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26 novembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Pentagon transition begins, with a COVID-19 twist

By:

WASHINGTON — Less than a day after the General Services Administration opened the doors for the landing team from the Biden-Harris campaign to arrive at the Pentagon, members have already had two conversations with current defense officials, with more to come.

But while the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 lays out clear directives on how one administration helps usher in the next — it literally comes with a handbook on best practices — this transition, like so much else in 2020, may require some flexibility thanks to COVID-19.

The GSA's move — which came after growing criticisms from Democrats who felt the agency was slow-rolling the start of the transition for political purposes — freed up funds, office space and, critically for the Pentagon transition, allowed the sharing of sensitive information with the incoming team.

However, the transition is kicking off just as the Pentagon upped its level of COVID preparedness. As a result, maximum occupancy has dropped to 40 percent, with extra temperature checks.

According to Washington Headquarters Services Director Thomas Muir, the agency transition director, that won't stop the transition, but it may require the team to rely more on video teleconferencing than previous groups.

The incoming team “is willing and certainly able to abide by the COVID restrictions here in the Pentagon. They agreed with the protection measures we're doing for our families, our employees, ourselves, our colleagues, our comrades here in the Pentagon.” Muir said at a press conference Tuesday, adding that “Some will work in the building, some will be virtual.”

Kash Patel, the newly installed chief of staff for newly installed Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, will be leading the transition for the current administration. But Muir will manage the day-to-day work, according to chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman.

“I spoke with the chief of staff today, and he is assured me that Tom here is the lead on this and that he is going to be working with Tom, and Tom is going to be the one working with the team today,” Hoffman said, adding that Patel's role is mainly “to be the touch point for the secretary, to ensure the secretary has insight into what's going on and to make sure the transition is successful.”

Patel also reached out to transition lead Kathleen Hicks in order to share his contact information in case she had any questions.

Muir said his team has been preparing for six months in case a transition was needed, and believes the current set up will allow the Biden-Harris team to work as safely as possible.

Included in that setup: office space at the Pentagon that allows for social distancing, and which comes equipped with both secure and unsecure VTC capabilities. With the GSA certification, the FBI and Department of Justice can begin giving security clearances to the transition team, allowing access to classified information needed to give an up-to-date situation report to the president-elect and his advisers.

Informing the transition is a group of “transition assistance coordinators,” largely general officers or senior executive service civilians, drawn from key offices around the military agencies, combatant commands, joint staff and OSD. That group, which meets weekly, will provide information as needed to the transition team and help set up interviews with key officials.

Muir noted he expects daily conversations with the Biden-Harris group, adding “They're looking forward to participating in discussions in the Pentagon. I'm providing a small tour on Monday next week.”

https://www.defensenews.com/smr/transition/2020/11/24/pentagon-transition-begins-with-a-covid-19-twist/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 08, 2020

    11 mai 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - May 08, 2020

    AIR FORCE Cardinal Contracting Inc., Freehold, New Jersey (FA4484-20-D-0007); Ranco Construction Inc., Southampton, New Jersey (FA4484-20-D-0008); Rome Management Associates LLC, Trenton, New Jersey (FA4484-20-D-0009); The Oak Group Inc., Camden, New Jersey (FA4484-20-D-0010); and GWP Enterprises Inc., Franklinville, New Jersey (FA4484-20-D-0022), are each being awarded a ceiling $66,000,000, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for asphalt paving and concrete of one base-year, plus up to four one-year options. The contractors will provide all plant, labor, materials, equipment, transportation, fuel, supervision and permits required. All work will be performed at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by May 10, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with seven offers received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds will be used, with no funds being obligated at the time of award. Funding will be provided on individual task orders. The 87th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Moog Inc., Elma, New York, was awarded a $9,508,592, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements modification (P00013) to FA8118-15-D-0001 for the overhaul of the B-2 Hydraulic Servocylinder contract line item numbers during a six-month extension of services from May 8, 2020, through Nov. 8, 2020. Work will be performed in Elma, New York. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and one offer was received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Georgia Tech Applied Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a $9,443,405 task order (FA8523-20-F-0027) on basic contract FA8523-19-D-0006 for engineering sustainment in support of the AAR-44, AAR-47 and Georgia Tech Synthetic Imaging Missile Simulation systems. This order provides support to the analysis and evaluation of various electronic optical/infrared and radio frequency threats and responses which will improve the survivability, reliability and mission success for U.S. warfighting airborne elements. Work will be performed in Atlanta, Georgia, and is expected to the completed by May 21, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,697,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. ARMY Kord Technologies LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $50,965,000 modification (P00004) to contract W31P4Q-17-D-0044 for target system hardware support. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 13, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $25,610,000 firm-fixed-price contract for three Aerosonde Mk4.7 systems, initial spare parts, logistics support, new equipment training and two field service representatives. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Nigeria, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 overseas contingency operations, defense funds in the amount of $25,610,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-C-0025). AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $20,780,000 firm-fixed-price contract for two Aerosonde Mk4.7 systems, initial spare parts, new equipment training, logistics support and a field representative. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Uganda, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2020 peacekeeping operations and overseas contingency operation funds in the amount of $20,780,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-C-0014). Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, was awarded a $20,300,000 firm-fixed-price contract for fully crewed and equipped self-propelled trailing suction type hopper dredge on a rental basis. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Plaquemines, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 13, 2021. Fiscal 2020 civil operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $20,300,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0024). Healy Tibbitts Builders Inc., Aiea, Hawaii, was awarded a $9,745,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Honolulu Harbor maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Honolulu, Hawaii, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 20, 2021. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $9,745,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (W9128A-20-C-0003). Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded a $7,561,560 firm-fixed-price contract for small mission computer hardware and executable software for the RQ-7B Shadow Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 15, 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $7,561,560 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-C-0060). NAVY Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Syracuse, New York, is awarded a $47,654,068 cost-plus-incentive-fee delivery order to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-19-D-6200) for the procurement of submarine modernization kits, equipment and installation. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York, and is expected to be complete by February 2023. Fiscal 2020 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $39,580,396 and 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,073,672 will be obligated at time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, is awarded a $20,720,170 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-6322 for engineering and technical services for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland (70%) and Slidell, Louisiana (30%). The UISS will allow the Littoral combat ship to perform its mine countermeasure sweep mission and targets acoustic, magnetic and magnetic/acoustic combination mine types. The UISS program will satisfy the Navy's need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines. The UISS also seeks to provide a high-area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform. Work is expected to be complete by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,193,864 will be obligated at time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY S&L Aerospace Metals LLC,* Flushing, New York, has been awarded a $24,386,400 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for cylinders and pistons. This was a limited competitive acquisition set-aside to small business sources only, as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 19.502-2. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a May 7, 2025 performance completion date. Using military service is Army. The type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-20-D-0043). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2181939/source/GovDelivery/

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  • The field narrows in US Army’s light robotic combat vehicle competition

    22 octobre 2019 | International, Terrestre

    The field narrows in US Army’s light robotic combat vehicle competition

    By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army has invited four teams to compete to build prototypes for its future light Robotic Combat Vehicle, according to an announcement on the National Advanced Mobility Consortium's website. Out of a large pool of white paper submissions, a Textron and Howe & Howe team, a team of Qinetiq North America and Pratt & Miller, HDT Global and Oshkosh were each issued a request for prototype proposal. The Army plans to procure a light, medium and heavy RCV as part of an effort to bring next-generation combat vehicle capability to the force by 2028. The RCV-Light competition is being managed by the NAMC. While the Army is the decision maker, the consortium is tasked to execute the competition and is also running the RCV-Medium effort. The Army is expected to award up to two contracts toward the end of the second quarter of this fiscal year to deliver four non-developmental RCV-L surrogate vehicles for government evaluation, testing and manned-unmanned teaming experimentation over the course of a year. The RCV-M effort is not far behind the RCV-L as white paper submissions are currently being evaluated for down-select. NAMC also executed a week-long RCV market research demonstration with the Army at Texas A&M's RELLIS campus in May in order to better inform requirements. Out of the companies chosen to move forward, only Oshkosh was not present at the event. At the Association of the U.S. Army's annual conference, Textron and Howe & Howe dramatically unveiled their RCV Ripsaw M5, which is based on Howe & Howe's deep history of building unmanned ground vehicles, but adds technology like scalable armor and suspension and drive options to cope with the challenges expected in the future fight. FLIR Systems is also part of the team, contributing advanced sensors. “Bringing together Howe & Howe, Textron Systems and FLIR Systems really represents a dream team,” Textron's CEO Lisa Atherton, said in a statement released at the show. “We formed this team based on our shared focus to serve this customer with disruptive ideas and proven experience, and we are dedicated to meeting and exceeding their requirements through the RCV program.” The team told Defense News before AUSA that it planned to submit a version of Ripsaw both for the light and medium variant of the Army's RCV. HDT brought its Hunter WOLF to AUSA, and Qinetiq North America announced its partnership with Pratt & Miller at the show. Qinetiq and Pratt & Miller plan to submit a variant of the Expeditionary Modular Autonomous Vehicle (EMAV) tailored for the Army's needs. The offering combines Qinetiq's modular open-architecture control systems with Pratt & Miller's advanced mobility platform. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/ausa/2019/10/21/the-field-narrows-in-light-robotic-combat-vehicle-competition/

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