworthy because of China's involvement, Waldwyn added. “Although local build of Hangor submarines is planned to be complete before the end of the decade, regenerating that industrial capability will be a big effort, and I expect that Chinese assistance in doing so will be crucial.”

But one factor depends on whether Germany provides export clearance of diesel engines for the submarine. Pakistan's Ministry of Defence Production, the Navy's public relations department, the German embassy in Islamabad, and Germany's Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control all declined to respond to Defense News' inquiries about the engines.

It is unknown whether the program is now proceeding with Chinese substitutes.

Weapons and platforms

Announcement of a contract for unmanned combat aerial vehicles, however, appears to be official confirmation the Chinese Wing Loong II deal first reported in October 2018. Though photographed undergoing testing in Pakistan, there was never official confirmation of a contract.

Air power expert at the Royal United Services Institute think tank, Justin Bronk, said it “is probably one of the most effective options for armed UAV acquisition available to Pakistan.”

“It has proven fairly satisfactory in service with the [United Arab Emirates] and others, and can carry a wide variety of cheap and effective Chinese munitions. Its sensor capabilities are not up to U.S. standards, especially in terms of stabilization. But given that sales of MQ-9 and other comparable U.S. systems are restricted, and Israeli UAVs are seldom exported with acknowledged weapons capabilities, Wing Loong II is probably the best option available,” Bronk explained.

In regard to what aircraft Pakistan will choose to replace its P-3C Orion fleet, Defense News asked the Navy and the Ministry of Defence Production, but neither provided details by press time.

A small number of business or regional jets from Brazil, Russia or Ukraine with non-Western systems (to avoid sanctions) could readily be converted to suit Pakistan's requirements. However, there is no official, publicly available notice or hint of sale to Pakistan from these countries' manufacturers, and there was no response to related queries.

Such a conversion could be locally done, as wider naval modernization is underpinned by Pakistan's in-house research and development program. Still, the IISS analyst added, it's not essential the work be performed domestically.

On the modernization effort as a whole, Waldwyn noted that “developing the local capability to design and build this equipment is not a prerequisite to providing conventional deterrence in the short term, and importing equipment from abroad can sometimes be less expensive.”

“However, there is value to developing the defense industrial base and sovereign technological capabilities, as it can protect you against geopolitical changes going forward,” the IISS analyst added.

For Ahmed, domestic work would demonstrate Pakistan “is determined to maintain the required level of modernization” — particularly with directed-energy weapons.

Meanwhile, he said he's uncertain what new purpose the P282 missile will serve. He is unconvinced the P282 is a hypersonic cruise missile intended to replace the current ship- and submarine-launched Harbah cruise missile. However, if the P282 is a ballistic missile as claimed, “it would make sense only if deployed on a submarine” where it could serve as part of Pakistan's nuclear deterrent.

Nevertheless, he added, the modernization program will still “greatly enhance the overall credibility of Pakistan's deterrent posture vis-a-vis India.”

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/10/14/outgoing-pakistan-navy-chief-reveals-details-of-modernization-programs/

On the same subject

  • Advanced Air and Missile Defense, in the Hands of Soldiers

    May 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Land

    Advanced Air and Missile Defense, in the Hands of Soldiers

    May 27, 2020 - It's a cold December morning at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and two surrogate cruise missile targets have just been launched, one after the other. They are flying separate courses among the jagged San Andres and Sacramento mountains toward soldiers in a U.S. Army Air and Missile Defense unit at a test site called TAC-2 – Tactical Command Post 2. These sophisticated targets precisely mimic real cruise missile threats and can take advantage of this terrain to hide from the radars and sensors commanders have positioned in the area. This can create gaps in tracking that make the job of interceptor missiles or other defensive weapons more difficult – you can't hit what you can't see. Today, though, their maneuvers won't enable them to evade detection. This is Flight Test 5 (FT-5), the most sophisticated and difficult development test yet for the Army's Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Battle Command System (IBCS), developed by Northrop Grumman. High above the range, sensors aboard U.S. Air Force F-35 fighter aircraft see and acquire the two surrogate missiles. IBCS integrates the aircraft sensor data with that of available ground sensors, including Sentinel, Patriot weapon system and U.S. Marine Corps TPS-59 radars. All share information via the IBCS Integrated Fire Control Network (IFCN). As one sensor loses sight of the threats – and each will at some point – the targets are acquired by other sensors on the IFCN, enabling IBCS to create a precise, uninterrupted composite track of each missile's movements. With data from every sensor, IBCS produces a single integrated air picture on the screens of the air defense soldiers at TAC-2. They see every change in altitude and direction as the two surrogate missiles paint tracks across their screens. Because IBCS enables joint weapons as well as joint sensors, the defenders at the controls can select the best effector to use against these targets. Today, the soldiers are about to launch two Patriot Advanced Capability 2 (PAC-2) interceptor missiles. “Without IBCS, all those different sensors operate independently, creating opportunities for threats to avoid detection as they fly to a target,” explained Northrop Grumman IBCS Program Director Mark Rist. “Without being integrated onto a network, these sensors produce a more ambiguous, less-clear air picture, making engagements of threat systems more challenging.” He is monitoring FT-5 from miles away, in the test's mission control room. The soldiers at TAC-2 can be heard on the radio, calm but urgent voices reporting “target acquired” by airborne sensor, and talking of the “IP” or intercept point, and “kill box.” It's only been moments since the threats were launched, but now comes “Free to engage ... Missile away ... Missile away ...” One, then another PAC-2 interceptor missile is launched by the soldiers. IBCS is not only able to launch the missiles, but also plays a critical role in the engagement by actively closing the fire control loop and providing in-flight updates as the PAC-2s converge on their targets. The surrogate cruise missile targets are closing in and can now be seen on video in the control room – and then suddenly they can't: One, then the other disappears in a ball of fire as the PAC-2s destroy them. Cheers erupted in the control room, and those of Rist and his team may have been loudest among the many generals, colonels and visiting officials that day at White Sands. After years of effort, working closely and constantly with soldiers, FT-5 fully demonstrated IBCS's unprecedented capability to integrate sensors and effectors to detect, track and simultaneously engage multiple targets in flight. “Information is ammunition, and IBCS is providing soldiers with more,” Rist said. “We brought a lot of things together in this development test. It was the first including joint operations with the Air Force F-35 and Marine Corps radar systems, the first with Air Defense Artillery soldiers at the controls, and the first involving software developed using our Agile methodology.” FT-5 was the latest in a series of test successes, and further evidence of the program's maturity as soldiers train on IBCS equipment in preparation for an important Limited User Test (LUT) this spring. “I'm very proud of these soldiers and of the system's performance,” said Colonel Phil Rottenborn, Army IAMD project manager. “This was the first time soldiers conducted a live engagement using IBCS in a developmental test, and they showed we are ready to go into the operational test phase.” “Success!” said Col. Tony Behrens, Army Capability Manager for the Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Command, and a nearly 26-year career Air Defense Artillery (ADA) officer. “It showed me that an Army operator – not an engineer or software developer – can sit at that console and do his or her job. I am very comfortable and confident about the path we're on.” IBCS enables soldiers to be even more effective by integrating all the systems' data and providing a common command-and-control (C2). Soldiers will only need to learn to use the IBCS C2, instead of spending time becoming specialists on only one or two of a dozen different sensor and weapon systems. That enhances IBCS's already impressive battlefield survivability, because soldiers will be capable of using any of the available sensors with any available weapon systems at any command post connected to the self-connecting, self-healing IFCN. Also, less time will be spent in recurrent training, making more time available for teaching operators defense strategy and how to fight. The IBCS “every sensor; best effector” concept gives commanders greater flexibility in defense design, allowing them to position resources for greatest coverage in far less time essentially helping to change the way soldiers see and fight air battle. Northrop Grumman's open-architecture system-of-systems approach to IBCS eases the integration of any new or legacy sensor and effector systems, which is important for U.S. joint operations and to foreign governments. Poland has an agreement with the U.S. Army to purchase IBCS for modernization of the nation's WISLA medium-range air defense system, and other countries have expressed interest as well. With the success of FT-5, Northrop Grumman will now focus on the Army's Limited User Test planned for later this year, followed by the low-rate initial production and full-rate production phases of the system, to field IBCS to Army air defenders in fiscal year 2021. Behrens said the Army must have the IBCS capabilities to be effective and successful in future combat operations. “To me, it's beyond critical,” he said. “We're not just giving soldiers a new piece of equipment, a new piece of gear. We're going to give them an entirely new way of operating on the battlefield that is so much more efficient. But it has to start with the system that enables you to do that.” IBCS may also be the Army's first big step toward multi-domain convergence – the next level above integration. “Enabling multi-domain – or more accurately, all-domain – operations is vital to ensuring battlefield advantage and superiority,” said Brig. Gen. Brian Gibson, director of the Army's AMD Cross-Functional Team, at an Association of the U.S. Army event in early March. “When successfully fielded, IBCS will be one of the Army's pathfinder capabilities into what is becoming a top priority for our military leaders: joint, all-domain command and control.” Media Contact Kenneth Kesner 256-327-6889 Kenneth.Kesner@ngc.com View source version on Northrop Grumman: https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/features/advanced-air-and-missile-defense-in-the-hands-of-soldiers

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 5, 2019

    August 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 5, 2019

    DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (HHM402-19-D-0005); Bluehawk LLC,* West Palm Beach, Florida (HHM402-19-D-0008); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0007); CACI Inc. – Federal, Arlington, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0015); Calhoun International LLC,* Tampa, Florida (HHM402-19-D-0009); Celestar Corp.,* Tampa, Florida (HHM402-19-D-0010); CSRA LLC, Falls Church, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0016); Edge Analytic Solutions LLC,* McLean, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0012); Fulcrum IT Services LLC, Centerville, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0017); Invictus International Consulting LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0013); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0018); Mission Essential Personnel LLC, New Albany, Ohio (HHM402-19-D-0019); Preting LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0014); SOS International LLC, Reston, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0020); The Buffalo Group LLC, Reston, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0021); and Vencore/Perspecta, Chantilly, Virginia (HHM402-19-D-0022), were awarded a five-year base plus five one-year option indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ), multiple-award contract called Solutions for Intelligence Analysis 3 (SIA 3) with a combined ceiling value of $17,100,000,000. This contract will provide worldwide coverage, support and assistance to the Defense Intelligence Agency by delivering timely, objective and cogent military intelligence to warfighters, defense planners and defense and national security policy makers, all vital to the security of the U.S. Work will be performed at contractor facilities and at government facilities in multiple locations in the continental U.S. and overseas with a start date of Aug. 5, 2019, and an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2029. The SIA 3 contract was awarded through a full and open solicitation and 29 offers were received. Six of the 16 awardees are small businesses. Each company will receive a $1,000 minimum guarantee. Task orders (TO) will be issued competitively under this ID/IQ, which will allow for the following TO contract types: firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-award-fee and time-and-material. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY ZGF-Leo A. Daly JV, Omaha, Nebraska, was awarded a $130,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for engineering, architectural, renovation, construction of new specialty care building, construction of a new parking garage, upgrades to utility and energy plant, demolition of buildings, development and evaluation of alternatives, design, and support during construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Portland, Oregon, is the contracting activity (W9127N-19-D-0002). AECOM Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (W9128F-19-D-0009); Burns & McDonnel, Kansas, Missouri (W9128F-19-D-0007); Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., St. Louis, Missouri (W9128F-19-D-0010); and HDR Engineering Inc., Omaha, Nebraska (W9128F-19-D-0008), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer services, preparation of studies, analysis and design. Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity. Tetra Tech Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts, was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Saudi Arabia) contract for architect-engineer design, quality control, master planning, planning and programming documentation, transportation, force protection, construction phase services and subject matter expert support. 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 Aug. 4, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Winchester, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W912ER-19-D-0013). Messer Construction Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $28,968,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a maintenance hangar, maintenance hangar area, general purpose shop area, corrosion control area and avionics shop area. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Louisville, Tennessee, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 15, 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $28,968,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Tennessee, is the contracting activity (W912L7-19-C-7001). HDR Engineering Inc., Omaha, Nebraska, was awarded a $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect, engineering and design services. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 6, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-D-4010). Missouri Department of Social Services, Jefferson City, Missouri, was awarded a $16,675,000 modification (P00005) to contract W911S7-18-C-0011 for full food service. Work will be performed in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 5, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission Installation Contracting Command, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, is the contracting activity. Science Applications International, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $16,498,835 modification (0001 44) to contract W31P4Q-18-A-0011 for systems engineering support. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $16,498,835 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. SourceAmerica, Vienna, Virginia, was awarded a $9,998,043 firm-fixed-price contract for manufacturing and development of the Army Green Service Uniform. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Vienna, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation; and military personnel, Army funds in the amount of $9,998,043 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-19-C-0063). Integrated Environmental Solutions Inc.,* Crestwood, Illinois, was awarded a $9,737,430 firm-fixed-price contract to stabilize the existing crib structure for the Chicago Lock's North Pier. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Chicago, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2021. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $9,737,430 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W912P6-19-C-0009). NAVY ShadowObjects LLC, Leonardtown, Maryland, is awarded a $34,060,886 cost-plus-fixed-fee, labor hour, cost-reimbursable indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides support services to include acquisition management, acquisition planning, acquisition execution and administration, program management, systems engineering, process automation and financial management in support of the Naval Air Systems Command Logistics and Industrial Operations group; Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers, Corporate Business Office and other Department of Defense commands and activities. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (74%); and Lexington Park, Maryland (26%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; six offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0073). The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $32,078,298 for modification P00149 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-14-C-0067). This modification provides for the performance of damage tolerance analysis on the P-8A aircraft to determine the damage tolerance rating. Additionally, this modification will provide non-destructive inspections for structural components on the P-8A aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (74%); St. Louis, Missouri (21%); and Huntsville, Alabama (5%), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $32,078,298 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Harris Corp., RF Communications, Rochester, New York, is awarded an $18,739,106 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of and repair of various radios and associated communications equipment for the Tactical Air Control Party – Modernization (TACP-M) program. This action supports the Air Force TACP-M program's Air Support Operations Center Gateway Systems, Gateway Lite Systems, Stryker Systems, Mobile Communication Systems and Dismounted Systems. The Harris Corp. radios are hardware that provide tactical communications in a man-pack portable kit that is designed to be packed into a bag or case that can be easily carried or worn by the user. Each of the radios has unique properties. The Harris Corp. radios and related equipment have proven interoperability within the existing TACP-M architecture. Work will be performed in Rochester, New York, and is expected to be complete by December 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funding in the amount of $120,080 is obligated at contract award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This sole-source contract was not competitively procured in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, only one responsible source. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-JV38). The Raytheon Co., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded $17,486,136 for modification P00002 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-19-C-0056) to procure 72 LAU-115 D/A missile launchers; 16 LAU-116 B/A missile launchers left hand; and 32 LAU-116 B/A missile launchers right hand. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed in February 2023. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,486,136 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California, is awarded a $9,338,631 cooperative research agreement to research development of an artificial intelligence system that acquires machine common sense through observation from images, video and text by absorbing knowledge from both manually created sources and by human guidance. This research seeks capabilities that can enable artificial intelligence agents to support search and rescue efforts, autonomous vehicle navigation in unfamiliar terrain and machines that can adapt to unforeseen circumstances. This is a four-year contract with no options. Work will be performed at USC in Los Angeles, California, and is expected to be completed Aug. 4, 2023. Research, development, test and evaluation (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) funds in the amount of $1,018,876 will be obligated at the time of award. This agreement was competitively procured via a broad agency announcement and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 23 proposals received and nine selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-2-4032). Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Portsmouth, Rhode Island, is awarded $8,611,774 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00037 under previously awarded contract N66604-15-C-086C on a sole-source basis to provide additional engineering services. The modification includes 35,000 hours and other direct costs associated with system and shipboard integration, required system changes and support of government led testing and training. Under this modification, Raytheon will provide the required services and deliverables to achieve weight reduction of the Escort Mission Module (EMM) towed systems and associated dry-end components in support of Littoral Combat Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Mission Package. Raytheon is responsible for fabrication, test and delivery of the EMM components. Work will be performed at various contractor site and Department of Defense facilities in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (90%); Ft. Pierce, Florida (5%); and San Diego, California (5%), and is expected to be complete in December 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,053,121 will be obligated at award, and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Harley Marine Services Inc., Seattle, Washington, has been awarded a firm fixed-price contract, HTC711-19-C-W002, in the estimated amount of $19,819,032. The contract provides transportation of Department of Defense-owned fuel and marine diesel by tug and barge to the Defense Logistics Agency. Work will be performed in all ordered U.S. ports and points on the Atlantic and Gulf Coast and their connecting waterways, inland waterways, coastal waterways, rivers and tributaries. The contract base period of performance is from Nov. 1, 2019, to Oct. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds will be obligated at the start of performance. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Raytheon Co., Goleta, California, was awarded a modification to exercise an option totaling $8,263,421 to previously awarded contract HR0011-19-C-0010 for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research project. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract from $4,334,736 to $12,598,157. Work will be performed in Goleta, California; Waltham, Massachusetts; Irvine, California; Oxnard, California; and Joplin, Missouri, with an expected completion date of Nov. 4, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,723,915 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1926294/source/GovDelivery/

  • SUISSE LE TEST DES FUTURS AVIONS DE COMBAT A COMMENCÉ

    April 25, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    SUISSE LE TEST DES FUTURS AVIONS DE COMBAT A COMMENCÉ

    Les tests des cinq avions de combat en lice pour remplacer les Tiger et les F/A-18 de l'armée suisse ont débuté. L'Eurofighter d'Airbus a ouvert le bal vendredi sur la base aérienne de Payerne (VD). Outre l'Eurofighter, quatre autres concurrents sont en lice: le Gripen E suédois (Saab), le Rafale français (Dassault) ainsi que les deux avions américains, le successeur du F/A-18, le Super Hornet de Boeing, et le F-35A de Lockheed-Martin. L'ordre de passage des candidats a été fixé par ordre alphabétique des constructeurs. Quatre jours de tests sont prévus pour chacun. Tous les candidats ont les mêmes chances. Aucun choix préalable n'a été effectué et pour l'instant, les avions ne seront pas comparés entre eux. Cette phase interviendra lors du deuxième appel d'offres, avait indiqué lundi Christian Catrina, délégué de la cheffe du Département fédéral de la défense pour le projet d'achat des avions de combat. Vérifier les capacités L'objectif de ces tests est de vérifier les capacités des avions et les données des offres déposées par les différents constructeurs. Les essais incluent huit missions comportant des t'ches spécifiques. Effectuées par un ou deux avions de combat, ces missions consisteront en 17 décollages et atterrissage. Elles seront axées sur les aspects opérationnels, les aspects techniques et les caractéristiques particulières. Un vol d'introduction aura lieu avant les essais en vol et au sol pour permettre aux pilotes étrangers de se familiariser avec l'espace aérien suisse. Les missions seront effectuées en solo par un pilote étranger pour le F-35A et le Gripen E qui sont des monoplaces, avait précisé armasuisse. Un ingénieur suisse accompagnera les autres vols. Les évaluations se feront ensuite gr'ce aux enregistrements à bord. La procédure garantit un traitement objectif et identique de tous les candidats. Le choix du modèle se fera sur des bases équitables. Les tests concernent aussi les audits de support produits, les essais en simulateur et les essais au sol en Suisse. https://www.lematin.ch/suisse/test-futurs-avions-combat-commence/story/14127523

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