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OTS NEWS: Swissmem / Offsetbüro Bern / Swissmem / GRPM / Nouveaux ... Offsetbüro Bern / Swissmem / GRPM / Nouveaux avions de combat: coup d'envoi pour les participations industrielles suisses (DOCUMENT) Zürich (ots) - - Indication: Des informations complémentaires peuvent être téléchargées en format pdf sous: http://presseportal.ch/fr/nr/100053245 - Le prix d'achat des prochains avions de combat destinés à l'Armée suisse devra être compensés à 100% par des participations industrielles de l'économie suisse. Afin de permettre une bonne coopération entre les cinq consortiums d'avionneurs pressentis et l'industrie suisse, cinq journées de contacts seront organisées en octobre à Lausanne et à Berne par le Bureau des offsets de Berne, Swissmem / SWISS ASD (Aeronautics, Security and Defence) et le Groupe romand pour le matériel de défense et de sécurité (GRPM). Tant pour les avionneurs que pour l'industrie suisse, l'objectif des 100% de participations (ou offsets ou compensations) constitue une t'che exigeante et ambitieuse. Elle exige des contacts initiaux intenses ainsi que des échanges d'informations systématiques. D'une part les avionneurs doivent communiquer sur les opportunités de participations industrielles jusqu'au moins de janvier dans le cadre de leur réponse à l'appel d'offres et d'autre part les entreprises suisses doivent annoncer leurs compétences*. Les cinq avionneurs sont les suivants : Airbus (Eurofighter), Boeing (F/A-18 E Super Hornet), Dassault (Rafale), Lockheed Martin (F-35A) et Saab (Gripen E). Afin de lancer la coopération entre les avionneurs et l'industrie suisse, le Bureau des offsets de Berne associé à Swissmem / SWISS ASD et au GRPM organisent deux journées de contacts en octobre à Berne et Lausanne pour chaque avionneur. Chaque événement commence par une courte présentation du consortium de l'avionneur. La partie principale est constituée de meetings individuels (business-to-business) entre les entreprises suisses et les consortiums des avionneurs (avionneurs, fournisseurs, partenaires, etc). Plus de 80 entreprises suisses se sont annoncées pour chacune des manifestations à Berne et Lausanne. Les objectifs des participations industrielles suisses aux acquisitions de l'Armée suisse faites à l'étranger sont les suivants : - Maintien de capacités minimales et de savoir-faire technique dans des domaines relevant de la sécurité de la Suisse - Garantie de compétences-clés minimales pour l'entretien et le développement de matériels militaires et civils de l'Armée suisse - Participation à des programmes industriels internationaux, accès durable à de nouveaux marchés ainsi qu'aux chaînes d'approvisionnement d'entreprises internationales très compétitives - Transfert de savoir-faire étranger en Suisse - Conclusion de mandats supplémentaires, maintien et création d'emplois Les journées de contacts sont réservées aux entreprises inscrites. Pour de plus amples informations: * Domaines concernés : machines, métallurgie, électronique et électrotechnique, optique, horlogerie, construction de véhicules et wagons, produits en caoutchouc et matières synthétiques, secteur aéronautique et spatial, software-engineering, coopérations avec des hautes écoles et instituts de recherche Originaltext: Swissmem Dossier de presse digital: http://www.presseportal.ch/fr/nr/100053245 Dossier de presse par RSS: http://presseportal.ch/fr/rss/pm_100053245.rss2 Contact: Swissmem Jonas Lang Pfingstweidstrasse 102 CH-8037 Zürich j.lang@swissmem.ch GRPM Philippe Zahno Rue de Voignous 9 CH-2008 Delémont philippe.zahno@grpm.ch https://www.zonebourse.com/actualite-bourse/OTS-NEWS-Swissmem-Offsetburo-Bern-Swissmem-GRPM-Nouveaux---27384744/

by James Langford A sweeping Defense Department review ordered by President Trump has identified roughly 300 gaps in weapon-makers' supply chains that could threaten U.S. military campaigns if they're not corrected, a senior administration official said Thursday. The report, commissioned in July 2017, will be presented to Trump on Friday, and the president is expected to earmark funds available through both the Defense Production Act and a 1939 defense stockpile program to address some of them, the official said. The issues were identified largely at small and midsize firms that have supplied top-line U.S. contractors like Boeing and Lockheed Martin and have been harmed more than their larger customers by cuts in U.S. government spending, the official said. Compiled by 16 working groups with hundreds of subject-matter exports, the report found both fragile markets and weakened companies, situations that could affect the production of devices such as propeller shafts, as well as supplies of raw materials like rocket fuel, ceramics used in body armor, and metals used in combat vehicles. "We have a situation where we've identified a number of vulnerabilities which demand immediate action," the official said. "This administration's hallmark is immediate action, and with this report, there's also a blueprint for actions that will be launched immediately." The review reflects the president's belief that economic security is synonymous with national security, highlighted with the imposition of double-digit tariffs on steel and aluminum earlier this year. Those duties were set under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the White House to intervene in markets to protect national security. Full article: https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/business/us-defense-industry-report-finds-300-security-risks-needing-immediate-action

By: Tom Kington ROME – Italy's new populist government has halted plans for a new missile defense system amid reports it will reduce defense procurements in 2019 to help fund welfare spending and tax cuts. This week, the defense ministry withdrew a request it had sent to parliament for permission to acquire the CAMM-ER missile system, built by European missile house MBDA and due to cost €545 million, or $626 million. The surprise U-turn on the program comes as Rome searches for funds to support a program of cash benefits for the poor and the jobless, pension boosts and tax cuts promised when the government took office in June. “There are real fears for procurement spending, with some predicting that €1 billion will be trimmed from procurements next year,” said an Italian defense-industry source who asked not to be named. Italy's defense procurement spending stood at €4.7 billion ($5.4 billion) in 2017, combining €2.1 billion from defense ministry coffers and €2.6 billion from Italy's Ministry for Economic Development. After inconclusive elections in March, the Five Star and League parties combined to form Italy's first populist government in June and announced their 2019 budget last week. It includes €10 billion for a so-called “citizen's wage," which Reuters reported amounts to a €780-per-month subsidy for the poorest Italians. The generous budget will push Italy's budget deficit up to 2.4 percent, arousing the wrath of European Union officials given the country's €2.4 trillion debt pile. Italian daily Corriere della Sera reported that during budget talks the head of the Five Star party warned Defense Minister Elisabetta Trenta that he would not agree on the launch of the CAMM-ER program this year. The report was denied by the government, but on Oct. 1 the request to parliament for approval of the purchase, which had been submitted on Aug. 10, was withdrawn, leaving it unclear whether it would be resubmitted. The Common Anti-air Modular Missile – Extended Range, to give it its full name, is a surface-to-air, short-and medium-range missile defense system. It is a variant of a similar weapon sold by manufacturer MBDA to the UK. Another sign of uncertainty hanging over Italy's defense spending is the absence so far this year of a three-year budget plan. Usually, in the spring, Italy's defense ministry publishes details of the current year's budget, with amounts listed per program, as well as budget predictions for the next two years. That document has yet to be published this year, suggesting a delay in calculating what funds can be made available in the coming years. The total government budget is now being nailed down for 2019, which will contain the top-line defense spending for next year. As such, next year's defense allocation may be discussed in parliament as early as next week. Meanwhile, the government has given conflicting signals about its commitments to the F-35 program, with defense minister Trenta suggesting Italy would stick to its order of 90 aircraft, before hinting the order would be cut. In a recent blog post, deputy prime minister Luigi Di Maio listed the F-35 as one of the projects the former Italian government had wasted money on. The new government so far has not formally telegraphed its interest in the UK's new plan for a fighter program, dubbed Tempest, despite the role to be played in that effort by Italy's Leonardo. The company operates facilities in the UK. However, last week, junior defense minister Angelo Tofalo said Italy “needed to enter the program immediately.” On Wednesday he told Defense News it was important that Italy took a leading role in international programs it joined. “The approach taken in the past has not allowed our country to acquire the know-how required to develop the most advanced technology autonomously. That is what happened, for example, on the F-35,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2018/10/04/italy-stalls-on-missile-program-as-budget-cuts-loom

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army has picked Raytheon and Lockheed Martin to continue on the path to develop a next-generation air and missile defense radar following a concept design phase that looked at four different companies' technology, according to company representatives. The Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium awarded contracts to four companies to come up with designs to help inform the Army's requirements for the Patriot AMD radar replacement a year ago. Because of their previous involvement, it came as no shock both Raytheon and Lockheed received contracts for the Lower Tier Air-and-Missile Defense Sensor. Northrop Grumman and dark horse Technovative Applications, based in Brea, California, were also awarded contracts. Raytheon is the manufacturer of the legacy Patriot system, and Lockheed Martin spent years developing a system to replace Patriot, from which the Army ultimately walked away. That system — the Medium Extended Air Defense Systems — is still in development with Germany. After spending years debating when and how it would replace its current Patriot system's radar with one that can detect threats coming from any direction, the Army decided to hold a competition for a brand-new 360-degree, lower-tier AMD sensor in early 2017. Replacing the radar becomes evermore critical as the Army looks at dealing with different threats: ones that fly slower, faster or maneuver differently. According to the Army's Air and Missile Defense Cross-Functional Team lead, Brig. Gen. Randall McIntire, the service is trying to move quickly to procure a radar more capable than the current one; any future radar must fit into the future Integrated Air and Missile Defense framework. The AMD CFT is part of the Army's new four-star organization — Army Futures Command — tasked to get after the service's top six modernization priorities. AMD is fifth on that list ahead of soldier lethality and behind the network. Each priority has an assigned CFT to manage modernization efforts. The concept design contracts were given a period of performance of 15 months, so the downselect to Raytheon and Lockheed came slightly early. Congress has mandated that the Army by 2025 find a way to produce a 360-degree radar, accelerating the service's effort to bring something online. The Army will get a capable radar over time, McIntire told Defense News in an Oct. 1 interview, but it might be worth quickly fielding a radar and then building capability into the system over time. McIntire noted that while a 360-degree capability is a top priority, there might be some key performance parameters that rank higher such as more efficiency and better range. “We are proud to be selected as one of the companies to move forward to the Technical Maturation and Risk Reduction phase for the Lower Tier and Air Missile Defense Sensor that will provide the United States Army the ability to detect, identify, track and report aircraft and missiles,” a Lockheed spokesperson said in an Oct. 3 statement to Defense News. Raytheon spokesman Mike Nachshen told Defense News that the company is entering the technology-maturation and risk-reduction phase of the program with a brand-new radar, rather than an upgraded Patriot radar. The capability was designed from the ground up using gallium nitride technology and a staring array, rather than a rotating one, to provide constant 360-degree coverage, according to Nachshen. The company has its own GaN foundry. Raytheon expects to begin discussions with the Army over the next few weeks to determine how the radar's performance will be evaluated, the timeline of the phase and how much the Army plans to invest. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/10/04/army-chooses-raytheon-lockheed-to-mature-new-missile-defense-radars

By David Vergun, Army News Service FORT BELVOIR, Va. -- The Army is looking for an improved ghillie suit to replace the flame-resistant, camouflage suit now worn by snipers to keep them from being seen by the enemy. The current ghillie suits are bulky, somewhat uncomfortable and hot in warm weather, said Debbie Williams, a systems acquisition expert with Program Executive Office Soldier, Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment. The current suit is known as the Flame Resistant Ghillie System, or FRGS. The replacement the Army is looking for will be called the Improved Ghillie System, or IGS, Williams said. She added that although the term "flame resistant" is not in the new name, the IGS will still have flame-resistant properties. Soldiers will receive most of their protection from the base layer worn under the IGS, such as the Flame Resistant Combat Uniform, or FR ACU. The IGS will be a modular system, worn over the field uniform, she said. It will be modular in that it can be taken apart, with pieces added or subtracted as needed, such as sleeves, leggings, veil, cape and so on. Another change is that the IGS will not come with the accessory kit, like the one supplied with the FRGS, Williams said. It was found that Soldiers were not using a majority of the items in their accessory kit or preferred a different material. Williams said the cost of the IGS will be lower than the current $1,300 FRGS. Mary Armacost, a textile technologist with Product Manager Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment, said the IGS will be made of lighter, more breathable material than the FRGS. Also, the material for the skeins that accompany the IGS will be stiffer than that of the FRGS, thereby making the IGS more effective at camouflaging the Soldier. A request for proposal for the IGS went out Aug. 28 and closed Sept. 24, she said. Vendors must each provide three samples. About 3,500 suits are expected to be produced under the contract for approximately 3,300 snipers in all three Army components, as well as Soldiers in U.S. Special Operations Command, Williams said. After the samples are obtained, lab and field testing will begin at various locations in November, she said. For example, the Army's Night Vision Laboratory will do full-spectrum testing. It will also use night vision goggles to see how well the suits remain hidden in darkened conditions. Daytime testing for visual camouflage effectiveness will take place as well, with sniper-qualified Soldiers at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, Williams said. Additionally, acoustic testing will be done by the Army Research Laboratory to determine how much noise the IGS produces in field conditions. ARL will also test the effectiveness of the fabric regarding tear resistance and fire retardant effectiveness, she added. Following all of this, a limited user evaluation should commence next spring using instructors from the Sniper School at Fort Benning, Georgia. https://www.army.mil/article/211933

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — A combination of Chinese influence and budgetary uncertainty means America's defense industrial base is decaying at the lower levels, with some vital suppliers facing “domestic extinction,” a new study from the Trump administration is warning — and direct investment from the administration appears to be the solution. The study, the result of an executive order issued by president Donald Trump last July, also warns that if the situation is not remedied, the Pentagon faces “limited capabilities, insecurity of supply, lack of R&D, program delays, and an inability to surge in times of crisis.” The language seems dire, but much of the 140-page report appears to contain little new for those who have paid attention to defense industrial issues over the last several years. Many of the concerns outlined in the report echo that of a Defense Department internal study, released earlier this year, which warned long-term trends, including demographics and sole-source suppliers going out of business, were set to create major hurdles for the department. The report has been long coming. Trump ordered its creation in July of 2017, with Peter Navarro, his trade czar and a well-known China hawk, as the coordinating point man. At the time, Navarro said the study was being driven by concerns that “we cannot retain a preeminent military without a healthy, growing economy and a resilient industrial base.” By May 2018, the Pentagon had sent its conclusions into the White House for coordination which set industry expectations of a release shortly thereafter. However, the release dated continued to be pushed back, due largely to other news overtaking the White House. Trump, along with Deputy Secretary of Defense Pat Shanahan, is expected to appear at the White House Friday around 1:45 PM eastern time to sign several actions into law. The full report will be released shortly after. The report identifies five macro issues facing the defense industrial base: Sequestration and uncertainty in U.S government spending, which create instability and drives small firms away from defense work A decline of U.S. manufacturing capability and capacity, leaving weaknesses throughout the supply chain Antiquated U.S. government business practices, which the report warns leads to contracting delays and discourages innovation Industrial policies of competitor nations, both due to “collateral damage of globalization” and specific targeting by great powers like China And diminished U.S. STEM and trade skills, which are creating gaps in the workforce. The Departments of Defense, Energy, and Labor all submitted recommendations in the report, to deal with 300 individual weak points that are of concern. Notably, DoD's conclusion calls for the expansion of “direct investment in the lower tier of the industrial base,” through the department's Defense Production Act Title III, Manufacturing Technology, and Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment programs. That would address “critical bottlenecks, support fragile suppliers, and mitigate single points-of-failure.” Ellen Lord, undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, told reporters it would not be “prudent” at this point to put a total dollar figure on what investment might be coming, but a senior administration official, speaking on background ahead of the report release, identified several shops being given extra cash. Those include $70 million fr a plant that produces gun components, in order to launch modernization and risk mitigation programs, as well as $1 million for the facility that produces the Abrams tank to procure better tooling. DoD's conclusions also call for the creation of an industrial policy to “inform current and future acquisition practices;” to attempt to diversify away from complete dependency on sources of supply in politically unstable countries who may cut off U.S. access, including “reengineering, expanded use of the National Defense Stockpile program, or qualification of new suppliers,” to work with allies on joint industrial base challenges; and to “modernize” the organic industrial base to ensure readiness. The Department of Energy, whose National Nuclear Security Agency handles the development of nuclear warheads, will propose establishing an “Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment program to address manufacturing and industrial base risk within the energy and nuclear sectors” as part of its FY2020 budget request. And the Department of Labor will work to encourage STEM growth, as well as consider “potential incentives to recruit and retain workers to enter and/or stay in the industrial base, such as tuition reimbursement.” All three departments must provide an update 180 days from the issuance of the report. The Chinese Bogeyman While the report casts itself as part of the broader return of great power competition, it is impossible to miss that the authors view China as the industrial bogeyman. The words “China," “Chinese” or “Beijing” appear in the report 232 times; “Russia” appears only once, as part of a quote from another document — which also mentions China. The report is being released the same day that Vice President Mike Pence gave a keynote speech in Washington decrying what he called Chinese attempts to influence the American public, and just hours after Bloomberg issues a bombshell report that a Chinese company had managed to insert tiny, microscopic chips into hardware used by both the DoD and American intelligence services. “The Chinese Communist Party has also used an arsenal of policies inconsistent with free and fair trade, including tariffs, quotas, currency manipulation, forced technology transfer, intellectual property theft, and industrial subsidies doled out like candy, to name a few,” Pence said in his speech. “These policies have built Beijing's manufacturing base, at the expense of its competitors — especially America. That China is attempting to infiltrate the defense industrial base is no surprise to those who have been tracking DoD's comments on the issue in the last several years, but the report sums it up thusly: “While multiple countries pursue policies to bolster their economies at the expense of America's manufacturing sector, none has targeted our industrial base as successfully as China.” “China represents a significant and growing risk to the supply of materials and technologies deemed strategic and critical to U.S. national security; a challenge shared by key allies such as Germany and Australia,” the report adds, singling out rare earth metals and critical energetic materials for munitions and missiles as areas of concern. “China's actions seriously threaten other capabilities, including machine tools; the production and processing of advanced materials like biomaterials, ceramics, and composites; and the production of printed circuit boards and semiconductors.” China is four times as large as its next closest competitor when it comes to exporting to the U.S. rare earth materials, used in lasers, radar, sonar, night vision systems, missile guidance, and jet engines, making Beijing a significant supplier of these capabilities needed for America's high-end defense capabilities. Single sourced, and disappearing While much of the specific weak points in the defense industrial base are not spelled out in the public-facing part of the report, the 140-page document does include a number of examples of weak spots in the defense industrial base, largely in the lower-tier suppliers who make pieces and parts that would ordinarily go unnoticed on a large military system. A senior administration official, speaking ahead of the report's release, cited ceramics, high performance aluminum and steel, titanium, tungsten and carbon fibers as some of the components the Pentagon is concerned about. The report offers further examples. For instance, it says there are only four America suppliers with the capability to manufacture large, complex, single pour aluminum and magnesium sand castings, needed to help produce American airpower. Those suppliers “face perpetual financial risk and experience bankruptcy threats and mergers mirroring the cyclicality of DoD acquisition,” per the report. Meanwhile, there is only one qualified source for the upper, intermediate, and sump housing for an unnamed heavy lift platform used by the Marines (potentially the CH-53 King Stallion) that recently went through bankruptcy proceedings. “Without a qualified source for these castings, the program will face delays, impeding the U.S. ability to field heavy lift support to Marine Corps expeditionary forces,” the report warns. A material called ASZM-TEDA1 impregnated carbon is used in 72 chemical, biological and nuclear filtration systems owned by the DoD, and there is only a single qualified source, the report notes. “The current sourcing arrangements cannot keep pace with demand. DoD is using Defense Production Act Title III authorities to establish an additional source of this critical material,” the report says. In yet another example, the study looked at the companies that make flare countermeasures for military aircraft. There are only two domestic suppliers for flares with “little incentive to invest in infrastructure,” and both suffered explosions at their production sites in recent years. “Both companies have experienced quality and delivery problems since the accidents. As program offices look to improve quality and cost, they are beginning to look offshore at more modern facilities, where there are fewer quality and safety concerns.” Hawk Carlisle, a former Air Force officer who now leads the National Defense Industrial Association, called the reporter's findings “sobering." “Recent efforts by Congress and the administration have been encouraging, but more must be done,” Carlisle said. “Streamlining the acquisition process, updating the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States guidelines, and reforming how we sell our systems to allies and partners have all been steps in the right direction.” Added Eric Fanning of the Aerospace Industries Association, "Guaranteeing the health of the American manufacturing and defense industrial base is a critical national security and economic priority as the United States combats today's threats and those we'll face tomorrow. We applaud the Administration's focus on these issues and look forward to working together to implement the assessment's recommendations with the same spirit of industry-government cooperation and engagement that led to today's report,” Both groups were part of 15 conversations the working group had with industry during the production of the report. https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2018/10/04/white-house-warns-of-domestic-extinction-of-suppliers-in-industrial-base-report-and-dod-is-ready-to-help-with-cash

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Boeing and Brazilian aerospace company Embraer are reportedly discussing the prospect of building an assembly line for Embraer's KC-390 cargo planes in the United States. According to Brazilian newspaper Valor Economico, which first reported the talks on Oct. 1, and a subsequent Reuters story, the two companies see a U.S. KC-390 plant as part of a larger defense-related joint venture. The discussions on KC-390 follow a July agreement that gave Boeing an 80 percent stake in Embraer's commercial business, and it was widely speculated that a similar deal on the companies' defense business hammered out in the coming months would involve greater cooperation with Boeing on KC-390. Jackson Schneider, president and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, told Defense News this July that more information about a Boeing-Embraer tie up on KC-390 could be revealed later this year. Boeing and Embraer established agreements in 2012 and 2014 that allow the U.S. firm to have a hand in global marketing and logistics support of the KC-390, but a defense-related joint venture would allow for “much broader collaboration,” he said. “Boeing has fantastic experience, [and] the KC-390 is a fantastic plane; it is a game-changer,” he said at Farnborough Airshow. “But I understand that we don't have a substantial number of clients yet because we are in the certification phase. For sure I think that the Boeing presence in the market is very complementary of what we have. It will enlarge significantly our opportunities in terms of sales.” The KC-390 is a multi-mission aircraft built to haul cargo, transport passengers, insert special operators and refuel other aircraft, among other uses. However, Embraer has struggled to draw serious interest from international buyers and Brazil currently remains its only customer — although the aircraft has prospects in Portugal and New Zealand and with a commercial aviation services company. “A decision to build the aircraft in the U.S. would likely only be undertaken if Boeing/Embraer could sell KC-390 to the [U.S.] Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps,” wrote Byron Callan of Capital Alpha Partners in an email. That could be a tall order, as the U.S. services historically have operated Lockheed Martin's C-130 Hercules for the same purpose and are either in the process of replacing old variants with new ones, or lack the money to replace old C-130s and plan to recapitalize them instead. The U.S. Air Force is upgrading active units' older C-130 models to the newest C-130J Super Hercules, but the service does not have the funding to expand the current C-130J program of record and will have to upgrade some C-130H models, said Lt. Gen. Jerry Harris, the services deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and requirements, during a Sept. 28 hearing in front of a subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. Meanwhile, the Navy plans to replace its C-130T fleet with 25 new KC-130Js in the early 2020s, Rear Adm. Scott Conn, the service's director of air warfare, said in the hearing. https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/10/04/boeing-embraer-reportedly-in-talks-on-bringing-kc-390-production-to-us

NAVY Asturian-Consigli JV LLC,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1124); Edifice LLC, doing business as Edifice Solutions,* Beltsville, Maryland (N4008-18-D-1125); ED DesignBuild LLC,* Germantown, Maryland (N40085-18-D-1126); HCG-JCG JV,* Escondido, California (N40085-18-D-1127); and Military and Federal Construction Co. Inc.,* Jacksonville, North Carolina (N40085-18-D-1128), were each awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for general construction projects in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The maximum dollar value for all five contracts combined is $249,000,000. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, new construction, renovation, alteration, and repairs for general construction projects. Types of facilities include, but are not limited to warehouses, training facilities, personnel support and service facilities, housing facilities, etc. Asturian-Consigli JV LLC is awarded initial task order at $2,947,636 for the foundation and crawl space repairs at the advanced electronic guidance and instrumentation system facility (V-10) on Wallops Island, Accomack County, Virginia. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by December 2019. All work on this contract will be performed in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic Hampton Roads area, Virginia. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of September 2023. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $2,967,636 are obligated on this award and expired at the end of fiscal 2018. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance, (Navy) and military construction. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 19 proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 29, 2018) MacDonald-Bedford | MBP JV,* Alameda, California, was awarded a maximum amount $98,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide construction management services in support of the Guam Defense Policy Review Initiative (DPRI) Program. The work to be performed will support the existing Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) workforce capabilities and provide increased capability to support construction projects and associated efforts undertaken by NAVFAC Pacific. The outcome to be achieved is the hiring of temporary supplemental construction management and engineering technician services. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed primarily in the Marianas region of operation (to include the following islands but not limited to: Guam, Tinian, Pagan, Palau, Chuuk, Saipan, and Northern Mariana Islands) (80 percent); Australia (10 percent); and Hawaii (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and expired at the end of fiscal 2018. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-18-D-1171). (Awarded Sept. 29, 2018) Davcon Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1149); Delaware Corp.,* Topping, Virginia (N4008-18-D-1150); Doyon Project Services,* Federal Way, Washington (N40085-18-D-1151); Rand Enterprises,* Newport News, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1152); and Within Interior Design Inc., doing business as Tazewell Contracting,* Norfolk, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1153), were each awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for heating, ventilating and air conditioning construction projects in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The maximum dollar value for all five contracts combined is $95,000,000. The work to be performed will primarily consist of new construction, demolition, repair, alteration, and renovation of heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment, systems and infrastructure to include system components such as fans, motors, ductwork, controls, pumps, piping, supports, and insulation. Types of facilities on which work will be performed include administrative/industrial buildings, maintenance shops, warehouses, hangars, communications facilities, personnel support/instructional buildings, recreational facilities, lodging/dormitory facilities, medical clinics, training areas, indoor ranges, etc. Davcon Inc. is being awarded initial task order at $148,400 for the replacement of a chiller at Building 3889 at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by February 2019. All work on this contract will be performed in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic Hampton Roads area, Virginia. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of September 2023. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $168,400 are obligated on this award and expired at the end of the fiscal 2018. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 11 proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 29, 2018) A&H-Ambica JV LLC,* Livonia, Michigan (N40085-18-D-8733); Building Associates Inc.,* Bloomington, Indiana (N4008-18-D-8734); Federal Construction Group Inc.,* San Diego, California (N40085-18-D-8735); Krempp Construction Inc., Jasper, Indiana (N40085-18-D-8736); Midnight Sun Global Services LLC,* South Bend, Indiana (N40085-18-D-8737); and SEI Group Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (N40085-18-D-8738), were each awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for general construction projects in Crane, Indiana. The maximum dollar value for all six contracts combined is $95,000,000. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, new construction, demolition, repair, alteration, and renovation of buildings, systems and infrastructure and may include civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, fire protection, and communication systems. Types of facilities include administrative, industrial, maintenance, warehouses, communications, personnel support, recreation, lodging, medical, training, ranges, roads, etc., in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Public Works Department Crane, Indiana. A&H-Ambica JV LLC is awarded initial task order at $1,876,276 for the renovation of Building 2724 Break Room Renovation at Public Works Department Crane, Indiana. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by October 2019. All work on this contract will be performed in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic Public Works Department Crane, Indiana area of responsibility. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of September 2023. Fiscal 2018 Navy working capital contract funds in the amount of $1,901,276 are obligated on this award and expired at the end of fiscal 2018. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy); and military construction. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 19 proposals received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 29, 2018) DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY BP Products North America Inc., Chicago, Illinois, has been awarded a maximum $47,075,766 fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for aviation fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 19 offers received. This is a one-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Singapore, with a Dec. 31, 2019, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE602-19-D-0452). Olgoonik Technical Services LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a maximum $11,579,403 modification (P00027) exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SP3300-16-C-5001) with four one-year option periods for warehousing and distribution support services. This is a fixed-price-incentive firm contract with cost-reimbursement line items. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $40,706,113 from $29,126,709. Locations of performance are Alaska and California, with an Oct. 15, 2019, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania. AIR FORCE Onvoi LLC, De Funiak Springs, Florida, has been awarded a $39,951,581 contract for base operating services at March Air Reserve Base, California. This contract provides for all personnel, supervision, equipment, tools, materials, supplies, test equipment, and other items and services necessary to accomplish supply, vehicle operations and maintenance, traffic management, real property maintenance, fuels management, and airfield management. Work will be performed at March ARB, California, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 10 offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,106,974 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Reserve Command Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA4664-19-C-0001). CORRECTION: The Sept. 28, 2018, announcement of a $1,051,818,540 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract award to The Aerospace Corp., El Segundo, California (FA8802-19-C-0001), for Federally Funded Research and Development Center support, was not for a contract modification. All other information in the announcement is correct. ARMY Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $16,038,473 modification (P00151) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for spares acquisition integrated with production. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2018. Fiscal 2018 procurement Marine Corps; and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $16,038,473 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1654951/source/GovDelivery/

By Zacks Equity Research, Zacks.com The Boeing Company BA recently won a $62.7-million contract for providing inspections, Inner Wing Panel (IWP) modifications, and repairs for the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Such designated efforts are expected to restore aircraft and IWP service life projections to new design specifications. Work related to the deal will be majorly carried out in Jacksonville, FL; St. Louis, MI; and Lemoore, CA. The entire task related to the deal is expected to get completed in September 2019. The deal was awarded by the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland. A Brief Note on F/A-18 and E/A-18 Boeing's F/A-18 Block III Super Hornet is a twin-engine, supersonic, all weather multirole fighter jet. The U.S. Navy's tactical and air superiority aircraft is capable of performing 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. Whereas, the EA-18G Growler is the most advanced airborne electronic attack (AEA) platform, which operates from either an aircraft carrier or from land-bases. What's Favoring Boeing? Boeing, being one of the major players in the defense business, stands out among its peers by virtue of its broadly diversified programs, strong order bookings and solid backlog. Furthermore, the company's expertise lies in programs related to wide variety of aircraft components, repairs and modification works. Considering Boeing's combat-proven aerospace programs and associated services along with the rapidly growing need for military aircraft in light of the enhancing geopolitical uncertainties worldwide, the company witnesses a solid inflow of orders from Pentagon. These contract wins, in turn, boost top-line growth for the company's defense business segment. Evidently, in second-quarter 2018, revenues at the Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) segment, which manufactures military jets like F/A-18, EA-18 Growler and its related components, increased 9% year over year to $5.59 billion. In line with this, we may expect the latest contract win to help this unit deliver similar top-line performance, in coming quarters. Meanwhile, toward the end of June 2018, the U.S. Senate approved the fiscal 2019 defense budget that provisions for major war fighting investments worth $21.7 billion for aircraft. Boeing, being the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States, will surely be a significant beneficiary from the budget, which further includes an investment plan of $2 billion for procuring 24 F/A-18E/F aircraft. Such inclusions reflect solid growth prospects for the BDS segment, which, in turn, are likely to boost Boeing's profit margin. Price Movement Boeing's stock has gained 53.4% in the past 12 months compared with the industry 's growth of 25.1%. The outperformance was primarily led by the robust worldwide demand for its commercial aircraft and military jets. Full article: https://www.nasdaq.com/article/boeing-wins-63m-navy-deal-for-fa-ea-18-aircraft-support-cm1032450