3 août 2024 | International, C4ISR, Sécurité
Learn how SMBs and MSPs can simplify, accelerate, and scale cybersecurity with an All-in-One platform. Join our webinar for expert insights and soluti
https://thehackernews.com/2024/08/webinar-discover-all-in-one.html
16 octobre 2024 | International, Naval
Today, the crew of His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Ottawa bid farewell to their families and loved ones at a departure ceremony held at His Majesty’s Canadian Dockyard Esquimalt, British Columbia.
20 novembre 2019 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $379,377,099 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for maintenance, repair and consumable material support for the V-22 platform. 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-year base contract with one five-year option period. Locations of performance are Maryland, Texas and Pennsylvania, with a Nov. 20, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE4AX-20-D-9401). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $232,003,560 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-20-D-000U) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-14-D-002U) for the AH64 CH47 Global Material Support Program. 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-year base contract with one four-year option period. Locations of performance are Missouri and Arizona, with a Nov. 18, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. MOOG Inc., East Aurora, New York, has been awarded a maximum $13,658,400 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation pneumatic accumulators. This was a limited competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a Nov. 1, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-20-D-0007). NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $92,205,970 firm-fixed-price modification (P00008) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract (N68335-18-C-0681). This modification exercises an option to procure 34 electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS) units to include 32 for the Navy and two for the government of Kuwait. Additionally, this modification procures eCASS related equipment such as self-maintenance and test/calibration operational test program sets, calibration equipment suites/kits, rack rail kits, shore installation kits and ship installation kits in support of the Navy and the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $92,205,970 will be obligated at time of award, $641,592 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded an $84,769,892 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) and firm-fixed-price contract modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-5418 to exercise options in support of the fiscal 2020 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 low rate initial production (LRIP) requirements. This contract modification will procure the remaining materials in support of the ESSM FY20 LRIP Lot 3 all up rounds and spares requirements. The ESSM program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (50%); Richmond, Australia (6%); Raufoss, Norway (6%); Andover, Massachusetts (5%); Mississauga, Canada (4%); Ottobrunn, Germany (3%); Hengelo Ov, Netherlands (3%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (3%); San Jose, California (2%); Ottawa, Canada (2%); Aranjuez, Spain (2%); San Diego, California (2%); Koropi Attica, Greece (2%); Hopewell Junction, New York (1%); Ankara, Turkey (1%); Westlake Village, California (1%); Eight Mile Plains Brisbane, Australia (1%); Grenaa, Denmark (1%); Torrance, California (1%); Canton, New York (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); Newmarket, Canada; Lystrup, Denmark; Milwaukie, Oregon; and Cincinnati, Ohio, are less than 1% each and make up the remaining 2%. Work is expected to be complete by June 2023. Fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $84,769,892 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract modification was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $56,255,635 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to exercise the second option period for base operating support services at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. The work to be performed provides for all management and administration, public safety, galley, ordnance, air operations, fire and emergency services, bachelor quarters, housing, pest control, integrated solid waste, base support vehicles and equipment, custodial, electrical, water, wastewater, port operations, supply, morale-welfare-recreation, facilities investment and environmental services to provide base operating support services. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $188,808,738. Work will be performed at various installations in the territory of Djibouti, Africa, and other areas within Africa, and work is expected to be completed November 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, (Navy), contract funds in the amount of $56,255,635 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Europe Africa Central, Naples, Italy, is the contracting activity (N62470-17-D-4012). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $54,597,891 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise and fund options for Navy equipment, production support and required long lead materials. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be complete by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy); and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $46,832,561 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. SeaFix Inc., Saipan, Marianas Protectorate, is awarded a not-to-exceed $15,214,417 firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a four-year ordering period for Navy Watercraft Afloat Maintenance Services. This contract provides for full range of logistics support services to include maintenance and associated material management for Afloat Navy Lighterage in support of the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program and deployed forces world-wide. This contract includes one six-month option period which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $18,930,294. Work will be performed outside the continental U.S. aboard Military Sealift Command Ships (98%), primarily in Guam, Saipan, Diego Garcia and South Korea; and in Jacksonville, Florida (2%). Work is expected to be completed Jan. 14, 2024. If all options are exercised, work will continue through July 14, 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively solicited and procured via the Federal Business Opportunity website as a total HUBZone set-aside, with two offers received. The Marine Corps, Blount Island Command, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (M67004-20-D-0002). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $13,046,971 modification for the firm-fixed-price portion of a previously awarded contract (M67854-19-C-0043). This modification is for the purchase of gallium nitride full rate production diminishing manufacturing sources and communications equipment group shelter integration in Lot One in support of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by May 2, 2022. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $13,046,971 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract modification was not competitively procured. The base contract was prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code § 2304(c)(1). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-19-C-0043). BAE Systems Jacksonville Ship Repair, Jacksonville, Florida, is awarded an $11,161,336 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-16-C-2302 to exercise options for the USS Billings (LCS 15) post-shakedown availability. Post-shakedown availabilities (PSA) are accomplished within a period of approximately 10-16 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding obligation work limiting date. The PSA encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the PSA. The work to be performed will include correction of government-responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period which are not otherwise the building yard's responsibility under the ship construction contract. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed by January 2021. Fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,431,018; fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,431,015; and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $202,227 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, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. Melwood Horticultural Training Center Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is awarded an $8,639,459 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) modification for the exercise of Option Four under an IDIQ contract for custodial services at U.S. Naval Academy complex. The work to be performed provides for custodial services such as trash removal, cleaning, vacuuming, floor cleaning and scrubbing, re-lamping, specialized cleaning of the John Paul Jones Crypt, and basketball floor installation and removal. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $41,707,319. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland. This option period is from December 2019 to November 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,639,459 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Public Works Department, Annapolis, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N40080-16-D-0303). ARMY SAF Inc.,* Akron, Ohio (W91237-20-D-0001); and A&H - AMBICA JV LLC,* Livonia, Michigan (W91237-20-D-0002), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for an indefinite-delivery contract for design-build and design-bid-build construction projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 18, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, West Virginia, is the contracting activity. SIG Sauer Inc., Newington, New Hampshire, was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of .300 Winchester Magnum Ammunition. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-D-0003). CSRA,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $9,178,300 modification (0029 42) to contract W31P4Q-05-A-0028 for non-standard rotary wing aircraft project office systems engineering and technical assistance support services. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 19, 2020. Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $9,178,300 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE CORRECTION: The Nov. 13, 2019, announcement of a $32,266,994 modification to ManTech International Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, exercising Option Year One to previously awarded contract FA8819-18-C-1001 for security support, included the wrong modification number. The correct modification number is P00018. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2021006/source/GovDelivery/
15 octobre 2018 | International, Aérospatial, Naval, Terrestre, C4ISR, Sécurité
By: Jill Aitoro If you ask Chris Kubasik, CEO of L3 Technologies, the company's pending merger with Harris Corp. should not come as a surprise to anyone. Such a move made sense on paper for years, even if the timing was never quite right. Now it is: Both companies are on an upswing, and both companies are led by individuals with an inclination to get it done. The result will be a deal — the largest defense merger in history, if you look at market capitalization — to create the seventh largest defense prime in the world. Defense News spoke to Kubasik and Bill Brown, the CEO of Harris, to find out more about the newly rechristened L3 Harris Technologies. Chris, you called this an acquisition that many felt made sense. So what were the challenges to making it happen, and why is now the perfect time? Chris Kubasik: I think in reality, people thought for years that this combination made sense. It was due to Bill and I working hard that we actually got it done. I think that now is the perfect time because of the customer's needs and demands for innovation and solution. Like I said, with the upswing in both companies, and both companies being strong, I think that gives us the opportunity to put this together, generate the cash and the synergies and position us for long-term value creation for our shareholders. The challenges of all these acquisitions [are so often] culture and leadership. Here, the cultures are aligned. Bill and I are completely aligned. We've known each other for years. We have a clear understanding of roles and responsibilities. We're going to jointly chair the integration committee to make sure we get the best of the best — best people, best processes, best system. I'm sure I've never been more excited in my career than I am today, so it's going to be a lot of fun. The stakeholders are all going to benefit. Bill, how much was the 2015 acquisition of Exelis a building block toward this deal? Not necessarily a merger with L3 specifically, but really big merger that would really transform the company? Did you see this coming? Bill Brown: I've been here for seven years, so we really started early on in developing a culture of operational excellence. I think that has been pretty well embedded within the company. We've made some good progress here. We've leveraged a lot of those tools, effectively integrating Exelis. We reached the cost savings targets we thought we would deliver and we delivered it a year early. So I think we built a little bit of a muscle on how to do an integration. I think this is a great potential combination for us. It does position us well within the defense industrial based hierarchy. We'll generate a lot of savings. But more importantly, the portfolio capabilities is going to allow us to do different things, to provide different capabilities to the war fighter and different things that are clearly laid out in the National Defense Strategy. So as I look at this, it's the right transaction. It's the right time. It's the right environment to do this. A lot of this comes down to the leaders of the organization, and Chris and I [are] completely aligned in what to do and how to create value. So much of this also involves combining and integrating in a smart and efficient way, so should we expect any more divestitures? I know L3 just did a couple recently. Any more to come? Brown: I think if you look at what L3 has done recently, and what we've done over the last five or six years, we both have taken a critical eye to the business portfolio we had. If there's assets we think that are better owned by somebody other than [ourselves], we take a dispassionate view of that. And we transition those assets to a different owner. I think Chris and I will take a look at that going forward. I think there will be [divestitures], given the diversity of the business mix we'll have together. It does create the optionality for additional portfolio shaping. Nothing to mention today, but something we'll be taking a close look at over the coming months and years. Okay, so the couple of years before the transition, in terms of leadership — should I figure that those two years are going to be spent really establishing the integrated company? Kubasik: Absolutely. The top two focuses of Bill and I and the team will be the integration, and continuing to execute on our existing programs and commitments. That is first and foremost. We're going to generate a lot of cash. It's going to take several hundred million dollars of investments to integrate these companies. Then the rest of the cash we're going to maintain a competitive dividend, consistent with what we've done. We're very similar in that regard. In the first year, we're going to use the excess cash to repurchase shares. So the likelihood of acquisition from those first two years are very low. As Bill said, we'll look at the portfolio. We've clearly spent a lot of time together, but the next few months we'll get into it more and more and see what makes sense. The way I sum it up is, the merger creates better benefits and growth opportunities than either company could have achieved alone. I know both companies are incredibly strong in terms of C4ISR and a lot of what you might call the future warfare capabilities. What kind of growth do you anticipate in that area? Brown: When I look at the next several years, you're hitting on the right spot. When you look at C4ISR, it's a broad category. When you look at the pieces underneath that, I think Chris and I, our companies, bring great capabilities [that are] complementary. When you think about what we do at Harris, we've got a very strong position in tactical radios — global leadership, U.S. leadership. A lot of it's ground, starting the movements to airborne tier, starting to provide systems. Chris's business is very strong in avionics. It's very strong in data links, very strong in satcom, very strong between the two of us in optical capability. When you look at all of that broad way of getting better ISR information, I think we bring the right capabilities to the fight. Kubasik: We'll be spending about 4% of our revenues on R&D, which I think is aggressive. And we talk about the customers, just to clarify — we have two sets. We have the usual industry partners, who I think will benefit from this combination, the same way that our end-user DoD customer will as well. Are there any programs that you both were competing on, where there's going to need to be some sort management to eliminate conflicts of interest? Brown: Very, very small. It's almost negligible in terms of where we compete head to head. Again, it's a very complimentary set of businesses, so we don't see that as being a big concern. What kind of layoffs are you all anticipating? Brown: We expect half a billion dollars of cost savings, and half of it is going to come from supply chain and facility rationalization — consolidating our mutual footprint. About half of that other half, so 25 percent, is split from corporate and segment overhead reduction in functional efficiencies, shared services — things that we've done and Chris is now driving at all three. But we're in a market today where the unemployment rate's very low. We both were out there hiring people, trying to hire talented engineers and scientists, get people through clearances. So fortunately, we're in an environment where we need more people, not fewer people. Okay, so you think it'll be relatively modest, getting rid of where there might be overlap? Brown: There's going to be some overlap. There'll be some movement of people, but we're not prepared to talk about any employment reduction today. But again, look, it's an environment today where we're looking for more people, especially in the STEM field. The decision to make Melbourne, Florida the headquarters — will that be permanent? Brown: Yeah, it'll be as soon as we close. It'll be the headquarters in Melbourne, and Chris is going to move to Melbourne. We have about 7,000 people in Brevard County. We've been there for 40 years, very deep, entrenched infrastructure. If you know the area, a lot of the defense players, aerospace defense players, are moving now to the Space Coast. It's a very vibrant community. Again, we've been there for a while. We're deeply embedded into the community with a lot of infrastructure at Harris, so that's what we decided to do. Bill, I was convinced you guys were going to move to Washington for a while, but you proved me wrong. Brown: You know, it's interesting. Look, that came up for us, when we did Exelis, but Chris and I've talked about this. It just doesn't make sense for both companies to move headquarters at the same time. That provides an additional risk in a deal. We thought we need to move to one place or the other. We both thought that Melbourne was a better place for the headquarters of the company. Chris, you get to move again. Kubasik: You know, it's been a couple of years, time to move. I'm getting used to it, so if things slow down this week, maybe one night at 10:00 I'll log onto a real estate website and try to be a first mover before the prices increase down there. [laughter] I know you said in the next couple years no acquisitions would be on the horizon, but do you anticipate even more areas of business that would meld with those that you already play well in? Brown: Look, I would say you started out the question the way I'd answer it, which is: it's too soon to determine that. I think the next couple of years will be about integrating the companies. It'll be about divesting. If we see opportunities for portfolio shaping, making sure that happens, so we stay focused on the business where strategically it makes sense for us to be in longer term. But I think Chris and I both have talked very publicly, individually as companies, about M&A is a part of our long-term growth strategy. So over time, we do anticipate, under Chris's leadership, that there'll be other M&As that will happen over time. But I think in the next couple of years, unless it's something exceptional, must have, we're going to stand down on M&A and really focus on integrating the portfolios that we have. Kubasik: Now the organic growth opportunities, and the beauty of having two leaders at the top, will allow us to focus on our customers, not only in D.C., but globally. And you know how much I love to travel internationally — we're going to have customers in over 100 countries. I still look at that in amazement. We'll be able to deepen those relationships. We both work in a lot of the same countries, but when you have a larger combined content, I think we'll be able to advance internationally maybe further, quicker than we would have individually. So I think one of my focus areas is going to be to help grow the business and meet with those customers around the globe. Chris I've spoken to you a couple of times on the big plans and aspirations to be a non-traditional six prime. You got there way faster than I thought you would. Kubasik: Oh, thank you, I'm an impatient person. I know you also said to me that you didn't envision, and I quote, “building multi-billion-dollar satellites, airplanes and ships.” Does that vision of what the company is, and will be, as a six prime remain intact with this merger? Kubasik: We don't really have any major platforms, [but] when I look at the different domains that we're going to be able to serve, whether it's air, space, land or sea or cyber, that's the exciting part. On the air side, as an example, on a combined basis we have some pretty exciting capabilities with avionics and electronic warfare, as an example. So we'll be able to be on the legacy programs, like the F-16 and F-18, which we already are, and we'll have more content on the next-gen platforms like an F-35. So if we go domain by domain, you see the ability to better connect the different platforms to focus on the secured communication. I think we're well positioned for the multi-domain, command and control and communication systems. I'm excited about the small satellite business that Harris had. I think that's great. You know about our UUVs, our UAVs. I think it's going to work well in conjunction with the industry prime. It'll be a collaborative, cooperative relationship. Brown: I think we're not a company that does or will do a lot of these big, major platforms that the big primes are doing today. The way we look at it, 72 percent of the combined business will be prime, meaning sales to and customers. I think that's an important point to make. Bill you've talked to me about space superiority. How key is space to the combined business? Brown: We have a pretty broad business in space in terms of space superiority. A lot of it, it's ground-based capabilities that provide offensive and defensive capabilities to that space architecture. We've developed a lot of exquisite systems and components that have now moved into end-to-end mission solutions for small satellites. We've got a lot of capabilities on our end, in optics. Chris's business, L3, is also strong in small optics, and they've got really good signal intelligence capabilities that I think can augment the things that we do with some of the space architecture. So I see that as helping us continue to broaden that set of mission solutions in the space domain, that I think we spent the last several decades, actually, developing. What does this merger mean to the top primes? Brown: We have at Harris a great relationship with all of the primes. [We] do a lot of work particularly with Boeing and Lockheed. We do quite a bit now with Raytheon as well, so I think we have great partnerships, and I think if anything [this] is going to be additive to that partnership. I think it'll be favorably received by those guys. Kubasik: I agree a 100 percent. I think they're going to be equally excited as the DoD customer for the same reasons. We'll have the money to innovate the R&D, maybe bundle some solutions. They'll also share over time in the affordability of this synergy. I think it's a win-win for the industry and the DoD customers. Bill, in two years you hand the CEO spot to Chris. I'm asking you to look at a couple years down the road, and I know you're remaining on the board, but any other big plans? Brown: Look, that's three and a half years down the road. If I look at six months between sign and close – that's a lifetime year, as you can imagine. I've been CEO here for seven years. That puts me 10 years at the company. I think with Chris, we'll put the company together on the right track. Look, I'll find something productive to do with my life at that point. https://www.defensenews.com/interviews/2018/10/15/harris-and-l3-ceos-talk-merger-divestitures-and-why-we-all-should-have-seen-this-coming