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October 1, 2018 | International, Aerospace

US military posture in Asia could change if China declares another Air Defense Identification Zone

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If China goes forward with plans to establish another Air Defense Identification Zone in the region, the U.S. could be forced to change its military posture in Asia, a senior national security official said this week.

“We oppose China's establishment of an ADIZ in other areas, including the South China Sea,” Evan Medeiros, the senior director for Asian affairs at the National Security Council, said in an interview with Japan Times. “We have been very clear with the Chinese that we would see that [setting of another ADIZ] as a provocative and destabilizing development that would result in changes in our presence and military posture in the region."

An ADIZ is airspace over land or water in which the identification, location and control of aircraft is jointly performed by civilian air traffic control and military authorities in the interest of a country's national security.

China set up one ADIZ over the East China Sea in 2013, which many viewed as an attempt to try and bolster its claims over disputed territories, like the uninhabited Senkaku islands.

China began to elevate its claims to the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the 1970s after studies indicated there may be vast oil reserves in the surrounding sea bed, according to Japan Times.

The United States is obligated to defend aggression against territories under Japanese administration under Article 5 of the U.S.-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

Defense Secretary James Mattis reaffirmed in 2017 that the defense obligation extends to the Senkakus.

“I made clear that our longstanding policy on the Senkaku Islands stands,” Mattis said, according to a Pentagon transcript. “The United States will continue to recognize Japanese administration of the islands.”

U.S. officials have also criticized China for setting up an ADIZ that overlaps with similar zones operated by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan without prior consultation.

The Chinese have labeled recent missions by nuclear-capable U.S. Air Force B-52 bombers over the South China Sea as “provocative."

Two separate B-52s also flew over the East China Sea this week. The Pentagon called all of these flights routine.

“If it was 20 years ago and had they not militarized those features there, it would have been just another bomber on its way to [Naval Support Facility] Diego Garcia or wherever,” Mattis told the press, according to a Pentagon transcript. “So there's nothing out of the ordinary about it."

China has also been accused of militarizing the South China Sea — which includes important shipping routes, fisheries and hydrocarbons. The Chinese military has built islands on existing reefs and placed airstrips, radars, missiles and other military equipment on them.

Multiple other countries in the region, to include Vietnam and the Philippines, claim portions of the South China Sea as well.

https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2018/09/28/us-military-posture-in-asia-could-change-if-china-declares-another-air-defense-identification-zone

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  • 'Irresponsible politics’ blamed for potential hiccup in Finnish aircraft purchase

    January 28, 2019 | International, Aerospace

    'Irresponsible politics’ blamed for potential hiccup in Finnish aircraft purchase

    By: Gerard O'Dwyer HELSINKI — Finland's left-leaning political parties have cast a shadow of doubt of the fate of the HX-FP fighter procurement program, questioning the number of multirole aircraft that the Finnish Air Force needs to acquire. The Air Force wants to retire its fleet of F/A-18 Hornet jets over the next 10 years. The HX-FP carries an estimated price tag of €11.4 billion (U.S. $12.9 billion). Life cycle service and maintenance are included in this cost. Finland will hold fresh parliamentary elections in April, and the leaders of election campaign-focused Left Alliance, Greens and Social Democratic parties have declared a willingness to revisit the center-right government's plan to purchase 64 multirole fighters. Similarly, the right-wing Finns Party's leadership is also open to reducing the number of aircraft Finland will buy. Defence Minister Jussi Niinistö described the “negative” pre-election positions adopted by the leftists and the Finns Party to the HX-FP program as “irresponsible.” “I am surprised by the positions the leftist parties are taking on the procurement. The purchase of new fighter aircraft is about whether we are interested in defending our country or not. If we reduce the number of planes, then we need to have a debate about which are the priority areas in our defense. In my opinion, this is irresponsible politics,” Niinistö said. The common positions taken by the leftist parties and the Finns Party have assumed a more significant stature given that the Social Democratic Party — which is leading popular polls ahead of the April election — may end up leading Finland's next coalition government in partnership with either the Greens or the Left Alliance. Finland's coalition government parties, the Center and conservative National Coalition, remain firmly supportive of a plan to procure 64 aircraft as part of the HX-FP. Other center-right parties in Parliament, including the Swedish People's Party, the Christian Democrats and Blue Reform, also back the Air Force's plan to purchase 64 jets. “This matter is not about a specific number of planes, but finding an overall solution. The number of fighter jets that can be bought is not written in stone. That number will not be known until responses to the invitation for tenders have been properly processed. We will then have different mapped-out options to examine,” said Sanna Marin, a spokeswoman for the Social Democratic Party. Niinistö is a staunch supporter of the HX-FP and favors the acquisition of 64 planes. He recently told a meeting of Parliament's Defence Committee that the Air Force, were it were not for budgetary spending constraints, ought to have up to 100 multirole fighters at its disposal to provide an enhanced level of air defense for Finland's borders. The dispute over potential HX-FP numbers comes as Lt. Gen. Jarmo Lindberg, the Finnish Defence Forces' chief, plans to step down from his role when his five-year term ends in August 2019. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/01/25/irresponsible-politics-blamed-for-potential-hiccup-in-finnish-aircraft-purchase

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 25, 2018

    October 26, 2018 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 25, 2018

    NAVY The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded not-to-exceed $131,555,000 for order N0001919F2410 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This undefinitized contract action is for the procurement and upgrade of weapon replaceable assemblies to optimize the Block I low-rate initial production F/A-18E/F Infrared Search and Track systems, including technical risk reduction in support of engineering change proposal development and F/A-18 integration and tactics development. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (73 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (27 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $42,969,654 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. The MIL Corp., Bowie, Maryland, is being awarded an $84,551,798 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for systems engineering, integration/production support, system-based test and evaluation services and in-service life cycle-based engineering support for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance mission-based products and systems. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (80 percent); and Patuxent River, Maryland (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. No funds are being obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0002). L3 Technologies Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, is awarded a $35,757,711 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for the demonstration and test of existing technologies and associated technical data that may potentially provide a solution for an airborne wideband low radio frequency band jamming application in support of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (Increment 2) program. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah (57 percent); Boulder, Colorado (16 percent); Carlsbad, California (9 percent); Stuart, Florida (5 percent); Waco, Texas (1 percent); Reston, Virginia (1 percent); Guthrie, Oklahoma (1 percent); Stow, Massachusetts (1 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (1 percent); and in Europe (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,704,000 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a broad agency announcement; four offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0014). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $35,180,752 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide for the demonstration and test of existing technologies and associated technical data that may potentially provide a solution for an airborne wideband low radio frequency band jamming application in support of the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (Increment 2) program. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland (42 percent); Bethpage, New York (38 percent); North Amityville, New York (8 percent); Melville, New York (8 percent); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (1 percent); Hollywood, Maryland (1 percent); Melbourne, Florida (1 percent); and Redondo Beach, California (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,704,000 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a broad agency announcement; four offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0015). BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded $19,470815 for modification P00035 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract (N00421-15-C-0008) to exercise an option for support for Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Ship and Air Integrated Warfare Division (Code 4.11.3). Support to be provided includes integrating communications and information systems radio communications into Navy ships. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (75 percent); and California, Maryland (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in August 2023. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $5,850,000 are being obligated at time of award, all 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 Barkens Hard Chrome, Compton, California (FA8224-19-D-0001); Chromal Plating Co. Inc., Los Angeles, California (FA8224-19-D-0002); Kryler Corp., Fullerton, California (FA8224-19-D-0003); Quality Plating Co. Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah (FA8224-19-D-0004); and Sunvair, Inc., Valencia, California (FA8224-19-D-0005), have been awarded a ceiling $98,000,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for metal plating to remanufacture existing and future assets in support of 309 Missile Maintenance Group and 309 Commodities Maintenance Group programs. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Vandenberg AFB, California; and other geographically separated units. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2018 Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group -- Maintenance funds in the amount of $10,000 ($2,000 per awardee) are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity. Williams International Co. LLC, Pontiac, Michigan, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $50,000,000 indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract for the Advanced Turbine Technologies for Affordable Mission-Capability (ATTAM) Phase I program. The mission of the ATTAM Phase I program is to develop, demonstrate, and transition advanced turbine propulsion, power and thermal technologies that provides improvement in affordable mission capability. Work will be performed in Pontiac, Michigan, and is expected to be completed by October 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition via a broad agency announcement; 54 offers were received. The first task order will be incrementally funded with fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,000 at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (IDIQ contract FA8650-19-D-2064 and initial task order FA8650-19-F-2115). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $16,512,048 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Precision Real-Time Engagement Combat Identification Sensor Exploitation program. This program will develop technologies that continue to advance combat identification for warfighters. This contract provides for the technical assessments, prototype hardware and software modifications and development, systems engineering, performance simulations, system integration and demonstrations. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, and is expected to be completed Jan. 31, 2024. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $400,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-1672). Maintenance Engineers Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, has been awarded an $8,700,000 ceiling, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for grounds maintenance services. This contract provides grounds maintenance services for approximately 4,000 acres of improved and semi-improved grounds. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base and Little Mountain, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 24, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and six offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds will be obligated at the task order level. Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8201-19-D-0001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Geo-Med LLC,* Lake Mary, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $35,000,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 20 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal civilian agencies. Location of performance is Florida, with an Oct. 24, 2023, performance completion date. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-19-D-0001). General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, has been awarded a $25,658,223 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRDL1-19-F-0038) against a five-year contract (SPE7MX-16-D-0100) for various electronic components for the M1 Abrams tank. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Michigan and Florida, with a Sept. 27, 2022, 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, Warren, Michigan. General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, has been awarded a $10,229,034 modification (P00002) exercising the one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPRDL1-18-C-0295) for hull mission processor units with containers. 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 firm-fixed-price contract. Locations of performance are Michigan and Florida, with a Nov. 19, 2021, 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, Warren, Michigan. ARMY B & K Construction Co. LLC,** Mandeville, Louisiana, was awarded a $31,260,319 firm-fixed-price contract for West Bank Mississippi River Levee. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 22, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $31,260,319 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0004). CORRECTION: An additional contractor has been added to the multiple-award contract announced on Sept. 28, 2018, for providing resources in support of the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense to include its headquarters, directorates and five joint project managers. Goldbelt, Chesapeake, Virginia (W911QY-19-D0014), will also compete for each order of the $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract. All other information in the contract announcement is correct. *Service-disabled, veteran-owned small business **Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1672761/source/GovDelivery/

  • Fighter jets without pilots?  | Defense News Weekly Full Episode, 7.30.22

    August 2, 2022 | International, Aerospace

    Fighter jets without pilots? | Defense News Weekly Full Episode, 7.30.22

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