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September 12, 2023 | International, Land, Security

State Dept. OKs $4B sale of missile defense command system to Poland

The Northrop Grumman-developed IBCS system was cleared by the U.S. Army for full-rate production in the spring.

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dsei/2023/09/12/state-dept-oks-4b-sale-of-missile-defense-command-system-to-poland/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 15, 2019

    November 18, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 15, 2019

    AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Littleton, Colorado, has been awarded a ceiling amount of $3,329,600,000 single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for combined orbital operations, logistics and resiliency support services. This contract provides for operations, sustainment and enhancement activities to support the Advanced Extremely High Frequency, Milstar and Defense Satellite Communications System III programs. Work will be performed at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado; and Sunnyvale, California, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2029. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. No funds will be obligated on the basic contract and the type of funding will be obligated on subsequent task and delivery orders. The Space and Missile System Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8823-20-D-0001). Raytheon Co., Largo, Florida, has been awarded an $86,756,767 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Presidential and National Voice Conferencing (PNVC) Integrator contract. The PNVC capability is a new requirement for use by the president of the United States (POTUS), secretary of defense, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, combatant commanders and other senior leaders. The POTUS and national leadership require worldwide, secure, survivable voice conferencing capability that supersedes and improves upon the existing Milstar Survivable Emergency Conferencing Network system. The PNVC capability will incorporate improved voice quality, reduced latency, high availability, increased number of subscribers and a new conference management capability for the user community. Work will be performed at Marlborough, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,000,000 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals Contracting office, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8735-20-C-0001). Bismark Construction Corp., Newark, New Jersey, has been awarded a $17,108,605 modification (P00009) to previously awarded contract FA4484-16-D-0003 for maintenance and repair services requirement contract. This modification provides for the exercise of Option Four for the period of performance Nov. 16, 2019, through Nov. 15, 2020. Work will be performed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 15, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $85,540,325.00. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds will be used and no funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 87th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. AT2 LLC, Severn, Maryland, has been awarded a $14,495,776 modification (P00010) to previously awarded contract FA4890-18-C-0008 for Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command Primary Training Ranges operations and maintenance support services. This contract provides for operating materials and supplies of range threat, scoring and feedback systems. Work will be performed at Dare County Range, North Carolina; Poinsett Range, South Carolina; Grand Bay Range, Georgia; Avon Park Range, Georgia; Snyder Range, Texas; Belle Fourche Range, South Dakota; Holloman Ranges, New Mexico; Mountain Home Ranges, Idaho; and Guam Range, Guam. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $13,871,092 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $913,536,186 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-2114 for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (69%); and Schenectady, New York (31%). Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $584,866,256 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $483,735,911 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-16-C-2106 for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (66%); and Schenectady, New York (34%). Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $483,735,911 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, California, is awarded a $61,531,220 indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract for Global Positioning System-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Service (GPNTS) software support. GPNTS is used to receive, process and distribute three-dimensional position, velocity, acceleration, attitude, time and frequency in the formats required by shipboard user systems. The software support will include development, integration and test of improvements, correction of deficiencies, preparation and delivery of engineering interim/final software builds and inputs for the GPNTS software requirements and configuration baseline. The contract includes a base ordering period of five years, with a subsequent three-year option and a final two-year option for a total of 10 years should all options be exercised. The option periods, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $100,345,487. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,407,044 will be placed on contract and obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by November 2024. If all options are exercised, work could continue until November 2029. This contract was competitively procured with two offers received via the Commerce Business Daily's Federal Business Opportunities website and the NAVWAR e-Commerce Central website. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-20-D-0021). Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $31,801,007 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-2115 for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $31,801,007 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $24,103,730 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2101 to exercise an option for engineering and technical design effort to support research and development concept formulation for current and future submarine platforms. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be complete by October 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $175,000 will be 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. Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $9,855,080 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for services and hardware systems in support of the Undersea Warfare Decision Support Systems (USW-DSS) Command and Control program. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $50,711,886. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (79%); Norfolk, Virginia (11%); Keyport, Washington (8%); Charleroi, Pennsylvania (1%); and San Diego, California(1%), and is expected to be completed by November 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through November 2024. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $3,752,402 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $807,804 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. In accordance with Section 1709 of the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act that modifies 15 U.S. Code 638(r)(4), this Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III contract is being awarded to Progeny Systems Corp., the same firm that received the SBIR award. USW-DSS provides a common set of integrated cross-platform and command decision support tools to enable integrated USW operations. The contract award is a follow-on to contract N00024-14-C-5209 for production and modernization of USW-DSS systems developed under the prior SBIR Phase III Contract. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5213). Pacific Federal Management Inc.,* Tumon, Guam, is awarded a $9,093,633 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at Naval Base Guam and Naval Support Activity Andersen. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $48,494,711. The work to be performed provides for all labor, supervision, management, tools, material, equipment, facilities, transportation and incidental engineering and other items necessary to accomplish all work in ground maintenance and tree trimming services for United States military facilities on Guam at various locations on Guam and Northern Marianas Islands. Work will be performed in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Marianas area of operations, including but not limited to, Naval Base Guam (70%); and Naval Support Activity Andersen, Guam (30%), and is expected to be completed by November 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (O&M), (Navy); and fiscal 2020 O&M, (family housing) contract funds in the amount of $6,707,564 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with two proposals received. NAVFAC Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-20-D-9000). ARMY Walsh Federal JV, Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $77,308,000 firm-fixed-price contract to procure services for the design and construction of an 87,620 square foot Joint Regional Confinement Facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Tacoma, Washington, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $77,308,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-20-C-0002). Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $13,700,000 modification (P00018) to contract W912BU-15-C-0054 for dredging plants to remove the variety of material encountered in dredging. Work will be performed in Chester, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13,700,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a maximum $67,076,432 requirements contract for supplies related to the upgrade of the T-56 engine from series 3.0 to series 3.5. 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 five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Indiana, with Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense appropriated funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4AX-20-D-9405). Avon Engineered Fabrications, Picayune, Mississippi (SPE7MX-20-D-0015); and SMR Technologies Inc., Fenwick, West Virginia (SPE7MX-20-D-0016), are sharing a maximum $40,328,925 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for landing craft air cushion skirting systems. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. These are three-year base contracts with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Mississippi and West Virginia, with a Nov. 14, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7MX-20-D-0015). Peckham Vocational Industries,** Peckham, Michigan, has been awarded a maximum $8,673,0560 modification (P00008) exercising the second, one-year option of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-18-D-N029) with two, one-year option periods for the GEN III, Layer II, Mid-Weight Drawer. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Michigan, with a Nov. 21, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services 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. *Small Business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2018396/source/GovDelivery/

  • The UK is ready to kick off an effort to revamp military training

    October 17, 2019 | International, Land

    The UK is ready to kick off an effort to revamp military training

    By: Andrew Chuter LONDON — The British Army is rethinking how it conducts a key element of its training, tapping industry to help deliver the first phase of what the military says will be a “surrogate for warfare” by the time the upgrade is complete. Requests for information (RFI) are scheduled to be released by the Ministry of Defence Nov. 1, formally launching an industry competition to secure the first phase of a major training overhaul: the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). “Collective training will become a surrogate for warfare; driving adaptation, generating combat ethos, empowering commanders, and delivering tactical innovation,” said the British Army in response to questions from Defense News. “From now to 2025, collective training will be transformed to prepare the Army. Critically, that will be through delivering trained force elements at readiness, but also through contributing to maintenance for the dynamic and complex future operating environments faced in an era of constant confrontation,” said the Army. The Phase 1 RFI is expected to attract responses from at least three of the top British and U.S. defense contractors interested in the sector here. Spokespeople for Babcock International, Lockheed Martin UK and Raytheon UK all confirmed their interest in the program. Its the second time in a few months the three companies have found themselves head-to-head in a competition for a significant military training deal in the U.K. They are also vying for a potentially major deal to train Royal Navy recruits. Babcock and Lockheed Martin already have significant land forces training businesses here, while Raytheon's main training activity in the U.K. is in the commercial sector. A spokeswomen for the U.S.-based SAIC said the company was “not actively pursuing a bid at this time,“ despite murmurings to the contrary. CTTP involves training groups or units up to divisional level. The program is part of the British Army's new Future Collective Training System. The transformation program has been sparked by the need to adapt to the rapid change in the nature of warfare and the re-emergence of state-on-state threats from potential adversaries like Russia and China. For much of the last two decades the British have been engaged in counter insurgency campaigns against terrorist forces in Afghanistan and Iraq operating with comparatively low technology. The need to ramp up the effort to counter complex peer or near peer threats has left some British training facilities and processes short of today's requirements. The British believe collective training needs to be more challenging and conducted in more complex environments, if its formations and units are to maintain battle readiness. Urban operations and information maneuver are among the key skills the British want to improve, said an industry executive who asked not to be named. The benefits of the program go beyond training. The Army said it is also looking to generate more strategic effect and deterrence in the future by conducting collective training in key parts of the world. “The British Army will train in regions of the world that cement our joint and international partnerships and reassure our friends and deter potential adversaries,” said the Army. The British already train in Europe, Canada, Oman, Kenya and Belize. It's possible that list could be expanded. The Phase 1 RFI was supposed to be released at the start of October, but was marginally slowed by various issues. Responses are due Nov. 29.The intention is to follow up Phase 1 with the release of the Phase 2 RFI on Jan. 20, with industry responding no later than Feb. 14. The Army declined to give expected industry contract dates for either phase of the transformation, but the Future Collective Training System is planned to achieve full operating capability in 2025. Upgraded urban training facilities, additional virtual training at Army bases and potential use of innovative synthetic training capabilities are among the potential improvements, said the industry executive. The second phase is expected to build on the work conducted in the first phase, involving a number of services and capabilities that together deliver the full Future Collective Training System. Together the two phases could be worth in excess of £600 million ($770 million), although more precise figures depend upon final requirements, which be driven in part by affordability. The British currently spends about £1 billion annually on collective training. Most, if not all, the companies involved will likely be leading industry teams in some form of partnership with the Army. The commercial model the MoD wants to adopt for the industry alliance with the Army is as yet unclear. CTTP officials are known to have looked at five or six possible options including appointing a strategic delivery partner, a contractural alliance and even private finance. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/10/16/the-uk-is-ready-to-kick-off-an-effort-to-revamp-military-training/

  • Israel Seeks $8B Arms Deal At White House: F-35s, V-22s, KC-46s

    September 16, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Land

    Israel Seeks $8B Arms Deal At White House: F-35s, V-22s, KC-46s

    ARIE EGOZI TEL AVIV: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked President Donald Trump today for 12 Boeing V-22s, another squadron of F-35s to bring the total to 75, and the very early delivery of two Boeing KC-46As at the White House today. The request was made during a day of extraordinary meetings as President Trump, the Prime Minister of Israel and the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates were to sign what are being called the Abraham Accords, meant to normalize relations between the Arab states and Israel. The new weapons are meant to keep Israel's qualitative edge after the U.S agreed to sell the F-35 to the UAE and Teheran rattles its homemade swords, furious about the new era between Israel and some Gulf states. Hours before hosting the signing of historic peace agreements between Israel and the UAE and Bahrain, President Trump doubled down on the idea of selling F-35s to the UAE. “I personally would have no problem with it,” the president told Fox and Friends this morning, “I would have no problem in selling them the F-35.” The Israelis, who understand the US political system well, are likely to press Trump to put the new sales in motion before the November elections to minimize the chances they might fall victim to a change in power in Washington. “The Israeli request will be based on an accelerated process aimed at getting all the approvals before the November presidential elections” one Israeli source told BD. The request is also likely to include a replacement for Israeli Apache AH-64A combat helicopters that are planned to go out of service in 2025. Israel, one source says, will also ask for “increased numbers” of bunker buster bombs, usually thought to be designed to strike Iranian nuclear sites. On top of all that, the Israelis may seek an advanced communication satellite, a source told Breaking D. The request for a new weapons package would be in addition to the existing Foreign Military Financing agreement with the US. The current agreement, signed in 2016, increased US assistance from $ 34 billion in the decade to $38 billion between 2019 and 2028. Why is Israeli seeking so much new gear? It's not, Israeli sources explain, because of the prospective sale of F-35s to the UAE, but because they believe this deal will open a new arms race in the region and they want to stay head of it. Israel is also concerned about the possibility of leadership changes in some Gulf countries The assessments for what's needed were drawn up when the IDF formed a special team headed by Maj. General Tomer Bar, the IDF's head of its planning and force building department. This team is reviewing the operational demands of some of the IDF ground forces units. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/09/israel-seeks-8b-arms-deal-at-white-house-f-35s-v-22s-kc-46s/

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