Nouvelles

DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Affinity Innovations LLC,* Hanover, Maryland (HC1047-19-D-2020); Applied Systems Engineering Joint Venture LLC,* Annapolis Junction, Maryland (HC1047-19-D-2021); A Square Group LLC,* Rockville, Maryland (HC1047-19-D-2022); Business Computers Management Consulting Group LLC,* Falls Church, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2023); Bluestone Logic LLC,* Washington, District of Columbia (HC1047-19-D-2024); Credence Management Solutions LLC,* Vienna, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2025); DHPC Technologies Inc.,* Woodbridge, New Jersey (HC1047-19-D-2026); InCadence Strategic Solutions Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2027); INNOPLEX LLC,* Columbia, Maryland (HC1047-19-D-2028); Innovation Evolution Technologies JV LLC,* Reston, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2029); Innovative Government Solutions JV LLC,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2030); Integrated Systems Inc.,* Tysons Corner, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2031); Interactive Process Technology LLC,* Billerica, Massachusetts (HC1047-19-D-2032); Mission Support LP,* McLean, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2033); NetCentric Technologies Inc.,* Wall, New Jersey (HC1047-19-D-2034); Riverside Engineering LLC,* Vienna, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2035); Semper AASKI Alliance Inc.,* Canyon Lake, Texas (HC1047-19-D-2036); Superlative Technologies Inc.,* Ashburn, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2037); Synergy Business Innovation & Solutions Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2038); TekSynap Corp.,* Reston, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2039); Tiber Creek Consulting Inc.,* Fairfax, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2040); ValidaTek Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2041); and VOLANT Associates LLC,* Chantilly, Virginia (HC1047-19-D-2042), were each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ) contract for Systems Engineering, Technology and Innovation (SETI). This was a competitive solicitation for a multiple-award ID/IQ contract. Two pools were solicited, one unrestricted and one restricted for small businesses. These awards are for the restricted pool. The contracts in the unrestricted pool were awarded on June 14, 2018. The face value of the entire ID/IQ is a ceiling amount of $7,500,000,000. Awardees will each receive a minimum guarantee of $500 applicable to the base ordering period only. All other funding will be obligated at the task order level. Performance locations will be identified at the task order level and may be worldwide. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website and 99 proposals were received for the restricted pool. The period of performance is a five-year base period with one five-year option period. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $41,269,021 for modification P00002 to a previously awarded order (N00019-19-F-2474) placed against basic ordering agreement N00019-14-G-0020. This modification exercises an option for the design, procurement and integration of flight test instrumentation and data processing solutions for F-35 Lightning II development test aircraft to support the Tech Refresh-3 and the Follow on Modernization Block 4 mission systems configuration. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in February 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) and non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participant funds in the amount of $2,470,993 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($16,501,005; 40%); Navy ($8,250,503; 20%); Marine Corps ($8,250,503; 20%); and non-U.S. DoD participants ($8,267,010; 20%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $21,656,574 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for execution of sustainment and technical support for special projects and electronic systems for experimental, demonstration and developmental technology for the Navy, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies. This is one of four multiple-award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two two-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $52,659,079. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and work is expected to be completed July 7, 2022. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through July 7, 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders and are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); other procurement (Navy); and Department of Homeland Security. This contract was competitively procured via Request for Proposal N66001-18-R-0110, which was published on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Four offers were received and four were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-D-0111). Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded an $18,163,831 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for execution of sustainment and technical support for special projects and electronic systems for experimental, demonstration and developmental technology for the U.S. Navy, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies. This is one of four multiple-award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two two-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $44,421,226. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and work is expected to be completed July 7, 2022. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through July 7, 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders and are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); other procurement (Navy); and Department of Homeland Security. This contract was competitively procured via Request for Proposal N66001-18-R-0110, which was published on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Four offers were received and four were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-D-0113). McKean Defense Group LLC, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $17,594,138 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for execution of sustainment and technical support for special projects and electronic systems for experimental, demonstration and developmental technology for the Navy, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies. This is one of four multiple-award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two two-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $42,574,062. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and work is expected to be completed July 7, 2022. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through July 7, 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders and are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); other procurement (Navy); and Department of Homeland Security. This contract was competitively procured via Request for Proposal N66001-18-R-0110, which was published on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Four offers were received and four were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-D-0112). Alutiiq Information Management LLC, Kodiak, Alaska, is awarded a $15,292,491 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for execution of sustainment and technical support for special projects and electronic systems for experimental, demonstration and developmental technology for the Navy, Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection and other government agencies. This is one of four multiple-award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two two-year option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $36,742,366. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and work is expected to be completed July 7, 2022. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through July 7, 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); other procurement (Navy); and Department of Homeland Security. This contract was competitively procured via Request for Proposal N66001-18-R-0110, which was published on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Four offers were received and four were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-19-D-0110). ARMY The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $21,567,229 modification (P00004) to foreign military sales (United Kingdom) contract W58RGZ-17-D-0052 for engineering services. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 2, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Princeton Hydro LLC,* Ringoes, New Jersey, was awarded a $9,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineering services for navigation and flood damage projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 7, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-D-0003). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Parker Hannifin Corp., Irvine, California, has been awarded a maximum $13,828,991 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-KP2V) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPE4A1-17-G-0011) for F/A-18 spare parts. 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 47-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is California, with a June 30, 2023 performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 Navy aircraft procurement funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. UPDATE: Easy Street JD&S LLC, Carol Stream, Illinois (SPE8EC-19-D-0041), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0002 announced Nov. 8, 2016. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1898178/source/GovDelivery/

By: Valerie Insinna LE BOURGET, France — Will Roper, the U.S. Air Force's acquisition executive, wants the service to shift to a faster, more modern approach for buying software and hardware. But that's easier said than done. The service has selected a number of programs where it will create technology in a new way, whether that involves creating digital prototypes, using agile software development or adopting a family-of-systems approach to address a changing threat environment. To be successful, the Air Force will need to grapple with cultural and institutional pressures from those who champion tried-and-true acquisition practices. And in some cases, it also needs to prove to Congress that it is not taking inordinate risk and that its ambitions are executable. Defense News spoke with Roper at the 2019 Paris Air Show on June 19 about some of the programs in which the Air Force is using new tools to develop technology. Can you provide an update on Mad Hatter, the Air Force's project to use agile software development to try to fix some of the problems with the F-35's logistics system? You said in February that several improvements were to be fielded to the Autonomic Logistics Information System within weeks. Mad Hatter is doing great. I have to give the team an A+ on being able to get started and start pulling apart the problems that our maintainers had. They already deployed several apps that are helping maintainers. They fixed problems with the electronic equipment logs that were showing false positives, so those have been fixed, and the maintainers get to focus on things that are actually broken — not things that are reported as broken. They fixed the scheduler, which had mismatches between the flight line system and ALIS, and they are currently working on things that are going to help maintainers do their own workflow on the flight line. There is a lot more to go for them. They're putting Wi-Fi out on the line so that you can touch ALIS at the flight line, which currently you can't. Maintainers have to go do their maintenance and then come back and enter data in the subsequent systems, and it doesn't make sense to create data once and then replicate it again. We want maintainers to be able to have ALIS in a protected, secure Wi-Fi network at the flight lines; that data is instantly uploaded. We've got work to go to get the accreditation done so that we could reach all the way back into the standard operating unit that touches Lockheed Martin. But we got a great partnership with Lockheed. They've been with us every step of the way. What happens next? I don't have the answer yet, but one of the things that I think we should consider is the next variant of ALIS to be delivered. That's 3.6. It's currently going through negotiation and we're approaching it as traditional ALIS, but if we believe in agile development, eventually we need to pull a development module of ALIS out of the traditional and put it into the Mad Hatter process. [Version] 3.6 is a candidate for that. If it's not 3.6, is it 3.7 or 3.8? The discussions we're having now is about where's the chalk line that we switch to the new methodology. We have to have enough development teams to do it and support the level and scope of the software, but I think we're ready. We've got the team in the Air Force. We have 800 people in Kessel Run, [the Air Force's software development team], that are currently doing amazing work for us. With agile software development, you want to have exposure with the user. Once those apps were deployed, what was the feedback like? Did users want to see additional fixes, or were the apps coming out well already? When final deployment was done, it was software as the users wanted. The users are involved from the beginning. Step one is the coders leaving their coding shop and going out to the flight line in Nellis [Air Force Base, Nevada], and sitting down, walking through how ALIS works and how the rest of the maintenance planning tools work. Understanding the pain points: What do you not like? What takes up your time? What do you want to change? Storyboarding that out to understand how it might be fixed, turning that into a development back log; so what am I going to attack and when? And then having the user touch products before they become final. What the Mad Hatter team does is continues to iterate during design so that by the time you deploy, it's in the image of what the operators have requested, not in the image of what the developers expected they wanted, and that's the secret to “agile.” Earlier this year, you said that once the Air Force hires an architect for the Advanced Battle Management System program, it can begin prototype work in the summer. Has that started? We have. We've made great progress since we've hired our chief architect, Preston Dunlap. The Air Force has done a great job of rallying around him. ABMS and multidomain command and control is a top priority for our chief of staff, Gen. [Dave] Goldfein. He made it clear we've got to get ABMS over the goal line. The rule that we're using at ABMS is we don't start talking platforms until the end. That's probably going to be biblical for us, for the first few years of the program. It is so easy to start talking about satellites and airplanes and forget what ABMS is going to have to uniquely champion. That's the data architecture that will connect them. Preston's done a great job of starting to write down requirements for our data architecture, leveraging a lot of work that's already underway in our space-development portfolio. There's an initiative no one's heard of called Unified Data Library. It's not a very exciting name, it's like Castle Anthrax from Monty Python. But its super awesome. Unified Data Library is used currently for space situational awareness. Data pipes in through a variety of sources — commercial, academic, government — it's able to be addressed in multiple layers of classification and we do microservices on top of it that are used by different users. Step one, the thing we got to get right in the first year of ABMS, is that data architecture because people need to build systems that populate according to whatever standards we've fixed. Step two, once we get the data architecture defined, will be the requirements for the population of the data. Maybe one sensor needs to be able to fill a gap that others are creating. We're going to have to look at requirements at the system level and then tell satellites: “You need to be able to provide this level of data at this refresh rate. UAVs need to be able to [meet[ this rate" and so on and so forth. Once we do that, then we'll be into the traditional part of the acquisition, which is building those satellites, building those UAVs. What I've told Preston, we've got to do demonstrations along the way, so expect to do yearly demonstrations. The first one we want to get to is ad hoc mesh networking so that we get the same kind of internet of things effect where things start working together without humans having to control them and to not wait for the full architecture to be fielded. And it really will never be done; ABMS will merge over time as we put up satellites and UAVs. More things connecting to the network will make the system of systems better. I think by the time we get to our 2021 budget, ABMS should be well definitized in terms of the lines of effort, the data architecture, you know we'll have to have a line for artificial intelligence because we are not going to be able to pass all the data collected across the networks, a networking component, and then at the end, the platforms that provided. But the chief says it best: This has got to be about the highway, not the trucks that are on it. Step one is getting the highway paved. How can industry accommodate this new paradigm? How do you monetize this to incentivize businesses? That's a question I don't have all the answers to. Openness in the internet of things makes sense because you can monetize the data, and that's not going to exist for us. We're going to have to have a contracting incentive that replicates it. The best theory we have now is some kind of royalty scheme that the more open you are and the more adaptation we do at the top of your system, the more you benefit from it. If you create the system that allows us to put 100 apps on top of it, you benefit differently than if we can only put one. But the details are going to be difficult because maybe that one app is super important. We've brought in industry early and we plan to have a series of industry days where we talk about what does it take to create that structure. Industry appears interested because if we can build open — yes, there has to be a way to get the profit and cash flow — but it gives more opportunities to bring new technologies in. But if we can't replicate profit and cash flow on which their quarterlies depend, then they're going to have to go back to the old model of saying they're for open, but secretly giving you closed. What are the immediate next steps for this program? With the money that we have this year, we're able to get this kind of data architecture, analysis and demonstration work done. The bigger money for ABMS really begins in '20 and '21. That's where we'll ramp up fuller-scale prototyping. I'm actually glad that we don't have big money this year because it can't go build a drone or satellite. We've got to focus on the part that's less sexy, which is that data architecture. We're going to have to be able to do software development at multiple levels of classification and do it securely: All those are things that are hard to get people energized about but they're going to be what makes or breaks for this program. There's been pushback from the House about the Air Force's approach to replacing the B-52 engine. Lawmakers don't like that you're using Section 804 authorities. Why is that approach necessary? It lets you get on contract a year and half earlier for an MDAP [major defense acquisition program]. And we found that for a variety of MDAPs, including the B-52 re-engine, you can use that year and a half to great effect. It's much better to be on contract with industry and working from Day One than sitting around twiddling your thumbs. In the case of B-52 re-engine, we are using that time to do digital engineering for the engine and pod integration, so we have all three industry bidders on one contract. We have Boeing on contract. They are working together as part of the source selection. They will deliver their virtual prototype to us by October. We would normally not even be on contract, and already we have a deliverable that will help us understand the challenges of integration. Are they able to keep the center of gravity and the fluid flow around the power pod? Are they able to keep that the same? We will have that earlier. Because we have a year and a half, we can go from virtual prototyping into physical prototyping. We'll select a vendor, and then we'll do round two, which is: You gave us your digital twin, now give us the physical twin. Show us you can do it in the real world. And then we'll downselect and we'll award a contract and move to the integration side of the program, move into the production side. What I view in this program, because I had an extra year and half, I can spend more time in EMD, engineering manufacturing and development. I can take on more engineering rigor and retire risks faster than I would if I was denied that time and trying to meet a near-term operational need. In the case of the B-52, the TF33 engine has been flown hard. It is an old engine. We have maintainers up in places like Minot [Air Force Base, North Dakota], that are doing heroes' work to piece these engines back together. The depot is doing heroes' work to try and do maintenance overhaul with a supply chain that is gone. We are at high risk for keeping that engine far into the future, and when my war fighter says I need a new engine and I have one path, which is the 804 path, which I can start a year and a half faster than I could the traditional path, I can't tell that war fighter I'm going slow because that's what others think is the best path. I can go fast and I can do it with rigor and discipline. And to close off, why I don't think it's a wholesale overhaul of the acquisition system is that we do all of the same documentation we would have in a traditional program. We just do it after we award contract, so we get the benefit of jump-starting but we still do all the discipline and documentation. And I think the pushback we see from the Hill is a misunderstanding that we still do the rigor. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/paris-air-show/2019/07/08/us-air-forces-acquisition-chief-talks-new-b-52-engines-and-the-future-of-battle-management/

Peter Lietz, Head of International Business Development for Hirth Engines, explains why engine manufacturers must raise the endurance bar for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to advance capabilities in extreme weather conditions. Drones have become a popular choice for various exploits, from hobbyist aerial photography to large organisations such as Amazon exploring the future of delivery services. In the same vein, governments, militaries and research groups are exploring the use of UAVs to enable highly effective monitoring of unforgiving terrains without risking manned aircraft or land-based patrols. The need for unmanned aerial systems to navigate harsh environments is vital for the maritime, military and commercial sectors. Providing reliable and to the minute information on the status of, and threats to, environments like the Arctic is crucial as governments prepare to take action against significant issues such as climate change and increases in populations. UAVs will play a crucial role in this future considering the need for operators to monitor harsh environments and difficult to reach terrains, especially rotary UAVs. Reaching inhospitable locations can present a variety of logistical challenges, not least of which is the cost of sending land-based patrols or manned aircraft often from navy ships or other maritime vessels. This is where UAVs can enable operators to safely monitor terrains in a cost-effective and efficient way to better understand complex habitats. Carrying out monitoring exercises in areas such as the Artic where there is a real risk to life can be a major challenge. Through the use of well-engineered rotary UAVs, organisations are able to perform a variety of tasks with ease. The responsibility to advance the endurance capabilities of UAVs falls on engine manufacturers. For this reason, we must continue to innovate to increase performance. Over the last few years, rotary UAVs have grown in complexity, not only in terms of the platforms themselves but also the robustness and performance of the engines they run on. As the operational requirements for UAVs grows, engine manufacturers must continually innovate to improve power-to-weight ratios, reduce emissions, and accelerate capabilities in harsh environments. For a long time, fixed-wing UAVs were considered the optimal choice for endurance and speed over their rotary counterparts. However, this is changing rapidly thanks to enhancements in engine design. Rotary UAVs are now becoming a platform of choice due to their reduced logistical footprint and the ability to take off and land in a confined or limited space, especially in maritime environments such as on-board navy ships and coastguard cutters for example. The requirement for rotary UAVs to operate in extreme temperatures such as the cold of the Arctic or the severe heat of warmer climates is essential for operators. This is where two-stroke propulsion engines play a vital role. Two-stroke applications present rotary UAV manufacturers with a range of benefits, including ease of maintenance due to less moving parts and the ability to operate on heavy fuels which are a must for corrosive marine environments. Alongside this, two-stroke powered rotary UAVs are often capable of flying missions with a full payload in extreme conditions for more than five hours without overhaul. With this as a backdrop, it is vital for UAV and engine manufacturers to accelerate the development of propulsion systems capable of operating in extreme locations around the globe. As the industry moves towards hybrid and electric propulsion new challenges will arise and it is crucial that OEMs raise the bar to power the next generation of UAVs. In order to advance the endurance and capabilities of rotary UAVs, engine manufactures must look to innovate the propulsion technology used. Electric is an increasingly popular option for commercial drones. However, electric comes with its own challenges and limitations, such as operational endurance and increased weight of the electrical motors. Considering the performance of batteries in extreme temperatures in comparison to their fuel-based counterparts, there is a long way to go before pure electric UAVs will be capable of flying extended missions in harsh terrains. Hybrid applications that utilise both a combustion engine and electric propulsion systems will provide a bridge toward the future of pure electric flight. A clear advantage for hybrid applications is improving power to weight ratios to enable increased payload capacities. Hybrid UAV applications can be used in various functions, such as: electrically powered take-off and landing with conventional engines powering horizontal flight; or powering flight using only electrical motors whilst the combustion engine acts solely as a generator. In addition, safety is a key purpose behind the pursuit of hybrid applications. For UAV manufacturers, having the ability to convert to an electric battery should the combustion engine fail could make all the difference in enabling a safe landing. Operating UAVs in extreme weather conditions reduces the chances of potential health and safety issues associated with deploying staff or manned systems into harsh environments. In addition, a further key benefit of using UAVs is enabling the deployment of cost-effective systems that perform safely in extreme locations. Ultimately, developing UAVs that can fly farther and for longer in harsh environments will require engine manufacturers to consider alternative fuel and power systems such as heavy fuel two-stroke applications. Heavy fuel is widely considered a must in the maritime industry when dealing with complex environments due to its resistance to extreme temperatures. At Hirth, pairing a robust heavy fuel combustion engine with electrical propulsion is something we are pursuing to advance the future capabilities of unmanned systems and bridge the gap to pure electric flight. For further information about Hirth's portfolio of engines, visit: http://hirthengines.com/ About Hirth Hirth Engines GmbH, based near Stuttgart, with global sales operated from Vienna, has a long pedigree in the development of propulsion systems, stretching back to The innovative company was founded by German aviation pioneer and World War I ace Helmuth Hirth, a student of US inventor Thomas Edison, and collaborator with the Wright Brothers and Zeppelin. The company has set its sights on consolidating its leading role in the development of two-stroke engines for a range of diverse sectors including:  Unmanned and manned light and experimental aircraft (fixed wing and helicopters)  Hovercraft Next generation R&D will focus on hybrid engines, based on the company's winning formula of providing easy to maintain power to weight ratio propulsion technology across civilian and military applications. https://dronescrunch.com/enhancing-unmanned-operations-in-extreme-conditions-with-the-power-of-two-stroke/

HUDSON, N.H.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--BAE Systems has been awarded funding from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to integrate machine-learning (ML) technology into platforms that decipher radio frequency signals. Its Controllable Hardware Integration for Machine-learning Enabled Real-time Adaptivity (CHIMERA) solution provides a reconfigurable hardware platform for ML algorithm developers to make sense of radio frequency (RF) signals in increasingly crowded electromagnetic spectrum environments. The up to $4.7 million contract, dependent on successful completion of milestones, includes hardware delivery along with integration and demonstration support. CHIMERA's hardware platform will enable algorithm developers to decipher the ever-growing number of RF signals, providing commercial or military users with greater automated situational awareness of their operating environment. This contract is adjacent to the previously announced award for the development of data-driven ML algorithms under the same DARPA program (Radio Frequency Machine Learning Systems, or RFMLS). RFMLS requires a robust, adaptable hardware solution with a multitude of control surfaces to enable improved discrimination of signals in the evolving dense spectrum environments of the future. “CHIMERA brings the flexibility of a software solution to hardware,” said Dave Logan, vice president and general manager of Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) Systems at BAE Systems. “Machine-learning is on the verge of revolutionizing signals intelligence technology, just as it has in other industries.” In an evolving threat environment, CHIMERA will enable ML software development to adapt the hardware's RF configuration in real time to optimize mission performance. This capability has never before been available in a hardware solution. The system provides multiple control surfaces for the user, enabling on-the-fly performance trade-offs that can maximize its sensitivity, selectivity, and scalability depending on mission need. The system's open architecture interfaces allow for third party algorithm development, making the system future-proof and easily upgradable upon deployment. Other RF functions, including communications, radar, and electronic warfare, also can benefit from this agile hardware platform, which has a reconfigurable array, front-end, full transceiver and digital pre-processing stage. Work on these phases of the program will take place at BAE Systems' sites in Hudson and Merrimack, New Hampshire, and Dallas, Texas. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190708005199/en

By: Cal Pringle The Air Force is adding another company to its Enterprise IT as a Service experiment, the service announced June 28. Accenture Federal Services, a multinational professional services company, received the third contract for Air Force's Enterprise IT as a Service program and will experiment with delivering computing and storage capabilities as a service to eight Air Force bases, according to the release. The new capabilities will allow the Air Force to use edge cloud computing to expedite data-driven base operations and support artificial intelligence efforts, the release said. Microsoft and AT&T had previously won contracts for the program. The agreement comes as a part of a multi-year modernizing initiative for the Air Force's digital structure, which is meant to improve technologies and delivery models. The Enterprise IT as a Service model allows the Air Force to use commercial companies, which can perform IT services more efficiently than airmen, for day-to-day IT tasks. The eight bases Accenture will support are Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado, Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama., Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson in Alaska, Cannon Air Force Base in New Mexico and Hurlburt Field in Florida. Accenture is expected to finish work on the project by June 2020. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2019/07/05/the-latest-step-in-the-air-forces-enterprise-it-as-a-service-plan/

RACHEL S. COHEN The Air Force's top weapons development official says Raytheon's Small Diameter Bomb II, or “StormBreaker,” is ready for primetime despite needing to work out some lingering issues. “Getting them out into the field, right now I think that's the best way for us to wring this out,” Air Force Weapons Program Executive Officer Brig. Gen. Anthony Genatempo said at a recent Air Force Life Cycle Management Center conference. “Get it into the hands of the people using it, figure out what they can do with it that we did not think of, figure out what things are happening in the operational environment that we were not able to replicate and test, and then feed that back into successive upgrades.” The Pentagon plans to buy 17,000 SDB IIs, split between 12,000 for the Air Force and 5,000 for the Navy, and will fly them on all current Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft as well as the A-10, AC-130J, and MQ-9. StormBreaker was designed as a precision munition that can communicate with nearby aircraft to attack moving and stationary targets in bad weather and notch “multiple kills per pass,” according to the Air Force. “The StormBreaker tri-mode seeker uses imaging infrared and millimeter wave radar in its normal mode to give pilots the ability to destroy moving targets, even in adverse weather, from standoff ranges,” Raytheon said in a press release. “Additionally, the weapon can use its semi-active laser guidance to hit targets.” As of October 2018, the service planned to spend $1.9 billion on development and $2.6 billion on procurement, the Government Accountability Office reported in May. StormBreaker's ability to communicate with its host aircraft needs more vetting, Genatempo said, and other fixes are already being added into the current production batch, Lot 4. Its radio may not be fixed until Lot 6 or 7, and the service plans to address parts that will be outdated in Lot 8. “Whether or not that is an issue that will prevent fielding, I don't think I can say that. I don't even think Air Combat Command can say that right now,” Genatempo said. “They very well may choose to take an initial delivery of these weapons at the capability they're at, knowing that one caveat. ... It certainly doesn't affect the entire envelope of operation of the weapon. It's a miniature part of one or two different scenarios.” The weapon is moving closer to being declared ready for initial operations afterfinishing operational tests in June and an overall test program that uncovered a range of performance issues that Raytheon and government officials say are routine in the course of vetting. When airmen are ready to receive the new bomb is ultimately up to Air Combat Command. “It's a very good conversation and dialogue with Air Combat Command about what they would like, when they would like it, what they're willing to take and employ,” Genatempo said. “I very much think that this weapon is ready to go out [to] operational use.” The Air Force now expects to reach its “required assets available” milestone, which has changed multiple times, from the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019 through the end of 2020. It was most recently slated for January 2019. To meet RAA, the service must arm 12 Boeing F-15Es with 144 weapons and own spare parts, support equipment, and more. The milestone was originally scheduled for July 2017. Genatempo said RAA was pushed back again to avoid punishing the program for having to wait its turn for testing ranges, as range availability is scarce thanks to several weapons programs simultaneously in testing. Delaying the milestone to later this year was “predominantly a paperwork exercise to make sure we didn't breach our [acquisition program baseline],” he said. http://airforcemag.com/Features/Pages/2019/July%202019/USAF-New-Raytheon-Bomb-Ready-for-Real-World-Vetting.aspx

ARMY Mike Hooks LLC, Westlake, Louisiana, was awarded a $24,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the rental of a 27-30 inch cutterhead pipeline dredge. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 4, 2020. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-D-0034). Lions Services Inc., Charlotte, North Carolina, was awarded a $7,834,750 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of Improved Retention System for use on the Enhanced Combat Helmet. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 4, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-19-D-0006). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY City Light & Power Inc.,* Greenwood Village, Colorado, has been awarded a maximum $9,385,656 modification (P00029) to a 50-year contract (SP0600-14-C-8291) for the ownership, operation and maintenance of the electric distribution system at Hill Air Force Base. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is Utah, with an April 30, 2064, performance completion date. Using military service is the Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2064 Air Force operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1896941/source/GovDelivery/

By: Nathan Strout Two Norwegian satellites will host the core components of the U.S. Air Force's next generation satellite communications system for the arctic, Northrop Grumman announced July 3. The Air Force payloads are part of the the Enhanced Polar System Recapitalization project, a program that fills the military's satellite communications need in the arctic reguib, which is not regularly covered by the Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite system or its predecessor, the Milstar system. EPS-R will replace the Interim Polar System, which has been providing military satellite communications in the North polar region since 1998 as an adjunct to Milstar. Similar to the AEHF satellites, the EPS-R payloads will provide secure, anti-jamming communications for war fighters. The Pentagon announced the $428.8 million contract with Northrop Grumman for the Air Force EPS-R payloads in February 2018. At the time, the Pentagon noted that the payloads could be hosted on a separately procured satellite. Then, on July 3, Northrop Grumman announced it had been awarded a contract from Space Norway for two satellites capable of delivering the agency's Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission. The two Space Norway satellites will carry several payloads, including an X-Band payload for Norwegian Defense, a Ka-Band payload for Inmarsat and the two Air Force payloads. Work on the Air Force payloads was originally expected to be completed in December 2022, though Northrop Grumman now expects both satellites will launch in late 2022. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/2019/07/05/how-2-space-norway-satellites-will-help-the-air-force-in-the-arctic/

By: Cal Pringle General Dynamics Information Technology will provide the Air Force's 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing with network technology through a contract worth up to $217 million, according to a June 26 news release from the company GDIT already works for the Air Force to provide network support for the service's Distributed Common Ground System), a contract the company has held for 20 years, the report said. That program is the Air Force's primary ISR planning, collection, processing and exploitation, analysis and dissemination weapon system. GDIT developed and implemented the initial design for the global network that supports the system, the report said. As a result of the contract, the program's operations center will receive network administration, network engineering, information assurance, computer network defense, systems administration, computer network defense, systems administration, project management and C4ISR engineering, according to the report. The company will also work to help modernize the network, the release said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/it-networks/2019/07/05/general-dynamics-wins-217m-contract-for-the-air-forces-network/