Nouvelles

By: Valerie Insinna and Stephen Losey WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has officially abandoned a directive to get its F-35, F-22 and F-16 jets up to an 80 percent mission-capable rate after failing to meet that goal in fiscal 2019, the service's presumptive chief of staff indicated Thursday. According to written responses by Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown ahead of his May 7 confirmation hearing, “the F-16 mission capable rate reached a high of 75% in June 2019, the F-22 mission capable rate achieved a high of 68% in April 2019 and the F-35 mission capability rate climbed to a high of 74% in September 2019.” However, data obtained exclusively by Air Force Times and Defense News revealed the mission-capable rates for those three aircraft over the whole of FY19 — while, in some cases, an improvement over the previous year — fell well short of the 80 percent goal mandated by then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in October 2018. And the overall rates for the year were lower — in some cases, much lower — than the high-water marks cited by Brown. The Air Force's newest fighter jet, the F-35A conventional-takeoff-and-landing model, showed the most improvement, increasing from a mission-capable rate of about 50 percent in FY18 to 62 percent in FY19. The F-16 mission-capable rate grew modestly, with the F-16C increasing from 70 percent in FY18 to 73 percent in FY19. The F-16D's mission-capable rate rose from 66 percent to 70 percent over that time period. However, the F-22's mission-capable rate actually decreased from 52 percent in FY18 to 51 percent in FY19. This is likely due to the continued maintenance challenges after 17 Raptors were left behind at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, during Hurricane Michael in 2018, damaging a portion of the fleet. Ultimately, Pentagon leadership decided not to renew the effort in FY20, Brown told the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The Office of the Secretary of Defense determined the FY19 80-percent Mission Capable (MC) Rate initiative is not an FY20 requirement,” wrote Brown, who is currently the commander of Pacific Air Forces. Instead, the Air Force has returned to its usual practice of letting commanders set their own readiness objectives, with no definitive requirements for mission-capable rates, he said. “We continue to balance near term readiness recovery with investment long-term combat capability,” Brown said. “While maintaining all of our aging fleets are difficult and expensive, we continuously examine emerging technologies, commercial best practices, and other methods to reduce the sustainment costs for our Air Force.” Although the services tried to meet Mattis' 80 percent mandate, even after he resigned in December 2018, the goal was never popular among Air Force leadership. If confirmed by the Senate as the uniformed head of the Air Force, Brown will replace Gen. Dave Goldfein, who argued that the readiness of the service's aircraft inventory could better be measured by other metrics. In an interview with Air Force Times in August, Goldfein said readiness can truly be measured by how well the Air Force can carry out its missions, which requires more than mission-capable aircraft. It also requires trained and ready air crew, maintainers and other airmen as well as enough spare parts and resources, he said. Goldfein also cited increases in flying hours and pilot training as other indicators of progress. Instead of driving toward an 80 percent mission-capable rate, the Air Force is implementing a new “strategic sustainment framework” that will aim to increase readiness by improving the service's repair network and expanding the use of conditions-based maintenance, Brown wrote in his response to the SASC. The service's inspector general is also conducting a comprehensive classified review of readiness assessments across the Air Force, he said. In his hearing, Brown reiterated the Air Force's need to grow to 386 squadrons over the long term. When asked by Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., whether the Air Force is now large enough to carry out the National Defense Strategy, Brown said: “To an extent.” “In the immediate term, I think we are, but we've still got to be able to grow to the 386” squadrons, Brown said. “Anything less than 386 incurs risk.” However, he acknowledged the Air Force may come close but might not completely meet that goal, which was first laid out by previous Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson. But the Air Force's improved capabilities, including making better use of unmanned platforms, will help make up some of that difference, he said. “We may be a little bit smaller than 386, but we'll be more capable,” Brown said. “It's not just the manned platforms; it's also how we do manned-unmanned teaming. The XQ-58 Valkyrie [combat drone] is one of those systems that we can team up with, particularly some of our fifth-gen capability to increase our range, increase our awareness, to increase our strike capability.” https://www.defensenews.com/air/2020/05/07/the-air-force-bails-on-mattis-era-fighter-jet-readiness-goal/

Nathan Strout The U.S. Air Force has begun deploying thousands of personal devices to military personnel and health care providers that allow them to access classified information from home or outside of the office, even though the devices themselves are unclassified. The devices were supposed to be demonstrated during a test of the Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System in April, which was delayed to August or September due to the ongoing COVID-19 situation. With the test pushed back, the Air Force decided to begin rolling out the devices to support the fight against COVID-19. “Even in a virtual, COVID environment, the team pulled together very rapidly to do something that we were going to demonstrate in April as a prototype,” said Air Force Chief Architect Preston Dunlap during a virtual Mitchell Institute event May 7. The devices are loaded with SecureView, a software architecture built on an “unclassified at rest” model. “(The software has) the ability to process classified information on a device that's unclassified when you're not using it. So you could literally throw it on the street—no problem. I wouldn't recommend it, but no problem. But then when you use it, you actually can operate and access the information you need much like you would in your office,” explained Dunlap. “We're deploying about 1,000 of those in about three week sort of cycles now to get them out to the force,” said Dunlap. In addition, the Northern Command ABMS team was able to deploy unclassified tablets with SecureView to healthcare workers in New York City and aboard the hospital ship previously deployed to New York City, the USNS Comfort. The team is also pushing out data and applications to those devices to give users real time awareness of patients' health status, Dunlap said. He also said they were using artificial intelligence algorithms to predict how COVID-19 will spread. The software was developed by the Air Force Research Laboratory as part of DeviceOne, a line of effort under the Air Force's ABMS family of systems. ABMS is the Air Force's contribution to the Department of Defense's Joint All-Domain Command and Control concept, an ongoing effort to ensure connectivity between the services. Under JADC2, the Department's leaders want sensors to feed data to shooters in near-real time, regardless of domain. As envisioned, JADC2 systems should enable National Reconnaissance Office satellites to feed data to U.S. Army shooters, or U.S. Navy sensors to feed data to Air Force shooters. Dunlap noted that the use of DeviceONE to fight COVID-19 represented a real world on ramp of ABMS. “So from both a classified and unclassified world, seamless devices, mobility, data and applications where you need it, when you need it, are actually being demonstrated before our eyes in a real world current operation,” said Dunlap. “In some sense, you could call that we're actually doing a current ops on ramp to be able to support people and keep people safe.” The Air Force is largely agnostic towards which hardware is used for DeviceONE, said Dunlap. The program utilizes off-the-shelf consumer devices, enabling easy upgrades and keeping costs low compared to other DoD technology efforts. “For DeviceONE, all of the work that the team did was software-based and software security-based, and the hardware piece of that (we) are procuring and competing across the vendors that can provide the laptops, the tablets, the servers in the backend and so forth,” said Dunlap. While the system can be used to access any classification level, the configuration rolled out for COVID-19 support was limited to just the secret level. However, Dunlap said the software can be used for any classification level and was currently in use around the world by several combatant commanders. “It's incumbent for us to be able to provide the security and software on top of (the hardware) that enables our operators to be on that island, on that aircraft, in that Humvee, in the tents, and be able to get the information they need,” said Dunlap. And Dunlap added that the delayed ABMS test will be expanded when it does occur, incorporating Strategic Command and Space Command. Dunlap also hinted that the ABMS test after the August/September test will include Indo-Pacific Command, bringing the on ramp to the operational edge. “There's going to be a variety of key adjustments there,” said Dunlap. “Before, in December, it was mostly a Northern Command focus. We now have a Space Command and a Space Force, and so the predominant thing here is we're going to have the U.S. Space Command Commander, Gen. (John) Raymond, actually be the supported commander for the first time as opposed to a supporting commander.” https://www.c4isrnet.com/air/2020/05/07/air-force-rolls-out-advanced-battle-management-system-devices-in-covid-19-fight/

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Royal Food Service Co.,* Atlanta, Georgia, has been awarded a maximum $465,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Georgia, with a May 6, 2025, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy and Department of Agriculture schools. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-P353). Inficon Inc., East Syracuse, New York, has been awarded a maximum $45,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This was a competitive acquisition with 115 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a May 6, 2025, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0034). Emergent LLC,* Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $13,787,428 firm-fixed-price task order (SP4701-20-F-0075) against a five-year base contract (SP4701-20-Q-0030) with one five-year option period for Oracle software licenses and maintenance renewal. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Virginia, with a May 29, 2021, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Extra Packaging LLC,* Boca Raton, Florida, has been awarded a maximum $7,562,500 modification (P00005) exercising the first 20-month option period and second 20-month option period simultaneously of a 20-month base contract (SPE2DS-19-D-0082) with two 20-month option periods for human remains pouches. This is a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Texas and Florida, with a Jan. 7, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Federal Emergency Management Agency and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY The Boeing Co., Huntsville, Alabama, is being awarded a $128,481,291 contract modification (P00542/P00051) to previously awarded HQ0147-12-C-0004/19-C-0004 on the Ground-based Midcourse Defense development and sustainment contract. The value of this contract, including options, is increased from $11,208,915,599 to $11,337,396,890. The definitized scope of work requires continued support to Ground-based Midcourse Defense by manufacturing C2 boost vehicles, booster spare parts and associated avionics to maintain fleet and flight test programs. The period of performance is from Jan. 31, 2018, to Sept., 30, 2022. This acquisition was executed on a sole-source basis. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $52,890,819 have been obligated. To definitize the contract action, fiscal 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $65,070,681 were obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, has been awarded a $49,856,351 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00004) to contract FA8682-19-C-0008 to procure additional equipment and tooling needed to increase Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile production. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2023. This award is the result of sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 missile procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity. ARMY MD Helicopters Inc., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $35,823,838 modification (P00032) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0038 for logistics support for the Afghanistan Air Force MD-530F aircraft fleet. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona; and Kabul, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 Afghanistan Security Forces funds (Army) in the amount of $35,823,838 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, was awarded a $14,719,719 modification (P00104) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0067 for Abrams systems technical support. Work will be performed in Sterling Heights, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2023. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds; and 2019 procurement of weapons and tracked combat vehicles (Army) funds in the amount of $14,719,719 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $9,699,157 modification (000179) to contract W31P4Q-18-A-0011 for live virtual constructive modeling and simulation support to U.S. Army Central. Work will be performed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of May 6, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $9,699,157 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. NAVY Raytheon Co., Largo, Florida, is awarded a $32,740,207 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed- fee, cost-only contract for Planar Array Antenna Assembly (PAAA) production requirements to support the Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) program. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $237,882,026. Work will be performed in Largo, Florida (58%); McKinney, Texas (32%); St. Petersburg, Florida (7%); and Andover, Massachusetts (3%). The PAAA is a multi-face antenna assembly used in the shipboard AN/USG-2x CEC configuration. The CEC program supports integrated fire control capability. CEC provides the means to network sensors, thereby significantly improving strike force air and missile defense capabilities by coordinating measurement data from strike force air search sensors on CEC-equipped units into a single, integrated real-time, composite track air picture. CEC improves battle force effectiveness by improving overall situational awareness and by enabling longer range, cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies. This contract will include scope for performance and delivery of PAAA production units, PAAA spare parts and engineering services with option quantities in support of both Foreign Military Sales and Navy requirements. Work is expected to be complete by June 2022. If all options are exercised, work will continue through April 2025. Fiscal 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds; and 2019 and 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $31,996,107 will be obligated at time of award, and funding in the amount of $5,182,158 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-5203). Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, is awarded a $19,061,000 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-5404 to exercise options for fiscal 2020 Navy Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Mod 5 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) requirements. Work will be performed in St. Petersburg, Florida (36%); Louisville, Kentucky (21%); Tucson, Arizona (15%); Huntsville, Alabama (10%); Ottobrunn, Germany (8%); San Diego, California (4%); Tulsa, Oklahoma (3%); and various locations within the continental U.S. (3%). The RAM Guided Missile Weapon System is co-developed and co-produced under an international cooperative program between the U.S. and Federal Republic of Germany governments. RAM is a missile system designed to provide anti-ship missile defense for multiple ship platforms. This contract is to procure material, fabricate parts, assemble and test, and deliver RAM MK 49 Mod 5 GMLS and GMLS ordnance alteration kits. Work is expected to be complete by December 2022. Federal Republic of Germany funds in the amount of $19,061,000 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 under the exception 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(4), international agreement. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. Bowman, Foster & Associates,* Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for mechanical and electrical architect-engineering services for projects located primarily at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia; and Naval Support Activity, Hampton Roads, Virginia. Initial task order is being awarded $170,471 for design and engineering of boiler replacement at Navy Medical Center, Portsmouth, Virginia. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps facilities and other government facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic area of responsibility. Work provides for comprehensive architect-engineering services required for projects that may involve single or multiple disciplines, primarily for mechanical and electrical, but may also include fire protection and/or other disciplines that may be deemed incidental. Work is expected to be complete by December 2020. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of May 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $170,471 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operations and maintenance (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and 16 proposals were received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-20-D-0005). Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded an $8,548,173 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N00039-16-C-0050 to exercise options to deliver spare items for the Navy Multiband Terminal (NMT) system. Work will be performed in Largo, Florida (54%); South Deerfield, Massachusetts (25%); Stow, Massachusetts (13%); and Marlborough, Massachusetts (8%). NMT is a multiband capable satellite communications terminal that provides protected and wideband communications. NMT supports extremely high frequency (EHF)/advanced EHF low data rate, medium data rate, extended data rate, super high frequency, Military Ka (transmit and receive) and global broadcast service receive-only communications. Work is expected to be complete by May 2022. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2020 other customer funds (Naval Supply Systems Command and Coast Guard); and fiscal 2020 Foreign Military Sales (Canada, United Kingdom and Netherlands) funds in the amount of $8,548,173 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This sole-source contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039). Joyce & Associates Construction Inc.,* Newport, North Carolina, is awarded an $8,145,647 firm-fixed-price task order (N40085-20-F-5204) under a multiple award construction contract for the replacement of Vacuum Test Chamber Building 137, Marine Corp Air Station, Cherry Point, North Carolina. Work will be performed in Havelock, North Carolina, and provides for the installation and replacement of aircraft vacuum component test system in Building 137. Project consists of equipment, equipment installation, repair and minor construction funding. Equipment cost includes the vacuum chamber and seven 50-horse power vacuum pumps. Equipment installation includes interior electrical hook-ups, new roof penetrations and vacuum piping. Repair work includes demo of existing electrical wiring, demo of existing vacuum piping, removal of existing vacuum chamber, removal of two existing 75-horse power vacuum pumps and patching of old roof penetrations. Minor construction includes concrete pad, new exterior electrical utilities for vacuum pumps and support structure for exterior overhead vacuum piping. Work is expected to be complete by April 2022. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) contract funds; and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,145,647 are obligated on this award, of which $197,826 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-16-D-6302). Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $7,267,110 cost-plus fixed-fee order (N62786-20-F-0014) against the previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-19-G-2319 to provide advance planning, accomplishment and emergent availabilities for LCS-19 post shakedown availability. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida (55%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (19%); Moorestown, New Jersey (14%); and Washington, D.C. (12%). This delivery order is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,267,110 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES Eccalon LLC, Hanover, Maryland, has been awarded a $7,078,869 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract provides National Security Technology Accelerator program support for the Office of Manufacturing and Industrial Base Policy. Work performance will take place at the Mark Center, Alexandria, Virginia. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,078,869 are being awarded. The expected completion date is Sept. 27, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-F-0572). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2180277/source/GovDelivery/

Despite disruptions worldwide, Future Vertical Lift flight tests, virtual industry days, and design reviews are all moving ahead on schedule or mere weeks behind. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on May 07, 2020 at 5:07 PM WASHINGTON: As the Army urgently develops weapons to counter Russia and China, it's largely staying on its tight schedule despite both the COVID-19 pandemic and the service's own history of dysfunction and delay. A prime example is the Future Vertical Lift initiative to replace existing helicopters and drones, which is on track for all but two of more than 20 major events – from field tests to contract awards – happening this year. Half a dozen are scheduled for May and June alone. What's the biggest impact COVID has had on FVL so far? Of the five project managers who spoke to reporters this morning, just one said he's definitely delaying something, a Critical Design Review for the new Improved Turbine Engine. How big was that delay? Just two weeks. The engine system CDR will start June 15th instead of June 1st, said the turbine PM, Col. Roger Kuykendall. But the deadline to complete the review wasn't until October, he went on, “so we're actually still ahead of our schedule.” The other major impact has been on combat units field-testing potential Future Tactical Unmanned Aerial System drones, but that's still in flux, said the unmanned aircraft PM, Col. Scott Anderson. Masked soldiers began flying one contending design, the Arcturus JUMP-20, began at Fort Riley a month ago. The second test unit, at Fort Campbell, started flying a different contender last week, as planned, Col. Anderson said. The third unit, at Fort Lewis, was scheduled to start in June: “The had asked to move back to July,” he said, “but it looks like, as of this morning, they're going to maybe try to come back to June.” That the FTUAS field tests are happening mostly on schedule is particularly remarkable, because it takes a team of soldiers to operate and maintain the drones, and they can't maintain social distancing all the time. Most of the other FVL projects are in different stages of development where schedules, while packed, are full of activities that are a lot easier to do online, like planning sessions and digital design. But even where physical objects have to be built or flown, the project managers stay they're staying on schedule. For the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft to replace the Reagan-era UH-60 Black Hawk, PM Col. David Phillips said, “our demonstrators are continuing to fly.” Those are the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor and the Sikorsky-Boeing SB>1 Defiant compound helicopter, which despite the term of art “demonstrator” are de facto prototypes. The companies are now refining their designs and, in 2022, the Army will choose one for mass production. While Phillips didn't provide details like flight hours – the Defiant has had a lot fewer so far – he said both aircraft are still providing test data to mature key technologies like flight controls. FLRAA's smaller sister is the Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, a light scout to replace the retired OH-58 Kiowa. Once again it's Bell and Sikorsky competing, but for FARA they haven't built the prototypes yet. Those are set to fly in 2023. (That said, Sikorsky's existing S-97 Raider is very close to their FARA design). Most of the work this year is being spent on digital design, said the FARA PM, Col. Gregory Fortier, but that should finish by December, so preparations to build the physical prototypes do have to get underway now. “We have currently seen no impact, [but] there are certainly concerns within Bell and Sikorsky about long lead materials and shipping and the [subcontractors] at the second and third tier,” Col Fortier said. “They are okay with the summer timeframe and into the fall,” Fortier said. “If this thing stretches six months to a year, then that's a different conversation.” The FARA scout, FLRAA transport, and future drones will all have as many components in common as possible, especially electronics, and need to seamlessly share both tactical and maintenance data. To make this happen, they're being designed to a common set of technical standards known as the Modular Open System Architecture, allowing the Army to plug-and-play MOSA-compliant components from any company for both maintenance and upgrades. While existing Army aircraft can't be retrofitted with the complete open architecture, the Army plans to upgrade them with a mini-MOSA called the Aviation Mission Common Server. AMCS will both provide some of the benefits of open architecture to the current fleet and real-world experience to help build the future system. AMCS, too, remains on schedule, the project manager said. “We are currently on track to award an OTA [Other Transaction Authority contract] in June 2020 and negotiations are currently ongoing,” Col. Johnathan Frasier said. The Schedule To Stay On Future Vertical Lift is doing a lot this year. Here's a list of most – not all – of the things they've accomplished so far and what they aim to do. A startling amount of it is due in June. Modular Open Systems Architecture (involves multiple project managers) April: Over 300 government and industry participants joined in a virtual meeting of the Architecture Collaboration Working Group fleshing out MOSA. June: A follow-on ACWG meeting is scheduled. The Army will award an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) contract for the Aviation Mission Common Server (AMCS). Engine & Electrical (PM: Col. Roger Kuykendal) May-June: Tentative date for an industry day on electrical systems, including batteries, generators, Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), and thermal management (i.e. cooling). June 15-19: Critical Design Review for the integrated engine system. October: Power management systems demonstration, conducted with the Army C5ISR center. Fall: Improved Turbine Engine testing begins. Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft (PM: Col. David Phillips) March 17: The Army awarded Bell and the Sikorsky-Boeing team contracts for Competitive Demonstration & Risk Reduction (CDRR) of their rival FLRAA designs. June: FLRAA and FARA will hold a joint industry day – virtually, of course – on their shared mission systems. And the FLRAA competitors will deliver conceptual designs to help shape the program's final requirements. Fall: Those FLRAA requirements will come up for review by the Army Requirements Oversight Council (AROC), a high-level body usually chaired by either the four-star boss of Army Futures Command or even the Army Chief of Staff himself. Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft (PM: Col. Gregory Fortier) March 25: The Army picked Bell and Sikorsky to build competing prototypes. May 15: Industry responses are due for a formal Request For Information (RFI) on FARA mission systems. June: FLRAA and FARA hold their joint industry day on shared mission systems. Boston Consulting Group will deliver the first of two studies on FARA-specific mission systems. Summer (month not specified): Deloitte will deliver the second FARA mission systems study. Sikorsky and Bell will both go through Preliminary Design Review. December: Sikorsky and Bell will submit their final designs. With those approved, they'll begin building the actual prototypes. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PM: Col. Scott Anderson) April: The first FTUAS contender began field testing (formally “demonstrations”) at Fort Riley, Kan. May: The second FTUAS contender began field testing at Fort Campbell, Ken. May-June: This is the likely window for the Army to award three Other Transaction Authority contracts for the mini-drones known as Air-Launched Effects (ALE). June-July: Third FTUAS contender begins testing at Fort Lewis, Wash. July: Fourth contender begins testing at Fort Bliss, Tex. August-September: A fifth unit begins testing at Fort Bragg, NC. There are only four different designs being studied, so this brigade will double up on of the designs already in testing. Fall: The Army Requirements Oversight Council will review the final requirement for FTUAS – which will be based on how the contenders actually performed – as well as requirements for a highly automated Scalable Control Interface (SCI) for all future drones. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/05/covid-cant-stop-a-busy-summer-for-army-fvl

Jen DiMascio Tony Osborne Steve Trimble On the heels of Germany's proposal to purchase both Eurofighter Typhoons and Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornets, Aviation Week editors Jen DiMascio, Tony Osborne and Steve Trimble discuss ongoing fighter competitions around the world on Check 6, highlighting one of the most dynamic markets in aerospace. https://aviationweek.com/defense-space/podcast-international-fighter-competitions

Posted on May 7, 2020 by Chris Thatcher Public Services and Procurement Canada has extended the deadline for proposals to replace the CF-188 Hornets until July 31, 2020. The 30-day extension is a response to the coronavirus pandemic that has disrupted business operations globally, especially in the aerospace sector. “The COVID-19 pandemic is presenting numerous challenges for businesses and their workforce, including the eligible suppliers for the Future Fighter Capability Project,” said a spokesperson for the department in a statement on May 6. “The unprecedented situation has impacted proposal finalization. To support our commitment to conducting an open, fair, and transparent competition, the extension will ensure all suppliers are able to submit their most competitive offer to Canada.” Three qualified contenders remain in the competition to replace the Royal Canadian Air Force fighter jet fleet: Sweden's Saab Aeronautics with the Gripen E and the United States-backed Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet and Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II. Dassualt Aviation and Airbus Defense and Space withdrew their entrants, the Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon, in 2018 and 2019, respectively. The project, valued at up to $19 billion, is seeking proposals for 88 advanced aircraft to replace an aging fleet of 76 A and B model Hornets that began entering service in the mid-1980s. The bids will be evaluated on technical capability, worth 60 per cent of the evaluation; acquisition and operating costs (20 per cent); and economic benefit to Canadian industry, also 20 per cent and the highest weighting for economic return on any defence procurement to date. It's the second time this year the federal government has prolonged the deadline for the request for proposals (RFP). In February, at the request of one of the suppliers, it granted a three-month extension from March 30 to June 30. Release of the formal RFP was also pushed back several times before being issued in July 2019, to accommodate changes during the draft RFP process. The project is the largest acquisition in recent Air Force history and has faced numerous schedule changes over the past decade. This latest change comes a week after Canada submitted an annual payment of US$70.1 million to remain in the F-35 development program, which is being supported by nine partner countries. To date, the government has invested US$541.3 million since 1997 into the multi-variant, next-generation fighter program. However, Canadian companies have captured US$1.8 billion in work on the fighter. “This participation provides Canadian industry with contract opportunities that are only available to program participants,” a spokesperson for National Defence told Canadian Press. “Our membership will also allow us preferential pricing and sequencing in the build schedule should the F-35 aircraft be successful in the current future fighter capability program.” Despite the recent delay because of COVID-19, PSPC still anticipates to award a contract in 2022. The first new aircraft would be delivered in early 2025. In the interim, the government is acquiring and upgrading 18 operational Australian F/A-18A Hornets to augment the current fleet of 76 Hornets. The RCAF is also finalizing an upgrade package for the 76 fighters that will likely include enhancements to their combat capability. https://www.skiesmag.com/news/government-extends-fighter-proposal-deadline/

By: Sebastian Sprenger COLOGNE, Germany — Lockheed Martin has appointed Dennis Goege to the newly created job of vice president for operations in Central and Eastern Europe, according to a company statement. The move comes in response to what Lockheed foresees to be a “growing presence” in the region. Based at the company's office in Berlin, Germany, Goege is responsible for business in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia and the Baltics. Goege previously worked for the German Aerospace Center, or DLR, based in Cologne, Germany, where he oversaw defense and security research programs. According to the Lockheed announcement, he also “acted as an advisor” to the Germany Defence Ministry and the Munich Security Conference. The new job consolidates a smattering of director-level country leads, overseen by Jonathan Hoyle, vice president and chief executive for Europe. “I am pleased to welcome Dennis in his new role as vice president to support our organization of Lockheed Martin in Europe,” Hoyle was quoted as saying in the statement. “This new post has been created in response to significant business growth in Central and European markets and to set out a path for building on business opportunities in the region.” Goege's portfolio includes a few high-profile programs and prospects in Germany alone. Lockheed is going against Boeing in a bid to deliver a new heavy-transport helicopter to the Bundeswehr — Germany's military. A move by the German government to request a final offer is expected late this year or early next. In addition, the TLVS missile defense program has been languishing in uncertainty for months. Lockheed, in concert with local contractor MBDA, and the German government have so far failed to agree on a price and risk structure for an eventual contract. The Defence Ministry has yet to announce whether the contractor will be invited to submit a new offer. Lockheed also has not given up on selling F-35 fighter jets to the German Air Force should another opening present itself, though the aircraft is formally out of the race with Berlin's recent pick of Eurofighters and F-18s to replace the aging Tornado fleet by 2030. Switzerland is in the market for new fighter jets, too, and the F-35 is still in the running. https://www.defensenews.com/global/europe/2020/05/06/lockheed-creates-new-vp-job-to-push-sales-in-central-eastern-europe/

1 APRIL 2020 • In News Lockheed Martin has responded to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak, including support for those in the company's supply chain. Marillyn Hewson, CEO of Lockheed Martin said: “At Lockheed Martin, we recognize that the rapid spread of Covid-19 and its wide-ranging impacts have caused severe disruption across society and tragic loss of life around the world. We also recognize that the global pandemic has created a need for urgent action by government, business, communities and citizens. “In response to this crisis, our company will be guided by and operate with three clear priorities. First, we will continue to protect the health and safety of our men and women on the job and their families. Second, we will continue to perform and deliver for our customers because what they do for our national security, global communications, and infrastructure is critical to our nation and our allies. Third, we will do our part to use our know-how, resources, and leadership as a company to assist our communities and our country during this period of national crisis. “In this regard, today I am announcing that Lockheed Martin will take the following steps as an initial contribution to the national Covid-19 relief and recovery effort: We will advance more than $50 million to small- and medium-sized business partners in our supply chain to ensure they have the financial means to continue to operate, sustain jobs, and support the economy We will donate $10 million to non-profit organizations involved in Covid-19 related relief and assistance, with emphasis on veterans and military families We have activated a $6.5 million employee disaster relief fund to assist Lockheed Martin employees and retirees impacted with Covid-19 “These are our initial financial steps to help during this time of national need. In addition: We will offer Lockheed Martin's engineering and technical capabilities to help solve the most pressing challenges faced by federal, state, and local officials We will donate the use of our corporate aircraft and vehicle fleet for Covid-19 relief logistical support and medical supply delivery We will donate the use of our facilities for crisis-related activities including critical medical supply storage, distribution, and Covid-19 testing, where needed and practical Finally, during this time of economic uncertainty, we will continue our planned recruiting and hiring. Given the requirement for social distancing, Lockheed Martin will deploy virtual technology and other techniques to sustain our hiring activity during this crisis period “Lockheed Martin understands that the shared effort to combat COVID-19 and recover from its effects will be a long-term one. We will continue to engage national, state, and local leaders to undertake additional measures as needed. “And, throughout this crisis, Lockheed Martin remains committed to continuing to deliver critical capabilities for our nation and our allies, supporting job creation and economic recovery, and helping those in need wherever we operate.” www.lockheedmartin.com https://www.aero-mag.com/lockheed-martin-coronavirus-response-010420/

After decades of building traditional helicopters in traditional ways, contractors must get ready for the Army's new high-speed Future Vertical Lift aircraft. Small makers of key parts need help. By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR.on May 06, 2020 at 2:14 PM WASHINGTON: What worries the Army's aviation acquisition chief as he helps industry get ready to build a revolutionary new generation of aircraft in the midst of a global pandemic? “It's the mom and pop shops,” Patrick Mason said today. “It's the Tier 3 suppliers, typically on the hardware side.” “Those are the ones we remain focused on, because those are those are the ones that can end up in a single point failure,” the program executive officer for Army aviation continued. “That's what we're doing right now through COVID and we're going to continue to do that as we look ...to Future Vertical Lift.” While the big Tier 1 prime contractors should be fine, they depend on smaller Tier 2 suppliers for key components, and they depend on yet smaller Tier 3 suppliers. As you trace the provenance of a crucial component down that supply chain, you all too often find a single point of failure. That's some tiny, easily overlooked company that happens to have the only people who know how to build a particular part, like an actuator or a valve, or the only one who can apply a particular heat treatment or protective coating to someone else's part so it can survive the stresses of flight. It would be easier if the Army was just winding down production of one kind of traditional helicopter and ramping up another. Then industry could build any new parts required in the old way. But Future Vertical Lift is about building new kinds of aircraft in new ways. Even the most traditional-looking competitor, Bell's proposal for the FARA scout helicopter, is being designed, built, and tested using new digital tools. Those tools allow much greater precision and efficiency than traditional blueprints, but only for facilities that have the necessary technology installed. Bell and its rivals, Sikorsky and Boeing, are also all eager to use 3D printing and other advanced manufacturing techniques to improve the performance and reliability of key parts while reducing their cost. That's another set of new technologies that small firms can't easily afford. Will increasing sales of drones help make up the revenue? In addition to the optionally manned FARA scout and FLRAA transport, which will have human crews aboard for most missions, FVL is also building a whole family of completely unmanned aircraft. The major companies can get in on much of that business, Mason said, but some of their smaller suppliers can't. If you build electronics or write flight control software, then. you can work on either manned or unmanned aircraft. But, Mason said, if you specialize in building a particular kind of hardware for manned aircraft, most drones are so much smaller that they use entirely different systems, such electric actuators instead of hydraulics. So for small manufacturing shops, he said, “there's less synergy.” Mason's concerns were well supported by a study of the FVL industrial base by the Center for Strategic & International Studies, released today. “The primes are all in,” said Andrew Hunter, director of defense industrial studies at CSIS, who hosted yesterday's call, “[but] it's a big challenge for those Tier 3 and lower suppliers to make this transition.” During months of workshops with industry, “the concern that we heard expressed repeatedly was lower down the supply chain, [with] Tier 3 and lower suppliers,” Hunter said. “It's an expensive investment that they may be challenged to raise the capital to do, [and] it certainly will involve retraining their workforce to use these new manufacturing techniques.” “Industry has to see they're going to get a return on that investment,” he said. “Even optimistic management who are true believers and think they are definitely going to get a return on this investment because they're going to win [FVL contracts], they've still got to justify it to the banks. They've still got to justify it to their corporate boards.” Changing The Rules What complicates the business case for contractors is that the Army wants a new approach, not just to building the new aircraft, but also to how it keeps them flying. Over an aircraft's decades in service, the long tail of operations, maintenance, and upgrades dwarfs the up-front cost of research, development, and acquisition. While the CSIS study calculated that the Army could afford to build the Future Vertical Lift if budgets remain near historical averages – not guaranteed in the wake of the pandemic – the bigger risk is whether or not the service can control those Operations & Sustainment costs in the long term. Army Futures Command's director for aviation modernization, Brig. Gen. Walter Rugen, said he was confident that extensive physical prototyping and digital modeling would help the service get a handle on those costs. “Our requirements... are still in draft form, so if we need to trade one away to maintain our budgets, we will do that,” he said. “We are going to understand to the greatest degree possible what our O&S costs are and make sure that it's within our budget.” For helicopters, Hunter said, O&S is typically 65 percent of the total cost over the lifetime of a program. Now, not all that money goes to aerospace contractors, since sizable chunk goes to pay military maintenance personnel, buy fuel, and so on. But contracts to sustain existing aircraft are a more important revenue stream for most contractors than actually building new ones. While projected spending on R&D (blue) and procurement (red) rise and fall, remaining under $2.5 billion a year, Operations & Sustainment costs (green) remain largely constant at over $7.5 billion — a crucial source of cash for industry. (CSIS graphic) So any Army effort to economize on operations & sustainment hits contractors where they live. What's more, the Army isn't just trying to squeeze savings out of the existing process; it's changing the rules of the game. Historically, companies could bid low to build a new weapons system because, once they got the contract, they had a de facto monopoly on maintaining and upgrading that system for decades. Now the Defense Department is pushing hard to break this “vendor lock” in two main ways: It's increasingly requiring companies to hand over their intellectual property and technical data. The government can then give that data to potential competitors trying to build cheaper alternatives, as on the Army-run Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program. Second, it's requiring companies to make their products compatible with government standards for how different components fit together physically and connect electronically, with the aim of creating Modular Open System Architectures where you can swap out one company's component and replace it with another vendor's. Developing a common MOSA for all manned and unmanned aircraft is a top priority for the Army's Future Vertical Lift initiative. “Part of what we're doing [over] the next year, year and a half, is the strategy associated with the operational availability, that we want out of these platforms, the intellectual property we want to obtain,” Mason said. “What's the valuation of the IP, the intellectual property? Because intellectual property drives their ability to control the aftermarket, and the aftermarket is where you see the year over year cash flow [that's] critical to most of their business models.” “As you look at Modular Open System Architecture...the business case and the business model associated with it is something that we're working through with industry right now,” Mason said. “It is critical that we have the right incentive structure, it is critical that we provide the right framework so that industry continues to invest and they continue to see a return on that invested capital.” To prevail in future conflicts, “we can't afford not to do Future Vertical Lift,” Brig. Gen. Rugen said. “What this report talks to is national interest we have in preserving the rotorcraft industrial base as we go forward.” https://breakingdefense.com/2020/05/armys-shift-to-fvl-poses-big-risks-for-small-suppliers/