29 octobre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
ROME — Italy has announced a major boost to its defense budget even as the country spends millions of euros battling the devastating effect of COVID-19 on its economy.
Overall defense ministry spending is up 9.6 percent this year to €15.3 billion (U.S. $18.1 billion), with the procurement budget emerging as the big winner as it rises by 26 percent from last year if coupled with top-up spending from the industry ministry.
“This is a very positive budget for the armed forces, especially for procurement during this challenging economic climate,” said Paolo Crippa, a defense analyst at the CESI think tank in Rome.
The figures are included in Italy's 2020 budget, which should have been released in the spring, but was held up by the COVID-19 crisis which hit Italy hard in March and is now threatening the country again.
This year's €15.3 billion defense ministry spending compares to just under €14 billion last year, signaling a halt in a series of year-on-year falls.
Procurement takes up €2.8 billion of the budget, up 50 percent on last year, but for a true picture of Italian procurement spending the annual top-up for domestic procurement provided by the Italian industry ministry must be added, which amounts to €2.64 billion, also up from last year.
The total to spend on procurement therefore comes to €5.45 billion, up 26 percent on last year's €4.32 billion.
Of the other two other spending categories in the ministry budget, Maintenance and Operations rises 23 percent to €2.15 billion, while personnel spending remains stable at €10.4 billion.
“The rise in M&O spending follows claims by generals that cuts were damaging military readiness,” said Crippa.
The budget was drawn up by defense minister Lorenzo Guerini, a member of the center-left Democratic Party which governs in a coalition government with the anti-establishment Five Star party. Since first entering government in 2018, Five Star has softened its anti-military stance, which saw it initially push to scrap the F-35 program.
This year, the F-35 program receives €800 million to help conclude the purchase of the first 28 of Italy's planned 90 aircraft buy. A further €126 million is also budgeted to get the purchase of the next 27 aircraft underway.
Other ongoing programs that get more funding in 2020 include the purchase of 650 new VTLM 2 vehicles – an upgrade of the army Lince vehicle, as well as a mid-life refurbishment for Italy's Storm Shadow missiles and the purchase of T-345 and T-346 jet trainers.
Further programs also getting a dose of regular funding are Italy's new, €1.17 billion LHD vessel the Trieste, a €2 billion acquisition of 150 new Centauro II wheeled tanks and a €974 million purchase of 16 new CH-47F helicopters.
Comparing the total envisaged price tag of some programs in the budget to the price listed in last year's budget reveals costs are rising.
A plan to buy four new U-212 NFS submarines has risen from €2.35 billion to €2.68 billion this year, a hike of over €300 million.
The ongoing purchase of ten PPA naval vessels has risen over €400 million to €4.27 billion.
Some programs appear for the first time in the budget, including two new “DDX” destroyers for the Navy. No money is earmarked in 2020 but €4.5 million is due to be used for a de-risking study beginning in 2021.
A second new entry is a listing for a “multi-mission, multi-sensor” Gulfstream G-550 jet. Without stating how many aircraft Italy plans to order, the budget gives the total price tag of the program as €1.23 billion and states that funding will start in 2021.
The capabilities of the platform listed include command-and-control, “electronic superiority” and “electronic protection of forces.”
An Italian analyst who declined to be named said the program was a reprisal of a long nurtured Italian plan for a sensor platform dubbed JAMMS, which would offer signals intelligence, communications relay and radar capabilities.
The Italian Air Force declined to comment on the program.
An illustration of the aircraft in the budget document resembles Israel's “Shavit” Signals Intelligence Gulfstream.
Italy already flies two Gulfstream 550 Conformal Airborne Early Warning aircraft it purchased from Israel's IAI in 2012 as part of a swap deal under which Israel purchased 30 M-346 trainers from Italian firm Leonardo.
The budget document states that after getting underway, the new program will take onboard future technology advancements and the benefits of “international cooperation accords.”
The analyst said, “There is a plan to buy the platform now since the Gulfstream G550 is going out of production, then add Israeli systems in return for purchases by Israel from Italian industry.”
Programs on the military's wish list which do not have any funding earmarked yet also get a mention in the budget document, starting with investment in the U.K.-led Tempest program for a future sixth-generation fighter.
But the absence of cash for the program, which the U.K. and Sweden have already invested in, risked making Italy the weakest partner in the trio, wrote Italian defense publication RID.
“In this way, there is the risk that Italy's ability to influence the development decreases and it will be weaker when it comes to future talks on the dividing of manufacturing,” the publication stated.
The document also confirms Italy's interest in joining the U.S. Future Vertical Lift helicopter initiative to build next generation helicopters, which is currently being pursued by the United States only.
Government officials have already mulled investing in the program using funds paid out by the EU to help the Italian economy rebound from COVID-19.
Analysts have suggested that buying into FVL may overlap with work by Italy's Leonardo to build the AW249, a replacement for Italy's AW129 Mangusta attack helicopter.
This year, the plan to complete a €2.7 billion purchase of 48 of the AW249 helicopters receives funding in the budget.
“There is cash for the successor to the AW129 but seeing the mention of the FVL confirms Italy is also interested in that initiative,” said Crippa.
26 avril 2021 | International, Aérospatial
The result of a collaboration across industry, the U.S. Air Force and the Air National Guard, the F-15EX is a ready-now replacement for the F-15C that includes best-in-class payload, range...
9 juillet 2022 | International, C4ISR
DÉFENSE Guerre électronique : un marché avion en préparation par le ministère des Armées La guerre en Ukraine et le retrait de service accéléré du Gabriel, ou le Transall C160G, qui assure la reconnaissance électronique, l'espionnage et le recueil de renseignements, ont décidé le ministère des Armées à disposer d'une capacité intérimaire avant l'arrivée des 3 Dassault Falcon Archange, dont la livraison semble désormais calée pour 2026, puis prévue sur 3 ans. A ce stade, le gabarit de l'appareil choisi n'est pas connu, mais il devrait s'agir d'un biturbine pour atteindre des altitudes raisonnables et durer un minimum en l'air, surtout si l'aéronef doit aussi servir à maintenir un format minimal à l'escadron électronique 1/54 Dunkerque. Depuis plus de 10 ans, le ministère des Armées loue des capacités ISR au secteur privé (quasiment exclusivement au Luxembourgeois CAE Aviation), principalement pour la DGSE et la DRM. Plusieurs formules ont été testées, comme la fourniture d'avions et d'équipage de conduite, ou seulement d'avions (l'équipage étant fourni par l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace). Malgré le retrait de ses 2 Gabriel, l'armée de l'Air et de l'Espace conserve des disponibilités minimales avec un segment terrestre, des capacités ESM de ses E-3F Awacs, et des capacités d'interception électromagnétique de ses 2 Vador, qui ont été utilisés en opérations pour la 1ère fois depuis la Roumanie. Air & Cosmos du 8 juillet
14 février 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
NAVY British Aerospace Engineering Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00421-D-0035); Coherent Technical Services Inc.,* Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0036); Engility Corp., Andover, Maine (N00421-D-0037); J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-D-0038); KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (N00421-D-0039); Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia (N00421-D-0040); and Valkyrie Enterprises Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00421-D-0041), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $235,005,530, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. These contracts provide for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Operations Onboard Ship and Shore support services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) - Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems Division (NAWCAD 4.11.7). Services to be provided include operational, technical, logistical and system engineering support for system certification; technical assistance; systems analysis and engineering; test and evaluation; installation and maintenance; hardware design, development, technical logistics support; configuration management; training support; equipment manufacturing; quality control; and project management of Mobile Air Battle management systems and communication-electronic systems. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (20 percent); and at various contractor locations within the continental U.S. (80 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, with seven offers received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Diversified Maintenance Systems,* Sandy, Utah, is awarded a maximum amount $49,000,000 indefinite-delivery indefinite quantity contract for commercial and institutional building construction alterations, renovations, and repair projects at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of administration buildings, maintenance/repair facilities, aircraft control towers, hangars, fire stations, office buildings, laboratories, dining facilities and related structures. Work will be performed in Ridgecrest, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of January 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (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 operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with eight proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2612). The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded a $43,000,000 fixed-priced-incentive modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6307 for the fabrication, test, and delivery of four Orca Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (XLUUVs) and associated support elements. The Orca XLUUV will be an open architecture, reconfigurable Unmanned Undersea Vehicle. The Orca XLUUV will be modular in construction with the core vehicle providing guidance and control, navigation, autonomy, situational awareness, core communications, power distribution, energy and power, propulsion and maneuvering, and mission sensors. The Orca XLUUV will have well-defined interfaces for the potential of implementing cost-effective upgrades in future increments to leverage advances in technology and respond to threat changes. The Orca XLUUV will have a modular payload bay, with defined interfaces to support current and future payloads for employment from the vehicle. The competition for XLUUV requirements is still in source-selection, and therefore the specific contract award amount is considered source-selection sensitive information (see 41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulation 2.101 and 3.104) and will not be made public at this time. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (29 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (27 percent); Waukesha, Wisconsin (8 percent); East Aurora, New York (7 percent); Concord, Massachusetts (7 percent); Camden, New Jersey (5 percent); Smithfield, Pennsylvania (4 percent); Attleboro, Massachusetts (3 percent); City of Industry, California (3 percent); El Cajon, California (3 percent); Fairfield, New Jersey (2 percent); Ontario, California (1 percent); and Farmingdale, New York (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by June 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $43,000,000 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $14,498,758 for modification P00009 to a previously awarded fixed-price incentive firm contract (N0001918C1048) to provide for initial lay-in of repair material for seven F-35 Lightning II systems at various depots in support of the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (34 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (27 percent); Jackson, Mississippi (16 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (16 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (4 percent); and East Aurora, New York (3 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2024. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Marine Corps, and Navy); fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force); non-U.S. DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $14,498,758 are being obligated at time of award, $4,582,113 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($6,332,003; 43.68 percent); Marine Corps ($3,128,745; 21.58 percent); Navy ($1,453,368; 10.02 percent); non-U.S. DoD Participants ($2,470,964; 17.04 percent), and FMS customers ($1,113,678; 7.68 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. EPS Corp., Tinton Falls, New Jersey, is awarded a $10,980,406 modification to a previously awarded hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract (N00174-17-D-0026) to exercise an option for technical expertise in the development and testing of underwater weapons and underwater weapons systems components. This requirement is to develop an underwater weapons system acquisition/procurement program that provides underwater weapons systems (including authentic foreign mines) for research, development, test and evaluation of underwater weapons systems and mine countermeasures systems. Work will be performed in Tinton Falls, New Jersey (95 percent); Montenegro (2 percent); Bulgaria (2 percent); and Italy (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by February 2020. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Detyens Shipyards Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina, is awarded a $10,517,749 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12). Work will include clean and gas-free tanks, voids, cofferdams and spaces, main engine and electric motor maintenance, 10-year crane maintenance and recertification, dry-docking and undocking, propeller shaft and stern tube inspect, freshwater (closed loop) stern tube lubrication, underwater hull cleaning and painting, 2.5-year bow thruster maintenance and tunnel grating modification, renew flight deck nonskid, and auxiliary pre-stage area refrigeration installation. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $10,583,543. Work will be performed in North Charleston, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by July 16, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,517,749 are obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The U. S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C6002). AIR FORCE Nimbis Services Inc.,* Oro Valley, Arizona, has been awarded a ceiling increase of $49,500,000 to their indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. The Trusted Silicon Stratus contract's objective is to achieve an initial operational capability of a novel microelectronics life-cycle verification ecosystem implemented to enhance microelectronics supply chain risk management. Work will be performed in Columbus, Ohio. There are two orders currently on this IDIQ. The first task order (FA8650-18-F-1605) is expected to be complete by July 30, 2021, and the second task order (FA8650-18-F-1656) is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated on future task orders. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Tau Technologies LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a cost reimbursement type contract with a base period contract price of $8,913,357 for directed energy modeling for cross-domain analysis. This contract seeks to advance directed energy technologies and weapon systems in engagement and mission-level analysis to enable data-driven wargaming, military utility assessments, and weaponeering. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed May 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $300,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-19-C-0002). ARMY Phylway Construction LLC,* Thibodaux, Louisiana, was awarded a $48,654,095 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River levee construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $48,654,095 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-19-C-0015). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Lions Services, Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $11,403,650 modification (P00020) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-17-D-B008) with two one-year option periods for advanced combat helmet chinstraps and hardware. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Texas, with a Feb. 16, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019, through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES CompQsoft Inc., Leesburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,710,468 a hybrid contract which includes firm-fixed-price labor hour and time and materials contract line item numbers. The contract is to provide audio-visual/video conference support services, by Joint Service Provider to supported agencies in the most efficient manner possible. Work performance will take place primarily in the National Capital Region, including the Pentagon, Mark Center and Crystal City, Virginia. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,710,468 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Sept. 29, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-C-0118). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Solers Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for Systems Engineering, Technology, and Innovation. This was a competitive solicitation for a multiple-award ID/IQ contract, with an unrestricted pool and a pool set-aside for small businesses. The original awards for the unrestricted pool were initially made in June 2018. Four post-award protests were submitted to the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Following the GAO decisions, issued in October 2018, the agency took corrective action that resulted in the decision to award a contract to Solers Inc. The face value of this action is a ceiling amount of $7,500,000,000. The awardee will each receive a minimum guarantee of $500 applicable to the base ordering period only. All other funding will be obligated at the task order level. The primary performance will be at Defense Information Systems Agency Headquarters, Fort Meade, Maryland, as well as contractor facilities and DoD locations worldwide to be determined at the task order level. The period of performance is a five-year base period with one five-year option period. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-2015). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1757113/source/GovDelivery/