June 2, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Security

Sikorsky HH-60W: The US Air Force's new combat rescue helicopter

A new generation of Combat Rescue Helicopter

AirMed&Rescue's special correspondent Joetey Attariwala was one of a select few journalists invited to Sikorsky's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, to cover the roll-out ceremony of the US Air Force (USAF) new Combat Rescue Helicopter – the Sikorsky HH-60W, affectionately known as the ‘Whiskey'. It was there that he had the opportunity to see the aircraft firsthand and interview program executives from Sikorsky and the USAF.

The USAF describes the mission of the Combat Rescue Helicopter (CRH) system as ‘one which provides Personnel Recovery (PR) forces with a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft that is quickly deployable and capable of main base and austere location operations for worldwide PR missions'. The CRH system activities may be required during any phase of a service / joint / coalition operation, across the full range of military operations, in any land or sea location, within the areas covered by the relevant defence planning scenarios. The aircraft will be self-supporting to the maximum extent practical; and an in-flight air refueling capability extends the combat mission range. The CRH system may conduct combat search and rescue (CSAR) airborne mission commander duties; and may also conduct other collateral missions inherent in their capabilities to conduct PR, such as non-conventional assisted recovery, national emergency operations, civil SAR, international aid, emergency aeromedical evacuation, disaster and humanitarian relief, counter drug activities, support for National Aeronautics and Space Administration flight operations, and insertion / extraction of combat forces.

The CSAR and PR mission is currently being conducted by the HH-60G Pave Hawk, which over the past 30 years has seen extensive use around the world, most notably in the Central Command Area of Responsibility. The Pave Hawk platform has seen modernization over its lifetime; however, system add-ons have increased maintenance and support requirements over the years. Speaking to this point was General James Holmes, Commander of Air Combat Command, who said: “Over 90 per cent of our legacy airplanes – the HH-60G fleet – have sustained combat damage or structural fatigue over the 30-plus years they have been in service, and the current availability rate is well below the requirement.” With statistics like that, it is no wonder the HH-60W is a highly anticipated platform for the USAF.

Introducing the Jolly Green II

The HH-60W is a highly modified variant of the battle-proven UH-60M Black Hawk, with the ‘Whiskey' variant providing significant capability and reliability advancements over the HH-60G to better support the full range of combat rescue and other special missions. The HH-60W specification drives more capable defensive systems, vulnerability reduction, weapons, cyber security, environmental, expanded adverse weather sensor capabilities, and more comprehensive net-centric requirements.

The CRH contract consists of the original Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) award, which was issued on 26 June 2014, and five additional System Demonstration and Test Article (SDTA) aircraft options, which were awarded in January 2017. In all, the CRH program of record calls for 113 helicopters, of which nine are EMD / SDTA aircraft and 104 will be production aircraft. In addition to purchasing the aircraft, the contract includes development and fielding of the aircrew and maintenance training systems along with product support.

https://www.airmedandrescue.com/latest/long-read/sikorsky-hh-60w-us-air-forces-new-combat-rescue-helicopter

On the same subject

November 7, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 5, 2018
AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $350,000,000 increase to an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) production support. Contractor will provide lifecycle support for all efforts related to JASSM, Long Range Anti-Ship Missile, JASSM-Extended Range, and any JASSM variant in the areas of system upgrades, integration, production, sustainment, management and logistical support. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by April 17, 2022. This award is the result of sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8682-17-D-0002). General Atomics - Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded a $263,403,355 firm-fixed-price contract for MQ-9 Reaper production. This contract provides for the production of the MQ-9 Reaper aircraft in the fiscal 2018 production configuration. Work will be performed at Poway, California, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 30, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $263,403,355 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-19-F-2374). Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, has been awarded an $11,532,469, competitive, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the research and development of Millimeter-Wave Digital Arrays (MIDAS) Defense Advanced Research Projects Activity program. The contractor will address the MIDAS program goals through innovations in digital tile architecture and integrated, scalable apertures with groundbreaking transmit and receive components. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 4, 2020. Fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $2,928,098 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-7993). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Burlington Apparel Fabrics, Greensboro, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $40,632,816 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract for blue wool cloth. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a one-year contract with four one-year option periods. The maximum dollar amount is for the life of the contract. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Nov. 4, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1112). Burlington Apparel Fabrics, Greensboro, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $40,563,765 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract for blue poly/wool cloth. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a one-year contract with four one-year option periods. The maximum dollar amount is for the life of the contract. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Nov. 4, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1100). Southeast Power Systems of Orlando,* Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $8,247,300 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for diesel engine fuel pumps. 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. Location of performance is Florida, with a Nov. 4, 2021, 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-0016). NAVY Transoceanic Cable Ship Co. LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $35,952,500 firm-fixed-price contract for the time charter services of a cable-laying and repair ship. This contract contains options, which if exercised, would bring the contract value to $224,619,153. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed Jan. 10, 2019. If options are exercised, work will continue through November 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of approximately $42,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and Navy Commerce Online website. Two offers were received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-19-C-3506). ExxonMobil Marine Ltd., Spring, Texas, was awarded a $16,572,038 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for worldwide delivery of lubricants and related support services to Military Sealift Command vessels, Navy ships, and other government-owned or government-chartered ships designated by the Military Sealift Command. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $86,602,374. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by Nov. 3, 2019. If all options are exercised, work will continue through Nov. 4, 2023. Fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated to cover the minimum-guarantee. Navy working capital funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders for the fiscal year when delivery orders are issued. This contract was competitively procured, with proposals solicited via the government-wide Point of Entry Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received in response to the solicitation. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519D7000). (Awarded Nov. 2, 2018) General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $13,888,444 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-09-C-2104 for planning and execution of USS Indiana (SSN 789) post-delivery work period. Work includes long-lead-time material procurement, in preparation to accomplish the maintenance, repair, alterations, testing and other work on USS Indiana. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by April 2019. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $8,638,444 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, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $12,106,016 for modification P00003 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-18-C-1022) in support of the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) Block II Phase 2 non-recurring engineering effort. This modification incorporates an engineering development model and upgrades two sets of IRST Block I system weapon replacement assemblies. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (73 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (27 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,500,000 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. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1682676/
July 11, 2018 | International, C4ISR

To update key databases, NGA looks at $1.5B in contracts
By: Maddy Longwell &emsp; The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has awarded contracts worth as much as $1.5 billion for companies for work on a comprehensive content database that would accelerate decision-making for analysts throughout the next decade. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contracts, awarded to 14 companies, are the JANUS program, an NGA initiative that provides geography, aeronautical and elevation information. JANUS is an unclassified cloud environment that updates and maintains geospatial databases, which can then be accessed by NGA's data partners including the intelligence community and military. JANUS includes: - a geography portion, with contracts worth as much as $920 million, - an elevation program, worth about $250 million, and - a program that features aeronautical data, worth about $320 million., “Janus, will enable near-real time access to commercially-created and enriched content (including crowd- and community-sourced data) in a cost-effective manner that improves decision-making timelines,” NGA Director Robert Cardillo said at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Intelligence in September 2016. For the geography program, Altamira Technologies Corporation, Hexagon US Federal, Inc., Centra Technology, Inc., MDA Information Systems, LLC, CACI, Inc. - Federal, Harris Corp., BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, Inc., Boeing Intelligence & Analytics, Vencore, Inc., and Leidos, Inc. will be eligible for task orders. Those companies will compete to manage and disseminate geospatial intelligence information. They will also use predictive analytic technology to evaluate NGA databases, correct data and improve data acquisition and creation. For the elevation program, Raytheon, Hexagon, Continental Mapping Consultants, BAE, Leidos, Boeing and Harris will compete for task orders. Continental Mapping Consultants, T-Kartor USA, and Lowe Engineers could win task orders related to aeronautical feature data, according to a posting on the Federal Business Opportunities web site. “Our analytics technology provides NGA with fit-for-purpose data, reduced production costs and cloud-based access to geospatial products and content,” Bill Gattle, president of Harris Space and Intelligence Systems, said in a July 11 press release. https://www.c4isrnet.com/intel-geoint/2018/07/10/to-update-key-databases-nga-looks-at-15b-in-contracts/
December 19, 2018 | International, C4ISR

DoD IG: Military networks are exposed to ‘unnecessary’ cyber risks
By: Mark Pomerleau The military services are exposing networks to “unnecessary cybersecurity risks” thanks in part to a lack of visibility over software application inventories, according to a Department of Defense Inspector General report. The IG investigated whether DoD components rationalized their software applications by identifying and eliminating any duplicative or obsolete applications. Rationalizing software applications seeks to improve enterprise IT by identifying all software applications on the network; determining if existing applications are needed, duplicative or obsolete; and determining if applications already existing within the network prior to purchasing new ones. The audit — which focused on Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force commands and divisions — found that the groups examined did not consistently perform this rationalization process. By not having visibility into software application inventories, these organizations were unable to identify the extent of existing vulnerabilities within their applications, the report found. Moreover, such a process could lead to cost savings associated with eliminating duplicative and obsolete applications. Fleet Forces Command was the only command the IG reviewed that had a process in place for eliminating duplicative or obsolete applications. The Air Force did not have a process in place to prevent duplication when purchasing new applications. The report placed blame on the DoD chief information officer for not implementing a solution for software rationalization in response to Federal Information Technology Acquisition Reform Act requirements. The IG made three recommendations for the CIO, who did not provide a response to draft recommendations: Develop an enterprisewide process for conduction software application rationalization throughout DoD; Establish guidance requiring DoD components to conduct rationalization and require DoD component CIOs to develop implementation guidance outlining responsibilities for rationalization. Such a policy should also require components on at least an annual basis to validate the accuracy of their owned and in use software applications inventory; and Conduct periodic review to ensure components are regularly validating the accuracy of their inventory and they are eliminating duplicative and obsolete applications. https://www.fifthdomain.com/dod/2018/12/18/dod-ig-military-networks-are-exposed-to-unnecessary-cyber-risks

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