Nouvelles

NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $712,482,210 for cost-plus-incentive fee, firm-fixed-price delivery order N0001919F2474 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-14-G-0020) for the development of advanced hardware in support of the F-35 Lightning II Technology Refresh 3 (TR3) System. Efforts include the design of the TR3 System through full flightworthy certification, production readiness review, and fleet release to support low-rate initial production Lot 15 aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy and Marine Corps); and non-U.S. Department of Defense participant (non-U.S. DoD) funding in the amount of $207,144,167 will be obligated at time of award, $13,000,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order combines purchases for the Marine Corps ($27,046,506; 32 percent); Navy ($24,500,000; 29 percent); and non-U.S. DoD participants ($32,506,142; 39 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $228,818,298 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2116 for the purchase of additional long lead time material in support of Enterprise (CVN 80). The purpose of this action is to definitize efforts previously announced as an undefinitized contract action and increase the scope of the contract for additional long lead time material. Work is being performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by January 2023. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and construction (Navy) funding in the amount of $132,980,000 will be obligated at the time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Dayton T. Brown Inc.,* Bohemia, New York, is awarded an $82,595,099 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for supplies and services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Special Missions Integrated Test Facility (AIR-5.4). Supplies and services being procured are in support of the continued development of the Mobile Mission System (MMS) family of system capabilities, MMS variants, procurement of additional MMS units, prototyping and modification for rapid mission specific system reconfiguration, test and operational deployment, maintenance, repair, refurbishment, logistics support and associated material procurements in support of the complete system of systems capabilities between the MMS, the airborne component, the ground component and the required laboratory component. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (91 percent); and Bohemia, New York (9 percent), and work is expected to be completed December 2025. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Nova Group Inc., Napa, California, was awarded a $38,300,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction to update the standby power plant and the electrical distribution system at Pacific Missile Range Facility, Makaha Ridge, Kauai, Hawaii. Work will be performed in Kauai, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by July 2021. Fiscal 2017 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $38,300,000 are obligated on this award, of which $16,360,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-19-C-1320). (Awarded Dec. 26, 2018) C.E.R Inc.,* Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded $15,668,500 for firm-fixed-price task order N4008019F4101 under a previously awarded design-bid-build, small business, multiple award construction contract (N40080-18-D-0016) for the renovation of Building 2007 at Marine Corps Base, Quantico. Building renovations includes selective demolition and repairs of existing building systems and spaces. In addition, this project will convert existing classrooms and bachelor enlisted quarters living spaces into administrative spaces. The project will also provide new electrical, Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning, hot and cold water plumbing, fire suppression, floor, roof systems, new non-classified internet protocol router and secret internet protocol router network lines and ports, as well as, demolish existing walls, floors, and ceilings; then construct administrative spaces for Marine Corps Combat Development Command headquarters. In addition to renovations, interior hazmat abatement will be performed; one elevator and new restrooms will be provided in order to meet current Americans with Disabilities Act regulation. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,668,500 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Six proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Bell Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded a $13,340,913 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the acquisition of 218 operational test program sets for the Navy (188); Japan (15); and various foreign military sales customers (15), including non-recurring engineering to address potential obsolescence issues. Work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania (90 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N6833519D0017). Insitu Inc., Bingen, Washington, is awarded $12,167,690 for firm-fixed-price delivery order N0001919F2638 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-15-G-0014). This delivery order provides for the procurement of spare and sustainment parts that are required to maintain the RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft system in support of the Naval Supply Systems Command. Work will be performed in Bingen, Washington, and is expected to be completed in June 2019. Working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $12,167,690 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. Nova Group Inc.-Underground Construction Co. Inc., JV, Napa, California, is awarded an $11,350,806 firm-fixed-price modification under a previously awarded contract (N40192-14-C-1300) for equitable adjustments associated with additional munitions and explosives of concern investigations for the new pipeline and pipeline repairs at various locations off base within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas area of responsibility. After award of this modification, the total cumulative contract value will be $78,285,823. Work will be performed in Piti, Guam, and is expected to be completed by March 2018. Fiscal 2013 military construction (Navy); and fiscal 2015 defense working capital funds in the amount of $11,350,806 are obligated on this award. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Marianas, Guam, is the contracting activity. Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded an $11,000,000 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2106 for the advance planning of the refueling complex overhaul of USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). This contract modification provides supplemental material identified as required subsequent to contract award. Work is being performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to complete by July 2019. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $11,000,000 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. Makai Ocean Engineering Inc.,* Waimanalo, Hawaii, is awarded $9,897,213 for cost-plus-fixed-fee task order N3943019F4018 under a previously awarded multiple award contract (N39430-18-D-2047) for design, procurement, fabrication, testing and integration of components for a lightweight seafloor cable system for use in a technology demonstration at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme. The work to be performed provides for design and procurement of a wet-plant system and deployment system, as well as in-person training for government personnel and operation and maintenance manuals. Tasking includes conducting verification testing of components, sub-systems, and delivery of the complete integrated system. Work will be performed at Waimanalo, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by March 2020. Fiscal 2019 research and development (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,897,213 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. ARMY Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $64,381,000 modification (P00025) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0008 for performance based logistics. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds in the amount of $64,381,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Georgia Power Co., Atlanta, Georgia, was awarded a $25,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for electrical distribution services. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $25,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Stewart, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W9124M-19-F-0019). Longbow LLC, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $13,028,575 modification (P00009) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0027 for life cycle support to the fire control radar and unmanned aerial system tactical common data link assembly. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds in the amount of $13,028,575 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $12,187,345 modification (P00005) to contract W81K04-18-C-0001 for specialty medical training, equipment, maintenance and administration support services. Work will be performed in Camp Parks, California; Fort Gordon, Georgia; and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 and 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,187,345 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. Dubuque Barge and Fleeting Service Co.,* Dubuque, Iowa, was awarded a $9,959,690 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River basin. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Clinton, Iowa, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 27, 2020. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,959,690 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W912EK-19-C-0006). BGI LLC,* Akron, Ohio, was awarded a $7,761,863 modification (P00002) to contract W9133L-18-C-0002 for weapons system simulator training and support. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 2, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,761,863 were obligated at the time of the award. National Guard Bureau, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE BAE Systems Information and Electronics Systems Integration, Nashua, New Hampshire (FA8604-19-D-4021); The Boeing Co., Defense, Space & Security, St. Louis, Missouri (FA8604-19-D-4022); General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. GS-ASI, Poway, California (FA8604-19-D-4020); Goodrich Corp., UTC Aerospace Systems, ISR Systems, Westford, Massachusetts (FA8604-19-D-4023); Harris Corp., Electronic Systems, Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems, Clifton, New Jersey (FA8604-19-D-4027); Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas (FA8604-19-D-4026); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida (FA8604-19-D-4024); and Raytheon Co., Raytheon, El Segundo, California (FA8604-19-D-40250), have been awarded $22,500,000 ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts for the formation of a collaborative working group of various industry partners to work as a single extended entity to develop, evolve, and update via pre-planned product improvement initiatives, as well as manage and provide configuration control of the Open Mission Systems and Universal Command and Control Interface standards, collectively referred to as the Open Architecture standards. These contracts provide for the development, updating and management of the above standards with the following business goals: promote adaptability, flexibility, and expandability; support a variety of missions and domains; simplify integration; reduce technical risk and overall cost of ownership of weapon system programs; enable affordable technology refresh and capability evolution; enable reuse; enable independent development and deployment of system elements; and accommodate a range of cybersecurity approaches. Work will be primarily performed in Nashua, New Hampshire; St. Louis, Missouri; Poway, California; Westford, Massachusetts; Clifton, New Hampshire; Fort Worth, Texas; and Melbourne, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (Contracts awarded Dec. 14-18, 2018). Sonalysts Inc., Waterford, Connecticut, has been awarded an $11,328,749 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for standard Space Trainer sustainment and mission-specific vendor plug-in (MSVP). This modification provides for the continued sustainment for the Space Training Acquisition Office and future development of MSVPs. Work will be performed in Waterford, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $678,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $9,741,897 modification (P00093) to previously awarded contract FA7014-11-C-0018 for the Very Important Person Special Air Mission contract. This contract provides for aircraft maintenance and base supply and fuels in support of aircraft assigned to the 11th Wing and 89th Wing at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington, and brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to an estimated $466,547,627. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington, and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,741,897 are being obligated at the time of award. The 11th Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1721774/source/GovDelivery/

By: Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — As the Air Force leaves 2018 behind and flies into into a new year, the service may face some big changes to its organization and aircraft inventory. Expect to see a lot of these questions answered with the release of the fiscal year 2020 budget, which officials have said will be released in early February. Neither outgoing Defense Secretary Jim Mattis nor its acting head Patrick Shanahan has confirmed a topline budget for the department — the latest reports peg it at $750 billion, up from the $733 billion the Pentagon originally planned for and the $700 billion that President Donald Trump mandated afterward. However, much of this could be dependent on whether the Air Force sees a funding bump this year. What's going on with that F-15X buy? Rumors have swirled for more than a year about whether the Air Force could buy additional F-15s, but it appears that the service will begin purchasing more of Boeing's air superiority jet. On Dec. 21, Bloomberg reported that the Air Force will request 12 F-15Xs for about $1.2 billion as part of the FY20 budget request. The F-15X will be a new variant of the F-15 that includes a new electronic warfare suite, radar, cockpit and the ability to carry more missiles. Bloomberg reports that the decision to buy the new aircraft stems from top Pentagon leaders who want new F-15s to replace the aging models used by the Air National Guard — and pointedly not the Air Force, which has been resistant to buying new, fourth-generation planes. In September, when asked whether the service was considering the purchase of the F-15X, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the service needed to use its purchasing power to buy more fifth-generation fighter jets like the F-35. "We are currently 80 percent fourth-gen aircraft and 20 percent fifth-generation aircraft,” she said. "In any of the fights that we have been asked to plan for, more fifth-gen aircraft make a huge difference, and we think that getting to 50-50 means not buying new fourth-gen aircraft, it means continuing to increase the fifth generation.” One thing to keep an eye on is how Wilson and her uniformed counterpart, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Goldfein, justify the purchase of new F-15s, and how they characterize their own levels of support for the initiative. A lack of enthusiasm could be seen as damning on Capitol Hill. The other big questions: Will the number for FY20 hold if there is more budget fluctuation following Mattis' departure? And what does the Air Force's five-year plan look like? That could provide a hint on just how big this investment ultimately may get. Does the Air Force buy light attack aircraft? The Air Force was supposed to put out a final request for proposals this year for new light attack aircraft. That has officially been pushed back until 2019, leaving two competitors in a state of purgatory. If the service moves forward with a competition, it will come down to Textron's AT-6 and the A-29 Super Tucano made by Embraer and Sierra Nevada Corp. But industry sources are still unsure whether the Air Force will commit to a formal program of record. Another major question is just how big the program will be. If fewer than 100 planes are purchased, those will likely be deployed exclusively by Air Force Special Operations Command for low-intensity combat, Maj. Gen. Scott Pleus, Air Combat Command's director of plans, programs, and requirements, told Air Force Magazine. A larger buy of hundreds of aircraft would allow the Air Force to spread its light attack planes more widely, through the United States, Europe and the Asia-Pacific. How do Air Force space operations change with the addition of a Space Force? The Pentagon's latest draft proposal would funnel the new military branch for space operations under the Department of the Air Force, a decision that would give the Air Force a continued voice on national security space pursuits. The service would be led by a Space Force chief of staff and an undersecretary of the Air Force for the Space Force, who would report to the Air Force secretary. This seemingly gives the service's top civilian a considerable amount of authority over the Space Force. Still yet to be seen is whether that solution will satisfy Congress. Rep. Adam Smith, the incoming head of the House Armed Services Committee, remains skeptical about the need for a separate military branch for space, but other lawmakers may be more bullish about the Space Force's need to remain separate from the Air Force. Another big question is what this means for the military's current space organization. Does Air Force Space Command and the Space and Missile Systems Center transfer over to the Space Force? Do the Navy and Army keep their own portions of the military space enterprise? And who is going to get named as the undersecretary of the Air Force for the Space Force, anyway? Will there be some restructuring of Air Force headquarters at the Pentagon? Earlier this month, Heidi Grant, the outgoing deputy secretary of the Air Force for international affairs, confirmed that the service is considering transferring some of her office's strategy development functions to the Air Staff's office for plans and requirements, also known as the A5. This, she said, was part of a larger reorganization currently being considered by service leadership. These internal decisions reportedly aren't tied to the budget, and Grant said the Air Force could come out with a decision as early as January. However, leaders have said little about what sort of changes have been proposed. Is this just the transfer of some responsibilities from one office to another, or might we see some consolidation or the creation of new offices as a result of the deliberations? https://www.defensenews.com/air/2018/12/27/four-big-questions-for-the-air-force-in-2019/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Under the purview of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, reform has become a buzzword inside the Department of Defense, with every office trying to find ways to be more efficient, whether through cost savings or changes to bureaucracy. The department's Acquisition and Sustainment office, headed by Ellen Lord, manages billions of dollars in materiel; and by Lord's own belief, it is ripe for changes that could net the department big savings. On Dec. 17, Lord sat down with reporters and outlined a series of goals for 2019 that she hopes will help transform how the Pentagon buys equipment. Here, then, are six key items to watch for in the coming year. 1. Rework the department's key acquisition rules: The DoD Instruction 5000.02 is a key bedrock that forms the basis of how the defense acquisition system works, guiding acquisition professionals in their day-to-day program execution. And if Lord gets her way, she'll largely rip it up and start over. “In 2019, one of my key objectives is to rewrite 5000.02. We have, right now, this huge, complicated acquisition process that we encourage our acquisition professionals to tailor to their needs,” Lord said. “We are going to invert that approach and take a clean sheet of paper and write the absolute bare minimum to be compliant in 5000.02, and encourage program managers and contracting officers to add to that as they need for specific programs.” Lord envisions taking the massive, unwieldy 5000.02 guidance and getting it down to “a couple page outline of what you need to do,” with “simple” contract language and an easy-to-follow checklist “so that this isn't an onerous process.” “I'm encouraging what I call creative compliance. I want everyone to be compliant, but I want people to be very thoughtful and only use what they need,” she said. “This is literally starting with a clean sheet of paper, looking at the law and the intent, and working to vastly simplify this.” Andrew Hunter, a former Pentagon acquisition official now with the Center for International and Strategic Studies, notes that the instruction is supposed to be rewritten every five years to keep it fresh, and now is probably the right time to start looking into that. But, he added, “a lot of what she says she wants to do are things that sound very similar to my ear to what [Lord's predecessor] Frank Kendall was trying to do in the last rewrite. He tossed stuff out left and right, worked very hard to create the different models, put in extended discussions of different potential models of programs so that it would be obvious to people there's not one single way to do a program.” Hunter is cautious when it comes to a massive shift in the 5000.02 system. “If you literally tell the system, ‘All the rules are repealed, go do everything you want,' the reaction won't be a sudden flood of creativity that astounds you with the amazing talent at the department, even though there is a lot of talent there," he said. “What's more likely to happen is you have total paralysis because everyone is sitting around going: ‘Oh no, the rules are gone. How do we know what we can do? What do we do now?' But over time that might shake out.” If Congress needs to get involved, Lord said, she's prepared to go to Capitol Hill “because I know they are partnering with us and they want to make sure we do things in a simpler, most cost-effective manner.” 2. Intellectual property rules: A long-standing fight between the department and industry is over who should own the intellectual property used by the American military. Before fully taking on 5000.02, Lord hopes to write a departmentwide intellectual property policy. Lord pointed to the “very good job” done by the Army on creating an IP policy and said her goal is to build on that to create a standard across the DoD. “From an industry perspective, we are trying to be consistent across all the services and agencies, so that we don't have different requirements for similar needs,” Lord said. “So intellectual property is a good example. We'd like to have the same kind of contract language that can be tailored to individual needs, but basically have consistent language.” David Berteau, a former Pentagon official who is now the president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, noted it is hard to read the tea leaves for what Lord may be planning based on her public comments. But he pointed out the long-standing challenge for the Pentagon — that nearly 70 percent of all program costs are life-cycle sustainment and maintenance costs — as a sign that something needs to change so the department can avoid major issues in the future. Depending on how new rules are implemented, the use of IP might drive down costs — or, he warned, it might lead to companies unable to compete, forcing the Pentagon to pay more or be less prepared for challenges. Put plainly, Berteau said, “it's complicated.” He hopes Lord will begin interacting with industry on this issue in ways similar to the current “listening tour” on changes to progress payments. 3. Better software development: It's become almost cliché that the department needs to do better at developing software, but in this case it's a cliché that experts, including Lord, agree with. The Defense Innovation Board, a group of tech experts from outside the department, is working on a series of studies on software, including one focused on how to drive agile development techniques inside the building. Lord said to expect that report before the end of March, adding: “I think that will be important in terms of capturing a road map forward on how to do this correctly.” 4. Increase use of OTAs: In 2018, Lord's office released a handbook on when and how to use other transaction authorities — legal standards designed to speed acquisition that critics say are underutilized by the department. Lord called it “sort of a warmup” for creating more useful handbooks for the acquisition community, but said that the goal for 2019 is to get people to correctly employ OTAs. “Usually they should be used when you don't have a clear requirement. So, true prototyping when you don't know what you're going to get,” Lord said. “Prototyping early on, probably before you get to the middle-tier acquisition.” 5. Greater use of prototyping: Speaking of which, Lord said the department has about 10 projects underway for rapid prototyping at the mid-tier level, with the goal of growing to about 50 in the next year. The goal is to take the systems into the field, test them out and then grow the next iteration of the capability based on what is learned. “We're taking systems that are commercially available and perhaps need a little modification, or defense systems that need a modicum of modification to make them appropriate for the war fighter,” Lord said. “That's one of the authorities we are very appreciative for, and we will continue to refine the policy. I signed out very broad policy on that this year. We'll write the detailed policy coming up early next year.” 6. Making the Selected Acquisition Reports public again: Until recently, the department publicly released annual Selected Acquisition Reports for each of the major defense programs. Those reports can inform the public of where programs stand and the costs associated. However, under the Trump administration, those reports have been largely classified as “For Official Use Only,” or FOUO, a higher level of security. Critics, including incoming House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., have argued there is no need for those once-public reports to be listed as FOUO. It appears Lord is working to open those back up. “We're going to try to minimize the FOUO on that,” Lord said in response to a question about it. “There are certain information [issues] that we have to protect, but [we] understand the need, the requirement, and I will put our guidance to make everything open to the public to the degree we can.” https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2018/12/27/six-things-on-the-pentagons-2019-acquisition-reform-checklist/

The Kremlin said the Avangard missile successfully hit a designated practice target 6,000 kilometres away from its launch site The Associated Press , Vladimir Isachenkov MOSCOW — Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw a test Wednesday of a new hypersonic glide vehicle, declaring that the weapon is impossible to intercept and will ensure Russia's security for decades to come. Speaking to Russia's top military brass after watching the live feed of the launch of the Avangard vehicle from the Defence Ministry's control room, Putin said the successful test was a “great success” and an “excellent New Year's gift to the nation.” The test comes amid bitter tensions in Russia-U.S. relations, which have sunk to their lowest level since the Cold War times over the conflict in Ukraine, the war in Syria and the allegations of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Putin's hopes for repairing ties with Washington under President Donald Trump have fizzled amid investigations into allegations of Trump's campaign ties with Russia, and tensions have escalated as the U.S. administration slapped Russia with new waves of sanctions. The Avangard was among the array of new nuclear weapons that Putin presented in March, saying that Russia had to develop them in response to the development of the U.S. missile defence system that could erode Russia's nuclear deterrent. In Wednesday's test, the weapon was launched from the Dombarovskiy missile base in the southern Ural Mountains. The Kremlin said it successfully hit a designated practice target on the Kura shooting range on Kamchatka, 6,000 kilometres away. “The Avangard is invulnerable to intercept by any existing and prospective missile defence means of the potential adversary,” Putin said after the test, adding that the new weapon will enter service next year with the military's Strategic Missile Forces. When first presenting the Avangard in March, the Russian leader said the new system has an intercontinental range and can fly in the atmosphere at 20 times the speed of sound, bypassing the enemy's missile defence. He emphasized that no other country currently has hypersonic weapons. Putin has said that Avangard is designed using new composite materials to withstand temperatures of up to 2,000 degrees Celsius (3,632 degrees Fahrenheit) that come from a flight through the atmosphere at hypersonic speeds. https://nationalpost.com/news/world/russias-putin-oversees-test-of-hypersonic-weapon

By: Jill Aitoro WASHINGTON — Sikorsky and Boeing provided the first look at the Defiant helicopter, one of two designs competing under the U.S. Army's Joint Multi-Role technology demonstrator program, two weeks after confirming the first flight would be delayed until 2019. The Joint Multi-Role Technology Demonstrator effort will inform requirements for the U.S. Army's FVL family of systems, which will come online in the 2030s. The Defiant is designed to fly at twice the speed and range of today's conventional helicopters and offers advanced agility and maneuverability, according to the Sikorsky-Boeing team. Data from the Defiant will help the Army develop requirements for new utility helicopters expected to enter service in the early 2030s. The Defiant's first flight was bumped to 2019 following a technical issue discovered during ground tests. Competitor Bell's V-280 Valor tilt-rotor aircraft has been flying since December 2017. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2018/12/26/heres-the-first-look-at-the-sikorsky-boeing-defiant-helicopter

By: Tara Copp President Donald Trump has no plans to nominate a replacement for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis any time soon, and said acting secretary Patrick Shanahan may remain in the post for the foreseeable future. Shanahan currently serves as the deputy secretary of defense at the Pentagon, the No. 2 civilian position there, which has traditionally focused more on the internal workings and business practices of the Defense Department. Trump announced on Sunday via Twitter that Shanahan would immediately replace Mattis after the departing defense chief released a public resignation letter last week citing his differences with the administration's security policies. Instead, Shanahan will immediately take the reins and Shanahan “could be there for a long time” in the acting defense secretary position, Trump said, according to Reuters, during his surprise visit to Iraq Wednesday. Mattis had intended to remain in place for two months to give the administration time to get through the 2020 budget hearings and give the White House time to find a replacement. Shanahan, a career Boeing executive, had been primarily focused on the Pentagon's inner workings, developing a space force and overhauling the building's business practices. https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2018/12/26/trump-no-plans-to-name-mattis-replacement-soon

By Ed Adamczyk Dec. 26 (UPI) -- A Program Management Office has been established by the Air Force at Tyndall Air Force Base to lead redevelopment and reconstruction efforts there, which are expected to take more than five years and cost about $3 billion. The PMO will be responsible for leading the redevelopment and reconstruction efforts at the base after it sustained devastating damage in October from Hurricane Michael, the U.S. Air Force said in an update Wednesday. Full article: https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2018/12/26/Air-Force-establishes-office-at-Tyndall-AFB-to-guide-five-year-rebuilding-process/7501545848204/

By: Kelsey D. Atherton To understand the future of Russia's drone program, we have to grasp its present and immediate past. While the modern era of unmanned aircraft is perhaps best typified by American Reaper drones flying missions with Hellfire missiles slung under wing, the overall picture of drones in combat has evolved and changed. The Pentagon's primacy in aerial robotics is no longer a sure thing, in part because of the waning unipolar moment and in part because building a drone capability is cheaper today than it was two decades ago. To sort out what the past year means, to see if any of the battlefield experience from the multiple irregular wars Russia is part of has factored into drone design or force planning, C4ISRNET spoke with Samuel Bendett, an adviser at the Center for Naval Analyses and a Fellow in Russia Studies at the American Foreign Policy Council. C4ISRNET: Bottom line up front: What's the single sentence takeaway for next year in Russian drones? BENDETT: As Russia develops its lineup of long-range UCAVs [unmanned combat aerial vehicles], it will challenge American dominance with such technologies that Washington held for the past 17-18 years. C4ISRNET: That's ambitious, to say the least. How is the Ministry of Defence preparing to make that challenge, and did Russia learn anything from fighting in Syria that might lead to changes in how it uses drones in 2019? BENDETT: [The week of Dec. 17] marked a series of key announcements from the Russian Ministry of Defence about the country's growing unmanned aerial systems capabilities. Going into Syria in 2015, Russia was lacking a key combat element — the ability to hit targets quickly following their identification, one of the key functions of UCAVs around the world today. Moscow's experience in Syria underscored that point — despite fielding a large number of ISR drones that enabled Russian to be more precise in combat, the majority of targets were hit by manned aviation or manned artillery forces. Hence, the push today to field an entire lineup of strike UAVs for a diverse range of missions. Public statements by the Russian government and the military establishment also highlight the importance of unmanned systems for the country's military and its ability to wage war. Just recently, President Putin stated key propriety areas for his military in 2019 — among them was an emphasis on unmanned and robotic systems development. C4ISRNET: What sort of drones are we seeing in that push? BENDETT: The Ministry of Defence mentioned work on a strike version of Forpost mid-range drone. The Forpost UAV is a license copy of an Israeli “Searcher,” itself a design that is decades old at this point. Capable of distances up to 250 kilometers, it is currently Russia's longest-ranged drone. Under the earlier license agreement with Israel, this UAV could only be assembled as an ISR version. Russian military valued this particular unmanned vehicle and has long wanted to turn into something more than an extra pair of eyes in the sky. Today, UZGA Defence enterprise is claiming that the “Russified” version of that UAV is full of Russian-made components, so that no further cooperation with Israel would be necessary. Putting a strike package on Forpost would give Russian an immediate ability to hit targets within a 250 kilometer range — in other words, giving it the ability to strike most adversary targets in Syria where Russian forces are still conducting operations. Given that Forpost itself is an older UAV model, it's likely that the Russian military will use it as a test bed to further refine its UAV manufacturing abilities, as well as to test indigenous munitions for UAV missions. It's likely that out of all UAVs listed by the MOD, this particular one will reach the Russian forces sooner than others. C4ISRNET: What about the Orion? BENDETT: The Ministry also named Orion UAV as another unmanned vehicle to fully see the light of day in 2019. Orion has similar characteristics to Forpost, such as range, at least as advertised at international arms expos [250 kilometers]. It is possible that its range could be extended further — current Orion versions are showcased as ISR models, but there were discussions that it could be offered for export as armed version. This particular UAV has similar design features to the ever-growing family of unmanned aerial vehicles all over the world — it bears close resemblance to the American RQ-9 Reaper, Chinese CH-4 and Ch-5 drones, as well as to the Iranian Shahed and Turkish Anka UAVs. Unlike Forpost, Orion was only recently tested, although there were rumors that it was seen in Syria, with observers possibly confusing it with the Iranian Shahed. C4ISRNET: Are there other large drones in the works for the Ministry of Defence in 2019? BENDETT: The Ohotnik UCAV is the most intriguing and interesting project of its kind in Russia. Originally started around 2011-2012, this UAV has also been delayed by a number of years. This fall, MOD carried out the first “taxing” test, when Ohotnik prototype was accelerated on the runway to test the engine. Next year, the Russian defense establishment is promising a test that will include a short-duration “jump”— the UCAV will rise ever so briefly above the tarmac to test its launching and landing capabilities. At this point, it is going to be heaviest and fastest UAV if and when fielded, but additional testing and evaluation will have to take place in order for this unmanned system to be fully functional. Its speed — up to 1000 km/hr — and weight — up to 20 tonnes — means that a host of aerodynamic, electronic and hi-tech issues need to be worked out. C4ISRNET: Should we hold our breath waiting for the Ohotnik test flights? BENDETT: Given the delays experienced with “Altius,” MOD would probably be more conservative with Ohotnik estimates. However, the very appearance of Ohotnik rising in the air — a stealthy blended-wing design — will be a powerful PR coup for the country that has lagged behind other nations like the United States, Israel and China in actual UCAV examples and combat use. C4ISRNET: What was the Altius, and what happened with it? BENDETT: The Altius was one of the most ambitious UAV projects in Russia — to build an indigenous drone capable of carrying up to 2.5 tonnes of cargo/equipment/weapons to a distance of 10,000 kilometers. Earlier estimates that this UAV would be fully operational by 2018 did not pan out. Delays in production, a lack of key expertise and hi-tech components meant the entire scheduled pushed “to the right” by many years. [The week of Dec. 17] MOD promised that Altius will take to the skies next year — given the fact that Simonov actually produced a prototype that has already flown, that promise may indeed materialize. The real issue will be the quality of that test flight — whether Altius will fly as intended and with the right amount of key equipment. C4ISRNET: How will these drones change the way Russia plans and conducts war? BENDETT: All these UAVs — if and when fielded as planned and as advertised — will give Russia the capability to strike targets at a range anywhere form 250 kilometers and up to several thousand kilometers. This is a flexibility the Russian military has long sought — its Syrian actions depended on manned airborne assets conducting deep-strike against designated targets, which in turn depended on an extensive logistics and infrastructure to support such missions. Having the ability to launch long-range UCAVs from Russian [or Russian-allied] territory would exponentially increase MOD's ability to conduct missions in the near abroad and possibly around the world. Of course, that would depend largely on the domestic defense sector actually delivering what was initially promised, something that some UAV projects have greatly struggled with. C4ISRNET: Russian forces have used small drones quite a bit. Is any of that transferable to using these new, larger drones? BENDETT: While the Russian military has gained extensive experience operating a wide range of close and short-range UAVs, and has commenced force-wide training and usage of these unmanned systems, operating the large and heavy UAVs would be a different story. This kind of technology requires different training, as well as different logistical and infrastructure support. Getting these UCAVs into the military will require a change to existing CONOPS and TTPs, something that will take time as the Russian military will need to become familiar with a different set of technological sophistication. Still, these UAVs are finally moving past the prototype stage — with the Ministry of Defence paying very close attention to these projects, the likely 2019 appearance is guaranteed for these designs. Their eventual acquisition is still years away. Russian UCAV plans will have important implications for the way Moscow thinks about, designs, tests and eventually conducts warfare. C4ISRNET: Describe, let's say, what Russia drone use looks like in 2030 based on these trends. BENDETT: With the influx of high-precision munitions, development of high-tech weapons and the development of various types of UAVs, future conflicts where Russia will be involved will no longer feature Russian military as a “blunt instrument” — the way Russian tech was used in Chechen wars, in Georgia and even in the early stages of the Syrian conflict. If Russia fields the weapons it is currently designing, then it to will join the ranks of high-tech military powers aiming to strike its adversaries with precision. These UCAVs will have a pivotal role in such a construct. C4ISRNET: What are constraints on Russia achieving this vision? BENDETT: Major constraints for Russia to achieve its vision is lack of experience with hi-tech systems — sensors, key electronics, navigation, cameras, etc. Russians have been able to overcome such problems with simpler, smaller drones, but larger MALE/HALE classes are a different story. This led to production and delivery delays, and despite MOD oversight, there was no silver bullet to deal with these issues. Another constraint has been the effect of Western sanctions and Russian ability to import hi-tech systems and components — today's import-substitution effort by Moscow in hi-tech will take time. C4ISRNET: Any last thoughts? BENDETT: As Russia pursues its own version of the “multidomain battle,” unmanned and robotic systems will form key parts of the Russian way of warfare in 2030 and beyond. However, that will depend on the actual capability of the Russian defense sector to field certain unmanned systems. That vision may change based on the reality of producing such systems, given how many T&E and delivery schedules have already been pushed “to the right.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/newsletters/unmanned-systems/2018/12/26/what-does-2019-hold-for-russias-drones

by Sandra Erwin The Air Force is developing software and ground equipment to boost the protection of the Wideband Global satcom system. First in line for the upgrade are naval carrier strike groups. The Navy will get the new technology in 2022, about 18 months sooner than previously planned. WASHINGTON — The Air Force is cyber hardening military satellite communications equipment amid worries that foreign hackers could infiltrate U.S. networks. “Adversaries are getting better and more able to penetrate our unclassified or barely protected systems,” said Col. Tim Mckenzie chief of the advanced development division for military satellite communications at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center. The bulk of military satcom services are provided by the Air Force Wideband Global Satcom, or WGS, satellites and by commercial operators. All these systems require additional protection from cyber attacks, Mckenzie told SpaceNews in a recent interview. “Commercial satcom as well as our own purpose-built Wideband satellites were never designed to provide protection against some of the things we expect our adversaries to do in the near future,” he said. In response, the Air Force is developing software and satcom ground equipment to boost the protection of WGS networks in the near term, and commercial systems at a later time. First in line for these upgrades are the Navy's aircraft carrier strike groups in the Pacific, Mckenzie said. The Air Force will have this technology available for carrier strike groups in 2022, about 18 months sooner than previously planned. The central piece of the cyber security upgrade is anti-jam communications software — called the Protected Tactical Waveform (PTW). A ground system, the Protected Tactical Enterprise Service (PTES) will manage the transmission of the waveform over WGS satellites and terminals. Boeing, which manufactures the WGS satellites, was awarded a seven-year, $383 million contract in November to develop the PTES. “We are doing agile software development to enable early use of the PTW capability,” said Mckenzie. The anti-jam software and ground system only will work initially with WGS networks, said Mckenzie. If a commercial provider opted to use the PTW waveform, the ground system could be updated to interoperate with that vendor's network. Military satcom users will need to upgrade their satellite terminals with new modems to operate the PTW waveform. The Air Force two years ago awarded three contracts — $39 million to Raytheon, $38 million to L3 and $33 million to Viasat — to develop prototype modems. The Army, Navy and Air Force will run separate competitions to decide which modems they will acquire for their specific terminals. For carrier strike groups, the Navy will have to buy PTW-capable modems to upgrade its satellite terminals aboard ships. In the long term, the plan is to add a new space component — either newly designed spacecraft or military communications payloads hosted on commercial buses. “Our goal is to have some protected tactical satcom prototype payloads on orbit in the fiscal year 2025 time frame,” said Mckenzie. Whatever new hardware makes up the space segment, it will be compatible with the PTES ground equipment, he said. Mckenzie noted that the Air Force has been criticized for deploying satellites before the ground equipment is available. The PTW and PTES efforts reverse that trend. “We have learned lessons from being out of sync with terminals on the ground,” Mckenzie said. “We've been working for the last several years to develop modem upgrades that can be put into our existing terminals so we have terminals that can use PTW.” To get fresh thinking on how to develop a secure satcom system, the Air Force Space Enterprise Consortium is funding four design and prototyping projects. These are four areas “where we're trying o reduce risk,” said McKenzie. The consortium was stood up in 2017 and given authorities to kick start projects with far less red tape than traditional Pentagon contracting. Mckenzie said the Air Force is interested in new ideas for constellation architectures, payload hosting concepts, advanced space processing and antenna designs. McKenzie expects contracts for the development of protected tactical satcom payloads will be awarded in fiscal year 2020, with a goal to start launching new systems into orbit by 2025. Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and X-Band LLC have entered into cost-sharing agreements with the Air Force — contracts known as Other Transactions Authority — to map out constellation sizes, layouts, design lives, and concepts such as hosting of military payloads as a commercial service. Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and SSL have signed OTA agreements to develop phased arrays and array fed reflectors antennas. BAE Systems, L3 and SEAKR Engineering received OTA deals to investigate requirements for secure satcom applications such as geo-location, waveform processing, and anti-jam. Boeing and Southwest Research Institute are studying hosting concepts, such as identifying interface commonalities between commercial and military bus providers and recommends ways to simplify the integration. Tom Becht, military satcom director at the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, said the protected tactical satcom effort has been underway for more than eight years and now is being accelerated as the Air Force seeks to respond to military commanders' needs in a more timely fashion. “The demand for protected satcom has significantly increased,” Becht said in an interview. After the PTW, PTES and the new space segment are deployed, the next step will be to modernize the military's nuclear-hardened strategic satcom system, the Advanced Extremely High Frequency constellation. Most of the users of the AEHF system are tactical operators and the Pentagon eventually wants to have a dedicated strategic satcom constellation for nuclear command and control. “Tactical users will transition to the Protected Tactical Satcom system,” said Becht. That transition could take decades, he said. “The aggregated [tactical and strategic] AEHF will be around until the mid 2030s or a bit longer.” https://spacenews.com/air-force-to-accelerate-deployment-of-anti-jam-satellite-communications-equipment