25 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval

U.S. Navy orders 48 retrofit redesign kits in support of Super Hornet aircraft

The U.S. Department of Defense announced on Thursday that Boeing Co. has been awarded a new contract for support F/A-18 Super Hornet aircraft.

U.S. aerospace giant has won a contract valued at as much as $43 million to build, test and delivery of 48 Trailing Edge Flap retrofit redesign kits in support of the F/A-18E/F aircraft.

Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (72%); Lucerne, Switzerland (20%); Paramount, California (5%); and Hot Springs, Arkansas (3%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022.

Production of the flaps involves the use of new manufacturing methods including advanced composites and high-speed machining, which were not used in the manufacture of flaps for the earlier Hornets.

The Super Hornet is the most advanced addition to the combat-proven family of F/A-18 Hornets. Both the single-seat E and two-seat F models offer longer range, greater endurance, more payload-carrying ability, more powerful engines, increased carrier bringback capability, enhanced survivability and the growth potential to incorporate future systems and technologies to meet emerging threats. Although it is 25 percent larger than the Hornet, the Super Hornet has 42 percent fewer parts.

The company's website said the Super Hornet is the backbone of the U.S. Navy carrier air wing now and for decades to come.

The combat-proven Super Hornet delivers cutting-edge, next-generation multi-role strike fighter capability, outdistancing current and emerging threats well into the future. The Super Hornet has the capability, flexibility and performance necessary to modernize the air or naval aviation forces of any country. Two versions of the Super Hornet – E model and F model – are able to perform virtually every mission in the tactical spectrum, including air superiority, day/night strike with precision-guided weapons, fighter escort, close air support, suppression of enemy air defenses, maritime strike, reconnaissance, forward air control and tanker missions.

https://defence-blog.com/news/u-s-navy-orders-48-retrofit-redesign-kits-in-support-of-super-hornet-aircraft.html

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  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 15, 2019

    16 juillet 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité, Autre défense

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - July 15, 2019

    ARMY Lockheed Martin Corp., Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $492,108,514 fixed-price-incentive contract for High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems M142 launchers and support requirements to include Product Data Definition Package Maintenance, training, support equipment, qualification testing, initial spares/repair parts and software. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Camden, Arizona; Boca Raton, Florida; Budd Lake, New Jersey; Whippany, New Jersey; Dallas, Texas; Palm Bay, Florida; Archbald, Pennsylvania; York, Pennsylvania; Clearwater, Florida; Jackson, Mississippi; and Brownboro, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of May 30, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $66,404,293 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-C-0101). General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, was awarded a $275,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for aircraft, satellite communications air data terminals, universal ground data terminals, program management, and equipment maintenance and repair. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Poway, California, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2021. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $275,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0022). TetraTech, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $9,626,655 firm-fixed-price contract for biological and environmental services. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 2, 2031. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-D-0010). NAVY Manson/Connolly Seal Beach JV, Seattle, Washington, is being awarded an $88,147,000 firm-fixed-price contract for P-224 Causeway Boat Channel and Turning Basin and P-226 Ammunition Pier at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. The contract also contains five unexercised options and one planned modification, which if exercised would increase the cumulative contract value to $154,771,611. The work to be performed provides a public boat channel, naval ship channel and naval ship turning basin; ship mooring dolphins, excavation of above water moles, salvage and reuse of armor/riprap, paving, striping, signage, fencing, hauling and disposing of excess dredge material, placing fill for vehicle causeway and habitat enhancement; and constructing rock breakwater, rock armor shore protection, security structure and wharf improvements to support large deck amphibious ship ordnance operations. This project also includes relocating naval barge mooring buoys, installing marine navigation aids, utility infrastructure upgrades and communication infrastructure and security improvements. Work will be performed in Seal Beach, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) funds for P-224 in the amount of $117,780,000 are obligated at the time of award, and the funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. When fiscal 2020 military construction (Navy) funds are available they will be obligated using one of the unexercised options for P-226. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with two proposals received. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-C-2450). Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is being awarded a $40,000,000 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2105 for additional supplemental work for the refueling complex overhaul of USS George Washington (CVN 73). Work includes accomplishment of the overhaul, modernization, repair, maintenance and refueling. This modification provides additional funds required to support mandatory and essential work performed by Huntington Ingalls Industries Newport News. All work is approved by the government and will ensure that the ship is returned to the fleet fully mission capable at redelivery. The supplemental refueling work for CVN 73 will be accomplished by Huntington Ingalls Inc., located in Newport News, Virginia, under the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). Huntington Ingalls Inc. is the original building yard contractor for all ships of the CVN 68 class, the reactor planning yard, the lead design refueling yard and the only private shipyard capable of refueling and overhauling nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Therefore, it is the only source with the knowledge, experience and facilities required to accomplish this effort in support of the refueling of CVN 73 without an unacceptable disruption of Navy-wide overhaul and repair schedule. This additional effort will ensure that the ship is returned to the fleet fully mission capable at redelivery. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to complete by August 2021. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and construction (Navy) funding in the amount of $40,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Bethel-Webcor Pacific JV,* Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded firm-fixed-price task order N6247319F4865 at $39,300,000 under a multiple award construction contract for a maritime skills training center at Naval Base San Diego. The task order also contains three unexercised options and one planned modification, which if exercised would increase cumulative task order value to $41,868,747. The work to be performed provides for converting a portion of Building 3304 to house computer simulator trainers to support the Surface Warfare Officers School's mission to train sea-bound warriors to serve on surface combatants as officers. The planned modification, if issued, provides for furniture, fixtures and equipment. The options, if exercised, provide for an electrical switch, fiber optic cable and new duct bank installation and removal of existing cages in a portion of the building. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $39,300,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-18-D-5856). Keysight Technologies Inc., Englewood, Colorado, is being awarded a $9,850,400 indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract for up to 350 radio frequency vector signal generators in support of the Naval Air Systems Command's Metrology and Calibration Division. Work will be performed in Singapore, and is expected to be completed in January 2026. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $84,432 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N6833519D0137). Bluewater Management Group LLC, Norfolk, Virginia (N3220519D2002), is being awarded a $7,926,050 indefinite-delivery, requirements contract for Customer Support Unit-West for civil service mariners' lodging and transportation. The contract includes a one-year base period with four, one-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $42,691,305. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed if all options are exercised by Sept. 30, 2024. Navy operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,926,050 are obligated for fiscal 2020 and will expire Oct. 1, 2020. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and five offers received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519D2002). Harris Corp., Rochester, New York, is being awarded a $7,392,098 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a base ordering period of one year for the refurbishment of Marine Corps Radio components associated with controlled cryptographic communications. This contract includes two one-year option ordering periods which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $22,850,412. Work will be performed in Rochester, New York. Work is expected to be completed October 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through January 2023. Fiscal 2019 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,012,868 will be obligated on the first delivery order at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Marine Corps Logistics Command, Albany, Georgia, is the contracting activity for (M67004-19-D-0002). *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1905262/source/GovDelivery/

  • The drone defense dilemma: How unmanned aircraft are redrawing battle lines

    17 février 2021 | International, Aérospatial

    The drone defense dilemma: How unmanned aircraft are redrawing battle lines

    By: Tom Kington ROME — First there was the video from Libya of a Turkish drone destroying a Russian Pantsir missile defense system. Next came the veteran S-300 air defense system — also Russian — being taken out in Nagorno-Karabakh by an Israeli-built Harop loitering munition. In the conflicts in Libya and Nagorno-Karabakh last year, unmanned platforms often made short work of the ground-based systems designed to neutralize them, paving the way for easy attacks on vulnerable troops. What is more, experts say, is that the balance of power between drones and air defense systems is shaping up to be a key to global wars in the near future. “Libya, Nagorno-Karabakh and also Syria have just showed us that if a fielded force cannot protect its airspace, then the large scale use of UAVs can make life extremely dangerous,” said Justin Bronk, an air force research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in England. Turkey's Bayraktar TB2 armed drone grabbed the headlines during the Libya conflict last year, which saw Turkey deploy the platform to defend the U.N.-backed Tripoli government against strongman Khalifa Hifter, who relied on Russian Pantsir systems. Able to fire their Roketsan munitions from outside the range of the Russian systems, the TB2s scored hits, helping stop Hifter's advance. “Turkey also sent in engineers who improved the software of the drones on the fly, while there was no similar learning curve with the Chinese UAVs operated by the UAE to assist Hifter,” said Jalel Harchaoui at the Switzerland-based Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. “The bold and effective use of TB2s in Nagorno-Karabakh in October was made possible by the previous success in Libya,” he added. An enclave belonging to Azerbaijan but governed by breakaway ethnic Armenians, Nagorno-Karabakh has been a flashpoint between Azerbaijan and Armenia for years. It exploded in a brief and bloody war between September and November. Turkey, which backed Azerbaijan, reportedly sent in UAV trainers ahead of the conflict. TB2s alongside Israeli loitering munitions were soon racking up successes, with Dutch warfare research group Oryx reporting 134 Armenian tanks destroyed compared to 22 lost by Azerbaijan. “Turkey built up its UAV expertise after leasing Israeli UAVs, then put that expertise to use building its own after frustrations over the limits placed on its use of the Israeli systems,” Bronk said. “The TB2 has a similar aerodynamic profile to the Heron, while the Turkish Anka UAV is similar to the Hermes 450.” Manufacturer Bayraktar has sold the TB2 to Qatar and Ukraine, while Serbia is eyeing a purchase, raising the TB2′s profile as a competitor to the Chinese Wing Loong II, 50 of which have been exported. “China and Turkey are vying for sales, which begs the question: Why doesn't Russia have the equivalent of a TB2 to sell? I am very surprised they are almost absent in this market,” Harchaoui said. The drone's contribution to the hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh came with a price, as Canada suspended arms exports to Turkey amid claims the TB2 contained Canadian parts, while a U.K. firm supplying parts to the drone also canceled its contract. A number of nations, including the U.K., are meanwhile beefing up their defenses for ground forces, said Bronk. “In light of this threat, the British Army has recently ordered a short/medium-range [surface-to-air missile] system called Sky Sabre. If deployed forward in significant numbers, it should dramatically reduce the Army's vulnerability to both surveillance and attack by hostile UAVs in situations where friendly air cover is unavailable,” he said. Drones are not, however, invulnerable, he added. “U.S. and British Reapers and Predators in Syria had lots of problems with Russian electronic warfare. Since the Reaper can be targeted, you can imagine that less sophisticated platforms can be more easily affected,” he said. Bronk expects that more militaries will spend more money on air defense to balance out the drone threat — “particularly countries which don't have strong air forces.” “One option is the Russian SA-17 system, which has a 75-kilometer range compared to the 10 kilometers of TB2 missiles, or the cheaper and more contained SA-15 with a 10-kilometer range. Western products include the [National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System] NASAMS, which already helps to defend Washington, D.C., with a roughly 15-kilometer range and the NASAMS 2 with a 30- to 40-kilometer range,” he said. Peter Roberts, the director of military sciences at the Royal United Services Institute, said the world is waking up to the reality of modern warfare. “For a while there was the romantic view that either drones or tanks or missiles would win wars on their own,” he said. “There is no silver bullet on the battlefield, and this is an era which is rediscovering that.” Roberts added that urban warfare is also undergoing a revival, as is the art of deception in war. “Whether it's the Russians in Ukraine or the Iranians, the use of decoys is back — something we once knew about, then forgot in the 1990s.” The world is also returning to an era of proxy wars, he said, from Libya to Nagorno-Karabakh to Yemen. “That means wars fought on the edge of great powers using mercenaries and sponsored guerilla groups and insurgents,” he said. “It also means more sophisticated weapons in the hands of smaller, nonstate groups like the Houthis in Yemen using cruise and ballistic missiles and drones. It is potentially very nasty.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/02/15/the-drone-defense-dilemma-how-unmanned-aircraft-are-redrawing-battle-lines/

  • Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 19, 2021

    20 janvier 2021 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

    Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - January 19, 2021

    DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY US Foods Inc., Port Orange, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $390,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-quantity contract for full-line food distribution. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Florida, Cuba and Bahamas, with a Jan. 18, 2026, ordering period end date. Using military services are Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy and Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-21-D-3312). Federal Prison Industries Inc.,** Washington, D.C., has been awarded a maximum $24,708,000 modification (P00011) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-F056) with four one-year option periods for various types of trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Washington, D.C., with a Jan. 20, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NAVY General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $41,554,227 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical design effort to support research and development concept formulation for current and future submarine platforms. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $305,521,179. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (96.1%); Bremerton, Washington (1.7%); Kings Bay, Georgia (1.7%); and Newport, Rhode Island (0.5%), and is expected to be completed by September 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through September 2025. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and engineering (Navy) funds in the amount of $250,000 (80%); and 2020 research, development, test and engineering (Navy) funds in the amount of $63,000 (20%), will be obligated at time of award, of which funding in the amount of $63,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and is a sole-source award pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(3) – Industrial Mobilization. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Sundance-EA Associates II,* Pocatello, Idaho, is awarded a maximum-value $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for environmental compliance services at Joint Region Marianas, Guam. The work to be performed is for a full range of environmental support activities for naval installation environmental compliance programs to ensure the supported components, tenant commands and facilities and contractor operations demonstrate and maintain compliance with all applicable federal, U.S. territory, and local statutes, and with Department of Defense and Navy policies, permits, instructions and guidance. Environmental compliance programs include clean air, safe drinking water, clean water, hazardous waste, pollution prevention, solid waste management, pesticide compliance, emergency planning and community right-to-know act, ozone-depleting substances management, storage tank management, environmental quality assessment, environmental sampling and analysis and overall environmental compliance oversight. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy) funds. Work will be performed in the Joint Region Marianas area of responsibility and is expected to be completed by January 2026. Work under the initial task order will be performed in Guam and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,447,016 will be obligated under the initial task order at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-21-D-1820). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Melbourne, Florida, is awarded a $29,776,196 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N00019-21-F-0064) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-20-G-0005. This order procures five aerial refueling retrofit kits and installation on the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye. Work will be performed in Ronkonkoma, New York (44.53%); Baltimore, Maryland (16.62%); Irvine, California (6.48%); Hauppauge, New York (5.85%); Columbia, Maryland (4.75%); Dorset, England (3.17%); East Aurora, New York (2.64%); North Hollywood, California (2.02%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (13.94%), and is expected to be completed in May 2022. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $29,776,196 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Range Generation Next LLC, Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $14,600,345 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P000327) to contract FA8806-15-C-0001 for a telemetry end-to-end processing system. This modification supports an increase in launch and test range requirements. Work will primarily be performed at Eastern Range, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida; Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida; and Kennedy Space Center, Florida, and is expected to be completed May 11, 2023. Fiscal 2020 Air Force space procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity. ARMY Transportation Management Services Inc., Sandy Spring, Maryland, was awarded a $13,874,720 firm-fixed-price contract to provide transportation services throughout the National Capital Region from Jan.16, 2021, through Jan. 31, 2021. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (National Guard) funds in the amount of $13,874,720 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army National Guard Bureau, Operational Contracting Division, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W912R1-21-F-0002). *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2476202/source/GovDelivery/

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