20 septembre 2018 | International, Naval, C4ISR

NGEN-R: What is the Navy thinking?

The Navy released a long-awaited final request for proposals Sept. 18 for the re-compete of its Next Generation Enterprise Network contract. But it's part one of two, covering only the hardware side of things as the service looks to overhaul its Navy-Marine Corps Intranet.

According to analysts at Deltek, each piece of the NGEN-R request is valued at roughly $250 million over a three-year period, per estimates from Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. That's significantly lower than NGEN's original $3.5 billion price tag.

Specifically, the RFP seeks hardware devices for use on the Department of Defense's classified and unclassified networks, including desktops, laptops, two-in-one detachable devices, tablets, ultra-small desktop computers, as well as thin- or zero-client devices. A single device could serve multiple users and associated accounts, according to the RFP.

But for the roughly 400,000 devices NGEN-R looks to replace, the service in particular is looking at an end-user hardware-as-a-service arrangement.

“It's breaking out the services that are being provided in a way that allows us to gain most effective advantage of how industry does business today,” Capt. Don Harder, deputy program executive officer for Navy enterprise information systems, told Federal Times in a recent interview.

“The end user of hardware and devices as its own separate contract, there are those suppliers out there that that's what they specialize in. By breaking that out into its own contractual component within the NGEN-R construct ... we believe will allow us to get more effective advantage to pricing on those components.”

The language in the RFP solidifies Harder's thoughts as part of the statement of work.

“In acquiring EUHWaaS, the Government is only acquiring the service of using an EUHW device. This is not a purchase, and titles for all EUHWaaS devices remain with the Contractor,” the RFP states. “EUHWaaS includes the provisioning, storage of spares, configuration, testing, integration, installation, operation, maintenance, [end-of-life] disposal of NIPRNet and SIPRNet EUHW, and internal storage device removal and destruction requirements.”

Bids for the hardware piece of NGEN-R are due Nov. 19.

The second part of the NGEN-R RFP, service management integration and transport or SMIT, is expected in the next 30 days, according to a Navy spokesman. SMIT will cover much of NMCI's backbone and functionality, including services ranging from help desk to productivity suites to network defense — and how they're technically provided.

Splitting NGEN-R into two separate contracts was an intentional move designed, at least in part, to give the Navy greater flexibility in the capabilities available to users, and the options for buying them, as technology evolves.

“We are modifying how the services are broken out in a way that it allows us to sever some of those services as new mechanisms [and] provide [them as they are] brought into play or brought to our attention,” Harder said, using cloud capabilities as an example.

“We may allow a mechanism to pull some of those into either a hybrid cloud or a cloud solution in the future. If so, it may go on a separate contractual vehicle at which point in time we would sever those services away from the SMIT vehicle. So, we're looking at how we take those services and how we manage them contractually, which would allow us, again additional flexibility later on down the road.”

Harder said that throughout the development of NGEN-R, he's been eyeing not just the Navy, but also the broader government to benefit from the new approach.

“We're building in that flexibility that allows the government the ability in the future even to find components of services that can be done in a more effective or efficient way [and] either sever them or modify them separately as opposed to having to break apart the entire contract to do something,” he said.

The hardware piece of NGEN-R was released less than two weeks after Navy officials announced a one-year, $787 million extension to the incumbent provider, Perspecta.

Harder declined to put a dollar figure on the NGEN-R contract, as did other Navy officials.

The RFP comes after several delays — officials previously had said the contract would be up for bidding this summer. According to Harder, prior to release the RFP had to be approved by leadership at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, as well as the Office of the Secretary of Defense's Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy office.

Harder said the Navy has taken extra time to shore up “the education piece” — ensuring the contracting process meets leaders' expectations, particularly with the new strategy. And IT modernization also has come into play, with officials from the broader DoD looking to NGEN as a possible model or even contract vehicle for defense networks down the line, he said.

“We need to ensure that what we have placed in the contract and how we're going about the contract meets leadership expectations. And because we are doing things in a different way, that's taking a little bit of time,” Harder said. The Navy's approach to running NMCI today is “one of the more cost-effective ways of managing networks. And there is a desire as part of one of the many IT reform efforts [for possible] integration of networks in the future to mimic or, potentially, even ride on our contracts.”

https://www.federaltimes.com/acquisition/2018/09/19/ngen-r-what-is-the-navy-thinking

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21 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial

Technical Failure or Unrealistic Expectations? Report Shows U.K. Police Drones Fall in Heavy Rains
Whether technical failure or simply unrealistic expectations, a new report published in the U.K. indicates that the DJI Matrice Series drones fall during heavy rains. As reported by CNN, the U.K.'s Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) found that 16 DJI Matrice 200 series drones crashed due to “technical failures” while flying in the rain. This month's AAIB bulletin reports on one specific incident that took place in a flight over a sporting event: The DJI Matrice 210 small unmanned aircraft was being operated commercially to record video footage of an outdoor athletics event. The pilot started to position the aircraft back towards the landing site due to an increase in the rainfall. The pilot then saw the aircraft“wobble” slightly and as it neared the landing site it flipped over before descending rapidly to the ground from a height of about 3 m (10 ft). No one was injured. During the accident flightthe aircraft had been operating at heights of up to about 30 m (100 ft) near to, and above people on the ground. This investigation reviewed other similar accidents and the risk of injury to people on the ground. It's important to note that the professional pilot handled the situation correctly and according to protocol – and as a result, his aircraft was damaged but there were no injuries or issues with the spectators or participants in the event. The event began in light rain, but, as can happen in the U.K., a drizzle became a downpour. In a statement to CNN, DJI reiterated that safety is a priority: “The DJI Matrice 200 Series has been independently certified by a third party that it has an IP43 rating,” it said. “This certifies that ‘water falling as a spray at any angle up to 60° from the vertical shall have no harmful effect'. However, the M200 is not suitable, and should not, be operated in conditions or precipitation greater than those stated by the certification. “All users of M200 series drones should refer to our current maintenance guidelines and safety information here to help manage their aircraft and maximise flight safety.” The problem may not be as much about a “failure,” which implies the unexpected, as it is one of unrealistic expectations. Much of the advantage of an sUAS is in its small form factor. While the technical capabilities of drones have increased over the last several years, and commercial drones can now maintain stability in a wider range of environments, they aren't airplanes and they aren't designed to be flown in all weather conditions – including a downpour. https://dronelife.com/2020/01/17/technical-failure-or-unrealistic-expectations-report-shows-u-k-police-drones-fall-in-heavy-rains/
4 février 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - February 1, 2019
ARMY General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $517,375,800 cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for the engineering and manufacturing development phase of the Improved Turbine Engine Program. Two bids were solicited via the internet with two bids received. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 1, 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $130,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0003). Ravenswood Solutions Inc., Fremont, California, was awarded a $39,906,590 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of hardware components making up two FlexTrain multi-mission instrumentation systems, along with Orion software licenses. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Fremont, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2019. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $39,906,590 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-19-C-0018). Lockheed Martin Corp. Missile and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, was awarded a $24,969,700 cost-plus-incentive-fee Foreign Military Sales (Japan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, Germany and Republic of Korea) contract for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target, Advanced Capability-3 and Missile Segment Enhancement. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2010 Foreign Military Sales; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $24,969,700 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-F-0196). Raytheon Co., Andover, Massachusetts, was awarded a $19,471,861 modification (P00026) to Foreign Military Sales (Qatar, Kuwait, Japan, Republic of Korea, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, Romania and Sweden) contract W31P4Q-17-C-0042 for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target missile support center, missile assessments, testing, recertification, and repair activities. One bid was solicited via with one bid received. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $19,471,861 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $9,020,518 modification (P00183) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle trailers, kits, systems engineering and program management. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 procurement, Marine Corps; and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $9,020,518 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. NAVY Andromeda Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $41,977,403 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering support services and associated engineering technical services in support of the Fleet Readiness Center South East's In-Service Support Center. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Florida (90 percent); Seattle, Washington (2 percent); Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (2 percent); NAS Oceana, Virginia Beach, Virginia (1.5 percent); NAS Whiting Field, Milton, Florida (1.5 percent); Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, South Carolina (1.5 percent); NAS Corpus Christi, Texas (1.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; seven offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N6134019D0006). DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $21,537,760 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5395 to exercise options for production of the AN/SPQ-9B radar systems and associated equipment. This modification is for the production of five AN/SPQ-9B radar systems; five combat interface kits; three digital signal processor upgrade kits; and three periscope detection and discrimination upgrade kits. The AN/SPQ-9B provides Navy ships the capability to detect and track low-flying, high-speed, small Radar Cross Section anti-ship missile targets in heavy clutter environments. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be complete by April 2021. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $21,537,760 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 Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin – Rotary and Mission Systems, King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, is awarded $10,939,237 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00019-18-F-2684 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0057). This delivery order provides for the management, sustainment, and upgrade of the Tactical Tomahawk Weapons Control System software product baseline and the required system and software documentation for the Navy and the government of the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania (98 percent); and Patuxent River, Maryland (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,939,237 will be obligated at time of award, $1,361,805 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($8,687,257; 79.4 percent); and the government of the United Kingdom ($2,251,980; 20.6 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a maximum $39,038,317 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (PZ0003) for an existing cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (H92241-18-F-0022) for finalization of four new-build MH-47G rotary wing aircraft. This action is required to satisfy an urgent need to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft in light of increased SOF operational demands. Fiscal 2018 procurement, defense-wide funds in the amount of $15,817,890; and fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $23,220,427 shall be obligated at time of modification award. The funds are multiyear. The majority of the work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. The delivery order number is W91215-16-G-0001. U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aurora Industries LLC,* Camuy, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $30,507,300 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for jackets, extreme cold/wet weather, GEN III. This is an 18-month base contract with one one-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with an Aug. 1, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1133). Coachys & Associates LLC,** Roswell, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $28,390,500 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for jackets, extreme cold/wet weather, GEN III. This is an 18-month base contract with one one-year option period. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. Locations of performance are Georgia and Tennessee with an Aug. 1, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-1134). Ohio Ordnance Works Inc.,* Chardon, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $26,141,125 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for receiver cartridge's. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. Location of performance is Ohio, with a Feb. 1, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0050). Saft America, Valdosta, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $7,920,163 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for storage batteries. This is three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses. Location of performance is Georgia, with a Jan. 31, 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 Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0082). JLG Industries Inc., McConnellsburg, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $7,572,265 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for atlas rough terrain forklift transmissions and diesel engines. 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 three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Wisconsin, with a Feb. 1, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2022 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0020). AIR FORCE Valdez International Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $26,262,042 firm-fixed-price modification (P00010) to contract FA8773-17-C-0002 to exercise Option II for Air Force Information Network support services. Work will be performed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado; Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland; Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio; and Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and is expected to be completed Feb. 2, 2020. This modification is the result of a competitive acquisition and 11 offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $26,262,042 are being obligated at the time of award. The 38th Contracting Squadron, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a $10,000,000 modification (P0009) to increase the ceiling on contract FA7037-15-D-0001 for the Digital Integration Combat Engagement program. The contractor will perform systems engineering and analysis supporting the research, development, security and accreditation, integration and evaluation of new intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor, data link and tasking, collection, processing, exploitation, and dissemination. Location of performance will be determined on individual task orders is expected to be completed by Feb. 29, 2020. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Acquisition Management and Integration Center-Detachment 2, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. (BAH), McLean, Virginia, was awarded a hybrid firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to exercise Option Year 4. The face value of this action is $10,621,332.98 and incrementally funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,655,333; and fiscal 2019 research, testing, development and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,283,307. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $49,940,116. Performance will be at Defense Information Systems Agency and contractor facilities. Proposals were solicited via the General Services Administration (GSA) Alliant Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), and only one proposal from BAH, the incumbent contractor, was received from all GSA Alliant GWAC contract holders proposals solicited (approximately 58). The current action, modification P00056, is to exercise the last option year for the period of performance of Feb. 4, 2019, to Feb. 3, 2020. Award will be made on Feb. 1, 2019, with performance to begin on Feb. 4, 2019. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1047-15-F-0005 P00056). WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Tecolote Research Inc., Goleta, California, has been awarded a $7,718,193 firm-fixed-priced contract. The contract is to procure services for management of the Department of Defense's cost data collection repository, the Cost Assessment Data Enterprise (CADE), used by analysts to develop cost estimates for major acquisition programs. Work performance will take place primarily in Arlington, Virgina ; Goleta, California; and Tacoma, Washington. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,564,914; fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,216,061; fiscal 2019 Defense Acquisition Workforce Development funds in the amount of $680,218; and fiscal 2019 Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration funds in the amount of $257,000 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Feb. 2, 2020. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (GS-00F-052CA). *Small Business **Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1746786/source/GovDelivery/
9 janvier 2020 | International, C4ISR

Here are the network technologies the Army wants for 2023
By: Mark Pomerleau The Army is outlining specific technology areas that it wants industry to explore for its tactical network capabilities. The Army's incremental “capability set” build seeks to add capabilities to the network every two years beginning in 2021. Technologies in this area should enhance network capacity, resiliency and convergence solutions that are available for demonstration and experimentation. The Army issued a call for white papers to the C5 Consortium Jan. 6 for technology areas it wants to insert into the 2023 tactical network, according to an Army release. This follows a briefing to industry in Austin, Texas, in November when the Army provided what it thinks its vision is for capabilities in that build. Specific technology areas outlined by the Army include: Managed multi-orbit (Low Earth Orbit/Medium Earth Orbit/Geostationary Equatorial Orbit) satellite Communications services for forces — the Army is interested in managed services to mitigate bandwidth challenges associated with increased terminals for communications services where existing services are lacking. C4ISR/electronic warfare modular open suite of standards (CMOSS) compliant satellite communications modem, next generation blue force tracking and radio waveforms — the Army wants open source standards to converge hardware on a common platform. Non-propriety open suite of consolidated tools for unified network operations — the Army is looking for a smaller suite of tools to assist in planning, installation, managing, fault detection, communication restoral, analysis, security and data collection of the network. Segregation of data by identity access and management enabling multi-level security with mission partners — the Army wants an unclassified software solution in the prototype phase that can be used in the Mission Partner Environment, a network used by the military and coalition partners, that will include a reliable, protected and configurable network. Hardened network transport and reduced electronic signature for command post and mounted formations — the Army is interested in mitigating vulnerabilities that impact command post survivability and network resiliency by developing countermeasures within the electromagnetic spectrum. Optimizing compute, storage and applications on a distributed computing architecture to automate data tagging, synchronization, containerize services and efficiency of compute resources — the Army is looking for a common data fabric to reduce stovepipes, enable automation and improve data context for decision-makers. The Army will evaluated the technical solutions submitted and select contractors to participate in a no-cost technology demonstration, which could lead to a prototype supporting experimentation, the release said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2020/01/08/here-are-the-technologies-the-army-wants-for-2023/

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