Nouvelles

AIR FORCE Chugach Range and Facilities Services JV LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a $112,991,156 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursable contract for Ascension Island Mission Services. This contract provides for radar tracking, space surveillance tracking, telemetry, timing and sequencing, communications, airfield operations, operations, maintenance and engineering support for facilities, systems, equipment, utilities and base operating support responsibilities. Work will be performed on Ascension Island Auxiliary Airfield and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $104,367 are being obligated at the time of award. The 45th Contracting Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2521-21-C-0015). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY FedMedical Inc.,* Summerville, South Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $30,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for pulse oximeters, exam/surgical lights and related accessories. This was a competitive acquisition with 137 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is South Carolina, with a Jan. 24, 2026, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-21-D-0005). Lions Services Inc.,** Charlotte, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $10,480,000 modification (P00007) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-B082) with two one-year option periods for improved combat helmet chinstraps. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Jan. 28, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NAVY Alabama Shipyard LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $19,679,483 firm-fixed-price contract (N32205-21-C-4128) for a 76-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul/dry docking on USNS Lewis and Clark (T-AKE 1). The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $21,847,693. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by May 24, 2021. Contract funds in the amount of $19,679,483 are obligated in fiscal 2021 using working capital funds (Navy). This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the beta.Sam.gov website and three offers were received. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $15,480,788 cost-plus-fixed fee and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-6204 to exercise options for engineering and technical services for Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. This option exercise is under Small Business Innovation Research Topic N05-051, for software build production, engineering and technical services and includes all material travel, subsistence and incidental material in support of the related production orders and services. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (30%); Groton, Connecticut (25%); Bremerton, Washington (15%); Las Vegas, Nevada (10%); Cleveland, Ohio (10%); Chesapeake, Virginia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (2%); San Diego, California (2%); and Kings Bay, Georgia (2%), and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) $1,900,000 funding will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. General Electric Co., Niskayuna, New York, is awarded a $10,197,968 cost-type contract to develop a mobile automated manufacturing platform to provide just-in-time manufacturing of nucleic acid countermeasures to rapidly produce, formulate and package doses of nucleic acid therapeutics or prophylactics. This two-year contract includes three one-year option periods which, if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $41,219,762. Work will be performed at the contractor's facilities in Niskayuna, New York (52%); San Diego, California (24%); Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France (20%); and Seattle, Washington (4%). The period of performance of the base award is from Jan. 25, 2021, through Jan. 24, 2023. If all option periods are exercised, the period of performance would extend through Jan. 24, 2026. Funds in the amount of $1,973,062 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Fiscal 2021 funds will be obligated using research, development, test and evaluation funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This contract was competitively procured via a DARPA broad agency announcement solicitation (HR0011-20-S-0006) published on the beta.SAM.gov website. Ten proposals were received and two were selected for award. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-21-C-4014). *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2482200/source/GovDelivery/

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army's new Infantry Squad Vehicle is a cramped ride and offers limited protection from certain threats, according to a recent report from the Pentagon's chief weapons tester, but it still meets the service's requirements in tests and evaluations, the product lead told Defense News. The ISV “key requirements are being met and we are increasing soldier operational readiness by providing an operationally relevant vehicle that can transport small tactical units to a dismount point faster and in better physical and mental condition for the fight,” said Steven Herrick, the Army's product lead for ground mobility vehicles within the Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support. The vehicle was designed for easy transport to operational environments with the infantry's current rotary and fixed-wing transport platforms. The key performance parameters required that the vehicle's weight not exceed 5,000 pounds and that it fit inside a CH-47 Chinook cargo helicopter. Those requirements “force dimensional requirements only allowing the vehicle to be a certain height, width and length,” he said. The requirements led to a vehicle that makes it hard for soldiers with all their gear needed for a 72-hour mission to comfortably fit inside and be able to access rucksacks on the move. The Army assessed three vendors in developmental testing from December 2019 through January 2020. The service chose General Motors Defense to supply the vehicle to the force, with the company beating out an Oshkosh Defense and Flyer Defense team as well as an SAIC and Polaris team. All offerings were capable of carrying a nine-soldier infantry squad with weapons and equipment during movement, the director of operational test and evaluation said in the report. But the Pentagon also noted the ISV “has not demonstrated the capability to carry the required mission equipment, supplies and water for a unit to sustain itself to cover a range of 300 miles within a 72-hour period.” The Army, however, has assessed the ISV requirement and solution set is in alignment, Herrick said. The DOT&E report, he said, “indicates a desire to include more equipment than a standard nine-soldier squad would carry on a 72-hour mission.” This lack of space, the report stated, “may create a logistics and operational burden” and might limit the type of missions and duration for ISVs. The soldiers that participated in the touch point evaluating the vehicles were asked to bring their Advanced Combat Helmet and Improved Outer Tactical Vest with plates; individual weapon; night vision devices; and ruck with three days' worth of supplies, Herrick said. “All vendors' ISVs are cramped and soldiers cannot reach, stow, and secure equipment as needed, degrading and slowing mission operations,” the report explained. During tests “soldiers on all ISVs could not readily access items in their rucksacks without stopping the movement, dismounting, and removing their rucksacks from the vehicle.” The soldier touch point took into account soldier comfort, visibility and ability to execute the mission, Herrick said. This was all factored into the Army's decision to choose GM Defense's vehicle. “Additionally, no current or planned combat or tactical vehicle allows access to rucksacks while moving to support operator safety,” Herrick noted. “Crew spaces on the ISV are designed to allow mission performance of specific duty tasks.” Units also lacked reliable communication capability, according to the report, using hand-held or manpack radios between 62 and 300 miles. The ISV does not have a mounted radio requirement. “Communication between the squad leader, soldiers, and the platoon leader was intermittent and not reliable,” the report found. Because of the concept of the ISV providing an effective aid to insert soldiers into combat operations, the requirements support just what the soldier carries, so there is no mounted requirement yet, Herrick said. That requirement could be added as a growth capability later. The DOT&E report also noted that the ISV doesn't have an underbody and ballistic survivability requirement, which could mean the unit would be susceptible to certain threats, but the ISV's speed as well as its small, low profile might help deal with those issues. Adding protection to the vehicle would sacrifice the speed the squad needs to rapidly inject itself into operations. Overall, GM Defense's vehicle had the highest reliability among the three vendors, demonstrating 585 mean miles between operational mission failures. The Army's user requirement is 1,200 mean miles for that situation. Herrick noted that reliability and maintainability testing was not scheduled or conducted by Army Test and Evaluation Command or the program office, so the calculations used in the DOT&E report were “not supported by traditional [reliability and maintainability] RAM elements, such as scoring conferences and time for the vendor to implement changes.” The mileage accumulated and referenced in the report was “not meant to evaluate RAM by the Army, but rather to provide the program office and contractor an initial insight on the capability of the system over 500 miles,” Herrick added. The vehicle's RAM testing is scheduled to begin this month, he added.. The service wasn't able to evaluate every aspect of the vehicle before moving into production, but it plans to test the vehicle's ability to be carried by a Chinook during its initial operational test and evaluation this year. Now that the Army has chosen the GM Defense vehicle, it has already initiated developmental testing that will lead to an initial operational test and evaluation in August 2021 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. That testing began in November 2020. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/01/25/infantry-squad-vehicle-is-a-cramped-ride-but-army-says-it-meets-requirements/

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin-owned Sikorsky and Boeing have pitched a tweaked version of the team's coaxial technology demonstrator — the SB-1 Defiant — which it plans to submit for the U.S. Army's Future Long-Range Assault (FLRAA) competition, according to the companies. The modified, competition-ready aircraft design is being called Defiant X, taking the same surname as little brother Raider X, which is Lockheed's submission for the Army's other helicopter competition — the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA) program — running nearly in parallel. Both aircraft build off and scale up from Sikorsky's X2 demonstrator which flew for the first time in 2008. Lockheed Martin came out with Raider X roughly two years ago at the Association of the U.S Army's annual trade show. “One thing that always comes out is the importance of this aircraft at the X,” Tim Malia, Sikorsky's FARA director, said at the time. “The ‘X' is defined by the Army as the terminal area where they actually have to go do the work, do the reconnaissance, do the attack mission. The operation at the X is really critical for this program and for this platform.” And according to the Lockheed-Boeing team, it's no different with Defiant. Modernizing its vertical lift fleet is the Army's third-highest priority behind Long-Range Precision Fires and Next-Generation Combat Vehicle development. The Army intends to field both a FLRAA and FARA by roughly 2030. Defiant X made its public debut Jan. 25 featuring changes to the outer mold line compared to the demonstrator airframe, such as a sharper nose cone; a tricycle-style landing gear; changes to the exhaust system and an integrated mission systems package. The “enhancements to the design” are born from roughly 1,500 hours running algorithms in a systems integration lab, 135 hours logged in the Propulsion Systems Test Bed, and 31 flights, adding up to 26 hours of flight time, the companies reported. Some of the changes to the airframe were made to reduce thermal signature and improve aerodynamic handling. The exhaust system alterations also reduce thermal signature, the team conveyed. The landing gear changes are meant to improve stability, landing and taxiing in combat and more austere environments, according to the companies. Adding integrated mission systems is a requirement for the FLRAA competition in order to upgrade and continuously improve aircraft capability through a modular open system architecture. The MOSA will allow the systems to stay relevant in a Joint All Domain Operations environment and on the battlefield in 2035 and beyond. Defiant X will also come with “fly-by-wire flight controls integrated with autonomy capability leading to safety and workload reduction for the crew and operations in complex and degraded visual environments,” the team noted. Lockheed and Boeing are claiming that, as of now, Defiant X is the only offering that can sling-load equipment during missions “at an operationally relevant distance.” “One of the key words here is versatility,” Heather McBryan, Boeing's director of sales and marketing for future vertical lift, told reporters during a Jan. 22 roundtable held in advance of Defiant X's public debut. “Although the FLRAA mission is about more than just flying fast, and although we know the pacing mission is the air assault mission, this aircraft is going to be asked to do a whole lot of other things on a daily basis and our design and capability really provides that extreme lifting power for those types of missions.” To date, the SB-1 Defiant helicopter — as part of the Army's technology demonstration and the ongoing follow-on competitive risk reduction effort — has reached 211 knots in straight-and-level flight and 232 knots in a descent. “During the [competitive development and risk reduction], we've done hundreds of trade studies to refine this transformational capability and worked closely with our Army partner,” Jay Macklin, director of Future Vertical Lift business development with Sikorsky, said in the same call with reporters. “The design you're going to see today is a result of those studies. The CDRR has provided a great vehicle to share data back and forth to help the Army again understand and come to a decision on exactly what they are looking for,” he said. The team, according to Macklin, continue to also run tests in a digital combat environment that allows the ability to look at and test designs and maintenance procedures, fly and run operational analysis in order to ensure the best design. While Defiant X came out looking a certain way, according to newly released renderings and animations, that doesn't necessarily mean something won't change before the actual aircraft is built and ready to fly, according to McBryan. The Army released a draft request for proposals in December for FLRAA, announcing its unsurprising intentions to limit the competition to the Sikorsky-Boeing team and Bell because they are the only ones that can meet all of the service's technical and production requirements after spending years building and flying Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator aircraft meant to help define requirements and the realm of the possible for a next-generation medium-sized helicopter. Bell is expected to submit a tiltrotor that would likely not stray too far from its V-280 Valor aircraft flown in the technology demonstration. Bell's demonstrator first flew in December 2017. Defiant took longer to get off the ground due to challenges in manufacturing its complex rotor blades. Defiant's first flight took place in March 2019. The Army is plans to drop the RFP in fiscal 2021, with plans to choose a winner to produce the aircraft in FY22. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2021/01/25/lockheed-boeing-team-pitch-defiant-x-its-candidate-for-the-armys-long-range-assault-helo-competition

Canadian companies that bid on American government contracts could be cut out of the procurement process if Joe Biden follows through on his Buy American plan after he becomes U.S. president today, according to business and trade experts. Jan 20, 2021 4:00 AM By: Canadian Press Updated Jan 20, 2021 4:05 AM Canadian companies that bid on American government contracts could be cut out of the procurement process if Joe Biden follows through on his Buy American plan after he becomes U.S. president today, according to business and trade experts. Manufacturers and exporters in Canada supply a vast range of equipment to public works projects in the U.S. from school buildings to wastewater treatment facilities. But Biden's promise to prioritize U.S.-based suppliers and products made on American soil could hurt Canadian companies by blocking them from bidding for work, especially after he unveils an infrastructure plan next month. The Made-in-America endeavour could disrupt the Canada-U.S. supply chain and lead to significant trade tensions, experts say. Yet the hardest hit firms will be those directly involved in U.S. government contracts, they say. “If you're in the business of supplying government procurement projects like municipal infrastructure, those are the companies most at risk,” said Dennis Darby, president and CEO of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. Stricter Buy American rules for federal procurement could hurt manufacturing on both sides of the border, he said. “Manufacturers are so integrated across North America,” Darby said, noting that a lot of what Canadian companies make are the “bits and pieces” that go into the continental supply chain. “When U.S. manufacturers do well, so do Canadian manufacturers. We're all part of the same supply chain.” The biggest losers in an era of greater U.S. protectionism are likely to be a broad cross-section of Canadian firms supplying products to American municipalities, rather than specific sectors, experts say. Companies that supply pumping equipment for municipal water facilities, pipes for new sewage lines, or play structures for new playgrounds could all suffer, they say. Meanwhile, both Canada the U.S. already have “buy national” provisions carved out of existing trade agreements. Military procurements, for example, exclude foreign suppliers. Donald Trump pursued his own Buy American policies but it's unclear how much further Biden can expand these provisions without facing a legal challenge, said trade expert Lawrence Herman. “The question will be whether the expansion of the Buy American provision is permissible within the scope of the (World Trade Organization) agreement," said Herman, international trade lawyer at Herman and Associates. Yet the impact of the Buy American agenda on Canadian businesses could be widespread, he said. “There are a lot of Canadian companies that supply products to American municipalities,” Herman said. “They could all be affected.” Colin Robertson, one of the negotiators of the original Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement and North American Free Trade Agreement, said Canada should come to the table with solutions. “If Biden goes through with this, you're going to hear from Canadian companies that feel they're being excluded from U.S. projects,” said Robertson, vice-president and fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. “You're almost better to deal with it on a one-by-one basis,” said the former Canadian diplomat. “If the guy who builds playsets in Ontario can't bid on a new playground, what you want to do is try and get the province and state to work something out.” If Biden's massive stimulus package is approved, the demand for construction materials – especially steel and aluminum – could be huge, Robertson said. But if the Buy American plan is ramped up and starts to affect materials from Canada, he said negotiators need to point out that ultimately they'll get better value including materials produced in Canada. “If you want maximum value for these dollars, it's better to open up bidding,” Robertson said. “The challenge with these sorts of Buy American programs is you can get cartels forming within your locality that drive up prices.” This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021. Brett Bundale, The Canadian Press https://www.orilliamatters.com/national-business/buy-america-how-bidens-made-in-america-plan-could-impact-canadian-companies-3277010

Government can put focus on opportunities in new presidential agenda rather than on old irritants Colin Robertson · for CBC News Opinion · Posted: Jan 19, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: January 19 This column is an opinion by Colin Robertson, a former Canadian diplomat and now vice-president and fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. For more information about CBC's Opinion section, please see the FAQ. Joe Biden's return to the White House, this time as president, gives Canada a chance to reset what has been a tempestuous ride with Donald Trump. Biden has set himself a formidable to-do list: the pandemic; economic recovery; climate; racial justice; restoring democracy. For Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's first meeting with Biden after his inauguration, the government needs to look closely at that agenda. Rather than focusing on the perennial irritants, it should identify where Canada can offer help and solutions, because we share many of these challenges. Biden's immediate priority is vaccinating Americans so the country can recover socially and economically from COVID-19, and Trudeau has the same focus. The multilateral response to the pandemic could have been much more effective and would have benefited all if our two nations had collaborated from the outset. But it's not too late to start. Some of our best practices will also have application in hard-pressed developing nations, and what better demonstration that "America is back" and "ready to lead the world," as Biden put it, than to work closer with Canada and share what we have jointly learned about dealing with this virus. On climate, if Biden rejoins the Paris Agreement as promised, Canada and the U.S. will be back in sync in terms of emission-reduction targets. Together, we need to look to November's Glasgow conference and what we want to accomplish there, as it will be both a stock-taking of Paris commitments and a setting of new goals. With this in mind, Trudeau should offer to lead a North American approach to carbon pricing, including instituting a border tax on imports from those nations that don't meet their climate commitments. Closer collaboration would also involve identifying best practices and areas for shared research, including initiatives at the state and provincial level. If Mexico were asked to join in, it would go a long way to reviving North American collaboration in other areas as well, like immigration and addressing some of the troubles involving Mexico's Central American neighbours. On the issue of mutual defence, unlike Trump, Biden has indicated he believes in collective security and that he embraces NATO. Meanwhile, our binational NORAD agreement needs renewal, and an Arctic strategy is the missing piece in Canada's defence policy. American presidents from Ronald Reagan on have told us that if Canada claims sovereignty over the North, then we must exercise it. If we dither, the U.S. will set the parameters for us. To avoid this, we need to quickly take the lead in proposing a joint strategy. Reinvesting in our Arctic would also spark a northern economic renaissance, as well as secure the critical minerals vital to advanced manufacturing. Joining Biden's proposed club of democracies also makes sense, especially if it focuses on human rights, development goals, setting digital standards, and strengthening nascent democracies. Likewise, standing up to the authoritarians, especially China, is overdue. China's a la carte approach to multilateralism means scooping up the benefits of globalization while ignoring the rules and conventions of global institutions. As a result, China will likely dominate the Biden administration's foreign and security policy deliberations. As part of those deliberations, Canada needs President Biden to promise that any deal lifting the U.S. extradition request for Meng Wanzhou will include freeing the two Michaels – Canadians Kovrig and Spavor, detained in China since December 2018. With Canada having about 300,000 expatriates at risk in Hong Kong, we should also offer to co-lead, with Britain, a G7 approach to sustaining the liberties that China guaranteed to Hong Kong. And we must carefully strategize confrontations involving the U.S. itself. In his first conversation with the president-elect on Nov. 9 after the U.S. election, Prime Minister Trudeau pressed him on the Keystone XL pipeline that Biden has repeatedly pledged to rescind. The arguments supporting Keystone XL are unchanged: as one of 70 pipelines that crisscross our border, it safely supplements American energy independence with a secure and reliable supply of oil. And innovations by oilsands producers have significantly reduced the industry's environmental footprint. Biden already knows all this. But could he really be expected to go back on his promise to environmentalists, a key constituency in his fragile Democratic government? Leading with your chin is a bad idea, and Canada needs to be pragmatic. Indeed, reports Sunday indicated that Biden plans to rescind permission for the pipeline in his first day in office. If that turns out to be the case, Keystone XL is an important issue that requires ongoing attention through different levels of government, but we also need to be realistic in our expectations. The Harper government made Keystone XL the litmus test of its relationship with the Obama administration and it was a mistake, frustrating progress on other issues. Meanwhile, a pipeline we should be vigorously defending is the 65-year-old Line 5 that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer wants closed. This pipeline supplies about 45 per cent of the crude oil used by Ontario and Quebec. Let's also be realistic about Buy American, which is integral to Biden's trillion-dollar Made in America and Build Back Better initiatives. It's equally unlikely that he'll back away from these plans, but we should remember how Canada finessed former president Barack Obama's big build economic recovery initiative. With state-level procurement outside of the NAFTA deal, then-prime minister Stephen Harper turned to the Council of the Federation. Led by premiers Brad Wall and Jean Charest, they negotiated a reciprocity agreement with their governor counterparts that gave Canadians a piece of the pie. Keystone XL and Buy America remind us that our close, deep and profitable U.S. trade relationship requires a calibrated approach involving different levels of government. Several of the provinces have representation in Washington. Quebec has long had offices throughout the U.S., for example, and provincial efforts complement those of our Embassy and consulates; indeed on issues like Keystone they effectively lead. The Canadian tendency to push it all to the top-level leaders is self-defeating. When presidents meet with prime ministers, they expect top-table discussions befitting G7 and G20 leaders. Effective relations with the new Biden administration will mean dealing with problems at the appropriate level – including cabinet officers, premiers and governors, and our ambassadors. This obliges us to invest in our diplomatic service so that we can bring their intelligence-gathering to the negotiating table. The new U.S. administration wants to reset relationships with its friends and allies. By seizing this opportunity and being creative in identifying solutions to our shared interests, as well as leveraging opportunities through multiple levels of government, we ultimately advance Canadian interests. A welcome mat at the White House magnifies Canada's influence with the rest of the world. https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/opinion-biden-trudeau-relations-1.5873231

AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman, San Diego, California, has been awarded a $3,600,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) operations, sustainment and support. This contract provides for research, development, test, and evaluation, integration and operations and sustainment for existing and future payloads contained in or connected to the BACN system and associated ground stations or controls, ancillary equipment, support equipment and system integration laboratories. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and overseas locations, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 24, 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $23,673,035 are being obligated with the initial task order, FA8726-21-F-0023, at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8726-21-D-0001). DEFENSE INTELLIGENCE AGENCY Jones Lang LaSalle Americas Inc., Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreement (HHM402-21-A-0002) to provide the Defense Intelligence Agency with furniture products and services. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region, with an expected completion date of Jan. 18, 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $616,166 are being obligated at time of award. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. NAVY Black Construction/Mace International JV,* Harmon Industrial Park, Harmon, Guam, is awarded a $28,877,806 firm-fixed-price task order (N40084-21-F-4134) under previously-awarded design-build/design-bid-build, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity unrestricted multiple-award construction contract N40084-18-D-0066 to perform various repairs to deep-draft wharf infrastructure at Naval Support Facility (NSF), Diego Garcia. Work to be performed includes demolition of seven wharf fender standoff panels (FSOPs) and replacement of 24 FSOPs, including pile supports; replacement of broken/missing timber fender piles at the north end of the wharf; replacement of steel ladders; repair of concrete deck and sub-structure, including concrete slab replacement, crack sealing and paint striping; repair of cathodic protection, mooring hardware and pedestal/foundation cracks; repair of high mast lighting; providing additional lighting to meet current design criteria; and demolition and replacement of above-ground ductile iron water lines along the wharf edge where it interferes with FSOP work. Work will be performed at NSF Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $28,877,806 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Far East, Diego Garcia, is the contracting activity. Conflict Kinetics Corp., Sterling, Virginia, is awarded a $28,164,522 single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that will include terms and conditions for the placement of firm-fixed-price task orders for the procurement of Tactical Ocular Reaction Area™ (TORA™) small arms simulator support services to include on-site hardware; software and contracted information technology system security; air compressors; replacement equipment; and software modifications/software warranty as needed for all TORA™ simulators in support of Naval Expeditionary Combat Command within the continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S. locations. The contract will include a five-year ordering period with no options. The ordering period is expected to begin January 2021 and be completed by January 2026. Work will be performed in Williamsburg, Virginia (15%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (15%); Gulfport, Mississippi (15%); San Diego, California (15%); Port Hueneme, California (15%); Newport, Rhode Island (7%); Jacksonville, Florida (7%); Seal Beach, California (7%); and Guam (4%). Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. One source was solicited for this non-competitive, sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. The Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-21-D-0005). San Juan-Black & Veatch International Ltd. JV,* Montrose, Colorado, is awarded a $23,145,586 task order (N40084-21-F-4131) under previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, design-build/design-bid-build, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, unrestricted multiple-award construction contract (N40084-18-D-0068) to provide long-term repairs to the north parking apron, Phase I, at Naval Support Facility (NSF), Diego Garcia. The work to be performed will provide long-term repairs to the north parking apron at NSF Diego Garcia, including demolishing existing concrete pavement and replacing with new 330 mm-thick portland cement concrete pavement complete with joints, dowels and sealants; removing cement-treated base and sub-base, replacing or reusing excavated material and re-grading/compacting to recommended design elevation; scarifying, re-grading and compacting existing subgrade; providing tie-down moorings and static grounding points; repairing/repaving parking apron cement-treated shoulders; and providing airfield markings. Work will be performed at NSF Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be completed by May 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $23,145,586 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Far East, Diego Garcia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Kampi Components Inc.,* Fairless Hills, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $26,650,143 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for valves and valve accessories. 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 three-year base contract with one one-year option period that is being awarded with the base. Locations of performance are Pennsylvania and California, with a Jan. 18, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7MX-21-D-0044). Woodward HRT Inc., Santa Clarita, California, has been awarded a maximum $9,662,562 firm-fixed-price contract for F-15 rotary vane 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 one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with an Apr. 1, 2025 ordering period end date. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-20-C-0006). ARMY Goodwill Industries of San Antonio Contract Services, San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a $17,454,530 modification (P00012) to contract W81K04-18-C-0002 to provide support to the Army, Air Force and Air National Guard, medical record processing and storage services. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 25, 2022. Fiscal 2021 and 2022 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $17,454,530 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee, was awarded a $9,238,191 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support field, chamber, laboratory and range developmental and operational testing at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, and other locations. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 28, 2025. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $48,193 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, is the contracting activity (W91151-21-C-0006). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2479160/source/GovDelivery/

By: Andrew Chuter LONDON – Britain's armed forces are investing just over £100 million ($134 million) acquiring equipment to improve sensor-to-shooter capabilities for dismounted troops, the Ministry of Defence announced Jan 21. Under the effort, the UK arm of Israeli-based Elbit Systems has been awarded an £101 million deal to supply the British dismounted joint fires integrators (D-JFI) program. The equipment will give British Army, Royal Marine, special forces and Royal Air Force units improved ability to find, identify and instantly distribute battlefield target information to artillery, aircraft and others. The new kit, based around the latest thermal sight technology, will primarily be used by joint terminal attack controllers and fire-support teams. The contract, which includes support, comes to a close in March 2026, although there is an option to extend it by two years. Elbit Systems UK secured the contract in mid-December, but officials only now announced it. British defense procurement minister Jeremy Quin said the contract “not only delivers the very latest in battlefield technology to our frontline soldiers, but also invests in the British defense industry, sustaining more than 500 jobs across the UK.” In a statement the company said their D-JFI solution will “enable fast and secured transition of target information across the British and allied armed forces, allowing swift and accurate utilization of artillery and close air support.” Several Elbit technologies are being used in the system, including: the TORCH-X battle management application; the HattoriX system for high-precision target marking, the CORAL thermal-imaging system, and the Rattler XR laser designator. This new contract is the latest of a number of deals secured by Elbit Systems UK in recent years, furthering the British Army's digitalization efforts. The company was awarded the £40 million Battlefield Management Application program in 2018 as part of the Morpheus communications modernization program, followed by the Joint Fires Mobile Trainer and the Joint Fires Synthetic Training contract in 2019. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2021/01/21/elbit-uk-to-make-new-target-marking-kits-for-british-foot-soldiers/

Le Club défense du Centre d'étude et de prospective stratégique (CEPS) a accueilli le député Olivier Marleix, membre du groupe d'études industrie de la défense, pour qu'il intervienne sur les sujets touchant à la souveraineté industrielle et au renforcement de la BITD. L'élu a notamment proposé la création d'un fonds souverain destiné à soutenir les entreprises françaises des secteurs stratégiques. « Le fonds souverain France Investissement bénéficierait de trois types de ressources : d'une part, les participations de l'Etat dans les entreprises actuellement gérées par l'Agence des participations de l'Etat, ainsi que certains actifs gérés par la Banque populaire d'investissement, des émissions obligataires et des actifs collectés à travers des filiales, a-t-il expliqué. A terme, l'objectif est qu'un tel fonds puisse gérer de l'ordre de 300 milliards d'euros. Pour des raisons de souveraineté, il est proposé que le fonds souverain prenne la forme d'un établissement public ». Air & Cosmos du 22 janvier 2021

RACER-Sim to focus on new computer models to advance autonomy capabilities DARPA's Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency - Simulation (RACER-Sim) project is seeking innovations in technologies that bridge the gap from simulation to the real world and significantly reduce the cost of off-road autonomy development. DARPA invites proposals for promising solutions that support these goals. While the past decade has seen increased use of simulation in developing field robotics, the military off-road environment is especially challenging and complex. Computers need to re-create three-dimensional surfaces, compliant soils and vegetation, and hundreds of obstacle classes. Software also needs to take into account lower fidelity or limited mapping data, unique platform-surface interactions, continuous motion planning, and no defined road networks or driving rules. In addition, modeling high speed off-road performance of sensors/modalities, sensor-to-terrain representations, autonomous platforms, and autonomous control remains a software and processing challenge. “Because these challenges haven't been effectively met, the practical use of current virtual models to advance off-road field robotics capabilities is limited and doesn't yet allow a demonstrable simulation-to-real world capability, said Dr. Stuart Young, RACER program manager. “The large reality gap of current software models and complexities of their use discourage developers and prevent them from leveraging the full benefits of simulation.” Over a four-year timeline, RACER-Sim will investigate technologies that are applicable to the off-road environment in the areas of algorithm development, simulation element technologies, and simulator content generation. Source: DARPA Date: Jan 19, 2021 https://www.asdnews.com/news/defense/2021/01/19/darpa-project-drives-simulation-technology-offroad-unmanned-vehicles