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  7 juillet 2020 | International, Terrestre

  India accelerates weapons purchases in wake of border clash with China

  By: Vivek Raghuvanshi NEW DELHI — India has accelerated the domestic and foreign purchase of weapons in the wake of a border clash between Indian and Chinese troops. Sino-Indo relations are suffering after a skirmish with Chinese troops on June 15 in Galwan Valley. India said 20 of its soldiers were killed, as were Chinese soldiers. Chinese officials have not confirmed any casualties. The Defence Acquisition Council on Friday approved a collection of arms procurement projects worth $5.55 billion, including domestic efforts worth $.4.44 billion. DAC is an apex-level body that falls under the purview of the Ministry of Defence. “In the current situation and the need to strengthen the armed forces for the defence of our borders, and in line with our Prime Minister's clarion call for ‘Atma Nirbhar Bharat' [self-sufficient India], the DAC, in its meeting of July 2 held under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded approval for capital acquisitions of various platforms and equipment required by the Indian armed forces. Proposals for an approximate cost of $5.55 billion were approved,” the MoD said in a statement. Under the approval, India will upgrade 59 of its MiG-29 aircraft and buy 21 more from Russia for about $1 billion. In addition, India will order 12 Russian-made Su-30MKI fighters from the local state-owned company Hindustan Aeronautics Limited for $1.53 billion. The government has also approved several indigenous development programs, including ammunition for Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launchers; an armaments upgrade of BMP-2 infantry combat vehicles; software-defined radios; Nirbhay land-attack cruise missiles; and Astra beyond-visual-range missiles. The government also approved the emergency purchase of Excalibur artillery rounds for M777 ultralight howitzers from the United States, Igla-S air defense systems from Russia and Spike anti-tank guided missiles from Israel. It's also granted special financial powers that comes with a ceiling of $71.42 million to rapidly buy weapons. But these fast-track purchasing programs will still involve a multi-vendor competition. Twenty-five of these procurement programs are for the Army and the Air Force; 10 are for the Navy. The Army is likely to buy ammunition for its T-90 tanks, BMP-2 vehicles, air defense guns, artillery guns and small arms, as well as rockets, missiles and mortars. The Air Force is likely to buy air-to-air missiles, air to-ground missiles, smart bombs, chaffs, flares and precision-guided munitions. As part of the procurement effort, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar visited Moscow from June 22-25 and met with Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, Deputy Prime Minister Yury Borisov and chief of Rosoboronexport Alexander Mikheev. An MoD official said India requested the immediate supply of spare parts for Su-30MKI fighters, Kilo-class submarines and T-90 tanks, as well as the emergency purchase of missiles and specialized ammunition for Russian-origin fighter jets, tanks, warships and submarines. Another MoD official said the Indian government plans to sign defense contracts with Russia worth $800 million to buy weapons and spare parts. DAC-approved projects are expected to be awarded within a year, with technology induction starting after about three years. For fast-track and emergency purchases, induction is to begin within a month and be completed within a year. Ashok Sharma with The Associated Press contributed to this report. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2020/07/06/india-accelerates-weapons-purchases-in-wake-of-border-clash-with-china/

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  25 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 24, 2019

  ARMY TCOM L.P., Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $978,946,631 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price) contract for the Persistent Surveillance Systems - Tethered engineering, logistics, operations and program management support. 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 June 19, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-19-D-0020). Lockheed Martin Corp., Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $561,802,200 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and fixed-price-incentive) foreign military sales (Bahrain, Poland and Romania) contract for production of Army tactical missile guided missile and launching assembly service life extension program production 3. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas; Camden, Arizona; Boulder, Colorado; Clearwater, Florida; St. Louis, Missouri; Lufkin, Texas; Windsor Locks, Connecticut; and Williston, Vermont, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 missile procurement, Army and foreign military sales funds in the combined amount of $561,802,200 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-C-0092). Donjon Marine, Hillside, New Jersey, was awarded a $12,170,000 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of portions of the Newark Bay, New Jersey Federal Navigation Project. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Newark, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 civil works funds in the amount of $12,170,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0013). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Texas Power & Associates,* Palm Harbor, Florida (SPE8EG-19-D-0117); Atlantic Diving Supply, doing business as ADS,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (SPE8EG-19-D-0112); Berger/Cummins, Washington, District of Columbia (SPE8EG-19-D-0113); Caterpillar Defense, Peoria, Illinois (SPE8EG-19-D-0114); Inglett & Stubbs International, Atlanta, Georgia (SPE8EG-19-D-0115); and QGSI-USA Emergency Power, Houston, Texas (SPE8EG-19-D-0116), are sharing a maximum $900,000,0000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE8EG-18-R-0007 for generators. This was a competitive acquisition with eight offers received. These are five-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Florida, Virginia, Washington, District of Columbia, Illinois, Georgia and Texas, with a June 19, 2024, performance completion date. Using customer is Federal Emergency Management Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Welch Allyn Inc., Skaneateles Falls, New York, has been awarded a maximum $100,000,000 firm‐fixed‐price, indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract for patient monitoring systems, accessories and training. This is a five-year base contract with one five‐year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with 36 responses received. Location of performance is New York, with a June 24, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1‐19‐D‐0019). Hamilton Sundstrand, Windsor Locks, Connecticut, is to be awarded a $16,532,250 firm-fixed price contract for helicopter flight control computers. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Location of performance is Arizona. Using military service is the Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRPA1-13-G-001X/SPRRA1-19-F-0329). NAVY L3 Technologies Inc., Northampton, Massachusetts, is awarded a $73,743,347 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract containing cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursement and firm-fixed-price provisions. This contract provides for depot-level repair, upgrade and overhaul services for submarine photonics mast programs. Work will be performed in Northampton, Massachusetts (98%), and at various places in the U.S. below one percent (2%) and is expected to be completed by June 2025. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,146,169 will be obligated on the first delivery order 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)(1) - only one source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity (N66604-19-D-G900). Katmai Integrated Solutions LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded a contract ceiling $21,625,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a three year ordering period to provide subject matter support services for Immersive Training Range Support (ITRS) . Work will be performed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (40%), Camp Pendleton, California (40%), and Marine Corps Base, Hawaii (20%), and work is expected to be completed June 24, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $4,877,737 will be obligated on the first task order immediately following contract award and funds will expire the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The contract was prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5 and 15 U.S. Code 637. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contract activity (M67854-19-D-7835). Advanced Solutions Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, was awarded $16,863,635 for firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded task order N00039-18-F-0069 issued against Blanket Purchase Agreement N00104-08-A-ZF42 and the underlying a multiple award schedule in support of Navy Enterprise Resource Planning. This modification exercises an option for cloud and integration support services. Work will be performed in Loudon, Virginia (50%) and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (50%) and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,863,635 will be obligated at the time of the award, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded June 20, 2019) AIR FORCE Concentric Security LLC, Sykesville, Maryland (FA8003-19-D-A001); Nasatka Barrier Inc., Clinton, Maryland, (FA8003-19-D-A002); Cherokee Nation Security & Defense LLC., Tulsa, Oklahoma, (FA8003-19-D-A003); and Perimeter Security Partners LLC., Nashville, Tennessee (FA8003-19-D-A004) have been awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for vehicle barriers maintenance and repair services. This contract provides for all personnel, labor, equipment, supplies, tools, materials, supervision, travel, periodic inspection, minor repair, and other items and services necessary to provide maintenance for Air Force vehicle barrier systems. Work will be performed at all Contiguous United States (CONUS) (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) active duty Air Force installations and is expected to be completed by June 23, 2024. These awards are the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,000 ($1,000 per awardee) are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity. Weldin Construction LLC, Palmer, Alaska, has been awarded a $35,000,000 ceiling increase modification (P00004) to previously awarded contract FA4861-17-D-A200 for simplified acquisition of base engineering requirements. This modification will increase the contract value from $35,000,000 to $70,000,000. Work will be performed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada and Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 2021. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The 99th Contracting Squadron, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a modification to exercise an option totaling $8,825,457 to previously awarded contract HR0011-18-C-0127 for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) research project. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $13,204,195. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia; San Diego, California; and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with an expected completion date of September 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,600,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1885753/source/GovDelivery/

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  17 juin 2019 | International, Aérospatial

  New at the Paris Air Show

  Airbus Vahana With urban air mobility a central theme of this year's event, Airbus is showcasing its growing fund of expertise, accumulated partly from the Vahana multirotor. Intended to be the first certified electric, self-piloted, vertical take-off and landing ( e VTOL) passenger aircraft, Vahana flew in the U.S. in January 2018, but did not demonstrate transition to forward flight until May 3 this year. The manufacturer is also developing a second design, the CityAirbus, but will place neither in production. Full artcile: https://aviationweek.com/paris-airshow-2019/new-paris-air-show