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October 12, 2023 | International, Land

Thales receives US Army production increase order for more than 7,000 of Combat Net Radios

The RT-2129 CNR is a critical component to the Army’s unified network providing robust communications capabilities to the tactical edge.

https://www.epicos.com/article/776843/thales-receives-us-army-production-increase-order-more-7000-combat-net-radios

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  • David Norquist has one word for you: Analytics

    July 25, 2019 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR

    David Norquist has one word for you: Analytics

    By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON — The Trump administration's nominee for deputy defense secretary wants the Pentagon to apply data analytics and artificial intelligence to tackle jobs as diverse as technology development, the Pentagon audit and maintenance of the F-35 fighter jet. More broadly, David Norquist, the Pentagon comptroller who for most of this year has served as acting deputy defense secretary, told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the U.S. needs to more heavily invest in developing technology to execute the 2018 National Defense Strategy. The strategy focuses on competition with Russia and China. The strategy will be “hampered without appropriate funding, development and timely fielding of emerging technologies, notably cyber, space, artificial intelligence, and missiles,” Norquist said in written responses to questions posed in advance by the committee. He called modernizing the military to compete, deter and, if needed, prevail in a high-end fight one of the job's most significant challenges. Per the 2017 defense policy law, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics was split between new undersecretaries of defense for research and engineering (R&E) and acquisition and sustainment (A&S). The R&E office was stood up specifically to push new technologies forward more quickly. Yet, the Pentagon “has made very little progress” to manifest those “key” changes, meant in part to help the Pentagon better harness advanced technologies, SASC ranking member Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., cautioned Norquist. He obtained Norquist's commitment to ensure the department implements the law. SASC Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., and Reed cited the need to better manage the Pentagon's acquisitions bureaucracy, acknowledging that a pending bipartisan budget agreement has created new headroom and stability. “Today, we find ourselves in a new and different moment in American security,” Inhofe said. “The American people take our military superiority for granted. China and Russia have passed us in a lot of key areas that we have discussed.” “Our overmatch in areas a decade ago was very clear. That overmatch has diminished,” Reed said, adding that the Department of Defense must extend its tech development efforts into academia and the private sector. Norquist also touted the administration's request for a $32 billion increase in research and development, to include cyber, missile range, hypersonics and lasers — but he called out artificial intelligence as unique. “Artificial Intelligence is different because the potential benefits are less clear; you know what you're going to get with a hypersonic missile,” he said. “But artificial intelligence has the potential to change a lot about how we use [unmanned aerial vehicles] and other items. That puts an emphasis on analytical skills, researching and prototyping." In a related exchange, Norquist touted a DoD project to harness AI in disasters to find people in need of rescue through video analysis — and said he wants more work with the private sector on similar projects. Norquist's hearing comes on the heels of the Senate's overwhelming confirmation of Mark Esper, the former Army secretary, as the 27th secretary of defense. Confirmation for Norquist and Esper, who replaces Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, is expected to hasten an end to the vacancies in other top Pentagon jobs. The hearing lasted 100 minutes and went smoothly, with the tone set at the very start, when Inhofe said he would vote for him. Inhofe said he had recommended Norquist to the president as an ideal No. 2 for a Pentagon with more than a dozen open civilian positions at the top. “I remember telling the president it doesn't matter who's secretary of defense,” Inhofe said, “as long as you have Norquist.” https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/07/24/norquist-has-one-word-for-you-analytics/?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EBB%2007.25.19&utm_term=Editorial%20-%20Early%20Bird%20Brief

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 11, 2019

    March 12, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 11, 2019

    DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Alon USA LP, Dallas, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0460, $94,761,255); BP Products North America Inc., Chicago, Illinois (SPE602-19-D-046, $336,763,299); BP Products North America Inc., Chicago, Illinois (SPE602-19-D-0462, $94,753,559); Calumet Shreveport Fuels LLC,* Indianapolis, Indiana (SPE602-19-D-0463, $91,042,014); Epic Aviation LLC,* Salem, Oregon (SPE602-19-D-0464, $36,973,147); Equilon Enterprises, doing business as Shell Oil Products, Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0465, $259,795,782); Exxon Mobil Fuels Lubricants & Specialties Marketing Co., Spring, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0466, $90,495,076); Hunt Refining Co., Tuscaloosa, Alabama (SPE602-19-D-0467, $34,052,469); Husky Marketing & Supply Co. Dublin, Ohio (SPE602-19-D-0468, $81,348,500); Lazarus Energy Holdings LLC,* Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0470, $125,906,184); Petromax Refining Co.,* Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0477, $241,944,848); Placid Refining Co. LLC,* Port Allen, Louisiana (SPE602-19-D-0472, $124,968,052); Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co., LLC, San Antonio, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0473, $45,029,489); Valero Marketing and Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0474, $141,128,080); Wynnewood Energy Co., Sugarland, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0475, $92,328,466); Hermes Consolidated LLC, doing business as Wyoming Refining Co.,* Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0476, $42,147,054); and Phillips 66 Co., Houston, Texas (SPE602-19-D-0478, $884,362,445), have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE602-18-R-0717 for various types of fuel. These were competitive acquisitions with 32 offers received. These are one-year contracts with a 30-day carryover. Locations of performance are Texas, Ohio, Alabama, Wyoming, Illinois, Indiana, South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, with a March 31, 2019, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency Energy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. ARMY Jacobs Technology Inc., Tampa, Florida, was awarded a $785,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for instructors. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 14, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-D-0004). Jacobs Technology Inc., Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was awarded a $38,253,942 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for testing for evaluation of various interactions of chemical and biological agents. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, with an estimated completion date of June 23, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,392,148 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, is the contracting activity (W911S6-19-C-0002). Atlantic Diving Supply Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (W81XWH-19-A-0003); American Purchasing Services LLC,* Miramar, Florida (W81XWH-19-A-0004); and TQM LLC, Saint Charles, Missouri (W81XWH-19-A-0005), will compete for each order of the $20,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for brand-name medical equipment repair parts. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 10, 2024. U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Cubic Global Defense Inc., San Diego, California, was awarded a $7,996,042 modification (P00003) to contract W564KV-18-F-0001 for analytical support services. Work will be performed in Stuttgart, Germany, with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,996,042 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army 409th Combat Support Battalion, Kaiserslautern, Germany, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 10, 2019) NAVY Dell Marketing LP, Round Rock, Texas, was awarded an estimated $231,170,000 firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firm's General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contract. This agreement will provide VMware brand-name software licenses, software maintenance and services to the Department of the Navy (DON). The products will meet the following functional capabilities: data center and Cloud infrastructure; networking and security; storage and availability; Cloud management; network functions virtualization; digital workspace; desktop and application virtualization; and training. Under the Enterprise Software Initiative, the DON leverages its aggregate buying power to establish enterprise agreements with information technology manufacturers and resellers for high demand, commercial-off-the-shelf IT products and services. This BPA will be available for ordering VMware products and services throughout the Navy, worldwide, and the ordering period is expected to be completed March 7, 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy) funds. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the GSA E-Buy website with 895 vendors solicited, three offers received, and one selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-A-0055). (Awarded March 8, 2019) Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded an $89,534,733 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide sustainment and engineering services in support of the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System. Additionally, this contract procures the technical expertise of field service representatives, logisticians and test support to ensure MQ-4C air vehicles and mission control and operator training systems are fully sustained and mission capable. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (45 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (25 percent); Andersen Air Force Base, Guam (20 percent); and Point Mugu, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $69,309,254 will be obligated at time of award, $4,000,000 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 Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-1020). General Atomics, San Diego, California, is awarded $18,898,425 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N0001919F2709 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0006). This delivery order provides Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) integrated test and evaluation effort for EMALS test site operations, Failure Reporting Analysis and Corrective Actions System, prototype and testing, environmental qualification testing and remediation, electromagnetic interference testing, and training efforts. Work will be performed in Lakewood, New Jersey (60 percent); Tupelo, Mississippi (25 percent); and Rancho Bernardo, California (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,898,425 will be obligated at time of award, $2,737,924 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bethel-Webcor JV-1,* Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded $11,470,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N4425519F4123 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N44255-17-D-4032) for the P-253 Fleet Support Facility at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington. The work to be performed provides for the construction of P-253 Fleet Support Facility to include construction of a single-story addition to Building 2836. The facility provides space for storage of equipment as well as material receiving, processing, staging and shipping areas associated with the operation. It will also include the renovation of the administration and operations spaces in Building 2836. The project also modifies those spaces which will be required to provide a connection to the new addition. This project will provide Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection (AT/FP) features and comply with AT/FP regulations and physical security in accordance with Department of Defense Minimum Anti-Terrorism Standards for Buildings. Work will be completed in Oak Harbor, Washington, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $11,470,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Barrett Firearms Manufacturing Inc., Christiana, Tennessee, was awarded an estimated $49,936,300, five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract (H92403-19-D-0002) for the purchase of advanced sniper rifles in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $387,234 are being obligated at the time of award. The work will be performed in Christiana, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2024. The solicitation was posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website under “full and open competition” and six proposals were received. USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Etegent Technologies Ltd., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a $24,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for research and development. This contract provides for further development of cognitively-derived analyst tools to support the integration of more fully integrated intelligence products of greater relevance to the warfighter, and transitioning of analyst-aiding tools and technologies within the Department of Defense intelligence community. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by March 11, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 24 offers were received. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $ $599,250 are being obligated on the initial task order at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright Research Site, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-6939). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $9,673,729 modification (P00001) to previously awarded contract FA2860-19-C-0005 for the rotary wing aircraft maintenance contract. This modification provides for services to support all management, personnel, equipment and services necessary to perform helicopter maintenance in support of aircraft assigned to the 11th Wing and their customers. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $75,020,715. The 11th Contracting Squadron, Services Flight, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Marcon Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, has been awarded a $10,646,332 firm-fixed-price contract. The contract is to provide technical and managerial assistance as related to all elements of facility planning, program and project execution, including a wide range of analytical and planning, design, and construction management support services to assist the Washington Headquarters Services Facilities Services Directorate in the accomplishment of its missions. Work performance will take place at the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia. Fiscal 2019 Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving funds in the amount of $10,646,332 are being awarded. The expected completion date is Jan. 30, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-17-D-0016). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1782108/

  • Boeing set to reopen major military helicopter production hub for H-47 and MH-139

    April 20, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    Boeing set to reopen major military helicopter production hub for H-47 and MH-139

    By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — After a two-week closure due to the coronavirus pandemic, Boeing on April 20 is set to reopen the Philadelphia-area facility where the H-47 Chinook and several other military helicopters are built, the company announced on Friday. Boeing manufactures the H-47 Chinnook cargo helicopter, the V-22 Osprey and the MH-138 Grey Wolf helicopter at its production line in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. Operations at that installation have been suspended since April 3. During that time, the company cleaned the entire facility, Boeing said in a statement. Employees who can work from home will still have the option to telework, but Boeing has added hand-sanitizing stations and will make face masks available for workers at the facility. The company is also requiring employees coming into work to go through a temperature screening before starting a shift, and workstations will be spaced farther apart to reduce the risk of transmission. “The number one priority is and will continue to be protecting the health and safety of our employees, their families and all of our stakeholders,” the company said in a statement. The decision to open the plant in the Philadelphia area follows a similar one made by Boeing earlier this week to restart operations at its facilities in the region near Puget Sound, Washington. The company restarted production of the P-8 maritime surveillance plane and KC-46 tanker this past Monday and will resume production of commercial airliners made at those facilities on April 20. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/04/17/boeing-set-to-reopen-major-military-helicopter-production-hub-for-h-47-and-mh-139/

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