Back to news

November 26, 2023 | International, Aerospace

Pentagon’s ‘Replicator’ gambit may speed decisions on lethal autonomy

The program presents immense technological and personnel challenges for procurement and development.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2023/11/26/pentagons-replicator-gambit-may-speed-decisions-on-lethal-autonomy/

On the same subject

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - Aug 1, 2019

    August 2, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - Aug 1, 2019

    DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Tesoro Refining and Marketing Co., San Antonio, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0506, $348,692,953); BP Products North America Inc., Chicago, Illinois (SPE602-19-D-0514, $315,599,804); Par Hawaii Refining LLC, Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0510, $271,274,321); Valero Marketing and Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0504, $260,554,844); Equillon Enterprises LLC, doing business as Shell Oil Products, Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0509, $228,126,037); BP West Coast Products LLC, Blaine, Washington (SPE602-19-D-0512, $157,502,370); U.S. Oil and Refining Co., Tacoma, Washington (SPE602-19-D-0513, $156,746,055); Petro Star Inc.,* Anchorage, Alaska (SPE600-19-D-0505, $110,836,555); Phillips 66 Co., Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0515, $58,246,377); Epic Aviation LLC, Salem, Oregon (SPE602-19-D-0508, $38,905,276); and Sinclair Oil Corp.,* doing business as Sinclair, Salt Lake City, Utah, (SPE602-19-D-0507, $38,197,366), have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE602-19-R-0703 for various types of fuel. These were competitive acquisitions with 21 offers received. They are one-year contracts with a 30-day carryover. Locations of performance are Texas, Illinois, Washington, Alaska, Oregon, Utah, and the Rocky Mountain Region of the continental U.S., with an Oct. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency Energy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Petro Star Inc.,* Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a maximum $52,630,968 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for JA1 jet fuel. 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 one-year contract with a 30-day carryover. Location of performance is Alaska, with an Oct. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using customer is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE602-19-D-0517). Sysco Raleigh LLC, Selma, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $49,019,871 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. 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 286-day contract with no option periods. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a May 16, 2020, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-3230). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has been awarded a maximum $27,537,300 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for pneumatic tire wheel assemblies. 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 three-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Wisconsin and New Jersey, with a July 29, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0130). (Awarded July 30, 2019) U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Crowley Logistics Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R003 in the estimated amount of $328,000,000. This modification provides continued surface transportation coordination services for the movement of freight within the continental U.S. and Canada under the Department of Defense Freight Transportation Services program to the Defense Logistics Agency and Defense Contract Management Agency. Work will be performed in the continental U.S. and in Canada. The period of performance is from Aug. 1, 2019, to July 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract from $110,285,829 to $438,285,829. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Raytheon Co., Woburn, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $36,250,251, firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00014) to previously awarded contract FA8730-17-C-0010 for the Qatar Early Warning Radar (QEWR). This modification is for procurement and storage of obsolescent spares in support of QEWR sustainment. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,094,776,076. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by August 2023. This modification involves 100% foreign military sales to the country of Qatar. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $36,250,251 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. Summers Concrete Contracting Inc., Hahira, Georgia, has been awarded a ceiling $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for repair airfield pavements. This contract provides for repair or alteration of airport runways and taxiways construction requirements. Work will be performed at Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta, Georgia; and Sebring, Florida, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with three offers received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 23d Contracting Squadron, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA4830-19-D-A001). Verdis-Takisaki JV, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (FA4620-19-D-A007); National Native American Construction Inc., Coeur d'Alene, Idaho (FA4620-19-D-A010); Global-Northcon JV, Hayden, Idaho (FA4620-19-D-A011); and Imperial Construction NW LLC, Wapato, Washington (FA4620-19-D-A012), have been awarded a combined, not-to-exceed $23,000,000 indefinite-quantity multiple award task order contract for design-build construction efforts. Work will be performed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, and is to be expected to be complete by July 31, 2024. These awards are the result of a competitive acquisition and eight offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $500 are being obligated to each company at the time of award. The 92d Contracting Squadron, Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington, is the contracting activity. L3 Technologies Inc., Link Training & Simulation Division, Arlington, Texas, has been awarded a $10,411,380 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract task order modification (P00011) to the previously awarded FA8621-19-6251 task order for F-16 aircraft simulator training program services. This contract modification will provide aircraft concurrency requirements for the M7.3 Operation Flight Plan to deliver medium and high-fidelity simulation capability to train pilots for the F-16 aircraft platform. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $28,440,800. Work will be performed at Arlington, Texas, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $800,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contract activity. University of Dayton Research Institute, College Park, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $9,800,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides enhancement and improvement to the non-destructive evaluation capabilities for aerospace structures and components. This contract promotes discovery and provides increased accuracy, precision, reliability and optimization of the material state awareness of aerospace materials. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 3, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $304,000 will be obligated at the time of award via task order 0001. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-5230). ARMY Kinder Brothers Excavating Inc.,* Dexter, Missouri (W912EQ-19-D-0009); SYTE Corp.,* Chicago, Illinois (W912EQ-19-D-0007); Randy Kinder Excavating Inc.,* Dexter, Missouri (W912EQ-19-D-0008); and C&M Contractors Inc.,* Doniphan, Missouri (W912EQ-19-D-0006), will compete for each order of the $50,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for all plant, labor, materials and equipment for construction of relief wells, repairs to existing relief wells and construction of earthen berms. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 20, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis, Tennessee, is the contracting activity. Sehlke Consulting LLC,* Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $9,999,500 order-dependent contract for financial management support services. 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 Aug. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-19-A-0001). P&S Construction Inc.,* North Chelmsford, Massachusetts, was awarded a $9,457,700 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a small arms range at Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Westover, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2020. Fiscal 2016, 2017 and 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $9,457,700 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-C-0020). Nisou LGC JV LLC,* Detroit, Michigan, was awarded an $8,945,520 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the aerial port facility at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Indiana. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Grissom, Indiana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 12, 2020. Fiscal 2015, 2017 and 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $8,945,520 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-C-0026). Navistar Defense LLC, Lisle, Illinois, was awarded a $7,766,045 firm-fixed-price contract for 4x4 cargo trucks, 6x6 general transport truck, 6x6 30 ton recovery wrecker and medium tactical vehicles general transport truck spares. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Lisle, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 27, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,766,045 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-F-0455). NAVY Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded $18,849,765 for cost-plus award-fee order N62786-19-F-0055 against the previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-15-G-2303 to provide engineering and management services for LCS-15 post shakedown availability. Lockheed Martin will provide support of the following: 62,462 man-hours level of effort; and to provide the work specification, pre-fabrication and material. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (37%); Mayport, Florida (35%); Hampton, Virginia (14%); and Washington, District of Colombia (14%), and is expected to be complete by January 2021. Fiscal 2013 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $13,631,677 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded an $8,411,293 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order for MK38 Gun Weapon System Repair Program support. This contract action is for labor, material and services required to support the Gun Weapon System Repair Program in pre/post testing, removal/installation, refurbishment, fleet technical assistance, maintenance, training and fleet modernization of MK 38 machine gun system. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (29%); San Diego, California (27%); Yokosuka, Japan (16%); Manama, Bahrain (7%); Rota Spain (7%); Everett, Washington (4%); Tacoma, Washington (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (4%); and Pascagoula, Mississippi (2%), and is expected to be complete by September 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy and Coast Guard) in the amount of $1,050,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and $750,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order was solicited as a sole source under basic ordering agreement N00174-18-G-0001 in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head, Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-19-F-0420). Leidos Innovations Corp, Gaithersburg, Maryland, is awarded an $8,208,133 performance-based, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for Micro-processor En-route Automated Radar Tracking System (MEARTS). The contract is for the acquisition of hardware, software, logistics and on-call help desk support for MEARTS. The contract includes a single five-year ordering period and one six-month option to extend services in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) Clause 52.217-8. The option period, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $8,737,303. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by January 2025. An order utilizing fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $605,690 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This requirement was not competitively procured because it is a sole-source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) only one Responsible Source FAR Subpart 6.302-1). Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (N65236-19-D-1001). EFW Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $7,228,544 for firm-fixed-price delivery order N68335-19-F-0006 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-17-G-0014). This delivery order procures 15 Fast Characterization Tools, 15 Helmet Kit Modification Fixtures, 15 Ready Room Testers and 20 Night Vision Goggle Modification Kits for the V-22 Color Helmet Mounted Display System. In addition, this delivery order provides drawing packages and the upgrade of five Fast Characterization Tools. Work will be performed in Haifa, Israel (70%); and Fort Worth, Texas (30%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Air Force); and fiscal 2019 procurement defense-wide funds in the amount of $7,228,544 will be obligated at time of award, $3,496,053 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY CoSolutions EIS JV LLC,* Sterling, Virginia, was awarded a labor hour contract (HMM402-19-F-0098) with an estimated total value of $10,000,148 to support intelligence training in Europe. Work will be performed at the Regional Joint Intelligence Training Facility at RAF Molesworth, United Kingdom; Patch Barracks, Stuttgart, Germany; and, on a temporary duty basis, at other locations in Europe and within the continental U.S. The expected completion date is July 31, 2024, if all options are exercised. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,713,015 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was solicited through a small business set aside and one offer was received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1923647/source/GovDelivery/

  • Brazil and Saudi Arabia eye joint ventures, technology transfers

    August 10, 2023 | International, C4ISR, Security

    Brazil and Saudi Arabia eye joint ventures, technology transfers

    Under one agreement with Taurus, a new weapons factory could be built in Saudi Arabia following a study on the matter.

  • Can The UK Afford To Develop Its Tempest Optionally-Manned Stealth Fighter?

    July 30, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    Can The UK Afford To Develop Its Tempest Optionally-Manned Stealth Fighter?

    Seventy-six years after higher-performing Tempest fighters joined the Royal Air Force's Hawker Typhoons in harrying Nazi air and ground forces during World War II, the United Kingdom is once again counting on a warplane called the Tempest to replace succeed its Typhoons. London has big ambitions for its Team Tempest program kicked off in 2018, which aims to develop a sixth-generation optionally-manned stealth fighter (ie. it can fly without an onboard pilot if necessary) to enter service around 2040 to replace its current fleet of Eurofighter Typhoon jet fighters. Unfortunately, those ambitions may simply not square with the money available for “Combat Air” programs in the British defense budget according to a new paper published by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the UK's premier defense think tank. The author of Combat Air Choices for the UK Government, defense analyst Justin Bronk, argues that putting U.K's strategic goals in line with its available financial means may require procuring more stealth jets in the short term, while in the long term reconceiving the optionally-manned Tempest as a more affordable unmanned (drone) combat systems. British Combat Air Power, circa 2020 Today's Royal Air Force draws its primary combat strength from a projected fleet of 145 Eurofighter Typhoon fighters deployed in seven operational squadrons concentrated in two lightly-defended airbases, as well as a testing and training squadron each. Developed by a British/German/Italian consortium (BAE/Airbus/Leonardo respectively), the Typhoon is an advanced 4.5-generation fighter originally focused on a high-speed and high-altitude air-to-air combat, but which has since integrated short- and long-range precision ground attack capabilities. The RAF plans to further upgrade its Typhoons with an advanced CAPTOR-E active electronically scanned array radar which will substantially improve the type's reconnaissance, air-to-air, air-to-ground and self-defense capabilities. But because the Typhoon isn't a stealth aircraft, it can't safely penetrate airspace interdicted by long-range surface-to-air missiles like Russia's S-400 system until those systems are suppressed or destroyed. That job is set aside for 48 Lockheed F-35B Lightning II stealth jump jets shared by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force, of which 35 have been delivered so far. Though less agile than the Typhoon, the Lightning's low radar cross-section allows it to penetrate hostile airspace in comparative safety, while its powerful networked sensors enable it to locate and destroy air defense batteries and other key targets—or shuffle targeting data to non-stealth platforms a safe distance away to execute a strike Unfortunately, as discussed in this article by David Axe, 48 F-35s may not be enough to perform the anti-air defense mission in a hypothetical high-intensity conflict with Russia, particularly when the Royal Navy will want a significant chunk of those jets deployed on its Queen Elizabeth-class carriers to support naval operations. Lastly, the UK is finishing procurement of sixteen MQ-9B Protector drones which can cost-efficiently perform long-endurance surveillance and on-call strike missions in a counter-insurgency context. However, the MQ-9B lacks the stealth or agility to survive in a high-intensity conflict. The Tempest, not by Shakespeare In July 2018, the UK launched Team Tempest, a project to develop an optionally-manned sixth-generation stealth fighter that could replace the Typhoons as they age out of service in 2040. A mockup of a sleek twin-tail stealth design was unveiled at the Farnborough Airshow in July 2018, as well as a presentation highlighting concepts including adaptive cycle turbofans built by Rolls-Royce, revolutionary electrical power generation capabilities, integration of directed-energy (ie. lasers or microwaves) and hypersonic weapons, AI that could assist the pilot or even fly the plane without one, and control of swarms of supporting drones. London has committed £2 billion ($2.6 billion) in initial funding to Tempest, and Italy and Sweden have joined in as partners via companies Leonardo and Saab. Involvement of the Netherlands has also been rumored. In 2020, the British government announced it had recruited seven more companies into the program, and that the number of persons working on Team Tempest would increase from 1,800 to 2,500 by 2021. Tempest is implicitly a rival to the French-German-led Airbus/Dassault Future Combat Air System project which also includes Spain, though there has been tentative suggestions that FCAS and Tempest could be merged. According to Bronk, because modern combat aircraft have grown so immensely expensive to develop, and retaining a core of specialized engineering expertise is so vital, the fate of the Tempest program may determine the future of the UK's military aviation sector, which currently counts 46,000 jobs. “Tempest is the only way that the UK can retain a national combat aircraft design and manufacturing capability, and is currently the assumed source of a replacement capability for Typhoon by 2040... A failure of Tempest to generate significant airframe production contracts would also all but guarantee the demise of UK defence industry combat aircraft design and manufacturing capacity.” In other words, a failed Tempest project could relegate British companies to building components for other jets like the F-35 instead of for domestic jet fighter designs. The Budgetary Crunch Unfortunately, based on other stealth fighter programs abroad, completing development of an optionally-manned Tempest fighter would likely cost at least £25 billion ($32.5 billion) according to Bronk. Already, he writes there is “no headroom” to develop Tempest in the £18 billion set aside in the defense budget for Combat Air over the next decade, nor even to acquire more than 48 F-35s. The paper outlines some ways the Ministry of Defense could reallocate funds, arguing the RAF should do a “large-scale culling” of capabilities that wouldn't be survivable in a conflict with Russia, namely slow-moving intelligence/surveillance aircraft (ISTARs) and transport planes and helicopters. Additional F-35 purchases could be of the cheaper land-based F-35A model, which besides has superior performance. And older, more limited-capability Typhoon Tranche 1 aircraft could be retired early in the late 2020s. Nevertheless, completing Tempest would still likely require a large injection of funds outside of the regular defense budget. Instead, the report argues Tempest would likely become much more affordable as a stealth unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV). Indeed, analysts are debating whether even the United States should choose to go that route for its next generation fighter. Removing a pilot achieves major weight savings as cockpit, ejection and life support systems can be trimmed away. The UK has already developed the Taranis stealth UCAV prototype, showing it already has a knowledge base with such technology. Furthermore the paper argues that unlike manned aircraft, closer to 100% of drones can remain available for operational missions. This is because pilots can do all of their training in simulators and units don't need to be rotated out of the line to rest and recover. That would mean both that a smaller number of UCAVs would need to be procured than jet fighters, and fewer personnel would be required to maintain them. “Cost savings derive from the significantly reduced airframe complexity, fleet size, training, testing and certification requirements compared to a piloted aircraft development effort... Without the need to rotate squadrons, airframes and personnel for training, maintenance, deployment and rest cycles, UCAVs offer significantly more operationally ready airframes from a given fleet size.” Admittedly, a Tempest UCAV would be less profitable for British defense industry. “The lower production volumes and rates which make UCAVs attractive from a military capability standpoint also greatly reduce potential profits per customer for industry,” Bronk concedes. Making the leap from manned to unmanned combat aircraft comes with other challenges. One is the need to harden UCAVs against hostile cyber- and electronic-warfare that could disrupt the command link. That likely includes building in autonomous AI capability so that UCAV can complete missions without relying on human direction. Especially in lower-intensity conflicts, it may be preferable to have a human pilot who can judge better from context whether a target is civilian or military. And air forces led by fighter pilots may resist the idea of replacing manned aircraft with unmanned ones. Regardless of whether one agrees with the RUSI report's recommendations, it seems clear that London will need to make some difficult choices in the years ahead as it balances the desired to field an effective air force today with investing in new technologies for tomorrow. https://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastienroblin/2020/07/30/can-the-uk-afford-to-develop-its-tempest-optionally-manned-stealth-fighter/#4452a87249b9

All news