Nouvelles

We have 5 new challenges! The National Research Council of Canada and the Communication Security Establishment are looking for solutions from Canadian innovators. Do you think you can solve these challenges? Nous avons 5 nouveaux défis ! Le Conseil national de recherches du Canada et le Centre de la sécurité des télécommunications cherchent des solutions auprès des innovateurs canadiens. Pensez-vous pouvoir relever ces défis ?

Six companies got $150,000 Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply contracts to study everything from exoskeletons that strengthen human ammo handlers to robots that might replace them. UPDATED to clarify contract details WASHINGTON: After 100 years of hauling 100-pound howitzer shells by hand, Army gunners are about to get some high-tech help. Last week, representatives from six small and mid-size tech companies trudged through the mud with soldiers at Fort Bliss, Tex., so they could watch close-up as troops moved 155 mm shells from pallets to their M109 Paladins. The six firms are under 12-week, $150,000 contracts to refine their ideas to augment or replace human muscle at every stage of the loading process, part of the Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply (FAAR) initiative run by Austin-based Army Futures Command. “For every projectile that goes down range, that projectile is picked up no less than five different times by a soldier and moved manually – and each one of those projectiles is 100 pounds,” Maj. Chris Isch told the Army's in-house news service. “We are looking for ways to automate that as much as possible.” Robotic logistics, from self-driving supply trucks to AI predicting engine breakdowns, lacks the ominous glamour of so-called killer robots. But the sheer complexity of identifying friend or foe amidst the chaos of combat, and deep-rooted Pentagon policy on human control of lethal force, mean that autonomous weapons will take much longer to develop than autonomous supply and support systems, some of which are already in field-tests. That said, Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply would definitely mark the Army more deadly. Artillery historically kills more troops than any other branch, and after years of letting Russia pull ahead in range and volume of fire, the Army is urgently upgrading its guns. The service's No. 1 modernization priority is what it calls Long-Range Precision Fires, and while hypersonics and post-INF Treaty missiles have dominated the headlines, the LRPF portfolio also includes conventional howitzers. The Army had already begun upgrading the hull and automotive systems of its venerable M109 armored howitzer vehicle under its Paladin Integrated Management (PIM) program. Now it's looking to upgrade the gun and turret under what's called Extended Range Cannon Artillery. A New Beast To Feed Between a longer barrel, precision guidance and new rocket-boosted shells, ERCA has already doubled the Paladin's range, from 30 km (19 miles) to 62 km (39 miles) in test-shots at Yuma Proving Ground. The goal is to double it again, to over 120 km (75 miles). ERCA also plans to add an autoloader mechanism to feed the gun, instead of humans manhandling shells into the breech. That should increase the rate of fire from four shells a minute to 10. Assuming standard high-explosive rounds, that means the ERCA gun can go through 950 pounds of ammo in 60 seconds and a ton in just over two minutes. How do you feed such a beast? Currently, ammo is shipped in crates and pallets to (relatively) safe supply dumps in the rear, where troops load the individual shells into a purpose-built armored vehicle for transport to the front. That M992 ammo hauler has an extendable conveyer belt to transfer shells directly into the howitzer vehicle, but the belt doesn't always work that well in the field. Besides, the ammo hauler holds 95 rounds of high explosive and propellant, which would blow up horrifically if hit, so a standard tactic is to park the ammo transport under cover, well away from the guns, and have soldiers schlep the shells. The Army's multidisciplinary Cross Functional Team for Long-Range Precision Fires, already working on multiple missiles at once, couldn't develop the ERCA gun and a new loading system at the same time, an officer explained at an AUSA robotics conference last fall. So the team turned to a sister organization within Army Futures Command, the Army Applications Lab, whose in-house Army Capabilities Accelerator reaches out beyond traditional defense contractors to universities, startups, and smaller firms, especially ones which have little experience working with the military. Five Functions, Six Firms, 12 Weeks The Applications Lab came up with the Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply concept and sought proposals to revolutionize every step of the process. An online solicitation lists five key functions: Robotic ammo handling and transport for the supply depot to move shells from crates & pallets to the ammo vehicle, or even carry it directly to the gun; Small unmanned ground vehicles or even drones to drive or fly a few shells at a time – at least 150 pounds payload, i.e. one shell plus packaging — from the ammo vehicle to a gun at least a kilometer away; Automated ammo handling for inside the M109 howitzer itself, not only auto-loading the shell into the breech, but also setting charges, adjusting propellant loads for range, and more; Exoskeletons, both powered and passive, to help soldiers handle 100-plus-pound objects without fatigue – the main limiting factor on sustained fire – or injury; and Command & Control systems to coordinate munitions delivery when GPS and radio are being jammed, including self-directing robot swarms. The response was vigorous: 83 submissions from 43 states and multiple foreign countries, which the Army weeded down to the six firms that went out to Fort Bliss last week. Each got a $150,000 contract to spend 12 weeks gathering feedback and refining their designs, with a final brief to the Army in Austin on April 1st. (UPDATE: Technically, the six firms are all subcontractors to Alion Science and Technology, which is administering the program for the Army). The Army will then decide which, if any, should advance further towards actual production. The six companies in the current phase? Actuate (formerly Aegis) develops computer vision software that analyzes surveillance feeds in real time to detect intruders and firearms. They're based in New York City, hardly the usual breeding ground for defense contractors. Apptronik builds exoskeletons and “human-centered robotics” designed to work with people. It's a four-year-old spin-off of the University of Texas at Austin. The Army picked Austin to be Futures Command's home town precisely because it's a hub of high-tech innovation with few existing ties to the military. Carnegie Robotics in Pittsburg is a decade-old spin-off of Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center. CMU has a strong relationship with the Army and is now host to the Army AI Task Force. Neya Systems, also in the Pittsburgh area, develops aerial drones and off-road robots. It's a division of employee-owned defense contractor Applied Research Associates. Hivemapper is a Silicon Valley firm that turns surveillance video – including from drones – into digital maps, automatically updated by change-detection algorithms, for both the private sector and the Pentagon. Pratt & Miller Engineering, based in Detroit and South Carolina, and most famous for its work on race cars, whose seven-ton EMAV robot just won a field-testing contract for the Army's experimental Robotic Combat Vehicle – Light. Now, the RCV is still experimental, and Pratt & Miller's win hardly guarantees a production contract, it makes sense for them to offer a variant of the same robot for the artillery resupply program. It would definitely be simpler and cheaper for Army logisticians to use the same robotic chassis for both armed vehicles and ammo haulers. UPDATE “It's about creating direct, candid engagement between commercial solvers and Army problem owners to open the aperture on the realm of the possible,” said Porter Orr, production innovation lead at the Army Applications Lab, in a statement to Breaking Defense. “The capability presentations ...on April 1st...will be used to help shape thinking and inform future requirements, at a minimum.” “While it's possible that a single, ‘perfect' piece of hardware could come from the FAAR cohort, that's not the marker of success,” Orr continued. “Rather, it's about giving Army stakeholders better access and insight into commercial solutions with a low, upfront investment, while also creating channels that make it easier for non-traditionals to work with the Army. The FAAR cohort is the first to launch as part of this new model, but the intention is that it will not be the last.” Corrected 10pm to remove references to the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) process: While the Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply (FAAR) initiative is also exploring the use of the SBIR process, the contracts discussed in this article were awarded under a different vehicle. https://breakingdefense.com/2020/01/artillery-seeks-robot-ammo-haulers

NAVY National Technologies Associates Inc., California, Maryland, is awarded a $104,947,467 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides contractor logistics; research, development, test and evaluation; limited engineering and aircraft maintenance support on designated aircraft in direct support of the Presidential Helicopters Program Office, Helicopter Marine Squadron One (HMX-1), and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Twenty-One (HX-21). Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (90%); and Quantico, Virginia (10%), and is expected to be completed in February 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-20-D-0023). Jacobs Technology Inc., Tullahoma, Tennessee, is awarded a $52,317,627 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operating support (BOS) services at naval installations located in Jefferson and Kitsap counties, Washington referred to as West Sound (WSBOS). BOS services to be performed include general information, management and administration, fire and emergency services, facilities support (including facility management, facility investment, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery facility investment and pavement clearance), wastewater transportation and environmental services. The maximum dollar value including the base period and seven option periods is $418,981,521 that includes potential maximum award fee. Work will be performed in Jefferson (4%) and Kitsap (96%) Counties, Washington, and is expected to be complete by May 2028. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $29,217,632 for recurring work will be obligated on an individual task order issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-D-0001). Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $13,894,236 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursement-type contract to provide animal care, training, and maintenance and operation of marine mammals participating in the Navy Marine Mammal Program. This one-year contract includes four one-year option periods that, if exercised, would bring the overall potential value of this contract to an estimated $73,251,343. Work will be performed at government facilities in San Diego, California (53%); Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia (24%); and Naval Base Kitsap in Bangor, Washington (23%). The period of performance of the base award is from Jan. 27, 2020, through Jan. 26, 2021. If all options were exercised, the period of performance would extend through Jan. 26, 2025. Fiscal 2020 funds will be obligated using Navy working capital funds. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded using other than full and open competition in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Subpart 6.302-1 and 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-C-3416). Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $13,598,776 firm-fixed-price delivery order N00024-20-F-5608 under previously awarded contract N00024-15-D-5217 for 98 Technical Insertion Sixteen (TI-16) Common Display System (CDS) Variant A air-cooled production consoles. The CDS is a set of watch station consoles designed to support the implementation of open architecture in Navy combat systems. The TI-16 CDS is the next evolution in the CDS family and consists of a three-eyed horizontal display console. This delivery order combines purchases for the Navy (98%) and Coast Guard (2%). Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) (37%); fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy) (2%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (44%); and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (17%) funding for $13,598,776 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. DRS Laurel Technologies, Johnstown, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $8,686,145 firm-fixed-price contract for Launch Control Unit Mk 235 Mods 11 and 12 production in support of the Vertical Launch System (VLS). The launch control units are used to select and issue pre-launch and launch commands to selected missiles in the VLS. This order will provide for the fabrication, assembly, test, final acceptance and delivery of VLS Launch Control Unit Mk 235 Mod 11, part number 7104280-119, and Mk 235 Mod 12, part number 7104280-129. The VLS is equipped with two redundant launch control units, each of which is electrically interfaced with all of the launch sequencers in the system. This contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $44,306,594. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (73%); and the government of Norway (27%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. If all options are exercised, work will continue through October 2022. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $4,185,153; and fiscal 2020 FMS funding for $4,500,992 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N-63394-20-C-0002). ARMY Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $72,575,612 firm-fixed-price contract for services in support of the existing Night Eagle System. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2022. Fiscal 2020, 2021 and 2022 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $72,575,612 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-C-0021). (Awarded Jan. 25, 2020) The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $54,446,000 modification (P00047) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for retrofit kits and software development for the Apache attack helicopter. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $26,678,540 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Syracuse Research Corp. Inc., North Syracuse, New York, was awarded a $22,075,156 modification (P000013) to contract W31P4Q-19-C-0005 for a six-month extension for support to the Counter-Unmanned Aerial System, Expeditionary, Low Slow Small Unmanned Aerial System Integrated Defeat System program. Work will be performed in North Syracuse, New York, with an estimated completion date of July 27, 2020. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation; operations and maintenance, Army; and other procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $22,075,156 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND Thirteen companies have been awarded Option Year Two modifications under the following Category A III, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price contracts: American Airlines, Fort Worth, Texas (HTC711-18-D-C003); Air Transportation International, Irving, Texas (HTC711-18-D-C004); Atlas Air, Purchase, New York (HTC711-18-D-C005); Delta Air Lines Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (HTC711-18-D-C006); FedEx, Washington, District of Columbia (HTC711-18-D-C007); Hawaiian Airlines Inc., Honolulu, Hawaii (HTC711-18-D-C008); JetBlue Airways, Long Island City, New York (HTC711-18-D-C009); Miami Air International, Miami, Florida (HTC711-18-D-C010); National Air Cargo Inc., Orlando, Florida (HTC711-18-D-C011); Polar Air Cargo Worldwide Inc., Purchase, New York (HTC711-18-D-C012); United Parcel Service Co., Louisville, Kentucky (HTC711-18-D-C013); USA Jet Airlines, Belleville, Michigan (HTC711-18-D-C014); and Western Global Airlines, Estero, Florida (HTC711-18-D-C015). The companies are eligible to compete at the task order level for an option year estimated amount of $41,441,067. The program's cumulative value increased from $82,884,634 to an estimated $124,325,701. This modification provides international commercial scheduled air cargo transportation services. Services encompass time-definite, door-to-door pick-up and delivery, transportation, intransit visibility, government-approved third party payment system participation and expedited customs processing and clearance of less than full planeloads for the movement of regular and recurring hazardous, refrigerated/cold chain, life and death, narcotics and other regular recurring cargo shipments. Work will be performed world-wide. Option Year Two period of performance is Feb. 1, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2021. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY UnWrapped Inc., Lowell, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $16,786,440 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery contract for leather gloves. This was a competitive acquisition with seven responses received. This is a one-year base contract with three one-year option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Jan. 27, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-1235). https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2066978/source/GovDelivery/

January 24, 2020 - On the 30th of December 2019, the French defence procurement agency (DGA) awarded the sixth contract amendment on the SCORPION programme to the consortium[1] formed by Nexter, Arquus and Thales. This latest award, known as MEPAC[2], covers the delivery of 54 additional Griffon multi-role armoured vehicles (VBMR[3]) equipped with Thales's 120-mm 2R2M (Rifled Recoiled Mounted Mortar) system, reaching the total number of Griffon vehicles on the SCORPION program to 1,872 in accordance with the Military Planning Law 2019-2025. Since consultations began in November 2018, the three industry partners have worked together and with the DGA to design a new version of the vehicle concept with artillery capabilities. This is the first time the French Army will field the 2R2M, which is already in service in four other countries. The mounted mortar system will provide added mobility and precision in front-line combat operations as well as better protection for soldiers. In particular, the Thales system has built its reputation on its semi-automatic loading system and the precision of its rifled barrel, and has been combat-proven in numerous theatres of operations. In addition to structural modifications to the system architecture, this new version will include significant changes to the onboard optronics and the vehicle's mobility systems. The rear compartment of the vehicle will be modified to accommodate the weapon system, mortar operators and the mortar rounds needed on the mission. Roof hatches will also be installed to open or close the top of the vehicle as the needs of the battlegroup evolve. Finally, as for the other versions of the Griffon VBMR, the consortium's value proposition includes a substantial support and configuration management component. After qualification of the MEPAC variant, the DGA will take delivery of the first vehicles by the end of 2023, with the remaining deliveries scheduled between 2024 and 2027. [1] Consortium status under French law: groupement momentané d'entreprises (GME) [2] MEPAC: mortier embarqué pour l'appui au contact / mounted mortar for front-line fire support [3] VBMR: véhicule blindé multi-rôle / multi-role armoured vehicles View source version on Thales: https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/group/journalist/press-release/scorpion-temporary-company-grouping-awarded-mepac-contract-mounted

By: Jen Judson WASHINGTON — The Army has picked six companies to work on concepts and designs for an autoloader for the service's future Extended-Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) program currently under development, according to a Jan. 24 Army Futures Command statement. While the first ERCA cannons will be fielded in fiscal 2023, the goal is to begin fielding the system with an autoloader just one year later. The companies — Actuate (formerly Aegis Systems, Inc.); Apptronik, Inc.; Carnegie Robotics LLC; Pratt & Miller Engineering; Neya Systems, LLC and Hivemapper, Inc. — will work under the Army Capability Accelerator and the Army Applications Laboratory (AAL) as part of the Field Artillery Autonomous Resupply (FAAR) “cohort” and will come up with novel, outside-of-the-box concepts for the autoloader. AAL is part of AFC, the Army's new four-star command in charge of rapid modernization that will align with the service's new developing doctrine. The cohort began work on Jan. 13 in Austin, Texas, where the AAL and AFC reside, and will wrap up work with capability presentations on April 2, the statement notes. “Sourced from across the country, the selected companies represent a range of technologies and expertise all aimed at developing autonomous resupply capabilities,” the statement reads. Among the companies selected, Actuate specializes in artificial intelligence focusing on computer vision software that turns any security camera into an “intruder- and threat-detecting smart camera," the release states. Apptronik is a robotics company spun out of the Human Centered Robotics Lab at the University of Texas at Austin. Pittsburgh-based Carnegie Robotics specializes in robotic sensors and platforms for defense, agriculture, mining, infrastructure and energy applications and was founded out of Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center. Pratt & Miller's focus has been on addressing technology challenges in the motorsports, defense and mobility industries. Neya Systems, also from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is another robotics company focused on advanced unmanned systems, off-road autonomy and self-driving vehicle technologies. The AAL has become the face of doing business with the Army in the startup community and has set up shop in the heart of Austin within an innovation incubator hub called the Capital Factory. Anyone can walk through an open garage door and pitch ideas to the Army and the service. But the Army is also going out to companies and trying to convey problems they need solved on the battlefield in the hopes of finding new and novel solutions. “Designed for small businesses and companies that don't typically work with the federal government, the program connects qualified companies that want to grow a new line of business into the DoD with Army stakeholders who want to speed capability development, transition to a program of record, or de-risk and inform requirements,” according to the statement. “We've spent the past year working to introduce commercial business models that translate to the Army and can help evolve its approach to capability development,” Porter Orr, product innovation lead at AAL, said. “We're helping nontraditional companies build a new line of business into the government. And that's important, but it's just as important that we're giving Army leaders a choice between writing a large check or doing nothing. This is a way for them to get more insight—more confidence—in a solution before purchasing it. That will mean a higher probability of success in the field.” Cohort participants receive $150,000 to complete a 12-week program ending in a pitch to the Army. FAAR is the pilot effort of likely many attempts to bring in non-traditional businesses to help solve some of the Army's problems both big and small. https://www.defensenews.com/land/2020/01/24/army-picks-6-to-work-on-autoloader-for-extended-range-cannon

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin has added Joe Dunford, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, to its board of directors, the company announced Friday. Dunford, the Marine general who retired out of service at the end of September 2019, will become the 12th member of Lockheed's board come Feb. 10 of this year. He will serve on the board's Classified Business and Security Committee as well as its Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. "General Dunford's service to the nation at the highest levels of military leadership will bring valuable insight to our board," Marillyn Hewson, chairman, president and CEO of Lockheed Martin, said in a statement. "His experience in complex, global operations and risk management, including cybersecurity threats, is a tremendous asset and will enhance board oversight in key business areas." Lockheed Martin is the world's largest defense contractor, with $50.5 billion in defense revenue in fiscal 2018. The announcement may spur renewed calls by good government groups to close the so-called “revolving door” between the Pentagon and the defense industry, an issue that has taken on new life given the number of industry executives who have joined the defense department under President Donald Trump. That list is most prominently headlined by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, a former Raytheon executive, and Pat Shanahan, a Boeing executive who was confirmed as deputy secretary of defense and then served six months as the acting secretary to start 2019 before departing the building. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a top nominee for the Democratic nomination for president, has called for a ban on defense primes hiring senior Pentagon officials and officers for four years after they leave retire. https://www.defensenews.com/industry/2020/01/25/lockheed-adds-dunford-former-top-us-military-officer-to-board

ARMY Longbow LLC, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $235,794,870 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) Foreign Military Sales (Republic of Korea (South Korea), Greece, India, India, Indonesia, Kuwait, Netherlands, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates and United Kingdom) contract for procurement of production support services for the Fire Control Radar System for the Apache attack helicopter. One bid was solicited via the internet with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-D-0009). Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency, Tucker, Georgia, was awarded a $94,213,911 firm-fixed-price contract for full food services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-20-D-0003). United Materials of Great Falls,* Great Falls, Montana, was awarded an $8,450,955 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of new parking apron and connecting taxiways. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Great Falls, Montana, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction funds in the amount of $8,450,955 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Helena, Montana, is the contracting activity (W9124V-20-C-0002). MCON LLC,* Wathena, Kansas, was awarded a $7,536,190 firm-fixed-price contract for raising the Missouri River levee system and installing relief wells. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Elwood, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 23, 2022. Fiscal 2020 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,536,190 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912DQ-20-C-1009). AIR FORCE Rolls Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, has been awarded a $69,087,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the T56 Engine Component Improvement Program (CIP). The T56 Engine CIP establishes a prioritized list of projects each calendar year to include developing engineering changes to the engines, developing organizational, intermediate and depot level repairs as needed, and designing modifications to existing support equipment as well as initiating new support equipment designs as required by engine driven changes. The program also provides support to resolve service-revealed deficiencies and maintain or extend the life limits of aircraft engine. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2029. Foreign Military Sales Fair Share funds in the amount of $385,938 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8626-20-D-0003). Graf Research Corp., Blacksburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $49,500,000 single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee task orders for research and development. This contract provides for applied and advanced research for the advancement of trusted and assured microelectronics technologies; trust assessment strategies in areas related to known and potential system vulnerabilities; development and implementation of mitigation strategies and methodologies to prevent vulnerabilities; development and implementation of mitigation strategies and methodologies to prevent vulnerabilities before mitigation is required. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Feb. 15, 2028. This award is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research III request for proposal. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the total amount of $5,999,985 are being obligated at the time of award for the first task order (FA8650-20-F-1880). The Air Force Research Lab, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-20-D-1879). EWR Radar Systems Inc., St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $20,705,290 contract for the Portable Doppler Radar (PDR) program. This contract provides for the purchase of 22 PDR systems, with an option to purchase up to an additional 14 systems. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 24, 2023. This contract is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement funds in the amount of $12,662,566 are being obligated at the time of award. The Aerospace Management Systems Division, Digital Directorate, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-20-C-0033). L3 Harris Corp., Marietta, Georgia, has been awarded an $11,457,610 firm-fixed-price contract for repair services of electronic flight indicators and radar display units for the C‐130H Hercules. The work is expected to be complete by Jan. 24, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. No funds are being obligated at the time of award as this is a requirements type contract. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8538-20-D-0003). Lockheed Martin Corp., Sunnyvale, California, has been awarded a $9,856,800 cost reimbursement contract modification (P00157) to previously awarded contract FA8810-08-C-0002 for a cross domain solution (CDS). The contract modification is for an updated CDS interface and associated hardware and software changes, as well as test, installation and checkout of the modified interface. Work will be performed at Boulder, Colorado; Aurora, Colorado; Azusa, California; and Sunnyvale, California. Work is expected to be completed by Jan. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $3,451,650,654. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. NAVY Advanced Technology Construction,* Tacoma, Washington (N44255-17-D-4004); Shape Construction Inc.,* Poulsbo, Washington (N44255-17-D-4006); Vet Industrial Inc.,* Bremerton Washington (N44255-17-D-4007); and Weldin Construction LLC,* Parker, Alaska (N44255-17-D-4008) are each being awarded a firm-fixed-price modification to increase the overall multiple award contract maximum, not-to-exceed amount for the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by $50,000,000 from $99,000,000 to $149,000,000, for design-build or design-bid-build construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest (NW) area of operation (AO). All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC NW AO that includes Washington state (92%); Alaska (2%); Idaho (1%); Montana (1%); Oregon (2%); and Wyoming (1%). Work for this contract may also be performed in the remainder of the U.S. (1%). The work to be performed provides for new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition and repair work by design-build or design-bid-build of facilities located primarily within the NAVFAC NW AO. Types of projects include, but are not limited to, administrative and industrial facilities, housing renovation, child care centers, lodges, recreation/fitness centers, retail complexes, warehouses, housing offices, community centers, commercial and institutional buildings, manufacturing and industrial buildings and other similar facilities. This procurement was set aside for historically underutilized business zone construction firms. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of December 2021. Task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with 12 proposals received. These four contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. NAVFAC NW, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity. Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $20,487,223 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price requirements contract (N00019-19-D-0024). This modification exercises the option to provide T56-A-427 engine depot repair to include repair of the power section, torque meter, gearbox and accessories in accordance with Navy depot manuals and approved repair practices. Work will be performed in San Antonio, Texas (70%); Winnipeg, Canada (25%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed in January 2021. No funds are being 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. Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $16,851,140 cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5218 to produce Technical Insertion-20 Shore Site Systems and provide incremental funding in support of the continued development, integration and production of the Navy's AN/SQQ89-A(V)15 Surface Ships Undersea Warfare System. This option exercise is for the procurement of shore site systems to further develop TI-20 AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 systems. AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat system with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts, and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. The contract is for development, integration and production of future Advanced Capability Build and Technical Insertion baselines of the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 USW Systems. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (85%); and the government of the Commonwealth of Australia (15%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (73%); Clearwater, Florida (24%); Syracuse, New York (2%); Marion, Massachusetts (1%); and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (35%); 2019 research, development, testing and evaluation (15%); 2020 other procurement (Navy) (15%); 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) (13%); FMS Australia (15%); and 2019 other procurement (Navy) (7%) funding in the amount $16,851,140 will be obligated at the time of award, and $2,617,132 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $15,284,851 firm-fixed-price contract for a 75 calendar-day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul and dry-docking of USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10). Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to be completed by May 9, 2020. The maximum dollar value, including base period and six options is $15,284,851. Fiscal 2020 working capital funds in the amount of $14,629,243 are being obligated at the time of the award. Contract funds in the amount of $14,629,243 are obligated in fiscal 2020 and do not expire at the end of year. This contract was competitively procured with one company soliciting via the Federal Business Opportunities website and one offer received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-20-C-6172). Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, is awarded a $14,484,290 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price other transaction agreement (N66001-18-9-4703) in support of prototype project “Artificial Intelligence Enhanced Autonomy for Long-endurance System Operations” to design and implement autonomy software to support long-term, continuous autonomous operation goals of the Office of Naval Research's Future Naval Capabilities system prototype. This three-year modification includes no options. The period of performance is Jan. 24, 2020 - Jan. 23, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $626,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Work will be performed in Edinburgh, Scotland (32%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (26%); Fairfax, Virginia (18%); Woburn, Massachusetts (16%); and Concord, Massachusetts (8%). This other transaction agreement was competed under the authority of Section 815 of the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 016, Public Law 114-92, and permanently codified in 10 U.S. Code 2371b. The Naval Information Warfare Center, Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-9-4703). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY DNO Inc.,* Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $48,000,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a 36-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Michigan and Ohio, with a Jan. 21, 2023, performance completion date. Using customers are Department of Agriculture schools. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-20-D-S741). Seiler Instrument & Manufacturing Co., Inc.,* St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a maximum $12,482,499 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for mount telescopes. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Missouri, with a Jan. 25, 2025, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-20-D-0059). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Redondo Beach, California, has been awarded a $13,006,683 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the base period of the Glide Breaker program. This contract provides for the research, development and demonstration of a technology that is critical for enabling an advanced interceptor capable of engaging maneuvering hypersonic threats in the upper atmosphere. Work will be performed in Redondo Beach, California (73%); Mesa, Arizona (21%); Sacramento, California (4%); and Huntsville, Alabama (2%), with an estimated completion date of January 2021. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $13,006,683 are being obligated at the time of award. This contract is a competitive acquisition in accordance with the original broad agency announcement, HR0011-19-S-0008. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001120C0025). Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, has been awarded a $7,483,871 modification (P00003) for the option effort on previously awarded contract HR0011-19-C-0019. The contract is for research and development of an advanced networked sensor to detect and identify biological weapons of mass destruction threats in support of the SIGMA+ program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $9,985,170. Work will be performed in Columbus, Ohio (60%); and Cambridge, Massachusetts (40%), with an expected completion date of June 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,430,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2065636/source/GovDelivery/

By SYDNEY J. FREEDBERG JR. WASHINGTON: For the third time in 11 years, the Army's attempt to replace the 1980s-vintage M2 Bradley ran afoul of the age-old tradeoff between armor and mobility, several knowledgeable sources tell Breaking Defense. The General Dynamics prototype for the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle – the only competitor left after other companies bowed out or were disqualified – was too heavy to meet the Army's requirement that a single Air Force C-17 cargo jet could carry two complete OMFVs to a war zone, we're told. But the vehicle had to be that heavy, GD's defenders say, to meet the Army's requirement for armor protection. Now, the Army hasn't officially said why it cancelled the current OMFV contract. Senior leaders – Chief of Staff, Gen. James McConville; the four-star chief of Army Futures Command, Gen. Mike Murray; and the civilian Army Acquisition Executive, Assistant Secretary Bruce Jette – have all publicly acknowledged that the requirements and timeline were “aggressive.” (Yes, all three men used the same word). Jette was the most specific, telling reporters that one vendor – which, from the context of his remark, could only be GD – did not meet all the requirements, but he wouldn't say which requirements weren't met. So, while we generally avoid writing a story based solely on anonymous sources, in this case we decided their track records (which we can't tell you about) were so good and the subject was so important that it was worth going ahead. “Industry told the Army the schedule was ‘unobtainium,' but they elected to proceed anyway,” one source told us: That's why the other potential competitors dropped out, seeing the requirements as too hard to meet. In particular, the source said, “industry needs more time to evaluate the trade [offs] associated with achieving the weight requirement.” With more time, industry might have been able to refine the design further to reduce weight, redesign major components to be lighter, or possibly – and this one is a stretch – even invent new stronger, lighter materials. But on the schedule the Army demanded, another source told us, reaching the minimum allowable protection without exceeding the maximum allowable weight was physically impossible. Why This Keeps Happening The Army's been down this road before and stalled out in similar ways. The Ground Combat Vehicle was too heavy, the Future Combat Systems vehicles were too light; “just right” still seems elusive. In 2009, Defense Secretary Bob Gates cancelled the Future Combat Systems program, whose BAE-designed Manned Ground Vehicles – including a Bradley replacement – had been designed to such strict weight limits that they lacked adequate armor. The Army had initially asked for the FCS vehicles to come in under 20 tons so one could fit aboard an Air Force C-130 turboprop transport. After that figure proved unfeasible, and the Air Force pointed out a C-130 couldn't actually carry 20 tons any tactically useful distance, the weight crept up to 26 tons, but the added armor wasn't enough to satisfy Gates' concerns about roadside bombs, then taking a devastating toll on US soldiers in Iraq. Four years later, amidst tightening budgets, the Army itself gave up on the Ground Combat Vehicle, another Bradley replacement, after strict requirements for armor protection drove both competing designs – from General Dynamics and BAE Systems – into the 56-70 ton range, depending on the level of modular add-on armor bolted onto the basic chassis. (A much-publicized Governmental Accountability Office study claimed GCV could reach 84 tons, but that was a projection for future growth, not an actual design). Not quite nine months ago, after getting initial feedback from industry on the Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle, the Army made the tough call to reduce its protection requirements somewhat to make it possible to fit two OMFVs on a C-17. If our sources are correct, however, it didn't reduce the armor requirement enough for General Dynamics to achieve the weight goal. One source says that two of the General Dynamics vehicles would fit on a C-17 if you removed its modular armor. The add-on armor kit could then be shipped to the war zone on a separate flight and installed, or simply left off if intelligence was sure the enemy lacked heavy weapons. But the requirements didn't allow for that compromise, and the Army wasn't willing to waive them, the source said, because officers feared a vehicle in the less-armored configuration could get troops killed. Other Options Now, there are ways to protect a vehicle besides heavy passive armor. Some IEDs in Iraq were big enough to cripple a 70-ton M1 Abrams. Russian tanks get by with much lighter passive armor covered by a layer of so-called reactive armor, which explodes outwards when hit, blasting incoming warheads before they can penetrate. Both Russia and Israel have fielded, and the US Army is urgently acquiring, Active Protection Systems that shoot down incoming projectiles. The problem with both reactive armor and active protection is that they're only proven effective against explosive warheads, like those found on anti-tank missiles. They're much less useful against solid shells, and while no missile ever fielded can use those, a tank's main gun can fling solid shot with such force that it penetrates armor through sheer concentrated kinetic energy. (Protecting against roadside bombs and land mines is yet another design issue, because they explode from underneath, but it's no longer the all-consuming question it once ways. Advances in suspension, blast-deflecting hull shapes, and shock absorption for the crew have made even the four-wheeled Joint Light Tactical Vehicle remarkably IED-resistant and pretty comfortable). If the Army were willing to take the risk of relying more on active protection systems, or give industry more time to improve active protection technology, it could reduce its requirements for heavy passive armor. Or the Army could remove the soldiers from its combat vehicles entirely and operate them with a mix of automation and remote control, which would make crew protection a moot point. In fact, the service is investing in lightly-armored and relatively expendable Robotic Combat Vehicles – but it still sees those unmanned machines as adjuncts to humans, not replacements. As long as the Army puts soldiers on the battlefield, it will want the vehicles that carry them to be well-protected. Alternatively, the Army could drop its air transport requirements and accept a much heavier vehicle. Israel has already done this with its Namer troop carrier, a modified Merkava heavy tank, but then the Israel army doesn't plan to fight anywhere far away. The US, by contrast, routinely intervenes overseas and has dismantled many of its Cold War bases around the world. Air transport is a limited commodity anyway, and war plans assume most heavy equipment will either arrive by sea or be pre-positioned in warehouses on allied territory. But the Army really wants to have the option to send at least some armored vehicles by air in a crisis. If the Army won't give ground on either protection or transportability, then it faces a different dilemma: They need to either give industry more time to invent something revolutionary, or accept a merely evolutionary improvement. “We're going to reset the requirements, we're going to reset the acquisition strategy and timeline,” Gen. McConville said about OMFV on Tuesday. But, when he discussed Army modernization overall, he repeatedly emphasized that “we need transformational change, not incremental improvements. “Transformational change is how we get overmatch and how we get dominance in the future,” the Chief of Staff said. “We aren't looking for longer cords for our phones or faster horses for our cavalry.” https://breakingdefense.com/2020/01/bradley-replacement-did-army-ask-for-unobtainium

ARMY Brayman Construction Corp., Saxonburg, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $319,592,539 firm-fixed-price contract for labor, rehabilitation of recreational areas, equipment, supervision and modifications to the stilling basin of the Bluestone Dam in Hinton, West Virginia. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Hinton, West Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2029. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance, civil works funds in the amount of $319,592,539 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntington, West Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91237-20-C-0004). Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $12,847,708 cost-no-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for information technology support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Pyeongtaek, South Korea, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,847,708 were obligated at the time of the award. 411th Contracting Support Brigade, Seoul, South Korea, is the contracting activity (W91QVN-20-F-0157). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Simulab Corp., Seattle, Washington, has been awarded a maximum $36,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency electronic catalog. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with 102 responses received. Location of performance is Washington, with a Jan. 22, 2025, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-20-D-0029). NAVY PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $32,967,099 modification (P00342) to a previously awarded contract N66604-05-C-1277 to extend the period of performance for six months and increase target cost for Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC). AUTEC is the Navy's large-area, deep-water, undersea test and evaluation range. Underwater research, testing and evaluation of anti-submarine weapons, sonar tracking and communications are the predominant activities conducted at AUTEC. The contractor performs AUTEC range operations support services and maintenance of facilities and range systems. In addition, the contractor is responsible for operating a self-sufficient one square mile Navy outpost. This modification increases the value of the basic contract by $32,967,099. The new total value is $885,984,261. Work will be performed in Andros Island, Commonwealth of the Bahamas (80%); and West Palm Beach, Florida (20%), and is expected to be completed in September 2020. No funding will be obligated at time of this modification award. The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division, Newport, Rhode Island, is the contracting activity. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/2064381/source/GovDelivery/