February 19, 2024 | International, Naval
Univers PME | Un contrat naval de 100 millions pour une (discrète) entreprise de Brossard
Le Groupe Bronswerk a la discrétion des sous-marins qu’elle équipe.
July 23, 2018 | International, C4ISR
With cyber forces underequipped, DoD turns to rapid prototyping contracting
By: Mark Pomerleau
U.S. Cyber Command's main warrior cadre has been deemed ready for war and now the organization is shifting its focus to readiness and operations.
Sources have told Fifth Domain that DoD's cyber warriors lack certain skills, capabilities and even equipment. One source went so far as to say that the list of what these forces can do is short.
As a result, the military wants to quickly get these new cyber warriors the tools they need. To do this, they are turning to contracting vehicles such as other transaction authorities and the so-called IT Box construct as a way to skirt the traditional acquisition system, which is often derided as lethargic, bureaucratic and not optimized for the high tempo of the software-centric world.
These approaches allow for the government to partner with non-traditional companies for less mature technologies and prototypes meaning solutions, albeit some that are not always 100 percent mature, get to warfighters faster. This approach allows DoD to be more agile and flexible in procuring and equipping, multiple industry sources told Fifth Domain. However, one potential downside to this approach is a lack of competition for this work.
What do cyber warriors need?
As the command is growing, maturing and standing on its own, it needs training modules, infrastructure to conduct operations on and tools.
Leaders say one of the most critical needs of cyber warriors is a training platform. And industry officials add that often the first time cyber warriors face certain techniques is during a mission. This is because of a lack of a holistic and robust training environment, similar to the Army's combat training centers or the Air Force's Red Flag.
To change that the Army, on behalf of Cyber Command, is in charge of an effort called the Persistent Cyber Training Environment. The Army, using an OTA approach, is running a series of innovation challenges as a way to prototype capability. This approach would provide an interim solution to cyber warriors while at the same time reduce risk and help the larger program of record.
Another capability cyber warriors will need is an operational platform from which to house tools, launch operations and perform command and control.
Currently, the Air Force is working this program on behalf of Cyber Command. The Unified Platform, as it's called, is considered one of CYBERCOM's largest and most critical acquisition programs to date. Industry officials have said it is necessary to conduct cyber operations and is critical to national security.
The Air Force's acquisition strategy is not totally clear, with some industry sources noting that they are not taking an OTA approach to this critical capability. The service is currently using the General Services Administration's premier enterprise Alliant Government wide Acquisition Contract vehicle in which multiple contractors will be awarded and will compete against each other for individual task orders on the final program. Federal agencies traditionally use Alliant to implement new and innovative technologies.
(Potential) Drawbacks
Despite being an attractive option to rapidly equip forces, these vehicles come with some risk.
Industry officials acknowledge that OTAs were meant for prototyping, research and development and risk reduction for larger programs of record, not as a replacement for procuring large programs and platforms. While Congress has extended the use of OTAs for actual development of production, William LaPlante, senior vice president and general manager for MITRE National Security Sector, calls this “a dodgy area.”
LaPlante, who served as assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition,, told Fifth Domain that the OTAs can limit competition. Since these rapid prototyping vehicles enable DoD to work with non-traditional companies that don't have to bring forth fully developed solutions, they tend to favor smaller tech companies as opposed to larger defense contractors.
LaPlante said if one subscribes to the philosophy that the best product comes from a full competition, the competition part of these contracting mechanisms is not very clear.
Second, he said, going faster means the upfront homework in the way of budgeting, market research and strategy may be neglected. While this work might take a bit of time, if it's not done, he said, the risk of making mistakes increases.
Going forward, LaPlante noted that it will be important how blowback and failure is handled because “there's no question mistakes will be made."
There is also the issue of integration. With a series of disparate systems, it is unclear who will be the integrator: government or industry?
“It's a perpetual discussion of the last 20-30 years: is the government itself strong enough to assume the role of integrator? Probably not. You need some industry partner,” he said.
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March 20, 2019 | International, Aerospace, Naval, Land, C4ISR, Security, Other Defence
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - March 19, 2019
ARMY McCarthy HITT – Next NGA West JV, St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $711,651,970 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's new facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of April 24, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $407,965,869 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-C-7001). Pinnacle Solutions Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $553,200,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for instruction, mission support, information technology network support, operations and logistics. 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 March 18, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-D-0006). Eastern Construction & Electric,* Wrightstown, New Jersey, was awarded a $10,369,000 firm-fixed-price contract for P-650 aircraft apron, taxiway and support facilities. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work will be performed in Trenton, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $10,369,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0003). NAVY The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $326,295,367 for cost-plus-fixed-fee Delivery Order 2005 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001) to develop, integrate and test Increment 3 Block capabilities into the P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Puget Sound, Washington (86.9 percent); Greenlawn, New York (6.7 percent); Rockford, Illinois (2.6 percent); Rancho Santa Margarita, California (1.6 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (1 percent); Mesa, Arizona (0.8 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (0.3 percent); and Jacksonville, Florida (0.1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,442,320; and Cooperative Engagement Agreement funds in the amount of $19,200,000 are being obligated on this 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. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $264,655,025 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-15-C-0003). This modification provides for additional operation and technical services in support of the government of Korea's F-35 Lightning II program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $264,655,025 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. URS Group Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, is awarded a $9,800,000 modification on a firm-fixed-price task order under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62470-13-D-6022) for phase one of Hurricane Michael repairs for stabilization and repairs to multiple buildings at Naval Support Activity Panama City. The work to be performed provides for removal of carpet, walls, windows and other unsalvageable items due to water penetration, clean-up of roofing materials and tarping of rooftops to mitigate further water intrusion. Repairs include roof replacement, roof decking, and sealing roof penetrations. The repairs also include correction of architectural, structural, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection, electrical deficiencies and any other incidental related work as found due to the hurricane. After award of this modification, the total task order value will be $52,795,320. Work will be performed in Panama City, Florida, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,800,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded $7,614,277 for modification number P00001 to task order M9549418F0016 under previously awarded contract GS00Q14OADU112. This modification exercises an option for support services in efforts to meet Marine Corps' energy reliability and resilience requirements for utility distribution systems and various energy security positions supporting headquarters, regions and installations. This modification increases the value of the basic task order to a new total value of $12,394,838. The task order includes four one-year option periods which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this task order to $36,194,304. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (40 percent); Lejeune, North Carolina (12 percent); Okinawa Prefecture, Japan (12 percent); San Diego, California (11 percent); Quantico, Virginia (10 percent); Bridgeport, California (4 percent); New River, North Carolina (3 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (3 percent); Barstow, California (3 percent); Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (1 percent); and Pohang, Republic of Korea (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed March 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2023. Fiscal year 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $7,614,277 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This task order was competitively solicited via General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services, with two proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Goodrich Corp., Westford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $92,890,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Hyperspectral Imaging, AgilePod®, Standoff High Resolution Imaging Next Era, and Multi-Mode Lidar research and development. This contract provides for research and integration of existing electro-optical, infrared, radio frequency, multispectral imaging, hyperspectral imaging, and lidar sensors and related Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies in order to develop the Air Force's next generation ISR sensor. Work will be performed in Westford, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 29, 2025. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $18,387,498 are being obligated on two initial task orders at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-1014). KT Consulting Inc, Phoenix, Arizona, has been awarded an $11,935,070 firm-fixed-price task order for F‐16 Weapons System support. This task order provides for F‐16 academic instruction, Aircrew Training Device instruction/console/cockpit operations, comprehensive courseware development, and training support. Work will be performed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; and Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2024. This contract involves foreign military sales to Republic of Singapore. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,435,581; and Singapore National Funds in the amount of $34,969 are being obligated at the time of award. The 338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio‐Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002‐19‐F‐A040). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., Windsor Locks, Connecticut, has been awarded an estimated $29,216,493 firm-fixed-priced delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-L30G) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-13-G-001X) for constant frequency 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, six-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Connecticut and Illinois, with a Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Navy and Japanese Armed Forces. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds and foreign military sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Freightliner of Savannah Inc.,* Savannah, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $7,312,500 firm-fixed-price contract for diesel engines. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. This was an acquisition permitting other than full and open competition with two responses received, using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is Georgia, with a March 19, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0077). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY AT&T Corp., Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00012) with a face value of $12,080,764, to exercise Option Year Three of previously awarded sole-source contract HC1013-16-C-0001 for the Northstar Long-Haul Telecommunications Network and associated transmission circuits for an Ultra-High Frequency/Line of Sight communications system network. The modification is funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $56,131,776. Performance will be at various sites geographically dispersed across the continental U.S. The period of performance for this action is May 1, 2019, to April 30, 2020. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1789590/
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October 16, 2023 | International, Aerospace
U.S.' Buttigieg meets Mexican counterpart on aviation sticking points | Reuters
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg met on Monday with his Mexican counterpart to discuss a number of sticking points regarding Mexico's aviation industry.