The Portuguese army is ditching the G3 and getting a US spec ops-inspired rifle

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  15 août 2018 | International, Aérospatial

  Tinker cracks down on tool checkouts after ‘lapses’ lead to impounded aircraft

  By: Stephen Losey The 552nd Maintenance Group at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma has issued strict new rules on who can check out tools after several recent “minor lapses” in keeping track of them. In an emailed statement Monday, 552nd Air Control Wing spokesman Ron Mullan said the lapses in tool accountability did not cause any mishaps. However, the lost tool incidents led the 552nd to impound two aircraft to make sure they were safe before returning them to full flying status. “The 552nd Air Control Wing employs a multitude of standard procedures regarding activities in and around aircraft to ensure safety," Mullan said. ”Occasionally, despite sound procedures, we identify emerging trends which cause us to review and adjust these procedures as needed to maintain the highest standards of safety." The 552nd Maintenance Group supports the wing's 28 E-3 Sentry, or AWACS, aircraft. The wing's official website said those planes are worth a total of $8.4 billion. “Ensuring the safety, health and welfare of the men and women of the 552nd Air Control Wing is always a top priority and essential to mission effectiveness,” wing commander Col. Geoffrey Weiss said in a Thursday email. “Therefore, I have asked our maintenance group commander and his team to review tool checkout and accountability procedures and make necessary changes to ensure our ground and flight operations remain fully safe and effective across the full range of our mission responsibilities.” Full Article: https://www.airforcetimes.com/news/your-air-force/2018/08/14/tinker-cracks-down-on-tool-checkouts-after-lapses-lead-to-impounded-aircraft/

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  14 décembre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 12, 2018

  NAVY Clark Construction Group LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, is awarded a $298,211,055 firm-fixed-price construction contract to construct a VC-25B hangar complex. The contract provides for the construction of a hangar complex, an aircraft access taxiway/parking apron, associated lighting, engine run-up pads, and a hydrant refueling system with storage tanks. Additional requirements include, but are not limited to, site preparation, wetland/stream mitigation, storm water management, a parking lot, and a fire detection, and suppression system. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to a ceiling of $315,481,000. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland, and is expected to be completed April 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 military construction (Air Force) contract funds in the amount of $220,000,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was the result of a competitive acquisition via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 10 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-19-C-0008). Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded $18,000,000 for modification P00004 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-18-D-0103) to exercise an option for technical analysis, engineering and integration on V-22 aircraft platform for the Navy, Marine Corps,. Air Force, and the government of Japan under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (50 percent); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (50 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. No funds are being 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. Edison Chouest Offshore, Cut Off, Louisiana, is awarded $7,374,825 to exercise an option under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N3220517C3513) with reimbursable elements for one maritime support vessel. This vessel will be utilized to launch, recover, refuel, and resupply of small crafts in the U.S. Pacific Command's (USPACOM) area of responsibility. This contract includes a 12-month base period, three 12-month option periods, and one 11-month option period. This is option one of the current contract. If all options are exercised this would bring the cumulative value of the contract to $41,079,507. Work will be performed in the USPACOM's area of responsibility, and is expected to be completed Dec. 22, 2019. If all options are exercised, work will continue through Nov. 22, 2022. Navy working capital funds in the amount of $6,018,015 are obligated for fiscal 2019 and will expire at the end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with 50-plus proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY General Electric – Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $157,731,567 fixed-price prospective redetermination, requirements contract for holistic engine support of the T64 aircraft engine. 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 and a half year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a June 6, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Richmond, Virginia (SPE4AX-19-D-9400). Michelin North America Inc., Greenville, South Carolina, has been awarded an estimated $42,246,789 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, requirements contract for aircraft tires supporting the Global Tire Program. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is South Carolina, with a Dec. 11, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0043). Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co., Akron, Ohio, has been awarded an estimated $35,168,525 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, requirements contract for aircraft tires supporting the Global Tire Program. This was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Ohio, with a Dec. 11, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0051). Michelin North America Inc., Greenville, South Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $19,960,116 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity, requirements contract to provide tire support for the Global Tires Program. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is South Carolina, with a Dec. 11, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0054). ARMY Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $13,364,769 modification (P00002) to Foreign Military Sales (Saudi Arabia) contract W900KK-17-C-0040 for modernization of a number of live fire ranges; support of infrastructure; procurement of installation of targets for ranges; automated shoothouse; urban assault course; range control systems; spare parts, and new equipment training courses. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida and Swanee, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2021. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales funds in the amount of $13,364,769 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. URS Federal Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $9,742,253 modification (P00129) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0001 for aviation maintenance. Work will be performed in Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Louisville, Tennessee; and Fort Polk, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of June 29, 2019. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,742,253 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Galois Inc., Portland Oregon, has been awarded an $8,589,384 cost-plus-fixed-fee (completion) contract for merged-analysis-to-prevent-exploits software, testing and demonstrations. This contract provides for a software system that will enable computers and humans to collaboratively reason over software artifacts with the goal of finding zero-day vulnerabilities at a scale and speed appropriate for the complex software ecosystem. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 50 offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,321,974 are being obligated at the time of award. Air force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-0004). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1712047/

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  26 février 2020 | International, Aérospatial

  Air Force To Pump New Tech Startups With $10M Awards

  The Air Force's new investment strategy is designed to "catalyze the commercial market by bringing our military market to bear," says Roper. By THERESA HITCHENS PENTAGON: The Air Force will roll out the final stage in its commercial startup investment strategy during the March 13-20 South By Southwest music festival, granting one or more contracts worth at least $10 million to startups with game-changing technologies, service acquisition chief Will Roper says. The first-of-its kind event in Austin, called the Air Force Pitch Bowl, will match Air Force investment with private venture capital funds on a one to two ratio, according to a presentation by Capt. Chris Benson of AFWERX at the Strategic Institute's Dec. 4-5 “AcquisitionX” meeting. So, if the Air Force investment fund, called Air Force Ventures, puts in $20 million, the private capital match would be $40 million. AFWERX, the Air Force's innovation unit, has one of its hubs in Austin. “This has been a year in the making now, trying to make our investment arm, the Air Force Ventures, act like an investor, even if it's a government entity,” Roper explained. “We don't invest like a private investor — we don't own equity — we're just putting companies on contract. But for early stage companies, that contract acts a lot like an investor.” The goal is to help steer private resources toward new technologies that will benefit both US consumers and national security to stay ahead of China's rapid tech growth, Roper told reporters here Friday. The Air Force wants to “catalyze the commercial market by bringing our military market to bear,” he said. “We're going to be part of the global tech ecosystem.” Figuring out how to harness the commercial marketplace is critical, Roper explained, because DoD dollars make up a dwindling percentage of the capital investment in US research and development. This is despite DoD's 2021 budget request for research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) of $106.6 billion being “the largest in its history,” according to Pentagon budget rollout materials. The Air Force's share is set at $37.3 billion, $10.3 billion of which is slated for Space Force programs. “We are 20 percent of the R&D is this country — that's where the military is today,” Roper said. “So if we don't start thinking of ourselves as part of a global ecosystem, looking to influence trends, investing in technologies that could be dual-use — well, 20 percent is not going to compete with China long-term, with a nationalized industrial base that can pick national winners.” The process for interested startups to compete for funds has three steps, Roper explained, beginning with the Air Force “placing a thousand, $50K bets per year that are open.” That is, any company can put forward its ideas to the service in general instead of there being a certain program office in mind. “We'll get you in the door,” Roper said, “we'll provide the accelerator functions that connect you with a customer. “Pitch days” are the second step, he said. Companies chosen to be groomed in the first round make a rapid-fire sales pitch to potential Air Force entities — such as Space and Missile Systems Center and Air Force Research Laboratory — that can provide funding, as well as to venture capitalists partnering with the Air Force. As Breaking D broke in October, part of the new acquisition strategy is luring in private capital firms and individual investors to match Air Force funding in commercial startups as a way to to bridge the ‘valley of death' and rapidly scale up capability. The service has been experimenting with ‘pitch days' across the country over the last year, such as the Space Pitch Days held in San Francisco in November when the service handed out $22.5 million to 30 companies over two days. Roper said he intends to make “maybe 300 of those awards per year,” with the research contracts ranging from $1 million to $3 million a piece and “where program dollars get matched by our investment dollars.” The final piece of the strategy, Roper explained, is picking out the start-ups that can successfully field game-changing technologies. “The thing that we're working on now is the big bets, the 30 to 40 big ideas, disruptive ideas that can change our mission and hopefully change the world,” Roper said. “We're looking for those types of companies.” The Air Force on Oct. 16 issued its first call for firms to compete for these larger SBIR contracts under a new type of solicitation, called a “commercial solutions opening.” The call went to companies already holding Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) awards. The winners will be announced in Austin. If the strategy is successful, Roper said, the chosen firms will thrive and become profitable dual-use firms focused primarily on the commercial market. “The, we're starting to build a different kind of industry base,” Roper enthused. “So, we've gotta get the big bets right. Then most importantly, if you succeed in one of the big bets, then we need to put you on contract on the other side, or else the whole thing is bunk.” https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/air-force-to-pump-new-tech-startups-with-10m-awards