The Week In Defense, Feb. 11-18, 2021

On the same subject

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  June 22, 2018 | International, C4ISR

  Top intelligence officials fear U.S. behind in quantum computing, cyber

  By: Justin Lynch The universities and research institutions in the United States focusing on quantum computing are “sub-par,” a top National Security Agency official said June 21. The complaint is among a laundry list of examples, topped by cybersecurity, where American innovation in the intelligence field is struggling, said George Barnes, deputy director at the NSA. “We have to be better at playing the long game,” he said. Barnes added that the Chinese “can play the long game” and “they are taking steps that might not be realized for 20 years.” The warnings, made at the Capitol Hill National Security Forum in Washington, highlighted mistrust between the government and private sector, as well as the structural challenges of supporting innovation. Whether it is quantum computing, space or artificial intelligence, Robert Cardillo, Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency worried that “the moment will be too late” for American innovation. Experts say that when quantum computers are fully operational, they will upend the use of password-protected systems, artificial intelligence and other areas of information technology. “Whoever achieves quantum first, everything they are doing and have been doing is irrelevant,” Rep. Will Hurd, R-Texas, said. He added the United States needs to treat quantum the way it treated the Y2K crisis, where the government “spent billions of dollars and spent a decade preparing ... We need to be the leader.” Hurd said that he supports a recently proposed bill from Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, that aims to “accelerate quantum research and development.” But the intelligence officials at the forum said that the very nature of American government that prioritizes short-term gains may harm innovation. With their centralized five-year plans, China does not have the potential sequesters and fluctuating budgets that are features of the U.S. government. Rob Joyce, the newly installed senior adviser at the NSA, said that government needs to give “more people the license to fail.” He said that while the agency doesn't want to squander taxpayer money, “oversight regulation” does not encourage innovation. Joyce said that the agency needs to boost partnerships with the banking industry, power companies and other areas of critical infrastructure because government has moved to a “support” role. “We are not the finishers now,” Joyce said. Asked what the most important emerging threat was for the NSA, Barnes answered with one word: “Cybersecurity.” “The attack surface is broad and the solution requires government and the public sector together,”Barnes added. Barnes said that that agency is not used to working with the private sector however, and it harms cybersecurity. “Trust is an issue.” https://www.fifthdomain.com/industry/2018/06/21/top-intelligence-officials-fear-us-behind-in-quantum-computing-cyber/

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  June 17, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 16, 2020

  ARMY EA-Wood-2 MP JV,* Hunt Valley, Maryland (W912DY-20-D-0073); and Gsina-Gilbane JV LLC,* Flemington, New Jersey (W912DY-20-D-0075), will compete for each order of the $400,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to procure the services of small business firms to perform Military Munitions Response Program responses involving conventional munitions; environmental compliance and remediation services; and other munitions-related services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 18 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 3, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Northrup Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded an $89,551,256 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract for Long Range Radar-Enhanced and Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar program efforts. 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 June 15, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-20-D-0012). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $61,890,745 modification (P00282) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 to increase available options under the current Joint Light Tactical Vehicle trailer contract from 32 to 3,541. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 procurement; defense-wide; and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $61,890,745 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. NIC4 Inc.,* Tampa, Florida, was awarded a $16,778,695 modification (P00002) to contract W91CRB-19-D-5001 to increase various line items due to additional scope and add additional services connected with Very Small Aperture Terminals services and equipment. 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 July 31, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Seqirus Inc., Summit, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $66,563,972 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for injectable influenza vaccines. This was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New Jersey, with a June 15, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DP-20-D-0004). Pentaq Manufacturing Corp.,** Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $33,645,750 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for trousers. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with eight responses received. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a June 15, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-1258). Viasat Inc., Carlsbad, California, has been awarded a maximum $8,928,000 firm-fixed-price contract for AV-8B spare parts. 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 three-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with a Sept. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Navy aircraft procurement funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-C-R016). Skupien Solutions, doing business as Superior Surgical,* Brentwood, Tennessee, has been awarded a maximum $8,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 122 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Tennessee, with a June 15, 2025, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0043). NAVY Civil Works Contracting LLC,* Wilmington, North Carolina (N40085-15-D-0847); Hager Construction Co.,* Jacksonville, Florida (N40085-15-D-0848); Onopa Services LLC,* Sanford, Florida (N40085-15-D-0850); and Quadrant Construction Inc.,* Jacksonville, North Carolina (N40085-15-D-0851), are awarded a $60,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contracts for general construction services within the Marine Corps Installations East area of responsibility. Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installation locations including, but not limited to, North Carolina (90%); Georgia (3%); South Carolina (3%); Virginia (3%); and other areas of the U.S. (1%). The work to be performed provides for general construction services including, but not limited to, new construction, demolition, total/partial repairs, interior/exterior and the alteration/renovation of buildings. Other systems and infrastructure may include civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, communication systems and the installation of new or extensions to existing high voltage electrical distribution systems; high pressure steam distribution systems; potable water distribution systems and sanitary sewer systems. Additional work provides for storm water control systems, painting, removal of asbestos materials, lead paint and incidental related work. Work is expected to be complete by June 2021. After award of this modification, the total maximum dollar value for all six contracts combined will be $150,000,000. No funds will be obligated at the time of award, and will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) and military construction funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Austal USA, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $43,362,470 cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2301 to exercise options for Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) class design services and Integrated Data and Product Model Environment (IDPME) support. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama (60%); and Pittsfield, Massachusetts (40%). Austal USA will provide class design services, including but not limited to, technical analyses, non-recurring engineering, configuration management, software maintenance, production assessments, diminishing manufacturing sources analysis, root cause analysis and sea frame reliability analysis. Austal USA will also maintain an IDPME that provides the Navy access to enterprise data management, visualization, program management applications, network management and control. Work is expected to be complete by June 2021. Fiscal 2014 and 2015 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,954,997 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. CH2M Hill Constructors Inc., Englewood, Colorado, is awarded a $33,097,127 modification on firm-fixed-price task order N69450-20-F-0077 under a multiple award construction contract for design build repairs of Building 633 at Naval Air Station Pensacola. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Florida, and provides for the design build construction, alteration and repair of Building 633 in order to return the building to full operation. Building 633 is approximately 117,000 square feet and is a historic federal facility with administrative spaces, classrooms and an auditorium. Work is expected to be complete by September 2021. After the award of this modification, the total task order value will be $34,095,501. The task order also contains seven unexercised options, which will increase cumulative task order value to $38,407,860 if exercised. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $33,097,127 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N62470-19-D-8024). AH Environmental Consultants Inc.,* Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $15,000,000 for professional environmental consulting services within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of operations (AO). Initial task order is being awarded at $61,661 to update the storm water pollution prevention plan and annual comprehensive evaluation plan at the Naval Support Activity, Panama City, Florida. The work provides for professional architect-engineering services for potable water, wastewater, storm water, spill control and other related miscellaneous environmental services, to include various forms of support for these environmental programs. Work for this task order is expected to be complete by September 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various activities in the NAVFAC Southeast AO and is expected to be complete by June 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M,N) contract funds in the amount of $61,661 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&MN. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and five proposals were received. The NAVFAC Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-20-D-0031). Forward Slope Inc., San Diego, California (N66001-20-D-3430); ODME Solutions LLC, San Diego, California (N66001-20-D-3431); SOLUTE, San Diego, California (N66001-20-D-3432); and Syneren Technologies Corp., Arlington, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3433), are awarded a $11,288,928 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee multiple-award contract to support meteorological and oceanographic capabilities for Foreign Military Sales systems, expeditionary/joint systems and projects supporting ashore and afloat operations worldwide. Work will be performed in San Diego, California. All four awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes three one-year option periods, which will bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $29,115,178 if exercised. The period of performance of the base award is from June 16, 2020, through June 15, 2022. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through June 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy); other procurement (Navy); research, development test and evaluation (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales funds. This contract was competitively procured via request for proposal N66001-20-R-0088 which was published on the beta.SAM.gov website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Five offers were received and four were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $22,665,000 firm-fixed-price modification (PZ0011) to contract FA8621-17-C-6398 for F-15SA aircrew training devices (ATD). The contract modification provides for the purchase and installation of a full mission trainer (FMT), a visual database for the area of King Khalid Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and five years of contractor logistics support for existing ATDs. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri; King Faisal Air Base, Saudi Arabia; and King Khalid Air Base, Saudi Arabia. This modification involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Saudi Arabia, and work is expected to be completed by April 30, 2024. FMS funds in the amount of $27,040,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $93,740,000. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Braxton Technologies LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $19,910,587 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00014) to contract FA8806-19-C-0003 for support to the Schriever Air Force Base Infrastructure - Minimal Viable Product (MVP) effort. This modification provides for cross-domain solutions, design, integration and rapid delivery team services. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $14,465,154 are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $80,366,105. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. *Small Business **Small Disadvantaged Business in Historically Underutilized Business Zone https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2222335/source/GovDelivery/

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  May 13, 2022 | International, Land

  Thales remporte une commande de l’OTAN pour fournir des viseurs de casque Scorpion à la Garde nationale aérienne américaine

  Thales a reçu une commande pour équiper les pilotes de F-16 de la Garde nationale aérienne américaine (Air National Guard) avec des écrans montés sur casque (HMD) Scorpion, dans le cadre d'un accord qui mettra ce système à la disposition des forces de l'OTAN. Le contrat fournira à l'Air National Guard des kits de rétrofit Scorpion pour remplacer l'actuel système de repérage monté sur casque (JHMCS) pour sa flotte d'avions F-16 block 40 et 50. Scorpion doit devenir la solution HMD commune à l'ensemble de la flotte de F-16 block 30, 40 et 50 de l'Air National Guard et de l'U.S. Air Force Reserve. « Le passage de l'ensemble de la flotte de F-16 à Scorpion témoigne de la capacité, de la qualité et du faible coût du cycle de vie que Scorpion offre aux combattants et à la Garde aérienne », a déclaré Mike Sheehan, président-directeur général de Thales Defense & Security. « La conscience situationnelle supérieure de Scorpion, avec un seul écran qui fournit une symbologie couleur et permet l'utilisation de lunettes de vision nocturne non modifiées, est inégalée sur le marché des HMD. De plus, nous pouvons fournir la même mise à niveau à tout client volant un avion équipé du JHMCS ». Le Journal de l'Aviation du 13 mai