Sierra Nevada buys drone maker Volansi after VC funding dries up

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  September 28, 2020 | International, Land, C4ISR

  Les parlementaires français étudient la stratégie spatiale de défense

  Une délégation de la Commission de la défense nationale et des forces armées de l'Assemblée nationale, conduite par Françoise Dumas, présidente de la Commission, s'est rendue au Centre Spatial de Toulouse (CST) pour y constater comment la stratégie spatiale de défense est concrètement déclinée sur le terrain. Sous l'impulsion de la ministre des Armées, Florence Parly, le CST accueille en effet le Commandement de l'Espace (CDE) « pour profiter de toutes les synergies possibles avec le CNES ». Une trentaine de militaires du CDE sont d'ores et déjà déployés au CST « dans le cadre d'une montée en puissance qui devrait atteindre un effectif d'environ 400 personnes à l'horizon 2025 ». Air & Cosmos du 25 septembre 2020

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  February 4, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 03, 2020

  AIR FORCE The following eight firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award task order contracts (MATOC) -- each with a not to exceed price of $90,000,000 -- have been awarded to the following: Doyon Management Services, Federal Way, Washington (FA4626-20-D-0010); Geranios Enterprises Inc., Great Falls, Montana (FA4626-20-D-0011); Guy Tabacco Construction Co., Black Eagle, Montana (FA4626-20-D-0012); James Talcott Construction, Great Falls, Montana (FA4626-20-D-0013); JE Hurley Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado (FA4626-20-D-0014); NorthCon Inc., Hayden, Idaho (FA4626-20-D-0015); Sealaska Construction Solutions LLC., Seattle, Washington (FA4626-20-D-0016); and Wadsworth Builders Co. Inc., Great Falls, Montana (FA4626-20-D-0017). This MATOC contract is a design-build, bid-build construction acquisition based on a general statement of work further defined with each individual task order. Work to be performed under the MATOC will be the general construction category, to include maintenance, repair, alteration, mechanical, electrical, heating/air conditioning, demolition, painting and earthwork. Work will be performed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, and is to be completed as specified in each individual task order by Feb. 2, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive solicitation to total small businesses, 8(a) small business, and HUBZone small businesses; 16 offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,000 ($500 each) are being obligated at the time of award. The 341st Contracting Squadron, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, is the contracting activity. Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $57,360,519 delivery order modification (FA8504-20-F-0007-P00002) to previously awarded contract FA8504-17-D-0002 for C-130J propulsion long term sustainment. This order provides funding for Option Three and Power By The Hour flying hours. The work is expected to be completed Feb. 1, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $57,360,519 are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $57,360,519. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. Merrill Corp., Clearfield, Utah, has been awarded a firm-fixed price requirement type contract in the amount of $21,477,000 for the overhaul of duct assembly. Work will be performed in Clearfield, Utah, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 2, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020-2025 procurement funds will be used. The base award is estimated at $4,020,084; Option One is $4,000,467; Option Two is $4,346,985; Option Three is $4,641,164; and Option Four is $4,468,298. Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8119-20-D-0001). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price requirement type contract in the amount of $7,907,471 for the repair of KC-135 cowling and fan ducts. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 2, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020-2025 procurement funds will be used. The base award (three year amount) is estimated at $4,941,509. Option One is $1,444,206; Option Two is $1,521,756. Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8119-20-D-0002). NAVY Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded an $89,370,000 firm-fixed-price contract that provides for design-bid-build services for the construction of Seawolf Class Service Pier Extension, Naval Base Kitsap Bangor. The total cumulative face value of the contract including the award of four options will be $89,370,000. This contract award does not involve foreign military sales. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a 520 foot by 68-foot single level, reinforced concrete, general-purpose submarine berthing pier extension to the existing pier, with pier-side utilities, communication systems and two-580-square-foot concrete floating camels. The pier extension includes engineered pile and caps to support the pier deck, a fixed crane, equipment pads, mobile cranes and utility buildings. The project also configures and adds to the existing wave screen attenuation system and modifies the existing small craft berthing at the service pier. Additionally, the project constructs a low-rise compressor building on the pier for new tool air compressors and breathing air compressors and alters an existing building to accommodate new and existing lift stations, sewage equipment, storm drainage, industrial wastewater services and provides a new emergency generator. Work will be performed in Silverdale, Washington, and is expected to be completed by July 2022. The solicitation was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities with five offers received. Fiscal 2020 military construction funds for $89,370,000 are obligated on this award. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity (N44255-20-C-2002). Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded a $20,337,451 modification (P00016) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N61340-17-C-0014). This modification procures updates to the Delta Software System Configuration #3 software baseline to include the visual system and cyber security on tactics and flight trainer devices. Additionally, this modification provides technology refresh and aircraft concurrency updates on tactics devices, aircraft concurrency and aerial refueling updates on the flight devices, tactics and flight device training and associated technical data in support of the E-2D Hawkeye Integrated Training System. Work will be performed in Point Mugu, California, and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,016,274; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,061,234; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,259,943 will be obligated at time of award, $2,016,274 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 31, 2020) Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $9,107,841 cost-plus-fixed-fee undefinitized contract action under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-19-G-5107 to repair and test the USS Sampson (DDG 102) SPY-1D(V) transmitter suite. This order covers repair, refurbishment, reassembly and testing of the AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) AN/SPY-1D(V) Transmitter Group in support of USS Sampson (DDG 102) as well as associated testing support. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts (65%); Keyport, Washington (16%); Moorestown, New Jersey (10%); and Marlborough, Massachusetts (9%), and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding for $4,108,940 will be obligated at the time of award and expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-F-5105). Zenetex LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $7,521,702 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide contractor support services (CSS) to temporarily augment government personnel to assist in the acquisition, management and sustainment of Navy training systems. CSS support includes corporate operations, research and technology, program management, logistics, engineering, instructional systems and test and evaluation support services for various training systems managed by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed in May 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $432,783; fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $138,112; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $278,344; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,002,318; fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $357,920; fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $507,119; fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $101,022; working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,204,302; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $520,643 will be obligated at time of award, $785,463 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61340-20-C-0009). (Awarded Jan. 31, 2020) ARMY H2 Direct LLC,* Gulf Breeze, Florida, was awarded a $39,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision and other items and non-personal services necessary to provide information technology management support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2025. The 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, is the contracting activity (W91151-20-D-0009). Cray Inc., Seattle, Washington, was awarded a $26,480,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Department of Defense high performance computing modernization. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2025. Fiscal 2020 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $26,480,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-20-F-0126). Sustainable System Solutions LLC,* Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $9,563,615 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the design, development, integration, testing and fielding of test capabilities systems and/or related test infrastructure among ranges within the Department of Defense test and evaluation community. 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. 2, 2030. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-D-0003). Escal Institute Advanced Tech, North Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded an $8,805,373 firm-fixed-price contract to provide training and certifications to verify and validate student proficiency in cybersecurity roles. 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. 2, 2021. Fort Gordon, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W911S0-20-F-0111). U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded an $18,186,000 firm-fixed-price type delivery order (H92241-20-F-0020) under basic ordering agreement W91215-16-G-0001 to procure the long lead components and parts in support of MH-47G rotary wing aircraft. This action is required to satisfy an urgent need to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft and to mitigate the impact of the MH-47G aircraft availability in light of increased SOF operational demands. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $18,186,000 were obligated at the time of award. The majority of the work will be performed in Ridley Park. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2073298/source/GovDelivery/

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  June 11, 2020 | International, C4ISR

  What the Army’s TITAN program means to multidomain operations

  Nathan Strout For a little more than one year, Brig. Gen. Rob Collins served as the program executive officer for Intelligence, Electronic Warfare and Sensors (IEW&S), where he was responsible for ensuring the soldier can detect, recognize and identify the enemy. Collins' vast portfolio included airborne and terrestrial sensors, position, navigation and timing devices, biometric solutions, and the TITAN ground station program, which will take data from aerial, terrestrial and space sensors to distribute essential data to shooters. The officer has a long career working in this arena: he previously served as project manager for the Army's Distributed Common Ground System and before that as product manager for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increments 2 and 3. On June 1, Collins officially took over as the new head of the Army's Program Executive Office – Command, Control and Communications (Tactical) where he will oversee the Army's network modernization efforts and work with the network cross functional team at Army Futures Command. In May, during his final days at PEO IEW&S, Collins talked to C4ISRNET's Nathan Strout about his approach to acquisitions, how the Army fits into Joint All Domain Command and Control, and the legacy he'll leave at the program office. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. C4ISRNET: How has your office helped the Department of Defense's shape its approach to Joint All Domain Command and Control? COLLINS: Enhancing deep sense and linking sensor to shooter is fundamental to our Army multi-domain operations concept, and really, the future of large-scale ground combat operations. And specifically for our PEO, we've been active partners in JADC2 efforts, working closely with our network (cross functional team) and our PEO C3T partners and the Assured Position Navigation and Timing cross functional-team in particular and the ISR task force at large, which is led by the G2. We're working on integrated architectures, multi-functional sensors that are integrated within the network for both [data] transport and mission command, and really solutions that are tailored to meet the unique requirements of our Army ground force. And when I say that, [I meant that they are] really at scale and they can meet the mobility requirements of our ground force. We operate at a scale and at an expeditionary mobile fashion which makes the Army a little bit unique. I'll tell you the collaborations that we've embarked upon with the [program officers] really assisted in some common design principles and components to assist in interoperability and really enabling sensor to shooter. Most recently within the PEO, we really helped the Army with some deep sensing ground stations — TITAN circuits if you will — that participated in some sensor to shooter threads in a training exercise [outside the continental United States]. So that really informed our approach. Across the PEO moving forward we've identified a lot of collaborative areas for experimentation demonstrations, tech maturity and really focused in on sensor integration and really data — how do we share data best across the battlefield? C4ISRNET: From the outside, it seems like TITAN will be an essential piece to the entire JADC2 concept, especially for the Army. How are you approaching redundancy and survivability to that system? COLLINS: TITAN is certainly a significant focus area in the modernization effort. It's a key component for our deep sense capability and really being scalable and expeditionary as an intelligence ground station and supporting commanders across the multi-domain operations battlefield framework. And we're really looking at TITAN to be kind of a LEGO approach that can be tailored based on the echelon it supports. And yes, one of the tenets is that it's going to leverage a multi-layered approach, a robust set of nodes from space, from high-altitude aerial to terrestrial sensors and assist with target nominations and link fires, command and control, informed by all the multi-disciplines of intelligence. And really as it connects all these various feeds, hundreds of thousands of intelligence feeds, it's going to employ artificial intelligence and machine learning to rapidly synthesize that information into meaningful info at the speed of battle —sometimes what we say is time can almost become a weapon in and by itself. Part of the analysis is taking a look at primary and alternate communications, what we call PACE, as part of the design, and I'll tell you TITAN is going to consist of a number of assured communications capabilities designed in the PACE plan, from Beyond Line-of-Sight communications, common tactical network components, direct downlinks, software-defined radios, and other IT and non-IP options that really span the gambit of the security domain. So we understand the criticality of PACE and it's one of these that we'll work closely with our network and APNT CFT partners as we continue to refine and define the concept. C4ISRNET: Speaking more broadly, a key function of JADC2 is being able to network with the other services and pull in their information to your shooters. When you look to the other services, what are the platforms, networks, or developments that you're excited to see feed into TITAN and other Army systems? COLLINS: We're always looking for opportunities to leverage national and other mission partner information, and that can span a number of sense capabilities, certainly within space. We certainly watch all things that are going on within low Earth orbit, capabilities that will provide a lot of opportunity. Across the joint force there are a number of areas — certainly within the Air Force — that have the ability to do deep sense with aerial platforms at altitude, so we watch that closely. And I would just tell you, even in the commercial arena even as far as the geospatial information there is a lot of collect capability. TITAN is really adopting an open systems architecture kind of baked in from the beginning [where it can take data from multiple sources], whether it's a [science and technology] effort — which could come from the Army or another agency — for intelligence warning capability or detect/assess/decide-type capability, or if it's leveraging a mission or national partner capability as I mentioned for deep sense, or really even adopting a commercial capability like geospatial collect or adopting a high performance data platform. C4ISRNET: Leaders at the Space Development Agency frequently note that the Army is the biggest customers for data collected from space. Can you speak a little bit about how you're looking at their architecture and tying into their transport layer? COLLINS: At least on the ISR side, we work closely with many of our partners as we look at opportunities to be able to leverage investments that they're making into the space sense capability, and certainly some of the things we have to be conscious of are the responsiveness to our tactical command. If they have intelligence requirements [we need to be able] to provide those back so we can get the persistent stare or the on demand access that we need for the tactical war fight. We certainly are also aware as we push that information down, some of the impacts that it may have on the Army networks that often operate on disconnected, intermittent, limited bandwidth environments, so to the extent that we can do processing as far forward at the point of collect and sense so we can only distribute the information that's absolutely necessary, we're working those concepts to do that. And that's where the artificial intelligence and machine learning comes into play. C4ISRNET: How have acquisitions changed over the last few years? From the outside we've seen a lot more usage of Other Transaction Authorities across the Department. What is your thinking on OTAs and other acquisition vehicles? COLLINS: We have really adapted our acquisitions — now more than ever — using more agile and more tailored acquisition approaches. Each endeavor, each capability that we go to pursue, often has a unique set of circumstances such as the technology maturity, the types of requirements, the types of things that we need to integrate—even our intellectual property approaches. Now more than ever, we've got multiple pathways on the acquisition approach that we can pursue: tailoring traditional, pursuing mid-tier, there's now software pathways, and there's always quick reaction and engineering change proposals to existing programs. So there's a number of different approaches, and I would tell you, too, our ability to involve soldiers in the operational feedback and operational perspective in the process is also kind of new and something that we've really underscored as part of the process. That starts not only from the requirements process, but how we include them in our source selection to assessing soldiers' hands-on kit and providing that feedback. OTA is just another tool that we have at our disposal. Certainly, if we need to do a little bit more maturation of prototypes prior to finalizing requirements, the OTA does offer an opportunity to more quickly pursue those prototypes in advance of transitioning into a more traditional FAR-type approach. I think there's a lot of flexibility and we're starting to do our critical thinking to decide how we approach each acquisition, because each acquisition and capability is unique. I'll tell you the other thing that we're really doing too is—where appropriate—exercising a DevOps or DevSecOps type of approach, and really that's where you bring material developer, combat developer, user, interoperability certifier, tester, and even to the extent the accrediter for those approaches, and they're all collectively together so you do things in parallel and you can dramatically speed up the process. Those are a number of things that we are really using at our disposal to move both more rapidly but also more efficiently and effectively. C4ISRNET: How do you incorporate smaller, nontraditional vendors that can bring in solutions? How do you bring more people into the fold, especially in tech hubs like Silicon Valley? COLLINS: We've got a lot of footprints in a lot of these technical hubs ... I would tell you that we've also done a tremendous amount of industry outreach even within the portfolio. I think in my tenure, in about a year I've probably done close to almost 200 industry engagements, and that spans from small, medium and large. And we're continuously trying to encourage and build relationships beyond just the traditionals. It is probably one of the advantages of the OTA that we've got, to be able to attract non-traditionals. I think there's other opportunities that we've got within Small Business Innovative Research-type initiatives that we've pursued, and then also CRADAs, the Cooperative Research and Development (Agreements). So we kind of span the gamut of that and I'll tell you we've got a pretty healthy teaming relationship between us and the [cross functional teams] to be able to get out there and attract that type of non-traditionals that really have a lot of the innovative and forward thinking ideas that we want to bring into our Army. C4ISRNET: We know a lot of the programs at places like PEO IEW&S take years to develop, with multiple PEOs overseeing and influencing different platforms. As you finish out your tenure, what are the milestones, programs you're proud of? COLLINS: First and foremost, I'll depart extremely proud of the people and the mission that the PEO IEW&S portfolio has accomplished and continues to accomplish. I'll tell you one of the unique things about our portfolio is about 50 percent of our programs support overseas operations, and so we do a significant amount of investment of things that are going on abroad. Much of our Army is deployed and so for that I'm extremely proud. I'll tell you the other thing — I think we have established a healthy culture that is ready, that is resilient and adaptive to change. And I think that has certainly been one thing that I'll be proud of, that I think will be a lasting legacy within the organization. We kind of walked in focused on a couple basic attributes. First and foremost, people and leadership was one. Two, exercising acquisition discipline. Three, integrating our kits so it can collectively operate and inform on the battlefield. And then four, really working with our partners and stakeholders. I think in each one of those areas we've made tremendous progress and really established a lot of momentum. Some of the major programmatics moving forward ... the Terrestrial Layer System, I think we've made some good progress there. Missile Defense and Space Systems set the conditions for our future aerial deep sense capability and really tightened kind of the major deep collect and nesting in with a lot of collecting in space and with our national mission partners. And then all of that data coming down to the foundational component are probably some of the big areas where we've established a lot of positive, irreversible momentum that will allow us to move forward on our Army modernization front. C4ISRNET: And as you move over to PEO C3T, what are you excited to tackle there and what lessons will you bring with you from PEO IEW&S? COLLINS: Well, I must admit that I am a signal officer and so I am excited to return to my roots as a network professional. And so I do find very much the network (to be) an exciting endeavor, and so I'm looking forward to getting back and contributing with the team. And I think what I would certainly take with me is that ... I have a better appreciation of the types of information, the types of data, the types of intelligence ... that need to traverse our networks, the type of demands that it puts on the network, the types of speed of service and quality of service and performance that are required to support those users of the network. So I think that's one of the key things that I'll take with me as I get ready to move over and be part of the C3T team, which I'm very excited (about). I've been very thankful for the experience here at the IEW&S team— a phenomenal group of professionals — and I'm excited to continue my Army mission. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2020/06/09/what-the-armys-titan-program-means-to-multidomain-operations/