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  21 juillet 2020 | International, Naval

  US Navy orders General Dynamics shipyard to stop work after small fire on the warship Kearsarge

  By: David B. Larter Update: The headline of this story was changed to more accurately characterize the incident onboard the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge. WASHINGTON — A rapidly extinguished fire aboard the amphibious assault ship Kearsarge prompted the Navy to issue a “stop work order” Friday to General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in Norfolk, Naval Sea Systems Command told Defense News Saturday. The incident started when a spark from welding landed on nearby material, which was then quickly put out by the fire watch. Fire watch is a sailor or contractor who stands nearby with a fire hose and/or extinguisher to stop a larger blaze in its tracks. In a statement, Naval Sea Systems Command spokesman Rory O'Connor said the “stop work” was to ensure the company followed fire safety protocols. “On July 17, the Navy was informed of a fire aboard USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), currently conducting a Selected Restricted Availability at General Dynamics NASSCO – Norfolk,” O'Connor said. “The fire was quickly extinguished by the fire watch and resulted in minimal damage. In response to this incident, the Navy has issued a stop work order for all ships in maintenance availabilities at GD NASSCO Norfolk to ensure compliance with all established fire protocols and procedures.” In a phone call Saturday, Anthony Paolino, a General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, said the incident involved an ember landing on plastic, causing it to melt and smoke, but said there was no larger fire. NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols prior to the “stop work” order, and that it fully supported the Navy's ongoing safety stand down in the wake of this week's fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, Paolino said. In a phone call Saturday, Anthony Paolino, a General Dynamics NASSCO spokesman, said the incident involved an ember landing on plastic, causing it to melt and smoke, but said there was no larger fire. NASSCO was already reviewing its safety protocols prior to the “stop work” order, and that it fully supported the Navy's ongoing safety stand down in the wake of this week's fire aboard Bonhomme Richard, Paolino said. Once those investigations are finished, Gilday will determine whether a broader examination of the Navy's culture is necessary. “This is a very, very serious incident that I think will force the Navy to stand back and reevaluate itself,” Gilday said. “We've got to follow the facts, we've got to be honest with ourselves and we've got to get after it. My intention, once the investigations are done, is to make this available for the public to debate, including what we need to do to get after any systemic problems that we might have.” https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/07/18/us-navy-orders-to-general-dynamics-nassco-to-stop-work-after-fire-on-uss-kearsarge/

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  19 juillet 2018 | International, Terrestre

  BAE's $1.3 Billion Contract for Howitzer Delayed by U.S. Army

  By Anthony Capaccio The U.S. Army is delaying approval of full-scale production of BAE Systems Plc's new self-propelled howitzer, citing the need to improve quality before proceeding with additional contracts options valued at about $1.3 billion. The Army postponed triggering the most lucrative phase of the program for London-based BAE to “adequately address quality control issues,” service spokeswoman Ashley John said in an email Wednesday. “The Army will continue to work closely with BAE leadership to resolve the concerns.” The delay came after Bloomberg News reported last week that the howitzer's manufacture was hobbled by poor welding, supply-chain problems and delivery delays. Among the setbacks have been a six-month halt in deliveries last year because of welding flaws and the return of 50 of 86 vehicles that had already been delivered to repair production deficiencies. The U.S. Army is delaying approval of full-scale production of BAE Systems Plc's new self-propelled howitzer, citing the need to improve quality before proceeding with additional contracts options valued at about $1.3 billion. The Army postponed triggering the most lucrative phase of the program for London-based BAE to “adequately address quality control issues,” service spokeswoman Ashley John said in an email Wednesday. “The Army will continue to work closely with BAE leadership to resolve the concerns.” The delay came after Bloomberg News reported last week that the howitzer's manufacture was hobbled by poor welding, supply-chain problems and delivery delays. Among the setbacks have been a six-month halt in deliveries last year because of welding flaws and the return of 50 of 86 vehicles that had already been delivered to repair production deficiencies. Self-propelled 155mm howitzers are the centerpiece of the Army's artillery. The weapon is mounted on a tracked vehicle and travels with another that hauls ammunition. The Army's “long-range precision strike” program tops the service's list of modernization priorities. “We are working very closely” with the Army and the Defense Contract Management Agency, which oversees contractor performance, “and are confident the actions we have taken will support the effective transition to full production,” BAE spokeswoman Alicia Gray said in a statement. The Army eventually wants to buy 576 howitzers and ammunition carriers in an $8.1 billion program. An initial $413.7 million contract laying the groundwork for full production was awarded in December. A full-production decision would have increased vehicle production to about 60 from 48 a year. The program has been in low-rate production for several years. Gray said last week that the company is investing about $125 million to upgrade equipment to prepare “for an expanded production portfolio and accommodate the expected surge in customer requirements.” ‘Tough-Love' Approach The delay “is consistent with the increasing Army ‘tough-love' approach to contractor program-execution challenges,” such as its continuing refusal to accept delivery of Boeing Co.'s AH-64 Apache attack helicopters because of corrosion of a critical rotor assembly part that needs to be fixed, according to James McAleese of McAleese & Associates, a McLean, Virginia-based defense consulting firm. Contractors should expect “quality assurance scrutiny to increase” as the Army “drives aggressive increases in multiple production programs” for missiles, ammunition and ground combat vehicles, he said. Sections of the howitzers are initially produced at BAE's York, Pennsylvania, facility with final assembly in Elgin, Oklahoma. The program has a strong advocate in Senator Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, the No. 2 Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee. In its version of the fiscal 2019 defense policy bill, the panel authorized spending $110 million more than the $351.8 million requested. In a new report, the Pentagon's testing office said that testing of the howitzer at Fort Riley in Kansas found it was “operationally effective,” providing accurate fire as it traveled with other units of a brigade combat team while evading enemy counter-fire. That, however, is when the howitzers weren't dogged by reliability problems, according to the report by testing office Director Robert Behler. It cited “the number of breech, cannon, and firing train sub-component failures” and “interruptions from stuck and ruptured primers” that “contributed to delays in mission completion.” The Army's leadership is on a campaign to assure the public it's improving the oversight of its major acquisition programs, including getting its new Futures Command ready for initial operations. The Army last week chose Austin, Texas, as the location for the command that will consolidate brainpower to evaluate future threats facing the Army, decide on the technology needed to counter them and oversee development of that technology through existing commands. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-07-18/bae-s-1-3-billion-contract-for-howitzer-delayed-by-u-s-army

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  7 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 6, 2019

  NAVY Lockheed Martin Space, Littleton, Colorado, is awarded a maximum amount $405,770,000 un-priced letter contract modification PH0006 to a previously awarded and announced un-priced letter contract (N00030-19-C-0025) for the design, development, build and integration of large diameter rocket motors, associated missile body flight articles, and related support equipment for Army Intermediate Range Conventional Prompt Strike Weapon System flight test demonstrations. Work will be performed at Littleton, Colorado, with an expected completion date of Jan. 1, 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $33,000,000 are being obligated on this award, which will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Brantley Construction Co. LLC,* Charleston, South Carolina (N69450-19-D-0916); CCI Group LLC,* Shalimar, Florida (N69450-19-D-0917); The Clement Group,* Montgomery, Alabama (N69450-19-D-0918); EG Designbuild LLC,* Germantown, Maryland (N69450-19-D-0919); GCB JV1,* Pensacola, Florida (N69450-19-D-0920); U-SMC DeMaria JV1 LLC,* Jacksonville, Florida (N69450-19-D-0921); and Windamir Development Inc.,* McDonough, Georgia (N69450-19-D-0922), are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award, design-build and design-bid-build construction contract for construction projects located within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast area of operations in north Florida/south Georgia. The maximum dollar value for the five-year ordering period for all seven contracts combined is $195,000,000. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, general building type projects (new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition and repair work) including aviation and aircraft facilities; marine facilities; barracks and personnel housing facilities; administrative facilities; warehouses and supply facilities; training facilities; personnel support and service facilities, and security level facilities. These seven contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. Windamir Development Inc. is awarded the initial task order at $10,576,432 for P643 Reserve Training Building at Fort Benning. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by September 2021. All work on this contract will be performed in Florida (50%); and Georgia (50%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of August 2024. Fiscal 2019 military construction (MILCON); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,582,432 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by MILCON (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 40 proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Marietta, Georgia, is awarded $16,465,887 for modification P00005 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-19-D-0014). This modification increases the ceiling of the contract to procure consumable parts and material, technical publications and engineering services in support of the C/KC-130J aircraft. Work will be performed in Marietta, Georgia (84.5%); Miramar, California (2.5%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (2.5%); Elizabeth City, North Carolina (2.5%); Fort Worth, Texas (2.5%); Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base, Kuwait (2.5%); Iwakuni, Japan (2.5%); and Greenville, South Carolina (0.5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2019. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Hydroid Inc., Pocasset, Massachusetts, is awarded a $15,826,493 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering support and training services for the MK 18 Family of Systems– Unmanned Underwater Vehicle systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $84,024,996. Work will be performed in Pocasset, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by August 2020. If options are exercised, work will continue through August 2024. No funds are being obligated at this time. This contract is awarded on a sole-source basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-19-D-0010). King Nutronics Corp.,* Woodland Hills, California, is awarded an $11,865,150 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for precision pressure standard systems to support the Naval Air Systems Command, Metrology and Calibration Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Metrology and Calibration Program provides support to Navy depot level and intermediate calibration laboratories. The precision pressure standards systems provide the Naval Air Systems Command, Metrology and Calibration Program with the capability of providing inter-service calibration workload for the Air Force and Marine Corps. The precision pressure standards systems are used at intermediate level calibration laboratories afloat and ashore, as well as the depot level calibration laboratories to verify the accuracy and precision of test instruments such as dial pressure gauges and digital pressure measurement devices. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, California, and is expected to be completed by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $263,670 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division, Corona, California, is the contracting activity (N64267-19-D-0003). Raytheon Co., Keyport, Washington, is awarded $11,738,000 for firm-fixed-priced undefinitized delivery order N00024-19-F-6308 under indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N61331-17-D-0001for deploy and retrieve systems in support of the AN/AQS-20 program. The highly specialized equipment under this contract will deploy, tow and retrieve the AN/AQS-20 sonar in support of mine hunting operations. The AN/AQS-20 is an advanced mine hunting sonar for the Littoral Combat Ship's Mine Countermeasures Mission package. Work will be performed in Keyport, Washington (90%); and Portsmouth, Rhode Island (10%), and is expected to be complete by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 other-procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,751,620 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY ECS Federal LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $78,725,114 modification (P00003) to contract W911QX-18-C-0037 for machine learning and computer vision engineering. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 16, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $35,847,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Hyman Brickle & Son,* doing business as Northwest Woolen Mills, Woonsocket, Rhode Island, has been awarded a maximum of $8,198,835 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for trousers. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and North Carolina, with an Aug. 5, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. 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-1180). Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $7,756,450 firm-fixed-price contract for multiple radio equipment components. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-time procurement contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Virginia and Massachusetts, with a Nov. 17, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency, Land and Maritime, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (SPRMM1-19-F-DK0Q). CORRECTION: The $49,019,871 contract announced on Aug. 1, 2019, for Sysco Raleigh LLC, Selma, North Carolina (SPE300-19-D-3230), included an incorrect award date. The correct award date is Aug. 2, 2019. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1927732/