Romania could open regional F-16 pilot training hub for NATO allies, Ukraine

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  August 5, 2019 | International, C4ISR

  Carderock Uses High-Fidelity Signature Simulation to Train Surface Combat Systems

  By Benjamin McNight III, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division Public Affairs WEST BETHESDA, Md. (NNS) -- In the world of simulations, getting a system to act as close to authentic as the real-world situations it represents is always the main goal. Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Carderock Division develops high-fidelity acoustic simulation and training systems, giving naval personnel the ability to practice combat scenarios virtually. The Combined Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) and Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Trainer, better known as CIAT, made its official debut in December 2018 at Naval Base San Diego. In June, Naval Station Norfolk became the site for another CIAT installation. Motions to create this trainer began in 2014, according to Rich Loeffler, Carderock's senior scientific technical manager, director for signatures, tactical decision aids and training systems (Code 705). “CIAT is what we refer to as a Combat Systems Team Trainer,” Loeffler said. “Meaning that your goal is to bring in the whole portion of the crew that would be operating the combat system and train them in a shore site how they can best utilize the system when they are at sea.” Carderock shares CIAT responsibilities with NSWC Dahlgren Division. Dahlgren is responsible for the overall system integration and manages the IAMD aspect of the trainer, while Carderock leads the development of the acoustic and ASW capabilities. Carderock also has capabilities that contribute to the IAMD training. Using the periscope simulation that creates a real-time visual simulation of what one could see through the periscope of a submarine, Loeffler said they were able to utilize that technology for the surface ship trainer in the CIAT. “In this case, they have deck cameras if they want to be able to see when a missile launches from the forward or aft launchers. We basically provide the visuals for that,” he said. By modeling the threats and the ocean environment and then stimulating the actual tactical combat system software, the CIAT system is highly flexible in the ability to train real-world scenarios. With the many possibilities of training situations that can be created within the CIAT comes the need to use multiple sources of knowledge to create effective training situations that will benefit the fleet. “We'll work with people like the Office of Naval Intelligence to get threat intelligence data, we'll work with folks like the Naval Oceanographic Office to get the latest environmental models and databases, and then we'll work with the tactical programs themselves to get the tactical software,” Loeffler said. “Our role here at Carderock has been to leverage signature simulation capabilities we have developed over the years across submarine, surface and surveillance ASW trainers and provide the system design, development, integration and testing support to implement the CIAT requirement to support the fleet's training needs,” he said. Before the CIAT existed, the Surface ASW Synthetic Trainer (SAST) was developed by Carderock as an on-board embedded training system within the AN/SQQ-89 A(V)15 Sonar system. Loeffler said beginning in 2008, they went through a series of large analyses to compare and contrast what the simulation produced with what operators saw at sea. The data from that testing helped further develop the SAST and subsequently create the CIAT. Now, they are able to represent all components of the operations they run from the physics modeling perspective, such as what sounds are generated and how they propagate through the water, interactions with interfering objects and sea-state effects on these variables. “Since we're acoustically stimulating the actual tactical software of the sonar system, the users are operating the systems just as they would at sea,” he said. Loeffler believes that there is not anything off limits for what the CIAT can do, but adapting with new threats will require the right development within the trainer to represent the real-world situation. Although the system is relatively new, discussions on the next steps in the development of the trainer are already taking place with the help of Center for Surface Combat Systems (CSCS) defining and prioritizing fleet training requirements “CSCS is basically the primary stakeholder that owns the surface-ship training schoolhouses, and they've done their requirements review to see what additional capabilities they'd like to see in the next version of CIAT,” Loeffler said. “So, we're going through that process, assessing those requirements and looking for what would go into the next version to further improve training and also address training of the new combat system capabilities as they are being introduced into the fleet.” https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=110471

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  February 7, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 06, 2020

  NAVY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $172,424,000 modification (P00004) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract (N00019-19-C-0008). This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of two MQ-4 Triton unmanned air systems for the Navy, one Navy main operating base, trade studies and associated technical and administrative data. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (30.5%); Red Oak, Texas (12%); Palmdale, California (10%); Baltimore, Maryland (9.7%); Salt Lake City, Utah (7.9%); Bridgeport, West Virginia (4.9%); Indianapolis, Indiana (3.8%); Moss Point, Mississippi (3.6); Chantilly, Virginia (3.5%); Waco, Texas (1.7%); San Clemente, California (1.3%); Newton, North Dakota (.9%); various locations within the continental U.S. (8.8%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1.4%), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $172,424,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Toland & Mizell Architects Inc.,* Atlanta, Georgia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $30,000,000 for professional architectural and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast (SE) area of operations (AO). Initial task order is being awarded at $267,865 to provide engineering design for Server Rooms 1 and 2 within Building 514 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by September 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR including, but not limited to Florida (20%); Georgia (17%); South Carolina (15%); Louisiana (10%); Mississippi (10%); Texas (10%); Andros Island, Bahamas (5%); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (5%); Tennessee (3%); Alabama (1%); Arkansas (1%); Kansas (1%); Missouri (1%); and Oklahoma (1%), and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M N) contract funds in the amount of $267,865 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 and military construction (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 26 proposals received. NAVFAC SE, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-20-D-0001). Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $14,822,628 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-6204 to exercise options to provide engineering and technical services for Navy submarines and aircraft carriers via the software infrastructure and build process related to a maintenance management tool. This option exercise is under Small Business Innovation Research Topic N05-051 for software build production, engineering and technical services, and includes all material travel, subsistence and incidental material in support of the related production orders and services. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (30%); Groton, Connecticut (25%); Bremerton, Washington (15%); Las Vegas, Nevada (10%); Cleveland, Ohio (10%); Chesapeake, Virginia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (2%); San Diego, California (2%); and Kings Bay, Georgia (2%), and is expected to be completed by January 2021. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,058,930 was obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $7,598,226 undefinitized contract action to the previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111 to perform Phase III of the Virginia Class Main Propulsion Machinery control systems effort. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,598,226 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Construction Helicopters Inc., Howell, Michigan, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R007 in the amount of $168,964,521. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $703,381,606 from $534,417,085. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) Berry Aviation Inc., San Marcos, Texas, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R008 in the amount of $157,889,835. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $674,556,717 from $516,666,882. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) Erickson Helicopters Inc., Portland, Oregon, has been awarded a contract modification, P00007, on contract HTC711-17-D-R009 in the amount of $93,601,765. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $379,378,242 from $285,776,477. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) ARMY Akima Support Operations LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $101,329,977 cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise logistics support and services at Fort Hood, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed at Fort Hood, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-F-0137). Federal Resources Supply Co.,* Stevensville, Maryland, was awarded a $40,365,948 firm-fixed-price contract for metal working and machine shop set shelters. 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 Feb. 25, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, is the contracting activity (W9098S-20-D-0005). Vectrus Systems Corp, Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $23,026,701 modification (P00012) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0025 to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform Area Support Group-Kuwait Dining Facility food services. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army; defense cooperation agreement operations and maintenance; and Air Force operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $23,026,701 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Pine Bluff Sand And Gravel Co., White Hall, Arkansas, was awarded a $16,389,850 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in New Orleans and Black Hawk, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2023. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $16,389,850 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0002). Messer Construction Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $13,960,000 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement and relocation of an existing fuel farm located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of June 17, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0006). Skookum Educational Programs, Bremerton, Washington, was awarded a $7,335,413 modification (P00006) to contract W911S8-18-D-0004 to provide regularly scheduled custodial services to a multitude of federal facilities at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Work will be performed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. The 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc.,** Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $24,465,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various types of trousers. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Washington, District of Columbia, Texas, Illinois and North Carolina, with an Oct. 5, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-F057). *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2077018/source/GovDelivery/

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  September 18, 2024 | International, Aerospace

  US has accepted 36 upgraded F-35s since lifting delivery pause

  The Pentagon is withholding $5 million per jet from its payments to Lockheed Martin until the new F-35s can fly in combat.