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BY KAIT BOLONGARO / BLOOMBERG JUNE 17, 2020 11:42 PM EDT Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his top diplomat sought to put a brave face on their failure to secure a spot on the United Nations Security Council in one of the Canadian leader's biggest defeats yet on the world stage. Trudeau waged a four-year campaign for a council seat in what he hoped would represent a vindication of his foreign policy — a staunch defense of pluralism and multilateralism at a time of global upheaval. But his brand of progressive politics sometimes fell flat and he's been criticized as being preachy on liberal values. “We listened and learned from other countries, which opened new doors for cooperation to address global challenges, and we created new partnerships that increased Canada's place in the world,” Trudeau said in a statement Wednesday after the vote. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said at a press conference the country's campaign allowed Canada to renew and strengthen bilateral connections across the world. The latest setback is just one of many recent struggles for Trudeau globally, including a deterioration of relations with China and Saudi Arabia and a disastrous state visit to India. Not Back But none, perhaps, are as big a personal setback for the prime minister as Wednesday's defeat. The government had seen a return to the security council as a fulfillment of the Canadian leader's promise — the day after he took power in 2015 — to bring the country “back” on the world stage. “Many of you have worried that Canada has lost its compassionate and constructive voice in the world over the past 10 years,” Trudeau said at the time. “Well, I have a simple message for you: on behalf of 35 million Canadians, we're back.” Canada received the support of 108 countries of a total 192 that voted Wednesday afternoon at UN Headquarters in New York. Norway and Ireland, Canada's two rivals, received 130 and 128 votes, passing the required two-thirds majority of 128 ballots. “It's really the biggest embarrassment he will suffer in his prime minister-ship in Canada, particularly on international affairs,” said Shuvaloy Majumdar, a senior fellow at the MacDonald Laurier Institute and former adviser on foreign policy in Prime Minister Stephen Harper's conservative government. Canada has now been overlooked for the second time in the past decade to become a non-permanent member on the agency's decision-making body. https://time.com/5855483/canada-un-security-council-seat/

You can pick your own term. Generation 4.2? Gen 4.3? However you choose to define the upgraded Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-188 Hornet, the fighter jet will have “operational parity” in a complex operating environment until the early 2030s. “It's not Gen 4, but it's not a true Gen 4.5 like the (F/A-18E/F) Super Hornet. It will be somewhere between there,” said BGen Todd Balfe, a CF-188 pilot and special advisor to the Fighter Capability Office. “The term we use is, it brings us to operational parity against current threats. That is an implicit statement recognizing we don't have operational parity right now. And that supports our [objective] of bridging towards the future fighter.” Under a program known as the Hornet Extension Project (HEP), the Air Force will upgrade its entire fleet of 94 aircraft to meet international aviation regulations and ensure interoperability with the United States and other allies, including NATO. It will also enhance the combat capability of 36 jets to operate globally against current threats. The program addresses what the RCAF is calling quantitative and qualitative capability gaps. The delivery and upgrade of 18 operational Australian F/A-18A Hornets, which will expand the current fleet of 76 to 94, gives the Air Force the necessary quantity to meet concurrent NORAD and NATO obligations. Upgrading the sensors, weapons, countermeasures and mission support of approximately two squadrons worth of fighters will resolve the qualitative concern. Previously two distinct projects to comply with changing civil aviation regulations and allied capabilities and to modernize combat capability, HEP will be completed in two phases. The first phase, set to begin shortly on all 94 Hornets, will include automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) to replace the current transponder, Honeywell GPS/INS systems, Collins Aerospace AN/ARC-210 RT-2036 (Gen 6) radios, airborne Joint Tactical Radios, upgrades to the Lockheed Martin sniper targeting pod, enhanced mission computers and data transfer units, and software updates for the Advanced Distributed Combat Training System (ADCTS) for networked flight simulation exercises. “It will allow the aircraft to operate in civil airspace out to 2032, but more importantly ... to interoperate with allies,” said Balfe. “Our NATO allies and our U.S. allies are upgrading the interoperability standards on all their fleets of aircraft.” The second phase, to be completed on the 36 Hornets with the most remaining operational life, will follow shortly after. Though select weapons and sensor systems were upgraded prior to Operation Impact over Iraq and Syria in 2014 and 2015, the CF-188 has not had a major overhaul of its combat capability for almost 15 years, Balfe acknowledged. The most significant enhancement will be to the sensing capability, in particular the radar. The Air Force will replace the AN/APG-73 mechanically scanned radar, a multimode airborne radar system developed in the 1980s by Hughes Aircraft, now Raytheon, with a vastly improved APG-79(V)4 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar, now standard on so-called fifth generation fighters and many allied upgraded fourth generation aircraft. “An AESA radar gives you much greater detection, less probability of being detected, and more capability to track and identify airborne and even surface targets,” said Balfe. “It is a scaled down version of the radar that is in the Super Hornet.” The Fighter Capability Office looked across allied F-18 operators for examples and “quickly landed upon the U.S. Marine Corps,” which operates a C variant of the Hornet, he said. “They have embarked upon a very similar upgrade path ... so much of the engineering effort has already been done. We will partner with the Marine Corps and put that in our aircraft.” The Hornets will also receive a new F/A-18A Wide Band RADOME to “be able to accommodate the full capability of the AESA radar,” he added. The new weapons package will include the Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II air-to-air short-range missile, the AIM-120D advanced medium range air-to-air missile, and the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon (JSOW), an air-to-surface glide bomb with an unclassified published range of at least 100 kilometres “All the weapons are currently integrated on Marine Corps F-18s” and are used by select NATO allies, noted Balfe. “They are a significant increase in capability and survivability for our pilots.” Given the age of the Hornets, which were designed in the 1970s and produced in the 1980s, there would be limited value in modifying the airframe or enhancing the electronic warfare system to further increase survivability — the RCAF is anticipating about seven years of service life once the upgrades are completed in 2025. But the Air Force will add new expendable chaff and flare, the ADM-141C Improved Tactical Air-Launched Decoys, and an Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto GCAS). “The system was not technically feasible before,” said Balfe. “It is now. The Marine Corps has found a solution.” Lastly, the RCAF will expand mission support and security with a new Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS) and security upgrades to portable, temporary secure facilities to conduct simulated weapons training and mission planning for pilots. “These new weapons come with a higher level of security,” he said, noting that the CF-188 operates at secret or below while newer fighters require top secret level classification. Though the enhanced combat capability might not match that of a true Gen 4.5 or greater aircraft, it will serve as a “transition activity” to the future fighter, which remains “on track,” said MGen Michel Lalumiere, chief of Fighter Capability. The government still expects to award a contract in 2022 for 88 advanced fighter jets to replace the current Hornet fleet, despite twice adjusting the request for proposals deadline, now set for July 31, and the challenges of coordinating paperwork and other activity among the Fighter Capability Office, the Air Force, other government departments and the three contending companies while working remotely during the coronavirus pandemic. Balfe suggested the combat systems introduced during HEP Phase 2, many of the which will be the same or similar on the future fighter, “will enable us to begin the transition of our people, our mindset, our procedures and our way of thinking for the capabilities that are going to come with the future fighter. We think HEP is a great bridge toward that path.” While data from the various sensors will still be “fused” by the pilot rather than an onboard computer, systems in CF-188, the enhanced sensing and data transfer will mean a clearer operating picture among RCAF pilots that can be shared to a degree with allies. “It will bring our pilots into a different level,” he said. One key approval milestone was reached on June 16 when the U.S. State Department approved the possible military sale to Canada of the AESA radar along with technical and logistics support, the RADOME, radios, data transfer units, the various missiles and tactical guidance units, the ADCTS, Auto GCAS, JMPS and other systems for an estimated US$862.3 million, according to the Defense Security Cooperation Agency. The combined HEP program is estimated to cost about $1.3 billion. The Air Force is anticipating an initial operating capability of six Hornets through both Phase 1 and 2 in 2023. Full operational capability of the entire 94 aircraft is expected in 2025. “We are doing this very rapidly,” noted Balfe. That timeline includes the introduction of 18 Australian flyable aircraft as well as delivery of a spares package and up to seven more F/A-18A jets for parts by 2022. So far, five have been delivered and two have completed testing and evaluation after undergoing a conversion program that includes Canadian operational flight program software, cockpit configuration, a naval aircrew common ejection seat, night vision imaging systems, external lighting on the tail, changes to the landing gear and installation of the Lockheed Martin sniper targeting pod. “The allocation (of the Australian aircraft) will be based upon squadron needs and aircraft fatigue,' said Balfe. “One of the benefits besides helping close that quantitative capability gap, they give us a bigger pool of aircraft over which to distribute the stress and strain of [fighter operations]. They also allow us to have aircraft out of service while they are going through various phases of upgrades under HEP.” Enhanced combat systems may put the CF-188 on a par with current threats for the next decade, but they don't negate the need for a more modern fighter, Balfe observed. “We have a limited window where the upgraded CF-188 will have operational parity. Past that window, roughly 2032, it will most likely not have operational parity any longer.” https://www.skiesmag.com/news/major-upgrades-canada-fleet-cf-188-hornets

The Swedish government on Tuesday revealed its plans to improve its military capabilities including development of a new fighter jet to replace the JAS 39 Grippen. “The development of the next generation fighter aircraft will commence,” Swedish Carl Anders Peter Hultqvist said in a statement June 16, without divulging any more details. Swedish Air Force JAS 39/D combat aircraft will be maintained, as the new fighter JAS 39 E is integrated into the squadrons and becomes operational. This will allow the service to keep six fighter squadrons. The Army will be reorganized and consist of three mechanized brigades, one smaller motorized brigade and, on the island of Gotland, one mechanized battalion with support elements. Additional ranger, intelligence, security, artillery, engineer, logistics and air defence units will be added. When it comes to the Navy the existing corvettes will be upgraded with new air-defence missiles. Two new corvettes will be acquired in order to replace two older ones after 2025. One existing submarine will get a mid-life upgrade and therefore the number of submarines will increase from four to five. A new amphibious battalion will be established on the west coast of Sweden. In 2020, the government will also establish a national cyber security centre. This centre will strengthen Sweden's ability to prevent, detect and handle antagonistic cyber threats and reduce cyber related vulnerabilities. It will also provide support to private and public actors on how to improve their cyber security and protection against cyber attacks. In July 2019, Governments of Sweden and the United Kingdom (UK) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop future combat aircraft capabilities and combat aircraft systems. The collaboration offers the opportunity to further insert advanced technologies into JAS 39 Gripen. https://www.defenseworld.net/news/27229#.Xuz9ymhKiUk

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi NEW DELHI — Indian defense companies may have lost $3 billion in potential revenue during March 24-May 31 amid a nationwide lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a Ministry of Defence official. Those affected include more than 100 large defense firms and some 4,000 small and medium aerospace and defense businesses. The lockdown has also impacted the supply of local and foreign material for 50 major defense projects. Currently, every Indian-made weapon and platform is designed to use 10-20 percent of imported components. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to disrupt the supply of such components for at least a year, which could cause delays and cost overruns for major defense programs, according to a senior executive with the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, a defense industry advocacy body. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said local defense industry factories are operating at 30-50 percent capacity and that the outlook is grim. “This will lead to a direct hit in the first-quarter revenue of all defense companies operating in India, which will also seemingly struggle for cash flows for operation costs,” he said, adding that those costs could increase in the second quarter of the current fiscal year. Another MoD official told Defense News that some of the ongoing major defense projects — such as licence production of French Scorpene submarines, Project 17A destroyers, Indo-Russian BrahMos cruise missiles and license production of Russian T-90MS main battle tanks — will take a major hit because foreign engineers are unwilling to come to India to supervise the projects. Due to disruption in the supply chain, the SIDM exec warned, the cost of material and components will increase sharply — possibly an extra 10-15 percent — and Indian defense companies will have to spend more if fluctuations in the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the euro or U.S. dollar harms India's purchasing power. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/06/17/indias-defense-industry-is-set-to-lose-3-billion-from-nationwide-lockdown/

AIR FORCE Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0006); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0007); Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0008); Digital Mobilizations Inc., Warrenton, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0010); KMPG LLP, McLean, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0009); BCG Federal Corp., Bethesda, Maryland (FA7014-20-D-0005); Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0004); and McKinsey & Co. Inc., Washington, D.C. (FA7014-20-D-0003), has been awarded a ceiling $990,000,000 multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract to provide advisory and assistance services to support the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Office of Business Transformation and Deputy Chief Management Officer in managing and improving strategic transformation initiatives at the enterprise level. Work will be performed at various locations and is expected to be completed June 16, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $500 for each contract are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. NORTHCON Inc., Hayden, Indiana (FA4814-20-D-0005); Pro-Mark Services Inc., West Fargo, North Dakota (FA4814-20-D-0006); Danner Construction Co. Inc., Tampa, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0007); ABBA Construction Inc., Jacksonville, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0008); Bay Area Building Solutions, Tampa, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0009); HCR Construction Inc., Norcross, Georgia (FA4814-20-D-0010); OAC Action Construction Corp., Miami, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0011); Frazier Engineering, Melbourne, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0012); Benaka Inc., New Brunswick, New Jersey (FA4814-20-D-0013); RELYANT Global LLC, Maryville, Tennessee (FA4814-20-D-0014); Polu Kai Services LLC, Falls Church, Virginia (FA4814-20-D-0015); Nisou LGC JV LLC, Detroit, Michigan (FA4814-20-D-0016); KMK Construction Inc., Jacksonville, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0017); Burgos Group LLC, Medford, New Jersey (FA4814-20-D-0018); A&H-Ambica JV LLC, Livonia, Michigan (FA4814-20-D-0019); P&S Construction Inc., Chelmsfor, Massachusetts (FA4814-20-D-0020); Northstar Contracting Inc., Cleveland, Ohio (FA4814-20-D-0021); ESA South Inc., Cantonment, Florida (FA4814-D-20-0022); and RUSH Construction Inc., Titusville, Florida (FA4814-D-20-0023), have been awarded a $500,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for execution of a broad range of maintenance, repair and minor construction projects affecting real property at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; and Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida. Work is expected to be completed June 16, 2027. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,500 will be obligated at the time of award. The 6th Contracting Squadron, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded an $18,733,197 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00026) to contract FA8615-17-C-6047 for active electronically scanned array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. The contract modification is for definitization of the radio frequency target generator, additional support equipment and software development to support Phase Two. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $3,510,172; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,103,436 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,027,044,025. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. NAVY Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded $145,598,728 for a not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract action for long lead time material in support of one Amphibious Assault Ship (General Purpose) Replacement (LHA(R)) and Flight 1 Ship (LHA 9). Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (42%); Baltimore, Maryland (24%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (17%); Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania (10%); Fairfield, Ohio (6%); and Warminster, Pennsylvania (1%). Work to be performed is the procurement of long lead-time material for LHA 9, the fourth (LHA(R)) America Class and the second LHA(R) Flight 1 variant. Work is expected to be complete by February 2024. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) advance procurement funding in the amount of $145,598,728 will be obligated at award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured with only one responsible source. No other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-2437). Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc.,* San Diego, California (N62473-17-D-4635); Bristol Design Build Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (N62473-17-D-4636); I.E.-Pacific Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-17-D-4637); and R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-17-D-4638), are awarded $92,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value, including the base year and four option years for all four contracts combined, has increased from $99,000,000 to $191,000,000. The contracts are for new construction, renovation and repair, primarily by design-build or secondarily by design-bid-build, of general building construction at various federal sites and government installation locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of operations. Work will be performed in various locations, including but not limited to, California (90%); Arizona (6%); Nevada (1%); Utah (1%); Colorado (1%); and New Mexico (1%). No funds are being obligated on this award, and no funds will expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (O&M), Navy; O&M, Marine Corps; and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. L3 Technologies Inc. KEO, Northampton, Massachusetts, is awarded a $17,275,863 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-6250 for options to procure spare parts for the photonics mast program. Work will be performed in Northampton, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by February 2022. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,831,502 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc.,* San Diego, California, is awarded a $17,175,335 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) support services. Work will be performed in San Diego, California. The SWRMC production department Code 900 is responsible for providing intermediate-level (I-Level) maintenance and repair support and selective maintenance training to over 100 surface ships, submarines, shore activities and other commands of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. SWRMC Production Department is broken into four product families, and each contains multiple product lines and shops. The SWRMC production department product families currently consist of corrosion control products, engine products, machine products and combat systems product family. Within the SWRMC production department, there are also production control division, I-Level planning division and an off-site facility. Work is expected to be complete by September 2021. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $106,240,249. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,431,278 will be obligated at the time of award, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and four offers were received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N55236-20-C-0003). Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $16,026,098 modification (P00001) to cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-20-F-0817 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0008. This order procures support to manage diminishing manufacturing sources in support of the F-35 Program for the Air Force, Navy and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be complete by June 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $6,586,406; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,586,406; and non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $2,853,286 will be obligated at time of award, of which $6,586,406 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Phillips Corp., Hanover, Maryland, is awarded a $12,790,000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures equipment related services necessary for the inspection, evaluation, repair, upgrade, training and rebuild for the sustainment of industrial plant equipment that is required to adequately support overhauling and repairing fleet aircraft, engines and components in support of the Commander Fleet Readiness Centers. Work will be performed in North Island, California (50%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (35%); and Jacksonville, Florida (15%), and is expected to be complete by June 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-20-D-0017). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc., Washington, D.C., has been awarded a maximum $17,548,000 modification (P00007) exercising the first one-year option period of one-year base contract SPE1C1-19-D-F027 with four one-year option periods for coveralls. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Georgia, Arizona, Washington, D.C., and Mississippi, with a June 20, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Entwistle Co., Hudson, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $8,135,400 firm-fixed-price contract for air launch and recovery equipment shuttle assemblies. 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 42-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Dec. 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-C-Z043). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY PAR Government Systems Corp., Rome, New York, was awarded an $11,920,160 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a research project under the Semantic Forensics (SemaFor) program. The SemaFor program will develop methods that exploit semantic inconsistencies in falsified media to perform tasks across media modalities and at scale. Work will be performed in Rome, New York, with an expected completion date of June 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $1,500,000 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition under a full and open broad agency announcement and 37 proposals were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-20-C-0126). ARMY ControlPoint Surveying Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0002); Masa Fujioka & Associates,* Aiea, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0003); and Sam O. Hirota Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0004), will compete for each order of the $9,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for indefinite-delivery architect-engineer services for miscellaneous projects in the Pacific region. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 16, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, was awarded a $7,738,247 modification (P00101) to contract W56HZV-12-C-0344 for hardware and services exercise of options for the Total Integrated Engine Revitalization Automated Gas Turbine 1500 program for the Abrams tank and family of vehicles. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 Army working capital funds; and weapons and tracked combat vehicle procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $7,738,247 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2223800/source/GovDelivery/

“Replacing ships lost in combat will be problematic," Marine Commandant Gen. David Berger writes in a forthcoming paper. "Our industrial base has shrunk while peer adversaries have expanded their shipbuilding capacity. In an extended conflict, the United States will be on the losing end of a production race.” By PAUL MCLEARYon June 17, 2020 at 4:44 PM WASHINGTON: The Commandant of the Marine Corps, Gen. David Berger, dismisses current Marine and Navy plans for amphibious ships as “obsolete,” and worries that in any conflict, China could replace damaged ships faster than the US in a draft operating concept obtained by Breaking Defense. The warnings are the latest in a campaign waged by the reform-minded Berger to overhaul how the Marine Corps trains and equips to meet the challenges of China and other advanced nations, while working more closely with the other armed services and allies around the globe. In the sharply-worded 22-page document, Berger rejects war plans anticipating a Cold War-style confrontation in which huge ships can creep close to shore free from the threat of precision-guided munitions being launched from batteries deep inland. He calls the current configuration of amphibious ships “the most obvious manifestation of this obsolete paradigm” in a draft document obtained by Breaking Defense. In an unsigned draft of the unreleased report, “Naval Campaigning: The 2020 Marine Corps Capstone Operating Concept,” Berger underlines the need for new thinking about how the Marine Corps and Navy will fight an advanced Chinese military that can control islands, coastlines, and vast swaths of the sea with aircraft carriers, a swelling blue ocean fleet and long-distance precision munitions. The old way of thinking “is also exemplified by our current amphibious warships and maritime prepositioning ships, which are large and built for deployment efficiency rather than warfighting effectiveness,” he writes. “These superb, multipurpose ships are extremely expensive—meaning we've never had the desired number.” Berger also raises significant concerns about the United States' ability to replace any combat losses, even in a short, sharp conflict. “Replacing ships lost in combat will be problematic, inasmuch as our industrial base has shrunk, while peer adversaries have expanded their shipbuilding capacity. In an extended conflict, the United States will be on the losing end of a production race—reversing the advantage we had in World War II when we last fought a peer competitor.” The stark admission comes as the Navy's shipyards struggle under the disruptions caused by COVID-19, leading the service to order an emergency call up over 1,600 Reservists to fill labor shortages to do repair work on aircraft carriers and submarines in a desperate effort to get them back out to sea as soon as possible. Berger takes care not to blame the Navy for building expensive, relatively slow amphibious ships to carry Marines across the globe. “These issues should not be construed as a criticism of our Navy partners who built the fleet—to include the types of amphibious warfare and maritime prepositioning ships the Marine Corps asked for—that was appropriate to the security era within the constraints of finite resources.” But that era is now over the Corps wants to build a more dynamic “inside force” of smaller ships that can operate within range of Chinese and Russian weapons and pack a potent offensive punch while offering more and smaller targets than the current amphibious fleet. But these small ships won't replace their bigger cousins — they'll come in addition to them, creating new issues for both Navy budgets and the limited number of shipbuilders who can produce hulls for the sea service. The ships will also need ports to call home. “One can think of basing forces and lots of smaller vessels in theater, but this raises the issue of where to put everything and doesn't seem to be a ready solution that replaces divestiture of large ships,” said Dakota Wood, senior research fellow for defense programs at The Heritage Foundation. In recent weeks, the Navy met with shipbuilders to talk about plans for a new class of logistics ship that can operate under fire and resupply Marines deep within the range of enemy precision weapons. The Next Generation Medium Logistics Ship would resupply both ships at sea, as well as small, ad hoc bases ashore. The ship fits within plans Berger has made to stand up several Marine Littoral Regiments designed to move fast and have their own integrated anti-air and possibly anti-ship weapons. The Corps and Navy are also looking to buy as many as 30 Light Amphibious Warships in coming years, which would be much smaller than the current amphibious ships. The draft document doesn't include any those specifics. But Berger has already done that work in previous statements and documents, where he outlined plans: to rethink the role that large amphibious ships play in future; divest of M1 Abrams tanks; cut artillery units; slash helicopter squadrons; and reassess the role F-35s might play in future operations. Berger has admitted he realizes he needs to undertake this transition within existing budgets, leading him to call for cutting tanks, helicopters, and even some end strength. But for the Navy, Wood said, “I think much of this will be added cost because it must maintain current capabilities (types of ships) while developing new capabilities. It does not have the luxury of getting rid of current before new replacements are ready.” A significant omission in all of these plans is the absence of a larger, coherent naval strategy. The 30-year shipbuilding plan, due to Congress in February, continues to be missing in action. A major Navy force structure review was rejected by Defense Secretary Mark Esper earlier this year. The force structure review, currently being taken apart by Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist, is expected this fall. The Navy's plans are in such a fluid state that Vice Adm. Stuart Munsch, head of the service's Warfighting Development office, cited Chinese attention as a reason to decline to give a progress report in a call with reporters earlier this month. “I'm not going to divulge our intentions,” he said. “I'm very conscious that, if I say anything public, I'm an authoritative source and the Chinese will key on what I say, and likewise any kind of public-facing document that we put out as well.” Pressed to explain what the Navy's strategy for operating in a world with competing great powers looks like, Munsch said, “I'm not sure how you would see that keeping our intentions for warfighting classified is something you would want as an American citizen.” While Berger continues to push out papers and strategies for pushing the Marines into the future, the Navy, which will provide much of the lift he needs, is still at the drawing board. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/06/in-war-chinese-shipyards-can-outpace-us-in-replacing-losses

Steve Trimble Boeing on June 17 delivered the first F/A-18E/F Block III to the U.S. Navy to launch a yearlong testing campaign on a new configuration with around a $60 million flyaway cost that is currently being offered to five foreign air forces. “The Navy is going to go through their test program with these two test assets over the next year, and then about this time next year is when we'll start delivering the fully operational Block IIIs,” said Jennifer Tebo, Boeing's director of development for F-18 programs. The delivery milestone completes an unexpected resurrection of the twin-engine, carrier-based fighter. Until the fiscal 2019 budget was released, the Navy planned to order no additional F/A-18E/Fs after the last of 608 Block II jets ordered in fiscal 2018, which Boeing delivered to the Navy on April 17. But the newly-inaugurated Trump administration had different plans for the 25-year-old design. Although the Navy previously showed no interest in a 2013 Boeing proposal to reduce the radar cross section by half, the Navy in 2017 started showing interest in a more modest improvement. Rather than attempt to remake the F/A-18E/F to operate alongside the more stealthy Lockheed Martin F-35C, Boeing made tweaks to allow the Super Hornet to shoulder the predominantly air-to-air fleet defense mission, while staying on-station longer, carrying more weapons and more tightly integrating into the Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air system. The result is an F/A-18E/F Block III configuration anchored by the addition of the Distributed Targeting Processor Network (DTP-N), a mission computer 17 times more powerful than the previous system and capable of fusing data from onboard and off-board sensors. Boeing also integrated the high-bandwidth Tactical Targeting Network Technology datalink for the aircraft to receive the off-board data. To complete the new capability, Boeing also installed the Advanced Cockpit System, with large format displays to present the fused situational awareness data to the pilot. The new upgrade also comes with a pair of dorsal-mounted conformal fuel tanks to extend the aircraft's range. Meanwhile, the belly-mounted, centerline fuel tank is upgraded with an improved infrared search-and-track sensor, which is needed to help the F/A-18E/F acquire aerial targets without giving away its location by turning on its radar. Finally, Boeing also modified the structure to accommodate a 9,000-hr.-plus service life. The aircraft is also set to receive new kinetic capabilities, likely starting with the H18 Operational Flight Program scheduled for release in fiscal 2023. The H16 release planned next year adds most of the Block III enhancements. The H18 release adds a powerful new weapon with the Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range. The U.S. Air Force has also said that the F/A-18E/F will receive the Lockheed Martin AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile after fiscal 2022, which aligns with the H18 release. Finally, the Navy has not defined the service's vision for manned/unmanned teaming, but the scheduled arrival of the Miniature Air-Launched Decoy-Navy (MALD-N) in fiscal 2023 adds an intriguing new capability, with a single-use decoy or munition capable of operating in swarms with other unmanned or manned assets. The Boeing MQ-25 unmanned tanker is also scheduled to enter service in fiscal 2024. “We're obviously exploring that area, trying to determine what are the best use cases,” Tebo said. “So I see that start to become more and more a reality as you start to see things like MQ-25 on the carrier deck and then other unmanned vehicles such as MALD-N.” The Navy decided this year to truncate new F/A-18E/F Block III production after fiscal 2021 and divert the funding to the Next Generation Air Dominance program. Boeing now plans to deliver 72 new F/A-18E/F Block IIIs over the next two years, then start delivering 364 Block II jets modified to the new standard. Canada, Finland, Germany, India and Switzerland are also considering additional orders, which could extend new production well beyond fiscal 2021. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/aircraft-propulsion/boeing-completes-resurrection-fa-18ef-first-block-iii-delivery

David Pugliese • Ottawa Citizen The U.S. government has cleared the way for Canada to buy more than $1 billion worth of new missiles and related equipment for the Royal Canadian Air Force's CF-18 fighter jet fleet. The U.S. State Department approved the proposed sale to Canada for the 50 Sidewinder AIM-9X Block II Tactical missiles, radars and other various equipment for an estimated cost of $862.3 million U.S. ($1.1 billion Canadian). U.S. Congress was informed of the deal on Monday. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency in the U.S. announced the news on Tuesday. The companies involved in the sale are U.S. firms, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing and Collins Aerospace. “This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security objectives of the United States by helping to improve the military capability of Canada, a NATO ally that is an important force for ensuring political stability and economic progress and a contributor to military, peacekeeping and humanitarian operations around the world,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency stated in its announcement. ”This sale will provide Canada a 2-squadron bridge of enhanced F/A-18A aircraft to continue meeting NORAD and NATO commitments while it gradually introduces new advanced aircraft via the Future Fighter Capability Program between 2025 and 2035.” Besides the 50 Sidewinder missiles, the deal will include training missiles, guidance systems, 38 specialized radar units, 20 Joint Standoff Weapons as well as support equipment. In an email the Department of National Defence stated that the U.S. approval for the missiles and related equipment is part of the “Hornet Extension Project” or HEP. That is part of the overall $1.3 billion project cost and fleet maintenance costs, it added. “HEP will also provide upgrades to sensors, weapons, and survivability, as well as security enhancements,” the DND noted. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/canada-to-buy-more-than-1-billion-of-missiles-related-equipment-from-u-s-for-cf-18-fighters

NDO/VNA - Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh on June 16 engaged in two online talks with Jody Thomas, Deputy Minister of Canada's Department of National Defence, and Peter Tesch, Deputy Secretary for Strategic Policy & Intelligence at Australia's Department of Defence. Canadian and Australian ambassadors and military attaches to Vietnam also took part in the talks. During the talks, Vinh informed the Australian and Canadian officials on the COVID-19 situation in Vietnam, attributing the good outcomes in controlling the disease to concerted efforts of the entire political system, with the Vietnam People's Army serving as the core and vanguard force. Highlighting the importance of international collaboration in the fight against the pandemic, he thanked Australian and Canadian defence bodies' cooperation in sharing information on COVID-19 prevention, control, research and treatment. He hoped the joint work will last for long given the COVID-19 complexities. On the occasion, Vinh and his counterparts reviewed outcomes of Vietnam-Australia and Vietnam-Canada defence ties in the past time and sought agreement on future orientations with a stress on military medical coordination in disease prevention and control. All sides vowed that they will not allow the pandemic to hinder their thriving cooperation. The Vietnamese and Canadian officials expressed their delight at breakthroughs in the relations of the sides after their defence ministers exchanged visits, particularly in human resources training and UN peace keeping mission. The Canadian side said it plans to set up a military attaché office in Vietnam this year, and the two sides agreed to push for the establishment of a bilateral defence policy dialogue mechanism toward building a three-year cooperation scheme for the two defence ministries. Meanwhile, Vietnam and Australia took note of outstanding joint work, such as Australian military aircraft, for the second time, transporting personnel of Vietnam's level-2 field hospital to South Sudan for peacekeeping mission. The sides also began teaming up to organise activities in searching for Vietnamese soldiers going missing during wartime, shooting skills exchanges; and discussions on women, peace and security. Vinh stated Vietnam's Defence Ministry is committed to the effective implementation of defence cooperation with Australia and Canada based on signed documents and agreements for the benefit of the sides involved and of the region. The official also informed his counterparts on the schedule of activities during the year Vietnam serves as Chair of ASEAN 2020 and its tenure as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021. He highlighted Vietnam's determination in strengthening collaboration within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Minister's Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM Plus. He stressed Vietnam backs Canada's responsible participation in the region in line with ASEAN's consensus principle and praised Australia's success in hosting the first informal ASEAN – Australia defence ministers' meeting. https://en.nhandan.org.vn/politics/item/8778302-vietnam-boosts-defence-cooperation-with-canada-australia.html