13 mai 2022 | International, C4ISR
Thales finalizes acquisition of RUAG training and simulation unit
The acquisition aligns with armed forces modernization programs across the globe, and a move toward digitalization across land forces.
4 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
To keep up with rivals, DoD nominee will weigh consolidation vs. innovation
By: Joe Gould
WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden's nominee for deputy defense secretary, Kathleen Hicks, said she is “concerned” about consolidation in the defense industrial base, and that competition is needed to maintain an edge over China and Russia.
Hicks, whose office would review deals that involve national security issues if she is confirmed by the Senate, told lawmakers Tuesday that she would work with them to ensure a healthy defense industrial base. The comments came amid market expectations that defense deal-making could take off in 2021.
“Extreme consolidation does create challenges for innovation,” Hicks told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “We need to have a lot of different good ideas out there. That's our competitive advantage over authoritarian states like China, and Russia. And so if we move all competition out, obviously, that's a challenge for the taxpayer. But it's also a challenge in terms of the innovation piece.”
As the space sector and technological developments drive growth in the aerospace and defense sector and the pandemic weakens commercial aviation firms, companies are “likely to pursue opportunities for consolidation,” the consulting firm Deloitte said in a recent report.
Firms could seek new merger and acquisition opportunities, the report said, to “capture more value, drive cost-competitiveness, or acquire targeted niche capabilities and emerging technologies” such as “advanced air mobility, hypersonics, electric propulsion, and hydrogen-powered aircraft.”
Recent years have seen a number of major deals, including the combination of Harris and L3 Technologies, United Technologies Corp. and Raytheon; BAE Systems and Collins Aerospace, and General Dynamics and CSRA. Lockheed Martin's $4.4 billion acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne, announced in December, has yet to clear regulators.
The Federal Trade Commission and the Justice Department also review mergers and acquisition activity in the defense sector.
At Tuesday's hearing, Connecticut Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, whose state hosts General Dynamics Electric Boat, told Hicks a drop in the number of submarine suppliers from 17,000 to 5,000 over recent decades suggested broader problems for the defense industrial base, problems that he said were, “extremely alarming to me.”
Blumenthal indicated Hicks had committed prior to the hearing to aid small suppliers struggling with the pandemic's economic fallout and to develop new small and medium suppliers. (This was one focus of DoD's acquisition and sustainment office under the previous administration.)
“I'm hoping you will focus on the supply chain that is vitally important to suppliers like Electric Boat or Raytheon or any of our major sources of supply,” said Blumenthal, who has served as the top Democrat on SASC's Seapower Subcommittee.
A broader theme for the hearing was how Hicks, whose job involves supervising the defense budget, would invest in forward-leaning technologies under a flat budget and divest from existing weapons platforms. Meanwhile, lawmakers grilled Hicks about whether she supported spending on nuclear modernization, shipbuilding and other programs with connections to lawmakers' home states.
Acknowledging the political and budget tensions, Hicks said she wants to link future budgetary decisions with concepts for operations, to buy “capabilities that actually line up to theories of victory for how we are trying to pace challenges from China and Russia.”
Other lawmakers told Hicks they wanted an easier paths for smaller, cutting edge firms from outside the Beltway to do business with the Pentagon and for them to scale production of their products, beyond the experimentation phase.
“We've had testimony before this committee that many smaller companies, particularly in Silicon Valley, and in the technology field generally have given up on the Pentagon, it's too complicated is too lengthy is too expensive, even to fill out the forms,” said Sen. Angus King, I-Maine.
For her part, Hicks said Tuesday she would “increase the speed and scale of innovation in our force,” and she would work to understand how alternative acquisitions methods are servings smaller non-traditional suppliers. She affirmed that those firms cannot survive on research and development funding alone.
“I do think a sustain level of [research and development] investment is vital, but we actually have to field capabilities, and that's a place where DoD has really struggled,” she said, adding that exercises and experiments help demonstrate the value of new technologies.
“When we can demonstrate value, then we're in a much better position to have a dialogue with Congress and with industry about where that where those capabilities can take us.”
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11 juillet 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 10, 2019
NAVY Wyle Laboratories Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, is being awarded an $81,220,643 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for certified and qualified operational contractor support services aircrew to support mission essential testing and evaluation of all manned air vehicles under the operational responsibility of the Naval Test Wing Atlantic/Pacific squadrons. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland (94%); NAS Pt. Mugu, California (5%); and NAS China Lake, California (1%), and is expected to be completed in September 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0071). CCI Construction Services LLC,* Honolulu, Hawaii (N62478-16-D-4012); Dawson Federal Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (N62478-16-D-4014); and TKH-ASI LLC,* Kahului, Hawaii (N62478-16-D-4016), are being awarded a $75,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award design-build/design-bid-build construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii area of operations (AO). The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to labor, supervision, tools, materials and equipment necessary to perform new construction, repair, alteration and related demolition of existing infrastructure based on design-build, or design-bid-build (full plans and specifications) for infrastructure within the state of Hawaii. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $320,000,000. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and miscellaneous federal and other facilities in the NAVFAC Hawaii AO. Work is expected to be completed by June 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy); and Navy working capital funds. NAVFAC Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 9, 2019) Paradigm Mechanical Corp.,* Lemon Grove, California, is being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $49,000,000 for plumbing, heating, and air conditioning construction alterations, renovations and repair projects at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake; Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms; Marine Corps Logistics Base, Barstow; and Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of plumbing, heating, and air-conditioning system installation projects. Work will be performed in China Lake, California (25%); Twentynine Palms, California (25%); Barstow, California (25%); and Bridgeport, California (25%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are being obligated at time of 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 Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with one proposal received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2602). R.C. Construction Co. Inc., Greenwood, Mississippi, is being awarded a $33,116,313 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of range improvements and modernization located at Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, South Carolina. This project constructs a new rifle range in the same location as the existing Hue City Range. This range will meet applicable Marine Corps requirements for known distance (KD) ranges as set forth in MIL HDBK 1027.3B, range facilities and miscellaneous training facilities other than buildings, and Marine Corps Orders (MCO) 3570.1C, 3550.9, and 3574.2L. Range support buildings to be constructed include target storage, control house and toilet facilities. All facilities will be concrete or reinforced concrete masonry unit structures with stucco exterior and concrete slab on grade. A target-area berm, retaining walls, safety sidewalls, a safety tunnel and 600-yard range berm will be constructed, and sidewalls with acoustic insulation will also be included. Earth berm structures include a behind-the-target bullet impact berm with side and rear retaining walls as appropriate with flat lead mining equipment maintenance surfaces. Built-in equipment will include the target system benches, target numbers and relocated target lifters, flagpoles and firing line benches. Special costs include post construction award services and geospatial mapping and survey. Work will be performed in Parris Island, South Carolina, and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $28,326,200 are being obligated at time of this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with three proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-19-C-9017). The Raytheon Co., Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded a $17,777,245 firm-fixed-price contract to procure 114 High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile command launch computers to include two pre-production units, one first article test unit and 111 production units in support of the Navy. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed in October 2021. Working capital (Navy); and fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,777,245 will be obligated at time of award, $6,243,087 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0026). Diversified Maintenance Systems Inc.,* Sandy, Utah, is being awarded a not-to-exceed the amount of $15,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial and institutional building construction alterations, renovations and repair projects at Naval Weapons Station, Seal Beach. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs and construction of administration buildings, maintenance/repair facilities, aircraft control towers, hangars, fire stations, office buildings, laboratories, dining facilities and related structures. Work will be performed in Seal Beach, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are being obligated at time of this 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 Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 13 proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2621). ARMY Amherst Madison Inc., Charleston, West Virginia (W91237-19-D-0019); and Mi-De-Con Inc.,* Ironton, Ohio (W91237-19-D-0020), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for small construction projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 9, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, West Virginia, is the contracting activity. Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. Inc., Kansas City, Missouri, was awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering services. 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 July 9, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-D-0032). Specialized Materials and Chemicals LLC, Brigham City, Utah, was awarded a $38,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of ammonium Perchlorate. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 9, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-D-3021). Walga Ross Group 2 JV,* Topeka, Kansas, was awarded a $21,808,640 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of the South Access Control Point for the Fort Bliss Replacement Hospital at Fort Bliss, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2020. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $21,808,640 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-19-C-0032). Seatrax Inc.,* Houston, Texas, was awarded a $15,098,156 firm-fixed-price contract for a new floating crane to perform the duty cycle bank grading work in support of the revetment mission on the Mississippi River. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Houston, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, civil funds in the amount of $15,098,156 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis, Tennessee, is the contracting activity (W912EQ-19-C-0007). Walga Ross Group 2 JV,* Topeka, Kansas, was awarded a $12,219,560 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of the North Access Control Point for the Fort Bliss Replacement Hospital at Fort Bliss, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2020. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $21,808,640 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-19-C-0031). AIR FORCE Nomlaki Technologies, Sacramento, California, has been awarded a $10,402,000 firm-fixed-price contract for repairing four bridges. This contract provides demolition and disposal of all debris of four reinforced concrete bridges at Beale Air Force Base, in accordance with all local city ordinances, state and federal regulations and design and construction of a bridge system (up to four bridges) to cross the four waterways and replace the original bridges. Work will be performed at Beale AFB, California, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 24, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,402,000 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with five offers received. The 9th Contracting Squadron, Beale AFB, Marysville, California, is the contracting activity (FA4686-19-C-A004). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Goodrich Corp., Rome, New York, has been awarded a maximum $9,148,161 firm‐fixed‐price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract for ball bearing units. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(2) from Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302‐1. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a July 30, 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 Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1‐19‐D‐0077). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1901092/source/GovDelivery/
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5 mai 2021 | International, Aérospatial
FLIR Wins Additional $15.4M Contract for Black Hornet Nano-UAV Systems for U.S. Army Soldier Borne Sensor Program
The advanced nano UAV are being used to augment squad and small unit-level surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities as part of the Army’s Soldier Borne Sensor program.