21 octobre 2020 | International, Aérospatial
STUTTGART, Germany – Airbus is pitching a new jet trainer package for the Spanish air force that industry executives hope could one day help school pilots across Europe on next-generation aircraft.
The Airbus Future Jet Trainer, or AFJT, would replace Spain's fleets of Northrop F-5M and CASA C-101 Aviojet aircraft around 2027 or 2028, Airbus officials told Defense News. While the concept has been in the works for several years, the company first revealed the official specifications late last week to Spanish media outlets.
The company envisions the project as a multi-role, integrated trainer system, with room for growth as a potential light-attack or aggressor aircraft. Among its features is a live-virtual-constructive (LVC) training environment, and compatibility with ground-based training systems.
Abel Nin, head of the AFJT program at Airbus, told Defense News the aircraft is designed with fighter characteristics of high maneuverability and speed, and the ability to emulate aircraft including the Eurofighter Typhoon and F/A-18 Hornet aircraft, as well as future systems. If selected, the AFJT plane could see its first flight around 2025, Nin said.
Raúl Tena, Airbus' sales manager for combat aircraft, emphasized that the aircraft and associated training systems are being built with the Spanish air force's requirements and timeline “as the starting point.”
“From there, we believe that this aircraft should not only serve Spain, but should also serve Europe,” he said, citing France and Finland as potential future customers.
Spain's government has not yet allocated any funding toward a new trainer system, Airbus said. A budget is expected to be revealed by the end of 2020 or early 2021. The Spanish Ministry of Defense last year committed to buying 24 Pilatus PC-21 trainer jets, to begin replacing its 1980s-era C-101 aircraft.
Airbus serves as the AFJT lead contractor in charge of design, assembly and integration. Other suppliers include: Indra for flight simulations and systems; Tecnobit for communications and machine-pilot interface systems; ITP Aero — the Spanish subsidiary of Rolls-Royce — supplying the engine; GMV providing software and flight systems; and Compañía Española de Sistemas Aeronáuticos S.A. (CESA) providing the landing gear and actuators.
“We are launching [this program] with all of industry, trying to capture all of their inputs in a single contract,” Nin said. “The ambition is there” to have a fully Spanish industry team, he added.
Airbus anticipates that there are between 500 to 800 trainer aircraft around the globe to be replaced within the next decade. “We cannot deny that there is a good opportunity” to capture part of that market, Tena said.
Since Spain has signed on as a partner in the Franco-German-led Future Combat Air System program to build Europe's next-generation fighter jet, Airbus also sees an opportunity for the AFJT to be that program's trainer. However, no final decisions have been made as to which country will build the FCAS trainer yet, Nin said.
21 mai 2024 | International, Terrestre
The Marine Corps is developing a new radar, designing its next Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle variant and mulling additional counter-unmanned systems.
23 juillet 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — U.S. Army Futures Command is laying the groundwork to strengthen collaboration with academia and small businesses to solve some of the service's most major problems. The Army has struggled with relationships outside of the established defense industry, particularly with small businesses and Silicon Valley. Small businesses have expressed concerns about working with the government, mostly in regard to the time it takes to secure a contract award as well as the complex and cumbersome government-contracting process. The Government Accountability Office issued a report last week that found Army Futures Command could improve how it works with small businesses. The report was released on the eve of AFC's declaration of full operational capability, which is officially set for July 31. “The funny thing is if I talk to defense primes, they are convinced all we are working with is small business, and I talk to small business all they are convinced ... we are working with the defense primes,” Gen. Mike Murray, AFC commander, said during a July 18 press briefing at the Pentagon. “It's going to take a combination of both for us to accomplish our mission, and in many ways a combination of both working together” to achieve the command's goals in modernizing the Army, he said. But Murray agreed there is more to be done. To its credit, the command was built from scratch and was a “blank canvas” just a year ago, Murray said. The command went from 24 pioneers on the ground at its headquarters in Austin, Texas, to 24,000 soldiers and civilians in 25 states and in 15 countries, over the course of the past year. Since landing in Austin, the AFC has established “focused relationships” with industry and academia, he added. Engaging small businesses One critical step toward engagement with small businesses was the creation of the Army Applications Laboratory in Austin's Capital Factory — an innovation hub for entrepreneurs in the heart of the city's downtown. The venue, with more than 100 Army personnel, is to identify novel solutions to benefit the Army's modernization priorities. For example, the lab is kicking off a major effort this week to discover out-of-the-box solutions for an autoloader for its Extended Range Cannon Artillery system in development under its top priority — Long Range Precision Fires. Additionally, a capability the Army was eyeing a year ago — discovered at the Capital Factory — will be tested at the flight school at Fort Rucker, Alabama, as the service refines its new lot of virtual reality trainers being tested in a pilot program. The Senseye technology is software that can track a pilot's irises during flight simulation training to determine when a person has neurologically learned a task. The Air Force has already incorporated this technology into its simulators. The commander of the Aviation Center of Excellence at Fort Rucker said in April at the Army Aviation Association of America symposium that the technology is promising. If all goes well, the commander added, the tech could be used as part of the Army's Synthetic Training Environment. The Army has a cross-functional team, or CFT, within Futures Command focused on such an environment. The GAO recommended the AFC use its cross-functional teams to enhance small business engagement. The Army Applications Lab was also recently at Fort Hood, Texas, working with soldiers on the ground to identify problems that could be solved by small businesses. The lab also completed a trip overseas, Murray noted, but he would not discuss specifics on the location. “I'm not going to say particularly where. There was some specific re-coding of some mission command systems, which significantly helped,” he said. The GAO also recommended the command focus on better engaging small businesses for research and development programs. The command has established four related initiatives, according to the report: It set up the Army Research Laboratory Open Campus 2.0, which transitions scientific research from universities to Army technology development efforts. The command set up the Army Capability Accelerator to help small businesses mature concepts into prototypes and validate early-stage technology. This is managed within the Army Applications Lab. The Army Strategic Capital restructures a prior effort that takes venture capital to offset Army development costs by investing in existing Army Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. Lastly, Halo is an effort to accelerate the “adaptation and transition of commercial and startup-derived products to Army applications and programs,” according to the GAO report. The Army Applications Lab will also manage the effort. Murray is in the process of hiring a lead for a small-business office within AFC. While the Army already has a servicewide small-business office, the GAO recommended AFC interface and use that office to improve relations with small businesses. The office will “make sure that we are at least knowledgeable focusing on capitalizing on anything that small businesses have to offer,” Murray said. AFC is also in the preliminary stage of arranging an event in Austin to establish relationships between small businesses and defense primes, Murray said. “One thing I worry about with small business is the ability to scale,” he said, “so there are a lot of ways they can scale, and one of the ways is working with a defense prime.” While defense primes have relationships with small business, Murray noted, the effort would foster new ones that might not exist. Academic pursuits AFC has also established the University Technology Development Division, which serves as the primary link between the command and its academic partners, Murray said. “That is taking root in several key places,” he explained, including Vanderbilt University, which is partnering with the 101st Airborne Division; Carnegie Mellon University, the home of the Army's Artificial Intelligence Task Force; and the University of Texas as well as Texas A&M, where the command is beginning work on several key programs. In addition to providing the building for AFC's headquarters and offering up roughly 10,000 square feet of office space and labs at its Cockrell School of Engineering, the University of Texas is building a robotics institute for the Army by converting an old building into a lab “at fairly significant cost,” Murray said. Murray has tasked engineers at the University of Texas to study the utility of robotics taking over the dirty and dangerous work while keeping soldiers out of harm's way, even bringing a leading engineering professor from the school on a recent trip to Yakima Air Force Base in Washington state to witness a robotic breach experiment that was part of the service's Joint Warfighting Assessment. The lab will also work on battery technologies, Murray added. The inventor of the lithium battery works at the University of Texas. Texas A&M is focused on hypersonics and directed-energy research, according to Murray. The university will eventually build a soldier-development facility at its RELLIS campus“where we will be able to marry up soldiers with graduate students and faculty to go into some agile development capability in solving problems for soldiers,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2019/07/22/can-futures-command-change-the-armys-relationship-with-academia-and-small-business/
25 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, McKinney, Texas, was awarded a $96,639,799 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification (P00007) with firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract line items to an existing contract (H92222-16-D-0033). This contract modification increases the ceiling from $203,360,201 to $300,000,000 for continued low-rate initial production of the Silent Knight Radar system in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Fiscal 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $54,720,000 are being obligated at time of contract modification. The remaining costs will be funded via delivery/task orders, and depending on the requirement, may be funded using research, development, test and evaluation; procurement; or operations and maintenance funding. The ordering period is valid for five years. The work will be performed in McKinney and Forest, Mississippi, and is scheduled to be completed by October 2022. USSOCOM headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. NAVY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded an estimated $72,817,062 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the Transformational Reliable Acoustic Path System (TRAPS) on behalf of the Maritime Surveillance Systems Program Office, Navy Program Executive Office Submarines. The TRAPS capability complements fixed surveillance systems and the surveillance towed array sensor system. TRAPS provides flexible and responsive wide area surveillance for theater antisubmarine warfare commanders worldwide. This contract has a three-year ordering period up to the contract award amount. There are no options. Work will be performed in Long Beach, Mississippi, and is expected to be completed by June 2022. No funding is obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as individual delivery orders are issued. This sole-source contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-19-D-0030). FlexDecks Inc.,* Houston, Texas, is awarded a $17,200,997 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to procure up to 40 each V-22 and MV-22B maintenance wing platform stands for the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Houston, Texas, and is expected to be completed in June 2024. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 aircraft procurement and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $5,490,973 will be obligated at the time of award, $4,519,637 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100% small business set-aside; three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-19-D-0134). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Syracuse, New York, is awarded a $16,273,896 cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price, cost contract (N00024-19-C-6269) for the procurement of multifunction modular masts for new construction Virginia-class Block V hulls, spares and repairs. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $97,860,000. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire (70%); and Syracuse, New York (30%), and is expected to be complete by June 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through June 2024. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $13,932,928 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at 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 Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia, has been awarded a $65,447,464 other transaction agreement for the execution of the enterprise information technology as a service compute and store risk reduction effort experiment. This agreement provides for an experiment for services to include providing a flexible and scalable hosting solution for applications and data, operation and maintenance of the compute and store environment, and application rationalization. Work will be performed in Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado; Maxwell AFB, Alabama; Offutt AFB, Nebraska; Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson, Alaska; Cannon AFB, New Mexico; and Hurlburt Field, Florida, and is expected to be completed by June, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $28,517,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8726-19-9-0002). Harris Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded an $18,084,893 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00003) to previously awarded FA8819-19-C-0002 for the manufacturing of Air Force Satellite Control Network complaint L and S band antennas for the space combat range. Work will be performed at Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by June 19, 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $18,084,893 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, California, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $17,780,580 cost-plus-fixed fee with an embedded fixed-price and cost reimbursement contract to provide sustainment services for the Lebanese Air Force Armed Caravan Program. This contract provides field service representatives, repair and return, calibration, support equipment and spares. Work will be performed in Beirut, Lebanon, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2021, with the possibility of extending the completion date to June 30, 2024. This contract involves 100% foreign military sales to Lebanon. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $10,732,607 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-19-C-3001). EaglePicher Technologies,* Joplin, Missouri, has been awarded a $14,125,999 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract action for an F-35 Agnostic Battery System. This contract provides for the acquisition of the manufacturing process improvement for the F-35 agnostic battery. Work will be performed in Joplin, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by June 17, 2022. This award is the result of a competitive Small Business Innovative Research action and one offer were received. Fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $7,248,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory Contracting, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-5077). Joe Torres Co., Bakersfield, California, has been awarded a $9,080,374 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for integrated solid waste management services. This contract provides for collection and disposal of municipal solid waste, recycling and landfill services. Work will be performed in Edwards Air Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $439,615 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Edwards AFB, California, is the contracting activity (FA9301-19-D-A006). ARMY General Dynamics Mission Systems, Marion, Virginia, was awarded a $44,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Army Standard Family ISO Shelter, one-side expandable, two-side expandable, and modified extended rigid wall shelter. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 21, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-D-0078). BIS Services LLC,* Kenner, Louisiana, was awarded a $32,305,200 firm-fixed-price contract for Calcasieu River and pass stone foreshore protection. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 12, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $32,305,200 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0051). BIS Services LLC,* Kenner, Louisiana, was awarded a $14,785,945 firm-fixed-price contract for Calcasieu River and pass stone foreshore protection, repairs and armoring. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Cameron Parish, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, civil funds in the amount of $14,785,945 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0047). Huffman Construction LLC,* Poplar Bluff, Missouri, was awarded a $13,757,500 firm-fixed-price contract for Ohio River shoreline repair work for multiple pump stations and the construction of a new pump station. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Paducah, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 6, 2022. Fiscal 2017 civil construction funds in the amount of $13,757,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-C-0050). Gilbane Federal, Concord, California, was awarded a $13,601,007 firm-fixed-price contract for repair to Moran Hall South (Bldg. 29802). Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fort Gordon, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 2, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13,601,007 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-3007). Bhate Environmental Associates Inc.,* Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded an $11,382,741 firm-fixed-price contract for demolition services to plan and execute the removal of buildings and facilities to include the abatement and removal of asbestos containing materials and other regulated materials, disconnect and capping of utilities, complete removal of utilities, disposal of all debris materials and restoration. Nine bids were solicited with three bids received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 19, 2021. Fiscal 2019 NASA funds in the amount of $11,382,741 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-19-F-0428). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Sysco Seattle, Kent, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $21,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution for Navy ships customers in the Puget Sound/Seattle, Washington area. This was a sole-source acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 240-day bridge contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Washington, with a Feb. 15, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-3227). (Awarded June 20, 2019) Federal Prison Industries Inc.,** Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $17,232,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for Navy coveralls. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Atlanta, Georgia, Arizona, Mississippi, and District of Columbia, with a Nov. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-F027). Sysco Seattle, Kent, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $14,300,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full line food distribution for land based customers in Seattle, Washington, and surrounding areas. This was a sole-source acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 240-day bridge contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Washington, with a Feb. 15, 2020, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, Army National Guard, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-3226). (Awarded June 20, 2019) DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Iridium Satellite LLC, Tempe, Arizona, was awarded a non-competitive firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00012) for the extension of services on the current Airtime contract (HC104714C4000). The face value of this action is $8,579,000, funded by fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $469,483,000. Performance will be at the contractor's facility. The original solicitation was issued on the basis of other than full and open competition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services would satisfy agency requirements. The period of performance is June 22, 2019, through July 21, 2019. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded June 19, 2019) *Small business **Mandatory source https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1884099/source/GovDelivery/