Nouvelles

AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, has been awarded a $4,800,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Global Hawk development, modernization, retrofit and sustainment activities for all Air Force Global Hawk variants. This contract provides for management, including program, business and technical areas; engineering efforts, including configuration management, data management, reliability, availability and maintainability, and related areas of concern such as technical refresh, diminishing manufacturing sources, etc.; studies and analyses; design, development, integration, test and evaluation; contract/production line closeout/shutdown; training; sparing; overseas contingency operations support; fielding; cyber security/information assurance; interoperability support; facilities modifications/renovation; integrated logistics support; requirements management specification management; and quality assurance. Additional, and more specific, guidance will be included within each individual delivery order/task order statement of work and performance work statement regarding these and other tasks. This contract provides flexibility to accommodate the broad enterprise of activities associated with the Global Hawk program. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2030. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Multiple fiscal years and types of funds will be used for this contract. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the primary contracting activity (FA8690-21-D-1009). Raytheon Technologies Corp., East Hartford, Connecticut, has been awarded a $453,057,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the aircraft engine Component Improvement Program. This contract provides for the following work: the Component Improvement Program establishes prioritized list of projects each calendar year to include developing engineering changes to the engines, developing organizational, intermediate and depot level repairs as needed, and designing modifications to existing support equipment as well as initiating new support equipment designs as required by engine driven changes. The program also provides support to resolve service-revealed deficiencies and maintain or extend the life limits of aircraft engines. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2029. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $557,347 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8626-21-D-0001). The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded Option Five to its indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract FA8106-16-D-0002 under order FA8134-21-F-0001, in the estimated amount of $196,477,863. The Option Five exercise will provide E4B program management, field service representatives, system integration laboratory support, emergency support, spare procurement, spare repair and overhaul, engine sustainment and scheduled and unscheduled depot maintenance. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; and San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed Nov. 30, 2021. This contract is a sole-source order. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $75,677,863 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $42,100,000 undefinitized modification (P00016) to contract FA8682-18-C-0009 for the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) group one development. This contract modification supports the Global Positioning System receiver development and the development of the missile control unit gigabit cables. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2020 procurement; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $6,774,932 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $214,912,654. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY The Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, California, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $188,572,655 modification (P00010) exercising the second one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPRPA1-17-D-009U) with four one-year option periods for performance-based logistics and engineering support for the V-22 platform. This is a firm-fixed-price requirements contract. Locations of performance are Maryland, Texas and Pennsylvania, with a Nov. 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and military services in Japan. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 (Air Force, Navy, Special Operations Command and Foreign Military Sales) appropriated funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. SupplyCore Inc.,* Rockford, Illinois (SPE8E3-21-D-0001, $90,000,000); and Noble Supply and Logistics,* Rockland, Massachusetts (SPE8E3-21-D-0002, $90,000,000) have each been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract under solicitation SPE8EG-13-R-0002 for facilities maintenance, repair and operations. These were sole-source acquisitions using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. They are 365-day bridge contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Illinois, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee, with a Nov. 28, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded an estimated $16,881,210 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to add pricing for the repair of modular receiver exciters and common radar processor components and other depot-level reparable items. 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 five-year option period. Location of performance is Maryland, with a Sept. 9, 2023, ordering period end date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2023 Air Force operation and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-21-D-0001). Creighton AB Inc., Reidsville, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $7,788,263 modification (P00002) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-1213) with four one-year option periods for men's broadfall trousers. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are New York and North Carolina, with a Nov. 24, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Navy. 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 Adept Process Services Inc. (APS Marine), National City, California (N55236-21-D-0001); Amee Bay LLC, Hanahan, South Carolina (N55236-21-D-0002); Delphinus Engineering Inc., Eddystone, Pennsylvania (N55236-21-D-0003); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., San Diego, California (N55236-21-D-0004); Integrated Marine Services Inc., Chula Vista, California (N55236-21-D-0005); Marine Group Boat Works LLC, Chula Vista, California (N55236-21-D-0006); Q.E.D. Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N55236-21-D-0007); and Willard Marine Inc., Anaheim, California (N55235-21-D-0008), are awarded an overall maximum ceiling value of $64,349,360 in firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts with a five base year ordering period to provide marine boatyard services (Lot 1) including specific modifications, upgrades, service life extension and repairs to non-commissioned boats, craft, and lighterage/service crafts that can be transported via roadway by a trailer that is less than 15 meters or 50 feet in length. It includes their associated systems (i.e., hull, mechanical, electrical and electronic systems; trailers; transporters; deployment systems; slings and hoisting systems; launch and retrieval systems, etc.) and periodic maintenance. These eight companies will have an opportunity to compete for individual delivery orders. Work will be performed within the San Diego-Los Angeles County areas. These contracts have a five-year base ordering period and work is expected to be completed by November 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $80,000 ($10,000 for minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated under each contract's initial delivery order and funding will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website; nine offers were received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Barnhart-Reese Construction Inc.,* San Diego, California, is awarded firm-fixed-price task order N62473-21-F-4139 at $15,814,642 under a multiple award construction contract for design-build repair to Bachelors Enlisted Quarters (BEQ) Building 210905 at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. The scope of work includes repairs to building subsurface slab and waste line; interior walls, doors, floors, shower enclosures and restroom fixtures; exterior doors and hardware, downspouts, gutters, cracks on walls and balconies, paint walls and rails; electrical lines and walkways; provides an air-cooled chiller, pumps, controls and associated appurtenances; and any incidental related work. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be completed by June 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,814,642 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-17-D-4629). Innovative Defense Technologies,* Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $14,071,754 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for automated test and analysis capability supporting Navy surface combatant combat system development. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (50%); and Mount Laurel, New Jersey (50%), and is expected to be completed by November 2021. This contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $90,490,587 and be completed in November 2025. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(5). This award is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research Phase III sole-source acquisition. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-5100). Perspecta Engineering Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $9,731,342 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides engineering services in support of test and evaluation and systems engineering activities related to AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense on behalf of the Missile Defense Agency. Work will be performed in Kauai, Hawaii (90%); Oahu, Hawaii (4%); Santa Clara, California (3%); Point Mugu, California (2%); and Chantilly, Virginia (1%). Work is expected to be completed in November 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award and funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-21-D-0007). Bristol Engineering Services Co. LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded firm-fixed-price task order N62473-21-F-4135 at $8,257,745 under a multiple award construction contract for construction and repair of natural gas lines at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms, California. The work to be performed provides for construction and repair of high pressure natural gas systems' main and laterals lines. This project repairs approximately 108,000 linear feet of underground high pressure (400 psi) main piping, medium pressure piping, and low pressure (45 to 20 psi) branch natural gas piping system. Work will be performed in Twentynine Palms, California, and is expected to be completed by February 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) contract funds in the amount of $8,257,745 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N39430-20-D-2221). ARMY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded an $11,538,508 modification (P00014) to contract W911S0-18-C-0004 to provide mission support for planning, coordination and execution of exercises conducted by the Army's Mission Command Training Program. Work will be performed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2024. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,538,508 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2428368/source/GovDelivery/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Less than a day after the General Services Administration opened the doors for the landing team from the Biden-Harris campaign to arrive at the Pentagon, members have already had two conversations with current defense officials, with more to come. But while the Presidential Transition Act of 1963 lays out clear directives on how one administration helps usher in the next — it literally comes with a handbook on best practices — this transition, like so much else in 2020, may require some flexibility thanks to COVID-19. The GSA's move — which came after growing criticisms from Democrats who felt the agency was slow-rolling the start of the transition for political purposes — freed up funds, office space and, critically for the Pentagon transition, allowed the sharing of sensitive information with the incoming team. However, the transition is kicking off just as the Pentagon upped its level of COVID preparedness. As a result, maximum occupancy has dropped to 40 percent, with extra temperature checks. According to Washington Headquarters Services Director Thomas Muir, the agency transition director, that won't stop the transition, but it may require the team to rely more on video teleconferencing than previous groups. The incoming team “is willing and certainly able to abide by the COVID restrictions here in the Pentagon. They agreed with the protection measures we're doing for our families, our employees, ourselves, our colleagues, our comrades here in the Pentagon.” Muir said at a press conference Tuesday, adding that “Some will work in the building, some will be virtual.” Kash Patel, the newly installed chief of staff for newly installed Acting Secretary of Defense Christopher Miller, will be leading the transition for the current administration. But Muir will manage the day-to-day work, according to chief Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman. “I spoke with the chief of staff today, and he is assured me that Tom here is the lead on this and that he is going to be working with Tom, and Tom is going to be the one working with the team today,” Hoffman said, adding that Patel's role is mainly “to be the touch point for the secretary, to ensure the secretary has insight into what's going on and to make sure the transition is successful.” Patel also reached out to transition lead Kathleen Hicks in order to share his contact information in case she had any questions. Muir said his team has been preparing for six months in case a transition was needed, and believes the current set up will allow the Biden-Harris team to work as safely as possible. Included in that setup: office space at the Pentagon that allows for social distancing, and which comes equipped with both secure and unsecure VTC capabilities. With the GSA certification, the FBI and Department of Justice can begin giving security clearances to the transition team, allowing access to classified information needed to give an up-to-date situation report to the president-elect and his advisers. Informing the transition is a group of “transition assistance coordinators,” largely general officers or senior executive service civilians, drawn from key offices around the military agencies, combatant commands, joint staff and OSD. That group, which meets weekly, will provide information as needed to the transition team and help set up interviews with key officials. Muir noted he expects daily conversations with the Biden-Harris group, adding “They're looking forward to participating in discussions in the Pentagon. I'm providing a small tour on Monday next week.” https://www.defensenews.com/smr/transition/2020/11/24/pentagon-transition-begins-with-a-covid-19-twist/

by Jon Grevatt Rheinmetall Defence Australia (RDA) has formed a partnership with a Brisbane-based firm to support its proposal to supply the Australian Army with its Lynx KF41 infantry fighting vehicle (IFV). RDA said on 24 November that Queensland Gaskets, which manufactures gaskets and sealing devices, will join its “growing team of Australian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)” supporting its bid for the Land 400 Phase 3 contract. If RDA's bid is successful, Queensland Gaskets will supply a range of locally produced precision-cut components for the Lynx vehicle. RDA also proposes to assemble the vehicle in Queensland at its new Military Vehicle Centre of Excellence (MILVEHCOE) at Redbank, southwest of Brisbane. Earlier in November, Rheinmetall unveiled the first of three Lynx IFVs that will compete in test and evaluation trials for the Land 400 Phase 3 contract. Rheinmetall is delivering the vehicles as part of a Risk Mitigation Activity (RMA) set to be conducted in Australia over a 12-month period starting this month. These trials will incorporate tests including lethality, mobility, and protection. https://www.janes.com/defence-news/news-detail/rheinmetall-expands-industry-team-for-australian-ifv-bid_13832

NAVY BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $197,452,828, firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of the USS Wasp (LHD 1) fiscal 2021 Chief of Naval Operations scheduled docking selected restricted availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Wasp (LHD 1). This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $237,765,941. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) (97.2%); and fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) (2.8%) funding in the amount of $197,452,828 will be obligated at contract award, of which funding in the amount of $191,836,933 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the Federal Business Opportunities website with one offer received in response to Solicitation No. N00024-20-R-4404. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-21-C-4404). (Awarded Nov. 20, 2020) Auxiliary Systems Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a maximum dollar value $35,423,320 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide alternating current/direct current motors and motor generator sets repair. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by November 2021 and if options are exercised, work will be completed by November 2025. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $12,000 ($12,000 minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This single award contract was procured as a small business set-aside via the beta.sam.gov website with two offers received. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N50054-21-D-0001). Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $12,861,992 modification (P00004) to cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price order N00019-20-F-0315 against previously issued basic ordering agreement N00019-17-G-0002. This modification exercises options to modify the V-22 aircraft to the government of Japan's unique configuration requirements. Additionally, the modification exercises options for the production and delivery of nine traffic collision avoidance systems, technical support representation and preservation of aircraft post completion of unique modifications. Work will be performed in Stennis, Mississippi (75%); Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (15%); Fort Worth, Texas (5%); and Tokyo, Japan (5%), and is expected to be completed in August 2024. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $12,861,992 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. Pacific Federal Management Inc.,* Tumon, Guam, is awarded a $10,366,798 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification for the exercise of Option Number One for base operating support services at Naval Base (NB) Guam and Naval Support Activity (NSA) Andersen. The work to be performed provides for all labor, supervision, management, tools, material, equipment, facilities, transportation and incidental engineering and other items necessary to accomplish all work to perform ground maintenance and tree trimming services for U.S. military facilities on Guam and NSA Andersen at various locations on Guam, Marianas Islands. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $19,783,731. Work will be performed in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Marianas area of operations, including but not limited to, NB Guam (70%); and NSA Andersen, Guam (30%). This option period is from December 2020 to November 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (O&M) (Navy); and fiscal 2021 O&M (family housing) in the amount of $7,945,193 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. NAVFAC Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity (N40192-20-D-9000). IAP Worldwide Services Inc., Cape Canaveral, Florida, is awarded a $9,112,276 recurring/non-recurring services type modification for base operating services at Naval Support Activity Annapolis. The work to be performed provides for all management, supervision, labor hours, training, equipment and supplies necessary to perform base operating services to include, but not limited to, facility investment, service calls, pest control, operation of utility plants, refuse collection, special events and snow and ice removal. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, with the contract period of Dec. 1, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of modification award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance in the amount of $5,833,247 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the contract period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N40080-20-D-0500). ARMY FLIR Unmanned Ground Systems Inc., Chelmsford, Massachusetts, was awarded a $30,100,000 modification (P00007) to contract W56HZV-19-D-0031 for reset, sustainment, maintenance and recap parts to support the overall sustainment actions of the entire FLIR Unmanned Ground Systems family of small, medium and large robots. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 23, 2020. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $20,490,500 firm-fixed-price contract to remove dredging material from the Delaware River. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Bellafonte, Delaware, with an estimated completion date of March 22, 2021. Fiscal 2010 civil construction funds in the amount of $20,490,500 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-21-C-0007). AIR FORCE Busek Co. Inc., Natick, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $20,335,186 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for development of a 1-2 kW Hall Thruster system for a near-term space experiment. This contract provides a contract vehicle the Air Force Research Laboratory, Aerospace Systems and Space Propulsion Division can use to address technical needs for next-generation strategic, tactical and spacecraft propulsion systems. Work will be performed in Natick, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed Nov. 25, 2023. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,559,980 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA9300-21-C-6001). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Epic Aviation LLC, Salem, Oregon, has been awarded a maximum $11,263,200 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for jet fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is an 18-month base contract with one six-month option period. Locations of performance are California and Oregon, with a May 31, 2022, performance completion date. Using customer is Air National Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE605-21-D-4527). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2427044/source/GovDelivery/

By: Hans Binnendijk and Daniel S. Hamilton The NATO alliance survived four years of U.S. President Donald Trump due largely to strong congressional support and clever leadership by Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. After the bell ringing and fireworks end in European capitals to welcome President-elect Joe Biden, the alliance will need to realize that it can not go back to business as usual. The world has moved on during those four years and the alliance will need to continue to rejuvenate in order to remain relevant. That rejuvenation process will be enshrined in a new Strategic Concept, which should emerge over the next year or so. Stoltenberg already has a so-called reflection process underway designed to identify key areas where change is needed. Biden's foreign policy team will now weigh in. NATO's rejuvenation might unfold under what we call the “Four Cs.” We should want an alliance that is more coherent, more capable, more comprehensive in scope and with a more co-equal balance of contributions to the common defense. The return of Joe Biden alone will contribute to NATO's coherence, and reverse poisonous trans-Atlantic political relations. But the problem is deeper. Threat perceptions differ markedly across the alliance. There is broad lack of confidence in commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty, including its mutual defense Article V. There is democratic backsliding among several NATO members. Allies are facing off against each other in the Eastern Mediterranean. There are differing attitudes about Russian behavior around the Black and Baltic sea. There are differences about the endgame in Afghanistan. And there are uncertainties of how the alliance should address China's growing security role in Europe and the global commons. The new Strategic Concept will need to enhance coherence by reaffirming common democratic values and recommitting to the common defense. This will be the most important element of a new Strategic Concept. A review of the Strategic Concept can provide a process through which allies can assess mechanisms to uphold their mutual commitment to strengthen their free institutions, avoid straying from agreed democratic practices and prevent allies from confronting each other militarily. Second, the alliance needs to continue its efforts to strengthen its capabilities in two distinct areas: conventional military might and resilience against so-called hybrid or non-kinetic attacks. Since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, NATO nations have begun to focus again on a major power competitor. Four NATO battlegroups are forward-deployed to the Baltic states and Poland. A small, very high-readiness force and a larger readiness initiative were undertaken to back up those battalions. A mobilization initiative was designed to make sure ready forces can forward-deploy quickly. But European defense budgets constrained by COVID-19 will put those initiatives in jeopardy. The Strategic Concept will need to prioritize those programs. The alliance must also more methodically address unconventional challenges to human security from Russia such as media disinformation, corrosive cyber operations, supply chain disruptions and energy intimidation. The Strategic Concept needs to design resilience programs so that alliance members can better protect the critical functions of our societies to such disruptive dangers. Next, the scope of NATO's mission needs to be more comprehensive. NATO's core tasks of collective defense, crisis management and cooperative security must be expanded to include countering challenges that contribute to global instability. Those challenges would range from managing global warming and pandemics through the refugee crisis to the rise of China. NATO has recently used its mobility and civil defense assets to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. NATO navies have contributed to saving the lives of refugees at sea. In addition, the consequences of a major ice melt will have a significant security impact in the Arctic, along urban coastlines and on further refugee flows. To remain relevant, NATO must begin to define its role in these areas. Stoltenberg has focused the alliance's attention on China. That nation is increasingly partnering with Russia in the military arena including defense industrial cooperation and joint exercises. It also has invested in European strategic infrastructure, created technology dependencies and used coercive diplomacy to stifle European voices. NATO's expanded role should include reducing those dependencies and developing much closer partnership ties with America's Asian allies. Finally, the new Strategic Concept should result in more co-equal trans-Atlantic distribution of military capabilities and responsibilities. This is less about traditional burden-sharing than it is about responding to two historical trends. Europe's response to the Trump years has been to seek greater strategic autonomy. China's military challenge has American planners focusing on Asia first. Many American friends of Europe are discussing a possible new division of labor, with the United States focusing more on China and European militaries focusing on Russia. This, however, could leave Europe poorly defended and open to coercion. The Strategic Concept will need to divine an elegant solution, perhaps with Europe accepting the responsibility to provide half of the capability needed to defend against a major Russian attack. NATO has remained history's strongest alliance precisely because it has adapted to new strategic conditions. It can do so again. Hans Binnendijk is a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council and formerly served as the U.S. National Security Council's senior director for defense policy. Daniel S. Hamilton is an Austrian Marshall Plan distinguished fellow and the director of the Global Europe Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/11/24/four-factors-to-consider-in-keeping-nato-relevant/

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — A production decision for the U.S. Army's critical battle command system has been delayed, the service confirmed to Defense News. An Office of the Secretary of Defense-level Defense Acquisition Board review was scheduled for Nov. 17, but due to some administrative issues, the board was unable to make a decision on the way forward for a program that has already experienced years of delays and setbacks. The Northrop Grumman-developed battle command system was originally meant to serve as the command-and-control system for the Army's future Integrated Air and Missile Defense System against regional ballistic missile threats, but the service has since expanded its planned role to tie together a much broader array of sensors and shooters capable of defeating other complex threats like cruise missiles and unmanned aircraft. To date, the Army has spent $2.7 billion to develop the system. “A small number of statutory and regulatory documents supporting the Milestone C [production] decision are in the final stages of approval, but not yet fully approved,” an Army spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement. “The program office and OSD directorates will hold technical briefings to obtain final approval signatures on some of the open documents. Document completion is largely administrative.” Specifically, final approval is needed for the program protection plan, the life-cycle sustainment plan and an update to the Capabilities Development Document, the spokesperson said. The principal members of the Defense Acquisition Board “concurred with the program's achievement of all Engineering & Manufacturing Development Phase exit criteria,” the statement noted. Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, directed a follow-on meeting within 30 days to review document completion status. That review is anticipated to take place in mid-December. The delay in reaching a production decision is not expected to affect the Integrated Air and Missile Defense Battle Command System program schedule — at least in terms of operational testing and other major milestones ahead. The program struggled in 2016 during a limited-user test, but following several soldier checkouts and other test events over the past few years as well as a successful limited-user test this summer, it is expected the battle command system will be approved for production. Once approved for production, it will move into an initial operational test and evaluation phase in 2021. The Army plans to equip its first unit with the system in the third or fourth quarter of fiscal 2022. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/11/24/production-decision-for-armys-critical-battle-command-system-delayed/

November 23, 2020 10:02 ET | Source: Thales Canada Inc multilang-release Industry veteran Chris Pogue has been appointed as the new Managing Director of Thales Canada – Defence & Security. For more than 50 years, customers including Canada's Department of National Defence and the Canadian Coast Guard have relied on Thales as a prime contractor and long-term partner enabling the Canadian Armed Forces and other defence entities to achieve mission success. OTTAWA, Nov. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Thales Canada – Defence and Security welcomes Chris Pogue as its new Managing Director. Chris replaces Jerry McLean, who announced his retirement effective November 16, 2020. Before joining Thales, Chris was President of MDA Government, where he was responsible for the company's Defence, Earth Observation Systems, Enterprise IT and Government Space Robotics lines of business. In addition to executive roles with MDA Government, General Dynamics Mission Systems and CAE Defence and Professional Services, Chris spent over 20 years with the Royal Canadian Air Force. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and a Master's of Science in Physics and Oceanography from Royal Roads Military College, as well as executive education at the University of York, University of Liverpool and Harvard Business School. With approximately 250 defence and security employees from coast to coast, including over 200 employees in the Ottawa region, Chris will lead the organization's maritime, sea, land, optronics and air programs, including the 35-year, $5.2 billion CAD AJISS contract for the Royal Canadian Navy, currently underway. “Thales is a trusted prime contractor and proven industry leader that is delivering at the highest levels to help the armed forces and coast guards prepare for, achieve and maintain tactical superiority and strategic independence over any form of threat,” said Chris Pogue, Managing Director, Thales Canada – Defence & Security. “As a strong partner to Canadian SMEs and our domestic innovation ecosystem, I look forward to leveraging Thales Canada's leadership in digital transformation and next generation decision systems to enable our customers to make the tomorrow possible, today.” With defence activities in the naval, maritime, ground and air domains, Thales Canada – Defence & Security partners with over 500 Canadian businesses, creating national economic impact of more than $140 million annually. In support of Canada's digital transformation, Thales is committed to the development of innovative Canadian technologies and made-in-Canada defence and security solutions. About Thales Canada A Canadian leader in research and technology, Thales Canada combines over 50 years of experience with the talent of more than 2,500 skilled people located coast-to-coast. With revenues of over $800 million, Thales Canada offers leading capabilities in the defence, urban rail, civil aviation, digital identity and security sectors, meeting the most complex needs and requirements of its customers across all operating environments. About Thales Thales (Euronext Paris: HO) is a global technology leader shaping the world of tomorrow today. The Group provides solutions, services and products to customers in the aeronautics, space, transport, digital identity and security, and defence markets. With 83,000 employees in 68 countries, Thales generated sales of €19 billion in 2019 (on a pro forma basis including Gemalto over 12 months). Thales is investing in particular in digital innovations — connectivity, Big Data, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity — technologies that support businesses, organisations and governments in their decisive moments. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/11/23/2132003/0/en/Thales-Appoints-Chris-Pogue-as-New-Managing-Director-of-Canadian-Defence-Security-Business.html

AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Clearfield, Utah, has been awarded a $185,700,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the A-10 Aircraft Structural Integrity Program Legacy VII. This contract provides for sustaining engineering services of A-10 aircraft. Work will be performed in Clearfield, Utah, and is expected to be completed Nov. 22, 2030. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,480,694 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8202-21-D-0001). L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, has been awarded a $65,603,271 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor operated and maintained base supply of the Air Education and Training Command fleet of 178 T-1A Trainer aircraft. Work will be performed at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Vance AFB, Oklahoma; Columbus AFB, Mississippi; and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, and is expected to be completed Nov. 30, 2021. This award for Option Three is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount $17,946,903 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8106-18-C-0001). Lockheed Martin Corp., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $34,939,734, cost-type modification (P00014) to contract FA8219-20-C-0001 for Mk21A technology maturation and risk reduction (TMRR) research and development for reentry vehicles (RVs). The contract modifies the TMRR prototype flight test plan, to now include preparations for a second flight test and development of two prototype RVs with telemetry capability in order to further mature technology. Work will be performed in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed Oct. 21, 2022. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds are being used with no funds being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $151,943,606. The Air Force Nuclear War Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. AT2 LLC, Severn, Maryland, has been awarded a $15,751,876 firm-fixed-price modification (P00017) to contract FA4890-18-C-0008 for Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command Primary Training Ranges operation and maintenance (O&M) support services. This contract provides for O&M of range threat, scoring and feedback systems. Work will be performed at Dare County Range, North Carolina; Poinsett Range, South Carolina; Grand Bay Range, Georgia; Avon Park Range, Georgia; Snyder Range, Texas; Belle Fourche Range, South Dakota; Holloman Ranges, New Mexico; and Mountain Home Ranges, Idaho. Work is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2021 O&M funds in the amount of $15,044,766 are being obligated at the time of award. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley‐Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890‐18‐C‐0008). Lockheed Martin Corp., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a $14,068,093 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00022) to contract FA8620-14-C-4022 to develop, integrate and lab test detection, removal and characterization operations. Work will be performed in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed Nov. 30, 2023. This contract was the result of a sole-source acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,699,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $9,326,062 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Long Range Systems Division seeking to integrate the Navy Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile-Extended Range (AARGM-ER) into the F-35. The AARGM-ER is a Navy weapon that will provide the F-35A advanced suppression of enemy air defenses/destruction of enemy air defenses capability. This contract includes one contract line item number and is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8682-21-C-2000). CORRECTION: The Nov. 13, 2020, announcement of a $9,703,375 contract modification awarded to Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Arizona, included an incorrect modification number. The number of the modification to contract FA8675-20-C-0033 for Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) production baseline rocket motors is P00008, not P00007. NAVY AAR Government Services Inc., Wood Dale, Illinois, is awarded a $148,357,084 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides contractor logistics support required for operating and maintaining the C-40A aircraft, aircraft subsystems, appliances and support equipment, including depot-level, main operating base and supply support and commercial line maintenance. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (40%); Fort Worth, Texas (16.5%); Jacksonville, Florida (9%); North Island, California (9%); Oceana, Virginia (9%); Whidbey Island, Washington (9%); and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (7.5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via electronic request for proposal; three offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-21-D-0004). Lockheed Martin Space, Titusville, Florida, is awarded a $108,778,290 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00002) to exercise options under previously awarded contract N00030-20-C-0100 for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (25%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (23.5%); Borgo San Dalmazzo, Italy (12%); Sunnyvale, California (9.7%); Hoffman Estates, Illinois (4.3%); Titusville, Florida (3.4%); Melbourne, Florida (2.6%); Berlin, Connecticut (1.8%); Modesto, California (1.3%); Bangor, Washington (1.1%); Kings Bay, Georgia (1.1%); Clearwater, Florida (1%); and other various locations (less than 1% each, 13.2% total). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2025. Fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $94,943,006; fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,176,348; United Kingdom funds in the amount of $3,618,936; and fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,000 are being obligated on this award, $40,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded to the contractor on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. The Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $9,574,093 modification (P00047) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N68335-17-C-0253. This modification exercises an option to provide the second phase of interim contractor support for fleet Repair of Repairables (RoR), non-fleet RoR and installation RoR support for the Common Aviation Support Equipment program office. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,335,259; and fiscal 2021 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $727,619 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, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. ARMY Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $38,611,275 firm-fixed-price contract for a one-time license buy for SAP software. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Army); operation and maintenance (Army); and Army working capital funds in the amount of $38,611,275 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-21-F-0042). Great Lakes Dredge & Dock LLC, Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, was awarded a $15,844,050 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in St. Mary's, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of June 5, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Defense) funds in the amount of $15,844,050 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-21-C-0002). McCarthy HITT - Next NGA West JV, St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded an $8,982,180 modification (P00012) to contract W912DQ-19-C-7001 for a resident management system. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of April 24, 2023. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Defense wide) funds in the amount of $8,982,180 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2425497/source/GovDelivery/

Jen DiMascio Michael Bruno Lee Hudson Tony Osborne November 20, 2020 One of Joe Biden's last speeches as U.S. vice president focused on nuclear security, touting passage of the New Start Treaty with Russia in 2010 and subsequent reductions in the U.S. stockpile of warheads. Four years later, nuclear modernization and arms control will be among the first major tests he faces when he assumes the presidency in January. Under President Donald Trump, the Pentagon made notable strides in speeding up its cumbersome acquisition system, enabling the military to take better advantage of commercial technologies. The Defense Department also established what it calls “irreversible momentum” toward new space capabilities. But it will fall to the Biden administration to shepherd many experiments in new technologies into actual programs. It will be Biden's task to sell Congress on the idea of Joint All-Domain Command and Control. The new Democratic president could be dealing with a Senate controlled by Republicans, and he faces allies that see the U.S. as a less reliable partner than it was four years ago. He also will have to balance the modernization and readiness of the force within a budget that probably peaked in 2020. Shortly after he is inaugurated, Biden will face the Feb. 5 expiration of the New Start arms control treaty with Russia. His options are to extend the treaty for up to five years, for a shorter time frame or not at all. The Trump administration has been reluctant to agree to a full extension, given Russia's aggressive modernization of nuclear systems not covered by the treaty. Biden's advisors are likely to opt for extending the treaty to allow for more time for negotiations, predicts Matthew Kroenig, deputy director of the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security at the Atlantic Council. Republicans, meanwhile, are likely to be more focused on the threat of advanced weaponry in Russia and China, in particular the growth of strategic nuclear arsenals. Retiring Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas), ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee, says he is “particularly concerned about where the Chinese are headed with the size and capability of their nuclear program.” He adds: “Like a lot of things related to the Chinese, we have probably been too complacent.” Such tensions, and a Congress split along partisan lines, could help maintain support for nuclear modernization programs such as development of the next-generation ICBM, the Northrop Grumman Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), a program some analysts have thought a Biden administration might consider slowing or canceling. “Any serious push to retire the ICBM force and do away with the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent program would not be supported by the Senate,” Cowen analysts say. A Biden administration likely means more of the same for the U.S. industrial base, for better or worse. The U.S. defense budget is expected to remain flat, putting pressure on the Pentagon to find ways to get more bang for its buck and better technologies against peer rivals—at the expense of traditional force structure. “Technology investment is likely to be most important, including network integration, hypersonics, artificial intelligence, long-range strike and missile defense,” Bernstein analyst Doug Harned and his team say. “We expect a lot of activity around integration, but exactly what this means is still ill-defined. Force structure may well come under more pressure. This means lower numbers of troops, aircraft, vehicles, ships, etc.” Downward pressure on force structure would be bad for Lockheed Martin, given its high exposure with the F-35, as well as for General Dynamics' warships and ground vehicles, says the Bernstein team. Northrop Grumman appears well-positioned long-term, based on its lean toward new technologies, but there are some risks around the GBSD. Raytheon Technologies and Lockheed have the highest Middle East exposure among the primes, and military sales there may have some added risk. “Democrats in both the House and Senate want restrictions on [Foreign Military Sales] in the wake of reports that the United Arab Emirates will be allowed to purchase 50 Lockheed Martin F-35s,” the Cowen Washington Research Group observed Nov. 4. “We do not believe a [Republican] Senate will support restrictions. If the sale is going to happen, it will need to be jammed through . . . before Biden takes office.” Like the Obama administration, the Trump team provided growing support for new space technologies. “I believe space will continue to be very, very important,” says Ellen Lord, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. “I just had a briefing on a lot of [National Reconnaissance Office] projects we work on. And I'll tell you, it is absolutely eye-watering the capability that is being launched here in the next couple of months. . . . I think we have irreversible momentum.” During the Trump administration's final weeks in office, Lord is working to create a trusted capital marketplace, strengthen the defense industrial base and work with Capitol Hill on new ways of purchasing software. The Defense Department is working closely with the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment to block adversaries such as China or Russia from purchasing companies that are critical to U.S. national technology initiatives, she told the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics' Ascend conference on Nov. 18. Another focus for Lord's team is rare earth minerals and microelectronics. The bulk of rare earth mineral processing occurs in China, and most microelectronics are manufactured outside the U.S. Chris Brose, who served as policy director for the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), is advocating more radical change to scale up defense innovation, a priority of U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. “The question for the new administration is going to be: ‘How do you support that vision, and how do you kind of reshape the Air Force, reshape the Space Force and really realign the [national] defense program?'” asks Brose, who is now chief strategy officer for the defense industry startup Anduril. Brose believes that to compete more effectively against advanced military challenges, the Pentagon must rethink how it harnesses new technologies, from the requirements process all the way through the acquisition process. Today's military, he notes, is organized to purchase a platform it has seen in a presentation or read in a white paper. The goal should not be to spend a long time defining requirements and then pay a single vendor to build things such as small satellites, software-defined programs or unmanned systems. One of the Air Force's top modernization priorities is the Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS). The challenge with an effort such as the ABMS is that the requirements and concepts of operation are unclear, Brose says, and ABMS demonstrations study different problems each year, making progress tough to discern. Though the Trump administration has experienced extensive turnover among its civilian leadership, it made considerable progress in restoring aircraft fleet readiness. In 2018, then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis—the first of five men in the military's top civilian job in four years—mandated that all tactical aircraft fleets needed to be 80% ready for missions. The Navy drew on techniques from the commercial airline industry to meet that goal within about one year for its Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet fleet. The service has since applied the same techniques to improve the readiness of Boeing EA-18G Growlers, and it is beginning to expand the process to its Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeyes, with an eye toward the rest of its tactical aircraft, Rear Adm. Shane Gahagan, the Navy's program executive officer for tactical aviation, said at Aviation Week's Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium on Nov. 17. While Biden's team will seek to build on that progress, his administration likely will take a markedly less confrontational approach with U.S. allies than Trump, who believes the U.S. has borne too much of the burden to defend Europe. As the Pentagon announced the withdrawal of 12,000 U.S. troops from Germany earlier this year, repositioning them around Europe, Trump placed the blame squarely on Germany, describing the nation as “delinquent” in failing to pay its fair share. NATO members breathed a collective sigh of relief after Biden's election, believing it will pave the way for a relaunch of transatlantic defense relations. But Biden is likely to maintain pressure on European countries to keep defense spending up in light of Russian and Chinese threats and to align with NATO's call for members to spend 2% of their GDP on defense. “Trump seized on the 2% and banged the table. . . . It is broadly true he got the Europeans to take seriously the demand that more should be spent on defense,” says Jonathan Eyal, an associate director at the London-based Royal United Services Institute. The cost of Trump's approach, however, has been “very heavy,” he says, leading to a virtual collapse in the relationship between the U.S. and Germany. Less certain is how a Biden administration will deal with countries that appear to be undermining NATO values. Turkey's oil and gas exploration in waters disputed by neighbor and fellow NATO member Greece have prompted regional tension, not to mention Ankara's actions in Libya, Syria and, more recently, its support of Azerbaijan in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict (AW&ST Oct. 12-25, p. 62). Turkey's decision to recently test its S-400 ground-based air defense system purchased from Russia also remains a source of irritation for Washington. The purchase of the S-400 prompted Washington to kick Turkey out of the F-35 program, but Trump opted not to invoke the Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act against the government of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan despite pressure in the Senate. “One can assume that the Biden administration would take the tougher line on Turkey,” Eyal says. “Erdogan is now part of the problem rather than part of the solution.” https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/budget-policy-operations/what-expect-bidens-pentagon