Nouvelles

ARMY General Dynamics Mission Systems, Orlando, Florida, was awarded an $883,000,000 order-dependent contract for the enhancement and maintenance of the Live Training Transformation (LT2) product line, including software architecture, LT2 framework, and individual products associated with the LT2 product line. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2028. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-D-0007). PAE Professional Services, LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $90,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide temporary construction security infrastructure, equipment, services and security surveillance services to support secure construction projects to support the Yongsan Relocation Program in the Far East District, South Korea. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 29, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District, South Korea, is the contracting activity (W912UM-20-D-0002). Lockheed Martin Corp., Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, was awarded a $77,064,274 Foreign Military Sales (Bahrain, Republic of Korea, Germany, Japan, Kuwait, Netherlands, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, United Arab Emirates) contract for Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target, Advanced Capability-3. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Dallas, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $77,064,274 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-F-0003). Aerojet Rocketdyne, Camden, Arkansas, was awarded a $76,874,368 modification (P00005) to contract W31P4Q-18-D-0027 for procurement of Stinger flight motors. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Trade West Construction,** Mesquite, Nevada, was awarded a $52,672,800 firm-fixed-price contract to deepen the upstream approach to the locks in the north canal at the Soo Locks complex in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 civil construction and State of Michigan contributed funds in the amount of $52,672,800 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W911XK-20-C-0002). Schutt Industries Inc.,** Clintonville, Wisconsin, was awarded a $51,492,774 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of four models of a 2.5-ton single-axle chassis trailer. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 28, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0023). Hensel Phelps Construction Co, Tysons Corner, Virginia, was awarded a $34,227,105 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of a new warehouse facility of approximately 44,000 gross square foot with associated office space. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work will be performed at Fort Meade, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of July 8, 2022. Fiscal 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $34,227,105 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-C-0004). Applied Visual Technology Inc.,** Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $31,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to design, develop, integrate, manage, deliver, install, test, document and support construction equipment virtual trainers. 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 Jan. 29, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-D-0008). General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $29,886,655 modification (P00096) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0067 for Abrams Systems technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 29, 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles, Army; operations and maintenance, Army; and Kuwait Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $29,886,655 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $26,321,249 firm-fixed-price contract for information technology services to support the mission of the 2nd Theater Signal Brigade/U.S. Army Europe. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in APO AE, Germany, and APO AE, Italy, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $26,321,249 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Fort Huachuca, Arizona, is the contracting activity (W91RUS-17-C-0010). Marton Technologies Inc.,** Newport News, Virginia, was awarded a $9,090,390 modification (000191) to contract W52P1J-14-G-0021 for continued performance of logistics support services at Fort Riley, Kansas. Work will be performed in Fort Riley with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2121. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,090,390 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. SGS LLC, Yukon, Oklahoma, was awarded an $8,996,222 contract to design and construct a single story, 13,838 square foot blood donor center at Fort Bliss, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed at Fort Bliss, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 2, 2021. Fiscal 2016 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $8,996,222 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9126G-20-C-0009). AIR FORCE Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Lod, Israel, has been awarded a $240,000,000 estimated ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the acquisition of T-38 Wings. Work will be performed in Lod, Israel, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 2033. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2020 consolidated sustainment activity group working capital funds in the amount of $34,426,532 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8208-20-D-0001). Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Georgia, has been awarded a delivery order in the amount of $127,430,000 firm-fixed‐price contract for the acquisition of two C-37B aircraft. Work will be performed in Savannah, Georgia, and is expected to deliver by September 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $127,430,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The cumulative face value of the contract order is $127,430,000. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8134‐20-F‐3100). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded an $84,108,947 contract modification (P00007) to the previously awarded contract FA8634-18-C-2698 for the F-15 Advanced Display Core Processor (ADCP) II Low-Rate Initial Production 4. This contract modification exercises an option that provides the production and integration of the ADCP II boxes and related equipment into the F-15 platform. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed by July 22, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 procurement and working capital funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $260,932,155. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $74,346,630; and fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $9,762,318 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Fighter/Bomber Directorate, F-15 Division, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Global Connections to Employment Inc., Pensacola, Florida, has been awarded a $28,683,615 firm-fixed-price contract for custodial services. The contractor will provide non-personal services for continued operational support. Work will be performed at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to complete by Jan. 31, 2027. This award is to a mandatory source under the AbilityOne program (41 U.S. Code 85 and 41 Code of Federal Regulations 51). Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,657,808 will be obligated under multiple task orders at the time of award. The 6th Contracting Squadron, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA4814-20-D-0003). Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $19,999,836 modification to previously awarded contract FA8750-18-C-0116 for Operational Resilient Cyber Advancements. The contract modification allows the performer to design and develop Microservice Architectures for defensive cyber operations technology in addition to utilizing a cloud-based orchestration engine to automate processes and develop Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning technology thrusts. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 5, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,528,884 are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $67,435,795. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded an $81,645,285 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-6259) to exercise and fund options for naval production, engineering services and required materials for the government of Canada under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by June 2026. FMS (Canada) funding for $79,584,238 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Linthicum, Maryland, is awarded a $45,479,156 modification for the firm-fixed-price portion of a previously awarded contract (M67854-19-C-0043). This modification is for the purchase of two Gallium Nitride full rate production systems and spares in support of Program Executive Officer Land Systems, Quantico, Virginia. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by April 4, 2023. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $45,479,156 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. Jacobs Ewingcole JV, Pasadena, California, is awarded a firm-fixed-price task order N62473-20-F-4247 at $21,627,696 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for design-bid-build construction packages at Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, California. The work to be performed provides for preparation of design-bid-build construction packages consisting of full plans, specifications, cost estimates and other services. Work will be performed in Ridgecrest, California, and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Navy) contract funds for $21,000,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-18-D-5801). URS Group Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina, is awarded a $7,000,000 modification on a firm-fixed-price task order under a multiple award construction contract for phase one of Hurricane Michael repairs for stabilization and repairs to multiple buildings at Naval Support Activity, Panama City, Florida. After award of this modification, the total task order value will be $69,246,764. The work to be performed provides for construction, alteration and repair of real property and utilities because of Hurricane Michael. Work also includes any and all ancillary and incidental mechanical and electrical support services needed to accomplish required work including, but not limited to, disconnects, temporary reconnects, removals, extensions, modifications, alterations, reinstalls, new components and permanent reconnects necessary for functional operation. Work will be performed in Panama City, Florida, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds for $7,000,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N62470-13-D-6022). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Pinnacle Petroleum Inc.,* Huntington Beach, California, (SPE605-20-D-4516, $63,570,797); Falcon Fuels Inc.,** Paramount, California, (SPE605-20-D-4509, $57,497,366); Brad Hall and Associates Inc., Idaho Falls, Idaho, (SPE605-20-D-4505, $55,451,197); Petroleum Traders Corp.,** Fort Wayne, Indiana, (SPE605-20-D-4515, $18,411,287); Merrimac Petroleum Inc.,* Long Beach, California, (SPE605-20-D-4514, $16,596,199); Mansfield Oil Company of Gainesville Inc., Gainesville, Georgia, (SPE605-20-D-4513, $9,251,400) and Foster Fuels Inc.,** Brookneal, Virginia, (SPE605-20-D-4510, $7,238,675) have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract under solicitation SPE605-20-R-0200 for various types of fuel. These were competitive acquisitions with 39 offers received. These are 54-month contracts with a six-month option period. Locations of performance are Arizona, California, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Nevada, Utah and Virginia, with a Sept. 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Federal Resources Supply Co., Stevensville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $30,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 102 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Maryland, with a Jan. 29, 2025, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, 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 Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0028). Minburn Technology Group LLC,** Great Falls, Virginia, has been awarded an $18,191,117 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SP4701-20-F-0029) against a 10-year Department of Defense Enterprise Services Initiative blanket purchase agreement (N66001-19-A-0006) and General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule (GS-35F-309AA) for a Microsoft enterprise licensing agreement. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. This is a one-year delivery order with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Jan. 31, 2021, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Robertson Fuel Systems LLC, Tempe, Arizona, has been awarded an $8,899,105 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract for fuel tank assemblies. 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 four-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Arizona, with a Jan. 31, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-19-D-0012). DEFENSE COUNTERINTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY AGENCY ASRC Federal Professional Services LLC, Beltsville, Maryland, was awarded an estimated $54,757,914 firm-fixed-price contract (HS0021-20-C-0002) for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). The contract provides for case processing and overall operation center support services in support of the background investigation process. Work will be performed at Boyers, Pennsylvania, and St. Louis, Missouri. This contract is funded with fiscal 2020 DCSA working capital funds with $13,577,188 obligated at time of award. The anticipated period of performance includes one 12-month base period and four 12-month option periods. The estimated lifecycle award value is $276,794,547. This requirement was synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website as a single-award, small business set-aside on Nov. 20, 2018. As a result, all small businesses were solicited and six offers were received. The Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Woman-owned small business **Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2070367/source/GovDelivery/

January 29, 2020 UVision Air Ltd. - a global leader in the area of Loitering Munitions Systems of all sizes for a variety of missions‒ strengthens its presence in India and announces a joint venture with Aditya Precitech, an Indian company, for the manufacture and marketing of loitering munitions under the brand PALM (Precision Attack Loitering Munition) Hero Systems. These systems are already in service and combat-proven. AVision, the company formed under the joint venture agreement, addresses the needs of the Indian defense and paramilitary sectors. AVision will explore various opportunities in India for Loitering Munitions Systems with the intention of initiating a full range of activities including the design, manufacture, sales, maintenance, support, upgrading, and lifecycle management. The partners will also maintain a supply of spare parts for the warranty and post-warranty periods for current and future versions of the smart munitions systems. AVision will be responsible for and will provide the following: design, development manufacture and maintenance support for all PALM Hero series, marketing strategy development and implementation; facilities for the new company's operations; human resources and personnel; supply chain creation and implementation; platform integration; and, after-sale training and customer support services. Commenting on the Joint Venture, Shane Cohen, VP Sales & Marketing at UVision and AVision Board Member, said, “We are very pleased to have partnered with Aditya, a highly respected company with extensive experience as development partner for many of India's Defense Research and Development Organization's (DRDO) most important projects. Aditya has a skilled team able to produce a wide range of complex components, and is an ideal partner for our innovative, cost-effective loitering munitions systems designed for the battlefield of the future.” Regarding this partnership, Aditya's representative and Avision's CEO, Col. (ret.) Anil Yadav, remarked, “This Joint Venture is a major step forward enabling India to achieve significantly higher levels of self-sufficiency in the defense sector with the transfer of state-of-art cutting-edge technologies for the futuristic loitering munitions. We look forward to producing the full range of loitering munitions, which will be offered to India's military, paramilitary forces as an effective response to multiple threats with minimal collateral damage.” The PALM HERO Series and Simulation System will be showcased at the AVision booth Hall 1 R48 At Defexpo, we will also display the entire PALM HERO Series of Lethal Loitering Systems highlighting the high-precision PALM Hero-30 and the Long-Range PALM Hero-400EC as well as the recently launched PALM Hero-120 a modular, customizable loitering weapon system fitted for a variety of missions. The company will also demonstrate its advanced, user-friendly simulation system, allowing a hands-on experience for visitors. The PALM HERO Simulator is used for training forces on the HERO systems, thus avoiding the costs, risks and constraints inherent in live-fire missions. About UVision Air Ltd. UVision Air Ltd. designs and manufactures innovative, cost-effective, unmanned loitering munition systems for customers worldwide. With cutting-edge technology and 30 years of extensive field experience by a professional management team, UVision delivers highly unique aerodynamic platform configurations. The Hero series is comprised of advanced loitering munitions systems (Hero-20, Hero-30, Hero-70, Hero-120, Hero-250, Hero-400EC, Hero-900, Hero-1250), designed for different missions at various ranges using warheads of various types. The company's solutions are tailored for unique flight qualities, precision attack munitions, advanced airborne guidance and navigation systems, and C4 stations fully integrated with communication links. Extensive R&D has yielded a versatile series of loitering munitions systems that are suitable for tactical and strategic targets ‒ whether for short, medium or long ranges – and with a variety of warheads to ensure maximum mission effectiveness. With units deployed and field-proven by the Israel Defense Forces and other customers – including leading NATO countries – UVision is fully committed to providing its extensive network of partners and customers located around the world with high quality and fast-response support. About Aditya Precitech Aditya Precitech Pvt. Ltd. is an Indian MSME company which has been involved in almost all missile projects of the DRDO as a development partner to provide prototypes of critical subsystems and undertake serial production of the same. Over the years, Aditya has developed a core design and development team capable of independently developing components based on customer specifications in mechanical, electro-mechanical and electronic segments. Some of the innovative products from Aditya include Electro-Mechanical Actuators (Rotary as well as Linear), DC – DC convertors and Brushless DC Motors, apart from a whole range of fins, wings, control surfaces and motor casings for all types of missiles and rockets as well as some satellites. For more information on AVision, please visit www.avisionsystems.com Contact Details: Ms. Ronit Konfidan Marketing Communications Manager UVision Air Ltd. Email: ronit.k@uvisionuav.com Mobile: +972-52-3786665

January 31, 2020 - The Spanish Air Force, Ejército del Aire, is the third European air force to opt for the Swiss-produced PC-21, the Next Generation Trainer. Pilatus has committed to delivering a total of 24 PC-21s to Spain. The single-engine turboprop trainer aircraft will replace the Casa C-101 jet trainers used since 1980. The Ministry of Defence was looking for a new, highly efficient training platform to provide advanced training for Spain's future military pilots tasked with protecting future generations. After a long and extremely professional evaluation, Pilatus beat several prestigious competitors to win the tender with the PC-21. The contract, which is worth over 200 million euros, was signed yesterday evening with the Spanish Dirección General de Armamento y Material (DGAM). Comprising an integrated training system, the order includes simulators developed and produced by Pilatus, spare parts and logistics support in addition to the PC-21 aircraft. Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus, is enthusiastic about this major order from Spain: “As a small Swiss aircraft manufacturer I'm delighted at our repeated success in winning through over large, international competitors. This result is proof that, with our PC-21, we can deliver the very best training system in the world.” Pilot training starts in 2021 The PC-21 will provide Spain with the most advanced training system currently on offer, and will also deliver a cost-effective, ecologically viable training platform. Experience with existing PC-21 customers has shown that the cost of training for a military pilot can be reduced by over 50 percent with the PC-21. These single-engine turboprop aircraft require much less fuel than any comparable jet trainer. Oscar J. Schwenk commented further: “I'm delighted to see us win a new air force to add to our existing customer portfolio. We shall provide Ejército del Aire with the first-class customer service they are entitled to expect from Pilatus. Bienvenidos a Pilatus y muchas gracias por elegir el PC-21 – viva España!” About the PC-21 success model For years, people believed that single-engine turboprops would never replace jet trainers. But with defence budgets coming under increasing pressure, air forces are looking for new ways of managing and maintaining their complex systems in mission-ready condition. Seeking to support this change, Pilatus developed performance-related services specifically tailored to the PC-21 Training System. The goal is to ensure an affordable product to match the performance criteria defined by air force customers. That is achieved by providing a highly sophisticated and integrated service package in line with current air force requirements. Prestigious air forces around the world have chosen the cost-effective, highly efficient training platform created by Pilatus. They are the proof that the PC-21 is the training system of the future. Since 2006, with the order for Spain, Pilatus has already sold 235 PC-21s to nine air forces – including Singapore, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, France and Australia. View source version on Pilatus: https://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/en/news-events/media-release/the-spanish-air-force-buys-PC-21-training-system-including-24-aircraft

Steve Trimble A small start-up company in California has unveiled a new proposal for a stealthy unmanned aircraft system (UAS) to offer the U.S. Air Force as a “fifth-generation” target drone or a low-cost attritable aircraft. Tehachapi, California-based Sierra Technical Services, a company founded by previously retired Lockheed Martin Skunk Works engineers, unveiled the first photos of the completed Fifth Generation Aerial Target (5GAT) prototype after completing engine tests on the ground. A first flight of the 5GAT is scheduled in early 2020. The name of the aircraft is derived from its origins as a prototype funded by the Defense Department's Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E), says Roger Hayes, president and CEO of Sierra Technical Services. Several years ago, DOT&E recognized an emerging gap for a new target drone that could fly as a surrogate for fifth-generation fighters emerging in Russia and China such as the Sukhoi Su-57 and AVIC Chengdu J-20. In 2017, DOT&E awarded Sierra Technical Services a $15.9 million contract to develop the 5GAT prototype, Hayes said. The pace of assembly has been dictated by the availability of parts cannibalized from other military aircraft, such as the engines and metallic components from the Northrop T-38 trainer and F-5 fighter, as well as aileron actuators from the Boeing F/A-18, Hayes said. Sierra Technical Services supplemented its revenue as assembly continued by working on other programs, including supplying components for the Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie. As development continued, the Air Force started to develop interest in a fifth-generation target. The service has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract to develop the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, which is being designed to counter the PL-15 missile fielded on China's J-20 fighter. The Air Force needs to test the AIM-260 and other missiles against a representative threat. Last May, the Air Force released a request for information for the Next Generation Aerial Target, which included a version that can replicate fifth-generation fighter attributes, such as a stealthy airframe with canted tails and serpentine inlet ducts. The Air Force also is developing a concept to pair manned fighters such as the F-22 and F-35 with an unmanned partner, known sometimes as a Loyal Wingman. The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) funded Kratos' XQ-58A, which completed a first flight in March. AFRL also plans to demonstrate a UAS controlled by a “software brain” using artificial intelligence. This Skyborg program is sometimes considered a follow-on for the XQ-58A program, but Hayes said Sierra Technical Services could offer the 5GAT for the Skyborg contract. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/stealthy-uas-unveiled-usaf-target-loyal-wingman-needs

By: Tom Kington ROME — As consensus grows in Italy that military planners need better access to civilian technology, a new law is being proposed to give the country its own version of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The new bill, which its authors claim has backing from the military and Italy's political parties, envisages the setup of a new agency able to stimulate and coordinate the development of civil technologies for military application. “We want to make the newest technology more accessible,” said Alessandra Maiorino, the Italian senator who is steering the bill through parliament. Established in 1958 in response to the Soviet Union launching its Sputnik satellite the year before, DARPA has since teamed with universities, corporations and government partners to fund research programs to improve America's defense capabilities. Technologies it has worked on have also fed back into civilian applications, notably the internet, voice recognition and small GPS receivers. “Thanks to the DARPA system, avangard civilian technologies are considered to have strategic value. This in turn has a cascade effect on the economy and on innovation in the U.S.,” according to the Italian bill. The bill calls for the new Italian agency to be based near Pisa at an existing military research facility. An eight-person management board would include a military director, three civilian researchers and representatives from the four government ministries involved — the Department of Treasury, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Economic Development, and the Ministry for Education, University and Research. The Joint Centre for Innovation and Strategic Technologies, known by its Italian acronym CINTES, will now be discussed in the Senate's Defence Committee, where representatives from the military, academia and industry will be invited to give their opinions, said Maiorino. The bill does not cite the required funding for the agency — a figure which has yet to be decided. However, it claims that Italy must quickly set up its own version of DARPA to keep up with France and Germany, who are already ahead in launching such an agency. The bill claims France's Innovation Défense Lab is now “allowing France's DGA procurement agency to map out and evaluate civilian technologies and acquire those which are of interest to the defense sector.” Germany's planned ADIC agency is cited in the bill as an example of the government investigating “disruptive” technologies in cybernetics and other key technologies. Maiorino, the senator backing the bill in Italy, is a member of the Five Star party, which has previously taken a unfavourable approach to defense investment. Before entering government in 2018, the party called for the cancellation of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. As such, the party's support for the new bill reflects a progressively more positive view of the defense sector since it entered government. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/cultural-clash/2020/01/29/new-bill-could-get-italy-its-own-darpa/

By: Tom Kington ROME – Italy's Leonardo has dropped plans to develop a new, single-engine helicopter and opted instead to buy a small Swiss firm that has already built one. The Italian defense giant announced on Tuesday it was purchasing Kopter Group AG, which has developed the SH09, a five- to eight-seater helicopter built with carbon composite materials which first flew in 2014. A clean-sheet design developed by a small group of engineers, the SH09 maximizes pilot view as well as interior space with a maximum takeoff weight of 2,850 kg, while its Honeywell HTS 900 engine provides an 800km range and 140 knots top speed. With the purchase, which is worth $185 million plus future pay-outs linked to the success of the program, Leonardo said it was saving itself the resources it had planned to use designing its own new helicopter in the category. “This acquisition will replace the planned investment aimed at the development of a new single engine helicopter,” the firm said. “Kopter's SH09, a new single engine helicopter, is a perfect fit for Leonardo's state of the art product range offering opportunities for future technological developments,” it added. The Swiss company's skills would also be used to develop new technologies like hybrid and electrical propulsion, Leonardo said. A company spokesman said the SH09 was viewed as a civil program in the short term. "The priority is the civil market but in the future, we will see – a military application is not excluded. However for now our AW119 is our military product in the light, three-ton, single-engine class," he said. The purchase is an unusual step for the Italian firm, which has hitherto designed its own helicopters such as the AW139 and AW101, formerly under the AgustaWestland brand, which was retired before the company changed its name from Finmeccanica to Leonardo in 2016. “Within the Helicopter Division of Leonardo, Kopter will act as an autonomous legal entity and competence centre working in coordination with us,” Leonardo said. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/01/29/leonardo-buys-swiss-helicopter-firm/

By: Chiara Vercellone For the United States to meet the goals laid out in the National Defense Strategy, especially in Asia, and to realize President Donald Trump's vision of an open Indo-Pacific, the Department of Defense's battlefield technology must undergo significant changes, according to a Center for a New American Security report released Jan. 28. The report, an independent assessment mandated by Congress in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, proposed the revamping of C4ISR systems as they remain “brittle in the face of Chinese cyberattacks, electronic warfare and long-range strikes.” The Pentagon's C4ISR capabilities have fallen behind technologically, as they were developed “in an era when competitors or adversaries could not attack U.S. assets in space or at long ranges,” the report found. At the same time, a 2019 Department of Defense's report on China's military and security developments found that country has prioritized military capabilities with disruptive potential, including hypersonic weapons, counterspace capabilities, artificial intelligence and C4ISR advanced robotics. Thus far, the Department of Defense has been able to develop countermeasures against China's abilities, said Chris Dougherty, a senior fellow at CNAS and one of the authors of the report. “As the threat continues to get more sophisticated, these [countermeasures] will likely lose their effectiveness,” Dougherty said. “This necessitates building a new architecture that is designed around resiliency, kill webs, and graceful degradation.” While under attack, U.S. systems sometimes fail to have any connectivity and have sporadic dial-up speeds. Instead, they should still have some level of communication even while the attack is going on, even if this means at lower bandwidths. To strengthen its systems, the report recommended, the U.S. military should develop space capabilities resistant to kinetic attacks, synthetic training environments for U.S. forces to practice C4ISR operations, systems that can transmit data via multiple pathways and surveillance systems that can avoid being detected. A recent project by RAND found that, while the Department of Defense maintains an advantage in airspace penetration capabilities, it remains vulnerable to air base attacks and Chinese anti-surface warfare. An initial system with these developments could be in place in the next decade if the Department of Defense and armed services create a basic system and improve it over time, Dougherty said. “If, as we have done in the past, we wait around for a ‘perfect' set of requirements to develop an ‘objective' future system, we could see this take 15-20 years, at which point China will likely have far surpassed us in this competition,” he said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/newsletters/daily-brief/2020/01/29/chinese-threats-means-the-pentagon-needs-new-c4isr-systems/

NAVY Geocent LLC, Metairie, Louisiana (N66001-20-D-3417); M.C. Dean Inc., Tysons, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3418); McKean Defense Group LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (N66001-20-D-3419); Parsons Government Services Inc., Pasadena, California (N66001-20-D-3420); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3421); Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3422); Systems Technology Forum Ltd., Fredericksburg, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3423); Valkyrie Enterprises Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3424); and VT Milcom Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N66001-20-D-3425), are each awarded a $56,339,692 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost (no fee) pricing. Support includes project management, administration, drafting, technical integration, testing, maintenance, engineering, logistics, facilities and security for software and hardware of new and existing command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems and networks. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes two three-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the overall potential value of this contract to an estimated $249,033,405. Work will be performed primarily in the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region and Navy Region Southwest including Hawaii, Guam, Japan, California, Nevada, Washington state, Oklahoma, South Korea, Singapore, Philippines and Australia; and outside this region in Bahrain, Djibouti and Italy. Work will be performed outside the continental U.S. (50%); and inside the continental U.S. (50%) on a full-time basis. The period of performance of the base award is from Jan. 29, 2020, through Jan. 28, 2022. If all options were exercised, the period of performance would extend through Jan. 28, 2028. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy); and other funding, which may include working capital funds (DoD); Department of Homeland Security funds; and research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds. This contract was competitively procured via a request for proposal (N66001-19-R-0001) which was published on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Information Warfare Command e-Commerce Central website. Eighteen offers were received and nine were selected for award. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Northrup Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, is awarded a $15,752,580 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to exercise options to previously-awarded contract N00024-15-C-5319 for level of effort engineering services and associated travel to provide continuous support of two AN/SLQ-32(V)Y Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 System low rate initial production units. This option exercise is for the continued level of effort engineering services in support of SEWIP Block 3 low-rate initial-production units. SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition and incremental development program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system. SEWIP Block 3 will provide select Navy surface ships a scalable electronic warfare enterprise suite with improved electronic attack capabilities. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $60,000 will be obligated at time of award and will 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. Rockwell Collins Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded an $11,301,660 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems Airborne Radio Communication ARC-210 Generation 5 radio units for the Navy. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds for $403,110; and other procurement (Navy) funds for $3,627,990 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 Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-20-D-0006). BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $10,536,004 modification (P00002) to a previously-awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-20-C-0003). This modification exercises an option to provide engineering and technical services for integrated communications and information systems radio communications for Navy ships, in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Webster Outlying Field, to support the integrated communications and information systems radio communications. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (60%); California, Maryland (30%); Bath, Maine (5%); and Pascagoula, Mississippi (5%), and is expected to be completed in July 2025. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds for $4,000,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Continental Heavy Civil Corp., Miami, Florida, was awarded a $23,778,240 firm-fixed-price contract for the NASA Wallops Beach Renourishment Project in Accomack County, Virginia. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Wallops Island, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of March 12, 2021. Fiscal 2019 civil construction, Corps of Engineers funds in the amount of $23,778,240 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91236-20-C-0002). AECOM Management Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $17,000,000 modification (000260) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0028 for Army Prepositioned Stock (APS-2) logistics support services in support of maintenance, supply and transportation at Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany. Work will be performed in Mannheim and Dulmen, Germany, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 20, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $17,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Vision Point Systems Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $13,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide corrosion engineering and logistics technical, analytical, programmatic, research and development, technical assistance, testing, training, and technical writing support for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVCS) and Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) Life Cycle Management Center (LCMC). Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 28, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0012). Dawn/Higley JV LLC,* Warren, Ohio, was awarded an $11,458,223 firm-fixed-price contract to repair and renovate interior and exterior of an aircraft maintenance hangar. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Mansfield, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 Air Guard sustainment, repair, maintenance in the amount of $11,458,223 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office for Ohio 179th Mission Support Contracting, Mansfield, Ohio, is the contracting activity (W50S8R-20-C-0002). AIR FORCE Technica Corp., Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $13,591,345 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to exercise the first option period, Feb. 15, 2020, through Feb. 14, 2021. The contract provides weapon system engineering and maintenance services to include incremental software version development and installation, security patch installations, preventative maintenance, trouble shooting and responsive Tier 1, 2 and 3 support for the Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter (CVA/H) weapon system. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 14, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. Offerors were solicited under the Network-Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) Network Operations and Infrastructure Small Business contract holders and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation; operations and maintenance; and procurement funds in the amount of $13,591,345 are being obligated at the time of modification to exercise the first option period. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8732-14-D-0015, task order FA8307-19-F-0098). Starwin Industries LLC, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $9,554,000 firm-fixed price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for F-16 Bugeye radomes. This contract provides for the supply of both left and right Bugeye radomes for the F-16 aircraft. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 28, 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, two solicitations mailed and two offers received. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds (not multiyear) in the amount of $35,872 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, F-16 Division, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8232-20-D-0006). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Lions Services Inc.,** Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $10,468,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for advanced combat helmet chinstraps. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year options periods. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Jan. 28, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-B082). * Small business ** Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2069174/source/GovDelivery/

Safran Helicopter Engines a signé un contrat de 10 ans avec la Force aérienne portugaise (Força Aérea Portuguesa) pour réaliser la maintenance des moteurs RTM322 de ses hélicoptères EH101 Merlin. Un total de 38 moteurs va bénéficier du contrat de soutien Global Support Package (GSP) de Safran. Cet accord répond aux souhaits de la Force aérienne portugaise garantissant ainsi une disponibilité optimale de ses moteurs, durant ses opérations sur le territoire national et à l'étranger. « Nous misons beaucoup sur ce contrat qui va garantir la disponibilité de nos moteurs durant nos opérations » a déclaré le général de corps d'armée Cartaxo Alves, de la Force aérienne portugaise. Avec le contrat GSP, les opérateurs sont assurés de disposer de moteurs opérationnels quand ils en ont besoin, tout en ayant des garanties en matière de budget prévisionnel, de coûts fixes à l'heure de vol et de partenariat technique avec le constructeur. GSP fait partie de la gamme EngineLife Services, les offres de services de Safran pour les moteurs d'hélicoptères. https://www.air-cosmos.com/article/safran-signe-un-contrat-de-maintenance-pour-les-moteurs-des-hlicoptres-eh101-merlin-portugais-22485