Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 04, 2021

Sur le même sujet

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  4 septembre 2018 | International, C4ISR

  'Five Eyes' allies urge digital industry to stop child pornographers, terrorists

  Kathleen Harris · CBC News Canada and security allies say illicit material is flourishing and easily accessible on the web Canada and its "Five Eyes" intelligence allies are calling on the digital online industry to take urgent action to stop child pornographers, terrorists and violent extremists from finding a platform on the internet. After meetings in Australia, ministers from that country, Canada, New Zealand, the U.S. and U.K., issued a statement claiming the group is as determined to counter the "grave threats" online as they are to dealing with them in the physical world. "Our citizens expect online spaces to be safe, and are gravely concerned about illegal and illicit online content, particularly the online sexual exploitation of children. We stand united in affirming that the rule of law can and must prevail online," reads the joint communique issued Wednesday. Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale, Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould attended the meetings. 'New vectors for harm' The joint statement says the anonymous, instantaneous and networked nature of the web has magnified threats and "opened up new vectors for harm." It also notes that the evolution of digital technology has created new opportunities for transmitting child exploitation material and perpetrating the most abhorrent acts, such as live streaming abuse. The statement says illicit material is not relegated to the recesses of the dark web, but is accessible through most common top‑level domains. Mobile technology has enabled offenders to target children using apps to recruit and coerce children. "The low financial cost, and the anonymized nature of this criminal enterprise, is contributing to a growth in the sexual exploitation of children. We must escalate government and industry efforts to stop this," it reads. Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection welcomed the joint statement. "Our organization has been engaging directly with survivors of child sexual abuse who endure lifelong impacts from the recording and sharing of their abuse on the internet," she said in an emailed statement "Collaboration across borders and with all sectors, including industry, is essential if we are to make meaningful progress in this space and address this heinous crime." Tackling terrorist fundraising The communique also pledges to do more to prevent terrorists and violent extremists from spreading materials designed to radicalize, recruit, fundraise and mobilize. Actions urged by the Five Eyes group include: Developing and implementing capabilities to prevent illegal and illicit content from being uploaded, and to execute urgent and immediate takedown measures when there is an upload. Deploying human and automated capabilities to find and remove legacy content. Investing more on automated capabilities and techniques, including photo DNA tools, to detect, remove and prevent reupload of illegal and illicit content. Building user safety into the design of all online platforms and services. Allen Mendelsohn, an internet law specialist and lecturer at McGill's law faculty, said because child porn is universally deemed reprehensible, he expects mounting governmental and public pressure could prompt tech companies to act. But, he said in past, they have resisted any steps to remove content, citing the "slippery slope" argument. "They are loathe to take any sort of action that would be seen as removing or not displaying any particular content that has been uploaded by users," he said. "They have taken the longstanding position that user content is the user's responsibility, not the platform's responsibility." Mendelsohn said the issue is complicated because there are differing laws and views internationally on what constitutes crossing the line for the internet. https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/SOMNIA-1.4803122

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  27 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Autre défense

  The Air Force’s 5 principles to advance artificial intelligence

  By: Kelsey Reichmann The Air Force has been on an almost three-year journey to integrate artificial intelligence into operations and that effort will soon be more apparent as the service plans to declassify its artificial intelligence strategy, Capt. Michael Kanaan, the service's co-chair for artificial intelligence, said June 26 at the AI World Government Conference in Washington, D.C. “We had to find a way to get us to a place where we could talk about AI in a pragmatic, principled, meaningful way,” said Kanaan. During his speech, Kanaan laid out five principles that have guided the Air Force with artificial intelligence in the meantime. They are: 1. Technological barriers will be a significant hurdle. Kanaan said the service has made it a point to limit technological obstacles. However, one problem contractors may face is higher priced products geared toward security-driven government programs versus the same, less expensive commercial programs. A new attitude toward commercial off-the-shelf technology within the service can help, he said. “Too often working with our agencies, they have to take risks in the framework of time, people and bespoke unique solutions to deploy on your systems,” Kanaan said. However, this does not have to be the case. “Accept commercial standards because unclassified does not mean un-secured." 2. Data needs to be treated like a strategic asset. “We used to ask the question, if a tree falls in the forest does it make a sound. Well, in the 21st century the real question to ask is was something there to measure it,” he said. He explained this involves looking at when and how to digitize workflows. 3. The Air Force must be able to democratize access to AI. “This is an opportunity now to say, machine learning as our end state, if done right, should be readable to everyone else,” Kanaan said. This will involve balancing support and operations and taking into consider the reality that the demographics of the traditional workforce are going to shift, Kanaan explained. “Not looking at the top one percent, but focusing on the 99 percent of our workforce,” he said. “The Air Force, of those 450,000 people, 88 percent are millennials [adults under 40]." Looking to digital natives in the integration process will be valuable because this younger slice of the workforce already has insights into how this technology works. 4. Computer skills must be viewed as strategic assets. Just as the Defense Department has treated foreign language skills as an asset, Kanaan said, the Air Force must view computer skills the same way. In the United States, 50,000 graduates qualified for 500,000 technology-based jobs each year, and the Air Force must promote emerging technology skills the way it did traditional electrical engineering, astronautics and aeronautics during the space race, Kanaan said. “I believe that it is time for another national defense education act," Kanaan said. 5. Communication, transparency and cooperation are imperative. As innovations are made, communication, transparency and cooperation are necessary for discussions with international governments, industry and academic partners, Kanaan said. “As Americans we should be communicating about the ethics of artificial intelligence and how we view society every single day. These are important topics and they do provide that signal to the rest of the world that we view our society in different ways than maybe some others and our values and norms are important because AI at its end state bolsters our biases.” Most importantly, these issues must be addressed sooner rather than later, Kanaan said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2019/06/26/the-air-forces-5-principles-to-advance-artificial-intelligence/

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  27 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 24, 2020

  ARMY Longbow LLC, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $235,794,870 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) Foreign Military Sales (Republic of Korea (South Korea), Greece, India, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom) contract for procurement of production support services for the Fire Control Radar System for the Apache attack helicopter. One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-D-0009). Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Tucker, Georgia, was awarded a $94,213,911 firm-fixed-price contract for full food services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-20-D-0003). United Materials of Great Falls,* Great Falls, Montana, was awarded an $8,450,955 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of new parking apron and connecting taxiways. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Great Falls, Montana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $8,450,955 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Helena, Montana, is the contracting activity (W9124V-20-C-0002). MCON LLC,* Wathena, Kansas, was awarded a $7,536,190 firm-fixed-price contract for raising the Missouri River levee system and installing relief wells. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Elwood, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2022. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,536,190 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-20-C-1009). AIR FORCE Rolls Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $69,087,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the T56 Engine Component Improvement Program (CIP). The T56 Engine CIP establishes a prioritized list of projects each calendar year to include developing engineering changes to the engines, developing organizational, intermediate and depot level repairs as needed, and designing modifications to existing support equipment as well as initiating new support equipment designs as required by engine driven changes. The program also provides support to resolve service-revealed deficiencies and maintain or extend the life limits of aircraft engine. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2029. Foreign Military Sales Fair Share funds in the amount of $385,938 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8626-20-D-0003). Graf Research Corp., Blacksburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $49,500,000 single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. This contract provides for applied and advanced research for the advancement of trusted and assured microelectronics technologies; trust assessment strategies in areas related to known and potential system vulnerabilities; development and implementation of mitigation strategies and methodologies to prevent vulnerabilities; development and implementation of mitigation strategies and methodologies to prevent vulnerabilities before mitigation is required. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 15, 2028. This award is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research III request for proposal. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the total amount of $5,999,985 are being obligated at the time of award for the first task order (FA8650-20-F-1880). The Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-D-1879). EWR Radar Systems Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $20,705,290 contract for the Portable Doppler Radar (PDR) program. This contract provides for the purchase of 22 PDR systems, with an option to purchase up to an additional 14 systems. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 24, 2023. This contract is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement funds in the amount of $12,662,566 are being obligated at the time of award. The Aerospace Management Systems Division, Digital Directorate, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-20-C-0033). L3 Harris Corp., Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded an $11,457,610 firm-fixed-price contract for repair services of electronic flight indicators and radar display units for the C‐130H Hercules. The work is expected to be complete by Jan. 24, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at the time of award as this is a requirements type contract. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8538-20-D-0003). Lockheed Martin Corp., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $9,856,800 cost reimbursement contract modification (P00157) to previously awarded contract FA8810-08-C-0002 for a cross domain solution (CDS). The contract modification is for an updated CDS interface and associated hardware and software changes, as well as test, installation and checkout of the modified interface. Work will be performed at Boulder, Colorado; Aurora, Colorado; Azusa, California; and Sunnyvale, California. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,451,650,654. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY Advanced Technology Construction,* Tacoma, Washington (N44255-17-D-4004); Shape Construction Inc.,* Poulsbo, Washington (N44255-17-D-4006); Vet Industrial Inc.,* Bremerton Washington (N44255-17-D-4007); and Weldin Construction LLC,* Parker, Alaska (N44255-17-D-4008) are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price modification to increase the overall multiple award contract maximum, not-to-exceed amount for the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by $50,000,000 from $99,000,000 to $149,000,000, for design-build or design-bid-build construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest (NW) area of operation (AO). All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC NW AO that includes Washington state (92%); Alaska (2%); Idaho (1%); Montana (1%); Oregon (2%); and Wyoming (1%). Work for this contract may also be performed in the remainder of the U.S. (1%). The work to be performed provides for new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition and repair work by design-build or design-bid-build of facilities located primarily within the NAVFAC NW AO. Types of projects include, but are not limited to, administrative and industrial facilities, housing renovation, child care centers, lodges, recreation/fitness centers, retail complexes, warehouses, housing offices, community centers, commercial and institutional buildings, manufacturing and industrial buildings and other similar facilities. This procurement was set aside for historically underutilized business zone construction firms. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of December 2021. Task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with 12 proposals received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. NAVFAC NW, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity. Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $20,487,223 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price requirements contract (N00019-19-D-0024). This modification exercises the option to provide T56-A-427 engine depot repair to include repair of the power section, torque meter, gearbox and accessories in accordance with Navy depot manuals and approved repair practices. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (70%); Winnipeg, Canada (25%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in January 2021. 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. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $16,851,140 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5218 to produce Technical Insertion-20 Shore Site Systems and provide incremental funding in support of the continued development, integration and production of the Navy's AN/SQQ89-A(V)15 Surface Ships Undersea Warfare System. This option exercise is for the procurement of shore site systems to further develop TI-20 AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 systems. AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat system with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts, and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. The contract is for development, integration and production of future Advanced Capability Build and Technical Insertion baselines of the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 USW Systems. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (85%); and the government of the Commonwealth of Australia (15%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (73%); Clearwater, Florida (24%); Syracuse, New York (2%); Marion, Massachusetts (1%); and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (35%); 2019 research, development, testing and evaluation (15%); 2020 other procurement (Navy) (15%); 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (13%); FMS Australia (15%); and 2019 other procurement (Navy) (7%) funding in the amount $16,851,140 will be obligated at the time of award, and $2,617,132 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $15,284,851 firm-fixed-price contract for a 75 calendar-day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10). Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by May 9, 2020. The maximum dollar value, including base period and six options is $15,284,851. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $14,629,243 are being obligated at the time of the award. Contract funds in the amount of $14,629,243 are obligated in fiscal 2020 and do not expire at the end of year. This contract was competitively procured with one company soliciting via the Federal Business Opportunities website and one offer received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-20-C-6172). Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, is awarded a $14,484,290 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price other transaction agreement (N66001-18-9-4703) in support of prototype project “Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Autonomy for Long-endurance System Operations” to design and implement autonomy software to support long-term, continuous autonomous operation goals of the Office of Naval Research's Future Naval Capabilities system prototype. This three-year modification includes no options. The period of performance is Jan. 24, 2020 - Jan. 23, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $626,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Work will be performed in Edinburgh, Scotland (32%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (26%); Fairfax, Virginia (18%); Woburn, Massachusetts (16%); and Concord, Massachusetts (8%). This other transaction agreement was competed under the authority of Section 815 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 016, Public Law 114-92, and permanently codified in 10 U.S. Code 2371b. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-9-4703). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY DNO Inc.,* Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $48,000,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a 36-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Michigan and Ohio, with a Jan. 21, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Department of Agriculture schools. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-S741). Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Co., Inc.,* St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $12,482,499 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for mount telescopes. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Jan. 25, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0059). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $13,006,683 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the base period of the Glide Breaker program. This contract provides for the research, development and demonstration of a technology that is critical for enabling an advanced interceptor capable of engaging maneuvering hypersonic threats in the upper atmosphere. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California (73%); Mesa, Arizona (21%); Sacramento, California (4%); and Huntsville, Alabama (2%), with an estimated completion date of January 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $13,006,683 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR0011-19-S-0008. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0025). Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded a $7,483,871 modification (P00003) for the option effort on previously awarded contract HR0011-19-C-0019. The contract is for research and development of an advanced networked sensor to detect and identify biological weapons of mass destruction threats in support of the SIGMA+ program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $9,985,170. Work will be performed in Columbus, Ohio (60%); and Cambridge, Massachusetts (40%), with an expected completion date of June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,430,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2065636/source/GovDelivery/