Nouvelles

By: Laicie Heeley As the host of a national security podcast literally named “Things That Go Boom,” I spend a lot of my time thinking about what keeps us safe. And usually these thoughts are pretty focused on big, obvious threats — things like bombs. But with the world seemingly imploding, a global pandemic spreading, nationwide protests against police brutality erupting and world economies tanking, it's clearer than ever that we've been preparing for the wrong crisis. You could say we were preparing for World War III, when we got hammered by World War C. Staying safe means recognizing what threats we're facing — the ones we're expecting and the ones that might catch us off guard. But we didn't do that. Instead we invested hundreds of billions of dollars in weapons and wars while the coronavirus slipped silently and invisibly across our borders, into our homes and even onto our military aircraft carriers. The greatest threats of the past decade have come in the form of a deadly virus, climate-related natural disasters, economic meltdowns, and attacks on free and fair elections. So why are expensive weapons systems and massive military installations still a foregone conclusion? America spends over $700 billion a year on our national defense. That's about a sixth of our overall budget and more than health care, education and all the rest of our discretionary spending combined. And the money is solid, meaning that most of the time, it's not subject to normal swings in the economy. Things are bad? We can't let the military feel the pain. Things are good? The military has to prepare for the next big threat. Bad or good, it's always a great time to invest. You can't put a price tag on security, they say. And they don't. According to the Watson Institute's Costs of War Project, America's war on terror — which now spans more than 80 countries — has cost taxpayers over $6 trillion since 2001, with no signs of slowing down. And in its latest budget proposal, the Trump administration proposed spending $20 billion more on military programs than on all other federal programs combined. Conversely, in 2018, the Trump administration cut the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's budget by 80 percent, forcing it to scale back its efforts to prevent epidemics in 39 of 49 countries, including China. These and other major cuts to global health spending left the U.S. unprepared for the crisis we're facing now. As vital American businesses — from my son's preschool to our friends' farm — struggle to survive, the defense industry has unsurprisingly had no such problem. In late April, for example, some contractors received a windfall of business when the State Department approved over $2 billion in weapons sales to repressive regimes like India, Morocco and the Philippines, with more supposedly on the way. The defense industry is doing so well in fact that it is showing up on investment lists as an example of one of the best places to “hedge in hard times.” Despite their already deep financial pockets, Congress decided to give these huge contractors billions of dollars in coronavirus relief funds. This comes as a bit of a surprise when you consider that the Pentagon just recently diverted $13.3 billion in unused funds for the construction of the president's border wall. And the first-ever audit of the Department of Defense revealed that it failed to spend almost $28 billion from 2013-2018, all the while asking for more funding. Unfortunately, experts believe this money, which is supposed to be used to help keep workers safe and employed, will instead only help make the companies' executives richer. We're already seeing this play out. Deemed “essential workers” due to the pending arms sales, workers in these manufacturing plants recently went on strike after they were forced to go to work even as a number of their colleagues tested positive for coronavirus. Flush with additional resources from a growing military budget, and as other departments' budgets have been cut, the Pentagon has also become deeply embedded in domestic affairs. Last year, Defense Secretary Mark Esper went so far as to proclaim election security a core part of the Pentagon's mission, despite the hesitance of past officials to allow such forms of military creep. The separation of the civilian and the military is one of the hallmarks of our democracy. The breakdown of these norms isn't good for our country, and it isn't good for the Pentagon, which has already sounded the alarm on what the military can — and cannot — do to deal with the pandemic. What's more, the migration of funds to the Pentagon saps other agencies of vital and limited resources. By many accounts, it also makes us worse at winning wars, as the Pentagon foregoes more focused and essential strategic planning in favor of a do-it-all, buy-it-all reality. Consider that some estimates put the annual cost of eradicating homelessness in the United States at about $20 billion, and the cost of eradicating hunger in America at about $26 billion. And consider, in the midst of an outbreak, that we could buy 2,200 ventilators for the price of one F-35. It doesn't have to be this way. While some may see the Pentagon budget as a sacred cow, it's not. Reconsidering our spending to invest more heavily in the programs that really keep us safe is not only possible, but long overdue. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/commentary/2020/06/10/we-prepared-for-war-but-should-have-spent-our-money-elsewhere/

ARMY General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $2,477,329,768 fixed-price-incentive contract for the production of Stryker Double V-Hull A1 engineering change proposal vehicles. 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 April 30, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-20-D-0005). Lockheed Martin Corp., Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $1,042,250,000 modification (P00001) to contract W31P4Q-20-C-0023 for incidental services, hardware, facilities, equipment, and all technical, planning, management, manufacturing, and testing efforts to produce Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target Advanced Capability-3 missiles. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; Camden, Arkansas; Chelmsford, Massachusetts; Grand Prairie, Texas; and Lufkin, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2024. Fiscal 2020 missile procurement, Army; and Foreign Military Sales (Bahrain, Germany, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Republic of Korea, United Arab Emirates) funds in the amount of $1,042,250,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Richard Group LLC,* Glenview, Illinois (W912QR-20-D-0026); Iron Mike Construction,* Centennial, Colorado (W912QR-20-D-0027); and AMI & LGC JV LLC,* Andover, Kansas (W912QR-20-D-0028), will compete for each order of the $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction services for the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division mission boundaries. Bids were solicited via the internet with 15 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity. Seres-Arcadis SB JV LLC,* Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded a $9,625,000 firm-fixed-price contract to perform optimized remediation for the Air Force. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of June 9, 2029. Fiscal 2020-2029 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,625,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-C-0011). NAVY General Dynamics Mission Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is awarded a $104,214,429 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-no-fee contract (N00030-20-C-0003) for fiscal 2020-2023 Columbia (US01) and Dreadnought ballistic missile submarine class development, production and installation requirement. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (90%); the United Kingdom (6%); Quonset Point, Rhode Island (3%); and Groton, Connecticut (1%). Work is expected to be complete by November 2024. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $26,390,000; United Kingdom funds in the amount of $10,727,082; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,210,541 are obligated on this award, and no funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded to the contractor on a sole-source basis under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and four were previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. BAE Systems, Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., Greenlawn, New York, is awarded a $58,738,453 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the manufacture, test and delivery of 239 Mode 5 capable RT-1763C/D AN/APX-111(V) combined interrogator transponders and 397 spare shop replaceable assemblies for the F/A-18 Super Hornet series and Boeing EA-18G Growler warfare aircraft for the Navy and the government of Canada. Work will be performed in Greenlawn, New York (84%); and Austin, Texas (16%), and is expected to be complete by December 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-D-0002). Cardno – Amec Foster Wheeler JV, Charlottesville, Virginia, is awarded $50,000,000 for a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $50,000,000 for Marine Corps (USMC) facility assessments utilizing the BUILDER Sustainment Management System at various USMC installations worldwide. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various USMC facilities worldwide: North Carolina (31%); Japan (25%); California (22%); Hawaii (7%); Virginia (5%); South Carolina (4%); Georgia (3%); Arizona (2%); and Republic of Korea (1%). The work to be performed provides for condition assessments of facilities approximately 20 million square feet and greater annually and BUILDER is utilized for major building component systems, data input, data analysis and interpretation, remote entry database and web-based BUILDER. It is also used for assessment and management training; other knowledge-based sustainment management system facility assessments and training; other specialized engineering assessments and studies for site facilities; conventional or deficiency-based facility assessments and training; life-cycle, space utilization and functionality assessments; and short and long range maintenance planning. Work is expected to be complete by June 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) (O&M, MC) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M, MC. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website and four proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-20-D-0615). Communications and Power Industries, Palo Alto, California, is awarded a $43,798,135 firm-fixed-price requirements contract for the repair of continuous wave illuminator traveling wave tubes in support of the Aegis Combat System. Work will be performed in Palo Alto, California, and is expected to be complete by June 2025. The contract includes a five-year base period with no options. Annual working capital funds (Navy) will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement under authority 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), and one offer was received. The Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-20-D-VD01). Machine Tools USA Inc.,* Mathews, Virginia (N68936-20-D-0014); Machine Tool Marketing Inc.,* Bixby, Oklahoma (N68936-20-D-0015); and Pacific IC Source,* Yucaipa, California (N68936-20-D-0016), are awarded $25,000,000 for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. Work will be performed at the contractor's locations. These contracts provide various types of plant and laboratory tools, analytical and diagnostic equipment, work holding devices and peripheral equipment for conventional and computer numerically controlled equipment in support of advanced technology products for the Energetics Department. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $25,000,000, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. Work is expected to be completed in June 2025. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals and three offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity. ETM-Electromatic Inc.,* Newark, California, is awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $9,500,000 for the procurement of supplies and engineering services required for the modulator procurement, other spare parts and services for repairs and upgrades for ETM High Power Modulators. Work will be performed in Newark, California (75%); Crane, Indiana (8.4%); Palo Alto, California (8.3%); and Rancho Cordova, California (8.3%). These modulators are used to simulate operating conditions so microwave devices can be evaluated outside of their normal systems. These modulators allow the operator to safely and accurately evaluate a microwave device in a lab-controlled environment. The use of the microwave devices is critical in maintaining the radars aboard Navy ships in operational status. Work is expected to be complete by June 2025. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $30,662 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). This contract was not competitively procured and only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-20-D-WP60). UPDATE: An indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award design-build/design-bid-build construction contract announced on Jan. 31, 2020, with a combined value of $990,000,000, has added HHM Laulima Constructors JV, Honolulu, Hawaii (N62478-20-D-4013); Nan Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii (N62478-20-D-4014); and TNT Constructors, Bremerton, Washington (N62478-20-D-4015), as three of 10 awardees to design-build and design-bid-build construction projects located within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Hawaii area of operations. DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Blue Canyon Technologies Inc.,* Boulder, Colorado, has been awarded a $14,183,250 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Blackjack Track B (Bus) Phases 2 and 3 program. Work will be performed in Boulder, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $10,282,600 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement HR0011-18-S-0032. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-20-C-0094). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Sea Box Inc.,* Cinnaminson, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $7,799,220 firm-fixed-price contract for commercial shipping and storage containers. This was a competitive acquisition with 15 responses received. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are New Jersey and Republic of Korea, with a March 15, 2021, performance completion date. Using customer is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8ED-20-C-0006). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2215443/source/GovDelivery/

The Army Futures commander is making a list of which of the service's 34 top-priority programs to sacrifice first – and which programs outside the top 34 he has to save. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on June 10, 2020 at 4:18 PM WASHINGTON: The Army Secretary and Chief of Staff approved a draft spending plan for 2022-2026 yesterday that funds all 34 of the service's top-priority programs, the Army's modernization chief said this morning. But with the ever-growing cost of COVID looming over the economy and the Pentagon alike, Gen. John “Mike” Murray says he's already made a mental list of which of the 34 the service might have to slow down or sacrifice and which ones it absolutely has to save. “I have a one-to-N list in my mind” of the 34 programs, Murray told an Association of the US Army webcast this morning. “That's only in my mind, right now,” he emphasized. “It's pre-decisional.” In other words, it's not final, it's not official, and it's not ready to share with the public. All that said, however, it's still a telling sign of uncertain budget times that the four-star chief of Army Futures Command not only has such a list, but is willing to say he has it. Meanwhile, Murray's chief civilian partner, Assistant Secretary for Acquisition Bruce Jette, has launched a long-term study of the Army's economic prospects. In effect, Jette's looking at the supply side, asking how tight the budget will be, and Murray is looking at the demand side, asking what the Army should prioritize within that tight budget. Beyond The 34: “Critical Enablers” Gen. Murray is also looking at the Army's 684 other programs, he said, to determine which of them can be cut – while some have been slashed already to free up funding for the 34, others are so far unscathed – and which are essential to the top-34's success. “We can come up with, you know, the most impressive Next Generation Combat Vehicle in the world,” Murray said. “If you can't get fuel to it, then you're wasting your time.” Fuel is just one, particularly knotty logistical problem. Ultimately, Murray wants to reduce Army fuel demands by moving to hybrid diesel-electric motors. While electric power by itself might work for civilian cars, he said, he's skeptical the Army can charge batteries in combat, or that any practical amount of batteries can store enough energy to move, say, a 70-ton main battle tank. Likewise, while civilian quadcopters can run off batteries, the Army's new scout helicopter, the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, requires a high-powered turbine. So for decades to come, the Army will need fuel trucks, storage bladders, pumps, drums, hoses, and so on. And that's just for the gas. Both current and future combat systems require a staggering array of spare parts, repair tools, maintenance facilities, and more. Logistics is historically a US strength, but it's not a major focus of the 34 priority programs, which range from hypersonic missiles to smart rifles, from tanks to aircraft to robots. Besides weapons, the 34 do include a lot of high-tech information-age infrastructure, both to train the troops in virtual and augmented reality, and to share tactical data like target locations across the battlefield. There has not, however, been nearly as much emphasis on supporting functions such as fuel, maintenance, and transport. Murray now aims to fix that. Starting with a study by the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, he said, the Army has come up with a list of “18 key critical enablers that are getting funded,” Murray said, again without naming them. Murray's calling the 34 priority programs “Tier One” and the 18 enablers “Tier Two,” he said. “Then tier three is ammo,” he added. The general didn't elaborate, but certainly a high-tech tank or aircraft can't fight without ammunition, just as it can't move without fuel. The catch is that, in modern warfare, you're not just buying rifle bullets and cannon shells, but a host of precision-guided munitions that are much more expensive to stockpile in bulk for a major war. Even once the Army has figured out which weapons, support systems, and ammunition it can afford to buy, it still won't be able to buy enough of them to equip every unit at once. The service's recent AimPoint study, Murray said, focused on figuring out which units around the world need to be modernized first and which will have to wait. “The whole point behind AimPoint was an understanding that you can't modernize the entire army overnight, or in a year, or really even in a decade,” Murray said. As a young officer, he recalled, his unit had M60 tanks and M113 transports “while the rest of the Army was running around in M1s and Bradleys.” While he doesn't to return to the extreme disparities of the past, he said, “somebody has to be first and somebody has to be last.” https://breakingdefense.com/2020/06/army-ponders-what-to-cut-if-budget-drops-gen-murray/

The Pentagon is likely to seek double-digit billions of dollars to reimburse defense contractors that were authorized to seek the money by the CARES Act to preserve their workforce during the COVID-19 crisis, the Pentagon's top procurement officer told lawmakers June 10. The problem is that while the section of the $2 trillion COVID-19 relief bill allows contractors to seek that reimbursement, the bill did not provide any related funding. For just one prime contractor, the estimated costs to keep its workforce in a steady state throughout the crisis exceeds $1 billion, Ellen Lord, the under secretary of acquisition, logistics and technology, said during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Without additional funding, Lord warns that the Pentagon will “eat into readiness and modernization and slow down readiness and modernization on an ongoing basis.” Aviation and aviation propulsion are two of the hardest-hit areas of the defense industrial base, because of the implosion of the civil aviation industry, she said. Satellite launches also have been hit, given their dependence on the commercial industry, Lord said. Lawmakers were looking for details about how much would be needed for defense contractors, as they anticipate a new COVID-19 spending bill will move through Congress at the end of July. According to Lord, there have been 960 closures and 859 reopenings due to COVID-19. The average closure is about 57 days. But contractors will be specifically requesting reimbursement for issues that affected their employees. So far, contractors are holding back from seeking claims because they are aware that no appropriation exists yet. The Pentagon's internal acquisition group has been tracking data from prime contractors; subcontractors, though, may not be sharing all of their issues to avoid revealing proprietary data, she said, while pledging to provide specific guidance on allowable costs within 30 days. “The defense industrial base is the nexus of economic and national security and it's vitally important to make sure it stays as healthy as possible,” she said. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/budget-policy-operations/lord-defense-contractors-need-billions-covid-19-relief

Dans le cadre des mesures du plan de relance annoncées mardi par le gouvernement, la ministre des Armées, Florence Parly, a annoncé un doublement du fonds d'investissement DefInvest de 50 à 100 millions d'euros sur une période de 5 ans. Ce fonds, lancé en 2017 et géré avec Bpifrance, a pour vocation pour soutenir le développement des PME stratégiques pour la défense. «J'ai lancé il y a quelques semaines une task force interministérielle sous le pilotage du ministère des Armées. Soit une centaine de personnes qui ont été chargées de quadriller le territoire, visiter les usines et les bureaux d'études pour identifier avec les entrepreneurs les domaines d'activité qui sont à risque», a précisé la ministre. L'Usine Nouvelle du 10 juin

NAVY APTIM Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $129,174,167 firm-fixed-price contract for the dismantlement and disposal of the Surface Ship Support Barge, a radiologically controlled Navy support facility. Work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama (65%); Norfolk, Virginia (25%); and Andrews, Texas (10%). This contract will accomplish engineering planning efforts, dismantlement, transport and disposal of the Surface Ship Support Barge. Work is expected to be complete by June 2023. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $129,174,167 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Beta.Sam.gov website and one offer was received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-4139). Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $70,165,869 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5103 to exercise Option Year Two in support of Aegis development and test sites operations and maintenance. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (73.4%); and the governments of Japan, Republic of Korea and Norway (26.6%), under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey. This option exercise is for the continued technical engineering, configuration management, associated equipment/supplies, quality assurance, information assurance and other operations and maintenance efforts required for the Aegis development and test sites. This contract modification will provide continuing site maintenance and planned improvements of the sites for Aegis combat system and Aegis weapon system upgrades to the U.S. Ship Ticonderoga CG-47 and U.S. Ship Arleigh Burke DDG-51 through the completion of Advanced Capability Build 20 and Technology Insertion 16, in addition to Aegis ballistic missile defense and FMS requirements. Work is expected to be complete by June 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds; FMS Japan, Republic of Korea and Norway funds; 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds; 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds; 2020 operations and maintenance funds; and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $24,220,069 will be obligated at time of award. Funding in the amount of $1,886,754 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $38,556,254 modification (P00100) to previously awarded cost reimbursable, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00421-14-C-0038. This modification exercises an option to extend services and adds hours in support of range engineering, and operations and maintenance for the Atlantic Test Range and Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by December 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,933,227; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,577,000; fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $982,810; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $110,000; and fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $55,000 will be obligated at the time of award, $3,620,227 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Nagamine Okawa Engineers Inc.,* Honolulu, Hawaii, is awarded $30,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $30,000,000 for architect-engineer services and other projects at various Navy, Marine Corps and other government facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Hawaii, area of operations. All work on this contract will be performed in, but not limited to Hawaii (95%); and other South Pacific Islands (5%). The work to be performed will provide for architect-engineer services for structural projects with associated multi-discipline architect-engineer support services. The type of design and engineering services expected to be performed under this contract are primarily for request for proposal (RFP) documentation for design-bid-build structural projects with associated multi-discipline, architect-engineering support services for new construction, alteration, repair and installation of mechanical systems and associated facilities. Other design and engineering services may include, but are not limited to, design-build RFP documentation, engineering investigations/concept studies, functional analysis concept development/charrettes and post construction award services. Work is expected to be complete by June 2025. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months. No task orders are being issued at this time. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy)(O&M, N) contract funds for the minimum guarantee in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be funded primarily with O&M, N funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Beta.Sam.gov website and two proposals were received. The NAVFAC, Honolulu, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62478-20-D-5038). Archer Western Federal JV, Chicago, Illinois, is awarded $26,515,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N69450-20-F-0702 under a multiple award construction contract for the Targeting and Surveillance System facility, Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Florida. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and provides for construction of a new +/- 49,000 square foot Targeting And Surveillance System facility that will accommodate avionics workload, personnel and equipment for the Joint Strike Fighter program. The facility includes areas for engineering and administrative personnel. Work is expected to be complete by November 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $26,515,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-D-0907). General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $17,694,948 modification to previously awarded cost-plus award fee and cost-plus-incentive-fee contract N00024-16-C-4306 for the U.S. Ship Harry S Truman (CVN-75) fiscal 2020 extended continuous incremental availability. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia. An extended continuous incremental availability (ECIA) includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations and modifications that will update and improve the ship's military and technical capabilities. The fiscal 2020 U.S. Ship Harry S. Truman ECIA is comprised of 117 total work items. The nuclear aircraft carrier's (CVN) private sector maintenance addresses the maintenance, repair and modernization efforts for CVN 68 Class home, ported-in and visiting the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area, as well as for selected non-nuclear propulsion plant repairs while coordinating with the Naval Supervising Activity, Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY), to properly integrate their efforts with nuclear propulsion plant work conducted by NNSY. Work is expected to be complete by January 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $16,468,117 will be obligated at time of award, and funding in the amount of $17,694,948 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Mid Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the administrative contracting activity (N00024-16-C-4306). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY I-Solutions Direct Inc., doing business as I-Solutions Group, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, has been awarded a maximum $84,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for commercial metal products. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is an 18-month bridge contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Pennsylvania, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin, with a Dec. 8, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E5-20-D-0006). Mechanix Wear, Inc.,* Valencia, California, has been awarded a maximum $7,415,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Army combat-capacitive gloves. This was a competitive acquisition with six responses received. This is a one-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Locations of performance are California and Rhode Island, with a June 8, 2021, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-1209). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY SA Photonics Inc.,* Los Gatos, California, has been awarded a $16,361,123 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Blackjack Track A (Payload) Phases 2 and 3 program. Work will be performed in Los Gatos, California (89%); and Redwood City, California (11%), with an estimated completion date of March 2021. Fiscal 2020 research and development funds in the amount of $16,130,000 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR001118S0032. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0095). DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Kreative Technologies LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract in the amount of $9,996,142 for enterprise information management (EIM) support. This contract provides non-personal services for operations, sustainment and engineering support of work-flows and capabilities utilizing agile methodology that will incorporate a more efficient and streamlined process to identify, develop and deploy system updates resulting in improved user experience, system performance and system availability. The contractor will also provide system administration and user support associated with software operation and maintenance, provide Tier III application and system support remotely, and provide "tiger team" on-site support as needed. The contract scope also includes the EIM sustainment and updates of non-production environments. The contract has a period of performance for 12 months and a transition out period for three months. The contract was awarded through the Small Business Administration 8(a) Business Development Program. The place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. The Defense Health Agency, Enterprise Medical Services Contracting Division, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (HT001520F0024). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2213629/source/GovDelivery/

The Army's drive to modernize by 2035 is too big for traditional five-year spending plans, acquisition chief Bruce Jette said. So he's reviving long-term economic forecasting used in the Cold War. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on June 09, 2020 at 12:37 PM WASHINGTON: The Army's acquisition chief says the service is sticking with its 34 top-priority programs – in the face of budget pressure from the pandemic. But most of those programs will only move from prototypes to mass production in the second half of the 2020s; then they stay in service for decades with repeated upgrades. So, assistant secretary Bruce Jette says, the Army needs to exploit new technologies like 3D printing and modular upgrades to reduce long-term costs – but also revive long-term economic forecasting techniques largely neglected since the Cold War. “At this point, we're remaining on schedule with the ‘31 plus 3,'” Jette said during an Association of the US Army webcast yesterday. (The Army divides the 34 programs this way because 31 of them, from intermediate-range missiles to smart rifles, are managed by Army Futures Command, but three of the most technologically challenging – hypersonic missiles and two types of missile defense lasers – belong to the independent Rapid Capabilities & Critical Technologies Office). But the service needs to do more planning: “A second thing in the background that we are doing is taking a look at a holistic model, an economic model of the Army.” “We are taking some steps to provide additional data in case there's a prioritization that does come down the road, due to changes in the budget profiles,” Jette said. “That business requires us to have this long-term full understanding of economics, which is what we're focused on trying to develop over the next year.” That study will help inform Army leaders if they have to make a hard choice on which of the 34 priority programs to put first – and, while Jette didn't say so aloud, which may be cut back or canceled entirely. Beyond 2026 The Pentagon normally builds its annual budget two years ahead of time. Congress is now considering the 2021 request, largely drafted in 2019. Those budgets include a less-detailed annex, called the Future Years Defense Program (FYDP) that outlines the five years ahead. Now, some of the Army's new weapons will enter service in that timeframe, in limited numbers, including new hypersonic and intermediate-range missiles in 2023. But many, including some of the most expensive, will take longer. So new armored vehicles won't enter service until 2028, new high-speed aircraft not until 2030. Actually building enough to equip a sizable combat force takes even longer. The Army aims to build a decisive counter to Russian aggression by 2028, but expect a force adequate to counter China only by 2035. “I have to have a much longer view of the battlespace, the economic battle space,” Jette said. “The objective [is] to lay a foundation upon which we can take a serious look at what the long-term implications of owning a piece of equipment,” he said. So “I'm working with the G-8 [the Army's deputy chief of staff for resourcing]. In fact, we just had a meeting on this last week to pull out some models that were actually used more in the Cold War, that we sort of let wane [during] Iraq and Afghanistan.... Next week I go up to West Point to have ORSA [Operations Research/Systems Analysis] cell up there that specifically is focused on economics.” New Tricks Now, the Army doesn't plan to simply repeat its Cold War past. The Reagan-era “Big Five” – the M1 Abrams and M2 Bradley armored vehicles, Apache and Black Hawk helicopters, and Patriot missile defense system – have been repeatedly upgraded since their inception. But these platforms are running out of room for more horsepower, armor protection, and firepower, and they were never designed to allow the constant upgrades required to keep pace with modern advances in electronics. The M1 Abrams, for instance, is literally hard-wired. “There are literally, in a tank, over a couple of tons of cabling, all tremendously expensive and all very, very structured,” said Jette, a former tanker himself. “So if you want to change something ... you have to re-cable large portions of it.” The Army must account not only for the up-front cost to research, develop, and build the new weapons, Jette emphasized, but also the much larger long-term bill to operate, maintain and upgrade them. “If we don't think about how it's going to be enhance-able, upgradable, and modified for different uses over a period of time,” he said, “we're missing things, because we do keep them for 30, 40 years. “For industry, if you have a good idea and a new component, how do we get them in a vehicle without having to replace half of the components?” he asked. That requires a new approach called modular open systems architecture that allows you to plug-and-play any new component as long as it meets certain technical standards. “By getting this much more open architecture in place on these vehicles,” he said, “we think that we're going to be able to keep them growing to the future over that 30 to 40 year period.” The Army is also eager to use digital designs, 3D printing, and other advanced manufacturing techniques so it can print out spare parts as needed, rather than stockpile vast quantities of everything it might need for every system. (Jette just visited the Army's 3-D printing hub at Rock Island Arsenal, he said enthusiastically). But this vision raises complex issues of not only managing the technical data but wrangling out the legal rights to use it. Many companies depend on the long-term revenue from selling spares and upgrades, and they're not It's a knotty intellectual property issue that Jette is keenly aware of, being a patent-holder and former small businessman himself. “I do understand ... what type of risk it is. I'll frankly admit that many of the people in the military who fundamentally only been in the military don't understand,” Jette said. “If the risk is totally on you, and it makes no economic sense, I recommend you not answering the RFP.” If too few companies respond to an official Request For Proposals, Jette said, that provides valuable feedback to the Army that maybe it's doing something wrong – feedback he can use in his own quest to educate the service. “Sometimes,” he said, “challenges to RFPs are a good way for you to help me to make sure that people understand that this is too much risk we're asking of industry.” https://breakingdefense.com/2020/06/army-study-asks-how-much-modernization-can-we-afford

Minneapolis, June 4, 2020 – Following a competitive bid process, Government Services Administration (GSA), in support of U.S. Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), awarded Polaris Government and Defense a follow-on contract for the Polaris MRZR Alpha, a new light tactical vehicle. Polaris Government and Defense is a division of global powersports leader Polaris Inc. (NYSE: PII). The seven-year contract has a value of up to $109 million and was awarded on May 29, 2020. “Winning this LTATV award is well-deserved recognition for the dedication of our Polaris Defense team and the performance of our vehicles, but our real victory is the opportunity to continue serving our military customers. They demand – and deserve – the best engineering and technology, and we consider it an honor to leverage our experience as the world's largest Powersports company to design and build the vehicles our warfighters need,” said Scott Wine, chairman and CEO, Polaris. Polaris is the largest ultralight tactical vehicle provider for the U.S. military, with the MRZR Alpha being Polaris' 11th military vehicle produced in 12 years. Their light weight and off-road capabilities make them ideal for transport via helicopter and operation in terrain that would otherwise be traversed on foot. “Polaris has had the privilege of providing vehicles to USSOCOM since 2005 and we take a great deal of pride in delivering and supporting the current LTATV,” said Jed Leonard, vice president, Polaris Government and Defense. “The Polaris MRZR Alpha supports USSOCOM's requirements for durability, performance, payload profile and internal air transportability.” Designed, engineered and produced in Minnesota, the MRZR platform incorporates technology and innovations from across Polaris' broad product portfolio. The MRZR Alpha represents millions in internal technology research and development investments that keep Polaris in front of the highly competitive off-road vehicle market. Defense engineers leveraged learnings from snowmobile chassis design, redesigned sport RZR changes and off-road race team modifications. Vehicle systems were also designed with near-future innovation in mind, with an architecture ready to accept new technologies and capabilities available within Polaris. Combining new and recently proven technologies, delivers a vehicle that has more power, increased payload, ground clearance and durability. The MRZR Alpha will be assembled in Roseau, Minn., one of Polaris' manufacturing plants and R&D centers. A key part of its strong North American manufacturing footprint, Roseau is the birthplace of Polaris, where the company has maintained operations for more than 65 years and currently employs nearly 1500 employees. The MRZR Alpha's versatility is further enhanced by improved exportable power and increased payload. Polaris first introduced the MRZR platform in 2012 and has continued to enhance the vehicle to meet the mission demands of the U.S. military, and over 40 allied forces worldwide. Since their introduction, MRZRs have been outfitted with counter unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), weapons and high-energy laser systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, expeditionary command and control systems, autonomy packages, litters for medical and casualty evacuation and communication equipment. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, the United States military's rising demand for Polaris off-road vehicles led to Polaris being the first ATV OEM to produce militarized vehicles for U.S. Special Operations Forces and the United States Army. To better serve its military customers, Polaris established Polaris Defense in 2005. Today, Polaris designs, engineers and produces its MV850 ATV, MRZR and DAGOR military vehicles in the U.S. View source version on Polaris Government and Defense: https://www.polaris.com/en-us/news/product/polaris-awarded-7-year-contract-to-build-us-special-operations-newest-vehicle/

June 5, 2020 - Army's Land Vehicle Crew Training System (LVCTS) project. Rheinmetall Canada will take the lead in a partnership that includes Lockheed Martin Canada, Rheinmetall Electronics of Bremen, Germany, and Lockheed Martin Training and Logistics Solutions in Orlando, Florida. In cooperation with its partners, Rheinmetall Canada will offer the Canadian Army a solution for the LVCTS project that is mature, modular, and cost effective, while ensuring high-value economic benefits to Canada. The LVCTS solution will enable the Canadian Army to conduct progressive training at the individual, crew, platoon, and higher echelon levels using high- to medium-fidelity reconfigurable trainers, as well as standard trainee workstations combined with a robust virtual environment and a comprehensive instructional system. The software will be common to all levels of training and designed to generate increasingly challenging situations, including the ability to realistically simulate various terrain types, weather conditions, capabilities, and tactics. The instructional system will score crews to a doctrinal standard at all levels of complexity. Individual Crew Training Systems (CTSs) will be linked through the Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) protocol and High-Level Architecture (HLA) gateways to provide section, platoon, or higher echelon training. The system will also include a learning management system that allows for customization of training scenarios, monitoring of trainee progress, and after-action review. As Pietro Mazzei, Vice-president, Rheinmetall Canada, notes, “This partnership combines two of the world's leading providers of military training solutions in order to supply the Canadian Army with the most advanced modular system. Rheinmetall and Lockheed Martin have strong global track records when it comes to supplying and supporting leading-edge systems for precision gunnery and crew task training. We look forward to bringing this expertise to the Canadian Army.” “Lockheed Martin Canada is proud to partner with Rheinmetall on an LVCTS solution for the Canadian Army”, says Lorraine Ben, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Canada. “Building on 80 years of support to the Canadian Armed Forces, we look forward to leveraging our team's skills and experience, including in world-class simulation and training systems. This partnership connects industry-leading technology with Canadian expertise for a critical land training capability in Canada for decades to come.” Lockheed Martin Training and Logistics Solutions is a leading provider of Army training solutions worldwide including the world's two largest virtual collective training systems—the U.S. Army's Close Combat Tactical Trainer (CCTT) and the UK Combined Arms Tactical Trainer (UK CATT). About Rheinmetall Canada Rheinmetall Canada is the Canadian arm of Germany's Rheinmetall Group, Europe's largest supplier of systems and equipment for armed forces and security services. With employees at locations in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in Québec and Ottawa in Ontario, Rheinmetall Canada has accumulated over three decades of expertise in system integration, real-time command and control software development, and communication solutions. Serving as prime contractor, Rheinmetall Canada has also managed several major Canadian Army programs such as the Leopard 2 repair and overhaul, medium range radar, integrated soldier system, and satellite communications on the move. About Lockheed Martin Canada Headquartered in Ottawa, Lockheed Martin Canada is the Canadian unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation, a global security and aerospace company that employs some 110 000 people worldwide. Lockheed Martin Canada has been Canada's trusted defence partner for 80 years, specializing in the development, integration, and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products, and services. The company has around 1000 employees at major facilities in Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Calgary, and Victoria, working on a wide range of major programs spanning the aerospace, defence, and commercial sectors. About Rheinmetall Electronics Rheinmetall Electronics GmbH supplies mission systems and simulation solutions to military, governmental, and commercial customers. Its simulation and training solutions range from fundamental e-learning and basic part-task training all the way up to fully network-enabled training systems or complex training centres to ensure excellent performance of soldiers, airmen, and sailors in their future missions. Rheinmetall Electronics has delivered customized solutions to global customers including the Mechanized Training Centre in Thun, Switzerland, and the Leopard 2 Gunnery Skills Trainer and Driving Simulator in Canada and Indonesia. Its portfolio encompasses reconnaissance, fire control, soldier, and command systems, guided weapon platforms, as well as training, learning, and engineering applications for individuals, teams, and entire customer organizations. Customers in more than 40 countries rely on technology from Rheinmetall Electronics. RHEINMETALL AG Corporate Sector Defence Press and Information Oliver Hoffmann Rheinmetall Platz 1 40476 Düsseldorf Germany Phone: +49 211 473-4748 Fax: +49 211 473-4157 View source version on Rheinmetall : https://www.rheinmetall-defence.com/en/rheinmetall_defence/public_relations/news/latest_news/index_24000.php