12 novembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre

Rust Costs the Pentagon $21 Billion Per Year

By Aaron Boyd,

The Defense Department isn't doing a good job determining how much to spend to prevent damage from nature's basic chemical reactions.

Rust costs the Pentagon more money annually than many of its most expensive weapons systems—up to $21 billion per year, according to a Defense Department-commissioned audit released in March.

The report indicates the corrosion of metals that make up modern weapons systems like fighter jets, ships, ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons can sometimes approach one-third of the total operations and maintenance costs of those systems.

The problem is so large, in 2002, the department established the Office of Corrosion Policy and Oversight to ensure big-dollar weapons systems weren't taken offline by oxidation and to help branches determine how much money ought to be spent on rust prevention.

But the data being reported by the military branches has been inconsistent and the office has yet to issue guidance on how funding levels should be categorized, according to a related audit released Thursday by the Government Accountability Office.

For example, “In fiscal year 2017, the Army and Navy used direct costs, such as salary and training costs, to identify their funding levels, but the Army also included other associated costs. The Air Force used the prior year's funding level and adjusted it for inflation,” the report states.

These different methods led to funding requests based on different criteria, making it difficult for Congress to determine what an appropriate funding level should look like.

It has also led to vastly different funding requests. In 2017, the Army requested $2.4 million and the Air Force $3 million, while the Navy only requested $220,000.

Similarly, all three branches either failed to accurately report the supporting data or, in the Air Force's case, did not provide any data at all some years.

“The Army data GAO received did not reconcile with data presented in the Corrosion Office annual reports to Congress for five of eight fiscal years,” auditors wrote. “The Navy data did not reconcile for two of eight fiscal years, and there was no supporting documentation identifying how these figures were calculated. Air Force officials did not provide any figures or supporting documentation for four fiscal years, stating that these figures were not available.”

Army officials told GAO they're not able to accurately report how much is spent preventing or combating corrosion because many of those duties are performed by personnel who do many other things, as well. This includes the Army's lead corrosion executive, who also serves as the aviation logistics and safety officer for the Army G-4 logistics organization.

“The corrosion-related costs of conducting the corrosion executive role are not separated from this other function,” they told GAO.

The Navy had a similar issue but took a different tack. The Navy merely requested $220,000 for the corrosion executive's salary, despite the fact that “this method does not capture other costs, such as personnel assigned to other offices that provide support to the corrosion executive.”

The misreported numbers don't appear to be malfeasance, according to the GAO report, but a natural consequence of a lack of direction from the Corrosion Office on how to identify funding needs and properly report that data.

GAO made three recommendations to the Defense Department:

  • Issue guidance for identifying and reviewing funding levels for performing corrosion executive duties.
  • Ensure that the Corrosion Office develops a process to maintain documentation of its reviews of corrosion planning.
  • Ensure that corrosion executives establish guidance on reviewing the adequacy of corrosion planning.

Defense officials agreed with all three recommendations.

https://www.nextgov.com/cio-briefing/2018/11/rust-costs-pentagon-21-billion-year/152709/

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 17, 2020

    18 juin 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - June 17, 2020

    AIR FORCE Accenture Federal Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0006); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0007); Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0008); Digital Mobilizations Inc., Warrenton, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0010); KMPG LLP, McLean, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0009); BCG Federal Corp., Bethesda, Maryland (FA7014-20-D-0005); Grant Thornton Public Sector LLC, Arlington, Virginia (FA7014-20-D-0004); and McKinsey & Co. Inc., Washington, D.C. (FA7014-20-D-0003), has been awarded a ceiling $990,000,000 multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract to provide advisory and assistance services to support the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Office of Business Transformation and Deputy Chief Management Officer in managing and improving strategic transformation initiatives at the enterprise level. Work will be performed at various locations and is expected to be completed June 16, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $500 for each contract are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. NORTHCON Inc., Hayden, Indiana (FA4814-20-D-0005); Pro-Mark Services Inc., West Fargo, North Dakota (FA4814-20-D-0006); Danner Construction Co. Inc., Tampa, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0007); ABBA Construction Inc., Jacksonville, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0008); Bay Area Building Solutions, Tampa, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0009); HCR Construction Inc., Norcross, Georgia (FA4814-20-D-0010); OAC Action Construction Corp., Miami, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0011); Frazier Engineering, Melbourne, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0012); Benaka Inc., New Brunswick, New Jersey (FA4814-20-D-0013); RELYANT Global LLC, Maryville, Tennessee (FA4814-20-D-0014); Polu Kai Services LLC, Falls Church, Virginia (FA4814-20-D-0015); Nisou LGC JV LLC, Detroit, Michigan (FA4814-20-D-0016); KMK Construction Inc., Jacksonville, Florida (FA4814-20-D-0017); Burgos Group LLC, Medford, New Jersey (FA4814-20-D-0018); A&H-Ambica JV LLC, Livonia, Michigan (FA4814-20-D-0019); P&S Construction Inc., Chelmsfor, Massachusetts (FA4814-20-D-0020); Northstar Contracting Inc., Cleveland, Ohio (FA4814-20-D-0021); ESA South Inc., Cantonment, Florida (FA4814-D-20-0022); and RUSH Construction Inc., Titusville, Florida (FA4814-D-20-0023), have been awarded a $500,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for execution of a broad range of maintenance, repair and minor construction projects affecting real property at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; and Avon Park Air Force Range, Florida. Work is expected to be completed June 16, 2027. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,500 will be obligated at the time of award. The 6th Contracting Squadron, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded an $18,733,197 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00026) to contract FA8615-17-C-6047 for active electronically scanned array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. The contract modification is for definitization of the radio frequency target generator, additional support equipment and software development to support Phase Two. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $3,510,172; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,103,436 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,027,044,025. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. NAVY Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is awarded $145,598,728 for a not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract action for long lead time material in support of one Amphibious Assault Ship (General Purpose) Replacement (LHA(R)) and Flight 1 Ship (LHA 9). Work will be performed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (42%); Baltimore, Maryland (24%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (17%); Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania (10%); Fairfield, Ohio (6%); and Warminster, Pennsylvania (1%). Work to be performed is the procurement of long lead-time material for LHA 9, the fourth (LHA(R)) America Class and the second LHA(R) Flight 1 variant. Work is expected to be complete by February 2024. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) advance procurement funding in the amount of $145,598,728 will be obligated at award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured with only one responsible source. No other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-2437). Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc.,* San Diego, California (N62473-17-D-4635); Bristol Design Build Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska (N62473-17-D-4636); I.E.-Pacific Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-17-D-4637); and R.A. Burch Construction Co. Inc.,* Ramona, California (N62473-17-D-4638), are awarded $92,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value, including the base year and four option years for all four contracts combined, has increased from $99,000,000 to $191,000,000. The contracts are for new construction, renovation and repair, primarily by design-build or secondarily by design-bid-build, of general building construction at various federal sites and government installation locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of operations. Work will be performed in various locations, including but not limited to, California (90%); Arizona (6%); Nevada (1%); Utah (1%); Colorado (1%); and New Mexico (1%). No funds are being obligated on this award, and no funds will expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (O&M), Navy; O&M, Marine Corps; and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. L3 Technologies Inc. KEO, Northampton, Massachusetts, is awarded a $17,275,863 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-6250 for options to procure spare parts for the photonics mast program. Work will be performed in Northampton, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by February 2022. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,831,502 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc.,* San Diego, California, is awarded a $17,175,335 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) support services. Work will be performed in San Diego, California. The SWRMC production department Code 900 is responsible for providing intermediate-level (I-Level) maintenance and repair support and selective maintenance training to over 100 surface ships, submarines, shore activities and other commands of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. SWRMC Production Department is broken into four product families, and each contains multiple product lines and shops. The SWRMC production department product families currently consist of corrosion control products, engine products, machine products and combat systems product family. Within the SWRMC production department, there are also production control division, I-Level planning division and an off-site facility. Work is expected to be complete by September 2021. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $106,240,249. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,431,278 will be obligated at the time of award, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and four offers were received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N55236-20-C-0003). Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $16,026,098 modification (P00001) to cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-20-F-0817 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0008. This order procures support to manage diminishing manufacturing sources in support of the F-35 Program for the Air Force, Navy and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be complete by June 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $6,586,406; fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,586,406; and non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $2,853,286 will be obligated at time of award, of which $6,586,406 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Phillips Corp., Hanover, Maryland, is awarded a $12,790,000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures equipment related services necessary for the inspection, evaluation, repair, upgrade, training and rebuild for the sustainment of industrial plant equipment that is required to adequately support overhauling and repairing fleet aircraft, engines and components in support of the Commander Fleet Readiness Centers. Work will be performed in North Island, California (50%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (35%); and Jacksonville, Florida (15%), and is expected to be complete by June 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured, pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-20-D-0017). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc., Washington, D.C., has been awarded a maximum $17,548,000 modification (P00007) exercising the first one-year option period of one-year base contract SPE1C1-19-D-F027 with four one-year option periods for coveralls. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Georgia, Arizona, Washington, D.C., and Mississippi, with a June 20, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Entwistle Co., Hudson, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $8,135,400 firm-fixed-price contract for air launch and recovery equipment shuttle assemblies. 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 42-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Dec. 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPRPA1-20-C-Z043). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY PAR Government Systems Corp., Rome, New York, was awarded an $11,920,160 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a research project under the Semantic Forensics (SemaFor) program. The SemaFor program will develop methods that exploit semantic inconsistencies in falsified media to perform tasks across media modalities and at scale. Work will be performed in Rome, New York, with an expected completion date of June 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $1,500,000 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition under a full and open broad agency announcement and 37 proposals were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-20-C-0126). ARMY ControlPoint Surveying Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0002); Masa Fujioka & Associates,* Aiea, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0003); and Sam O. Hirota Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0004), will compete for each order of the $9,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for indefinite-delivery architect-engineer services for miscellaneous projects in the Pacific region. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 16, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, was awarded a $7,738,247 modification (P00101) to contract W56HZV-12-C-0344 for hardware and services exercise of options for the Total Integrated Engine Revitalization Automated Gas Turbine 1500 program for the Abrams tank and family of vehicles. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 Army working capital funds; and weapons and tracked combat vehicle procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $7,738,247 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2223800/source/GovDelivery/

  • Lockheed to double Patriot missile production as orders explode

    12 juillet 2018 | International, Aérospatial

    Lockheed to double Patriot missile production as orders explode

    By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin is planning to double its most advanced Patriot missile's production in the coming years to deal with exploding orders of the weapon from the U.S. Army and its allies, according to a company executive. The U.S. Army has dramatically increased its Patriot Advanced Capability-3 Missile Segment Enhancement, or PAC-3 MSE, orders to not just account for full-rate production of the missile but to increase the stockpile on hand as operations overseas continue to eat up the inventory. The MSE version has a larger, dual-pulse solid-rocket motor and larger control fins that double the missile's reach and improve performance against evolving ballistic and cruise missiles. Meanwhile, several new customers abroad have joined the ranks of Patriot air and missile defense owners to include Poland, Romania and Sweden this year. This includes the purchase of a number of the MSE missiles as part of the initial order. For example, Lockheed would build 576 PAC-3 MSEs just for the three European countries that recently signed on to buy Patriot. Romania plans to buy 168 PAC-3 MSEs for its Patriot system as part of its order. Poland wants to buy 208 of them. Sweden intends to buy 200. The reason for such an explosion in PAC-3 MSE buys is due to the proliferating threat both in the Middle East and in Europe as the U.S. and its allies remain embroiled in conflict in the Gulf region, and as European countries work to build up robust air defenses to deter Russia. By: Aaron Mehta A comparison of the U.S. Army's fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2019 budget justification documents show the service drastically increased its planned buys — in some cases more than doubling — across FY18 through FY22. The Army had planned to buy roughly 95 missiles per year from FY18 through FY22, but a year later the service increased the 2018 order from 93 to 240 to include those bought with overseas contingency operations funds. In FY19, the Army asked for 240 missiles again. And the base orders for the missile in FY21 and FY22 total 160 each year. The Army's plans to dramatically increase its PAC-3 MSE production going forward has seen unanimous congressional approval, although the final FY19 defense appropriations bill has yet to become law. House and Senate appropriators are fully funding the production of 179 MSE missiles in FY19 in the base budget. Lockheed is no longer selling its original PAC-3 missiles, but it is still producing them for one customer, according to Bob Delgado, director of international business development for integrated air and missile defense at Lockheed Martin, who spoke to Defense News in a recent interview at the defense conference Eurosatory in Paris. This means Lockheed can make room for PAC-3 MSE production, which received the go-ahead to move into full-rate production by the U.S. Army in April. “There is a lot of interest in [PAC-3 MSE], so much so we are doubling our capacity,” which equates to up to 500 of the missiles per year, Delgado said. This will likely mean adding an extra production line, he added. Lockheed is currently meeting the demand, Delgado said, “however, it is getting more difficult as more orders come in, and that is why we are foreseeing, along with the U.S. government, a point where we need to increase our capacity.” https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/07/11/lockheed-to-double-patriot-missile-production-as-orders-explode/

  • La DGA commande un prototype de laser anti-drones à Cilas

    17 juin 2022 | International, Aérospatial

    La DGA commande un prototype de laser anti-drones à Cilas

    La Direction générale de l'armement (DGA) a annoncé, mercredi 15 juin, avoir passé commande auprès de la PME Cilas, basée à Orléans (Loiret). La DGA indique avoir attribué à Cilas le marché L2AD, qui prévoit notamment l'achat d'un prototype opérationnel de système laser capable d'identifier, poursuivre et neutraliser des micro-drones (de 100g à 25kg). Le système Helma-P, développé par Cilas, dispose d'une puissance de deux kilowatts, peut détecter un appareil à trois kilomètres de distance et le neutraliser à moins d'un kilomètre, même lorsque sa vitesse dépasse les 50 km/h. Le laser peut également éblouir le drone, en saturant ses capteurs optiques. Une technologie que compte utiliser le ministère des Armées « afin notamment de renforcer la protection des sites militaires sensibles et des opérateurs d'importance vitale », précise le communiqué. D'un montant maximal de 10 M€, ce contrat s'inscrit dans un programme plus vaste de lutte anti-drones, pour lequel les armées prévoient d'investir 300 M€ sur 10 ans. L'Usine Nouvelle du 16 juin

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