31 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
By PAUL MCLEARY
WASHINGTON: If there's one complaint that has sounded a consistent across the Joint Chiefs and Pentagon leadership in recent years, it has been the lack of predictability in year-to-year funding.
If there's one thing we have learned about President Trump, it's that nothing is certain until the very end. And even when there's a decision, it can be flipped, rehashed, tinkered with or forgotten about in the time it take to knock out a Tweet on phone. After two years of budget certainty in 2018-19, the 2020 submission was humming along at $733 billion — until it wasn't. In late October, the number plummeted (relatively speaking) to $700 billion, until the president was convinced by Defense Secretary Jim Mattis — not yet on his way out at the time — to rocket it up to $750 billion.
But even that number isn't certain. Most analysts see the 2020 submission settling around the $733 billion level. Visiting US troops at the Al Asad air base on Dec. 26, the president gave the latest vague update. “I mean, I want to see costs come down, too. But not when it comes to our military. You have to have the finest equipment anywhere in the world, and you have that — $716 billion. And this year, again, we're going to be — don't tell anybody because nobody else knows — even a little bit higher.”
Whatever the number is, it appears likely that incoming acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan will be the one to deliver and defend it on Capitol Hill in February, as Mattis has been told to leave by Jan. 1. It's unclear what effect the firing of Mattis will have on the process, or if there will be any significant strategic shifts for the department given the change in leadership.
As budget guru Todd Harrison of the Center for Strategic and International Studies told me this week — specifically in reference to the Space Force, but it really applies across the entire budget — “the thing to keep in mind is that this is, so far, just the Pentagon's proposal to the White House. It's not clear if the White House is going to agree to this. The president has a way of sticking to his ideas even if his own administration recommends otherwise.”
Here are a few of the stories we've done over the past months breaking down what is happening, and what might — might — happen next.
Full article: https://breakingdefense.com/2018/12/budget-busters-what-to-look-for-in-2019-and-beyond
25 septembre 2024 | International, Terrestre
The U.S. Army transported the Typhon missile system to the northern Philippines as part of combat exercises in April with Philippine troops.
20 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY DTechLogic LLC, a joint venture** Huntsville, Alabama, is being awarded a competitive cost-plus-award-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-reimbursable contract. The total value of this contract is $255,909,986. The contractor will provide the infrastructure and cybersecurity engineering necessary to support ballistic missile defense system (BMDS) hardware-in-the-loop (HWIL) and related ground testing in a continuous integration/continuous agile testing (CI/CAT) environment. The work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama. The performance period is from June 2019 through June 2024. This award is the result of a competitively awarded acquisition in which four offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $100,000 are being obligated on this award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-19-C-0012). AIR FORCE ArmorWorks Enterprises, Chandler, Arizona, has been awarded a $206,073,316 firm-fixed-price contract for delivery of payload transporters. This contract provides for replacement of aging payload transporters. Work will be performed in Chandler, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by July 30, 2024. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 procurement funds in the amount of $31,322,624 are being obligated at the time of award. The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Contracting Division, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8204-19-C-0005). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Dell Federal Systems, Round Rock, Texas, was awarded a firm fixed order for $82,895,710 (Base-plus-2) and FAR 52.217-8 six months extension in the estimated amount of $13,815,951 with an estimated total of $96,711,662, using fiscal 19 O&M funds (HT0015-19-F-0087). This is an enterprise-level blanket purchase agreement (BPA) call for Microsoft software and support against the Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) BPA for Microsoft. This procurement is to renew Microsoft licenses for 72 customers within Defense Health Agency (DHA), Air Force, Army, and Navy. These licenses are required for products including VISIO Professional, Windows Server Standard, Project Standard, and SQL Server Enterprise. The requirement was competitively solicited among all awardees under the ESI multi-award BPA for Microsoft, and the proposals were evaluated on the lowest-price-technically-acceptable (LPTA) basis. The amount of $27,631,903 for the base year is obligated at the time of the award. The DHA Health Information Technology Contracting Division (HIT-CD), located in San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (HT0015). (Awarded June 10, 2019) NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $76,670,049 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5103 to exercise options for AEGIS development and test sites operation and maintenance at the Combat Systems Engineering Development Site, SPY-1A Test Facility and Naval Systems Computing Center. This option exercise is for continued technical engineering, configuration management, associated equipment/supplies, quality assurance, information assurance and other operation and maintenance efforts required for the AEGIS development and test sites. This option exercise also provides for the continuing site maintenance and planned improvements of the sites for AEGIS Combat System and Aegis Weapon System upgrades to CG-47 and DDG-51 class ships through the completion of Advanced Capability Build 20 and Technology Insertion 16, in addition to AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense and FMS requirements. This contract modification combines purchases for the U.S. Navy (34.7%), Missile Defense Agency (MDA) (22.7%) and the governments of Japan (34.4%), Australia (4.7%), South Korea (2.1%), and Norway (1.4%) under the foreign military sales program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey, and is expected to be complete by June 2020. Foreign military sales (Japan, Australia, South Korea, Norway); fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (MDA); fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (MDA); fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $29,746,093 will be obligated at time of award, and funding in the amount of $4,617,194 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Data Intelligence LLC,* Marlton, New Jersey, is awarded a $12,584,840 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide cybersecurity and security engineering-related services to the Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau and Department of Homeland Security. This two-year contract includes one, three-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $31,832,280. Work will be performed in Marlton, New Jersey (25%) and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (75%), and work is expected to be completed June 18, 2021. If the option is exercised, work will continue through June 18, 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy and Army); other procurement (Navy); research and development (Air Force); research, development, test and evaluation (Navy), and acquisition, contracts and improvements (Coast Guard). This contract was competitively procured via Request for Proposal N66001-17-R-0066 and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and NAVWAR e-Commerce Central website. Nine offers were received, and one was selected for award. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-D-0076). Ultralife Corp., Newark, New York, is awarded a $9,985,687 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures Universal Vehicle Adapter radio battery chargers, MRC-UVA-V1, in support of the Family of Special Operations Vehicles Ground Mobility Vehicle and Mine Resistant Ambush Protected platforms. Work will be performed in Newark, New York, and is expected to be completed in June 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was a limited competition in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 3.02-1(c) via an electronic request for proposal posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-19-D-0132). ARMY B.L. Harbert International LLC, Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded a $67,147,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a general purpose warehouse at Red River Army Depot, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Texarkana, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 22, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 military construction and operations and maintenance Army funds in the combined amount of $67,147,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-19-C-0029). General Dynamics Mission Systems, Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $20,576,456 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for system engineering and program management support for the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 2 systems and equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Taunton, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 13, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $17,582,214 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W15P7T-10-D-C007). Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $14,991,526 modification (P00005) to foreign military sales (Saudi Arabia) contract W58RGZ-17-C-0009 to procure the Post Green DD250 aircraft support, storage and maintenance for UH-60M aircraft for the Saudi Arabian Ministry of the National Guard. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales funds in the amount of $14,991,526 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Pine Bluff Sand and Gravel Co., White Hall, Arkansas, was awarded a $9,925,269 modification (P00009) to contract W912EQ-16-C-0008 for the rental of the dustpan hydraulic pipeline dredge for up to six month to perform maintenance dredging within the Mississippi River and tributaries to authorized channel dimensions. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 23, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Mississippi River and tributaries civil funds in the amount of $9,925,269 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis, Tennessee, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Pama Inc.,* Elgin, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $7,102,814 firm-fixed-price contract for horizontal boring mills. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Illinois and Italy, with an Oct. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4A8-19-C-0002). *Small business **Woman Owned Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1881299/source/GovDelivery/
7 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial
MADRID, Dec. 4, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) and Airbus have signed an agreement to jointly explore opportunities to meet the growing demand for aerial refueling for U.S. defense customers. The companies will seek to provide aerial-refueling services to address any identified capacity shortfall and to meet requirements for the next generation of tankers capable of operating in the challenging environments of future battlespace. "Reliable and modernized aerial refueling is an essential capability for our customers to maintain their global reach and strategic advantage," said Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson. "By combining the innovation and expertise of Airbus and Lockheed Martin, we will be well-positioned to provide the United States Air Force with the advanced refueling solutions needed to meet 21st century security challenges." "The U.S. Air Force deserves the best aerial-refueling technology and performance available under the sun and this great industry team, Lockheed Martin and Airbus, will offer exactly that," said Tom Enders, Airbus CEO. The companies are taking a cooperative approach, with the Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (A330 MRTT) at its heart, to examine a broad spectrum of opportunities. These may range from ways to support critical near-term air-refueling needs, such as a fee-for-service structure to conceptualizing the tanker of the future. Airbus Defence and Space Head of Military Aircraft Fernando Alonso said, "The A330 MRTT has been selected by a dozen nations around the world. It is extensively proven in live operations and has been repeatedly praised by major air forces. We are convinced that the combination of Airbus' tanker expertise with Lockheed Martin's extensive U.S. presence, has the potential to provide highly effective solutions for current and future U.S. military aerial refueling requirements." Lockheed Martin has a long and successful history of systems integration, manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul operations with large airlift and tanker aircraft. When combined with Airbus expertise in this competitive space, the two companies will field a strong team to address future air refueling needs. "Airbus is an industry leader in the aerial refueling area, and Lockheed Martin is known for cutting-edge defensive technologies and capabilities," said Michele Evans, executive vice president, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics. "This is a great opportunity for our two companies to combine our expertise – cooperating to develop world-class solutions for critical needs around the world." About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 100,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. This year the company received three Edison Awards for ground-breaking innovations in autonomy, satellite technology and directed energy. About Airbus Airbus is a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. In 2017 it generated reported revenues of € 67 billion – or € 59 billion restated for IFRS 15 – and employed a workforce of around 129,000. Airbus offers the most comprehensive range of passenger airliners from 100 to more than 600 seats. Airbus is also a European leader providing tanker, combat, transport and mission aircraft, as well as one of the world's leading space companies. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions worldwide. This news release contains statements that are not recitations of historical fact and which therefore constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially due to factors such as our ability to successfully jointly pursue opportunities and achieve the expected synergies and other benefits and the competitive environment for our products and services. For a discussion identifying additional important factors that could cause actual results to vary, see the Corporation's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) including "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" in the Corporation's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017 and subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. The Corporation's filings may be accessed through the Investor Relations page of its website, www.lockheedmartin.com/investor, or through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. SOURCE Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2018-12-04-Lockheed-Martin-and-Airbus-Sign-Memorandum-of-Agreement-on-Aerial-Refueling