May 9, 2024 | International, Naval
October 9, 2019 | International, Land
Who Will Build 651 Parachuting Trucks For The Army?
By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.
WASHINGTON: Three very different teams are vying to build the Army's Infantry Squad Vehicle, a truck tough enough to parachute out of an airplane and then drive away cross-country with nine heavily armed infantrymen. By Nov. 13th, each team owes the Army two vehicles for testing, with the winner getting a contract for 651 ISVs next year.
Let's meet the players.
The Oshkosh-Flyer team is the closest thing to an incumbent in the competition. The Army had earlier picked the Flyer-72 as an interim air-droppable transport, the A-GMV, and Flyer is offering an upgraded version for the follow-on program, ISV. Actual mass production will be done by Oshkosh, which makes a host of Army trucks — most prominently, the beefed-up successor to the Humvee, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), which the Army and Marine Corps plan to buy over 50,000 of in the coming decades.
What's more, Oshkosh plans to build the 5,000-pound ISV on the same assembly line as all its other vehicles, from the 14,000-lb JLTV to 10-ton FMTV dump trucks. (The earlier version of the Flyer-72 was mass-produced by General Dynamics). The ISV will be the lightest vehicle on the Oshkosh line, VP George Mansfield told me, but the company is confident it can build the air-droppable trucks more affordably than Flyer could — and at least as well. In fact, Mansfield said, he expects the Oshkosh-built version to be more reliable. That's in part because of Oshkosh's manufacturing expertise — it won the JLTV contract in large part because its offering broke down less than half as often as uparmored Humvees — and in part because of Flyer's extensive field experience with the earlier versions built for the Army and Special Operation Command.
As a team, Mansfield told me, “we've learned a lot about reliability, we've learned a lot about life-cycle cost, that now we can take here at Oshkosh with our extensive knowledge of all the other product lines we sell to the Army.”
Polaris and SAIC both have plenty of defense experience. Polaris's DAGOR did lose the earlier A-GMV contest to Flyer, but numerous DAGOR variants are in widespread service with Special Operations Command, the 82nd Airborne Division (shown in the video above), Canada, and other foreign customers the company can't disclose.
“The DAGOR is already certified” — by the Army itself — “for all of the transport requirements that the Army is looking for, whether that's internal air transport, sling-load transport, or air-drop,” Polaris VP Jed Leonard told me. And each of those prior customers required tweaks to the platform or special mission equipment — heavy weapons, sensors, radios — that the DAGOR could easily accommodate.
Integrating such high-tech kit is SAIC's core competency. While not a manufacturer itself, SAIC has done decades of integration work for the military, most extensively on the MRAP program, fitting other companies' vehicles with the sophisticated electronics that turn a truck into a weapons system. It also provides extensive maintenance and other support worldwide.
The two companies have worked together on and off, on small projects, for years, as various customers bought Polaris vehicles and then asked SAIC to equip them for specific military missions. But the current partnership is a big step up for both.
The odd man out is GM Defense, which giant General Motors created — in a sense, re-created — not quite two years ago after selling off most of its defense programs back in 2003. GM Defense president David Albritton just came aboard a year ago and has spent much of his time working with “Mother GM” on potential joint projects and spin-offs, from self-driving car technology to hydrogen fuel cells, he told me in an interview. “I'm not reporting any revenues at this point,” he said, although GM Defense does already have some contracts he can't disclose.
GM's offering is the only contender without a prior track record in the military. But their ISV is derived from the Chevrolet Colorado, of which US customers have bought more than 100,000 a year of since 2016, giving GM staggering efficiencies of scale no competitor can match. Specifically, the GM ISV a beefed-up, militarized version of the Colorado's offroad racing variant, the ZR2, with which it shares 70 percent of the same parts — parts that are available from Chevy dealers worldwide. GM builds over 10,000 ZR2s a year: a rounding error for General Motors but a megaprogram for the Army.
GM's scale advantage is not just in production and parts. It's also in engineering. The company spends over $7 billion a year on R&D, Albritton told me, and its ISV offering includes advanced suspension systems like jounce shocks and dynamic spooling. GM's challenge is overcoming its inexperience in the defense sector — especially, proving it can integrate military electronics onto its civilian-derived vehicle.
LRPF: Long-Range Precision Fires. NGCV: Next-Generation Combat Vehicle. FVL: Future Vertical Lift. AMD: Air & Missile Defense. SL: Soldier Lethality. SOURCE: US Army. (Click to expand)
The Big Picture
Overall, ISV is an especially interesting competition because none of the contenders is a classic defense prime:
- Oshkosh and Polaris both have lots of civilian customers alongside their extensive military business.
- Flyer is a subunit of a modest aerospace and defense components-builder called Marvin Group.
- SAIC is a systems engineering and service firm rather than a traditional Original Equipment Manufacturer.
- And GM of course is one of the biggest civilian manufacturers in the country. “We make upwards of nine million cars a year,” Albritton told me, each put together out of roughly 30,000 different parts.
Compare and contrast the Army's Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle program, which is de facto down to a single competitor — defense industry stalwart General Dynamics (which bought GM's previous defense business back in 2003). ISV shows the kind of variety that the Army wants to encourage and needs to infuse innovation and competition into its programs.
Yes, at 651 trucks — at least, in the initial 2020 contract — this is a modest program in both size and technological ambition. It's easily overshadowed by the hypersonic missiles, high-speed aircraft, and robotic tanks of the Army's Big Six priorities. By contrast, for the predecessor competition (the one Flyer won) back in 2015, we ran eight stories in three months because there was so little else the cash-strapped and acquisition challenged Army was buying at the time.
But the Infantry Squad Vehicle is still an important piece of the larger Army puzzle. The Army's infantry brigades — especially its 82nd Airborne parachutists — are its most strategically deployable units, easily packed into aircraft and flown around the world overnight, while heavy armored forces cram two tanks into one C-17 or, more often, go by ship. But once the infantry arrives, it moves on foot. (Although we bet everyone in the 82nd remembers being called a “speed bump” in this Defense Science Board study.)
The idea of ISV is a troop transport light enough to be air-dropped or, more often, delivered by helicopter. That way, the troops can land a long distance from their target — specifically, far enough their transport planes or helicopters aren't shot down by anti-aircraft missiles — and then advance quickly overnight before attacking on foot at dawn.
We expect to see all three competing vehicles on the show floor at the Association of the US Army megaconference next week.
https://breakingdefense.com/2019/10/who-will-build-651-of-the-armys-parachuting-truck/
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August 27, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 26, 2019
ARMY AECOM International Inc., Neu-Isenburg, Germany (W912GB-19-D-0028); Atkins-UC JV,* Alexandria, Virginia (W912GB-19-D-0029); Exp-Onyx JV LLP, Chicago, Illinois (W912GB-19-D-0030); HDR Engineering Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado (W912GB-19-D-0031); Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia (W912GB-19-D-0032); Louis Berger U.S. Inc., Washington, District of Columbia (W912GB-19-D-0033); Michael Baker-Cardno JV, Moon Township, Pennsylvania (W912GB-19-D-0034); Parsons Government Services Inc., San Antonio, Texas (W912GB-19-D-0035); and Woolpert-Black & Veatch JV, Beavercreek, Ohio (W912GB-19-D-0036), will compete for each order of the $94,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect, engineering, master planning and design services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 25, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wiesbaden, Germany, is the contracting activity. QED Systems LLC, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, was awarded a $9,616,948 modification (P00041) to contract W15P7T-14-C-C012 for program management, engineering, logistics, business, administrative, operations and security services. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 26, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,616,948 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE UES Inc., Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $90,300,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for molecular assessment sensing technologies. This contract provides for basic, applied and advanced technology development research, as well as development and demonstration of discovery of molecular signatures of Airman performance and the operational environment and sensing of these signatures in Air Force relevant scenarios. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 31, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,222,857 on three task orders are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-6109). PAE Aviation and Technical Services LLC, Marlton, New Jersey, has been awarded a $19,156,738 modification to previously awarded contract FA4890-15-C0018 for the Aerial Targets Program. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional year of service under the multiple year contract, which directly supports live-fire weapons system testing and enables the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group to perform developmental and operational weapons testing for all air-to-air missiles for the F-15, F-16, F-22, and F-35 aircraft. Work will be performed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; and Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being used and no funds were obligated at the time of award. The Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Sonalysts Inc., Waterford, Connecticut, is being awarded a $14,516,477 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00008) to the previously awarded contract FA8806-19-C-0002 for Standard Space Trainer Mission-Specific Vendor Plug-in (MSVPs) for the Upward Early Warning Radar. The contract modification provides for future development of MSVPs. Work will be performed at Waterford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,300,000 are being obligate at time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $35,209,586.00. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California, is awarded $74,091,217 for cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00055 to a previously awarded contract (N00019-16-C-0002). This modification procures pre-operational support for the Next Generation Jammer-Mid Band pod through the completion of the engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase as well as development, test and evaluation (DT&E) activities. Procured support includes organizational-level maintenance, repair, supply chain management, and material support for equipment delivered under the EMD contract, and associated peculiar support equipment/test, measurement, and diagnostic equipment to support DT&E. Work will be performed in Forest, Mississippi (39%); Dallas, Texas (35%); El Segundo, California (16%); Andover, Massachusetts (8%); and Fort Wayne, Indiana (2%), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,228,948 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. General Dynamics Missions Systems Inc., McLeansville, North Carolina, is awarded a $44,595,146 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N61331-11-C-0017 for low-rate initial production of the Surface Mine Countermeasure Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (SMCM UUV), also known as Knifefish. The Knifefish program is an ongoing effort to provide a UUV that detects and classifies undersea volume, bottom and buried mines in high-clutter environments. The Knifefish system is part of the Littoral Combat Ship Mine Countermeasures Mission Package and can also be deployed from vessels of opportunity. The low-rate initial production effort will provide the initial systems for the Navy to test and operate. Work will be performed in Quincy, Massachusetts (35%); Taunton, Massachusetts (23%); Braintree, Massachusetts (19%); a location to be determined (15%); McLeansville, North Carolina (6%); Reston, Virginia (1%); and Ann Arbor, Michigan (1%), and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $44,595,146 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Physical Optics Corp.,* Torrance, California, is awarded $27,230,891 for modification P00012 to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0078) in support of F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft for the Navy and the government of Kuwait. This modification exercises an option for data transfer unit production support, 160 data transfer units, 160 ground data transfer units, 14 maintenance access cables, 600 mission data transfer devices, and 459 maintenance data transfer devices in support of the Navy's F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G program. In addition, this option exercise procures 37 data transfer units, 35 ground data transfer units, 11 maintenance access cables, 122 mission data transfer devices, and 90 maintenance data transfer devices in support of the Kuwait Super Hornet program. Work will be performed in Torrance, California, and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($22,334,109; 82%); and the government of Kuwait ($4,896,782; 18%) under the FMS Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. LLC, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded $13,495,999 for modification P00020 to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-15-D-0026. This modification provides for contractor-owned and operated Type IV supersonic aircraft for airborne threat simulation capabilities in support of the Contracted Air Services Program. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia (44%); Point Mugu, California (37%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (19%), and is expected to be completed in May 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Melbourne, Florida, is awarded $9,938,480 for modification 004502 to a previously issued delivery order 0045 placed against a basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0026). This modification procures eight E-2C compatible AN/APX-122A Mode 5/S interrogators for the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Greenlawn, New York (82%); and Melbourne, Florida (18%), and is expected to be completed in September 2023. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $9,938,480 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. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY C.E. Niehoff & Co.,* Evanston, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $11,806,163 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engine air conditioner generators. 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 five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Illinois, with an Aug. 25, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0152). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1944232/source/GovDelivery/
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November 24, 2020 | International, Naval
Newport News shipyard wins $2.2 billion contract for Columbia-class submarine modules
By DAVE RESS NOV 23, 2020 AT 6:54 PM Newport News Shipbuilding won a $2.2 billion contract to build six module sections for each of the Navy's first two Columbia-class submarines. The contract was awarded by General Dynamics' Electric Boat division, which has worked in a partnership with Newport News building nuclear subs for the Navy for several years. Newport News is to deliver the completed modules to Electric Boat, which is responsible for final assembly of the boats, beginning in November 2022. The last module delivery is to occur by January 2028. Newport News is a major contractor and shipbuilding partner in the Columbia-class program. The shipyard began advance construction work on the first boat in May 2019, under contract to Electric Boat. The Columbia class will replace the fleet of Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines. The lead ship is scheduled to be delivered in 2027. “This contract continues NNS' longstanding and strong commitment to the Navy's undersea enterprise through the design and construction of major modules and assemblies necessary to achieve program objectives,” said Charles Southall, Newport News' vice president of Columbia-class Submarine Construction. The Navy has said it expects the 12 submarines will cost $109 billion. The shipyard, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, will handle about 22% of construction. To keep the Columbia program on track, Newport News is picking up a larger portion of the work it has long shared with Electric Boat on Virginia class submarines. Dave Ress, 757-247-4535, dress@dailypress.com https://www.pilotonline.com/business/shipyards/dp-nw-newport-news-submarine-contact-20201123-feybinswb5dhdgk3p3f37aaypy-story.html