Nouvelles

AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, has been awarded a $5,700,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for KC-46 Pegasus Combat Capability (PC2). This contract provides for a broad range of post-production related non-recurring and recurring requirements centered on user-directed and Federal Aviation Administration-mandated KC-46 air vehicle needs. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be complete by April 28, 2029. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $9,121,895 are being obligated on the first delivery order at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8609-19-D-0007). AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, has been awarded a $19,592,850 firm-fixed-price non-commercial requirements contract for the Joint Service Electronic Combat Systems Tester (JSECST). This contract provides for the production of the base JSECST, the laboratory JSECST and retrofit kits used on many aircraft, such as F-15, F-16, A-10, CV-22, C-130, UH-47, UH-60, F/A-18 and AV-8B. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by April 28, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Automated Test Sets Contracting Division, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8533-19-D-0005). NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $1,148,847,334 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, cost share contract for sustainment services in support of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, non-U. S. Department of Defense (non-U.S. DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Services to be provided include ground maintenance activities, action request resolution, depot activation activities, Automatic Logistics Information System operation and maintenance; reliability, maintainability and health management implementation and support; supply chain management; and activities to provide and support pilot and maintainer initial training. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (60 percent); Orlando, Florida (24 percent); Greenville, South Carolina (7 percent); Samlesbury, Preston, United Kingdom (5 percent); and El Segundo, California (4 percent). Work is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Air Force, Navy/Marine Corps); non-U.S. DoD participant; and FMS funds in the amount of $1,135,420,262 will be obligated at time of award, $811,246,309 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This contract combines purchases for the Air Force ($477,920,120; 41.60 percent); Navy ($346,753,261; 30.18 percent); non-U.S. DoD participants ($231,207,693; 20.13 percent); and FMS customers ($92,966,260; 8.09 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-1022). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded $38,775,625 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00007 to a previously awarded contract (N00019-18-C-1037) to procure the product support and software support activity efforts for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye full-rate production Lot 7. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (72 percent); Liverpool, New York (14 percent); St. Augustine, Florida (5 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (5 percent); Greenlawn, New York (2 percent); Woodland Hills; California (1 percent); and Indianapolis, Indiana (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $38,775,625 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. Mancon LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded $30,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price contract that includes provisions for economic price adjustment to acquire supplies and provide related store operation services required by Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk for two commercial retail stores on the Naval Support Activity, Crane, Indiana, for materials needed by the Naval Facilities Command Public Works Department. The contract includes a five-year base ordering period with an option to extend services for a six-month ordering period pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 which if exercised, the total value of this contract will be $33,263,944. All work will be performed in Crane, Indiana. The ordering period is expected to be completed by April 2024; if the option is exercised, work will be completed by October 2024. Fiscal 2018 working capital funds (Defense) in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated to fund the contract's minimum amount, and funds will expire at the end of fiscal 2019. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with five offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-19-D-0008). Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded $29,772,039 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to order N61340-18-F-0001 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-17-G-0002). This order provides software and hardware upgrades for 13 flight training devices to modernize critical system components in the MV-22 simulator to increase training fidelity for aircrew and maximize training capability. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, North Carolina (42 percent); Miramar, California (24 percent); Quantico, Virginia (13 percent); Okinawa, Japan (13 percent); Chantilly, Virginia (5 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (2 percent); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $29,772,039 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 Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded $19,530,007 for modification P00006 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-18-C-0088) for the engineering and manufacturing development and payload integration of the Miniature Air Launched Decoy-Navy. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (50 percent); and Goleta, California (50 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,765,002 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Raytheon Co., Dulles, Virginia, was awarded a $663,060,634 firm-fixed-price contract for Troposcatter Transmission System, spares, repairs, warranty, system engineering, field support, training and sustainment. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2029. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W15P7T-19-D-0218). (Awarded April 26, 2019) The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $171,887,544 hybrid (cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price) contract for performance based logistics service in support of the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter fleet. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2020. Fiscal 2018 working capital funds in the amount of $63,779,957 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0024). (Awarded April 26, 2019) Golden Valley Electric Association, Fairbanks, Alaska, was awarded a $40,964,160 firm-fixed-price contract for electric utility service. Work will be performed in Fort Wainwright, Alaska, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2029. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $653,355 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army 413th Contracting Support Battalion, Fort Wainwright, Alaska, is the contracting activity (W912D0-19-F-8U95). (Awarded April 26, 2019) The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $39,478,219 modification (PZ0017) to Foreign Military Sales (Saudi Arabia) contract W58RGZ-17-C-0031 for post-production system support, which includes integrated product support, of the AH-64 aircraft in support of the Saudi Arabia National Guard. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona; Hazelwood, Missouri; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2020. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales funds in the amount of $39,478,219 were obligated at the time of the award. Army is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $30,794,224 modification (P00080) to Foreign Military Sales (Saudi Arabia) contract W31P4Q-15-C-0043 for Hellfire guided missile launcher and electronic assembly. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2023. Fiscal 2010, 2011, 2017, 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement, Army; operations and maintenance, Army; research, development, test and evaluation; foreign military sales; and other funds in the combined amount of $30,794,224 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Maverick Constructors LLC,* Lutz, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0001); ABBA Construction Inc.,* Jacksonville, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0002); Warden Construction Corp.,* Jacksonville, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0003); D & M Construction Group Inc.,* Gainesville, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0004); J.A.M. Construction Services Inc.,* Merritt Island, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0005); Core Engineering & Construction Inc.,* Winter Park, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0006); Johnson-Laux Construction LLC,* Orlando, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0007); and E.L.C.I. Construction Group Inc., North Miami, Florida (W911YN-19-D-0008), will compete for each order of the $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction projects in support of the Florida National Guard. Bids were solicited via the internet with 28 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2024. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office of Florida is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 26, 2019) Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics, Merrimack, New Hampshire, was awarded a $19,491,157 firm-fixed-price contract for protective fabric shelter kits. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Merrimack, New Hampshire, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2024. Fiscal 2018 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $1,681,301 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-D-3013). JCB Inc., Pooler, Georgia, was awarded a $17,071,687 modification (P00001) to contract W56HZV-19-F-0046 for High Mobility Engineer Excavator vehicles. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan 31, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 26, 2019) System Studies & Simulation Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $12,364,338 modification (0004 19) to contract W31P4Q-09-A-0019 for technical support services. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 other procurement; and research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $12,364,338 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Travis Association for the Blind, Austin, Texas, was awarded an $11,287,227 modification (P00003) to contract W56HZV-18-C-0067 for the repair, cleaning, warehousing, and distribution of organizational clothing and individual equipment. Work will be performed in Austin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $11,287,227 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. PAE Government Systems Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an $8,153,796 modification (P00011) to Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan) contract for the National Maintenance Strategy Ground Vehicle Support effort. Work will be performed in Kabul, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $8,153,796 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 26, 2019) MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Arizona, is being awarded $26,991,627 for a modification (P00155) to the previously awarded sole-source, cost-plus-incentive-fee Standard Missile-3 Block IIA contract (HQ0276-10-C-0005). This modification provides for additional Ballistic Missile Defense upgrades and flight test support. The work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an expected completion date of June 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $15,858,243 will be obligated at time of award. The modification increases the total cumulative face value of the contract by $26,991,627 (from $2,105,137,599 to $2,132,129,227). The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), Atlanta, Georgia, was awarded a sole source, non-commercial, cost-plus-fixed fee contract on April 28, 2019, in support of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) National Leadership Capability Command office. This contract will provide for development and deployment of the Secure Integration Cloud, the Joint Access Database Environment and the encompassing system architecture known as Secure Web Services. The face value of this action is $8,508,928 funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The total cumulative face value is $48,248,311. Performance will be at the contractor's facility. Proposal was issued via request for proposal, and one proposal was received from GTRI. This was a sole-source requirement sent to Georgia Tech Applied Research Corp. The period of performance is for a base period of 12 months beginning April 28, 2019, and two 6-month option periods through April 27, 2021. The DISA/Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1028-19-C-0008). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1829432/source/GovDelivery/

By: Mike Yeo MELBOURNE, Australia – the first of a new class of guided missile destroyer from China made an appearance at a naval review to mark the 70th Anniversary of the country's navy. The Type 055 destroyer, named the Nanchang, was among several ships of the People's Liberation Army Navy or PLAN that took part in the naval review held off the northern Chinese city of Qingdao with Chinese President Xi Jinping in attendance. China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning, a refurbished Soviet-era ship, was also in attendance along with 18 warships from 13 other nations including Australia, India and Japan. The United States declined an invitation to send its ships to the naval review, and France was disinvited after its frigate Vendémiaire sailed through the Taiwan Straits prior to the event, Reuters reported. The Nanchang was launched at Shanghai's Jiangnan Changxin shipyard in June 2017. The Type 055, which is classed as a cruiser by the Pentagon, measures almost 590 feet and displaces 10,000 tons according to specifications released by China — although some naval analysts believe that figure is an underestimation. Each ship is also equipped with a total of 112 vertical launch cells that are capable of launching either surface-to-air or anti-ship missiles, and fitted with a modern sensor suite that includes phased array radars. Speaking at a regular press briefing conducted by China's Ministry National Defense on Thursday, Senior Col. Ren Guoqiang confirmed that the Nanchang is on the verge of completing sea trials and will be officially handed over to the PLAN later this year. In addition to the Nanchang, recent open-source satellite and aerial imagery show that seven other Type 055s are in various states of construction and fitting out at the two major Chinese naval shipyards in Shanghai and Dalian. The latter is also where China's first domestically-built carrier, which is based closely on the Liaoning, is currently being completed. Further underscoring the astonishing pace of China's ongoing naval buildup, the photos also show five other smaller Type 052D destroyers undergoing construction at Dalian with six more being built at Shanghai. The latter shipyard has four more destroyers of an unknown sub-type being put together, along with what are reportedly the modules for China's third and largest aircraft carrier. https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2019/04/26/chinas-latest-class-of-warship-makes-its-public-debut/

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Sea Box,* Cinnaminson, New Jersey, (SPRD11-19-D-0100, $471,828,000); W&K Containers,* Mill Valley, California, (SPRDL1-19-D-0101, $19,513,750); and NexGen Composites,* Franklin, Ohio (SPRDL1-19-D-0097, $253,608,919) have each been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for ISO & Quadcon Containers. They are five-year contracts with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. Locations of performance are New Jersey, Texas, California, South Carolina and Ohio, with an Oct. 29, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan. Freeman Holdings of Arizona, LLC, doing business as Million Air Yuma,* Yuma, Arizona, has been awarded a minimum $21,991,384 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 148 responses received. This is a 46-month contract with one six-month option period. Location of performance is Arizona, with a March 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE607-19-D-0076). Rantec Power Systems, Los Osos, California, has been awarded a maximum $8,429,618 firm-fixed-price contract for two different power supplies. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year base contract with one one-year option period for each power supply. The majority of the option is being exercised at the time of award. Location of performance is California, with a March 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-C-0106). AIR FORCE The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $127,632,494 modification (P00003) to previously awarded contract FA2103-18-C-0061 for the B61-12 Life Extension Program. This modification provides for the initiation of an undefinitized contract action for Lot 1 and Lot 2 Long Lead items. Work will be performed in Saint Charles, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 31, 2020. His modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $131,932,494. Fiscal year 2018 and 2019 procurement funds, and fiscal year 2019 research and development funds, in the amount of $29,218,278 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, has been awarded a $94,272,118 fixed‐price‐incentive modification (P00004) to previously awarded contract FA8620-18-C-2001 for DAS‐4 production and upgrades. This modification provides for the purchase of an additional 54 production AN/DAS‐4 Multi‐Spectral Targeting System Model B High Definition/Target Location Accuracy (HD/TLA) turrets and one DAS‐1A to DAS‐4 turret unit upgrade. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2021. This contract involves foreign military sales to The Netherlands. Fiscal year 2017 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $1,480,393, fiscal year 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $22,338,740, fiscal year 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $60,142,814, and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $10,310,171 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright‐Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a $46,794,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Proactive Research Enabling Supportable Systems (PRESS). This contract provides for PRESS in order to improve materials and processes for maintainability and manufacturing. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by May 1, 2026. This contract was the result of a competitive acquisition and 3 offers were received. Fiscal year 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $508,000 are being obligated on the first task order at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-D-5630). NAVY Granite-Healy Tibbitts, JV, Watsonville, California, was awarded $27,186,257 for firm-fixed-price task order N6247319F4540 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-16-D-1803) for construction of maintenance dredging piers 1, 3, and Paleta Creek at Naval Base San Diego. The maintenance dredging will re-establish the design operational and/or berthing depth required for United States Navy vessels and other visiting vessels. The dredge material is expected to be disposed of at upland disposal sites. All dredge material for upland disposal will be screened for unexploded ordnance and radiological debris, dried or dewatered prior to transport for disposal at a commercial landfill. The proposed maintenance dredging work will remove dredge material to restore the pier slips and creek area for safe, unrestricted navigation. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $38,244,577. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by November 2021. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $27,186,257 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 25, 2019) Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $26,890,125 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of Navy engineering services. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $201,706,155. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (68 percent); Waterford, Connecticut (10 percent); Groton, Connecticut (10 percent); Middletown, Rhode Island (7 percent); and Newport, Rhode Island (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2025. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement (Navy) and fiscal 2019 research development test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,155,627 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-6400). Miller Electric Co. Inc. doing business as PEC Contracting and Engineering*, Reno, Nevada, was awarded a maximum amount $25,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for commercial and institutional building construction alterations, renovations, and repair projects at Naval Air Station Fallon. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task order with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of administration buildings, maintenance/repair facilities, aircraft control towers, hangars, fire stations, office buildings, laboratories, dining facilities and related structures. Work will be performed in Fallon, Nevada. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of April 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 11 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2617). (Awarded April 25, 2019) Centerra-SJC II, LLC. *, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $15,374,563 firm-fixed-price task order modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N69450-15-D-1621) for exercise of options two, three, four, and five for renovations to 84 housing units. The work to be performed provides for complete exterior and interior repairs for 84 housing units at Tierra Kay Housing complex. The renovation of the Tierra Kay housing areas is to provide quality housing for unaccompanied service members, and will improve quality of life during their deployment to Guantanamo Bay. This will optimize energy performance of the housing area. The total task order amount after exercise of these options will be $18,612,025. Work will be performed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and is expected to be completed by April 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations & maintenance, (Army) contract funds in the amount of $15,374,563 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 25, 2019) Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $13,908,052 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-5102 to exercise an option for AEGIS Speed to Capability Development. The contract provides for systems engineering, modeling and simulation, and design for AEGIS Speed to Capability cycles as well as the completion of the development and fielding of the AEGIS Baseline 9 AEGIS Weapon System and integrated AEGIS Combat System on AEGIS Technical Insertion (TI) 12 configured destroyers as well as TI 12 and TI 08 configured cruisers. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (97 percent) and Johnstown, Pennsylvania (3 percent) and is expected to be complete by May 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test & evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,938,130 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Didlake, Inc., Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $12,076,573 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity modification for the exercise of option four for annual custodial services at Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for annual custodial services, including, but not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor, and transportation services necessary to perform custodial services for office space, restrooms, and other types of rooms. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $53,345,575. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various installations in Portsmouth, Virginia (43 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (44 percent); and Yorktown, Virginia (13 percent). This option period is from May 2019 to April 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Task orders will be primarily funded by Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $11,705,043 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-15-D-0063). Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $9,142,030 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-5151 for AEGIS Ashore Support and Ship Integration and Engineering of the AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) for AWS Baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 16. The contract modification provides for AEGIS ashore on-site support in Romania and Poland, AEGIS Ashore Planning Yard support and Ship Integration Engineering support including technical data package and test package/procedure development; technical documentation; feasibility studies; configuration management support; lifecycle and system engineering; environmental qualification testing; topside analysis; Ballistic Missile Defense engineering; combat system alignment and integration of Advanced Naval Weapon Systems on DDG 51 Class ships. Work will be performed in Camden, New Jersey (29 percent), Deveselu, Romania (15 percent), Redzikowo, Poland (15 percent), Moorestown, New Jersey (13 percent), Norfolk, Virginia (9 percent), San Diego, California (9 percent), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (5 percent), and various places below one percent (5 percent) and is expected to be complete by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,268,951 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, a not-for-profit University Affiliated Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a ceiling $100,000,000 modification (P00003) to previously awarded indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract HR0011-17-D-0001 for engineering, development and research capabilities. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $198,000,000 from $98,000,000. Work will primarily be performed in Laurel, Maryland, with an expected completion date of November 2021. IDIQ task orders can extend an additional six months until May 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1825952/source/GovDelivery/

By SAMANTHA MASUNAGA The year was 1989. The Pentagon was under the command of President George H.W. Bush and Defense Secretary Dick Cheney. And aviation giant McDonnell Douglas Corp. was riding high as the top federal contractor, grabbing 4.6%, or $9.15 billion, of all federal contracting dollars. The next two largest contractors, General Dynamics Corp. and General Electric Co., raked in about 4% and 3.4%, respectively. Thirty years and many acquisitions later, Pentagon spending has grown far more top-heavy. Today, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing — which bought McDonnell Douglas in 1997 — together reaped almost 15% of total U.S. government contracting dollars in fiscal year 2017, according to the most recent federal numbers. The two aerospace giants are the only makers of fast combat jets in the U.S. and are the dominant players for military transport aircraft. The concentrated power of big defense companies became an issue two years ago when longtime Boeing executive Patrick Shanahan was confirmed as deputy secretary of Defense. Then in December, President Trump named him to serve as acting Defense secretary. After a monthlong ethics investigation into allegations that Shanahan promoted Boeing while slamming rival Lockheed Martin, particularly in discussions about its F-35 fighter jet contract, the Pentagon's office of inspector general concluded Thursday that Shanahan “did not promote Boeing or disparage its competitors.” “We did not substantiate any of the allegations,” the report said. “We determined that Mr. Shanahan fully complied with his ethics agreements and his ethical obligations regarding Boeing and its competitors.” Shanahan is considered a leading candidate for permanent Defense secretary. The question of possible favoritism toward Boeing had also been raised by some when the U.S. Air Force, in its 2020 budget, made a surprise request to purchase F-15X fighter jets, an update of that company's fourth-generation jet. The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have all made major commitments to the F-35, Lockheed Martin's more advanced and pricier fifth-generation fighter. The inspector general report said the Pentagon's mix of fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft was a decision made by former Defense Secretary James N. Mattis before Shanahan's confirmation to the department. A Defense official told trade publication Defense News that the decision was bolstered by concerns about keeping “multiple providers in the tactical aircraft portfolio.” But there was no contract competition based on a set of defined requirements — the way business typically works in the industry, said Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst at market analysis firm Teal Group. “It's a duopoly structure business with a lot at stake,” he said of fast combat jet manufacturing. “It's amazing that no one considered the optics here.” In some cases, the military has encouraged monopolies. In 2006, Lockheed Martin and Boeing got government approval to form United Launch Alliance, a joint venture set up specifically to launch national security satellites. The venture was proposed after the companies argued there were not enough launches to sustain two competitors. “The market is more concentrated,” said Mandy Smithberger, director of the Center for Defense Information at the Project on Government Oversight, an independent watchdog group. “You see the government making decisions thinking about how it will impact industry probably more than they should be.” Still, when President Reagan was in office, there were a number of major manufacturers of tactical military jets — Northrop Corp., Grumman Corp., Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and General Dynamics, to name a few, Aboulafia said. But as the Cold War ended in the 1990s, defense funding dried up, leading to major aerospace mergers, such as Lockheed and Martin Marietta, and Boeing's acquisition of Rockwell International's aerospace business and McDonnell Douglas. A push for commonality among the Pentagon's planes also led to the fewer numbers of tactical military jets. The idea was that using similar aircraft would lead to savings in development and production costs, Andrew Hunter, director of the defense-industrial initiatives group at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think tank, said in an email. As a result, the share of federal defense contracts awarded to the top largest private companies increased to 31.3% in 2000 from 21.7% in 1990, according to a National Bureau of Economic Research working paper on the effect of 1990s-era defense industry consolidation. In 2017, the share of the top five reached 35%, according to federal data analyzed for that paper by Stanford University researchers. The paper concluded that those mergers resulted in a less competitive procurement process. But it did not find evidence of a significant increase in acquisition costs for large weapon systems, said Mark Duggan, director of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and co-author of the paper. As the industry gets more concentrated, it can lead to concern that “there's only one or two potential contractors for a certain product, and then you may not get the kind of competitive outcome you want,” he said. The consolidation process hasn't slowed, driven by the perceived need to compete for more and bigger contracts. Last year, Northrop Grumman Corp. acquired spacecraft and rocket motor manufacturer Orbital ATK Inc. Months later, military communications firms L3 Technologies Inc. and Harris Corp. announced their intent to merge. Although acquisitions and mergers can lead to greater efficiency, they can also have a detrimental effect on product innovation, said Aboulafia of Teal Group. For example, he said, as aircraft manufacturers consolidate, clean-sheet designs may be more of a rarity in the future as there are fewer design teams in the industry from different companies. For Boeing, “in terms of designing a clean-sheet fighter jet, it's been many, many, many years,” he said. In 2017, Lockheed Martin won more than $50 billion in total federal contracting dollars, making the Bethesda, Md., company No. 1 on a list of the top 100 federal contractors, according to federal procurement data. Boeing was a distant second with more than $23 billion. When narrowed to weapon acquisition contract dollars in fiscal year 2017, Lockheed Martin's individual piece of the pie totaled about 17%, with Boeing further behind at about 7.5%, according to federal data analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. News of the Defense Department ethics investigation came after watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the acting Defense Department inspector general, asking him to investigate allegations that Shanahan had boosted Boeing while working in the Pentagon. The letter includes a description from a Politico story published in January, in which Shanahan allegedly criticized Lockheed Martin's work on the F-35 joint strike fighter program, saying it “would be done much better” if Boeing had won the contract. In that article, an unnamed former Pentagon official told the news organization that Shanahan said during a high-level meeting that Lockheed “doesn't know how to run a program.” The inspector general's report said none of the witnesses interviewed said they heard Shanahan praise Boeing in meetings or discussions or make disparaging remarks about Lockheed Martin. Shanahan told the inspector general's team that he had never praised a Boeing military product and that he had said “program management on the F-35 is inadequate.” Shanahan's Boeing career spanned more than 30 years, during which he led its missile defense systems and military helicopter units. He also served as senior vice president of the company's commercial airplane division and is known for his work on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner program, which was behind schedule when he first took the helm. Boeing declined to comment this month on the initiation of the ethics investigation. The company referred to a statement it made in January, saying Boeing officials had not spoken to Shanahan about its programs during “his entire Pentagon tenure” and that the company “adheres to and respects Acting Secretary Shanahan's decision to recuse himself from company matters.” Shanahan isn't the first industry executive to lead the Defense Department. Under President Eisenhower, Defense Secretary Charles Wilson joined the Pentagon after serving as chief executive of General Motors, which made military vehicles at the time. Other defense industry brass have also joined the Pentagon over the years, though in lower roles. Analysts say the Pentagon could benefit from having a leader who understands how industry works, and who has been on the other side of the negotiating table and can avoid being tricked. And the Defense secretary typically works less with industry representatives than deputies do. “Secretaries aren't making a lot of decisions on individual contracts,” Smithberger said. “They're setting the priorities for the department.” But the potential conflicts may be “hard to escape,” said Loren Thompson, defense analyst at the Lexington Institute think tank, which receives funding from both Boeing and Lockheed Martin. “Boeing is so big that almost every discussion of strategy, budgets or programs bears upon its interests,” he said. https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-boeing-lockheed-shanahan-20190426-story.html

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Overall military expenditures rose 2.6 percent between 2017 and 2018, to hit a total of $1.82 trillion dollars, according to new research from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. The total from 2018 is 5.4 percent higher than 2009, and represents a 76 percent increase over 1998, a 20-year period. Sixty percent of global military spending came from five countries: The United States ($649 billion), China ($250 billion), Saudi Arabia ($67.6 billion), India ($66.5 billion) and France ($63.8 billion). Russia ($61.4 billion) and the United Kingdom ($50 billion) were the other two countries to spend $50 billion or more on defense. However, there are ups and downs among the biggest spenders. While the U.S. (4.6 percent, the first overall growth since 2010), China (5 percent) and India (3.1 percent) increased their respective military spending year over year, Saudi Arabia cut its spending by 6.5 percent, France by 1.4 percent and Russia by 3.5 percent. And overall defense spending per gross domestic product fell to 2.1 percent in 2018, representing $239 per global citizen, a 0.1 percent decrease over one year and a 0.5 percent decrease over 10 years. Notably, Russia ranked outside the top five for the first time since 2006. China, meanwhile, increased its military spending for the 24th consecutive year, and its spending is almost 10 times higher than it was in 1994; however, researchers warn that Chinese growth may slow in the coming year. “The annual rate of growth of China's military spending has slowed steadily since it reached a post-2009 high of 9.3 percent in 2013. The growth of 5.0 percent in 2018 was the lowest annual increase since 1995,” the authors note. “China has followed a policy of linking growth in military spending with economic growth. With its economic growth slowing in 2018 to the lowest level in 28 years, slower rates of growth in the coming years can be expected if China continues to follow this policy.” SIPRI, which is widely considered to be the authority on military expenditures and exports, having gathered such data for decades. Other key developments, as noted by the researchers: Military spending in South America rose by 3.1 percent in 2018. This was mainly due to the increase in Brazilian spending (by 5.1 percent), the second increase in as many years. Military expenditure in Africa fell by 8.4 percent in 2018, the fourth consecutive annual decrease since the peak in spending in 2014. There were major decreases in spending by Algeria (–6.1 percent), Angola (–18 percent) and Sudan (–49 percent). Military spending by states in the Middle East, for which data is available, fell by 1.9 percent in 2018. Total military expenditure by all 29 NATO members was $963 billion in 2018, which accounted for 53 percent of world spending. Military spending in Turkey increased by 24 percent in 2018 to $19 billion, the highest annual percentage increase among the world's top 15 military spenders. Six of the 10 countries with the highest military burden (military spending as a proportion of GDP) in the world in 2018 are in the Middle East: Saudi Arabia (8.8 percent of GDP), Oman (8.2 percent), Kuwait (5.1 percent), Lebanon (5 percent), Jordan (4.7 percent) and Israel (4.3 percent). https://www.defensenews.com/global/2019/04/28/heres-how-much-global-military-spending-rose-in-2018

AIR FORCE The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory, Lexington, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $2,038,147,146 modification (P00020) to previously awarded contract FA8702-15-D-0001 for the operation of the Lincoln Laboratory Federally Funded Research and Development Center. This modification provides for advanced technology research and development activities that focus on long-term technology development as well as rapid system prototyping and demonstration. Work will be performed in Lexington, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2020. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $9,600,000,000, and no funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Missions Systems, Scottsdale, Arizona, has been awarded a $20,241,853 requirements contract for Identification Friend or Foe KIV-78 Mode 4/5 Cryptographic Applique production. The contract provides for KIV-78 units, Delorean Circuit Card Assemblies, data and technical support for United States and foreign military sales requirements. Work will be performed in Scottsdale, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by April 24, 2023. No funds are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Cryptologic and Cyber Systems Division, Joint-Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8307-19-D-0004). ARMY Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $723,550,174 modification (P00011) to domestic and Foreign Military Sales (Lebanon, Netherlands and France) contract W31P4Q-18-C-0130 to procure a variety of HELLFIRE II missile variants. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $723,550,174 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Korte Construction Co., St. Louis, Missouri, was awarded a $31,295,038 firm-fixed-price contract to design and build an Integrated Training Center Academics Building at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Okaloosa, Florida, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2021. Fiscal 2016 and 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $31,295,038 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0013). Gentex Corp., Simpson, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $27,860,817 firm-fixed-price contract for the Head Gear Unit 56/P Rotary Wing Helmet. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-D-0070). Yorktown Systems Group Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $23,650,768 modification (P00025) to contract W911S0-17-C-0007 for Asymmetric Warfare Group operations support services. Work will be performed in Fort Meade, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $18,800,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. NAVY British Aerospace Engineering Systems Technology Solutions and Services, Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00421-19-D-0045); Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., McLean, Virginia (N00421-19-D-0048); Coherent Technical Services, Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-19-D-0049); Engility Corp., Andover, Maine (N00421-19-D-0050); Gryphon Technologies, LC., Washington, District of Columbia (N00421-19-D-0051); J.F. Taylor, Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-19-D-0052) and Valkyrie Enterprises, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00421-19-D-0053) are each awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, multi-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts to provide engineering support services for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems as well as developmental programs such as the Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) and unmanned programs for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and other Department of Defense activities. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $98,625,565 with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland, and various awardee and customer sites to be determined on individual orders and is expected to be completed in April 2024. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, seven offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $90,773,387 for fixed-price-incentive-fee modification P00014 to a previously awarded contract (N0001918C1048). This modification will stand up organic depot repair capabilities for the F-35 integrated core processor. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas (39.1 percent); Owego, New York (32.7 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (14.5 percent); Camden, New Jersey (5.9 percent); Clearwater, Florida (5 percent) and Melbourne, Florida (2.8 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2022. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy) funds in the amount of $90,773,387 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($45,386,693; 50 percent), U.S. Marine Corps ($22,693,347; 25 percent) and the U.S. Navy ($22,693,347; 25 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded an $89,011,500 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract for the technical and engineering services to integrate various external stores and alternative mission equipment onto the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (40 percent), Patuxent River, Maryland (40 percent); Tullahoma, Tennessee (8 percent); Mountain View, California (8 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2 percent); and Buffalo, New York (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $482,841 will be obligated at time of award; none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001919D0021). Amethyst Builders, LLC*, Ewa Beach, Hawaii (N62478-19-D-4029); Concept 2 Completion, LLC*, Kailua, Hawaii (N62478-19-D-4030); D&D Construction, Inc.*, Waipahu, Hawaii (N62478-19-D-4031); and MEI Corp.*, Hauula, Hawaii (N62478-19-D-4032), are each awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award design-bid-build construction contracts for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii area of responsibility (AOR). The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years for all four contracts combined is $48,000,000. The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, new construction, addition, alteration, maintenance, and repair work by design-bid-build for the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and various Federal Agencies located in the State of Hawaii. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. No task orders are being issued at this time. All work on the contract will be performed within the NAVFAC Hawaii AOR. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of April 2024. Fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $20,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 20 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Harris Corp., Roanoke, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $50,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production of Image Intensifying tubes in support of the AN/AVS-6 and AN/AVS-9 Aviator's Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS). 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 five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Virginia, with an April 24, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SPRBL1-19-D-0029). Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Co., Inc.,* St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $11,902,218 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for telescope and quadrant mounts. This was a competitive acquisition with one response received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a March 25, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-19-D-0083). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1824510/source/GovDelivery/

GUIDE À L'INTENTION DES ENTREPRISES QUI SOUHAITENT FAIRE DES AFFAIRES EN FRANCE https://www.desjardins.com/ressources/pdf/c00-entreprendre-le-marche-francais-f.pdf

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN The Canadian Forces and Department of National Defence has updated the status of a number of its major procurement programs including the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships which it says will be fully operational by 2025. Under the schedule the first ship is to be delivered sometime this summer to the Royal Canadian Navy but won't be operational until 2020, according to the update. Other ships will follow over the years with the fleet being declared fully operational in 2025, according to the schedule. Each ship will go through various tests and sea trials, with ships being brought on line as those are finished and crews are trained. The Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships, or AOPS, being built by Irving Shipbuilding, were announced in 2007 by then prime minister Stephen Harper. The vessels were supposed to be in the water by 2013. But the program has faced delays. Critics have also questioned why Canada is paying around $400 million per ship when Denmark received similar vessels for $70 million each. In November 2018 the Liberal government announced it was building a sixth Arctic patrol ship to add to the five originally commissioned from Irving Shipbuilding. But it acknowledged that ship will cost taxpayers $800 million — double the price-tag of each of the other vessels. The Liberal government announced the construction of the sixth AOPS after a push by Irving and its employees for additional work. The project was originally to build five AOPS and only proceed with a sixth if Irving could find savings and work within the existing budget. That didn't happen, Department of National Defence officials noted. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/arctic-offshore-patrol-ship-fleet-to-fully-operational-in-2025-says-dnd

By: David B. Larter WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy is shaking up its plan for acquiring a new, much larger and more deadly version of its Virginia-class attack submarine it aims to start buying this year. The plan heading into this year was to start a contract on the 5th block of Virginias in October, beginning with an upgraded version of the block-four Virginia (a “straight-stick” Virginia), then the second boat in 2019 would be the first boat with the added with 84-foot section known as the Virginia Payload Module, designed to expand the Virginia's Tomahawk strike missile load-out from 12 to 40. The rest of the 10-ship buy was suppose to have the VPM, a move designed to offset the retirement of the four 154-Tomahawk-packing guided missile submarines in the mid-2020s. But the Navy is looking for savings and things have changed heading into the 2020 budget cycle. Instead of nine of 10 block-five Virginias being VPM boats, the Navy is proposing to Congress that they add a third Virginia in 2020, but the first boat will be another “straight-stick.” Then in 2021, the Navy will return to buying two Virginias, but the first boat again will be a straight-stick and the second will have VPM. All the block five boats, VPM and otherwise, will have acoustic upgrades. The net effect will be one fewer Virginia Payload Module in the block-five buy. Instead of nine of 10 boats in the buy having VPM, the Navy is proposing that eight of 11 boats have the VPM, deferring the VPM presumably to Virginia Block Six, which is slated to begin in 2024. The last-minute shuffling of the deck on Virginia, which includes pushing out VPM boats for which Congress had already appropriated advanced procurement money, shifts what was originally supposed to be the end of the straight-stick Virginias this year to buying one new straight stick a year for the next three years. This has raised concerns among those in the submarine building industry because of the potential for disruptions in the workflow at the yards, which is carefully planned out years in advance, and could even bleed over into the new, strategically vital Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine program. “Just like there is one rule in real estate (‘location, location, location'), there is one rule in building ships: Predictability, predictability, predictability,” said Dan Gouré, a former Bush Administration defense official and military analyst with the Arlington-based Lexington Institute. “And they are messing with that now, for the first time in quite a while. And that makes no sense.” The late changes have also affected the timeline for contract negotiations, and a source with knowledge of the details said a planned April contract date for block five is now unlikely. The date had already slipped from the beginning of the fiscal year in October, according to 2018 budget documents. The Virginia-class program has begun seeing creeping delays which the Navy acknowledged this year will likely be between four and seven months on each boat for the foreseeable future. The service says it has struggled to meet more aggressive construction timelines because of issues within the supplier base, which are causing delays. A spokesman for the Navy's research, development and acquisition office said he wouldn't comment on precisely what savings would be achieved with the strategy, citing ongoing negotiations, but said the move of a matter of competing priorities within the budget. He also said the changes in the VPM schedule were not part of ongoing supplier challenges. “To support the Navy's PB-20 request the decision to delay VPMs in FY-20 and 21 was based on competing requirements,” said Capt. Danny Hernandez, RD&A spokesman. “This was not based on any issues with shipbuilding or supply chain.” Added Wrinkle The third boat in 2020 also adds a wrinkle to the schedule. According to the Navy's justification books, the third boat will not start construction until 2023, which is the year before the service plans to buy a second Columbia-class boomer. That means the shipyards will be building three Virginias in 2023. The Virginia Payload Module strategy of continuing to buy straight-stick Virginias into 2021, ensures that General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Newport News will be building both straight sticks and Virginia Payload Module Virginia-class boats and the Columbia class simultaneously through 2026 and beyond, according to Navy budget documents. That will stress the yards and the supplier base, raising the risk that Columbia could run late, according to an industry source who spoke on background. “The juxtaposition of Virginia VPM and Columbia will be an added challenge for the shipyards,” the source said. “VPM and Columbia will have no learning curves when both projects are started. As we saw with Seawolf and Virginia (and every other first of a class ship the Navy has ever built) first ships are late and over cost. “Unfortunately, with the delay to the original program, Congress and the Navy have run the clock down, so there is no margin for Columbia to be late.” The mounting challenges within the submarine building enterprise prompted RD&A chief James Geurts to stand up a new program office specifically for the Columbia class, which was previously organized under Program Executive Office Submarines. Rear Adm. Scott Pappano is heading the new enterprise. “My concern was with Columbia being our No. 1 acquisition priority and all the other submarine activities we have going on, do we have enough leadership bandwidth available to oversee and run all those programs simultaneously?” Geurts said in an early March roundtable with reporters. “As I understand the challenges going forward, [I wanted to] get PEO-level support to that program as it starts ramping up. And I didn't want to wait for a crisis for that to occur; I wanted to make sure we are proactively working the program.” https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/04/04/the-us-navy-seeking-savings-shakes-up-its-plans-for-more-lethal-attack-submarines/