28 avril 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR

Storm clouds await Pentagon’s request for defense industry cash injection

WASHINGTON ― Though the Pentagon is hunting for billions of dollars in a future package to combat the coronavirus pandemic, it looks like the next massive relief bill will be swamped in a partisan fight.

The Pentagon announced it's seeking the funds to prop up the military's network of suppliers following $3 billion in new “progress payments" to increase cash flow to primary contractors and more vulnerable, smaller subcontractors. The details have yet to be disclosed as the Defense Department works through them with the White House budget office.

But last week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said he wants to “push the pause button” on the next aid package and, because Democrats aim to center it on bailouts for states hit hard by the pandemic, “move “cautiously.”

“You've seen the talk from both sides about acting, but my goal from the beginning of this, given the extraordinary numbers that we're racking up to the national debt, is that we need to be as cautious as we can be,” McConnell told reporters on April 21.

The Senate will reconvene in full on May 4 to work on coronavirus aid legislation, McConnell said Monday. It would mark the first time the chamber has been back in full since late March.

The prospects for a speedy compromise looked dim when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., set herself at odds with McConnell last week, saying, “There will not be a bill without state and local” aid. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and other congressional Democrats have added pressure on McConnell by pillorying the majority leader's suggestion that states declare bankruptcy.

“Republican Senators: Raise your hand if you think your state should go bankrupt,” Schumer said in a tweet.

McConnell's negotiating stance comes as the Congressional Budget Office projected Friday that the federal budget deficit would quadruple to $3.7 trillion, driven by the coronavirus pandemic and a government spending spree on testing, health care, and aid to businesses and households.

According to the report, the 2020 budget deficit will explode after Congress passed and President Donald Trump signed four coronavirus aid bills that promise to pile more than $2 trillion onto the $24.6 trillion national debt in the remaining six months of the current fiscal year.

Meanwhile, defense hawks are warm to a defense spending boost. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., has voiced support for an additional cash infusion for the defense industry.

“The federal government can play a vital role in keeping military suppliers afloat,” Wicker, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in his weekly newsletter to supporters. “Already the Department of Defense has announced it is spending $3 billion to reimburse contractors affected by work delays and breaks in the supply chain.

“As Congress considers new relief measures, I will work to include targeted funding to ensure that suppliers get the stable cash flow and contracts they need to endure this crisis. These awards should go toward projects the military has already identified as priorities and should not break the bank."

Also last week, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., introduced legislation last week that calls for $43 billion for military infrastructure and weapons as part of a larger effort to confront China in the Indo-Pacific region. That bill also calls for $11 billion to mitigate pandemic-related cost overruns on weapons programs and $3.3 billion to mitigate COVID-19 impacts to the defense-industrial base.

But Cotton's proposal is also loaded with new weapons purchases that would prove a boon to defense firms, albeit at a slower pace than a direct cash infusion. There's an added General Dynamics/Huntington Ingalls Industries-built Virginia-class submarine; more Lockheed Martin-built F-35A jets; Boeing-built F-15EX fighter aircraft; a battery for the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense air defense system; and anti-ship/strike weapons.

Cotton's bill follows a $6.1 billion China deterrence package from the influential ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. That bill would fund an Indo-Pacific Deterrence Initiative, also favored in principal by HASC Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash.

Observers predicted the added funding might find a way through any deadlock on a stimulus bill.

“We don't foresee stand-alone adoption but do think elements of it could be spread across different spending bills,” analyst Roman Schweizer of the Cowen Group said of Cotton's bill in a note to investors. “With Congress in full-bore debt-spending mode, defense proponents might be able to bury this money in larger packages.

The American Enterprise Institute's Mackenzie Eaglen proposed in a Defense News on Monday that the next package for the Pentagon should avoid submitting unfunded procurement priorities and also “focus on the health, safety and continuity of all the Pentagon's workforce.”

“Democrats want another stimulus, ideally on ‘shovel ready' infrastructure jobs. DoD is absolutely going to need more help in some sort of bill to keep the defense supply chain from going to the unemployed lines, or worse, gobbled up by China,” Eaglen said in an email.

“Most of defense stimulus is to prop up jobs and employment so I'd like to be optimistic and think Democrats would be very supportive.”

Democratic leaders haven't yet signaled how they're predisposed toward added defense spending in a stimulus package. However, a House Democratic aide said that scenario would invite serious opposition from the progressive wing.

Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a member of HASC and the House Progressive Caucus leadership team, previewed the messaging in this fight in a tweet on April 21 saying: “The Pentagon shouldn't get any more COVID relief money."

“A single F-35 could pay for 2,200 ventilators. 1 nuclear warhead could pay for 17 million masks,” Khanna said, adding that the Pentagon budget dwarfs the combined budgets of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of Health, and U.S. contributions to the World Health Organization.

In the Senate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., “will strongly oppose no-strings-attached giveaways to the arms industry, as news reports seem to indicate are the Pentagon's likely request of Congress," said his spokesman, Keane Bhatt. "This is the time to put ordinary workers and small businesses first — not prioritize the profits of Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.”

https://www.defensenews.com/congress/2020/04/27/storm-clouds-await-pentagons-request-for-defense-industry-cash/

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

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 10, 2020
AIR FORCE General Electric Aviation, Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a $318,014,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Engine Component Improvement Program. This contract provides for a list of projects each calendar year to include developing engineering changes to the engines, developing organizational, intermediate and depot level repairs as needed, and designing modifications to existing support equipment as well as initiating new support equipment designs as required by engine driven changes. The program also provides support to resolve service-revealed deficiencies and maintain or extend the life limits of aircraft engines. Work will be performed at Cincinnati, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2029. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $503,338 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8626-20-D-0002). Advanced Electronics Co. Ltd., Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, has been awarded a $17,022,427 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract modification (P00027) to previously awarded contract FA8730-16-C-0019 for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) F-15SA Cyber Protection System (CPS) and Related Facilities program. This modification provides for three years of in-Kingdom Contractor Logistics Support (CLS) for the CPS. The scope of this contract effort will include the extension of existing CLS support for three additional years, as well as related mobilization, de-mobilization, transportation and housing expenses for CLS personnel. This is a Foreign Military Sales (FMS) acquisition between the U.S. government and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, described in the Letter of Offer and Acceptance SR-D-SAO Amendment 5, dated July 5, 2015. FMS case SR-D-SAO is for the total package of acquisition and fielding of 84 F-15A aircraft; the upgrade of 70 F-15SA aircraft to the F-154SA configuration; the procurement of associated equipment, weapons, and spares; and the construction, refurbishment, and infrastructure improvements of support facilities for the F-15SA in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed at RSAF facilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition utilizing 100% FMS funding; FMS funds in the amount of $17,022,427 will be obligated at the time of the award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $150,835,663. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. Modern Technology Solutions Inc. (MTSI), Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract in the amount of $11,141,208 under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase-III program. Under this SBIR Phase III effort, MTSI will mature the technologies developed in the previous Phase I and III contracts, which relate to the acquisition and fusion of data for space situational assessments. MTSI will provide system architecture, system administration, and software engineering solutions to deliver a real-time, data-driven architecture for developing and integrating space situational awareness, and intelligence community data sources for use in algorithms, machine learning tools, and data fusion technologies for United States Air Force Space Command and their mission partners. In maintaining its role in bringing capabilities to operations, MTSI will continue to refactor existing applications and develop new applications for integration into the next-generation infrastructure that the Space and Missile Systems Center and the Air Force Research Laboratory are developing. Work will be performed at Alexandria, Virginia; and Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by January 2025. Fiscal 2019 research development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $300,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Lab Space Electronics Branch, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9453-20-C-0004). ARMY International Business Machines, Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $145,808,087 modification (P00072) to contract W52P1J-17-C-0008 for the full range of services and solutions necessary to support and maintain the Army's General Fund Enterprise Business System. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 15, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army; research, development, test and evaluation, Army; and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $8,922,318 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $134,493,229 modification (P11142) to contract W52P1J-10-C-0062 for Kuwait base operations and security support services. Work will be performed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $88,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Lockheed Martin Corp., Missiles and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas, has been awarded a $31,938,845 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Operational Fires Integrated Weapon System Phase 3 program, which will enable capabilities for a mobile, ground-launched tactical weapon delivery system capable of carrying a variety of payloads to a variety of ranges. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $12,920,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, Texas (68%); Huntsville, Alabama (21%); Toledo, Ohio (5%); Elkton, West Virginia (5%); Kirkland, Washington (less than 1%); and Camden, Arkansas (less than 1%) with an estimated completion date of January 2021. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0038). NAVY EMR Inc.,* Niceville, Florida, is awarded a $17,017,000 firm-fixed-price task order N69450-20-F-0875 under a multiple award construction contract for the design and construction of P288 temporary maintenance hangar at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whiting Field, Florida. The work to be performed provides for a temporary hangar space and supporting spaces for helicopters and includes design, assembly and installation of temporary, relocatable structures for the hangar and support spaces such as administrative, restroom and breakrooms. This project will provide foundation and aqueous film forming foam containment trench and extend utilities to temporary facilities. The structures will be temporary in nature and require removal from the site once permanent facilities are available. The task order also contains five unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $20,267,000. Work will be performed in NAS Whiting and is expected to be completed by October 2025. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $2,222,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $14,795,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-18-D-1318). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Condor Pacific Industries of California Inc.,** Newbury Park, California, has been awarded a maximum $14,461,300 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for rate gyro assemblies. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with a July 6, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0036). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, will be awarded a maximum $14,002,398 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-20-F-LB02) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-14-D-002U) for spare items in support of the Flight Control Surfaces utilized on the F/A-18 aircraft. 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 base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Missouri, with a May 30, 2022, performance completion date. Using customer is the Swiss Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Puerto Rico Apparel Manufacturing (PRAMA) Corp.,*** Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $11,856,002 modification (P00012) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-19-D-1127) with four one-year option periods for various types of coats and trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Puerto Rico, with a Jan. 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business **Veteran-owned Small Business ***Woman-Owned Small Business in historically underutilized business zones https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2054955/source/GovDelivery/
21 février 2020 | International, Naval

Virtual Training becomes reality for Royal Netherlands Navy
February 20, 2020 - Technical students from the Royal Netherlands Navy can now make virtual acquaintance with naval ships. They do this with a Virtual Reality (VR) programme that Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS), Thales Nederland and the maritime innovation cluster Extended Reality developed for them. The programme was commissioned by the Royal Dutch Navy last Wednesday, prior to the signing of the contract for a new supply vessel. The so-called Intro-TD-OPV experience was created for students of the Royal Navy Technical Training. Supported by game techniques and a narrative, the student moves over the HNLMS Holland, a patrol ship of the Holland class and learns, playfully, the functional design of the ship and the location of the systems on board. The idea is that VR technology, game technology and gamification contribute to innovative education. With this, the Royal Netherlands Navy tries to fascinate and bind the technical target group. After all, the defence sector in general, and the Royal Navy in particular, nowadays need all the tools to recruit and retain suitable personnel. The VR programme was developed in close collaboration with the maritime innovation cluster Extended Reality. This cluster is largely run by naval personnel from the Simulation Center Maritime (SimCenMar). Here experiments are performed with all kinds of possibilities of extended reality. For the realisation of this VR project, DSNS worked closely with students from the Media Designer course at Scalda in Vlissingen. They participated in the course 3D models and graphics. To date, more than ten trainees have been involved in DSNS's ever-growing VR/AR department. View source version on Damen: https://www.damen.com/en/news/2020/02/virtual_training_becomes_reality_for_royal_netherlands_navy
7 juillet 2024 | International, Terrestre

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