Nouvelles

Lockheed Martin has officially launched the flight evaluation phase of its F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) for Finland's HX programme, with a pair of aircraft arriving at Tampere-Pirkkala Airbase north of Helsinki on 9 February. The two aircraft were part of a flight of four that departed Luke Air Force Base (AFB) in Arizona on 5 February but problems with the aerial refuelling tankers assigned to support the aircraft on their trans-Atlantic crossing meant that only two F-35As were able to make the journey. Lockheed Martin's arrival in Finland for its HX Challenge evaluation followed earlier stints from the Eurofighter Typhoon from 9 to 17 January, the Dassault Rafale from 20 to 28 January, and the Saab Gripen E and GlobalEye airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft from 30 January to 6 February. With the F-35A evaluation set to run through to 17 February, Boeing will conclude proceedings with its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler aircraft from 18 to 26 February. For the HX evaluations, Finland is assessing a potential replacement for the air force's 55 Boeing F/A-18C and seven F/A-18D Hornet fighters. The government's request for quotations (RFQs) calls for a "capability" to be delivered for EUR10 billion (USD13 billion), which includes the cost of acquiring the aircraft, infrastructure, training, and support from the arrival of the first aircraft in 2025, through the declaration of initial operating capability (IOC) in 2027 and full-operating capability (FOC) in 2030. After this time, support and sustainment funding will move from the acquisition to the operations budget. The evaluations are being held in three phases against the Finnish Air Force's concept of operations (CONOPS). https://www.janes.com/article/94239/finland-launches-hx-evaluations-for-f-35a?from_rss=1

by Robert Farley Follow drfarls on TwitterL Key Point: Paris has a long history of building aircraft carriers, including their current nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle. If France wants to remain a relevant great power, it needs to think about what comes next after its carrier reaches retirement. France's first carrier entered service in the interwar period, but for a very long time the French navy trailed behind international counterparts in naval aviation. This changed in the Cold War, however, and today France operates the world's most advanced carrier outside of the U.S. Navy. How did France build its naval aviation force, what does it do today and what direction will France take next? The History of French Carriers Soon after World War I, France joined the international carrier community through the conversion of the battleship hulk Bearn. Although large, Bearn did not carry many aircraft and never actively participated in combat, even during World War II. The construction of two additional large carriers was suspended by World War II, but after the war the French navy gained access to light carriers transferred from Britain and the United States. Four in total, these carriers helped the French navy develop its naval aviation muscles. The next step was big; France constructed a pair of CATOBAR aircraft carriers, Clemenceau and Foch. Commissioned in 1961 and 1963, the ships displaced 30,000 tons and could carry around forty modern aircraft. A third carrier, the much larger Verdun, was cancelled before being laid down. Clemenceau and Foch, operating the F-8 Crusader and later the Super Etendard, would form the backbone of the world's second largest carrier force for the latter half of the Cold War. After nearly forty years of hard service, the two ships were decommissioned in favor of France's next carrier, the nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/can-france-eventually-replace-its-single-aircraft-carrier-122231

Fairfax, Va., February 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - General Dynamics Mission Systems announced today it was awarded a contract for the Army Consolidated Product Line Management Plus (CPM Plus) Program from the Army Contracting Command in Orlando, Florida. CPM Plus is an eight year, single-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, cost-plus fixed-fee/firm-fixed price contract with a ceiling of $883 million. Executing the contract will improve the Army's individual and collective expeditionary training systems at unit home stations and the major Combat Training Centers, including Military Operations on Urban Terrain training sites, live fire and digital ranges and additional training facilities located worldwide. "Modernizing the training experience is one of the Army's six modernization priorities," said Chris Brady, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. "This award increases the viability, relevancy, and alignment of the Army's current live training systems while bridging to the future Synthetic Training Environment that will be delivered to soldiers worldwide." General Dynamics will focus primarily on the extensive Live Training Transformation (LT2) Product Line, the Common Training Instrumentation Architecture, and the Live Training Engagement Composition for the Project Manager for Soldier Training portfolio within the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. The operational focus will be implemented through an agile, capabilities-based organization to evolve the LT2 Family of Training Systems. The intent is to reduce total ownership cost and operational complexity, to increase technology agility and concurrency, and to enable enhanced Soldier training effectiveness. General Dynamics' expanded seamless Product Line Engineering approach will build upon the Project Manager for Soldier Training's investments to extend product line governance, processes and tools supporting new training domains such as Virtual Training Systems and the Synthetic Training Environment. CPM Plus is a follow-on contract to CPM Next, which was awarded to General Dynamics in 2015. General Dynamics Mission Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). More information about General Dynamics Mission Systems is available at gdmissionsystems.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/general-dynamics-mission-systems-awarded-883-million-contract-to-modernize-us-army-training-programs-301003154.html SOURCE General Dynamics Mission Systems

Steve Trimble As the U.S. Defense Department accelerates hypersonic weapons fielding, the air force's top commander in the Pacific region emphasizes that the missile isn't the only technology required to realize an operational capability to strike targets at speeds faster than Mach 5. The air force plans to achieve an early operational capability in fiscal 2022 with the Lockheed Martin AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, a maneuvering boost glide missile fired from the wing of an aircraft, such as a Boeing B-52. Such weapons are capable of hitting targets at ranges over 1,000 km within 10 min., but similarly new advances in intelligence-gathering and command and control infrastructure are required in order to make full use of them, said Gen. Charles Brown, commander of Pacific Air Forces. “In the time of flight, eight to 10 minutes, I've got to have pretty good intel that the target is still going to be there, particularly if it's a mobile target,” Brown said. “Those are things I'm thinking about. It's nice to have this weapon, but I've got to have the whole thing.” The Defense Department also is working on other long-range-missile technologies. In August, Russia and the U.S. governments withdrew from the 32-year-old Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, allowing both countries to follow China's lead in fielding ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles with a range of between 500 km and 5,000 km. Since August, the DOD has demonstrated a rudimentary ground-launched cruise missile and ballistic missile in flight, but a fielding decision is still pending a policy decision by the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD). Brown could offer no update on the status of the policy decision. “That may be a logical conclusion, but I'd refer you to OSD on where their approach is and where the department might land as far as where we're going in the future,” Brown said. https://aviationweek.com/shownews/singapore-airshow/ready-fire-aim-pacaf-chief-emphasizes-hypersonics

NewSpace Networks will bid against Lockheed Martin for bankrupt Vector Launch's GalacticSky software-defined satellite assets, says co-founder Shaun Coleman. By THERESA HITCHENS WASHINGTON: Three of the founders of bankrupt Vector Launch have created a new startup, NewSpace Networks, to develop space software products for applications such as data analysis, cybersecurity, and the Internet of Things (IoT). As one of their first forays into the market, the company intends to respond to the Space Development Agency's January call for “leap-ahead technologies” for its evolving DoD space architecture. The new San Jose-based company is eyeing SDA's top two priorities: the so-called ‘transport layer' for Internet and communications connectivity and the ‘tracking layer' that will also cover hypersonic missiles. NewSpace Networks leadership believe they could provide capabilities to the ‘battle management layer,' and the ‘support layer' to enable ground and launch segments to support a responsive space architecture. “We could occupy several of those layers,” Robert Cleave, formerly Vector's chief revenue office, told me in a phone conversation today, which included NewSpace Network co-founders Shaun Coleman and John Metzger. Coleman was the first investor in Vector Launch; Metzger was vice president of software engineering. As we reported, the SDA's Jan. 21 Broad Area Announcement gives interested vendors one year to pitch their ideas. Coleman said that NewSpace Networks is the only company focused on creating a software-based infrastructure in space. Rather than building satellites, Cleave explained, “we see ourselves as a provider of software that makes the satellite smarter.” The idea is to move the aerospace industry from its current hardware focus to a focus on software, as has happened at big tech firms across Silicon Valley and is recognized by many of the Air Force's leadership. NewSpace Networks intends to target military and defense-related customers, along with commercial firms and civilian government agencies. This includes pitching to be a part of DoD's efforts to develop and use 5G high-speed communications capabilities and to provide connectivity to Army vehicles. But it also is looking at potential sales outside of the traditional aerospace community, such as vendors of autonomous vehicles, city governments interested in infrastructure monitoring, and even direct consumer sales of healthcare devices and entertainment services. The wide variety of potential customers is based on the fact that NewSpace Networks' planned products are focused on computing, data storage and processing capabilities at the edge, ones that have a wide variety of potential uses. According to today's announcement, NewSpace Networks's initial products will focus on “the unique challenges of edge computing via space connectivity.” But the company's tech also could be used with aircraft, drones or aerostats serving as the connectivity node, the co-founders explained. The company also intends to work on: Data analytics and analysis; Cloud integration; Network optimization; Virtualization & Hyperconvergence (the latter is industry jargon for combining computing, storage and networking in a single system); Space and air integration; Security and encryption; Application lifecycle management; and IoT enablement. Tuscon-based Vector was one of three commercial space firms chosen in April by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for its DARPA Launch Challenge, a $12 million competition to rapidly launch small satellites to Low Earth Orbit (LEO), until its surprise withdrawal in September due to financial difficulties. The other two companies were Virgin Orbit, which withdrew in October to concentrate on more lucrative customers, and the secretive California-based startup Astra, that first went public in early February via a website. According to a Feb. 3 profile in Bloomberg Businessweek, the firm intends its first launch on Feb. 21. Vector declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December, and as colleague Jeff Foust reported on Jan. 24 announced it would auction off its assets. Vector already has a $4.5 million bid from Lockheed Martin for its GalacticSky software-defined satellite technology — essentially a computer on orbit that can be configured for various satellite missions that will be accepted if no other firms issues a bid by Feb. 21. If others throw their hats in the ring, there will be an auction for GalacticSky on Feb. 25. And guess what? NewSpace Networks intends to do just that. “We will be bidding for GalacticSky as well,” Coleman said, noting that I was the first reporter they have told. The founders believe that GalacticSky's technology, that allows a satellite to act more like a cloud node than a mainframe computer, would be complementary to their own developments. Even if they don't win the auction, they hope to work with whoever wins. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/02/space-software-startup-to-pursue-sda-contracts

Par Michel Cabirol Le premier contrat de Recherche et Technologie du programme SCAF (Système de combat aérien du futur) doit être approuvé mercredi en principe par le Bundestag. Un contrat qui s'élève à 155 millions d'euros au total et financé à parité par la France et l'Allemagne. Le programme Système de combat d'avion du futur (SCAF) est sur la piste d'envol. Et c'est le Bundestag, le parlement allemand, qui a bizarrement (constitution allemande oblige) le "Go" entre ses mains pour faire décoller ce programme européen (Allemagne, France et Espagne) vital pour la souveraineté européenne. Traversé par les jeux de la politique intérieure allemande et ouvert aux influences industrielles ainsi qu'à une volonté propre de peser sur ces grands programmes franco-allemands, le Bundestag devra donc approuver ou pas mercredi le premier contrat de R&T (Recherche et technologie) du SCAF. Enfin, il ne faut pas non plus négliger le fait que le ministère de la Défense puisse jouer en sous-main avec le Parlement allemand en vue de négocier de nouvelles contreparties avec la France. Une chose est sure, le SCAF est prévu à l'ordre du jour du Bundestag de mercredi. C'est ce qui a été décidé mais le suspense est garanti jusqu'au tout dernier moment, le dossier pourrait être retiré par le gouvernement de l'ordre du jour si les recommandations du Parlement sur ce contrat donnaient lieu à de nouvelles surenchères. Il y a peu de temps encore, le gouvernement d'Angela Merkel était plutôt confiant sur ce calendrier. "Mais la prudence reste donc de mise", explique-t-on à Paris. Si tout a été négocié aux petits oignons par les étatiques (ministères des Armées et de la Défense) et les industriels, il est encore possible que des jeux politiques internes allemands parasitent le vote du contrat au Bundestag. "Mesdames et messieurs les parlementaires du Bundestag, votre vote dans quelques jours sur le démonstrateur du SCAF, aura une importance décisive, et enverra un signal politique fort, sur la volonté de nos deux pays de construire l'Europe de la défense", avait lancé à Strasbourg le 5 février la ministre des Armées, Florence Parly en conclusion de son discours devant l'Assemblée parlementaire franco-allemande. Un contrat signé en décembre en attente du Bundestag Le travail entre les étatiques français et allemands a été bien fait (tout est parfaitement équilibré dans le programme entre la France et l'Allemagne) et plutôt rapidement. D'autant que le contrat a été déjà signé en décembre par les industriels, qui se sont mis d'accord sur le devis. Un contrat qui sera mis en vigueur bien évidemment sous réserve d'acceptation du Bundestag. Quel est ce dossier qui va passer mercredi au grill des parlementaires allemands ? C'est un contrat de R&T de 155 millions d'euros (soit 148 millions pour la tranche ferme et 7 millions pour la tranche optionnelle), financé à parité par la France et l'Allemagne (77,5 millions d'euros chacun) et d'une durée de 18 mois. Ce contrat porte sur l'ensemble des cinq piliers du programme (avion, moteur, combat collaboratif connecté, drones et coordination du programme). Il doit faire travailler les industriels ensemble sur les technologies ainsi que sur leur maturation avec l'ambition de développer des démonstrateurs à l'horizon de 2026. Deux dossiers du SCAF (capteurs et furtivité) ont été remis à plus tard. Un premier contrat dit d'études de concept de 65 millions d'euros financé à parité avait signé en janvier 2019 avec une tranche ferme et une tranche optionnelle qui a été affermie fin octobre. Vers un contrat de démonstrateurs Ce premier contrat de R&T doit logiquement amener les industriels vers un deuxième contrat plus ambitieux, qui reste encore à définir par la France et l'Allemagne. Il doit être signé entre mi-21 et mi-22 et permettra avec des financements plus importants d'aller encore plus loin dans les travaux communs en vue de réaliser des démonstrateurs, dont notamment l'avion, le moteur, les drones et le combat collaboratif connecté. "Il y aura une stratégie complète de démonstration", souligne-t-on à La Tribune. Le montant de ce futur contrat devrait s'élever à plus de 1 milliard d'euros au moins. Tout dépendra si la phase de démonstration est saucissonnée en plusieurs tranches comme le voudrait le Bundestag afin de contrôler au plus serré le programme SCAF et donc peser sur le discussions entre la France et l'Allemagne. Au total, l'Allemagne et la France devront mettre plusieurs milliards d'euros. Et là, le programme deviendra irréversible, ce qui affaiblira le pouvoir de nuisance du Bundestag. Mais d'ici là, la course de haies va se poursuivre pour les Français face aux Allemands, qui n'auront de cesse de vouloir se renforcer et acquérir des compétences qu'ils n'ont pas pour devenir la première industrie aérospatiale européenne. https://www.latribune.fr/entreprises-finance/industrie/aeronautique-defense/le-premier-contrat-de-r-t-du-scaf-avion-de-combat-du-futur-passe-au-grill-du-bundestag-839400.html

U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND Institute of Applied Engineering Inc. (IAE), University of South Florida (USF), Tampa, Florida, was awarded an $85,000,000 maximum indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (H92405-20-D-0001) in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for access to applied research and advanced technology development. USSOCOM will collaborate with IAE to conduct research, hardware and software development, test and evaluation, demonstration, prototyping, and limited system production. Additionally, IAE will facilitate access to USF education and training resources. The work will be performed in Tampa and is expected to be completed by Feb. 9, 2025. The contract was awarded through other than full and open competition. USSOCOM headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb. 10, 2020) L3Harris Technologies Inc., Clifton, New Jersey, was awarded a $48,715,001 modification on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost reimbursable contract (H9224120D0001) for the Suite of Integrated Radio Frequency Countermeasures program for U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). This modification for program management, contractor logistics support, field service representatives and travel raises the contract ceiling to $50,000,000. The majority of the work will be performed in Clifton, New Jersey. This contract is a non-competitive award in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302.1. USSOCOM headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. NAVY Tekla Research Inc.,* Fredericksburg, Virginia, is awarded an $82,999,168 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides test and evaluation engineering, prototyping, and integration of warfare systems into Navy aircraft and aviation systems. In addition, this contract provides developmental test and evaluation of lab, ground, and flight-testing of newly installed or developmental systems and/or modifications to fleet-deployed systems as well as data gathering to support potentially new systems, improve existing systems, and experimentation and testing of prototypes. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (96.5%); China Lake, California (1%); Point Mugu, California (1%); Norfolk, Virginia (1%); and Lakehurst, New Jersey (0.5%), and is expected to be completed in March 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 a small business set-aside, competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0024). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri is awarded $19,271,301 for a firm-fixed-priced delivery order N00383-20-F-0AY0 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00383-18-G-AY01) for the repair of various avionics equipment used on the F/A-18 aircraft. Work will be performed in Lemoore, California (99%); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1%). Work will be completed by December 2022. Annual working capital funds (Navy) in the full amount of $19,271,301 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One source was solicited for this sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) and one offer was received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $67,584,243 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (PZ0010) to contract FA8615-16-C-6048 for upgrading F-16s for the government of Singapore. Work will be performed at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, Fort Worth, Texas; and in Singapore. This contract is expected to be completed by June 30, 2023, and is a Foreign Military Sales acquisition for the government of Singapore. This contract was a sole-source acquisition, and the total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,008,584,243. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Cyber Systems & Services Solutions, Bellevue, Nebraska, has been awarded a $17,590,503 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P0009) to contract FA8773-18-D-0002 to exercise Option II for Defensive Cyber Realization, Integration, and Operational Support (DCRIOS) services. Work will be performed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and is expected to be completed Feb. 28, 2021. This modification is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,934,344.00 are being obligated at the time of award. The 38th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity. ARMY Great Lakes Dredge & Deck Co. LLC, Old Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $17,573,575 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of Baltimore Harbor and York Spit Channel, Chesapeake. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 9, 2020. Fiscal 2020 cost-share and civil operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $17,573,575 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-C-0006). Safariland LLC, Casper, Wyoming, was awarded an $8,944,506 firm-fixed-price contract for a 12-gauge, direct-fire, low-hazard, non-shrapnel producing shell. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. 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 Feb. 11, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-20-F-0161). Midwest Construction Co.,* Nebraska City, Nebraska, was awarded a $7,310,007 firm-fixed-price contract for levee rehabilitation. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Papillion, Nebraska, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil flood control and coastal emergencies funds in the amount of $7,310,007 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska is the contracting activity (W9128F-20-C-0012). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2081595/source/GovDelivery/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump's defense budget request for fiscal 2021 includes major investments in research and development portfolios as well as “crucial” technologies as part of what the Pentagon is branding an “irreversible implementation” of the National Defense Strategy. However, the budget also features overall cuts to the Army and Navy top lines, as well as the divestment of legacy platforms from the Air Force. The president is requesting $705 billion for the Defense Department, including $69 billion in overseas contingency operations, or OCO, wartime funds. Total national security spending, including for the National Nuclear Security Administration and other outside agencies, is $740 billion, as set by a congressional budget agreement last year. Although not included in the budget documents, total top-line projections over the Future Years Defense Program, or FYDP, are $722 billion in FY22, $737 billion in FY23, $753 billion in FY24 and $768 billion in FY25, according to a senior defense official. Service budget top lines are $178 billion for the Army, a drop by $462 million from FY20 enacted levels; $207 billion for the Navy, down $1.9 billion from FY20; and $207 billion for the Air Force, up $1.7 billion from FY20. The budget also requests $113 billion for defensewide efforts, which includes the so-called fourth estate agencies, down $6.5 billion from FY20. Overall procurement funding sits at $136.9 billion. The OCO request of $69 billion is down dramatically from last year's $164 billion, and it comes in three flavors: $20.5 billion in “direct war requirements,” or funding for combat operations that will end at some point in locations like Iraq and Syria. $32.5 billion in “enduring requirements,” which covers funding for the sustainment of bases, as well as pots of money like the European Deterrence Initiative. $16 billion in “OCO for base,” a funding mechanism for money that could be in the base budget but is classified as OCO for the purpose of skirting budget caps imposed by Congress. Projection for OCO funding falls $20 billion in FY22 and FY23, and then to $10 billion for FY24 and FY25, as “certain OCO costs” are absorbed by the base budget, according to the White House's summary tables. There's no nondefense discretionary OCO proposed for FY21 or the out years. “This is a budget that makes difficult choices but they are actually choices that support the National Defense Strategy,” a senior defense official said on condition of anonymity ahead the budget rollout. “We can't have the best of everything in all areas,” the official added. “The low-hanging fruit is gone.” Among the tough choices: retiring 17 B-1 bombers, 44 A-10 planes, 24 Global Hawk drones, as well as 16 KC-10 and 13 KC-135 tankers from the Air Force. “When you look at these aircraft, they disproportionately take too much of the readiness account. That's where we've got to go,” the official said. “Those are really the tough choices we had to make. Because we can now take the additional manpower, the [spare parts], all those things we need to make those other aircraft more operationally available and have more flight hours available in the mission we need them to do.” Congress usually revises presidential budget submissions substantially before passing them into law. A prime target for lawmakers this year will be the Trump administration's favoritism for defense spending over nondefense, which contradicts the rough parity between two that's characterized bipartisan budget deals in recent years. Congress will also likely upend the administration's FY21 proposal to cut the nondefense base budget by 5.1 percent while adding 0.08 percent to the base defense budget. There are slim odds for Trump's proposal extending budget caps — set to expire next year — through 2025, wherein defense would increase by roughly 2 percent each year as nondefense discretionary decreases 2 percent each year. ‘Irreversible' Budget documents were branded with the phrase “irreversible implementation of the National Defense Strategy,” a notable signal in an election year that, should Trump not be reelected, could result in major changes to the national budget and American strategy come January. The branding in support of the NDS can be found throughout the document, even at lower levels. For instance, the Pentagon's security cooperation account has been rebranded the “NDS Implementation (NDS-I) account.” Missing from the budget request are funds for Trump's border wall with Mexico. However, CNN reported this weekend that “billions” of defense dollars will be going toward the wall effort, with an announcement expected later this week. Key defense spending accounts break down like this: Mission-support activities: $66.8 billion Aircraft and related systems: $56.9 billion Shipbuilding and maritime systems: $32.2 billion Missiles and munitions: $21.3 billion Space-based systems: $15.5 billion Ground systems: $13 billion C4I systems: $11.9 billion Missile defeat and defense programs: $11.6 billion The department is requesting $106.6 billion to fund research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) efforts, an increase of $2 billion over the FY20 enacted figures — something another senior defense official called the “largest [RDT&E] request in over 70 years.” Funding for that came from savings from the defensewide review, which found $5.7 billion in money to reprogram in FY21, as well as the retirement of older platforms. Four “crucial” technologies are now bunched together under a new acronym — ACE, which stands for advanced capability enablers: hypersonics at $3.2 billion, microelectronics/5G at $1.5 billion, autonomy at $1.7 billion, and artificial intelligence at $800 million. However, for the second straight year, science and technology funding for early technology development (the Pentagon's 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3 accounts) is requested at $14.1 billion; that includes $3.5 billion for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Congress plussed that funding to $16.1 billion in FY20 enacted levels, meaning the request here is $2 billion less than what the Pentagon received this current year. Cyber activates total $9.8 billion, including $5.4 billion for cybersecurity-focused projects. The rest of the funding goes toward supporting defensive cyber operations. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/federal-budget/2020/02/10/pentagon-budget-request-increases-rd-funding-cuts-legacy-planes/

NAVY Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia, is one of eight companies to be awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms' General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts. This agreement is being awarded as part of a multi-reseller/multi-software publisher software category management award for commercial-off-the-shelf information technology asset management software; software maintenance support; information technology professional services; and related services in support of DoD ESI and under the direction of Office of Management and Budget, Enterprise Software Category. The software publisher under this agreement is Splunk. The BPA provides for the purchase of Splunk products and services by the DoD, U.S. intelligence community, and the Coast Guard. The overall potential value of this category of BPAs is $820,450,000. The ordering period will be for a maximum of 10 years from Feb. 10, 2020, through July 13, 2029. This BPA is issued under DoD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders using operations and maintenance (DoD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy web site among 679 vendors. Eight offers were received and eight were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-A-0022). Orion Construction Corp., Vista, California (N62473-18-D-5860); Bilbro Construction Co., Inc.,* Escondido, California (N62473-18-D-5861); Reyes Construction Inc., Pomona, California (N62473-18-D-5862); M. A. Mortenson Co., doing business as Mortenson Construction, Minneapolis, Minnesota (N62473-18-D-5863); Baldi Bros. Inc.,* Beaumont, California (N62473-18-D-5864); Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, California (N62473-18-D-5865); and Hal Hays Construction Inc., Riverside, California (N62473-18-D-5866), are awarded $91,000,000 to increase the aggregate capacity of the previously-awarded suite of firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts. The maximum dollar value including the base year and four option years for all seven contracts combined is increased from $249,000,000 to $340,000,000. The contracts are for new construction, renovation, and repair of various heavy horizontal and civil engineering construction projects at various government installations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of operations. All work will be performed in California (90%); Arizona (6%); Colorado (1%); Nevada (1%); New Mexico (1%); and Utah (1%). No funds are being obligated on this award. No funds will expire. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction, Navy; operations and maintenance (O&M), Navy; O&M, Marine Corps; and Navy working capital funds. The original contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 18 proposals received. The NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $22,200,000 for ceiling-priced delivery order N00383-20-F-0A30 under previously-awarded basic ordering agreement N00383-17-G-A301 for the procurement of trailing edge flaps in support of the F/A-18 C-D aircraft. Work will be performed in Emmen, Switzerland (60%); and St. Louis, Missouri (40%). Work will be completed by February 2023 with no option periods. Switzerland funds in the amount of $10,878,000 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Switzerland (100%) funds will be used under the Foreign Military Sales program. One company was solicited for this sole-sourced requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(4) and in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 206.302-4, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Doyon Management Services LLC,* Federal Way, Washington, was awarded a $7,898,803 firm-fixed-price contract for the retrofit and upgrade of Substation 1, Building 5100 at Naval Base Kitsap. The work to be performed provides for the retrofit of 15 kV vacuum breakers, installation of new 15 kV vacuum breakers in Substation 1, as well as upgrades, switchgear door replacements, new protective relays, protective device coordination, installation of raceways, wire, fiber optic, cabling systems and battery replacements. Work will be performed in Silverdale, Washington, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $7,898,803 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity (N44255-20-C-5001). (Awarded Feb. 7, 2020) General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, is awarded a $7,826,673 modification (P00005) to a previously-awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-18-C-1063). This modification provides for Group 5 unmanned air system intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services. These services are in support of outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) Task Force Southwest and U.S. Marine Corps operations utilizing contractor-owned/contractor-operated MQ-9 unmanned air systems. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona (35%); Poway, California (15%); and various OCONUS locations (50%), and is expected to be completed in May 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance overseas contingency operations (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,826,673 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ARMY Capital Currency Team, Washington, District of Columbia, was awarded a $100,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for multi-discipline architectural engineering services. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 5, 2030. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-D-0007). ECS Federal LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded an $85,422,289 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research and development of artificial intelligence algorithms. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 26, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds, Army in the amount of $85,422,289 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-20-C-0019). Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Division of Blind Services, Frankfort, Kentucky, was awarded a $59,677,871 firm-fixed-price contract for full food services at Fort Knox. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be completed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 6, 2025. Field Directorate Office Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-20-D-0007). Accura Engineering and Consulting Services Inc.,* Atlanta, Georgia (W91278-20-D-0012); ACT Services LLC,* Columbia, Maryland (W91278-20-D-0013); Health Facility Solutions Co.,* San Antonio, Texas (W91278-20-D-0014); Moca Systems Inc.,* Boston, Massachusetts (W91278-20-D-0015); Parsons Government Services Inc., Washington, District of Columbia (W91278-20-D-0016); Thompson Engineering Inc., Mobile, Alabama (W91278-20-D-0017); and Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions Inc., Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (W91278-20-D-0018), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering services to support the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Construction Management Program. Bids were solicited via the internet with 46 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 10, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Cape Fox Facilities Services LLC, Manassas, Virginia, was awarded a $22,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for behavioral health support services. 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 Feb. 9, 2025. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K04-20-D-0004). TSAY/Ferguson-Williams,* San Juan Pueblo, New Mexico, was awarded an $8,903,544 cost-plus-award-fee contract for base operations and maintenance services at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Air Field. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Fort Stewart, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $8,903,544 were obligated at the time of the award. Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Stewart, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W9124M20C0003). (Awarded Feb. 8, 2020) AIR FORCE SigmaTech Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded a hybrid labor hour and firm-fixed-price with cost reimbursement elements task order under General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services (OASIS) Small Business Pool 5B indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity for the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Space Acquisition and Integration (SAF/SP) systems, engineering, and technical assistance (SETA). The base period total award amount is $14,440,691. The total amount for the base period and four one-year periods is $74,386,746. This task order provides SAF/SP technical, acquisition-related, and support advisory and assistance services in support of space activities. This task order shall also be utilized to focus on the following categories: business and staff support, secretariat and fusion, policy and integration, space control, programs and analysis, architectures and space support, and program management. Work will be primarily done in the Washington, District of Columbia, area, specifically the Pentagon and within the National Capitol Region, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 23, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,271,413 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-20-F-0028). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Clearfield, Utah, has been awarded a $9,900,000 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for F-5 aircraft parts. This contract provides F-5 aircraft parts for Foreign Military Sales support. Work will be performed in Clearfield, Utah, and is expected to be complete by Oct. 22, 2023. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $5,700,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8220-20-D-0001). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $12,131,241 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the base period of the Glide Breaker program. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama (46%); Sacramento, California (29%); Orange, Virginia (14%); Healdsburg, California (8%); and Sunnyvale, California (3%), with an expected completion date of February 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $12,131,241 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR001119S0008. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0030). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Aegis Power Systems Inc., Murphy, North Carolina, has been awarded a maximum $7,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production of the power supply in support of the AN/TSQ-232 family of command post platforms. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 41 U.S. Code 1901(e), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 13.501. This is a five-year base contract with no option periods. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a Feb. 10, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SPRBL1-20-D-0024). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2080211/source/GovDelivery/