6 août 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Air Force moves to enact space acquisition reforms, despite hold up of legislative proposals

WASHINGTON - The Pentagon is trying to move ahead with reforms to how it acquires space systems, even as a report outlining significant legislative changes has gotten held up by the Office of Management and Budget.

Released in May, the Department of the Air Force report recommends nine specific proposals to improve contracting under the newly established U.S. Space Force. While most of the changes can be undertaken independently by the Department of Defense, three recommendations would require legislative action by Congress. But according to Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration Shawn Barnes, the report has yet to get past OMB, which oversees the President's budget proposals and ensures legislation proposed by agencies is consistent with the administration.

“[It's] still not on the hill. I'm a little frustrated by that, but I think we're very close with OMB at this point and I think we're just about there,” said Barnes during a July 30 call with reporters. “There are a couple of sticking points, but I'm not going to talk about those directly here.”

Barnes continued on to say that OMB had no issues with the vast majority of the report.

And while the Air Force has to wait for legislative action on some recommendations, Barnes said they are already moving ahead with internal reforms, such as establishing a distinct Space Force budget.

“We're in the process of figuring out how to implement those actions within the alt-acquisition report that don't require any legislative change, and of the somewhat less than ten of those specific actions, probably six of them are within the Department of Defense's ability to get after. So we're building implementation plans for that,” he said.

The most important recommendation in the report, at least according to the Air Force, is budgetary. They want to be able to consolidate Space Force budget line items along mission portfolios, such as missile warning or communications, instead of by platforms, allowing them more flexibility to move funding between related systems without having to submit reprogramming requests to Congress. This was a point of contention between the Pentagon and legislators last year, as the Air Force issued repeated reprogramming requests to secure the funding needed to push up the delivery date of the first Next Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared satellite.

Barnes insisted that managing funding at the portfolio would give the Space Force more flexibility to react to program developments without sacrificing transparency. While funding would not longer be broken out at the program level, it could still be expressed at a lower level, he said.

“We would still be breaking it down at a subordinate level but what we would hope is that we would have the ability to still move money from one of those subordinate levels to another, and that's where we can have that transparency,” he explained.

https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/07/30/air-force-moves-to-enact-space-acquisition-reforms-despite-hold-up-of-legislative-proposals

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24 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 20, 2020
NAVY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded a $233,036,890 firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract action for the procurement of Mk 41 Vertical Launching System vertical launcher module assemblies, modernization kits and spare components. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (74%) and the governments of Korea (18%), Finland (4%), and Germany (4%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (40%); Indianapolis, Indiana (36%); Farmingdale, New York (9%); Saginaw, Michigan (5%); Waverly, Iowa (2%); Thomaston, Connecticut (2%); Chaska, Minnesota (2%); St. Peters, Missouri (1%); Hampstead, Maryland (1%); Santa Rosa, California (1%), and Peachtree City, Georgia (1%), and is expected to be completed by March 2025. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) and foreign military sales funding in the amount of $46,607,377 was obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5310). (Awarded Feb. 14, 2020) Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded an $11,967,528 modification (P00003) to a cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N00019-19-F-2972) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0029). This modification provides non-recurring engineering to replace existing subsystems, such as the Data Transfer Unit, Defense Electronic Countermeasure System and ARC-210 radio, with the CH-53K production aircraft. Non-recurring engineering efforts include investigation, systems engineering support, risk analysis, integration development, weight impact, publication updates including maintenance, training, update tooling and qualification testing. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (55.82%); Stratford, Connecticut (35.7%) and Fort Worth, Texas (8.48%), and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,967,528 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bath Iron Works, Bath Maine, is awarded an $8,462,959 fixed-price incentive (firm target) modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-2305 to exercise an option for accomplishment of post-delivery availability work items for Guided Missile Destroyer 118. Work will be performed in Bath, Maine (93%), Brunswick, Maine (6%), and other locations below 1 % (collectively totaling less than 1%) and is expected to be completed by February 2021. Fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) and fiscal 2013 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $8,462,959 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $1,962,124 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Dark Wolf Solutions LLC, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $75,000,000 blanket purchase agreement for cyber innovation services. This award was made from GSA Professional Services Schedule number: GS-00F-086GA. The contractor is a Phase III, Small Business Innovation and Research program participant. The location of performance is Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The work to be conducted includes software penetration testing and adversarial assessment. The work is expected to be complete by Oct. 19, 2020. Fiscal 2020 research development test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,093,286 are being obligated at the time of award via task order FA7014-20-F-0041. Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-20-F-0041). Williams Aerospace & Manufacturing (formerly Merex Aircraft Co.), a Kellstrom Defense company, has been awarded a $40,000,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the acquisition of A-10 Speed Brake assemblies. This contract provides for upper and lower left speed brakes assembly and upper and lower right speed brakes assembly. Work will be performed in Camarillo, California, and is expected to be complete by February 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Consolidated sustainment activity group working capital funds in the amount of $10,501,432 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8212-20-D-0001). Chemring Energetic Devices Inc., Downers Grove, Illinois, has been awarded a $24,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for supply of various Cartridge Actuated Devices/Propellant Actuated Devices for various U.S. and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) aircraft. Work will be performed in Downers Grove, Illinois, and is expected to be completed by August 2027. The contract involves foreign military sales to Greece, Taiwan, Thailand, Switzerland, Uruguay, India, Saudi Arabia, Israel, United Arab Emirates, Belgium, Denmark, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, South Korea, Oman, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Bahrain, Tunisia, Egypt and The Netherlands. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force fiscal 2018 funding in the amount of $1,882,272; Air Force fiscal 2019 funding in the amount of $1,065,552; U.S. Navy fiscal year 2019 funding in the amount of $134,032; Foreign Military Sales funding in the amount of $2,539,705 are being obligated at the time of award under delivery order FA8213-20-F-2525. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8213-20-D-0002). C. Martin Company Inc., North Las Vegas, Nevada, has been awarded a $7,462,086 option exercise modification (P00007) to previously awarded contract FA8601-18-D-0004. This modification provides for the exercise of an option for additional facility and equipment support under the basic contract. The location of performance is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 research development test and evaluation funds are being obligated shortly after award on a task order. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $21,941,348. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Stonewin LLC,* New York, New York, has been awarded a minimum $59,678,523 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for marine gas oil. This was a competitive acquisition with 41 responses received. This is a 56-month base contract with one six-month option period. Locations of performances are Alabama, California, Florida, Massachusetts, Texas and South Carolina, with an Oct. 31, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE608-20-D-0350). EMIT Corp., Houston, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $20,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 104 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Texas, with a Feb. 19, 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-0030). ARMY K S Ware & Associates LLC, Nashville, Tennessee, was awarded a $12,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for value engineering services. 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 Feb. 19, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-20-D-0012). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2089858/source/GovDelivery/
27 février 2020 | International, Terrestre

Industrie : Lourds investissements chez Thales à Saint-Héand
Par Stéphanie Gallo Triouleyre Créée par Pierre Angénieux en 1932, autour des zooms pour le cinéma et la télévision, puis rachetée en 1994 par le groupe Thales, l'entreprise de Saint-Héand dans la Loire réalise aujourd'hui 4/5e de sa production dans le secteur de la Défense. Elle vient justement de démarrer les livraisons de ses nouvelles jumelles de vision nocturne O-NYX à l'armée de Terre. Elle investit par ailleurs lourdement pour développer l'ensemble de ses activités. La Direction Générale des Armées avait notifié à Thales le marché des jumelles O-nyx fin 2017, la première livraison est intervenue il y a quelques semaines. Ces jumelles de vision nocturnes sont destinées à remplacer progressivement les jumelles Lucie qui équipaient jusqu'ici l'Armée de terre et qui étaient déjà fabriquées par Thales Saint-Héand (ex Thales Angénieux avant la réorganisation des sites Thales) dans la Loire. "Nous sommes partis d'un équipement dont nous disposions pour codévelopper avec la DGA et les utilisateurs. Nous sommes parvenus à des jumelles plus ergonomiques, plus légères (340 grammes NDLR) et plus performantes que celles qui équipent déjà les Forces Françaises", signale Delphine Cabaton, responsable commerciale du projet O-nyx. Plus de 3.500 paires ont d'ores et déjà été commandées. 15 000 unités sur 7 ans Le marché court sur 7 ans et devrait s'accompagner de 1 000 à 2 000 commandes par an, soit au total entre 10 000 et 15 000 équipements O-nyx fabriqués par le site ligérien du groupe Thales. Secret défense oblige, impossible de connaitre le montant du marché. En revanche, Bertrand Boismoreau, directeur d'établissement, souligne l'importance de cet accord : "Nous avons coutume de dire que lorsque l'Armée française investit un euro chez nous, la France gagne deux euros à l'export. L'Armée française a une réputation d'exigence absolue. Si elle commande chez nous, c'est un signal fort pour les armées du monde entier". Pour renforcer ses positions auprès de ce client de premier ordre, Thales Saint-Héand travaille d'ailleurs actuellement sur un appel d'offres de la DGA concernant de nouveaux équipements binoculaires. Elle avait déjà fourni depuis deux ans, 1 000 autres jumelles de vision nocturne aux forces spéciales et avait contribué depuis 10 ans au marché Félin (12.000 équipements de jumelles connectées). Des marchés conséquents à chaque fois et qui ont un impact sur le tissu économique régional puisque le site sous-traite 80% de la valeur de ses équipements. "La jumelle O-Nyx nécessite une douzaine de techniques de fabrication comme la plasturgie ou l'usinage mécanique. Nous nous basons pour cela sur l'expertise des PME locales", explique Benjamin Fournel, responsable d'industrialisation. Il cite par exemple Sagne, Modertech, HEF etc. A l'occasion du marché O-nyx, l'usine de Saint-Héand a décidé par ailleurs d'entrer plus fermement dans l'ère de l'industrie 4.0. Elle a ainsi développé des bancs de test, permettant notamment de caractériser la qualité optique de la jumelle. "Jusqu'ici, les opérateurs devaient vérifier la qualité de nos jumelles à l'oeil. C'est un travail fatigant et sujet à des variations de performance. Ces bancs de test automatisés permettent de simplifier le travail de nos collaborateurs et de fiabiliser la qualité de nos produits", se réjouit Benjamin Fournel. Le montant de l'investissement n'est pas communiqué. Croissance Thales ne communique pas non plus précisément sur les volumes d'activité de chacun de ses sites, mais Saint-Héand générerait un chiffre d'affaires de l'ordre de 100 millions d'euros, avec 350 salariés. C'est 20% et 50 personnes de plus qu'il y a deux ans. Le marché O-nyx contribue évidemment à cette progression mais Thales Angénieux se déploie par ailleurs sur d'autres sujets. Notamment sur les optiques cinéma, production historique pour laquelle elle est mondialement connue. Celle-ci représente aujourd'hui 20 à 25% de son activité. Plusieurs millions d'euros sont en train d'être investis par l'entreprise pour développer une nouvelle gamme d'optiques à focale fixe, marché sur lequel elle n'était pas, ou peu, présente jusqu'ici, privilégiant les zooms. "Les tournages de film nécessitent souvent des zooms et des focales fixes. D'autres acteurs étaient bien positionnés sur les focales fixes mais les nouveaux formats nous remettent sur la même ligne de départ. L'idée est de proposer aux cinéastes de pouvoir tourner l'intégralité de leurs films avec des produits Angénieux, avec en plus des fonctionnalités très différenciantes : nos appareils sont plus compacts, plus légers, avec des possibilités de personnalisation de filtres", expose le directeur d'établissement, Bertrand Boismoreau. Une gamme de 12 focales est en cours de préparation, sachant que "plusieurs millions d'euros d'investissement" sont nécessaires au développement de chacune des focales. Un investissement colossal donc mais qui devrait permettre à Thales Angénieux, sous 10 ans, de viser un marché complémentaire de 100 millions d'euros. Nouvelle ligne de production Enfin, le site ligérien va être encore renforcé dans les prochains mois. Le groupe Thales lui confie en effet la production de nouvelles caméras infrarouge pour le secteur de la Défense. Elles ont été codéveloppées avec un site parisien du groupe. Une nouvelle ligne de production est en cours d'installation. Elle sera inaugurée début avril. "Les investissements sont très lourds", signale Bertrand Boismoreau, sans pouvoir, là-encore, donner d'indication trop précise. A terme, "plusieurs dizaines de personnes" pourraient être recrutées pour assurer la production de ces nouvelles caméras, "en fonction de leur succès commercial". https://acteursdeleconomie.latribune.fr/strategie/2020-02-26/industrie-lourds-investissements-chez-thales-a-saint-heand-840652.html
30 octobre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Vote du projet de budget 2021 des armées
Le projet de budget 2021 des armées est examiné en séance publique ce vendredi 30 octobre à l'Assemblée nationale. A hauteur de 39,2 milliards d'euros, en hausse de 4,5%, ce projet de budget apparaît toujours comme une priorité nationale, relève Le Monde. Les crédits de 2021 sont destinés à «réparer» et «moderniser» la défense. Ils permettront notamment d'acquérir trois avions tankers multirôles supplémentaires (MRTT), d'admettre le nouveau sous-marin Suffren au service actif, d'accroître les moyens cyberoffensifs des armées, et d'acheter des missiles air-sol AASM dans le cadre de la reconstitution des stocks de munitions. Florence Parly confirme qu'un texte législatif sera émis pour procéder à l'actualisation de la Loi de Programmation Militaire d'ici à fin 2021. Pour plus de détails : https://www.defense.gouv.fr/actualites/articles/projet-de-loi-de-finances-2021-engagements-tenus-pour-le-budget-de-la-defense

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