Nouvelles

By: Kelsey D. Atherton If there is anything the future is lacking, it's robots the size of Chiclets. Draper, working under a grant from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, is creating centimeter-sized robots, for future use in rescue work. The project is named “SHort-Range Independent Microrobotic Platforms,” or “SHRIMP” for short. And short is the nature of the game. SHRIMP is based on the 4 cm long, 1.5 g Harvard Ambulatory MicroRobot (HAMR), and wants to shrink it down to a single cubic centimeter. That will require microelectromechanical systems, 3D printing, piezoelectric actuators and, this is crucial, low-power sensors. Once all of that is in place, Draper claims the microbot will be able to jump, sense, navigate and control itself. The design will rely on feet inspired by living creatures to give it extra friction on rough and vertical terrain, and inertial measurement to detect where it is on the ground. “The microrobotic platform capabilities enabled by SHRIMP will provide the DoD with significantly more access and capability to operate in small spaces that are practically inaccessible to today's state-of-the-art robotic platforms,” declared DARPA in the proposer's day note. “Such capability will have impact in search and rescue, disaster relief, infrastructure inspection, and equipment maintenance, among other operations.” The exact “how” of what these robots will do in disaster relief, inspection, maintenance or other operations is yet to be determined, and will largely hinge on the sensors that can be fit to the platform. The most useful thing a small robot can do is get into a space and send information back to humans about that space, but that's hardly the only metric to evaluate the platform. As part of the SHRIMP program, DARPA will have the robot designs compete through a series of events modeled after the Olympics. These include high jump, long jump, weightlifting, shot put, tug of war, rock piling, steeplechase, biathlon, vertical ascent — all ways to find out what useful tasks tiny robots can do. There's a world of speculation between a dime-sized robot that can pile rocks and a useful military tool, but the fact that DARPA is invested in the technology as a platform suggests that, should the technology get there, the design will have some unexpected utility. In the meantime, DARPA's interest suggests there's good odds on a future market for sensors designed for dice-sized robots. https://www.c4isrnet.com/unmanned/robotics/2019/06/12/what-does-darpa-want-with-sugarcube-sized-robots/

NAVY Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a maximum-value $687,090,000 cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for early service life period work on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The purpose of this contract is to support ship repair and modernization during continuous incremental availabilities, planned incremental availabilities, full-ship shock trials and continuous maintenance and emergent maintenance during the ship's early service life period. This contract includes five ordering periods totaling 60 months, with a maximum order value of $687,090,000. Work for the initial delivery order will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2020. Work under all five delivery orders is expected to be completed by June 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,719,107 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-D-4306). The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $62,596,317 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a Submarine Propulsor Manufacturing Support Facility located at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by February 2022. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $62,596,317 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N4008519-C-9057). The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded not-to-exceed $41,000,000 for delivery order N6833519F0442 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-15-G-0022) to procure 2,763 pieces of peculiar support equipment, support equipment spares and test equipment for the maintenance and repair of F/A-18E/F aircraft for the government of Kuwait. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $20,500,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Risk Mitigation Consulting, Destin, Florida, is awarded a $10,278,694 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for methodology and field research for evaluating cybersecurity of Navy control systems effort. Works will be performed at places unknown at this time. Places will be defined at a later date based on needs at U.S. naval installations outside and inside the U.S. Work is expected to be completed May 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,808,000 will be obligated at the time of award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-18-S-B001 “Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology.” Proposal will be received throughout the year under the BAA, therefore, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-1015). Curtiss-Wright Defense Solutions Division, Fairborn, Ohio, is awarded a $9,999,999 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for removable media cartridges (RMC). This procurement is in support of the Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine (SSBN) program. A system upgrade is incorporating requirement changes to increase performance and address obsolescence. Work will be performed in Fairborn, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by October 2024. This contract includes foreign military sales to the United Kingdom. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,351,024; and Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funding in the amount of $1,186,376 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole-source procurement under statutory authority 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - 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 (N00164-19-D-GP55). AIR FORCE LinQuest Corp., Los Angeles, California, has been awarded a $562,302,987 cost-plus-incentive-fee base plus six option years contract for systems engineering, integration and test (SEIT) support. The initial base period award is valued at $118,363,040. This contract provides for SEIT support for the Space and Missile Systems Center, Military Satellite Communications Systems directorate. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be complete by December 2026. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $13,523,792; fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,377,304; and fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $3,770,745 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity (FA8808-19-C-0006). U.S. SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $194,224,723 cost-plus-fixed-fee type delivery order modification (P00001) under a current contract (W91215-16-G-0001) to procure six renew-build and one new-build MH-47G rotary wing aircraft. This action is required to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces (SOF) heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft and to mitigate the impact of the MH-47G aircraft availability in light of increased SOF operational demands. Fiscal 2019 procurement, defense-wide appropriations in the amount of $77,360,723; and fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $116,864,000 were obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The majority of the work will be performed in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters, Tampa, Florida is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (SP4702-19-D-0003); BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (SP4702-19-D-0004); and ENGlobal Government Services Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma (SP4702-19-D-0005), are sharing a maximum $124,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SP4702-18-R-0510 for Automated Fuel Systems Installation. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. These are five-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are worldwide, with a June 11, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Defense Logistics Agency, National Guard and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio. CORRECTION: The contract announced on May 31, 2019, for CACI Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Virginia (SP4701-19-C-0024), for $10,760,666 was announced with an incorrect award date. The correct award date is June 3, 2019. ARMY L3 Fuzing and Ordnace Systems Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $51,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Fuze Munition Unit (FMU)-153 A/B Point Detonating/Delay (PD/DLY) fuzes. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2019. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-D-0067). Tetra Tech Inc., Marlborough, Massachusetts, was awarded a $46,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer services within the Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) areas of responsibility/mission boundaries. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 12, 2019. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0029). Stanley Consultants Inc., Muscatine, Iowa, was awarded a $46,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect-engineer services within the Transatlantic Middle East District (TAM) area of responsibility/mission boundaries. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 22, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-19-D-0031). ICF Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $32,216,823 modification (P00026) to contract W911QX-17-C-0018 for the ARL Cyber Security Service Provider (CSSP) program. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of June 15, 2020. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $3,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Massman Construction Co., Leawood, Kansas, was awarded a $30,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for floating plat. 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 June 12, 2019. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-19-D-0008). Bristol Design Build Services LLC,* Anchorage, Alaska, was awarded an $18,687,206 firm-fixed-price contract for an F-35A missile maintenance facility. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Eielson, Alaska, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $18,687,206 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska, is the contracting activity (W911KB-19-C-0009). Frazier Engineering Inc.,* Melbourne, Florida, was awarded a $13,157,500 firm-fixed-price contract for building renovation. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2020. Fiscal 2019 developmental test and evaluation, Defense funds in the amount of $13,157,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0020). IBM Corp., Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a containerized machine learning system. Four bids were solicited with three bids received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 2, 2024. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $9,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-19-F-0396). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1874073/source/GovDelivery/

By: Vivek Raghuvanshi NEW DELHI — In a move to bolster India's space warfare capabilities, the ruling National Democratic Alliance government has approved the creation of the Defence Space Research Organisation. DSRO will provide technical and research support to its parent organization, the Defence Space Agency. Last week, India's Cabinet Committee on Security, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the creation of DSRO to also develop space warfare systems and associated technology, according to a Ministry of Defence official. DSRO will be headed by a senior defense scientist who will lead a team of other scientists. The agency is expected to be operational by the end of this year. The organization is also charged with finding and implementing defense applications for India's entire spectrum of space technologies. In April, the government established the Defence Space Agency, or DSA, to command the space assets of the Army, Navy and Air Force, including the military's anti-satellite capability. The agency is also to formulate a strategy to protect India's interests in space, including addressing space-based threats. The MoD official noted that the creation of the two agencies is aimed at developing a multidimensional approach to using outer space for strategic purposes. The DSA will be headed by an Air Force vice marshal and will have a staff of 200 personnel from three wings of the armed forces, according to another MoD official. In addition, the DSA will seek input on space as a domain of warfare from the Indian Space Research Organisation and the Defence Research and Development Organization. India's existing military space agencies — including the Defence Imagery Processing and Analysis Centre, located in New Delhi, and the Defence Satellite Control Centre, located in Bhopal — will be merged with DSA. In March, India also conducted an anti-satellite test, which demonstrated its capability to shoot down satellites in space. https://www.defensenews.com/space/2019/06/12/india-to-launch-a-defense-based-space-research-agency/

By Hemanth Kumar and Talal Husseini SHARE The UK Royal Navy has teamed up with AI specialist Anduril to use technologies that will modernise the Royal Marines' surveillance systems and techniques. Credit: Anduril. The UK Royal Navy has teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Anduril Industries to use technologies that will modernise the Royal Marines' surveillance systems and techniques. The partnership with Anduril is aimed at transforming the tactical unmanned intelligence and force protection capabilities of the Royal Marines Commando force by leveraging advanced technologies. Anduril was selected for the NavyX accelerator programme to deliver battle winning technology to warfighters. The Royal Navy intends to use the ‘Modernizing Defence' Programme and the NavyX accelerator initiative to modernise its military forces. Royal Navy chief technology officer colonel Dan Cheeseman said: “Anduril is now part of the UK NavyX accelerator programme to get battle winning technology straight into the hands of our warfighters. SHARE The UK Royal Navy has teamed up with AI specialist Anduril to use technologies that will modernise the Royal Marines' surveillance systems and techniques. Credit: Anduril. The UK Royal Navy has teamed up with artificial intelligence (AI) specialist Anduril Industries to use technologies that will modernise the Royal Marines' surveillance systems and techniques. The partnership with Anduril is aimed at transforming the tactical unmanned intelligence and force protection capabilities of the Royal Marines Commando force by leveraging advanced technologies. Anduril was selected for the NavyX accelerator programme to deliver battle winning technology to warfighters. The Royal Navy intends to use the ‘Modernizing Defence' Programme and the NavyX accelerator initiative to modernise its military forces. Royal Navy chief technology officer colonel Dan Cheeseman said: “Anduril is now part of the UK NavyX accelerator programme to get battle winning technology straight into the hands of our warfighters. “Anduril's dynamic and highly tailored expertise has enabled a close partnership with 3 Commando Brigade and they are now part of a busy exercise and deployment schedule. These technologies are directly informing how the Royal Marines is transforming itself to radically change how it fights to win on future operations.” These modernisation efforts involve partnerships with innovative companies capable of quickly adapting products to fit the needs of Royal Marines. The service is keen to incorporate technologies such as autonomous systems, AI, and machine learning for the creation of the future military. The company has built a software and hardware platform known as Lattice, which is designed to deliver accurate, real-time information to troops on the ground to save lives. Lattice uses AI, machine vision and mesh networking technologies, and integrates all Anduril hardware and third party sensors into a single, autonomous operational platform. The integrated networked system will enable warfighters to respond swiftly. Anduril operations engineer Evan Roddenberry said: “Our goal, and the goal of the Royal Navy, is to help the men and women on the front lines complete their missions as successfully and safely as possible. We are excited to have the opportunity to help the Royal Marines with this important mission as they modernise in preparation for the battlefields of the future.” Last month, the Royal Marines tested new technology during the Commando Warrior Two exercise for the country's future commando force. The Navy expects to begin training with the Anduril systems this summer ahead of their deployment. https://www.naval-technology.com/news/royal-navy-modernise-marines-anduril/

BALTIMORE – June 10, 2019 – The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a $958 million contract for Lot 6 full-rate production of the Gallium Nitride-based (GaN) AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task-Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) systems. This contract provides an additional 30 units. The program is managed by Program Executive Officer Land Systems. “Northrop Grumman and the Marine Corps have successfully partnered to create a best of ground and airborne radar solution that exceeds the current threat on the modern battlefield,” said Christine Harbison, vice president, land and avionics C4ISR, Northrop Grumman. “G/ATOR is a crucial capability that protects our warfighters and defends against today's threat environment and the threat environment of the future. We are excited to reach the full-rate production decision and continue providing advanced multi-mission functionality that meets our customer's mission needs, protects the warfighter in a rapidly changing threat environment, and has significant margin for capability growth.” G/ATOR replaces five legacy systems operated by the Marine Corps with a single system, providing significant improvements in performance when compared to the legacy radar families in each of its modes. This results in reduced training, logistics and maintenance costs. The AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR is an advanced Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) multi-mission radar that leverages GaN to provide comprehensive real time, full-sector, 360-degree situational awareness against a broad array of threats. The highly expeditionary, three-dimensional, short-to-medium-range multi-role radar system is designed to detect, identify, and track cruise missiles, manned aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles as well as rockets, mortars and artillery fire. https://news.northropgrumman.com/news/releases/northrop-grumman-awarded-contract-to-provide-marine-corps-full-rate-production-gator-radar-systems

By: Nathan Strout The U.S. Air Force's first next-generation GPS satellite launched in December and the second GPS III satellite is slated to liftoff in July. But there Air Force has a problem: The ground system currently in use isn't fully capable of controlling GPS III satellites. Worse, a new ground system that can, formally known as the next-generation operational control system (OCX), is five years behind schedule and won't be delivered until June 2021 at the earliest, according to the Government Accountability Office. Enter the GPS III Contingency Operations (COps) software—a critical stop gap measure that will update the current ground control system and allow it to access some of the more advanced features of the GPS III satellites until the next-generation operational control system is ready. On July 11, primary contractor Lockheed Martin announced that it had delivered the COps upgrade to the Air Force. “Positioning, navigation and timing is a critical mission for our nation and COps will allow the Air Force to gain early access to its new GPS III satellites,” said Johnathon Caldwell, Lockheed Martin's vice president for Navigation Systems. “We just finished final qualification testing and delivery on COps, and it will be integrated and installed on the [Architecture Evolution Plan Operational Control System] over the summer. We look forward to the Air Force ‘flying' a GPS constellation on the COps OCS which includes the new GPS III satellites, later this year.” The new GPS III satellites are built to be more robust and accurate than their predecessors and come with advanced features such as the ability to use M-Code, an encrypted GPS signal for use by the military. The COps upgrade will allow the current ground system to control the GPS III satellites as well as the legacy GPS satellites. It will also allow the current system to access M-code Early Use, an encrypted GPS signal with improved anti-jamming and anti-spoofing capabilities, beginning in 2020. The Air Force contracted with Lockheed Martin to deliver the patch in 2016, the same year that the OCX program triggered a Nunn-McCurdy cost breach—a type of violation caused by significant cost growth that requires a program to be shut down unless the Department of Defense intervenes and approves a new cost estimate. The $6.2 billion OCX program is already five years behind schedule, and a May 21 Government Accountability Office report warned that the OCX program could be delayed even further. In addition, the Air Force has acknowledged that delays are possible during the seven-month testing period following delivery. Raytheon, the primary contractor behind OCX, rejected the GAO report, claiming that its findings were inaccurate. https://www.c4isrnet.com/battlefield-tech/c2-comms/2019/06/11/air-force-gets-new-stopgap-system-for-gps-3-satellites/

By Gina Harkins The winner of the next presidential election will be the first to fly in one of six new helicopters built for the commander in chief. Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, will deliver half a dozen VH-92A aircraft starting in 2021 as part of a new $542 million contract, Navy officials announced Monday. The six aircraft will be the first of 23 new presidential helicopters the company will deliver by 2023. The contract from Naval Air Systems Command includes support equipment, parts replenishment and spares, according to the announcement. Dave Banquer, Sikorsky's VH-92A program director, said the latest modifications to the aircraft make it capable of transporting the president anywhere around the world at any time. The aircraft has undergone rigorous testing and operational assessments, including on the south lawn of the White House, according to a Sikorsky news release. "The VH-92A has flown over 520 flight test hours establishing the aircraft's technical maturity and readiness of its mission systems," it states. The Quantico, Virginia-based Marine Helicopter One Squadron flies the aircraft that transport the president, vice president and foreign heads of state. The squadron includes a fleet of "White Top" VH-3D Sea Kings, VH-60N "White Hawks" and "Green Top" MV-22B Osprey tiltrotor aircraft. The VH-92A will "increase performance and payload over the current presidential helicopters," which have been flying for more than 40 years, a Navy release states. That includes better communication capabilities and maintainability. Most of the work on the new helicopters will be done in Connecticut and Pennsylvania, with some also taking place in New York, Maryland and Virginia. James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said the government and contract teams were able to move the deal into initial production at more than "$1 billion less than the program's cost baseline." Marines in Quantico have been learning how to fly the new helos since earlier this year on a new training device. The replica VH-92A cockpit gives pilots "mission-oriented flight training in a simulation-based training device," Sikorsky said in its release. "The training suite allows maintainers to hone their skills to effectively maintain the aircraft and practice troubleshooting," it states. https://www.military.com/daily-news/2019/06/11/sikorsky-gets-542m-navy-contract-build-6-new-presidential-helicopters.html

By SCOTT TURNER (Tribune News Service) — The U.S. Air Force has begun construction on a facility at Kirtland Air Force Base that will play a major role in defending the nation from attacks by other countries on U.S. satellites. The Air Force Research Laboratory's 26,000 square-foot, $12.8 million Space Control Laboratory will consolidate efforts now being conducted in six different facilities on the base. "Space is now a war-fighting domain," said Air Force Col. Eric Felt, director of the Space Vehicles Directorate at the base. "That doesn't mean we want war in space. We certainly don't. It doesn't mean we have to have war in space. ... If our adversaries attempt to counter us in that domain, we need to have the capabilities and the tools for our nation to counter that." At a groundbreaking ceremony at the base on Thursday, Felt said the new facility will help in that effort. He said the building will be a major addition to AFRL's research in advancing in "space situational awareness, command and control of space systems and the survivability of space assets." "This is a space control technology building," he said. "Space control starts with space domain awareness, making sure we know everything that is going on in space. From there, it goes to making sure we can protect ourselves in space, protect our assets that are up in space. "All the basic components that we need to do for that part of the mission is going to be developed here. The next generation cutting edge capabilities that our nation needs are going to be developed here. And if we do need to perform offensive operations in space, we will be working on those components as well." Brian Engberg, the chief of the space control technologies branch of AFRL's Spacecraft Components Division said researchers in the facility would be determining what satellites were doing. He also said researchers would not only be addressing threats from other countries, but "threats from the space environment itself." Work at the facility will also include the development of satellite technology. "Every satellite that we have up there needs to be resilient," Felt said. "It needs to be there when we need it. If we happen to be in a conflict with a peer competitor, our satellites have to have the defense capabilities when we need them the most." The facility will include office and lab space for 65 civilian and military contractors. It will contain a 5,000 square-foot high-bay laboratory space and more than 5,000 square feet of secure office, laboratory and meeting space. Enberg said scientists and researchers had input on the design, "making sure that everything going into this building will be exactly what we need in order to accomplish our mission, and integrate our people and our ideas better in an innovative environment in order to support our war-fighter mission." "We're looking forward to having a sufficient amount of space in order to collaborate with our industrial partners and our partners in government," he said. "We have many, many projects we are working on. This facility will be a great step forward." AFRL principal technical adviser Michael Gallegos helped lead the effort to bring the facility to Kirtland, an effort he said began about two decades ago. "It's a new state of the art facility that will equip our workforce with secure labs, secure conference space and all of the required lab support space that it needs," he said. Construction of the facility is expected to be completed in December 2020. The contractor for the project is KL House Construction Co. "This was envisioned 20 years ago, back before anybody thought of space as a war-fighting domain, back when space control was just a side project," Felt said. "There were visionary folks who saw our nation was going to need this, that our labs were going to need this." https://www.stripes.com/news/us/kirtland-air-force-base-gets-space-defense-upgrades-1.585666

By:Valerie Insinna WASHINGTON — Over the past several years, U.S. Defense Department leaders have gone from citing technical problems as their biggest concern for the F-35 program to bemoaning the expense of buying and sustaining the aircraft. But the reality may be worse. According to documents exclusively obtained by Defense News, the F-35 continues to be marred by flaws and glitches that, if left unfixed, could create risks to pilot safety and call into question the fighter jet's ability to accomplish key parts of its mission: F-35B and F-35C pilots, compelled to observe limitations on airspeed to avoid damage to the F-35's airframe or stealth coating. Cockpit pressure spikes that cause “excruciating” ear and sinus pain. Issues with the helmet-mounted display and night vision camera that contribute to the difficulty of landing the F-35C on an aircraft carrier. These are some of the problems with the jet that the documents describe as category 1 deficiencies — the designation given to major flaws that impact safety or mission effectiveness. Thirteen of the most serious flaws are described in detail, including the circumstances associated with each issue, how it impacts F-35 operations and the Defense Department's plans to ameliorate it. All but a couple of these problems have escaped intense scrutiny by Congress and the media. A few others have been briefly alluded to in reports by government watchdog groups. But the majority of these problems have not been publicly disclosed, exposing a lack of transparency about the limitations of the Defense Department's most expensive and high-profile weapons system. These problems impact far more operators than the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy customer base. Eleven countries — Australia, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Israel, the Netherlands, Norway, Japan, South Korea, Turkey and the United Kingdom — have all selected the aircraft as their future fighter of choice, and nine partner nations have contributed funds to the development of the F-35. Taken together, these documents provide evidence that the F-35 program is still grappling with serious technical problems, even as it finds itself in a key transitional moment. And the clock is ticking. By the end of 2019, Defense Department leaders are set to make a critical decision on whether to shut the door on the F-35's development stage and move forward with full-rate production. During this period, the yearly production rate will skyrocket from the 91 jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin in 2018 to upward of 160 by 2023. Generally speaking, the department's policy calls for all deficiencies to be closed before full-rate production starts. This is meant to cut down on expensive retrofits needed to bring existing planes to standard. The F-35 Joint Program Office appears to be making fast progress, but not all problems will be solved before the full-rate production decision, said Vice Adm. Mat Winter, the Defense Department's F-35 program executive. “None of them, right now, are against any of the design, any of the hardware or any of the manufacturing of the aircraft, which is what the full-rate production decision is for,” he told Defense News in an interview. “There are no discrepancies that put at risk a decision of the department to approve us to go into full-rate production.” Nine out of 13 problems will likely either be corrected or downgraded to category 2 status before the Pentagon determines whether to start full-rate production, and two will be adjudicated in future software builds, Winter said. However, the F-35 program office has no intention of correcting two of the problems addressed in the documents, with the department opting to accept additional risk. Winter maintains that none of the issues represent any serious or catastrophic risk to pilots, the mission or the F-35 airframe. After being contacted by Defense News, the program office created two designations of category 1 problems to highlight the difference between issues that would qualify as an emergency and others that are more minor in nature. “CAT 1-As are loss of life, potential loss of life, loss of material aircraft. Those have to be adjudicated, have to be corrected within hours, days. We have no CAT 1-A deficiencies,” Winter said. Instead, the deficiencies on the books all fall under category 1B, which represents problems “that have a mission impact with a current workaround that's acceptable to the war fighter with the knowledge that we will be able to correct that deficiency at some future time,” Winter added. Greg Ulmer, Lockheed Martin's vice president for the F-35 program, said currently fielded F-35s are meeting or exceeding performance specifications. “These issues are important to address, and each is well understood, resolved or on a path to resolution," he said. "We've worked collaboratively with our customers, and we are fully confident in the F-35's performance and the solutions in place to address each of the items identified.” Full article: https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/06/12/the-pentagon-is-battling-the-clock-to-fix-serious-unreported-f-35-problems/