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By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has cleared Morocco for a major increase to its F-16 fleet, including both sales of new planes and upgrades to older models. The two potential deals cover the purchase of 25 F-16C/D Block 72 fighters, estimated at $3.787 billion, as well as upgrades to the country's existing 23 F‑16s to the more advanced F‑16V Block 52+ configuration, estimated at $985.2 million. Combined, the two sales could net American contractors roughly $4.8 billion. The new F-16 request represents the single largest notification of fiscal 2019. It is also the second largest purchase requested by Morocco, which in November requested new Abrams tanks. In addition to the 25 new jets, the larger package includes 29 Pratt & Whitney F100-229 engines; 26 APG-83 active electronically scanned array radars; 26 modular mission computers; 26 Link 16 systems; 40 Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems; 30 M61 Al Vulcan 20mm guns; 40 AIM-120C-7 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles; 50 GBU-49 bombs; 60 GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs; and assorted other equipment. The upgrade package includes much of the same equipment, with similar quantities of AESA radars, Link 16 systems and weapons. The configuration improves the radars and avionics on the older jets. Per the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, the potential sales “will improve interoperability with the United States and other regional allies and enhance Morocco's ability to undertake coalition operations, as it has done in the past in flying sorties against ISIS in Syria and Iraq. Morocco already operates an F‑16 fleet and will have no difficulty absorbing this aircraft and services into its armed forces.” Work will be performed primarily by Lockheed Martin, and any industrial offsets “will be defined in negotiations between the purchaser and the contractor.” As with all DSCA announcements, the sale must pass through the Senate, at which point negotiations can begin; total quantities and dollar totals often change from the original DSCA announcement and final sale. https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2019/03/25/morocco-cleared-for-massive-f-16-fighter-buy

By: Tom Kington ROME — A leading Italian think tank is pressuring the country to enter Britain's Tempest fighter program as soon as possible and then push for the project to merge with a rival Franco-German effort. The proposal by the IAI think tank in Rome comes as the Italian government deliberates over what air power it will need in the 2030s, around the time when the Tempest could take to the skies. The British program was announced last year as France and Germany started work on their own Future Combat Air System, raising the prospect of European neighbors working, yet again, on rival aircraft, following parallel developments of the Eurofighter, Rafale and Gripen. To avoid that, IAI stated in a paper published this week, the Tempest project, with Italy on board, “should in the midterm merge with the Franco-German project for the benefit of European defence and strategic autonomy.” The industrial team involved in the Tempest program already includes Italy's Leonardo, thanks to its large-scale operation in the U.K., and an Italian junior defense minister has called for Rome to become a national partner on the fighter project, although wariness over defense spending in Rome means there's been no official commitment. Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/03/22/think-tank-to-italy-join-uk-tempest-program-then-try-to-merge-it-with-franco-german-effort/

ARMY McCarthy HITT – Next NGA West JV, St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $711,651,970 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency's new facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of April 24, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $407,965,869 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-C-7001). Pinnacle Solutions Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $553,200,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for instruction, mission support, information technology network support, operations and logistics. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 18, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-D-0006). Eastern Construction & Electric,* Wrightstown, New Jersey, was awarded a $10,369,000 firm-fixed-price contract for P-650 aircraft apron, taxiway and support facilities. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work will be performed in Trenton, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $10,369,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0003). NAVY The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is awarded $326,295,367 for cost-plus-fixed-fee Delivery Order 2005 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001) to develop, integrate and test Increment 3 Block capabilities into the P-8A aircraft for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Puget Sound, Washington (86.9 percent); Greenlawn, New York (6.7 percent); Rockford, Illinois (2.6 percent); Rancho Santa Margarita, California (1.6 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (1 percent); Mesa, Arizona (0.8 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (0.3 percent); and Jacksonville, Florida (0.1 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,442,320; and Cooperative Engagement Agreement funds in the amount of $19,200,000 are being obligated on this 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. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $264,655,025 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-15-C-0003). This modification provides for additional operation and technical services in support of the government of Korea's F-35 Lightning II program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $264,655,025 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. URS Group Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, is awarded a $9,800,000 modification on a firm-fixed-price task order under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62470-13-D-6022) for phase one of Hurricane Michael repairs for stabilization and repairs to multiple buildings at Naval Support Activity Panama City. The work to be performed provides for removal of carpet, walls, windows and other unsalvageable items due to water penetration, clean-up of roofing materials and tarping of rooftops to mitigate further water intrusion. Repairs include roof replacement, roof decking, and sealing roof penetrations. The repairs also include correction of architectural, structural, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection, electrical deficiencies and any other incidental related work as found due to the hurricane. After award of this modification, the total task order value will be $52,795,320. Work will be performed in Panama City, Florida, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,800,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Concurrent Technologies Corp., Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded $7,614,277 for modification number P00001 to task order M9549418F0016 under previously awarded contract GS00Q14OADU112. This modification exercises an option for support services in efforts to meet Marine Corps' energy reliability and resilience requirements for utility distribution systems and various energy security positions supporting headquarters, regions and installations. This modification increases the value of the basic task order to a new total value of $12,394,838. The task order includes four one-year option periods which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this task order to $36,194,304. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (40 percent); Lejeune, North Carolina (12 percent); Okinawa Prefecture, Japan (12 percent); San Diego, California (11 percent); Quantico, Virginia (10 percent); Bridgeport, California (4 percent); New River, North Carolina (3 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (3 percent); Barstow, California (3 percent); Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan (1 percent); and Pohang, Republic of Korea (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed March 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 2023. Fiscal year 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $7,614,277 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This task order was competitively solicited via General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services, with two proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Goodrich Corp., Westford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $92,890,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Hyperspectral Imaging, AgilePod®, Standoff High Resolution Imaging Next Era, and Multi-Mode Lidar research and development. This contract provides for research and integration of existing electro-optical, infrared, radio frequency, multispectral imaging, hyperspectral imaging, and lidar sensors and related Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) technologies in order to develop the Air Force's next generation ISR sensor. Work will be performed in Westford, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 29, 2025. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $18,387,498 are being obligated on two initial task orders at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-1014). KT Consulting Inc, Phoenix, Arizona, has been awarded an $11,935,070 firm-fixed-price task order for F‐16 Weapons System support. This task order provides for F‐16 academic instruction, Aircrew Training Device instruction/console/cockpit operations, comprehensive courseware development, and training support. Work will be performed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; and Holloman AFB, New Mexico, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2024. This contract involves foreign military sales to Republic of Singapore. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,435,581; and Singapore National Funds in the amount of $34,969 are being obligated at the time of award. The 338th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio‐Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002‐19‐F‐A040). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., Windsor Locks, Connecticut, has been awarded an estimated $29,216,493 firm-fixed-priced delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-L30G) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-13-G-001X) for constant frequency generators. 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 five-year, six-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Connecticut and Illinois, with a Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Navy and Japanese Armed Forces. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds and foreign military sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Freightliner of Savannah Inc.,* Savannah, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $7,312,500 firm-fixed-price contract for diesel engines. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. This was an acquisition permitting other than full and open competition with two responses received, using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is Georgia, with a March 19, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0077). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY AT&T Corp., Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00012) with a face value of $12,080,764, to exercise Option Year Three of previously awarded sole-source contract HC1013-16-C-0001 for the Northstar Long-Haul Telecommunications Network and associated transmission circuits for an Ultra-High Frequency/Line of Sight communications system network. The modification is funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $56,131,776. Performance will be at various sites geographically dispersed across the continental U.S. The period of performance for this action is May 1, 2019, to April 30, 2020. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1789590/

NAVY General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $2,039,763,908 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2100 for additional material (to include Long Lead Time Material and Economic Ordering Quantity) associated with the Fiscal 2019 – Fiscal 2023 Virginia class submarines (SSNs 802 – 811). Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (19 percent); Annapolis, Maryland (6 percent); Tucson, Arizona (3 percent); Spring Grove, Illinois (3 percent); Stoughton, Massachusetts (3 percent); Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (3 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (3 percent); Arvada, Colorado (3 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (2 percent); Groton, Connecticut (2 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (2 percent); Florence, New Jersey (2 percent); York, Pennsylvania (2 percent); Arlington, Texas (2 percent); Newport News, Virginia (2 percent); Depew, New York (1 percent); Peoria, Illinois (1 percent); Warren, Massachusetts (1 percent); Manassas, Virginia (1 percent); Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1 percent); El Cajon, California (1 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (1 percent); Farmingdale, New York (1 percent); South El Monte, California (1 percent); Cleveland, Ohio (1 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Syracuse, New York (1 percent); Manchester, New Hampshire (1 percent); Westfield, Massachusetts (1 percent); Loanhead, United Kingdom (1 percent); Linden, New Jersey (1 percent); Louisville, Kentucky (1 percent); Orrville, Ohio (1 percent); and other U.S. sites, each less than 1 percent (25 percent). Fiscal 2019 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,039,763,908 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The statutory authority for this sole-source award is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Advantaged Solutions Inc., Washington, District of Columbia (N66001-19-A-0008); Alamo City Engineering, San Antonio, Texas (N66001-19-A-0009); Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0010); and Oakland Consulting Group, Lanham, Maryland (N66001-19-A-0011), are awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price, Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms' General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts. The overall estimated value of this BPA is $975,980,000. The four individual agreements are awarded for SAP Public Services Inc. (SAP) commercial-off-the-shelf software; software maintenance support; information technology professional services; and Cloud services in support of DoD ESI and under the direction of Office of Management and Budget Enterprise Software Category Team. The BPA provides for purchase of these products and services by the DoD, U.S. intelligence community, Coast Guard, and the federal government community world-wide. The ordering period will be for a maximum of 10 years from March 12, 2019, through March 11, 2029. This BPA is issued under DoD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders using operations and maintenance (DoD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm-fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy website among 679 vendors. Four offers were received and four selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. East Coast Repair and Fabrication LLC,* Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a not-to-exceed $212,967,725 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple award contract (MAC) for ship repair, maintenance, and modernization of surface combatants (DDG and CG) class ships and amphibious (LSD, LPD and LHD) class ships homeported in Mayport, Florida, under Lot 1. This award was made under rolling admissions of the current IDIQ-MAC Lot 1. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $376,964,825. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida, and is expected to be complete by November 2019. If all options are exercised work is expected to continue through November 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport, Florida, is the contracting activity (N4002719D1001). Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $97,784,232 cost only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-5418 for long-lead material in support of fiscal 2019 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 low-rate initial production requirements. The Evolved SEASPARROW Missile (ESSM) program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test, and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. Work will be performed in Ontario, Canada (14 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (11 percent); Munich, Germany (11 percent); Edinburgh, Australia (10 percent); San Jose, California (9 percent); Hengelo, Netherlands (8 percent); Madrid, Spain (6 percent); Nogales, Mexico (5 percent); Athens, Greece (5 percent); Aarhus, Denmark (4 percent); Ankara, Turkey (4 percent); West Village, California (4 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (4 percent); Canton, New York (2 percent); Portland, Oregon (1 percent); Marinha Grande, Portugal (1 percent); and Tampa, Florida (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2023. Non-expiring other funds; fiscal 2019 and 2018 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2018 and 2017 other procurement (Navy) and funding in the amount of $20,930,156 will be obligated at time of award, and funds in the amount of $26,881 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $93,962,658 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to design, procure, integrate, test, train, deliver, and support command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems, information and computer systems, and sensor systems for various platforms, including ships, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), shore installations and ground based systems. Services are in support of Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, PEO C4I, and other federal agencies. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (35 percent); and various locations throughout the continental U.S. (65 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2025. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-D-0047). RAM-System, Gesellschaft Mit Beschrankter Haftung, Ottobrunn, Germany, is awarded 81,411,978 Euro and $1,137,479 for firm-fixed-price definitization modification PZ000 to previously undefinitized contract N00024-18-C-5403 for fiscal 2018-2919 German Navy's requirements for Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) MK 49 guided missile launching systems, and associated shipboard hardware and spares. This contract will be funded 100 percent by the Federal Republic of Germany. The RAM MK 31 guided missile weapon system is an international cooperative development, production and in-service program between the U.S. and German governments. The participating governments operate under a series of memorandums of agreement/memorandums of understanding that establish the business principles for program execution along with contracting and financial agreements. RAM is a missile system designed to provide anti-ship missile defense for multiple ship platforms. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to 121,271,557 Euro and $29,619,115. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (21 percent); Louisville, Kentucky (21 percent); Ulm, Germany (17 percent); Roethenbach, Germany (16 percent); Schrobenhausen, Germany (16 percent); Ottobrunn, Germany (9 percent); and is expected to be complete by December 2023. German funding in the amount of 61,709,018 Euro and $1,137,479 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured under the exception 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4), International Agreement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Research and Engineering Development LLC, California, Maryland, is awarded a $42,791,557 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Human Systems Department. The Human Systems Department identifies, develops, and implements Human Engineering and Human Systems Integration analysis and design solutions for various Navy and Marine Corps aviation flight and weapon systems, and their associated maintenance and training elements. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2022. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0042). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $14,587,657 for modification P00003 to a previously issued firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0001918F2048) placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This order procures 62 low-rate initial production Organic Light Emitting Diode Helmet Display Units and spares in support of the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2020. Fiscal 2017 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $14,587,657 will be obligated at time of award, $11,764,239 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($7,293,829; 50 percent) and Marine Corps ($7,293,828; 50 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Wiley Wilson Burns & McDonnell JV, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $9,337,864 for firm-fixed-price task order N4008019F4289 under a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40080-15-D-0452) for the preparation of a design bid build construction package for the construction of the Wargaming Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The design bid build construction package consists of full plans, specifications, detailed cost estimate, and other services as requested by the scope of work. The package is to constructs a new wargaming facility, parking structure, and area distributed node facility. The project replaces the Cinder City Switching Station and demolishes eight existing structures in the project area. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction, planning and development, contract funds in the amount of $9,337,864 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 Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Scientific Applications Research Associates Inc., Cypress, California, has been awarded a $100,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Golden Horde Science and Technology demonstration effort. This contract provides for support research and development of emerging munition technologies, as well as integrated weapon demonstrations. The effort is conceptualized as a fast-paced Air Force Research Laboratory-led demonstration project executed under the auspices of the Team Eglin Weapon Consortium. Work will be performed in Cypress, California, and is expected to be complete by December 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $15,000,000 are being obligated on the first task order at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-19-D-0072). ARMY Torch Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded an $8,815,000 modification (000057) to contract W31P4Q-09-A-0021 for strategic systems engineering, integration, test and analysis. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 17, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,815,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1788196/

On March 11, 2019, President Donald J. Trump sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 Budget request of $750 billion for national security, $718.3 billion of which is for the Department of Defense (DoD). The FY 2020 Budget maintains momentum from the sustained funding increases enacted in FY 2017, FY 2018, and FY 2019 to repair damaged readiness, and the Budget marks a key next step in how we operationalize the 2018 National Defense Strategy. Deterring or defeating great power aggression is a fundamentally different challenge than the regional conflicts involving rogue states and violent extremist organizations we faced over the last 25 years. The FY 2020 Budget is a major milestone in meeting this challenge and resourcing the more lethal, agile, and innovative Joint Force America needs to compete, deter, and win in any high-end potential fight of the future by: investing in the emerging space and cyber warfighting domains; modernizing capabilities in the air, maritime, and land warfighting domains; innovating more rapidly to strengthen our competitive advantage; and sustaining our forces and building on our readiness gains. This budget is about projecting power through competitiveness, innovation, and readiness. It fully recognizes that future wars will be waged not just in the air, on the land, and at sea, but also in space and cyberspace, increasing the complexity of warfare. It modernizes capabilities across all warfighting domains to enhance lethality, including the largest ship building request in 20 years and the largest research and development request in 70 years, focusing on technologies needed for a high-end fight. This budget sustains our forces by funding a 3.1 percent military pay raise, the largest in a decade. Congressional approval of the FY 2020 Budget will help us meet current operational commitments and outpace the threats posed by China and Russia through maintaining our competitive advantage, even as DoD spending remains near a record low as a share of the U.S. economy. Specifically, the Department's FY 2020 budget builds the Joint Force's capacity and lethality by investing in: Cyber ($9.6 billion) Supports offensive and defensive cyberspace operations - $3.7 billion Reduces risk to DoD networks, systems, and information by investing in more cybersecurity capabilities - $5.4 billion Modernizes DoD's general purpose cloud environment - $61.9 million Space ($14.1 billion) Resources the initial establishment of the United States Space Force - $72.4 million 4 National Security Space Launch (aka EELV) - $1.7 billion 1 Global Positioning System III and Projects - $1.8 billion Space Based Overhead Persistent Infrared Systems - $1.6 billion Air Domain ($57.7B) 78 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - $11.2 billion 12 KC-46 Tanker Replacements - $2.3 billion 24 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets - $2.0 billion 48 AH-64E Attack Helicopters - $1.0 billion 6 VH-92 Presidential Helicopters - $0.8 billion 6 P-8A Aircraft - $1.5 billion 6 CH-53K King Stallion - $1.5 billion 8 F-15EX - $1.1 billion Maritime Domain: $34.7 billion and the largest budget request in more than 20 years for shipbuilding COLUMBIA Class Ballistic Missile Submarine - $2.2 billion 1 CVN-78 FORD Class Aircraft Carrier - $2.6 billion 3 Virginia Class Submarines - $10.2 billion 3 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Destroyers - $5.8 billion 1 Frigate (FFG(X)) - $1.3 billion 2 Fleet Replenishment Oilers (T-AO) - $1.1 billion 2 Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) - $0.2 billion 2 large unmanned surface vehicles - $447 million Ground Systems ($14.6 billion) 4,090 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles - $1.6 billion 165 M-1 Abrams Tank Modifications - $2.2 billion 56 Amphibious Combat Vehicles - $0.4 billion 131 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles - $0.6 billion Multi-domain and nuclear triad ($31 billion) B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber - $3.0 billion Columbia Class Submarine - $2.2 billion Long-Range Stand-Off Missile - $0.7 billion Ground Based Strategic Deterrent - $0.6 billon The FY 2020 Budget funds preferred munitions at the maximum production rate. 40,388 Joint Direct Attack Munitions - $1.1 billion 10,193 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System - $1.4 billion 125 Standard Missile-6 - $0.7 billion 1,925 Small Diameter Bomb II - $0.4 billion 9,000 Hellfire Missiles - $0.7 billion 430 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - $0.6 billion 48 Long Range Anti-Ship Missile - $0.2 billion Highlighting the enduring importance of missile defeat and defense, the FY 2020 Budget funds the sustainment of the surge in missile defense investment we undertook in FY 2018 and FY 2019, while also investing in Missile Defense Review efforts at $13.6 billion. The missile defeat and defense investments for FY 2020 include: 37 AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense (SM-3) with Install - $1.7 billion Support for Missile Defense Review (e.g., Land-Launched Conventional Prompt Strike, Extended Range Weapon, Space-based Discrimination Sensor Study) - $1.5 billion Ground Based Midcourse Defense - $1.7 billion 37 THAAD Ballistic Missile Defense - $0.8 billion 147 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancements - $0.7 billion The FY 2020 Budget continues the Department's emphasis on innovation and technology, which will enhance our competitive advantage. The Budget highlights emerging technology projects including: Unmanned / Autonomous projects to enhance freedom of maneuver and lethality in contested environments - $3.7 billion Artificial Intelligence / Machine Learning investments to expand military advantage through the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC) and Advanced Image Recognition - $927 million Hypersonics weapons development to complicate adversaries' detection and defense - $2.6 billion Directed Energy investment to support implementation of directed energy for base defense; enable testing and procurement of multiple types of lasers; and increase research and development for high-power density applications - $235 million The FY 2020 Budget increases the readiness, lethality, and agility of the Joint force by increasing our military end strength. Funds readiness to executable levels across services - $124.8 billion Total military end strength will increase from FY 2019 projected levels by approximately 7,700 in FY 2020 Active end strength will increase by approximately 6,200 from FY 2019 projected levels to FY 2020, with the largest increase in the Air Force Reserve Component end strength will increase by approximately 1,500 from FY 2019 projected levels to FY 2020, with the largest increase in the Army Guard and Reserve The FY 2020 Budget provides the largest military pay raise in 10 years and robust support to our most valued asset—our military members—and their families. The Budget: Provides a competitive compensation package Includes a 3.1 percent military pay raise Continues to modernize and transform our Military Health System Continues family support programs with investment of nearly $8 billion for: Spousal/community support Child care for over 180,000 children Youth programs serving over 1 million dependents DoD Dependent Schools educating over 76,000 students Commissary operations at 236 stores Facilities investment is a continuing area of emphasis. This funding: Supports the National Defense Strategy by investing in key operational and training facilities Enables timely maintenance of critical infrastructure Improves Quality-of-Life for Service Members and their families Provides funding for Marine Corps and Air Force hurricane-related facility repairs at Camp Lejeune and Tyndall Air Force Base The FY 2020 Budget contains critical funding for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) and an emergency budget request, totaling $173.8 billion, which is subject to the same congressional oversight requirements as the base budget. These pieces of the request are vital to our budget as a whole and our ability to support the National Defense Strategy. The FY 2020 OCO/Emergency request contains four categories: Direct War Requirements: Combat or combat support costs that are not expected to continue once combat operations end - $25.4 billion OCO for Enduring Requirements: Enduring in-theater and CONUS costs that will remain after combat operations end - $41.3 billion OCO for Base Requirements: Funding for base budget requirements in support of the National Defense Strategy, financed in the OCO budget due to the limits on base budget defense resources under the budget caps in current law - $97.9 billion Emergency Requirements: Funding for military construction for emergencies, to include border security and reconstruction efforts to rebuild facilities damaged by Hurricanes Florence and Michael - $9.2 billion Long-term strategic competitions with China and Russia are the principal priorities for the Department, and require both increased and sustained investment, because of the magnitude of the threats they pose to U.S. security and prosperity today, and the potential for those threats to increase in the future. 2018 National Defense Strategy The entire budget proposal and additional material are available at: http://www.defense.gov/cj. https://dod.defense.gov/News/News-Releases/News-Release-View/Article/1782623/dod-releases-fiscal-year-2020-budget-proposal/source/GovDelivery/

The companies on Tuesday announced a deal to create the first Lockheed-licensed F-16 Falcon Debot in Kjeller, Norway, to support the global F-16 fleet. March 12 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin will establish its first F-16 Falcon Depot in the world in Norway with government-owned AIM Norway. Sustainment services will be provided for the Royal Norwegian Air Force and other regional F-16 customers, Lockheed Martin said in a news release Tuesday. Full article: https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/03/12/Lockheed-AIM-Norway-to-establish-F-16-sustainment-hub-in-Norway/2501552403028/

By Jon Harper The president's fiscal year 2020 budget request for the Defense Department would reduce procurement of existing systems while increasing research-and-development spending as the Pentagon pursues new technology to take on advanced adversaries. The Trump administration is asking for $718 billion for the Pentagon, including a whopping $164 billion in overseas contingency operations funding, also known as OCO, and $9.2 in “emergency spending” for border wall construction and post-hurricane reconstruction efforts, according to budget documents released March 12. The documents note that $98 billion of the OCO funding is for base budget needs. Putting base money in OCO accounts, which aren't subject to 2011 Budget Control Act caps, is a long standing gimmick that the executive branch and Congress have used in recent years to get around military spending limits. The proposed topline would be see a $33 billion boost relative to what was enacted in fiscal year 2019, a gain of 4.9 percent in nominal terms and 2.8 percent real growth when accounting for inflation. The Army would see the largest budget increase of $12.5 billion. The Air Force and Department of the Navy — which includes the Marine Corps — would see gains of $11.8 billion and $9.9 billion, respectively. Defense-wide accounts would decrease by $930 million. The administration is asking for a total of $750 billion in defense spending, which includes nuclear weapons programs and various projects carried out by the Department of Energy and other agencies. That is $34 billion, nearly five percent, more than was enacted in 2019. Officials said the 2020 budget request reflects a renewed focus on great power competition with adversaries such as Russia and China. “The national defense strategy has made it very clear that to preserve the peace, we must be prepared for the high-end fight against peer competitors,” David Norquist, the Pentagon's acting deputy secretary of defense, told reporters during a briefing at the Pentagon. “Future wars will be waged not just in the air, on the land or at sea, but also in space and cyberspace, dramatically increasing the complexity of warfare. This budget reflects that challenge.” It includes the largest research, development, test and evaluation funding request in 70 years, Norquist noted. “We have increased ... RDT&E and we have decreased procurement to reflect our focus on modernization,” Deputy Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller) Elaine McCusker said. Under the budget blueprint, RDT&E funding would grow by more than $9 billion to $104.3 billion, nearly a 10 percent boost relative to 2019, according to budget documents. That includes $12.4 billion for the Army, $46.1 billion for the Air Force, $20.4 billion for the Department of the Navy and $25.4 billion for defense-wide projects. Spending on emerging technologies highlighted in the budget documents include: $3.7 billion for “unmanned/autonomous projects to enhance freedom of maneuver and lethality in contested environments;” $927 million in artificial intelligence/machine learning investments for initiatives like the new Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and advanced image recognition; $2.6 billion for hypersonic weapons development; and $235 million for directed energy capabilities to support implementation of directed energy for base defense, enable testing and procurement of multiple types of lasers, and increase R&D for high-power density applications. Meanwhile, total procurement across the department would decrease by $4.2 billion, or about three percent relative to 2019, to $143.1 billion. The decrease is largely driven by reductions in procurement quantities for the F-35 joint strike fighter, C-130 cargo aircraft, AH-64 Apache helicopter and KC-46 tanker, according to budget documents. The Army would see a $1.3 billion cut in procurement, while the Army and Department of the Navy procurement accounts would essentially stay flat with only $66 million and $64 million growth, respectively. Defense-wide programs would face a $3.1 billion decrease. Cyber capabilities would see $9.6 billion in spending across the department to support offensive and defensive cyber operations, cybersecurity technology and cloud computing initiatives. That is an increase of about 10 percent over 2019, according to Army Lt. Gen. Anthony Ierardi, director of force structure, resources and assessment on the Joint Staff. For procurement and RDT&E, space systems — including launch, satellites and support — would receive $11.9 billion, a $2.6 billion jump. About $72 million would resource the initial establishment of a new United States Space Force that President Donald Trump is calling for, according to budget documents. Total spending on the space enterprise would total $14.1 billion, a 15 percent increase relative to 2019, Ierardi said. Aircraft programs would receive $57.7 billion, a $2.5 billion increase compared to 2019. That would including 78 F-35s, which are being acquired by the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps — a decrease of 15 joint strike fighters compared to the number procured last year. The budget also includes $1.1 billion for eight F-15EX fighters, a souped-up version of legacy F-15 platforms. Ground systems would receive $14.6 billion, about $1.3 billion less than 2019. That includes $1.6 billion for more than 4,000 joint light tactical vehicle that the Army and Marine Corps are buying. Shipbuilding and maritime systems would receive $34.7 billion, a $1.6 billon bump. Missiles and munitions investment would total $21.6 billion, a $900 million increase. High priority munitions such as the joint air-to-surface missiles, long range anti-ship missile, standard missile-6, joint direct attack munition, Hellfire and small diameter bomb are fully funded at the maximum production rate, budget documents noted. Missile defense and defeat systems would get $11.6 billion in acquisition accounts, a $400 million drop. However, there will be a total of $13.6 billion for these types of capabilities once spending on related initiatives are factored in, McCusker said. Nuclear programs would receive $31 billion in funding including $14 billion for next-generation systems such as the B-21 bomber, Columbia-class submarine and ground-based strategic deterrent. Command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems would get $10.2 billion, a $200 million increase. Science and technology efforts would grow $400 million to a total of $14.1 billion for initiatives such as AI, offensive and defensive hypersonic capabilities, directed energy and quantum sciences. Mission support activities would receive $70.9 billion. In a move that is certain to be controversial, the budget request includes $3.6 billion for border wall construction, as well as another $3.6 billion to backfill construction projects that were delayed in 2019 because money was reprogrammed for Trump's promised border wall after he declared a national emergency, McCusker said. Analysts have attacked the idea of including money in the Pentagon budget to build barriers on the U.S.-Mexico border. American Enterprise Institute defense analysts Mackenzie Eaglen and Rick Berger said the border wall funding was “inappropriately included,” adding that the “real budget” for defense would be about $743 billion excluding the $7.2 billion for wall funding and backfilling delayed military construction projects. “That's basically just growth with inflation from 2019, and it continues a flat spending trajectory for years to come,” they said in a note to reporters. Looking longer term over the course of the future years defense program, the Defense Department topline would see relatively slow nominal growth, decreasing to $713 billion in fiscal year 2021, before increasing to $727 billion in 2022, $742 billion in 2023 and $747 billion in 2024, according to budget documents. Eaglen and Berger also criticized the Pentagon's focus on R&D while cutting procurement. “This strategy continues years of cutting existing weapons programs for the promise of future technological breakthroughs,” they said. “The military not only requires more advanced weapons to compete with Russia and China, but also needs immediate recapitalization for decades-old equipment. Carrying out the national defense strategy requires both military capacity and capability.” http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/3/12/pentagon-plans-to-cut-procurement-boost-rd-in-2020

By: Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — The Turkish government is pressuring its defense and aerospace industries to boost exports as part of an aggressive strategy aimed at addressing the country's account deficit and plunging national currency. In an annual ambassadors conference in August, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan urged Turkey's diplomatic missions in more than 150 countries to work harder to win contracts for Turkish manufacturers. The president told Turkish ambassadors to fully utilize diplomacy in marketing homegrown equipment. He has also since repeatedly ordered procurement and industry officials to find new markets to target. “Exports are increasingly important for the sustainability of the [local] industry,” said Murat Ceran, head of the International Cooperation Department at the Presidency of Defence Industries, the government's procurement agency. "Globally speaking, there are three main tiers of exporters: The United States and Russia together account for nearly 60 percent of all exports. The second group consist of exporters like China, France, Germany and the U.K. Turkey, along with Italy, Spain South Korea and Israel, make the third group,” Ceran explained. In recent years, Turkey's defense and aerospace industries reported an average export increase of 8 to 10 percent annually. Only in the past six years, Ceran said, have defense and aerospace exports risen by 61 percent, while Turkey's overall exports rose by 10.5 percent. “We are working to boost exports in a total of 130 countries. We are monitoring over 500 programs in 70 countries,” he said. Turkey's defense and aerospace exports have risen from an annual $1.388 billion in 2013 to $2.035 billion in 2018, according to the Turkish Exporters' Assembly. In comparison, total sales (both foreign and domestic) grew from $5.076 billion in 2013 to $6.693 billion in 2017 (sales growth for 2018 was unavailable via the Turkish Exporters' Assembly by press time). Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2019/03/13/turkey-targets-defense-and-aerospace-exports-to-counter-growing-national-deficit/

BY MARCUS WEISGERBER The F-35 makers sees the Pentagon's plans to buy new F-15s for the first time in 19 years as a threat. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has reportedly been racking up kills against older warplanes during U.S. military drills in Nevada — even the F-15, whose record in real combat is a flawless 104 to zero. Now the two jets are heading into a fierce dogfight, one that doesn't involve missiles or guns. The battle between Lockheed Martin's F-35 and Boeing's F-15EX is being fought by lobbyists in and around Congress, which is beginning to review the Pentagon's fiscal 2020 budget request. Tens of billions of dollars are up for grabs over the coming decade. This week, Pentagon officials proposed buying new F-15s for the first time since 2001, even though top Air Force officials have said as recently as two weeks ago that they didn't necessarily want the the planes. For nearly two decades, Air Force officials have argued against buying so-called fourth-generation planes, preferring for stealthier fifth-generation planes with newer technology. The proposed F-15 purchase is rather small: eight jets in 2020 and a total of 80 through 2024. By comparison, the Pentagon wants to buy 78 F-35s in 2020, with 48 going to the Air Force. SUBSCRIBE Receive daily email updates: Subscribe to the Defense One daily. Be the first to receive updates. But Pentagon budget documents also signal that the Air Force could buy hundreds of F-15s over the next decade. A tranche of 144 planes would “initially refresh” squadrons that fly Cold War-era F-15C Eagles designed for air-to-air combat. And the plane has the “potential to refresh the remainder of the F-15C/D fleet and the F-15E fleet.” In all, that's more than 400 planes. That was enough to draw a full-court press from Lockheed. One day after that announcement, company officials began circulating a three-page white paper detailing the “F-35's decisive edge” over unnamed fourth-generation warplanes. Defense One reviewed the white paper. Lockheed's arguments boil down to bang-for-the-buck: The F-35 will cost about the same or less than the F-15 soon (the long-criticized price has in fact been coming down), its operating costs will be less than the F-15's within six years, and it can fly a more diverse set of missions. Boeing's argument: The F-35 was never intended to replace the air-to-air F-15C — but the F-15EXcould do so while expanding those squadrons' capabilities. Pilots would not need to extensive training to fly the jet, which could carry heavy loads of weapons, plus Eagle bases would not need major infrastructure upgrades. And the new F-15EX is multirole, similar to the F-15E Strike Eagle, meaning that it could strike targets in the air, on the ground or at sea. Boeing has been pitching new F-15s to the Air Force on and off for more than a decade, most recently offering a similar version of the plane it builds for Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The latest effort started to pick up steam last summer. The idea was embraced within parts of the Air Force, but not by top Air Force leaders. Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson acknowledged on Feb. 28 that the planes were not in the service's initial budget plans. But analysis by the Joint Staff and Pentagon Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation Office “on the kinds of capabilities that we require in the aviation realm” led officials to recommend buying the F-15EX, a senior defense official said. Elaine McCusker, the Pentagon deputy comptroller, said Tuesday that former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made the decision to include the F-15EX in the Defense Department's budget request. “The F-35 remains a critical program for the joint force as we look to the future and the kinds of capabilities we require,” Lt. Gen. Anthony Ierardi, director of force structure, resources and assessment on the Joint Staff, said Tuesday. “The F-15EX provides additional capacity and readiness, especially in the near years to mid years, as we look at the threats and the kinds of combat potential that we needed to bring to bear.” Whether Congress agrees with that rationale is yet to be seen. In February, five Republican senators — all with ties to Lockheed F-35 manufacturing work or F-35 bases — sent a letter to President Trump in opposition of the F-15EX. “We are extremely concerned that, over the last few years, the DoD has underfunded the F-35 Program and relied on Congress to fund increases in production, sustainment, and modernization,” they group led by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, wrote. “In order to meet the overmatch and lethality goals laid out in the National Security Strategy, the DoD needs to make these investments in the F-35 to affordably deliver and operate this fifth-generation fighter fleet. The F-35 is the most affordable, lethal, and survivable air dominance fighter, and now is the time to double down on the program.” The 2020 budget request includes $11.2 billion to buy 78 F-35s — 48, which would be Air Force jets. That money would also go toward improving jets already built. Lawmakers have routinely added F-35s to the Pentagon's request. For instance, last year they added 16 planes to the 77 requested by the Defense Department. The 2020 budget request includes $1.1 billion for the eight F-15EX jets. Some of that money would go toward standing up the production line. About a month after Bloomberg first reported in December that eight F-15EX jets would be in the budget request, Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed's CEO, said Pentagon leaders told her that F-15 buys would not be at the expense of the F-35. “The combat proven F-35 is the National Defense Strategy in action and the program continues to see strong support throughout the Pentagon, the U.S. Services, Congress and the White House,” the company said in an emailed statement. Pentagon officials have been insisted that any F-15EX buys would not eat into planned F-35 buys. In all, the Pentagon plans to buy a total 2,443 jets over the coming decades. “If Congress changes that to all F-35s, they'll be all F-35s, we understand that,” Maj. Gen. David Krumm, director of strategic plans in the office of the deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements at the Pentagon, said Thursday at the Mitchell Institute. “But based upon the resources we have and the ownership costs of the platforms, we think that this is the best way that we can present the nation's Air Force and the best way we can get to a capabilities and capacities that we have. “If we have more resources, I think we need to have a conversation about what it is we go for,” he said. “But based upon the resources that we have, we think that this is the right way to go.” https://www.defenseone.com/business/2019/03/lockheed-martin-waging-war-boeings-f-15ex/155598