1 octobre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
ByEd Adamczyk
Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing Co. a $2.6 billion contract to build 15 KC-46 tanker aircraft, as well as spares and support documents.
The deal, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, calls for exercise of a contract option to build the additional aircraft, as well as supply two spare engines, five wing refueling pod kits, spare parts and support equipment.
Work on the contract will be performed in Seattle, Wash., and is expected to be completed by March 2023.
The Air Force plans to purchase 179 such aircraft, known as the Pegasus, by 2027, and Japan's air defense force has purchased four.
The plane is a military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft with origins in the Boeing 767 passenger plane, capable of midflight refueling of fighter planes and other aircraft.
Designed to replace the Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers, the Air Force acquired its first KC-46 in January 2019.
The plane's development has a troubled history. Boeing received a $55.5 million contract in August to redesign the plane's boom telescope actuator, which controls the device that swings out from beneath the plane to refuel other planes.
The tankers were grounded in March for one week after the Air Force said it found loose tools and other foreign object debris inside the completed airplanes. The issues came just weeks after the company delivered the first two aircraft to the Air Force, and Boeing called the problem "a big deal" in an internal memo in February.
These and other issues caused the plane's development program, and delivery of the first 18 planes, to be three years behind schedule. Pease Air National Guard Base, N.H., became the first guard base to receive a KC-46 plane in August.
25 avril 2024 | International, Sécurité
A new stealthy malware campaign leveraging two zero-day flaws in Cisco networking gear has been uncovered, allowing covert data collection and reconna
25 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Steris Corp., Mentor, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $225,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for patient monitoring and capital equipment systems and accessories. This was a competitive acquisition with 41 offers received. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Ohio, with a June 22, 2025, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-20-D-0008). Thales Defense & Security Inc., Clarksburg, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $81,800,432 firm-fixed-price contract for Airborne Low Frequency Sonar spare parts. 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 five-year one-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Maryland, with a July 30, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-C-Y043). Simmonds Precision Sensors & Integrated Systems, Vergennes, Vermont, has been awarded a maximum $9,052,524 firm-fixed-price contract for vehicle flight system management spare parts. 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 two-year one-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Vermont, with a July 30, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Navy and Danish military forces. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2022 Navy working capital funds and Foreign Military Sales. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-E-F02). NAVY Jacobs/B&V JV (Federal Services), Honolulu, Hawaii, is awarded $85,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $85,000,000 for architect-engineer services for various projects primarily under the cognizance of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Hawaii. Work will be performed at various Navy, Marine Corp and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Hawaii area of responsibility, including Hawaii (95%); and other South Pacific Islands (5%). The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services to include, but are not limited to, utility projects; the execution and delivery of military construction (MILCON) project documentation; functional analysis and concept development workshops, design charrettes; design-build request for proposal solicitation documents; design-bid-build design contract documents; cost estimates; technical surveys and reports including concept studies, site engineering investigations and surveys; collateral equipment buy packages; comprehensive interior design, to include structural interior design; furniture, fixtures and equipment packages; and post construction award services. Work is expected to be completed by June 2025, and the term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months. No task orders are being issued at this time. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds for the minimum guarantee in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by MILCON planning and design funds. This contract was competitively procured via the beta SAM website, and four proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62478-20-D-5036). Lockheed Martin Corp., Liverpool, New York, is awarded a $22,433,508 modification (P00001) to firm-fixed-price order N00019-20-F-0535 against basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0029. This order exercises options to procure 12 retrofit advanced radar processor systems for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Work will be performed in Liverpool, New York (54%); and Andover, Massachusetts (46%), and is expected to be completed by November 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,738,918; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of 18,694,590 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. Mercury Defense Systems Inc., Cypress, California, is awarded an $11,734,623 firm-fixed-price order N68335-20-F-0243 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N683350-17-G-0017. This order provides for non-recurring engineering associated with the hardware and software design and development of the Type II Advanced Digital Radio Frequency Memories (DRFM) as well as the production and delivery of 22 DRFMs for the Navy and the Air Force under Small Business Innovation Research Topic N06-036 titled, “Advanced Techniques for Digital Radio Frequency Memories (DRFM).” Work will be performed in Cypress, California (73%); and West Caldwell, New Jersey (27%), and is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $4,800,528; fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluations (Navy) funds in the amount of $$4,267,136; and fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,666,960 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. ARMY Hardwire LLC,* Pocomoke, Maryland (W91CRB-20-D-0026); Leading Technology Composites Inc.,* Wichita, Kansas (W91CRB-20-D-0027); and Point Blank Enterprises Inc., Pompano Beach, Florida (W91CRB-20-D-0028), will compete for each order of the $57,914,467 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of small arms protective inserts. 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 22, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Avon Protection Systems Inc., Cadillac, Michigan, was awarded a $49,621,502 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of the Joint Service General Purpose Mask systems and spare components. 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 June 22, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0078). CORRECTION: The multiple award task order contract issued on April 22, 2020, listed eight contractors. In addition to them, CES-RESCON LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (W911KB-20-D-0016), will compete for each order of the $140,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract. AIR FORCE Advanced Electronics Co. Ltd., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been awarded a $12,374,760 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursable modification (P00030) to contract FA8730-16-C-0019 for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15SA Cyber Protection System (CPS) and Related Facilities program. This modification provides for implementation and delivery of end-user training for the CPS for two years. The scope of this contract effort will include custom contractor-developed training and original equipment manufacturer training. This is a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) acquisition between the U.S. government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This FMS is for the total package of acquisition and fielding of 84 F-15A aircraft; the upgrade of 70 F-15SA aircraft to the F-154SA configuration; the procurement of associated equipment, weapons and spares; and the construction, refurbishment and infrastructure improvements of support facilities for the F-15SA in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed at RSAF facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is expected to be completed by June 1, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and FMS funds in the full amount will be obligated at the time of the award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $165,863,230. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. Compunetix Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $9,600,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for equipment to upgrade mission control rooms (MCR) at the Ridley Mission Control Center, the Birk Flight Test Facility and MCRs at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Work will be performed at Edwards AFB, California; and Eglin AFB, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $50,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Edwards AFB, is the contracting activity (FA9302-20-D-0010). The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; San Antonio, Texas; and Hamamatsu, Japan, has been awarded an $8,471,689 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00005) to contract FA8730-18-C-0001 for the Japan Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) mission computing upgrade (MCU) installation and checkout (I&CO) and Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast Out (ADS-B Out). The contract modification is to upgrade its fleet of four aircraft with the ADS-B Out capability. ADS-B Out is a software and hardware update to the Raytheon APX-119 transponder that includes the addition of a Global Positioning System (GPS) card. Under the E-767 AWACS I&CO program, the GPS card is to be installed within the four aircraft and updating the three ground support facilities. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; San Antonio, Texas; and Hamamatsu, Japan, and is expected to be completed Dec. 23, 2023. This modification involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to the Japan Air Self-Defense Force. FMS funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $227,688,995. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. CORRECTION: The following contract numbers were omitted from a June 19, 2020, announcement of a multiple-award contract to provide equipment, training and product support to approximately 3,500 Air Force Special Warfare operators, as well as authorized users in support of Special Warfare mission requirements: Federal Resources, Stevensville, Maryland (FA8629-20-D-5003); W.S. Darley & Co., Itasca, Illinois (FA8629-20-D-5052); US21 Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (FA8629-20-D-5053); Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (FA8629-20-D-5054); and Tactical & Survival Specialties Inc., Harrisonburg, Virginia (FA8629-20-D-5055). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2229945/source/GovDelivery/
19 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — If the Air Force moves forward on a proposed initiative to buy light attack planes, it won't happen by the end of 2018. The service intended to put out a final request for proposals this month for a potential light attack aircraft program, but the date has now slipped into 2019, an Air Force official confirmed Tuesday. “The Air Force does not anticipate release of the final Light Attack Request for Proposal by the end of the calendar year as we complete additional analysis,” said Air Force spokeswoman Capt. Hope Cronin in an emailed response to Defense News. The service released a draft solicitation on Aug. 3, following two experimentation campaigns that brought the Sierra Nevada Corp.-Embraer A-29 Super Tucano, Textron's Scorpion jet and AT-6 attack plane, and L3's AT-802L Longsword to Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico for several rounds of test flights. The second set of flight experiments between the A-29 and AT-6 were curtailed this summer after an A-29 crashed, killing its pilot. However, the Air Force maintained that it could garner the data it needed on aircraft maintenance and network operations while testing the planes on the ground. Air Force acquisition officials have shied away from declaring whether a program of record will begin in the fiscal year 2020 budget, but the August presolicitation seems to limit the contenders to the A-29 and AT-6, stating that SNC and Textron “are the only firms that appear to possess the capability necessary to meet the requirement within the Air Force's time frame without causing an unacceptable delay in meeting the needs of the warfighter.” The goal of the light attack experiments is to prove whether the Air Force can quickly bring industry to the table to experiment with off the shelf equipment and rapidly make a decision about whether to buy it. In that light, the delay in releasing the final request for proposals is at least a slight setback, as it's unclear whether the wait for a final RFP could also push back the Air Force's proposed due date for awarding a contract — before the start of the 2020 fiscal year on Oct. 1. But it remains unclear whether the Air Force will have the money to buy it. Officials have maintained that a light attack capability is “additive," meaning that they would not be willing to sacrifice procurement dollars designated for aircraft in existing or planned programs of record so that it could buy the AT-6 or A-29. However, the Pentagon's topline budget is still uncertain. Defense Department budget officials had geared up for a $733 billion budget in FY20, only to have President Donald Trump call for a cut to $700 billion. Now, it appears that number is growing after intervention from Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and congressional hawks, and could be as high as $750 billion. Whether the light attack aircraft program fits into any of those topline budgets is currently unknown. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/12/18/start-of-air-forces-light-attack-plane-competition-pushed-back-until-next-year