April 14, 2020 | International, Land
By: Jen Judson
WASHINGTON — The COVID-19 pandemic is not slowing down the Army's plans to field an enduring indirect fires protection capability, according to Lt. Col. Juan Santiago, the service's program development manager for the effort.
The Army has had to take a few steps back over recent years to reconsider its ways forward to develop an enduring capability to defend against rockets, artillery and mortars as well as cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft systems.
As the service re-examined its path, Congress mandated that it buy an interim capability aimed directly at protecting the force from a growing cruise missile threat, but the Army has stressed that the system it will use — Rafael's Iron Dome — won't cover all the bases needed for a lasting capability.
Earlier this year, the Army sent a report to Congress outlining its plans to get after the enduring capability, partly by hosting a shoot-off with vendors that bring launcher and interceptor capabilities next year.
The Army issued a request for information to industry at the beginning of March with plans to conduct an industry day.
But with the COVID-19 pandemic raging in the United States and limiting travel and social contact, the IFPC program office had to get creative in order to keep the program moving forward.
The office was able to host one-on-one meetings with interested vendors as part of an industry day this month and is planning to answer industry questions, which have been submitted virtually, Santiago told Defense News in an April 9 interview.
To stay on track with the program, the office couldn't afford to delay industry engagements in order to keep the ball moving, Santiago explained.
The next big step for industry is to submit white papers to the Army toward the end of April, Santiago said.
The Army will review the papers over the course of a month and will notify industry by the end of May whether or not they will be invited to proceed into an agreement with the service to move forward, he said.
Those selected will move into a modeling and simulation phase that will also include some hardware-in-the-loop activities where capabilities are demonstrated in a simulated environment to determine if they are ready to go out on the range for the live shoot-off next year in the 3rd quarter of fiscal 2021 at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico. Santiago said he could not disclose the number of agreements that might be awarded.
The Army will invite vendors to submit final proposals following the shoot-off, Santiago said, but even if a vendor isn't ready for that phase, it can still submit a final proposal that draws upon performance in a simulated environment and includes a plan to get to a live-fire capability within the desired timeline.
The government will evaluate final proposals and choose one vendor to provide the launcher and interceptor solution in the fourth quarter of FY21, Santiago said.
Initial capabilities are expected to be fielded by FY23.
December 7, 2024 | International, Land
The contract also includes continuing the technical and operational evaluation of the equipment and its future use in the Brazilian Army's anti-aircraft artillery units.
March 6, 2020 | International, Aerospace
San Diego – March 4, 2020 – General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) and L3Harris Technologies completed the successful integration of the WESCAM MX™-20 Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) system onto a GA-ASI MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) to provide an advanced targeting solution. A series of test flights began on February 18th to demonstrate the MX-20-equipped MQ-9's ability to locate and track targets at long stand-off ranges. “The GA-ASI and L3Harris teams have worked closely over the past year to ensure the successful integration of this sophisticated system,” said Linden Blue, CEO, GA-ASI. “This is a significant milestone and we look forward to the enduring relationship and growing opportunities with L3Harris WESCAM.” When integrated onto the MQ-9 Predator® B series of RPAS, the WESCAM MX-20 EO/IR system will support Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Precision Guided Munitions (PGM) missions. Field-proven through multiple deployments, the WESCAM MX-20 is equipped with high-sensitivity multi-spectral sensors for day, low-light and nighttime missions. The WESCAM MX-20 operates with outstanding detection and recognition capabilities from ultra-high altitudes. “L3Harris is proud to partner with GA-ASI to deliver sophisticated technologies for persistent surveillance missions and evolving battlefields,” said Jacques Comtois, General Manager, WESCAM, L3Harris. “Being a Team SkyGuardian partner allows us to support our technology's modular growth path with unprecedented levels of innovation and business opportunities globally for leading unmanned aircraft system programs.” GA‑ASI is the world's leading designer and manufacturer of RPAS and mission related systems. Team SkyGuardian combines the best of industry with the world's most advanced Medium-altitude Long-endurance (MALE) RPAS, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian, being developed to fulfill the world's future RPAS requirements. About GA-ASI General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI), an affiliate of General Atomics, is a leading designer and manufacturer of proven, reliable Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) systems, radars, and electro-optic and related mission systems, including the Predator® RPA series and the Lynx® Multi-mode Radar. With more than six million flight hours, GA-ASI provides long-endurance, mission-capable aircraft with integrated sensor and data link systems required to deliver persistent flight that enables situational awareness and rapid strike. The company also produces a variety of ground control stations and sensor control/image analysis software, offers pilot training and support services, and develops meta-material antennas. For more information, visit ga-asi.com. SkyGuardian, Predator and Lynx are registered trademarks of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. For more information contact: GA-ASI Media Relations General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. +1 (858) 524-8108 ASI-MediaRelations@ga-asi.com View source version on General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.: http://www.ga-asi.com/ga-asi-and-l3harris-technologies-successfully-integrate-wescam-mx-20-onto-mq-9
October 13, 2020 | International, Naval, C4ISR
Andrew Eversden WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy awarded a contract potentially worth $69.8 million over five years for engineering services for its tactical network. In an Oct. 8 contract announcement, the Navy said Philadelphia-based defense contractor McKean Defense Group was award a one-year contract for engineering services for the Navy's Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services, including “technical and programmatic services for networking, communications and computer systems and associated certification and information assurance for new developments, current operations and planned upgrades.” The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract has a one-year base period with four option years. The first year of work is valued at $12,228,590. No funds were obligated at the time of the award. Work will be performed in the continental United States in San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; Hawaii; Washington, D.C.; and Charleston, South Carolina, as well as outside the continental United States in Japan; Guam; Bahrain; and Italy. According to the announcement, fiscal 2021 funds will be designated as task orders. The funding will come from from several areas, including FY21 accounts for Navy operations and maintenance; research, development, test and evaluation; and shipbuilding construction. Other funding may come from the accounts related to Foreign Military Sales; Program Directive Air; and the Navy working capital fund. The contract was competitively awarded with two offers summited. Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific awarded the contract. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2020/10/09/us-navy-awards-multimillion-dollar-contract-for-tactical-afloat-network/