SES Completes $450 Million Acquisition of DRS Global Enterprise Solutions Doubling US Government Business

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  October 21, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 19, 2018

  AIR FORCE Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $62,016,768 cost-plus-incentive-fee option (P00012) to contract FA8675-16-C-0044 for the Advanced Medium Range Air to Air Missile (AMRAAM) program. This modification provides for the exercise of options for Phase 5 activities and foreign military sales (FMS) drawings for the form, fit and function refresh of the AMRAAM guidance section. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 21, 2020. This contract involves FMS to Norway, Turkey, Japan, Romania, and Australia. FMS funds in the amount of $6,072,542 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado, has been awarded a ceiling $36,043,319 cost-reimbursement type contract for Solid State Laser Effects and Modeling. This contract provides for developing innovative diagnostics/test methods, increasing fidelity, realism and confidence of predictive models, measuring and consolidating laser vulnerability data, and working synergistically with tri-service for high energy laser system research. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 24, 2022. This contract award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-19-C-0001). Infinity Systems Engineering LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $22,653,934 firm-fixed-price contract for Global Positioning Systems Engineering, Analysis & Remote Site Sustainment II. The contract provides organizational maintenance and operational support services to the operational unit that will include remote site technicians, network administrative officers and operations support. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,565,094 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8823‐19‐C‐0001). Advanced Electronics Co., Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, has been awarded a $9,437,259 modification (FA8505-11-D-0002-0006-12) to contract FA8505-11-D-0002 for the Royal Saudi Air Force Electronic System Test Set. The contract modification incorporates a 15-month extension in order to allow for the completion of the Royal Saudi Air Force Electronic System Test Sets configuration upgrade. Work will be performed Huntsville, Alabama and in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is expected to be completed by Dec. 28, 2019. This modification involves foreign military sales for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of 9,437,259 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $28,518,831. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International Inc. Aerospace, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a $7,838,175 firm-fixed-priced order, for the repair and upgrade of the C-5M Super Galaxy's Versatile Integrated Avionics/Avionics Integrated Units (VIA/AIU). This order provides for the repair and upgrade of 85 of the existing 903 and 904 configuration VIA/AIUs to the 905 configuration. The C-5M VIA/AIU repair and upgrade effort is a key component to the overall Core Mission Computer/Weather Radar aircraft modification/installation kit. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by June 14, 2020. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $7,146,972; and fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $691,203 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting (FA8625-18-F-6801). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Rocky Brands Inc., Nelsonville, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $20,566,240 modification (P00005) exercising the second one-year-option period of one-year base contract SPE1C1-17-D-1004 with four one-year option periods for hot-weather combat boots. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Ohio and Puerto Rico, with an Oct. 20, 2019, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ARMY Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $13,567,362 firm-fixed-price contract for life cycle management of programs within multiple ammunition product lines. 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. 4, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-D-0002). Fabritex Inc.,* Hartwell, Georgia, was awarded a $9,257,500 firm-fixed-price contract for non-corrosive 16-block wire mesh for the manufacture and assembly of articulated concrete mattress squares. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Hartwell, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 18, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $9,257,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis, Tennessee, is the contracting activity (W912EQ-19-C-0001). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1667326/source/GovDelivery/

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  October 2, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Macedonia just took a big step to becoming NATO’s 30th member

  By: Aaron Mehta and The Associated Press WASHINGTON — A national referendum on changing Macedonia's name won with overwhelming support Sunday, paving the way for the nation to join NATO as the alliance's 30th member. The referendum, pushed by Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, received international attention in recent weeks, with U.S. Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis and German chancellor Angela Merkel among other world leaders travelling to Skopje to show support for the vote. The result: upholding Zaev's agreement with Greece to name the former Yugoslav republic to “North Macedonia.” Greece, arguing its neighbor's name implied territorial ambitions on its own province of the same name, has blocked Macedonia's efforts to join NATO since 1990; Greece has agreed to drop its opposition with the name change. Pentagon spokeswoman Dana White issued a statement following the results, saying the department “strongly” supports the vote and calling it a “historical moment.” Defense officials in Washington have been vocal with their support of Macedonia coming into NATO, with Mattis, during his visit to Skopje, noting it would represent a blow to Russia. In July, NATO formally opened the door for Macedonia to join the alliance if the name referendum passed, with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg warning that the vote represents a “once in a lifetime” chance for the nation to enter the alliance. In a joint statement Monday, Stoltenberg and the President of the European Union Donald Tusk praised the vote, saying “The name agreement between Athens and Skopje has created a historic opportunity for the country to join the transatlantic and European community as an equal member. This would change the life of the people of the country and that of their children for the better.” “It is now in the hands of politicians in Skopje to decide on the way forward,” the two added. “The decisions they take in the next days and weeks will determine the fate of their country and their people for many generations to come. We encourage them to seize this historic opportunity.” Low turnout marred what should have been a major victory for Zaev and his supports. Results from more than 97 percent of polling stations showed 91.3 percent of voters approving the deal. However, turnout stood at just 36.8 percent, a far cry from the massive support the government had hoped for. Opponents to the name change had called for a boycott of the vote and celebrated in the street outside Parliament when turnout figures were announced, chanting slogans and waving flags. "The people made a great choice and said 'yes' to our future. It is time for lawmakers to follow the voice of the people and to provide support," Zaev said. "There will be no better agreement with Greece, nor an alternative for NATO and the EU." The agreement faces more hurdles before it can be finalized. If the constitutional amendments are approved by Macedonia's parliament, Greece will then also need to ratify it. But Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras faces political problems of his own. His governing coalition partner, right-wing Independent Greeks head Panos Kammenos, has vowed to vote against the deal, leaving Tsipras reliant on opposition parties and independent lawmakers to push it through. Should everything go right, Macedonia will begin the long process of joining the alliance. How long remains to be seen, with analysts predicting the process will not be finished by the time world leaders gather for the 2020 NATO Summit. With Elena Becatoros and Konstantin Testorides, Associated Press. AP reporters Ivana Bzganovic and Nicolae Dumitrache in Skopje and Demetri Nellas in Athens, Greece contributed to this report. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/10/01/macedonia-just-took-a-big-step-to-becoming-natos-30th-member/

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  October 22, 2020 | International, Naval

  US and UK navies prepare to sign agreement to merge future tech work

  David B. Larter and Andrew Chuter WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy and British Royal Navy are preparing to more closely align their futures in a whole host of warfare areas, the U.S. chief of naval operations announced Tuesday. The U.S. Navy's chief of naval operations and First Sea Lord Adm. Tony Radakin intend to “sign a future integrated warfighting statement of intent that sets a cooperative vision for interchangeablty,” CNO Adm. Mike Gilday announced at the virtual Atlantic Future Forum, being held on board the RN's new aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth. “We will synchronize pioneering capabilities, strengthen operating concepts and focus our collective efforts to deliver combined sea power together. By organizing our cooperation on carrier strike, underwater superiority, navy and marine integration and doubling down on future war fighting like unmanned and artificial intelligence, we will remain on the leading edge of great power competition.” It is unclear what the specifics of the statement of intent will be, but the U.S. and Royal navies have been focusing heavily in recent years on aligning its capabilities to be useful to each other in combined maritime operations. The message from both navies is that this will continue into the future. Throughout the Royal Navy's effort to get the Queen Elizabeth ready for deployment, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have been working closely with the service, training British pilots on the F-35B and getting the ship certified to operate them. The Marine Corps' Fighter Attack Squadron 211 embarked on Queen Elizabeth earlier this month during the ship's group exercise ahead of a deployment next year. The Marines will also mix in with Royal Air Force F-35Bs during the QE's 2021 deployment. In remarks at the forum, Radkin echoed Gilday's remarks, saying the two forces needed to continue to work to align efforts. “Throughout our careers we have had a drive for interoperability with allies,” Radkin said. "But increasingly it feels to us that bar has to be raised. ... The obvious example is the U.S. Marine jets on board the QE carrier. That is an obvious example of interchangeability. “So, we are trying to drive a new standard. Partly to drive all of us to strengthen our interoperability but to go even higher and recognize that interchangeability is going to be an even stronger feature in the future.” Radkin said the services would focus on four areas to grow this “interchangeability”: undersea warfare; carrier operations; aligning the efforts of the U.S. Marine Corps and Navy to become a cohesive fighting unit; and on advanced warfighting programs such as artificial intelligence and cyber. The United Kingdom is in the middle of an integrated defense review, initiated after Boris Johnson was elected prime minster. It was interrupted during the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak but appears to be running again. The review could have sweeping impacts on the British defense budget, but it is unclear where the budget ax will fall. When the review was announced, however, the government promised a “radical reassessment” of Britain's place in the world. https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/10/20/the-us-and-uk-navies-prepare-to-sign-agreement-to-merge-their-tech-futures/