U.S. Army extends contract for Bradley Fighting Vehicle upgrades

On the same subject

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  August 6, 2019 | International, Aerospace

  Dedrone Provides UK With Protection Against Drone Terrorism and Threats

  LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Key to the success of integrating drones into UK airspace is collaboration that embraces the speed of innovation, while also addressing and preparing for the emerging security gaps that drones pose. In an interview this week with German newspaper, Welt am Sonntag, the EU Commissioner for Security Union, Julian King, shared that drones are becoming more powerful and smarter, which makes them more and more attractive for legitimate use, but also for hostile acts. The advancements in drone technology has far outrun the pace at which government leaders can regulate and oversee the market. As a result, the public has access to inexpensive, powerful technology to support enterprises such as aerial mapping, video production, and product delivery, but also for nefarious purposes, such as spying, distributing contraband, and damaging property. “Drones are here to stay, and preventable incursions, such as those at airports, correctional facilities and stadiums, will only increase and escalate in impact,” shares Joerg Lamprecht, CEO and co-founder of counterdrone technology company Dedrone. “Dedrone is the global leader in airspace security and helps organisations protect both public and private assets from drone threats. It's critical to heed this call to action from EU leaders to measure drone activity in critical airspace, and apply this information to protect civilians from all drone threats.” Dedrone's platform is deployed across the UK and enables security teams to build procedures to defend against the escalating drone threat. In response to the Gatwick and Heathrow drone incursions, Dedrone published the UK Airport Airspace Security Study, which revealed drone activity data collected across multiple UK airports, and the steps taken to prevent interruptions. Worldwide, Dedrone also protects open-air events, such as the RBC Canadian Open, and works directly with US and European armed forces, including the US Department of Defense. About Dedrone Dedrone is the market and technology leader in airspace security. The Dedrone counter-drone platform combines hardware sensors and machine-learning software, providing early warning, classification of, and mitigation against all drone threats. Based in San Francisco, Dedrone was founded in 2014 and is backed by investors including Felicis Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and John Chambers, Chairman Emeritus of Cisco Systems and founder of JC2 Ventures. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190805005717/en

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  September 23, 2020 | International, Aerospace

  Cash-strapped Britain eyes shrinking its order of new early-warning planes

  Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain is poised to cut an order for Boeing E-7 Wedgetails, with the airborne early warning and control aircraft possibly becoming the first confirmed victim of the government's upcoming integrated defense review. Negotiations between Boeing and the Ministry of Defence have been underway since mid-summer over a possible reduction in Wedgetail numbers from five to three, or possibly four, aircraft as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise. Newspapers here have recently been full of leaks about possible capability cuts and delays to equipment like armored vehicles, artillery, surface warships and support ships and fighter aircraft. All of the leaks have been brushed off by the MoD as speculation, even though some of the leaks were likely inspired by the MoD itself to test the waters of political and public acceptability. This time, though, the response from the MoD was different. Replying to a tweet in The Times Sept. 22 an MoD spokesperson pretty much confirmed the cuts were under consideration. “We regularly discuss equipment programs with our partners, particularly when it comes to making savings and cutting costs, where appropriate,” they said. A Boeing spokesperson in London said the company “doesn't comment on commercial matters.” Defense consultant Howard Wheeldon of Wheeldon Strategic Advisory said leaving the RAF with just three Wedgetails would leave the UK seriously short of aerial command-and-control and situational awareness capability. “Personally, I regard this as little short of insanity. ... To guarantee 27/7 capability requires that the UK has a minimum of five airframes. Potentially reducing the number to three would have very serious consequences and if this really has already been decided it needs to be reconsidered very quickly. Assured 24/7 AWACS capability is not just an option – it is an absolute necessity,” said Wheeldon. A potential reduction in Wedgetail numbers is not the only ISTAR capability cut in the cards. The RAF remains on track to take out of service next year its Raytheon-supplied Sentinel battlefield surveillance aircraft. In early 2019 the MoD controversially signed a deal worth £1.5 billion – without a competition – to supply five of the Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft to the RAF with deliveries starting in 2023 and the final platform being handed over in 2025. The aircraft will replace the RAFs increasingly ancient Sentry E-3D's, whose capability has been limited by under-investment going back years. The deal with Boeing was meant to restore high-quality airborne early warning to the RAF by the mid 2020s. Last year the company signed a deal with STS Aviation to modify the 737NG commercial aircraft used for Wedgetail to an AEW configuration at a hangar on Birmingham airport in England. Early work on stripping out two second-hand airliners has already got underway in the US ahead of the aircraft being transferred to the UK where the modification effort will create jobs. Wedgetail is not operated by the US military but has secured Australia, Turkey and South Korea as export customers. Much of the equipment for the RAF aircraft are due to be supplied by Australian industry. The move to reduce Wedgetail numbers comes as the government moves closer to taking the wraps off what it has promised to be a “fundamental” review of British defense, security, foreign policy and overseas development. Led by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his chief advisor Dominic Cummings, the review is looking at pivoting defense away from conventional sunset capabilities to more sunrise technologies in areas like space, artificial intelligence, cyber and undersea warfare. The trouble is Britain's Brexit- and Covid-19-battered economy is unlikely to find much, if anything, in the way of additional resources for an MoD which already has significant funding issues. To make room for costly future technology programs the armed services are going to have to make sacrifices elsewhere. The procurement process is likely to be in Cummings cross hairs along with conventional capabilities like main battle tanks and army personnel numbers. When the review is published, possibly around mid-November, it's likely to be a bloody affair. One industry executive here, who asked not to be named, said he thought the outcome was likely to be worse than the 2010 strategic defense and security review, which stripped out capabilities like aircraft carriers, fast jets, maritime patrol aircraft and personnel. Wheeldon said by now nobody should imagine the integrated defense review is about building Britain's defense capabilities, but quite the reverse. “If anyone really is still under the illusion that the underlying intention behind the 2020 ‘Integrated Review' process – that of forming a soundly based long-term strategic decision making process of where the UK wants to be in the future, why and what defense and security capability will be required to meet those ambitions – let them now understand that the reality is that what eventually emerges will primarily have been about further cutting of UK defense capability at a time when others, including our adversaries and would-be enemies, are increasing their expenditure in the sector.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/09/22/cash-strapped-britain-eyes-shrinking-its-order-of-new-early-warning-planes/

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  October 18, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 17, 2019

  ARMY AECOM + Tetra Tech JV, Boston, Massachusetts (W912DY-20-D-0013); Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kansas (W912DY-20-D-0012); and Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Colorado (W912DY-20-D-0014), will compete for each order of the $149,969,200 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for architect and design 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 Oct. 16, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. South Dade Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Inc.,* Plantersville, Alabama, was awarded a $11,600,230 firm-fixed-price contract for mechanical maintenance services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Vicksburg, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance; and civil works funds in the amount of $11,600,230 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity (W912HZ-20-C-0002). NAVY Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, is awarded a $17,897,746 cost-plus-incentive-fee order (N00019-20-F-0277) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0003). This order procures Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared special test equipment updates to the Windows 10 operating system in support of the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,897,746 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services, Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $7,930,867 modification (P00050) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00421-15-C-0008. This modification exercises an option to provide engineering and technical services for integrated communications and information systems radio communications to Navy ships in support of the Ship and Air Integration Warfare Division, Naval Air Warfare Center – Webster Outlying Field. Work will be performed in Saint Inigoes, Maryland (60%); California, Maryland (30%); Bath, Maine (5%); and Pascagoula, Mississippi (5%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,300,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Pride Industries, Roseville, California, has been awarded a $15,246,093 modification (P00059) to previously awarded contract FA2816-17-C-0001 for civil engineering services. The modification provides for operations and maintenance, engineering, environmental, and grounds maintenance for 61st Civil Engineer and Logistics Squadron. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California; Fort MacArthur, California; and Defense Contract Management Agency, Carson, California, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract to $61,308,694. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,646,783 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,562,960 modification (P00005) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-B043) with four one-year option periods for moisture wicking T-shirts. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, North Carolina and Arkansas, with an Oct. 30, 2020, performance completion 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. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1991710/source/GovDelivery/