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  23 septembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Cash-strapped Britain eyes shrinking its order of new early-warning planes

  Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain is poised to cut an order for Boeing E-7 Wedgetails, with the airborne early warning and control aircraft possibly becoming the first confirmed victim of the government's upcoming integrated defense review. Negotiations between Boeing and the Ministry of Defence have been underway since mid-summer over a possible reduction in Wedgetail numbers from five to three, or possibly four, aircraft as part of a wider cost-cutting exercise. Newspapers here have recently been full of leaks about possible capability cuts and delays to equipment like armored vehicles, artillery, surface warships and support ships and fighter aircraft. All of the leaks have been brushed off by the MoD as speculation, even though some of the leaks were likely inspired by the MoD itself to test the waters of political and public acceptability. This time, though, the response from the MoD was different. Replying to a tweet in The Times Sept. 22 an MoD spokesperson pretty much confirmed the cuts were under consideration. “We regularly discuss equipment programs with our partners, particularly when it comes to making savings and cutting costs, where appropriate,” they said. A Boeing spokesperson in London said the company “doesn't comment on commercial matters.” Defense consultant Howard Wheeldon of Wheeldon Strategic Advisory said leaving the RAF with just three Wedgetails would leave the UK seriously short of aerial command-and-control and situational awareness capability. “Personally, I regard this as little short of insanity. ... To guarantee 27/7 capability requires that the UK has a minimum of five airframes. Potentially reducing the number to three would have very serious consequences and if this really has already been decided it needs to be reconsidered very quickly. Assured 24/7 AWACS capability is not just an option – it is an absolute necessity,” said Wheeldon. A potential reduction in Wedgetail numbers is not the only ISTAR capability cut in the cards. The RAF remains on track to take out of service next year its Raytheon-supplied Sentinel battlefield surveillance aircraft. In early 2019 the MoD controversially signed a deal worth £1.5 billion – without a competition – to supply five of the Wedgetail airborne early warning aircraft to the RAF with deliveries starting in 2023 and the final platform being handed over in 2025. The aircraft will replace the RAFs increasingly ancient Sentry E-3D's, whose capability has been limited by under-investment going back years. The deal with Boeing was meant to restore high-quality airborne early warning to the RAF by the mid 2020s. Last year the company signed a deal with STS Aviation to modify the 737NG commercial aircraft used for Wedgetail to an AEW configuration at a hangar on Birmingham airport in England. Early work on stripping out two second-hand airliners has already got underway in the US ahead of the aircraft being transferred to the UK where the modification effort will create jobs. Wedgetail is not operated by the US military but has secured Australia, Turkey and South Korea as export customers. Much of the equipment for the RAF aircraft are due to be supplied by Australian industry. The move to reduce Wedgetail numbers comes as the government moves closer to taking the wraps off what it has promised to be a “fundamental” review of British defense, security, foreign policy and overseas development. Led by the Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his chief advisor Dominic Cummings, the review is looking at pivoting defense away from conventional sunset capabilities to more sunrise technologies in areas like space, artificial intelligence, cyber and undersea warfare. The trouble is Britain's Brexit- and Covid-19-battered economy is unlikely to find much, if anything, in the way of additional resources for an MoD which already has significant funding issues. To make room for costly future technology programs the armed services are going to have to make sacrifices elsewhere. The procurement process is likely to be in Cummings cross hairs along with conventional capabilities like main battle tanks and army personnel numbers. When the review is published, possibly around mid-November, it's likely to be a bloody affair. One industry executive here, who asked not to be named, said he thought the outcome was likely to be worse than the 2010 strategic defense and security review, which stripped out capabilities like aircraft carriers, fast jets, maritime patrol aircraft and personnel. Wheeldon said by now nobody should imagine the integrated defense review is about building Britain's defense capabilities, but quite the reverse. “If anyone really is still under the illusion that the underlying intention behind the 2020 ‘Integrated Review' process – that of forming a soundly based long-term strategic decision making process of where the UK wants to be in the future, why and what defense and security capability will be required to meet those ambitions – let them now understand that the reality is that what eventually emerges will primarily have been about further cutting of UK defense capability at a time when others, including our adversaries and would-be enemies, are increasing their expenditure in the sector.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/09/22/cash-strapped-britain-eyes-shrinking-its-order-of-new-early-warning-planes/

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  1 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - October 30, 2018

  AIR FORCE ACR Technical Services Inc., Newport News, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1001); APRO International Inc. Vienna, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1002); Goldbelt C6 LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (FA4890-19-D-1003); Science and Management Resources Inc., Pensacola, Florida (FA4890-19-D-1004); and Yulista Support Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (FA4890-19-D-1005), have been awarded a ceiling $473,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Air Force Enterprise Contracted Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratories Services II. This contract provides Air Combat Command, the Air National Guard, and other major command and combatant command customer management, supervision, personnel, equipment, tools, materials and other items necessary to perform equipment calibrations by professional and technical metrologists. Work will be performed at various Air Force bases in the continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2028. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,300,000 will fund the current requirement. Headquarters Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $365,730,330 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed fee, firm-fixed-price contract for new-construction DDG Aegis Weapon System Baseline K2 development and integration in support of the Republic of Korea Navy. This contract involves foreign military sales to the government of South Korea. This contract will provide for combat system installation, staging and integrated logistics support required for the installation, test and delivery of the Aegis Combat System K2 baselines for three Republic of Korea Navy DDGs. These efforts include program management, system engineering and computer program development; ship integration and testing; technical manuals and planned maintenance system documentation. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (66 percent); Ulsan, South Korea (18 percent); Seoul, South Korea (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (7 percent); and Washington, District of Columbia (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. Foreign military sales funding in the amount of $111,535,109 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(4) (International Agreement). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-5102). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is being awarded a $244,714,371 not-to-exceed, firm-fixed-price contract to procure long lead material for Harpoon full-rate production Lot 91 in support of multiple Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (54 percent); McKinney, Texas (23 percent); Toledo, Ohio (8 percent); Burnley, United Kingdom (3 percent); Middletown, Connecticut (2 percent); Grove, Oklahoma (2 percent); Elkton, Maryland (1 percent); Lititz, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Galena, Kansas (1 percent); Huntsville, Alabama (1 percent), and various locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. FMS funds in the amount of $244,714,371 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0016). BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $72,049,627 indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division. Support to be provided includes fleet services, equipment improvement, technical efforts, operational software, test bed efforts, repair, fabrication, and restoration; training; local area network, and quality assurance and system safety effort. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (80 percent); and various ship and shore locations (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2023. No funds are being 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 proposals; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0001). General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $54,436,930 modification (P00023) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (W15QKN-15-D-0001). This modification provides integrated logistics support for multiple foreign military sales (FMS) customers using purchased Navy defense articles including weapon systems, various aircraft, and other components procured under FMS programs. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (52 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (11 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (2.5 percent); Pensacola, Florida (1.5 percent); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (1 percent); various locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (28 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Northrop Grumman Technical Services, Sierra Vista, Arizona, was awarded a $74,569,127 modification (P00024) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0019 for extension of services for Hunter Contractor Logistics Support. Work will be performed in Sierra Vista, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Applied Visual Technology Inc.,* Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $26,000,000 modification (P00007) to contract W900KK-13-D-0001 to develop, test, integrate and field hardware and software subsystems to achieve a fully functional and concurrent Aviation Combined Arms Tactical Trainer system. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 12, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. Joseph B. Fay Co., Tarentum, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $22,246,265 firm-fixed-price contract for a new stilling basin and abutment protection wall at the Charleroi Locks and Dam. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Monessen, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 general construction funds in the amount of $22,246,265 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W911WN-19-C-8000). Bodell Construction Co., Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded a $20,323,384 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a C-17 refueling hydrants and ramp expansion. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Charlotte, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 1, 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $20,323,384 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Officer, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W91242-19-C-5001). KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $14,793,363 modification (0001 40) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0061 for Army Prepositioned Stock Four (APS-4) Korea, logistics support services. Work will be performed in Waegwan, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 29, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Southwind Construction Services LLC,* Edmond, Oklahoma, was awarded a $9,253,009 firm-fixed-price contract for anti-terrorism/force protection at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $9,253,009 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (W912BV-18-F-0184). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aurora Industries LLC, * Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $52,928,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for flame resistant coats for the Army Combat Uniform. This was a competitive acquisition with 13 responses received. This is an 18-month base contract with one, one-year option period. Maximum dollar amount is for the life of the contract, including options. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with an April 29, 2021, estimated performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1111). Belleville Shoe Co., Belleville, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $12,049,936 modification (P00003) exercising the first one-year option period of one-year base contract (SPE1C1-18-D-1001) with four one-year option periods for hot-weather combat boots. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Illinois, with an Oct. 29, 2019, performance completion date. Using customer is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY IntelliDyne LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, has been awarded a $15,695,542 firm-fixed-price contract to provide direct support to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) Global Service Center and the enterprise to fully support the integration of all desk side support, remote, or onsite troubleshooting; onsite IT touch labor; network support services activity program management; network security; and infrastructure assurance activities to include risk management framework support, in-room video teleconferencing support, Defense Health Headquarters site asset management, and network/systems engineering where required into the Military Health System Joint Active Directory Management and the Military Health System Medical Community of Interest network environment systems and infrastructure. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. This contract will have a six-month base period of performance (Oct. 30, 2018, to April 29, 2019) with one six-month option period. This short-term contract provides continuity of services until DHA is able to conduct a competitive award anticipated in the second quarter of fiscal 2019. This award utilizes fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $15,695,542. The Defense Health Agency, Contracting Office – Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HT0011-19-F-0001). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1677051/source/GovDelivery/

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  9 août 2023 | International, Naval

  Navy extends service lives of four more destroyers

  Each warship will now serve 40 years instead of the expected 35.