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ARMY Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $133,162,809 firm-fixed-price contract for Savannah inner harbor dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Savannah, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 6, 2021. Fiscal 2019 civil construction; operations and maintenance civil; and river and harbor contributed funds in the amount of $133,162,809 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-5004). Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $124,460,600 firm-fixed-price contract for Charleston harbor dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of July 5, 2022. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $124,460,600 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (W912HP-19-C-0003). WHH Nisqually-Garco JV 2,* Olympia, Washington, was awarded a $22,252,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a hot refueling system at Gray Army Airfield at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 22, 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $22,252,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-19-C-0017). L3 Technologies Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded a $7,868,630 firm-fixed-price contract for the production of Dual Output Battery Eliminator retrofits and Ku Band Directional Antennas On the Move upgrades. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $7,868,630 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-F-0636). AIR FORCE Radiance Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Alabama,* has been awarded a $99,997,251 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for distributed, automated and intelligent hardware and software security. The scope of this effort is the design, development, integration and delivery of an adaptable set of models and tools, which can be used to provide next-generation detailed, comprehensive and automated cyber vulnerability assessment capabilities, which can also be tailored towards multiple application spaces and Department of Defense missions. This set of models and tools will provide optimized system configurations and countermeasure placement in order to perform vulnerability assessments on complex, distributed systems, which include Internet of Things components in an automated fashion. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 19, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-1508). Flatter Inc., Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a $39,559,613 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Air Force Senior Leadership Development Program (AFSLDP). This contract provides for the full range of technical, functional and managerial expertise to further support the continual development, enhancement, sustainment and facilitation of the AFSLDP by providing analysis, subject matter expertise, guidance and support to the Force Development and Senior Leadership trainings as well as systems. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region and the estimated completion date is Aug. 16, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and six offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $136,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The contracting directorate is Air Force, District of Washington, Acquisitions, and the contracting activity is Joint Base Andrews, Maryland (FA701419DA003). BAE Systems, Nashua, New Hampshire, has been awarded a $19,197,676 cost-plus-fixed-fee for sustainment services associated with the AN/ALQ-239 Digital Electronics Warfare Systems (DEWS) and AN/AAR-57A(V) Common Missile Warning System (CMWS) hardware/software. This contract provides for the repair and return indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity in support of DEWS/CMWS line replaceable units and line replaceable modules for the Foreign Military Sales customer. Work will be performed at Nashua, New Hampshire, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 13, 2022. This contract involves foreign military sales to the Royal Saudi Air Force. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $9,054,261 are being obligated at the time of the award via order FA8523-19-F-0056. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8523-19-D-0001). CORRECTION: The Aug. 8, 2019, announcement that BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, was awarded a $369,000,000 ceiling increase modification (P00013) to contract FA2521-16-D-0010 for serviceable components and subsystems for instrumentation tracking systems is incorrect. The correct award amount was $90,500,000. All other information in the announcement is correct. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $32,111,547 for modification P00005 to delivery order N00019-19-F-2512 under previously issued against basic ordering agreement (N00019-14-G-0020). This award procures modification kits and special tooling for modification and retrofit of delivered F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2025. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy); non-DoD partners; and FMS funds in the amount of $32,111,547 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($16,510,522; 51%); Marine Corps ($7,693,130; 24%); Navy ($275,849; 1%); non-DoD participants ($4,698,676; 15%); and FMS customers ($2,933,370; 9%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded a $21,316,067 firm-fixed-price contract for a 75-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2). The contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $21,942,075. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 20, 2019. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $21,942,075 will be obligated in fiscal 2020. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-19-C-6006). Reyes Construction Inc., Pomona, California, is awarded $20,368,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-4995 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-18-D-5862) for the design-bid-build construction of missile magazines at Naval Weapons Station, Seal Beach. The work to be performed provides for new magazines that are needed to provide adequate storage for vertical launch missile systems, missile variants and for assembled missile storage. The contractor shall provide all labor, supervision, materials and equipment to perform all work described in the request for proposal. The task order also contains five unexercised options, which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $20,479,300. Work will be performed in Seal Beach, California, and is expected to be completed by April 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $20,368,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. The Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Mitchel Field, New York, is awarded $13,350,351 for cost-plus-incentive-fee modification P00008 for new scope under previously awarded contract N-00030-19-C-0045 to provide U.S. Trident II (D5) Strategic Weapon System efforts for the navigation subsystem. Work will be performed in Mitchel Field, New York, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,350,351 are being obligated on this award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source acquisition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $12,031,145 for modification P00001 to delivery order 5503 under previously issued against basic ordering agreement (N00019-14-G-0020). This award procures modification kits for modification and retrofit of delivered F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters for the Air Force and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $12,031,145 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($6,927,023; 58%); and the Marine Corps ($5,104,122; 42%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Unified Business Technologies Inc.,* Troy, Michigan, is awarded $7,379,877 for firm-fixed-price task order N40085-19-F-3500 under a previously awarded SeaPort Next Generation contract for engineering and program management for capital improvement requirements with various design and construction periods at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina; and Marine Base Camp Lejeune, Jacksonville, North Carolina. The work to be performed provides for various construction engineering disciplines and administrative support services to assist in completing various capital improvement projects. The task order also contains four unexercised options, which, if exercised, would increase cumulative task order value to $37,651,276. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, North Carolina (67%); and Havelock, North Carolina (33%), and is expected to be completed by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $7,379,877 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-19-D-8762). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bremen-Bowdon Investments Co., Bowdon, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $7,966,345 modification (P00008) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-17-D-1085) with four one-year option periods for men's blue trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Georgia, with an Aug. 23, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1938044/source/GovDelivery/

By: Jen Judson HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — The Missile Defense Agency has a new director, Vice Admiral Jon Hill, who will be tasked to carry out major missile defense endeavors laid out in the Missile Defense Review released in January. Hill is the son of an Army air defender and became deputy director of the agency in 2016. Prior to that he served as the U.S. Navy's Program Executive Officer for Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) beginning in 2014. The new director will have to guide the agency through a series of major decisions in the coming years —from refining its approach to a global, layered missile defense, to tackling advanced threats like hypersonic missiles, upgrading homeland defense to protect against, ballistic missiles, to designing, developing and initiating a space-based sensor layer, just to name a few. With his expansive plate full, Hill said he's prepared to ensure the agency has investment in the right places and that efforts move as quickly as they can to outpace current and emerging missile threats. Defense News sat down with Hill in an exclusive interview at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, to discuss his goals and the challenges ahead. What are your major priorities as you take up your post as Missile Defense Agency director and what do you believe will be your biggest challenges on the job? I would say the number one challenge is the poorly defined term of “transfer to the services.” After looking at this problem very closely, considering congressional language, looking at how it's interpreted differently, I really do think that, we, as a country, need to say what is the right thing to do to take care of the war fighter. That should be the number one issue here. So there's been lots of discussion about the [Terminal High Altitude Area Defense System]and the SM-3 [missile] transfer to the services. What does that mean? If it's operations and sustainment, that's done. Put it in the done pile. The Army invests heavily in the operations and sustainment of THAAD. I don't know what more we would want out of them. ... The [Army and Navy] are not running away from the mission. They want to execute the mission, and again, they do operations and sustainment very well. I often hear that we don't know how to transfer. Look at the Aegis ships today. Navy procures those ships with Ballistic Missile Defense capability. The Navy has come in and said, “Hey, we're going to build a multi-mission radar to include BMD capability in SPY-6.” Man, what's wrong with that? That's fantastic. You look at the SM-6, where the Navy procures, produces that missile. It's a multi-mission missile. We insert sea-based terminal capability. So it tends to come down to those two systems that are BMD focused — SM-3 and THAAD — and so that's why it gets suspicious when we don't have a fully defined term because all it really results in is fracturing a program during a time where it's most critical to have those programs stable and taking care of the warfighter. What are some other priorities and challenges you will tackle? I would say the bigger challenge though is really driven by the threat today and Dr. [Michael] Griffin [under secretary for research and engineering in the Office of the Secretary of Defense] speaks about the Space Development Agency. We're aligned with the strategy, we're aligned with their architecture and their engineering of [a space] constellation because we bring the capability for hypersonic and ballistic tracking. We have support from Congress to do that. The department wants and needs us to go do that. It's just important to get that deployed as soon as possible. So we have to maintain stable investment. We need to get to a near-term, on-orbit demo as fast as we can, and then we need to build out the constellation in concert with the Space Development Agency. If we do that, we're in a great place. And in parallel, we need to start looking at our existing systems, which we have been doing. We're making modifications to today's sensors, both terrestrial and in space today on ships, on land, and we're modifying those today to deal with that new, high-end threat. We're also looking at existing weapons. What can they do? Somewhere in that battle space though, there's probably the need for more capability and that's really the next step and where we as a country need to go. You advocated for a Hawaiian missile defense radar and noted that while the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System, designed to protect the homeland, is a good system, more radars need to be in place. Can you talk more about the advanced threat and the need to enhance missile defense sensing capability? When you look at a ballistic flight for example, you boost, you have things like V-Bands and separation mechanisms, you've got staging, you've got post-boost vehicles, and you've got the lethal object; that's messy from the standpoint of a radar. So when the radar's staring at all that mess — the word discrimination means, “Hey, I've have got to discriminate all the garbage and make sure I'm pointing at the right thing.” Reduce the amount of radar energy I'm putting on all the garbage, so I've got to very quickly discriminate. So discrimination's important. And as they become more complex, the radar, in a sense of the architecture we have today, is not ready to take on larger numbers coming in and more complexity. Having a large radar on the island allows you to see out far. So the bigger the aperture is, the more fine detail it gets too. I think we owe it to the Hawaiian people. We owe it to that state. It's part of this country and they deserve to be defended and they want to be defended. We have great congressional support. So at the federal level we're good, at the state level, we're good. We're at the sensitive level now where the local communities are concerned about what it means for the environment and we understand that. So we're working very closely with them. It's an important capability. It fills out the sensor architecture and takes us to the next level in terms of central architecture in that region. Why do we need a space-based missile defense sensor layer? We're running out of islands to put radars on and the ships that the Navy has, they are equipped with 360-degree radars, very powerful radars that can discriminate. But ... we need to free up those ships as much as we can and get as much persistent sensor coverage as we possibly can. And space really answers the mail on all those aspects, it frees up those other assets that we can go use for other missions. An analysis of alternatives has been completed on hypersonic defense. Is there anything you can share about the findings in the AOA and how that is guiding the path forward? For that space mission you have to look at the sum total of the detection, the control and the engagement. [It is] the sensors, it is the command-and-control, it is the fire control and it is the weapons, whether they're hard kill or non-kinetic. So, it's all of that. It provides the department a broad view: here is the threat space we're dealing with, here's the architecture, here are the pieces of that architecture that do detection, control and engagement. And now Department of Defense, where shall we put our next dollar? Could be that next dollar goes to space. It could be that next dollar goes toward fire control improvements so that you can handle something that's flying this fast, greater than Mach 5. It could be that we're going to put another dollar on improving an existing system or that we need a new engagement system. So that's what it does. It's really a tool. It's not the answer. I've seen a lot of the reports that say, “Oh my God, it's so expensive. We'll never execute it.” The intent is never to go fully execute what's in an AOA. It's the full trade space. Now we've got to go pick from that trade space and so we finished up a [Cost Assessment Program Evaluation] sufficiency review. Not only have we done the work to do the alternatives ... the CAPE has come in and they've costed those out to say, here's what's a reasonable set. The department can make a decision as to what would be best. Is the SM-3 Block IIA missile test that goes up against an intercontinental ballistic missile threat still scheduled for next year? It is still scheduled for next year. Now what you should know is that Congress has sent us some messaging that says maybe we don't want to do that, maybe we should more fully explore the battle space for which the missile was designed. ... Congress first told us to go against an ICBM. That's what we're focused in on. And so if the appropriations come through and there's a change, then we have to go back and replan. Would the delay in the test result in overall program delays? It wouldn't delay the program. But it makes it difficult for us to say that there is a potential for an underlay. So, if we want to give the combatant commanders a layered defense against ICBMs, it kind of takes that off the table or it delays that for awhile and we'll use the IIAs for their intended battle space and we won't try to expand it. What's happening with the “strategic pause” on the Redesigned Kill Vehicle for the GMD system? We're still in a decision space. ... Dr. Griffin is going through the end-game of discussions now within the building. We're in full support and in the end we'll make a decision and we'll press forward with that. Do you have a timeline for making a decision on the RKV? We're definitely pressured and what drives that pressure is the fact that we were on a path to deliver the additional 20 [ground-based interceptors]. ... We're building out the missile field. So there is pressure to come to a decision quickly so that we can then get back to work. https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/08/19/us-missile-defense-agency-boss-reveals-his-goals-challenges-on-the-job/

BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) will serve as the title sponsor for the first-ever Lockheed Martin Space and Air Show, Oct. 31 to Nov. 1, 2020. It will be held at the Orlando Sanford International Airport, near downtown Orlando. The show will be headlined by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and it will feature numerous company air, ground and space assets. Lockheed Martin has a 60-year history in central Florida, including executing programs in the Orlando, Tampa, and Space Coast areas. This work includes aviation, space exploration, missiles, fire control, and training and simulation programs. The company's regional workforce is growing and currently has hundreds of jobs available in central Florida to support recent contract wins. "We look forward to giving visitors from central Florida and from across the nation a firsthand glimpse into the exciting technologies and capabilities we provide our military and our allies to help them protect lives and liberties around the world," said Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO, Lockheed Martin. The space and air show is produced by B. Lilley Productions, an event management company specializing in the production of air shows. In 2020, they'll also produce events in New York, New York, Atlanta, Georgia, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Ocean City, Maryland. "Our entire organization is extremely honored to work with Lockheed Martin in creating this signature North American aerospace event," said Bryan Lilley, chief executive officer, B. Lilley Productions. "Showcasing Lockheed Martin's vast portfolio brings together an unprecedented display of air, ground and space assets." The Orlando Sanford International Airport serves three million passengers annually. It was opened in 1942 as a World War II fighter and bomber training base. "With the Orlando area's first space and air show of the new millennium, we are excited to bring this unique thrill and excitement to central Florida," said Diane Crews, Orlando Sanford Airport CEO. "Lockheed Martin's reputation for excellence will propel the show to a national level. We can't wait!" Tickets go on sale during Veterans' Day weekend in November 2019 with pricing announced then. The dedicated LMSAS website is www.spaceandairshow.com. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-08-19-Lockheed-Martin-Announces-First-Title-Sponsored-Space-and-Air-Show-U-S-Air-Force-Thunderbirds-to-Fly

By Joseph Marks LAS VEGAS — In a Cosmopolitan hotel suite 16 stories above the Def Con cybersecurity conference this weekend, a team of highly vetted hackers tried to sabotage a vital flight system for a U.S. military fighter jet. And they succeeded. It was the first time outside researchers were allowed physical access to the critical F-15 system to search for weaknesses. And after two long days, the seven hackers found a mother lode of vulnerabilities that — if exploited in real life — could have completely shut down the Trusted Aircraft Information Download Station, which collects reams of data from video cameras and sensors while the jet is in flight. They even found bugs that the Air Force had tried but failed to fix after the same group of hackers performed similar tests in November without actually touching the device. “They were able to get back in through the back doors they already knew were open,” Will Roper, the Air Force's top acquisition official, told me in an exclusive briefing of the results. The hackers lobbed a variety of attacks — including injecting the system with malware and even going at it with pliers and screwdrivers. When I saw it, the metal box that's usually secure on the aircraft had wires hanging out the front. The hackers briefed Roper on the findings on Saturday afternoon. He was surrounded by discarded pizza boxes, iced coffee drinks — and the hotel's drinking glasses filled with screws, nuts and bolts removed from five fully dismantled TADS devices, which run about $20,000 a pop. He'd expected the results to be about this bad, Roper told me on a private tour of the hacking event. He pinned the weaknesses on decades of neglect of cybersecurity as a key issue in developing its products, as the Air Force prioritized time, cost and efficiency. He's trying to turn that around, and is hopeful about the results of the U.S. government's newfound openness to ethical hackers. He'd come straight from Def Con's first-ever Aviation Village, which the Air Force helped establish, and was wearing a gray T-shirt with the words “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to hack,” emblazoned on the front — a riff on a classic line from the 1964 James Bond film “Goldfinger.” This is a drastic change from previous years, when the military would not allow hackers to try to search for vulnerabilities in extremely sensitive equipment, let alone take a literal whack at it. But the Air Force is convinced that unless it allows America's best hackers to search out all the digital vulnerabilities in its planes and weapons systems, then the best hackers from adversaries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea will find and exploit those vulnerabilities first, Roper told me. “There are millions of lines of code that are in all of our aircraft and if there's one of them that's flawed, then a country that can't build a fighter to shoot down that aircraft might take it out with just a few keystrokes,” he said. Roper wants to put his military hardware where his mouth is. During next year's Def Con conference, he wants to bring vetted hackers to Nellis or Creech Air Force bases near Las Vegas where they can probe for bugs on every digital system in a military plane, including for ways that bugs in one system can allow hackers to exploit other systems until they've gained effective control of the entire plane. He also wants to open up the ground control system for an operational military satellite for hacker testing, he said. “We want to bring this community to bear on real weapons systems and real airplanes,” Roper told me. “And if they have vulnerabilities, it would be best to find them before we go into conflict.” Those hacking challenges will also be useful for the private sector because military planes and satellites share many of their computer systems with the commercial versions of those products, Roper said, and the Air Force can share its findings. The seven hackers probing the TADS devices were all brought to Vegas by the cybersecurity company Synack, which sells the Pentagon third-party vulnerability testing services, under a contract with the Defense Digital Service, a team of mostly private-sector technology stars who try to solve some of the Pentagon's thorniest technology problems during short-term tours. The Defense Digital Service started by organizing large-scale hacking competitions in 2016, with names such as “Hack the Pentagon” and, eventually, “Hack the Air Force.” These were open to almost anybody — but included only public-facing hacking targets such as military service websites and apps. Shortly after, they also began opening more sensitive systems to a smaller number of vetted hackers who sign nondisclosure agreements. DDS has run about a dozen of those more sensitive hacking competitions so far, but this is the first time it has offered up the same system for hacking twice, said Brett Goldstein, DDS's director, who earned a reputation in technology as Open Table's IT director and chief data officer for the city of Chicago. “That's important because security is a continuous process,” he told me. “You can't do an exercise and say, ‘Oh, we found everything' and check the box. You need to constantly go back and reevaluate.” They also allowed the hackers to be more aggressive this time and to physically disassemble the TADS systems to get a better idea of what kinds of digital attacks might be effective, Goldstein said. That meant the hackers could simulate a cyberattack from adversaries that had infiltrated the vast network of suppliers that make TADS components and had sophisticated knowledge about how to compromise those elements. They could also advise the Air Force about flaws in how the TADS hardware was built that make it more susceptible to digital attacks. Moving forward, Roper told me, he wants to start using that knowledge to mandate that Air Force vendors build better software and hardware security controls into their planes and weapons systems upfront so the Air Force doesn't have to do so much cybersecurity work on the back end. He's up against an arcane and byzantine military contracting process, however, that's going to make those sorts of fundamental reforms extremely difficult, he acknowledged. In some cases, the company that built an Air Force system owns the software embedded in that system and won't let the Air Force open it up for outside testing, he says. In other cases, the Air Force is stuck with legacy IT systems that are so out of date that it's difficult for even the best technologists to make them more secure. “It's difficult to do this going backward, but we're doing our best,” Roper told me. “I can't underscore enough, we just got into the batter's box for what's going to be a long baseball game.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/the-cybersecurity-202/2019/08/14/the-cybersecurity-202-hackers-just-found-serious-vulnerabilities-in-a-u-s-military-fighter-jet/5d53111988e0fa79e5481f68/

NAVY Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $199,591,538 firm-fixed-price contract for MK 15 Close-In Weapon System (CIWS) upgrades and conversions, system overhauls, and associated hardware. CIWS is a fast-reaction terminal defense against low- and high-flying, high-speed maneuvering anti-ship missile threats that have penetrated all other defenses. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $367,195,456. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (29%); Tucson, Arizona (20%); El Segundo, California (9%); Melbourne, Florida (5%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (3%); Andover, Massachusetts (2%); Ottobrunn, Germany (2%); Williston, Vermont (2%); Tempe, Arizona (1%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (1%); Hauppauge, New York (1%); Ashburn, Virginia (1%); East Syracuse, New York (1%); Camarillo, California (1%); Phoenix, Arizona (1%); Joplin, Missouri (1%); Murray, Utah (1%); Dallas, Texas (1%); Corona, California (1%); Huntsville, Alabama (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); Valencia, California (1%); Palo Alto, California (1%); and various locations with less than 1% each (13%). Work is expected to be completed by October 2023. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. government (85%); Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (8%); and the United Kingdom (7%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); 2019 other procurement (Army); 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); FMS Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; FMS United Kingdom; and 2019 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $199,591,538 will be obligated at time of award. Funds in the amount of $59,964,768 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c) (1). Raytheon is the only source that can provide the MK 15 CIWS to fulfill Navy, Army, Coast Guard, and FMS requirements without unacceptable delays and substantial duplication of costs that cannot be recovered through competition. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5406). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $27,303,596 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6258 to exercise option for engineering services and other direct costs in support of the Integrated Submarine Imaging System. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (73.5%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (15%); Northampton, Massachusetts (5.5%); Fairfax, Virginia (3%); Arlington, Virginia (2%); and Newport, Rhode Island (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) in the amount of $2,633,461 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. The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded $15,300,139 for a firm-fixed-price modification under a previously awarded contract (N40085-15-C-8739) for design and installation of a fire protection system for the Power Propulsion Facility, Building (Bldg) 633, at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. This modification will provide for the full design and installation of the fire protection system for the P-547 power propulsion facility, Bldg. 633, Bldg. 519, Bldg. 520, and the P-104 test cell. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2013 military construction (Navy); and 2019 working capital fund (Navy) in the amount of $15,300,139 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this modification. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Wolverine Fire Protection Co., Mount Morris, Michigan, is awarded $11,104,895 for firm-fixed-price task order number N69450-19-F-0715 under a previously multiple award construction contract for fire protection upgrades at Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. The work to be performed provides for the repairs and replacement of various existing fire alarm and additional associated systems (electrical, sprinkler systems, piping, and fire pumps) of Buildings 171, 175 and 176. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed by February 2021. Fiscal 2019 defense working capital contract funds in the amount of $11,104,895 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-16-D-0613). AIR FORCE International Business Machines Corp., IBM Research - Almaden, San Jose, California, has been awarded a $59,999,958 cost reimbursement contract for NorthPole Software/Hardware. This contract provides for the design, verification, fabrication, and testing of a prototype artificial intelligence and machine learning IBM NorthPole neural inference processor that will be mounted on a test board. Work will be performed in San Jose, California. The work is expected to be complete by Nov. 16, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKF, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-1518). Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $47,917,924 for 469 Laser Maverick units. This contract provides for the manufacture and delivery of 469 each Laser Maverick units. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona. The work is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 3020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount $43,809,367 are being obligated at the time of award. AFLCMC/EBHK is the contracting activity, Hill Air Force Base, Ogden, Utah (FA8213-19-F-1006). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Illinois; and Warner Robins, Georgia, has been awarded a $7,013,331, follow-on contract FA8523-19-D-0007, for DRE, Netherlands. This contract will provide action for the Royal Netherlands Air Force AN/ALQ-131 (V) electronics countermeasures pod upgrade. This program is focused on the redesign of the ALQ-131 Digital Receiver Exciter and ALM-256 Intermediate Level Support Equipment. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 15, 2022. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: An Aug. 14, 2019, announcement that Alloy Surfaces Company Inc., Chester Township, Pennsylvania (FA8213-19-D-0011), was awarded a $25,000,000 contract for MJU-52 A/B aircraft decoy flares included an incorrect amount of funds being obligated at the time of award. The correct amount of fiscal 2018 ammunition procurement funds being obligated at the time of award is actually $5,281,631. All other information in the announcement is correct. ARMY WMR-532 LLC, Athens, Alabama, was awarded a $49,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for operations, maintenance and technical support. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 18, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-D-0038). T.W. LaQuay Marine LLC,* Port Lavaca, Texas, was awarded a $10,736,570 firm-fixed-price contract for pipeline dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Port Isabel, Texas, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,736,570 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-19-C-0010). American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language, White Plains, New York, was awarded a $10,654,800 firm-fixed-price contract for oral proficiency interviews. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 16, 2020. U.S. Army Mission Installation Contracting Command, Presidio of Monterey, California, is the contracting activity (W9124N-16-D-0001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Choctawhatchee Electric Cooperative Inc., Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $13,700,591 modification (P00027) to the existing 50-year contract (SP0600-16-C-8314) for electric operations and maintenance and renewal and replacement utility service charge. This is a fixed-price contract being modified to incorporate the economic price-adjustment agreement to the third-year. Location of performance is Florida, with a July 31, 2067, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The contract announced on Aug. 14, 2019, for General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona (SPRBL1-19-P-0047), for $12,973,184 was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Aug. 15, 2019. *Small Busines https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1936972/source/GovDelivery/

ARMY GiaCare and MedTrust JV LLC,* Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was awarded a $218,983,564 firm-fixed-price contract for registered nursing services. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2024. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K04-19-D-0021). Honeywell International Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, was awarded an $110,870,867 modification (P00102) to contract W56HZV-12-C-0344 for Total Integrated Engine Revitalization (TIGER) hardware to meet the Anniston Army Depot production of the Advanced Gas Turbine 1500 engine for the Abrams tanks and TIGER field repair site requirements. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 22, 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $110,870,867 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. The Ross Group Construction Corp., Tulsa, Oklahoma, was awarded a $46,949,880 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of a new visiting quarters facility at Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Little Rock Air Force Base, Arkansas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 1, 2021. Fiscal 2019 non-appropriated funds for Air Force services funds in the amount of $46,949,880 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-C-0028). Lord & Son Construction Inc.,* Fort Walton Beach, Florida, was awarded a $32,128,489 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a Long-Range Stand-Off Acquisition Facility on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 14, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $21,128,489 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0023). GEO Consultants Corp.,* Kevil, Kentucky, was awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental services. Nine bids were solicited with nine bids received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 14, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0045). Michael Baker International Inc., Moon Township, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for communications engineering services within the Central Command Area of Responsibility. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 14, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0043). NAVY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded an $80,011,579 fixed-price-incentive, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-5106 for fiscal 2019 AEGIS Modernization (AMOD) production requirements. This procurement covers the production, test and delivery of multi-mission signal processor equipment sets; electronic equipment fluid cooler; AEGIS Weapon System AMOD Upgrade equipment; Kill Assessment System 5.1 equipment; AEGIS spares; Australia Combat Systems Engineering Development Site; and AEGIS Ashore Japan Sites equipment. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (78.1%); the government of Japan (18.2%); and the government of Australia (3.7%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract action to $80,411,730. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (71.2%); Clearwater, Florida (27.4%); and Owego, New York (1.4%), and is expected to be complete by November 2023. Fiscal 2019 defense-wide procurement; 2019, 2018, 2017 other procurement (Navy); 2019, 2018, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales funding in the amount of $80,011,579 will be obligated at the time of award, of which $968,079 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $55,960,700 cost-plus-incentive fee, cost-only, firm-fixed-price contract for combat system engineering support on the Ship Self-Defense System (SSDS). The SSDS combat system engineering agent/software design agent primary deliverables will be SSDS tactical computer programs, program updates and associated engineering, development and logistics products. This contract will manage the in-service SSDS configurations as well as adapt and integrate new or upgraded war-fighting capabilities. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (95.6%); and San Diego, California (4.4%), and is expected to be complete by December 2019. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $637,583,110 and be complete by December 2028. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); 2019 other procurement (Navy); 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $12,438,006 will be obligated at time of award, and funding in the amount of $1,306 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5603). American Electronic Warfare Associates Inc.,* California, Maryland, is awarded a $40,103,262 fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for technical support services for the Aircraft Prototype Systems Division of the Naval Air Warfare Center – Aircraft Division Integrated Battlespace Simulation and Test Department. Services to be provided include all phases of program execution from initial conceptual studies, execution planning, management, engineering, documentation, fabrication, installation/ modification and test and evaluation activity support for aircraft research, development, prototyping, experimentation and test and evaluation programs. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in November 2023. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0042119D0076). FLIR Surveillance Inc., Wilsonville, Oregon, is awarded a $12,689,470 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for supplies, repairs and upgrades for Littoral Combat Ship configuration of Sea Star SAFIRE III Electro-Optics Sensor Systems. Work will be performed in Wilsonville, Oregon, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $432,514 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-JQ49). Teledyne Instruments Inc., North Falmouth, Massachusetts, is awarded a $7,666,080 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services and supplies to support the ongoing development of autonomous underwater vehicles, localization systems, monitoring and navigation tele-sonar subsea modems. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $22,222,593. Work will be performed in North Falmouth, Massachusetts (90%); and Keyport, Washington (10%), and is expected to be complete by December 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,281,649; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,070,412 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured as a Small Business Innovation Research Phase III award without further competition. The awardee satisfied competition requirements during Phase I and Phase II under Topic N02-082. A justification and approval document pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5) was approved by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, Competition Advocate in January 2017. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Keyport, in Keyport, Washington, is the contracting activity (N00253-19-D-0005). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY AMYX Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a fixed-price contract with an estimated value of $56,818,861. The contract provides contracting and program management support to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Services include, but are not limited to, acquisition and contract management, program management support, and other related workload requirements associated with the award and administration of DHA contracts. The contract was awarded as a competitive 100% small business acquisition. There is a base period of eight months, and four one-year option periods. The places of contract performance are: Falls Church, Virginia; Rosslyn, Virginia; San Antonio, Texas; and Aurora, Colorado. The period of performance begins on Sept. 25, 2019, and the completion date is May 31, 2024. The base period is funded with fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $7,208,836. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Services, Contracting Division, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (HT0050-19-F-0001). AMYX Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a fixed-price contract with an estimated value of $47,926,649. The program and acquisition support services include, but are not limited to, program management support and other related workload requirements associated with acquisition and business processes. The contractor shall accomplish a variety of acquisition and other related administrative services to complement the government's workplace capabilities. The contract was a competitive 100% small business acquisition. There is a base period of nine months, and four one-year option periods. This contract provides support to San Antonio, Texas; Aurora, Colorado; Falls Church, Virginia; and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with a completion date of June 17, 2024. The base period is funded with fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $6,077,590. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Services, Contracting Division, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (HT0050-19-F-0002). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Sysco Alabama, Calera, Alabama, has been awarded a maximum $37,893,960 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution. 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 bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Central Alabama and Florida Panhandle regions, with an Aug. 8, 2020, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-3234). Arizona Industries for the Blind, Phoenix, Arizona, has been awarded an estimated $8,600,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for warehousing, storage, logistics and distribution functions. This is a two-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is Arizona, with an Aug. 16, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and National Guard and Reserves. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-B065). U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Trident Technologies LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a contract modification (P00013) on contract HTC711-14-D-D003 in the amount of $13,616,300. The contract modification executed Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services for the Enterprise Architecture, Data, and Engineering (EADE) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity to continue vital support services. The EADE contract acquires enterprise architecture, data, and information technology engineering services for the U.S. Transportation Command, Air Mobility Command/A6, and the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. Period of performance is Oct. 1, 2019, to March 31, 2020. The location of performance is Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Operations and maintenance; transportation working capital funds; and research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated at the individual task order level. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract from $125,752,500 to $139,368,800. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1935785/source/GovDelivery/

By: Leo Shane III The next few months could decide whether the Defense Department gets another base closing round in the next decade, according to a new analysis from a conservative think tankwarning military officials not to dismiss the potential looming impact on budgets and readiness. Officials from the Heritage Foundation, whose policy priorities have helped influence President Donald Trump's administration, have in the past supported a new base closing round to cut back on excess military infrastructure and more efficiently spend annual defense funding. In the analysis released this week, author Frederico Bartels — policy analyst for defense budgeting at the foundation — said a Pentagon report on the issue being compiled now represents “the best chance for the Department of Defense to make the case for a new round of BRAC” in years, and perhaps the last realistic chance to advance the idea for the near future. “I think it's the last chance of the Trump administration to make an argument for this,” he said in an interview with Military Times. “Even if he gets re-elected next year, I think it will be hard to go back and make the case if they're unsuccessful this time.” The military convened six base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commissions between 1988 and 2005, shutting down dozens of military installations and turning over that land to state and local municipalities. The process has always been fraught with political turmoil, as lawmakers protest any loss of jobs, military personnel and resulting economic benefits in their districts. But the 2005 BRAC round was particularly controversial, as defense officials consolidated numerous service locations into joint bases and massively rearranged force structure in an attempt to modernize the military. As a result, cost saving projections from that process were significantly below past rounds, and members of Congress have strongly opposed any attempts at another round since then. In the fiscal 2019 national defense authorization act, lawmakers did include language for a new military infrastructure capacity report — due next February — where defense officials can make the case for the need for additional closures. Similar Pentagon reports in the last few years have shown excess capacity of between 19 and 22 percent. Bartels said Pentagon leaders have repeatedly supported the idea of another round in recent years, but have done a poor job selling lawmakers on the idea. “The department needs to make the case for a new round of BRAC based on two key tenets: potential savings and the National Defense Strategy,” he wrote. “A new BRAC round could save $2 billion by reducing unneeded infrastructure. Additionally, a new round of BRAC would permit the department to assess its infrastructure against the threats outlined by the National Defense Strategy, providing a holistic look at all of the infrastructure.” He warns that naming specific locations will only exacerbate political tensions on the issue, and said defense officials also need to publicly acknowledge problems with the 2005 base realignment round to win back congressional support. And Bartels argues that the Trump administration must do more to push the issue. Defense officials requested a base closing round as part of their annual budget for six consecutive years before the Trump White House dropped the idea in their fiscal 2019 and 2020 budget plans. If officials fail to request one next spring, or if the planned infrastructure report is delayed by several months, the department risks pushing the idea back at minimum an entire extra budget cycle and likely several more years down the road. Even if approved, the new BRAC round is likely to take several years of research and debate before any recommendations are made. “I think there is still support for this in Congress,” Bartels said. “I think there are enough people that are about good stewardship of government funds that this can move ahead, if (defense officials) make the right argument. At least, I hope those lawmakers still exist.” The full analysis is available on the Heritage Foundation's website. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2019/08/15/plans-for-a-new-base-closing-round-may-be-running-out-of-time-report/

By Oriana Pawlyk As part of the U.S. Air Force's effort to improve how it prepares to deploy at a moment's notice, the service earlier this month tested how swiftly it could move its premier stealth fighter to a forward operating location in the Middle East. During an exercise called "Agile Lightning," held Aug. 4-7, airmen assigned to the 4th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron of the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, temporarily deployed to an undisclosed location in the Middle East to train in an austere environment with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to a service news release. "By executing the adaptive basing concepts we have only practiced at home until now, we increased the readiness, survivability and lethality of the F-35A in a combat theater," said Lt. Col. Joshua Arki, 4th EFS commander. "The 'Fightin' Fuujins' of the 4th EFS successfully deployed a small detachment of aircraft and personnel to a forward location, supporting combat operations from that location for a given period of time, and then re-deployed back to our primary operating location," Arki said in the release. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/08/15/air-force-tests-how-quickly-nimbly-it-can-deploy-f-35-agile-lightning.html

Air Force scientists have announced that they had tested a robot kit that can turn virtually any plane into a self-piloting drone, through a program called ROBOpilot. Why is that important? For starters, planes and drones are expensive. The drone shot down over Iran last month cost $220 million. For years the military has rushed to fund fabulous, exquisite drones of all shapes and sizes. Some, like the $15 million MQ-9 Reaper from General Atomics, are cheaper than manned military aircraft. But the big ones are more expensive than many types of civilian sport aircraft. “Imagine being able to rapidly and affordably convert a general aviation aircraft, like a Cessna or Piper, into an unmanned aerial vehicle, having it fly a mission autonomously, and then returning it back to its original manned configuration,” said Dr. Alok Das, senior scientist with the Air Force Research Lab's, or AFRL's, Center for Rapid Innovation, in a statement. “All of this is achieved without making permanent modifications to the aircraft.” AFRL has partnered with DZYNE Technologies to produce the kit. The system interacts with flight controls just like a human pilot, pushing all the correct buttons, flipping the switches, manipulating the yoke and throttle and watching the gages. “At the same time, the system uses sensors, like GPS and an Inertial Measurement Unit [essentially a way for a machine to locate itself in space without GPS] for situational awareness and information gathering. A computer analyzes these details to make decisions on how to best control the flight,” AFRL said in a statement. Once the flight is done, the kit can be pulled out and the plane reconverted to one requiring a human pilot. On August 9, the system completed a two-hour test flight at Utah's Dugway Proving Ground. In theory, the same or a similar technology could be applied to expensive fighter aircraft. And the military has said that the next, sixth-generation fighter will be optionally manned. But the military has expressed reservations about allowing autonomous software to undertake lethal actions, so don't expect to see ROBOpilot doing combat missions anytime soon. https://www.defenseone.com/technology/2019/08/air-force-tests-contraption-can-turn-any-plane-robot-plane/159211/