Hydraulic warfare is here to stay. NATO should plan for it.

Sur le même sujet

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  5 avril 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Switzerland names contenders in $8 billion ‘Air 2030’ program

  By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — Swiss officials have unveiled details of their envisioned reboot of the country's air-defense complex, setting the stage for purchases of aircraft and ground-based missiles totaling more than $8 billion. The head of Switzerland's defense and civilian protection department, Guy Parmelin, on Friday unveiled a list of requirements for the “Air 2030” program that the neutral country wants to begin fulfilling in the mid-2020s to defend its skies and repel intruders. The existing fleet of decades-old F/A-18 and F-5 jets is considered too outdated for the task. New aircraft under consideration include the Airbus Eurofighter, Dassault's Rafale, Saab's Gripen, the F/A-18 Super Hornet from Boeing and Lockheed Martin's F-35A, according to the March 23 list of requirements published by the defense department. Ground-based weapons on the short list are the Eurosam consortium's SAMP/T system; the David's Sling missile shield from Israel; and Raytheon's Patriot system. Swiss officials want to protect an area of 15,000 square kilometers with ground-based weapons, which is more than one-third of the country. They also seek to intercept targets up to 12 kilometers high and 50 kilometers away. The envisioned concept of operations dictates that a fleet of roughly 40 aircraft will intercept those targets outside of the ground weapons' range. Officials want enough capacity to have four planes in the air at any given time during crises. Request for proposals for an acquisition program are expected to be published in the summer, Renato Kalbermatten, a spokesman for the defense department, told Defense News in an email Tuesday. Before a referendum is held about the project in the first half of 2020, ministry officials want to finish qualification of all potential vendors. That includes studying the data from a first round of proposals and collecting final offers from those still in the running at that time, according to Kalbermatten. Referendums are a key tool of the Swiss political process. Asked by a Swiss news agency this month if the country would still have an air force if the population voted against spending money on Air 2030, Parmelin responded dryly: “That's policymaking in Switzerland.” The Swiss won't be asked which type of aircraft the country should buy, only about the program as a whole. Government analysts would then decide which system is best suited for the task, Parmelin said. A 2014 plebiscite saw the acquisition of Sweden's Gripen defeated, a rare outcome for a referendum on security policy matters, Swiss national broadcaster SRF commented at the time. Notably, Germany's future TLVS air and missile defense system, a development based on the trinational Medium Extended Air Defense System, is missing from the lineup of candidate ground-based weapons. That is because the Swiss consider that system suitable only for short and medium ranges, according to Kalbermatten. “As Switzerland has not had a defense system for long ranges since 1999, the first goal is buying a long-range system,” he wrote. Exactly how much money will go to aircraft purchases and how much to ground weapons will depend on the interplay between the two program components ultimately picked, according to officials. However, previous estimates assume that $6 billion or $7 billion would be spent on planes. Winning bidders must agree to arrange for 100 percent of the program cost to flow back into the Swiss economy through so-called offset agreements. Those can be negotiated after final contracts are signed, according to the defense department. The government is looking for aircraft and missile hardware as is, meaning few to no “Helvetizations,” or Swiss-specific tweaks, would be made to the weapons, the new requirements document states. The ministry wants to purchase a single plane type under a “one-fleet policy.” https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/03/27/switzerland-names-contenders-in-8-billion-air-2030-program/

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  14 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 10, 2018

  DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Caterpillar Inc., Peoria, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $118,172,545 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for commercial portable power equipment. Other contracts are expected to be awarded under this solicitation (SPE8EC-17-R-0010), and awardees will compete for a portion of the maximum dollar value. This was a competitive acquisition with seven offers received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Indiana, Texas and the United Kingdom, with a Dec. 9, 2023, 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 (SPE8EC-19-D-0034). Honeywell International Inc., Tempe, Arizona, has been awarded a maximum $11,137,310 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for modulating valves. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code. 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year contract with no options periods. Location of performance is Arizona, with a Nov. 30, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-19-D-0035). (Awarded Dec. 6, 2018) The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $7,957,022 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-0003), against a three-year, six-month contract (SPRPA1-14-D-002U), with no option periods for F-15 parts and engineering. 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 Missouri, with a May 18, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Awarded Dec. 6, 2018) NAVY CH2M Hill Constructors Inc., Englewood, Colorado (N62470-13-D-6019); Environmental Chemical Corp., Burlingame, California (N62470-13-D-6020); Kellogg, Brown & Root Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia (N62470-13-D-6021); URS Group Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina (N62470-13-D-6022), are awarded an $86,000,000 modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for global contingency construction projects worldwide. The construction and related engineering services would respond to natural disasters humanitarian assistance conflict, or projects with similar characteristics. Work will be predominately construction. The contractor, in support of the construction effort, may be required to provide initial base operating support services, which will be incidental to construction efforts. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $886,000,000. Work will be performed worldwide and the term of the contract is not to exceed 68 months with an expected completion date of February 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $72,000,552 for modification P00074 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-14-C-0038), to exercise an option for range engineering, operations and maintenance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Atlantic Test Range, and the Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations Division. Services to be provided include system operations; laboratory and field testing; marine operations and target support; engineering; range sustainability; maintenance, data reduction, and analysis. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in December 2019. Fiscal 2019 working capital fund (Defense and Navy); and Major Range and Test Facility Base funds in the amount of $35,209,082 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Hawaii Shipyards Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded a $50,605,368 cost-plus-award-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-14-C-4412), for scheduled Extended Docking Selected Restricted Availability (EDSRA) on USS Hopper (DDG-70). The ship is homeported in Honolulu, Hawaii. The scheduled EDSRA is the opportunity in the ship's life cycle primarily to conduct repair and alteration to systems that will update and improve the ship's military and technical capabilities. This repair modification will include repair and alteration requirements. A focal point of the work is to support alteration installation team modernization packages. Work will be performed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by July 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $25,302,684 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $25,138,776 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Dec. 3, 2018) Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded $49,885,708 for firm-fixed-price modification P00004 to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-18-C-1037), for long-lead parts and associated support for the full rate production of two Lot 7 E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York (29 percent); El Segundo, California (29 percent); Melbourne, Florida (14 percent); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (7 percent); Menlo Park, California (6 percent); Greenlawn, New York (4 percent); Owego, New York (2 percent); Indianapolis, Indiana (2 percent); Edgewood, New York (2 percent); Woodland Hills, California (2 percent); Marlborough, Massachusetts (1 percent); Independence, Ohio (1 percent); and various locations within the continental U.S. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2023. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $49,885,708 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. Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $44,665,555 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-2106) for Naval nuclear propulsion components. This contract modification includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $139,923,083. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (94 percent); and Schenectady, New York (6 percent). No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval nuclear propulsion program contracts. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $44,665,555 will be obligated at time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman, Sykesville, Maryland, is awarded a $35,143,328 five-year, firm-fixed requirements, long-term contract for the repair of nine items of the aircraft launch and recovery equipment systems under the Advanced Recovery Control system. Work will be performed in Sykesville, Maryland, and work is expected to be completed by December 2023. Working capital funds (Navy) will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code. 2304(C)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00383-19-D-PY01). Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, San Diego, California, is awarded a $21,327,364 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification for contract (N00024-14-C-5128) for continued platform systems engineering agent support of the ship elf defense system MK 2. Work will be performed in San Diego, California and is expected to be completed by June 2019. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy); fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $21,327,364 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Aretè Associates Inc.,* Northridge, California, is awarded a $17,083,516 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N61331-18-D-0012) to exercise an option for coastal battlefield reconnaissance and analysis (COBRA) systems. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (35 percent); Destin, Florida (35 percent); and Santa Rosa, California (30 percent), and is expected to be completed by July 2021. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as delivery orders are issued. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity. Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification under a previously awarded indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract (N40080-17-D-0018), to exercise Option Two for engineering and design services for industrial and research facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command. The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $75,000,000. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various administrative facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington area of responsibility, including but not limited to, Maryland (45 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (30 percent); Virginia (20 percent), and may also be performed in the remainder of the U.S. (5 percent). Work for this options is expected to be completed December 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Florida Turbine Technologies Inc., Jupiter, Florida, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $50,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Advanced Turbine Technologies for Affordable Mission (ATTAM)- capability Phase I. The mission of the ATTAM Phase I program is to develop, demonstrate, and transition advanced turbine propulsion, power and thermal technologies that provides improvement in affordable mission capability. Work will be performed in Jupiter, Florida, and is expected to be completed by December 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 54 offers were received. No specific funds are obligated on the basic IDIQ, although in conjunction with the basic IDIQ award, the first task order, a cost-share task order, is fully funded with fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,000, and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $99,714 at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, is the contracting activity (contract FA8650-19-D-2056 and initial task order FA8650-19-F-2086). ARMY Harris Corp., Palm Bay, Florida, was awarded a $34,606,257 cost, firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of FliteScene digital map software licenses maintenance agreements software support upgrades and releases engineering services materials, and travel. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-D-0011). Pavement Technical Solutions Inc.,* Ashburn, Virginia (W9128F-19-D-0024); and RDM International Inc.,* Chantilly, Virginia (W9128F-19-D-0025); Applied Pavement Technology Inc.,* Urbana, Illinois (W9128F-19-D-0026), and All About Pavements Inc.,* Purcellville, Virginia (W9128F-19-D-0027), will share in a $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for management system implementation on roads, parking areas and airfields and updating, testing, and maintenance. Nine bids were solicited with four bids received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1709400/

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  21 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  British next-generation fighter program taps new suppliers

  By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – A raft of top systems suppliers have been recruited to join the team leading Britain's development of the Tempest next-generation fighter aircraft. Bombardier in Northern Ireland, GKN, Martin Baker and Qinetiq, alongside the UK arms of Collins Aerospace, GE Aviation and Thales, have signed up to collaborate with the BAE Systems-led team working on the future air combat system, it was announced July 20 on what should have been the opening day of the Farnborough air show before Covid-19 caused the event's cancellation. At the same time as the announcement, Sweden's Saab revealed it was setting up a UK hub to potentially participate in future combat air systems work between the two nations. It's been almost two years to the day when the wraps were taken off a plastic mock-up of a Tempest fighter at the Farnborough show. The British revealed a BAE-led partnership, also involving Leonardo, MBDA, Rolls-Royce, that would begin investigating the technologies required for a future combat air system. Some $2.5 billion has so far been committed to the program. Now, just months before an outline business case to develop the program further is due to be delivered to the UK government, Team Tempest, as the industrial team is known, has signed up its first seven systems suppliers. With the first phase of the new partnerships signed, the companies will seek opportunities to join forces on established projects and developments with the core Team Tempest partners. More than 60 technology demonstration activities are currently underway on future combat air systems in the UK employing 1800 people – a number expected to grow to 2500 by the end of the year. In a statement, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he was “delighted seven more companies have joined this mission to work in collaboration with the MoD, under the Team Tempest banner. They will bring the ambition, invention and expertise that will deliver the breakthroughs we will depend on for decades to come.” The rising employment levels and increasing industrial support comes at a crucial time for a program which will pretty much dictate Britain's future position in the defense industrial world, given the air sector's importance to jobs, skills and exports here. An integrated defense, security and foreign policy review is underway led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his advisors, who are said to be skeptical of local industry's ability to deliver major programs on time and on budget and would rather buy defense equipment off the shelf. With Covid-19 pretty much emptying government coffers, launching a multibillion-dollar program like Tempest is likely to be an issue unless the British can sign up some major international partners to share the cost. Last year Italy and Sweden both signed up to investigate partnering with the UK on a future combat air system, and those studies are ongoing with neither country yet committing to the program. Sweden may not have yet committed to a partnership with the British and others, but its biggest defense company, Saab, announced July 20 it was to invest an initial $63 million setting up a new future combat air center with other initiatives in the UK. Saab leads Sweden's future combat air system industrial participation in cooperation with the defense ministry. Details of where and when the company will invest in the UK are sparse, but Micael Johansson, the president and CEO of Saab, said the move demonstrated the company's commitment to combat air development and the UK. “Saab took the decision to create a new future combat air system center so that we can further develop the close working relationship with the other FCAS industrial partners and the UK MoD. This emphasizes the importance of both FCAS and the United Kingdom to Saab's future,” said Johansson. The British have cast their net beyond Europe in the search for partners, with India and Japan also having held discussions about a potential tie-up on a future combat air system. Across the English channel France and Germany are together developing a new combat jet to a similar time frame. Attempts to merge the two European programs have so far failed, but that's not to say that post Covid-19 financial reality may not cause a potential tie-up to be revisited. Howard Wheeldon, of consultants Wheeldon Strategic Advisory, said that the British government knew was at stake in the development of a future combat air system. “Team Tempest is a very significant program for the UK. ... A partnership between government, military, industry and international partners all of whom are determined to succeed,” he said. “Industry, along with the RAF Rapid Capabilities Office, have already achieved a vast amount in a very short period of time. I, for one, am in no doubt that the government fully understands the importance of what ‘Team Tempest' means to the UK, not only to jobs and maintaining necessary skills, but in the potential that the development has in terms of future prosperity,” said Wheeldon. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/07/20/british-next-generation-fighter-program-taps-new-suppliers