Skilled worker, parts shortages still hurting Hornet and Growler maintenance, government watchdog finds

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  29 janvier 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 27, 2020

  NAVY National Technologies Associates Inc., California, Maryland, is awarded a $104,947,467 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides contractor logistics; research, development, test and evaluation; limited engineering and aircraft maintenance support on designated aircraft in direct support of the Presidential Helicopters Program Office, Helicopter Marine Squadron One (HMX-1), and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty-One (HX-21). Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (90%); and Quantico, Virginia (10%), and is expected to be completed in February 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0023). Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee, is awarded a $52,317,627 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support (BOS) services at naval installations located in Jefferson and Kitsap counties, Washington referred to as West Sound (WSBOS). BOS services to be performed include general information, management and administration, fire and emergency services, facilities support (including facility management, facility investment, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery facility investment and pavement clearance), wastewater transportation and environmental services. The maximum dollar value including the base period and seven option periods is $418,981,521 that includes potential maximum award fee. Work will be performed in Jefferson (4%) and Kitsap (96%) Counties, Washington, and is expected to be complete by May 2028. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $29,217,632 for recurring work will be obligated on an individual task order issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-D-0001). Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $13,894,236 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursement-type contract to provide animal care, training, and maintenance and operation of marine mammals participating in the Navy Marine Mammal Program. This one-year contract includes four one-year option periods that, if exercised, would bring the overall potential value of this contract to an estimated $73,251,343. Work will be performed at government facilities in San Diego, California (53%); Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia (24%); and Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor, Washington (23%). The period of performance of the base award is from Jan. 27, 2020, through Jan. 26, 2021. If all options were exercised, the period of performance would extend through Jan. 26, 2025. Fiscal 2020 funds will be obligated using Navy working capital funds. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded using other than full and open competition in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-C-3416). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $13,598,776 firm-fixed-price delivery order N00024-20-F-5608 under previously awarded contract N00024-15-D-5217 for 98 Technical Insertion Sixteen (TI-16) Common Display System (CDS) Variant A air-cooled production consoles. The CDS is a set of watch station consoles designed to support the implementation of open architecture in Navy combat systems. The TI-16 CDS is the next evolution in the CDS family and consists of a three-eyed horizontal display console. This delivery order combines purchases for the Navy (98%) and Coast Guard (2%). Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) (37%); fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) (2%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (44%); and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (17%) funding for $13,598,776 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $8,686,145 firm-fixed-price contract for Launch Control Unit Mk 235 Mods 11 and 12 production in support of the Vertical Launch System (VLS). The launch control units are used to select and issue pre-launch and launch commands to selected missiles in the VLS. This order will provide for the fabrication, assembly, test, final acceptance and delivery of VLS Launch Control Unit Mk 235 Mod 11, part number 7104280-119, and Mk 235 Mod 12, part number 7104280-129. The VLS is equipped with two redundant launch control units, each of which is electrically interfaced with all of the launch sequencers in the system. This contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $44,306,594. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (73%); and the government of Norway (27%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through October 2022. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $4,185,153; and fiscal 2020 FMS funding for $4,500,992 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N-63394-20-C-0002). ARMY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $72,575,612 firm-fixed-price contract for services in support of the existing Night Eagle System. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2022. Fiscal 2020, 2021 and 2022 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $72,575,612 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-C-0021). (Awarded Jan. 25, 2020) The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $54,446,000 modification (P00047) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for retrofit kits and software development for the Apache attack helicopter. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $26,678,540 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Syracuse Research Corp. Inc., North Syracuse, New York, was awarded a $22,075,156 modification (P000013) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0005 for a six-month extension for support to the Counter-Unmanned Aerial System, Expeditionary, Low Slow Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System program. Work will be performed in North Syracuse, New York, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation; operations and maintenance, Army; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $22,075,156 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Thirteen companies have been awarded Option Year Two modifications under the following Category A III, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price contracts: American Airlines, Fort Worth, Texas (HTC711-18-D-C003); Air Transportation International, Irving, Texas (HTC711-18-D-C004); Atlas Air, Purchase, New York (HTC711-18-D-C005); Delta Air Lines Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (HTC711-18-D-C006); FedEx, Washington, District of Columbia (HTC711-18-D-C007); Hawaiian Airlines Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii (HTC711-18-D-C008); JetBlue Airways, Long Island City, New York (HTC711-18-D-C009); Miami Air International, Miami, Florida (HTC711-18-D-C010); National Air Cargo Inc., Orlando, Florida (HTC711-18-D-C011); Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc., Purchase, New York (HTC711-18-D-C012); United Parcel Service Co., Louisville, Kentucky (HTC711-18-D-C013); USA Jet Airlines, Belleville, Michigan (HTC711-18-D-C014); and Western Global Airlines, Estero, Florida (HTC711-18-D-C015). The companies are eligible to compete at the task order level for an option year estimated amount of $41,441,067. The program's cumulative value increased from $82,884,634 to an estimated $124,325,701. This modification provides international commercial scheduled air cargo transportation services. Services encompass time-definite, door-to-door pick-up and delivery, transportation, intransit visibility, government-approved third party payment system participation and expedited customs processing and clearance of less than full planeloads for the movement of regular and recurring hazardous, refrigerated/cold chain, life and death, narcotics and other regular recurring cargo shipments. Work will be performed world-wide. Option Year Two period of performance is Feb. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2021. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY UnWrapped Inc., Lowell, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $16,786,440 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract for leather gloves. This was a competitive acquisition with seven responses received. This is a one-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Jan. 27, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-1235). https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2066978/source/GovDelivery/

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  2 janvier 2019 | International, C4ISR

  Four big questions for cybersecurity in 2019

  By: Justin Lynch How will cybersecurity experts remember 2018? In the past year, the Trump administration announced it would take more offensive hacking operations against foreign countries, the Department of Justice announcedsweeping indictments against Chinese hackers and the U.S. intelligence community reported that foreign countries continued to interfere in American elections. So what comes next? Here are four overarching questions for the cybersecurity community in 2019: What will the new Pentagon chief do with expanded cyber powers? In August, the president gave the secretary of Defense the ability to conduct cyberattacks against foreign countries so long as they do not interfere with the national interest of the United States, according to four current and former White House and intelligence officials. But the resignation of Jim Mattis, the Defense secretary, means the next Pentagon chief will have a broad arsenal of cyber authorities. For the cyber community, Patrick Shanahan, the current acting secretary, is a relative unknown. He has not given significant insight into how he views the role of offensive cyberattacks for the Pentagon, and his scheduled Jan. 1 elevation comes as some in the Trump administration and U.S. Cyber Command have pushed for even more authorities. However, he has spoken at length about the need for the defense industry to bolster its own cyber practices. Although the appointment of Shanahan as acting Pentagon chief is temporary, he is on the short list of officials who may take on the job full time. The new Pentagon chief may also have to decide when the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command should split. Both bodies are led by Gen. Paul Nakasone, but that may change. Cyber Command is in the process of gaining its own infrastructure to conduct offensive cyberattacks, and a Pentagon official told Fifth Domain in November that it appeared the split was all but certain to happen in the coming years, although no formal decision as been made. What comes next in the U.S.-China cyber relationship? The Department of Justice released a flurry of indictments against Chinese hackers in 2018, accusing Beijing's cyber sleuths of infiltrating American government agencies and defense contractors. The most recent round of allegations came Dec. 18, and the legal action could continue in 2019. While announcing the most recent indictments, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein accused China of breaking an agreement not to use hacked materials for commercial use, although he did not offer evidence. The hacking allegations come amid a broader trade war between the United States and China. Experts have told Fifth Domain a trade war could increase digital tension between the two nations. If the trade war continues, experts say they see little incentive for China to limit its cyberattacks. Will America suffer blowback for more offensive cyber operations? When the Trump administration announced the United States would take more offensive actions in cyberspace, some in the federal cybersecurity community criticized the plan as faulty. “The side effects of the strategy of ‘persistent engagement' and ‘defend forward' are still ill-understood,” Max Smeets and Herb Lin, experts at Stanford University wrote for Lawfare. “A United States that is more powerful in cyberspace does not necessarily mean one that is more stable or secure.” Experts also warn of making any rush judgments about the effectiveness of these offensive cyberattacks. Current and former intelligence officials worry that uncovering and attributing a hack can take more than a year, and, even then, that process is not perfect. One former official pointed to the leaked documents about Russian targeting of American election infrastructure in 2016 that was sent to the news organization the Intercept. It took months for the intelligence community to understand the full extent of the hack, the official said, an example of how long it takes to detect a cyberattack. However, all of that means it is reasonable to expect that the merits of the new offensive cyber operations may not be known publicly for years. Will Congress take action to streamline cybersecurity contracting and research? Yes, changing the way government does business is ambitious. But experts argue that if the United States wants to keep up with digital innovations from China and other countries it is necessary to change the American government's relationship with the private sector and academia. The effort to streamline cybersecurity funding and research will fall to the new Congress, in which Democrats will take over the House of Representatives. But when it comes to the U.S. government's relationship with the cyber industry, structural barriers to innovation remain. On average, it takes roughly seven years for an idea to get a contract inside the U.S. government. In that length of time, a product is already two generations old. Former Pentagon officials have used the digital fight against the Islamic State as an example of how long the process takes. It took roughly two years for Cyber Command to receive the proper equipment and training after the order to digitally defeat the Islamic State, officials told Fifth Domain. In addition, the cybersecurity industry is watching a series of bills in Congress. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., has pushed for a streamlined security clearance process, and industry officials told Fifth Domain they expect him to continue the effort in the new year. The bill could make it easier and cheaper to get a security clearance. And many in the federal cybersecurity community have called for a change in academia's relationship with cybersecurity. The universities and research institutions in the United States focusing on quantum computing are “subpar,” George Barnes, deputy director at the NSA said in June. Experts say that quantum computers will make traditional cybersecurity methods obsolete because of the expansive computing power. However, new investments in artificial intelligence and a new Solarium Commission, which was created to help contextualize cyber in the broader national and economic security discussion, may provide solutions to these problems. https://www.fifthdomain.com/industry/2018/12/31/four-big-questions-for-cybersecurity-in-2019

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  31 mars 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contracts for March 30, 2021

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