Nouvelles

Steve Trimble A U.S. hypersonic defense system has evolved from wide-open concept studies two years ago into a densely layered architecture populated by requirements for a new generation of space-based sensors and ground-based interceptors. Over the next two years, the first elements of the Defense Department's newly defined hypersonic defense architecture could advance into operational reality if all the pieces can overcome various challenges, including the Pentagon's so far ambiguous commitment to long-term funding. Space-based hypersonic tracking is possible in 2023 New sea-based interceptor will possibly be ready by mid-2020s Pentagon seeks Congressional add-ons to finance plan The Space Development Agency (SDA), with assistance from the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), next year will start launching satellites into orbit with new forms of tracking technology optimized to perform the challenging task of remotely targeting hypersonic missiles as they maneuver in the atmosphere hundreds of miles below. At the same time, the MDA and DARPA will soon begin demonstrating a new class of kinetic and nonkinetic interceptor technologies. In addition to solving the guidance and thermal challenges posed by hypersonic flight, this new class of missile defense weapons must be guidable by satellites potentially perched far over the horizon, not by sensors integrally linked on the ground to their launching systems. Pentagon officials began conceiving a hypersonic defense architecture a year after launching multiple offensive weapons programs in 2017, seeking to close gaps in the ballistic defense system that missiles now fielded by adversaries are designed to exploit. With the ability to maneuver hundreds of miles off a ballistic trajectory, hypersonic glide vehicles (HGVs) and cruise missiles are designed to evade the MDA's network of stationary ground-based and slow-moving sea-based radars dotted around the globe. By gliding or powering through the atmosphere against the warm background of Earth, the same missiles appear 10-15 times less luminous during the midcourse phase than the boost-phase, exoatmospheric objects that the MDA designed the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) satellites to detect, according to Michael Griffin, the undersecretary of defense for research and engineering. Closing those gaps will require serious investment. Despite plans to infuse more than $10 billion to field at least three different rocket-boosted HGVs by 2025 as offensive weapons, the Pentagon's financial commitment to field a defensive capability is not as clear. The MDA, for example, submitted a fiscal 2020 budget request in February 2019 that included around $157 million in hypersonic defense. A month later, the agency submitted an unfunded-priorities list to Congress, asking for another $720 million for hypersonic interceptors and tracking sensors. Congress met the MDA more than halfway, adding $400 million to the final appropriations bill. A similar shortfall then appeared in the MDA's fiscal 2021 budget request. The agency included $207 million for hypersonic defense but asked Congress to chip in another $224 million on top of the budgeted amount, according to a March report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies' (CSIS) Missile Defense Project. Moreover, the Defense Department's long-range forecast for hypersonic defense spending shows an ambiguous commitment at best. The MDA plans to launch a competition to select a Regional Glide-Phase Weapon System (RGPWS) in fiscal 2021 but only if Congress approves the additional $224 million identified in the unfunded priorities list. At the same time, the new SDA plans to start demonstrating MDA's Hypersonic Ballistic Tracking and Surveillance System (HBTSS) alongside the SDA's own tracking layer in orbit. But the unclassified version of the Future Years Defense Program, which details the Defense Department's five-year spending forecast, shows declining support for hypersonic defense after next year. If Congress approves the extra $224 million for MDA, hypersonic defense spending would peak at around $450 million next year, then average about $112 million annually from fiscal 2022 to 2025, according to the CSIS data. The implication seems clear: Despite the MDA's public commitment to a hypersonic defense system, the agency prefers to finance the development mainly by annual congressional add-ons. Although the MDA's long-term funding plan for hypersonic defense is limited, the potential threats are no longer speculative. In December, the Russian government announced it had achieved operational status for the Avangard, a nuclear-tipped HGV launched by a modernized SS-19 intercontinental ballistic missile. Two months earlier, Gen. Paul Selva, then-vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, explained the implications of an adversary with a nuclear-armed HGV: Imagine if NATO attempted to blunt a move by Moscow to occupy a Baltic state, and Russian strategic forces responded by threatening to launch an Avangard missile. The now-retired general warned that a single Avangard could arc over the Arctic Ocean, and as it reached the northern tip of Hudson Bay, Canada, could change course. It could then veer to target the U.S. East Coast or strike the West Coast, Selva says. U.S. forces currently have no ability to deter or defend against such a capability. To solve that problem, a new space-based tracking system is needed. The Pentagon's existing satellites are either looking for a more luminous signal than that of an HGV or a hypersonic cruise missile or are using a very narrow field-of-view sensor to minimize background clutter, says SDA Director Derek Tournear, who spoke with Aviation Week during a June 4 webinar. The first attempt to solve that problem is scheduled for launch in fiscal 2024. Forty satellites in SDA's Tranche 1 constellation in low Earth orbit carry sensor payloads for tracking hypersonic missiles. Unlike the SBIRS or other space-based capabilities, the sensors will neither have a narrow field of view nor be optimized for tracking only during the boost or exoatmospheric phases of a missile's trajectory. Instead, the spacecraft in Tranche 1 will carry a wide-field-of-view infrared sensor. “However, the jury is still out on whether [the sensors] will be able to form a track that is high enough quality to actually give you that fire control solution so that you can fire [interceptors] on [a] remote [track],” Tournear says. The backup to the SDA sensor will be demonstrated under MDA's HBTSS program. The MDA is developing what Tournear calls a medium-field-of-view system, which falls between the narrow-field-of-view format of existing satellites and the SDA's wide-field-of-view design for Tranche 1. Ideally, the SDA's wide-field-of-view sensors will detect an HGV or a cruise missile and pass the data in orbit to the HBTSS sensors, which will then develop a target-quality track. That data will be passed down to interceptor batteries on the ground. Modified interceptors, such as Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, will augment new kinetic and non-kinetic options to shoot down hypersonic missiles. Credit: Missile Defense Agency Within a few years, the SDA will find out how the concept works. By the end of 2022, eight Tranche 0 satellites equipped with the SDA's wide-field-of-view sensors should be in low Earth orbit. A year later, the MDA plans to launch two satellites into low Earth orbit with medium-field-of-view sensors. The Tranche 0 constellation—aided by 20 communications-relay and data-processing “transport” satellites—will provide a limited operational capability and validate that the sensors work as designed. The next step comes in 2024, when the SDA plans to launch the 40 satellites in the Tranche 1 constellation. “We would have, in essence, regional persistence of [infrared satellites] over any area of the globe that we choose,” Tournear says. There is a catch, however. The launch of the Tranche 1 satellites in 2024 fall within the five-year spending plan but so far remain unfunded. Shortly after the scheduled Tranche 1 layer is activated, the MDA plans to field RGPWS, the new interceptor optimized for HGVs. If Congress adds the funding, RGPWS could be fielded as early as the “mid-2020s” with the Navy's Mk. 41 vertical launch systems on ships and submarines, followed later by air- and land-launched versions. The design requirements for RGPWS are classified, but it's possible the interceptor may benefit from an ongoing DARPA program. Glide Breaker, which includes Aerojet Rocketdyne as a supplier, seeks to demonstrate a “critical enabling technology” for a hypersonic defense missile. The MDA also plans to demonstrate an “extreme power” microwave weapon against “very long-range” missile threats within two years. At the same time, the MDA is adapting existing point defenses against atmospheric threats. Lockheed Martin is studying improved versions of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, called “Dart,” and of the Patriot, called “Valkyrie.” In addition to the extreme power microwave, Raytheon also is studying a new variant of the SM-3 called Hawk. Editor's note: The article has been updated to correctly identify the names of the hypersonic defense concepts under study for THAAD and Patriot. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/missile-defense-weapons/us-hypersonic-defense-plan-emerges-not-cash

By Ed Adamczyk June 19 (UPI) -- The Pentagon's strategy for defense in space treats the environment as a warfighting domain, a Defense Department report says. The Defense Space Strategy calls for maintenance of space superiority, support to national, joint and combined operations on earth,and assurance of space stability, the Pentagon said this week. The report identified what officials call four priority lines of effort: building a comprehensive military advantage in space; integration of power in space into the military; shaping the strategic environment; and cooperation with allies, partners, and other U.S. government departments and agencies. The 18-page unclassified section of the report was released on Wednesday. "China and Russia have weaponized space and turned it into a war-fighting domain," Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy Stephen Kitay told reporters on Wednesday. "Their actions pose the greatest strategic threat with ongoing development, testing and deployment of counter-space systems and the associated military doctrine designed to hold allied and U.S.space systems at risk." "The U.S. space enterprise was not built for the current strategic environment," Kitay added, noting that space has historically been regarded as a supporting domain for satellites to support other efforts, but not as a battleground. The U.S. Space Force, established as the sixth branch of the Armed Forces in 2019, is specifically designated as the country's space warfare service branch. It has previously noted Russia's direct ascent weapons and potential weapons to destroy satellites, as well as threats including electronic warfare, cyberattacks and ground-based lasers capable of blinding satellites. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2020/06/19/Pentagon-maps-out-defense-space-strategy/3191592594867/

Point clé: L'armée avait le choix entre quelques options lorsqu'elle recherchait le prochain chasseur furtif. Il a finalement décidé de ce qui allait devenir le F-35. Le ministère de la Défense (DoD) n'a pas eu à opter pour le F-35. Dans les années 1990, Boeing et Lockheed Martin ont soumissionné pour le prochain gros contrat de chasse, un avion qui servirait dans chacune des forces aériennes, navales et marines, ainsi que pour soutenir les forces aériennes de nombreux alliés américains. Boeing a servi le X-32; Lockheed le X-35. Le Pentagone a choisi le F-35. Compte tenu des luttes de la dernière décennie avec le Joint Strike Fighter, il est impossible de ne pas se demander ce qui aurait pu être; Et si le DoD était parti avec le X-32 de Boeing à la place, ou avec une combinaison des deux appareils? Histoire: À la fin de la guerre froide, le Pentagone a proposé un projet de chasseurs conjoints dans l'espoir de réduire la queue logistique globale des forces en campagne, ainsi que de minimiser les coûts de développement. Chacun des trois services d'avions de chasse avait besoin d'être remplacé par l'avion de 4e génération dans son inventaire; les F-15 et F-16 dans le cas de l'Air Force, et les F / A-18 et AV-8B Harrier dans le cas de la Navy et du Marine Corps. Le nouveau chasseur avait donc besoin de configurations conventionnelles, porteuses et STOVL (atterrissage vertical à décollage court). Historiquement, le DoD n'avait pas eu de chance avec les programmes conjoints, mais l'espoir était qu'une «articulation» accrue entre les services, combinée à des techniques de production plus avancées et à des procédures logistiques plus soigneusement affinées, ferait qu'un combattant partagé en valait la peine. Toutes les parties ont compris que le vainqueur de la compétition connaîtrait probablement un grand succès à l'exportation, car de nombreuses forces aériennes du monde entier avaient besoin d'un chasseur de cinquième génération. En bref, il s'agissait de la plus grosse transaction à l'horizon de l'industrie de la défense de l'après-guerre froide. Boeing et Lockheed Martin ont remporté des contrats pour développer chacun deux démonstrateurs. L'histoire continue Capacités: Construits selon les mêmes spécifications, le X-32 et le F-35 avaient des paramètres de performances relativement similaires. Décidant de rivaliser sur les coûts, Boeing a conçu le X-32 autour d'une aile delta monobloc qui s'adapterait aux trois variantes. Le X-32 n'avait pas la portance du turboréacteur entraîné par l'arbre du F-35, utilisant à la place le même système de vectorisation de poussée que l'AV-8 Harrier. Le système du X-32 était moins avancé que celui du F-35, mais aussi moins complexe. Le X-32 a été conçu pour atteindre Mach 1,6 en vol conventionnel. Il pourrait transporter six AMRAAM ou deux missiles et deux bombes dans sa baie d'armes interne. Les caractéristiques de portée et de furtivité étaient généralement similaires à celles attendues du F-35, et le corps de l'avion pouvait accueillir une grande partie de l'équipement électronique avancé que le F-35 transporte maintenant. Décision: Une chose est sûre; le X-32 était un avion ridiculement laid. Cela ne ressemblait pas tellement à la ponte d'un A-7 Corsair et à un lamantin hideusement déformé. Le F-35 n'est pas un prix d'un point de vue esthétique, sans les lignes élégantes et dangereuses du F-22, mais le X-32 a rendu le F-35 positivement sexy en comparaison. Quelle importance cela devrait-il avoir? Pas du tout. Quelle importance cela avait-il? Bonne question. Les pilotes de chasse n'aiment pas piloter des avions qui semblent pouvoir être écrasés par un hors-bord en Floride. Pour des raisons plus concrètes, la stratégie de Boeing a probablement nui à ses chances. Au lieu de construire un démonstrateur capable de répondre aux exigences des trois services, Boeing en a construit deux; l'un capable de vol supersonique conventionnel, et l'autre de décollage et d'atterrissage vertical. Le prototype de Lockheed pourrait faire les deux. Le Pentagone a également apprécié la nature innovante (bien que risquée) du turbolift du F-35. Enfin, l'expérience de Lockheed avec le F-22 a suggéré qu'il pourrait probablement gérer un autre grand projet de chasseur furtif. Conclusion: Choisi en 2001, le F-35 est devenu le plus grand projet d'approvisionnement du Pentagone de tous les temps et l'un des plus assaillis. Le X-32 a échappé à tous les défis les plus importants pour le F-35. Le X-32 n'a jamais fait face à des décennies de tests et de refonte; il n'a jamais connu de dépassements de coûts massifs; il n'a jamais été soumis à une série interminable d'articles sur la façon dont il ne pouvait pas déjouer un F-16A. La nostalgie de ce qui aurait pu être est courante dans les compétitions d'avions, et il est impossible de dire si le X-32 aurait rencontré les mêmes difficultés que le F-35. Étant donné la nature complexe des projets de chasse avancés, la réponse est presque certainement «oui». Mais avec le recul, il aurait presque certainement été plus logique de choisir un chasseur alternatif VSTOL pour le Marine Corps. Cela aurait éliminé l'aspect le plus complexe du projet «conjoint»; la nécessité de créer un avion qui partage des composants critiques à travers trois variantes très différentes. Cela aurait également aidé à répartir la richesse entre les différents grands entrepreneurs de la défense, une pratique qui est devenue de plus en plus une priorité du Pentagone. Bien sûr, étant donné que les aspects STOVL des F-35 et X-32 ont été intégrés au stade de la proposition, cela aurait nécessité de revenir en arrière jusqu'en 1993, pas seulement en 2001. Robert Farley, un contributeur fréquent de TNI, est l'auteur du Battleship Book. Il est maître de conférences à la Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce de l'Université du Kentucky. Son travail comprend la doctrine militaire, la sécurité nationale et les affaires maritimes. Il blogue sur Avocats, Armes à feu et Diffusion d'argent et d'informations et Le Diplomate. Cela est apparu pour la première fois en 2016. https://www.breakingnews.fr/international/lavion-qui-aurait-pu-remplacer-le-f-35-523306.html

Dans une interview avec Ouest-France, Gérard de Boisboissel, ingénieur de recherche au centre de recherche des écoles militaires de Saint-Cyr-Coëtquidan, revient sur la militarisation de l'armée française, entre les drones aériens Reaper déployés au Sahel, les drones marins de guerre des mines développés à Brest ou « mules » mécaniques en test pour les forces terrestres. « Il est inéluctable que la robotisation de nos équipements va s'accélérer, explique-t-il. Les avantages sont trop importants, notamment la réduction du danger pour l'Homme et sa préservation, mais aussi pour l'omniprésence que permettent ces machines sur le terrain, 24 heures sur 24, sous réserve d'une autonomie énergétique, ainsi que leur meilleure réactivité et précision. Ce seront de nouveaux pions tactiques au service du chef militaire ». Ouest-France du 21 juin 2020

AIR FORCE Federal Resources, Stevensville, Maryland; W.S. Darley & Co., Itasca, Illinois; US21 Inc., Fairfax, Virginia; Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Tactical & Survival Specialties Inc., Harrisonburg, Virginia, have been awarded a $950,000,000, 10-year, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide equipment, training and product support to approximately 3,500 Air Force Special Warfare operators, as well as authorized users in support of Special Warfare mission requirements. Work will be performed at various U.S. locations, and is expected to be completed June 2030. These awards are the result of a competitive acquisition with 17 offers received. Fiscal 2019 other procurement funds in the amount of $2,000 will be obligated on the initial order placed against each of the contracts. Air Force Life cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (FA8629-20-R-5003). Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded an estimated $44,055,036 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursable contract for contractor engineering and technical services engine support for Air National Guard and Foreign Military Sales partners. Work will be performed in Thailand; Iraq; Jordan; Taiwan; Turkey; Bahrain; Morocco; Egypt; Chile; Pakistan; Indonesia; Oman; Utah; Texas; and Florida, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2023. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and is a basic indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. No funds will be obligated at award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8604-20-D-8002). General Dynamics Information Technology, Westwood, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $27,686,482 firm-fixed-price modification (P00012) to task order FA8051-18-F-0045 to support the Air Force Civil Engineering Center (AFCEC) in procurement of professional information technology services for AFCEC's Control Systems Cybersecurity Initiative. This modification provides for the full funding of Option Year One. Work will be performed in Panama City Beach, Florida, as well as various locations worldwide, and is expected to be completed Aug. 19, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of this contract to $78,113,693. The 772d Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded an $18,733,197 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00026) to contract FA8615-17-C-6047 for active electronically scanned array radars of Air Force F-16 aircraft. The contract modification is for definitization of the Radio Frequency Target Generator, additional support equipment and software development to support Phase Two. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $3,510,172; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,103,436 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,027,044,025. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. (Awarded June 18, 2020) Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., Beavercreek, Ohio, has been awarded a $12,602,959 contract to develop, prototype and demonstrate an integrated sensor suite capability for effective cockpit sensing, including pilot physiology and cockpit environments. The final product will be a stand-alone prototype system ready for transition to platform program offices for acquisition. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed Nov. 21, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,750,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-C-6231). ARMY Airborne Systems North America of California Inc., Santa Ana, California (W911QY-20-D-0027); and Mills Manufacturing Corp.,* Asheville, North Carolina (W911QY-20-D-0028), will compete for each order of the $150,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase of MC-6 personnel parachute systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 18, 2028. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Gilbane Federal, Concord, California, was awarded a $96,903,333 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a new 135,392 gross square-foot building. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed at Fort Gordon, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of June 19, 2022. Fiscal 2018, 2019 and 2020 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $96,903,333 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-20-C-3006). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $71,134,382 modification (PZ0009) to contract W56HZV-19-C-0087 for heavy equipment transport system trailer and contractor logistics support. Work will be performed in Kampen, Netherlands; and Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of May 23, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $71,134,382 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Dawson HDR Services JV LLC,* Huntsville, Alabama (W9128A-20-D-0005); Engineering/Remediation Resources Group Inc.,* Martinez, California (W9128A-20-D-0006); GSI Pacific Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0007); and Na Ali'i Consulting & Sales LLC,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W9128A-20-D-0008), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental service activities at various locations within the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers, Honolulu District's area of responsibility. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 16, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Tepa EC,* Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $46,208,579 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of company operations facilities at Fort Carson. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed at Fort Carson, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of April 5, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $46,208,579 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-20-C-0029). General Electric Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $37,070,579 firm-fixed-price contract for support of the T700 series engine program. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-20-D-0046). Record Steel And Construction Inc., Boise, Idaho, was awarded a $27,554,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of an approximately 51,000 square-foot, single-story joint simulation environment facility at Nellis Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Las Vegas, Nevada, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $27,554,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Los Angeles, California, is the contracting activity (W912PL-20-C-0018). Sauer Inc., Jacksonville, Florida, was awarded a $20,768,000 firm-fixed-price contract for an operations support facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Fayetteville, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Army) funds in the amount of $20,768,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W912PM-20-C-0016). Stampede Ventures Inc., Nome, Alaska, was awarded a $10,398,844 firm-fixed-price contract to repair multiple systems and areas in Hangar 714 at Dover Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 19, 2022. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $10,398,844 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-20-C-0024). Ophirex Inc.,* Corte Madera, California, was awarded a $9,873,778 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to support a clinical study to determine the safety and efficacy of Varespladib to control or prevent COVID-19-associated Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome as an addition to standard of care. Bids were solicited via the internet with 63 received. Work will be performed in Corte Madera, California, with an estimated completion date of June 18, 2023. Fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $9,873,778 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W81XWH-20-C-0066). Mahaffey Tent & Awning Co. Inc.,* Memphis, Tennessee, was awarded a $9,201,291 modification (P00007) to contract W9124E-16-D-0006 for furnishing and maintenance of generators and providing potable water, portable light sets, sleep and dining facilities tents, hygiene units, tables, chairs and hand-wash stations. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 20, 2021. The U.S. Army 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Hood, Texas, is the contracting activity. NAVY Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems, Braintree, Massachusetts, is awarded a $45,324,258 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6405 for the production of MK54 MOD 0 lightweight torpedo (LWT) array kits. This modification combines purchases for the Navy (18%); the government of Canada (68%); Republic of Korea (8%); Denmark (5%); and Spain (1%), under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Braintree, Massachusetts (70%); and Lititz, Pennsylvania (30%). This action is to exercise Phase One of Option Year Two of the MK54 MOD 0 LWT array kits program to supply array nose assembly kits. This option provides MK54 LWT MOD 0 array kits for the Navy and FMS partners, in addition to spares, production support material and related engineering services, hardware support and the maintenance of government-furnished equipment. Work is expected to be complete by March 2023. FMS funding in the amount of $37,374,934; and fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,949,324 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $25,125,344 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-13-C-5116 to exercise an option for Aegis Combat System Engineering Agent (CSEA) efforts for the design, development, integration, test and delivery of Advanced Capability Build 20. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey. Under this contract, the Aegis CSEA develops, integrates, tests and delivers computer program baseline advanced capability builds (ACBs) and supports technology insertions (TIs). It also includes a replacement or upgrade of combat system computing hardware and associated middleware/firmware. The design development and develops engineering products support ship integration, developmental test and operational test events, develops training and logistics products and provides field technical support for designated Aegis baselines. The systems engineering, development and integration work under this contract begins with ACB 16 and TI 16, and continues with a future ACB/TI through the period of performance of the contract. Work is expected to be complete by December 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds; and 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $25,125,344 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. American Computer Development Inc.,* Frederick, Maryland (N00164-20-D-JN94); Advance Circuit Technology Inc.,* Rochester, New York (N00164-20-D-JN95); Bionetics Corp.,* Heath, Ohio (N00164-20-D-JN96); ZENTECH Bloomington LLC,* Bloomington, Illinois (N00164-20-D-JN97); Printed Circuits Corp.,* Lilburn, Georgia (N00164-20-D-JN98); Sechan Electronics Inc.,* Lititz, Pennsylvania (N00164-20-D-JN99); Spectrum Advanced Manufacturing Technologies Inc.,* Colorado Springs, Colorado (N00164-20-D-JN00); and Unified Business Technologies Inc.,* Troy, Michigan (N00164-20-D-JN01), are awarded a $14,705,110 five-year, firm-fixed-price, multiple award contract for build-to-print circuit card assemblies for military projects. These contracts combine purchases for the Navy (58%); and sales to the governments of other countries (42%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Frederick, Maryland; Rochester, New York; Heath, Ohio; Bloomington, Illinois; Lilburn, Georgia; Lititz, Pennsylvania; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Troy, Michigan. These build-to-print circuit card assemblies are used for military projects including, but not limited to, helmet display tracking system, fixed forward firing weapons and interface unit automatic data processor systems that are utilized on the MH-60R and MH-60S helicopters. Work is expected to be complete by June 2025. If all options are exercised, work will continue through June 2030. These contracts include options, which if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of these contracts to $38,418,061. Working capital funding that does not expire in the amount of $24,000 will be obligated at time of award. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM website, and 11 offers were received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity. T&M Painting & Construction Inc.,* Murrieta, California, is awarded $10,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $10,000,000 for exterior and interior painting at the Naval Base Point Loma, California. All work on this contract will be performed in San Diego, California. The initial task order is being awarded at $254,029 for exterior painting at Building T302 and Building 145, Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific. The work to be performed is for the preparation of paint surfaces and various buildings aboard Naval Base Point Loma facilities and also includes incidental lead paint removal, scrapping and removing old paint on fascia boards, doors, windows and trim, eves, downspouts and rain gutters and power washing of paint surfaces as needed. Work is expected to be complete by September 2020. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of June 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M,N) contract funds in the amount of $254,029 are obligated on this award. Funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M,N. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and three proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-20-D-0003). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Owego, New York, is awarded $7,732,575 firm-fixed-price delivery order N00019-20-F-0406 against basic ordering agreement N00019-19-G-0029. Work will be performed in Owego, New York. This delivery order procures labor and hardware to design, develop and test upgrades to currently fielded operation test program sets required for intermediate level support, to include the audio management computer-lite, smart multi-function display, common avionics multi-function display and the control display unit in support of the H-60 Multi-Mission helicopter. Work is expected to be complete by September 2023. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,732,575 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., Manassas, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,115,128 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Control of Revolutionary Aircraft with Novel Effectors (CRANE) program. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (50%); Tucson, Arizona (26%); St. Louis, Missouri (15%); and Los Angeles, California (9%), with an estimated completion date of June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $7,109,177 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement HR0011-19-S-0072. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-20-C-0119). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2226670/source/GovDelivery/

Nathan Strout The Space and Missile Systems Center will award ride-share contracts to six small launch providers under the Defense Production Act, providing support to a market the Pentagon has repeatedly said is vulnerable to coronavirus-related financial restraints. The six companies approved by the Industrial Base Council are Aevum, Astra, X-BOW, Rocket Lab USA, Space Vector and VOX Space. Each company will be awarded sole-source contracts for two ride-share missions to be conducted over the next 24 months. The value of the contracts was not included in the announcement originally posted on SAM.gov on June 16. Funding for the 12 ride-share missions will come from the Defense Production Act Title III funding effort, which is backed by the recently passed coronavirus relief act. The Pentagon has singled out the small launch market as being particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic over the last few months. On April 20, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Ellen Lord warned that the small launch market was one of three sectors she was most worried about. In a later statement to C4ISRNET, the Space and Missile Systems Center elaborated on her remarks. “There is concern that the current financial and market constraints resulting from the COVID-19 have reduced funding sources necessary to continue development and operations for the nascent small launch industry,” said Col. Rob Bongiovi, director of SMC's launch enterprise directorate. “Much of the industry have limited flight capability or are in the critical transition from development to flight and this funding restriction may prevent or delay these systems. The Space and Missile Systems Center is evaluating the impacts to the small launch industrial base to consider actions to enable a robust U.S. launch industrial base.” In response, the Space Force Acquisition Council held an emergency meeting with representatives from the U.S. Space Force, the National Reconnaissance Office, the Space Development Agency and others. A survey was sent out to members of the Space Enterprise Consortium to see how the Defense Department could help. SMC Commander Lt. Gen. John “JT” Thompson hinted earlier in the week that Defense Production Act awards would be forthcoming for the small launch market. “In the small launch environment, Secretary Lord and [U.S. Space Force Service Acquisition Executive Will] Roper have both commented about how important small launch is to our enterprise, and I can't give you the details right now but I would anticipate here very shortly some very critical Defense Production Act awards to our small launch providers to keep that industry going,” Thompson said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/space/2020/06/19/space-force-invokes-defense-production-act-to-prop-up-small-launch-market/

Andrew Eversden The Pentagon's primary artificial intelligence hub is already studying how to aim a laser at the correct spot on an enemy vehicle, pinpointing which area to target to inflict the most damage, and identifying the most important messages headed to commanders, officials said June 16. But as part of that work, the Department of Defense needs to carefully implement checks and balances into the development process, experts urged June 16. “Fundamentally I would say there's a requirement ... that there's going to be a mixture of measures taken to ensure the governability of the system from the first stage of the design of the system all the way up through the operations of the system in a combat scenario,” said Greg Allen, the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center's chief of strategy and communications at the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, at the Defense One Tech Summit June 16. The JAIC is working on several lethality projects through its new joint warfighting initiative, boosted by a new contract award to Booz Allen potentially worth $800 million. “With this new contract vehicle, we have the potential to do even more this next year than we did in the past,” Allen said. Meanwhile, the Army's Artificial Intelligence Task Force is working on an advanced threat recognition project. DARPA is exploring complementing AI systems that would identify available combat support assets and quickly plan their route to the area. Throughout all of the development work, experts from the military and from academia stressed that human involvement and experimentation was critical to ensuring that artificial intelligence assets are trustworthy. The department has released a document of five artificial intelligence ethical principles, but the challenge remains implementing those principles into projects across a department with disparate services working on separate artificial intelligence projects. “We want safe, reliable and robust systems deployed to our warfighters,” said Heather Roff, senior research analyst at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab. “We want to be able to trust those systems. We want to have some sort of measure of predictability even if those systems act unpredictably.” Brig. Gen. Matt Easley, director of the artificial intelligence task force at Army Futures Command, said the service is grappling with those exact challenges, trying to understand how the service can insert “checks and balances” as it trains systems and soldiers. Easley added that the unmanned systems under development by the Army will have to be adaptable to different environments, such as an urban or desert scenarios. In order to ensure that the systems and soldiers are ready for those scenarios, the Army has to complete a series of tests, just like the autonomous vehicle industry. “We don't think these systems are going to be 100 percent capable right out of the box,” Easley said on the webinar. “If you look at a lot of the evolution of the self-driving cars throughout our society today, they're doing a lot of experimentation. They're doing lots of testing, lots of learning every day. We in the Army have to learn how to go from doing one to two to three vehicle experiments to have many experiments going on every day across all our camp posts and stations.” Increasingly autonomous systems also mean that there needs to a cultural shift in among all levels of military personnel who will need to better understand how artificial intelligence is used. Roff said that operators, commanders and judge advocate generals will need to better understand how systems are supposed “to ensure that the human responsibility and governability is there.” “We need to make sure that we have training, tactics, procedures, as well as policies, ensuring where we know the human decision maker is,” Roff said. https://www.c4isrnet.com/it-networks/2020/06/18/artificial-intelligence-systems-need-checks-and-balances-throughout-development/

By: Former U.S. Air Force secretaries and chiefs of staff In 1959, the U.S. Air Force deployed its first intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A year later, the Navy deployed its first submarine-launched ballistic missile aboard the submarine George Washington. These systems, together with the Air Force's nuclear-capable bomber force, formed the United States' nuclear deterrence capability, which came to be known as the “triad.” The triad has been the foundation of U.S. national security policy for over 60 years, providing stability to America's global military operations and diplomacy efforts. The triad — and the security umbrella it extends to our allies and partners — has fostered decades of peace and prosperity. Nuclear deterrence has successfully prevented crises from escalating to conflicts and promoted cooperation and diplomacy in resolving disputes. Today, nuclear deterrence is more important than ever, which is why we must prioritize efforts to modernize the triad. Throughout the Cold War and into the 21st century, military and political leaders have worked together to maintain a credible, safe and reliable nuclear deterrence capability. As technologies and threats evolve, so has the triad. Over the years, each leg has been modernized several times. Currently, the Air Force is developing the B-21 long-range strike bomber, which will enter service later this decade, and the Navy is replacing its fleet of ballistic missile submarines with the Columbia class, scheduled to begin patrols in 2031. A replacement is also needed for the Minuteman ICBM system, which first entered service in 1962 and has been upgraded and extended 40 years beyond its original service life. In 2010, after affirming the importance of maintaining a land-based leg, the Obama administration initiated the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, a modern ICBM system that will improve reliability, lower operational costs, and respond to current and future threats. The Air Force will soon begin work on GBSD, which will enter service in 2029. Over 10 years of planning have led to this goal, with the program's necessity validated by two presidential administrations, six congresses and six secretaries of defense. ICBMs are an integral part of the triad, providing complementary capabilities to the sea-based and bomber legs that enhance our overall deterrence posture. For example, land-based missiles are the most robust and stabilizing leg of the triad. Consisting of 400 active, hardened missile launch facilities on sovereign U.S. soil and dispersed over 30,000 square miles, ICBMs pose a nearly insurmountable obstacle to those who wish us harm. They prevent any rational adversary from credibly threatening or confidently planning a strike. Failing to adequately maintain the land-based leg of the triad by fully funding the GBSD would threaten strategic stability and make remaining U.S. nuclear forces more vulnerable. America's ICBM force is both affordable and cost-effective — it features the lowest annual sustainment and recapitalization costs compared to the other two legs. It is vital the nation maintain its nuclear force posture, which has acted as a stabilizing element of global security for decades. Modernizing the triad is no small undertaking, and our current modernization efforts are the result of decades of careful planning and bipartisan support. Stewardship is handed down from one set of leaders to the next, and in this critical moment of transition it is imperative our current leaders keep these modernization programs on track. We strongly recommend that members of Congress support moving ahead with the GBSD program so it can join the other legs in providing effective deterrence for decades to come. The contributors to this commentary are: Former U.S. Air Force Secretaries Sheila Widnall, Whitten Peters, James Roche, Michael Wynne, Michael Donley and Deborah Lee James, as well as former U.S. Air Force Chiefs of Staff Gen. Larry Welch, Gen. Merrill McPeak, Gen. Ronald Fogleman, Gen. Michael Ryan, Gen. John Jumper and Gen. T. Michael Moseley. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/06/19/keep-modernization-of-the-ground-based-strategic-deterrent-program-on-track/

By: Christina Mackenzie PARIS — France's Army needs to toughen up, according to its chief of staff, and he has the strategic plan to do it by 2030. Gen. Thierry Burkhard, a paratrooper in the Foreign Legion and former commander of its 13th Demi-Brigade and later of the Combined Operations Center, unveiled the 20-page document on Wednesday. The document was prepared by a tight-knit group of senior officers, who worked on it from August to October last year. It was then discussed by senior Army cadres, and by January it was ready. However, the coronavirus pandemic delayed its publication. Burkhard said implementing the plan is critical because a “recurrence of a major conflict is now a credible hypothesis.” He added that the cycle of asymmetrical warfare is coming to a close and that a return to symmetrical, state-on-state conflict is likely. But the document also warns that “there are new means of using force, unforeseeable and more insidious, based on intimidation and manipulation, in a new type of warfare, undetectable and disclaimed, to obtain undeniable strategic gains by imposing a fait accompli.” One of France's concerns is that China's expansion in the Pacific will endanger the European country's territories there, such as New Caledonia and French Polynesia. French armed forces in the area must be able to riposte vigorously if necessary, Burkhard said. To “acquire operational superiority,” the French Army must improve its capabilities in the electromagnetic environment, space, cyberspace and information technology, the report said. It also stressed the importance of “strategic industrial partnerships within Europe,” specifically mentioning the CaMo (Capacité Motorisé, or motorized capacity) program, which will see Belgium receive 382 multirole Griffon armored vehicles as well as 60 reconnaissance and combat Jaguar armored vehicles identical and thus compatible with the French ones. The report also highlighted the importance of the Franco-German Main Ground Combat System — a joint effort to develop a main battle tank that will replace Germany's Leopard 2 and France's Leclerc by 2035. There are 12 major projects meant to make the 114,000 French soldiers (of whom 77,000 are ground troops) better prepared for the future of war as described in the report. These include setting up a new technical school to give noncommissioned officers the stronger technical education they'll need to use the materiel being delivered under the $12 billion Scorpion modernization program. Burkhard also wants to reorganize the management of military vehicles, handing responsibility back to the regiments so they can independently prepare for operations. He also wants training to be more realistic and to involve new technology. Other projects involve improving joint and allied interoperability as well as making better use of the reserve force, which currently stands at 24,000 men and women. According to Burkhard, these reservists should be given more autonomy and be better spread out over the territory, and their contracts should be better adapted to their very different life styles based on full-time profession, academic status and geographic location. He also said the Army should have a role in educating French youth on the importance of defense and in developing the universal national service, which will become obligatory from 2024 for French individuals born in 2008. Burkhard also wants to plan a division-level exercise to prepare for air, ground and sea maneuvers. And lastly, he wants to get the job done without having to cut through a mound of red tape. Things in the Army should be simpler, the report read, “so that at local level things are clear and pragmatic.” https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/06/19/the-french-army-wants-to-toughen-up-and-heres-its-plan-to-get-there/