June 15, 2023 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Epirus, DroneShield combine on UAS-roasting air defense
Epirus earlier this year won a $66 million contract with the U.S. Army.
June 1, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
The European Union’s defense ambitions are still showing signs of life
COLOGNE, Germany — A new budget proposal for the European Union shows that the bloc's defense plans are back on the table as the continent pushes to revive its economy following the coronavirus crisis.
Two flagship programs to that end — the European Defence Fund and the Military Mobility initiative — are set to receive €8 billion (U.S. $9 billion) and €1.5 billion (U.S. $1.7 billion), respectively, in the seven-year plan beginning in 2021, according to a proposal unveiled this week by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Those figures are lower than the initial proposal of €13 billion and €6.5 billion for the two budget lines. But they represent an uptick compared with recent negotiation positions that envisioned defense-related spending slashed even more.
Defense spending remains an unbeloved subject in many European countries, and it is notable that there is no dedicated political narrative around building military prowess in the context of the bloc's recovery plan, dubbed Next Generation EU during a May 27 speech by von der Leyen.
Still, the fact that the European Defence Fund — designed to foster intra-continental defense cooperation — remains in the mix is in itself a statement, according to analysts. Defense-spending advocates in Europe believe a robust military can strengthen the EU's hand in trying to assert its role on the world stage with other players like China and Russia.
The new proposal of €8 billion for the European Defence Fund may not seem like much, given the high, upfront costs for multinational military equipment projects, said Sophia Besch, a senior research fellow at the Center for European Reform. “But it's a win for the [European] Commission in the current political context,” she added.
“COVID-19 has shifted the priorities, and even before the crisis there were signs that defense was losing ground in the traditional budget battles,” Besch said. Given that, the new proposal is “better than nothing,” she argued.
At the same time, the de facto reduction would make it harder to prove for the commission that the intended effects can be achieved with the amount envisioned, Besch predicted.
Funding through the European Defence Fund and its associated channels ensures that certain projects in many member states can happen at all, said Yvonni-Stefania Efstathiou, an Athens, Greece-based defense analyst specializing in the emerging European defense-cooperation framework PESCO, or Permanent Structured Cooperation.
“Allocations to the EDF have the potential of triggering more defense cooperation, as those funds will be used to finance collaborative research and common capability development projects,” she said.
What is still missing, however, is an overarching context of where the EU wants to go with its defense ambitions, she argued. “The impact of these funds will be limited unless there is also progress on the common definition of strategic priorities and military requirements.”
The cut to the budget line for military mobility means member states stand to pay more of their own money for updating bridges, roads and rail networks to ensure military equipment can quickly move along the continent in the event of a standoff with Russia.
The work is seen as a critical interface between the EU and NATO, and alliance officials previously expressed hope for a funding injection that could speed projects along, especially in Eastern Europe.
“Unless we have the full costings of how much bridges and roads will cost, it is hard to evaluate whether the funds are sufficient,” Efstathiou said. “What is easy to predict, however, is the dissatisfaction of the Eastern European states.”
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September 15, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - September 14, 2020
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY JL Kaya,* Miami, Florida (SPE1C1-20-D-1317, $323,030,400); Unifire,** Spokane, Washington (SPE1C1-20-D-1346, $209,200,000); Coulmed Products Group,*** Springfield Township, New Jersey (SPE1C1-20-D-1320, $152,671,212); Maddox Defense,** San Diego, California (SPE1C1-20-D-1318, $88,595,200); Health Supply US,*** North Hollywood, California (SPE1C1-20-D-1332, $68,205,564); Health Supply US,*** North Hollywood, California (SPE1C1-20-D-1336, $65,411,316); Unifire,** Spokane, Washington (SPE1C1-20-D-1340, $39,580,013); The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Michigan (SPE1C1-20-D-1333, $31,359,600); Health Supply US,*** North Hollywood, California (SPE1C1-20-D-1323, $28,132,080); Unifire,** Spokane, Washington (SPE1C1-20-D-1345, $28,048,235); Unifire,** Spokane, Washington (SPE1C1-20-D-1344, $25,416,963); The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Michigan (SPE1C1-20-D-1337, $23,294,900); Marena Group,** Lawrenceville, Georgia (SPE1C1-20-D-1321, $22,529,664); Wise Manufacturing,*** Old Hickory, Tennessee (SPE1C1-20-D-1339, $20,216,250); The Dow Chemical Co., Midland, Michigan (SPE1C1-20-D-1338, $11,730,000); Unifire,** Spokane, Washington (SPE1C1-20-D-1342, $11,726,208); Unifire,** Spokane, Washington (SPE1C1-20-D-1341, $10,348,416); and Health Supply US,*** North Hollywood, California (SPE1C1-20-D-1326, $8,411,508), have each been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE1C1-20-R-0138 for disposable isolation gowns. These were competitive acquisitions with 129 offers received. These are one-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Florida, California, New York, New Jersey, Georgia, Michigan, North Carolina, Tennessee, Washington, Massachusetts and Texas, with a Sept. 30, 2021, ordering period end date. Using customer is Health and Human Services. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. ARMY Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded a $103,577,044 firm-fixed-price contract to acquire avionics support services and incidental materials for the UH-60M Black Hawk multifunction display avionics suite for UH-60M mission design series and variant helicopters. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-F-0535). Science and Engineering Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $22,177,444 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract for the procurement of Afghanistan contractor logistics support services for the Afghanistan National Security Forces. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Khandahar, Kabul, Shorab and Mezar-i-Sharif, Afghanistan; and Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan) funds in the amount of $22,177,444 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-C-0032). World Wide Technology, St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded an $11,710,362 firm-fixed-price contract for laptops, desktops, Cisco Voice over Internet Protocol phones, switches, software licenses and similar items. 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 Jan. 18, 2021. U.S. Army 408th Contracting Support Brigade, Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-16-D-0016). (Awarded Sept. 11, 2020) The American Council on Teaching, White Plains, New York, was awarded a $10,825,025 modification (P00005) to contract W9124N-16-D-0001 for oral proficiency interviews for the Defense Language Institute's Foreign Language Center. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 16, 2021. U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. IQVIA Government Solutions Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $7,759,363 fixed-price-incentive contract to provide commercial off-the-shelf software components and related support services for a bi-directional, secure mobile health communication system in support of the Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 23, 2025. U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W81XWH-20-D-0063). NAVY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded an $82,164,896 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides research and development support services for the Operational Readiness Directorate at the Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California. Work will be performed primarily in San Diego, California (80%), but may include additional work locations in Bridgeport, California (1%); Camp Pendleton, California (1%); La Posta, California (1%); Twenty-nine Palms, California (1%); Groton, Connecticut (1%); Washington, D.C. (1%); Orlando, Florida (1%); St. Petersburg, Florida (1%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1%); Baltimore, Maryland (1%); Bethesda, Maryland (1%); Boston, Massachusetts (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (1%); Fort Bragg, North Carolina (1%); Arlington, Virginia (1%); Norfolk, Virginia (1%); Quantico, Virginia (1%); Fort Lewis, Washington (1%); and Keyport, Washington (1%). No funds will be obligated at the time of award and work is expected to be completed by September 2026. The initial task order for $4,968,119 for the base period of performance will be awarded with fiscal 2019 Defense Health Program (DHP) funding of $444,310, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year; fiscal 2020 Navy research, development, testing and evaluation of $851,955 which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year; and fiscal 2020 one-year DHP operations and maintenance funding of $2,137,975 which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The balance of the task orders will be incrementally funded and the total aggregate value of the initial task order for the base period and one option year, if exercised, is $10,002,412. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website, with four proposals received. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N62645-20-D-5020). (Awarded Sept. 10, 2020) Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded a $43,414,416 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $196,130,562. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include family housing, facility management, facility investment, custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, other (swimming pools), grounds maintenance and landscaping, utilities management, electrical, wastewater, water and base support vehicles and equipment. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is expected to be completed by December 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); fiscal 2021 Defense Health Program; fiscal 2021 O&M (Army); and fiscal 2021 O&M (Defense agencies) contract funds in the amount of $35,022,444 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with two proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-20-D-0071). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $20,480,000 undefinitized contract modification (P00062) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-16-C-000) for additional labor in support of depot maintenance activities associated with the completion of the government of Australia's first Joint Strike Fighter aircraft induction. Work will be performed in Williamtown, Australia (95%); and Fort Worth, Texas (5%), and is expected to be completed in July 2021. Non-Department of Defense participant funds in the amount of $10,240,000 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. Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded an $18,412,543 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order through One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS). This contract provides research and development support services for the Behavioral Epidemiology Assessment Research at the Naval Health Research Center, San Diego, California. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by September 2025. The task order is initially being awarded with fiscal 2019 Defense Health Program (DHP) Navy research, development, testing and evaluation funding in the amount of $213,632 with fiscal 2019 enhanced DHP funding of $70,066; and fiscal 2020 DHP operations and maintenance funding of $5,000, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The balance of the task order will be incrementally funded through the base period and four option years and have a total value of $18,412,543, if all option periods are exercised. This contract was competitively procured via General Services Administration OASIS Pool 4 and only one proposal was received. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N62645-20-F-0286). (Awarded Sept. 11, 2020) Aptim Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded an $18,163,824 firm-fixed-price task order (N62478-20-F-4295) under a multiple award construction contract for repair to military petroleum storage tank Red Hill Tank 14. The work to be performed provides for the additional repairs on Red Hill Tank 14 as identified by the contractor's comprehensive out-of-service internal integrity inspection and suitability for service evaluation inspection report. Work will be performed at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by June 2023. Fiscal 2016 working capital (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $18,163,824 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2225). Bell Boeing Joint Program Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $16,401,341 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price modification (P00008) against previously issued order N00019-18-F-1645 under basic ordering agreement N00019-17-G-0002. This modification procures 24 additional MV-22 integrated aircraft survivability equipment A-Kits. Additionally, this modification provides additional non-recurring engineering support to integrate the control indicator unit replacement into the existing Department of Navy large aircraft infrared countermeasures system for integrated aircraft survivability equipment and the MV-22 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures system processor replacement retrofit installation package. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (85%); and Mesa, Arizona (15%), and is expected to be completed by April 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,401,341 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. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $12,243,575 firm-fixed-price contract for a 45-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Richard Byrd (T-AKE 4). Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 9, 2020. The maximum dollar value, including base period and four option years is $12,243,575. Fiscal 2021 working capital funds in the amount of $11,863,708 are being obligated at the time of the award, none of which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with one company soliciting via the Federal Business Opportunities website and two offers received. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-20-C-4086). Lockheed Martin Rotary Mission Systems, Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $10,621,061 modification (P00044) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N68335-17-C-0253 to provide retrofit kits for the production and delivery of 137 low rate initial production electronic Consolidated Automated Support Systems (eCASS) to the upgraded full rate production eCASS station baseline; 137 J18/J19 general purpose interface upgrade kits; and six fire wire/fiber channel ancillary kits. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by December 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,583,663; fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,185,267; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,852,131 will be obligated at time of award, $2,583,663 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Gomez Research Associates Inc.,** Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $10,000,000 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00174-19-C-0021 to exercise Option Year One for continued support for counter improvised explosive devices and unmanned aerial system technology. This option exercise will enable the government to use and build upon the Small Business Innovation Research Phase I and Phase II efforts awarded to Gomez Research Associates under Topic A13-058 by expanding on Gomez Research Associates' current research into buried improvised explosive devices/unmanned aerial system detection to determine how it can be made practical for use with present counter rocket, artillery, and mortar (C-RAM) systems. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama (60%); Kiev, Ukraine (5%); Belgrade, Serbia (15%); and Sofia, Bulgaria (20%), and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) in the amount of $10,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was awarded on a sole-source basis in September 2019 in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5: Authorized or Required by Statute – 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c) (5). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance, Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $7,226,209 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6258 to exercise options for engineering services and other direct costs in support of the Integrated Submarine Imaging System. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (73%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (15%); Northampton, Massachusetts (6%); Fairfax, Virginia (3%); Arlington, Virginia (2%); and Newport, Rhode Island (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2018 (37%), 2019 (1%), and 2020 (3%) shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) (37%); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) (22%) funding in the amount of $7,226,209 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, D.C., is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $7,180,134 firm-fixed-price modification to exercise options under contract N00024-20-C-5400 for fiscal 2020 German Navy procurements of Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Block 2/2A components. The RAM Guided Missile Weapon System is co-developed and co-produced under an International Cooperative Program between the government of the U.S. and the government of the Federal Republic of Germany. Work will be performed in Rocket Center, West Virginia (63%); Williamsport, Pennsylvania (27%); Tucson, Arizona (7%); Ontario, Canada (1%); Joplin, Missouri (1%); and Mason, Ohio (1%), and is expected to be completed by June 2025. German cooperative funding in the amount of $7,180,134 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured under the exception 10 U.S. Code 2304(c) (4), International Agreement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY), on behalf of SUNY Polytechnic Institute, Albany, New York, was awarded a $19,215,069 cost reimbursement (no fee) contract for a research project under the Lasers for Universal Microscale Optical Systems (LUMOS) program. The LUMOS program will enable efficient on-chip optical gain to highly capable integrated photonics platforms and enable complete photonics functionality on a single substrate for disruptive optical microsystems. Work will be performed in Albany, New York (48%); Santa Barbara, California (21%); Boston, Massachusetts (26%); and Greensboro, North Carolina (5%), with an expected complete date of September 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $3,756,278 is being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition under an open broad agency announcement and 29 offers were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-20-C-0142). AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $10,875,123 cost‐plus‐fixed‐fee modification (P00184) to contract FA8810‐13‐C‐0002 for Space Based Infrared System contractor logistics support for studies and modification projects. Work will be performed at Peterson Air Force Base; Buckley AFB; Greeley Air National Guard Station; and Boulder, all located in Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 15, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,828,554,298. Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity. *Woman-owned small business ** Small business ***Small disadvantaged business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2347324/source/GovDelivery/
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July 30, 2018 | International, Aerospace, C4ISR
Congress looks to gut funding for the Corps’ futuristic sea drone
By: Shawn Snow In the latest version of the annual defense legislation Congress has gutted nearly $14 million for the Corps' futuristic expeditionary sea drone known as the MUX. The original funding request was $25,291,000, but the approved funds are only $11,291,000, that's more than a 50 percent slash. But the steep cuts pale in comparison to the $100 million Senators originally approved in their mark-up of the Senate version of the annual defense authorization bill in late June. House members argued in a report there were a number of capabilities and platforms across the services that could “likely mitigate” the Corps' identified shortfalls. “The committee believes the Marine Corps underestimates the required communications, data link, launch, mission execution and recovery infrastructure, or the human capital resources required to train, operate, maintain and sustain such a system,” the House Armed Services Committee, or HASC, said in a report that followed their version of the defense bill in May. “The Marine Corps also underestimates the necessary human capital resources required to meet current deployment-to-dwell policy and guidance issued by the Secretary of Defense," the report added. The HASC also called for a report from chairman of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council by February 2019 on how existing capabilities across the services can plug the Corps' perceived gaps. “The committee also directs the Secretary of the Navy to provide a briefing to the House Committee on Armed Services, not later than February 5, 2019, that explains the acquisition and funding strategy of the Marine Corps to affordably develop and field an unmanned capability of this nature, and then personnel, funding, infrastructure, and mission-execution resources that would be needed to viably sustain and support this capability, the report reads. The Corps is amid plans to develop a futuristic group five drone capable of landing on amphibious ships at sea. The Corps wants its high-tech platform to conduct electronic and kinetic strikes and come with an early airborne warning capability. The airborne warning feature will afford Marine Expeditionary units the ability to operate independent of aircraft carriers. Carriers deploy the E2D Hawkeye for early airborne warning. The MUX will also have long-range networking capabilities allowing the drone to patch into and cue weapon systems from other ships and aircraft. The Corps held a conference with industry leaders in early June to hash out its wish list for the MUX. Currently, the Marines do not operate a large group five drone. To make up for the lack of experience, the Corps has been sending Marines to work with the Air Force. Marines do operate smaller tactical surveilance drones like the RQ-21 Blackjack. The House passed the latest version of the defense bill on Thursday. The Senate is expected to vote on it early next week. Inside Defense first reported the potential cuts to the MUX. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/07/27/congress-looks-to-slash-funding-for-the-corps-futuristic-sea-drone/