News

by Murray Brewster One of the companies in the race to replace Canada's aging fleet of CF-18 jet fighters has dropped out of the competition. Airbus Defence and Space, which was pitching the Eurofighter Typhoon, notified the Liberal government Friday that it was not going to bid. The decision was made after a detailed review of the tender issued by the federal government in mid-July. The move leaves only three companies in the contest: Lockheed Martin Canada with its F-35; Boeing with the Super Hornet; and Saab, which is offering an updated version of its Gripen fighter. Simon Jacques, president of Airbus Defence and Space Canada, made a point of saying the company appreciated the professional dealings it had with defence and procurement officials. "Airbus Defence and Space is proud of our longstanding partnership with the Government of Canada, and of serving our fifth home country's aerospace priorities for over three decades," Jacques said in a statement. "Together we continue in our focus of supporting the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces, growing skilled aerospace jobs across the country and spurring innovation in the Canadian aerospace sector." Airbus decided to withdraw after looking at the NORAD security requirements and the cost it imposes on companies outside of North America. It also said it was convinced that the industrial benefits regime, as written in the tender, "does not sufficiently value the binding commitments the Typhoon Canada package was willing to make." A controversial evaluation process After complaints from the Trump administration, the Liberal government revised the industrial benefits portion of the tender to make it more fair to Lockheed Martin. The changes to the evaluation process irked some competitors. Under long-established military procurement policy, the federal government demands companies spend the equivalent of a contract's value in Canada as a way to bolster industry in this country. The F-35 program is not structured that way. It allows Canadian companies to bid on the aircraft's global supply chain contracts. There is, however, no guarantee that they'll get any of those contracts. The recent revision ensures that Lockheed Martin will not be severely penalized for having a different system. DND staff warned to keep mum while attending air shows during fighter jet competition F-35 demo team returns to Canada this fall as fighter jet makers jockey for position Airbus, Boeing may pull out of fighter jet race they say is rigged for F-35 Last spring, Boeing executives voiced their concerns publicly during a defence trade show in Ottawa. "I was surprised by the recommended changes," said Jim Barnes, the director of business development in Canada for Boeing Defence, Space & Security. "We believe we can put a really compelling offer on the table. "You have a policy that's been in place for decades that has been very successful. The minister has mentioned this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity, so why would you deviate from a policy that has been so successful to accommodate a competitor?" https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/airbus-canada-fighters-1.5265665

by Bill Carey The U.S. Air Force will install automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) position reporting capability on its fleet of 417 Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers beginning in September. ADS-B Out is not part of the KC-135's current Block 45 avionics upgrade, but the functionality will be added to the four-engine refueling tanker, the service confirmed. Supplier Collins Aerospace said it will integrate ADS-B Out through its Flight2 avionics system for the KC-135, using the aircraft's Identification friend or foe (IFF) transponder to broadcast position. Work is expected to take place at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex at Tinker AFB, Oklahoma. “We're very close to having the certification complete for that, and then the Air Force will begin the certification process to install on the aircraft,” Marc Ayala, Collins Aerospace director of Air Force sales and business development, told Aerospace DAILY. “Our system will interface with the various components—the GPS position source and some of the aircraft state data that gets fed into the [IFF transponder], basically the ‘electronic handshake' for that box to work properly within the system,” Ayala said. The Air Force has said that 2,936 military aircraft across all U.S. services will be fitted to signal their position by ADS-B Out as of the FAA's Jan. 1 compliance date. The number represents about one-fifth of the 13,596 aircraft operated by the Defense Department, according to Aviation Week's Military Fleet Discovery Tool. The leading category of ADS-B-equipped aircraft will be helicopters (1,129), followed by air mobility and transport aircraft (923), command and control/intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft (259) and trainers (625), the Air Force said. The 923 mobility and transport aircraft that will be equipped by January as part of ongoing updates include the C-5 Galaxy, C-17 Globemaster III, C-130J Super Hercules, KC-10 Extender and C-21 transport, the service said. https://aviationweek.com/defense/usaf-equip-kc-135s-ads-b-position-reporting

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Arthrex Inc., Naples, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $375,000,000 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 89 responses received; 21 contracts have been awarded to date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and other federal organizations. Location of performance is Florida, with a Sept. 1, 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-0014). Meggitt Defense Systems Inc., Irvine, California, has been awarded a maximum $22,189,186 firm-fixed-price contract for magazine assemblies for the Apache AH-64. 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 one-time procurement contract, which includes a quantity option which was exercised at time of award. Location of performance is California, with an April 15, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-C-0250). ARMY Warbud SA SKE Support Services GMBH MATO, Warszawa, Poland (W912GB-19-D-0056); Bryan 77 Construction JV, Colorado Springs, Colorado (W912GB-19-D-0058); BBGS SP ZOO, Warszawa, Poland (W912GB-19-D-0057); Wolff & Mueller Government Services GMBH, Stuttgart, Germany (W912GB-19-D-0059); Oxford Federal Doraco Construction JV, Castle Rock, Colorado (W912GB-19-D-0060); and Zafer Taahhut Insaat Ve Ticaret Anonim, Ankara, Turkey (W912GB-19-D-0061), will compete for each order of the $249,950,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design-build and design-bid-build for real property repair, maintenance and construction services throughout the Republic of Poland. Bids were solicited via the internet with 15 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wiesbaden, Germany, is the contracting activity. S.J. Amoroso Construction Co. Inc., Redwood City, California, was awarded a $143,594,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Department of Veteran's Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in French Camp, California, with an estimated completion date of April 20, 2022. Fiscal 2016 civil construction funds in the amount of $143,594,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-19-C-0013). Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee, was awarded a $97,762,528 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for test support services. 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. 31, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-15-D-0018). Battistella SPA, Pordenone, Italy (W912GB-19-D-0045); BB Government Services SRL, Vicenza, Italy (W912GB-19-D-0046); Environmental Chemical Corp. Italy, Limena, Italy (W912GB-19-D-0047); Eiffage Infraestructuras SA, Sevilla, Spain (W912GB-19-D-0048); JV SKE ITALY 2012, Vicenza, Italy (W912GB-19-D-0049); Tiber River Construction LLC, McLean, Virginia (W912GB-19-D-0050); and Consorzio WMC, Campolongo Maggiore, Italy (W912GB-19-D-0051), will compete for each order of the $49,950,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design-build and design-bid-build services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 12 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 28, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wiesbaden, Germany, is the contracting activity. Semper Tek Inc.,* Lexington, Kentucky, was awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-D-4002). Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded a $40,333,758 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for software development, updates, and improvements to include development, engineering, and technical 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. 31, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-19-D-0022). Lockheed Martin Global Inc., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $25,165,589 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Saudi Arabia) contract for procurement of Armor Corps Advanced Gunnery Training systems and contractor logistics support. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida; and Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2017 funds in the amount of $25,165,589 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-C-0052). MW Builders Inc., Pflugerville, Texas, was awarded a $23,477,000 firm-fixed-price contract for barracks renovation and modernization. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2010 military construction funds in the amount of $23,477,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-C-4012). MEB General Contractors Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $20,557,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a truck fueling system. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 19, 2021. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $20,557,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-3009). General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $19,027,802 modification (P00086) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0067 P00086 for Abrams systems technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 operations and maintenance, Army; and procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles, Army funds in the amount of $19,027,802 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. PRIDE Industries, Roseville, California, was awarded a $17,421,355 modification (P00015) to contract W9124G-18-C-0005 for base operation support. Work will be performed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $2,877,369 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Rucker, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Meridian Engineering Co., Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $16,950,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Homeland Security Border Patrol facilities and tactical infrastructure. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Sales, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of July 7, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $16,950,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-19-C-0031). Cerebral,* Des Moines, Iowa (W91243-19-D-0001); Ironhide Construction Inc.,* Lincoln, Nebraska (W91243-19-D-0002); Kingery Construction Co.,* Lincoln, Nebraska (W91243-19-D-0003); L&J Building Co. LLC,* Kansas City, Missouri (W91243-19-D-0004); K&S LLC,* Souix City, Iowa (W91243-19-D-0005); Nemaha Landscape Construction,* Lincoln, Nebraska (W91243-19-D-0006); Pro-Mark Services Inc.,* West Fargo, North Dakota (W91243-19-D-0007); RGC Constructors Inc.,* Omaha, Nebraska (W91243-19-D-0008); and Venus Unlimited LLC,* Waverly, Nebraska (W91243-19-D-0009), will compete for each order of the $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction projects in support of the National Guard. Bids were solicited via the internet with 13 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 28, 2024. U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer Nebraska, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $14,746,801 modification (P00033) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for the remanufacture of Longbow Crew trainers and spares. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of March 30, 2025. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $14,746,801 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Southeast Asia Systems Co., Andover, Massachusetts, was awarded a $10,843,249 modification (P00019) to Foreign Military Sales (Kuwait) contract W31P4Q-16-C-0022 for technical assistance, planning, training, maintenance and sustainment of the Kuwait Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target (PATRIOT) missile weapon systems, associated PATRIOT equipment, and PATRIOT logistics support elements. One bid were solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other funds in the combined amount of $10,843,249 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Kokosing Construction Co./O'Brien & Gere JV, Fredericktown, Ohio, was awarded a $10,268,652 firm-fixed price contract for construction management services that include extensive water treatment management services and dredging material disposal. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Chicago, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W912P6-16-D-0004). Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, Fullerton, California, was awarded a $9,306,511 modification (P00010) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0044 for field service representatives to deploy, operate, and sustain Sentinel Radars. Work will be performed in Fullerton, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $9,306,511 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: A $38,441,877 contract award to Diversified Technical Systems Inc., Seal Beach, California (W900KK-19-D-0011), was announced Aug. 28, 2019, with an incorrect estimated completion date. The correct estimated completion date is Aug. 27, 2024. All other information in the announcement is correct. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Oracle America Inc., Redwood Shores, California, is awarded a competitive single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for Integrated Processor Capacity Services - SPARC Compatible (IPCS-SC). The contract ceiling is $137,837,975. The period of performance (PoP) consists of a five-year base period and five one-year option periods, for a total contract life cycle of ten years. The PoP for the base period is Sept. 3, 2019, through Sept. 2, 2024, and the option years follow consecutively through Sept. 2, 2029. Performance will be at current Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) data centers or future DISA or DISA-approved locations where DISA assumes an operational responsibility for support of mission partner service requirements. Solicitation HC1084-18-R-0010 was posted on the internet as competitive action and one proposal was received. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. NAVY Stanley Consultants Inc., Muscatine, Iowa, is awarded a maximum amount $95,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architectural design and engineering services for industrial type facilities in the Naval Facilities and Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Europe, Africa and Southwest Asia (EURAFSWA) area of responsibility and also worldwide. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at locations worldwide. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with five proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-19-D-5014). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded $68,883,048 for modification P00008 to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm target contract (N00019-18-C-1037). This modification is for non-recurring engineering and obsolescence management to support delivery of 24 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye full-rate production Lot 7 – 11 aircraft. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (33%); Syracuse, New York (19%); St. Augustine, Florida (6%); Falls Church, Virginia (6%); Beavercreek, Ohio (6%); El Segundo, California (5%); Woodland Hills, California (3%); Indianapolis, Indiana (3%); Menlo Park, California (3%); Edgewood, New York (3%); Pomezia, Italy (2%); and Ronkonkima, New York (2%), Aire-Sur-L'Adour, France (2%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (1%); Irvine, California (1%); Independence, Ohio (1%); New Port Richey, Florida (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (3%). Work is expected to be completed no later than January 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $68,883,048 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. L3 Electronic Devices Inc., Williamsport, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $33,082,096 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with both firm-fixed-priced and cost-plus-fixed-fee line items for the production, repair and engineering services of the Aegis Cross Field Amplifiers. The Cross Field Amplifiers are microwave tubes installed in the AN/SPY-1 radar system used on board the DDG51 Class AEGIS destroyers and CG 52 Class AEGIS cruisers. The AN/SPY-1 radar is an air/surface search and tracking system and is used for ballistic missile defense requirements. Work will be performed in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 and 2018 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,165,183 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $728,847 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a restricted competition procurement in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 - only one responsible source or a limited number of responsible sources. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-WP70). Communications and Power Industries, Beverly, Massachusetts, is awarded a $30,938,890 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with both firm-fixed-priced and cost-plus-fixed-fee line items for the production, repair and engineering services of the Aegis Cross Field Amplifiers (CFA). The CFAs are used in the AN/SPY-1B/D/D(V) radar. The CFAs are microwave tubes installed in the AN/SPY-1 radar system used on board the DDG51 Class AEGIS Destroyers and CG 52 Class AEGIS Cruisers. The AN/SPY-1 radar is an air/surface search and tracking system and is used for ballistic missile defense requirements. Work will be performed in Beverly, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,029,440 is being obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $679,728 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a restricted competition procurement in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 - only one responsible source or a limited number of responsible sources. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-WP27). CH2M—Burns & McDonnell JV, Englewood, Colorado, is awarded a maximum amount $15,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for architectural design and engineering services for air operations and to support facility modernization located throughout the Naval Facilities Engineering Command area of responsibility worldwide. The work to be performed provides for architectural design and engineering services for air operations and support facilities predominantly for sustainment, restoration, and modernization projects, but also including military construction projects and airfield assessments. Work will be performed worldwide. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of August 2024. Navy working capital funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. No task orders are being issued at this time. Future task orders will be primarily funded by the Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-19-D-5023). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, is awarded a $14,092,012 modification for the cost-plus-fixed-fee portion of a previously awarded contract (M67854-16-C-0211) for software release and advanced emplacement displacement simultaneous motion component required to support ongoing Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar Gallium Nitride efforts in support of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland (66%); and East Syracuse, New York (34%), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $4,455,332 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $228,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), with only one proposal solicited and one proposal received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0211). Provengo LLC, * Merrick, New York, is awarded a $13,702,500 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of up to a maximum 70,000 tropical boots. Work will be performed in Merrick, New York, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $19,575 will be obligated on the first delivery order immediately following contract award and funds will expire the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-D-1604). Bahfed Corp.,* Portland, Oregon (N68936-19-D-0042); Laguna Components Inc.,* Laguna Beach, California (N68936-19-D-0043); Centeva LLC,* South Jordan, Utah (N68936-19-D-0044); and Unistar-Sparco Computers, Millington, Tennessee (N68936-19-D-0045), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. These contracts provide various types of commercially available digital information technology and services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake's Energetics Department (Code 470000D). The estimated cumulative aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $11,500,000 with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders under the individual functional areas for which they competed. Work will be performed at various contractor facilities within the continental U.S., and is expected to be completed in August 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, as a small business set-aside, with a total of nine offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity. Atlantic Diving Supply Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded an $11,104,250 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the purchase of up to a maximum 70,000 tropical boots. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $15,860 will be obligated on the first delivery order immediately following contract award, and funds will expire the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-D-1538). IAP World Services Inc., Cape Canaveral, Florida, is awarded a $10,950,782 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support services at Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. The work to be performed provides for management and administration, air operations, supply, facilities support (to include facility management, facility investment, integrated solid waste management, swimming pools, special events), utilities (to include utility management, wastewater, water) and environmental. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and two option periods, is $20,879,122. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by June 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds for $7,357,718 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period of the contract extension. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-14-D-0302). The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $10,926,195 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00019-19-F-2496 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides for Tactical Open Mission Software Airborne Weapons Simulator (AWS) software capability for the P-8A to serve as a training tool for the combat aircrews. Tasking will consist of the design, development, test and integration, configuration management, and all logistics support elements of the AWS software update. Work will be performed in Puget Sound, Washington, and is expected to be completed in January 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,926,195 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AT&T Government Solutions Inc., Vienna, Virginia, is awarded an $8,132,606 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N66001-17-C-0295) to exercise Option Two for continuation of services and sustainment support of Navy Enterprise 911 Routing and Management Service. This modification increases the estimated value of the contract from $13,845,920 to $21,978,526. Work will be performed throughout the continental U.S.; Commander Navy Region, Hawaii; and Commander Joint Region, Marianas. Work is expected to be completed Aug. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,132,606 will be obligated funds at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Integrated Systems Development Corp.,* Glen Allen, Virginia, is awarded a $7,034,345, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for facility support services at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, District of Columbia. The work to be performed provides for facility management, facility investment, fire protection, janitorial, pest control, ground maintenance, street sweeping and snow removal services. The maximum dollar value including the base period, four option years and an option to extend services is $38,957,271. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, and is expected to be completed by February 2025. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $2,461,675 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with four proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-19-D-0303). U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) of Poway, California. was awarded a maximum $78,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (H92403-18-D-0006) with firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract line items with potential maximum estimated values of $93,000,000 for the integration and testing support for the Medium Altitude Long Endurance Tactical (MALET) MQ-9 and MQ-1C Special Operations Forces Peculiar (SOF-p) modifications; procurement of GA-ASI developed and produced aircraft modification kits; and analysis and studies to inform government decision on potential future MALET MQ-9 and MQ-1C SOF-p modifications. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation; procurement; or operation and maintenance funding may be used depending on the requirement. The ordering period for this contract is valid for five years. The majority of work will be performed in Poway and is expected to be completed by September 2023. This contract was awarded in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Authority 6.302-1, - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. 9Line LLC,* of Tampa, Florida, was awarded a $10,262,787 firm-fixed-price contract (H92222-19-C-0007) to provide non-clinical case management and advocate training support for wounded, ill and injured Special Operations Forces Recovering Service Members (RSMs). The focus areas are in recovery care coordination, military adaptive sports, benevolence, career transition and operations as it relates to the U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) Warrior Care Program. This contract also contains four unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $59,029,287. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds will be used for funding of the base year subject to the availability of funds. The work will be performed in 20 locations throughout the U.S. and overseas, and if all options are exercised, will continue through fiscal 2024. This contract was awarded competitively as a service-disabled, veteran-owned, small business set aside with seven proposals received. U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Honeywell International Inc. Aerospace, Phoenix, Arizona, has been awarded a $23,522,971 firm-fixed-price contract for the repair and upgrade of the C-5M Super Galaxy's Versatile Integrated Avionics/Avionics Integrated Units (VIA/AIU) repair and upgrade. This contract provides for the repair and upgrade of the existing 903 and 904 configuration VIA/AIUs to the 905 configuration. The C-5M VIA/AIU repair and upgrade effort is a key component to the overall core mission computer/weather radar aircraft modification/installation kit. Work will be performed at Phoenix, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by July 5, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement funds for a total amount of $17,107,578 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-19-F-6803). Northrup Grumman, Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $19,077,364 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order for Product Data Management and Migration Support Services. This contract provides for all labor, supplies and technical support services necessary to operate and maintain Robins Air Force Base product data hardware and software; to aid government customers in managing and executing technical data generation, acceptance and sustainment activities, processes, and products within the product data environment; and to support data improvement, cleansing and migration efforts necessary to prepare data for transition into modernized and/or U.S. Air Force (USAF) enterprise‐level systems, such as the Enhanced Technical Information Management System, the Technical Order Authoring and Publishing initiative, solutions resulting from the USAF Product Lifecycle Management Initiative and other system solutions which may result from system and data center consolidation activities. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 9, 2020. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $19,077,364.00 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center ‐ Robins Operational Maintenance Contracting, Warner Robins, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8501‐19‐F‐A060). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Pohaku Pacific LLC,* Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity single award contract with a maximum of $21,830,133. HT0038-19-D-0001 provides program management, enterprise sustainment and license maintenance of the Joint Legacy Viewer (JLV) software. This effort has an eight-month base period of performance with one 24-month optional ordering period, and one 22-month optional ordering period. The estimated completion date is March 31, 2024. Work location is task order dependent but primarily will occur at Honolulu, Hawaii. The base task order will be funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. This contract was non-competitively solicited. The contracting activity is the Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia. Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $12,464,707 firm-fixed-price contract modification exercising Option Period Three on previously awarded task order HT0011-16-F-0011 for integrated professional services across the Military Health System (MHS). The underlying task order provides professional services to support acceleration of the transformation of the MHS to be a High Reliability Organization. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,464,707 are being obligated, increasing the overall value of the task order to $52,483,548. The total potential value of the task order, if all options are exercised, is $64,215,727. The Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Aug. 21, 2019) *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1948303/source/GovDelivery/

By: Jaroslaw Adamowski This story has been updated to provide details about President Trump's decision to stay in the United States rather than make a planned visit to Poland in order to deal with a hurricane at home. WARSAW, Poland — By 2026, the Polish Ministry of Defence plans to allocate about 185 billion zloty (U.S. $47 billion) toward acquiring new weapons and military equipment, with fifth-generation fighter jets a top priority. Twenty years after Poland joined NATO, and despite the integration of some Western-made fighter jets and armored vehicles, the country still uses Soviet-designed gear dating back to the 1955 Warsaw Pact. Poland and other allies in Eastern Europe are intensifying their military modernization efforts in response to Russian activity along NATO's eastern flank and its annexation of the Crimean Peninsula from Ukraine. For 2019, the Polish MoD set a record budget, at more than 44 billion zloty, as required by the country's plan to raise defense spending to 2.1 percent of gross domestic product in 2020, and reach 2.5 percent in 2030. A significant share of the country's defense spending is to be directed at the acquisition of Western-made gear. Warsaw's potential acquisition of fifth-gen fighters is one of the top modernization projects in the pipeline. In May, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said the ministry sent a letter of request to the U.S. regarding Warsaw's plan to acquire 32 F-35A aircraft. The fighters are to replace the Air Force's outdated, Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-22 and Mikoyan MiG-29 jets. Negotiations for the jets are taking place as Warsaw is seeking a permanent U.S. military presence in Poland, dubbed “Fort Trump.” Warsaw offered to allocate at least $2 billion toward the project under which the U.S. would build a military base in the country. On June 12, Polish President Andrzej Duda met with U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington to discuss the initiative and ink a joint declaration on defense cooperation regarding U.S. force posture in Poland. “The United States plans to enhance its current military presence of approximately 4,500 rotational U.S. military personnel in Poland. This enduring presence is expected to grow by about 1,000 additional U.S. military personnel in the near-term, and would focus on providing additional defense and deterrence capabilities in Poland,” the declaration read. “With the understanding that the increased U.S. force presence in Poland is made sustainable with Polish support, Poland plans to provide and sustain jointly determined infrastructure for the initial package of additional projects listed below, at no cost to the United States and taking into account the planned level of its use by U.S. forces.” Trump was scheduled to visit Poland, but he canceled the trip to deal with a hurricane at home. The topics of a stronger U.S. troop presence in the country, as well as a potential F-35 sale, were expected to come up. Trump is instead sending Vice President Mike Pence to observances Sunday marking the 80th anniversary of the start of World War II and for meetings with Polish leaders Monday expected to include new military and energy deals. But F-35 acquisition negotiations will likely be separate from Fort Trump discussions, as the logistics and technical aspects of a troop deployment deal are nearing a conclusion, according to Tomasz Smura, the director of the research office at the Warsaw-based Casimir Pulaski Foundation. “If Poland decides to buy the F-35, this will open an array of new possibilities before the Polish Air Force in the upcoming decades. This aircraft offers stealth and interoperability capacities that are currently not available to the Polish military,” Smura told Defense News. “However, there are also some critical voices on this potential purchase. Some analysts doubt whether we should introduce a second type of fighter instead of expanding Poland's fleet of 48 F-16s. This number of modern fighter jets doesn't match Poland's military needs and the country's size. Other analysts add that we're simply not ready to fully use the capacities offered by the F-35, and that further F-16s would suffice to match the current state of development of the air forces of our eastern neighbors.” Despite the country's rising defense expenditure, some observers also doubt Poland's capacity to finance the F-35 acquisition alongside other ambitious military procurements, such as the Wisla air defense program. In March 2018, Poland signed a letter of offer and acceptance with the U.S. government to purchase Raytheon's medium-range Patriot system. Under the deal, Warsaw is to acquire two Patriot Configuration 3+ batteries fitted with Northrop Grumman's Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System, as well as Lockheed Martin-made Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement missiles. Deliveries are expected by the end of 2022, with plans to reach an initial operational capacity around the 2023-2024 time frame, according to data from the Polish MoD. Warsaw's other procurement plans include short-range air defense systems, combat helicopters for the country's Air Force, new submarines for the Polish Navy, UAVs for various military branches, and the buildup of cyber warfare capacities using new hardware, the ministry said. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dsei/2019/08/29/how-poland-plans-to-land-an-f-35-deal-and-fort-trump/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has a new combatant command. With a twirl of the pen, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper signed into creation U.S. Space Command, the 11th war-fighting command for the Defense Department. “This is a landmark day, one that recognizes the centrality of space to America's national security and defense," President Donald Trump said during the event, held in the Rose Garden of the White House. “It's all about space,” Trump said, adding that for anyone looking to challenge the U.S. in orbit, “it's going to be a whole different ballgame.” Air Force Gen. Jay Raymond is the new head of SPACECOM; Army Lt. Gen. James Dickinson has been nominated to become the deputy commander. Upon Trump's signature, 287 individuals, pulled largely from U.S. Strategic Command, became the first members of the new command. Earlier in the day, Raymond and Stephen Kitay, deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy, told reporters the creation of SPACECOM marked a new era in how the Defense Department approaches space. “We are at a strategic inflection point. There is nothing that we do [as a joint force] that isn't enabled by space. Zero,” Raymond said. “Our goal is to actually deter a conflict from extending into space. The best way I know how to do that is to be prepared to fight and win” should deterrence fail. SPACECOM's mission falls into four broad categories: To deter potential adversaries in space. To defend American assets in orbit. To deliver war-fighting capabilities (such as GPS) to other combatant commands. To develop joint war fighters to be able to operate in the space domain. The command will include a traditional headquarters staff, service components from all four armed services and two operational components: Combined Forces Space Component Command — focused on integrating space capabilities around the globe and throughout joint coalition partners — and Joint Task Force for Space Defense — focused on protecting and defending the war-fighting domain. “Space will not be an Achilles' heel. We will protect and defend and provide it for our way of life and our way of war,” Kitay added. Technically, this is a relaunch of SPACECOM, which existed in another form from 1985 through 2002. However, Raymond said, the two organizations are very different, with a “sharper” focus on the dangers from other nations in space a key part of the new incarnation. Those threats include kinetic and non-kinetic activities from competitors such as China and Russia — and any future competitors who might gain space capabilities in the future. As if to underscore the changing space environment, news broke Thursday that Iran's most recent attempt at a space launch appears to have failed on the ground. The effort was the third failed launch attempt this year, but the effort shows Iran is willing to invest significant national capital into putting assets into orbit. SPACECOM will continue to grow, including a final selection on the location of its headquarters. But questions remain about integration plans with an eventual Space Force, should Congress back its creation as a new military branch. The budget for SPACECOM in fiscal 2020 was $83.8 million, of which $75.6 million was shifted from previous organizations. Raymond warned that a continuing resolution this year would have a “significant impact” on the standing up of the new command. “We need to have stable budgets as we build this command. Continuing resolutions are never good, and it would be bad in this case as well,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/space/2019/08/29/spacecom-is-a-go-newest-combatant-command-signed-into-existence/

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/