November 10, 2020 | International, Aerospace

US Army floats the option of fielding high-altitude balloons

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is now carving out a path to field high-altitude balloons to provide an additional but less expensive layer of communications, connectivity, range extension and surveillance capabilities, adding resiliency to the service's existing architecture of space assets and aircraft supporting multidomain operations.

Recent tests and experiments with high-altitude balloons at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, left an impression on the head of the Army's Space and Missile Defense Command. “It's just phenomenal what we're able to do with high-altitude balloons,” Lt. Gen. Daniel Karbler told Defense News in an interview ahead of the Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference, which took place virtually Oct. 13-16.

“I don't have the cost analysis but, in my mind, pennies on the dollar with respect to doing it. If I had to do it via a [low-Earth orbit] or some satellite constellation, what we are able to provide with high-altitude balloons, it's tactically responsive support to the war fighter,” he added.

Karbler said he sees the balloons supporting the Army's Multidomain Task Force in the future.

“Conceptually, with the types of missions that the Multidomain Task Force is working, the high-altitude balloons would be a key capability enabler,” Brent Fraser, concept development division chief at SMDC's Space and Missile Defense Center of Excellence, told Defense News in an Oct. 29 interview.

“[The balloons would] be able to provide some beyond-line-of-sight capability, whether it's communications, extended distances, to be able to provide the ability to enable sensing of targets deep in the adversary's areas, to be able to reinforce and complement existing sensing systems other than the aerial layer as well as the space layer,” Fraser added.

In terms of war games and experiments conducted with high-altitude balloons, “as we look at a number of emerging concepts and capabilities and formations,” he explained, “I think we still have a ways to go, but I think we're on a positive path to continue.”

SMDC has been working on high-altitude balloons — basically dirigibles that can camp out roughly 60,000-90,000 feet in the air — for a long time, but recently the technology has improved, particularly through the commercial market. Google, for instance, used high-altitude balloons to help Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria to help establish internet connectivity.

Duration is one of the areas that has greatly improved. High-altitude balloons can now stay aloft for weeks, if not months, rather than just hours or days. Users can also command and navigate the balloons better than before, and the platforms can more easily be recovered after missions.

“The technology readiness levels have really come a long way,” Fraser said.

SMDC has partnered with Army Futures Command to advance the technology, particularly involving the latter's Assured-Positioning, Navigation and Timing cross-functional Team as well as Training and Doctrine Command, the Army Intelligence Center, and cyber and special operations personnel.

Several years ago, the Army developed a high-altitude concept that established a foundation on which to build, Col. Tim Dalton, Army capability manager for space and high altitude within the SMDC's center of excellence, said in the same interview.

After integrating the concept into a variety of war games with Futures Command and other entities, the Army is starting to develop requirements. “We're in the initial stages of defining what those requirements would be,” Dalton said. “There's kind of two aspects to the high-altitude piece: the high-altitude platform, so it's the balloon, and then whatever it's carrying on there for a payload.”

The Army has created initial documents for staffing through Futures Command, and over the next couple of years the service will run those requirements through the Joint Capabilities and Integration and Development System process, which will lead to review by the Army Requirements Oversight Council.

The service is in the early stages of figuring out what a program of record would look like, but it has some options, Dalton said. “What we're kind of hoping to do over the next couple of years as part of our campaign of learning is to help define what that looks like and the best way to resource those requirements for the Army.”

https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2020/11/09/us-army-floats-the-option-of-fielding-high-altitude-balloons/

On the same subject

January 30, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 29, 2019
AIR FORCE Honeywell International Aerospace, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded an $85,676,969 contract for C‐5 Honeywell software and engineering support services. This contract provides hardware and software support for the C-5 aircraft. Work will be performed at the following locations: Warner Robins, Georgia; Phoenix, Arizona; Aguadilla, Puerto Rico; Redmond, Washington; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed Jan. 30, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. A combination of fiscal 2019 Transportation Working Capital funds; and operations and maintenance funds in the amount $9,359,960 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8525‐19‐D‐0002). Diligent Consulting Inc., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $17,490,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursable modification (P00003) to contract FA8770-18-F-1009 for undefinitized contract action against the maintenance, repair and overhaul initiative task order. The modification will better align capabilities with user needs by realigning the fielding strategy to match the needs of individual units through the use of agile methods, and incorporate two financial processes necessary to be compliant with Financial Improvement and Audit Readiness and the Federal Information System Controls Audit Manual. Work will be performed in at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed Jan. 28, 2023. This contract is being funded with fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds, and total cumulative face value of the contract is $49,257,000. Air Force Life Cycle Management center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY SeKON Enterprise Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is being awarded a $32,696,823 modification to previously awarded cost-reimbursable task order HT0011-14-F-0030 to exercise an option for engineering, cybersecurity, and configuration management support services. The cumulative maximum value of the task order is $144,344,198. HT0011-14-F-0030 provides services in support of the Program Executive Office (PEO) - Defense Healthcare Management Systems (DHMS) in its efforts to provide systems engineering processes, cybersecurity processes, data management and governance, synthetic test data, process and software tool support, and enterprise solutions architecture for PEO DHMS programs. The period of performance for the option is 12 months with an estimated completion date of Jan. 28, 2020. Work location is at the contractor's facility in Arlington, Virginia. The modification is funded with fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The original task order was issued on a competitive basis, with fair opportunity being provided to contract holders under the National Institutes of Health Chief Information Officer – Solutions And Partners 3 (CIO-SP3) Small Business Government-Wide Acquisition Contract. The Defense Health Agency - Contracting Office - Defense Healthcare Management Systems, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems Division, Moorestown, New Jersey, has been awarded a $13,113,482 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00314) under contract HQ0276-10-C-0001. This modification increases the total cumulative contract value from $2,917,816,118 to $2,930,929,600. Under this modification, the contractor will provide installation; test and training; logistics and material planning; and additional program planning, technical coordination and scheduling for Aegis BMD 4.x aboard AEGIS destroyers for the AEGIS BMD program office. The work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, with an expected completion date of June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 defense wide procurement funds in the amount of $7,127,611 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract modification is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY General Dynamics Mission Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is awarded $13,067,576 for contract modification P00006 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price contract (N00030-18-C-0005) for sustainment of the U.S. and United Kingdom SSBN Fire Control System; and the U.S. SSGN Attack Weapon Control System, including training and support equipment and research and development. The work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (97.50 percent); and other various locations less than one percent each (2.50 percent), with an expected completion date of December 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,004,025; United Kingdom funds in the amount of $2,240,000; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $823,551 are obligated on this award. Funds in the amount of $823,551 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY MedTrust LLC, San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a $12,939,322 firm-fixed-price contract for registered nursing services. One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2019. U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K04-19-D-0009). https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1743253/source/GovDelivery/
November 5, 2021 | International, Aerospace

Airbus, Dassault Still Working On FCAS Accord Details
July 3, 2018 | International, C4ISR

DoD stands up its artificial intelligence hub
By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON – The Defense Department has formally ordered the creation of a new hub for artificial intelligence research with Dana Deasy, the Pentagon's new chief information officer, taking the lead. Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan ordered the move in a June 27 memo. The Pentagon's goal is to launch a series of AI projects known as National Mission Initiatives within 90 days – as well as taking over the controversial Project Maven. The office will be known as the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC), with the goal of enabling “teams across DoD to swiftly deliver new AI-enabled capabilities and effectively experiment with new operating concepts in support of DoD's military missions and business functions,” according to DoD spokeswoman Lt. Col. Michelle Baldanza. Put another way, the group will have the “overarching goal of accelerating the delivery of AI-enabled capabilities, scaling the Department-wide impact of AI, and synchronizing DoD AI activities to expand Joint Force advantages,” according to a copy of the memo posted by Breaking Defense. “This effort is a Department priority. Speed and security are of the essence,” Shanahan wrote. “I expect all offices and personnel to provide all reasonable support necessary to make rapid enterprise-wide AI adoption a reality.” Deputy Secretary of Defense Patrick M. Shanahan directed the DoD Chief Information Officer to standup the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) in order to enable teams across DoD to swiftly deliver new AI-enabled capabilities and effectively experiment with new operating concepts in support of DoD's military missions and business functions. The JAIC marks the second major initiative Pentagon leaders handed over to Deasy, a former CIO with JPMorgan Chase who has only been at the Pentagon for a few weeks. Deasy also is in charge of managing the department's JEDI cloud computing contract. The idea of standing up an AI center was first confirmed by Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis on April 12, but it has been championed by the Defense Innovation Board, a group of outside experts ho advice the secretary on potential updates to how the Pentagon handles evolving technologies. According to Michael Griffin, the head of Pentagon research and engineering, the department counts 592 projects as having some form of AI in them. However, Griffin said in April 18 testimony that he did not believe every one of those projects makes sense to roll into some sort of AI hub. That concern appears to be reflected in Shanahan's memo, which orders that any AI project with a budget of $15 million or more should be coordinated with the services in order to ensure “DoD is creating Department-wide advantages.” In terms of budget, Shanahan ordered the Pentagon's comptroller to find options for funding during the current fiscal year, but the major focus is on driving resources for fiscal year 2019 and beyond. Given the support for artificial intelligence research on the Hill, it is likely the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY19 will include some funding for the new office. The movement of Project Maven to the JAIC is notable. A DoD initiative to accelerate the integration of big data and machine learning, largely drawing on video feeds from unmanned systems, Maven in the last month has become a poster child for the clash of cultures between the defense department and Silicon Valley. Google was working hand-in-hand with the Pentagon on the project, until a backlash from the company's employees, who argued in an open letter signed by more than 3,000 workers that it did not want to “build warfare technology.” Moving the program to the JAIC may be an attempt to keep the project underway without Google's participation. https://www.c4isrnet.com/it-networks/2018/06/29/dod-stands-up-its-artificial-intelligence-hub/

All news

US Army floats the option of fielding high-altitude balloons

On the same subject

Airbus, Dassault Still Working On FCAS Accord Details