Nouvelles

By Lee Hudson PALMDALE, California— The U.S. Air Force is taking lessons learned from the plagued B-2 Spirit bomber development program and applying them to the next-generation B-21 Raider. While it is unknown when the B-2 will retire, the aging stealth bomber may end up flying alongside the B-21. The B-2 bomber flew its inaugural flight 30 years ago from the Plant 42 runway here. Today, the Northrop Grummansite is preparing for development of the Raider and two newly erected beige buildings have popped up, likely tied to the next-generation bomber. Although technical and acquisition problems inundated B-2 development, the classified B-21 is taking a different approach. Many details remain classified, but the company and service officials acknowledge the team is being run by the Rapid Capabilities Office instead of a traditional program office. B-21 development appears to be progressing; the Air Force's No. 2 officer—Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson—has said first flight is slated for December 2021. But House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee Ranking Member Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.) alerted the public last year that there was a problem with the inlet design for the B-21's Pratt & Whitney-manufactured engines. Wittman says those issues were fully addressed and the program has made tremendous progress. “I've been pretty impressed by what both the Air Force and what Northrop Grumman have done in addressing these particular issues and I think we're on the right course,” he says. “Getting those things right to begin with and setting the tone and path I think is critically important.” An Air Force illustration issued in 2016 of the B-21 design suggests it may closely resemble the B-2. “The B-2 will be setting the path course for the B-21,” says Janis Pamiljans, aerospace systems sector president at Northrop Grumman. “What we've learned on B-2 are finding themselves baselined in the design for B-21 for supportability, sustainability, [and] mission capable rate.” The aging B-2s must be overhauled every nine years and are taken off the flight line for up to 12 months. Maintenance includes modifications and upgrades to antenna technology, avionics and software systems, costing U.S. taxpayers an average of $60 million for each aircraft, says Richard Sullivan, vice president and B-2 program manager at Northrop Grumman. Separately, the Air Force is funding the $3 billion B-2 Defensive Management System Modernization (DMS-M) program to enhance the aircraft's direct attack capability and upgrade its integrated air defense systems. The current DMS was designed in the 1980s and has not received any upgrades. “By leveraging ‘state-of-the-art' electronic warfare antennae, processors, controller and displays, B-2 aircrews will realize unprecedented situational battlespace awareness and dynamic, real-time threat avoidance in the most complex radio frequency emitter environments,” the Air Force says. “The inherent increased sensitivity of the modernized DMS over the legacy system, with increased processing power, will build a battlespace picture that could be shared with joint force platforms by onboard communication systems.” DMS-M is facing a possible eight-month delay as the service works with Northrop Grumman to implement an agile software development framework, Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper told lawmakers in March. Engineering and manufacturing development for the effort goes through July 2022, according to fiscal 2020 budget documents. Lawmakers acknowledge it is important that the nation's only operational stealth bomber remain relevant. But the House Armed Services Committee is concerned about DMS-M schedule delays, according to a report accompanying the lower chamber's mark of the fiscal 2020 defense policy bill. “Unless the B-2 DMS-M program makes significant changes, there may continue to be delays that will impact the success of the program,” the report says. The committee directs the Air Force to brief members on sufficient government software development expertise; contract definitization schedule; delivery schedule; determination of software baseline; and an assessment of related DMS-M-related program support. The Senate Armed Services Committee also is asking for answers regarding the U.S. bomber force. The upper chamber is requesting a brief on an updated bomber road map and plans for B-2 life cycle sustainment, among other items, according to a report accompanying the Senate's mark of the fiscal 2020 defense authorization bill. The upper chamber also would require details on Raider basing. To date, the service has been “real[ly] happy with the way Northrop has approached” the B-21 program, says Maj. Gen. James Dawkins, Eighth Air Force commander and overseer of the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center. The next-generation bomber completed a successful critical design review in December. “Everything I hear is that cost, schedule and performance is right on expectations,” Dawkins says. https://aviationweek.com/defense/b-21-development-applying-tough-lessons-b-2

AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $999,000,000 (ceiling) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for A-10 wing replacements. This contract provides for up to 112 new A-10 wing assemblies and up to 15 wing kits. Work will be performed at multiple subcontractor locations in the U.S. and one subcontractor location in South Korea and is expected to be complete by Aug. 23, 2030. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 procurement funds in the amount of $239,578,025 and are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8202-19-D-0004). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is being awarded a $20,000,000 (estimated) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering services. This contract provides for engineering services on all of Northrop designed platforms managed by the 424th Supply Chain Management Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base. The location of performance is Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, and the ordering period will end August 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds will be obligated at time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8119-19-D-0002). NAVY Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $190,523,870 fixed-price-incentive firm and firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-5418 for materials and spares in support of fiscal 2019 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2 low-rate initial production requirements. This contract will procure the remaining materials in support of the ESSM fiscal 2019 low-rate initial production Lots One through Three all-up rounds and spares requirements. The ESSM program is an international cooperative effort to design, develop, test and procure ESSM missiles. The ESSM provides enhanced ship defense. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (50%); Richmond, Australia (6%); Raufoss, Norway (6%); Andover, Massachusetts (5%); Mississauga, Canada (4%); Ottobrunn, Germany (3%); Hengelo Ov, Netherlands (3%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (3%); San Jose, California (2%); Ottawa, Canada (2%); Aranjuez, Spain (2%); San Diego, California (2%); Koropi Attica, Greece (2%); Hopewell Junction, New York (1%); Ankara, Turkey (1%); Westlake Village, California (1%); Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane, Australia (1%); Grenaa, Denmark (1%); Torrance, California (1%); Canton, New York (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); and other locations below one percent (2%), and is expected to be completed by March 2023. Non-expiring other funds; fiscal 2019 and 2018 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2018 and 2017 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $200,620,992 will be obligated at time of award, and funding in the amount of $105,890 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics-Ordnance and Tactical Systems Inc., Williston, Vermont, is awarded a $20,780,430 modification P00005 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-18-C-1023). This modification provides for procurement of 66 M61A2 20 MM Gun Systems in support of F/A-18E/F aircraft production for the Navy (34); and the government of Kuwait (32). Work will be performed in Saco, Maine (41%); Westfield, Massachusetts (7%); Lyndonville, Vermont (6%); Miami, Florida (6%); Charlotte, North Carolina (6%); Chicago, Illinois (5%); Jacksonville, Florida (4%); St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin (3%); Saint Laurent, Canada (2%); Port Hueneme, California (2%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (18%), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $20,780,430 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($10,703,798; 52%); and the government of Kuwait ($10,076,632; 48%) under the FMS program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Charlottesville, Virginia, is awarded $15,750,807 for firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00024-19-F-5201 on previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00024-15-D-5208 to exercise a one-year option for the production Ring Laser Gyro Navigation (RLGN) System, provisioned items and associated technical program support of the Navy's WSN-7 navigation system. The AN/WSN-7(V) RLGN system is a self-contained inertial navigator designed for Navy surface ships. Work will be performed in Charlottesville, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2021. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $15,750,807 will be obligated at time of award, and $3,885,984 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. HII Mission Driven Innovative Solutions Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $15,604,482 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to exercise Option Period Two under previously awarded contract M95494-17-F-0021. The work to be performed provides Headquarters Marine Corps, Plans, Policies and Operations; and Marine Corps Installations Command with technical and engineering support for the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Consequence Management Program. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, and is expected to be completed August 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $2,786,006 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Sonalysts Inc., Waterford, Connecticut, is awarded a $9,440,639 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to the German navy for the maintenance of the Dangerous Waters Naval Simulator to meet its simulation and training requirements, including proper levels of integration and interoperability. This contract includes purchases to Federal Republic of Germany under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Wilhelmshaven, Germany (50%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (25%); and San Diego, California (25%); and is expected to be complete by August 2023. Foreign Military Sales Federal Republic of Germany funding in the amount of $1,173,145 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-19-D-4500). ARMY The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $145,892,870 modification (P00037) to Foreign Military Sales (Netherlands) contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for the remanufacture of 11 aircraft and new build Longbow Crew Trainer and spares. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of March 29, 2024. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $145,892,870 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $101,102,078 modification (P00037) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0014 for contractor logistics support services. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $34,036,607 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Widman Inc.,* Godfrey, Illinois, was awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for upper river land repair. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 20, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-19-D-0012). MW Builder's Inc., Pflugerville, Texas, was awarded a $28,777,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design build construction and renovation to barracks. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed in Fort Riley, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $28,777,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-C-4015). Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, was awarded a $23,995,308 modification (P00005) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0021 for acquisition of a production contract for signal data processor kits for Sentinel A3 radars. Work will be performed in Fullerton, California, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $23,995,308 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Widman Inc.,* Godfrey, Illinois, was awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for lower river land repair. 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 Aug. 20, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-19-D-0013). Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Massachusetts, was awarded a $14,052,864 modification (P00025) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0070 for engineering services labor, travel, and material. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 24, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land and Armaments, San Jose, California, was awarded a $13,688,402 modification (P00108) to contract W56HZV15-C-0099 for active protection system integration and urgent material release in support of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. Work will be performed in San Jose, California, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $13,688,402 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Ameresco Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, was awarded a $7,140,290 firm-fixed-price contract for the installation of a natural gas driven reciprocating engine combined heat and power system, associated pumps, controls, interconnect fees and civil mechanical electrical upgrades. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 1, 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction funds in the amount of $7,140,290 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-19-C-4014). CORRECTION: A $32,753,836 contract announced on Aug. 20, 2019, to DynCorp International LLC, McLean, Virginia (W560MY-19-C-0002), to train, advise and assist, was not awarded on that date. It will be awarded today, Aug. 21, 2019, with an adjusted estimated completion date of Aug. 18, 2020. All other information in the announcement is correct. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1940606/source/GovDelivery/

By: Jen Judson UPDATE: This story has been updated to include a statement from Raytheon. WASHINGTON — The Pentagon has moved from taking a “strategic pause” on the Redesigned Kill Vehicle program to outright killing it. The Department of Defense decided to terminate the current Boeing contract to develop the RKV — effective Aug. 22 — “due to technical design problems,” according to an Aug. 21 statement by the department. Raytheon is the actual developer of the RKV and serves as a sub-contractor to Boeing. The RKV would have replaced the current Exoatmospheric Kill Vehicle (EKV) on the Ground-Based Interceptor, which makes up the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system designed to protect the homeland from ballistic missile threats. It would have also been fielded on all future ground-based interceptors — a total of 64 ultimately. The EKV is designed to destroy targets in high-speed collisions after separating from the booster rocket. The EKV required technical changes in the past several years due to issues in tests. The Missile Defense Agency decided to initiate a program to redesign the kill vehicle. In the meantime, MDA has had several successful tests of the GMD system with the EKV following engineering changes. Now that the RKV is dead in the water, the Pentagon plans to move forward with a new, next-generation interceptor competition, the statement said. According to a defense official, no more ground-based interceptors will be built, and all future interceptors that are fielded as part of the GMD system will be the new interceptors. “Ending the program was the responsible thing to do,” Mike Griffin, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering, said in the statement. “Development programs sometimes encounter problems. After exercising due diligence, we decided the path we're going down wouldn't be fruitful, so we're not going down that path anymore. This decision supports our efforts to gain full value from every future taxpayer dollar spent on defense.” With the blessing of the undersecretary of defense, Griffin made the decision on Aug. 14 to terminate the program, one week after he told reporters at the Space and Missile Defense Symposium in Huntsville, Alabama, to expect a decision on the way forward for RKV soon. MDA and Boeing in December 2018 deferred a critical design review of the RKV “due to the failure of certain critical components to meet technical requirements as specified in the development contract,” the statement noted. After MDA assessed the issues, it issued a stop work order on the contract in May to analyze alternative options. “The department ultimately determined the technical design problems were so significant as to be either insurmountable or cost-prohibitive to correct,” the statement said. The DoD plans to take data garnered from research and testing of the RKV prior to its cancellation to inform the next-generation interceptor program, “which will include a new kill vehicle,” according to the statement. “The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is updating its requirements in the face of an increasingly complex threat environment," Raytheon said in a statement. The company “supports their decision to cease work on the Redesigned Kill Vehicle (RKV) and initiate a competition for the next-generation interceptor to meet these advanced threats. Raytheon will continue to develop and offer a wide range of advanced missile defense technologies available to protect the United States now and in the future.” There are 44 ground-based interceptorss in place at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, with plans to add 22 additional missile silos at Fort Greely to support 20 more ground-based interceptors. The defense official said the Pentagon is still working through the details of a new, next-generation interceptor competition, including when it will be initiated and the pace at which the technology will be developed and fielded. https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/08/21/dod-tanks-redesigned-kill-vehicle-program-for-homeland-defense-interceptor/

The Royal Australian Air Force welcomed the arrival of the third and final Falcon 7X aircraft to Australia as it completes part of a project to upgrade the Special Purpose Aircraft (SPA) fleet. The Falcon 7X is an advanced business jet designed and manufactured by Dassault Aviation. It includes satellite communications to enable and support Government business while airborne. Air Vice-Marshal (AVM) Cath Roberts, Head of Air Force Capability, made an announcement at the arrival event about the partnerships between Industry and Defence. “The Air Force has enjoyed decades of successful experience operating Dassault aircraft, from the Mirage III Fighter to the Falcon 20 and Falcon 900 Business Jets, Air Vice-Marshal Roberts said. “This long and successful partnership between Air Force and Dassault has continued seamlessly as we introduce the last of the Falcon 7X aircraft today. “Our SPA fleet sustainment partner, Northrop Grumman, has a long history of professional maintenance services that has achieved excellent SPA availability for Air Force. As a result, Northrop Grumman has been awarded a contract to continue to sustain our SPA fleet, including the two Boeing Business Jet aircraft. “Strong stakeholder relationships are key to success of any project. We look forward to strengthening these relationships with Dassault and Northrop Grumman as we move from acquisition to sustaining the fleet,” AVM Cath Roberts said. The aircraft is leased through Northrop Grumman and will be operated by Number 34 Squadron based at Defence Establishment Fairbairn in the Australian Capital Territory. http://www.asdnews.com/news/defense/2019/08/20/arrival-final-falcon-7x

DEFENSE THREAT REDUCTION AGENCY Applied Research Associates Inc., Albuquerque, New Mexico, is being awarded a maximum ceiling $240,000,000, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year base ordering period and an additional five-year option period. Competitive proposals were solicited and two offers were received. The contract provides for 24/7/365 technical reachback operational and decision support analysis, as well as research and development, to develop and advance the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's (DTRA's) weapons of mass destruction operational support capabilities. The work will be performed at multiple DTRA locations, primarily at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $150,000 (the guaranteed minimum) are being obligated at time of award. DTRA, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HDTRA1-19-D-0007). ARMY The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $154,890,000 modification (P00026) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 to procure new-build Apache AH 64E helicopters. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $154,890,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Berg Manufacturing Inc.,* Spokane Valley, Washington, was awarded a $44,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a self-service laundry system. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 19, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-19-D-0027). DynCorp International LLC, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $32,753,836 time-and-materials contract to train, advise and assist. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Afghanistan with an estimated completion date of Aug. 19, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Afghanistan security forces, Army funds in the amount of $32,753,836 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W560MY-19-C-0002). Manson Construction Co., Seattle, Washington, was awarded a $24,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for rental of a cutterhead pipeline dredge for dredging in Mobile Harbor, Alabama. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 13, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-D-0040). Manufacturing Support Industries Inc.,* Salisbury, Maryland, was awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for M240 lightweight adjustable bipod. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 20, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-D-0097). AIR FORCE Akima Intra‐Data LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a $152,871,144 firm-fixed-price contract for Facility Support Services II. This contract will provide for industrial and test security; security services; command, control, and communication functions; fire and emergency services; environmental; safety; occupational and environmental health; base supply; cargo movement, and vehicle maintenance at Arnold Engineering Development Complex. Work will be performed at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, with specific performance at White Oak, Maryland; and Moffett Field, California, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive small business set-aside acquisition utilizing a single solicitation and received two offers. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee, is the contracting activity (FA9101‐19‐C‐1000). The Stratagem Group Inc., Aurora, Colorado,* has been awarded a $32,600,866 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Radio Frequency Identification, Detection, and Geolocation of Emitting Systems software/hardware. This contract provides for improved collection and processing capabilities across multiple intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensing sources in the detection and characterization of priority radar waveforms. Work will be performed at Aurora, Colorado, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 19, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-0072). NAVY BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems, Nashua, New Hampshire, is awarded a $74,990,530 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to procure 1,440 Radio Frequency Countermeasures and the maintenance and repair of multi-function test stations in support of the F-35 aircraft. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire (74%); Landenberg, Pennsylvania (7%); Topsfield, Massachusetts (2.5%); Industry, California (1.6%); Hamilton, New Jersey (1.5%); Carson, California (1.3%); Dover, New Hampshire (1.1%); Londonderry, New Hampshire (1%); Chartley, Massachusetts (1%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (9%), and is expected to be completed in March 2022. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force); fiscal 2019 procurement ammunition (Navy, Marine Corps); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $74,990,530 will be obligated at time of award, $2,394,867 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($37,068,372; 49%); Navy and Marine Corps ($13,556,992; 18%); and FMS countries ($24,365,166; 33%). This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0001). Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded $48,325,008 for firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee order N00019-19-F-4126 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0029) to procure spare parts to repair and maintain CH-53K low-rate initial production Lot Three configuration aircraft. Work will be performed in Quebec, Canada (14.88%); Stratford, Connecticut (9.17%); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (2.32%); Rome, New York (2.06%); Bridgeport, West Virginia (2.02%); Chesterfield, Missouri (1.52%); Forest, Ohio (1.47%); Davenport, Iowa (1.38%); Rochester, Kent, United Kingdom (1.36%); Milford, Connecticut (1.22%); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (1.13%); various locations within the continental U.S. (53.97%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (7.50%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $48,325,008 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. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $13,248,183 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-5410 to exercise options for engineering and technical services in support of Standard Missile-2/6. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. government (96%); and the governments of Australia, Taiwan, Germany, Denmark, Korea and Japan (4% total) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by December 2020. This contract includes options which, if exercised, be complete by April 2022. Fiscal 2019 and 2017 weapons procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); fiscal 2019 other Department of Defense; and Foreign Military Sales (governments of Australia, Germany, Denmark, Taiwan, Korea and Japan) funding in the amount of $13,248,183 will be obligated at time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification is not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Campbellsville Apparel Co., Campbellsville, Kentucky, has been awarded a maximum $7,562,400 modification (P00006) exercising the third one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-16-D-1083) with four one-year option periods for fuel handler's undershirts and moisture wicking t-shirts. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Location of performance is Kentucky, with a Sept. 7, 2020, performance completion date. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1939263/source/GovDelivery/

By: Nathan Strout The Defense Intelligence Agency wants to move quickly in developing the Machine-assisted Analytic Rapid-repository System, but the massive project, which will transform how the intelligence community uses data, faces some hard problems. The Defense Intelligence Agency is responsible for informing war fighters and policy makers on the military capabilities of foreign nations. Currently, the agency relies on the Modernized Integrated Database to house foundational military intelligence, but the 20-year old database wasn't built for the 21st century data landscape. The DIA wants to replace MIDB with MARS, a comprehensive, adaptable, scalable and rigorous data environment. With more data that is better labeled and organized, MARS will allow analysts to use applications to sort and process that data to make connections they couldn't otherwise. Last year, the DIA issued a broad agency announcement to solicit industry feedback from MARS. They've spent the year going over that information and are now preparing to actually build it. “2019 was about learning,” said Terry Busch, chief of DIA's integrated analysis and methodologies division. “This was the year of prepping to get started. In 2020 we get started ... We're going to move from designing to building very very quickly." Irving Townsend, also of the DIA, added that the agency was working to make some components of MARS available to the United States' closest allies in 2020 so leaders in those countries can begin looking at how they can use that data. In summer 2020, the MARS application programming interface will be released to the public, Busch said. But even as the DIA gears up to begin building MARS, the agency has four big problems left to solve. Resolving data inconsistency Perhaps the most pressing problem with creating a unified resource such as MARS is ensuring that the data fed into the system has been labeled and handled in a uniform way. That's easier said than done. According to Busch, there are 1,300 different data standards in the Department of Defense. “I work a lot with (the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency) and DIA because we have a very similar path for our data,” said Busch. “The NGA has done some wonderful work with some of their data standardization and modeling (...) because NGA's been in the data making business for a long time.” Making the data collected by the various agencies and services interoperable is essential for the MARS enterprise. Data storage The amount of data collected by the intelligence community that MARS needs to encompass is staggering. Hosting images and videos, like those collected by the National Reconnaissance Office, for instance, takes up a lot of space. Because of this, MARS will not actually host all of the data itself. Instead, MARS will refer to intelligence hosted by other agencies. Instead, MARS needs to be able to index that intelligence. Theoretically, users will be able to click a link to access that data hosted on other servers. The DIA will have to figure out how this solution for MARS to operate effectively. The black box problem In developing a massive dataset of intelligence, the DIA wants all intelligence to be explainable, meaning that analysts need to be able to see how the intelligence was arrived at. In other words, can analysts and systems show their work? “It's really, really important to understand that we're not going to accept a black box,” said Townsend. “Our analysts are not going to accept that.” This is a problem for intelligence agencies and contractors who don't want to reveal their methods or proprietary information. Townsend noted that companies are going to have to figure out how to explain their intelligence without giving away that information. Legacy systems Another problem with moving to MARS? Many legacy systems will not be able to move to the MARS framework. While MARS will incorporate all of the MIDB data, some legacy systems will not be able to use the new system and will instead remain reliant on MIDB. “The transition is difficult. Many of our war fighters are impinged by legacy technology,” said Busch. “There is not turning MIDB off. Not for the foreseeable future.” Busch noted that while Congress may not like funding both programs simultaneously, it is necessary until those legacy systems can be replaced or upgraded. The DIA will discuss these problems at a MARS industry day Sept. 10, where they are expected to explain what the agency wants from industry. https://www.c4isrnet.com/intel-geoint/2019/08/19/4-big-problems-the-intelligence-community-faces-moving-to-a-new-data-system/

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army is nearing a decision on who will build its Lower-Tier Air-and-Missile Defense Sensor, or LTAMDS, which will provide the sensing capability for the future Integrated Air-and-Missile Defense System the service is developing. The service is planning to award a contract no later than the end of the fiscal year to one of the three vendors that participated in a “sense-off” competition at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, over the spring, Daryl Youngman, the deputy director in charge of Army AMD modernization, told Defense News in a recent interview. According to other sources, that decision is expected next month. The radar is part of a new AMD system that will replace the Army's Raytheon-made Patriot system. Raytheon, Northrop Grumman and a Lockheed Martin-Elta Systems team all brought radars to the White Sands sense-off and subsequently submitted proposals for the prototype competition in July. The winner will build six prototypes by the end of FY22 to prove whether the radar can be built and then fielded to a unit for evaluation. A follow-on contract for 16 additional radars is expected if all goes well. The plan leaves an opening for other radar solutions to get back in the game if the prototyping effort does not pan out. While the Army has dropped its long-prioritized requirement for a radar capable of detecting threats from 360 degrees, it now seeks a broader baseline requirement to “expand the battle space beyond what the current Patriot radar has,” Youngman said. And the system will ideally have a lot of growth potential baked in, he added. Replacing the Patriot radar has been a long time coming. The radar was first fielded in the 1980s, and the Army previously attempted to replace the system with Lockheed Martin's Medium Extended Air Defense System through an international co-development effort with Germany and Italy. But that program was canceled in the U.S. after closing out a proof-of-concept phase roughly six years ago. Since then, the Army has studied and debated how to replace the Patriot radar while Raytheon continues to upgrade its radar to keep pace with current threats. It is acknowledged that there will come a point where radar upgrades will be unable to keep up with future threats. Taking years to decide, the service moved forward on a competition to replace the radar in 2017 and chose four companies to come up with design concepts for the capability — Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Technovative Applications. Toward the end of 2018, Raytheon and Lockheed were chosen to continue technology development under that program. Defense News first broke the news last fall that the Army was attempting to hit the reset button on the LTAMDS program, deciding to host a “sense-off” to identify available radar capabilities. While LTAMDS is considered the fourth priority out of four major lines of effort with which the Cross-Functional Team in charge of AMD has defined, it is not because it's the least important, Youngman noted, but more related to schedule — where the system is in the development and fielding timeline. The AMD CFT's top priority is its command-and-control system — the Integrated Battle Command System — for its future IAMD architecture. Limited user testing will occur next spring with a decision to move into production in the fourth quarter of FY20. Manuever-Short-Range Air Defense — or M-SHORAD — is the second priority as the Army . The service is set to begin development testing of its prototypes this fall. The Indirect Fire Protection Capability (IFPC) Increment 2 program is ranked third as the Army prepares to take receipt of its interim cruise missile capability — two Iron Dome Systems — soon. The Army is in the midst of coming up with a new strategy for the IFPC system that will ultimately defend against rockets, artillery and mortar as well as cruise missiles and drone threats. The IFPC system will have to tie into the Army's IBCS system as well. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2019/08/20/us-army-nears-decision-on-who-will-build-new-missile-defense-radar-prototypes/

With the election looming, the Liberal government has set in motion, at least on paper, its commitment to consider bids for the purchase of new fighter jets. Of course, how committed the government is to move ahead on its renewed commitment remains to be seen. Meanwhile, any Canadian truly committed to seeing a modern, well-equipped RCAF, supported by a capable military procurement program, should take special note of one of the top contenders to replace Canada's aging fleet of fighters: Sweden. This non-aligned country, approximately the size of Newfoundland and Labrador, with a population only slightly larger than that of Quebec, has not only succeeded in developing generations of fighter jets, but has seen impressive success in exporting them. Apart from Sweden, Saab's JAS 39 Gripen, the latest version released in 2016, is being used by the Czech Republic and Hungary within NATO. The governments of Brazil, South Africa and Thailand are also purchasing the aircraft. Other countries such as India, Botswana, Indonesia and the Philippines are seriously considering the Gripen. But instead of fretting about how much Canada's aging fighters stand to potentially be outdone by the air forces of the developing world, we should instead look squarely at how Sweden came to be a serious contender to arm and equip this country's emaciated airforce. We should instead look squarely at how Sweden came to be a serious contender to arm and equip this country's emaciated airforce. The answer lies in the national mindset of the two countries. Unlike Canada, and especially when it comes to defence, Sweden refuses to allow itself to fall into dependency status vis-à-vis Europe, NATO or any other military power. In other words, while they actively cooperate with NATO in the defence of Europe, they make it clear that the defence of Sweden is first and foremost a Swedish responsibility. It is why the Swedish army, navy and airforce use high-tech equipment, much of which is built by the Swedes themselves. It is why the Swedes supplement their advanced military technology with elaborate defence-in-depth war plans and civil defence policies. The manual, “If crisis or war comes,” has been recently mailed to every household in Sweden. By contrast, we Canadians have chosen a quasi-colonial mindset with respect to our defence, clearly reflected in our epically embarrassing procurement shortcomings and failures. For the last 60 years, beginning with the cancellation of the Avro Arrow, Canada has been falling into a pattern of dependency on the United States on all matters related to defence. Sweden, on the other hand, has remained committed to designing and developing much its own military aircraft, ships, submarines and army equipment. In the mid-1950s, both Canada and Sweden were working independently on their own advanced fighter aircraft. While Canada was working on the Arrow, the Swedish military and engineers were hard at work on the Draken, which came out the same year. The Draken had a similar delta wing design to the Arrow and was the first European-built fighter jet to break the sound barrier. But that is where the comparison ends; the two countries went on very different paths with respect to their airforces. Canada cancelled and destroyed its Arrow aircraft and took on second-rate Voodoo fighters from the United States. It is what we Canadians wanted, as no successive Conservative or Liberal government has since tried to “bring back the Arrow.” Sweden aggressively continued development of new fighter technology, replacing the Draken with the Viggen in the 1970s, while Canada continued to try to squeeze more life out of our then-aging fighter jets. In the 1980s, as Canada was finally taking on the U.S built F-18, Sweden was working on the first version of the modern Gripen. Of course, as had been well documented, the early Gripen had problems. But as with the Draken and Viggen, the Swedes, unlike Canada, stayed with their national fighter jet. Today, Canada can only dream what our military aircraft industry might have been like in 2019 if then-prime minister John Diefenbaker, with the tacit support of the opposition Liberals, had not cancelled the Arrow, accelerating our descent into military dependency on the United States and national impotence on military procurement. https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/smol-why-sweden-is-leagues-ahead-of-canada-on-fighter-jet-technology

By David Szondy A new US Air Force kit that can turn a conventional aircraft into a robotic one has completed its maiden flight. Developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and DZYNE Technologies Incorporated as part of the Robotic Pilot Unmanned Conversion Program, the ROBOpilot made its first two-hour flight on August 9 at the Dugway Proving Ground in Utah after being installed in a 1968 Cessna 206 small aircraft. With modern autopilots, even small modern aircraft already have surprising ability to fly themselves, but there's a big difference between maintaining a course and actually flying an aircraft the way a human pilot does. From the opposite direction, autonomous drones are becoming increasingly sophisticated, but these tend to be highly specialized and expensive. Funded by AFRL's CRI Small Business Innovative Research project, ROBOpilot is designed to make these two paths meet in the middle by replacing the pilot seat (and pilot) with a kit consisting of all the actuators, electronics, cameras, and power systems needed to fly a conventional aircraft, plus a robotic arm for the manual tasks. In this way, ROBOpliot can operate the yoke, rudder, brakes, throttle, and switches while reading the dashboard gauges and displays like a human pilot. According to the Air Force, the installation is simple, non-invasive and non-permanent, using standard commercial technologies and components. This allows planes to be converted to unmanned operations without the complexity and costs of purpose-built UAVs, and switched back to human control configuration when required. The recent flight comes after a year of building and testing that involved trialing the device concept using a RedBird FMX simulator to demonstrate how well it can fly in a simulated environment before progressing to the real thing. The US Federal Aviation Administration-certified trainer showed that ROBOpilot could carry out autonomous takeoffs, mission navigation, and landings in both normal and abnormal conditions. "Imagine being able to rapidly and affordably convert a general aviation aircraft, like a Cessna or Piper, into an unmanned aerial vehicle, having it fly a mission autonomously, and then returning it back to its original manned configuration," says Dr. Alok Das, Senior Scientist with AFRL's Center for Rapid Innovation. "All of this is achieved without making permanent modifications to the aircraft." https://newatlas.com/us-air-force-robopilot-flight/61105/