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December 21, 2020 | International, Land

Solicitation for Bradley replacement offers flexibility for foreign participation

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WASHINGTON — The request for proposals from industry for the U.S. Army's optionally manned fighting vehicle, or OMFV, intended to replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, has hit the street and allows for greater flexibility for foreign companies to compete.

In the service's second stab at holding a competition for OMFV, the Army is driving as much flexibility as it can across the board, from avoiding stringent requirements in favor of loose characteristics and creating a phase for industry to design concepts without much company investment that will form requirements along the way.

The Army's previous attempt required the delivery of physical bid samples, which hamstrung foreign competitor Rheinmetall of Germany and drove Bradley-maker BAE Systems to avoid the competition. Ultimately, the service received just one bid sample from General Dynamics Land Systems, which forced the Army to rethink the effort and come back with a new approach.

The OMFV competition has foreign industry jumping to join in with new and modernized platforms, and the Army appears to be ditching much of the restrictions that would typically keep them out.

Rheinmetall has already partnered with American firms Raytheon and Textron to solidify its participation in the competition, but many other companies are poised to submit bids to design concepts.

The pool needs to be deep because the Army anticipates awarding up to five contracts to design platforms.

“The challenges we've typically had in getting foreign participation is we often have a lot of classified material that we release up front, and we have some detailed specification that has very detailed performance requirements that's classified,” Brig. Gen. Glenn Dean, the new Army program executive officer for ground combat systems, said in a Dec. 18 press briefing.

Foreign competitors “have to have clearances in place to be able to take that information,” Dean said. This means foreign companies must either be partnered with a prime contractor in the United States, have a subsidiary stateside, or have other clearances that take time to get through the approval process in order to exchange the classified information.

Working through consortiums, which the Army regularly does, also makes it hard for foreign contractors to come through the door, Dean said.

This time, the Army isn't working with a consortium and is using a more traditional federal acquisition regulation-based contract, according to Dean. Furthermore, he said, classified reports will not be required in order to submit a bid or receive an initial design contract award.

“We've eliminated the limitation on primes and, because we don't have classified information we are providing at the front end, that allows us to share more broadly and gives those companies time if they're going to continue to play as lead, to establish their facilities, clearances and have the necessary structures in place to receive classified information when we get to that point,” he said.

Dean expects more classified requirements to kick in toward the end of the concept design phase where requirements begin to take shape, which translates to specifications. “Obviously, every company is going to make their own determination about what strengths and partners may bring to the table, whether they want to come in as a sub, whether they want to be prime with a bunch of U.S. subs,” Dean said, “but the response has been very promising.”

He also said there is strong interest from abroad. “I would say that we at least heard from or have participation ... from all the major companies in the West capable of doing a full combat vehicle. Companies from Israel, South Korea, Singapore, Germany, in addition to companies both you're familiar with in the U.S. who've [supplied] combat vehicles, but also some companies that operate in the defense space but haven't traditionally been combat vehicle suppliers,” he said. “We will see how many of them ultimately decide they want to throw their hat in the ring and participate. I think we've done what we need to do to make it as open at an initial point.”

Sources following the competition are expecting to see participation from South Korea's Hanwha, which is in a head-to-head competition in Australia with Rheinmetall to produce a new infantry fighting vehicle.

Germany-based Krauss-Maffei Wegmann has also touted an infantry fighting vehicle option, most recently at the last in-person Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference in Washington, D.C., in 2019.

Belgium's CMI Defense is also rumored to be forging a partnership with a U.S. prime to participate in the competition.

Now that the solicitation has been posted to Beta.Sam.Gov, companies have until April 16, 2021, to submit a conceptual bid. The Army will award contracts in July, according to Dean, which will kick off 15 months of funded work.

During the phase, industry will work on designs without bending metal that will inform an abbreviated capabilities development document — or an initial set of requirements. Once the design phase ends, the Army will take a pause and then open the competition back up for a more detailed design effort ahead of prototyping, where up to three bids will be selected to proceed. The detailed design phase will be executed over the course of fiscal 2023 and fiscal 2024.

The prototyping phase will begin in FY25, according to slides presented at the OMFV industry day. Vehicle testing will begin in FY26 and wrap up in FY27, with a production decision planned for the fourth quarter of FY27. Full-rate production is expected to begin in the second quarter of FY30.

In parallel to the concept design phase, the Army will develop an open architecture for OMFV. An open architecture has risen to the top of the OMFV planner's list of required capability, particularly after seeing the need to be networked with other capabilities across the battlefield and at the forward edge at Project Convergence at Yuma Proving Grounds, Arizona, over the summer. The Army will establish a voluntary consortium beginning in January 2021 that will represent industry, government and academia in order to develop such an open architecture, according to the statement.

https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/12/18/bradley-replacement-request-for-proposals-hits-street-with-flexibility-for-foreign-participation/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 3, 2019

    July 4, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 3, 2019

    AIR FORCE DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $308,616,183 firm-fixed-price contract for aviation command and control operations and maintenance services. This contract provides for air traffic control, airfield management and associated maintenance support. Work will be performed in the Air Force Central Command's area of responsibility and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with four offers received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $379,576 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Combat Command's Acquisitions management and integration center, Langley Air Force Base, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-19-C-A013). AAR Supply Chain Inc., doing business as AAR Defense Systems & Logistics, Wood Dale, Illinois, has been awarded a $209,986,676 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for C-130H contractor logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force. This contract will provide the Afghanistan Air Force with full C-130H contractor logistics support to include maintenance and repair, as well as on the job training for local Afghan nationals. Work will be performed Kabul, Afghanistan, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 29, 2025. This contract involves foreign military sales to Afghanistan. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $12,011 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8553-19-D-0006). The University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $28,527,970 firm-fixed price, labor hour and cost reimbursement-no-fee contract for F-15 sustainment engineering studies. This contract provides for systems/structural engineering field and programmed depot maintenance support, reliability and maintainability analysis and aircraft structural integrity program capability development and sustainment. Work will be performed at Dayton, Ohio; and Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by June 28, 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,464,648 are being obligated at the time of award. The contracting activity is Air Force Life Cycle Management System, Robins AFB, Georgia (FA8505-19-D-0003). The Rockhill Group Inc., Moline, Florida, has been awarded a $12,211,850 firm-fixed-price contract for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) aircrew instruction instructor support required by the 492 Special Operations Wing and operational wings. This contract provides for critical flying training unit support instruction (platform, simulator and flight) to all students going through AFSOC's initial and mission qualification school and continuation training for combat aircrews. Work will be performed at Hurlburt Field, Florida; Duke Field, Florida; Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Royal Air Force Mildenhall, United Kingdom, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2019. This award is the result of sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,211,850 are being obligated at the time of award. The 765th Specialized Contracting Flight, Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Hurlburt Field, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA0021-19-C-A003). NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, is awarded an undefinitized contract action established under delivery order (N00019-19-F-4037) with a not-to-exceed value of $174,970,959. This delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0011) provides for engineering, testing, product support and ancillary support to update the current Long Range Anti-Ship Missile components and systems required to achieve objective requirements in the Offensive Anti-Surface Warfare Increment 1 Capability Description Document. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (58%); Wayne, New Jersey (20%); Nashua, New Hampshire (15%); Troy, Alabama (6%); and Ocala, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed in November 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,000,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Construction Development Services Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N40085-16-D-6348); Cram Roofing Co.,* San Antonio, Texas (N40085-16-D-6349); Gallaher Management Group Inc.,* Greenville, North Carolina (N40085-16-D-6350); Industrial Contract Service Corp.,* Wilmington, North Carolina (N40085-16-D-6351); Quality Roofers & Guttering, Inc.,* Jacksonville, North Carolina (N40085-16-D-6352); and Service Disabled Contracting Group, Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N40085-16-D-6353), are awarded a combined amount $50,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contracts for roofing construction services within the Marine Corps installations east area of responsibility. The work to be performed provides for replacement and installation of roofs and associated materials. Projects include roof repair and replacement of new and existing roofs. Projects may require new construction, design, alteration or maintenance and repair of existing roofs. Roofs may be sloped or flat. After award of this modification, the total maximum dollar value for all six contracts combined will be $95,000,000. Work will be performed at Navy and Marine Corps installations at various locations including, but not limited to, North Carolina (90%); Georgia (3%); South Carolina (3%); Virginia (3%); and other areas of the U.S. (1%), and is expected to be completed by February 2021. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Marine Corps); and military construction funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Heffler Contracting Group Inc.,* El Cajon, California, is awarded a maximum amount $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for other specialty trade contractors construction alterations, renovations and repair projects at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow, and Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs and construction of electrical, mechanical, painting, engineering/design, paving (asphaltic and concrete), flooring (tile work/carpeting), roofing, structural repair, fencing, heating, ventilation, air and cooling and fire suppression/protection system installation projects. Work will be performed in Twentynine Palms, California (36%); Barstow, California (36%); and Bridgeport, California (28%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2631). Elite Pacific Construction Inc.,* Kaneohe, Hawaii, is awarded $12,665,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N62478-19-F-4158 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62478-18-D-4022) to overhaul the Drydock No. 2 intermediate caisson to maintain its 10-year certification at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH). The work to be performed provides for 10-year ultrasonic testing of the caisson structural members and plating in accordance with Military Standard 1625D including, but not limited to, plating of the entire hull, top deck (weather deck), machinery deck, internal strength decks, bulkheads including breast hooks, ballast tank and machinery deck internal structural members such as stiffeners, truss frame members and seachests/ballast piping seaward of the first closure valve. Other repair scope items include sandblasting and preserving interior and exterior surfaces of the caisson, including the weather deck; cleaning, priming and painting all interior and exterior surfaces of the caisson; removing existing non-skid coating from the weather deck; and installing industrial strength adhesive-type non-skid surface material on the weather deck and machinery deck. Work will be performed in Oahu, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $12,665,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, JBPHH, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is awarded an $8,044,102 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification under previously-awarded basic ordering agreement N00164-17-G-JQ02-0004 to extend the period of performance for depot support services in support of life-cycle sustainment of the Multi-Spectral Targeting System for U.S. Navy, Army, Air Force and special operations forces platforms. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds in the amount of $275,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity. Tompco Inc.,* Seabeck, Washington, is awarded $8,209,449 for firm-fixed-price task order N44255-19-F-4274 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N44255-17-D-4014). The work will convert the Perch-Pickerel Housing area from family housing to unaccompanied housing consisting of 24 buildings with 18 eight-unit buildings and six four-unit buildings at Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor. The work to be performed includes: replace and install new carpet where required; add exterior lighting to all buildings; change thermostats in each unit; install building and unit number placards at each building and unit; remove existing playgrounds; install two picnic shelters and BBQs; replace entry doors to each unit; remove existing mailboxes; and provide fire protection. 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RSCI, Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $21,623,000 firm-fixed-price contract to design and construct a 42,000 square foot Red Flag 5th Generation facility addition. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, with an estimated completion date of June 22, 2021. Fiscal 2019 defense military construction funds in the amount of $21,623,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-19-C-0023). LGC Global Inc., Detroit, Michigan, was awarded an $11,311,046 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a physical fitness center at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station, New York. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Niagara Falls, New York, with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2021. 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  • Nearly all defense companies have reopened from COVID-19

    June 23, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Nearly all defense companies have reopened from COVID-19

    By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — As large chunks of the country begin to scale back restrictions caused by COVID-19, the companies of the defense industrial base have largely reopened for business, the Pentagon's top acquisition official said Monday. Speaking to reporters, Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said that only 33 total companies in the industrial base, largely smaller services providers tracked by the Defense Logistics Agency, remain closed for business. “Out of 10,509 companies [the Defense Contract Management Agency] tracks: we are down to two closed, and 267 companies having closed and reopened,” Lord said in her remarks. “Out of 11,413 companies DLA tracks: 31 are closed with 661 having closed and reopened.” That is an improvement from April 30, when Lord said there were 93 defense-related companies tracked by DCMA closed, with 437 of the DLA tracked companies shut down at that time. “We see an enormous amount of recovery in the defense industrial base. It depends on location and what type of work is being performed, but there is enormous progress coming back,” she said. “Obviously, for manufacturing, we need people on the line. So, we're doing things differently in terms of following CDC guidelines and so forth. “We don't know what that new normal will be on speed, but we see an enormous amount of recovery.” Lord acknowledged that the efforts to stabilize the defense industrial base would be ongoing, noting officials “continue to see the greatest impacts both domestically and internationally in the aviation and shipbuilding supply chains.” She added that advanced progress payments to companies has hit over $2 billion, and that all of the prime contractors have “confirmed their detailed plans to work with their supply chains to accelerate payments to identify distressed companies, and small businesses.” The department is still tracking a roughly three-month period of delays that could have repercussions on major defense programs, Lord said, although she declined to give any specific examples. “We have seen inefficiencies across most programs,” Lord said. “DoD continues to partner with our industry partners to do everything possible to keep programs on schedule and to minimize the cost and schedule impacts. This is obviously a dynamic situation, and the overall impacts will not be completely known for a while as we work through how we operate over the next few months.” https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/06/22/nearly-all-defense-companies-have-reopened-from-covid-19/

  • New Pentagon strategy to bring in small businesses coming soon

    March 7, 2022 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR

    New Pentagon strategy to bring in small businesses coming soon

    A new Pentagon strategy to maximize small business participation in defense contracting is in the works for this spring, or early summer, defense officials told Defense News.

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