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August 25, 2024 | International, C4ISR, Security

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On the same subject

  • DoD SBIR/STTR Component BAA Pre-Release: Army SBIR BAA 21.4

    April 1, 2021 | International, Land

    DoD SBIR/STTR Component BAA Pre-Release: Army SBIR BAA 21.4

    The DoD Small Business and Technology Partnerships Office announces the pre-release of the following Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) topics: Army SBIR 21.4 29 topics are included in this release. Please visit https://rt.cto.mil/wp-content/uploads/Army_21.4_ASO_Announcement_5.pdf for a comprehensive breakdown of each. IMPORTANT DATES: April 1, 2021: Topic Q&A opens to questions April 14, 2021: BAA opens, begin submitting proposals in DSIP May 4, 2021: Topic Q&A closes to new questions at 12:00 p.m. ET May 18, 2021: BAA closes, full proposals must be submitted in DSIP no later than 12:00 p.m. ET Full topics and instructions are available at the link provided above. Topic Q&A During pre-release, proposers can contact TPOCs directly at at usarmy.pentagon.hqda-asa-alt.mbx.army-applied-sbir-program@mail.mil. Once DoD begins accepting proposals on April 14, 2021, no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed. Topic Q&A will be available for proposers to submit technical questions at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login beginning April 1, 2021. All questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing. Topic Q&A will close to new questions on May 4, 2021 at 12:00 p.m. ET but will remain active to view questions and answers related to the topics until the BAA close.

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense – October 1, 2020

    October 2, 2020 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense – October 1, 2020

    U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND The Federal Express Team, Memphis, Tennessee, has been awarded a modification (P00005) on contract HTC7111-8-D-CC37 in the estimated amount of $1,630,630,000. Team members include American Airlines Inc., Fort Worth, Texas; Amerijet International Inc., Miami, Florida; Atlas Air Inc., Purchase, New York; Federal Express Corp., Memphis, Tennessee; Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc., Purchase, New York; Eastern Airlines LLC, Wayne, Pennsylvania; and Hawaiian Airlines Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii. The modification provides continued international long-range and short-range charter airlift services for the Department of Defense. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $3,261,260,000 from $1,630,630,000. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. The Patriot Team, Tulsa, Oklahoma, has been awarded a modification on contract HTC711-18-D-CC39 in the estimated amount of $1,447,524,000. Team members include ABX Air Inc., Wilmington, Ohio; Air Transport International Inc., Wilmington, Ohio; JetBlue Airways Corp., Long Island City, New York; Kalitta Air LLC, Ypsilanti, Michigan; Northern Air Cargo LLC, Anchorage, Alaska; Omni Air International LLC, Tulsa, Okla.; United Airlines Inc., Chicago, Illinois; United Parcel Service Co., Louisville, Kentucky; and Western Global Airlines LLC, Estero, Florida. The modification provides continued international long-range and short-range charter airlift services for the Department of Defense. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $2,895,048,000 from $1,447,524,000. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. National Air Cargo Group Inc., Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a modification (P00006) on contract HTC711-18-D-CC40 in the estimated amount of $110,406,000. The modification provides continued international long-range and short-range charter airlift services for the Department of Defense. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $220,812,000 from $110,406,000. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Sun Country Inc., doing business as Sun Country Airlines, Minneapolis, Minnesota, has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract HTC711-20-D-CC08 with an estimated amount of $59,112,000. This International Charter Airlift Services contract is in support of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet and provides international long-range and short-range charter airlift services for the Department of Defense. Work will be performed globally. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Delta Air Lines Inc., Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a modification (P00005) on contract HTC711-18-D-CC41 in the estimated amount of $28,026,000. The modification provides continued international long-range and short-range charter airlift services for the Department of Defense. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $56,052,000 from $28,026,000. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Phoenix Air Group, Inc., Cartersville, Georgia, has been awarded a modification (P00004) to task order HTC711-19-F-1554 in the amount of $7,051,282. This modification provides continued chartered passenger airlift services to the Naval Air Warfare Center. Work will be performed in Point Mugu, San Nicolas Island, and China Lake, California. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2021 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the task order to $18,350,249 from $11,298,967. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. NAVY Ambyth Shipping Micronesia Inc., Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands (N68171-21-D-0001); American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier Group Inc., Parsippany, New Jersey (N68171-21-D-0002); Bahrain Fujairah Marine Services, Manama, Bahrain (N68171-21-D-0003); Black Bull Group Inc., Miami, Florida (N68171-21-D-0004); Bahrain Maritime & Mercantile International BSC, Sitra, Kingdom of Bahrain (N68171-21-D-0005); Cox Logistics, Juffair, Kingdom of Bahrain (N68171-21-D-0016); Crane Worldwide, Houston, Texas (N68171-21-D-0007); Crowley Government Services Inc., Jacksonville, Florida (N68171-21-D-0008); DaeKee Global Co. Ltd., Pusan, South Korea (N68171-21-D-0009); Downie Jones Ship Stores, Bulimba, Queensland, Australia (N68171-21-D-0010); Downie Jones Ship Stores Ltd., Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong (N68171-21-D-0011); EMS Shipping & Trading GmbH, Leer (Ostfriesland), Niedersachsen, Germany (N68171-21-D-0012); Global Defense Logistics SRL, Constanta, Romania (N68171-21-D-0013); Global Maritime Logistics Support Inc., Olongapo City, Philippines (N68171-21-D-0014); Global Support Inc., Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan (N68171-21-D-0015); Inchcape Shipping Services Dubai LLC, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (N68171-21-D-0017); Kentucky Defense Services LLC, Covington, Kentucky (N68171-21-D-0018); Multinational Logistic Services Ltd., Gziza, Malta (N68171-21-D-0020); Multinational Logistic Services USA, Longmeadow, Massachusetts (N68171-21-D-0021); National Alliance Management LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada (N68171-21-D-0022); OPS Corp., Pusan, South Korea (N68171-21-D-0023); Parsh Marine (S) Pte. Ltd., Singapore (N68171-21-D-0024); Qube Ports Pty. Ltd., Sydney, New South Wales, Australia (N68171-21-D-0025); Rio Logistics (S) Pte. Ltd., Singapore, Singapore (N68171-21-D-0026); Royal Cargo Inc., Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines (N68171-21-D-0027); Shipping Consultants Associated Ltd., Chatham, Kent, United Kingdom (N68171-21-D-0028); Seabulk Towing Inc. (doing business as Seabulk Logistics Services), Fort Lauderdale, Florida (N68171-21-D-0029); Seaway Filipinas Logistics Inc., Zambales, Zambales, Philippines (N68171-21-D-0031); Stirling Advanced Logistical Services, Amman, Jordan (N68171-21-D-0032); Toll Remote Logistics Pty. Ltd., Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (N68171-21-D-0033); Tsui Wah Ferry Services Co. Ltd., Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, Hong Kong (N68171-21-D-0034); and Waypoint LLC, Brookings, South Dakota (N68171-21-D-0035), are awarded an estimated $1,061,000,000 multiple award of firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to provide husbanding, management and integration services consisting of general charter and hire, utilities, force protection, communications and land transportation services to support maritime forces of the Department of Defense, other U.S. government agencies, and other nations to include Navy Ships, Marine Corps, Military Sealift Command (MSC), Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and other foreign vessels participating in U.S. military or NATO exercises and missions. The contracts will run concurrently and will include a five-year base ordering period with one five-year option with individual requirements performed under task orders when specific dates and locations are identified. If the option period is exercised, the total estimated value of the contracts combined will have a ceiling value of $2,122,000,000. The ordering period of the contract is expected to be completed by October 2025; if all options are exercised, the ordering period will be completed by October 2030. Work will be performed in thirty geographic regions: United Arab Emirates (14%); Philippines (10%); Djibouti (7%); Eastern U.S. and U.S. territories (6%); Southeastern Asia 2 (5%); Indian Ocean (5%); South Korea (5%); South America (5%); Singapore (4%); Western California (4%); Southeastern Asia 1 (3%); Bahrain (3%); Oman (3%); Oceania (2%); China and Russia (2%); United Kingdom/Western Europe (North Sea) (2%); Italy (2%); Eastern Europe/Black Sea (2%); Western Europe (Mediterranean) (2%); Northern Atlantic (2%); Panama (2%); North America (2%); Japan (1%); Greece (1%); Africa (1%); Middle East (1%); Central America (1%); Caribbean and Bermuda (1%); Eastern U.S. territories (1%); and Western U.S. territories (1%). Due to the fact that the specific requirements for husbanding support cannot be predicted at this time, more specific information about where the work will be performed cannot be currently provided. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $96,000 will be obligated ($3,000 on each of the 32 contracts to fund the contracts' minimum amounts) and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Additional funds will be obligated at the task order level with the appropriate fiscal year funding as issued by the main type commanders for each area of responsibility. Typical funding issued by each of the customers include operations and maintenance (Navy) funds from U.S. Fleet Forces Command; and working capital funds (Navy) from MSC. The requirement was competitively procured for the award of multiple contracts with the solicitation posted on beta.SAM.gov, Navy Electronic Commerce Online (NECO) and Euro NECO with 36 offers received. The Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Sigonella, Naples Detachment, Italy, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $94,022,896 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for airborne capabilities integration, including but not limited to sensors, communications systems, weapons systems and control technologies for a variety of manned and unmanned airborne platforms in support of the Airborne Systems Integration Division. Work will be performed in Saint Inigoes, Maryland (39%); Lexington Park, Maryland (29%); Patuxent River, Maryland (17%); Hollywood, Maryland (8%); Yuma, Arizona (4%); and California, Maryland (3%), and is expected to be completed in October 2025. No funds will be 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 proposal; four offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Command Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-21-D-0001). Systems Planning and Analysis Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded an $85,377,546 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the acquisition of technical services, program support, assessments, special studies and systems engineering for the Trident II Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile Strategic Weapons system. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia (86%); and Strategic Systems Programs Headquarters, Washington, Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. (14%), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2025. Subject to availability of funding, fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,168,031 will be obligated on base award. This contract was a sole-source acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00030-21-C-6019). The Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Mitchell Field, New York, is awarded a $68,603,033 cost plus incentive fee and cost plus fixed fee contract modification (P00005) to previously awarded and announced contract N00030-20-C-0045 for the U.S. and United Kingdom to provide Strategic Weapon System Trident fleet support, Trident II SSP Shipboard Integration (SSI) Increment 8, SSI Increment 16, Columbia class and U.K. Dreadnought class navigation subsystem development efforts. Work will be performed in Mitchel Field, New York (47%); Huntington Beach, California (36%); Clearwater, Florida (9%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (6%); and Hingham, Massachusetts (2%), with an expected completion date of Nov. 30, 2022. Subject to the availability of funding, fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $42,869,626; fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $4,247,698; and United Kingdom funds in the amount of $21,485,709, will be obligated at time of award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and (4). Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $59,097,371 cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost plus fixed-fee level of effort contract (N00030-21-C-6002) to provide the U.S. and United Kingdom Trident II (D5) maintenance, rebuilding and technical services in support of the Navigation subsystem. Work will be performed at Huntington Beach, California (63%); and Heath, Ohio (13%), along with field engineering conducted at Puget Sound, Washington (4%); Heath, Ohio (4%); Mitchell Field, New York (4%); Norfolk, Virginia (4%); Kings Bay, Georgia (4%); Port Canaveral, Florida (2%), and Faslane, Scotland (2%). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2022 (inclusive of all option periods). United Kingdom funds in the amount of $893,383 are being obligated on this award. Subject to the availability of funds, fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $27,877,125 will be obligated. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source acquisition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp.- Marine Systems (NGSC-MS), Sunnyvale, California, is awarded a $29,541,061 cost-plus incentive-fee contract (N00030-21-C-1010) for fiscal 2021 ongoing support of the Trident II (D-5) deployed SSBN and the SSGN Underwater Launcher Systems (ULS), NGSC-MS will provide technical engineering support and integration for D5, and SSGN Attack Weapon System (AWS). This support provides field services at sites and shipyards. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (52%); Bangor, Washington (18%); Kings Bay, Georgia (14%); Rocket Center West Virginia (7%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (4%); St. Charles, Missouri (3%); and Camarillo, California (2%). The base year performance period is Oct. 1, 2020, to Sept. 30, 2021. Subject to availability of funds, fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $29,541,061 will be obligated on this award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract includes firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee option contract line items. The contract was not competitively procured. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Bothell, Washington, was awarded a not-to-exceed $24,072,455 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of gas generators for use in the suppression system onboard the V-22 aircraft to provide explosion/fire suppression capabilities. The contract will include a three-year base ordering period with no options. Work will be performed in Moses Lake, Washington, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. This effort combines purchases with procurement and ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) funds (82.9%); ammunition (Air Force) funds (14.7%); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funding (Japan) (2.4%) under the FMS program. Funds in the amount of $7,802,197 will be issued for delivery order N00104-20-F-B501 that will be awarded concurrently with the contract and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One source was solicited for this non-competitive requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-20-D-B501). (Awarded Sept. 29, 2020) Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $22,614,979 combination cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, and firm-fixed-price type contract. The contract is for the First Article testing and production of the All Up Round MK 28 MOD 2 Exercise and MK 29 MOD 0 Warshot fuel tank assemblies for the MK 48 heavyweight torpedo, engineering services with associated other direct costs and contract data requirements list in support of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport Undersea Warfare Systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $142,265,948. Work will be performed in Bedford, Indiana (90%); and Middleton, Rhode Island (10%), and is expected to be completed by March 2022. Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales/Armament Cooperative Program funds in the amount of $19,639,611 (87%); fiscal 2017 Navy Replace in Kind funds in the amount of $2,354,790 (10%); and fiscal 2020 Navy Replace in Kind funds in the amount of $620,578 (3%), will be obligated 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 one offer received. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, Keyport, Washington, is the contracting activity (N00253-20-C-0010). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) FLIR Surveillance Inc., Wilsonville, Oregon, is awarded a $14,565,377 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for BRITE Star Block II systems, repair actions, data, provision item order, training and engineering services. Work will be performed in Wilsonville, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by September 2025. This contract includes purchases for the Czech Republic under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. FMS Czech Republic funding in the amount of $8,179,077 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of 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, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-20-D-JQ51). AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $298,369,312 firm-fixed-price contract for the Evolved Strategic Satellite Communications program. This contract provides a prototype payload to develop hardware and software. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be complete by May 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $29,447,172 are being obligated at the time of award. The U.S. Space Force, Space and Missile Systems Center, Development Corps, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8808-20-C-0047). (Awarded Sept. 30, 2020) DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $70,743,464 modification (P00042) to previously awarded contract FA4890-17-C-0005 for Air Force Central Command War Reserve Materiel (WRM). This modification provides for the exercise of Option Year Four for WRM services being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Kuwait; Oman; Qatar; and the United Arab Emirates, and is expected to be complete by September 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $326,492,114. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $69,799,021 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Gryphon Technologies L.C., Washington, D.C., has been awarded a $49,149,327 hybrid firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee with a cost reimbursable line item, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the processing, analysis and quantitative evaluation of environmental samples and other associated services in support of the Air Force Technical Applications Center's (AFTAC) mission. This contract also analyzes calibration samples and conducts studies on analytical techniques, instrumentation and data handling advancements. Work will be performed in Sunol, California, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2028. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,119,773 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA7022-21-D-0001). Dark Wolf Solutions LLC, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $9,087,314 firm-fixed-price task order for cyber innovation services. This contract provides for software penetration testing and adversarial assessment. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed April 11, 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $539,203 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews – Naval Air Facility, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-21-F-0012). The Boeing Co., El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $7,176,568 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00121) to previously awarded Wideband Global Satellite Communication (SATCOM) (WGS) Block II follow-on contract FA8808-10-C-0001. This contract modification provides for the acquisition of engineering support for a hosted payload accommodation effort. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed December 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $2,514,827,988. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,916,699 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 UPDATE: Federal-Fabrics-Fibers Inc.,* Lowell, Massachusetts (SPE1C1-21-D-1400), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for commercial shelters issued against solicitation SPE1C1-18-R-0003 and awarded May 10, 2019. * Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2369073/source/GovDelivery/

  • America’s bomber force is too small and getting smaller

    March 13, 2020 | International, Aerospace

    America’s bomber force is too small and getting smaller

    By: Gen. John Michael Loh (ret.) America's bomber force is now in crisis. In the Air Force's fiscal 2021 budget request, one-third of the B-1 fleet is set for retirement, B-2 survivability modernization is canceled and the new B-21 is at least a decade away from contributing significantly to the bomber force. The venerable B-52 requires new engines and other upgrades to be effective. The number of bombers are at their lowest ever, but demand for bombers increases every year, particularly in the vast and most-stressed region of the Indo-Pacific. Bombers are the preferred weapon system there because of their long range and huge payload capacity. At the end of the Cold War in 1989 and just prior to the Gulf War in 1990, America had over 400 bombers. After these proposed cuts, there will be only 140. This decline is curious in light of recent Air Force declarations and testimony before Congress. In the document “The Air Force We Need,” Air Force leaders insisted last fall they need five more bomber squadrons — about 65 more bombers. Just last month, the Air Force chief of staff testified that the need is for “200 bombers, of which 145 would be B-21s.” These numbers have been validated by think tanks such as MITRE Corp., the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, Rand, and the Mitchell Institute. In today's global threat picture, bombers become the coin of the realm. Bombers have dual strategic roles. They provide flexible deterrence with their nuclear capability, forcing adversaries to think twice before starting an attack. Bombers also carry the brunt of conventional operations. In our wars in the Middle East, the B-1s, B-2s and B-52s have all played central roles attacking fixed targets and in close-air support of ground troops. Their long range and on-station times, combined with huge weapons loads, make them the weapon of choice for combatant commanders in both the Middle East and Pacific regions. A single B-2 can carry and launch 80 precision-guided weapons, each assigned a different target, and can penetrate contested airspace. The B-1s and the B-52s have similar direct-attack capabilities plus the ability to carry and launch cruise missiles from standoff ranges. No other weapon system, in the air or on the sea, can come close to this massive firepower. The need for more bombers is increasing. Whether facing nonstate actors like ISIS, mid-tier threats like North Korea and Iran, or peer threats such as China and Russia, the ability to strike targets quickly and in large numbers is crucial. This flexibility was vividly demonstrated in the first three months of Operation Enduring Freedom after 9/11. Bombers flew 20 percent of all sorties, but dropped 76 percent of the munition tonnage. Despite those who thought bombers were only useful in long-range nuclear or strategic missions, the reality is that a wide variety of combat missions are simply impossible to execute without bombers. But bombers and their crews are worn thin. The Air Force bought 100 B-1s in the 1980s. When demand for them surged post 9/11, the Air Force retired 30 B-1s to free up funding to sustain the remaining force. This, combined with earlier divestitures, saw the Air Force fly 61 B-1s relentlessly for nearly 20 years. The fleet was in such bad shape in 2019 that mission-capability rates were less than 10 percent. The Air Force's request to retire a further 17 B-1s to boost the health of the remaining fleet looks like a repeat of the last B-1 retirements. Among the 140 bombers that remain, only the 20 stealthy B-2s have the ability to penetrate modern air defenses to strike critical targets — a priority of the National Defense Strategy. Yet the FY21 budget request cancels the B-2's Defensive Management System Modernization program and puts our only operational stealth bomber on a path to early retirement. Given the unmet demand for penetrating platforms and the time it will take for the B-21 to be delivered in numbers, halting modernization of the 20 stealth bombers we have today is risky. Finally, the 78 B-52Hs are planned to be re-engined in the years ahead. New, fuel-efficient and more reliable engines should increase their life and capability. The ultimate cost of this modification is not known. One of the unknowns is the extent of corrosive structural and wiring problems that will inevitably emerge when each B-52 is unbuttoned. Discovery of such problems is not new. When the Air Force upgraded its C-5M fleet with new engines, the Air Force had to retire the older C-5A fleet to pay for unknown repairs. Even if the B-52 re-engining goes smoothly, a significant portion of the force will be unavailable as each moves through the depot for modifications. Last year Congress increased funding for the F-35 fighter and added funds for unrequested F-15EX procurement. Now is the time for Congress to restore funding for existing bombers to avoid this shortfall in a most vital component of our nation's defense. The Air Force entered the new decade with the smallest bomber force in its history, and the FY21 budget request erodes it further. There comes a point where doing more with less does not work, especially with B-21s not available in numbers for several years. It is time to recognize the gravity of the situation and build up the nation's bomber force. A good “plan B” does not exist without bombers. Gen. John Michael Loh is a former U.S. Air Force vice chief of staff and had served as the commander of Air Combat Command. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/03/12/americas-bomber-force-is-too-small-and-getting-smaller/

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