27 novembre 2024 | International, Aérospatial
29 avril 2020 | International, Naval
Navy Acquisition Boosts Ship Contract Awards Under COVID-19
“I think there are ways we can come out of this much more resilient, but you know it's hard to change bureaucracy and institutional ways of doing business [to] make sure that this disruption doesn't go to waste,” says Navy acquisition chief James Geurts.
By PAUL MCLEARY
WASHINGTON: Navy leaders and defense industry execs are worried about the effect the COVID-19 pandemic is having on their supply chains, potentially interrupting critical repair and refit availabilities that could have knock-on effects on deployment schedules.
The Navy's acquisition chief James Geurts told reporters recently that so far, industry is “holding pretty good on near-term milestones,” but he's worried about long-term effects on ship repair and the industry's ability to keep pace.
However, the pandemic seems to be having some beneficial effects.
“Part of my goal for our team is not to recover necessarily to where we were,” before COVID-19, but to change some fundamentals of how the Navy's business gets done, he said. With most of the Navy acquisition force teleworking, “we're basically 32 percent ahead on contract awards,” of where they planned to be at this point in the year. “And so, that means there are processes that are working much more efficiently now than they were before, so I want to capture those,” he said.
The Navy and shipbuilders are trying to do the same thing in the shipyards where “maybe different techniques will allow us to gain some efficiency while also creating some resiliency,” that will help weather any future disruptions and setbacks.
The big shipbuilders like Huntington Ingalls and Bath Iron Works are staggering shifts and allowing liberal leave and teleworking without suffering much disruption so far, company officials have said.
Geurts said the lessons they're learning could lead to the conclusion that, “we cannot operate the way we used to operate, which had a lot of fragility and brittleness as we're seeing right now. It's got to drive to the way we need to operate in the future, which has to have resiliency for whatever disruption that might come up. That's what we're really trying to watch closely and think two or three phases ahead, and not just get caught up in managing today's crisis.”
Even before COVID-19 tore through the global economy, the Navy was looking at ways to save money on repairing ships. Last month the service backtracked on plans for a classwide service-life extension project for its Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that would have added a decade to their 35-year service lives.
Not keeping the Burkes longer, and saving on their life-extension upgrades, would free up money for the Navy to buy more unmanned systems and other smaller ships to fit into plans Defense Secretary Mark Esper is making with Navy leadership for a smaller, faster, more stealthy fleet.
To that end, the service has been working on changing how it awards ship maintenance contracts, and is working to “bundle” multiple ship repair contracts together to give industry a more predictable work schedule, allowing them to plan long-term. “Ultimately, getting them bundles is the key to us being successful delivering these [ships] on time,” the commander of Naval Sea Systems Vice Adm. Thomas Moore said last month at the annual McAleese and Associates Defense Programs Conference.
Awarding several ship contracts at once will allow the shipbuilder to stockpile parts and arrange work schedules in a more efficient and rational manner, as opposed to the one-off, last-minute contracts the Navy has traditionally awarded for ship repair.
“Industry is rational. That's what I tell everybody — you may not like every decision they make, but the decisions most always are very, very rational,” Moore said.
In the end, “we've got to manage our way through delay and disruption, but really focus on steepening the recovery and reinvention phase to get into the place we need to be,” Geurts said. “I think there are ways we can come out of this much more resilient, but you know it's hard to change bureaucracy and institutional ways of doing business [to] make sure that this disruption doesn't go to waste.”
https://breakingdefense.com/2020/04/navy-acquisition-boosts-ship-contract-awards-under-covid-19
Sur le même sujet
-
-
5 juillet 2021 | International, Terrestre
Oshkosh nets $152M deal for JLTVs for U.S. military, NATO allies
The U.S. Army Contracting Command awarded Oshkosh Defence a $152 million contract for the Joint Light Tactical Wheeled Vehicles, trailers and associated kits, the Department of Defense announced.
-
7 mai 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre
Sea-Air-Space Exposition 2019 Day One
By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Brittney Kinsey, Defense Media Activity Public Affairs NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (NNS) -- Sea service chiefs and civilian defense leadership discussed myriad opportunities and challenges commanders face while operating on land, sea and air during the first day of the 54th annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition (SAS), May 6, 2019. Derived from the Chief of Naval Operations' (CNO) Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority 2.0 (Design 2.0), this year's exposition theme is “Sustainability, Agility, Superiority.” CNO Adm. John. M. Richardson, Commandant of the Marine Corps General Robert B. Neller, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard Adm. Karl Schultz and Administrator of the U.S. Maritime Administration retired Rear Adm. Mark H. Buzby each addressed during the sea service chiefs panel the specific obstacles their services contend with in the current maritime environment. Richardson explained that rapid changes in technology and maritime security requires a level of trust and confidence in leaders tasked with commanding maritime forces. “It's very important that our leaders are people of character and integrity so that when we put them in front of our Sailors to lead them, not only do they know their business in warfighting but also that we would be proud for our sons and daughters to follow them,” he said. “Whether at sea or near the sea, responding to any man-made or natural crisis, [they] are so much more than a maritime warrior, [they] are also diplomats and are securing our prosperity.” Richardson also stressed the importance of improving the logistical capabilities, stating that services will only maintain an upper hand in the maritime environment by becoming more agile. ‘'We have got to get capabilities into the hands of our soldiers, Sailors, airmen and Marines – more and faster,” he said. “It's important that as the pace quickens, as new technology enters the fray, as the security environment manifests itself in a really fast-changing world that we don't forget those fundamentals in terms of providing sustainable forces. ” During a panel on the Arctic, speakers explained why partnering with other services is also crucial to maintaining superiority, particularly in places like the Arctic Circle where there hasn't been a large naval presence. “When it comes to maritime readiness in the Arctic, we cannot and should not go alone,” said Rear Adm. John A. Okon, commander, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. “Collaboration is key. Resources and access points are limited, so we must work with our maritime partners to be successful.” Richardson echoed Okon's comments during his keynote remarks at the Sea Services Luncheon. “The Arctic is a very dynamic situation,” he said. “There are seaways that are open that were not open before, continental shelves that are being exposed that weren't exposed before, so I think that merits a response from our maritime forces and there's tremendous value in partnering with our fellow services such as the Coast Guard.” Keeping the waters open for Indo-Pacific trade routes, which bolster global economic prosperity, also remains a top priority for the Navy. “A third of the world's trade flows through the South China Sea, 90% of the world's trade flows by the sea, tens of trillions of U.S. dollars flow through that body of water,” said Richardson. “It's extremely important that those lines of communication and sea lanes remain open, and that's why the United States Navy is there and that's why we're going to stay there.” Other scheduled keynote speakers and panelists include Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer, Undersecretary of the Navy Thomas Modly, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James “Hondo” Geurts and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Russell Smith. Founded in 1965 and the largest maritime exposition in the United States, SAS brings together the U.S. defense industrial base, private sector U.S. companies and key military decision makers for an annual event to share the most current policies, programs, information and technology relevant to maritime service. SAS takes place May 6-8 and will include speaker and professional development sessions and dynamic maritime and defense exhibits on the latest technology and military equipment. https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=109502