Back to news

April 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Podcast: How The A&D Supply Chain Is Coping With COVID-19

Michael Bruno Sean Broderick

Airbus has slashed near-term airliner production, and Boeing's cuts could be worse. Air traffic has collapsed, and fewer aircraft will need to be repaired. Meanwhile, factories everywhere face the dilemma of how to stay in operation with worker absences as high as 50%. Listen in as Vivek Saxena, managing director of Advisory Aerospace, speaks with Aviation Week editors Sean Broderick and Michael Bruno about how the supply chain is coping with COVID-19.

https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/podcast-how-ad-supply-chain-coping-covid-19

On the same subject

  • TNO has signed a contract with ESA to start phase 2 of TOmCAT

    July 8, 2020 | International, C4ISR

    TNO has signed a contract with ESA to start phase 2 of TOmCAT

    July 2, 2020 - TNO has signed a contract with ESA to demonstrate cutting-edge optical communication technologies for future terabit-per-second telecom satellites. The TOmCAT project (Terabit Optical Communication Adaptive Terminal) will enable high-throughput laser communication between ground stations and satellites. This project is Phase 2 of TOmCAT, which started in 2017. It brings together key players in the Space and High-Tech industries, including: TNO, Airbus Defence & Space Netherlands, FSO Instruments (consortium partner Demcon), Hittech Multin (NL), Celestia-STS (NL), MPB Communications (CA), Airbus DS SAS (FR) and Eutelsat (FR), SES (LU). TOmCAT is a co-funded activity in which TNO, the companies involved, the Canadian Space Agency and the Netherlands Space Office invest through the ESAs ARTES Strategic Programme Line ScyLight. Key technologies include high-bandwidth adaptive optics, thermally stable opto-mechanics, high-power photonics, and high-throughput optical transceivers. TNO Space aims to enable secure broadband connectivity that will support the growing demand for data and increase communication efficiency. We also help stimulate economic growth in the Netherlands and Europe by enabling companies to realise new products, generate new business and improve their competitive position. TOmCAT is one example of these goals in practice. HOW DOES TNO CONTRIBUTE TO TOMCAT? TNO brings all parties together and integrates all expertise to: 1) Design the end-to-end Optical Feeder Link for high-throughput satellites. 2) Build and test cutting-edge technologies required for future Terabit Optical Ground Stations. 3) Build an end-to-end Optical Ground Terminal demonstrator and test it in a 10 km ground-to-ground link. This will show the technical feasibility of future terabit-per-second laser communication between ground and satellite terminals. TNO considers development in the TOmCAT project to be a major and important step towards the realisation of commercial Optical Ground Terminals and Optical Ground Stations for high-throughput Optical Feeder Links. Furthermore, TNO will work in the coming period, in parallel with TOmCAT phase 2, with Airbus Defence & Space Netherlands on business development and, in collaboration, position Airbus DS NL as future Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEMer) of these Optical Ground Terminals and Optical Ground Stations. TECHNOLOGY AND APPLICATION TOmCAT is a technology development project with the end goal of developing a commercial optical ground station product. With high-data-rate laser links, this ground station can communicate with the next generation of Very High Throughput Satellites. One of the innovative elements of TOmCAT is its ability to pre-correct the laser light with adaptive optics. When light moves between the surface of the Earth and space, it gets distorted due to the fluctuations in the atmosphere. TOmCAT measures the distortion of the received laser light from the satellite, and by applying the inverse of this distortion to the transmitted light, a robust communication link can be established. In order to enable this, high speed adaptive optics is required. An important objective for the project is to build a demonstrator to test and prove this concept. View source version on TNO: https://www.tno.nl/en/about-tno/news/2020/7/tno-has-signed-a-contract-with-esa-to-start-phase-2-of-tomcat/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 25, 2019

    November 26, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 25, 2019

    ARMY General Electric Co. - GE Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $1,336,809,577 modification (P00021) to contract W58RGZ-15-D-0048 for T700 engine deliveries in support of the Army H-60 and AH-64 programs, Navy H-60 programs, Air Force programs, Foreign Military Sales and other government agencies. 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 Dec. 31, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AXXIS,* Fort Worth, Texas (W912DY-20-F-0001); Chinook Systems Inc.,* Cocoa Beach, Florida (W912DY-20-F-0002); Dewberry Design-Builders Inc., Raleigh, North Carolina (W912DY-20-F-0003); EPC Service Inc.,* Aiea, Hawaii (W912DY-20-F-0004); Honeywell International Inc., Morris Plains, New Jersey (W912DY-20-F-0005); Johnson Controls Building Automation Systems Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W912DY-20-F-0006); KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (W912DY-20-F-0007); M. C. Dean, Tysons, Virginia (W912DY-20-F-0008); Parsons Technical Services Inc., Pasadena, California (W912DY-20-F-0009); Prime Mechanical of Wisconsin LLC,* Poynette, Wisconsin (W912DY-20-F-0010); SEI Group Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama (W912DY-20-F-0011); Siemens Government Technologies Inc., Arlington, Virginia ( W912DY-20-F-0012); Spectrum Solutions Inc.,* Madison, Alabama (W912DY-20-F-0013); and Stewart Group Enterprises LLC,* Benson, North Carolina (W912DY-20-F-0014), will compete for each order of the $1,200,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement and installation of utility monitoring and control systems and similar services such as heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with 28 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 24, 2026. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Navistar Defense LLC, Lisle, Illinois, was awarded a $26,748,087 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Somalia) contract for two commercial Medium Tactical Vehicle Variants -- the 6x6 General Transport Truck and the 6x6 Wrecker Vehicle Recovery Truck, and spare parts. 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 Nov. 25, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0016). Detyens Shipyards Inc.,* North Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded an $11,991,749 firm-fixed-price contract for dry dock and repair of the Dredge Wheeler, labor, materials and equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 26, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, civil works funds in the amount of $11,991,749 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0004). NAVY Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, is awarded a $403,301,277 modification (P00062) to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-16-C-0002). This modification increases the scope of the contract to procure an additional seven System Demonstration Test Articles (SDTA) shipsets, 60 SDTA pod subsystems, 27 pieces of peculiar support equipment, one fatigue test pod and one static test pod in support of the initial operational test and evaluation phase of the Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band Program. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas (33%); Forest, Mississippi (33%); El Segundo, California (22%); Andover, Massachusetts (7%); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $172,233,232 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-18-D-0001). This modification increases the ceiling of the contract to continue service life modifications to extend the operational service life from 6,000 flight hours to 10,000 flight hours of up to 23 F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (59%); El Segundo, California (25%); and St. Louis, Missouri (16%), and is expected to be completed in May 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $23,225,953 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the multi-disciplinary tools, technologies and experimental methods in support of future Naval platform stealth and operations. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (87%); and Cheswick, Pennsylvania (13%), with an expected completion date of October 2024. The total cumulative value of this contract including the base period is $23,225,953. This contract has no options. Fiscal 2019 research, development test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $146,749 are being obligated the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-19-S-B001, "Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology." Proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA and the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014- 20-C-0001). Marine Solutions Inc.,* Nicholasville, Kentucky, is awarded a maximum $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering for inspection, structural engineering, design and post-construction award services for bridge structures at Navy and Department of Defense installations worldwide. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but not limited to: topside and underwater bridge inspections; bridge load capacity analysis and load ratings; analysis of existing conditions and comparison to previous inspections reports; design of bridge repairs, inclusive of plans and specifications, report preparation and cost estimates for bridge rehabilitations, and the review of such documents produced by others in accordance with the Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center (NAVFAC EXWC) criteria and the National Bridge Inspection Standards. No task orders are being issued at this time. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities predominantly in the U.S., but also worldwide. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of November 2024. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Navy (O&M, N)) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and Federal Business Opportunities website with seven proposals received. The NAVFAC EXWC, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2206). Advanced Alliant Solutions Team, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $9,038,301 modification (P00021) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-16-C-0068) to exercise an option for information assurance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Digital Networks Applications. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $8,007,190 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Canyon Consulting, Los Angeles, California, has been awarded an $18,928,670 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract under the Small Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase-III program for the Advanced Global Positioning System technologies. This contract provides for wideband global positioning system digital payload and architecture. Work will be performed at Los Angeles, California, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 28, 2025. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $18,928,670. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $700,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory Geospace Technologies Branch, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nevada, has been awarded a $13,720,071 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00029) to previously awarded contract FA8509-17-C-0002 for the permanent installation of the MC-130J Airborne Mission Networking program. This out-of-scope modification provides for the procurement of an additional trial kit install, travel and interim contractor support. Work will be performed at Centennial, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 16, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $86,000,000. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, testing and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,162,453 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Optim LLC, Sturbridge, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $18,750,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical equipment. This was a competitive acquisition with 63 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Nov. 24, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-20-D-0003). MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, has been awarded a $9,800,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00347) under contract HQ0276-10-C-0001. This modification increases the total cumulative contract value by $9,800,000 from $3,162,719,877 to $3,172,519,877. Under this modification, the contractor will perform engineering and design support services necessary for continuation of planning efforts executed under the Technical Assistance Case to support the Aegis Ashore Japan Foreign Military Sales Main Case. The work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, with an expected completion date of July 31, 2020. Funds from the government of Japan in the amount of $9,800,000 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract modification is the result of a sole source acquisition. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Phoenix Air Group Inc., Cartersville, Georgia, has been awarded a task order (HTC711-20-F-R013) under contract HTC711-16-D-R001 in the amount of $8,832,188. The task order provides continued charter air transportation services to the Headquarters U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in Stuttgart Army Airfield, Germany, to various points throughout Africa and Europe. The period of performance is from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 Air Force operations and maintenance funds were obligated at award of the task order. This task order brings the total cumulative face value of the contract value to $56,982,110 from $48,149,922. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2026407/source/GovDelivery/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 21, 2020

    July 22, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 21, 2020

    AIR FORCE Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $375,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a miniature self-defense missile. The contract provides for the research and development of a flight-test ready missile. The first task order is $93,380,234. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by October 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $26,712,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-20-D-0001). ARMY Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (W9124L-20-D-0006); Calibre Systems Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (W9124L-20-D-0007); Janus Research Group LLC, Evans, Georgia (W9124L-20-D-0008); Tec-Masters Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W9124L-20-D-0009); and Yorktown Systems Group Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W9124L-20-D-0010), will compete for each order of the $247,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide support to the Fires Center of Excellence; all commands on Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and Army Futures Command, to develop and produce training strategies, doctrine, concepts, instruction and products for the current and future force. Bids were solicited via the internet with 12 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 20, 2025. U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Walsh Motor City JV, Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $22,344,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a high-voltage substation at Detroit Arsenal, Michigan. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Warren, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of July 16, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $22,344,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0027). WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Qbase LLC, Beavercreek, Ohio, has been awarded a blanket purchase agreement (BPA) contract with an overall ceiling of $103,569,634. This BPA contract will provide a broad range of information technology support services for all of the Defense Acquisition University locations. Specifically, the BPA will support the following areas: video services operations, enterprise service desk/regional information technology, transition services, enterprise architecture, enterprise/network infrastructure, enterprise cybersecurity, telecommunications, web application design/development/maintenance and software, data warehousing, acquisition workforce qualification initiatives, systems engineering, talent management system, learning management system, human resources system and hardware installation. No funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The expected completion date is July 22, 2025. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-20-A-0008). NAVY POWER Engineers Inc., Meridian, Idaho, is awarded a $60,000,000 maximum amount, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for architect-engineer (AE) services for various electrical engineering projects and related services at multiple locations in all areas under the cognizance of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Pacific area of responsibility, including, but not limited to, Guam and the Northern Marianas Islands (70%); Australia (10%); Hawaii (10%); and other areas under the NAVFAC Pacific area of responsibility (10%). The work to be performed provides for AE electrical services with associated multi-discipline AE support services. AE services include engineering studies; preparation of Department of Defense 1391 documents; plans, specifications and cost estimates/parametric cost estimates, including preparation of design-build request for proposal contract documents or design-bid-build contract documents; functional analysis and conceptual design development; as-built drawings; and post-construction services. Projects may involve new construction, alteration, repair and installation of electrical facilities and systems. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months and work is expected to be completed by July 2025. Fiscal 2019 military construction (MILCON) (planning and design) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by MILCON. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and two proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-20-D-0003). Transoceanic Cable Ship Co. LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded an $18,577,008 modification under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N32205-19-C-3506 to fund the second six-month option period. The option will continue to provide one cable ship (CS Global Sentinel) which will be utilized to lay and repair cable for the Department of Defense worldwide. This contract includes a 12-month base period, two six-month option periods, two 12-month option periods and one 11-month option period. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by December 2023. Operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,477,326 are obligated and will expire at the end of fiscal 2020. Other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,099,681 are obligated and will expire at the end of fiscal 2022. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-19-C-3506). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Groton, Connecticut, has been awarded a $10,305,072 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research program. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $5,800,000 are being obligated at the time of award, with an estimated completion date of September 2021. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0138). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2281833/source/GovDelivery/

All news