News

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army's newest short-range air defense system is one of several projects that are facing delays due to COVID-19, but top officials insist that all major acquisition programs remain on track for their planned delivery dates to the field. For programs in the two largest categories of acquisition programs, “we remain on track for first unit equipped for all the programs,” Bruce Jette, the Army acquisition head, said Wednesday. However, “that doesn't mean that some of the programs aren't having adjustments to delivery schedules or adjustments to milestone. We're making adjustments as necessary, and then working with the companies to try and catch up.” One of the programs to fall behind is the Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) system, which had been scheduled to wrap up developmental testing by June. Last week, Janes reported that there were software issues with integrating the weapons package onto the Stryker combat vehicle-based system used for the IM-SHORAD design. The Army plans to procure 144 of the systems, which would be deployed in Europe. “I think we flipped a few months to the right, based upon some software issues,” said Gen. Mike Murray, the head of Army Futures Command. “And matter of fact, I was just talking to the CEO today on the software issues, and we're jumping on that and they got an update yesterday and we're making great progress, but we did slide that a little bit to the right.” In addition to the software challenge, Murray said the need for COVID-19 safety measures was causing a delay in testing, as well. “When you're working tests like that, the run up like that for the test, it's almost impossible to maintain the 6 feet of social distancing. So it was getting the right [personal protective equipment] in place, and then the software issues we had,” Murray said. The general declined to say which CEO he had discussions with on the program. General Dynamics Land Systems (GDLS) is the lead integrator for the program, with a mission equipment package designed by Leonardo DRS. That mission equipment package includes Raytheon's Stinger vehicle missile launcher. The two officials appeared on a call hosted by the Defense Writers' Group. Jette said there is only one program that has had to make a “significant” change to its schedule, but described that program as an ACAT 3 level effort — the smallest acquisition category — with the delay a direct result of the small size of the company. “The greatest sensitivities tend to be down in those programs which have connectivity to small companies, as their major source of technology, delivery services, etc. Because if one person gets sick in the company, you often end up with the entire company being in quarantine for 14 days. And then if they do it again, it gets worse,” Jette said. “So with only one program having a major slip, and that being a small one, I think that's a pretty good success and tells you a little bit about how hard industry is working to try and stay on track,” he added. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/05/27/im-shorad-delayed-by-pandemic-but-first-unit-equip-date-remains-in-place/

By: Andrew Chuter LONDON — Spanish shipbuilder Navantia has formed a joint venture with Northern Ireland's Harland & Wolff to pitch for an upcoming program to build up to three logistics ships to support the Royal Navy's new Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. The Anglo-Spanish partnership, known as Team Resolute, has been announced as expectations grow that the British Ministry of Defence is preparing to reopen a competition to build two, or maybe three, ships capable of delivering ammunition, dry stores and spares in a requirement known as the Fleet Solid Support program. The MoD pulled the plug on the competition late last year claiming the bids did not represent value for money. With the competition poised to be restarted around September, Team Resolute is the first to show its hand. Navantia, one of Europe's leading shipbuilders, and Harland & Wolff have been working together for a while under a memorandum of understanding but the two have now firmed that up into a joint venture agreement as the MoD prepares to restart with a new procurement strategy. The third player in the Team Resolute line-up is British naval design company BMT. Although not a joint venture member, BMT will participate as a subcontractor providing the design. The company worked with Navantia in the original competition. The design house has built a reputation in recent years of providing designs to navies around the world, including oilers for Britain and multi-role logistics ships for Norway, both based on its AEGIR design. For Harland & Wolff, the Belfast yard famous for building the Titanic, it's the latest move in an effort to revive fortunes after the company almost went out of business last year before current owners InfraStrata acquired the operation. InfraStrata, a small British company looking to develop a huge underground gas storage facility just up the coast from Belfast, plans to use Harland & Wolff to undertake much of the fabrication work required on the energy program as well as seek to build a credible shipbuilding and support business. John Wood, CEO of InfraStrata, said the partnership with Navantia could open up the possibility of challenging a status quo which has seen BAE Systems and Babcock dominate the maritime sector here. “This partnership has the capability to disrupt the UK defence shipbuilding and through-life support duopoly that currently exists, as well as providing much needed competition in the defense sector to ensure optimum value for taxpayer money and guaranteed delivery," said Wood. “The Fleet Solid Support program gives us the opportunity to take the expertise in depth that Navantia and BMT have in order to put together a really strong offering based on a best-value-for-money strategy," he said in a telephone interview with Defense News. The yard only employs 130 people at present but Wood said there was plenty of expertise available not least among the 1,200 skilled staff who were laid off at Harland & Wolff prior to the InfraStrata acquisition. Navantia and a British group calling itself TeamUK – led by Babcock and including BAE Systems, Cammell Laird and Rolls-Royce – were the two contenders competing the final stages of the Fleet Solid Support program when the MoD called a halt to the competition amid a growing controversy over the fact that the competition had been opened to foreign bidders and not reserved for local companies. The British government claimed its was acting under European Union regulations as the support vessels were not warships. Britain has now left the European Union but remains subject to its rules and regulations while the two sides try to negotiate a trade deal. Now the MoD is preparing to recompete the requirement, which could be worth approaching $1.9 billion if all three ships are purchased for the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, the support arm of the Royal Navy. A spokesperson for TeamUK said the group was formed to deliver prosperity benefits for the local economy. “We look forward to understanding the updated requirements when the Ministry of Defence announces their future plans for this procurement process,” said the spokesperson. Babcock and BAE dominate the shipbuilding business in the UK and have significant contracts building the Type 31 and Type 26 frigate programs, respectively. Few outside the government know whether the new invitation to negotiate will leave the door open to foreign bidders and what the requirement will actually look like. Some analysts think the damage the Covid-19 crisis has done to the economy should rule out foreign bidders, giving priority to high local content to boost jobs and skills. The conundrum is, though, that as a result of the virus, the MoD is likely to have less money rather than more in future budget deliberations, putting even greater pressure on finding the best value for money solution. Wood says he is open-minded about which way the MoD jumps on the issue of foreign bidders. “Who knows where this will go. They are looking for value for money. What we are saying is they can have the best of both worlds with some outside influence from Navantia, a leading shipyard that has massive pedigree, and local company BMT supporting H&W, which has the best facilities for this kind of project in the UK. If we gear up for an international competition we are confident we can come through and put a credible bid on the table. If it's UK bidders only, we think we can do the same,” said Wood. Infrastrata's CEO said a manufacturing role for Navanti has not been ruled out. “There could be workshare going to Spain. There could be components or blocks coming from Spain, but the agreement we have is to do the majority of the work in the UK. It's really about coming up with a project that fits the delivery schedule. Until we get the timelines nothing is ruled in and nothing ruled out. The key fundamental is it's a British cooperation, with the ability to reach back into Navantia,” he said. The executive said the plan was to spread the work beyond Harland & Wolff into other parts of the UK. “We are looking at opportunities in the UK on fabrication. We may also look at another acquisition in the UK to spread the work wider,” he said. Save the Royal Navy, a well regarded online group campaigning to reverse the decline of the Britain's naval forces, speculated recently that rather than buying two or three large Fleet Solid Support ships the MoD may look at altering the requirement and buying several smaller, cheaper, multi-role logistics ships as part of a wider update to British maritime support requirements. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/05/28/british-spanish-naval-team-gunning-for-another-go-at-revamped-uk-carrier-support-program/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has OK'd a trio of packages to update Kuwait's Patriot missile defense systems, with a combined potential price tag of $1.425 billion. The three packages, announced on the website of the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency on Thursday, include $425 million for sustainment and technical assistance, $200 million for a repair and return program, and $800 million for 84 Patriot Advanced Capability (PAC-3) missile segment enhancements. DSCA notifications are not final sales; if cleared by Congress, Kuwait will then enter negotiations over the package, during which quantities and costs can shift. The potential sales “will supplement and improve Kuwait's capability to meet current and future threats and provide greater security for its critical oil and natural gas infrastructure,” according to the DSCA. “Kuwait will use the enhanced capability to strengthen its homeland defense. Kuwait will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and services into its armed forces.” The repair and return program involves shipping items that can't be serviced on the ground back to the U.S. military for refurbishment, and then inducted into the military's regular repair cycle. When the repairs are complete, the parts are shipped back to the country that owns them, which is then billed for the repairs. Work will be performed at a number of locations, primarily the Huntsville, Alabama, locations of Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Leido and KBR. In addition, work on the PAC-3 missile segments will be done at Lockheed's Dallas, Texas, office. Kuwait has been a reliable customer for American military goods. Excluding Thursday's announcements, the country has been cleared for 13 Foreign Military Sales cases since the start of fiscal 2017, with an estimated price tag of $13.9 billion. https://www.defensenews.com/global/mideast-africa/2020/05/28/kuwait-wants-to-spend-over-14-billion-on-patriot-upgrades/

By: Tom Kington ROME – Italy's defense minister has thrown his weight behind the F-35 program to counter demands from within his coalition government to suspend purchases of the aircraft to help Italy's coronavirus-stricken economy. Lorenzo Guerini said he “confirmed that the program would continue,” after calls from Italy's Five Star party to halt F-35 purchases for a year as Italy seeks cash to help rebound from the virus, which has killed 33,000 in Italy. In an interview with Italian publication Formiche, Guerini said defense spending was often slashed during economic crises, but claimed cuts to Italy's planned 90-aircraft buy would hurt high-tech jobs and damage an industrial sector which “offers very significant economic returns to our nation.” Italy has currently taken delivery of 15 F-35 aircraft including 12 F-35A's and three F-35B's. Final assembly of the aircraft occurs at Italy's own facility at Cameri Air Base in the north of the country, which is due to become a maintenance hub for the aircraft. Guerini hails from the center-left Democratic Party, which is a minority partner with the Five Star party in a coalition government formed last year. Previously, Five Star had governed alongside the anti-migrant League party. Five Star has had a turbulent relationship with the F-35 program. Prior to first entering government in 2018 it vowed to scrap the program altogether, before giving ambiguous signals about the aircraft once it was in power. Italy's coronavirus outbreak, which started in late February and prompted a strict, nationwide shut-down, has only now eased, with most restrictions on movement dropped on May 18. But after two months of lockdown the economy is in tatters, from manufacturing to services to tourism, which accounts for 13 percent of GDP. The government has been slow off the mark to pay furlough wages and economists see GDP shrinking by up to ten percent this year. In late March, 50 Five Star members of parliament signed a motion backing a suspension of ongoing F-35 purchases for one year to free cash for health spending. “We would also consider renegotiating and resizing this program,” one Five Star member in the group said at the time. In his interview, Guerini backed F-35 but also supported Italy's historical alliance with the United States and NATO, which was thrown into doubt by an April poll asking Italians which countries they considered “Friends”. Some 52 percent indicated China, followed by Russia on 32 percent and the United States on 17 percent. Compared to a similar survey carried out in 2019, China leaped 42 percent, Russia by 17 percent, while the U.S. dropped 12 percent. Asked which country Italy should ally with in the future, 36 percent said China while only 30 percent said the United States. The survey followed very visible visits by Chinese and Russian doctors to Italy to help during the virus outbreak. Last year, Italy announced plans to sign up to China's controversial Belt and Road global trade routes plan, incurring criticism from U.S. diplomats, who warned the program was designed to help China more than its partners. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/05/28/italy-defense-minister-commits-to-f-35-after-calls-to-suspend-program/

ARMY Ad Hoc Research Associates LLC,* Havre De Grace, Maryland (W91CRB-20-D-0017); Beshenich Muir and Associates LLC,* Leavenworth, Kansas (W91CRB-20-D-0018); Digiflight Inc.,* Columbia, Maryland (W91CRB-20-D-0019); Integrated Defense Applications LLC,* El Paso, Texas (W91CRB-20-D-0020); Joint Research and Development Inc.,* Stafford, Virginia (W91CRB-20-D-0021); Man-Machine Systems Assessment Inc.,* El Paso, Texas (W91CRB-20-D-0022); and Science and Technology Corp.,* Hampton, Virginia (W91CRB-20-D-0023), will compete for each order of a $249,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract to provide engineering and test support services across all directorates and divisions within the U.S. Army Evaluation Center, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 27, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. James Construction, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was awarded a $55,050,170 firm-fixed-price contract for the Comite River Diversion Project. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $55,050,170 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0023). Jabez-Absher Small Business JV,* Orting, Washington, was awarded a $42,743,158 firm-fixed-price contract for a 22 Special Tactics Squadron operations facility at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM), Washington. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed at JBLM with an estimated completion date of July 7, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $42,743,158 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912DW-20-C-0005). PRIDE Industries, Roseville, California, was awarded a $20,281,403 firm-fixed-price contract to provide repair and maintenance support to the real property assets of the Joint Readiness Training Center and Fort Polk, Louisiana. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Leesville, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2021. No funds were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army 418th Contract Support Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, is the contracting activity (W91247-18-C-0011). General Electric Co., Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $9,451,807 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance and overhaul of the Stage 1 Nozzle. 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 May 27, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0036). NAVY R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-17-D-4626); Bristol Design Build Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (N62473-17-D-4627); I.E.-Pacific Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-17-D-4628); Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc.,* San Diego, California (N62473-17-D-4629); and Bilbro Construction Co. Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-17-D-4630), are awarded $58,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value including the base year and four option years for all five contracts combined is increased from $240,000,000 to $298,000,000. The contracts are for new construction, renovation and repair of general building construction projects at various government installations located in California, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado and New Mexico. All work will be performed at various federal sites within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility. No funds are being obligated on this award and they will not expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy) funds; operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy) funds; O&M (Marine Corps) funds; and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and 20 proposals were received. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Metron Inc.,* Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $32,199,767 ceiling increase and 36-month period of performance extension modification to previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N65236-17-C-8000 for research and development of a mission planning and execution aid tool to support strategic fleet operations. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia (81%); and San Diego, California (19%), and is expected to be complete by May 2023. This modification brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $52,574,968. Fiscal 2020 research, development, testing and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,362,374 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. Kings Bay Support Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $23,589,660 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification (N69450-11-D-7578) for the exercise of the option to extend services for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. The work to be performed provides for all labor, facilities management, supervision, tools, materials, equipment, incidental engineering, environmental services and transportation to effectively execute base operations support services. Work is expected to be complete by November 2020. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $365,830,721. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,831,705 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Vectrus-J&J Facilities Support LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded a $23,274,230 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-20-D-0011) for base operations support (BOS) services at Naval Support Activity, Annapolis, Maryland, to include services at the U.S. Naval Academy. Work will be performed in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. The BOS services to be performed include general information, management and administration, facility management, facility investment, pest control, integrated solid waste management, pavement clearance, special events, utility management, electrical, natural gas, wastewater, steam, water, chiller plant and transportation. Work is expected to be complete by August 2027. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and six option periods, is $154,100,049. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,172,106 for recurring work will be obligated on an individual task order issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and nine proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $17,916,867 modification (P00286) to previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract N00019-06-C-0081. This modification provides logistics, program management, training, configuration management and sustaining engineering support for the H-53K system demonstration and test article aircraft. Work will be performed in Shelton, Connecticut (57%); New River, North Carolina (35%); Patuxent River, Maryland (5%); and Bohemia, New York (3%). This modification includes pre-initial operational test and evaluation scheduled and unscheduled maintenance and software updates as well as product support packages, repair of repairable analysis and identification and interim supply support provisioning. Additionally, various pieces of peculiar support equipment and common support equipment may be identified and procured under this modification. Work is expected to be complete by December 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,500,000 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. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, is awarded a $15,827,023 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification (N62742-16-D-3552) for the exercise of Option Two under an IDIQ contract for base operations support services at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include facility investment, other (swimming pools), utilities management, electrical, wastewater, steam, water, base support vehicles and equipment, and environmental. Work is expected to be complete by November 2020. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $61,744,502. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army); and fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program contract funds in the amount of $12,228,731 for recurring work will be obligated on modifications to the task order during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land and Armaments LP, Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded an $11,038,019 modification for cost-plus-fixed-fee Contract Line Item Number 8101 to previously awarded contract M67854-16-C-0006 for Phase Two of the design and development for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) medium caliber cannon mission role variant. The ACV program is managed within the portfolio of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (85%); and Aiken, South Carolina (15%), and is expected to be complete by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $3,885,873 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract modification was not competitively procured, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $9,885,077 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification (N62470-14-D-6012) for the exercise of bridge Option Two under an IDIQ contract for base operations support services at Isa Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain. Work will be performed at Isa Air Base, Kingdom of Bahrain, and provides for but is not limited to all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform galley services, bachelor quarters and laundry services, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system and base support vehicles, environmental, fire emergency services and explosive safety officer services. Work is expected to be complete by August 2020. After award of this bridge option, the total cumulative contract value will be $181,834,599. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,885,077 for recurring and non-recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe, Africa and Central, is the contracting activity. DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $8,774,725 modification (P00007) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61340-19-D-0905. This modification increases the flight hour capacity on base year two of this contract by 1,100 flight hours per month, increasing the total flight hours from 6,500 hours per month to 7,600 hours per month in support of the TH-57 aircraft. Work will be performed in Milton, Florida, and is expected to be complete by May 2023. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Interior Fusion LLC, Largo, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $45,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 115 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Florida, with a May 27, 2025, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0041). Varec Inc., Norcross, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $9,584,428 firm-fixed-price task-order (SP4702-20-F-0048) against a four-year blanket purchase agreement (SP4702-19-A-0504) for FuelsManager defense deployments and on-site support. This was a sole-source acquisition as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(B). This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are inside and outside the continental U.S., with a May 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio. Genesis Vision,* doing business as Rochester Optical, Rochester, New York, has been awarded a maximum $9,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for optical frames. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a May 27, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DE-20-D-0013). Varec Inc., Norcross, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $8,829,339 firm-fixed-price task order (SP4702-20-F-0049) against a four-year blanket purchase agreement (SP4702-19-A-0505) for FuelsManager defense software maintenance services. This was a sole-source acquisition as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6 (a)(1)(i)(B). This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Georgia and Virginia, with a May 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio. AIR FORCE Thomas Instrument, Brookshire, Texas, was awarded a $25,334,400 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for remanufacture of B-1B left/right-hand hydraulic heat exchanger. Work will be performed in Brookshire, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 21, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $1,679,680 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8118-20-D-0010). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., has been awarded a $19,354,527 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for the repairs, spares and engineering services relating to the electronic systems test set, ALQ-155 power management system, ALQ-161 defensive avionics system (DAS) and Band 6/7/9 of B-1B ALQ-161 DAS. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 9, 2028. This award is the result of a non-competitive acquisition. Fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds are being used and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8524-20-D-0011). M1 Support Services L.P., Denton, Texas, has been awarded a $12,533,445 firm-fixed-price modification (P00101) to contract FA8106-13-C-0008 for C-21 contractor logistics support services. This modification provides for the exercise of Option Seven, which includes maintenance and repair support of the C-21 fleet. Work will be performed at various locations worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $138,119,030. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Dynetics Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a $10,452,506 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for the Laboratory Intelligence Validated Emulator (LIVE) Virtual Constructive (LVC) production and sustainment. The work involved with this effort includes production, test and delivery of LIVE LVC test systems and sustainment of those systems for the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Integration Support Facility, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and other Department of Defense agencies. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by May 27, 2030. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $824,186; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $3,191,926 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins AFB, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8523-20-D-0004). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Azusa, California, has been awarded a $7,304,322 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement modification (P00013) to contract FA8823-17-C-0001 for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program sensor sustainment. This contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for sensor sustainment of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program on-orbit constellation being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Azusa, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Boulder, Colorado; and Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be completed May 31, 2021. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $29,309,850. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missiles Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (H92238-20-C-0001) was awarded a $22,699,935 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a De Havilland Canada Dash 8 aircraft, with modifications in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) requirements. The contract is multi-year and funded with fiscal 2020 procurement, defense-wide appropriations. The majority of the work will be performed in Bridgewater, Virginia. This is a non-competitive award and in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2200874/source/GovDelivery/

Xi Jinping's comments came amid a face-off between the militaries of India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). WorldEdited by Divyanshu Dutta Roy (with inputs from PTI)Updated: May 28, 2020 08:01 am IST Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday ordered the military to scale up its battle preparedness, visualising the worst-case scenarios and asked them to resolutely defend the country's sovereignty. Though he did not mention any specific threat, his comments came amid a face-off between soldiers of India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Xi, 66 who is also the General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) and head of the two-million-strong military with prospects of lifelong tenure in power, made the remarks while attending a plenary meeting of the delegation of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and People's Armed Police Force during the current parliament session being held in Beijing. Xi ordered the military to think about worst-case scenarios, scale up training and battle preparedness, promptly and effectively deal with all sorts of complex situations and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, state-run Xinhua news agency reported, without mentioning any specific issues that posed a threat to the country. Several areas along the LAC in Ladakh and North Sikkim have witnessed major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies recently, in a clear signal of escalating tension and hardening of respective positions by the two sides even two weeks after they were engaged in two separate face-offs. The nearly 3,500-km-long LAC is the de-facto border between the two countries. China's military friction with the US has also been on the rise with the American navy stepping its patrols in the disputed South China Sea as well as the Taiwan Straits. Washington and Beijing are also engaged in a war of words over the origin of the coronavirus pandemic. On May 22, China, the second-largest military spender after the US, hiked its defence budget by 6.6 per cent to $179 billion, nearly three times that of India, the lowest increment in recent years amidst the massive disruption caused to the communist giant's economy by the COVID-19 pandemic. India has said the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim and strongly refuted Beijing's contention that the escalating tension between the two armies was triggered by trespassing of Indian forces across the Chinese side. The Ministry of External Affairs said all Indian activities were carried out on its side of the border, asserting that India has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management. At the same time, it said, India was deeply committed to protect its sovereignty and security. "Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate. Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing last week. https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/xi-jinping-to-chinese-military-prepare-for-worst-case-scenarios-2235615

China's state media has issued a fresh warning for Australia, after a TV appearance by the US Secretary of State sparked a diplomatic storm. China's state media says Australia should “be well prepared to be abandoned at any time” by the United States, after a TV appearance by the Secretary of State sparked a diplomatic storm. The Chinese government-owned Global Times newspaper urged Australia to side with China, drawing on recent remarks from Mike Pompeo that the US could “simply disconnect” from us at any time. “Obviously, what is on the mind of Pompeo and his likes is only US self-interests, and Washington is not going to foot the bill for the lost Australian jobs,” the article says. “Australia is already in a passive position in the face of wavering US policy. Canberra is forced to pick a side between Beijing and the Washington even when it is loath to jeopardise its relationship with China.” On Sunday, Mr Pompeo spoke to Sky News Australia about a proposal by the Victorian state government to work with China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). “I don't know the nature of those projects precisely, but to the extent they have an adverse impact on our ability to protect telecommunications from our private citizens, or security networks for our defence and intelligence communities, we will simply disconnect, we will simply separate,” Mr Pompeo said. “We're going to preserve trust in networks for important information. We hope our friends and partners and allies across the world, especially our Five Eyes partners like Australia, will do the same.” The remarks raised eyebrows in Canberra, and prompted the US embassy in Australia to issue a statement making clear the US had “absolute confidence in the Australian government's ability to protect the security of its telecommunications networks and those of its Five Eyes partners”. Based on Mr Pompeo's comments, the Global Times report said “Australia should realise that the US views it only as a lackey”. “The possibility that the US will not come to Australia's rescue when needed is nothing new,” it said. “While the US maintains its global hegemony by running roughshod over the interests of its allies, it does not offer any rewards.” The report concluded by accusing Prime Minister Scott Morrison of “not taking the interests of people in each state seriously”, after the PM said the federal government had never supported Victoria's involvement in the trillion-dollar project. “Boosting employment and economic opportunities is one of the essential tasks for every government, especially local governments. As the US tries to block Victoria's BRI deal, what alternatives does the US offer?” It's just the latest in a series of targeted messages from the Chinese government. Yesterday, the same newspaper warned Australia to “distance” itself from the US amid growing tensions between the two countries, saying it would be “extremely dangerous” for Canberra to get involved in a “new cold war”. “If the Trump administration plunges the world into a ‘new Cold War', forcing China to take countermeasures against the US and its allies, it would be extremely dangerous for Canberra to become a player in a diplomatic club led by the US, given Australia's high dependence on the Chinese economy,” the article said. “Once Australia is regarded as a supporter of the US in a ‘new Cold War', China-Australia economic ties will inevitably suffer a fatal blow. “Australia's economic deterrent force is much smaller than the US', so China to some extent will enjoy more room to fight back against Australia with countermeasures if Canberra supports Washington ... it means Australia may feel more pain than the US.” The debate over trade has intensified as the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic becomes more pronounced. The US, which is closing in on 100,000 COVID-19 deaths, is trying to pin the blame squarely on the Chinese Communist Party, while Beijing says the Trump administration is trying to keep it from becoming a global power. Meanwhile, there have been reports China is considering targeting more Australian exports, with Chinese authorities reportedly drawing up a list of potential goods including dairy, wine, seafood and fruit, which could be subject to tariffs if relations continue to sour. https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/prepare-to-be-abandoned-china-seizes-on-mike-pompeos-disconnection-comment/news-story/36eebb8c45e9486fe0437124b2936449

Chinese leader Xi Jinping is welcomed by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe upon his arrival for a welcome and family photo session at Group of 20 leaders summit in Osaka last June. | POOL / VIA REUTERS BY TOMOYUKI TACHIKAWA KYODO BEIJING – While China's tensions with the United States and Australia have been sharply intensifying over its handling of the new coronavirus outbreak, the Asian power has been apparently aiming to bolster ties with its neighbors — Japan and South Korea. As relations with Washington are expected to worsen at least until the U.S. presidential election later this year, Beijing has been making friendly overtures toward Tokyo and Seoul with an eye on economic revival after the pandemic passes, diplomatic sources said. Many foreign affairs experts are carefully watching what kind of foreign policy China will adopt at the postponed annual session of the country's parliament, the National People's Congress, scheduled to be convened next Friday. Recently, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has accused Beijing of failing to curb the spread of the virus, first detected late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, and of not sharing relevant information in a timely manner. Trump has said the United States could even “cut off the whole relationship” with China, while threatening to impose tariffs as punishment for Beijing's alleged mishandling of the epidemic in the critical early months. Amid growing uncertainties over ties with the United States, “China is really eager to strengthen cooperation with Japan to revive the economy, which was hit hard by the virus outbreak,” a diplomatic source said. “For Japan, China is an essential trading partner. Japan also thinks the economy cannot rebound without cooperation with China. They are unlikely to be willing to ignite a controversy,” he added. In March, the Chinese Foreign Ministry abruptly announced a temporary ban on foreigners entering the country. The measure has applied even to those who hold a valid visa or residence permit. Beijing, however, has sounded out Tokyo on partially easing the restriction so that businesspeople who test negative for the new virus can travel between the countries, Japanese government sources said. China has already started to allow the entry of South Korean businesspeople meeting certain conditions in an attempt to ensure a smooth supply chain, which has been seriously disrupted in the wake of the virus spread. President Xi Jinping was quoted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry as telling South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a phone conversation on Wednesday that Beijing and Seoul “were the quickest to set up a joint response mechanism, and have maintained a track record of zero cross-border infections.” “The two sides also opened the first ‘fast-track lane' for urgently needed travels without compromising control efforts to facilitate the unimpeded operation of the industrial chain, supply chain and logistic chain in the region,” Xi told Moon. A source familiar with the situation in East Asia said, “For the time being, China's diplomacy may be determined by how much some countries can contribute to the economy. I'll be paying attention to what Foreign Minister Wang Yi says at the National People's Congress.” Tokyo has also taken a softer stand against China than other nations, as the governments of the world's second- and third-biggest economies have been trying to improve their ties by effectively shelving bilateral rows. Japanese Ambassador to Canada Yasuhisa Kawamura was quoted by China's Embassy in the country as telling Ambassador Cong Peiwu on May 8 that Tokyo is opposed to politicizing the pandemic and will work in tandem with Beijing to prevent infections. Earlier this month, the Japan Coast Guard said two China Coast Guard ships had approached and chased a Japanese fishing boat in Japanese territorial waters around the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea. The group of uninhabited islets, called Diaoyu in China, are controlled by Tokyo but claimed by Beijing. Relations between the two countries have been often frayed by the territorial dispute, but strains did not escalate this time. Globally, more than 4.5 million cases of infection with the new virus have been confirmed, with the number of deaths exceeding 300,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Meanwhile, China is facing some pressure over other countries regarding the virus outbreak, including Canberra that has asked for an independent investigation into the origins of the new coronavirus, prompting China to suspend beef imports from four major Australian meat processors, citing labeling and certification issues, in an apparent retaliatory move. “We will need an independent inquiry” to “learn the lessons,” Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told reporters on April 23. Australia is one of China's largest trading partners. “Now people are aware of my view about having the sort of authorities that would enable independent public health inspectors to be able to go into areas where a virus of potential pandemic implications can be understood quickly,” Morrison added. The Chinese Embassy in Canberra released a statement on April 28 saying Ambassador Cheng Jingye has “called on Australia to put aside ideological bias, stop political games and do more ... to promote the bilateral relations.” The Chinese Commerce Ministry has indicated that, following an 18-month investigation, it will impose anti-dumping tariffs on Australian barley. The punitive step would deal a stunning blow to Australia's agricultural sector. “If an independent inquiry is conducted, China may be blamed for the virus outbreak. China is worried that the proposal will be raised at the WHO's general assembly that will begin Monday,” a diplomatic source said, referring to the World Health Organization. China is also at odds with the United States, Europe, New Zealand and others over Taiwan's participation in the WHO as an observer. Beijing has long considered the self-governing, democratic island a renegade province awaiting reunification. The WHO has been criticized by the United States and some of its allies for having turned a blind eye when China allegedly withheld information that could have helped limit the epidemic. The global body's director general, Tedros Ghebreyesus, has strenuously rejected such accusations. Trump, who is believed to be attacking Beijing to gain public support ahead of the presidential election, has been one of the strongest critics of the WHO, calling it “a puppet for China.” In recent weeks he has frozen funding to the U.N. agency. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has also said Japan, along with the European Union, will seek an investigation into the WHO's initial response to the coronavirus spread at the two-day annual meeting of its decision-making body in a virtual setting. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/05/17/national/politics-diplomacy/china-japan-ties-us-coronavirus/#.Xs_4ijpKiUl

L'Égypte souhaite moderniser ses hélicoptères d'attaque Apache. Modernisation. La DSCA, agence américaine chargée de la coopération en matière de défense et de sécurité, a annoncé le 7 mai dernier que le département d'État avait approuvé une FMS avec l'Égypte, visant à lui fournir les équipements nécessaires à la modernisation de 43 hélicoptères d'attaque Apache. Devant désormais être approuvé par le congrès américain, ce contrat est estimé à 2,3 Md$. Équipements. L'ambition pour Le Caire est ainsi de porter ses hélicoptères d'attaque au standard AH-64E. Pour cela, plusieurs composants des appareils devraient être modernisés, parmi lesquels se trouvent notamment les moteurs, les senseurs, les contre-mesures, les systèmes de communication ou encore l'armement. Mise en œuvre. La modernisation de ses hélicoptères permettra à l'Égypte de doter ses forces armées d'équipements modernes et ainsi de renforcer leur capacité, notamment dans le cadre de missions d'anti-terrorisme se déroulant dans le Sinaï, zone préoccupante pour l'Égypte. https://air-cosmos.com/article/egypte-vers-une-modernisation-dhlicoptres-apache-23132