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By: David B. Larter WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army faces problems on multiple fronts when it comes to sending business to small companies, the head of Army Futures Command said Wednesday. Gen. John Murray said small businesses struggle under a procurement system that can take years, and then struggle to scale their businesses to meet the Army's needs. “There is a lack of trust [on the part of small businesses] that the government can sustain [a] small-business model,” Murray told the audience at the third annual Defense News Conference. “The way we do budgeting, [program objectives memorandum] POM cycles and all that — a small business can't survive. We're going to have to prove to small businesses that we can adjust our POM cycles to meet their needs. “And from the small business perspective, there are only a few ways that they can scale to the size we are talking about in terms of production. One of those ways is partnering with a traditional [defense contractor], so that's going to be a challenge going forward.” Murray's comments come as the Army tries to engage with a range of partners — from universities and small businesses to the traditional prime contractors such as Raytheon and General Dynamics — to find ways to integrate new technologies into the force. The outreach to small businesses at Army Futures Command is about finding new ways to get after the challenges the service faces, Murray said, but that in and of itself comes with challenges. “This outreach to small business is not because there is anything wrong with traditional defense primes, it's really an outreach to find new ways to solve our problems,” he said. “I've been in the Army 37 years, and I think about solving our problems a certain way. I guarantee a lot of these small businesses think about how to solve problems a different way. “Part of the challenge I have with small business is comfortably describing our problem to them. I can't talk in acronyms, I can't talk with 37 years of experience, I need to talk very clearly and very plainly.” Murray said his teams have staged events aimed at the private sector, such as a recent one where startups gathered to figure out how to move artillery shells 250 meters using autonomous unmanned systems. Such events have been instructive, he noted. Ultimately, however, the Army will choose the business that best meets the service's requirements, he said. “What it really comes down to is what are our problems and where is the best place — whether that's small business or a university or a traditional prime — where is the best place to solve that problem,” Murray said. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/defense-news-conference/2019/09/04/the-us-army-faces-struggles-working-with-small-businesses/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force's stealthy fighters will not meet an 80 percent mission-capable rate requirement set by former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, top officials revealed Wednesday. Appearing at the 2019 Defense News Conference, Lt. Gen. Mark Kelly, deputy chief of staff for operations, said that the F-22 and F-35A would both fall short of the capability target set by Mattis shortly before his exit from the Pentagon. The F-16, however, “should” hit that target rate. In a memo first revealed by Defense News last October, Mattis ordered the Pentagon's F-35, F-22, F-16 and F-18 aircraft inventories to hit 80 percent mission-capability rates. A July investigation by sister publication Air Force Times revealed that in fiscal 2018, when Mattis issued the memo, the service was in a readiness nose dive: Of the 5,413 or so aircraft in the fleet, the percentage able to fly at any given time decreased steadily each year since at least FY12, when 77.9 percent of aircraft were deemed flyable. By FY17, that metric plunged to 71.3 percent, and it dipped again to 69.97 percent in FY18. Analysts were skeptical that such an increase could be achieved in just one year, and it appears that skepticism was well-founded. However, Kelly argued, not all mission-capable rates are created equal. “We learned a lot from the MC80 [mission-capable 80 percent] effort. One of the big things we learned is that our long-range readiness strategy, which takes a lot more consideration than MC80, is frankly a more viable strategy,” he said of an effort that takes a more holistic approach to whether needed assets are ready to use. “MC80 is actually a very important metric of how ready we are to go to war, but there is an easy way for the Air Force to achieve MC80 on any airframe, and that's to just stop flying. We actually flew more,” Kelly said. The F-22 struggled to hit 80 percent in large part because the low-observable coating on the plane requires slow, careful work to maintain, which drags down the mission-capable rates. The F-35A, meanwhile, was being stood up and flown more during this period than ever before, which was beneficial for the service, but meant that mission-capable rates were impacted by operational use. “So facts matter,” Kelly concluded. “The facts are: We won't make it, but the data behind the facts is we're actually having pretty good success.” During the panel, Air Force leaders were asked if the 386 squadron target, first unveiled last September, is still a hard goal for the service. Lt. Gen. Timothy Fay, deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration and requirements, didn't provide a concrete answer, but he did indicate that capability — as opposed to capacity — may be a more important standard for the future. “386 was an number we worked very hard on,” Fay said. “But it's not just a question of capacity. ... Yes, we have a force that's too small,” but the service is now “looking at new technologies, new ways to use those technologies.” https://www.defensenews.com/smr/defense-news-conference/2019/09/04/f-22-f-35-wont-hit-mattis-readiness-targets/

The Canadian government will provide the Government of the Northwest Territories with up to $150 million over five years for the extension and modernization of the Inuvik Airport runway. The project will extend the existing runway by 3,000 feet and modernize its lighting, navigational and military aircraft landing systems, according to a news release issued Wednesday by the Department of National Defence. Owned by the Government of the Northwest Territories, Inuvik's Mike Zubko Airport hosts civilian aircraft and acts as a Forward Operating Location for the Royal Canadian Air Force, according to the Department of National Defence. As part of its role as a Forward Operating Location, the airport's 6,000-foot runway is primarily used for CF-18 operations to support Canadian sovereignty in the North and the country's NORAD obligations. This project will be funded through the DND's Capital Assistance Program, which funds shared-use capital projects for DND infrastructure that is shared by the federal government and other levels of government. This project is in the early planning stages and is expected to be tendered in 2020. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/runway-used-as-forward-operating-location-in-northwest-territories-to-be-modernized-extended

La démonstration du CF-18 Hornet et le spectacle au crépuscule du CF-18 Hornet Le colonel Chris Hadfield se joindra au CF-18 Hornet pour un vol héritage à AERO Gatineau-Ottawa 2019. Le premier astronaute canadien à marcher dans l'espace pilotera le Spitfire Mk IX de Vintage Wings of Canada pour se joindre au CF-18 pour un vol patrimonial. De retour pour sa 9e année à AERO Gatineau-Ottawa, l'équipe de démonstration des CF-18 offrira un spectacle exaltant et dynamique que vous n'oublierez pas! Cette année, l'équipe de démonstration des CF-18 de l'Aviation canadienne a choisi le thème « 70e anniversaire de l'OTAN ». Le CF-18 Hornet peut voler beaucoup plus vite que la vitesse du son – mais pas lorsqu'il se produit pour le public! La démonstration montrera également sa capacité à voler très lentement, le nez vers le ciel. Le CF-18 Hornet de l'ARC sera en spectacle le samedi et le dimanche avec une démonstration spéciale au crépuscule le vendredi soir. Les Snowbirds des Forces canadiennes Saviez-vous que les excitants vols de précision des 9 avions sont rendus possible par 80 membres des Forces armées canadiennes? Basés à Moosejaw, en Saskatchewan, 24 d'entre eux se rendent dans 40 endroits au Canada et aux États-Unis pour la saison 2019. Les Snowbirds volent le Tutor CT 114, conçu et construit au Canada par Canadair afin de servir comme principal avion d'entraînement des Forces armées canadiennes jusqu'à son remplacement par le Hawk CT155 et le Harvard II CT156 en 2000. Le monomoteur General Electric J-85 produit 2700 livres de poussée, laquelle propulse l'appareil relativement léger à des vitesses de plus de 400 noeuds. La voilure droite du CT114 Tutor crée une portance et les contrôles sont précisément réglés, faisant de l'appareil une voiture sport classique pour les airs. Malgré son 'ge avancé, et gr'ce à l'entretien exceptionnel dont il fait l'objet, le Tutor est la plateforme idéale en tant qu'avion à réaction de démonstration. Après le spectacle, les Snowbirds vous invitent à rencontrer leur équipe composée de pilotes de spectacle de voltige, d'un officier des affaires publiques et de techniciens hautement qualifiés en aviation, en avionique, en structure d'aéronefs et en soutien mobile. Si vous ne pouvez pas être au spectacle aéronautique, suivez les Snowbirds sur les médias sociaux! Le « TankCam » des Snowbirds, un réservoir de fumée modifié monté sur le ventre de Snowbird 1, contient trois caméras haute résolution capables de capturer des vidéos et des images étonnantes de la formation en vol. Les images seront publiées sur Twitter et Facebook. http://aerogatineauottawa.com/deux-equipes-de-voltige-canadiennes-dans-le-ciel-les-snowbirds-et-les-cf-18/?lang=fr

KIELCE, Poland, Sept. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- During the MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT) displayed an S-70i™ Armed Black Hawk® helicopter fitted with a single-station external stores pylon. Designed at PZL Mielec as a lighter weight, lower cost alternative to currently fielded dual-station external wings, a single-station pylon attached to one or both sides of the aircraft will be compatible with the advanced weapon system that allows Black Hawk pilot gunners to support battlefield operations using forward firing guns, rockets and air-to-ground missiles. "We're developing the single-station pylon in response to requests by militaries across Europe, Latin America and Asia for a battlefield support helicopter that can be armed for different types of missions that may not always need four weapons stations," said Janusz Zakręcki, president, general director of PZL Mielec. "Operators can arm the aircraft for suppressive fire, surveillance, armed reconnaissance, armed escort and air assault missions, and still carry out other utility roles whenever pylons and stores must remain on the aircraft." At a quarter the cost and weight of a dual-station wing, a pylon can be removed or attached by two people in 15 minutes, produces less drag during flight, offers a wider field of fire to window or door gunners, and opens more space to hoist a litter into the aircraft while in a hover. For large targets, a pylon will be able to carry HELLFIRE™ or Spike air-to-ground missile launchers. A pylon also can extend aircraft range with an 80-gallon external fuel tank. As a complementary option for the S-70i / S-70M Armed Black Hawk with dual-station wings, the single station pylon will integrate with the aircraft's weapons management system that calculates the range and complex ballistics required for pilot gunners to engage targets with high accuracy and reliability from stand-off distances during day and night operations. PZL Mielec expects to begin airworthiness flight testing of the prototype pylon design in 2020. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-09-04-PZL-Mielec-Displays-Single-Station-Stores-Pylon-for-Armed-Black-Hawk

Leonardo, through its industrial pillar in the Polish helicopter sector PZL-Świdnik, and the Polish Armaments Group, jointly with the Polish aviation industry and R&D centers, is presenting a next-generation multirole military helicopter concept based on a legacy W-3 Sokół platform at MSPO 2019. The new concept comprises state-of-the-art technologies offered by the Polish aviation industry. In the future this solution could meet the requirements of the Polish Armed Forces for a new generation of battlefield support helicopters. The collaborative project oversees a major modification of the W-3 platform which is the basis of the helicopter fleet of the Polish Armed Forces. Only the latest and already tested technologies available on the market have been used for the new concept, without compromising the Polish military needs through the guarantee of shorter delivery times, high level of reliability and savings in terms of the acquisition and operating costs. The helicopter will be equipped with new blades and main rotor and a fully digital avionics system, covering a glass cockpit, flight management system (FMS), synthetic vision system (SVS), digital maps and terrain avoidance warning system (TAWS), as well as a four-axis digital autopilot, new communication system, an engine FADEC and health & usage monitoring system (HUMS). All of this, combined with mission equipment and additional 200 kg of useful load (owing to an increase from 6,400 kg to 6,600 kg MTOW) will offer remarkable improvement in terms of performance and the operational capability of the helicopter. On display at MSPO 2019 there will be a mock-up of the new generation W-3 concept helicopter's cockpit. This concept further highlights the stringent global standard capabilities of the Polish aviation industry and how it can meet the battlefield demands of the Polish Armed Forces as well as the mission needs of the Polish military end-users. The type will meet latest requirements of NATO countries to remain in service for another 30 years and overcome a design generation gap between previous and latest generation systems. The venture will also see a significant technology transfer from Leonardo to PZL-Świdnik which, in turn, will enable the Polish aviation industry to further consolidate its growth domestically. Gian Piero Cutillo, Leonardo Helicopters' MD, said: “A key significance in the development of the new generation W-3 concept helicopter is through the transfer of technology with a view to guarantee to clients the operational autonomy and the broadest possible involvement of Polish industry. Particularly, the major role of our long-term partner, i.e. the Polish Armaments Group and companies belonging to it, which will be involved to a high degree in all phases of the project starting with the design, through to development, and the production which will support the helicopter into the future.” Sebastian Chwałek, vice president of the Polish Armaments Group, said, “Companies of our group bring into the modernization project several state-of-art solutions and competencies, including among others weapon systems equipped with guided and unguided missiles and firearms. Integration of those solutions on W-3 helicopter will allow this rotorcraft to support effectively soldiers in deployment of the tasks set on them, at the same time guaranteeing to the Armed Forces permanent access to munitions that can be used also by other armies of the NATO.” The next generation W-3 helicopter will provide the Polish Armed Forces with advanced battlefield support capabilities through a wide range of mission equipment, covering fully integrated armaments system (air-to-air missiles, anti-tank missiles, 70mm rocket pods, cannon pods (12.7/20 mm), machine gun installed in a cabin) and an integrated defensive aids system, an electro optical surveillance system, NVG compatibility and head up display. The helicopter will be able to perform a wide range of missions, including troop transport, special forces insertion/extraction, CSAR, intelligence, surveillance and armed reconnaissance, and medevac/casevac. https://www.verticalmag.com/press-releases/leonardo-and-the-polish-armaments-group-unveil-next-gen-w-3-helicopter-concept/

Two Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets touched down at Ottawa's Macdonald-Cartier International Airport on Sept. 4, ahead of their appearance at this weekend's AERO Gatineau-Ottawa airshow. The show, which runs from Sept. 6-8, will feature a flying display performed by the U.S. Air Force F-35 flight demonstration team. The fighter jets will not be on static display. Other performers include aircraft from Vintage Wings of Canada, the Canadian CF-18 Hornet Demo team, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatic team, and more. For details, visit the show's website. Skies photographer Mike Luedey was waiting in Ottawa for the aircraft to arrive. Here are a few shots of the team making a (loud) entrance! https://www.skiesmag.com/news/lightning-strikes-twice-in-ottawa

NAVY General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded $143,680,709 for modification P00005 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-18-C-1007). This modification is for 24 low rate initial production Lot 3 T408-GE-400 turboshaft engines and three Lot 2 T408-GE-400 engines for the CH-53K helicopter. In addition, this modification provides for associated engine and programmatic support, logistics support, peculiar support equipment and spares. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $143,680,709 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Aug. 29, 2019) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina (N00189-19-D-Z033); and University of Virginia Darden School Foundation Inc., Charlottesville, Virginia (N00189-19-D-Z034), are being awarded multiple award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts worth $24,535,554 that will include terms and conditions for the placement of firm-fixed-price task orders to provide academic programs to educate the Department of the Navy acquisition personnel in support of the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. The contracts will run concurrently and will include a 60-month base ordering period and an option for a six-month ordering period; if exercised, the total value of this contract will be $27,496,527. The base ordering period of the contract is expected to be completed by September 2024; if the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by March 2025. All work will be performed at various contractor locations throughout the U.S., and the percentage of work at each of the contractor facilities cannot be determined at this time. Fiscal 2019 acquisition workforce development funds (Department of Defense) in the amount of $2,000 will be obligated ($1,000 on each of the two contracts to fund the contracts' minimum amounts), and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured for the award of multiple contracts pursuant to the authority set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.504. The requirement was solicited through the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet, Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. ARMY Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $97,530,579 modification (P00064) to contract W912DY-16-F-0093 for management and technical support necessary to advance high performance computing services, capabilities, infrastructure and technologies. Work will be performed in Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Stennis Space Center, Mississippi; Vicksburg, Mississippi; and Lorton, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 18, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,012,268 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. RLB Contracting Inc.,* Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded a $9,571,200 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of Houston ship channel. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Brady Island, Texas, with an estimated completion date of March 5, 2020. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 operations and maintenance, civil funds in the amount of $9,571,200 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-19-C-0015). Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded an $8,126,438 modification (P00015) to contract W31P4Q-18-C-0070 for the acquisition of Joint-Air-To-Ground missile engineering services. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 2, 2021. Fiscal 2019 procurement, Air Force; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $8,126,438 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY The Boeing Co.,* St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for engineering and supply chain analysis sustainment support and for various spare parts. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Sept. 6, 2020, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 warstopper funds and defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4AX-18-D-9450). CORRECTION: The modification announced on Sept. 3, 2019, for General Dynamics Land Systems Inc., Sterling Heights, Michigan (SPE7MX-16-D-0100), for $38,040,445 was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Sept. 4, 2019. AIR FORCE Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $8,422,148 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00032) to previously awarded contract FA8675-16-C-0067 for field team support services for Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) development test mission support including, test planning, test operations, test reporting and telemetry analysis. This contract modification provides for exercise of the third option for an additional 12 months of services to support ground tests, captive flight tests and live fire tests conducted for developmental purposes up to and including operational test readiness reviews. The effort also encompasses management and maintenance of AMRAAM separation test vehicles and other assets used for the test programs. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $46,807,656. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 5, 2020. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition and only one source was solicited and received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,000,000; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $99,600 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., Defense, Space & Security – Network, Newark, Ohio, has been awarded a $7,494,440 firm-fixed-price delivery order, FA8119-19-F-0094, to basic contract FA8119-14-D-0003 for Air Launched Cruise Missile warhead arming devices remanufacture. This delivery order provides for the remanufacture of 110 Air Launched Cruise Missile warhead arming devices for the fifth option period. Work will be performed at Newark, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by May 9, 2020. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 missiles procurement funds in the amount of $7,494,440.00 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1952112/source/GovDelivery/

THE CANADIAN PRESS Days after Airbus Defence and Space pulled out of the $19-billion race to replace Canada's aging fighter jets, the only European firm still eligible to compete says it has not decided whether it will. Saab Canada president Simon Carroll says the Swedish firm is interested in entering its Gripen jet against its two remaining competitors, both of which are from the United States: Boeing's Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin's F-35. However, Mr. Carroll told The Canadian Press on Tuesday that his company is still analyzing the competition's nitty-gritty details – including a security requirement that forced out two other European jet makers. All bidders are required to explain by Sept. 20 how they plan to ensure their planes can integrate with the top-secret Canada-U.S. intelligence network known as “Two Eyes,” which is used to co-ordinate the defence of North America. But in announcing its withdrawal from the competition on Friday, Airbus said meeting the requirement would place “too significant of a cost” on non-U.S. aircraft. French firm Dassault cited the same requirement when it pulled its Rafale jet in November. “We are still looking at that security assessment side of things from the Two-Eyes perspective,” Mr. Carroll said. “We don't see any major issues with it as this point in time. Having said that, we're still reviewing everything through the whole [request for proposals] at this point in time and we will reserve the right to make our judgment on whether or not we provide a bid.” Airbus also raised concerns about changes to a long-standing policy that requires bidders on military contracts to legally commit to invest as much money in Canadian products and operations as they get out of contracts they win. Bidders can now instead establish “industrial targets,” lay out a plan for achieving those targets and sign non-binding agreements promising to make all efforts to achieve them. Such bids do suffer penalties when the bids are scored, but are not rejected outright. That change followed U.S. complaints the previous policy violated an agreement Canada signed in 2006 to become one of nine partner countries in developing the F-35. The agreement says companies in the partner countries will compete for work associated with purchases of the planes. While Saab has previously raised its own concerns about the change, saying it would shortchange Canadian taxpayers and industry, Mr. Carroll said it was “not a hurdle” and that “we think we have a very good offering for what we can offer in Canada.” Even participating in the competition is not a cheap proposition for fighter-jet makers; while Carroll would not speak to the potential cost to Saab, analysts have previously pegged the cost in the millions of dollars. While companies are expected to submit their plans to meet the Two Eyes security requirement on Sept. 20, the government has said it will provide feedback and let bidders amend their submissions. Final bids aren't expected until next winter, with a formal contract signed in 2022. The first plane won't arrive until at least 2025. Successive federal government have been working to replace Canada's CF-18s for more than a decade. Mr. Carroll praised the government for being transparent as it has worked for years to launch the competition, which followed an aborted attempt between 2010 and 2012 to buy F-35s without a competition. “We're supportive of the government processes and what they've done moving forward,” he said. “The transparency from the government has been very good. They've given ample opportunity for us to review documents. They've been very open in saying that these are the dates and these are the times.” https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-swedens-saab-undecided-on-whether-it-will-participate-in-canadian/