Sigma Defense Secures 1-Year $4.7M Task Order from the U.S Army for AI Powered Virtual Training Environment

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  27 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  COVID cash crunch still hurting small defense firms

  By: Joe Gould WASHINGTON ― Cash flow for small defense contractors is continuing to suffer under the coronavirus pandemic, according to a survey by the National Defense Industrial Association. The survey echoes warnings from the Pentagon that these firms, part of a vast network of suppliers that makes up the defense-industrial base, are especially vulnerable. The Pentagon this week announced it will make $3 billion in new “progress payments" to increase cash flow to prime contractors, expecting the money would then trickle down. Of the NDIA survey respondents: 67 percent of companies with less than $1 million in annual revenue have seen a cash-flow disruption. 60 percent said the crisis has interfered with their cash flow. 60 percent expect to have long-term financial and cash-flow issues stemming from the crisis. 66 percent said accelerated payments from the Defense Department or prime contractors would be the most helpful step toward business recovery. L3Harris Technologies said this week it will issue more than $100 million in payments to its small suppliers. Lockheed Martin announced Friday it executed $256 million in accelerated payment toward its $450 million goal. Both of these promised followed the Pentagon's announcement this month that it will boost progress payment rates from 80 percent to 90 percent for large companies, and to 95 percent for small businesses. The payments are made to contractors, usually on a monthly basis, for costs incurred and work performed under a contract; a 90 percent rate means that if $1 million in expenses are submitted on the program, the Defense Department will reimburse $900,000. Sixty-six percent of the respondents also said it would help them to receive flexibility on the performance of their contracts. Seventy-two percent expected to avoid overruns on their firm fixed-price contracts as a result of disruptions caused by COVID-19. On Thursday, acquisitions officials with the Army said they expect costs to rise, and in response will guard against program slips and closely watch vulnerable lower-tier companies with less slack in their workforces. Pentagon officials anticipate workforce and supply chain issues will yield a three-month delay across the majority of its Major Defense Acquisition Program portfolio. “The supply chain does have some challenges, and that's probably where the vast majority of any slips would occur that are tied to individual companies,” said Bruce Jette, the Army's acquisition chief. “These companies are small, and if one person gets COVID in the company, the next thing you know you've lost 14 days with the company because everybody that didn't get it is in quarantine.” As of April 10, 769 small businesses responded to the NDIA survey. The number of companies expecting cash-flow disruptions was slightly lower last month, when 458 small businesses responded. Factoring into cash-flow problems, according to the NDIA, are cuts to billable hours, delayed payments from prime contractors and government customers, a lack of telework options or schedule flexibility in contracts, and shelter-in-place orders that prevent employees from working. Beyond revenue expectations, meeting contract obligations and access to capital are where small businesses are taking the biggest hits during the pandemic. Other areas of difficulty were workforce availability, access to secure facilities, contracting officers accessibility, clear information from the Defense Department, confidence in the supply chain, and stock and cost of materials. The technology and services sectors reported more disturbances from the crisis than the manufacturing sector, NDIA noted. And businesses with fewer than 50 employees are feeling the brunt harder than businesses with more than 500 employees. Defense Contract Management Agency data this week showed that 106 out of 10,509 primary Pentagon contractors are closed, and 68 companies closed and then reopened. Of 11,413 subcontractors, 427 were closed, with 147 having closed and reopened. https://www.defensenews.com/2020/04/24/covid-cash-crunch-still-hurting-small-defense-firms/

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  27 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - August 23, 2019

  NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $2,426,326,544 for modification P00002 to previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00019-19-D-0015 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter initial spares for the Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Spares to be procured include global spares packages, base spares packages, deployment spares packages, afloat spares packages and associated consumables. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (24.4%); El Segundo, California (9.1%); Owego, New York (8.6%); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (7.2%); Cheltenham, United Kingdom (6.2%); Nashua, New Hampshire (5.8%); Torrance, California (5.5%); Orlando, Florida (4.9%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (3.7%); San Diego, California (3.6%); Phoenix, Arizona (3.1%); Melbourne, Florida (3.1%); Irvine, California (2.5%); North Amityville, New York (2.4%); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (2.2%); Baltimore, Maryland (2.2%); Papendrect, The Netherlands (1.9%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (1.8%); and Alpharetta, Georgia (1.8%). All orders are expected to be placed no later than December 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California, is awarded a $1,077,009,532 fixed-price-incentive modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-2235 for the procurement of detail design and construction of Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) 6 and ESB 7, as well as definitization of ESB 6 long lead time material, pre-production and engineering support. Work will be performed in, San Diego, California (57.9%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (6.0%); Santa Fe, California (5.9%); Beloit, Wisconsin (4.8%); Crozet, Virginia (4.5%); Mexicali, Mexico (3.1%); and various other locations, each accounting for less than 2% (17.8%), and is expected to be complete by January 2025. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $1,626,008,493, and be complete by January 2025. Fiscal 2019 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,004,317,973 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with U.S. Code 2304(c) (1) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Caterpillar Defense, Peoria, Illinois, is awarded a $54,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-price task order for the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) supporting the Navy's expeditionary force fleet of Caterpillar Heavy Construction Civil Engineering Support Equipment (CESE) at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme, California. The purpose of this contract is to provide a SLEP for the heavy construction CESE (motorized and non-motorized), special military construction and commercial support equipment, mineral products and plant facility equipment and power production equipment to support the Navy and other Department of Defense components worldwide. This contract contains an option which, if exercised, will bring the contract value to $65,000,000. Work will be performed in Port Hueneme, California; and Gulfport, Mississippi, installations, and is expected to be completed August 2020. If the option is completed, work will continue through February 2025. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be funded by fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funds. Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-19-D-2123). RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Haifa, Israel, is awarded a $13,336,344 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for intermediate level and depot level test equipment, spare parts, fixturing, repairs, training, engineering services and material support services to establish organic U.S. government I-Level and D-Level Toplite family of electro-optic sights. Work will be performed in Haifa, Israel, and is expected to be complete by August 2024. Fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,407,485 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded on a sole-source basis in accordance with the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c) (1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-JQ77). ARMY Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, was awarded a $534,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for Horizontal Technology Integration Second Generation Forward Looking Infrared (2GF) Commander's Independent Thermal Viewer (CITV), azimuth drive assemblies, azimuth drive armor caps and rings, spares, and engineering services. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 23, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W909MY-19-D-0015). MD Helicopters Inc., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $50,440,584 modification (P00024) to Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan) contract W58RGZ-17-C-0038 for logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force MD-530F aircraft fleet. Work will be performed in Kabul, Afghanistan; and Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 Afghanistan Security Forces, Army funds in the amount of $50,440,584 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kansas (W912DY-19-D-0014); AECOM Services Inc., Boston, Massachusetts (W912DY-19-D-0015); and Zapata Group Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina (W912DY-19-D-0016), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architectural and engineering services. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 22, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Missouri, was awarded a $9,800,000 firm-fixed-price contract for pre-design investigation and design services for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, San Carlos Irrigation Project, power transmission infrastructure improvements located in Coolidge, Arizona. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 22, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-19-D-0009). WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Signature Renovations LLC, Capital Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $100,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The work to be performed provides various design-build/bid-build construction services at the Pentagon and the surrounding Pentagon Reservation. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving Fund will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the contract period. Work performance will take place in Arlington, Virginia. The expected completion date is Aug. 23, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-19-D0018). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $48,000,000 modification (P00087) exercising the second two-year option period of a three-year base contract (SPE5EY-14-D-0562) with two two-year option periods and one three-year option period for supply chain management of industrial hardware used in aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul. This is a firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, North Carolina, Florida and California, with a Sept. 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. B&H International LLC,* Bakersfield, California, has been awarded a maximum $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for computer subassemblies in support of the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical Increment 2 system. 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 five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with an Aug. 22, 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, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SPRBL1-19-D-0071). AIR FORCE Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded an $8,004,263 modification (P00005) to contract FA4890-17-F-3042 for Cyber Command readiness inspection. This contract will support at 15 U.S. Air Force bases in the continental U.S. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional year of cyber security support services under the multiple year contract. Work will be performed in accordance with the performance work statement and is expected to be completed by Sept. 24, 2020. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Next Century Corp.,* Annapolis Junction, Maryland, has been awarded a $7,607,221 cost-plus-fixed-fee/completion type contract for Multimodal Open Interfaces for Reasoning by Artificial Intelligence software prototype system. This contract provides for an integrated platform that hosts algorithms developed by Technical Area 1 (TA1) and TA2 Knowledge-directed Artificial Intelligence Reasoning Over Schemas performers. Work will be performed in Falls Church, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 22, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 35 offers were received. Air Force Research Laboratory/RIKE, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-0105). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1943009/source/GovDelivery/

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  15 septembre 2021 | International, Aérospatial

  Head of UK's Space Directorate warns of space terrorism

  UK officials says the low cost of getting payloads on orbit could open up potential for new threats in space.