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January 3, 2024 | International, Land

Overcoming data analytics inertia in defense to win future wars

Opinion: If the solution relies on a proprietary data format, disqualify it.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2024/01/02/overcoming-data-analytics-inertia-in-defense-to-win-future-wars/

On the same subject

  • Defence Watch: New dates set for budget watchdog's reports on major naval projects

    October 27, 2020 | International, Naval

    Defence Watch: New dates set for budget watchdog's reports on major naval projects

    David Pugliese, Two reports by the parliamentary budget officer looking into the costs of major Canadian naval equipment projects have been delayed. The Commons Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates had unanimously passed a motion in June to request the Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer undertake a costing analysis of the Royal Canadian Navy's new joint support ships as well as the leasing of the Asterix supply ship from a private firm. The PBO study was to also look at the cost of building the joint support ships in Canada at Seaspan shipyard in Vancouver. The committee asked that the PBO report be provided by Oct. 15. Another motion from the committee, passed later in June, asked the PBO to examine the $60 billion price tag of Canada's proposed new fleet of warships – the Canadian Surface Combatant or CSC. Parliamentary Budget Officer Yves Giroux was tasked to investigate the cost of the CSC as well as examine the cost of two other types of warships: the FREMM and the Type 31. That study was supposed to be presented to the committee by Oct. 22. But those original motions from the committee expired when Parliament was prorogued. So new motions have to be provided to the PBO. The Commons committee passed a new motion on Oct. 19 on the Asterix and Joint Support Ship analysis. That analysis is to be delivered by Nov. 30, PBO spokeswoman Sloane Mask told this newspaper. A date for the analysis to be made public has not yet been determined. “Currently, we are also in the process of confirming the revised timelines for the CSC report,” she added.There is particular interest in the defence community about what the PBO determines is the current price-tag of the Canadian Surface Combatant project. Last year the Liberal government signed an initial deal on CSC that is expected to lead to the eventual construction of 15 warships in the largest single government purchase in Canadian history. Lockheed Martin offered Canada the Type 26 warship designed by BAE in the United Kingdom. Irving is the prime contractor and the vessels will be built at its east coast shipyard. Construction of the first ship isn't expected to begin until the early 2020s. But the Canadian Surface Combatant program has already faced rising costs. In 2008, the then-Conservative government estimated the project would cost roughly $26 billion. But in 2015, Vice-Admiral Mark Norman, then commander of the navy, voiced concern that taxpayers may not have been given all the information about the program, publicly predicting the cost for the warships alone would approach $30 billion. The overall project is currently estimated to cost around $60 billion. “Approximately one-half of the CSC build cost is comprised of labour in the (Irving) Halifax yard and materials,” according to federal government documents obtained by this newspaper through the Access to Information law. But some members of parliament and industry representatives have privately questioned whether the CSC price-tag is too high. There have been suggestions that Canada could dump the Type 26 design and go for a cheaper alternative since the CSC project is still in early stages and costs to withdraw could be covered by savings from a less expensive ship. Canada had already been pitched on alternatives. In December 2017, the French and Italian governments proposed a plan in which Canada could build the FREMM frigate at Irving. Those governments offered to guarantee the cost of the 15 ships at a fixed $30 billion, but that was rejected by the Canadian government. The other type of warship the PBO will look at is the Type 31, which is to be built for the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom. Those ships are to cost less than $500 million each. In 2017, then Parliamentary Budget Officer Jean-Denis Fréchette estimated the CSC program would cost $61.82 billion. The entry of the BAE Type 26 warship in the Canadian competition was controversial from the start and sparked complaints that the procurement process was skewed to favour that vessel. Previously the Liberal government had said only mature existing designs or designs of ships already in service with other navies would be accepted on the grounds they could be built faster and would be less risky. Unproven designs can face challenges if problems are found once the vessel is in the water and operating. But the criteria was changed and the government and Irving accepted the BAE design, though at the time it existed only on the drawing board. Construction began on the first Type 26 frigate in the summer of 2017 for Britain's Royal Navy. https://www.thetelegram.com/news/canada/defence-watch-new-dates-set-for-budget-watchdogs-reports-on-major-naval-projects-512897

  • Boeing Awarded U.S. Air Force KC-46A Upgrade Contract

    April 3, 2023 | International, Aerospace

    Boeing Awarded U.S. Air Force KC-46A Upgrade Contract

    These capabilities will further enhance the data and communications connectivity the KC-46A provides to joint and allied forces for battlespace situational awareness

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 27, 2020

    July 28, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 27, 2020

    ARMY Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $529,058,476 modification (P00202) to contract W52P1J-10-C-0062 for Kuwait base operations and security support services. Work will be performed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $248,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $58,487,824 firm-fixed-price contract to ensure suitable time and ceiling are available to meet the requirements of the Automated Installation Entry system. 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 July 27, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-15-D-0047). SCD.USA Infrared LLC, Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a $17,425,550 firm-fixed-price contract for sustainment support services for the AN/VSQ-6B Vehicle Optics Sensor system. 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 July 27, 2030. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56JSR-20-D-0016). Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $16,043,475 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor staff augmentation services to migrate the Army Enterprise Systems Integration Program components and Global Combat Support System-Army system. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 26, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $16,043,475 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-F-0432). Owyhee Group Co.,* Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $9,209,263 firm-fixed-price contract for the Army cold weather combat boot. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Boise, Idaho, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $9,209,263 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-F-0360). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Dynalec Corp. Inc., Sodus, New York, has been awarded an estimated $17,685,523 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for electronic and communication components. 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 three one-year option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a July 24, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX20D016). (Awarded July 24, 2020) NAVY CBGG JV LLC,* Silver Spring, Maryland, is awarded a $12,982,363 firm-fixed-price contract for trailer procurement Phase II at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Cherry Point, North Carolina. Work will be performed in Jacksonville and Havelock, North Carolina. The work to be performed provides for the procurement, delivery and set-up of 75 interim relocatable facilities, with 62 to be located at MCB Camp Lejeune and 13 to be located at MCAS Cherry Point. The new facilities will include administrative, classroom trailers, post office, medical aid station, computer lab, chapel and fire station. Work is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $12,982,363 are obligated on this award, of which $11,200,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website and 13 proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-C-0008). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2289819/source/GovDelivery/

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