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Par BOQUET Justine Le premier Gripen E brésilien a réalisé son premier vol. Le 26 août, le premier Gripen E brésilien a rejoint les airs pour la première fois. Ce premier vol, d'une durée de 65 minutes, a été réalisé par le pilote d'essai Richard Ljunberg. Le Gripen E 39-6001 a ainsi pu être mis en œuvre afin de valider plusieurs capacités et d'évaluer l'appareil à différentes altitudes et vitesses. Le 39-6001 sera désormais principalement employé par la conduite de tests, notamment au niveau des capteurs et systèmes embarqués. Ce premier vol aura eu lieu un peu moins de cinq ans après la signature du contrat, a rappelé Hakan Buske, PDG de Saab. Ainsi, en octobre 2014 le Brésil et l'industriel suédois ont finalisé un contrat de 6,03 Md$, comprenant 28 Gripen E et 8 Gripen F. La livraison des 36 appareils devraient s'étaler sur la période 2019 – 2024. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/premier-vol-du-gripen-e-brsilien-21614

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Saab says it completed a successful flight for Brazil's first Gripen E fighter jet. This aircraft is the first Brazilian production aircraft and will be used in the joint test program as a test aircraft, according to the firm. If it decides to bid on the future fighter project for the Canadian Forces, Saab is expected to offer the Gripen E. The first Gripen E for the Swedish military is expected to be delivered later this year. The first of the 36 aircraft ordered by Brazil in a $5-billion program will be delivered in 2021. The Pentagon is moving forward to deal with issues about a lack of spare parts for the F-35. It has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $2.4 billion U.S. to provide more spare parts for the aircraft. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in April that the lack of parts had a significant impact in 2018 on the availability of the aircraft worldwide. The latest issue of Esprit de Corps magazine has some more industry news. It noted that earlier this year Seaspan Shipyards announced that Algoma Steel Inc. has won the contract to provide steel plates for the Royal Canadian Navy's new Joint Support Ships. Seaspan's supply partner, Samuel Custom Plate of British Columbia, conducted the competition that selected Algoma. Under the contract, Samuel Custom Plate will subcontract Algoma to provide steel plates which will be used to construct part of the hull of the JSS. In other developments, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian Remotely Piloted Aircraft – designed and developed by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. – has now flown more than 100 test flights as development continues towards its first delivery to the Royal Air Force as part of the Protector RG Mk1 program. The Royal Air Force is acquiring SkyGuardian as part of its Protector RG Mk1 program and is scheduled for first delivery in the early 2020s. Belgium's government has approved the Belgian Defence Ministry to negotiate for the acquisition of SkyGuardian to meet that nation's remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) requirements. The aircraft is also being considered by the Australian Defence Force, who chose GA-ASI to supply an RPA system for Project Air 7003. Contracts are being awarded for the Joint Support Ship program. Leonardo DRS announced that its Canadian subsidiary, DRS Technologies Canada Ltd will be providing tactical integrated communications systems to Seaspan's Vancouver Shipyards for the Royal Canadian Navy's Joint Support Ship program. This includes the provision of the Secure Voice and Tactical Intercommunication System, the ship's telephone system and the main broadcast and alarm system. In addition, DRS's scope includes the flight deck communications system, the sound and self-powered systems and the medical communications system. To satisfy the Canadian Navy's Tactical and Secure Voice requirements, DRS TCL will provide its Shipboard Integrated Communications System (SHINCOM 3100) including the helicopter audio distribution system, recorder storage units, and a selection of DRS TCL's 3D spatial audio tactical terminals and ancillaries. For external communications, the company will provide the wideband audio network data switching system for automated switching of any source to any radio. SHINCOM 3100 is the latest generation in shipboard communications technology, which provides reliable, red/ black security-certified tactical communications for naval operators. SHINCOM was originally developed for the Canadian Patrol Frigate program, and later installed on board the Iroquois-class destroyers and Protecteur-class auxiliary oiler ships of the Royal Canadian Navy. The system is already installed on board the Royal Canadian Navy's Halifax-class frigates, and with the United States Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, and the Republic of Korea Navy. For JSS, DRS TCL will produce two shipsets, the first of which will be delivered in early 2020. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/brazils-gripen-e-makes-first-flight-f-35-parts-deal-underway-and-other-defence-industry-news

by Howard Slutsken In the back of a tree-lined industrial mall a few miles from Vancouver International Airport, a fellow named Jerry is playing with water. It's his job to fill a big orange fabric bucket, lift it up into the air on a winch, and then hit a big black button to open a valve in the bottom of the bucket. Water cascades out in a controlled torrent, splashing into an inground pool. Over and over, he lowers the bucket down into the pool, refills it, winches it back up, and hits the button until he's satisfied with the bucket's performance. Jerry works for SEI Industries and he's testing a Bambi Bucket, the indispensable aerial firefighting tool invented and made in Canada. “Thousands and thousands have been sold,” said Sergio Fukamati, director of SEI's firefighting division, in a recent interview with Skies. “Our standard Bambi Bucket with a single drop valve is still the most popular one, but the Bambi MAX with its multi-drop valve is becoming the industry standard.” The flexible buckets are sized to match the lifting capability of virtually every helicopter type. Capacities range from a small 270-litre Bambi to the huge 9,800-litre bucket that's carried by heavy-lift helicopters like the Boeing Chinook or Russian Mil machines. The Bambi Bucket was invented by Don Arney in 1978, and the first model was delivered in 1982. Since then, the bucket has undergone continuous improvement, reflecting new technologies in manufacturing and materials. The latest version is the new i-MAX, currently in testing and scheduled to be commercially available later next year. “This is a Bambi that incorporates a load cell in the control head of the bucket where it hooks to the helicopter,” explained Fukamati. “It integrates with a touch screen control in the cabin, where a pilot can punch in a specific load, and the bucket adjusts.” Like other MAX buckets, this smart Bambi can be programmed to drop varying amounts of water over several drops. Bambi Buckets can also be equipped with a snorkel system to suck water out of an available source with a depth as little as 18 inches. This kind of product evolution is at the heart of SEI's mission – after all, the company's name stands for “Science, Engineering and Innovation.” The company has a team of 87 people working in its Delta, B.C., facility. “We have a very high engineering to salesperson ratio. There's one engineer for every salesperson, which is very unique,” said Paul Reichard, director of SEI's remote site division. “That gives us a lot of engineering bench strength. When customers come to us with a problem, we can do it from beginning to end and we can do it quickly.” SEI's focus on engineering expertise and nimble innovation has led the company to develop a wide range of products. Leveraging its knowledge of fabric materials and welding technologies, SEI has been manufacturing fuel bladders since the mid-1990s. With more than 45 unique products spanning a variety of climatic conditions and bladder capacities, SEI's remote site products are in service with more than 50 military forces and commercial companies worldwide. The crossover between military requirements and commercial opportunities has created an interesting path for SEI's product development. According to Reichard, the need to position water close to a forest fire for Bambi Bucket operations led to the “dip tank” – think of a flexible, portable above-ground swimming pool. The Canadian military saw the product and asked if it could be used as a drinking water supply for remote locations. So SEI reworked the dip tank, put a cover on it, and the “onion tank” was born. To move the fluids in and out of bladders and tanks, SEI created a range of pumping systems. Most recently, the company developed a containerized system for Japan's military that will be pre-positioned for quick emergency response. Then one day, a call came in from the Columbian military, a customer using SEI's bladder and pumping systems. The military was trying to solve its logistical problems with ground deliveries of fuel – their trucks were being hijacked or stolen. “They took the smallest bladder tank we made – which is 5,000 gallons – put it in a DC-3 and asked us to come down to Columbia to show us what they did,” explained Reichard. “The idea worked, and they had strapping systems to try and hold the thing down. But it was moving around, the straps were abrading, and it was leaking fuel in the aircraft. “I was sitting there thinking, ‘This looks so dangerous,' and they asked, ‘Well, can you make it safer for us?'” Yes, SEI could. And did. Designed specifically for the safe and efficient air transport of fuels, SEI's Bulk Aviation Transport Tank – or BATT – is a tank within a tank. The inner fuel resistant tank can store diesel, jet fuel or gasoline – or in the case of SEI's new Multi-fuel BATT, all three. To prevent the fuel from sloshing around in flight, the tank has a system of baffles – one version for airplane BATTs and one for helicopters, reflecting the differing in-flight dynamics. The outer tank is also fuel resistant, and the flexible material has the strength to handle the stresses of transport, as well as being abrasion and puncture resistant. The two tanks are connected at the ends with flanges and internal side straps, and the external tank has an integrated harness system to secure the BATT inside the aircraft. Working with its suppliers, SEI specifies the properties of the materials it uses to make its products. After cutting the components, radio-frequency fabric welding creates a joint that's equal in tensile strength to the base level's properties. It's so strong, it's as if there isn't a weld. The first BATT was delivered to the Columbian military in 2009. By 2012, the tanks were being sold to commercial operators in Canada. The smallest BATTs can be transported in a de Havilland Otter or a Cessna Caravan. The biggest BATT holds 9,500 litres of fuel, sized for large cargo planes serving mining, resource, military or other remote facilities, for example. Aircraft such as the Boeing 737 or Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules can carry two BATT tanks at once. When a BATT is emptied, it can be rolled up to a fraction of its filled size. In Canada's North “a BATT tank and a ground bladder are a very efficient model for a small exploration site,” said Reichard. “Compared to fuel drums, these systems are a lot less likely to have fuel spills and to cause injuries because they're not handled as much. From an environmental perspective, it's a cleaner site.” SEI's portfolio covers aviation, fire suppression, fire, ignition, exploration and environmental management, including spill response and containment. This is serious business, balanced perhaps by the unique names bestowed upon the company's products. When a wildfire team must fight fire with fire, SEI's Dragon Egg ignition spheres can be used to create a controlled burn. Safer than using open torches, crews spread Dragon Eggs over the burn area. Smaller than a ping-pong ball, the timing of each Egg's ignition is carefully controlled by the last-minute injection of a triggering chemical. Also in SEI's product family are RainDrain, Drip Defender, and Spill Monkey fluid containment systems; Arctic King, Desert King and Jungle King bladder tanks; and Pumpkin and Heliwell water tanks. “Our owner has always been very active in the naming process; he wants us to keep a light heart in it, but also look for uniqueness,” said Reichard. So, how did the Bambi Bucket get its name? Some believe that the iconic orange water bucket was named after the famous animated deer. Others think that it honours a waitress named Bambi who worked in a pub in Boise, Idaho, where forest firefighters hung out. “Neither is true, and it's not a sexy story,” admitted Fukamati. He explained that in 1978, a marketer asked SEI founder Don Arney about a name for his soon-to-be industry-changing invention. “Don had to come up with a name, and just out of the air he said, ‘We'll call it the Bambi Bucket.' Don was just joking, but his friend said, ‘It sounds good – it's a great name!'” That's SEI's story, and they're sticking to it! https://www.skiesmag.com/features/from-buckets-to-batts-the-sei-story/

You're invited to attend the world's largest event to inspire female future leaders in aviation, aerospace, marine and defence, and other high-tech STEM fields. Everyone is welcome and events are always free for all participants to prevent barriers to participation. This is made possible by the generous support of agency, industry, community and education partners. You may be aware that the event has previously been held in March during the week of International Women's Day. For reasons outside of Achieve Anything Foundation's (AAF) control, it had to postpone the 2019 event to Oct. 5-6, coinciding with the week of the Canadian-driven International Day of the Girl. It plans to evaluate the success and feedback from the fall dates, and then evaluate whether this should become a permanent change. The Sky's No Limit – Girls Fly Too! (GF2) is not an air show and the event is not just for “girls”. In fact, it's the world's largest gender diversity outreach event of its kind in aviation, aerospace, marine and defence and everyone is welcome. This is an international, multi-agency event to which the Canadian Coast Guard, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, municipal police forces, local and international search and rescue organizations, first responders, civilian companies, educational institutions, the United States and Canadian Armed Forces are invited to participate and highlight the various aspects of aviation, aerospace, marine and defence. The combined represented assets of these agencies totalled over a billion dollars in 2018. This Canadian signature annual event showcases an unprecedented international partnership towards the improvement of gender and cultural diversity in high-tech STEM fields. Over the weekend, tens of thousands of Canadian and U.S. citizens come to the completely free GF2 event to interact with military/civilian aircraft and tactical assets, hands on activities and interactive displays. Participants and major media representatives are present at the opening ceremony to listen to the leadership from Canada, United States, B.C. and other major government agencies, speaking to the importance of nurturing this international partnership toward improving gender and cultural diversity in high-tech fields. Entering its eighth year, its had over 67,300 in attendance at the GF2 events, with 9,172 girls and women given free first-time helicopter flights. With the successful conclusion of GF2 2019, AAF anticipates surpassing 100,000 participants and achieving 12,000 free flights. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/the-skys-no-limit-girls-fly-too-event-landing-in-abbotsford-in-october/

AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $500,000,000, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity single award contract for Qatar Emiri Air Force (QAEF) F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training. This contract will provide F-15QA aircrew and maintenance training to support the QEAF. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri, and moving to Qatar in 2021 and is expected to be completed August 2026. This is a sole-source requirement as the Boeing Co. has been country-designated as the sole-source provider for the F-15QA program, including F-15QA specific training, under the QEAF Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case QA-D-TAH. FMS funds in the amount of $262,147,569 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Agency/338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-19-D-A007). Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $47,959,610 delivery order (FA8504-19-F-0018) to previously awarded contract FA8504-17-D-0002 for C-130J propulsion long-term sustainment. This order provides funding for Option II. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $47,959,610. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and other various locations supporting C-130J propulsion long-term sustainment and is expected to be completed when the last engines are delivered. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $47,959,610 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $349,014,465 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Phase 2 of the Maritime Strike Tomahawk Rapid Deployment Capability for completion of the Phase 1 design and integration efforts as well as test and evaluation. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (69.3%); Dallas, Texas (6.6%); Boulder, Colorado (5.8%); Walled Lake, Michigan (3.9%); Englewood, Colorado (2.7%); Bristol, Pennsylvania (2.5%); North Logan, Utah (1.9%); Suwanee, Georgia (0.6%); and various locations within the U.S. (6.7%), and is expected to be completed in February 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $44,577,180 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0079). Reyes Construction Inc., Pomona, California, is awarded $21,899,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-5131 under a previously awarded, multiple award construction contract (N62473-16-D-1804) for design-bid-build to retrofit the graving dock at Naval Base, San Diego. The work to be performed provides for the retrofit the graving dock and includes asbestos and lead base paint abatement. The project includes demolition of the graving dock concrete deck; drill, grout and install micro piles; and install new reinforcement bars and cast-in-place concrete forming the sonar pit. Project includes installation of automated in-haul system to provide more precise horizontal control and in-haul of vessels during evolutions. The in-haul system will consist of capstan at end of dry dock for in-haul and a rail on each side of the dry dock with a series of trolleys fastened to mooring lines from the vessel. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2022. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $21,899,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, California, is awarded $17,737,397 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-5130 under a previously awarded, multiple award construction contract (N62473-18-D-5853) for the design-build construction of a directed energy integration laboratory at Naval Base, Ventura County. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a three-story building with laboratory and office space, site improvements, and all utilities. The options, if exercised, provide for an additional square footage of administrative space and open laboratory space. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $18,947,274. Work will be performed in Point Mugu, California, and is expected to be completed by January 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $17,737,397 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Teradyne Inc.,* Reading, Massachusetts, is awarded a $14,456,731 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year period of performance, to procure Enhanced Tactical Pod Tester (e-TPT). The e-TPT is a portable operational level test platform system, specifically for the AN/ALQ-99 airborne electronic warfare jamming system, found on EA-6B and EA-18G military aircraft. Work will be performed in Reading, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,594,641will be obligated at the time of contract award, and $247,571 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-WS26). Advanced Technology International, Summerville, South Carolina (N00174-18-D-0009); and PAE National Security Solutions LLC, Fredericksburg, Virginia (N00174-18-D-0008), are each awarded a modification to their respective previously-awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to exercise Option Two for support services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division Demonstration and Assessment Team. This requirement will provide support services to the Demonstration and Assessment Team for coordination of operational forces, to include warfighter workshops and other engagement activities, preparation and facilitation of technology demonstration and assessment planning and readiness meetings, and analysis and reporting of warfighting/warfighter inputs and concepts. Each task order will be competitively procured. Advanced Technology International will be awarded an $8,777,905 modification, which brings the cumulative value of this contract to $25,848,029. PAE National Security Solutions LLC will be awarded an $8,328,452 modification, which brings the cumulative value of this contract to $24,513,838. The location of the work will be determined by individual task orders and is expected to be completed by September 2022. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Wyle Laboratories Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded $8,433,703 for modification P00004 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable contract (N00421-17-C-0056). This modification provides program management services for the F/A-18 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program in support of the government of Australia. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (83%); Whidbey Island, Washington (7%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (4%); North Island, California (3%); Amberley, Australia (2%); and Oceana, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed in August 2020. FMS funds in the amount of $6,807,165 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY BAE, Kingsport, Tennessee, was awarded a $202,437,733 fixed-price-incentive contract for the production and delivery of explosives and components at Holston Army Ammunition Plant, Tennessee. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-D-0074). Parsons Government Services Inc., Pasadena, California, was awarded a $139,123,690 firm-fixed-price contract for runway repair at Bucholz Army Airfield, Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 22, 2022. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $139,123,690 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (W9128A-19-C-0005). FLIR Surveillance Inc., Wilsonville, Oregon, was awarded a $92,875,276 firm-fixed-price contract for repair and refurbishment and logistics support. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W909MY-19-D-0016). Korte Construction Co., St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $63,921,812 firm-fixed-price contract to design and build a KC-46A Depot Maintenance Hangar at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $63,921,812 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-19-C-0015). Diversified Technical Systems Inc.,* Seal Beach, California, was awarded a $38,441,877 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of Warrior Injury Assessment Manikin anthropomorphic test devices. 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 Aug. 27, 2019. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-D-0011). The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $33,581,477 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for non-recurring engineering design activities for integrating the Improved Turbine Engine into the AH-64E Apache helicopter. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0054). Valiant Global Defense Services Inc., San Diego, California, was awarded a $10,645,455 hybrid (cost-no-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for Korea Battle Simulation Center operations and wide area networking support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2025. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $4,827,976 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army 411th Contracting Support Brigade, Republic of Korea, is the contracting activity (W91QVN-19-F-0139). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Noble Supply and Logistics,* Rockland, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $90,000,000 firm-fixed-price bridge contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 15-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is the Southeast Region Zone 2 of the U.S., with a Nov. 28, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contract activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E3-19-D-0010). SupplyCore Inc.,* Rockford, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $77,500,000 firm-fixed-price bridge contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 15-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is the Southeast Region Zone 1 of the U.S., with a Nov. 28, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contract activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E3-19-D-0009). A-dec Inc., Newberg, Oregon, has been awarded a maximum $49,500,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with 88 responses received; 22 contracts have been awarded to date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Location of performance is Oregon, with an Aug. 31, 2024, performance completion date. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-19-D-0015). Latina Boulevard Produce LLC,* Cheektowaga, New York, has been awarded a maximum $49,353,705 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a 54-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a Feb. 27, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force and Department of Agriculture schools and reservations. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-P346). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $27,000,000 undefinitized contractual action delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-0LB9) against a five-year base contract (SPRPA1-14-D-002U) with one five-year option period for E-6B repair. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is Oklahoma, with a March 1, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1946835/source/GovDelivery/

By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — The Swiss government plans to make the integration of combat aircraft and ground-based air defense assets a key benchmark in its planned $8 billion Air 2030 program, according to officials. Program leaders disclosed the desire for a high degree of interplay between the two competing missile-defense offers and four possible aircraft types during a news conference in the capital Bern earlier this month. The comments reveal a new front in the selection criteria for one of Europe's most prized defense acquisitions, where the air and ground portions had always existed as separate tracks. Fear of fratricide in Switzerland's small and crowded airspace is one of two key factors driving the need for close integration between ground and aerial assets, said Swiss Air Force Col. Marco Forrer. Given the country's alpine terrain and the requirement to hit targets more than 50 kilometers away and over 12 kilometers high, official are concerned about erroneously downing civilian planes, he said. “That's why BodLuv has to be integrated into the Air Force operational picture and command-and-control network,” Forrer said, referring to the German-language acronym for the ground-based program Bodengestützte Luftverteidigung. Forrer added that a high level of integration also is crucial to keeping costs down, enabling air defenders to engage targets with greater precision and — hopefully — fewer misses. Of the total Air 2030 program, $6 billion is slated for a new fleet of aircraft, while $2 billion is budgeted for ground-based defenses. In the aerial segment, the planes in play are the Airbus Eurofighter Typhoon, the Lockheed Martin F-35, Dassault's Rafale and Boeing's F-18 Super Hornet. In the ground segment, Swiss officials are left with choosing between Raytheon's Patriot and the SAMP-T system, which is made by an MBDA-Thales consortium called Eurosam. Israel's Rafael, which was also invited to bid with its David's Sling system, never responded to the invitation, presumably following pressure by the Israeli or American governments to stay out of the race. Swiss officials have complained that they never got a straight answer explaining Rafael's abstention, and the company's non-response has left them worried about the losing an element of competition in the race that could make for lower costs. “It can have a negative impact on the competitive situation,” said Christian Catrina, who oversees Air 2030 at Switzerland's defense ministry. “We will never know if so and how strongly. We would have appreciated having three contenders.” Following a similar wave of aircraft tests in Switzerland over the spring and early summer, evaluations of the two ground-based systems, namely regarding their radar sensors, began this month. First up is the Patriot system with a two-week test, which will end Aug. 30; SAMP-T is next, beginning Sept. 16. The tests will take place at an army range near Menzingen, central Switzerland, where the Swiss operated the Bloodhound weapon system until its retirement in the late 1990s. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/08/28/swiss-seek-package-deal-of-ground-based-weapons-combat-aircraft/

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has picked an Oshkosh Defense and Flyer Defense LLC team, an SAIC and Polaris team, and GM Defense to competitively build Infantry Squad Vehicles intended to provide ground mobility for infantry brigade combat teams. Each industrial choice was awarded an OTA, or other transaction authority, task assignment under the National Advanced Mobility Consortium to deliver and test two prototypes each, said Steve Herrick, ground mobility vehicle product lead with the Army's Program Executive Office Combat Support & Combat Service Support, in a statement sent to Defense News. OTA is a congressionally authorized contracting mechanism meant to expedite prototyping efforts. The three received $1 million to build the vehicles and it's expected that the Army will take delivery of the prototypes on Nov. 13 at Aberdeen Test Center, Maryland. The prototypes will be evaluated in various performance, operational and characteristics tests through the end of the year and will then be transported to Fort Bragg, North Carolina, in January to be assessed by soldiers, Herrick said. Each industrial choice is expected to simultaneously deliver information to the Army on price, production and logistics. The Army will choose one vehicle for production in the second quarter of fiscal 2020 based on soldier feedback and response to a formal request for proposals leading to production. The Army Requirements Oversight Council approved an Army procurement object for 649 Infantry Squad Vehicles with an objective requirement of 2,065 ISVs in February. The ISV is intended to supplement and potentially replace vehicles the Army procured as version 1.1 of the Ground Mobility Vehicle. The ISV “is additive” to infantry brigade combat teams “and currently not planned as a replacement for current vehicles in the formation,” according to Herrick. Oshkosh and Flyer, in a way, represent the incumbent, as Flyer produced the GMV 1.1. vehicle currently fielded. Flyer Defense “is the design authority” and will lead the team in building the prototypes, according to a statement from the team. GM Defense's ISV is based on its Chevrolet Colorado midsize truck and its ZR2 and ZR2 Bison variants, according to a company statement, “supplemented with both custom and commercially available parts proven by Chevy performance engineering in more than 10,000 miles of punishing off-road development and desert racing in the Best of the Desert Racing series.” The SAIC-Polaris team is submitting the DAGOR vehicle, which “delivers off-road mobility while meeting the squad's payload demands, all within the weight and size restrictions that maximize tactical air transportability,” according to Jed Leonard, vice president of Polaris Government and Defense. The DAGOR ISV “will leverage and further enhance the already proven, production-ready solution that has been tested, certified and fielded to operational units in the U.S. Military and its Allies since 2015,” Leonard added. The prototype competition is a significant step toward a solution after years of uncertainty; the Army seemed geared toward holding a rapid competition to buy a GMV in 2016, but the plan was delayed without much explanation in favor of buying an interim vehicle already in use by special operations forces. Buying the GMV was a top priority following the fall 2015 release of the Army's Combat Vehicle Modernization Strategy, which called for such a vehicle in future and current operations. But when a competition never materialized, rumors swirled that the Army might buy more of U.S. Special Operations Command's GMVs — General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems' Flyer 72 — even after the service had spent several years testing a wide variety of commercial off-the-shelf options. The Army bought quantities of the command's vehicle for five airborne infantry brigade combat teams. Congress spurred the effort in its FY18 defense policy bill, mandating the Army hold a competition and move forward with a program. PEO CS&CSS' product lead for the GMV stated on its website that the Army planned to pursue a competition for the GMV — calling it an ISV — as a formal program of record late last year. The office also released a market survey asking for a vehicle that provides mobility for a nine-soldier infantry squad as well as associated equipment to “move around the close battle area.” The vehicle should be lightweight, highly mobile and transportable “by all means” to include CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopters, UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, and via low-velocity airdrop. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2019/08/28/us-army-picks-3-teams-to-build-infantry-squad-vehicle-prototypes

With the Royal Navy retaining its three Batch 1 River-class offshore patrol vessels (OPV) and the OPV(H), HMS Clyde until 2020, essential for protecting British waters, fisheries and national security, five new-generation Batch 2 OPVs have been ordered. Three of these OPVs are expected to be in service with the Royal Navy by the end of the year. Rohde & Schwarz is providing turnkey communications solutions for both batches, supporting the future of the Royal Navy. Rohde & Schwarz software defined radios (SDR) are designed for shipborne communications and feature a modular design, a high degree of flexibility and the latest technologies. Standards-based and proprietary waveforms make secure, voice and data communications in the HF and VHF/UHF frequency ranges possible. The R&S M3SR Series 4100 HF radios are innovative, versatile SDRs that belong to the popular SOVERON radio family, designed for use in permanently connected deployment in beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications. They are installed in racks within a ship's radio room or at a shore station, where they cover long-haul ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications. They support frequency hopping and provide interoperability with tactical radios in HF operating modes. The R&S M3SR Series 4400 VHF/UHF radios offer military customers LOS communications with a flexible range of applications, NATO and proprietary EPM (ECCM) waveforms. Military data transmission methods such as LINK 11 and LINK 22 are supported. “We are very proud of our work for the UK and that we help to provide a safe, future-ready investment for the Royal Navy,” says Hansjörg Herrbold, Vice President Market Segment Navy, Rohde & Schwarz. “Trusted by customers and with a reliability built over decades, Rohde & Schwarz stands for highest standard, demonstrating value for money and again that we are able to bring support locally and act globally. The SOVERON family saves on logistics effort and reduces operating costs. In particular, the costs of warehousing spare parts and of maintenance are reduced tremendously, due to the increased reliability of our products.” In addition SDRs can be kept up-to-date using SW updates. Further Rohde & Schwarz naval successes in the UK include providing communications solutions to the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carriers, the Royal Fleet Auxiliary's Bay Class Vessels, and the Type 26 Global Combat Ship. Press & media contact Dennis-Peter Merklinghaus PR Manager Aerospace, Defense & Security +49 89 4129 15671 press@rohde-schwarz.com https://www.rohde-schwarz.com/ch-en/about/news-press/details/press-room/press-releases-detailpages/rohde-schwarz-provides-a-future-ready-investment-for-the-royal-navy-press-release-detailpage_229356-675008.html

AUSTAL Limited (ASX: ASB) is pleased to announce that the 11th Austal designed and built Expeditionary Fast Transport Vessel, the future USNS Puerto Rico (EPF 11), has successfully completed U.S. Navy Acceptance Trials. These trials, conducted in the Gulf of Mexico, were unique in that they integrated formal Builder's Trials with Acceptance Trials for the first time on an EPF vessel. By combining the two at-sea trials into one event, there are great efficiencies gained, enabling reduced costs and a shorter completion schedule. Austal CEO David Singleton congratulated Austal USA for achieving this critical program milestone. “The future USNS Puerto Rico successfully completed and passed all tests – a clean sweep – and returned from sea earlier than scheduled, a testament to the effort and expertise of Austal USA's professional shipbuilding team and the U.S. Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV),” he said. “These trials involved the execution of intense, comprehensive testing by the Austal-led industry team while underway, which demonstrated to the U.S. Navy the successful operation of the ship's major systems and equipment. Sea trials are the last milestone before delivery of the ship. The future USNS Puerto Rico is scheduled for delivery to the U.S. Navy before the end of the year and is the eleventh Spearhead Class ship in Austal's 14-ship EPF portfolio. “The flexibility and versatility of the EPF is becoming increasingly evident. From serving as a mother ship to test unmanned aerial and undersea systems in the Atlantic to performing as command ships in Pacific Partnership 2019 (an exercise that includes more than 500 military and civilian personnel from more than 10 nations), the EPF fleet is proving to be a great asset to the future 355-ship US Navy,” Mr Singleton said. Austal's EPF program is mature with ten ships delivered and three more under construction in Mobile, Alabama, in addition to the future USS Puerto Rico. The Spearhead-class EPF is currently providing high-speed, high-payload transport capability to fleet and combatant commanders. The EPF's large, open mission deck and large habitability spaces provide the opportunity to conduct a wide range of missions from engagement and humanitarian assistance or disaster relief missions, to the possibility of supporting a range of future missions including special operations support, command and control, and medical support operations. With its ability to access austere and degraded ports with minimal external assistance, the EPF provides unique options to fleet and combatant commanders. In addition to the EPF program, Austal has also received contracts for 19 Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) for the U.S. Navy. Ten LCS have been delivered, five ships are in various stages of construction and four are yet to start construction. AUSTAL MEDIA CONTACT Contact: Gemma Whiting - Government Relations Mobile: +61 (0)408 982 727 Email: gemma.whiting@austal.com Website: www.austal.com ABOUT AUSTAL Austal is an Australian shipbuilder and global defence prime contractor which designs constructs and sustains some of the world's most advanced commercial and defence vessels. Austal successfully balances commercial and defence projects and celebrated 30 years of success in 2018. Austal has designed, constructed and delivered more than 300 commercial and defence vessels for more than 100 operators in 54 countries worldwide. Austal is Australia's largest defence exporter and the only ASX-listed shipbuilder. Austal has industry leading shipyards in Australia, the United States of America and Philippines and service centres worldwide. Austal delivers iconic monohull, catamaran and trimaran commercial vessel platforms – including the world's largest trimaran ferry and multiple defence programs such as the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) and Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) for the United States Navy. Austal has grown to become the world's largest aluminium shipbuilder. FURTHER INFORMATION Contact: Austal Phone: 61 8 9410 1111 Fax: 61 8 9410 2564 Email: media@austal.com https://www.austal.com/news/epf-11-completes-acceptance-trials-us-navy