UK ministry of Defence selects L3HARRIS T4 Robots to assist with explosive ordnance disposal missions

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  December 31, 2018 | International, Aerospace

  Four big questions for the Air Force in 2019

  By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — As the Air Force leaves 2018 behind and flies into into a new year, the service may face some big changes to its organization and aircraft inventory. Expect to see a lot of these questions answered with the release of the fiscal year 2020 budget, which officials have said will be released in early February. Neither outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis nor its acting head Patrick Shanahan has confirmed a topline budget for the department — the latest reports peg it at $750 billion, up from the $733 billion the Pentagon originally planned for and the $700 billion that President Donald Trump mandated afterward. However, much of this could be dependent on whether the Air Force sees a funding bump this year. What's going on with that F-15X buy? Rumors have swirled for more than a year about whether the Air Force could buy additional F-15s, but it appears that the service will begin purchasing more of Boeing's air superiority jet. On Dec. 21, Bloomberg reported that the Air Force will request 12 F-15Xs for about $1.2 billion as part of the FY20 budget request. The F-15X will be a new variant of the F-15 that includes a new electronic warfare suite, radar, cockpit and the ability to carry more missiles. Bloomberg reports that the decision to buy the new aircraft stems from top Pentagon leaders who want new F-15s to replace the aging models used by the Air National Guard — and pointedly not the Air Force, which has been resistant to buying new, fourth-generation planes. In September, when asked whether the service was considering the purchase of the F-15X, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the service needed to use its purchasing power to buy more fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-35. "We are currently 80 percent fourth-gen aircraft and 20 percent fifth-generation aircraft,” she said. "In any of the fights that we have been asked to plan for, more fifth-gen aircraft make a huge difference, and we think that getting to 50-50 means not buying new fourth-gen aircraft, it means continuing to increase the fifth generation.” One thing to keep an eye on is how Wilson and her uniformed counterpart, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, justify the purchase of new F-15s, and how they characterize their own levels of support for the initiative. A lack of enthusiasm could be seen as damning on Capitol Hill. The other big questions: Will the number for FY20 hold if there is more budget fluctuation following Mattis' departure? And what does the Air Force's five-year plan look like? That could provide a hint on just how big this investment ultimately may get. Does the Air Force buy light attack aircraft? The Air Force was supposed to put out a final request for proposals this year for new light attack aircraft. That has officially been pushed back until 2019, leaving two competitors in a state of purgatory. If the service moves forward with a competition, it will come down to Textron's AT-6 and the A-29 Super Tucano made by Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corp. But industry sources are still unsure whether the Air Force will commit to a formal program of record. Another major question is just how big the program will be. If fewer than 100 planes are purchased, those will likely be deployed exclusively by Air Force Special Operations Command for low-intensity combat, Maj. Gen. Scott Pleus, Air Combat Command's director of plans, programs, and requirements, told Air Force Magazine. A larger buy of hundreds of aircraft would allow the Air Force to spread its light attack planes more widely, through the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. How do Air Force space operations change with the addition of a Space Force? The Pentagon's latest draft proposal would funnel the new military branch for space operations under the Department of the Air Force, a decision that would give the Air Force a continued voice on national security space pursuits. The service would be led by a Space Force chief of staff and an undersecretary of the Air Force for the Space Force, who would report to the Air Force secretary. This seemingly gives the service's top civilian a considerable amount of authority over the Space Force. Still yet to be seen is whether that solution will satisfy Congress. Rep. Adam Smith, the incoming head of the House Armed Services Committee, remains skeptical about the need for a separate military branch for space, but other lawmakers may be more bullish about the Space Force's need to remain separate from the Air Force. Another big question is what this means for the military's current space organization. Does Air Force Space Command and the Space and Missile Systems Center transfer over to the Space Force? Do the Navy and Army keep their own portions of the military space enterprise? And who is going to get named as the undersecretary of the Air Force for the Space Force, anyway? Will there be some restructuring of Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon? Earlier this month, Heidi Grant, the outgoing deputy secretary of the Air Force for international affairs, confirmed that the service is considering transferring some of her office's strategy development functions to the Air Staff's office for plans and requirements, also known as the A5. This, she said, was part of a larger reorganization currently being considered by service leadership. These internal decisions reportedly aren't tied to the budget, and Grant said the Air Force could come out with a decision as early as January. However, leaders have said little about what sort of changes have been proposed. Is this just the transfer of some responsibilities from one office to another, or might we see some consolidation or the creation of new offices as a result of the deliberations? https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/12/27/four-big-questions-for-the-air-force-in-2019/

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  July 31, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 30, 2019

  ARMY BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, York, Pennsylvania, was awarded an $88,000,000 modification (P00024) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0001 for long lead material associated with the build of the Self-Propelled Howitzer, Carrier-Ammunition Tracked Vehicle, as well as the gathering of parts associated with the total package fielding package in relation to Option 2. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $88,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Tidewater,* Elkridge, Maryland (W912DY-19-D-0017); NIKA Technologies Inc.,* Rockville, Maryland (W912DY-19-D-0004); Bowers & Kubota Consulting,* Waipahu, Hawaii (W912DY-19-D-0019); and HFS Co.,* San Antonio, Texas (W912DY-19-D-0018), will compete for each order of the $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for project management support, quantity verification and analysis representative, project integration, and other medical support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 5, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $24,436,905 modification (P00116) to contract W911S0-11-C-0014 for support services in combined arms education, doctrine, and leadership training. Work will be performed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $24,436,905 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. General Atomics Aeronautical System Inc., Poway, California, was awarded a $21,742,996 modification (00005P) to contract W58RGZ-18-C-0037 for MQ-1C Gray Eagle extended range aircraft unique initial spares and ground support equipment. Work will be performed in Poway, California, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2021. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $21,742,996 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Missouri, was awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for general design architect-engineering services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (W912WJ-19-D-0011). Accenture Federal Services, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an $11,793,894 modification (P00026) to contract W52P1J-17-C-0022 for General Fund Enterprise Business System-Sensitive Activities cloud migration to IL6. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $2,681,158 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Schuyler Line Navigation Co. LLC,* Annapolis, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $43,103,161 firm-fixed-price contract for liquefied natural gas. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Maryland and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, with a June 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2024 operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency, Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE604-19-D-7518). Pocono Profoods Inc., Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $15,610,588 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food distribution. 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 361-day contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with a July 25, 2020, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-3229 and Admin contract SPE30019DA047). NAVY Ultra Electronics Advanced Tactical Systems Inc. Austin, Texas, is awarded a $39,920,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the sustainment and upgrade of the Common Aviation Command and Control System Virtual Air Defense System Integrator. The program is managed within the portfolio of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Austin, Texas, and is expected to be completed by July 29, 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $2,188,092 will be obligated on the first delivery order immediately following contract award, and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code § 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-D-0001). Harris Corp., Clifton, New Jersey, is awarded $31,312,350 for firm-fixed-price delivery order N00019-19-F-0046 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0003) to procure 77 Generation 2 Digital Receiver/Technique Generator Shop Replaceable Assemblies (SRAs) and Switch Board Assemblies to support (V)4 to A(V)4 conversions and SRAs to support Repair of Repairables, along with the associated AN/ALQ-214B(V)4/5 part number change. Work will be performed in Clifton, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed in July 2021. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount $31,312,350 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. Ultra-Electronics, Undersea Sensor Systems Inc., Columbia City, Indiana, is awarded a $24,865,776 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract containing firm-fixed-price provisions to manufacture, test, inspect, package and deliver first article and production DT-511C and DT-592D hydrophones. Work will be performed in Columbia City, Indiana, and is expected to be complete by July 2024. Fiscal 2019 and 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,205,793 will be obligated on the first delivery order at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with two offers received. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity (N66604-19-D-E900). Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $14,296,116 firm-fixed-price, definite-quantity contract action for production of AN/SPY-1 radar solid state switch assembly modification kits. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by November 2021. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $14,296,116 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-C-WP57). Power Pro Plus Inc.,* Rancho Cucamonga, California, is awarded $12,204,059 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-4769 under a previously awarded, multiple award construction contract (N62473-17-D-4620) for construction of communication line operations to administration at Naval Air Station Lemoore. This project constructs a communication ductbank and manhole system to supplement the existing communication lines in support of F-35C information technology and communication system. This project will provide diverse, multiple path, communication routes within the base in secure underground communication lines. This project will also provide secondary connection between the base operations area and the base administration area. The ductbanks will be concrete encased and reinforced under paved areas and at roadway crossings. At railroad crossings, the ductbank will require directional bore with steel sleeves and will be buried at an appropriate depth under the ground surface. Manholes will be provided in the ductbank runs and as required at transition points. Full size manholes will be provided in the main cantonment areas of the base. Work will be performed in Lemoore, California, and is expected to be completed by May 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $12,204,059 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $10,565,320 for modification P00148 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-14-C-0067). This modification procures 16 P-8A A-Kits and 16 Turret Deployment Units for Lots 8 and 9 full-rate production aircraft. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (55%); Mesa, Arizona (44%); and Winnipeg, Canada (1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,565,320 will be obligated at time of award, $5,650,704 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis, Oregon, is awarded an $8,741,152 cooperative research agreement to conduct research for a machine common sense (MCS) service for artificial intelligence and robotic systems. The service will learn MCS planning and inference capabilities about objects, agents and places equivalent to the capabilities of an 18-month-old infant. OSU will train the service using a first-person infant simulator, driven by real world infant behavior data. This is a four-year contract with no option periods. Work will be performed at OSU in Corvallis, Oregon. The period of performance of the award is from July 30, 2019, through July 29, 2023. The type of funding to be obligated is research, development, test and evaluation (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). This effort was competitively procured via a broad agency announcement and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 23 proposals received and nine were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-2-4035). AIR FORCE Watterson Construction Co., Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a $9,363,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of weapons load training building at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. This contract provides renovation to Building 1340 to accommodate the addition of operations for the two incoming F-35A squadrons, as well as accommodating unique requirements for the F-35A aircraft to include architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical and fire protection work. Work will be performed at Eielson AFB, Alaska, and is expected to be completed by May 15, 2020. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,363,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The 354th Contracting Squadron, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, is the contracting activity (FA5004-19-C-A010). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1920997/source/GovDelivery/

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  April 7, 2020 | International, Land

  How are the US Army’s modernization plans faring under a pandemic?

  By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army commands in charge of acquisition and modernization are taking it day-by-day as the COVID-19 pandemic worsens in the United States, but so far see minimal impact to production lines and modernization efforts underway. “The Army has been very carefully looking at our industrial base and our ability to maintain programs, both for continued readiness and continued modernization, and, in general, we are still remaining fairly close to being on track,” Bruce Jette, the Army's acquisition chief, told reports in an April 3 teleconference. “That doesn't mean that individual programs or individual issues haven't arisen, but, at this point, we have, we think, in the long run, we can resolve any of the challenges we have at hand,” he added. Jette said he has sent letters out to contracting officers, program managers and program executive officers as well as industry providing them guidance and insight “into how we want to work together as a team, through good constructive and continuous and transparent communications, make sure that we know what's going on in each other's camp well enough that we can respond quickly.” One major point of concern is what might happen with sub-tier suppliers to the bigger prime contractors, Jette said, so the Army is doing what it can to understand challenges that these suppliers might be experiencing if they have to shut down production to keep employees safe and healthy should cases of coronavirus crop up. “We are still working various individual issues,” Jette said. “I track, on a daily basis, about 21 pages... on suppliers down to those lower levels.” That list provides projection for 30, 60 and 90 days, but are updated all the time. So far, Boeing is the only major defense contractor to shut down an Army production line, according to Jette. The company reported late in the evening on April 2 that it would have to halt its H-47 Chinook production line in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, for 10 days to better prevent the spread of the coronavirus after some employees tested positive for the virus. Jette said he didn't believe the work stopping at the Boeing plant would affect the delivery schedule for the H-47s to the force. All other lines are delivering on schedule including the newest version of the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle — the A4 — he said. The fielding of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, Jette said, will be delivered at a “lower density,” but added, “it doesn't mean we won't catch up, it just means that we're slowing down.” Jette also said testing would likely be difficult in the coming months due to “the density packing necessary in some cases and how that puts a lot of people at risk.” The Joint Assault Bridge that was already delayed due to other issues was supposed to go into testing, but that will have to be rescheduled, Jette said. “It became a concern about moving the unit, moving the equipment together, getting all the testers,” he said, “and again, I go back to this issue that sometimes military operations require you to be in very close quarters for extended periods of time and that kind of violates our desire to keep people social distancing at this point.” The 2020 calendar year is also packed with major milestones for the Army's ambitious modernization plans. And as the country's citizens continue to self-isolate, avoid travel and work from home as much as possible, it becomes hard to conduct various tests or prototyping activities to move major programs along. “It's a changing situation, it changes pretty much daily,” Gen. Mike Murray, the Army Futures Command commander, told reporters on the same call. "It is very much a running estimate because it does change each and every day and we're not in control of this timeline, so in many ways, we are adjusting to the timeline to try to keep everything on track as best we The Army is having to take a “slight pause” in some activities, Murray said, such as briefly stopping some testing at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. “It's not because of a system,” he said. “It's based upon the maintenance of the systems as you test them. ... All the vehicles we're testing have to, daily, go into the maintenance bay to be maintained and so the interaction and the proximity, we just have to work through some mitigation strategies, we should have that done very quickly.” The Army's Interim Mobile Short-Range Air Defense System (IM-SHORAD) is one of the vehicles affected by the pause at APG. The system was undergoing automotive testing. The Army's plan to get to a critical soldier touchpoint or evaluation of the Integrated Visual Augmentation System this summer may be interrupted, Murray said, based on how long social distancing will be needed. “It's not Microsoft itself,” as the company is completely teleworking, but the IVAS deliveries could be affected by sub-suppliers, for example, he said. But, according to Murray, even if the touchpoint is delayed, he said the Army would do what is possible to avoid delaying the first unit equipped and believes, at this time, that the service will stay on schedule for t he initial fielding. The Army also has several major tests and evaluations coming up including a long-awaited Limited User Test (LUT) for its Integrated Air-and-Missile Defense Battle Command System (IBCS). A delay on the LUT would pile onto years of delays for the troubled program meant to serve as the brains of the Army's future air and missile defense system. And the Army is planning on another flight test of Lockheed Martin's Precision Strike Munition (PrSM) later this month, which will deliver a new long-range precision fires capability to the battlefield. LRPF is the Army's number one modernization priority. “We are working through mitigation strategies to keep both of those on track,” Murray said. “Every day we're readjusting and reevaluating whether we can physically do that or not.” The IBCS LUT and the PrSM test involve an entire community of representatives coming together, he said, but “I'm not ready to say today that either one of those are slipping; those are closer in and we'll work them through to keep them on schedule as best we possibly can. And if the analysis proves that we can't, there's a lot of sequential things that happen in a program; we may have to look at some concurrency.” Murray noted there are plenty of modernization programs that so far remain unaffected and likely will stay on track, such as Future Vertical Lift efforts to bring two future aircraft online in the mid 2030s, the Army's new network and initial work to restart the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program to replace the Bradley. The Army and the Navy were also able to execute a major hypersonic missile test in March. For now, Murray said, he is focused not on alternative strategies, but how to mitigate impact to current ones. “I'm looking as far out as this fall just to make sure that we can get ahead of it with mitigation strategies," Murray said. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/04/06/can-the-army-stay-on-top-of-modernization-plans-during-covid-pandemic/