18 septembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial
By: Aaron Mehta
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Months after announcing it would not bid on the Air Force's ICBM replacement program, Boeing is officially lobbying both Congress and the service to force a shotgun marriage with Northrop Grumman, against the latter company's will.
Frank McCall, Boeing's director of strategic deterrence systems, told reporters Tuesday that the company was actively seeking “government intervention” on the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program, one which would require Northrop to add Boeing as at least a major sub-contractor, if not a co-equal partner.
“We think clearly it's time for the Air Force or other governmental entities to engage and direct the right solution. Northrop has elected not to do that,” McCall said during the Air Force Association's annual conference. “So we're looking for government intervention to drive us to the best solution.”
Technically, GBSD is still an open competition. However, Northrop stands as the only competitor still making a bid. Lockheed Martin was knocked out in late 2017, and Boeing dropped out of the competition in July. Boeing claimed Northrop's acquisition of solid-fueled rocket motor manufacturer Orbital ATK, now known as Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems, gave the competitor an unfair advantage.
Boeing has since made overtures toward Northrop, arguing that a partnership involving the two companies would benefit the development of GBSD. But Boeing on Friday announced that Northrop had rejected any teaming attempts. Now, it seems, the company has decided to stop playing nice and start getting real.
McCall reiterated that Boeing would not be bidding as a prime on the GBSD request for proposal as is. He also would not rule out the possibility of launching a protest with the Government Accountability Office, should the Air Force not force Northrop to accept Boeing as part of its team.
“I'm not spending any time thinking, ‘what if it doesn't work.' We're going to make it work,” he said.
Both Boeing and Northrop are currently under contract for a tech maturation phase, which runs into next year. Asked whether the company was worried whether its TMRR contract could be cancelled early given its stance that it will not bid, McCall said: “Certainly that's a concern."
However, “the service is maintaining our work," he added. They continue to accept our deliverables, continue to fund our contract. So, I think we're in good shape with the service.”
Because both teams are under that development contract, McCall argued that the Air Force should take the two teams and let them begin sharing information, with the service making the final decision on what pieces of each bid would work best when combined.
“What I am suggesting is the Air Force pull us in a room together and say ‘you've got 30 days to go figure out what is the right integrated baseline for the country to move forward with,'” he said. “While we have offered to Northrop a menu of things to choose from, we think the Air Force is really in a better position to go through that menu, go through the Northrop menu, and select the best option for the future.”
Should the Air Force not choose that route, McCall was open that Boeing has begun engaging members of Congress to circumvent the Pentagon and force its hand.
He pointed to Sen. Doug Jones of Alabama as someone who has already raised shown support for Boeing's position. McCall declined to name others, but should this turn into a legislative fight, it could come down to Boeing's supporters – with strongholds in Alabama, Washington and Missouri – versus those of Northrop Grumman.
A wild card may come in the form of Lockheed Martin, who was announced as part of a ten-company national team for Northrop's bid earlier this week; as the world's largest defense firm, Lockheed could bring to bear significant firepower in Congress, and would likely be happy to knock Boeing out of the ICBM game.
The Boeing executive declined to say what specific parts of the GBSD program Boeing was targeting should it end up with Northrop, but indicated that nuclear command and control — part of Lockheed's workshare under Northrop's planned team — would be one aree where Boeing's experience could come into play.
Asked what percentage of workshare on the program Boeing would be satisfied with should the team-up happen, McCall declined to give a number, saying: “We told Northrop, we don't care if you're the prime or we're the prime. We're not dictating a workshare percentage.”
27 juin 2023 | International, C4ISR
Des entreprises proposent d’ajouter des logiciels d’IA sur des équipements déjà opérationnels, afin de gagner en efficacité et de mobiliser moins de ressources.
14 mai 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
NAVY C.E.R. Inc.,* Baltimore, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0011); Repaintex Co.,* Leesburg, Virginia (N40080-19-D-0012); Veterans Construction Coalition LLC,* Norfolk, Virginia (N40080-19-D-0013); Belt Built-CFM JV,* Crofton, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0014); G-W Management Services LLC,* Rockville, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0015); EGI-HSU JV LLC,* Gaithersburg, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0016); Desbuild Inc.,* Hyattsville, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0017); Tuckman-Barbee Construction Co. Inc.,* Upper Marlboro, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0018); Tidewater Inc.,* Elkridge, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0019); and Donley Construction LLC,* Aberdeen, Maryland (N40080-19-D-0020), are awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington area of operations (AO). The maximum dollar value including the base period and one option year for all 10 contracts combined is $240,000,000. C.E.R. Inc. is being awarded the initial task order at $4,338,999 for the renovation of Rooms A143A through 162, Building 209 at Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by December 2020. All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Washington AO to include Washington, District of Columbia (40 percent); Virginia (40 percent); and Maryland (20 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of May 2024. Fiscal 2019 supervision, inspection, and overhead; and fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds (NWCF) in the amount of $4,338,999 are obligated on this award, of which $10,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and NWCF. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 50 proposals received. These 10 contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. NAVFAC Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $139,808,430 for modification P00009 to a previously awarded, fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-16-D-1002). This modification increases the ceiling of the contract to procure up to 12,000 additional Precision Laser Guidance Sets for the Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (68.23 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (10.1 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (9.38 percent); Odessa, Missouri (4.37 percent); Simpsonville, South Carolina (4.03 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1.68 percent); and various locations within the continental U.S. (2.21 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2020. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Applied Research Laboratory, University of Hawaii, Menoa, Hawaii, is awarded a maximum value $77,209,225 five-year, sole source, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, task order contract for research, development, engineering, and test and evaluation for programs throughout the Department of Defense. Running concurrently with the maximum ceiling announcement is an initial delivery order of $777,710. Work will be performed in Manoa, Hawaii, and is expected to be complete by May 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of a $777,710 will be obligated at initial delivery order and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c) (3), as implemented in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-3; industrial mobilization; engineering, developmental, or research capability; or expert services. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-D-6400). BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair, San Diego, California, is awarded a $32,324,635 firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of the medium auxiliary repair floating drydock (non-self-propelled) ARCO (ARDM 5) fiscal 2019 docking service craft overhaul availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of the ARCO. This is a seven-month availability and was competed on a coast-wide (West Coast) basis without limiting the place of performance to the vessel's homeport. BAE will provide the facilities and human resources capable of completing, coordinating and integrating multiple areas of maintenance, repair and modernization. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $32,324,635 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received in response to solicitation N5523618R0011. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N55236-19-C-0007). R. Stresau Laboratory Inc., Spooner, Wisconsin, is awarded a $19,982,892 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for MK18 MOD0 electric blasting caps and MK20 MOD2 electric squibs in support of the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Special Operations Command. The MK18 MOD0 electric blasting cap is initiated by an electric source such as a blasting machine or battery and is used in multiple explosives. The MK20 MOD2 electric squib is a stand-alone device used to ignite smokeless powder and pyrotechnic compositions used in electric demolition operations. Work will be performed in Spooner, Wisconsin, and is expected to be completed by April 2024. Fiscal 2018 and Fiscal 2019 procurement of ammunition (Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $3,048,863 will be obligated at the 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 Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-JR66). AIR FORCE UES Inc., Dayton, Ohio (FA8650-19-D-2904); and University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio (FA8650-19-D-2905), have been awarded a not-to-exceed $99,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for scientific research. This contract provides for scientific exploration for the discovery and/or advancement of power, energy, thermal, integration and control (PETIC) technologies in order to develop enabling materials, processes, devices, modeling and simulation for advanced high performance military weapon systems and emerging applications. Work will be performed at the Air Force Research Laboratory Wright Research Site, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 21, 2024. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $4,341,500 are being obligated on task orders at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $36,739,122 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-CB04) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-19-G-CB01) with no option periods for aircraft spare parts. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.301-1. Location of performance is Texas, with a Sept. 30, 2022, performance completion date. Using customer is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Navy aircraft procurement funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Serco Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $21,113,749 modification (P00011) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SP3300-17-C-5003) with four one-year option periods for chemical management services. This is a firm-fixed-price contract with cost-reimbursement and cost-plus-fixed-fee line items. Locations of performance are Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, and California with a May 15, 2020, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. United Technologies Corp., doing business as Pratt & Whitney Military Engines Division, East Hartford, Connecticut, has been awarded a maximum $9,048,256 firm-fixed price contract for TF-33 aircraft engine first stage turbine blades. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.301-1. This is a two-year, six-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Connecticut, with an Oct. 29, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-19-F-0249). Safety Kleen Systems Inc., Richardson, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,334,836 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for engine lubricating oil. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Louisiana and California, with a May 12, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4A6-19-D-0023). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY DRS Network & Imaging Systems LLC, Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a sole-source, firm-fixed-price delivery order (HC1084-19-F-0145) with a face value and approximate total contract value of $28,600,000, under contract NNG15SC08B on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement contract vehicle for additional Army installation kits and spares in support of the Army Program Executive Office Command, Control, and Communications-Tactical Project Manager, Mission Command. This action is funded by fiscal 2019 procurement funds. Performance is throughout the continental U.S. The contract period of performance is 12 months. The DISA/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. ARMY Stanton Engineering Services LLC,* Columbia, Missouri, was awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering fire protection support services. 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 May 13, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0026). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1846374/source/GovDelivery/
10 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna   WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday approved a planned purchase by Japan of 105 F-35 joint strike fighters, moving the country one step closer to becoming the biggest foreign customer of the Lockheed Martin-produced jet. The approved package includes 63 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft and 42 F-35 short takeoff and landing variants, essentially green-lighting the procurement plans spelled out by Japan in 2018. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale, which is worth about $23 billion, although that number could change during negotiations between the country and Lockheed Martin. Those negotiations would start after Congress approves the sale. Also included in the arms deal is: 110 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, associated electronic warfare and communications systems, the Autonomic Logistics Information System, training gear, infrared flares, a performance-based logistics package, software integration, spare and repairs parts and other support. If Japan moves forward with the purchase, it would have a total of 147 F-35s — becoming the second-largest operator of the joint strike fighter after the United States and just ahead of the United Kingdom, which plans to buy 138 jets. It would also become the fourth user of the F-35B variant, which is being bought by U.S. Marine Corps, the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and the Italian Navy. Several other sales were also announced on Thursday: Taiwan: The State Department has approved a request by Taiwan to recertify its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 missiles for an estimated cost of $620 million. The package includes replacing PAC-3 components that are near expiration, test and repair of the capability, spare parts for ground support equipment and other logistics support. According to DSCA, “this proposed sale will help sustain the recipient's missile density and ensure readiness for air operations. The recipient will use this capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense.” Lockheed Martin would be the prime contractor for this sale. Germany: If approved by Congress, Germany would get MK 54 All Up Round Lightweight torpedoes, 10 conversion kits and related equipment in a package worth about $130 million. The deal, which help upgrade Germany's P-3C submarine hunting planes, also includes fuel tanks for the torpedo conversion kits, spare parts, launch accessories for the aircraft and various logistics and program support. Raytheon would be the prime contractor for this purchase. Belgium: The State Department also authorized Belgium's request for 29 All Up Round MK 54 LWT Mod 0 torpedoes. The $33 million package includes two Fleet Exercise Section conversion kits, torpedo support equipment, and logistics support. The approval comes as Belgium phases out MK 46 torpedoes and begins using the MK 54 aboard its NH-90 helicopters and multi-mission frigates. Aaron Mehta in Washington contributed to this report. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/2020/07/09/us-gives-the-green-light-to-japans-massive-23b-f-35-buy