February 11, 2019 | International, C4ISR

The military wants many systems to share one language

The Army, Navy and Air Force secretaries recently signed a memorandum that would establish common standards of information in future weapon systems, a move that will allow for greater coordination on a future battlefield that will require faster decision making.

As the military is shifting its focus to so-called great powers and simultaneously each pursing its own version of multidomain operations — a concept of operating more seamlessly across the five domains of warfare — there is a recognition for the need for closer cooperation.

According to an Air Force release Feb. 8, older weapon systems were not developed with common interface standards, which made interoperability more difficult.

“This is vital to our success,” said Mark Esper, the secretary of the Army. “After reviewing the capabilities of common standards, we have collectively determined that continued implementation, and further development of modular open systems approaches are necessary to keep our competitive advantage.”

In recent years, the services have developed, demonstrated and validated common data standards through a cooperative partnership with industry and academia to allow for a modular open systems approach, the release said. When the services follow the standards, contractors can build interoperable systems. This approach can lead significantly reduce development timelines and shrink costs by as much as 70 percent, the release said.

“The ability for our systems and forces to exchange information and communicate effectively gives our war fighters the best capabilities to deliver the fight tonight,” Richard Spencer, the secretary of the Navy, said. “This reform will make us a highly integrated and more lethal fighting force.”

With new approaches, such as multidomain operations, Pentagon leaders say it is critical for systems and forces to communicate across domains as well as cyber and land systems.

"Victory in future conflict will in part be determined by our ability to rapidly share information across domains and platforms," Heather Wilson, secretary of the Air Force, said. "Sharing information from machine to machine requires common standards."

Some in industry are helping the military answer some tough problems.

“How do you take all the platforms that are out there and link them together and then be able to create decisions that happen a lot faster or get to decisions that you couldn't have gotten to if you were looking at each of the domains independently,” Rob Smith, vice president of C4ISR & UAS, Rotary and Mission Systems at Lockheed Martin, told reporters in July.

While linking systems together may sound easy, Smith said differences in planning cycles, technologies and classifications is challenging.

Going forward, the Air Force release said the joint memorandum directs service acquisition executives to publish specific implementation guidance for acquisition programs, continue to identify gaps and develop new standards when needed.

Additionally, capability requirements officers must write modular open systems into future requirements documents as to be able to communicate across domains.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/c2-comms/2019/02/08/the-military-wants-many-systems-to-share-one-language

On the same subject

October 11, 2018 | International, Naval

Italian shipbuilders tout systems-engineering chops ahead of French merger talks
By: Tom Kington ROME – Italian firms Leonardo and Fincantieri have announced tighter cooperation on naval systems work to help them build better ships and get ready for an expected Italo-French team-up in warship construction. The two firms said they would relaunch Orizzonte Sistemi Navali, an existing joint venture between them, to develop naval combat systems. Leonardo, which holds 49 percent of the joint venture, has long supplied radars, guns and systems to ships built by shipyard Fincantieri, which holds a majority 51 percent stake. OSN was created in 2002 to integrate the work of the two firms on Italy's Horizon frigates, Cavour carrier and FREMM frigates, but was not used for the more recent construction of Italy's new PPA frigates. In its new form, OSN will “assume responsibility for the development of the combat systems and the definition of subsystem requirements and individual components' architecture, including the Combat Management System (CMS),” in new vessels, the firms said in a statement. “Fincantieri will act as prime contractor, the single interface to customers and hold responsibility for the warship as a whole (Whole Warship Design Authority), therefore in charge, on behalf of OSN, of the architecture of the ship system concerning both the platform and the combat system. Leonardo will be the preferred partner for the Combat Management System and the equipment and systems of the ship,” the statement reads. An Italian industrial source said the deal was designed to make systems integration more central to shipbuilding by the two firms. “Until now a lot of work on integration took place during the ship building process. Now, integration should happen earlier in the process,” the source said. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/10/10/italian-shipbuilders-tout-systems-engineering-chops-ahead-of-french-merger-talks
November 18, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - November 18, 2020
NAVY General Dynamics, Bath Iron Works, Bath, Maine, is awarded a $146,118,867 cost-plus-award-fee modification against previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-4452 for DDG planning yard services. Work will be performed in Bath, Maine, and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) (80%); and fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) (20%), funding in the amount of $1,016,645 will be obligated at time of award, of which $200,866 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Liverpool, New York, is awarded a $22,827,962 modification (P00003) to a firm-fixed-price order N00019-20-F-0535 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0029. This modification exercises an option to procure 12 retrofit advanced radar processor systems for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Work will be performed in Liverpool, New York (54%); and Andover, Massachusetts (46%), and is expected to be completed in April 2025. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $22,827,962 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. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $11,977,622 modification (P00003) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-20-C-0026. This modification provides continued support required to establish the common reprogramming tool development network and selection of a service-oriented architecture for the development of enhanced reprogramming tools, which is essential for all standing labs in support of the F-35 aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the governments of Australia and Great Britain. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (90%); and Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (10%), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $711,406; fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $711,406; and non-Department of Defense funds in the amount of $2,800,000, 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. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Illinois, is awarded an $8,456,902 modification (P00010) to cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00019-19-F-0453 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-15-G-0026. This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering to upgrade the current large aircraft infrared countermeasures system processor replacement in support of efforts to resolve advanced threat warning processor and control indicator unit diminishing manufacturing source issues, and exercises an option to provide expanded growth capability for the AN/AAQ-24 system for the Navy and the Air Force. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and is expected to be completed in April 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,075,661; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,961,241; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $420,000, will be obligated at time of award; $5,075,661 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY BAE Systems, Nashua, New Hampshire, was awarded a $49,937,097 firm-fixed-price contract for the Common Missile Warning System. 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 Nov. 15, 2025. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-21-D-0010). General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $25,982,972 modification (P00004) to contract W56HZV-20-C-0031 to provide maintenance training and procedural technical assistance to the Kuwait Land Force. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 5, 2023. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $25,982,972 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY ARES Technical Services Corp.,* Burlingame, California, is being awarded a $51,962,387 competitive cost-plus-fixed-fee, level-of-effort contract with a three-year base value of $21,651,531 and two one-year options for Technical, Engineering, Advisory, and Management Support (TEAMS) - Next Safety advisory and assistance services. The work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Dahlgren, Virginia; Huntsville, Alabama; Fort Greely, Alaska; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; Kirkland AFB, New Mexico; Pacific Missile Range Facility, Hawaii; and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2025. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the beta.SAM.gov website with three proposals received. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $2,599,751 are being obligated at time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0858-21-C-0011). AIR FORCE L‐3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, has been awarded a $38,000,000 firm-fixed‐price, indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity modification (P00021) to contract FA8106‐17‐D‐0001 for contractor logistic support of the Air Force C‐12 fleet. Work will be performed in Madison, Mississippi; San Angelo, Texas; Okmulgee, Oklahoma; Buenos Ares, Argentina; Gaborone, Botswana; Brasilia, Brazil; Bogota, Colombia; Cairo, Egypt; Accra, Ghana; Tegucigalpa, Honduras; Budapest, Hungary; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Nairobi, Kenya; Rabat, Morocco; Manila, Philippines; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Bangkok, Thailand; Ankara, Turkey; Edwards Air Force Base, California; Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Joint Base Elmendorf‐Richardson, Alaska; Oslo, Norway; and Yokota Air Base, Japan. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2021. The estimated cumulative face value of the contract is $158,000,000. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance in the amount of $6,648,772 will be obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Engineering Arresting Systems Corp., Ashton, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $15,691,772 requirements-indefinite-delivery type, firm‐fixed-price production contract for the Mobile Runway Edge Sheave (MRES). Work will be performed in Ashton, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed Nov. 15, 2028. This contract is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8534-21-D-0001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Burlington Apparel Fabrics, Greensboro, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $9,602,250 modification (P00010) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1113) with four one-year option periods for cloth. This is a firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Nov. 18, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2416815/source/GovDelivery/
November 28, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

France: Comment l’armée se prépare aux batailles du futur
Nicolas Berrod Jambe bionique, casque de réalité virtuelle... Le premier salon de l'innovation de la Défense ouvre, ce samedi, au public. Pour avoir une idée de ce à quoi va ressembler le soldat du futur, il faut se rendre à... la Cité de la Mode et du Design ! C'est ici, dans l'Est parisien, que se tient le premier Salon de l'Innovation de la Défense, qui ouvre ses portes au public samedi. Dans les allées, on croise des militaires, industriels, scientifiques, venus présenter leurs propres projets -160 sont exposés. Le robot greffeur de peau permet, par exemple, de soigner un soldat brûlé, à proximité du champ de bataille, sans attendre trop longtemps. Le principe est simple : un bras robotisé prélève à un endroit sain un échantillon de peau, qui, une fois mélangé avec une encre spéciale, via une imprimante 3D, est greffé sur la partie blessée du corps. « On peut le faire en une seule fois et l'opération ne dure pas plus de quelques heures », assure Amélie Thépot, la présidente de la start-up LabSkin Creations, qui à conçu le projet avec les Hospices de Lyon. Une jambe bionique Pour les militaires plus gravement blessés, la société Proteor a imaginé une jambe bionique nouvelle génération, constituée d'un ensemble genou-cheville-pied contrôlé par un microprocesseur. Abel Aber, 32 ans et militaire de formation, a perdu sa jambe gauche dans un accident à l''ge de 17 ans. Depuis, ce grand gaillard utilise plusieurs prothèses dont celle-ci qui lui « apporte un nouveau confort de marche, même si ça reste évidemment contraignant ». L'outil, développé avec le soutien de la Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) et disponible d'ici 2021, a ses limites : impossible pour le moment de monter un escalier, par exemple. « Et pour faire du sport, on a besoin de prothèses plus spécifiques », glisse cet amateur de boxe thaï. Un casque de réalité virtuelle Autre innovation qui attire l'attention : la cape d'invisibilité, dite Caméléon. Imaginé pour camoufler un véhicule terrestre, ce système optique fonctionne gr'ce à une caméra haute définition qui capte l'environnement, et le reproduit ensuite sur la surface du blindé. « Les soldats peuvent facilement changer de treillis mais on ne peut pas repeindre un véhicule selon l'endroit où il se trouve », justifie Sébastien Fagour, ingénieur chez Nexter Systems. Article complet: http://www.leparisien.fr/high-tech/comment-l-armee-se-prepare-aux-batailles-du-futur-23-11-2018-7951917.php

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