Nouvelles

'We know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster' David Burke · CBC News · Posted: Jun 14, 2020 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: June 14 The Department of National Defence is reaching out to Canadians for innovative solutions to problems it's facing due to COVID-19. The department is willing to pay $15 million for that assistance. The effort is being funded through DND's Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security program, which pays for research by outside organizations, typically businesses and universities. In this case, DND has three specific goals. The military wants to be able to rapidly sanitize workplaces and vehicles containing sensitive equipment like computers. It wants to be able to quickly clean uniforms and COVID-19 protective gear so it can be reused. It's also looking for ways to gather data to support the early detection and monitoring of contagious disease outbreaks. "We're reaching out to Canadian innovators because we know that there is some creativity out there, we know that there is some innovation out there that can help us do those things better and sometimes faster," said Eric Fournier, director general of innovation for DND. He said DND is working with the Centre for Security Science Program, the National Research Council of Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada to hunt for solutions that will benefit the whole country. If a solution to any of the problems is found, it will be passed along to federal, provincial and municipal agencies. "Although the program doing this is a national defence program," said Fournier, "we are doing this for public safety across Canada. So it's for the first responders, it's also for national defence, it's for everybody and those solutions will be made available to all those government entities." Rapid, thorough cleaning is DND's goal. Fournier said it can take a lot of time to sanitize by hand. During a crisis, that time can be in short supply, he said. He said if a military aircraft is used to transport a COVID-19 patient, the entire vehicle, along with the uniforms and the personal protective equipment worn by the crew, would have to be cleaned. "We want to make sure that the people are ready to respond, again and again and again and again," said Fournier. "In a pandemic like this, we see that people have to work constantly." While dropping uniforms and flight suits into the washing machine might be an option, the military wants something faster. "So we want to make sure you can do it quickly," Fournier said. "In some cases just putting it in the laundry might work, but we might not have the time to do it that way. We might need something to clean it up faster for reuse in a few hours, for example." It's the same thing with cleaning vehicles by hand. It works, but getting it done fast is hard to do. Finding a way to sanitize aircraft, ambulances, offices and other spaces without damaging computers or other electronics is essential, Fournier said. He said it's also important to find ways to collect data on how the virus is moving through the population and to locate hot spots. DND will choose several winners in each of the three categories. The winners will be given up to $200,000 and up to six months to deliver on their solution. If the solution works, DND could provide them with more funding for fine-tuning or to adapt it for more widespread use. Anyone looking to apply for the program can go to the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security website. There have only been a handful of applications, but Fournier said that number usually jumps up in the final days before the deadline. Applications for the program are due June 23. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/military-dnd-covid-19-research-solutions-1.5607535

June 11, 2020 - The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a contract to produce multiple types of Vertical Launching System (VLS) canisters with a total lifetime maximum value of $955 million. The initial contract was awarded in February with $24 million funded, followed by contract modifications of $99 million and $43 million received in March and May respectively. Options on the contract include additional canister types for future Navy production requirements. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200611005404/en/ “These canisters are a key element of the Navy's Vertical Launching System, and our experience includes 30 years of VLS production, integration and testing to support this world-class capability,” said Brent Butcher, vice president and general manager of the Weapon Systems product line at BAE Systems. “The Navy will continue to benefit from our high-quality canisters and lean, efficient operations, which translate into the best possible value for our customers.” VLS canisters serve in a multifaceted role as containers for missile shipping and storage as well as launch tubes when loaded into the VLS. They also provide identification and firing support to multiple missile types, including the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Standard Missile-2, Standard Missile-3, Standard Missile-6, and the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile. Under this latest contract, BAE Systems will produce canisters not only for the U.S. fleet but also for allied nations under a Foreign Military Sales program. Deliveries for the initial order are expected to begin in early 2021, and if all options are exercised, the contract could support the production of canisters over a five-year period, with deliveries extending into 2025. Work on the new contract will be performed at the BAE Systems production facility in Aberdeen, South Dakota, with engineering and program support in Minneapolis. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200611005404/en/

June 10, 2020 - AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), today announced its receipt of two firm-fixed-price orders totaling $9,804,448 from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA). The orders, received on March 5, 2020 and April 16, 2020, encompass the procurement of Raven® and Puma™3 AE tactical UAS and spares. Delivery for the first order is anticipated by August 2020 and the second order by October 2020. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200610005372/en/ The orders are part of a three-year base contract received from NSPA in January 2020. The contract includes an option for two additional years of logistics support for Raven, Wasp® and Puma tactical UAS. The total potential value of the multi-year contract is $80 million, encompassing the procurement and sustainment of AeroVironment tactical unmanned aircraft systems employed by the defense forces of several NATO countries. “AeroVironment's tactical unmanned aircraft systems, such as Raven and Puma, have helped transform the way U.S. and allied forces plan, train, equip and operate,” said Rick Pedigo, vice president of sales and business development at AeroVironment. “Both systems benefit from continuous technology improvements and pack significant capabilities into portable, man-packable platforms that provide operators with rapid and effective force protection.” AeroVironment's Raven system is designed for rapid deployment and high mobility for operations requiring low-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. With a wingspan of 4.5 feet (1.4 meters) and weighing just 4.2 pounds (1.9 kilograms), the hand-launched Raven provides situational awareness, day or night, with an operational range of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers). The Raven's Mantis i23 EO/IR gimbaled payload delivers real-time video or infrared imagery to ground control and remote viewing stations. The AeroVironment Puma 3 AE is a fully man-portable unmanned aircraft system designed for land and maritime operations. The hand-launched Puma 3 AE has a wingspan of 9.2 feet (2.8 meters), weighs 15 pounds (6.8 kilograms) and can operate for up to 2.5 hours at a range of up to 12.4 miles (20 kilometers) with a standard antenna, and up to 37.2 miles (60 kilometers) with AeroVironment's Long-Range Tracking Antenna (LRTA). Capable of landing in water or on land, the all-environment Puma, with its Mantis i45 EO/IR sensor suite, empowers the operator with extended flight time and a level of imaging capability never before available in the tactical UAS class. AeroVironment's family of tactical UAS use a common ground control station and software, allowing for improved interoperability and decreased training and logistics costs for NATO forces. To learn more, visit www.avinc.com. About AeroVironment Tactical UAS The RQ-20A/B Puma™, Puma™ LE, RQ-11B Raven®, RQ-12A Wasp®, together with the VAPOR® Helicopter comprise AeroVironment's family of tactical unmanned aircraft systems. This family of systems provides increased capability to the warfighter that gives ground commanders the option of selecting the appropriate aircraft based on the type of mission to be performed. This increased capability has the potential to provide significant force protection and force multiplication benefits to small tactical units and security personnel. AeroVironment provides logistics services worldwide to ensure a consistently high level of operational readiness. AeroVironment has delivered thousands of new and replacement tactical unmanned air vehicles to customers within the United States and to more than 45 allied governments. About AeroVironment, Inc. AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV) provides customers with more actionable intelligence so they can proceed with certainty. Based in California, AeroVironment is a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems and tactical missile systems, and serves defense, government, and commercial customers. For more information visit www.avinc.com. About NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) brings together in a single organization, acquisition, logistic, medical and infrastructural capabilities, operational and systems support and services to the NATO nations, NATO Military Authorities and partner nations. As NATO's primary enabler, the Agency's mission is to provide effective and cost-efficient multinational solutions to its stakeholders. NSPA is a customer-funded agency, operating on a "no profit - no loss" basis. It is headquartered in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with main operational centers in France, Hungary and Italy. For more information visit www.nspa.nato.int Safe Harbor Statement Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are made on the basis of current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors outside of our control, that may cause our business, strategy or actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, our ability to perform under existing contracts and obtain additional contracts; changes in the regulatory environment; the activities of competitors; failure of the markets in which we operate to grow; failure to expand into new markets; failure to develop new products or integrate new technology with current products; and general economic and business conditions in the United States and elsewhere in the world. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. We do not intend, and undertake no obligation, to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. For additional media and information, please follow us at: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aerovironmentinc/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/aerovironment LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aerovironment YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/AeroVironmentInc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aerovironmentinc/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200610005372/en/

DEFENSE MICROELECTRONICS ACTIVITY Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, New York (HQ0727-16-D-0001); BAE Systems Information and Electronics, Nashua, New Hampshire (HQ0727-16-D-0002); General Dynamics Mission Systems, Bloomington, Minnesota (HQ0727-16-D-0003); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland (HQ0727-16-D-0004); Cobham Advanced Electronics Solutions Inc., Lansdale, Pennsylvania (HQ0727-16-D-0005); Raytheon Co., El Segundo, California (HQ0727-16-D-0006); The Boeing Co., Hazelwood, Missouri (HQ0727-16-D-0007); and Honeywell International Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico (HQ0727-16-D-0008), are being awarded a maximum $10,271,000,000 modification on existing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, Advanced Technology Support Program IV (ATSP4) contracts. The modification raises the ceiling on the current ATSP4 contracts from $7,200,000,000 to $17,471,000,000. ATSP4 are multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts for engineering services designed to resolve problems with obsolete, unreliable, unmaintainable, underperforming, or incapable electronics hardware and software through development of advanced technology insertions and applications to meet the requirements of the Department of Defense for a quick reaction capability. With all options exercised, the ordering period goes until March 31, 2026. The contracts were competitively procured via a February 2015 solicitation resulting in nine proposals and eight awards. No funds are being obligated on award. Funding will occur through individual task orders. The Defense Microelectronics Activity, McClellan, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $368,194,942 not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification (P00036) to previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00019-17-C-0001. This modification provides for the procurement of five F-35A Lightning II lot 14 aircraft, one F-35B lot 14 combat aircrafts and associated red gear for the government of Italy. It also authorizes the common capability scope of work at the Final Assembly and Checkout Facility in Cameri, Italy. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35%); Cameri, Italy (28%); El Segundo, California (15%); Warton, United Kingdom (8%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); various locations within the continental U.S. (1.3%) and various locations outside the continental U.S. (0.7%). Work is expected to be complete by June 2023. Non-Department of Defense funds for $184,429,857 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. DRS Systems Inc., Melbourne, Florida, is awarded a $120,009,046 not-to-exceed, cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price, cost undefinitized contract to provide non-recurring engineering to design, develop, integrate and test engineering development models and production representative models of weapons replaceable assemblies for the AN/AAQ-45 Distributed Aperture Infrared Countermeasure system. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas (61%); San Diego, California (31%); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (7%); and Melbourne, Florida (1%), and is expected to be complete by June 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $23,497,884 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-C-0041). Harper Construction Co. Inc., San Diego, California, is awarded a $65,165,290 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of a high-bay maintenance hangar for the Bell Boeing V-22 aircraft at Naval Base Coronado. The contract also contains one unexercised option and two planned modifications, which will increase the cumulative contract value to $66,148,955, if exercised. Work will be performed in San Diego, California. The work to be performed provides for the design and construction of a steel-framed and high-bay maintenance hangar for aircraft, to include one and a half modules of hangar space and associated airfield pavement for aircraft ingress and egress to hangars. The new facility will contain high-bay space, shops and maintenance space, operation, training, administrative space and supporting site infrastructure improvements. The project also includes construction of a hangar access apron. The option, if exercised, provides for reconstruction of the existing north parking lot. The planned modifications, if issued, provide for furniture, fixtures and audiovisual equipment. Work is expected to be complete by January 2023. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $644,756 and fiscal 2020 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $64,520,534 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website and seven proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-20-C-0553). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $31,065,000 for a not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract modification (P00006) to previously issued order 0097 against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This modification provides supplier non-recurring engineering, development of design documentation and the creation of modification instructions for the developmental test fleet in support of the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (85%); and Fort Worth, Texas (15%). These efforts will support service life extensions and enable the developmental test fleet to maintain currency with delivered technology. Work is expected to be complete by February 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,698,820; fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $3,698,820 and non-DOD participant funds in the amount of $1,602,360 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. Fukunaga & Associates Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii, is awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $30,000,000 for architect-engineer services for various utility projects and other projects primarily under the cognizance of Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii. The initial task order is being awarded at $929,417 for the replacement of a 24-inch waterline at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. The work to be performed provides for architect-engineer services for utility projects with associated multi-discipline architect-engineer support services. The type of design and engineering services expected to be performed under this contract are primarily for request for proposal (RFP) documentation for the design-bid-build utility projects with associated multi-discipline architect-engineering support services for new construction, alteration, repair and installation of mechanical systems and associated facilities. Other design and engineering services may include, but are not limited to, design-build RFP documentation, engineering investigations/concept studies, functional analysis concept development/charrettes and post construction award services. Work for this task order is expected to be complete by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M,N) contract funds in the amount of $929,417 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of June 2025. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M,N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM website and two proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62478-20-D-5037). Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $7,456,371 firm-fixed-price and cost reimbursement task order under the General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (GSA OASIS). This indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is also for a wide range of operational, analytical and management support services in support of the U.S. Marine Corps Central Command. Work will be performed in Tampa, Florida (90%); and Bahrain (10%). Work is expected to be complete by June 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through December 2025. This task order includes a 12-month base period, four 12-month option periods and one six-month option period, which, will bring the cumulative value of this task order to $48,846,236 if exercised. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $7,456,371 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This task order was competitively solicited via the GSA OASIS Pool 1 and four proposals were received. The Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M00264-20-F-0227). ARMY INTEC Group LLC,* Paducah, Kentucky (W912QR20D0021); Dawn Inc.,* Warren, Ohio (W912QR-20-D-0022); RJ Runge,* Port Clinton, Ohio (W912QR-20-D-0023); G.M. Hill Engineering Inc.,* Jacksonville, Florida (W912QR-20-D-0024); and Nisou LGC JV LLC,* Detroit, Michigan (W912QR-20-D-0025), will compete for each order of the $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Great Lakes and Ohio River Division mission boundaries construction services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 16 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 10, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity. Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $22,161,082 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time-and-materials) contract modification (P00055) for aviation maintenance services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Afghanistan; and Iraq with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $22,161,082 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0025). Alliant Techsystems Operations LLC, Plymouth, Minnesota, was awarded a $16,986,480 modification (P00074) to contract W15QKN-13-C-0074 for Global Positioning System receiver for precision guidance kit M1156. Work will be performed in Plymouth, Minnesota, with an estimated completion date of June 3, 2024. Fiscal 2020 procurement of ammunition (Army) funds in the amount of 16,986,480 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND T3i Inc., Imperial Beach, California, was awarded a $26,413,688 maximum single award “C” type contract (H92240-20-C-0003) with options included to extend services for survival, evasion, resistance, escape and personnel recovery training in support of Naval Special Warfare Command (NSWC) enterprise requirements. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $384,347 are being obligated at the time of award. The work will be performed in various locations in the U.S. and may continue through fiscal 2026, if all options are exercised. The contract was awarded competitively using Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 15 procedures with six proposals received. NSWC, Coronado, California, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp., Cambridge, Massachusetts, was awarded a $12,039,376 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a research project under the Fast Network Interface Cards (FastNICs) program. The FastNICs program will speed up applications such as the distributed training of machine learning classifiers by 100 times through the development, implementation, integration and validation of novel, clean-slate network subsystems. Work will be performed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Seattle, Washington, with an expected completion date of June 2024. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,670,000 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a competitive acquisition under an open broad agency announcement and eight offers were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-20-C-0089). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has been awarded a maximum $10,836,726 firm-fixed-price, requirements contract for pneumatic tires for palletized load system vehicle wheels. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Wisconsin and New Jersey, with a June 10, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D0065). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2217371/source/GovDelivery/

By: David B. Larter   WASHINGTON — The US Navy could face a three-year delay in testing of the MQ-25 Stingray carrier-based tanking drone if it doesn't get its designated test ships through the required modernizations on time, a possibility the Navy said was remote. Two carriers — Carl Vinson and George H.W. Bush — have limited windows to complete the installation of unmanned aircraft control stations, and if operational commitments intervene it could create significant issues for the program, according to Navy officials and a government watchdog report. “Program officials stated that, among other things, the Navy's potential inability to maintain its schedule commitments could require modifications to the contract that would impact the fixed-price terms,” the Government Accountability Office reported. “Specifically, the Navy faces limited flexibility to install MQ-25 control centers on aircraft carriers. “If the Navy misses any of its planned installation windows, the program would have to extend MQ-25 development testing by up to 3 years. According to officials, such a delay could necessitate a delay to initial capability and result in a cost increase.” Navy officials say a three-year delay is “extremely unlikely,” however the Navy has struggled in recent years to balance its modernization schedules with operational commitments, a problem that its “Optimized Fleet Response Plan” deployment rotation scheme was supposed to address. Ultimately, a delay would further push back the Navy's ability to extend its carrier air wing's range through unmanned tanking, critical to keeping the service's powerful strike arm relevant against long-range guided munitions. The Navy believes it can avoid a schedule delay and is working toward keeping the program on track, said Jamie Cosgrove, a spokesperson for Naval Air Systems Command. “The Navy is still planning to achieve [initial operating capability] in 2024,” Cosgrove said. “A three-year extension of development testing and a delay to IOC is extremely unlikely and represents improbable scenarios where both aircraft carriers currently designated to support MQ-25 testing are unavailable due to operational requirements, or the program misses the planned periods to install the MQ-25 test equipment on those two carriers. “Should either of these unlikely scenarios occur, the program will reevaluate the schedule and determine how to best mitigate schedule impacts to deliver the mission-critical MQ-25 to the Fleet ASAP.” Unmanned control The specific alternations needed to operate the MQ-25 Stingray include special control and network equipment, Cosgrove said. The program of record is the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System and installing it will include setting up a control room known as the Unmanned Aviation Warfare Center on the ship. The equipment in the UAWC will include control stations, network interfaces and routing equipment, commanding and control equipment and network infrastructure, Consgrove said. The Navy awarded Boeing an $805 million contract to build the first four MQ-25 aircraft, with options for three additional aircraft. In April, the Navy announced it had exercised the option to the tune of $84.7 million, bringing the total number of Stingrays under contract to 7. Ultimately the Navy plans to buy 69 additional aircraft as part of the its full production run, according to the GAO report. The Navy's former air boss Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker told USNI Proceedings in a 2017 interview that the MQ-25 would extend the carrier air wing's range by up to 400 miles. Juggling maintenance The Navy has struggled to maintain its carrier schedules in recent years as the problems have arisen with carriers during their availabilities. For example, last year, the carrier Abraham Lincoln was extended on its deployment because its relief, the carrier Harry S Truman, was stuck in maintenance to repair unforeseen issues. That can throw a monkey wrench into the Navy's overstretched deployment rotation scheme, meaning that other carriers have their deployments extended while still others have their maintenance availabilities truncated to play catch up. But that can lead to even more problems down the road with differed maintenance and worn-out equipment that ultimately adds up to a significant readiness hole that is tough to dig out from. All of this is exacerbated by crushing demands from Combatant Commanders for Navy forces overseas, which ultimately is driving the vicious cycle. That means the Navy will have to manage the risk of impacting the Vinson and Bush's upcoming maintenance availabilities to not set back the MQ-25 development cycle. https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/06/10/if-the-us-navy-isnt-careful-its-new-unmanned-tanker-drone-could-face-a-3-year-delay/

Andrew Eversden The Army's artificial intelligence task force is working on two key projects, including one that would allow unmanned vehicles in the air to communicate with autonomous vehicles on the ground, after securing new funding, a service official said June 10. Gen. Mike Murray, commander of Army Futures Command, said during a June 10 webinar hosted by the Association of the United States Army that the task force has moved forward on the projects through its partnership with Carnegie Mellon University, launched in late 2018 . First, the team is working on programs dedicated to unmanned-unmanned teaming, or developing the ability of air and ground unmanned vehicles to talk to one other. The other effort underway is on a DevSecOps environment to develop future algorithms to work with other Army systems, Murray said. He did not offer further detail. The task force force has fewer than 15 people, Murray said, and fiscal 2021 will be the first year that it receives appropriated funds from Congress. Much of the work the task force has done so far as been building the team. In response to an audience question, Murray said that the task force is not yet working on defending against adversarial machine learning, but added that leaders recognize that's an area the team will need to focus on. “We're going to have to work on how do we defend our algorithms and really, how do we defend our training data that we're using for our algorithms," Murray said. In order to train effective artificial intelligence, the team needs significant amounts of data. One of the first projects for the task force was collecting data to develop advanced target recognition capabilities. For example, Murray said, being able to identify different types of combat vehicles. When the work started, the training data for target recognition didn't exist. “If you're training an algorithm to recognize cats, you can get on the internet and pull up hundreds of thousands of pictures of cats,” Murray said. “You can't do that for a T-72 [a Russian tank]. You can get a bunch of pictures, but are they at the right angles, lighting conditions, vehicle sitting camouflaged to vehicle sitting open desert?” Murray also said he recognizes the Army needs to train more soldiers in data science and artificial intelligence. He told reporters in late May that the Army and CMU have created a masters program in data science that will begin in the fall. He also said that the “software factory,” a six- to 12-week course to teach soldiers basic software skills. That factory will be based in Austin, where Futures Command is located, and will work with industry's local tech industry. “We have got to get this talent identified I'm convinced we have it in our formations,” Murray said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/artificial-intelligence/2020/06/10/the-army-ai-task-force-takes-on-two-key-projects/

By: Jill Aitoro WASHINGTON — One year post merger, L3Harris is a third of the way to its goal of shedding roughly $1.5 billion of the company, with COVID-19 slowing progress, said its two top executives in an interview with Defense News. About $500 million in business has been divested since June 2019, when Harris and L3 Technologies combined into a single, $17 billion company. That total came by way of three deals that shed the EOTech business, the night vision business, and the security detection and automation businesses. “Out of the gates, we were really running at this,” said CEO Bill Brown, who noted in previous interviews the audacious goal for divestitures of 8-10 percent of total revenue. “We continue to make progress on others, but obviously with the COVID crisis and the financial impacts of that, it's moved some opportunities to the right.” The sale of the security detection and automation businesses to Leidos for about $1 billion will ultimately be one of if not the biggest divestiture for the company, said Brown, who declined to point to any specific portions of business as currently up for sale or likely to be shed. Thus far divestitures have been driven either by overlap created by the merger — which subsequently raised the alarm bells of regulators — or by a desire to focus the portfolio even more to become what Brown described as a “powerhouse C4ISR company.” Brown stopped short of stating any intention to exit the commercial or federal business altogether — even as the former took a significant hit from pandemic fallout: Commercial revenues are expected to be down around 35 percent organically for the year. Also likely to suffer from the COVID-19 pandemic is international business. Foreign sales, which account for 20 percent of total revenue, will likely remain flat, versus the increase in low to mid-single digits previously expected. “We identify that as an area where we think we can outperform,” Chris Kubasik, L3Harris chief operating officer, said during the interview. “Clearly the global pandemic applies some pressure, especially in the Middle East with the prices of oil and all the countries having their own bailouts or stimulus plans. Just like the U.S., I think the situation is going to call into question how those countries deal with defense going forward. It's going to be one of these areas that we need to monitor, and are probably going to have to take market share to grow.” An inability to travel has, however, opened doors to new ways of doing business around the world. Kubasik pointed to a particular deal with a customer in a Far East country that was negotiated via Skype. “Nobody's really closed for business,” he said. “We've just got to be creative and do it differently. You feel pretty good when you do a one- or two-hour Zoom [video conference], where in the old days it would have taken four days by the time you flew to the country, cleared customs, got a good night's rest, held a meeting, met again and flew back.” For L3Harris, year two post merger will focus on the remaining $1 billion in divestitures and see a continuation of company integration. In the longer term, those efforts will set the company up nicely for additional acquisitions, which Kubasik called “a clear expectation” for spurring growth. And C4ISR is the area that will likely be the focus of potential buys. “The value of those capabilities and technologies will be even greater in the future in a near-peer competition,” Brown said. “It's not the platforms, but what the platforms do and how they interoperate that requires networks and new ways of communicating, which is in the sweet spot of the company. So I would imagine that anything we would do through acquisition would happen in that broad C4ISR domain.” But for now, he added, the company is focusing on “the basic fundamentals." "And if we do that really well, then we build credibility to go and do another acquisition, another merger over time. The key is earning the right to do that — building the credibility and the muscle to go down that path, and that's what we're doing today.” https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/06/11/year-two-post-merger-l3harris-looks-toward-1b-more-in-divestitures/

By: David B. Larter and Joe Gould WASHINGTON — Despite howls of criticism from Congress over the Navy's seven-ship budget request earlier this year, the Senate Armed Services Committee's markup of the National Defense Authorization Act stopped short of adding extra ships. Instead, lawmakers are opting to authorize the purchase of long-lead-time materials to keep the industrial base healthy. With submarine builders under strain from the coronavirus pandemic and a dearth of suppliers, Congress had sought to add a second Virginia-class submarine. But now the SASC has used its annual defense policy bill to authorize about $472 million for long-lead procurement “so they can be ready to go, if not this year, than at the next opportunity,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., the committee's ranking member said Thursday. The strategy of authorizing long-lead-time materials, designed to keep steady business to critical suppliers and make canceling a ship that Congress has already spent money on more painful, was one the SASC used in other places as well. The strategy of authorizing long-lead-time materials is designed to maintain steady business for critical suppliers. It also has the benefit of making it difficult to cancel a ship on which Congress has already spent money. Several programs have already benefited from long-lead-time money, and for its part, SASC is looking to authorize money to the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer program, the amphibious assault ship program and the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock program. On the submarine front, the president's budget requested only one Virginia-class sub for fiscal 2021 ,and staffers said fully funding a second sub would be unwise because the shipyard would be unable to use the money in a single year given the workload. “The other issue too is the shipyards are in the process of not only building the Virginia class, but Columbia class is also coming on,” Reed said. “They have extensive workload, but we have provided ... them with the ability to build that 10th submarine.” The Navy contracted with Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries to build nine Block V Virginia-class submarines in December. The long-lead-time money is intended to preserve an option to buy a 10th Virginia sub if it can be shoehorned into both companies' workflow without disrupting Columbia. SASC also provided language that approved the Navy's request to buy the first two Columbia-class submarines in tandem. In addition to the long-lead-time materials money for subs, the bill authorizes floating about $260 million for the Arleigh Burke class, which the Navy has talked about truncating; $500 million for the next two San Antonio-class ships; and an additional $250 million toward the ninth amphibious assault ship, LHA-9. Congress previously appropriated $1 billion in funding toward LHA-9, but the Navy did not request additional funds for FY21, according to the Congressional Research Service. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved its initial version of the FY21 NDAA on Wednesday for consideration by the full Senate. From there it is typically reconciled with the House's version, which the House Armed Services Committee will mark up on July 1. https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2020/06/11/senates-defense-bill-looks-to-pump-money-into-shipbuilding-materials/

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The Senate Armed Services Committee wants to give the Air Force more F-35 fighter jets and drones, but the panel's version of the 2021 defense policy bill leaves many questions open about the future of the service's legacy aircraft. In the Air Force's fiscal 2021 budget request, the service proposed retiring a number of its B-1 bombers, A-10 Warthog attack planes, RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones, KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, and C-130H planes. Air Force leaders said the reductions were necessary to free up money needed for key investments in future technology areas like space and joint all-domain command and control. However, the proposed version of the FY21 National Defense Authorization Act passed by the Senate Armed Services Committee on June 10 puts some limits on those proposed cuts. Instead of mandating the Air Force to retain a certain number of specific types of aircraft, SASC's defense bill “establishes a minimum number of aircraft for each major mission area ... and prohibits the divestment of aircraft until the minima are reached to ensure that Air Force can meet [National Defense Strategy] and combatant command requirements,” SASC said in a summary of the bill. But with only a summary of the bill available, it's unclear how that compares with the Air Force's planned inventory reductions and whether any retirements will be permitted at all. According to a committee staffer, the numbers proposed by SASC include a “primary mission aircraft inventory” of 1,182 fighters, 190 drones, 92 bombers, 412 tankers, 230 tactical airlift platforms, 235 strategic airlift platforms, 84 intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, and 106 combat search-and-rescue aircraft. Specifically, the bill blocks the retirement of three A-10 Warthog squadrons, limits F-15C divestment, and delays the retirements of KC-10 and KC-135 tankers until after the KC-46's technical challenges are resolved. The Air Force had planned to retire 13 KC-135s and 16 KC-10s in FY21. The summary of the bill makes it clear the SASC is concerned that the Air Force's plan to trade existing aircraft for future capabilities could lead to a drop in near-term readiness as well as an scenario where legacy aircraft are never actually replaced. The bill “requires the Secretary of Defense to submit an annual aviation procurement plan across all services,” the summary stated. It includes language that cements the Air Force's aspiration to field 386 combat squadrons as a requirement, although one staffer clarified that the provision is more a goal than a mandate, and that there is no timeline associated with it. SASC's legislation is far from set in stone. The bill will move to the Senate floor for debate, but its House counterpart is working on its own version of the defense authorization bill, and both chambers will have to agree on a final bill. Where's the money going? The House and Senate Armed Services committees make funding recommendations, which are then used by congressional budgeteers in the appropriations committees to draw up the final funding bills. Nonetheless, SASC made a number of key funding authorizations that could mean major increases for certain aircraft programs. Unsurprisingly, it recommended a major increase for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program, approving the purchase of 60 F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing models, 12 F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing variants, and 23 F-35C carrier-takeoff-and-landing aircraft. That's a net increase of 16 aircraft: 12 F-35As, two F-35Bs and two F-35Cs. General Atomics was another major beneficiary of the legislation. SASC authorized $165 million for additional MQ-1 Predator drones for the Army and $170.6 million for MQ-9 Reaper drones for the Air Force, which will keep the production line going ahead of a replacement program. It adds an extra $128 million for additional XQ-58 Valkyrie drones from Kratos. The Valkyrie is a low-cost combat drone currently being tested by the Air Force as part of the Low Cost Attritable Aircraft Technology effort, which seeks a “loyal wingman” aircraft that can penetrate contested environments and take on more risk than manned planes. The committee also calls for an LCAAT operational test plan and utility evaluation. It fully funded the Air Force's KC-46 tanker program and B-21 bomber program, according to SASC Chairman Jim Inhofe, R-Okla. The bill also “increases funding for critical capabilities that will help the United States maintain air superiority in contested environments, including Systems of Systems Technology Integration Tool Chain for Heterogeneous Electronic Systems (STITCHES) and advanced air-to-air weapons” https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/06/11/senate-defense-bill-puts-limits-on-planned-air-force-aircraft-retirements/