19 juin 2018 | International, C4ISR

Strict export regulations may be costing US industry billions in foreign sales

WASHINGTON ― A new RAND report assessing the proliferation of unmanned aerial vehicles suggests existing export controls for drones may hurt the U.S. more than it helps.

Limiting U.S. drone exports has left a hole in the global market for the technology, especially in historically U.S.-dominated Middle East markets, which has been readily filled by U.S. competitors — specifically China and Russia. The Trump administration recently unveiled a new set of export policies regarding military technology in an attempt to facilitate the transfer of military technology, but the changes do not change the status of drones under the Missile Technology Control Regime, or MTCR.

How does the MTCR work?

The MTCR is a voluntary export control consortium of 35 nations designed to prevent signatories from proliferating longer-range cruise and ballistic missile technology. The arms control regime was extended to UAVs because early iterations of drones were considered a subset of cruise missile technology due to their active guidance system.

The regime divides missiles into two categories. Category I items are capable of delivering a 500 kg payload more than 300 km. The sale of category I systems is restricted by a “strong presumption of denial,” meaning they are only exported in rare circumstances. The MQ-9 Reaper, RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4 Triton are well-known unmanned systems that fall under this category.

Over the past several years, U.S. partners such as Jordan, Saudi Arabia and UAE were denied requests to purchase American drones, and have since turned to China to purchase comparable systems.

Trump administration officials have been attempting to alter the regime by adding new languagethat would drop any vehicle that flies under 650 kilometers per hour to category II systems. This would make all but the most advanced U.S. systems available for international sale. For example, the MQ-9 Reaper clocks in with a cruise speed of 230 mph or 370 kph, according to an Air Force facts sheet.

Drone proliferation

RAND found that 10 nations operate category I drones, and more than 15 operate near-category I systems that register just below the MTCR's payload and distance restrictions. The report says increased proliferation rates are due to a handful of countries, specifically China, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, who are not party to the MCTR.

More countries are expected to procure drones, which pose a “growing threat to U.S. and allied military operations,” the report says. While category I systems can deploy missiles and other guided munitions, their main threat lies in “their ability to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations against U.S. forces prior to hostilities,” according to RAND. “Adversaries that would otherwise have difficulty detecting U.S. force deployments, monitoring U.S. operations, and maintaining targeting data on U.S. units can employ UAVs to maintain situational awareness of U.S. capabilities”

The report identifies Russia, China and Iran as unfriendly nations that will seek to utilize drones to complicate U.S. military operations.

For example, China and Saudi Arabia recently agreed to set up a UAV manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia for up to 300 new UAVs, and Italy will receive 20 Hammerhead UAVs from the UAE. The coproduction of regional drone factories “could further exacerbate the proliferation of large UAVs to the degree that these systems are exported to other nations,” according to RAND, and that hurts U.S. industry.

A U.S.-sized hole

Voluntarily restricting U.S. drone exports have allowed competitors to establish themselves in a market Rand expects to “grow from about $6 billion in 2015 to about $12 billion in 2025.”

RAND expect export controls to have a negative impact on the U.S. industrial base, something those in industry already know.

“What you are enabling the competition to do is not just to sell some hardware,” Linden Blue, General Atomic's chief executive, told reporters during an Aug. 16, 2017 roundtable at the company's headquarters in Poway, California. “You're enabling it to build a customer base for at least 20 years, I would say. You're enabling them to build a logistics system. It will take them many years to get to where we are right now, but you're helping them start out. They should be very thankful.”

https://www.defensenews.com/newsletters/unmanned-systems/2018/06/18/strict-export-regulations-may-be-costing-us-industry-billions-in-foreign-sales/

Sur le même sujet

25 juin 2019 | International, C4ISR

BAE awarded $90M to upgrade, maintain Navy's communications and combat systems
By Allen Cone June 24 (UPI) -- BAE Systems was awarded a five-year, $90 million contract to modernize and maintain critical communications and combat systems. The systems, which are embedded within vehicles, watercraft, and specialized communications platforms, integrate command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and are called C5ISR. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Md.; Little Creek, Va.; and Fayetteville, N.C., BAE said in a news release. The systems are integrated and networked to improve the situational awareness of military operators and decision-makers, according to BAE. "Technology is constantly evolving and the mission needs of our customers can change," Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems' Integrated Defense Solutions business, said in a news release. "As systems integrators, we are providing agile engineering, testing and field support to help our military customers adapt and maintain a tactical edge." For more than 25 years, BAE Systems has been supporting Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Communications Mission Solutions Division with mobile deployable systems. These systems are also used by Special Operations Forces, Homeland Security, and other Department of Defense and non-defense agencies. "Our engineers specialize in providing custom, tailor-made C5ISR solutions to help close communications capability gaps for the U.S. military," Keeler said. "BAE Systems takes pride in keeping the lines of communication open for those on the front lines of national security." Navy Information Dominance Forces team ensures those systems work and are ready to go to sea as part of the Deploying Group System Integration Testing. "The best way to validate performance of C5I systems is to test interoperability and integration in a stressed operational environment," Mike Caldwell, the DGSIT Atlantic program manager, said in a Navy news release. "The systems and sailors are under pressure because of the tactical exercise demands. It is probably the first time that collection [of sailors] has worked together, and it may be the first time those ships have worked together. But the team is there to make sure everything works for both advanced training and deployment." https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/06/24/BAE-awarded-90M-to-upgrade-maintain-Navys-communications-and-combat-systems/2191561386249/
4 septembre 2018 | International, C4ISR

Five Eyes Intel Alliance Urges Big Tech to Help Break Encrypted Messages
By Joseph Marks The U.S. and four major allies warn new legislation might be necessary to ensure law enforcement can access communications. Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen joined leaders of the U.S.'s four major intelligence sharing partners Thursday in a statement urging tech companies to help law enforcement access otherwise-encrypted communications from criminals and terrorists. The joint statement stopped short of urging new laws to mandate that cooperation but warned that “should governments continue to encounter impediments to lawful access to information necessary to aid the protection of the citizens of our countries, we may pursue technological, enforcement, legislative or other measures to achieve lawful access solutions.” The statement from the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand, collectively known as the Five Eyes, describes law enforcement's inability to access encrypted communications as “a pressing international concern that requires urgent, sustained attention.” While “governments should recognize that the nature of encryption is such that there will be situations where access to information is not possible,” the statement notes, “such situations should be rare.” Obama and Trump administration officials have warned since 2014 that end-to-end encryption systems, which shield the content of communications even from the communications provider, are allowing criminals and terrorists to plan operations outside law enforcement's reach. Legislative proposals that would make it easier for police to access those communications have failed to gain traction, however, even after a 2015 showdown between the FBI and Apple over an encrypted iPhone used by San Bernardino shooter Syed Farook. An inspector general's investigation in March found the FBI rushed to court in that case, seeking to compel Apple's assistance without exploring other options for cracking into the phone. Thursday's statement notes that: “Providers of information and communications technology and services ... are subject to the law, which can include requirements to assist authorities to lawfully access data, including the content of communications.” The statement does not go into detail, however, about what laws would justify those requirements and how they should be interpreted. The San Bernardino case was never decided in court because an unknown third party sold the FBI a method for breaking through the phone's passcode and accessing its encrypted contents. U.S. tech companies, for the most part, have resisted calls to cooperate with law enforcement. They argue that any effort to weaken encryption would be found and exploited by criminal hackers or foreign spies. Technologists, civil libertarians and many members of Congress have urged police to use other methods to break through encrypted communications without forcing companies to help or installing government backdoors into encryption systems. Those methods include obtaining a warrant to hack into the communications and building a case using unencrypted metadata. During the summit, Nielsen and other Five Eyes officials also agreed to strengthen cooperation between their nations' cyber centers and to cooperate on improving the cybersecurity of supply chains for critical infrastructure such as energy plants and airports. https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2018/08/five-eyes-intel-alliance-urges-big-tech-help-break-encrypted-messages/150961/
7 juillet 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 06, 2020
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Raytheon Co., Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $6,000,000,000 modification (P00102) to six-year base contract SPRBL1-15-D-0017 with one four-year option period, to add an additional year of performance and increase funding for depot-level repairables and consumable spare parts, as well as repair and engineering services for multiple weapon systems. This modification increases the contract ceiling from $2,000,000,000 to $8,000,000,000. 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 an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with both fixed-price and cost elements. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Sept. 27, 2021, ordering period end date. Using customer is the Department of Defense. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 Army working capital funds and other procurement funds as necessary. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. Federal Prison Industries,** doing business as UNICOR, Washington, D.C., has been awarded a maximum $14,220,050 modification (P00006) exercising the second one-year option period of one-year base contract SPE1C1-18-D-1069 with two one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform trunks. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Washington, D.C.; Minnesota; Colorado; Louisiana; Kentucky; and New Jersey, with a July 11, 2021, ordering period end 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. Melton Sales & Service,* Columbus, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $10,093,553 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for transfer transmissions. 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 three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New Jersey, with a July 6, 2023, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0117). Bridgestone Americas Tire Operations LLC, doing business as GCR Tire Service, Phoenix, Arizona, has been awarded a maximum $8,709,450 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for M870 series low bed semitrailer wheel pneumatic tires. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Arizona, with a July 5, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0096). NAVY Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $133,406,869 firm-fixed-price contract to prepare for and accomplish repair and alteration requirements for USS McCampbell (DDG 85) chief of naval operations scheduled depot maintenance availability. This contract includes options which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $155,621,173. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon. USS McCampbell will receive comprehensive modernization for DDG 51 class ships to ensure a mission relevant service life. These improvements will include hull, mechanical and electrical technology insertion; as well as provide critical warfighting improvements, such as upgraded machinery control system, integrated bridge and navigation system (to include physical throttles); advanced galley upgrade; wireless communications and digital video surveillance system upgrade; upgrade to a fiber optic local area network backbone; AEGIS baseline 9 upgrade (that includes updated guns weapons system); enhanced Vertical Launching System; multi-mission signal processor; and Ballistic Missile Defense 5.0 upgrade. Work is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $154,319,412 will be obligated at time of award. Funds in the amount of $21,166,210 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(3), this contract was not competitively procured. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity (N4523A-20-D-0550). Cubic Defense Applications Inc., Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $99,100,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract supports the Surface Training Immersive Gaming and Simulations effort and provides for the development, delivery and total life cycle support of a new virtual environment training system. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida. Life cycle support of the new training systems includes updates, maintenance, upgrades and modifications to surface ship trainers and associated courseware to maintain fleet operational readiness. This system will be one of the pillars under the overall Surface Training Advanced Virtual Environment Program. Work is expected to be completed by July 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award, but will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal and six offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61340-20-D-0018). Jacobs/B&M JV, Pasadena, California, is awarded a $99,000,000 maximum amount, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineer contract for architect-engineer services. This includes the design, engineering, specification writing, cost estimating and related services at various locations under the cognizance of then Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and other government facilities within the NAVFAC Pacific area of operations, including but not limited to, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (75%); Australia (15%); Hawaii (5%); and Diego Garcia (5%). The work to be performed provides for the preparation of region/Facilities Engineering Command team; DD Form 1391 project documentation; engineering studies; specifications utilizing the Department of Defense SpecsIntact program; cost estimates utilizing the micro-computer aided cost estimating system (second generation); design and engineering services for functional analysis and concept development; request for proposal (RFP) documentation for design-build projects; and RFP documentation, plans and specifications for design-bid-build projects. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months and is expected to be completed by July 2025. Fiscal 2018 military construction (planning and design) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (planning and design). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and two proposals were received. The NAVFAC Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-20-D-0002). HDR Environmental, Operations and Construction Inc., Englewood, Colorado, is awarded a $75,000,000 maximum amount, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to conduct marine species monitoring services and implement components of the Navy's Integrated Comprehensive Monitoring Program. No task orders are being issued at this time. The primary geographic area covered by this contract encompasses the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic and Pacific areas of operations. Additionally, tasks associated with this contract may be assigned anywhere in the world. The work to be performed will obtain services for performance of marine resources monitoring and program management in support of Navy environmental compliance and reporting requirements. Services may include, but are not limited to, literature review and data searches; aerial, shipboard, and/or underwater visual surveys; passive acoustic monitoring; assessments to determine potential impacts from military activities; behavioral studies and controlled exposure experiments; biopsy sampling; tagging and tracking; analysis of data and technical assistance to ensure legal compliance; preparation of necessary reports, consultation packages and permit applications; and management and coordination of complex projects with other Federal agencies, institutions and organizations spanning a wide range of geographic locations. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of July 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, N. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website, and two proposals were received. The NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-D-0016). Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $34,749,670 modification (P00011) to previously-awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract N00019-18-C-1068. This modification provides for the production and delivery of 58 additional Lot 20 AIM-9X Block II all up round tactical missiles (29 for the Navy and 29 for the Air Force); an additional 61 Block II Captive Air Training Missiles (one for the Navy and 60 for the Air Force); an additional 35 all up round containers (12 for the Navy and 23 for the Air Force); and one lot of spares assets for the governments of Finland, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Turkey and Poland. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (31%); Andover, Massachusetts (10%); Keyser, West Virginia (9%); Santa Clarita, California (8%); Hillsboro, Oregon (5%); Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (5%); Goleta, California (4%); Cheshire, Connecticut (4%); Heilbronn, Germany (3%); Simsbury, Connecticut (2%); San Jose, California (2%); Valencia, California (2%); Anaheim, California (2%); Cajon, California (2%); Cincinnati, Ohio (1%); Anniston, Alabama (1%); San Diego, California (1%); Chatsworth, California (1%); Amesbury, Massachusetts (1%); Claremont, California (1%); Sumner, Washington (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (4%), and is expected to be completed by July 2023. Fiscal 2020 missile procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $23,081,565; fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,021,806; fiscal 2019 missile procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $135,020; fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,506; fiscal 2018 missile procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $40,506; fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,502; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $416,765 will be obligated at the time of award, $54,008 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Avian-Precise Co.,* Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $19,700,000 modification (P00006) to previously-awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00421-18-D-0016. This modification provides sustainment engineering, training and tools in support of the Naval Air Systems Command engineering group. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (91%); and Jacksonville, Florida (9%), and is expected to be completed by April 2023. No funds are being obligated at time of award, funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Signal Systems Corp.,* Millersville, Maryland, is awarded a $13,467,258 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N68335-20-F-0324) against previously-issued basic ordering agreement N68335-20-G-1062. This order provides for advanced Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) products for airborne anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and undersea warfare continued research and development efforts under SBIR Topic N04-007, "Continuous Active Sonar Signal Processing;" Topic N093-168, "Target Localization Using Multi-Static Sonar with Drifting Sonobuoys;" and Topic N101-005, "Spread Spectrum Techniques for Sonar Ping Technology." Work will be performed in Millersville, Maryland (83%); and Lexington Park, Maryland (17%). The applications to be further developed include acoustic ASW sensors and systems; telemetry and recording systems; signal and data processing; algorithm development; mathematical modeling; system and application prototyping; active and passive display enhancements; information assurance, anti-tampering and cybersecurity concepts; and techniques and analysis to predict the performance of the associated ASW systems. Work is expected to be completed by July 2025. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $683,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $12,805,321 not to exceed, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for materials and engineering services required to develop and integrate technological improvements for the DDG-51 hull; mechanical and electrical machinery control systems (MCS); Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Freedom class MCS; and Landing Helicopter Dock/A (LHD/A) MCS installed onboard current Navy ships in support of Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (65%); the remaining (35%) will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California; Norfolk, Virginia; and Mayport, Florida, as determined by the individual task orders. The services under this contract will support the development, implementation, execution and life cycle sustainment of shipboard MCS for LCS class, LHD/A class and DDG class surface ship machinery control equipment and systems, as well as serve the Logistics Management Branch of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division. This statement of work requests highly specialized services that only Lockheed Martin can support. As such, Lockheed Martin has developed proprietary test scripts and test equipment to provide for delivery and support of MCS systems and components. Work is expected to be completed by July 2026. Fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $500 ($500 minimum guarantee for contract) will be obligated at time of award via an individual task order and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured; there was one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-20-D-0009). ARMY General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $10,260,921 modification (P00110) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0067 for Abrams systems technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales (Taiwan) funds in the amount of $10,260,921 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. *Small Business **Mandatory Sour https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2261436/source/GovDelivery/

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