AV Secures $990M Contract to Supply U.S. Army with Switchblade Loitering Munitions

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  24 avril 2018 | International, Terrestre, C4ISR

  How the Army plans to improve its friendly force tracking

  By: Mark Pomerleau The Army is upgrading how it tracks friendly forces to increase readiness. During the fiscal 2019 budget roll out in February, Army officials at the Pentagon indicated that the service would be accelerating its Joint Battle Command-Platform, which provides friendly forces awareness information known as blue force tracking, as well as encrypted data and faster satellite network connectivity. The change is intended to solve mounted mission command problems across all formations. The new budget request shows the service is serious about the issue. The Army asked for $431 million for the program in FY2019. That's up from a total of $283 million during the FY2018 budget. Moreover, the Army plans to procure 26,355 systems as opposed to 16,552 from the FY2018 budget. However, officials in the program office were careful to note this was not a “plus-up, so to speak,” but an effort to accelerate the fielding of the tracking systems. C4ISRNET's Mark Pomerleau recently spoke about the program's modernization efforts with Col. Troy Crosby, project manager for Mission Command, alongside Lt. Col. Shane Sims, product manager for JBC-P, assigned to Project Mission Command. C4ISRNET: How should we interpret the FY2019 budget request for this program? COL. TROY CROSBY: It's important to understand that there wasn't necessarily a plus-up. Really what happened is we shifted already approved authorizations to the left. We're just expediting sooner. The Army asked us what we could do to modernize faster ... essentially, we went back to them and said give us the funding and the resources to move a lot of those units to the left because every year the G-3/5/7 comes out with this priority list and we weren't able to get down to that priority list because of funding. That's really what you're seeing with that movement of money from the out years closer in to the left. C4ISRNET: What led to the decision to baseline the program across formations? CROSBY: The Army's looking to standardize their baselines not only on the platforms like JBC-P, but also a similar effort in the command post with software baseline reduction. Moving to the standard baseline on the platform-side helps with training, readiness and the physical constraints as we can depreciate the older versions of FBCB2/BFT [Force XXI Battle Command Brigade and Below/Blue Force Tracking] out of sustainment. C4ISRNET: How does standardization help the Army? CROSBY: Any time you're greatly standardized in a organization the size of the Army, you're going to get easier interoperability down at the tactical level. If Lt. Col. Sims is Sgt. Sims and he is in a unit at Fort Stewart and we were trained on the current systems in the force and then he gets [a permanent change of station] out to Fort Riley, he already has a base of knowledge when he hits the ground on what those systems are because they're the same across the force. So, the training burden for his new units greatly reduced. I think it also helps in readiness as units and soldiers move around the battlespace. The other reason the Army really wants to standardize on JBC-P is, like with all systems in the tactical network, we're always looking to improve cyber posture, and there were multiple improvements in our cyber posturing that the department felt were relevant to try to accelerate so we could get that capability to the entire force as quickly as possible. C4ISRNET: In terms of cyber, what are some modernization efforts you're undertaking to help this platform perform in the more dynamic environments? CROSBY: I think the best way that we can characterize it is looking to ... achieve a cyber posture that allows us to operate both in a counter-insurgency/counterterrorism role and a near-peer adversary role. We're looking to answer both sides of that coin. Yes, current fight, but we're also looking to make sure we're cyber postured for a near-peer. LT. COL. SHANE SIMS: You can probably draw some conclusions from what you know on the commercial side. Imagine having a computer that's over 20 years old — that's where some of our platforms are right now when you're talking about the FBCB2 that was fielded almost two decades ago. C4ISRNET: In terms of your FY19 funding, could it be characterized as investing in standards to help increase readiness and lethality? CROSBY: Very much so. The plus-up kind of touched a couple of areas. On the research and development side, the plus-up helps us in looking at ways to modernize and bring new capability for the blue force tracking network side. We're really looking to expedite that fielding for better cyber posture. C4ISRNET: It sounds like standardization is very important from an Army readiness and lethality perspective. SIMS: When talking JBC-P, there are really three components: the software, the hardware and then the network. Really, what we're doing on a couple fronts [is] we're expediting the fielding to get the hardware out there but that's going to set the conditions for what we're doing in the command post with the infrastructure. That same infrastructure is going to reside on our hardware that's in the platform. The commanders are in environments where they experience something completely different in the command post than you experience on the platforms. You hear repeatedly from the commanders, “Can I have the same type of user experience?” Data's really what we're addressing with the modernization of the command post and the mounted computing environment. That user experience is going to be one and the same for the commander when he or she is in the command post and then when they get in the vehicle. That is really what we're doing with modernization for JBC-P. C4ISRNET: The National Defense Strategy has stressed prioritization on great power competition. How does JBC-P modernization and standardization fit into that strategy? CROSBY: The first one is looking to modernize JBC-P mission command on the move at the platform level. How we continue to modernize and field as fast as we can so that we can maintain both that counter-insurgency/counterterrorism fight and near-peer adversaries is one piece of this. https://www.c4isrnet.com/thought-leadership/2018/04/13/how-the-army-plans-to-improve-its-friendly-force-tracking/

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  9 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Turkey develops AI-based simulator for light fighter jet

  Burak Ege Bekdil ANKARA, Turkey — Turkish Aerospace Industries says it has developed Turkey's first artificial intelligence-based simulator, which will be used in the design and development phases of Hurjet, a locally designed light assault aircraft. TAI said the engineering simulator, Hurjet 270, is designed to collect feedback from test pilots to make the design of Hurjet “better, more solid and more efficient.” The simulator is also meant to detect design faults at the development stage. Company officials said the simulator will feature “human eye-level resolution.” Atilla Dogan, TAI's deputy general manager for aircraft design, told the state news agency Anadolu that Hurjet 270 will help engineers improve designing flight control algorithms and avionics software based on feedback from test pilots. The armed trainer Hurjet is a jet engine version of the turboprop Hurkus, Turkey's first indigenous basic trainer aircraft. TAI launched the Hurjet program in 2018, with a target of having the aircraft's maiden flight in 2022. The Hurjet will have a maximum speed of Mach 1.2 and can fly at a maximum altitude of 45,000 feet. The aircraft will have a maximum payload of 3,000 kilograms, including ammunition, radar and camera. Hurkus-C, the armed version of the base variant of Hurkus, features locally developed ammunition including CIRIT, TEBER, HGK and LGK. It can also use INS/GPS-guided bombs, conventional bombs, non-guided rockets and machine guns. Hurkus-C also features armored body parts, a self-protection system, a data link, laser tacking, an electro-optical and infrared pod, an external fuel tank, and advanced avionics. With a 1,500-kilogram payload that can be used through seven external hardpoints, the Hurkus-C can perform light-attack and armed reconnaissance missions. https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2020/09/08/turkey-develops-ai-based-simulator-for-light-fighter-jet/

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  6 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 01, 2020

  AIR FORCE The Carnegie Mellon University Software Engineering Institute (CMU-SEI), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $2,697,568,646 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification (P00015) to contract FA8702-15-D-0002 for the operation of the CMU-SEI Federally Funded Research and Development Center. This option extends the contract order period by five years and provides for advanced technology research and development activities that focus on computer software technology development and cyber security. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2025. This option brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $3,429,556,278, and no funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0029); Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Boulder, Colorado (FA8612-20-D-0030); Black River Systems, Utica, New York (FA8612-20-D-0031); CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc., Tampa, Florida (FA8612-20-D-0032); CUBIC (GATR Technologies Inc.), Huntsville, Alabama (FA8612-20-D-0033); Global Air Logistics and Training Inc., Del Mar, California (FA8612-20-D-0034); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0035); Mercury Defense Systems Inc., Cypress, California (FA8612-20-D-0036); Metron Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0037); Octo Consulting Group Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0038); Omni Fed LLC, Gainesville, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0039); Rincon Research Corp., Tucson, Arizona (FA8612-20-D-0041); Rise8 Inc., Tampa, Florida (FA8612-20-D-0042); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0043); Strategic Mission Elements Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0045); Wind River Systems Inc., Alameda, California (FA8612-20-D-0046); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0047); and NetScoutsystems Inc., Westford, Massachusetts (FA8612-20-D-0048), have been awarded $950,000,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to compete for future efforts associated with the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control. These contracts provide for the development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber and electromagnetic spectrum) in an open architecture family of systems that enables capabilities via multiple integrated platforms. The locations of performance are to be determined at the contract direct order level and are expected to be completed May 28, 2025. These awards are the result of fair and open competition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds will fully fund initial delivery orders. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missiles Systems, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $495,058,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for advanced medium range air-to-air missile (AMRAAM) program support and annual sustainment. The contractor will provide non-warranty repairs, program support, contractor logistics support and service life prediction program analysis supporting the AMRAAM weapon system. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2026. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated on the action at the time of award. Concurrently, the first task order will be awarded with $989,450 in fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds. The Air Force Lifecycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8675-20-D-0020). Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $27,054,192 firm-fixed-price modification (P00004) to contract FA8675-20-C-0033 for the advanced medium range air-to-air missile program obsolescence. This modification provides for a life of type procurement of known obsolete component in support of production and sustainment through the program of record and foreign military sales procurements. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2021. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Poland, Qatar, Romania and Spain. Air Force fiscal 2020 missile procurement funds in the amount of $8,810,304; Navy fiscal 2020 weapons procurement funds in the amount of $5,277,696; and FMS funds in the amount of $12,966,192 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. Aircraft Services Alliance LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a $17,550,227 firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, no-fee-requirements contract for on-site depot support. This contract provides on-site depot support (OSDS) program for labor services to accomplish on-site depot level maintenance and modification work on all Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) C-130 weapons systems and sub-systems. OSDS supports multiple AFSOC customers to provide timely and high quality active weapon system maintenance worldwide. Work will be performed at Hurlburt Field, Florida, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive small business set-aside with a basic solicitation and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 through 2025 operations and maintenance funds; and fiscal 2020 through 2025 Air National Guard funds will finance this contract. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8509-20-D-0013). Motorola Solutions Inc., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,887,739 firm-fixed-price contract to fulfill Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center's requirement for Land Mobile Radio (LMR) trunking system operations and maintenance of the Air Force Space Command zone core. Work will be performed at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado; Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station, Colorado; Peterson AFB, Colorado; Schriever AFB, Colorado; U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado; Edwards AFB, California; Los Angeles AFB, California; Patrick AFB, Florida; Vandenberg AFB, California; Barksdale AFB, Louisiana; Dyess AFB, Texas; Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota; F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; Minot AFB, North Dakota; Whiteman AFB, Missouri; Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio; Eglin AFB, Florida; Hanscom AFB, Massachusetts; Robins AFB, Georgia; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; and Cannon AFB, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,819,160 are being obligated at the time of award. U.S. Space Force Headquarters, Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA2544-20-F-0002). Vision Building Energy Efficiency LLC, Austin, Texas, has been awarded a $9,700,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) recommissioning and energy optimization services (REOS). This contract provides for HVAC REOS to support base-level civil engineers. Work will be performed at Air Force facilities throughout the U.S. and is expected to be completed June 30, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 772nd Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8051-20-D0009). U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Sierra Nevada Corp., Centennial, Colorado, was awarded a $700,000,000 fixed-price-award-fee, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time-and-materials and cost-reimbursement-no-fee contract (H92408-20-C-0004) in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for the development and procurement of Radio Frequency Countermeasure (RFCM) systems. The systems will be integrated onto AC-130J Ghostrider and MC-130J Commando II aircraft operated by Air Force Special Operations Command to help protect aircrews from air- and land-based enemy radar and missile systems. The contract includes RFCM system engineering services, logistics support and spare parts. Funds in the amount of $87,929,352 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is funded with research, development, test and evaluation appropriation for fiscal 2020; and procurement appropriation for fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020. The under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment determined requirements of Title 10, U.S. Code 2371b (d) were met and approved the use of the authority of Section 2371b as essential to meet critical national security objectives. USSOCOM, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. ARMY DRS Advanced ISR LLC, Beavercreek, Ohio, was awarded a $250,000,000 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract to replace aging Joint Tactical Terminals scheduled for end of life in fiscal 2025. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-20-F-0077). Geo Consultants Corp.,* Kevil, Kentucky, was awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for foundation pressure relief well engineering with geophysical surveying for the Great Lakes and Ohio River. 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 30, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, West Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91237-20-D-0011). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $14,434,397 modification (P00308) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 to retrofit mufflers, forward facing cameras, larger rear door transparent armor and muffler robustness into the baseline configuration of the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle family of vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 other procurement (Army) funds; 2020 Army Office of the Chief of Army Reserve funds; and Navy procurement funds in the amount of $14,434,397 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. C2RL Inc.,* Alcoa, Tennessee, was awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering in support of the Tennessee Air and Army National Guard. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2025. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Nashville, Tennessee, is the contracting activity (W50S98-20-D-0001). Translang Ltd.,* Waynesboro, Virginia, was awarded a $7,336,562 firm-fixed-price contract to provide training and support services to ensure the continued sustainment and development of United Arab Emirates National Defense College. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Waynesboro, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2022. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (United Arab Emirates) funds in the amount of $7,336,562 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-C-0009). NAVY Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $32,192,842 firm-fixed-price contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-5420 to complete engineering and manufacturing development software development, testing and support to complete the government operational test and evaluation of the Block II Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM). Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (93%); Koropi Attica, Greece (1%); Nashua, New Hampshire (1%); Andover, Massachusetts (1%); and Aranjuez, Spain (1%). The following locations are less than 1% each and make up the remaining 3%: Hengelo Ov, Netherlands; San Jose, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Eight Mile Plains Brisbane, Australia; Cambridge, Canada; Goleta, California; Mosheim, Tennessee; Phoenix, Arizona; Rio Rancho, New Mexico; Landenberg, Pennsylvania; Golden, Colorado; Glendale, California; Woodridge, Illinois; Petaluma, California; Newmarket, Canada; Warrington, Pennsylvania; Cincinnati, Ohio; Danvers, Massachusetts; Irvine, California; Westlake Village, California; Moorpark, California; and Gilbert, Arizona. The ESSM program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. Work is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and 2019 and 2020 Other Customer Funds, International funding in the amount of $26,065,965 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds in the amount of $560,210 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract modification was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4) – international agreement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. United Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $21,227,308 modification (P00021) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract N00019-18-C-1021. This modification exercises an option to procure additional Lot 15 F135 propulsion systems long lead components, parts and materials in support of the Navy, the Marine Corps and the governments of the United Kingdom and Italy's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana (80%); and Bristol, United Kingdom (20%), and is expected to be completed by November 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,171,706; and non-Department of Defense participant funds in the amount $6,055,602 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. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded an $8,269,563 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost order N00019-20-F-5008 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-20-G-0005. This order provides for aircrew, flight test engineering, instrumentation, aircraft technicians and test management personnel to support E-2D Integrated Test Team Delta System/software configuration builds. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (91%); and Melbourne, Florida (9%), and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,626,041 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. Systems and Technology Research, Woburn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $7,735,180 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop a binary structure inference system to extract software properties from binary code to support repository-based reverse engineering for assured micro-patching that minimizes lifecycle maintenance and sustainment costs. This four-year contract includes one two-year option period which, if exercised, will bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $9,135,073. All work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts. The period of performance of the base award is from July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2024. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through June 2026. Funds in the amount of $1,150,000 will be obligated at the time of award. The type of obligated funds will be for research, development, test and evaluation (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency broad agency announcement solicitation published on the beta.SAM.gov website. Thirty-four proposals were received and 12 were selected for award. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-C-4019). CORRECTION: The June 29, 2020, announcement of a contract modification (P00004) to Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas (N00019-20-C-0009), for $67,690,000 included incorrect procurement information. This modification is for the procurement of long lead materials, parts, components and support necessary to maintain on-time production and delivery of nine Lot 16 F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the government of The Netherlands, as well as seven F-35A Lightning II and two F-35B Lightning II aircraft for the government of Italy. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2244841/source/GovDelivery/