14 septembre 2024 | International, Aérospatial
France tests space lasers for secure satellite downlink in world first
The point-to-point nature of lasers makes them more secure than radio frequencies, and they can’t be jammed the way radio can.
7 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial
Europe must take on its own defense responsibilities
By: Ian Bond
As they look at the state of their coronavirus-hit economies and U.S. President Donald Trump's poor standing in opinion polls, many European leaders may be tempted to put on hold any plans to meet NATO's target of spending 2 percent of gross domestic product on defense. But Europeans need to wake up. Trump is not a reliable ally, and the damage he has done to the trans-Atlantic partnership is likely to linger.
Trump's hostility to NATO has been obvious since he called into question its Article 5 mutual defense guarantee during his last presidential campaign. We now know, according to former national security adviser John Bolton's tell-all memoir, that Trump was ready to pull the U.S. out of NATO at its 2018 summit.
In recent weeks Trump announced without warning that the U.S. will withdraw 9,500 — more than one quarter — of the 34,500 troops it has stationed in Germany because the German government is not spending enough on defense. Then at a Washington press conference with Polish President Andrzej Duda, Trump said a large number of NATO countries were “delinquent” and declared that Europe was taking “tremendous advantage of the United States on trade.”
Trump may not understand how NATO works or the value to the U.S. of having troops in Germany, but it is true that the U.S. carries a disproportionately large share of the financial burden of defending Europe. During his presidency, Barack Obama also accused Europe of being “complacent” about its own defense — though he was rather more diplomatic.
Only a handful of European NATO members have met the alliance's target of spending 2 percent of GDP on defense over the past 20 years, while the U.S. has consistently exceeded it, spending 3.1-4.9 percent. But Europe's problem is not just the amount it spends on defense, but the inefficiency and ineffectiveness of its spending: Europeans get far too many systems and far too little military capability for their money.
The European Commission's 2017 fact sheet on European defense reported that European Union member states operated 178 different major weapons systems; the U.S. had only 30. EU member states have 17 different types of main battle tank; the U.S. has one.
This proliferation of weapons systems leads to high unit costs for short production runs, and a lack of interoperability. And European spending is not directed to ensuring that troops can fight when needed. The European members of NATO have almost 1.9 million active-duty troops, while the U.S. has 1.3 million and Russia about 900,000. But very few of the European forces can be deployed in a crisis.
Politically and economically, this is a bad time to try to get European politicians to think seriously about increasing and rationalizing defense spending. The EU's economic forecast for spring 2020 foresees a contraction in real GDP of 7.4 percent this year, albeit followed by an increase of 6.1 percent in 2021.
Some of Europe's biggest investors in defense are in NATO but not in the EU. The U.K. accounted for 16 percent of defense spending in Europe in 2019, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. But despite some early promise, Britain seems to have lost interest in any institutionalized cooperation with the EU on foreign and security policy. Relations between the EU and NATO member Turkey, which accounted for another 7 percent of European defense spending last year, have rarely been worse.
Despite such difficulties, the fact that NATO and the EU are currently both reassessing the security environment presents an opportunity for a more joint approach.
NATO is engaged in the #NATO2030 process, which Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg hopes will strengthen political consultation in the alliance. Meanwhile, by the end of 2020 the EU aims to complete a process to assess the threats it faces, which the bloc calls its “strategic compass.” These two efforts need to complement each other to produce a shared view of the threats to Europe, and the creation of a forum for political dialogue on security where European countries, regardless of whether they belong to both the EU and NATO, can discuss appropriate responses.
Europe's ability to counter threats will depend on making its money go further by spending it efficiently, both nationally and multilaterally. The commission should do more to ensure that more defense procurement involves competitive tendering, rather than member states awarding contracts to national champions. But it should not try to shut defense firms from non-EU NATO countries out of the European market.
The commission stands more chance of influencing the research and procurement decisions of member states if it has a substantial budget to dangle in front of them. It should keep pushing back against cuts proposed earlier in the year to the defense elements of the EU's next seven-year budget. And the commission needs to be more open to the participation of “friendly” countries in EU-funded programs.
Joe Biden, a former U.S. vice president and a contender in the current presidential race, would be an easier president for Europeans to work with than Trump has been. But Biden's victory in November is not guaranteed. Moreover, the forces in U.S. society that propelled Trump to power in 2016 will still exist, and may return in 2024.
Even if they would rather pretend that nothing is changing, the EU and as many non-EU, Europe-based NATO members as are willing to do so need to pay attention to Trump's message. And they need to start thinking about how to defend Europe and deter potential adversaries with reduced U.S. help.
Ian Bond is the director of foreign policy at the Centre for European Reform think tank. He was a member of the British diplomatic service for 28 years, most recently serving as political counselor and joint head of the foreign and security policy group in the British Embassy in the United States.
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21 octobre 2024 | International, Terrestre
No pilots, all cargo: Airbus tests loading of autonomous helicopter
The nose of this autonomous variant of the UH-72 Lakota will open up, allowing weapons or larger pieces of cargo to be front-loaded into the helicopter.
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19 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 14, 2020
NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, New York, is awarded a $904,800,000 modification (P00011) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-19-C-0013. This modification provides for the production and delivery of three MH-60R Seahawk maritime aircraft for the Navy and 21 MH-60Rs for the government of India. Work will be performed at Owego, New York (52%); Stratford, Connecticut (40%); and Troy, Alabama (8%), and is expected to be complete by September 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $113,100,000 and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $791,700,000 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. Hunter Pacific Group,* San Diego, California, is awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for cost engineering, value engineering and scheduling services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Southwest Area of Responsibility (AOR). Work will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Southwest AOR including, but not limited to: California (87%); Arizona (5%); Nevada (5%); Colorado (1%); New Mexico (1%); and Utah (1%). Work provides for cost estimates and other cost engineering services in support of analyses, reports, designs and change orders. Cost engineering services may include construction cost reduction evaluations and recommendations, bid analyses and verifications, validations of DD Form 1391 scope/cost estimate, peer review of cost estimates, review and technical analysis of contractor change order cost proposals and assistance with claims, litigations and negotiations with boards/committees. Value engineering services shall include facilitating and forming multi-discipline technical teams to conduct value engineering and/or function analysis concept development (FACD) workshops for a variety of projects. Services in support of value engineering and FACD workshops may include site investigations, preparation and/or review of engineering studies/reports, cost estimates, facility and infrastructure assessments, risk assessments, life cycle cost engineering and/or total ownership cost analyses, and schematic layouts/sketches. Scheduling shall be in support of analyses and change orders and may include preparation of schedules and construction cost loaded schedules, review/analysis of base line contractor schedules and schedule updates, review/analysis of contractor change orders, time impact analysis and assistance with claims, litigations and negotiations with boards/committees. Work is expected to be complete by April 2025. No task orders are being issued at this time. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (O&M) (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M (Navy) and O&M (Marine Corps). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and four proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-20-D-0614). PSI Pax Inc.,* California, Maryland, is awarded a $29,286,410 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and provides administrative, business and financial services such as data entry accounting processes, interface error research and analysis, process management, deficiency identification, testing of system changes, professional and analytical support, liaison support, funds management, financial tracking, internal and external data calls, document and records management, specialized analytical support in meeting financial systems requirements, assessing financial systems relative to data integrity, corporate and user reporting requirements as well as centralized support of travel related processes to include help desk support for the entire Naval Air Systems Command. Work is expected to be complete by June 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside via an electronic request for proposal; five offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0073). Mustang Technology Group LP, doing business as L3 Mustang Technology, Plano, Texas, is awarded a $19,082,000 fixed-price-incentive-firm-target modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-5313 for 658 rounds of 57mm MK 332 High Explosive-4 Bolt Guided (HE-4G) Cartridge ammunition. Work will be performed in Plano, Texas (78%), and Cincinnati, Ohio (22%), and is expected to be complete by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 and 2019 procurement of ammunition, (Navy and Marine Corp) funding in the amount of $19,082,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. L3 Harris Technologies Inc., Anaheim, California, is awarded a $12,732,754 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00030) to exercise options under previously awarded and announced contract N00030-18-C-0001. Work will be performed in Anaheim, California (71%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (23%); Washington, D.C. (3%); Bremerton, Washington (1%); Norfolk, Virginia (1%), and Kings Bay, Georgia (1%). Work will provide services and support for Flight Test Instrumentation and is expected to be complete by August 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,968,016; fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,332,143; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $200,000 are obligated on this award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,968,016 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract modification is awarded to the contractor on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. IDSC Holdings LLC, Snap-on Industrial, Kenosha, Wisconsin, is awarded an $11,088,933 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures up to 2,064 toolboxes containing 1.423 different types of commercial tools in support of initial outfitting associated with F-35 low rate initial production and maintenance. Work will be performed in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and is expected to be complete by September 2021. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal and four offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-20-D-0025). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $9,162,847 modification (P00002) to cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-19-F-0280 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-15-G-0026. This modification provides systems engineering and program management support for the development, integration, test and delivery of two radar altimeters and two integrated avionics units in support of the BQM-34S Firebee High Performance Aerial Target System, BQM-74E target drones and the Aerial Targets Program Office. Work will be performed in Endicott, New York (62%); San Diego, California (37%); and Clearwater, Florida (1%). Work is expected to be complete by January 2022. Fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,472,396 and fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,690,451 will be obligated at time of award, $4,472,396 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Independent RT Center LLC, Cibolo, Texas, is awarded $8,029,638 for firm-fixed-price delivery order M67854-20-F-5018 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract M67854-20-D-5000 with a maximum ceiling of $62,500,000, for the Rough Terrain Container Handlers Service Life Extension Program. Work will be performed in Cibolo, Texas, and is expected to be complete by January 2030. Fiscal 2019 Congressional funds in the amount of $3,066,228 and fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $4,963,410 are being obligated and will expire Sept. 30, 2021. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website and two offers were received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-20-D-5000). Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $7,400,000 not-to-exceed, fixed-price incentive, undefinitized change order modification to contract N00024-15-C-2114 for the installation of Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services AN/USQ-208B (V) 5 Local Area Network drops. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by May 2022. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,700,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ARMY Perspecta Enterprise Solutions LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded an Other Transaction Authority agreement with a ceiling of $237,243,000 to develop, integrate, deliver, operate and maintain an enterprise capability for Army training and education information. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 17, 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $14,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-20-9-1118). Charles River Laboratories, Wilmington, Massachusetts (W81XWH-20-A-0003); Envigo RMS LLC, Indianapolis, Indiana (W81XWH-20-A-0004); and The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine (W81XWH-20-A-0005), will compete for each order of the $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to supply small laboratory research animals and related services. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 8, 2025. U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Quantitech Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $17,686,572 modification (000237) to contract W31P4Q-16-A-0010 for programmatic support for the Utility Helicopters Project Manager's Office. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2021. Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales (Australia); other procurement (Army); and research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $17,686,572 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Mantle-Plocher JV,* Worden, Illinois, was awarded a $14,793,000 firm-fixed-price contract for placement and leasing of modular facilities to support approximately 450 personnel at Scott Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, with an estimated completion date of May 13, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $14,793,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0021). Dawson Enterprises LLC,* Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded a $10,431,915 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of utility infrastructure to support the installation of a modular paint booth and personnel building. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 5, 2021. Fiscal 2019 civil operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,431,915 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-20-C-0017). AIR FORCE Braxton Technologies LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $31,399,226 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00012) to contract FA8806-19-C-0003 for support and delivery network, infrastructure, hardware and architecture solutions under the Cross Mission Ground Communications Enterprise Corps (ECX). This contract award provides for cross-domain solutions, design, integration and rapid delivery team services. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by May 17, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition under the Small Business Innovation Research Program. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $55,387,870. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,507,999 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. The Corporation of Mercer University, Warner Robins, Georgia, has been awarded a $9,039,309 task order (FA8523-20-F-0029) on basic contract FA8523-20-D-0001 to provide Laboratory Intelligence Validated Emulators-Virtual-Constructive (LVC) closed-loop engineering test and evaluation of newly developed electronic warfare (EW) systems. This order provides integration of gold-standard Intelligence Community threat definitions into the Electronic Warfare and Avionics Integrated Support Facility, where LVC closed loop operational test – vertical testability demonstration simulations and testing will be conducted to inform the baseline capability and to identify growth areas for improving operational survivability, reliability and mission success of fielded EW systems in support of airborne U.S. warfighting elements. Work will be performed in Warner Robins, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by May 13, 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,140,106 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2187605/source/GovDelivery/