This wearable Marine tech can boost human performance and track physiological status

On the same subject

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  August 21, 2018 | International, Land

  Army Wants 70 Self-Driving Supply Trucks By 2020

  By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR. The Army is ready for unmanned vehicles but not yet for a completely unmanned convoy. The 2020 iteration is called Expedient Leader-Follower because the Army still wants a human soldier driving the lead vehicle, with up to nine autonomous trucks following in its trail. But Oshkosh and Robotic Research told me they could take the humans out altogether, if the Army wanted. If you find self-driving cars impressive today, think about Army trucks that can drive themselves off-road, in a war zone, less than three years from now. For all the Army's embrace of high technology, the service still wants the lead vehicle in the convoy to have a human driver, at least at first. But the unmanned trucks that follow behind will need to stick to the trail without relying on street signs, lane markings, pavement, or GPS. They might not even have a clear line of sight to the vehicle ahead of them, which may turn a corner in a city or disappear into a cloud of dust driving cross-country. En route, they have to avoid not only pedestrians, animals, and vehicles, like civilian self-driving cars, but also rubble, rocks, trees, and shell holes. And they have to avoid solid obstacles without stopping every time they see tall grass, a low-hanging branch, or a dust cloud in their path — the kind of common-sense distinction that's easy for humans but very hard for computer vision. But the Army is confident it can be done. Army Secretary Mark Esper has publicly enthused about the technology after riding in a prototype, saying it could both free up manpower for the front line — most troops work on logistics and maintenance, not in combat units — and save lives from roadside bombs and ambushes — to which supply convoysare particularly vulnerable. After years of tinkering, the Army has accelerated its Automated Ground Resupply (AGR) program by spinning off something called the Expedient Leader-Follower demonstration. Contractors are currently installing Robotic Research LLC's computer brains and sensors on 10 Oshkosh M1075 PLS (Palletized Loader System) trucks that'll be used for safety certification tests in 2019. They'll convert 60 more to self-driving vehicles in time to equip two Army transportation companies in 2020. While the two units' main job will be to demonstrate the technology works in field conditions, “if they get called to deploy, they will deploy with the vehicles,” said Alberto Lacaze, president of Robotic Research, in an interview with me yesterday. “That could happen fairly quickly.” Exactly when the large-scale demo starts in 2020 is still a moving target, based mainly on how 2019's safety testing goes, said Pat Williams, VP for Army and Marine Corps programs at Oshkosh Defense. It's the Army's call on whether to compress the timeline, he told me, but “there's interest in pulling that left where possible.” Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2018/08/army-wants-70-self-driving-supply-trucks-by-2020

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  July 26, 2023 | International, Aerospace

  Airlines brace for hit from Pratt & Whitney's new engine problem

  Airline executives are fuming about the prospect of grounding planes and trimming flight capacity amid a busy summer travel season after fresh problems arose with some of RTX's Pratt & Whitney engines.

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  January 13, 2021 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 12, 2021

  AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, has been awarded a $1,687,359,008 modification (P00166) to contract FA8625-11-C-6600 for Lot Six production of KC-46 aircraft, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 12 KC-46 aircraft, data, subscriptions and licenses, and G081 flat file being produced under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed April 30, 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement funds in the full amount 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. AchieveIt Online LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (FA8612-21-D-0101); Aerocine Ventures Inc., Jackson Heights, New York (FA8612-21-D-0102); Aerovation Inc., Tucson, Arizona (FA8612-21-D-0103); AI.Reverie Inc., New York, New York (FA8612-21-D-0104); All Vision Technologies Inc., New York, New York (FA8612-21-D-0105); Allied Associates International Inc., Gainesville, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0106); Aptima Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts (FA8612-21-D-0108); A-Tech Corp., Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA8612-21-D-0109); BlackHorse Solutions Inc., Herndon, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0110); Charles River Analytics Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts (FA8612-21-D-0111); CIS Secure Computing Inc., Ashburn, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0112); Cognitive Space Inc., Manvel, Texas (FA8612-21-D-0113); TeleCommunication Systems Inc., Annapolis, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0114); Concept Solutions LLC, Reston, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0115); Crunchy Data Solutions Inc., Charleston, South Carolina (FA8612-21-D-0116); CrowdAI Inc., Mountain View, California (FA8612-21-D-0117); Danbury Enterprises LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0118); Data Machines Corp., Ashburn, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0119); Defense Architecture Systems Inc., Fulton, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0120); DTC Communications Inc., Herndon, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0121); Forcepoint Federal LLC, Herndon, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0122); Intelligent Waves LLC, Reston, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0123); Iron Bow Technologies LLC, Herndon, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0124); KeyW Corp., Hanover, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0125); Modus Operandi Inc., Melbourne, Florida (FA8612-21-D-0126); Sentenai Inc., Boston, Massachusetts (FA8612-21-D-0128); The Stratagem Group Inc., Aurora, Colorado (FA8612-21-D-0129); Technergetics LLC, Utica, New York (FA8612-21-D-0130); Technica Corp, Sterling, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0131); RAFT LLC, Reston, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0132); Enveil Inc., Fulton, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0133); Sherpa LLC, St. Louis, Missouri (FA8612-21-D-0134); KIHOMAC Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0135); Kinnami Software Corpo., Braintree, Massachusetts (FA8612-21-D-0136); KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia (FA8621-21-D-0137); and Perspecta Labs Inc., Basking Ridge, New Jersey (FA8612-21-D-0138), have collectively been awarded a ceiling $950,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to compete for future efforts associated with the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2). These contracts provide for the development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber and electromagnetic spectrum) in an open architecture family of systems that enables capabilities via multiple integrated platforms. The locations of performance are to be determined at the contract direct order level and are expected to be completed May 28, 2025. These awards are the result of fair and open competition. The initial delivery orders will be fully funded by fiscal year research, development, test and evaluation funds. The Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. ARMY H&L Contracting LLC, Bay Shore, New York, was awarded a $30,628,978 firm-fixed-price contract to perform construction/rehabilitation of the seawall system at Montauk Point Lighthouse, Suffolk County, New York. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Montauk, New York, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 1, 2023. Fiscal 2014 and 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $30,628,978 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-21-C-0004). NAVY WR Systems Ltd., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $19,191,662 non-commercial, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and program support services in support of the Relocatable Over-the-Horizon Radar Life Cycle Management Department at the Forces Surveillance Support Center, Chesapeake, Virginia. The contract will include a 48-month ordering period with no options. The ordering period is expected to begin April 2021 and be completed by March 2025. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Virginia (42%); Fairfax, Virginia (39%); New Kent, Virginia (6%); Corpus Christi, Texas (3%); San Juan, Puerto Rico (3%); Adelaide, Australia (1%); San Diego, California (1%); Dayton, Ohio (1%); Colorado Springs, Colorado (1%); Washington, D.C. (1%); Arlington, Virginia (1%); and Key West, Florida (1%). Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. One source was solicited for this non-competitive, sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-21-D-Z015). Container Research Corp.,* Aston, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $11,539,383 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the procurement of up to a maximum quantity of 275 V-22 Mission Auxiliary Tank System storage containers for the Navy, Marines, Air Force and Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed in Aston, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed in January 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. 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 (N00019-21-D-0006). Advanced Computer Learning Co. LLC,* Fayetteville, North Carolina, is being awarded an $8,207,152 single-award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the development of curriculum material and the instruction on the use of unique networks in the Joint Staff Joint Tactical Operations Interface Training Program and the U.S. Message Text Formatting Training Program in support of the Joint Staff, Joint Interoperability Division at the Joint Multi-Tactical School. The contract will include an 11-month base ordering period with an additional three consecutive one-year ordering period options, which if exercised, will bring the total value to $33,207,839. The base ordering period is expected to begin in January 2021 and be completed by December 2021. If the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by December 2024. All work will be performed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance defense-wide funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted on Navy Electronic Commerce Online and beta.SAM.gov as a service-disabled veteran-owned small business set-aside, with nine offers received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-21-D-Z014). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Alamo Strategic Manufacturing,** San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,700,000 modification (P00008) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1122) with two one-year option periods for knee and elbow pads. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Puerto Rico and Texas, with a Jan. 16, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Air Force and Marine Corps. 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 ** Small disadvantaged business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2469624/source/GovDelivery/