News

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — General Dynamics and AeroVironment are teaming up to integrate ground combat vehicles with drone technology in preparation for two high-stakes Army and Marine Corps vehicle programs, the companies announced Oct. 8. General Dynamics Land Systems and AeroVironment plan to network GD's entrant for the Marine Corps' armored reconnaissance vehicle, or ARV, program with the drone makers' Switchblade missile and the Shrike 2 unmanned aerial system still in development by the company, said Dave Sharpin, AeroVironment's head of tactical UAS. The first tests will begin this fall. The recently unveiled Shrike 2 is a hybrid vertical-takeoff-and-landing drone, with rotors that allow it to take off and land like a helicopter. It also has fixed wings to provide more endurance and the ability to fly like an airplane. It “will be the eyes in the sky, going out and doing the reconnaissance mission, finding things, reporting them back, and then once we have that situational awareness, then a Switchblade will be launched if we want to go do something kinetic with the target,” he said. The hope, Sharpin said, is to fill a need expressed by the Marine Corps but also relevant to the Army — a vehicle that can interface with a UAS that is organic to it, as well as a new way to strike targets that would be found by the drone. Ultimately, the companies believe they can parlay that concept into offerings for both the Marine Corps' ARV program as well as the Army's Next Generation Combat Vehicle. “The purpose of this partnership is to deliver a decisive advantage to ground combatants, to see first and strike first, across the tactical landscape,” Don Kotchman, U.S. vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Land Systems, said in a statement. “We're confident this integrated capability, expanding the warfighter's situational awareness, survivability and over-the-next-obstacle lethality, will define the market for years to come." Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/09/general-dynamics-aerovironment-join-forces-to-give-combat-vehicles-their-own-drones

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Boeing has made progress on installing a “safety critical” part across the AH-64 Apache fleet, but it will probably take until at least 2020 for the company to finish the retrofit process, Boeing program officials said Tuesday. In April, Defense News revealed that the U.S. Army had suspended AH-64E Apache attack helicopter deliveries due to corrosion the service noticed on the aircraft's strap pack nut, which hold the heavy bolts that attach the rotor blades to the helicopter. The service resumed accepting deliveries on August 31 after Boeing designed a new strap pack nut that will be outfitted on AH-64Es coming off the line. The company has now retrofitted new strap pack nuts on about 25 percent of the Army's AH-64D/Es, Kathleen “KJ” Jolivette, director of U.S. Army Services for Boeing Global Services, said during an Oct. 9 roundtable with journalists at the Association for the U.S. Army annual conference. However, Steve Wade, vice president Boeing attack helicopters, said the fastest the company could move to finish retrofitting the Apache fleet is 2020, saying that “the limiting factor is how fast we can build” retrofit kits. Boeing's best case completion date appears to be at least a full year behind the Army's own projections. In September, Brig. Gen. Thomas Todd, the service's program executive officer for aviation, said that he expected retrofits of the U.S. Army's Apache fleet to occur by 2019, with the strap pack nut replacements paid for by the company. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/09/boeing-apache-helicopter-fix-could-take-until-past-2020-to-complete

By: Mark Pomerleau The Army is nearing the finalization of its first set of requirements for a vehicle-based assured position, navigation and timing solution. The six- to seven-page capabilities requirements document is waiting signature from Army leadership, Willie Nelson, director of the assured-PNT cross-functional team, said Oct. 9 at the Association of the United States Army annual meeting in Washington, D.C. Nelson described this feat as a somewhat watershed moment for the Army because the service has been trying for years to compete a requirements document. Previously, the approach was trying to come up with a systems-of-systems approach for the entire Army that ended up being too big and too expensive. Now, the approach is to break off smaller chunks to be more manageable. This includes a mounted requirement, which is completed and awaiting signature, a dismounted requirement, which is also nearly complete, as well as others. The program managers are now using rapid equipping contracting vehicles to get after solutions in this space immediately. Nelson also said the plan for engaging industry is to ask for specific solutions within each of the position, navigation and timing sectors as opposed to only something that addresses all the above. “I break it down because I think everybody has an area within that. Maybe you've got a specialty area where you've got a unique or innovative capability that can help in one of these areas, we're all ears,” he said. The Army is planning an industry day in Austin, Texas, for February or March where it plans to provide industry with technical and program or record roadmaps in the the mounted, dismounted and aerial spheres of assured-PNT realm. https://www.c4isrnet.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/09/the-army-finally-knows-what-it-needs-to-help-gps-denied-troops

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army is calling for ready-to-fly future tactical unmanned aircraft systems that it can demonstrate with a select group of brigade combat teams in an effort to ultimately replace its Shadow UAS with something that better meets the needs of units in the field, according to Brig. Gen. Thomas Todd, the program executive officer for Army Aviation. The service dropped a solicitation to industry on Sept. 28 stating its desire to procure up to two non-developmental UAS that would fit either into the category of 21- to 55-pound drones or weigh under 1,320 pounds (UAS group 2 or 3), according to the document posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Army has been looking for UAS that could operate independently from a runway and perform better in austere conditions than its current system at the tactical level. Earlier this year, the outgoing director of Army aviation in the Army's Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for operations, planning and training, told Defense News that the Army sees a potential “quick win” when it comes to replacing Shadow. And the Army's Future Vertical Lift Cross-Functional Team — part of Army Futures Command — has already begun examining the possibility of new capabilities for both manned and unmanned future flight. The Army has acknowledged there are likely quite a few ready-to-go options when it comes to a new tactical UAS. So, it will take the approach of “buy, try, decide” to get after the possible replacement of Shadow, Todd told Defense News in an interview shortly after the solicitation was released. The plan is to assess what is offered and choose three vendors to supply 12 UAS to six BCTs that will evaluate them for a period of time in realistic environments. Each BCT will be given two UAS from each of the three chosen vendors, Todd said. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/10/army-seeks-new-tactical-unmanned-aircraft-for-demo-testing-in-brigade-combat-teams

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army has entered the final stages of hashing out requirements for ramping up Stryker combat vehicle lethality and will make a decision in January on what it wants in order to increase its battlefield effectiveness. The service in January will hold an Army Requirements Oversight Council meeting, with Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, to cement requirements on how it will improve the Stryker fleet's lethality, according to Lt. Gen. James Pasquarette, the service's new G-8 lead, in charge of program development and justification. The AROC will produce a “kind of ‘Y in the road' of what we think we are going to want to look at,” when it comes to making the Stryker more lethal, Pasquarette told Defense News in an interview ahead of the Association of the United States Army's annual meeting. The Army conducted a test fire of one of its 30mm cannon solutions on Stryker at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, as recently as last month, he noted. “We know we believe the Stryker has to have capability to defeat light armor,” Pasquarette said. “We are developing the concept more to validate that on the front-end.” The Army is looking at roughly three different caliber weapons systems, he said. They include a couple of Common Remotely Operated Weapon Stations with different caliber weapons, as well as a 30mm cannon like what was outfitted on Strykers that went to the 2nd Cavalry Regiment in Germany earlier this year. “We want to make sure the concept is tight, about what we think we need based on threat and capability we want to have, then we will have to see what direction we go,” which could include competitions to upgun the fleet — or parts of the fleet — in the future, Pasquarette said. “We are still determining balance. Does everyone need to have this, or is it just parts of the fleet?” Pasquarette asked. “How do we want to fight Stryker units, if we have this capability in there?” Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/10/army-in-final-stages-of-hashing-out-stryker-lethality-requirements

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army's future tank may not be a tank, Brig. Gen. Ross Coffman, who is in charge of combat vehicle modernization, told Defense News in an interview at the Association of the U.S. Army's annual show. While the M1 Abrams tank still has life in it yet, the Army is starting to begin the thinking and planning process for a future tank, “which is really exciting because it might not be a tank,” Coffman said. “It is decisive lethality and what that decisive lethality is will be determined by academia, our science and technology community within the Army and industry.” The Army will choose a path in 2023 on how it plans to replace the Abrams and some of the ideas cropping up in discussions have been “everything from a ray gun to a Star Wars-like four-legged creature that shoots lasers,” Coffman said, “but the reality is that everything is on the table. “We have to get away from these paradigms that we created that decisive lethality must come from a tank,” Coffman said. “It may be a tank in the end and that would be great, but we need choices for our soldiers, so we can really move into a position of lethal advantage over the enemy.” Coffman is spearheading that effort along with some more near-term plans to replace the Bradley Fighting Vehicle with an Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle and bring online the Army's Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicle (AMPV) and a light tank called the Mobile Protected Firepower (MPF) system. The one-star is in charge of the Next-Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team housed under the Army Futures Command tasked to modernize the force. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/09/the-armys-future-tank-may-not-be-a-tank

AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $390,792,959 firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-fee contract for Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) lot 16 production for 360 JASSM-extended range, three foreign military sales (FMS) separation text vehicles, one FMS flight test vehicle-live fire and tooling and test equipment. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This award uses fiscal 2018 missile procurement funds and FMS funds. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8682-19-C-0009). Applied Defense Solutions Inc., Columbia, Maryland, has been awarded a $7,526,650 fixed-price and cost-reimbursement modification (P00015) to contract FA255017C8002 for non-governmental space situational awareness services. This modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional quantity of 12 months of services under the basic contract. Work will be performed at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 18, 2019. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $26,458,756. The 50th Contracting Squadron, Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Oct. 4, 2018). CORRECTION: The contract announced on Oct. 4, 2018, to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, (FA8620-18-F-2365) for $19,446,593 has not awarded. ARMY General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $366,852,050 modification (0002 04) to contract W56HZV-17-D-B020 for upgrade of Stryker flat-bottom vehicles to the Double V-Hull Engineering Change Proposal 1 configuration. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 procurement of weapons and tracked vehicle funds in the amount of $366,852,050 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $242,109,170 modification (P00021) to foreign military sales (United Arab Emirates) contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for the remanufacture of eight, and procurement of nine new-build Apache AH-64E aircraft. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. Fiscal 2010 foreign military sales funds in the amount of $242,109,170 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Federal Contracting Inc., doing business as Bryan Construction, Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $52,812,678 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a squadron operations facility and associated operational training facilities at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico. Bids were solicited via the internet with 15 received. Work will be performed in Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of April 1, 2021. Fiscal 2015 and 2016 military construction funds in the amount of $52,812,678 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (W912PP-19-C-0001). General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $24,957,920 modification (0001 19) to contract W56HZV-17-D-B020 for upgrade of Stryker flat-bottom vehicles to the Double V-Hull Engineering Change Proposal 1 configuration. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 procurement of weapons and tracked vehicle funds in the amount of $24,957,920 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. M.R. Pittman Group LLC,* Saint Rose, Louisiana, was awarded a $17,255,645 firm-fixed-price contract for interim closure structure demolition. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of May 8, 2020. Fiscal 2014 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $17,255,645 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0001). Short-Elliott-Hendrickson Inc., Lacrosse, Wisconsin, was awarded a $19,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering services for the Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, Department of Public Works. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 5, 2023. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, is the contracting activity (W911SA-19-D-2001). Keysight Technologies, Englewood, Colorado, was awarded an $8,977,287 firm-fixed-price contract for Oscilloscopes 307/U. Two bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-18-D-0081). NAVY Donjon Marine Co. Inc., Hillside, New Jersey, was awarded a maximum value $215,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for salvage related towing, harbor clearance, ocean engineering project and point-to-point towing services. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide services to assist in the performance of salvage of ships, craft, cargo, and other items as tasked (e.g., aircraft, weaponry, equipment); salvage related towing, harbor clearance; and point-to-point towing; and ocean engineering projects in support of the Supervisor of Salvage. Work will be performed along the North and South American East Coast, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $50,000 was obligated at the time of award and expired at the end of the fiscal 2018. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-18-D-4307). (Awarded Sept. 28, 2018) SMIT Salvage Americas LLC, Houston, Texas, was awarded a maximum value $215,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for salvage related towing, harbor clearance, ocean engineering project and point-to-point towing services. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide services to assist in the performance of salvage of ships, craft, cargo, and other items as tasked (e.g., aircraft, weaponry, equipment); salvage related towing, harbor clearance; and point-to-point towing; and ocean engineering projects in support of the Supervisor of Salvage, SEA. Work will be performed along the North and South American West Coast, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,000 was obligated at the time of award and expired at the end of the fiscal 2018. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-18-D-4308). (Awarded Sept. 28, 2018) SMIT Singapore PTE LTD, Singapore, was awarded a maximum value $215,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for salvage related towing, harbor clearance, ocean engineering project and point-to-point towing services. The primary purpose of this contract is to provide services to assist in the performance of salvage of ships, craft, cargo, and other items as tasked (e.g., aircraft, weaponry, equipment); salvage related towing, harbor clearance; and point-to-point towing; and ocean engineering projects in support of the Supervisor of Salvage. Work will be performed across the Western Pacific region, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,000 was obligated at the time of award and expired at the end of the fiscal 2018. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-18-D-4309). (Awarded Sept. 28, 2018) PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $24,292,143 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously-awarded contract (N66604-05-C-1277), increasing the cumulative total value of the contract for operation and maintenance services for the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). AUTEC is the U.S. Navy's large-area, deep-water, undersea test and evaluation range. Underwater research, testing and evaluation of anti-submarine weapons, sonar tracking and communications are the predominant activities conducted at AUTEC. The contractor performs services required to perform AUTEC range operations and maintenance of facilities and range systems. In addition, the contractor is responsible for operating a self-sufficient one-square-mile Navy outpost. This modification increases the total value of the contract to $788,075,722. Work will be performed on Andros Island, Commonwealth of the Bahamas (82 percent); West Palm Beach, Florida (18 percent); and is expected to be completed by September 2019. No contract funds are being obligated at this time. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded $8,020,809 for cost-plus-fixed-fee order N6339419F0003 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N6339417G0001) for engineering services in support of land-based test site maintenance, inventory control, diminishing material source efforts, and program management for the Mk 92 fire control system. This order includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this order to $9,276,806. The order combines purchases for the Navy (16 percent); and the governments of Philippines (40 percent); Egypt (20 percent); Saudi Arabia (16 percent); Poland (4 percent); and Taiwan (2 percent). Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama (26 percent); Philippines (20 percent); Egypt (17 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (13 percent); Saudi Arabia (13 percent); Port Hueneme, California (4 percent); Poland (3 percent); Taiwan (2 percent); and Nigeria (2 percent); and is expected to be completed by September 2022. Foreign military sales (other defense agencies) funding in the amount of $2,579,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Jacobs Technology Inc., Tampa, Florida, has been awarded a contract modification P00017 on contract HTC711-17-C-D001 in the amount of $18,940,678. This modification provides continued Information Technology Service Management Enterprise support to the U.S. Transportation Command (US TRANSCOM). Work will be performed primarily on-site at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and other locations: DISA DECC, St Louis, Missouri; USTRANSCOM Office, Washington District of Columbia; JECC, Norfolk, Virginia; and the Pentagon. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 transportation working capital funds operations, operations and maintenance and Defense Health Program funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $48,981,052 from $30,040,374. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Airtronics Inc.,* Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a maximum $13,644,800 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for aviation cable assemblies. This was a competitive acquisition with three offers received. This is a two-year base contract with a one-year option period. Location of performance is Arizona, with an Oct. 16, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4A619D0001). DCX-CHOL Enterprises, Inc.,* Chatsworth, California, has been awarded a maximum $12,960,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for aviation cable assemblies. This was a competitive acquisition with three offers received. This is a two-year base contract with a one-year option period. Location of performance is California, with an Oct. 16, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service Army. The type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4A619D0002). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1656310/source/GovDelivery/

By: Kelsey Atherton Simple subtraction explains the impetus for self-driven supply convoys: For every autonomously driven vehicle, that's one fewer human driver needed, and likely one or two fewer human escorts in the vehicle itself. Fewer humans means fewer injuries and deaths whenever the convoy encounters violence, like an ambush or an improvised explosive device. Then there is multiplication: Take the driver and the escorts out of each truck in a seven-truck convoy, and that's suddenly 14 to 21 soldiers that can do other tasks, like escorting the convoys in other, better-armored vehicles, ones that can withstand IEDs or provide more protection from small arms fire. In June, the U.S. Army awarded Oshkosh Defense $49 million to integrate autonomous technology with the Palletized Load System vehicles in order to put robotics in the driver's seat. “It actually drives very, very human,” says John Beck, senior chief engineer for unmanned systems at Oshkosh. “The motion control algorithms that are done both on the by-wire side and on the autonomy side drive this vehicle much like a person does.” Full article: https://www.c4isrnet.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2018/10/07/oshkosh-robot-trucks-could-roll-out-to-the-army-by-2020/

By: Kyle Rempfer The Air Force has officially named the hypersonic flight research vehicle it is testing. The vehicle, dubbed X-60A, is being developed by Generation Orbit Launch Services Inc., under contract to the Air Force Research Laboratory's Aerospace Systems Directorate and High Speed Systems Division. X-60A is an air-dropped liquid rocket, purpose-built for hypersonic flight research. This is the first Air Force Small Business Innovative Research program to receive an experimental “X” designation, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base's public affairs office announced in a press release Thursday. The Air Force Research Laboratory hopes the X-60A program will increase the frequency of flight testing while also lowering the cost of developing hypersonic technologies. “The X-60A is like a flying wind tunnel to capture data that complements our current ground test capability,” said Col. Colin Tucker, military deputy, Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for science, technology, and engineering. “We've long needed this type of test vehicle to better understand how materials and other technologies behave while flying at more than 5 times the speed of sound," Tucker added. "It enables faster development of both our current hypersonic weapon rapid prototypes and evolving future systems.” X-60A is envisioned as a way to provide the Air Force, other U.S. Government agencies and private industry with a platform to more rapidly develop technologies. Rather than relying simply on ground test facilities to simulate hypersonic flight, an actual flight research vehicle will provide real conditions for researchers to gauge. The testing will likely help in the Air Force's quest for hypersonic missiles. The service has already issued two contracts to Lockheed Martin to develop hypersonic weapons: the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon and the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon program. Full article: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2018/10/08/air-force-introduces-hypersonic-flight-research-vehicle