News

SAN DIEGO, CA, October 1, 2019 - General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army's Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) to further the development of the Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) and Flight Test Vehicle in support of the Army Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) and the Navy's Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike (IRCPS) Program. The contract award follows work performed by GA-EMS under a previous contract with the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command for the Advanced Hypersonic Weapon – Technology Demonstration program. “As new threats continue to emerge, advancing the development and flight testing of hypersonic vehicle prototypes has become an urgent priority,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Over the past 13 years, we have worked closely with the Army and Sandia National Laboratories to design, manufacture and test hypersonic glide body components and technologies. We look forward to leveraging that expertise as this critical capability transitions out of the lab and into a production-ready asset to support the warfighter.” GA-EMS will provide manufacturing, production, engineering and technical support to integrate, test, and evaluate CHGB and Flight Test Vehicles through system and subsystem-level ground and flight test activities. Deliverables include the manufacture of components, test and integration of vehicle flight components and assemblies, flight test planning and execution, and simulation, validation and verification support. About General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) Group is a global leader in the research, design, and manufacture of first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' history of research, development, and technology innovation has led to an expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions supporting aviation, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and processing and monitoring applications for critical defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide. For further information contact: EMS-MediaRelations@ga.com http://www.ga.com/general-atomics-awarded-army-contract-supporting-hypersonic-glide-body-prototype-development

Steve Trimble The U.S. Navy's MQ-25 is being developed as a carrier-based aerial refueler, but an intelligence agency is showing interest in the unmanned aircraft system for a maritime surveillance role. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has commissioned Boeing to study the integration requirements for installing the company's Multi-Mission Pod (MMP) on the MQ-25. Boeing developed the MMP using internal funding for the P-8A, a submarine hunter derived from the 737NG. It is designed to carry multiple payloads, including communication and electronic intelligence receivers. The NGA-sponsored study will evaluate how to use the MMP to introduce the agency's “maritime program” on the P-8A and MQ-25 fleets. The agency on Sept. 30 published a “justification and approval” notice for the study contract awarded to Boeing in May. Such notices are required to justify any contract awarded to a single contractor without a competition. In this case, the sole source award was justified because the MQ-25 is still early in the development phase, the NGA says, so Boeing is the only company that has access to the design data. The Navy awarded Boeing an $805 million in August 2018 to deliver four MQ-25 aircraft during the engineering and manufacturing development phase. The overall value of the deal has since risen to $944 million, of which $436 million, or 46.1%, has been obligated, according to the USASpending.gov procurement tracking site. Last month, Boeing completed the first flight of a company-funded test asset for the MQ-25 program at an airport in Illinois. The study also suggests the P-8A and MQ-25 fleet could be used to help replace the electronic intelligence capability once performed by the Lockheed EP-3E fleet. The Navy has said that the EP-3E will be replaced by a family of manned and unmanned aircraft, including the P-8A and the MQ-4C unmanned aircraft system. https://aviationweek.com/defense/intel-agency-studies-mq-25-surveillance-role

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — In recent years, the Baltic nation of Latvia has gone on a modernization spending spree, putting down cash for new Black Hawk helicopters, self-propelled howitzers, reconnaissance vehicles and anti-tank weapons. But there's another platform competition on the horizon, with officials in Riga having relaunched a stalled contest for tactical wheeled vehicles. In 2018, Latvia's Ministry of Defence awarded to Finland's Sisu Auto a €181 million (U.S. $197 million) deal for four-wheel drive armored vehicles. But the contract was overturned in early 2019 by a government watchdog after two bidders — AM General from the United States, and South Africa's Paramount Group — filed complaints over the process. Turkish firm Otokar had also bid on the program at the time. The recompete has seen offers from more than 10 companies for what will be a government-to-government agreement for a final contract. The price for the new contract will depend on the eventual winner and is not locked in at the Sisu contract level. Speaking to Defense News in September, Janis Garisons, state secretary for the MoD, said it's unlikely the government will reach a decision on the winner of the competition in the short term. “What we have to do, we will test the vehicles, because we want to ensure we are looking at vehicles fit for our terrain, that can drive into our forests and we are not [getting] stuck on the roads,” said Garisons, who is the No. 2 official at the ministry. “We will look also at the industrial part because we very much interested to have [the] ability to maintain those vehicles.” The last point is key, as Latvia is concerned about the ability to maintain its new purchases, something the country has struggled with, according to Garisons. “We don't want to be in that situation anymore.” The country is also focused on building up its domestic industrial base so that much of the maintenance on its new equipment can be done in-country, in case of conflict. Along those lines, the competition for a four-wheel drive vehicle is likely be the last big platform purchase for a while, as the ministry is turning its attention toward procurement efforts to benefit training and sustainment. “Now we face trying to implement everything and put [them] into service. This takes time, and of course all logistical tails, which goes with that,” he said. “Therefore, we now have to concentrate more on — it's not very fancy things, but basically the training is going on already on all those capabilities that [have been bought], but now we have to ensure all the logistical issues are solved and maintained and sustainment is ensured.” Regarding research and development, Latvia is working on a joint effort with Estonia to produce unmanned ground vehicles. “That is something for the future capabilities. The goal is to understand our limits and how to engage our companies, also, coming up with solutions for autonomous systems,” Garisons said. “Because I think the biggest issue right now is how to ensure that those unmanned vehicles can operate autonomously and not need the soldier operating, as that doesn't add much value.” https://www.defensenews.com/2019/10/02/latvia-relaunch-ground-vehicle-competition-following-industry-complaints

PAR LAURENT LAGNEAU Outre le renouvellement de ses véhicules blindés, confié à la « Next Generation Combat Vehicle Cross-Functional Team », l'US Army a également lancé le plan Future Vertical Lift, lequel doit lui permettre de remplacer une grande partie de ses voilures tournantes ères à l'horizon 2028/30. En avril, dans le cadre du Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft [FARA], un sous-programme de ce plan, l'US Army a pré-sélectionné cinq industriels qui devront chacun présenter un prototype. Ont donc été retenus Karem Aircraft [associé à Raytheon et Northrop Grumman], Boeing, AVX Aircraft [avec L3], Sikorsky [groupe Lockheed-Martin] et Bell [filiale de Textron]. Selon les spécifications de l'US Army, ce futur hélicoptère d'attaque doit loger dans la soute d'un avion de transport C-17, voler à la vitesse de 200 noeuds, présenter une architecture modulaire, mettre en oeuvre des drones et se passer, le cas échéant, d'équipage pour certaines missions, en particulier dans les environnements fortements contestés. Et son coût devra être « abordable ». Depuis, et alors que Boeing et Karem Aircraft sont encore discrets sur les intentions, AVX Aircraft a présenté le concept Compound Coaxial Helicopter [CCH], qui repose sur un hélicoptère doté de commandes de vol électriques, d'un rotor contrarotatif et de deux turbines. Quant à Sikorsky, il mise sur son S-97 Raider, également muni d'un rotor contrarotatif, complété par une hélice propulsive. De son côté, le 2 octobre, soit après avoir annoncé un partenariat avec Collins Aerospace pour le système de mission et l'avionique, Bell a levé le voile sur le « 360 Invictus » [tiré du mot latin signifiant « invicible » ou du poème du même nom signé William Ernest Henley?]. Reprenant des technologies développées pour le Bell 525 Relentless, notamment au niveau du rotor, cet appareil serait en mesure de voler à une vitesse supérieure à 185 noeuds [cela dépendra de sa configuration]. Côté armement, il sera équipé d'un canon de 20 mm et pourra emporter des missiles air-sol. Son rayon d'action devrait être de l'ordre de 135 nautiques, avec la possibilité de rester 90 minutes sur zone. « La lutte multi-domaines sera complexe et notre équipe fournit une solution hautement performante et à faible risque pour répondre en toute confiance aux exigences opérationnelles avec une flotte durable », a fait valoir Vince Tobin, le directeur des affaires militaires chez Bell. En effet, disposant de commandes de vol électriques, le Bell 360 Invictus fera appel à des technologies déjà éprouvées ainsi qu'à quelques innovations issues de programmes civils et militaires. Procéder de la sorte permet ainsi à l'industriel d'être très compétitif en terme de coûts, l'US Army ayant fixé à 30 millions de dollars le prix unitaire de ses futurs hélicoptères d'attaque et de reconnaissance. Les autres constructeurs qui ne l'ont pas encore fait devraient prochainement abattre leurs cartes, la prochaine phase du programme FARA devant commencer en 2020, après la sélection de deux concepts. http://www.opex360.com/2019/10/03/bell-devoile-le-360-invictus-un-nouvel-helicoptere-dattaque-et-de-reconnaissance-pour-lus-army/

AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Co., doing business as Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $163,950,489 fixed-price, incentive-firm target modification (P00148) to previously awarded contract FA8810-13-C-0002 for space based infrared system contractor logistics support. This action is a bilateral supplemental agreement executed in accordance with justification and approval 18-14. Work will be performed at outside the continental U.S. locations; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado; Greeley Air National Guard Station, Colorado; and Boulder, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are used and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The total cumulative face value of the modification is $163,950,489. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity. ASES LLC, doing business as Field Aerospace, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded a $21,346,897 firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00023) to previously award contract FA8106-18-C-0002 to exercise Option One for full rate production to begin for the T-1A Avionics Modification Program. This contract provides for the replacement of the avionics suite in the Air Education and Training Command fleet of 178 T-1A trainer aircraft, 16 operational flight trainers and 14 part task trainers. Work will be performed at Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 14, 2025. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $9,993,753; and 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $11,353,143 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. The Texas Workforce Commission, Austin, Texas, has been awarded a $17,085,515 contract modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA3016-18-D-0009 to exercise the first option period for Joint Base San Antonio/Ft. Sam Houston full food services. The contract modification exercised the first option period. Work will be performed at Joint Base San Antonio Ft. Sam Houston and Camp Bullis, and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $32,640,593. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,459,745 are being obligated at the time of the award. The 502d Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity. CACI Inc. - Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $12,693,283 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order to previously awarded contract FA8723-19-D-0001 for support vehicle programmed depot maintenance. This action is an in-scope bilateral supplemental agreement executed in accordance with the terms of Mobile Command and Control Systems contract. Work will performed at Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Greeley Air National Guard Station, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2023. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $12,693,283. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,916,938 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8823-19-F-0013). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Eaton Aeroquip LLC, Jackson, Michigan, has been awarded a maximum $69,387,451 fixed-price contract for hoses, assemblies and other related parts. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. This is an eight year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Michigan, with an Oct. 1, 2027, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2028 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7MX-20-D-0003). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Four Points Technology LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HT0015-19-F-0161), was awarded a firm-fixed-price order for $12,428,715 (12-months), using fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds, subject to availability. This is an enterprise level order on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Solution for Enterprise Wide Procurement (SEWP) for InterSystems Software renewal. This procurement is for InterSystems Software maintenance renewal to support the existing InterSystems Software deployed across the Department of Defense. These products provide relational databases collating all patient health information into a query engine application for use by healthcare providers. The requirement was competed on NASA SEWP as a 100% service disabled veteran owned small business set aside for InterSystems renewal, and Four Points Technology LLC provided the lowest-price-technically-acceptable quote. The amount of $12,428,715 for the base year is obligated at the time of award. The Defense Health Agency Enterprise Medical Support – Contracting Division (EMS-CD), located in San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 30, 2019) NAVY General Electric Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $10,592,822 modification (P00002) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-18-C-1061). This modification exercises an option to procure two F414-GE-400 production install engines, five engine devices, and 29 engine device K-seals in support of Lot 23 engine production for the F/A-18E/F aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts (48%); Evendale, Ohio (20%); Hooksett, New Hampshire (14%); Rutland, Vermont (9%); and Madisonville, Kentucky (9%), and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,592,822 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $7,892,950 modification (P00038) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for the Communication Interface System Obsolescence for the Apache AH-64E full rate production. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $7,892,950 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The Sept. 6, 2019, announcement of an award to BAE Systems Inc., York, Pennsylvania, for a modification (P00015) to contract W56HZC-18-C-0133 included an incorrect estimated work completion date. The estimated completion date is March 31, 2022. All other information in the original announcement remains the same. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Louis Berger Aircraft Services, Greenville, South Carolina (HTC711-17-C-C002), has been awarded a $7,226,021 modification (P00008) for air terminal ground handling services contract in Kuwait. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $20,265,296 from $13,039,275. Work will be performed at Al Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait, with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds were obligated at time of award. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Oct. 1, 2019) *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1978068/source/GovDelivery/

By: Stephen Losey One of the top priorities of Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, the newly minted head of Air Education and Training Command, will be expanding the Air Force's experiment with virtual reality training. So far, the Air Force has had success with Pilot Training Next, which uses VR, biometrics and artificial intelligence to better teach aspiring pilots how to fly. Webb is eyeing similar technologies, under the name Learning Next, to improve other forms of technical training. This could include teaching airmen how to maintain aircraft, fly remotely piloted aircraft or perform other technical tasks. These programs allow students' education to proceed more at their own pace, since they are based on competency and are not tied to a timetable, Wright said. A student who already has the fundamentals down can skip the basics and go right to what he or she needs to learn. AETC is now in the process of broadening Pilot Training Next, which has been a demonstration, to the next phase of wider experimentation, Webb said. He and Maj. Gen. Craig Wills, commander of the 19th Air Force, are working on plans to expand Pilot Training Next. By next summer, Webb wants to have set up Pilot Training Next elements at several squadrons, though it wouldn't be across all undergraduate pilot training bases. A few classes after that, Webb expects, Pilot Training Next will be expanded to all UPT bases. The Pilot Training Next expansion will likely be done methodically, at one base first, Webb said, though he would not say which base AETC is looking at. “What has happened in our last couple of years with Pilot Training Next has been an explosion, out of the box, of innovation,” Webb said. “Make no mistake, the Air Force wants this inculcated as fast as we can go,” he said. AETC is already in the “nascent stages” of testing VR and other technology-enhanced training for maintenance and other technical training as part of Learning Next, Webb said. Maintenance Next is a particular priority and is happening on an experimental basis at Kelly Field at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, he said, and using VR for RPA training is also proceeding. As the VR pilot training shows, such programs can accelerate in a hurry, he said. Ethics Webb also wants to cultivate an “environment of excellence, professionalism, ethics and character development” during his time at AETC. Webb, who was previously commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, pointed to the ethical clouds that have fallen over parts of the special operations community in recent years. For example, the Navy relieved the entire senior leadership team of SEAL Team 7 earlier this month over what it described as leadership failures that resulted in a breakdown of good order and discipline while deployed. AFSOC took a hard look at itself, Webb said, to make sure it doesn't allow similar lapses to fester. “For a leader, you can never ... talk about core values enough,” Webb said. “If I had to look myself in the mirror from my last command, I can tell you my team knew our mission and vision of priorities backwards and forwards.” But while airmen at AFSOC understood Air Force core values, he acknowledged he didn't always articulate those values in his everyday “walk-around, talk-around” encounters. That can create problems if leaders assume airmen already know about the core values, he said. When a unit starts to feel the pressure from high operations tempos and a lack of resources, Webb said, that “get-'er-done” mentality can lead to bad decisions if airmen don't have a firm foundation of the Air Force core values. “If you don't have a firm foundation, you can go to a dark place with that ... ‘find a way to yes' mentality,” Webb said. “We've got to always talk about professionalism and ethics, and also always talk about our core values. That will be a capstone” of his time at AETC. Webb said he plans to continue with AETC's recent improvements in how special warfare airmen are recruited and trained, which included standing up the new Special Warfare Training Wing and the special warfare-focused 330th Recruiting Squadron. More work needs to be done to “normalize” and fine-tune those units, and more firmly fold them into AETC's everyday culture, he said. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/09/16/virtual-reality-training-for-pilots-maintainers-and-more-expands-in-2020

By: Diana Stancy Correll Operating in austere conditions, beyond well-defended bases, is likely in the event of a conflict with a near-peer adversary like Russia or China, according to Air Force leaders. As a result, the service has increasingly focused on its ability to operate in degraded combat environments the past several years. The biennial Mobility Guardian exercise now underway in Washington state is testing mobility aircraft's readiness to conduct their missions in such contested environments. For Air Mobility Command's largest readiness exercise, more than 4,000 U.S. and troops, including members of the Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps are now at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane and other Western locations to train for airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation and global air mobility support. The exercise is also designed to sharpen participants' abilities to conduct forcible entry, airfield seizure, strategic deterrence and humanitarian relief operations, according to the service. As just one example of the kind of training going on, airmen from the 92nd Logistics Readiness Squadron employed a Fuels Operational Readiness Capability Equipment system, marking the first time the mobile fuel bladders have been used stateside in an uncontested environment. “We use the FORCE to help sustain bare bases and allow for fuel distribution anywhere around the world at a moment's notice,” said Master Sgt. Daniel Rey, 92nd LRS fuels information service center section chief. “The bladder can hold up to 50,000 gallons of fuel, which can help service a wide range of friendly aircraft.” Meanwhile, at Moses Lake, about 100 miles southwest of Fairchild, airmen from the 621st Contingency Response Wing provided tactical operations center support during a first-of-its-kind Ability to Survive and Operate scenario Sept. 16, according to an Air Force news release. In the scenario, aircrew from Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom aboard a KC-135 Stratotanker reported chemical contamination while performing an aeromedical evacuation. The Contingency Response Team at the TOC coordinated ground decontamination support and received the aircraft. “We provided command and control coverage, access to ramp space and a location to set up a decontamination line for aircrew flight equipment,” said Master Sgt. Jeremiah Ibarra, 321st CRT chief, in the release. “From the tactical operations center we coordinated with the air operations center to get AFE the equipment and supplies they needed.” CRTs deploy to locations that don't have established air support, and deploy forces that can open and operate an airfield. “We set up airfields and ramps, communicate aircraft landing, parking, maintenance, refueling and fleet service,” Ibarra said. “To my knowledge this is the biggest CRT operation that has ever happened.” The CRT is training alongside the 515th Air Mobility Operations Wing, Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, and the 521st AMOW, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, at Moses Lake to demonstrate the capability to operate as an integrated team. “To have the CRT embedded with us here isn't something that we do often, but it has been super beneficial.” said Capt. Jennifer Krutka, officer in-charge of Moses Lake, in the news release. “It has truly been a team effort. We have port airmen learning how to do maintenance and maintenance personnel learning port duties. One of Gen. [Maryanne] Miller's initiatives was to be more versatile airman, and we are doing that here.” Miller, the head of Air Mobility Command, stressed the significance of the exercise as it related to the 2018 National Defense Strategy at the Air Force Association's Air, Space Cyber conference last week. “It is imperative that we outpace our adversaries and best position the mobility air forces to defeat the threats of tomorrow,” Miller said. She also said the exercises align with the command's evolution over the past year into a “warfighting component command” that streamlines the mobility of forces through direct coordinating authority. “The world has changed and through our transformation efforts, AMC has adapted to meet the growing requirements and accelerated global demands,” Miller said. “As a more agile organization, we have increased our ability to fully leverage the full complement of our mobility resources.” The Air Force says another element of the exercise is fostering relationships with allies. There are nearly 30 international partners participating in the exercise this year. “The future of warfare will be increasingly joint,” Lt. Col. Joseph Monaco, director of Mobility Guardian, said in an Air Force news release Sept. 9. “This exercise is an unparalleled opportunity to develop joint-minded airmen who can integrate seamlessly with soldiers, sailors and Marines to compete and if necessary, win amidst great power adversaries.” The exercise, which kicked off Sept. 8 and concludes Sept. 28, employs aircraft including the KC-10 Extender, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-5 Super Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III and C-130H/J Hercules and Super Hercules. Of the 4,000 service members, 2,500 are from AMC. https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2019/09/25/air-mobility-command-exercise-tests-ability-to-operate-in-degraded-combat-environments

Liberty Defense Holdings Ltd., a leading concealed weapons detection solutions company, announced that it has signed a collaboration agreement with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) to beta test HEXWAVE. GTAA operates Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, west of Toronto in Ontario. Toronto Pearson is Canada's largest airport facility, welcoming 49.5 million passengers in 2018 alone. Toronto Pearson will be the first airport to partner with Liberty to test HEXWAVE. “Aviation security has been a key driver of the development of new security technologies and services globally, helping travelers to feel safe in an ever-changing threat environment,” said Bill Riker, CEO of Liberty Defense. HEXWAVE uses 3D radar imaging and artificial intelligence, primarily to detect and identify weapons, as well as other threats and anomalies. It enables security teams to detect these threats at the perimeter of a property without obstructing the movement of large groups of people. HEXWAVE enables a layered defense strategy, which provides security teams with more time to manage threats. “It is not our intention to replace the existing security measures in airports, but to extend the security perimeter of aviation facilities by providing security between the curb and airport gate, which is a great example of how a layered defense approach can be implemented. Furthermore, HEXWAVE's ability to operate in both indoor and outdoor environments further enables the security parameter be expanded, in combination with its modular and scalable design, which will help make transportation infrastructure, such as airports, safer,” added Riker. “The GTAA is committed to a proactive security philosophy that stays ahead of emerging threats across our aviation infrastructure to minimize risk for passengers, employees and property. We track emerging technologies with the goal of balancing our operational security needs with overall customer service to make moving through Toronto Pearson a positive experience,” said Dwayne Macintosh, Director of Corporate Safety and Security for the GTAA. This beta testing phase is a key part of HEXWAVE's development process. The incremental testing of the system in actual facilities can help to ensure that the product is aligned with market requirements. “HEXWAVE caught my attention with its capability to detect both metallic and non-metallic objects and the flexibility for its deployment across the airport. We work with our partners to evaluate their products and evaluate how they can complement our operational reality. We're excited to work with Liberty Defense to see how we can make HEXWAVE a success at Toronto Pearson,” added Macintosh. This beta testing phase is a key part of HEXWAVE's development process. Testing the system in operational and diverse facilities can help to ensure that it is aligned to market requirements. Beta testing is expected to begin later in 2019 and progress into 2020. Liberty will also beta test HEXWAVE at FC Bayern Munich's Allianz Arena in Germany, Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C., Maryland Stadium Authority's Camden Yards Complex, in the state of Utah, with the Virginia Division of Capitol Police, in Sleiman shopping centers, in a Hindu temple, and in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/liberty-defense-to-test-hexwave-at-toronto-pearson

ByEd Adamczyk Oct. 1 (UPI) -- Fluor Marine Propulsion LLC received a $1.07 billion contract to continue its work at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory, the Defense Department announced. The contract covers work on naval nuclear propulsion technology, including the research, design, construction, testing, operation, maintenance and ultimate disposition to support safe and reliable operation of the country's submarine and aircraft carrier fleets. The Laboratory is a joint U.S. Navy-U.S. Department of Energy program and is operated by Fluor, with four facilities in three states. The lab is dedicated solely to support the United States Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program. The lab employs over 7,500 engineers, scientists, technicians and support personnel, all of whom will continue in their current roles and pay levels, with no reduction in force, the Pentagon said in the contract announcement. The contract calls for management and operation of facilities in Pittsburgh; Schenectady, N.Y., and Idaho Falls, Idaho. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/10/01/Fluor-nets-107B-for-work-on-advanced-naval-nuclear-propulsion