Nouvelles

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is requesting $4.5 billion in funds for the European Deterrence Initiative, the second straight year that the department has cut its request for the program. The EDI is a special part of the department's Overseas Contingency Operations funding, focused on reassuring allies in Europe and deterring Russian aggression on the continent. The Pentagon requested $4.8 billion for EDI in FY18, a request which grew to $6.5 billion in FY19. The FY20 request, however, dropped it down to $5.9 billion. Congress plussed up the funding to $6.5 billion, meaning the department's request for this year would be a $1.5 billion cut. Funding will go towards rotational force deployment and the implementation of previously funded multiyear agreements. It will also support additional exercises in Europe and the prepositioning of U.S. equipment on the continent. Two European officials contacted by Defense News downplayed concerns, with one saying that a drop in funding is normal given the number of infrastructure projects that are being completed. Included in the EDI funding is $250 million for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which can be used to replace any “weapons or defensive articles” provided to Ukraine by the U.S. government. Such funding became a flashpoint in 2019, eventually leading to the impeachment of President Donald Trump, who was acquitted in the Senate last week. In the last National Defense Authorization Act, Congress requested that the Pentagon submit a five-year plan for EDI in FY21. Overall, the OCO funding request is $69 billion, slightly down from the $71.3 billion enacted by Congress for FY20. Other major OCO funds include $16.2 billion for operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria; $7.6 billion for the replenishment of major munitions that have been expended around the globe; and $4 billion to train and support Afghanistan security forces. OCO also funds $600 million in security cooperation funding, which has now been rebranded as the National Defense Strategy-Implementation fund, or NDS-I. https://www.defensenews.com/smr/federal-budget/2020/02/10/european-defense-initiative-funding-drops-in-defense-budget-request

DAVID PUGLIESE, OTTAWA CITIZEN Industry representatives met with Canadian Army procurement staff on Wednesday to get a better sense of where the land force is going with the re-equipment of its soldiers. The industry day took place in Gatineau and was focused on the Soldier Operational Clothing and Equipment Modernization or SOCEM project. “The SOCEM Initiative is an integrated approach to procurement,” Lt.-Col. Ray Corby, from the Army's Directorate of Land Requirements, said in a statement. “With it, we are replacing many clothing and equipment items in a single, coordinated effort rather than running many individual projects for separate equipment items.” Through SOCEM, the Canadian Army wants to use technological advances made by industry and consult with companies in advance of a procurement being officially launched. Corby said such a process will help the Army better understand how industry can meet its needs as well as inform Army procurement staff about the expertise residing with the civilian firms. As part of SOCEM, the Canadian Army is considering a newly-designed uniform pattern that may better reflect the current operational environment. Last fall, more 600 soldiers at Petawawa were involved in testing what could be the new camouflage uniform pattern. It is being considered as a possible replacement for both the current arid (tan) and temperate woodland (green) camouflage used by the Canadian Forces. The prototype pattern, developed by Canadian defence scientists, was predominately brown, with some green and black. The addition of more brown in the pattern “reflects the desire to bring it more into the middle of the spectrum and is not necessarily tied to a specific operating environment,” Corby explained in an interview last year with Defence Watch. The current Canadian Disruptive Pattern, or CADPAT, has been in use since the early 2000s. The computer-generated pattern is highly regarded among camouflage designers. But Corby noted, “It's definitely time for a refresh.” Industry representatives who attended the meeting in Gatineau on Wednesday were also told that SOCEM could also involve various pieces of cold and wet weather clothing, such as ballistic cold weather goggles and hybrid combat shirts. The Canadian Army is also looking at new hearing protection and other equipment with the potential to prevent injuries and improve operational communications. https://ottawacitizen.com/news/national/defence-watch/industry-representatives-meet-with-canadian-army-staff-on-clothing-equipment-modernization

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army is wading back into an effort to replace the Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle with the release of a market survey on Feb. 7, tapping industry for ideas on what a future Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) might look like. After receiving only one bid in its previous attempt to develop and procure the OMFV and subsequently deciding to cancel the existing solicitation last month, the Army has a new plan to move forward that seeks to avoid some of the pitfalls encountered during its first try. The market survey itself asks companies to weigh in on what affected their decisions to participate, or not, in the previous OMFV competitive effort and how the Army might better engage with industry this time around. Instead of a laundry list of requirements that when paired together became unachievable — especially when delivered over an ambitious fielding goal of 2026 — the Army will be giving industry roughly nine characteristics, each of which will be laid out simply enough to take up just a page-and-a-half including a signature block, Army Futures Command Commander Gen. Mike Murray told a group of reporters at the Pentagon shortly before the release of the survey. The Army had previously laid out requirements such as the need to transport two vehicles in a C-17, for example, which turned out to be a difficult ask to industry within the timeline the Army was pushing. While the list of characteristics did not post with the market survey, Murray said the vehicle will have to protect soldiers, keep pace in a combined arms formation, be able to upgrade over time through open architecture, and be capable of growth without significant weight increases. It also must be lethal, and able to traverse bridges and main supply routes. Additionally, the vehicle should be transportable by rail, air or sea, and crew members have to fit in the back. An on-board training system would also be nice, Murray said, adding that the Army wants to take a look at different options for power and energy sources. Murray also stressed the document outlining the characteristics would change as the Army learned more down the road. Not required of industry will be physical bid samples as it previously requested. Only General Dynamics Land Systems was able to deliver a bid sample, but it did not meet all the requirements the service had laid out. Defense News first broke the news that a Raytheon-Rheinmetall team was unable to get its Lynx combat vehicle to the United States from Germany in time and was subsequently disqualified and that BAE Systems, the incumbent, wouldn't participate in the competition either. The ability to see what was possible from a technology and integration standpoint “was important to us and so I wouldn't say it was a mistake," Murray said of the decision to require a bid. “Did it lead to some problems we had? Maybe. But I would not characterize that as a mistake.” The Army, instead, will take a more measured approach, holding conversations with industry, requesting white papers and then choosing five prime contractor teams to design rough digital prototypes, according to the Army's acquisition chief, Dr. Bruce Jette. The Army plans to involve “soldier touch points” at every stage of the process and give soldiers a chance to heavily evaluate designs along the way, he said. Murray took pains to emphasize that soldiers would be involved in the design process, calling it “soldier-centered design,” which takes a page from other modernization efforts like the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) program. And before ever bending any metal, the service will downselect to a group of three contractors that will provide more refined and detailed digital prototypes akin to a critical design review stage. Then the Army will choose two prime contractors to build prototypes that will be heavily tested and demonstrated in order to potentially choose a winner that would move into a manufacturing contract, Jette explained. While the timeline was ambitious in the previous effort and Army modernization goals dictated that it had to stick to schedule over all else, a schedule or even a benchmark for the first unit equipped isn't defined this time around. Murray said the Army will look to early conversations with industry to inform possible schedules based on what is feasible rather than setting an “arbitrary date” right up front. The Army is also planning to look at up to five vendors for major subsystems or components, Jette said. He also noted the service wants to “encourage companies to bring forth technology” that may not want to be a prime contractor, but have capabilities like automated loaders and fire control systems as well as in-cab wireless connectivity. “The barrier to entry is much lower for their investment,” he said. “By going to a digital design, as most do anyway, it makes it much easier for a company to participate as an [Original Equipment Manufacturer] OEM.” https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/02/07/army-wades-back-into-effort-to-replace-bradley-vehicle/

AIR FORCE Honeywell Inc., Clearwater, Florida, has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with estimated ceiling of $3,517,000,000 for Embedded GPS Inertial Navigation System Modernization (EGI/EGI-M) follow-on production and sustainment. This contract provides production, sustainment and engineering technical services in support of the EGI/EGI-M system. Work will be performed in Clearwater, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2035. This contract will allow foreign military sales. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 procurement funds in the amount of $1,635,018 are being obligated for the first order of EGIs for the F-15 aircraft. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8576-20-D-0001). Engility Corp., Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $655,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services supporting the Space and Missile Systems Center Development Corps Innovation & Prototype Operations at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This contract provides engineering, development, integration, and sustainment services supporting the current Ground System Enterprise throughout its evolution, including the transition to and buildout of Enterprise Ground Services. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, and is expected to be complete by July 2, 2027. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with five proposals received. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA8818-20-D-0009). Highlight Technologies LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,708,136 hybrid firm-fixed-price, time and materials modification (P00004) to previously-awarded contract FA8730-19-F-0176 for the Kessel Run Enterprise Services Software Environment for Kessel Run Experimentation Labs. This modification provides the software environment management services for the Kessel Run Experimentation Labs and brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $14,502,143. Work will be performed in Boston, Massachusetts, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 14, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,483,737 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity. NAVY Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a not-to-exceed $347,714,510 modification to a previously-awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target advance acquisition contract (N00019-20-C-0009). This modification procures long lead materials, parts, components and support necessary to maintain on-time production and delivery of 43 lot 15 F-35 aircraft for non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30%); El Segundo, California (25%); Warton, United Kingdom (20%); Orlando, Florida (10%); Nashua, New Hampshire (5%); Nagoya, Japan (5%); and Baltimore, Maryland (5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2023. Non-DoD participant funds in the amount of $204,964,510; and FMS funds in the amount of $142,750,000, will be obligated at time of 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. WSP USA Inc., Federal Way, Washington, is awarded a $100,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract for waterfront projects at various locations in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest (NW) area of operations. Initial task order is being awarded at $5,900,965 for multi-mission dry dock alternatives feasibility and engineering study in support of environmental impact statement development, Naval Base Kitsap and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for an interdisciplinary team to furnish engineering and design services for waterfront projects at various locations predominantly serviced by NAVFAC NW. The design and engineering services will require expertise in architectural, mechanical, electrical, civil, structural, geotechnical, corrosion control, coastal, naval architect, fire protection, survey, cost and environmental disciplines as it pertains to Department of Defense facilities and systems. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by March 2021. All work on this contract will be performed in Washington state (90%); Alaska (1%); Idaho (1%); Iowa (1%); Minnesota (1%); Montana (1%); Nebraska (1%); Oregon (1%); North Dakota (1%); South Dakota (1%); and Wyoming (1%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of January 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy (O&M,N) contract funds in the amount of $5,900,965 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M,N. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with four proposals received. NAVFAC NW, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity (N44255-20-D-0001). Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $38,204,181 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously-awarded contract N00024-12-C-2115 to exercise options to procure onboard repair parts for Virginia class attack submarines Pre Commissioning Unit (PCU) Arkansas (SSN 800) and PCU Utah (SSN 801). Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut, and is expected to be completed by February 2023 for PCU Arkansas and August 2023 for PCU Utah. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $9,797,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. The statutory authority for this sole-source award is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) - 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. BAE Systems Platforms & Services, Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded a $19,187,652 fixed-price-incentive (firm target) modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-15-C-4103 for long lead time materials in support of the Virginia class attack submarines (SSN 804) and (SSN 805) propulsor components. This modification provides the required long lead time materials needed for the fixed components in support of the SSN 804 and SSN 805 Virginia class submarine propulsor. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (90%); and Minneapolis, Minnesota (10%), and is expected to be completed by February 2024. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $19,187,652 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. American Petroleum Tankers LLC, Blue Bay, Pennsylvania, is awarded $15,792,900 for a firm-fixed-price modification with reimbursable elements to a previously-awarded contract N32205-17-C-3502. This modification provides for the second one-year option for one U.S.-flagged vessel in support of the Department of Defense Logistics Agency Energy aboard the Motor Vessel Evergreen State. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed, if all options are exercised by Jan. 8, 2023. This contract includes a one-year firm period of performance, three one-year option periods and one 11-month option period. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $10,140,250 for fiscal 2020; and $5,652,650 for fiscal 2021, are obligated and will not expire. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $12,941,188 firm-fixed-price delivery order under previously-awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-19-G-5107 for shipboard and shore-based spare parts. This order covers installation and checkout, coordinated shipboard allowance list and coordinated shore-based material/maintenance allowance list spares. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts (86%); Marlborough, Massachusetts (9%); and Chesapeake, Virginia (5%), and is expected to be completed by March 2022. This contract involves foreign military sales to the Republic of Korea (51%); and government of Japan (49%). Foreign Military Sales funding in the amount of $12,941,188 will be obligated at the time of award. This order was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this order was not competitively procured (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 (N00024-20-F-5108). POWER Engineers Inc., Hailey, Idaho, is awarded a $10,493,283 firm-fixed-price task order N62742-20-F-0306 modification P00003 under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various electrical engineering projects and related services at various locations in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific area of operations. The work to be performed provides design and engineering services to prepare a design-bid-build construction package consisting of full plans, specifications, detailed cost estimate and other services as required to construct a new multi-story operations center to replace Building 112. Also included are two new single-story warehouses at U. S. Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Finegayan and at United States Naval Base Guam (U.S. NBG); an underground pathway and ducting to support a 23-mile 288-strand fiber optic cable between Andersen Air Force Base and U.S. NBG. Work will be performed in Dededo, Guam, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction (planning and design) contract funds in the amount of $10,493,283 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. NAVFAC Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-16-D-0002). CORRECTION: A contract action announced on Feb. 6, 2020, to Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, for $7,598,226 should have identified a definitized contract action to previously-awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111, not “undefinitized.” All other information in the announcement is correct. ARMY L3 Technologies Inc., Muskegon, Michigan, was awarded a $59,056,763 contract for 235 eHydro-Mechanically Propelled Operational Reliability [THOR] II Transmission 800s in a mix of both new and remanufactured configurations. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Muskegon, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 Army working capital funds in the amount of $59,037,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W56HZV-15-C-0119). EA-SCF JV,* Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental services at Fort Belvoir. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 6, 2025. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-20-D-0014). Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded an $11,361,712 modification (P00028) to contract W58RGZ-19-C-0025 for aviation maintenance services. Work will be performed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Bragg, North Carolina; Bangor, Maine; and Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement, Army; and operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $11,361,712 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama is the contracting activity. Escal Institute of Advanced Technologies Inc., North Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $9,258,000 modification (P00001) to contract W911S0-19-D-0009 to provide industry standard, nationally recognized training and certifications to verify and validate student proficiency in cybersecurity roles as defined in the Joint Cyberspace Training and Certification Standards Concept of Operations. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 5, 2021. Fort Gordon, Georgia, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Otis Products Inc.,* Lyons Falls, New York, has been awarded a maximum $33,688,736 firm-fixed-price contract for gun cleaning kits. This was a competitive acquisition with two offers received. This is a three-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a Feb. 6, 2023, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio (SPE7LX-20-D-0076). UPDATE: Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing businesses as ADS Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (SPE8EC-20-D-0051), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0010 announced May 31, 2017. UPDATE: Truck Country of Wisconsin Inc., De Forest, Wisconsin (SPE8EC-20-D-0053), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0008 announced April 20, 2017. UPDATE: Wright & Wright Machinery Co., Inc.,** Monticello, Kentucky (SPE8EC-20-D-0054), has been added as an awardee to the multiple-award contract issued against solicitation SPE8EC-17-R-0002 announced Nov. 8, 2016. *Small business **Veteran-owned small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2078385/source/GovDelivery/

NAVY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $172,424,000 modification (P00004) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract (N00019-19-C-0008). This modification exercises options for the production and delivery of two MQ-4 Triton unmanned air systems for the Navy, one Navy main operating base, trade studies and associated technical and administrative data. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (30.5%); Red Oak, Texas (12%); Palmdale, California (10%); Baltimore, Maryland (9.7%); Salt Lake City, Utah (7.9%); Bridgeport, West Virginia (4.9%); Indianapolis, Indiana (3.8%); Moss Point, Mississippi (3.6); Chantilly, Virginia (3.5%); Waco, Texas (1.7%); San Clemente, California (1.3%); Newton, North Dakota (.9%); various locations within the continental U.S. (8.8%); and various locations outside the continental U.S. (1.4%), and is expected to be completed in January 2024. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $172,424,000 will be obligated at time of 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. Toland & Mizell Architects Inc.,* Atlanta, Georgia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract with a maximum amount of $30,000,000 for professional architectural and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast (SE) area of operations (AO). Initial task order is being awarded at $267,865 to provide engineering design for Server Rooms 1 and 2 within Building 514 at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by September 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR including, but not limited to Florida (20%); Georgia (17%); South Carolina (15%); Louisiana (10%); Mississippi (10%); Texas (10%); Andros Island, Bahamas (5%); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (5%); Tennessee (3%); Alabama (1%); Arkansas (1%); Kansas (1%); Missouri (1%); and Oklahoma (1%), and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) (O&M N) contract funds in the amount of $267,865 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by O&M N and military construction (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 26 proposals received. NAVFAC SE, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-20-D-0001). Progeny Systems Corp.,* Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $14,822,628 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-19-C-6204 to exercise options to provide engineering and technical services for Navy submarines and aircraft carriers via the software infrastructure and build process related to a maintenance management tool. This option exercise is under Small Business Innovation Research Topic N05-051 for software build production, engineering and technical services, and includes all material travel, subsistence and incidental material in support of the related production orders and services. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (30%); Groton, Connecticut (25%); Bremerton, Washington (15%); Las Vegas, Nevada (10%); Cleveland, Ohio (10%); Chesapeake, Virginia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (2%); San Diego, California (2%); and Kings Bay, Georgia (2%), and is expected to be completed by January 2021. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $4,058,930 was obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $7,598,226 undefinitized contract action to the previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-2111 to perform Phase III of the Virginia Class Main Propulsion Machinery control systems effort. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California, and is scheduled to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,598,226 will be obligated at time of award and funding will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Groton, Connecticut, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Construction Helicopters Inc., Howell, Michigan, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R007 in the amount of $168,964,521. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $703,381,606 from $534,417,085. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) Berry Aviation Inc., San Marcos, Texas, has been awarded a contract modification, P00009, on contract HTC711-17-D-R008 in the amount of $157,889,835. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $674,556,717 from $516,666,882. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) Erickson Helicopters Inc., Portland, Oregon, has been awarded a contract modification, P00007, on contract HTC711-17-D-R009 in the amount of $93,601,765. This modification provides continued rotary- and fixed-wing airlift support services, including passenger, cargo, casualty evacuation, personnel recovery, air drop and limited door-to-door services to U.S. Africa Command. Work will be performed in continental Africa, African islands and countries supporting operations in Africa, such as Germany and Italy. The option period of performance is from Feb. 2, 2020, to Feb. 1, 2021. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $379,378,242 from $285,776,477. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 28, 2020) ARMY Akima Support Operations LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $101,329,977 cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for Enhanced Army Global Logistics Enterprise logistics support and services at Fort Hood, Texas. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed at Fort Hood, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-F-0137). Federal Resources Supply Co.,* Stevensville, Maryland, was awarded a $40,365,948 firm-fixed-price contract for metal working and machine shop set shelters. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 25, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, is the contracting activity (W9098S-20-D-0005). Vectrus Systems Corp, Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $23,026,701 modification (P00012) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0025 to provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform Area Support Group-Kuwait Dining Facility food services. Work will be performed in Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army; defense cooperation agreement operations and maintenance; and Air Force operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $23,026,701 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Pine Bluff Sand And Gravel Co., White Hall, Arkansas, was awarded a $16,389,850 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in New Orleans and Black Hawk, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 9, 2023. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $16,389,850 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-20-C-0002). Messer Construction Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, was awarded a $13,960,000 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement and relocation of an existing fuel farm located at Wright Patterson Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, with an estimated completion date of June 17, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0006). Skookum Educational Programs, Bremerton, Washington, was awarded a $7,335,413 modification (P00006) to contract W911S8-18-D-0004 to provide regularly scheduled custodial services to a multitude of federal facilities at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. Work will be performed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. The 418th Contracting Support Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Federal Prison Industries Inc.,** Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $24,465,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for various types of trousers. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Washington, District of Columbia, Texas, Illinois and North Carolina, with an Oct. 5, 2021, performance completion date. Using customers are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-F057). *Small business **Mandatory source https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2077018/source/GovDelivery/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — The Department of Defense has identified $5.7 billion in funding that will be reallocated from current offices towards new priorities such as hypersonic weapons and artificial intelligence, department officials revealed Wednesday. The money, colloquially referred to as “savings” found through efficiencies, is part of an internal review process of the department's so-called fourth-estate offices, which include all the defense agencies not associated with either a service or a combatant command. As part of that reallocation, expect a “significant” change in the Missile Defense Agency's R&D investments and changes to an agency monitoring nuclear programs around the world, officials told reporters. The review process was launched by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper after he took office last summer as part of several attempts to focus the department's energy and dollars on the National Defense Strategy. This effort is largely independent of the review looking at force posture in the combatant commands. Fourth estate agencies account for roughly $99 billion in funds in the fiscal year 2021 budget, meaning the $5.7 billion in savings represent about 5.8 percent of the overall budget for those offices. Another $2.1 billion was transferred out of the fourth estate and into the services. However, no personnel will be involuntarily terminated from their jobs; any personnel reductions are planned to come from expected retirements. The funds will be redirected to the following areas: Nuclear modernization Space priorities, including the establishment of the U.S. Space Force Missile defense, with funds going towards a “multi-layered approach to homeland missile defense” and the development of the Next Generation Interceptor Hypersonic weapons, with the review providing for a “major increase in this investment” in both FY21 and the following years Artificial intelligence, with review funds “significantly” accelerating investment in AI for “maneuver, intelligent business automation and logistics, war fighter health analysis and intelligence data processing" 5G communications technologies, with money going towards providing test facilities for 5G prototyping Response force readiness, part of Esper's plan to have forces that can rapidly respond to issues around the globe with a flexible posture A trio of senior defense officials, speaking on background ahead of Monday's budget release, briefed reporters on the findings. The officials avoided sharing specific details of where the money was coming from, or how much of the savings are being rolled into specific areas of interest, due to sensitivities with the budget rollout next week. They also declined to say how these savings might reflect over the Future Years Defense Program, a five-year projection included in the department's budget request. Missile defense changes The officials said that there were over 130 decisions made that combined for the total; some saved a hundred thousand dollars, and others saved millions. And the officials gave four large-scale examples of the kind of work that has led to the $5.7 billion. The first is right-sizing 50 medical treatment facilities by studying the workloads and shrinking or growing the capacity at those locations based on what work is actually needed. Another comes from transferring all remaining storage, supply and distribution missions to the Defense Logistics Agency, something that was a left-over requirement from the 2005 BRAC effort which should lead to savings via economies of scale. A chart showing the five categories of fourth-estate offices, how much their budget is expected to be, and how much in savings have been found as part of the defense wide review. (DoD) A third example comes from reducing the number of operations run through the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Cooperative Threat Reduction (CTR) program, which was stood up to track and monitor weapons of mass destruction. While CTR will continue to monitor potential threats like China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, it was also running a number of programs tracking the work on chemical or nuclear programs from allied nations, one official said — requiring dollars and assets that could be better put to use studying and countering potential threats. “What we found when we dug into it [is] it had expanded,” the official said. “This has really turned into partnership building, capacity building far beyond the CTR mission. So then we had to ask the question in those areas, is that more impotent than hypersonics? In a lot of those cases we said no, hypersonics is more important than that.” A fourth example, perhaps the most eye-catching, comes from the Missile Defense Agency, with the official saying a line-by-line review of MDA led to a decision to “divest significant legacy capabilities.” The review gave MDA an “opportunity to go through and look at some of the investments they are making that are really targeted at things that had either lessened in importance or were declining, and really realign funding to the new threats,” the official said, hinting that a major focus is in changing where MDA dollars are going to R&D as opposed to buying equipment needed now, including on technologies focused on discrimination of threats. “We could really start to say, what about bringing together some of the things we've been doing at the regional level into a new underlay,” the official added. “And we said, the ability to shoot down actual missiles and putting more capability on the ground to shoot down missiles was a higher priority than some of the advanced R&D work which was really taking us from an already good capability to a really exquisite capability.” Next steps Esper has already tasked officials to continue the review in FY22, with a plan of finding more savings. Part of the plan for finding more savings comes from Esper empowering Lisa Hershman, the department's chief management officer, to take a more active role in shaping the budgets of the fourth estate agencies into something that looks more similar to how the services operate. When a service puts together its budget, it goes through an internal process, where decisions about tradeoffs between offices and programs are fought over before a service secretary makes a final decision and moves the budget up to the secretary of defense level. However, the fourth estate agencies do not currently go through such a process — they drop their budgets at the same time as the services do, without that broad overview of a service secretary. Going forward, Esper has ordered Hershman to act as, essentially, a service secretary for the fourth estate offices, overseeing their budget development process before presenting a unified budget alongside the services. Doing so should provide better oversight on the process and ensure savings going forward, the officials said. “We can make the defense wide account balanced, so we're not getting a bill from MDA and passing it to the services or taking a bill from MDA and saying [others] have to pony up,” the first official said. However, to find more savings down the road, actual reductions may have to happen. Asked if personnel reductions could come during the FY22 review, all three officials used some version of this phrase: “All options are on the table.” Similarly, a second official said that while no agencies were limited to this round, that could not be ruled out in FY22. And asked whether there is another $5.7 billion to be found in the remaining parts of the fourth estate, the first official carefully said “I think the secretary thinks it's repeatable.” https://www.defensenews.com/congress/budget/2020/02/06/heres-how-much-money-the-pentagon-found-through-internal-savings-and-where-its-going/

Journée Innovation MRO et défense Date de l'événement 22 avril 2020 Lieu de l'événement Palais des congrès de Montréal 1001 Jean Paul Riopelle Pl, Montreal, QC H2Z 1H5 Place Jean-Paul-Riopelle, Montréal, QC H2Z 1H5 Contact CHARLOTTE LARAMÉE charlotte.laramee@aeromontreal.ca Retour à la liste ÉVÉNEMENT AÉRO MONTRÉAL Cette année, nous invitons les secteurs de la défense et du MRO à participer à un événement combiné sur une journée. Les participants pourront assister aux conférences de leur choix sur le thème de la défense ou du MRO le matin avant de participer à des ateliers ou à des rencontres B2B et à la visite de la zone d'exposition l'après-midi. Volet au programme défense Cet événement va fournir un aperçu détaillé des programmes d'innovation en défense et des besoins du secteur pour les prochaines années qu'il s'agisse d'innovation, de technologies de ruptures ou encore de cybersécurité. Les sessions B2B/B2G seront complétées de plusieurs conférences utiles sur le développement d'affaires en matière de défense au Canada et sur le marché des exportations. Volet au programme MRO A l'ère de la globalisation, le secteur aérospatial doit faire face à la pression grandissante de la concurrence étrangère et rencontre de nouveaux enjeux, qu'il s'agisse de la pénurie de main d'œuvre ou des changements climatiques. Cette journée conférence apportera des pistes de solutions aux entreprises du secteur MRO qui s'appuieront sur l'innovation, les nouveaux modèles d'affaires ou encore la réglementation. Vous pourrez aussi rencontrer en format B2B / B2G ou dans la zone d'exposition, les donneurs d'ordre, leurs tiers 1 et les responsables gouvernementaux en lien avec ces projets.

NAVY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded an estimated $7,729,639,286 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to include all options, if exercised, for the procurement of Department of Navy (DoN) service management, integration and transport used on the Navy Marine Corps Intranet, the outside continental U.S. Naval Enterprise Network and the Marine Corps Enterprise Network. This acquisition will provide the DoN with base network services that are currently provided under the Next Generation Enterprise Networks contract such as electronic software delivery, end user core build, endpoint detection, logistics management, network operations, security operations, service desk, transport and virtualization services. Work will be performed across the DoN and is expected to be completed in February 2025. If all options are exercised, work could continue until August 2028. The first task order will be awarded with the basic contract and fulfills the minimum guarantee of $10 million with fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds. Contract funds for the initial task order will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This requirement was solicited using full and open competition via the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command E-Commerce Central website and the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N00039-20-D-0054) and awarded the contract on behalf of the Navy's Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems. Advanced Acoustic Concepts LLC, Hauppauge, New York (N00024-20-D-6321); Aerostar Technical Solutions Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6322); Arete Associates,* Tucson, Arizona (N00024-20-D-6324); Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama (N00024-20-D-6325); Azimuth Inc.,* Morgantown, West Virginia (N00024-20-D-6326); BAE Systems Electronic Systems, Nashua, New Hampshire (N00024-20-D-6327); BMT Designers & Planners Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6328); Continental Tide Defense Systems Inc.,* Reading, Pennsylvania (N00024-20-D-6329); The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts (N00024-20-D-6330); General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6331); Gibbs & Cox, Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6332); Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC, doing business as Metal Shark,* Jeanerette, Louisiana (N00024-20-D-6333); HII Fleet Support Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6334); Hydroid Inc., Pocasset, Massachusetts (N00024-20-D-6335); ICI Services Corp.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6361); L-3 Unidyne Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6336); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6337); Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey (N00024-20-D-6338); Maritime Applied Physics Corp.,* Baltimore, Maryland (N00024-20-D-6339); Micro Systems Inc., subsidiary Kratos-MSI, Fort Walton Beach, Florida (N00024-20-D-6340); Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York (N00024-20-D-6341); Oasis Systems LLC,* Rockville, Maryland (N00024-20-D-6342); Oceaneering International Inc., Hanover, Maryland (N00024-20-D-6343); Peraton Inc., Herndon, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6344); Q.E.D. Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6345); Raytheon Co., Portsmouth, Rhode Island (N00024-20-D-6346); Reliable Systems Services Corp.,* Melbourne, Florida (N00024-20-D-6347); Rolls-Royce Marine North America Inc., Walpole, Massachusetts (N00024-20-D-6348); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6349); System Engineering Associates Corp.,* Middletown, Rhode Island (N00024-20-D-6350); Sedna Digital Solutions LLC,* Manassas, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6351); Serco Inc., New London, Connecticut (N00024-20-D-6323); Spatial Integrated Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6352); Teledyne Brown Engineering Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (N00024-20-D-6353); AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland (N00024-20-D-6354); The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri (N00024-20-D-6355); The Columbia Group Inc.,* Washington, District of Columbia (N00024-20-D-6356); Tridentis LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6357); Ultra Electronics Ocean Systems (UEOS), Braintree, Massachusetts (N00024-20-D-6358); and W R Systems Ltd.,* Norfolk, Virginia (N00024-20-D-6360), are awarded a firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost only indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract (IDIQ-MAC) to support the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Family of Systems. The IDIQ-MACs have a five-year base period and one five-year ordering period option, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $982,100,000. These businesses will have the opportunity to compete in the awarded functional area for individual delivery orders. Work will be performed in various locations in the contiguous U.S. in accordance with each delivery order and work is expected to be completed by February 2025, and if the one option is exercised, completed by February 2030. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $1,000 ($40,000 total) is being obligated under each contract's initial delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities with 42 offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. GE Aviation Systems LLC, doing business as GE Aviation, Vandalia, Ohio, is awarded $26,583,200 for a firm-fixed-priced delivery order N00383-20-F-AK01 under previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00383-17-G-AK01 for the procurement of 101 generator converter units used on the F/A-18 aircraft. All work will be performed in Vandalia, Ohio, and will be completed by January 2025. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $26,583,200 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One source was solicited for this non-competitive requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, and one offer was received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity. The Oak Group Inc.,* Camden, New Jersey, is awarded a firm-fixed-price task order N40085-20-F-4527 for $15,974,500, under a firm-fixed-price multiple award construction contract for the design and construction of a Marine Corps Reserve Center in Syracuse, New York. This project is to design and construct a new Marine Corps Reserve Center, as well as a new high-bay pre-engineered metal building storage warehouse, and a new pre-engineered canopy/shelter addition for tactical vehicle parking. The facility will contain a drill hall space, classrooms, open and private office spaces, an armory, a supply warehouse, a gym with adjacent locker and shower spaces, various training areas and a medical suite. This project consists of demolition of existing structures and site features, new building construction, paving/parking areas, access roads, utilities infrastructure work, comprehensive site improvements including storm water management and security improvements including fencing. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York, and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2017 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $15,974,500 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 (N40085-17-D-5038). DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $7,813,986 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-5200 to exercise options to perform services for evaluation, implementation, proofing of equipment changes, related engineering services and repairs, modifications/alternations and government furnished equipment repair and maintenance in support of Cooperative Engagement Capability “Bravo” equipment. Work will be performed in Largo, Florida, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $641,028 will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $641,028 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. ARMY Aptim Federal Services LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded an $80,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation services and response actions in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 4, 2027. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-20-D-0022). Social Services Missouri Department, Jefferson City, Missouri, was awarded a $16,399,172 firm-fixed-price contract for food service at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Fort Leonard Wood, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 5, 2020. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $16,399,172 were obligated at the time of the award. Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W911S7-20-C-0002). *Small business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2075679/source/GovDelivery/

The delivery dates for new or upgraded equipment, some of which is needed urgently, have been pushed several years into the future by Lee Berthiaume OTTAWA — The Department of National Defence has identified delays in more than 100 planned military purchases and facility upgrades, most of which have flown under the radar as attention has focused on the government's problems buying new fighter jets and warships. While some of the schedule setbacks revealed by the Defence Department are relatively minor, others are significant, with the delivery dates for new or upgraded equipment — some of which is needed urgently — pushed several years into the future. Those include new engineering vehicles and machine-guns for the army, new drones for the navy to hunt mines and satellite hookups for its submarines, and upgrades to the air force's aging fighter-jet and surveillance aircraft fleets. More than half the list of 117 delayed projects is infrastructure projects on military bases, including health facilities, maintenance and storage hangars, armouries and ammunition depots. The list was produced by the Defence Department and recently tabled in the House of Commons in response to a request from the official Opposition Conservatives. Federal officials have to get better at setting “predictable” schedules when it comes to purchasing new equipment, Troy Crosby, whose job as assistant deputy minister of materiel is to oversee procurement at the Defence Department, acknowledged in an interview. Yet Crosby believes much of the frustration around military procurement is the result of unrealistic expectations born of a lack of understanding and appreciation for how the system, which is dealing with more projects than at any time in recent history, actually works. “The complexity of what it takes to bring a new piece of equipment into service is extraordinary, and early, early, early in a process, when we don't even know what it is we're going to buy or from where, there's a lot of uncertainty around those schedules,” he told The Canadian Press. “I think people will understand ... you can't nail a date down to a month in a year specifically. And then if you're two days late or two months late or what have you, are you really late or was there just an amount of uncertainty around those schedules to begin with?” As an example, Crosby pointed to the delayed delivery of new search-and-rescue airplanes, where the air force has been wrangling with the manufacturer Airbus over the level of detail that must be in the aircraft's technical manuals before the military will accept the planes. “Three years into the contract, we're behind 18 days,” he said. “That's not a failure. If the standard is perfection, will defence procurement ever be not broken? I'm not sure. I think you're holding us to a pretty amazing standard.” At the same time, Crosby noted that the air force's Buffalo and Hercules airplanes, which have been performing search-and-rescue missions in Canada for decades, continue to operate despite being long past their replacement dates. “Do we want to get (the Forces) even better equipment so they can be even more effective at the job using modern technology? Yes,” said Crosby. “But the Buffalo and those (search-and-rescue) crews are delivering for Canadians now. So I wouldn't want to leave the impression there that suddenly these capabilities don't work.” Yet there have been several examples in recent years of the military either doing without because equipment got too old to use or the government investing taxpayer dollars to keep old gear going longer than anticipated. Those include the navy having been without destroyers for the past few years, the government spending nearly $700 million to lease a temporary supply ship and plans to spend more than $1 billion to keep CF-18 fighters from the 1980s flying to 2032. While some of those problems were caused by political dithering or mismanagement, they nonetheless underscore the real cost of delays. The list of delayed projects produced by the Defence Department included brief explanations for why each procurement has been delayed. Some, such as the purchase of new machine-guns, related to problems with industry and fell outside government's control. Others were afflicted with unforeseen technical issues and many of the delays were the result of “detailed schedule analysis” by government officials, suggesting the original timeframes were unrealistic or otherwise inaccurate. There were also several delays, such as a plan to upgrade the sensors and weapons on the air force's Griffon helicopters, attributed to a shortage of procurement staff and other internal government resources. Despite the delays, Crosby said he felt military procurement is “in a good place,” listing the recent delivery of new armoured vehicles and trucks for the army and the pending arrival of new Arctic patrol ships for the navy and the search-and-rescue planes for the air force. “A lot is moving out,” he said. “There's a lot of movement.” Conservative defence critic James Bezan, however, suggested the delays were the result of Liberal government mismanagement. “The Trudeau Liberals continue to dither and delay when it comes to procuring new equipment for the Canadian Armed Forces,” he said in an email. “It is clear that the Trudeau Liberals repeatedly fail when it comes to procuring and upgrading equipment for our military heroes.” Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's press secretary Floriane Bonneville defended the Liberals' record on procurement. “Overall, 90% of procurements are delivered within their planned scope and budget,” she said in a statement. “Our defence plan, Strong, Secure, Engaged, helps build strong, healthy communities and secures well-paying middle class jobs for Canadians. From boots to ships, we will continue to ensure Canada's military is well-equipped for the task at hand.” https://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/more-than-100-military-procurements-facing-delays-defence-department-246478/