February 1, 2022 | International, Aerospace
January 8, 2019 | International, C4ISR
Why Microsoft (Not Amazon) Could Win The Pentagon Contract
Summary
The majority of forecasts favor Amazon for the Pentagon contract while overlooking the partnerships that MS has made with the DoD since Nadella became CEO in 2014.
By the first quarter of 2019, Azure Government Secret will support "Secret U.S. classified data or Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) level 6" which is on par with Amazon.
The question that remains is if the Pentagon will want to use Amazon for cloud infrastructure while using Microsoft for operating systems and software.
In 2019, the biggest cloud customer in the world will be the United States Department of Defense. The DoD is currently reviewing bids to award a single cloud provider a multi-year contract. Obviously, this isn't your typical enterprise IT department, transferring from on-premise servers, or a startup who needs the flexibility of cloud infrastructure to scale. The program is called the Joint Enterprise Defense Initiative, or JEDI, and its purpose is to move the DoD's massive computing systems into the cloud. This one contract is worth $10 billion, or 25% of the current market, which currently stands at $40 billion in annual revenue.
Many prognosticators and reporters unanimously believe the contract will go to Amazon Web Services. This belief is so strong that vendors, such as Oracle and IBM, made a rebuttal to Congress, believing the terms of the proposal favored Amazon. However, the majority of these forecasts overlook Microsoft's strength in security and IT, and the alliances Microsoft has been forming with the DoD since Satya Nadella became CEO in 2014. Admittedly, guessing a company other than Amazon will win the Pentagon contract is a pure gamble, however, there are strong indicators for Microsoft that should not be overlooked.
Background on JEDI Contract
The Pentagon contract will move 3.4 million users and 4 million devices off private servers and into the cloud. The security risks of using servers outside the Pentagon's domain are offset by physically separated government regions and hybrid solutions that extend on-premise servers by adding the cloud where necessary. The benefits of artificial intelligence, deep learning, and other technologies like virtual reality are essential for modern warfare as real-time data will inform missions when soldiers are in the field and also help to prepare them for combat.
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4231824-microsoft-amazon-win-pentagon-contract
On the same subject
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February 15, 2020 | International, C4ISR
The next GPS payload will be fully digital
By: Nathan Strout The navigation payload for the next iteration of GPS satellites has passed its critical design review, contractor L3Harris announced Feb. 11. According to the company, which is designing and building the system, the new payload will provide a more powerful, reliable and flexible GPS signal than previous satellites.The GPS IIIF satellites will follow the first 10 GPS III satellites—the first of which is already on orbit and operational. The Air Force plans to eventually build 22 GPS IIIF satellites. While the GPS III satellites use a 70 percent digital Mission Data Unit, the one in the new GPS IIIF payload will be fully digital. According to L3Harris, the new system will “provide more powerful signals and ensure flawless atomic clock operations.” “The digital payload is flexible enough to adapt to advances in GPS technology and future warfighter mission needs,” said Ed Zoiss, president of L3Harris' space and airborne systems. “Proceeding to the next stage in the GPS IIIF navigation payload development process moves the program closer to supporting evolving Air Force mission requirements.” With the critical design review complete, L3Harris can move forward with final development, test and delivery. The company has contributed navigation technology to every GPS satellite in orbit. While L3Harris is designing the navigation payload, Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor for GPS IIIF. The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin more than $1.3 billion to build the first two GPS IIIF satellites in 2018. Critical design review for the platform is expected in March 2020, according to Space Force budget documents released Feb. 10. Once that is complete and the program passes Milestone C in the third quarter of FY2020, the Space Force will begin procuring additional GPS IIIF satellites with annual contract options. Delivery of the first GPS IIIF satellite is expected in 2026. Among their advanced features, GPS IIIF satellites will boast regional military protection capabilities, which allow them to deliver regionally-limited high-power M-Code signals. It will also include new laser retro-reflector arrays that can provide on orbit position determination. Furthermore, the GPS IIIF satellites are being designed to potentially incorporate technology from Navigation Technology Satellite 3, an Air Force Research Laboratory space vehicle that will be used to test a variety of position, navigation and timing technologies. L3 Harris is the prime contractor on that program, which recently passed its preliminary design review. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/02/12/the-next-gps-payload-will-be-fully-digital/
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March 18, 2021 | International, Land
The military has lots of stuff. The port can move it. A $15 million deal brings them together.
Under a five-year, $15 million contract, the Port of Virginia will provide dockworkers and facilities to move cargo including tanks, helicopters and food supplies.