Nouvelles

A medium altitude long endurance RPAS drone is being used by the Icelandic maritime authorities to enhance the maritime picture over its Exclusive Economic Zone, the service follows a request made by the Icelandic coast guard to EMSA and is expected to run until mid-July. The RPAS chosen will be integrated into the existing surveillance mechanisms and procedures covering coast guard functions in the areas of maritime safety and security, search and rescue, environmental protection, law enforcement and fisheries control. The particular RPAS in use is adapted to withstand the strong winds and icy conditions common to the North Atlantic Ocean. It has an endurance of over 12 hours and may perform maritime surveillance tasks in areas extending as far as 200nm from the shoreline. The operations are based at the Egilsstaðir airport in the east of the island. From there, they have the capability to cover more than half of the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone. EMSA's RPAS services for Iceland involve the cooperation of several Icelandic authorities, who will be able to follow the missions remotely thanks to EMSA's RPAS data centre. Users will include the Icelandic coast guard, the fisheries directorate, the environment agency, the customs directorate, the police force, and the search and rescue association. The Hermes 900 RPAS is under contract by EMSA from CEiiA – the Centre of Engineering and Innovation. It is a MALE-class fixed wing, single engine RPAS and is capable of night and day operations. Using SATCOM technology, it can operate beyond radio line of sight. The payload consists of electro-optical and infra-red video cameras, maritime radar, AIS receiver, and an EPIRB receiver. “EMSA's RPAS services give us and our users, in this case Iceland, another lens through which we can gain even greater situational awareness. Our services have been used by three different member states since the beginning of the year and more are in the pipeline for the upcoming months,” explained Executive Director, Maja Markovčić Kostelac. EMSA's RPAS services were set up in 2017 for maritime surveillance and monitoring operations to support national authorities involved in coast guard functions. This includes: maritime pollution and emissions monitoring; detection of illegal fishing, anti-drug trafficking, and illegal immigration; border surveillance; and, search and rescue operations. For further information and media enquiries, please contact: Tel. +351 21 1209 281 e-mail information@emsa.europa.eu http://www.emsa.europa.eu/emsa-homepage/2-news-a-press-centre/news/3525-press-release-rpas-maritime-surveillance-services-now-underway-in-iceland.html

Military.com | By Matthew Cox A week after the Army pledged nearly $4 billion on its future attack helicopter effort, Army Secretary Mark Esper said he wants aircraft makers to start planning for the service's next heavy-lift helicopter as a replacement for the CH-47 Chinook. In the near term, the Army's Future Vertical Lift program has prioritized building the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (FARA), followed by the Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA, pronounced "flora"), and fielding both next-generation helicopters by 2028. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/05/01/future-vertical-lift-gets-underway-army-eyeing-chinook-replacement.html

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — The Super Hornet is set to meet the 80 percent mission capable rate goal by the end of the year, the Pentagon's top civilian said Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether the F-35, F-22 and F-16 will be able to meet the mark. Last fall, former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis gave the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps until the end of fiscal year 2019 to bring their F-35s, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, F-22 Raptors and F-16s up to an 80 percent mission capable rate — a key metric to determine the health of a flying squadron's aircraft. Of those, the “real emphasis was on the F-35 and F/A-18,” acting Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan said May 1 during a House Appropriations Committee panel, and the Super Hornet has made a “tremendous” amount of headway over the past year. “The Navy has made significant progress with the F/A-18s. I think they're on track to meet the goal in September,” he told lawmakers. However, Shanahan suggested that the F-22 and F-16 are unlikely to hit the 80 percent goal, adding that the F-22 “has struggled” and the F-16 “is a bit of a high bar” to clear. Shanahan was unclear on whether the F-35 — which is available in three different variants used by the Air Force, Marine Corp and Navy — will be able to meet the mandate this year. “The F-35s, being brand new aircraft, that [80 percent] should be the baseline where we start,” he said. “The F-35 will come home. We're going to drive that home.” The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps didn't not provide information about the F-35's progress by press time, but the most recent statistics do not seem promising. The services have stopped publishing mission capable rate statistics last year, citing operational sensitivities, but a March report by the Government Accountability Office found that all variants of the F-35 operated at a mission capable rate of about 50 percent from a period of May to November 2018. However, Mattis' mandate specifies that only the F-35s used by operational squadrons must meet the readiness marker. Because there are only a small number of operational F-35 squadrons, and those units typically have newer and more reliable aircraft, the services may stand a better chance of getting to the 80 percent rate. Air Force spokeswoman Ann Stefanek concurred with Shanahan's assessment of the F-16 and F-22, saying that damage from Hurricane Michael to Tyndall Air Force Base's F-22s and ongoing difficulties with maintaining the F-22's low observable coating were likely to prevent the Raptor from achieving an 80 percent mission capability rate this year. However, the service is still “optimistic” that it will be able to get its F-16s over the finish line by the end of FY19, she said. Given the low availability of tactical aircraft in recent years, it would be a massive accomplishment to get any of the fighter jets to meet the 80 percent goal. In August, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer told reporters that half of the service's Super Hornet aircraft were mission capable — a huge increase from 2017 when two-thirds of the fleet were not available to fly. In 2017, the last year the Air Force put out data, F-22s held a 49 percent mission capable rate and the F-16 hovered around 65 to 70 percent, depending on the model. Despite the services' difficulties meeting the aviation readiness goal, Shanahan maintained that pushing toward an 80 percent mission capable rate for those platforms was a worthy endeavor. “It's a lot of iron to keep on the ground, and given all the training missions and the productivity we can generate, I think holding that standard is smart for now,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/navy-league/2019/05/01/shanahan-super-hornet-on-track-to-meet-readiness-goals-but-f-16s-and-f-22s-still-struggling

WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA), Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $950,668,589 and an $11,844,044 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order. The contract is to provide research, analyses, technical evaluation, and test and evaluation support to the Office of the Secretary of Defense Joint Staff, combatant commands, and defense agencies. IDA work will involve the comprehensive evaluation of national security issues, including systems and technologies at all stages of development, deployment, and use. Work performance will take place at the Mark Center, Alexandria, Virginia, and other Department of Defense (DoD) and U.S. government facilities within the National Capital Region. Research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,527,332; operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,486,712; DoD working capital funds in the amount of $340,000; and energy and water appropriations for Army Corps of Engineers in the amount of $490,000 were awarded. The expected completion date is March 30, 2024. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-19-D0001). (Awarded April 15, 2019) NAVY Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded $419,086,770 for modification P00003 to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm contract (N00019-18-C-1068). This modification exercises an option for Lot 19 AIM-9X Block II and II+ all up round tactical missiles, captive air training missiles, captive test missiles, special air training missiles, advanced optical target detectors, guidance units (live battery), captive air training missile guidance units (inert battery), Block I and II propulsion steering sections, Block II electronic units, tail caps, containers, and spares for the Navy, Air Force, and the governments of Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, this modification provides for materials in support of repairs, depot maintenance, and refurbishment. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona (31 percent); Andover, Massachusetts (10 percent); Keyser, West Virginia (9 percent); Santa Clarita, California (8 percent); Hillsboro, Oregon (5 percent); Ottawa, Ontario, Canada (5 percent); Goleta, California (4 percent); Cheshire, Connecticut (4 percent); Heilbronn, Germany (3 percent); Simsbury, Connecticut (2 percent); San Jose, California (2 percent); Valencia, California (2 percent); Anaheim, California (2 percent); Cajon, California (2 percent); Cincinnati, Ohio (1 percent); Anniston, Alabama (1 percent); San Diego, California (1 percent); Chatsworth, California (1 percent); Amesbury, Massachusetts (1 percent); Claremont, California (1 percent); Sumner, Washington (1 percent); and other locations within the continental U.S. (4 percent). Work is expected to be completed in October 2022. Fiscal 2017, 2018, and 2019 weapons procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy and Air Force); fiscal 2018 and 2019 missile procurement (Air Force); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $419,086,770 of will be obligated at time of award, $7,031,336 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract modification combines purchases for the Navy ($123,468,497; 29.46 percent); Air Force ($118,935,517; 28.38 percent); and the governments of Qatar ($38,599,559; 9.22 percent); Australia ($36,934,376; 8.81 percent), South Korea ($29,064,332; 6.94 percent); Norway ($24,637,082; 5.88 percent); Slovakia ($13,515,225; 3.22 percent); Japan ($10,653,101; 2.55 percent); Denmark ($9,417,847; 2.25 percent); Morocco ($7,428,180; 1.77 percent); Belgium ($1,317,129; 0.31 percent), the United Arab Emirates ($1,056,768; 0.25 percent); the Netherlands ($1,051,562; 0.25 percent); Singapore ($723,714; 0.17 percent); Oman ($591,932; 0.14 percent); Switzerland ($349,984; 0.08 percent); Saudi Arabia ($291,195; 0.07 percent); Poland ($171,927; 0.04 percent); Turkey ($171,841; 0.04 percent); Romania ($156,165; 0.04 percent), Taiwan ($147,705; 0.04 percent); Finland ($141,315; 0.03 percent), Indonesia ($85,415; 0.02 percent), Kuwait ($82,620; 0.02 percent), Israel ($59,114; 0.01 percent); and Malaysia ($34,668; 0.01 percent), under the FMS Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Illinois, is awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed-value of $132,283,800. This contract procures the necessary hardware and systems engineering technical support, analysis and studies to integrate the Department of Navy (DoN) Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system onto aircraft for the Navy, Army, and the governments of the United Kingdom and Norway. Hardware for this procurement includes the following weapon replaceable assemblies: 283 advanced threat warning sensors; 79 control indicator unit replaceables; 52 -2103 signal processors; 120 infrared missile warning sensors; 91 Guardian Laser Transmitter Assemblies (GLTAs); 13 multi-role electro-optical end-to-end test sets; 190 GLTA shipping containers; 46 high capacity cards; 10 LAIRCM signal processor replacements smart connector assemblies; and 123 personal computer memory card, international association cards. Work will be performed in Rolling Meadows, Illinois (34 percent); Goleta, California (30 percent); Longmont, Colorado (11 percent); Colombia, Maryland (3 percent); and various locations within the continental U.S. (22 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2021. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy); fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy and Army); fiscal 2019 working capital (Navy); and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) funds in the amount of $42,387,745 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the Navy ($104,986,224; 79 percent); Army ($19,606,871; 15 percent); the government of United Kingdom ($3,144,044; 2.5 percent); and the government of Norway ($4,546,661; 3.5 percent). 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 (N00019-19-C-0011). Gulf Island Shipyards LLC,* Houma, Louisiana, is awarded a $128,561,825 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2207 to exercise options for construction of two towing, salvage and rescue ships. Work will be performed in Houma, Louisiana (92 percent); Hampton, Virginia (5 percent); Stord, Norway (2 percent); and New Orleans, Louisiana (1 percent), and is expected to be complete by November 2021. Fiscal 2018, 2019, and 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amounts of $64,887,543, and $63,589,282, $85,000 respectively 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. Airborne Tactical Advantage Co., Newport News, Virginia (N0042119D0058); Coastal Defense, Inc.,* Mill Hall, Pennsylvania (N0042119D0059); Draken International, Inc.,* Lakeland, Florida (N0042119D0060); and Tactical Air Support Inc., Reno, Nevada (N0042119D0061), are each awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contracts. These contracts are for contracted close air support for the Naval Air Systems Command's Specialized and Proven Aircraft Program Office. Services to be provided include contractor-owned and operated regionally-based, geographically-distributed aviation training capabilities to support adversary and offensive air support. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $124,518,540 with companies having an opportunity to compete for individual task orders. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station, Fallon, Nevada (50 percent); the Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina (25 percent); and Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twenty-nine Palms, California (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,000 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 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. Walashek Industrial and Marine Inc., San Diego, California (N55236-19-D-0005); and Epsilon Systems Solutions, San Diego, California (N55236-19-D-0006), are each awarded a combined aggregate $39,521,000 multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed-pricing arrangements for landing craft air cushion (LCAC) repairs, maintenance, modernization, and retirement services. The work will encompass LCAC Fleet Modernization Program, LCAC Post Service Life Extension Program Extension, LCAC retirements, and LCAC planned/emergent repairs. These two companies will have an opportunity to compete for individual delivery orders. Work will be performed in Oceanside, California, and is expected to be complete by April 2020, and if all options are exercised, work will continue through April 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $20,000 ($10,000 for minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated under each contract's initial delivery order and expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $21,109,471 for cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price delivery order N6134018F0067 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides for the procurement of inlet retrofit kits for the T-45 aircraft, including support equipment and special tooling and engineering and logistics support for installations. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in July 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $21,109,471 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. Boston Consulting Group, Bethesda, Maryland, is awarded $20,246,115 for modification P00003 to a previously issued firm-fixed-price order (N0042119F0106) against a General Services Administration, Federal Supply Schedule contract (GS-10-F-0253V). This modification exercises the option to continue the implementation of a new Naval Sustainment System (NSS) to include the development of governance, coordination, and accountability mechanisms across the Naval Aviation Enterprise. The Commander for the Fleet Readiness Center's contribution to the NSS will deploy commercial maintenance best practices, tailored to the Navy's operational requirements and starting position, in order to reduce component repair and heavy maintenance periodic maintenance inspection turnaround times and better enable aviation readiness recovery. Work will be performed in North Island, California (20 percent); Oceana, Virginia (15 percent); Whidbey Island, Washington (15 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (10 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (10 percent); Lemoore, California (10 percent); Dallas, Texas (5 percent); Bethesda, Maryland (5 percent); Miramar, California (4 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (3 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (2 percent); and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2019. Working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,246,115 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Saab Defense and Security USA LLC (Saab USA), East Syracuse, New York, is being awarded a $17,241,690 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-17-C-5381 to exercise options for production of the Multi-Mode Radar (MMR) systems. Under this contract, Saab USA will manufacture, inspect, test and deliver MMR systems to be deployed on Navy expeditionary support base ships and Coast Guard offshore patrol cutters. Work will be performed in East Syracuse, New York (64 percent); and Gothenburg, Sweden (36 percent), and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2018 and 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $17,241,690 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. Avian LLC,* Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded $13,500,084 for modification P00041 under a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-17-C-0049) to exercise an option to provide support for the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Integrated System Evaluation Experimentation and Test Department. Services provided will include flight test engineering, programmatic, administrative, design, execution, analysis, evaluation, and reporting of tests and experiments of aircraft, unmanned air systems, weapons and weapons systems. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in April 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); fiscal 2018 and 2019 working capital (Navy); fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,855,914 will be obligated at time of award, $869,829 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Solutions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded $11,229,125 for cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price modification P00011 to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N61340-17-C-0014) to procure additional in-scope work for the E-2D Hawkeye Integrated Training System-III Aircraft Flight Management Computer (AFMC) Functional Equivalent Unit (FEU) Risk Reduction Analysis and Demonstration effort. This includes the development of four AFMC FEU prototypes for use in the E-2D Tactics Trainer Software Integration Lab (SIL), E-2D Flight SIL, and E2D Distributed Readiness Trainer SIL and associated technology demonstrations, technical data, and proposal preparation. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia (90 percent); and Orlando, Florida (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2021. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,760,000 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 Co., McKinney, Texas, is awarded $10,077,839 for firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N6833519F2993 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0003). This order provides for eight CH-53K Helicopter Night Vision System AN/AAQ-44 Forward Looking Infrared kits, system development and demonstration ground and flight test support, parts obsolescence analysis, repair analysis, repair of repairables, system conversion, and logistical documentation. Work will be performed in McKinney, Texas, and is expected to be completed in May 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy); and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,077,839 will be obligated at time of award, $1,876,667 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 Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $200,234,192 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of M982A1 Excalibur Ib containerized projectiles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona; Healdsburg, California; Karlskoga, Sweden; East Camden, Arkansas; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Southway, Plymouth, United Kingdom; Glenrothes, Scotland, United Kingdom; Cincinnati, Ohio; Farmington, New Mexico; McAlester, Oklahoma; Joplin Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; Gilbert, Arizona; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; and Santa Ana, California, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2024. Fiscal 2017, 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $200,234,192 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-C-0017). Honeywell International Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, was awarded a $70,486,623 modification (P00083) to contract W56HZV-12-C-0344 for total integrated engine revitalization hardware services. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds in the amount of $70,486,623 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. AECOM Services, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $24,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for multi-discipline services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 21 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-19-D-0013). Dewberry Engineers Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $24,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for multi-discipline services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 21 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-19-D-0012). L-3 Fuzing and Ordnance Systems Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $20,083,383 modification (P00013) to Foreign Military Sales (Australia and Lebanon) contract W15QKN-17-C-0024 for M783 Point Detonating/Delay Fuze production. Work will be performed in Cincinnati, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2010, 2017, 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army; and other funds in the combined amount of $20,083,383 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. COLSA Corp., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $15,468,139 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for system engineering and technical assistance. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $2,539,685 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W9113M-19-F-0041). Alliant Tech Systems Operations LLC, Plymouth, Minnesota, was awarded a $12,754,688 modification (P00025) to contract W15QKN-15-C-0066 for 120mm Advanced Multipurpose XM1147 High Explosive Multi-Purpose with Tracer cartridge. Work will be performed in Plymouth, Minnesota; Rocket Center, West Virginia; Middletown, Iowa; Clear Lake, South Dakota; Shafer, Minnesota; Green Bay, Wisconsin; and Coachella, California, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $12,754,688 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. EBL Engineers LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineer services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 41 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-19-D-0016). Summer Consultants Inc.,* McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $10,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineer services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 41 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-19-D-0015). R.J. Runge Co. Inc.,* Port Clinton, Ohio, was awarded an $8,290,000 firm-fixed-price contract to construct ACA Shelter at Toledo Air National Guard Base, Ohio. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Swanton, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2020. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $8,290,000 were obligated at the time of the award. United States Property and Fiscal Office Ohio is the contracting activity (W91364-19-C-8002). AIR FORCE Assured Information Security Inc., Rome, New York, has been awarded a $93,600,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee completion and term orders. This contract provides for the performance of research, development, prototyping, integration, testing, demonstration, deployment, upgrades, enhancement, sustainment and training of innovative technologies and concepts in support of Virtualized Intelligence Platform Engineering and Research software baselines. Work will be performed in Rome, New York, and is expected to be complete by April 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $281,600; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $5,782,208 are being obligated on the first two task orders at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-D-0001). The Boeing Co., Defense, Space & Security, St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $22,540,550 firm-fixed-price modification (P00028) to previously awarded contract FA8621-16-C-6397 for mission training center services. This modification provides for contractor-furnished, high-fidelity simulation equipment with the simulation capability to train pilots and weapons system operators for F-15C and F-15E aircraft platforms. Work will be performed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina; Mountain Home AFB, Idaho; Langley AFB, Virginia; Kadena Air Base, Japan; and Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Missile Systems Co., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a $19,313,603 firm-fixed-price modification (P00012) to previously awarded contract FA8675-18-C-0003 for the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) production program. This modification provides for redesign of AMRAAM Rectifier Filter Assembly for reliability corrections as well as redesign of AMRAAM telemetry encoder due to obsolescence issues. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be complete by April 15, 2021. This contract involves foreign military sales to Australia, Japan, Norway, Romania, and Turkey. Fiscal year 2018 (Air Force) and fiscal year 2017 (Navy) procurement funds in the amount of $6,802,251; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $4,437,720, are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY McFall Consulting Inc.,* Winchester, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $31,950,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories. This was a competitive acquisition with 79 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Virginia, with an April 29, 2024, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-19-D-0012). Epic Aviation LLC, Salem, Oregon, has been awarded a maximum $7,086,629 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 148 responses received. This is a 47-month contract with one six-month option period. Location of performance is Texas, 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-0079). U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Five companies have received modifications to their existing MultiModal – 2 (MM-2) indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price (with economic price adjustments) contracts. These modifications provided a two-month extension with an estimated value of $30,400,000: Farrell Lines Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (HTC71115DR044U00016); Liberty Global Logistics LLC, Lake Success, New York (HTC71115DR045U00015); National Air Cargo Group Inc., Orlando, Florida (HTC71115DR046U00015); American President Lines LLC, Scottsdale, Arizona (HTC71115DR048U00015); and United Airlines Inc., Chicago, Illinois (HTC71115DR049U00017). This modification provides continued international commercial multimodal transportation service to the Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. The contract is for international commercial multimodal transportation service between various continental U.S. and outside the continental U.S. points and ports. Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual task order. The option period of performance is from May 1, 2019, to June 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Transportation Working Capital Funds were available at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $296,458,000 from $266,058,000. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1830734/

Par Sébastien Galliker Avions de combatEurofighter, F/A-18 Super Hornet, Rafale, F-35A et Gripen E sont testés par Armasuisse sur la base de Payerne. Cinq avions de combat sont en lice pour remplacer les Tiger et les F/A-18 de l'armée suisse. Quatre jours de tests sont prévus pour chacun, selon l'ordre alphabétique. L'Eurofighter d'Airbus était le premier sur la sellette, dès le 11 avril. La phase de sélection du F/A-18 Super Hornet de Boeing a débuté le 29 avril. Le Rafale de Dassault suivra dès le 20 mai, puis le F-35A de Lockheed-Martin le 6 juin et enfin le Gripen E de Saab à partir du 24 juin. Pour chaque avion, Armasuisse a prévu un après-midi aux spotters et autres citoyens intéressés pour approcher l'avion respectif à l'intérieur de l'aérodrome militaire. Les places sont toutefois limitées et l'attrait du public et surtout des photographes est grand. «C'est un peu comme le Paléo pour s'inscrire, il faut être connecté au moment où les places sont ouvertes», commente un spotter. Armasuisse précise aussi sur son site qu'«il ne s'agit pas d'un meeting aérien. Aucune manœuvre supplémentaire, des loopings par exemple, ne sera présentée.» Les essais incluent huit missions comportant des t'ches spécifiques. Effectuées par un ou deux avions de combat, parfois en en solo par un pilote étranger pour le F-35A et le Gripen E qui sont des monoplaces et sinon en présence d'un ingénieur helvétique, ces missions consisteront en 17 décollages et atterrissages. Elles seront axées sur les aspects opérationnels, les aspects techniques et les caractéristiques particulières. «L'objectif n'est pas de sélectionner le meilleur avion, mais le meilleur pour la Suisse», avait présenté Christian Catrina, délégué du Conseil fédéral pour ce dossier, lors de sa présentation. La taille de la future flotte n'est pas encore déterminée, même si les prévisions oscillent entre 30 et 40 avions de combat. Le Conseil fédéral fera son choix à fin 2020, début 2021 et la facture totale sera de l'ordre de 8 milliards de francs, y compris la défense sol-air. La population suisse se prononcera sur cette acquisition, mais pourrait ne voter que sur l'achat des avions, pour un montant estimé de 6 milliards de francs. (24 heures) https://www.24heures.ch/news/news/cinq-candidats-evalues-jusqu-fin-juin/story/30895634

By Vivienne Machi The Air Force is conducting a market survey for new F-15E simulators to train pilots should the service receive new Boeing [BA]-made F-15EX aircraft, according to an April 24 solicitation. The notice, posted Wednesday on FedBizOpps, states that the Air Force... https://www.defensedaily.com/air-force-seeking-sources-for-new-f-15ex-virtual-reality-trainers/business-financial/

By Allen Cone April 30 (UPI) -- Boeing's prototype MQ-25 unmanned aerial refueling drone is so huge it needed help from government agencies in Missouri and Illinois to move 40 miles. With assistance from law enforcement in both states, a truck carried the aircraft -- which is the size of an F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter -- from Boeing's technical plant at St. Louis's Lambert International Airport across the Mississippi River to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, a small regional airport next to Scott Air Force Base in rural Illinois. The semi traveled on side roads and at 5-10 mph for much of the trip Sunday night, KDSK-TV reported. Temporary road closures were in Edwardsville, Marine and Lebanon as the jet moved through. The plane arrived before 6 a.m. Monday, KMOV-TV reported. The regional airport is in less crowded airspace, which "gives us some flexibility in how we can fly," Dave Bujold, the Boeing program manager overseeing drone project, told The Drive. Boeing plans to test fly the MQ-25 Stingray, known as known as T-1 or "Tail 1," before the end of the year. But first it must pass ground taxiing tests and the Federal Aviation Administration must certify the aircraft and grant clear airspace for it to fly. Ground control stations are being installed at the airport. The Boeing test aircraft later will undergo testing on the East Coast. The Navy will also hoist it onto an aircraft carrier for deck handling testing. "By the time the Navy's assets are jumping in the air, we will already have had thousands of test hours on the ground and hundreds in the air," Bujold said. The first Navy aircraft is scheduled to fly in fiscal year 2021. Last August, Boeing was awarded a $805 million contract to build four aircraft for the U.S. Navy. The drones, which won't carry weapons, will be based on aircraft carriers to refuel other aircraft mid-flight, including the Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet, Boeing EA-18G Growler and Lockheed Martin F-35C fighters. "The MQ-25 program is vital because it will help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing, and Boeing and our industry team is all-in on delivering this capability," Bujold said. Curtiss-Wright's Defense Solutions, which has been a Boeing contractor for 60 years, announced last week it has been awarded a contract by Boeing to supply data technology systems for the program. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/04/30/Boeings-MQ-25-refueling-drone-moved-to-air-base-for-flight-testing/5091556634478/

By: Jarosław Adamowski WARSAW, Poland — Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak said April 29 that the Polish government aimed to sign a deal to station U.S. troops in Poland this year, and a contract to purchase F-35 fighter jets was “not far away” from being signed. Blaszczak's announcement in an interview with local broadcaster TVP indicates that Warsaw could aim to negotiate on the potential troop deployment in parallel with the aircraft acquisition. Poland has pitched for the United States to build a permanent military base in the country, offering to pay at least $2 billion toward the project, dubbed “Fort Trump.” On April 25, during her visit to Warsaw, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said that a U.S. Air Force team was to be sent to Poland in May to demonstrate the capabilities of the F-35 to Polish defence ministry officials, as reported by local news agency PAP. Last February, Blaszczak said the planned acquisition of 32 fifth-generation aircraft would be carried out as part of the country's military modernization program. Under the initiative, Warsaw aims to spend 185 billion zloty ($48.5 billion) on new weapons and equipment by 2026. The envisioned procurement is part of Poland's efforts to to replace its outdated Soviet-designed Sukhoi Su-22 and Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2019/04/30/polish-defense-minister-f-35-acquisition-not-far-away/

By Allen Cone April 30 (UPI) -- Boeing has been awarded a $5.7 billion post-production contract for combat capability for the U.S. Air Force's troubled K-46 Pegasus refueling tanker aircraft. The indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, announced Monday by the Department of Defense, includes non-recurring and recurring requirements centered on user-directed and Federal Aviation Administration-mandated KC-46 air vehicle needs. The KC-46 fleet is planned to replace the Air Force's Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers. The company's $49 billion KC-46 program has seen multi-year delays and expenditure overruns. And deliveries have been halted multiple times because of foreign materials found in the jets after arrival from the factory. Work on the new contract will be performed at Boeing's plant in Seattle and is expected to be complete by April 28, 2029. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $9.1 million have been obligated on the first delivery order at the time of award. The military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft are built from from empty Boeing 767 jet airliners in Everett, Wash., then transferred to a facility at the south end of Paine Field called the Military Delivery Center. That's where the jet's military systems, including the refueling and communications equipment, are installed. The first two KC-46s were flown from Boeing's facilities to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., in January, but deliveries were stopped within weeks. The Air Force halted deliveries of the aircraft on Feb. 21 due to foreign object debris, including trash and industrial tools. Eight tools were found in aircraft under production at Boeing's facility, and two more in tankers delivered to the U.S. Air Force, according to an internal Boeing memo. After inspections by the Air Force and the creation of an additional inspections plan, deliveries resumed about one week later. In April, however, the Pentagon again halted accepting deliveries aircraft due to foreign object debris. The Air Force and Boeing has been working on an even more intense inspection process, including draining fuel tanks on all new aircraft so that they can be inspected for foreign object debris -- as with the rest of the planes -- Defense News reported. Boeing plans to deliver 36 aircraft this year, said Mike Gibbons, Boeing vice president. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/04/30/Boeing-awarded-57B-for-KC-46-Pegasus-combat-capability-work/4791556625605/