9 août 2019 | International, Aérospatial
By: Valerie Insinna
WASHINGTON — More than a quarter of Air Mobility Command's C-130 Hercules fleet are being temporarily removed from service after “atypical” cracking was found.
During scheduled depot maintenance, the U.S. Air Force discovered cracking of the lower center wing joint — also known as the “rainbow fitting” — which led Air Mobility Command head Gen. Maryanne Miller to order an inspection of a portion of the fleet, according to an AMC statement released Wednesday evening.
A total of 123 of 450 C-130H and C-130J aircraft will be temporarily grounded while inspections occur. “This temporary removal of service will not impact ongoing C-130 support to overseas contingency operations,” AMC said in its statement.
The decision to pause operations and conduct inspections was made after a single C-130 was found with the lower center wing joint cracks, said AMC spokesman Maj. Jonathan Simmons. But the risk posed by the issue — that the wing could become dislodged from the aircraft — was so serious that the Air Force decided to move forward with inspections for all planes that could potentially be impacted.
The 123 aircraft chosen to go through inspections have not been equipped with an “extended service life center wing box” and have flown more than 15,000 hours.
Maintainers will look for cracking, and, if discovered, will replace the rainbow fitting. That repair takes “approximately one to two months” to do and is “dependent on depot level availability and capacity,” Simmons noted in an email. Currently, AMC believes it has an adequate supply of rainbow fittings and is not concerned about a potential shortfall.
If no defects are found, the aircraft will return to service. So far, eight aircraft have gone through inspections and are now able to fly, Simmons said.
Each inspection is set to take eight hours, but the command does not know how long it will take to move all 123 aircraft through the inspection and repair process.
“The Air Force takes the safety of its airmen and aircraft very seriously and is working diligently to identify and repair affected aircraft as soon as possible,” AMC said in its statement.
18 octobre 2022 | International, Autre défense
Between China's 20th Communist Party Congress, that began Sunday, and the next one in 2027, Japan will undertake its biggest arms buildup since World War Two in a race to deter Beijing from war in East Asia, according to Japanese government officials and security analysts.
1 mars 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense
NAVY General Electric Aviation, Lynn, Massachusetts, is awarded a $366,206,842 five-year, firm-fixed-price requirements, long-term contract for the repair of 18 different head-of-family part numbers in support of the T-64 engine. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, North Carolina, and work is expected to be completed by February 2024. Working capital funds (Navy) will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source, non-competitive requirement in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. (N00383-19-D-UK01) The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $157,700,000 firm-fixed-price contract to procure two operational flight trainers (OFTs), two weapons tactics trainers (WTTs); six brief/debrief stations (BDSs);, to include two OFT BDSs, two WTT BDSs; and two weapons system trainer BDSs; one part task trainer, ten electronic classrooms, two scenario generation stations, one training system support center, two virtual maintenance trainers and supporting technical data such as software, books and other publications. In addition, this contract provides contracts, logistics, engineering and management technical expertise required to procure, design, build, test, deliver, install- and inspect P-8A training systems for the government of the U. K. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (55 percent); Tampa, Florida (30 percent); Lossiemouth, Scotland (10 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (2 percent); Dallas, Texas (2 percent); and Seattle, Washington (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $157,700,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4). The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61340-19-C-0004). General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was awarded $34,732,571 for cost-plus-fixed-fee order N6339419F0028 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement N6339416G0005 for providing in-service engineering and lifecycle support services required to maintain and support the command, control, communications, computers, combat systems and intelligence elements for the Austal Independence variant littoral combat ship. The services provided will include program planning and control, resource management, cost and schedule control, installation and modernization, software development and testing, and training support. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (80 percent); and at various shipyards dependent on ship's schedule along the east coast of the U. S. (20 percent), and is expected to be complete by February 2021. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,886,257 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $896,755 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N63394-19-F-0028). (Awarded Feb. 26, 2019) General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded an $18,251,709 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-09-C-2104 for planning and execution of USS South Dakota's (SSN 790) post-delivery work period (PDWP). General Dynamics Electric Boat will perform planning and execution efforts, including long lead time material procurement, in preparation to accomplish the maintenance, repair, alterations, testing, and other work during its scheduled PDWP. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $14,651,709 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $14,121,444 for cost-plus-incentive-fee order N0001919F2693 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-14-G-0020). This order provides for the development of the F-35 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (AGCAS). The AGCAS is an on-board system that prevents controlled flight into terrain. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in March 2020. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $5,109,509 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Air Force ($5,926,519; 42 percent); Navy ($2,110,071; 15 percent); Marine Corps ($1,378,177; 10 percent); and non-U.S. Department of Defense participants ($4,706,677; 33 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Dobco Inc., Wayne, New Jersey, was awarded a $47,962,590 firm-fixed-price contract for the replacement of Welch Elementary School and Dover Air Base Middle School at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 25, 2021. Fiscal 2015, 2016 and 2107 military construction funds in the amount of $47,962,590 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-C-0017). NextGen Federal Systems LLC,* Morgantown, West Virginia, was awarded a $27,527,066 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for staff augmentation 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 Feb. 26, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56JSR-19-D-0011). Brayman Construction Corp., Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $21,744,985 firm-fixed-price contract to construct a cellular cofferdam at the Bluestone Dam in Hinton, West Virginia. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Hinton, West Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2015, 2018 and 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $21,744,985 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, West Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91237-19-C-0002). AIR FORCE Collins Aerospace, a division of Goodrich, Westford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $47,606,589 modification (P00007) to previously awarded contract FA8620-18-D-3014 for the DB-110 Tactical Reconnaissance Pod program. This modification provides foreign military sales (FMS) partner nations an ordering vehicle for the DB-110 Tactical Reconnaissance Pod program, including the following procurement of DB-110 reconnaissance pods, rogram infrastructure, airborne data link terminals, surface terminal equipment, mobile ground stations, fixed ground stations, transportable ground stations, and data and travel in support of orders. This modification brings the contract ceiling to $183,104,667 and involves FMS to Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Work will be performed in Westford, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 14, 2023. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. TAC Industries Inc., Springfield, Ohio, has been awarded a $7,190,190 delivery order (FA8534-19-F-0028) to previously awarded contract FA8532-14-D-0003 for the production of 463L low profile nets and 463L top nets. This delivery order provides for aircraft cargo nets that secure a wide variety of cargo to the pallets prior to loading, which also minimizes the risk of the cargo shifting during flight. Work will be performed in Springfield, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement funds in full amount are being obligated at time of award. This task order brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $54,494,482. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc.,* doing business as UNICOR, Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $12,210,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for moisture wicking t-shirts. This is a 24-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Georgia, South Carolina, and Washington, District of Columbia, with a Feb. 25, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-19-D-F021). (Awarded Feb. 26, 2019) WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Cargo Transport System Co., Safat,, Kuwait, has been awarded a contractmodification (P00007) on contract HTC711-17-D-R021 in the amount of $10,000,000. This modification provides continued stevedoring and related terminal services to the 595th Transportation Brigade. This includes vessel loading, vessel discharge, receipt of cargo, disposition of cargo, stuffing/unstuffing of cargo, intra-terminal transfer of cargo, inland transportation of cargo, customs clearance, yard management and management expertise. Work will be performed in ports of Kuwait. The period of performance is from March 9, 2019, to Sept. 8, 2019. Fiscal 2019 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $27,709,945from $17,709,945. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb. 25, 2019) * Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1769868/
26 janvier 2022 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
The Pentagon's innovation steering group will brief Congress this month on the details of the funding gap.