February 2, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
By: Sean Kennedy
The Biden administration has the opportunity to institute reforms in several crucial areas at the Department of Defense.
First and foremost, it should eliminate the overseas contingency operations account. The continued justification for the OCO has reached the stage of parody. Originally intended for emergency spending in response to the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the account has transitioned into a slush fund designed to inflate spending at the DoD far above the baseline budget and for purposes unrelated to foreign wars.
In fiscal 2015, approximately 50 percent of OCO funding was for nonemergency items. An August 2019 Congressional Budget Office report noted that approximately 85 percent of funding for the OCO in FY20 and FY21 “is designated for base-budget and ‘enduring' activities,” funding maintenance in support of foreign operations that will continue regardless of force size.
OCO spending has long outpaced the military's presence in combat zones. In FY08, the U.S. deployed an average of 187,000 troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. OCO spending topped $187 billion that year, equating to $1 million per service member. The DoD currently has approximately 5,000 troops stationed in these countries, meaning the $70.7 billion in OCO spending in FY20 equates to $14.1 million in funding per service member — more than 14 times the amount in FY08.
With President Joe Biden unlikely to substantially increase the military's footprint in Afghanistan and Iraq, outsized OCO spending will continue in FY21 and beyond, barring reform.
The DoD has received approximately $2 trillion from the OCO since 2001. Were it considered to be a federal agency, the FY20 OCO funding would make it the fourth largest, dwarfing spending at all other agencies except the departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs.
The incoming administration must also expand efforts to make DoD finances more transparent and accountable. The bookkeeping is so abysmal that areas within the DoD have been on the Government Accountability Office's list of programs at high risk for waste, fraud, abuse and mismanagement since 1995.
The financial black hole is nowhere more evident than in the DoD's inability to pass a clean audit, unlike every other federal agency. On Nov. 16, 2020, the Pentagon announced that for the third straight year it failed its financial review. Progress has been incremental, with seven of 24 DoD agencies thus far producing clean audits. However, the DoD estimates that it will not be able to pass an audit before 2027, or 37 years after it was required to do so by law.
The DoD must also determine the replacement mechanism for the chief management officer position, which was the No. 3 civilian slot until it was eliminated in the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act.
Despite identifying $22.3 billion in savings between FY18 and FY21, legislators bowed to Pentagon pressure, distributing the duties and responsibilities of the role to various existing positions with far less authority.
The acquisition side is also a mess, including several infamous procurement disasters that epitomize the Pentagon's systemic problems. The foremost example is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The program has been under continuous development since the contract was awarded in 2001, and has encountered innumerable delays and cost overruns. Total acquisition costs now exceed $428 billion, nearly double the initial estimate of $233 billion. The total costs for the F-35 are estimated to reach $1.727 trillion over the lifetime of the program. On Jan. 14, 2021, then-acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller labeled the Joint Strike Fighter a “piece of sh*t.”
Enough said.
Many of the problems with the F-35 program can be traced to the decision to develop and procure the Joint Strike Fighter simultaneously. Whenever problems have been identified, contractors needed to go back and make changes to aircraft that were already assembled, adding to overall costs.
Of course none of this has stopped the Pentagon from asking for Joint Strike Fighter funding, and members of Congress from supplying it, oftentimes exceeding the request from the DoD. This trend continued in FY20, when legislators added $2.1 billion in earmarks to fund the acquisition of 22 Joint Strike Fighters beyond the amount requested by the Pentagon, bringing the total amount of earmarks for the program to $8.9 billion since FY01.
Lastly, the Biden administration would do well to introduce some stability into Pentagon leadership. Every defense secretary brings to the job different priorities for the government's largest bureaucracy. President Donald Trump burned through two confirmed and four acting secretaries, the most for any administration. President Biden should endeavor to reverse this churn.
September 14, 2023 | International, Aerospace
Lockheed Martin estimates nearly 40% of total Black Hawk production and assembly will occur in the UK and will support, on average, 660* UK jobs a year between 2025 and...
January 29, 2020 | International, Aerospace
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department is one step closer to having swarming drones that it can launch from military planes and recover in midair, having successfully conducted the first flight of the Gremlins aircraft in November. The test, which occurred at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, proved that a C-130A could successfully launch an X-61A Gremlins Air Vehicle, said Tim Keeter, who manages the program for Dynetics. The company won the Gremlins contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in 2018. “It gives us a lot of confidence going forward that this vehicle can fly where it's supposed to fly, how it's supposed to fly,” Keeter said during a Jan. 21 phone call with reporters. “Now the team can be principally focused on the other portion of our program plan ... which is to successfully rendezvous with a C-130, dock with our docking system ... and safely recover the vehicle.” During the test, which lasted 1 hour and 41 minutes, the X-61A flew with no anomalies and the DARPA-Dynetics team completed all test objectives, including transitioning the X-61A from a cold-engine start to stable flight; validating the Gremlins' data links and handing off control of the drone between air and ground control stations; deploying the docking arm; and collecting data on the air vehicle. However, during the recovery process, the drone crashed to the ground and was destroyed. The drogue parachute, which deployed first to slow the air vehicle, functioned as planned, Keeter explained. However, the larger main parachute — which would soften the landing of the air vehicle so that the drone could be reused — did not correctly deploy due to a mechanical issue. Dynetics has built four other Gremlins vehicles, leaving enough drones to accomplish the program's primary requirement to fly and recover four Gremlins in 30 minutes, said Scott Wierzbanowski, DARPA's Gremlins program manager. The next demonstration, set for sometime this spring, will verify whether the Gremlins can be successfully recovered by the C-130 while in flight. Wierzbanowski characterized this test as critical for proving that the Gremlins can be reused over multiple missions — a key point for bearing out the cost-effectiveness of the concept. "If I have an expendable vehicle, at some point I'm not going to want to be able to use those things because they're just too expensive,” he said. “But if I can recover them and then amortize the cost of that vehicle over 10 or 20 or 30 sorties, maybe there's a bend in the curve somewhere that really will allow us to benefit from these smaller, more affordable, attritable systems." During the recovery process, the C-130 will lower a towed capture device that will mate with the Gremlins drone, thus avoiding the turbulence generated by the wake of the larger aircraft, Keeter said. Once the drone is stabilized by the capture device, an engagement arm deploys, docking with the X-61A and bringing it inside the C-130 cargo bay to be stowed. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/techwatch/2020/01/28/us-defense-department-launches-gremlins-drone-from-a-mothership-for-the-first-time/
June 18, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Cisco Systems Inc., San Jose, California, was awarded a competitive, firm-fixed-price, single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HC1084-19-D-0004) for Cisco Smart Net Total Care Joint Enterprise License Agreement (JELA) II. The contract ceiling is $724,096,866. The period of performance is for one base year period with a one-year option. The period of performance for the base year is June 18, 2019, through June 17, 2020, and the option year follows consecutively through June 17, 2021. The place of performance will be across the Department of Defense. The solicitation was issued as other competitive action pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code §2304(c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, only one responsible source, and no other supplies or services, will satisfy agency requirements. Four proposals were received. Solicitation HC1084-19-R-0013 was posted on the Federal Business Opportunities website (www.fbo.gov). The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1084-19-D-0004). AIR FORCE General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, has been awarded $90,961,866 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the United Kingdom (UK) MQ-9A Contractor Logistics Support Phase IV Program. This contract provides for depot repair, life cycle sustainment, and software maintenance services for UK's MQ-9A fleet. Work will be performed in Poway, California. Performance and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This contract involves 100 percent foreign military sales to the UK. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $90,961,866 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-19-C-2003). Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Defense Electronic Systems Business Unit, Northridge, California, has been awarded a $38,950,511 indefinite-delivery requirements contract for Common Munition Built-In-Tester Reprogramming Equipment (CMBRE) production units. This contract provides for the production of the following items associated with the CMBRE system: AN/GYQ-79A CMBRE Plus, ADU-890/E, ADU-891-(V) 1/E, ADU-891-(V) 3/E, CMBRE initial spares kits and assorted items belonging to the CMBRE configuration. Work will be performed in Northridge, California, and is expected to be complete by June 16, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 procurement funds are being obligated via an individual delivery order against the production contract as requirements are made known. The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8533-19-D-0009). Canadian Commercial Corp., Ottawa, Canada, on behalf of Honeywell Canada, has been awarded a $10,371,078 firm-fixed-price contract for C5 Super Galaxy Communication, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management Production. This contract provides for the purchase of Honeywell Inmarsat satellite communication kits, interim contractor support, initial spares, data and program management. Work will be performed in Ottawa, Canada, and is expected to be complete by Oct. 30, 2019. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $10,371,078 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-19-C-6607). NAVY Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded $29,633,004 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00019-19-F-2593 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0003). This order provides for the upgrade of the Block IV Tomahawk test equipment, including the system Integration Laboratory, the Air Vehicle System Integration Laboratory, hot-benches, automated flight test equipment and associated test equipment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (74.90 percent); Carlsbad, California (4.36 percent); Denver, Colorado (2.55 percent); Englewood, Colorado (1.56 percent); Mosheim, Tennessee (1.37 percent); Scottsdale, Arizona (1.34 percent); Irvine, California (1.03 percent); North Sutton, New Hampshire (1.02 percent); and various locations within the continental U.S. (11.87 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2021. Fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $29,633,004 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $21,709,189 fixed-price-incentive contract for Palletized Load System Trailers. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2017 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $21,709,189 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-F-0468). SGS LLC,* Yukon, Oklahoma, was awarded a $13,456,297 firm-fixed-price contract for a design-bid-build construction project for the KC-46A Fuselage Trainer Facility Phase 3 at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2015, 2016 and 2019 Corps of Engineers civil construction funds in the amount of $13,456,297 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-19-C-0011). R.E. Staite Engineering Inc.,* San Diego, California, was awarded a $7,052,735 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging the Redwood City Harbor Channel. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Redwood City, California, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 9, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,052,735 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, San Francisco, California, is the contracting activity (W912P7-19-C-0010). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan, has been awarded an estimated $14,771,246 modification (P00036) to a three-year base contract (SPE7MX-16-D-0100) with two one-year option periods adding vehicle spare parts. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Michigan and South Carolina, with an Aug. 11, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio. Eddy Pump Corp.,* El Cajon, California, has been awarded a maximum $8,427,827 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for pump assemblies. 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-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is California, with a June 16, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (SPRMM1-19-D-TR01). Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC, Plymouth, Minnesota, has been awarded a maximum $8,346,345 firm-fixed-price contract for automatic feeders. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a one-year base contract with one one-year option period. Locations of performance are Minnesota and Arizona, with a Sept. 10, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-C-042). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1878725/source/GovDelivery/