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Updated with comments from officials on June 10, 2019, at 9:21 a.m. ET. WASHINGTON — Raytheon and United Technologies Corporation will officially merge into a new entity called Raytheon Technologies Corporation, with the deal taking place in first half of 2020. Following Saturday reports that a merger was imminent, the two firms made the news official Sunday, launching a website about the planned all-stock deal. On Monday, Raytheon CEO Thomas Kennedy and UTC CEO Greg Hayes held a conference call, where the two revealed that discussions about a potential merger started in summer 2018, before taking off in earnest this January. “It's like a mirror,” Kennedy said of UTC, noting both companies invest heavily in new technologies while remaining “platform agnostic.” Hayes added that there is roughly a one percent overlap between the two firms portfolios. The new company will be roughly 50-50 defense and commercial, with plans to spend $8 billion on R&D after combining. Much of that funding will go towards high-end defense programs, including, per a news release, “hypersonics and future missile systems; directed energy weapons; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) in contested environments; cyber protection for connected aircraft; next generation connected airspace; and advanced analytics and artificial intelligence for commercial aviation.” The new firm has a “tremendous opportunity to invest” in the future, Hayes said. “The resources of the combined company will allow us to do things on a stand alone basis that would have been very difficult” individually. Hayes also expressed his belief the Pentagon would not see major issues, given the limited overlap. However, other trouble may be brewing; during a Monday interview with CNBC, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed concern about the agreement. While being billed as a “merger of equals,” UTC shareowners will own approximately 57 percent and Raytheon shareowners will own approximately 43 percent of the combined company. A spokesperson for Raytheon confirmed to Defense News Sunday that the combined company will be based in the greater Boston area. Raytheon is based in the Boston suburb of Waltham, while UTC is based in Farmington, Conn. Per a news release, the new company will have approximately $74 billion in pro forma 2019 sales. The release also highlights that the merged company will be a major player in both the defense and commercial aerospace markets, giving greater market resiliency. Byron Callan, a defense analyst with Capital Alpha Partners, wrote Sunday in a note to investors that the merger may be a sign of market trends to come. “An RTN-UTX deal may be a signal (a siren?) that 1) this U.S. defense cycle is peaking, and firms need to start repositioning for growth in 2021 and beyond; 2) Maybe the commercial aerospace outlook is looking wobbly too and Western firms need to hedge against fallout from a U.S.-China trade split. A U.S. recession is overdue; 3) Defense firms will need to fund more of their own R&D in the future so joining a larger firm will limit margin pressure which could be evidenced in the 2020s,” Callan wrote. Callan also sees “some overlap in the defense portfolios” for the two companies, primarily through the Mission Systems segment of Collins Aerospace. That could require some small divestitures down the road as the deal is finalized, but there do not appear to be any major issues that would lead to objections from the Pentagon. “Both are active in defense communications, though Collins has a larger share. Both have imaging/IR products, though Raytheon has a larger product offering,” he wrote. “Collins provides large space imaging mirrors used in surveillance satellites but it's not clear to us if there is an overlap with Raytheon's classified space payload work.” The deal should create a mammoth defense contractor second only to Lockheed Martin. Raytheon already ranked number two on the most recent Defense News Top 100 list, with $23.5 billion in defense revenues, 93 percent of its overall revenue total; UTC has $7.83 billion in defense revenues, a mere 13 percent of its overall figures. However, that UTC number came before its acquisition of Rockwell Collins and its $2.28 billion in defense revenues, which will naturally increase United's overall number. The move comes after 18 months of major defense consolidation. In addition to UTC's move on Rockwell, there was the General Dynamics acquisition of CSRA, Northrop Grumman's acquisition of Orbital ATK, and L3 and Harris announcing in Oct. 2018 that they would combine to form what at the time appeared to be the seventh largest global defense firm. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2019/06/09/raytheon-technologies-corporation-utc-raytheon-make-marriage-official/

By: Kelsey Reichmann As AI becomes more prominent in the national security community, officials are grappling with where to use it most effectively. During a panel discussion at the C4ISRNET conference June 6, leaders discussed the role of industry building AI that will be used by the military. After studying small and big companies creating AI technology, Col. Stoney Trent, the chief of operations at the Pentagon's Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, said he found commercial groups do not have the same motivations that exist in the government. “Commercial groups are poorly incentivized for rigorous testing. For them that represents a business risk,” Trent said. Because of this, he the government needs to work with the commercial sector to create these technologies. “What the Defense Department has to offer in this space is encouragement, an incentive structure for better testing tools and methods that allows us to understand how a product is going to perform when we are under conditions of national consequence because I can't wait,” Trent said. “Hopefully, the nation will be at peace long enough to not have a high bandwidth of experiences with weapons implementations, but when that happens, we need them to absolutely work. That's a quality of commercial technology development.” For this to take place, the Department of Defense needs to help create the right environment. “All of this is predicated on the Pentagon doing things as well,” said Kara Frederick, associate fellow for the technology and national security program at the Center for a New American Security. “Making an environment conducive to the behaviors that you are seeking to encourage. That environment can be the IT environment, common standards for data processing, common standards for interactions with industry, I think would help.” Panelists said national security leaders also need to weigh the risks of relying more on AI technology, one of which is non-state actors using AI for nefarious purposes. Trent said he sees AI as the new arms race but noted that in this arena, destruction may be easier than creation. “AI is the modern-day armor anti-armor arms race,” Trent said. “The Joint AI Center, one of the important features of it is that it does offer convergence for best practices, data sources, data standards, etc. The flip side is we fully understand there are a variety of ways you can undermine artificial intelligence and most of those are actually easier than developing good resilient AI.” Frederick said part of this problem stems from the structure of the AI community. “I think what's so singular about the AI community, especially the AI research community, is that its so open,” Frederick said. “Even at Facebook, we open source some of these algorithms and we put it our there for people to manipulate. [There is this] idea that non-state actors, especially those without strategic intent or ones that we can't pin strategic intent to, could get a hold of some of these ways to code in certain malicious inputs [and] we need to start being serious about it.” However, before tackling any of these problems, leaders need to first decide when it is appropriate to use AI Rob Monto, lead of the Army's Advanced Concepts and Experimentation office, described this process as an evolution that takes place between AI and its users. “AI is like electricity,” he said. “It can be anywhere and everywhere. You can either get electrocuted by it or you target specific applications for it. You need to know what you want the AI to do, and then you spend months and years building out. If you don't have your data set available, you do that upfront architecture and collection of information. Then you train your algorithms and build that specifically to support that specific use case...AI is for targeted applications to aid decisions, at least in the military space, to aid the user.” Once the decision is made how and where to use AI, there are other technologies that must make advances to meet AI. One the biggest challenges, said Chad Hutchinson, director of engineering at the Crystal Group., is the question of hardware and characteristics such as thermal performance. “AI itself is pushing the boundaries of what the hardware can do,” Hutchinson said. Hardware technology is not the only obstacle in AI's path. These issues could stem from policy or human resource shortfalls. “What we find is the non-technology barriers are far more significant than the technology barriers,” Trent said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/show-reporter/c4isrnet-conference/2019/06/09/how-industry-can-build-better-ai-for-the-military/

By: Jessie Bur Federal agencies that participate in the Centers of Excellence program will soon have more tools at their disposal for discovering the areas of greatest IT modernization need within their organization. The General Services Administration announced June 4 that it had issued a blanket purchase agreement to 22 companies to provide future CoE partners with the speed and flexibility to perform numerous discovery and assessment efforts simultaneously. “With just about a third of the agreements going to small businesses, we are proud of the cross-section of American industry and technological expertise represented,” said GSA CoE Executive Director Bob De Luca in a news release. “We selected companies who demonstrated the potential to discover issues related to current legacy systems and develop recommendations for modern-day technological solutions to the problems our citizens face when interacting with government services.” The Centers of Excellence program, started in December 2017 under a partnership between GSA and the White House, has so far had three agencies sign on to use the program to improve their IT: the Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Office of Personnel Management. The 22 BPA awardees span seven areas of change, with some companies receiving awards under multiple categories: Change Management Ambit Group, LLC Deloitte Consulting LLP Ernst & Young, LLP ICF Incorporated LLC International Business Machines Corporation McKinsey & Company, Inc., Washington, D.C. Cloud Adoption Capgemini Government Solutions LLC Flexion Inc. ICF Incorporated LLC McKinsey & Company, Inc., Washington, D.C. Contact Center Deloitte Consulting LLP Digital Management LLC HighPoint Digital, Inc. ICF Incorporated LLC McKinsey & Company, Inc., Washington, D.C. Slalom, LLC Customer Experience Arc Aspicio LLC Deloitte Consulting LLP Grant Thornton LLP Guidehouse LLP ICF Incorporated LLC International Business Machines Corporation Data Analytics Guidehouse LLP KPMG LLP McKinsey & Company, Inc., Washington, D.C. Information Security Centennial Technologies Inc. Deloitte Consulting LLP Electrosoft Services, Inc. Ernst & Young, LLP Grant Thornton LLP ICF Incorporated LLC International Business Machines Corporation KPMG LLP McKinsey & Company, Inc., Washington, D.C. MindPoint Group, LLC ShorePoint, Inc. Veris Group, LLC d/b/a Coalfire Federal IT Infrastructure Optimization Capgemini Government Solutions LLC Deloitte Consulting LLP Ernst & Young, LLP Gartner, Inc. Guidehouse LLP ICF Incorporated LLC International Business Machines Corporation KPMG LLP McKinsey & Company, Inc., Washington, D.C. Systems Engineering Solutions Corporation https://www.federaltimes.com/acquisition/2019/06/04/gsa-chooses-22-companies-to-help-centers-of-excellence-discoveries/

(B2) Les Européens doivent faire preuve d'une volonté politique forte pour faire face à leur environnement géostratégique en bouleversement, selon Louis Gautier, ancien secrétaire général pour la défense et la sécurité nationale (SGDSN). C'est ce qu'il a expliqué lors des entretiens de la défense européenne à Paris jeudi (16 mai) Un constat qui demande une réflexion politique Un environnement international délétère, une Europe fragilisée L'environnement international et stratégique est « délétère ». Des conflits qui semblaient oubliés reviennent et se rapprochent de la périphérie de l'Europe. De nouveaux dangers (cyber, spatiaux...) se développent. Le constat que fait Louis Gautier n'est pas engageant. D'autant que l'Union européenne est aujourd'hui « fragilisée », minée par ses divisions. La situation s'est « encore détériorée ces derniers mois » : l'Italie, membre fondatrice de l'Union, rejoint le camp des eurosceptiques, le Royaume-Uni persiste dans les errements du Brexit, etc. Le « plus inquiétant » concerne les inconnues qui pèsent sur l'équation de sécurité européenne : le démantèlement des accords conclus à la fin de la guerre froide, l'amoindrissement de la garantie américaine, ou ce qui est ressenti comme tel, et les provocations russes. Etre lucides ! Face à ces enjeux, c'est à un constat de lucidité qu'appelle Louis Gautier : « les Européens sont incapables de faire face collectivement à une crise majeure qui surviendrait sur leur sol ou à un conflit dans leur voisinage ». La nécessité d'agir de façon stratégique doit être repensée. « L'Europe, c'est en fonction du monde qu'on doit la faire. Et la défense européenne doit répondre à ces défis de sécurité ». L'Europe et sa défense, telles qu'elles avaient été imaginées au début, doivent être « réinterrogées ». Et n'envisager la défense européenne qu'au « prisme des capacités » est une erreur. On doit commencer par « dessiner un paysage stratégique, déterminer des enjeux, définir nos intérêts collectifs ». Une relance possible ? Certes, la relance du projet de défense européenne est bien engagée, avec une « multiplication des projets », entre 2016 et 2018. C'est « très positif ». Avec le fonds européen de défense (FEDef), « pour la première fois, il y aura sur la table de l'argent européen pour la défense et cela va changer la donne ». Mais ces projets n'ont un intérêt que si l'on a des organes de gouvernance, une définition des priorités. Il s'agit maintenant de faire attention à ce que cet élan ne retombe pas. On a « déjà connu des poussées similaires » lors du Traité de Maastricht, du sommet de Saint-Malo ou du retour de la France dans l'OTAN et du Traité de Lisbonne. Et l'élan a toujours fini par s'essouffler. Les objectifs sont « à chaque fois revus à la baisse, jamais mis en œuvre, restés en suspens dans les déclarations ». L'Union européenne reste « handicapée par les divisions européennes, le manque de volonté, les déficits capacitaires ». Les réticences, les habitudes et les conservatismes l'emportent sur le dynamisme. La clé : la volonté politique pour une intervention collective La volonté politique est donc la condition majeure pour obtenir des avancées durables. Aujourd'hui, l'Union serait « absolument incapable de gérer une crise majeure sur son sol ». L'Union reste faible dans la défense de ses intérêts, qu'ils soient industriels, économiques ou sécuritaires, martèle le spécialiste des enjeux stratégiques. En cas d'attaque, les États répondront avec des moyens nationaux, moyens inégaux en fonction des capacités de chacun. Ce alors que « les brèches chez les uns créeront des vulnérabilités chez les autres ». C'est bien le manque de vision stratégique de l'Union qui paralyse les efforts. En finir avec l'éternel débat UE – OTAN Il faut arrêter de se concentrer sur l'éternel débat UE-OTAN car il s'agit aujourd'hui d'une question qui concerne « les États, leur réponse collective, et le fait que l'Union européenne peut faciliter leur coordination ». Sans intervention collective des Européens, « nous ne pouvons pas obtenir les solutions de sortie de crise ». Alors même que certaines de ces solutions sont à la portée des États membres. Cela a été démontré lors du conflit au Kosovo : des conseils européens réguliers ont « rythmé les opérations par des décisions qui ont maintenu unis les Européens ». Des clarifications nécessaires Les Européens n'ont « jamais été collectivement capables de définir quelle devait être leur contribution collective à leur défense collective ». Quel que soit le cadre. Cerner les objectifs de la défense européenne Le concept même d'‘Europe de la défense' — un ‘mot valise',« très français », intraduisible pour nos partenaires — permet de mettre « un peu tout dans le même sac : des coopérations intergouvernementales, les projets communautaires, le pilier européen dans l'OTAN... » Sans spécifier suffisamment les aspects sur lesquels travailler. Clarifier les contours de cette défense européenne est nécessaire. Il faut « cerner les objectifs, car trop d'ambition effraie ». Une indispensable clarification entre l'OTAN et l'UE Cela implique aussi une « indispensable clarification » entre l'OTAN et l'UE. « Jusqu'à preuve du contraire », la défense collective européenne « se fait dans l'OTAN ». Mais l'Union doit vérifier qu'elle est en mesurer de gérer des attaques qui ne relèveraient pas de la responsabilité de l'OTAN. « Les réponses, elles sont européennes ». On ne peut pas se reposer sur une distribution des rôles dans laquelle l'OTAN s'occupe des questions militaires pendant que l'Europe « ne ferait que du capacitaire ». Parce que, déjà, « c'est faux » selon Louis Gautier. Et car le développement des capacités vient, avant tout, « au service d'une politique militaire, industrielle. » Cinq priorités pour la suite D'abord, « l'affirmation stratégique » des Européens. Qui doivent comprendre qu'ils ont des enjeux communs à défendre et que personne ne va les défendre pour eux. Mais aussi « la protection » des frontières, des citoyens, la capacité de « réaction aux crises », « le capacitaire » et « le renforcement de la BITD [Base industrielle et technologique de défense] ». Pour ce faire, il faut « consolider l'autonomie technologique » de l'Europe, anticiper plus et mieux, et améliorer la cohérence et cohésion des structures. Alors que le budget militaire européen est de « 230 milliards d'euros », supérieur à celui de la Chine, les duplications ont un prix : « l'absence de crédibilité ». Et « si les Européens ne s'activent pas, ils sont les grands perdants du 21ème siècle ». (propos recueillis par Coline Traverson, st.) https://www.bruxelles2.eu/2019/06/06/entretiens-leurope-doit-mieux-reflechir-a-sa-defense-l-gautier/

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY HDT Expeditionary Systems Inc., Solon, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $200,000,000 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial off-the-shelf shelters and tents. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a one-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Alabama, Ohio, Virginia and Kentucky, with a June 4, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1158). NAVY Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $79,074,099 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide program and project management; support of the Navy Tele-Mentoring Program; system administration; training; communications support; data analytics; tele-radiology; and support of the Health Experts Online Portal and Pacific Asynchronous TeleHealth in support of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Virginia (83 percent); San Diego, California (10 percent); Portsmouth, Virginia (2 percent); Camp Pendleton, California (2 percent); Lemoore, California (1 percent); Twentynine Palms, California (1 percent); and Bremerton, Washington (1 percent). The contract will include a 60-month ordering period that will begin July 2019, and is expected to be completed by July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Defense Health Procurement) (O&MDHP) funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and those funds will expire at the end of fiscal 2019. Subsequent task orders will be funded with the appropriate fiscal year O&MDHP funds. This contract resulted from a full and open competitive solicitation pursuant to the authority set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.504. The requirement was solicited through the Federal Business Opportunities and Navy Electronic Commerce Online websites, with 11 offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-19-D-Z024). Lockheed Martin Sippican Inc., Marion, Massachusetts, is awarded a $56,865,098 firm-fixed-price, cost, and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-6412 to exercise Option Year Three for the production of Mk 48 Mod 7 guidance and control (G&C) sections, Mk 48 Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System (CBASS) Functional Item Replacement (FIR) kits, spares, production support material, and related engineering services and hardware repair support for G&C sections and CBASS kits. Work will be performed in Marion, Massachusetts (88 percent); Braintree, Massachusetts (8 percent); and Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (4 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2017 weapons procurement (Navy); Foreign Military Sales; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $56,865,098 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Communication & Power Industries LLC, MPP Division, Palo Alto California, is awarded a $10,244,971 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for evaluation, repair, rebuild and new manufacture of L-Band Klystron microwave tubes required to support the AN/SPS-49 radar system. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Working capital funds (Navy) funding in the amount of $905,658 will be obligated at time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N0016419DWP32). ARMY General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $36,850,696 modification (0125) to contract W15P7T-10-D-C007 for post-deployment software support services. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 1, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. TRAX International LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada, was awarded a $17,666,430 modification (P00312) to contract W9124Q-07-C-0504 for mission support services. Work will be performed in White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,100,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The contract announced on May 31, 2019, for DirectViz Solutions LLC (DVS),* Chantilly, Virginia (W91RUS-19-C-0014), was not awarded. No new award date has been set. AIR FORCE AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, has been awarded a $24,318,602 undefinitized contract action for AC-208 contract logistics support and maintenance training. This contract provides for contractor logistics support and maintenance training for the AC-208 aircraft. Work will be performed at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. Fiscal 2018 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $7,406,993 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Training Aircraft Division, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8617-19-C-6234). Work Services Corp., Wichita Falls, Texas, has been awarded a $20,805,260 firm-fixed-price modification (P00002) to the previously awarded contract FA3020-18-C-0013 for food services. This contract modification provides full funding for the first option period. Work will be performed at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $36,010,315. Fiscal year 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 82nd Contracting Squadron, Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1864933/source/GovDelivery/

For the second year in a row, DARPA is convening the electronics community to discuss the ambitions and achievements of its five-year, upwards of $1.5 billion investment in U.S. microelectronics advancement. Attendees at the second annual Electronics Resurgence Initiative (ERI) Summit – being held July 15-17 in Detroit, Michigan – will hear from commercial and defense leaders as they share their insights on the domestic semiconductor industry and the applications driving next-generation electronics. The Summit will close on July 17 with 11 public workshops designed to demonstrate program accomplishments, shape future areas of research, and provide insights into working with DARPA as well as transitioning technologies to use. “Continued collaboration across industry, defense, and academia is critical to creating the next wave of microelectronics innovation,” said Dr. Mark Rosker, director of DARPA's Microsystems Technology Office (MTO). “Last year's Summit allowed these groups to come together and collectively work towards creating a more specialized, secure, heavily automated, and DoD-available electronics industry. This collaboration contributed to the formation of six new DARPA programs. With this year's expanded roster of workshops, we are again asking the community to share their perspectives, provide guidance, and foster the connections that will help define the future of an innovative and competitive domestic electronics enterprise.” In areas ranging from security and privacy to rapid circuit design, ERI's programs are already working to address both commercial and manufacturing realities as well as the needs of the defense enterprise. Several “Ongoing Efforts” workshops will provide updates on these active research efforts, including presentations on secure hardware and software architectures for high-risk transactions; trusted-by-design components and their impact on supply chain security; and novel atomic clock architectures. Attendees will also experience live demonstrations of autonomous chip design tools as well as open source IP and verification technology in development on two ERI programs – IDEA and POSH. Both programs are addressing the complexity and cost barriers that have limited the competitive field for circuit design by exploring novel approaches to automated circuit design and IP sharing. Shaping the future of microelectronics innovation requires research and development across a vast number of technical areas and applications. Several “Emerging Concepts” workshops will explore potential future areas of investment, and will seek input from the community to help define the most critical challenges to address. These workshops will focus on enhanced security for commercial hardware; energy-efficient computing for distributed machine intelligence; and novel approaches to designing and verifying distributed systems. A four-hour workshop will also focus on the challenges facing heterogeneous integration – a critical area of exploration for an emerging wave of alternatives to traditional transistor scaling. The workshop will cover problems associated with dense digital integration and mixing silicon with compound semiconductors, as well as potential solutions and paths forward. Finally, two “Enhancing Collaboration” workshops will provide guidance to attendees who are new to working with DARPA or are interested in transitioning DARPA-funded inventions out of the lab and into the commercial world. During the “DARPA/MTO Collaboration 101” workshop, Rosker will provide both a history of the agency and information about how to work with DARPA in the future. The deadline to register for the ERI Summit is Monday, June 24, 2019 at 11:59 PM EST. Registration information as well as a full agenda and workshop descriptions are available at www.eri-summit.com. All attendees must register in advance. Workshop headcount limits will be pre-determined based on attendee interest. https://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2019-05-31

Defence procurements support skills development for Canadians May 29, 2019 – Ottawa, Ontario The Government of Canada's defence and major Coast Guard purchases result in billions of dollars of work for Canadian companies and support thousands of jobs annually. Going forward, they will also contribute to the development of a highly skilled and diverse workforce. The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, underscored this today while at CANSEC, Canada's largest defence and security trade show, where he helped unveil the new Canadian Industrial Leadership Award (CILA). A joint initiative from L3 Technologies, Thales Canada and CAE Inc., CILA will offer fully paid internships/co-ops to 10 female students with demonstrated leadership and academic skills. The students will work on innovative projects to support their education and receive mentorship in STEM disciplines. The companies created this program as a result of the Industrial and Technological Benefits (ITB) Policy, which requires winning bidders of defence contracts to invest the value of the contract back into the Canadian economy. Minister Bains also announced updates to the Policy that will promote the development of new skills. Specifically, prime contractors will now receive additional credit through the ITB Policy for investments in skills development and training for Indigenous peoples in Canada. A new cyber certification feature was also added to improve access for Canadian small and medium-sized firms seeking opportunities related to defence procurement. This will help advance the Government's commitment to setting and promoting a national standard for cyber protection among Canadian businesses. The addition follows the publication of the 10 principles that make up Canada's new Digital Charter, one of which states that Canadians should be able to rely on the integrity, authenticity and security of the services they use and should feel safe online. Quotes “In a competitive global economy, Canada can't afford to leave talent on the sidelines. Through the ITB Policy, the government is helping to ensure the development of a more skilled and inclusive workforce. The Canadian Industrial Leadership Award is a great example of how our policy can promote investment in the advancement of women in STEM. Going forward, the enhancements to the policy that were announced today will also motivate new investments in skills development and training for Indigenous peoples. It will also lead to improved access to cyber certification for small and medium-sized businesses, allowing them to better compete in this innovative industry.” – The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Quick facts The ITB Policy encourages companies to establish or grow their presence in Canada, strengthen Canadian supply chains, and develop Canadian industrial capabilities in areas such as innovation, research and development, supplier development, and exports. The ITB Policy includes the Value Proposition, which motivates bidders on Canadian defence contracts to put forward proposed investments toward their ITB obligations when making their bids. As of January 2019, the overall portfolio of ITB obligations included 161 projects valued at almost $47 billion, with $36.1 billion in business activities already completed, $7.1 billion of activities in progress and $3.7 billion in unidentified future work opportunities. The Canadian defence industry includes over 660 firms with more than $10 billion in sales, supports close to 60,000 jobs in the Canadian economy, and employs highly skilled workers in high-quality jobs. https://www.canada.ca/en/innovation-science-economic-development/news/2019/05/supporting-jobs-and-skills-through-defence-purchases.html

Bruno Alomar Se profile désormais la création d'un Fonds européen de défense de 13 milliards d'euros en capacité initiale, pour lequel le Parlement européen s'est solennellement prononcé en avril, et qui devrait être confirmé lors de l'adoption des prochaines perspectives financières 2021-2027 Parent pauvre de la construction européenne depuis l'échec de la Communauté européenne de défense (CED) en 1954, le projet d'Europe de la défense a connu, au moins dans les intentions, une accélération spectaculaire au cours des deux dernières années. Se est ainsi succédé la création en décembre 2017 d'une Coopération structurée permanente (CSP) regroupant 25 Etats, puis l'Initiative européenne d'intervention (IEI) en juin 2018. Se profile désormais la création d'un Fonds européen de défense de 13 milliards d'euros en capacité initiale (devant monter in fine à 20 milliards), pour lequel le Parlement européen s'est solennellement prononcé en avril, et qui devrait être confirmé lors de l'adoption des prochaines perspectives financières 2021-2027. La prochaine Commission européenne, pourrait même voir la création d'un poste de Commissaire européen à la défense, avec une Direction générale dédiée. Disons-le tout net : il n'est que temps que les Européens, adeptes du « doux commerce » et du soft power, prennent conscience de la dangerosité du monde et de leur fragilité dans le domaine militaire ! Il n'est que temps de dissiper l'illusion qui a prévalu depuis 1989, celle des « dividendes de la paix », d'un monde irénique structuré autour des seules questions économiques. Pourtant, alors que dans les mots l'idée d'une Europe de la défense progresse, d'autres mots indiquent d'autres réalités. Ainsi, les Sous-secrétaires d'Etat américains à la défense, Ellen Lord, et au département d'Etat, Andrea Thompson, ont adressé une lettre au Haut Représentant de l'Union européenne, Mme Mogherini, en date du 1er mai, qui ne déguise par le mépris dans lequel l'Amérique tient les timides efforts européens en la matière. Dans cette lettre, les autorités américaines rappellent que si la création d'un Fonds européen de défense est de la responsabilité des Européens, il va de soi que ceci ne saurait compromettre les relations qui existent au sein de l'OTAN. Le tropisme américain, Donald Trump n'ayant rien inventé si ce n'est une brutalité inédite sur la forme, demeure : « Européens, si vous voulez être protégés, achetez américain ; sinon gare ! » Sécurité. Rien de nouveau dira-t-on : hormis le Royaume-Uni et la France, puissances nucléaires indépendantes, tous les autres pays européens sont redevables à l'Amérique pour leur sécurité. C'est bien la raison pour laquelle ces Etats se fournissent avec zèle en matériel militaire américain, le dernier exemple en date étant le choix du F 35 par la très europhile Belgique, destinés d'ailleurs à remplacer les F-16 américains. C'est, plus encore, l'une des raisons essentielles pour lesquelles, face à une Russie redevenue menaçante, les pays scandinaves et baltes, avec le soutien silencieux de Berlin, mettent systématiquement en échec toute perspective d'approfondissement de l'Union européenne ou d'inflexion commerciale qui pourrait indisposer Washington. Dans un tel contexte, qu'il soit tout de même permis de formuler quelques orientations pour le futur Fonds européen de défense. Car, au-delà des intentions, c'est dans le détail que son succès au service de la sécurité des européens se jouera. Premièrement, la préférence européenne. N'en déplaise à nos alliés américains, si les européens, auxquels Washington reproche tant – à juste titre – de consacrer insuffisamment de ressources à leur défense, mobilisent des fonds, ceux-ci doivent à l'évidence être entièrement consacrés à la fortification d'une base industrielle et technologique de défense (BITD) européenne, d'autant plus fragile qu'elle est sous pression des industriels américains. Le programme F-35 a d'ailleurs réussi son pari industriel : assécher la R&D des entreprises européennes partenaires comme BAE ou Leonardo. C'est non seulement une question de crédibilité militaire pour les Européens. C'est aussi, si l'on tient compte du rôle essentiel des industries de défense en matière d'innovation au service de toute l'économie, une condition essentielle de restauration de leur base industrielle et de renforcement de leur compétitivité, le tout sur fond de rachat forcené de certains acteurs par leurs concurrents américains (Santa Barbara, Mowag, etc.). Deuxièmement, au moment où les conditions exactes de création et de gestion du Fonds sont débattues, il est essentiel, dans l'intérêt des Européens, de fixer clairement les responsabilités de chacun. Aux instances européennes de centraliser les projets, d'en évaluer l'intérêt, et d'apporter une « plus-value » communautaire. Ensuite, ce sont les Etats, et les Etats seuls, qui doivent gérer les fonds dégagés en coopération avec industriels. Mais rien ne serait pire que les institutions européennes, dont l'ADN est le libre marché et la compétence en matière de défense inexistante, prétendent se substituer au choix et à la décision finale des Etats membres, seuls comptables de leur souveraineté devant leur peuple. Bruno Alomar, auditeur de la 68 em session « politique de défense » de l'iHEDN et de la 25 em promotion de l'Ecole de Guerre. https://www.lopinion.fr/edition/international/fonds-europeen-defense-quelles-perspectives-tribune-libre-bruno-alomar-188032

AIR FORCE Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $355,493,640 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for AGM-88B High Speed Anti-Radiation Missiles (HARM)/Replacement Exchange In-Kind (REIK) for HARM Control Section Modification (HCSM). This contract provides for the refurbishment of live AGM-88Bs and conversion of AGM-88B into Captive Air Training Missiles (CATM-88B) for approved Foreign Military Sales countries. Work will be performed in Tuscon, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by 2027. This contract involves foreign military sales to Qatar, Taiwan, and Bahrain. Additional countries may be added after contract award. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $76,074,315 is being obligated on a delivery order at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Warner Robins, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8520-19-D-0002). Pride Industries, Roseville, California, has been awarded a $19,902,284 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract FA4484-17-D-0005 for base operations services. This modification provides for the exercise of the second option period out of four. Work will be performed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $59,441,361, and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on individual task orders. The 87th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $16,387,853 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00061) to previously awarded contract FA8615-12-C-6016 for a variety of support to the Taiwan F-16 Peace Phoenix Rising program. This contract modification provides for miscellaneous support work identified during performance of the in-country aircraft modification program, use and maintenance of product support aircraft, and additional support necessary for the successful completion of modification installs. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; and Taiwan, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2023. This modification involves 100 percent foreign military sales to Taiwan, and Foreign Military Sales funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Central Coast Water Authority, Buellton, California, has been awarded a $7,929,102 delivery order (FA4610-19-FA038) under previously awarded contract F04684-92-D-0013 for California State Water. This delivery order provides Vandenberg Air Force Base and outlying municipalities with potable water. Work will be performed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be complete by 2032. This delivery order brings the total cumulate face value of the contract to $157,514,286. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 30th Contracting Squadron, Vandenberg AFB, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded an $84,341,597 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for up to 898,320 man-hours of direct labor engineering services. These services are in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Mission Solutions Division to perform projects for Special Operations Forces command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems. Services include requirements definition, solution definition, integration, installation verification and validation, and operation and sustainment. Work will be performed in California, Maryland (70 percent); St. Inigoes, Maryland (13 percent); Fayetteville, North Carolina (6 percent); Little Creek, Virginia (5 percent); Coronado, California (4 percent); and Tampa, Florida (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0055). Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded $63,701,527 for a cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price ordering provisions for business and technology management support services required to facilitate the overall Transformation Management Support Services effort in support of the Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education (MPTE), OPNAV N1, and subordinate commands. The contract is a five-year base ordering period with no options. All work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia. The ordering period is expected to be completed by May 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds (Navy) in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount, and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-19-D-Z023). C.E.R. Inc.,* Baltimore, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0016); EGI HSU JV LLC,* Gaithersburg, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0017); G-W Management Services LLC,* Rockville, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0018); Huang-Gaghan JV Inc.,* Alexandria, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0019); Kunj Construction Corp.,* Mechanicsville, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0020); Ocean Construction Services Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0021), are awarded Option One under a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, multiple award construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington, District of Columbia, area of operations (AO). The combined total value of all six contractors is $49,500,000. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $99,000,000. Work will be performed at various administrative facilities within the NAVFAC Washington, District of Columbia AO, including but not limited to, Maryland; Washington, District of Columbia; and Virginia, and is expected to be completed May 29, 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and Navy working capital funds. NAVFAC Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors LLC,* Lockport, Louisiana, is awarded an $11,638,510 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase and conversion of one existing offshore supply vessel into an Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center range support vessel (ARSV). The ARSV will perform ocean engineering and range support in the launch, recovery and deep ocean mooring installation and maintenance of remote operated vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles. The ARSV will be operated for multiple days at sea, which will permit researchers onboard to remain on station at remote locations for multiple days to collect data, deploy scientific equipment, and perform scientific calculations. Work will be performed in Lockport, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by January 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $11,638,510 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-2205). Diversified Maintenance Systems Inc.,* Sandy, Utah, is awarded a maximum amount $10,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract for other specialty trade contractors construction alterations, renovations, and repair projects at Naval Air Facility El Centro. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of electrical, mechanical, painting, engineering/design, paving (asphaltic and concrete), flooring (tile work/carpeting), roofing, structural repair, fencing, HVAC, and fire suppression/protection system installation projects. Work will be performed in El Centro, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of May 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2623). Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded an $8,929,671 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the mid-term availability of USNS Lenthall (T-AO 189). Work will include general services, diesel fuel marine contaminated tank bottom replacement, vent plenum steel replacement and preservation, main engine intercooler cleaning, switchboard and motor control center cleaning, recondition air conditioning motors, cable bulkhead collar magna rock replacement, diesel fuel marine cargo piping repairs, armory air conditioning replacement, constant tension winch No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 overhaul, fire and aqueous film forming foam piping replacement, fire damper inspection and repairs, steel replacement and recoating. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $9,004,671. Funds will be obligated on May 23, 2019. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to begin on July 15, 2019, and be completed by Sept. 2, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,929,671, are obligated at the time of award. Funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C4014). BAE Systems Land and Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded an $8,924,330 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering services and waterfront services in support of the MK 45gun mount providing engineering, technical, logistics services and technical data to support the MK 45 5” Gun system design, development, fabrication, production, operation and integration. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $35,058,494. Work will be performed in Navy fleet concentration areas (various locations) (70 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (15 percent); and Louisville, Kentucky (15 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2013 and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,178,794 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5301). ARMY Aura Technologies LLC,* Raleigh, North Carolina, was awarded a $49,997,256 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for Small Business Innovation Research in support of advanced manufacturing environments. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911NF-19-D-0004). B.L. Harbert International LLC, Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded an $18,481,835 firm-fixed-price contract for to construct Secure Compartmental Information Facility at Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Pyongtaek, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 host nation (Korea) funds in the amount of $18,481,835 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, is the contracting activity (W912UM-19-C-0002). Tribalco LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $14,425,217 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Iraq) contract for computer hardware, services and MEMEX software. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $14,425,217 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-19-C-5024). IDSC Holdings LLC, Snap-On Industrial, a division of IDSC Holdings LLC, Kenosha, Wisconsin, was awarded an $11,434,752 firm-fixed-price contract for the General Mechanic's Tool Kit. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds in the amount of $11,434,752 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-18-D-0079). Howard W. Pence Inc.,* Elizabethtown, Kentucky, was awarded an $8,825,159 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a Special Operations Forces air-and-ground integration urban live fire range. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 18, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $8,825,159 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W91Q2R-19-C-0017). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY General Dynamics, Williston, Vermont, has been awarded a maximum $42,443,476 firm-fixed-price contract for gun barrels. 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 three-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Vermont and Maine, with a May 22, 2022, performance completion date. Using military services are Air Force and Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0133). Real-Time Laboratories LLC, Boca Raton, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $10,776,057 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for linear direct valves. 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 a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a May 29, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0074). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1856970/source/GovDelivery/