Nouvelles

NAVY Grove Resource Solutions Inc.,* Frederick, Maryland (N6523619D4800); Millennium Corp., * Arlington, Virginia (N6523619D4801); SimVentions Inc.,* Fredericksburg, Virginia (N6523619D4802); BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N6523619D8403); Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia (N6523619D4804); CACI NSS Inc., Reston, Virginia (N6523619D4805); General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Virginia (N6523619D4806); Leidos, Reston, Virginia (N6523619D4807); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California (N6523619D4808), and Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, Georgia (N6523619D4809), are each awarded a combined $898,000,000 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, performance-based service contract utilizing cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders. The contracts are for Cyber Mission Engineering support services and provide for the delivery of information warfare capabilities through sea, air, land, space, electromagnetic, and cyber domains through the full range of military operations and levels of war. These contracts include a five-year ordering period, one 24-month option period, and one six-month option-to-extend-services in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Clause 52.217-8. If all options are exercised, the cumulative value of these contracts will increase to $962,000,000. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by November 2024. If all options are exercised, work would continue until May 2027. Navy working capital funds in the amount of $25,000 will be divided equally among all awardees and obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The multiple award contracts were competitively procured by full and open competition with reserves for small business via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center e-Commerce central website and the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 25 timely offers received. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity. Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $889,949,558 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (74 percent); and Schenectady, New York (26 percent). No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion program contracts. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $617,385,193 will be obligated at time of award and funds will not 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-C-2115). Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $634,011,726 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (71 percent); and Schenectady, New York (29 percent). No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program contracts Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $610,145,142 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 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-C-2114). United Technologies Corp., Pratt & Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $399,778,883 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0010). This modification provides for performance based logistics sustainment in support of the F-35 Lightning II F135 propulsion system for the U.S Navy; U.S Air Force; U.S. Marine Corps; Non-U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. This modification provides for maintenance of support equipment; common program activities; unique and common base recurring sustainment; repair of repairable; field service representatives; common replenishment spares; conventional take-off and landing/carrier variant F135 unique maintenance services, and short take-off and landing F135 unique services. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (73 percent); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (18 percent); Camari, Italy (3 percent); Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), Florida (2 percent); Edwards AFB, California (1 percent); Hill AFB, Utah (1 percent); Luke AFB, Arizona (1 percent); and Marine Corps Air Station, Beaufort, South Carolina (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Air Force, Marine Corps, and Navy), Non-U.S. DOD participants and FMS funds in the amount of $399,778,883 are being obligated on this award, $277,624,046, of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($142,300,541; 36 percent); U.S. Marine Corps ($109,353,811; 27 percent); U.S. Navy ($25,969,694; 6 percent); non-U.S. DOD participants ($90,987,493; 23 percent); and FMS customers ($31,167,344; 8 percent) under the FMS Program. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Bechtel Plant Machinery Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $233,211,071 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Naval nuclear propulsion components. Work will be performed in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (93 percent); and Schenectady, New York (7 percent). No completion date or additional information is provided on Naval Nuclear Propulsion program contracts. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $111,996,969 and fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,852,823 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. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-2112). Accenture Federal Services LLP, Arlington, Virginia (N00189-19-D-Z001); Deloitte & Touche LLP, Arlington, Virginia (N00189-19-D-Z002); KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia (N00189-19-D-Z003); PricewaterhouseCoopers Public Sector LLP, McLean, Virginia (N00189-19-D-Z004); and Sehlke Consulting, Arlington, Virginia (N00189-19-D-Z005), are awarded combined estimated $83,855,994 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts that will include terms and conditions for the placement of both cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders to provide financial and business operations management support services in support of the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The contracts will run concurrently and will include a 48-month ordering period. The ordering period of the contract is anticipated to begin February 2019 and is expected to be completed by January 2023. Work will be performed at various contractor locations throughout the U.S. (80 percent); and at government facilities in Falls Church, Virginia (20 percent). The percentage of work at each of the contractor facilities cannot be determined at this time. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Defense Health Program) funds in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated ($20,000 on each of the five contracts to fund the contracts' minimum amounts) and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured for the award of multiple contracts pursuant to the authority set forth in Federal Acquisition Regulation 16.504. The requirement was solicited through the Federal Business Opportunities and Navy Electronic Commerce Online websites, with eight offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a $45,009,813 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-5145 to exercise options for DDG 1000 ship class integrated logistics support and engineering services. The DDG 1000 ship class is a multi-mission surface combatant designed to fulfill volume firepower and precision strike requirements. DDG 1000 combat systems provide offensive, distributed, and precision firepower and long ranges in support of forces ashore, while incorporating signature reduction, active, and passive self-defense system and enhanced survivability features. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (61 percent); Tewksbury, Massachusetts (34 percent); Marlboro, Massachusetts (2 percent); Ft. Wayne, Indiana (2 percent); and Nashua, New Hampshire (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $54,256,958 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds in the amount of $10,158,276 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Kings Bay Support Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $39,858,516 modification for the exercise of option three under an indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support (BOS) services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $322,733,069. The work to be performed provides for all labor, facilities management, supervision, tools, materials, equipment, incidental engineering, environmental services and transportation to effectively execute BOS services. Work will be performed in Kings Bay, Georgia. This option period is from December 2018, to November 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $28,258,930 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida is the contracting activity (N69450-11-D-7578). General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $31,764,038 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-2104) for reactor plant planning yard services for nuclear-powered submarines and support yard services for the Navy's Moored Training Ships. This modification includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this modification to $63,846,335. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (90 percent); and Charleston, South Carolina (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $23,532,530 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $17,999,876 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded $28,893,602 for modification P00022 to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00030-17-C-0001), to provide systems engineering and integration services in support of the Trident II (D5) strategic weapons system, the SSGN attack weapon system, and strategic weapon surety. Work will be performed at Rockville, Maryland (70.6 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (14.7 percent); Kings Bay, Georgia (5.1 percent); Silverdale, Washington (2.7 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (1.1 percent); San Diego, California (1.1 percent); Barrow, United Kingdom (1.1 percent); Alexandria, Virginia (1 percent); Buffalo, New York (0.3 percent); Downington, Pennsylvania (0.3 percent); Ocala, Florida (0.2 percent); Pittsfield, Massachusetts (0.2 percent); Montgomery Village, Maryland (0.2 percent); New Lebanon, New York (0.2 percent); New Paris, Ohio (0.2 percent); Wexford, Pennsylvania (0.2 percent); Alton, Virginia (0.2 percent); Springfield, Virginia (0.2 percent), Vienna, Virginia (0.2 percent); and St. Mary's, Georgia (0.2 percent), with an expected completion date of September 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $21,625,865; fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,350,554; and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,917,183 will be obligated on this modification. Contract funds in the amount of $21,625,865 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Space, Sunnyvale, California, is awarded $28,574,689 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00002 to a previously awarded contract (N00030-18-C-0025), to exercise options for hypersonic booster technology development seeking to demonstrate technologies related to intermediate range capability through booster design, fabrication and validation testing. Work will be performed in Magna, Utah (51.03 percent); Elma, New York (14.08 percent); Sunnyvale, California (14.03 percent); Denver, Colorado (10.52 percent); Titusville, Florida (7.53 percent); Huntsville, Alabama (1.08 percent); Mooresville, North Carolina (1 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (0.52 percent); and Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (0.21 percent), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $28,574,689 are being obligated on this award, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $20,583,568 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-14-C-5104 to exercise options for ship integration and test of the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) for AWS baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 12. The contract provides for Aegis shipboard integration engineering; Aegis test team support; Aegis modernization team engineering support; ballistic missile defense test team support and AWS element assessments. The contract will cover the AWS ship integration and test efforts for five new-construction DDG 51-class ships, the major modernization of five DDG 51-class ships, and the major modernization of six CG 47-class ships, as well as the integrated combat system modifications and upgrades for all current ships with all AWS baselines up to and including ACB 12. Work will be performed in Bath, Maine (41 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (17 percent); Pascagoula, Mississippi (9 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (8 percent); Camden, New Jersey (8 percent); San Diego, California (6 percent); Corona, California (5 percent); Deveselu, Romania (3 percent); Mayport, Florida (2 percent); and various places below one percent (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by November 2019. Fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2017, and 2019 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $17,260,714 will be obligated at time of award, and $2,036,071 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $9,838,779 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-18-D-0001). This modification increases the ceiling of the indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract and provides for service life modifications on the F/A-18E/F fleet that will extend the operational service life of the F/A-18E/F fleet from 6,000 flight hours to 9,000 flight hours. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be completed in July 2020. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,838,779 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corporation Missile and Fire Control, Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $7,346,222 definitive job order which includes cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort tasking for the Target Sight System (TSS) depot activation and firm-fixed price training for the depot activation under basic ordering agreement N00164-16-G-JQ87. Depot activation services include engineering and logistics support and stand-up for long term organic depot support for the TSS on the AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter. The TSS is a large-aperture midwave forward-looking infrared sensor with a laser designator/rangefinder turret. The TSS provides the capability to identify and laser-designate targets at maximum weapon range, significantly enhancing platform survivability and lethality. The depot activation and training services will produce a TSS depot capability at Fleet Readiness Center South-East to include the required specialized weapons replaceable assembly and shop replaceable assembly test equipment, tooling, fixtures, training, access to technical data, engineering reach back, and support infrastructure for this capability. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,346,222 will be obligated at the time of contract award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This job order 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. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N0016419FJ016). AIR FORCE L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, has been awarded a $97,491,260 firm-fixed-price contract for contractor operated and maintained base supply of the Air Education and Training Command fleet of 178 T-1A trainer aircraft. Work will be performed at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Vance AFB, Oklahoma; Columbus AFB, Mississippi; and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Florida, with an expected completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. This award for Option One is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount $48,288,767 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8106-18-C-0001). M1 Support Services, Denton, Texas, has been awarded a $97,353,460 modification (P00048) to contract FA4890-16-C-0005 for the backshop and flight-line maintenance of multiple aircraft types on Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional year of maintenance support under the multiple year contract. Work will be performed at Nellis AFB, Nevada, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2019. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. AAR Manufacturing Inc., Cadillac, Michigan, has been awarded a $27,570,625 task order (FA8534-19-F-0005) to contract FA8519-14-D-0002 for the production of 463L cargo pallets. Work will be performed in Cadillac, Michigan, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2017 other procurement funds in the amount of $27,570,625 are being obligated at time of award. This task order brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $170,687,010. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co. Missile Systems Division, Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded an $18,691,155 fixed-price incentive (firm-target), follow-on contract for High-speed Anti-Radiation Missile targeting system contractor logistics support services. This contract provides depot repair and sustaining engineering activities. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2019. The contract includes a one-year period of performance with three one-year options. This contract award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $18,691,155 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8675-19-C-0004). Telos Corp., Ashborn, Virginia, has been awarded a $15,195,573 modification (P00004) to contract FA4890-17-F-0025 for defensive cyber operations support at 17 U.S. Air Force bases in the continental U.S. The contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for an additional year of cyber security support services under the multiple year contract. Work will be performed in accordance with the performance work statement and is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2020. Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Honeywell International Inc., Clearwater, Florida, has been awarded an $11,458,551 modification (P0003) to exercise an option on contract FA8214-18-C-0001 for Pendulous Integrated Gyroscopic Accelerometer float repairs. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 20, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,458,551 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $10,758,587 modification (P00066) to previously awarded FA8634-16-C-2653 for F-15 radar modernization program radar upgrades. The contract modification provides for the exercise of options for interim contract support repair. Work will be performed in St. Louis, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $10,758,587 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,375,218,427. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity. Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nevada, has been awarded a $9,227,540 modification (P00019) to contract FA8509-17-C-0002 for the permanent installation of the Airborne Mission Networking System. This modification provides for the exercise of only trial kit install labor and fully funding non-recurring engineering, travel, and trial kit install labor. Work will be performed in Centennial, Colorado, with travel within the continental U.S. as required to government facilities for installation and testing. Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 16, 2019. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $9,227,540 are being obligated at time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $39,256,804. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8509-17-C-0002). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has been awarded a maximum $84,448,463 firm-fixed-price contract for various motor vehicle parts and accessories. 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 a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is Wisconsin, with a Nov. 29, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018, through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-19-D-0021). Nodak Electric Cooperative Inc.,* Grand Forks, North Dakota, has been awarded a $23,203,633 modification (P00002) to a 50-year utilities privatization contract (SP0600-18-C-8321) with no option periods for additional utility services for two electric systems. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is North Dakota, with a Nov. 30, 2068, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019, through 2069 Air Force operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. The Original Footwear Co., Arecibo, Puerto Rico, has been awarded a maximum $9,186,840 modification (P00014), exercising the third one-year option period of a four-year base contract (SPE1C1-16-D-1026), with three one-year option periods for men's poromeric shoes. This is firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/definite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Puerto Rico and Michigan, with a Nov. 30, 2019, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY Logistics Health Inc., La Crosse, Wisconsin, was awarded an $81,000,000 indefinite-delivery bridge contract (HT0011-19-D-0002). This award, titled “Reserve Health Readiness Program,” provides health readiness support services to the military service components to meet medical and dental standards essential in maintaining a deployable force. This short-term bridge contract will permit time to complete a competitive follow-on to this requirement. Services include immunizations, physical examinations, periodic health assessments, post-deployment health reassessments, mental health assessments, dental examinations, dental treatment, laboratory services, and other services as required to satisfy military service component health readiness needs. Services are delivered at military service component designated sites during group events, through the contractor's call center, and within an integrated network. The work will be performed in every U.S. state, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, and Germany, with period of performance from Dec. 1, 2018, to May 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds will be obligated on task orders issued under this award. This contract was awarded on an other than full and open competition basis; pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Defense Health Agency, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ARMY BridgePhase LLC,* Arlington, Virginia (W15QKN-19-D-0005); Insap Services Inc.,* Marlton, New Jersey (W15QKN-19-D-0006); Johnson Technology Systems Inc.,* Dover, New Jersey (W15QKN-19-D-0007); and Softek International Inc.,* Piscataway, New Jersey (W15QKN-19-D-0008), will compete for each order of the $72,377,360 firm-fixed-price contract for information technology services for Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center. Bids were solicited with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 8, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. Carolina Growler Inc.,* Star, North Carolina, was awarded a $66,665,620 firm-fixed-price contract for M1269 light engineer utility trailers. Bids were solicited with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 29, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-19-D-0013). Longbow LLC, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $52,642,959 hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for the production of radar electronic units and support functions. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $52,642,959 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-19-F-0044). Employment Source Inc.,* Fayetteville, North Carolina, was awarded a $43,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for dining facility attendant services. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 29, 2023. U.S. Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W91247-19-D-0002). DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded a $41,658,522 modification (P00200), to contract W58RGZ-13-C-0040 for aviation field maintenance services. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas; Afghanistan; and Iraq, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $41,658,522 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, was awarded an $18,000,000 cost contract for collaborative biotechnologies. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911NF-19-D-0001). Weeks Marine Inc., Covington, Louisiana, was awarded a $17,418,500 firm-fixed-price contract for dredging. Two bids were solicited with two bids received. Work will be performed in Carolina Beach, North Carolina; and Kure Beach, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of May 15, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $17,418,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Wilmington, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W912PM-19-C-0004). DEFENSE FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING SERVICE KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $36,039,975 modification (P00027) to exercise Option Year Two to previously awarded labor-hour contract HQ0423-17-F-0010 for fiscal 2019 financial statement audit services of the Army General Fund and Working Capital Fund. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $95,894,268 from $59,854,293. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $36,039,975 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (HQ0423-17-F-0010). MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY Raytheon Missile Systems is being awarded a sole-source cost-plus-fixed-fee modification in the amount of $27,277,473 to previously awarded contract HQ0276-15-C-0005 adding contract line item numbers 4005, 4006, and 4013 to provide depot level planning, All Up Round (AUR) re-certifications, and AUR repairs. This modification increases the total cumulative face value of the contract by $27,277,473 (from $1,757,712,887 to $1,784,990,360). The work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an expected completion date of October 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations maintenance funds in the amount of $9,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1702589/source/GovDelivery/

Murray Brewster · CBC News The last couple of weeks may go down in the Trudeau government's public record as the point when the desires of deliverology met the drawbacks of defence procurement. Remember 'deliverology'? That lofty concept — measuring a government's progress in delivering on its promises — was the vogue in policy circles at the beginning of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's administration. While it's sometimes derided as an empty concept, deliverology must have seemed tailor-made for a new government inheriting a troubled defence procurement system. The Canadian International Trade Tribunal's decision Tuesday to step into the brawl over which multinational consortium will design and support the construction of the navy's new frigates is another lesson in how (apologies to Robert Burns) the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. The tribunal's decision to order Ottawa to put the frigate project on hold pending the completion of their probe into a complaint by a failed bidder comes at a politically awkward time for the Liberals. One week ago, Auditor General Michael Ferguson delivered an ugly report on the Liberals' handling of fighter jet procurement — specifically, the plan to buy interim warplanes to cover the gap until the current CF-18 fleet can be replaced with new aircraft. Self-inflicted wounds A cynic's reflex (given the checkered history of defence purchasing over the last decade) might be to consider these two events as just another day at the office for the troubled government procurement system. That might not be entirely fair. Still, experts were saying Wednesday that the government is suffering from numerous self-inflicted political and administrative wounds on this file. With a federal election on the horizon, and in a climate of growing geopolitical instability, the question of what the government has actually managed to deliver on military procurement is an important one to ask, said Rob Huebert, an analyst in strategic studies at the University of Calgary. While the system, as the Trudeau Liberals and previous governments have constructed it, seems to be the perfect model of the "evidence based" policy making promised by the champions of deliverology, it's also not built for speed. Some would suggest the deliverology model was followed to the letter in the design competition now tied up before the trade tribunal and in Federal Court. What seemed like endless consultations with the bidders took two years. The government made up to 88 amendments to the tender. And in the end, the preferred bid was challenged by a competitor that claims not all of the navy's criteria were met. Alion Science and Technology Corp. and its subsidiary, Alion Canada, argue the warship Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE System Inc. want to sell to Ottawa cannot meet the speed requirements set by the tender without a substantial overhaul. It does not, the company claims, meet the government's demand for a proven, largely off-the-shelf design. Michael Armstrong, who teaches at Brock University and holds a doctorate in management science, said the government could have avoided the challenges and accompanying slowdowns had it been more precise in its language. "They could have been more clear and firm when they use the words 'proven design'," he said. "Did they literally mean we won't buy ships unless they're floating in the water? Or did they mean that British one that doesn't quite exist yet is close enough? "If they would have been more firm and said, 'We want a ship that actually exists,' that might have simplified things at this stage." Huebert described the auditor general's report on the purchase of interim fighters as an all-out assault on evidence-based policy making. "It is just so damning," he said. A break with reality The Conservatives have accused the Liberals of avoiding the purchase of the F-35 stealth jet through manufacturing a crisis by claiming the air force doesn't have enough fighters to meet its international commitments. The auditor found that the military could not meet the government's new policy commitment and even ignored advice that one of its proposed solutions — buying brand-new Super Hornets to fill the capability gap —would actually make their problems worse, not better. That statement, said Huebert, suggested a jaw-dropping break with reality on the government's part. "They [the Liberals] were just making things up," he said. It might have been too optimistic to expect the Liberals to fix the system, said Armstrong, given the short four years between elections. But Huebert said Ottawa can't carry on with business as usual — that the government now must deliver on procurement, instead of doubling down on rhetoric. The problem, he said, is that governments haven't really paid a price in the past for botched military procurement projects. There was "no political pain for the agony of the Sea King replacement, as an example," he said, referring to the two-decade long process to retire the air force's maritime helicopters. "The thing that makes me so concerned, even outraged, is that we are heading into a so much more dangerous international environment," said Huebert, citing last weekend's clash between Russia and Ukraine over the Kerch Strait and ongoing tension with Beijing in the South China Sea. "When things get nasty, we have to be ready." https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/why-can-t-ottawa-get-military-procurement-right-1.4924800

Introduction Good morning everyone, and Nick [Childs, IISS], thank you very much for the introduction, for the invitation for Mike [Noonan, RAN] and I to be here with you all this morning, and to everyone here at IISS for facilitating this event. And a special thanks to Mike. He looks as fresh as a daisy this morning, but he's on a bit of a world tour, taking in London having also taken in some substantial visits in Europe to check on future RAN capability, I'm sure you'll hear more about that later, and then after a trip to Scotland tomorrow to have a look at what a Type 26 looks like, and we'll see the significance of that of course, we're then travelling together to Chile on Thursday night to help them commemorate the 200th Anniversary of their navy. So you've covered a lot of ground as Chief of Navy but for very good reason and it's really good to have you with us, Mike, today. What I wanted to do is to set the scene, before we hear from the Theatre expert, Mike, on the Asia Pacific Region, about how the Royal Navy sees that region and the way we've shifted some of our posture to reflect that in the last year or so. RN Pacific Presence Because it won't have escaped the attention of most of you who are tracking what the Royal Navy does and where it goes that this year has seen a very public return to that region. The deployments of the frigate HMS Sutherland initially, which also went to Australia, the LPD HMS Albion and her embarked Royal Marines, now followed by the frigate HMS Argyll which is in the region as we speak, and then HMS Montrose, who I'll be on board in Chile in a couple of days' time, is then crossing the Pacific to New Zealand and Australia on her way through the region too; so all of that has drawn no small amount of interest and commentary, both in the region and back here in the UK. And I hope that comes as no surprise because those deployments have had in the region, I am told, a really tangible effect. Whether on be operations: helping to enforce UN Security Council Resolutions against the DPRK, or the significant programmes of defence engagement they have been conducting right across the region – Indonesia, Vietnam, the Republic of Korea, Brunei, Japan and of course Australia to name but a few. But why now? Why has that change of focus to the region come now? Importance of the Pacific Those of you who are aficionados of IISS events may have been at their other site in June when, the US CNO, Adm John Richardson, and I spoke at a similar event about the challenges we share together in the maritime domain, challenges that have grown considerably into threats, and threats have both intensified and diversified. And whilst it's perhaps unsurprising that our combined UK/US geographical focus is principally in the Atlantic area, we made the point that the same challenge to freedom and security on the high seas is to be found in many other places in the world, perhaps most notably over the last year or so in the Indo-Pacific region. And that's a region we here in the UK simply can't afford to ignore. As I said at my Sea Power conference at RUSI a few weeks before that IISSevent I did with CNO, we were feeding off the UK Defence Concepts and Doctrine Centre's analysis of Global Strategic Trends which clearly identifies the economic shift towards the Indo-Pacific region; that's already on the way and will only intensify in the years to come When you combine this with the well established importance and growth of global maritime trade, and the UK's ambitions for an enhanced global trade network once we depart from the European Union, it becomes very easy to see why the Indo-Pacific region will be of such strategic importance to this island nation in the years to come – physically separated from that region by several thousand miles though we may be. But this renewed ambition for trade links in the Indo-Pacific, where some of the largest and fastest growing economies reside, does rely on influence in the region; you have to earn your place there. And that's where the key attributes of a navy can come into play, the ability, as one of my predecessors, Adm Sir Mark Stanhope, once put it, to do ‘engagement without embroilment', and that can come into play in support of cross-government objectives. But to paraphrase our Secretary of State for Defence: it's not all about soft power, it's also about being able to back it up with credible, hard power if required. And the way we can proactively contribute to regional maritime security is clearly one component of that. China In any assessment of the Indo-Pacific region, the growing role and influence of China will play a major part. China is the most populous country in the world, it's home to the largest supply of natural resources, it boasts the second largest world economy. So it is perhaps only natural that given their place in world they should look to exert their influence as a world power. And we're seeing this ambition play out very clearly in the maritime domain as the PLA(Navy) evolves from a coastal force to a regional force, and now very clearly a global force; they had 5 different task groups on deployment around the world last year. It's an ambition backed up by a programme of Naval expansion that massively exceeds any other country in the world, including the United States. If you look at the scale of their shipbuilding programme purely in terms of tonnage, it broadly equates to launching the equivalent of the whole Royal Navy or French Navy, every year, and they'll be able to do that for the next 10 years. Combine this with their equally rapid development of tactics and doctrine and it is very clear that they now possess a potent Naval force, equipped and ready to support China's national agenda, and this will be the case more and more in the years to come as they become bigger and more and more capable. Now there are probably differing, even conflicting views as to how this growth in Chinese military capability is to be perceived, but these perceptions are surely influenced in no small part by their recent actions like the militarisation of artificial features in the South China Sea, and I suspect not influenced for the better. UK/China relationship At the national political level, Britain is very clear eyed in its relationship with China, it's a good relationship and one we hope will continue to prosper for all sorts of reasons. And at a Head of Navy level, I'm pleased to say my relationship with Admiral Shen Jinlong, Commander of the PLA(N) is a good one. I visited him in China this year and we had a further meeting at the International Sea Power Symposium in Newport, Rhode Island a couple of months ago. Now unquestionably there were issues on which we do not see eye to eye, but the open, honest and frank discussion we have over a myriad of issues which affect all of us in the maritime domain are open and genuinely valuable, and I thank him for it. But at the same time, to again paraphrase my Defence Secretary, we will not shy away from telling them when we feel that they do not respect the commonly accepted rules and norms of international behaviour, the laws and systems from which we all benefit and therefore have a duty to protect. Specifically, in the Maritime domain, we are committed to ensure that the global commons remain secure and freely available for all mariners who are going about their lawful purpose, anywhere in the world, and we will continue to work to ensure that the laws and conventions that exist to protect those rights are followed. Return to Pacific So it's clear that the Pacific is somewhere the Royal Navy needs to be, in defence of our national interests and to promote our national prosperity, but also to exert our influence in the region as we seek to uphold the rules that have underwritten our collective security since the middle of the last century. But all of this comes after something of a fallow period in the Royal Navy's record of operations in this region, and I'm very keenly aware of that. Following the decision in the 1960s to withdraw naval forces from the region, and the demise of the Far East Fleet in 1971, our last ship, HMS Mermaid, left the Sembawang Basin in Singapore in September 1975. Since then we have seen a steady decline in the Royal Navy's presence in the region, exacerbated further by the withdrawal from Hong Kong in 1997, to the extent that when Sutherland arrived back in the region earlier this year, that was the first Royal Naval presence in the region for 5 years. The stark contrast of this year's near constant presence shows that we've now passed that nadir of presence and engagement, and I think we can now look forward to far closer engagement with our key regional partners there, whether it be in the guise of FPDA activity or bi-lateral and tri-lateral relationships such as our burgeoning relationship we have with Japan, and after Chile I fly on to Japan with Admiral Richardson to have another one of our close tri-lateral meetings with Admiral Murakawa, the head of the Japanese Defence Force. RN/RAN But whilst we may have been removed from the Pacific for a while, we have not lost our links with Pacific-based powers, especially the Royal Australian Navy. Throughout, our 2 navies have continued to enjoy a significant programme of personnel exchanges, building those all important personal relationships, shared experiences and mutual understanding. And at the tactical and operational level, our collective efforts in the Middle East in particular have kept our 2 navies closely aligned. As 2 of the 4 central members around which the 33 nation Combined Maritime Forces coalition has been built over the last 15 years or so, our ships have worked side by side and we have each taken a large share of Task Force Commander responsibilities. And if you've seen in the press in the last couple of days, we've also started to muscle in on the Royal Australian Navy's drug busts as well. In the course of these commitments the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy have shared in a plethora of operational tasking – and no small amount of operational success – be it counter piracy and counter narcotics focussed maritime security tasking right the way through to offensive military action. Going back to 2003, on the gun line off the Al Faw peninsula during 3 Cdo Bde RM's assault, that gunline was HMS Marlborough, HMS Richmond, HMS Chatham and HMAS Anzac. And that Combined approach was far from unprecedented either; 12 years earlier during the 1991 Gulf War, HMS Gloucester and HMS Cardiff had operated in the high end of the Gulf establishing air defence supremacy alongside their Australian counterparts HMAS Brisbane and HMAS Sydney. All of that is evidence of how closely our 2 navies have, and can, integrate with each other. Interoperability I hope we can take it as an established fact that interoperability lies at the heart of successful international partnerships. And that for effective interoperability, how we operate and why we operate is just as important as where we operate and when we operate. So it's about far more than simply our ability for our comms fits to speak to each other – important though that may be. In this sense, the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy are always going to be natural partners. We have those ties that bind our 2 countries together, our common history including being part of the Commonwealth, and we're always going to share near identical outlooks and values, and I would contend that this is especially true in the relationship between our 2 navies. But now we have a generational opportunity to further enhance this Naval partnership. The decision by Australia to buy and operate Type 26 frigates means that our 2 navies will soon be operating common Anti-Submarine Warfare platforms, the Australian Hunter class working side by side with our near identical Royal Navy City Class. And if you add to that our common outlook on how we generate these common platforms, how we bring that capability and its characteristics into service, it's but a short leap to see that we can find a way to operate them more closely together. And therein lies the opportunity to set the gold standard for interoperability – in the Asia-Pacific region, in Combined Maritime Forces and more widely amongst the ‘Five Eyes' community. And if the Type 26 has a coalescing effect for Combined RN/RAN operations, it will surely enhance our Anti-Submarine Warfare strategic partnership too, and Admiral Mike and I have signed an agreement today to push that between our too navies. There's no small amount of truth in the old adage that ‘2 heads are better than 1'. So the ability to tap into all of the skills, knowledge and experience that our navies both share, to address the future challenges in the underwater battlespace that we know we face, I think that makes a really powerful partnership. US and Regional Leadership Potent though this combined force may be, I think it would be remiss of me not to reflect on the predominant Naval power in the Pacific, which of course remains the US Navy, a navy with whom both the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy also work incredibly closely. Given the number of maritime facing nations in the Indo-Pacific region, some of which may be small but all of which are rightly proud and keen to play their part, leadership opportunities abound. And working alongside the USN, there's no doubt that there's something the Royal Australian Navy can provide in leadership through the region, which is significant; providing the lead for other navies to follow and providing a unifying role within the region. And I think this is something our 2 navies very much have in common. Just as the Royal Australian Navy provides that leading role within the Pacific, I would like to think the same can be said for the Royal Navy's corresponding leadership role in the Atlantic and the adjoining seas, bringing together, in our case, principally European navies to work together alongside the US, in our case most often under the framework of NATO. So the leadership role we play in our respective oceans is a real point of connection for us, and I hope this is something that will allow the Royal Navy to quickly begin to deliver effect alongside the RAN in the Pacific. I hope that this work, the unifying effect that we can bring with the Royal Australian Navy, can achieve within the region the leadership opportunity that I think is there, and by bringing to bear our mutual close relationship with the US Navy and a host of other navies in the region, I think this can have a powerful effect. Conclusion A few weeks ago we marked the centenary of the armistice that brought to an end the First World War. The Royal Australian Navy might only have been formed 3 years before the outbreak of that war, but from the very outset our 2 navies were entirely compatible. The Royal Australian Navy had almost all its major units operating as part of the Royal Navy's Grand Fleet in the North Sea for most of the Great War, and the Royal Naval Division landed directly alongside the Anzacs at Gallipoli. In the Second World War, 5 Australian destroyers distinguished themselves repeatedly as part of Admiral Cunningham's Mediterranean fleet and over 1,000 Australians were serving in the Royal Navy on D Day. Through the subsequent campaigns in Korea and Malaya, and right up to the present with those 2 recent conflicts in the Arabian Gulf, our 2 navies have been at each other's side. It's a partnership steeped in history. But it's also modern, forward looking, and it's hugely valued, certainly on my side, and I look forward to seeing it grow in the future. So I'm hugely grateful to Mike for being here today and for all your team is doing to lean so heavily in to the optimisation of this relationship. Because as we re-assert our presence in your region I have no doubt our cooperation with you will continue to feature very heavily. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/iiss-global-partnerships-event-2018

Par Nathalie Guibert Il a déjà remis une note d'étape à Emmanuel Macron, son rapport sera bouclé à la fin de l'année. Missionné par le président sur le sujet piégé de l'Europe de la défense, l'ancien secrétaire général pour la défense et la sécurité nationale, Louis Gautier (par ailleurs membre du conseil de surveillance du Monde), suggère des décisions fortes. Sa mission s'achèvera en février 2019 après des consultations diplomatiques pour tester les idées retenues par l'Elysée. « En parlant d'armée européenne, Emmanuel Macron permet d'incarner le projet pour nos concitoyens, de secouer la technostructure, de pousser à la clarification des choix, car le moment de vérité arrive pour les Européens », indique-t-il. Tout l'inverse des petits pas symbolisés par « l'initiative européenne d'intervention » avancée par le même Macron en septembre 2017, un concept dit « pragmatique » d'échange stratégique – hors des cadres formels dédiés de l'Union européenne –, sur lequel la ministre des armées, Florence Parly, travaille. M. Gautier considère ce projet comme un pis-aller à court terme, le résultat tangible minimum dans la période de crise politique que connaît l'Europe. « Beaucoup sont déçus par les résultats opérationnels de la défense européenne dans les administrations, aux affaires étrangères comme à la défense. Ils pensent que le militaire restera toujours du ressort national ou de l'OTAN, et que l'Europe ne servira qu'à financer les ... Article complet: https://www.lemonde.fr/international/article/2018/11/28/europe-de-la-defense-emmanuel-macron-attend-de-nouvelles-propositions_5389767_3210.html

NAVY CDWG Government LLC, Vernon Hills, Illinois (N66001-19-A-0002); Dell Federal Systems LP, Round Rock, Texas (N66001-19-A-0003); GovConnection Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N66001-19-A-0004); Insight Public Sector Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0005); Minburn Technology Group LLC, Great Falls, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0006); and SHI International Corp. Somerset, New Jersey (N66001-19-A-0007), are awarded multiple-award, firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreements (BPA) in accordance with a General Services Administration Federal Supply Schedule contract. The overall estimated value of this BPA is $3,170,000,000. This agreement will provide commercially available Microsoft brand name perpetual software licenses and annual subscriptions for the Department of Defense (DOD), U.S. intelligence community, and U.S. Coast Guard activities worldwide. The products provided are commercial off-the-shelf products that will meet functional requirements for desktop software solutions, operating systems, virtualization, management tools, mobility, and software assurance. This BPA is issued under the DOD Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement Section 208.74. DoD ESI streamlines software licensing acquisition and provides information technology products that are compliant with DOD technical standards and represent the best value for the DOD. Places of performance will be determined by each individual delivery order. The ordering period will be for 10 years from Nov. 29, 2018, through Nov. 27, 2028. This agreement will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated under delivery orders primarily using operations and maintenance funds (DOD). Future requirements will be competed among six awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2). This contract was competitively solicited from among 895 vendors with six proposals received and six selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded an $85,916,000 single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, performance based service contract utilizing cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders for Navy secure voice systems and services. Tasks will include systems engineering and life-cycle sustainment as an in-service engineering activity as well as programmatic support services. The contract includes a five-year ordering period with one four-year option and one six-month option period which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $91,194,000. Funds in the amount of $25,000 will be placed on the first task order and obligated at the time of award. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by November 2023. If all options are exercised, work could continue until November 2029. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(a)(1), via the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with one timely offer received. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (N6523619D8002). IAP Worldwide Services Inc., Cape Canaveral, Florida, is awarded $76,815,335 for modification P00050 to a previously awarded firm-fixed price, cost reimbursable contract (N00019-15-C-0120) to exercise the third option year for logistics support services on the E-6B aircraft. This contract provides for maintaining and supporting the E-6B Take Charge and Move Out and Airborne Command Post aircraft, support equipment, aircraft weapon system parts, associated support sites, and supporting organizations. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (70 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (10 percent); Bellevue, Nebraska (10 percent), and Fairfield, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $51,582,789 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Sierra Nevada Corp. Sparks, Nevada, is awarded a $30,835,738 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to procure standoff precision guided munitions modified cargo doors, sensor conversion units, spares, data and other related support. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by December 2024. Fiscal 2018 procurement (Defense) funding in the amount of $1,118,276 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of fiscal 2019. This contract was not competitively procured and awarded on a sole source basis in accordance with the statutory authority of 10 U.S. Code 2304(c) (1) as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity (N00164-19-D-JQ42). Science and Engineering Services LLC,* Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed value of $25,437,426 for the refurbishment, modification, and delivery of four SH-60F aircraft for the government of Spain under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $6,035,232 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-4. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-C-0022). Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $18,497,196 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00019-18-D-0129). This modification exercises the ordering period for the first option year and provides for emerging capabilities and analysis systems engineering activities to include programmatic and logistics tasks that will analyze the F-35 air system's ability to meet future operational requirements, investigating cost and weight reduction program options, and conducting modeling and simulation activities. Additional assessments may include such efforts as analyzing changes to design life, operational readiness, reliability, and air system design and configuration. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed in December 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $13,827,828 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N00019F2589 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides for production engineering support for the installation and integration of systems required to initiate, evaluate, and integrate modifications to F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft for continued system effectiveness and product assurance for aircraft testing. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (82 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (18 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2019. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $12,927,965 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Kellogg Brown and Root Services Inc., Houston, Texas, is awarded a $13,191,746 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-17-D-4007) to exercise the first option for base operations support services at Naval Support Activity (NSA), Kingdom of Bahrain. The work to be performed provides for but is not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor and transportation services necessary to perform security operations, galley services, unaccompanied housing, facility management, emergency service requests, urgent service, routing service, facilities investment, custodial, pest control service, integrated solid waste, grounds maintenance, utility management, wastewater, operate reverse osmosis water treatment system, chiller and transportation, at NSA. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $26,645,633. Work will be performed in NSA, Kingdom of Bahrain, and work is expected to be completed December 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,051,252 for non-recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Europe Africa and Southwest Asia, Naples, Italy, is the contracting activity. Archer Technologies International Inc.*, Shawnee, Oklahoma, is awarded an $11,896,710 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for supplies and repair services in support of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force Guided Bomb Unit (GBU)-10, GBU-12, GBUU-28, and GBU-32 weapon system. Supplies and repair services to be provided include Universal Wing Actuator Tools (UWAT) full assemblies; super bolts (with spherical tip) full assembly, individual parts for the UWAT full assembly, individual parts for the Super Bolt full assembly, individual parts for the PaveWay Systems Parts, and repair services in support of U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy PaveWay II and PaveWay III GBU Airfoil Group Maintenance & Repair lines. Work will be performed in Shawnee, Oklahoma (90 percent) and China Lake, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2023. Fiscal 2019 procurement of ammunition (Navy and Marine Corps) and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $262,862 will be obligated at time of award, $47,100 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N68936-19-D-0019). Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $10,796,799 firm-fixed-price contract for a 51-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry docking of USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11). Work will include furnishing general services for the ship, forward aqueous firefighting foam system piping replacement, cargo pump room pipe replacement, docking and un-docking vessel, propeller shaft and stern tube inspection, underwater hull spot blast and painting, freshwater stern tube lubrication system installation, and flight deck nonskid renewal. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $11,140,130. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, will commence Jan. 15, 2019, and is expected to be completed by March 7, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,140,130 are obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The U.S. Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220519C6003). General Electric Aviation, Evandale, Ohio, is awarded $8,422,109 for modification P00001 to a firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0042118F0121) previously issued against basic ordering agreement FA8122-14-G-0001. This modification provides for supplies and services required to complete Engineering Change Proposal G414-A-18, “F414-GE-400 spraybar B-nut rework” for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft, including main short and ignition spraybars and bolts. Work will be performed in Lynn, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed in July 2020. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,422,109 are being obligated on this award, none 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. ARMY Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $247,852,066 modification (P00041) to contract W91RUS-13-C-0006 for operation, maintenance, and communications services. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait; Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar; Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan; FOB Union III, Iraq; Camp Red Leg, United Arab Emirates; and Jordan, Jordan, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $178,019,615 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Technica LLC,* Charleston, South Carolina, was awarded a $33,948,159 modification (0004 93) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0018 for logistics support services, including maintenance, transportation, and supply support. Work will be performed in El Paso, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 2, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $28,468,083 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Radiance Technologies Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $28,217,815 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for high energy laser lethality assessment and program support. Twenty-three bids were solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 15, 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $724,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W9113M-19-F-0015). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $13,746,496 modification (P00168) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle fielding. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2019. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 procurement, Marine Corps; Office of Army Reserve; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $13,746,496 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. AIR FORCE Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Woodland Hills, California, has been awarded a $60,638,210 modification (P00011) to contract FA8540-14-D-0001 for Embedded Global Positioning Systems and Inertial Navigation Systems (INS). The contract modification is to extend and increase the ceiling of the current indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, consisting of platform integration, modernization, diminishing manufacturing sources, flight test support, technical support following integration efforts, training, engineering support/studies, contractor depot repair, spares, and data for the INS. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, California, and is expected to be completed by June 30, 2019. This modification involves foreign military sales and no funds are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $260,638,210. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity. Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Woodland Hills, California, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $59,120,543 contract for engineering, manufacturing and development of the Embedded Global Positioning Systems and Inertial Navigation Systems. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, California, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2019. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $28,969,066 is being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8540-19-C-0001). (Awarded Nov. 28, 2018) Scientific Research Corp., Atlanta, has been awarded an $11,966,292 firm-fixed-price contract to exercise option one in previously awarded contract FA8617-17-C-6227 for T-6A aircraft kit production and installation. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Vance AFB, Oklahoma; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Sheppard AFB, Texas; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, and Joint Base San Antonio – Randolph, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $11,966,292 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8617-17-C-6227-P00007). (Awarded Nov. 26, 2018). Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, has been awarded an $11,070,493 cost contract for Cognitive Human Enhancements For Cyber Reasoning Systems (CHECRS) software system. This contract provides for research, design, development, demonstration, test, integration, collaboration, and delivery of a CHECRS software system that will enable computers and humans to collaboratively reason over software artifacts (source code, compiled binaries, etc.) with the goal of finding zero day vulnerabilities at a scale and speed appropriate for the complex software ecosystem. Work will be performed at Tempe, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 50 offers were received. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-0003). *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1701429/source/GovDelivery/

By: Shawn Snow The U.S. military has long complained about the penetration capabilities of 5.56 mm ammunition, and now the Navy and the Corps are looking to remedy the issue with a new barrier-penetrating 5.56 round. On Nov. 20, the DoD announced a $41,181,315 contract award to Federal Cartridge Co. for 5.56 ammunition that can defeat some barriers like auto windshields and doors. UPI reported that the new round, known as the MK 318 MOD 0 round, was tested by the Corps following complaints about the standard 5.56 ammunition. Before lawmakers in March, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley complained that the standard 5.56 mm round had trouble penetrating some forms of body armor. “The 5.56 round, we recognize there is a type of body armor it does not penetrate, and adversarial states are selling that stuff on the Internet for about 250 bucks,” Milley said. https://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/your-marine-corps/2018/11/28/the-navy-and-marine-corps-are-dropping-some-money-on-barrier-penetrating-556-mm-ammo

AIR FORCE Sierra Nevada Corp., Centennial, Colorado, has been awarded a $329,076,750 undefinitized contract action (UCA) for 12 A-29 aircraft for the Nigerian Air Force. The total not-to-exceed amount of the UCA is approved at $344,727,439 to include a Forward Looking Infrared System for six of the aircraft. This piece is projected to be funded soon after UCA award. In addition to the 12 aircraft, this contract provides for ground training devices, mission planning systems, mission debrief systems, spares, ground support equipment, alternate mission equipment, contiguous U.S. interim contractor support, outside of continental U.S. (OCONUS) contractor logistic support, and five field service representatives for OCONUS support for three years. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed May 2024. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $220,167,735 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8637-19-C-6009). Honeywell International Inc., Tempe, Arizona, has been awarded a $32,114,856 face-value, bilateral modification (P00145) to contract FA8208-07-C-0001 for secondary power systems support for ground start carts, C-130, B-2, F-15, B-1 and FMS and other services for F-15, C-130 and ground start carts. The contract modification extends the period of performance by three months. Work will be performed in Tempe, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2019. This modification involves foreign military sales to Republic of Korea, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Bahrain, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, Jordan, Australia, NATO, Argentina, Kuwait and Pakistan. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds are being obligated at the time of modification. Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. AGTeck Inc., Cocoa, Florida (FA8232-19-D-0007); Aero-Glen International LLC, DFW International Airport, Texas (FA8232-19-D-0008); Borsight Inc., Ogden, Utah (FA8232-19-D-0009); Cherokee Nation Aerospace and Defense LLC, Pryor, Oklahoma (FA8232-19-D-0010); and TFAB Defense Systems LLC, Madison, Alabama (FA8232-19-D-0011) have been awarded a $20,000,000 total firm-fixed-priced, multiple-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for F-16 bracket parts and kKit assemblies. This contract provides for low cost and rapid delivery of diverse bracket parts and kits for the F-16 fleet to include all block aircraft. Work will be performed at Cocoa, Florida; DFW International Airport, Texas; Ogden, Utah; Pryor, Oklahoma; and Madison, Alabama, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition. Fiscal 2017 Air National Guard funds in the amount of $79,883.75 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity. ARMY Communications and Power Industries LLC, Palo Alto, California, was awarded a $24,780,643 firm-fixed-price Foreign Military Sales (Bahrain, Egypt, Japan, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, and United Arab Emirates) contract to acquire Klystron Tubes spares to support the Homing All the Way Killer missile system. One bid was solicited with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 27, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-D-0008). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $20,103,984 modification (P00113) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 for Joint Light Tactical Vehicle fielding. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $20,103,984 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Trace Systems Inc., Vienna, Virginia, was awarded an $11,857,548 modification (P00006) to contract W91RUS-17-C-0044 for information technology engineering and logistics support services. Work will be performed in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait; Camp As Sayliyah, Qatar; and Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $11,857,548 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. NAVY Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is awarded $20,512,216 formodification P00056 to increase the ceiling of a previously awarded fixed-price incentive contract (N00019-09-D-0008) for additional Joint Performance Based Logistics support for the Marine Corps MV-22 and the Air Force and Special Forces Operations Command CV-22 aircraft. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (46.6 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (41.4 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Florida 6.1 percent); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (4.3 percent); and St. Louis, Missouri (1.6 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2019. No funding will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded $14,976,124 for cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price task order N0001919F2578 against a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract (N00019-16-D-1000). This task order provides for security, project engineering, sustainment engineering, integrated logistics support, material support, program support and training for the VH-3D/VH-60N executive helicopter special progressive aircraft rework. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (88 percent); and Quantico, Virginia (12 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,976,124 will be obligated at time of award; all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Advanced Alliant Solutions Joint Venture Team, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded $8,806,234 for modification P00014 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-16-C-0068) to exercise an option for information assurance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division's Information Technology/Cyber Security Department. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (99 percent); and Lakehurst, New Jersey (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $4,035,039 will be obligated at time of award, none 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. Q.B.S. Inc.,* Alliance, Ohio, is awarded $8,422,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N4008519F4222 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price multiple award construction contract (N40085-17-D-5040) for the replacement of a concrete batch plant located in Building 20 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. This requirement includes the procurement, design, and installation of four new 45-cubic-foot cement mixers with sand and cement delivery systems and various structural components, spare parts, technical documentation, training, and the demolition and removal/disposal of the existing cement plant. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by November 2019. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,422,000 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 three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Melwood Horticultural Training Center Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is awarded an $8,217,493 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40080-16-D-0303) to exercise option three for custodial services at the U.S. Naval Academy Complex, Annapolis. The work to be performed provides for custodial services such as trash removal, cleaning, vacuuming, floor cleaning and scrubbing, re-lamping, specialized cleaning of the John Paul Jones Crypt, and basketball floor installation and removal. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $32,956,636. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, and work is expected to be completed November 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,217,493 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY LVI, Pendergrass, Georgia, has been awarded a $7,532,249 modification (P00030) exercising the third one-year option period of a three-year base contract (SPM1C1-14-C-0002) with four one-year option periods for warehousing, storage, logistics and distribution functions. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract. Location of performance is Georgia, with a Dec. 1, 2019, performance completion date. Using customers are Army and Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Michigan, has been awarded a $7,064,050 modification (P00001) exercising the one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPRDL1-19-C-0009) with one one-year option period for distribution boxes. This is firm-fixed-price contract. This was a sole source acquisition using justification 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Michigan and Florida, with a May 29, 2020, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan. *Small business https://dod.defense.gov/News/Contracts/Contract-View/Article/1700404/source/GovDelivery/

The Canadian Press, Lee Berthiaume OTTAWA — The $60-billion effort to build new warships for Canada's navy is facing another delay after a trade tribunal ordered the federal government to postpone a final contract for the vessels' design. The federal government announced last month that U.S. defence giant Lockheed Martin beat out two rivals in the long and extremely sensitive competition to design replacements for the navy's frigates and destroyers. Lockheed's design was based on a brand-new class of frigates for the British navy called the Type 26. The company is now negotiating a final contract with the government and Halifax-based Irving Shipbuilding, which will build the ships. But one of the other two bidders, Alion Science and Technology of Virginia, has asked the Canadian International Trade Tribunal and the Federal Court to quash the government's decision. It says Lockheed's design did not meet the navy's stated requirements and should have been disqualified. Two of those requirements related to the ship's speed, Alion alleged, while the third related to the number of crew berths Late Tuesday, the tribunal released a one-page statement ordering the government to “postpone the awarding of any contract ... until the Tribunal determines the validity of the herein complaint.” Alion has argued that the rules of the competition required the federal procurement department and Irving, which helped evaluate the bids, to reject Lockheed's bid because of its non-compliance. Instead, they selected it as the preferred design. The company also maintains that its own proposed design, which is based on a Dutch frigate, met the navy's requirements. It has said that it has received no information about why Lockheed's bid was selected over its own, despite requests for answers. Lockheed Martin and Public Services and Procurement Canada declined to comment because the matter is before the tribunal and federal court. The third company in the competition, Spanish firm Navantia, has remained largely silent on Lockheed's successful bid. The government is planning to build 15 new warships starting in the next three or four years, which will replace Canada's aging Halifax-class frigates and retired Iroquois-class destroyers. They're to be the navy's backbone for most of the century. The bid by Lockheed, which also builds the F-35 stealth fighter and other military equipment, was contentious from the moment the design competition was launched in October 2016. The federal government had originally said it wanted a “mature design” for its new warship fleet, which was widely interpreted as meaning a vessel that has already been built and used by another navy. But the first Type 26 frigates are only now being built by the British government and the design has not yet been tested in full operation. There were also complaints from industry that the deck was stacked in the Type 26's favour because of Irving's connections with British shipbuilder BAE, which originally designed the Type 26 and partnered with Lockheed to offer the ship to Canada. Irving also worked with BAE in 2016 on an ultimately unsuccessful bid to maintain the Canadian navy's new Arctic patrol vessels and supply ships. Irving and the federal government have repeatedly rejected such complaints, saying they conducted numerous consultations with industry and used a variety of firewalls and safeguards to ensure the choice was completely fair. But industry insiders had long warned that Lockheed's selection as the top bidder, combined with numerous changes to the requirements and competition terms after it was launched — including a number of deadline extensions — would spark lawsuits. Government officials acknowledged last month the threat of legal action, which has become a favourite tactic for companies that lose defence contracts, but expressed confidence that they would be able to defend against such an attack. https://nationalpost.com/pmn/news-pmn/canada-news-pmn/tribunal-orders-feds-to-postpone-contract-in-60b-warship-project

Andrea Gunn (agunn@herald.ca) The federal government has spent $11.8 million on legal fees relating to the Canadian Surface Combatant project over the past two years, some of that owing to a large number of amendments to the project's request for proposals. In an answer to a written question posed last month by a Calgary Conservative MP, Public Services and Procurement Canada confirmed that 88 amendments had been made between July 1, 2016, and Oct. 2, 2018 to the request for proposals for the massive, multibillion-dollar project that aims to replace the Royal Canadian Navy's fleet of frigates. The request for proposals — the document that interested consortiums would have crafted their bids around — was released to 12 companies that had been pre-qualified to participate in the procurement by Irving Shipbuilding in October 2016. Irving is the prime contractor for the combat portion of the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which includes the Arctic Offshore Patrol Ships and the Canadian Surface Combatant, and is tasked with building the 15 warships at its Halifax shipyard. At a projected cost of between $56 and $60 billion, it's the largest and most complex procurement in Canadian history. There were a number of delays in the closing date for the request for proposals. Originally set for April 2017, the first bids weren't received until last November. In its many technical briefings and media releases from that period, PSPC said the delays were partially as a result of the back-and-forth between industry, government and Irving — feedback which resulted in a number of amendments to the RFP. “A total of 88 amendments were issued by Irving Shipbuilding between November 1, 2016 and August 13 2018,” the order paper question response reads. “These amendments were developed and issued to address inquiries from the 12 pre-qualified bidders, and to incorporate process improvements to the competitive RFP so as to maximize the opportunities for bidders to demonstrate the value of their solutions to Canada.” The response goes on to say the $11.8 million was spent by the government of Canada on project legal fees during the amendment period, but that PSPC is not able to provide a breakdown on how much was spent on the amendments themselves. PSPC also noted that because Irving issued the RFP, they would have also incurred legal fees. In the end, three firms submitted bids for the Canadian Surface Combatant and last month the federal government chose a consortium of Lockheed Martin Canada and BAE Systems offering the UK navy's Type 26 global combat ship as the preferred bidder. Full article: https://www.thechronicleherald.ca/news/local/feds-legal-bill-nearly-12m-for-warship-work-261231/