News

By: Chirine Mouchantaf BEIRUT — Leonardo DRS' land electronics unit has signed an agreement with the International Golden Group based in the United Arab Emirates to support key projects for the country's armed forces. As part of the settlement, U.S.-based Leonardo DRS will establish an innovative engineering and support facility in IGG's industrial park in Abu Dhabi to support projects and assist in hiring and training locals to fill new high-tech manufacturing positions, the company said in a statement. “Leonardo has a long history in working to support the armed forces of the UAE, and this partnership within our subsidiary and IGG has us very excited," Lorenzo Mariani, Leonardo chief commercial officer, told Defense News The two parties are expected to collaborate on advanced communication systems integration in support of tactical C4I projects, as well as onboard vehicle power systems that provide combat vehicles with up to 120 kilowatts of mobile electrical power for complex C4ISR systems, mobile command posts, radars, weapon systems and other power-hungry expeditionary capabilities. “The high technology of Leonardo DRS and the capabilities of IGG will lead to next-level products for the country's armed forces now and well into the future,” Mariani added. The agreement deepens an already strong relationship between Leonardo DRS and the government of the UAE. In 2017, Leonardo and IGG signed a strategic collaboration agreement to supply cybersecurity capabilities in the UAE, and to identify and implement advanced solutions including security operations centers. The agreement's aim was to integrate the solutions and market knowledge offered by IGG with Leonardo's state-of-the-art know-how in a long-term strategic and international partnership. Bill Guyan, vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS land electronics unit, considers the Emirati-American military relationship a robust one full of new growth potential over the next few years. “The recent growth of the Leonardo DRS land electronics business in the UAE has produced this natural next step. We are proud to lay down enduring roots and a strong business presence and remain committed to the success of our UAE customer and UAE Vision 2021,” he said, referring to the country's effort to prioritize health care, economic competitiveness, sustainable infrastructure, education, a cohesive society and an improved judiciary. “We are eager to work with IGG to provide the guidance, technology and support required to increase interoperability between the U.S. and Emirati forces, allowing them to strategically operate more closely,” he added. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/idex/2019/02/15/leonardo-drs-joins-uae-based-firm-to-support-key-projects-of-the-countrys-armed-forces/

La ministre des Armées Florence Parly et son homologue allemande Ursula von der Leyen ont donné le coup d'envoi industriel au système de combat aérien du futur (Scaf), mercredi 6 février. Ce projet doit remplacer le Rafale français et l'Eurofighter allemand à horizon 2035. Un petit pas pour les industriels de l'armement, un grand pas pour l'Europe de la Défense. Le 6 février, dans l'usine du motoriste Safran de Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine), la ministre des Armées Florence Parly et son homologue allemande Ursula von der Leyen ont signé les premiers contrats d'études auprès des industriels pour lancer le système de combat aérien du futur (Scaf). Cet appareil doit remplacer à l'horizon 2035, les Rafale de l'armée française et les Eurofigther allemands. Dassault Aviation et Airbus vont bénéficier d'un financement de 65 millions d'euros pour mener les premières études de définition. Ils devront définir l'architecture de l'appareil et de son environnement immédiat comme les drones qui l'accompagneront dans sa mission ainsi que ses capacités à déjouer les défenses aériennes adverses. Article complet: https://www.usinenouvelle.com/article/l-europe-de-la-defense-decolle.N804990

NAVY GE Aviation Systems LLC, Vandalia, Ohio, is awarded a $68,177,707 long-term contract for repair of 33 items that are part of the G2/G3 generator converter units used on the F/A-18 aircraft. The contract will include a three-year contract with one two-year option period which, if exercised, the total value of the contract will be $87,116,502. Work will be performed in Coronado, California (70 percent); and Vandalia, Ohio (30 percent). Work is expected to be completed by February 2022; if the option is exercised, work will be completed by February 2024. Working capital funds (Navy) will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source, non-competitive requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304(C)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The requirement was posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00383-19-D-UJ01). CDM Federal Programs Corp., doing business as CDM Smith, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $33,000,000 modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-15-D-4002) for architect–engineering services for utilities engineering and management support projects located throughout the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) area of responsibility (AOR) worldwide. The primary tasks anticipated under this contract include producing utility system master plans, engineering studies, surveying, field testing, hydraulic modeling, recommended treatment and distribution improvements, electric load and demand modeling, arc-flash and safety hazard analysis, relay coordination, life cycle cost analysis, 1391 documentation and design, development and implementation of standard processes and tools to inventory and manage utility assets, collecting direct condition ratings; performing risk assessment on functional groups of assets, creating a risk based investment strategy, and capital improvement plans; development of standard operating procedures, preventive maintenance plans, and operator training; process and instrumentation drawings/electric system one-line drawings for utility systems; development of Geographic Information Systems for utilities using GPS and mobile field data development and integration of utility information systems to increase the reliable, safe and efficient delivery of utility services; development of best practices and documentation, development of staffing plans, and organizational analysis of public works departments with staffing recommendations, organizational improvements and other related services. After award of this modification, the total cumulative not-to-exceed contract value will be $55,000,000. Critical projects are planned to be performed in the NAVFAC AOR worldwide, including but not limited to, Japan (24 percent); Florida (22 percent); Italy (22 percent); Hawaii (19 percent); Texas (10 percent); and Washington, District of Columbia (2 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of February 2020. Future task orders will be primarily funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. L3 Communication Systems - West, Salt Lake City, Utah, is awarded a $29,610,900 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order to previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-19-G-2304) for the manufacture, integration, test, and delivery of the Tactical Common Data Link Maritime Shipboard Terminal Surface Terminal Equipment (TCDL MST STE) system. This order is for the procurement of the TCDL MST STE system equipment, program management, and respective support, integration, and fitting out. Work will be performed in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2017, 2018, and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $25,424,516 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. L-3Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, is awarded a $23,420,937 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide contractor owned and operated aircraft for airborne threat simulation capabilities to train shipboard and aircraft squadron weapon systems operations and aircrew to counter enemy electronic warfare and electronic attach operations. Work will be performed at various locations inside and outside the continental U.S., and is expected to be completed in February 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0031). Bahfed Corp.,* Portland, Oregon (N6893619D0011); Impact Components, a California Limited Partnership,* San Diego, California (N6893619D0012); Laguna Components Inc.,* Laguna Beach, California (N6893619D0013); Pacific IC Source,* Yucaipa, California (N6893619D0014); and Vizocom ICT LLC,* El Cajon, California (N6893619D0015), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $20,000,000, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. These contracts provide for various types of commercially-available electronic components, manufactured from several different materials, in different forms, shapes, sizes, and complexity in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division's Applied Manufacturing Technology Division (Code 475000D). Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon (20 percent); San Diego, California (20 percent); Laguna Beach, California (20 percent); Yucaipa, California (20 percent); and El Cajon, California (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $21,886 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via a 100 percent small business set-aside electronic request for proposals with six offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $17,288,213 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise options for Navy equipment, engineering services and required material. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65 percent); Clearwater, Florida (32 percent); Syracuse, New York (2 percent); and Marion, Florida (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $16,823,290 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, was awarded $10,656,686 for modification P00002 to a previously issued delivery order (N0001918F1645) placed against basic ordering agreement, N00019-17-G-0002. This modification exercises the option to procure 12 A-Kits to retrofit legacy fleet aircraft with the AN/APR-39D(V)2, AN/AAQ-24B(V)27, and the ALE-47 Power Performance Computing, upgrading the MV-22 from Configuration A to Configuration C. In addition, this modification provides for the procurement of 12 APR-39D(V)2 A-Kits to install the AN/APR-39D (V)2 system on any of the 48 previously Integrated Aircraft Survivability Equipment retrofitted aircraft, upgrading the MV-22 from Configuration B to Configuration C. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (65 percent); Miramar, California (14 percent); New River, North Carolina (13 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (6 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (1 percent); and various locations within the continental U.S. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,656,686 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb.11, 2019) AIR FORCE Tecolote Research Inc., El Segundo, California, has been awarded a $38,784,990 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Space and Missile Systems Center acquisition and financial support services. This contract provides the Remote Sensing Systems Directorate with a broad range of acquisition, financial, and administrative capabilities to execute effective and responsive integrated program management of space-related research, development, production, sustainment, and lifecycle acquisition activities. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 17, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 space procurement funds in the amount of $939,196; fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $707,006; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,952,516 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center Remote Sensing Systems Contracting Division, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8810-19-F-0003). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract for Advanced Turbine Technologies for Affordable Mission (ATTAM) capability Phase I. The mission of the ATTAM Phase I program is to develop, demonstrate, and transition advanced turbine propulsion, power and thermal technologies that provides improvement in affordable mission capability. This approach extends to a range of legacy, emerging, and future military propulsion, power and thermal technology needs in multiple applications. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 8, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 54 offers were received. No specific funds are obligated on the basic IDIQ, although in conjunction with the basic IDIQ award, the first task order is incrementally funded with fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,000; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $315,000 at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-2060, FA8650-19-F-2075). ARMY PAE Government Systems Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $27,574,855 modification (P00010) to Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan) contract W56HZV-17-C-0117 for contractor logistic support efforts to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Work will be performed in Hikia, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $27,574,855 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $9,136,250 firm-fixed-price contract for Canaveral Harbor maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Canaveral, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,163,250 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-19-C-0010). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY System High Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $24,200,840 modification (P00019) to previously awarded task order HR0011-17-F-0001 for program security services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the task order to $69,223,019 from $45,022,179. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 2020. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $21,769,143 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Vane Line Bunkering Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, has been awarded contract modification (P00030) on contract HTC71113CW015 in the amount of $16,952,486. This modification provides continued transportation of bulk jet fuel and marine diesel fuel by barge for the Defense Logistics Agency-Energy in the U.S. Atlantic Region. Performance is from Mar. 1, 2019, to Aug. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $139,538,998 from $122,586,512. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,763,000 cost-plus fixed-fee contract. The contract is to provide assessments and alternatives of offensive capabilities within the domains of air, land, sea, space and cyberspace, missions and warfare areas that asymmetrically mitigate threat effectiveness, impose cost, and/or create ambiguity in adversary decision-making. Work performance will take place in the National Capital Region, including Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. Fiscal 2018 - fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,460,000; fiscal 2019 – fiscal 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,576,000; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $727,000 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Dec. 29, 2019. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-13-D-0003). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1758484/source/GovDelivery/

NAVY British Aerospace Engineering Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00421-D-0035); Coherent Technical Services Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0036); Engility Corp., Andover, Maine (N00421-D-0037); J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0038); KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (N00421-D-0039); Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia (N00421-D-0040); and Valkyrie Enterprises Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00421-D-0041), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $235,005,530, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. These contracts provide for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore support services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) - Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division (NAWCAD 4.11.7). Services to be provided include operational, technical, logistical and system engineering support for system certification; technical assistance; systems analysis and engineering; test and evaluation; installation and maintenance; hardware design, development, technical logistics support; configuration management; training support; equipment manufacturing; quality control; and project management of Mobile Air Battle management systems and communication-electronic systems. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (20 percent); and at various contractor locations within the continental U.S. (80 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with seven offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Diversified Maintenance Systems,* Sandy, Utah, is awarded a maximum amount $49,000,000 indefinite-delivery indefinite quantity contract for commercial and institutional building construction alterations, renovations, and repair projects at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of administration buildings, maintenance/repair facilities, aircraft control towers, hangars, fire stations, office buildings, laboratories, dining facilities and related structures. Work will be performed in Ridgecrest, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of January 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with eight proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2612). The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $43,000,000 fixed-priced-incentive modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6307 for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements. The Orca XLUUV will be an open architecture, reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle. The Orca XLUUV will be modular in construction with the core vehicle providing guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, power distribution, energy and power, propulsion and maneuvering, and mission sensors. The Orca XLUUV will have well-defined interfaces for the potential of implementing cost-effective upgrades in future increments to leverage advances in technology and respond to threat changes. The Orca XLUUV will have a modular payload bay, with defined interfaces to support current and future payloads for employment from the vehicle. The competition for XLUUV requirements is still in source-selection, and therefore the specific contract award amount is considered source-selection sensitive information (see 41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101 and 3.104) and will not be made public at this time. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (29 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (27 percent); Waukesha, Wisconsin (8 percent); East Aurora, New York (7 percent); Concord, Massachusetts (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (5 percent); Smithfield, Pennsylvania (4 percent); Attleboro, Massachusetts (3 percent); City of Industry, California (3 percent); El Cajon, California (3 percent); Fairfield, New Jersey (2 percent); Ontario, California (1 percent); and Farmingdale, New York (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by June 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $43,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $14,498,758 for modification P00009 to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive firm contract (N0001918C1048) to provide for initial lay-in of repair material for seven F-35 Lightning II systems at various depots in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (34 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (27 percent); Jackson, Mississippi (16 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (16 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (4 percent); and East Aurora, New York (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2024. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps, and Navy); fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force); non-U.S. DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $14,498,758 are being obligated at time of award, $4,582,113 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($6,332,003; 43.68 percent); Marine Corps ($3,128,745; 21.58 percent); Navy ($1,453,368; 10.02 percent); non-U.S. DoD Participants ($2,470,964; 17.04 percent), and FMS customers ($1,113,678; 7.68 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. EPS Corp., Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is awarded a $10,980,406 modification to a previously awarded hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract (N00174-17-D-0026) to exercise an option for technical expertise in the development and testing of underwater weapons and underwater weapons systems components. This requirement is to develop an underwater weapons system acquisition/procurement program that provides underwater weapons systems (including authentic foreign mines) for research, development, test and evaluation of underwater weapons systems and mine countermeasures systems. Work will be performed in Tinton Falls, New Jersey (95 percent); Montenegro (2 percent); Bulgaria (2 percent); and Italy (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by February 2020. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded a $10,517,749 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12). Work will include clean and gas-free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, main engine and electric motor maintenance, 10-year crane maintenance and recertification, dry-docking and undocking, propeller shaft and stern tube inspect, freshwater (closed loop) stern tube lubrication, underwater hull cleaning and painting, 2.5-year bow thruster maintenance and tunnel grating modification, renew flight deck nonskid, and auxiliary pre-stage area refrigeration installation. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $10,583,543. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by July 16, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,517,749 are obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The U. S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C6002). AIR FORCE Nimbis Services Inc.,* Oro Valley, Arizona, has been awarded a ceiling increase of $49,500,000 to their indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. The Trusted Silicon Stratus contract's objective is to achieve an initial operational capability of a novel microelectronics life-cycle verification ecosystem implemented to enhance microelectronics supply chain risk management. Work will be performed in Columbus, Ohio. There are two orders currently on this IDIQ. The first task order (FA8650-18-F-1605) is expected to be complete by July 30, 2021, and the second task order (FA8650-18-F-1656) is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated on future task orders. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Tau Technologies LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a cost reimbursement type contract with a base period contract price of $8,913,357 for directed energy modeling for cross-domain analysis. This contract seeks to advance directed energy technologies and weapon systems in engagement and mission-level analysis to enable data-driven wargaming, military utility assessments, and weaponeering. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed May 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $300,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-19-C-0002). ARMY Phylway Construction LLC,* Thibodaux, Louisiana, was awarded a $48,654,095 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River levee construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $48,654,095 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0015). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Lions Services, Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $11,403,650 modification (P00020) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-17-D-B008) with two one-year option periods for advanced combat helmet chinstraps and hardware. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Texas, with a Feb. 16, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019, through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES CompQsoft Inc., Leesburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,710,468 a hybrid contract which includes firm-fixed-price labor hour and time and materials contract line item numbers. The contract is to provide audio-visual/video conference support services, by Joint Service Provider to supported agencies in the most efficient manner possible. Work performance will take place primarily in the National Capital Region, including the Pentagon, Mark Center and Crystal City, Virginia. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,710,468 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Sept. 29, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-C-0118). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Solers Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for Systems Engineering, Technology, and Innovation. This was a competitive solicitation for a multiple-award ID/IQ contract, with an unrestricted pool and a pool set-aside for small businesses. The original awards for the unrestricted pool were initially made in June 2018. Four post-award protests were submitted to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Following the GAO decisions, issued in October 2018, the agency took corrective action that resulted in the decision to award a contract to Solers Inc. The face value of this action is a ceiling amount of $7,500,000,000. The awardee will each receive a minimum guarantee of $500 applicable to the base ordering period only. All other funding will be obligated at the task order level. The primary performance will be at Defense Information Systems Agency Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland, as well as contractor facilities and DoD locations worldwide to be determined at the task order level. The period of performance is a five-year base period with one five-year option period. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-2015). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1757113/source/GovDelivery/

By: Justin Lynch The new Pentagon artificial intelligence strategy serves as a roadmap for how the American military will embrace machine learning in future cyber operations, which could be a boon for companies who invest in the technology. Released Feb 12, the Pentagon's strategy shows how the American military will rely on artificial intelligence as a defensive tool. “We will increase our focus on defensive cybersecurity of hardware and software platforms as a precondition for secure uses of AI,” the Pentagon's new strategy states. “ In order to ensure DoD AI systems are safe, secure, and robust, we will fund research into AI systems that have a lower risk of accidents; are more resilient, including to hacking and adversarial spoofing.” A particular focus of the new strategy is researching “emergent effects,” which is what happens when two artificial intelligence systems interact. The Army's Aberdeen Proving Ground, for one, is conducting studies into how artificial intelligence can protect soldiers' tactical networks and communications from cyberattacks. The Pentagon's artificial intelligence strategy comes as both the American military and hackers have embraced machine learning for cyberattacks. According to an analysis by Fifth Domain, more than half of the new challenges and programs announced by the intelligence community's research arm in 2018 involve machine learning or predictive analytics, which represents a potential boon for cybersecurity researchers. In December, the Pentagon announced that Air Force Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan would be head of a new artificial intelligence center. Hackers are using artificial intelligence during cyberattacks, Sam Curry, the chief security officer at Cybereason, a threat intelligence firm, told Fifth Domain. Curry said that a particular risk with artificial intelligence is the use of “second order chaotic systems,” where events cause data inputs to change, using the stock market as an example. “Second order systems with badly applied, overreacting machine learning are prone to exploitation,” Curry said. With the release of the artificial intelligence strategy, the Pentagon is attempting to combat significant investments in machine learning by other countries. “Other nations, particularly China and Russia, are making significant investments in AI for military purposes, including in applications that raise questions regarding international norms and human rights,” the strategy says. “The costs of not implementing this strategy are clear. Failure to adopt AI will result in legacy systems irrelevant to the defense of our people, eroding cohesion among allies and partners, reduced access to markets that will contribute to a decline in our prosperity and standard of living, and growing challenges to societies that have been built upon individual freedoms.” https://www.fifthdomain.com/dod/2019/02/13/what-the-pentagons-new-ai-strategy-means-for-cybersecurity/

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Here are some updates on defence and aerospace industry contracts and appointments, that I outlined in the latest issue of Esprit de Corps magazine: The Canadian government has awarded a contract to Saab Microwave Canada for radar upgrades on the Halifax-class frigates. The $21.7 million contract is to procure a modern electronically-stabilized antenna set for the Sea Giraffe 180 radar, already installed on the frigates. The contract includes an option to acquire 12 more antenna sets, which could bring the total investment to $97.5 million, according to the federal government. Sea Giraffe 180 is a medium-range air and surface search radar. The upgrades to the antenna set will enhance its performance, increase its reach to up to 180 km, and provide new 3-D detection and tracking capability, according to the government. The frigate to receive the first antenna is currently expected to be HMCS St John's, in early 2021. The installation will coincide with its planned maintenance period schedules. The first M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) production basic/advanced trainer aircraft built by Leonardo successfully performed its maiden flight at Venegono Superiore airport in Varese, Italy in late December. The Italian Air Force, the launch customer, has a requirement for up to 45 M-345s (designated the T-345A by ITAF) to progressively replace 137 MB-339s, which first entered service in 1982, and to become the Italian Air Force's new aerobatic team airplane. At this point, the Italian Air Force has placed an order for five aircraft and the first will be delivered in early 2020. The new M-345s will integrate the M-346s used during the advanced training phase of the Italian Air Force's pilots. The new M-345 HET (High Efficiency Trainer) reduces the time required by Air Forces to train pilots, according to Leonardo. It also gives trainees the chance to fly an aircraft that features higher performance characteristics than other basic/advanced trainer aircraft currently in service around the world. The performance of the M-345 allows it to carry out the most demanding mission types found in a training syllabus, delivering high quality training at significantly lower cost. The M-345 cockpit architecture is the same as the frontline fighters. The M-345 can also perform operational roles, thanks to an extended flight envelope, with a high-speed maneuvering capability even at high altitudes, modern avionics systems, high load capacity and performance. Rheinmetall recently transferred a new nautical training facility to the German Navy School in Mürwik on the Baltic. One of the most advanced facilities of its kind, the German Navy will use it for training its bridge personnel, the company noted. It will be used for training all German Navy cadets, all future watch officers, and for preparing bridge personnel for nautical operations. The capability spectrum of the facility ranges from basic navigation and nautical training through to crew resource management, according to Rheinmetall. The facility includes two large and four small bridge simulators, six trainer stations, an auditorium for post-operation briefings as well as additional infrastructure for planning exercises and administrating and updating the database. Every surface combatant now in the German inventory – from minesweepers to supply ships – is modelled in the facility. This applies not only to the physical depiction of various ships and boats, but to their exact performance characteristics, Rheinmetall noted. In mid-December the Canadian Coast Guard received from Davie Shipbuilding the Captain Molly Kool, its first new icebreaker in the last 25 years. It is the first of three icebreakers that Davie will refit for the Coast Guard to fill a capability gap. The ship is named after Myrtle “Molly” Kool of New Brunswick who went on to become the first woman in North America to become a licensed ship captain. The federal government has approved a five-year contract extension with Quebec-based firm L3 MAS for the continued maintenance of the Royal Canadian Air Force's fleet of five CC-150 Polaris aircraft. The contract, valued at up to $230 million, is a renewal of the original in-service support contract awarded in 2013 to L3 MAS in Mirabel. The original contract included extension options for two five-year periods. The work will be done at Mirabel and at 8 Wing Trenton, ON where the fleet is based and operated by 437 Transport Squadron. The CC-150 Polaris is a multi-purpose, twin-engine, long-range jet aircraft that is used for strategic air-to-air refueling and transport. Two CC-150 Polaris aircraft are configured for strategic air-to-air refueling and the rest are used for transport and other roles. First-level maintenance will continue to take place at 8 Wing Trenton. The contract secures L3 MAS as the government's CC-150 support contractor up to March 2023, with eligibility for additional years (up to March 2028), subject to satisfactory performance. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/radar-upgrades-for-halifax-class-frigates-and-other-news-on-defence-contracts

February 12, 2019 – Ottawa – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff, issued a CANFORGEN announcing the list of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) General and Flag Officer senior appointments, promotions, and retirements that will occur in 2019. General Officers (Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force) and Flag Officers (Royal Canadian Navy) lead the CAF in defending our country's values and interests, here at home and abroad. They share the responsibility for the stewardship of the entire institution, and for the profession of arms as a whole. For 2019, the total number of permanent General Officer and Flag Officer positions required to meet the demands of the Canadian Armed Forces is 116 (105 Regular Force and 11 Reserve Force). The number of senior staff fluctuates as a result of the needs of the military to meet Government of Canada and institutional objectives, which is constantly changing. Certain positions have been created to help us meet the following commitments found in Canada's defence policy, Strong, Secure, Engaged: supporting health and resilience, investments in the Royal Canadian Navy, enhancing cyber capabilities, transforming innovation for defence excellence and security, and continued global defence engagement. Biographies of senior officers may be made available upon request by contacting Media Relations. Quotes “The role of a General and Flag Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces comes with enormous responsibility. Those selected demonstrate they are capable of surmounting the significant challenges associated with leading and improving Canada's armed forces. For those leaving the Forces, they should do so proudly, as they are a testament to the qualities required to keep Canada's military strong and effective.” – General Jonathan Vance, Chief of the Defence Staff Quick facts In order to align authorities, responsibilities, and accountabilities with the US NORAD, Major-General D.W. Joyce will be appointed Deputy Commander Continental US NORAD Region, in Tyndall Florida, in a position that has been up-ranked to Major-General. To lead the modernization and growth of the Canadian Forces Health Services Group, Brigadier-General A.M.T. Downes will be promoted to the rank of Major-General and will continue to serve in his current appointment as Commander Canadian Forces Health Services Group / Surgeon General for the CAF, at NDHQ in Ottawa, in a position that has been up-ranked. Colonel J.G.M. Bilodeau will be promoted to the rank of Brigadier-General and appointed to a new position as Director General Clinical Services / Deputy Commander Canadian Forces Health Services Group, in Ottawa and will become the Department Health Advisor to the CDS. In order to enhance continental maritime command, control, and cooperation with the US Navy, Commodore S.M. Waddell will be promoted to the rank of Rear-Admiral and appointed to a new position as Vice Commander 2nd Fleet United States Navy, in Norfolk Virginia. To develop CAF/DND data strategies, policies and to lead data management governance, Brigadier-General A.T. Benson will be appointed to a new position as Deputy Director General Data Strategy and Innovation, in Ottawa. Additional capacity is required to focus on key departmental initiatives. As such, Brigadier-General S.T. Boyle will be appointed to a new position as Deputy Director General Continental Policy, at NDHQ in Ottawa. https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2019/02/chief-of-the-defence-staff-announces-canadian-armed-forces-general-and-flag-officer-senior-appointments-promotions-and-retirements.html

Leonardo has signed an 18-month contract with the NATO Communications and Information (NCI) Agency which will see the company continue to deliver cyber incident detection and management capabilities. The new NATO computer incident response capability (NCIRC) cyber security support services (CSSS) contract provides continuity of service to the NCIRC – full operational capability (FOC) contract which ends in February 2019. Since February 2012, Leonardo has worked in partnership with the NCI Agency to protect NATO's Communications and Information System (CIS) infrastructure from cyber attacks, thus significantly assisting in the support to NATO missions. A combined Leonardo and NCI Agency staff of around 200 digital security experts provide cyber incident detection, management and rapid-response capabilities around the clock, covering NATO staff in 29 countries. Protection extends from portable devices up to networks at 75 sites including NATO headquarters. NCIRC-FOC has also been operationally employed to successfully protect the NATO summits in 2014, 2016, and 2018. The NCIRC CSSS contract follows the successful operation of the NCIRC-FOC over a number of years and a deepening relationship between Leonardo and NCI Agency. In 2015, NCIRC-FOC expanded under the 10 Additional Sites contract to cover newly-opened European headquarters. This contract was completed to budget, specification and on schedule in 2017. In 2016, the two organizations signed an industrial partnership agreement (IPA) to share cyber security information, with the mutual goal of better understanding threat patterns and attack trends. In addition to delivering cyber security expertise to NATO, Leonardo also supports individual nation states, large corporations including defence companies and financial institutions. In September 2017, the company announced that it had been selected by the European Space Agency (ESA) as the cyber security partner for the Galileo European navigation satellite program. Leonardo is also active in the Gulf and South-East Asia, working with government and industry customers. Leonardo continues to invest in its cyber expertise. The cyber services and products in the company's portfolio are designed to evolve in-line with the ever-changing cyber battlefield. To ensure its customers maintain their cyber skills, Leonardo offers certified training as well as Cyber Academy and Cyber Range design and delivery, allowing specialists to exercise against new and emerging threats. Demand continues to increase and, in June, Leonardo tripled the size of its cyber and electronic warfare capacity in Lincoln, U.K., to allow 150 students to train at any one time. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/leonardo-signs-contract-with-nato-to-extend-cyber-defence-partnership/

By Tomás Díaz de la Rubia The dust lay thick upon the ruins of bombed-out buildings. Small groups of soldiers, leaden with their cargo of weaponry, bent low and scurried like beetles between the wrecked pillars and remains of shops and houses. Intelligence had indicated that enemy troops were planning a counterattack, but so far, all was quiet across the heat-shimmered landscape. The allied soldiers gazed intently out at the far hills and closed their weary, dust-caked eyes against the glare coming off the sand. Suddenly, the men were aware of a low humming sound, like thousands of angry bees, coming from the northeast. Growing louder, this sound was felt, more than heard, and the buzzing was intensifying with each passing second. The men looked up as a dark, undulating cloud approached, and found a swarm of hundreds of drones, dropped from a distant unmanned aircraft, heading to their precise location in a well-coordinated group, each turn and dip a nuanced dance in close collaboration with their nearest neighbors. Although it seems like a scene from a science fiction movie, the technology already exists to create weapons that can attack targets without human intervention. The prevalence of this technology is pervasive and artificial intelligence as a transformational technology shows virtually unlimited potential across a broad spectrum of industries. In health care, for instance, robot-assisted surgery allows doctors to perform complex procedures with fewer complications than surgeons operating alone, and AI-driven technologies show great promise in aiding clinical diagnosis and automating workflow and administrative tasks, with the benefit of potentially saving billions in health care dollars. In a different area, we are all aware of the emergence of autonomous vehicles and the steady march toward driverless cars being a ubiquitous sight on U.S. roadways. We trust that all this technology will be safe and ultimately in the best interest of the public. Warfare, however, is a different animal. In his new book, Army of None, Paul Scharre asks, “Should machines be allowed to make life-and-death decisions in war? Should it be legal? Is it right?” It is with these questions and others in mind, and in light of the advancing AI arms race with Russia and China that the Pentagon has announced the creation of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, which will have oversight of most of the AI efforts of U.S. service and defense agencies. The timeliness of this venture cannot be underestimated; automated warfare has become a “not if, but when” scenario. In the fictional account above, it is the enemy combatant that, in a “strategic surprise,” uses advanced AI-enabled autonomous robots to attack U.S. troops and their allies. Only a few years ago, we may have dismissed such a scenario — an enemy of the U.S. having more and better advanced technology for use in the battlefield — as utterly unrealistic. Today, however, few would question such a possibility. Technology development is global and accelerating worldwide. China, for example, has announced that it will overtake the United States within a few years and will dominate the global AI market by 2030. Given the pace and scale of investment the Chinese government is making in this and other advanced technology spaces such as quantum information systems, such a scenario is patently feasible. Here, the Defense Department has focused much of its effort courting Silicon Valley to accelerate the transition of cutting-edge AI into the warfighting domain. While it is important for the Pentagon to cultivate this exchange and encourage nontraditional businesses to help the military solve its most vexing problems, there is a role uniquely suited for universities in this evolving landscape of arming decision makers with new levels of AI. Universities like Purdue attribute much of their success in scientific advancement to the open, collaborative environment that enables research and discovery. As the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center experiments with and implements new AI solutions, it must have a trusted partner. It needs a collaborator with the mission of verifying and validating trustable and explainable AI algorithms, and with an interest in cultivating a future workforce capable of employing and maintaining these new technologies, in the absence of a profit motive. "The bench in academia is already strong for mission-inspired AI research." That's not to diminish the private sector's interest in supporting the defense mission. However, the department's often “custom” needs and systems are a small priority compared to the vast commercial appetite for trusted AI, and Silicon Valley is sure to put a premium on customizing its AI solutions for the military's unique specifications. Research universities, by contrast, make their reputations on producing trustable, reliable, verifiable and proven results — both in terms of scientific outcomes and in terms of the scientists and engineers they graduate into the workforce. A collaborative relationship between the Defense Department and academia will offer the military something it can't get anywhere else — a trusted capability to produce open, verifiable solutions, and a captive audience of future personnel familiar with the defense community's problems. If the center is to scale across the department and have any longevity, it needs talent and innovation from universities and explainable trusted AI solutions to meet national mission imperatives. As the department implements direction from the National Defense Authorization Act to focus resources on leveraging AI to create efficiency and maintain dominance against strategic technological competitors, it should focus investment in a new initiative that engages academic research centers as trusted agents and AI talent developers. The future depends on it. But one may ask, why all this fuss about AI competition in a fully globalized and interdependent world? The fact is, in my opinion and that of others, that following what we perceived as a relatively quiet period after the Cold War, we live today again in a world of great power competition. Those groups and nations that innovate most effectively and dominate the AI technology landscape will not only control commercial markets but will also hold a very significant advantage in future warfare and defense. In many respects, the threat of AI-based weapons to national security is perhaps as existential a threat to the future national security of the United States and its allies as nuclear weapons were at the end of World War II. Fortunately, the U.S. government is rising to the challenge. Anticipating these trends and challenges, the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy announced, in a recent memo, that the nation's top research-and-development priorities would encompass defense, AI, autonomy, quantum information systems and strategic computing. This directly feeds into the job of the aforementioned Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, which is to establish a repository of standards, tools, data, technology, processes and expertise for the department, as well as coordinate with other government agencies, industry, U.S. allies and academia. The bench in academia is already strong for mission-inspired AI research. Purdue University's Discovery Park has positioned itself as a paragon of collaborative, interdisciplinary research in AI and its applications to national security. Its Institute for Global Security and Defense Innovation is already answering needs for advanced AI research by delving into areas such as biomorphic robots, automatic target recognition for unmanned aerial vehicles, and autonomous exploration and localization of targets for aerial drones. Complementary to the mission of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, the Purdue Policy Research Institute is actively investigating the ethical, legal and social impacts of connected and autonomous vehicles. Some of the topics being researched include privacy and security; workforce disruption; insurance and liability; and economic impact. It is also starting to investigate the question of ethics, technology and the future of war and security. Purdue University is a key player in the Center for Brain-Inspired Computing project, forging ahead on “AI+” mentality by combining neuromorphic computing architectures with autonomous systems applications. The Integrative Data Science Initiative at Purdue aims to ensure that every student, no matter what their major is, graduates from the university with a significant degree of literacy in data science and AI-related technologies. Data science is used by all of the nation's security agencies and no doubt will be integral to the functioning of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center and its mission. The opportunities for Purdue and Discovery Park to enter into a partnership with the center are vast and span a wide range of disciplines and research areas. In short, the university is primed to play a vital role in the future of the nation's service and defense agencies and must be relentless in pursuing opportunities. It has become apparent that the United States is no longer guaranteed top dog status on the dance card that is the future of war. To maintain military superiority, the focus must shift from traditional weapons of war to advanced systems that rely on AI-based weaponry. The stakes are just too high and the prize too great to for the nation to be left behind. Therefore, we must call upon the government to weave together academia, government and industry for the greater good. We're stepping up to secure our place in the future of the nation. Tomás Díaz de la Rubia is Purdue University's vice president of Discovery Park. http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/articles/2019/2/11/viewpoint-academia-a-crucial-partner-for-pentagons-ai-push