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Guy Norris As progress accelerates on a key visual system redesign, a wing refueling pod certification and the hopes for more international sales, Boeing believes its troubled KC-46A tanker program has finally turned a corner. Marking a shift away from more than three years of delays, challenges and frustration for the U.S. Air Force, the program's brighter outlook builds on two agreements announced between Boeing and the service last April. The first covered the redesign and retrofit of a fully compliant boom operator remote vision system (RVS), at no cost to the government, while the second released $882 million of withheld payments to Boeing for previous noncompliance in 33 KC-46A deliveries. “That was a real turning point, and it's been extremely collaborative since then,” says Boeing KC-46A Vice President and General Manager Jamie Burgess. “That's really been cultivated by the agreement that we reached on the new RVS system,” he says, acknowledging the change to the relationship with the Air Force. “For a while, we were at a bit of an impasse in terms of what needed to be done to address the Air Force's concerns. There's a lot of hard work left to go, but it's been a really long relationship now,” he adds. Boeing is working on a two-phase approach to correct the well-documented RVS deficiencies that were revealed during flight tests. These defects mostly center on the oversensitivity of the aft-looking camera system to direct sunlight, which led to image issues in the hybrid 2D-3D video feed to the boom operator. “The first phase is really just intended to address that distortion piece of it, and that's primarily a software change that's being implemented now,” Burgess says. The fix, dubbed the enhanced RVS, “digitally addresses the distortion around the edges of the picture,” he adds. The fix will also make viewing the system “more comfortable for the operator when looking through the 3D glasses,” says Sean Martin, KC-46A global sales and marketing leader, referring to the stereoscopic eyewear required for the system. “It makes the image more like what they are used to seeing in real life.” The second phase, and the subject of the Air Force agreement, is RVS 2.0. Described by Burgess as “a full technological refresh of the system,” the revised package will include new cameras, new displays, a light-detection and ranging (lidar) system and all new supporting computing infrastructure. The redesigned aerial-refueling operator station will feature much larger 40-in. displays compared with the current 24-in. screens, giving the position “much more of a kind of home theater feel to it,” Burgess says. The image will remain in 3D but will be presented in color and 4K resolution. The Air Force has also opted for a collimated mirror projection method over an LCD option, “so we are working with them to mature that design,” the manufacturer adds. In collaboration with the Air Force, Boeing completed the RVS 2.0 system readiness review in December and remains on track to hold the preliminary design review in the second quarter. The system is due to be fielded around late 2023 or early 2024. The redesign will also be provisioned for semi-autonomous or autonomous aerial refueling (AAR), satisfying a long-term capability vision of both the Air Force and Boeing. “The computing-system upgrade will be able to handle the processing for future automation,” Burgess says. “In parallel, we're working toward developing all of the computing algorithms that will be required to track the receiver [aircraft] using machine-learning-type software. We will feed that into our boom control laws, so that it can go find the receptacle on that receiver,” he adds, referring to the KC-46A's fly-by-wire controlled boom. The algorithm development work builds on the company's long-running collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory on autonomous refueling as well as other related efforts, such as the unmanned MQ-25 tanker for the U.S. Navy. “We have a lab now where we're developing those algorithms that we can move into KC-46 when the Air Force has a requirement for it,” Martin says. “We want to bring the capability to them, but we haven't received a requirement from them that says they need that. But we're working on it, and we're committed to it.” Boeing says the end is also in sight for another issue that has overshadowed the tanker development: the long-delayed certification of the Cobham-developed wing air-refueling pods (WARP). The wing-mounted pods, along with a centerline station, form part of the tanker's hose-and-drogue system, which can deliver up to 400 gal. of fuel per minute, compared with 1,200 gal. per minute for the boom. All KC-46As are provisioned at delivery to carry the pods, but in line with Boeing's initial decision to pursue both military and civil certification for the tanker and its systems, the aircraft cannot be operationally equipped with the system until the FAA approves the WARPs. The pods performed well during flight testing, but “the FAA has required a tremendous amount of testing in order to certify them,” Burgess says. “Similar pods have flown for years on other military aircraft, but they have never been FAA-certified.” Although Cobham seriously underestimated how much work would be required for FAA certification, Burgess says: “We're at the very end of that testing and are just about done.” FAA approval is expected for the pod by the end of the first quarter. Previously, all certification work related to pods was concerned with ensuring that carriage of such systems was safe and would not affect the control and safe landing of the aircraft. “Now we had to look at certifying it to operate, so all the components—such as the ram air turbine on the front of the pod—had to be cleared for safe use,” Martin adds. “That's been the challenge for them, and they've done a great job stepping up to it.” Another ongoing area of modification is revising a valve for the boom actuation system to correct a refueling issue specific to the Fairchild Republic A-10 attack aircraft. “The boom flies down and telescopes out to connect with the receiver aircraft, which pushes the boom up into a nominal refueling position,” Burgess says. At altitude, the A-10 with wing stores was only able to generate a force of about 650-lb. thrust resistance compared with the international standard of 1,400 lb. to which the boom was designed. “We're changing the actuation system to make it just require less force to push it up,” Burgess says. “That's currently going through the critical design review with the Air Force.” He adds that the first qualification units are now being assembled. “We're also building up for a big full-scale lab test, and so that's well underway.” Boeing is also preparing to design, develop and test a secure communications system, dubbed the Pegasus Combat Capability Block 1 upgrade, and expects to receive a contract for the enhancement package this year. The Air Force is studying which elements to include in the upgrade, and that puts the KC-46A on a path to play a potentially wider role as a battlespace communications node. But Boeing adds that a wing-mounted, podded, radio-frequency countermeasures system is not currently in the Block 1 suite. With 42 tankers delivered by the end of 2020 and the firm orderbook bolstered by a $1.6 billion contract for the sixth production lot covering an additional 12 aircraft, Boeing is focused on maintaining a smooth assembly flow despite the disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic. The process includes rigorous new quality controls introduced after a series of discoveries of foreign object contamination caused the Air Force to temporarily suspend accepting the aircraft in April 2019. “It's no secret that we realized that we had an issue as far as foreign object debris [FOD] on airplanes,” Burgess says. “We stopped the production line, and we stopped deliveries for a while and put in place a number of controls. There's a whole lot of work that goes on in the factory around what we call ‘clean as you go.' At the end of the shift, there is a cleanup to make sure that the airplanes that roll out of the factory are perfectly clean.” The decontamination focus continues when airframes are rolled from the factory into the nearby Everett Modification Center, where all the military equipment is installed. “We do a complete FOD sweep of the airplane when it enters and again when it leaves to go to the delivery center,” Burgess says. “The aircraft delivering today are very clean. It's been a big cultural shift for the program.” Production is currently split roughly evenly between commercial 767-300F freighters and KC-46A variants—a divide that sustains the line at about three airframes per month. With the latest order, confirmed on Jan. 12, Boeing is now on contract for 79 tankers out of an intended total of 179. The firm orderbook is expected to grow again to 94 when the Air Force awards the next contract for a further 15 aircraft under production Lot 7, which legislators approved in December. Although program delays held up initial deliveries to the Air Force until January 2019, Burgess says the subsequent flow of operational aircraft to four bases marks an unprecedented pace for any recent modern weapons system. “I'm not aware of any other major military program that's done this,” he adds. “We delivered 28 in 2019. We'll do 14 this year.” Boeing maintains the flexibility to introduce slots into the production skyline for international sales, the first of which is to Japan. The aircraft, the first of four that the Japan Self-Defense Force has ordered, is due to make its first flight sometime this quarter. The U.S. Congress has also approved the sale of eight aircraft to Israel, and Boeing is pursuing other prospects in Southwest Asia and the Middle East, particularly in Qatar. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/key-upgrades-mark-2021-turnaround-year-kc-46a

This webinar took place January 15, 2021 and sponsored by Makino. In the final months of President Donald Trump's presidency, his administration notified Congress of billions in potential Foreign Military Sales – including the possibility of the UAE purchasing F-35s and MQ-9 Reapers, Taiwan to buy guided cruise missiles and reconnaissance pods for its F-16 fighters. In all, Congress was notified of sales worth up to $175 billion in 2020, though actual completed sales for the year totaled just $50.8 billion – a three-year low. Join us as we discuss: What the fate of these proposed transactions might be How a President Joe Biden administration may change course How the COVID-19 pandemic may influence sales How companies can navigate this changing environment Watch the full recording above. Panelists: Steve Trimble, Defense Editor, Aviation Week Network Lee Hudson, Pentagon Editor, Aviation Week Network Michael Bruno, Senior Business Editor, Aviation Week Network Moderated by Jen DiMascio, Executive Editor, Defense & Space, Aviation Week Network https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/z/webinar-future-us-foreign-military-sales

L'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace (AAE) a annoncé le lancement le 20 janvier de la mission Skyros, qui se tiendra jusqu'au 5 février. Au départ de Djibouti, quatre Rafale B, deux A400M Atlas ainsi qu'un A330 Phénix y participeront. L'objectif est de « démontrer les capacités opérationnelles des forces armées françaises, de compléter la formation des équipages et de renforcer les liens entre la France et les pays visités », selon le ministère des Armées. A travers cette tournée, l'AAE visitera des pays stratégiques, soit des clients actuels du Rafale, à l'instar de l'Inde (36 Rafale) ou encore de l'Egypte (24) soit des prospects, qui ont fait part de leur intérêt pour le chasseur français. Après avoir décollé de Djibouti, qui accueille la base aérienne 188, l'AAE arrivera donc en Inde le 20 janvier. Elle se rendra aux Emirats Arabes Unis le 24, puis en Egypte le 28 et enfin en Grèce le 2 février. Air & Cosmos du 18 janvier 2021

China's new WJ-700 high-altitude, long-endurance and high-speed armed reconnaissance drone successfully completed its maiden flight earlier this week. The “rare type” drone is capable of executing both attack and reconnaissance missions in China, according to a statement the Third Academy of the state-owned arms firm China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) sent to the Global Times. First unveiled at Airshow China in 2018, the WJ-700 is expected to have a maximum take-off weight of 3,500 kg, with a maximum endurance of 20 hours. It is capable of performing air-to-surface precision strikes in multiple situations such as stand-off ground attacks, anti-ship, and anti-radiation attacks, the statement said, noting that it will “create a new pattern for drone combat.” China wants to begin selling the drones to domestic and international market needs in the next five to 10 years. Compared to other popular drones, the distinguishing characteristic of the WJ-700 is its large size, meaning it has an outstanding payload capacity that allows it to carry larger munitions like anti-ship missiles and stand-off weapons that enable the drone to launch attacks from outside of an enemy anti-aircraft fire coverage zone, Wei Dongxu, a Beijing-based military expert, said. Key tactical and even strategic battlefield hubs, including radar installations, warships and command centers could be targets of the WJ-700, analysts said. The WJ-700 could deliver diverse combat missions in high-threat battlefield environments with its precision combat and wide-area reconnaissance and surveillance capabilities. After completing various system-level tests and verifications, it will be officially put into combat applications, the academy said. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28768#.YAXP_-hKiUk

Greek lawmakers have approved a $14 billion five-year military modernization plan including purchase of Rafale jets, first of which it would receive around mid-2021. Athens is expected to sign the $3.04 billion deal for Rafale jets with French manufacturer Dassault Aviation later this month. It would cover delivery of 12 jets previously used by the French Air Force and 6 new ones. A dozen of the ordered fighters for the Hellenic Air Force would reportedly be upgraded to the latest F3R standard featuring Talios (TArgeting Long-range Identification Optronic System) new-generation laser designator pod. First of the ordered jets would arrive in the country in the first half of this year while the remaining will be delivered over the next two years. In September, a team from French MBDA reportedly went to Greece to discuss the supply of missiles and other munitions for the Rafales. The fighter can be armed with state-of-the-art missiles such as Meteor, Mica NG and SCALP. The introduction of the fully equipped Rafale would help the Greek air force to confront Turkey's air and naval force that is protecting its hydrocarbon prospecting vessels in the Eastern Mediterranean. Under its modernization plan, Greece wants to buy new helicopters, drones, frigates and upgrade its existing F-16 fighters. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/28779#.YAXP--hKiUk

Depuis le début de la crise, l'État a tenu à soutenir les industriels de défense, en particulier les PME, à la fois en maintenant un niveau important de commandes de matériels et en débloquant des fonds de soutien. Tel est le message adressé hier par Geneviève Darrieussecq, la ministre déléguée à la Mémoire et aux Anciens Combattants, lors de sa visite à TMH-AMS à Ch'tellerault. Cette société aéronautique de 22 salariés conçoit et fabrique des bancs hydrauliques fixes et mobiles pour la maintenance au sol des avions et des hélicoptères civils et militaires. Elle travaille à 70 % pour la défense et à 50 % à l'export. Ses clients ? Les principaux donneurs d'ordre du secteur. TMH-AMS est l'une des cinq entreprises du groupe poitevin Techman-Head. Qui, à l'image de tout l'aéronautique, sort d'une année 2020 « compliquée, dixit le président Jean-Yves Taboni et le directeur général Philippe Jehanno. On a perdu 33 % de chiffre d'affaires. » Les deux dirigeants confirment que l'effort de l'État dans le domaine de la défense a été bénéfique pour leur groupe, dont l'activité militaire pèse 33 % : « Ça a sauvé la mise de nos deux entreprises qui travaillent majoritairement pour le militaire, TMH à Ch'tellerault et Novatec à Poitiers. » L'enjeu de la vaccinationUn autre élément a permis à Techman-Head de passer 2020 sans dommage : « Financièrement, le groupe est sain, solide et rentable. Notre capacité à développer des produits propres, et donc à ne pas dépendre uniquement de donneurs d'ordre, est un point fort. » Techman-Head « ne se fait guère d'illusions sur 2021. On n'attend pas de reprise avec le second semestre. » Cela n'empêche pas le groupe de se projeter déjà sur un redémarrage : « Il y aura des opportunités à saisir, il faudra être prêts, analyse Jean-Yves Taboni. Dans cette compétition internationale, la vaccination est un enjeu majeur. C'est là qu'on va gagner ou perdre la partie. Il ne faudrait pas prendre du retard vis-à-vis des Anglais ou des Allemands. » Le message – à la ministre – est passé. https://www.lanouvellerepublique.fr/chatellerault/chatellerault-pour-la-societe-aeronautique-tmh-ams-le-militaire-a-sauve-la-mise-en-2020

By Dan Gouré In a year where the Department of Defense struggled to address a global pandemic, uncertainty at home, and multiple security challenges abroad, the F-35 program stands out as a success story. The aircraft continues to provide exceptional capability for three U.S. Armed Services and more than a dozen foreign operators. In the face of COVID-19 slamming their supply chains on the home front, the F-35 industrial team still managed to produce a near-record 123 fighters. 2020 also saw the roll-out of the first version of the Operational Data Integrated Network (ODIN), the new logistics support program. This is a remarkable record for any large, complex defense program in normal times, much less while struggling to deal with the human and economic toll caused by a global pandemic. COVID-19 has brought heartache and death to this country. It has also disrupted the operations of businesses large and small. The Department of Defense (DoD) has struggled along with every other organization to protect its people while conducting the necessary business of defending the nation, maintaining force readiness and ensuring the continuation of modernization efforts. In addition, the U.S. military deployed to support state and local governments with their pandemic responses and even helped with the development of COVID vaccines. The defense and aerospace industry also responded to the challenges posed by the virus. Protection of its workforce was and remains the number one priority. At the same time, industry knew that it had to continue to make progress on programs and plans to equip the military. An example of how well DoD and the defense industry has coped with the ravages of the pandemic is the Lockheed Martin F-35 program. For example, the pre-COVID plan called for producing 141 F-35s in 2020. This was revised downward in May to between 117 and 123, as DoD planners and industry saw what was happening. The Lockheed Martin team was proactive in changing its production plans and cleaning methods to protect workers. Nevertheless, the program reached its new goal, delivering 123 aircraft, including nearly 50 to foreign partners and countries using the Foreign Military Sales system. 2020 also saw the delivery of the 500th F-35 and the completion of more than 250,000 flight hours across the global fleet. The cost for the F-35 continues to decline, with the price for the benchmark F-35A projected to drop to under 80 million dollars by 2021. According to industry sources, the F-35's reliability continues to improve. The newest production aircraft average greater than 70% mission capable rates, and some are consistently near 75%. Last year saw F-35s from all three Services participate in numerous exercises and training events. One of the most noteworthy of these was Project Convergence, an Army Futures Command program designed to help develop an artificial intelligence and machine learning-based battle management system to direct a host of new weapons systems, such as the Extended Range Cannon Artillery. In a major exercise, the ability to conduct fire missions based on sensor data from Marine Corps F-35Bs passed to Army long-range artillery was demonstrated. Having declared the carrier-variant of the F-35 — the C model — fully operational, the Navy and Marine Corps spent 2020 getting ready to deploy it aboard U.S. aircraft carriers. Together with deployments of advanced versions of the Boeing F/A-18E/F, the Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye, the Bell Boeing CMV-22B Osprey, and the new Boeing MQ-25 aerial refueling drone, the F-35C will transform the carrier air wing. Despite limitations imposed on close contact because of the pandemic, countries acquiring the F-35 continued to induct aircraft, stand up units and conduct training missions during 2020. In July, Italian Air Force F-35s returning home from an air policing mission in Iceland stopped in the United Kingdom to train alongside Royal Air Force F-35Bs. The U.S. has also participated with many partner countries and overseas allies in training exercises with the F-35. Last October, the Israeli Air Force and U.S. Air Force conducted a joint exercise in Israeli skies. Defying COVID, the United Kingdom sent its newest aircraft carrier, the Queen Elizabeth, to sea for a pre-deployment exercise in late 2020. Not only did the Queen Elizabeth demonstrate its ability to operate the short-takeoff and landing variant of the F-35, the F-35B, it also hosted a squadron of U.S. Marine Corp F-35s in a clear demonstration of how the F-35 enhances interoperability with allies. In 2020, more countries also entered the Joint Strike Fighter community. In a landmark agreement, the United States will sell the United Arab Emirates up to 50 F-35s, along with advanced unmanned aerial systems and air-delivered munitions. An agreement between Warsaw and Washington for Poland to acquire 32 F-35s was signed in early 2020. Given the impacts of COVID on virtually all the Department of Defense's activities, it would be surprising if there were no problems with the F-35 program. One such virus-related impact was the need to delay a decision on full-rate production, previously planned for March 2021 to a later date. This was not due to problems with the F-35 itself, production lines, or deployment of software. Rather, it reflected problems in operational test and evaluation, as the need for social distancing made it difficult to complete a number of required test and evaluation activities. In addition, the pandemic forced delays in completion of the Joint Simulation Environment (JSE), an extremely sophisticated virtual testing regime being built to assess the performance of advanced aircraft, particularly the F-35. According to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, a combination of technical challenges and the impact of COVID‐19 was delaying the maturation of the JSE. This will prevent the completion of F‐35 Block 3F software's Initial Operational Test & Evaluation by the original target date of March 2021. 2020 proved the resilience of the U.S military and the defense and aerospace, industrial base. Despite the COVID-19-created delay in fielding the JSE and conducting the full operation test and evaluation program, F-35s continues to roll off the production line, enter service and perform extraordinarily well in exercises and on operational deployments. All in all, 2020 can be recorded as a remarkable success for the F-35 program. https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2021/01/16/despite_hard_times_the_f-35_program_demonstrated_stellar_performance_in_2020_656776.html

MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded a sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price definite contract under a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The total value of this contract is $254,708,912. Under this follow-on contract, the contractor will provide maintenance and sustainment for two Terminal High Altitude Area Defense batteries for UAE. The maintenance and sustainment scope of work includes providing logistics management, logistics product database, training, missile and ground repair and return, hardware/software development and sustainment, hardware in the loop, engineering services, missile field surveillance program and country unique specialty engineering for FMS client. The work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California; Grande Prairie, Texas; Camden, Arkansas; Huntsville, Alabama; Anniston, Alabama; and Troy, Alabama. The performance period is from Jan. 15, 2021, through Jan. 14, 2026. One offer was solicited and one offer was received. UAE FMS funds in the amount of $254,708,912 will be used to fund this effort. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-19-C-5001). NAVY Huntington Ingalls Industries Fleet Support Group, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $174,910,371 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide Navy aircraft carrier Elevator Support Unit maintenance and repair. Work will be performed aboard Navy CVNs (aircraft carrier nuclear propulsion) within the continental U.S.; outside the continental U.S.; and forward deployed locations according to individual task orders, and is expected to be completed by January 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funding will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured and solicited via the beta.SAM.gov website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-D-4103). CSRA LLC, Washington, D.C., is awarded a $57,000,000 modification (P00002) to previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61340-18-D-0002. This modification increases the ceiling to provide the Navigation Seamanship Shiphandling Trainers program, training systems and upgrades to meet fleet emergent requirements based on the Chief of Naval Operations mandated expansion in navigation related training hours and navigation related training capability at schoolhouses throughout the world. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (44%); Everett, Washington (14%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (14%); Yokosuka, Japan (14%); Rota, Spain (13%); San Diego, California (0.5%); and Sasebo, Japan (0.5%), and is expected to be completed in September 2022. No funds will be obligated at time of award and funds will be issued against individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. EG Designbuild LLC,* Germantown, Maryland, is awarded a $16,239,000 firm-fixed-price task order (N69450-21-F-0872) under previously-awarded multiple-award contract N69450-19-D-0919 for construction of a Special Operations Forces watercraft maintenance facility at Naval Air Station, Key West, Florida. The task order also contains three unexercised options which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $18,385,020. The work to be performed includes construction of a new maintenance facility for the repair of special operations forces' hard-hulled and soft-hulled watercraft, including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire protection utilities. This includes demolition of the existing bunker, KW-800, currently used as a climate-controlled exercise facility by facility personnel; construction of a new vehicular entrance ramp and exit ramp to the maintenance facility; and modifications to the existing storm water permit to address the new construction. The options, if exercised, provide for a hard-hull shop, vehicular ramp and overhead cooling door, and furniture, fixtures and equipment. Three proposals were received for this task order. Work will be performed in Key West, Florida, and is expected to be completed by October 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $16,239,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $13,036,252 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N00019-21-F-0227) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0008. This modification procures non-recurring site stand-up activity, capability development, information technology systems integration and associated changes to F-35 Lightning II program and industry processes as needed to allow the Defense Logistics Agency and U.S. Transportation Command to assume North American regional warehouse and global transportation and distribution product support provider responsibilities. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (63.9%); Orlando, Florida (26.6%); Bethesda, Maryland (8.5%); and Greenville, South Carolina (1%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,518,126; and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $6,518,126, will be obligated at time of award, $6,518,126 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. EC America Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $9,053,930 firm-fixed-price order (M67854-21-F-4906) against previously issued Department of Defense Enterprise Initiative blanket purchase agreement N66001-19-A-0057. This blanket purchase agreement call order provides for the renewal of Tanium brand software license subscriptions currently deployed in the Marine Corps Enterprise Network environment and associated onsite technical support in Quantico, Virginia (100%). Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $9,053,930 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will expire Sept. 30, 2021. This was a limited-source acquisition in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74 and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, Part 8.405-6. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-21-F-4906). Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded an $8,963,961 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-5145 to exercise options for DDG 1000 ship class integrated logistics support. The Total Ship Activation (TSA) contract includes mission system activation, hull mechanical and electrical activation efforts to include waterfront integration, activation and test of Zumwalt class mission systems and mission system equipment at the system and subsystem levels; development and conduct of the Zumwalt class TSA test program; personnel, program management, planning, training and other efforts required to effectively support the execution of the Zumwalt class TSA; development and review of design drawings, technical data packages, installation control drawings and change documentation in support of Zumwalt class TSA; and development and implementation of government-approved proposed changes and the implementation of Zumwalt class cybersecurity/information assurance requirements. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (50%); and Tewksbury, Massachusetts (50%), and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $138,349 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured under the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Continuus Pharmaceuticals Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $69,300,000 firm-fixed-price contract to develop a domestic production capability for critical active pharmaceutical ingredients and final dosage form medicines using their proprietary integrated continuous manufacturing technology. These medicines are currently used to treat critically ill COVID-19 patients. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed April 15, 2023. Fiscal 2021 other procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8505-20-S-0002). Mile Two LLC, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $14,788,874 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for support to the Air Force Research Laboratory Autonomy Capabilities Team Three mission through the development of production level software systems and rapid prototyping of new operational concepts that leverage best practices for application development operations by expanding, extending, or enhancing work performed under the Air Force Small Business Innovation Research Phase II, Air Force Topic 183-005, FA8751-19-C-A048, entitled “TechSuite: TechScout and Project Tracking Prototype Applications.” Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed Jan. 15, 2026. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,297,394, will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8751-19-C-A048). ARMY Nordic Industries Inc., Olivehurst, California, was awarded a $29,554,401 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of approximately 1.8 miles of varying types of seepage cutoff walls. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Sacramento, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 15, 2021. Fiscal 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $29,554,401 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-21-C-0010). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $27,700,947 modification (P00028) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0016 for maintenance support services for Saudi Arabia's Royal Saudi Land Forces Aviation Command Aviation program. Work will be performed in Saudi Arabia, with an estimated completion date of Jul. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $27,700,947 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was awarded a $10,448,906 cost-plus-fixed-fee completion contract for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research project for the Joint All-Domain Warfighting Software (JAWS) program. JAWS seeks to develop a software suite to maximize the effectiveness of military force through theater scale battle management command and control with automation and predictive analytics. This capability would develop the enabling software for the warfighter to adaptably setup and execute synchronized kill webs encompassing the undersea, sea surface, land, air, space and electromagnetic domains. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (59%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (11%); Richardson, Texas (3%); McKinney, Texas (8%); Centennial, Colorado (1%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); and Woburn, Massachusetts (15%), with an expected completion date of April 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,000,000; and fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,918,181, are being obligated at the time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition in which 12 offers were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-21-C-0010). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2474326/source/GovDelivery/

Nathan Strout WASHINGTON — The Missile Defense Agency awarded L3Harris Technologies a $121 million contract to build a prototype satellite capable of tracking hypersonic weapons, the agency announced Jan. 14. Under the contract, L3Harris is tasked with building an on-orbit prototype demonstration for the agency's Hypersonic and Ballistic Tracking Space Sensor, a proliferated constellation in low Earth orbit that is capable of detecting and tracking hypersonic weapons. The constellation is designed to fill the gap in the country's missile defense architecture created by hypersonic weapons, which are dimmer than traditional ballistic missiles, making them harder to see with the nation's infrared sensors based in geosynchronous orbit. In addition, they are able to maneuver around terrestrial sensors. With China and Russia developing these weapons, the Department of Defense is eager to develop a new constellation that can detect and track the threats anywhere in the world. And so is Congress — in December lawmakers set aside $130 million to fund the project. The HBTSS design solves the hypersonic weapon problem by placing the sensor much closer to the Earth's surface in the lower orbit, making it easier to see the threat. But because the sensors are closer to the Earth, they have a far more limited field of view than the sensors in geosynchronous orbit. In order to achieve global coverage, the Missile Defense Agency wants a proliferated constellation made up of dozens of satellites on orbit. L3Harris was one of four companies awarded $20 million contracts in 2019 to develop a prototype payload design and risk reduction demonstration for HBTSS, along with Northrop Grumman, Leidos and Raytheon Technologies. According to the initial contract announcements, work on those designs was due Oct. 31, 2020. With this most recent award, L3Harris has won the subsequent competition between the four companies to build the actual prototype. The company has also been selected to build satellites for the Space Development Agency that will track hypersonic threats and feed data to HBTSS. In October, L3Harris won a $193 million contract to build four of the agency's eight wide field of view (WFOV) satellites, with SpaceX building four more. According to Space Development Agency leaders, their satellites will work in conjunction with HBTSS satellites to track hypersonic threats. The WFOV satellites will provide initial detection and tracing of the weapons, passing custody from satellite to satellite as the threats traverse the globe. Then, the WFOV satellites will pass custody to the medium field of view HBTSS satellites, which can provide targeting solutions with their more accurate sensors. The WFOV satellites are scheduled for launch as early as September 2022. Work on the HBTSS prototype contract will be complete in July 2023. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2021/01/14/l3harris-to-build-prototype-satellite-capable-of-tracking-hypersonic-weapons/