Viasat to supply Britain’s future frigate with satellite communications tech

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  28 juin 2023 | International, Aérospatial

  Georgia base tapped to host F-35 fighters as A-10 fleet retires

  The Air Force said Monday it plans to bring two F-35A squadrons to the Valdosta base starting in fiscal 2029.

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  2 décembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Pentagon R&D boss: The challenge of our time

  By: Mike Griffin Nov. 9 marked the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event followed within a couple of years by the reunification of Germany, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the freeing of the Eastern European vassal states. Francis Fukuyama thought we had reached “the end of history,” that global great power conflict was at its end and that the ascendancy of the Western liberal concept was the permanent future. “We won the Cold War” — it says so in all the history books. Winning is great, except for the part where the losers retreat, rethink, retrain and try again; while the winner thinks the race is won once and for all — which is why the United States now finds itself running from behind in certain aspects of today's great power rivalry. How did we get here, and what should we do about it? It turned out that Fukuyama was optimistic; Russia and China never accepted Western ideals as future standards. Their adherence to and promulgation of authoritarian values and behaviors was, at most, slowed by the ascendancy of the Western alliance after World War II. Russia's resurgence and China's rise offer the sobering reminder that individual freedom, property rights, free trade in open markets, transparency and accountability in government, the rule of law, and the sovereignty of nations are not universally accepted as foundational principles for human society. They are privileges to be purchased by every generation, at a high price in blood and treasure. Where possible, the United States has paid with treasure rather than with blood. This principle guided our Cold War policies. Knowing that we could not outnumber our adversaries, we invested to prevail technologically and sustained that discipline through eight presidential administrations. President Ronald Reagan won the Cold War by doubling down on the policies of the seven presidents who preceded him. Premier Mikhail Gorbachev lost because the Soviet Union could not keep up. What did we buy with those investments? First was the nuclear triad: our land-based intercontinental missiles, fleet ballistic missile submarines and strategic bombers. That force left no option for an adversary to surprise the U.S. and its allies with a decapitating first strike because the certainty of complete annihilation following such a strike was always there. Equally critical was the ability to prevail against a larger force in a conventional fight. The U.S. seized the advantage with precision, with a precise conventional strike, enabled by pattern-matching seekers. With a global positioning system to guide force projection to the right place, stealth technology to hide our aircraft from enemy radar, encrypted high-rate communications to enable superior command and control, electronic warfare to deny that advantage to our enemies, unmanned aerial vehicles for both reconnaissance and force projection, and the uncontested dominance of the space domain to tie it all together, we prevailed. These capabilities were transformational when first deployed, beyond the reach of any other society on Earth. But many are now available commercially, and others, such as electronic warfare and stealth, are now widely understood. Some potentially transformative technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, 5G, and microelectronics are driven not by defense but by commercial interests, and not solely by our domestic industrial base. In certain areas with no present commercial applications, such as hypersonic flight, we are simply behind. And in space — once the uncontested linchpin of the U.S. war-fighting advantage — we are challenged by Russian and Chinese determination, and capability, to deny that advantage. In brief, the United States no longer possesses the unquestioned technical superiority to dominate a future fight. At this juncture, we have not undertaken concerted defense modernization in more than a generation, and therefore have made marginal improvements to existing capabilities. These will not affect the outcome of a conflict for which our adversaries, knowing how we fight, have been preparing for a generation. We know what we need to do. The National Defense Strategy outlines the investments we must pursue: a revitalized nuclear triad, microelectronics, cybersecurity, biotechnology, 5G, space, hypersonics, artificial intelligence, directed energy, autonomous systems, networked communications, missile defense and quantum science, among others. Superiority in these technologies, woven into a war-fighting architecture that challenges our adversaries rather than reacting to them, is the key to deterring or winning future conflicts. The taxpayers have been generous with the defense budget, but it is insufficient to purchase more legacy systems while also creating the future force. So we must decide: What near-term risks are we willing to take, and what current systems are we willing to let go, so that we can invest in capabilities that will impose costs on our adversaries and deter them from starting a fight because they know they cannot win? This is the critical national security challenge of our time. https://www.defensenews.com/outlook/2019/12/02/pentagon-rd-boss-the-challenge-of-our-time

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  7 décembre 2020 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité

  Contract Awards by US Department of Defense - December 04 , 2020

  NAVY DRS Laurel Technologies Inc., Johnstown, Pennsylvania (N63394-21-D-0001); and VT Milcom Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N63394-20-D-0002), are each awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract to sustain the Technical Insertion 2016 equipment. The maximum dollar value for both contracts combined is $211,588,719. DRS Laurel Technologies Inc. is awarded a maximum value contract of $211,588,719. VT Milcom Inc. is awarded a maximum value contract of $188,428,823. This contract will provide for the manufacture, assembly, and testing of Technical Insertion 2016 equipment spares; associated engineering services, procurement, and harvesting; and installation of ordinance alteration kits and related products. Work will be performed in Dahlgren, Virginia (10%); Norfolk, Virginia (10%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (10%); Port Hueneme, California (10%); San Diego, California (10%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (10%); Wallops Island, Virginia (10%); Everett, Washington (5%); Honolulu, Hawaii (5%); Kauai, Hawaii (5%); Mayport, Florida (5%); Moorestown, New Jersey (5%); and Yokosuka, Japan (5%), and is expected to be completed by December 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,000 ($5,000 per contract) will be obligated at time of award to satisfy the minimum guarantee and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. All other funding will be made available at the order level as contracting actions occur. This contract was competitively procured via beta.sam.gov with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Southeastern Computer Consultants Inc., King George, Virginia, is awarded a $42,989,767 cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort task order which shall provide Tactical Tomahawk Weapon Control System (TTWCS) Integrated Logistics Support (ILS) products and services in support of Training Support Activity responsibilities at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division. This is a single award, five-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee term level of effort task order that consists of one base year with four option years, which, if all line item quantities are ordered, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $42,989,767, with an ordering period through December 2025. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (26%); Dahlgren, Virginia (21%); Port Hueneme, California (11%); San Diego, California (8%); Norfolk, Virginia (8%); Mayport, Florida (6%); Bangor, Washington (6%); Kings Bay, Georgia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (4%); Yokosuka, Japan (4%); and the United Kingdom (2%), and is expected to be complete in December 2021, and if all options are exercised, will be complete in December 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funding in the amount of $42,989,767 will be obligated at contract award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. A sources sought notice was posted to Seaport-NxG on Oct. 2, 2020, and closed on Feb. 24, 2020, to all large and small business primes in Seaport-NxG. In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 5.202 (a)(6), a synopsis is not required if the proposed contract action is an order placed under FAR 16.505, Ordering. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N63394-20-F-3006). Lockheed Martin Space, Titusville, Florida, is awarded a $29,120,167 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00003) to procure a pilot assessment of the contractor's property management system and exercise options under previously awarded contract N00030-20-C-0100 for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. The modification includes a $5,000,000 not-to-exceed value for the pilot assessment, which is being awarded as an undefinitized contract action. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (28.9%); Magna, Utah (23.3%); Titusville, Florida (18.7%); Rockford, Illinois (16.3%); Elma, New York (11.2%); and Sunnyvale, California (1.6%). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2025. Fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,039,964; fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,080,203; and fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,500,000 are being obligated on this award, $2,500,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded to the contractor on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $20,704,459 firm-fixed-price order (N61340-21-F-0020) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-16-G-0001. This order provides for the production and delivery of 48 retrofit kits, support equipment and special tooling in support of phase two of the T-45 Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) for SLEP production Lots Three and Four. In addition, this order provides retrofit engineering and logistics from the original equipment manufacturer to support the installation of associated technical directives. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in May 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,259,695; and fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,444,764 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, Training Systems Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. ARMY Dobco Inc., Wayne, New Jersey, was awarded a $137,836,600 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the Cyber Engineering Academic Center structure and parking lot at the U.S. Military Academy. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in West Point, New York, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 4, 2024. Fiscal 2021 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $137,836,600 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-20-C-0002). Vectrus Mission Solutions Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $35,510,370 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for logistics support services at Fort Benning, Georgia. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Chattahoochee, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $2,077,440 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-21-F-0035). VS2 LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $9,513,800 modification (0001BG) to contract W52P1J-13-G-0029 for logistics support services at Fort Benning, Georgia. Work will be performed in Chattahoochee, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of March 9, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $9,513,800 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Butt Construction Co. Inc.,* Dayton, Ohio, was awarded a $9,061,000 fixed-price-award-fee contract for renovation of Human Performance Wing Building 441 at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of April 3, 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $9,061,000 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-21-C-0004). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bell Textron Inc., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $39,093,369 modification (P00030) to five-year contract SPE4AX-17-D-9410 with one five-year option period for H-1 consumables. This is a firm-fixed-price contract. Location of performance is Texas, with an April 14, 2023 performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Guardian Manufacturing LLC,** Willard, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $9,315,618 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for butyl chemical protective gloves and toxicological agent protective gloves. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. This is a one-year base contract with one one-year option period. Location of performance is Ohio, with a Dec. 4, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-21-D-1416). UPDATE: SupplyCore Inc., Rockford, Illinois (SPE8EC-21-D-0075), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for commercial construction equipment, issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0005 and announced Aug. 29, 2017. AIR FORCE M1 Support Services, Denton, Texas, has been awarded a $23,459,155 firm-fixed-price modification (P00070) to contract FA4890-16-C-0005 for the back-shop and flight-line maintenance of multiple aircraft types. Work will be performed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and is expected to be completed March 31, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Langley-Eustis Air Force Base, Virginia, is the contracting activity. BlueForce Inc., Hampton, Virginia, has been awarded a $14,179,677 firm-fixed-price Option Two modification (P00004) to contract FA3002-19-F-A045 for continued support for the Royal Saudi Air Force English language training outside the continental U.S. program. Work will be performed at King Abdul Aziz Air Base, Saudi Arabia, and is expected to be completed Jan. 3, 2024. This contract involves 100% Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $42,188,737. FMS funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 338th Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio, Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity. Apogee Engineering LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $12,870,921 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00001) to contract FA8730-21-F-8501 for advisory assistance services. Work will be performed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed Feb. 17, 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $985,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, is the contracting activity. *Small business **Small disadvantage business in historically underutilized business zones https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2436087/source/GovDelivery/