Nouvelles

ARMY Raytheon Co., McKinney, Texas, was awarded a $427,298,588 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for procurement of Common Sensor Payload systems, spare parts and engineering and system support services. One bid was were solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 12, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-19-D-0005). Honeywell International Inc., Phoenix, Arizona, was awarded a $46,965,295 firm-fixed-price contract for overhaul and repair of the T55-GA-714A engine. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Phoenix, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2010 Army working capital funds in the amount of $46,965,295 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-19-C-0051). Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $24,397,228 modification (P00261) to contract W56HZV-15-C-0095 to provide total package fielding for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $24,397,228 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co. LLC, Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $15,577,450 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Saint Marys, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of April 15, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $15,580,450 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-19-C-0029). Pontchartrain Partners LLC,* New Orleans, Louisiana, was awarded a $9,956,700 firm-fixed-price contract for mobilization and demobilization, clearing and grubbing, stripping, containment dike construction, interior and semi-compacted berm construction, demolition and construction of drop-outlet structure, turfing, and as-built drawings. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $9,956,700 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Galveston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W912HY-19-C-0016). PAF Electrical Inc., Portland, Oregon, was awarded a $7,393,100 firm-fixed-price contract for the delivery of four generator step up power transformers and accessories to Fort Randall power plant in Pickstown, South Dakota. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Pickstown, South Dakota, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,393,100 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (W9128F-19-C-0035). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Philips Healthcare Informatics Inc., Pleasanton, California, has been awarded a maximum $400,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for digital imaging network picture archiving communications system products and maintenance. This was a competitive acquisition with ten offers received. This is the seventh contract competitively awarded under the open solicitation, SPE2D1-15-R-0004. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Locations of performance are California, and other areas located within and outside the continental U.S., with a Sept. 12, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2D1-19-D-0036). Science Applications International Corp., Fairfield, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $92,000,000 firm-fixed-price, 15-month bridge contract for facilities maintenance, repair and operations items. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Hawaii, Guam and New Jersey, with a Dec. 14, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8E3-19-D0015). AJ Wholesale Produce Inc.,* Sheboygan, Wisconsin, has been awarded a maximum $48,600,000 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 54-month contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Michigan and Wisconsin, with a March 9, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Department of Agriculture schools and Reservations. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-19-D-S734). Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, has been awarded a minimum $42,838,512 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for the manufacture of B-2 hot trailing edge production units. This is a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a four-year base contract with one five-year option period. Locations of performance are Oklahoma, Ohio, Missouri, and California, with an Oct. 1, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma (SPRTA1-19-D-0001). Moog Inc., Elma, New York, has been awarded a maximum $41,773,400 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation cylinder assemblies. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is New York, with a Sept. 1, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-19-D-0121). Raytheon Co., Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a maximum $23,774,837 firm-fixed-price contract for traveling wave tubes. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-time procurement contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Massachusetts, with a Jan. 31, 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (SPRRA1-18-C-0061). AIR FORCE ITility LLC, Herndon, Virginia (FA5641-19-DA-006); ValidaTek Inc., McLean, Virginia (FA5641-19-DA-007); and CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc., Tampa, Florida (FA5641-19-DA-008), have been awarded a $95,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for advisory and assistance services. This contract provides for technical and analytical services to support and improve policy development, decision making, management, administration, and systems operation. Work will be performed primarily at Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), USAFE bases, USAFE geographically separated units, U.S. European Command, U.S. Africa Command, and U.S. Army in Europe, including Installation Management Command and is expected to be completed by Sept. 12, 2026. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition and eleven offers received. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,500 are being obligated for each awardee at the time of the award. The 764th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is the contracting activity. Rand and Jones Enterprises Co., Inc., Buffalo, New York, has been awarded a $9,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for a Simplified Acquisition of Base Engineering Requirements (SABER) contract for completion of minor, non-complex construction projects requiring minimum design. This contract consists of a number of general construction disciplines including, but not limited to, plumbing, masonry, electrical, mechanical, carpentry, architectural, painting and HVAC. Work will be performed at Rome, Newport and Stockbridge, New York, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 12, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds will be used and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award. The Air Force Research Laboratory Specialized Acquisition & Operational Contracting Branch, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity. NAVY Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $57,462,554 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6327 to exercise options for engineering support services for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One (I1B1) Systems full-rate production in support of the Expeditionary Warfare program office. This option exercise is for Engineering Support Services for Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) to introduce new technologies; address diminishing material and depot repairs to keep JCREW systems viable for future production; and maintain operational readiness for the field. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by September 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funding in the amount of $2,971,124; and 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,406,871 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 Bell, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $31,548,000 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract N62387-15-C-5405 to fund the fourth one-year option period. The option will continue to provide one U.S. flagged Jones Act tanker (M/T Empire State), for the transportation of petroleum product in support of the Defense Logistics Agency–Energy in accordance with the terms of the charter. The vessel is capable of deployment to worldwide locations. The current contract includes a one-year firm period of performance, three one-year option periods and one 11-month final option period. Work will be performed worldwide, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 20, 2020. The option will be funded by transportation working capital funds for fiscal 2019 and 2020. Military Sealift Command, headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62387-15-C-5405). University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, is awarded an $11,882,737 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, which includes one unexercised option task valued at $792,524, for the statement of work, "Backbone Components of an Arctic Mobile Observing System: seagliders, floats, SA and C2." Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington, and is expected to be completed September 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds for $1,839,015 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-19-S-B001, entitled "Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science & Technology." Since proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-2076). DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY Iridium Government Services LLC., Tempe, Arizona, was awarded a non-competitive, firm-fixed price contract on Sept. 13, 2019, for unlimited access to Iridium's global commercial satellite network for enhanced mobile satellite airtime communication services. The original solicitation was issued on the basis of other than full and open competition pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), only one responsible source and no other type of supplies or services would satisfy agency requirements. The face value of this action is $16,666,666 funded by fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $738,500,000. Performance will be at the contractor's facility. The period of performance is seven years, from Sept. 15, 2019, through Sept. 14, 2026. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1013-19-C-0006). DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY Exquadrum Inc., Adelanto, California, has been awarded a $9,810,053 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00003) exercising the option period on previously awarded HR0011-18-C-0138 for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency research program. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $2,400,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Work will be performed in Adelanto, California (58%); and Huntsville, Alabama (42%), with an estimated completion date of August 2020. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. U.S. TRANSPORTATION COMMAND JAR Assets LLC, Mandeville, Louisiana, has been awarded a contract modification, P00026, on contract HTC711-16-C-W001 in the estimated amount of $8,869,099. This modification provides continued transportation of bulk jet fuel and marine diesel fuel by tug and barge for the Defense Logistics Agency. Work will be performed at ports and points along the inland waterways and Gulf Coast locations in the Gulf Region. The option period of performance is from Oct. 1, 2019, to Sept. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds will be obligated at the start of performance. This modification brings the total cumulative estimated face value of the contract from $35,011,884 to $43,880,983. U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1960562/source/GovDelivery/

En avril 2019, la ministre des Armées Florence Parly énonçait les grandes priorités et l'ambition de la France en matière d'intelligence artificielle. La ministre chargeait alors une équipe dédiée au sein du ministère des Armées de rédiger un rapport exhaustif sur le sujet. Rendu en juillet, le ministère des Armées décide aujourd'hui d'en diffuser une version publique. https://www.decideo.fr/Publication-du-rapport-du-ministere-des-Armees-sur-l-intelligence-artificielle_a11313.html

By: Mark Pomerleau Maj. Gen. Randy Taylor led the Army's sustainment efforts for the past two years as leader of Communications-Electronics Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. CECOM works to repair, restore and maintain all the Army's communications, electronics, cyber and intelligence equipment once it's been used by soldiers. In June, Maj. Gen. Mitchell Kilgo took over Taylor's position at CECOM and Taylor departed for U.S. Strategic Command. Before he left, Taylor spoke with C4ISRNET staff reporter Mark Pomerleau. C4ISRNET: You are leaving CECOM this summer after two years. What's changed? MAJ. GEN. RANDY TAYLOR: Fifty-five to 70 percent of, not just time, but expense is in sustainment. Every dollar that we don't use appropriately on the sustainment side takes a dollar away from [new programs]. One simple, but not glamorous thing that has made a tremendous impact is just making sure that — when it comes to sustaining C5ISR on the battlefield — the parts we need are at the right place at the right time. We've gone from, no kidding, like 77 percent supply availability with these parts two years ago to now this year we are currently at 90 percent and we're going to finish this fiscal year at 93 percent supply availability. Transformational. In our world, a part — the piece of a complicated platform or just the mission command system — might be the difference between it working or not, between somebody fighting or winning or not ... living or dying. C4ISRNET: Are you using any emerging technologies to get those parts in the right place at the right time? TAYLOR: We're looking at these platforms that already have built-in sensors and built-in discipline of really getting that feedback on usage, on wear and sustainment demand. We're starting there when it comes to applying AI to sustainment. I see C5ISR being a natural progression of that, but not the best place to start because even though things are becoming more and more connected, a lot of this is still very disparate networks, the disparate ability to monitor usage and age, etc. C4ISRNET: What about using AI with the network? TAYLOR: That's incredibly interesting because it is so tempting for us as an institution to go out and modernize the network by buying the latest and greatest, spiral develop it — field a different capability set every two years and get all this new stuff and all the varieties between different units and this piece of network gear and that piece of network gear and then forget about sustainment in our hubris or excitement to modernize. Then this all comes crashing down a couple years from now because we didn't have the demand history to know how to start the parts, train the technicians, and different units have different equipment. Organically, we just haven't prepared ourselves to take all that on. So, on the new modernized network, we have a mnemonic device to help remember this: Five-three-one. Starting with five: that is acquire these new C5ISR capabilities with a five-year warranty from the manufacturer. Even though that doesn't sound exciting, it is very significant. Most of the time this stuff just comes with a one-year warranty. And these warranties cost money and every dollar a program manager spends on a warranty is one less dollar he can put toward a quantity increase. That five-year warranty gives us the lead time we need as an Army and at CECOM; it gives us lead time so by year three — that's the three in five-three-one — the Army makes a decision to keep or kill. Basically, to sustain or not the thing we just modernized. Some of it we'll kill by saying, “Okay, that technology is perishable, Moore's Law. We want to replace it with the next best thing so why sustain it?” Or we might say, “It's low cost; it's essentially disposable.” C4ISRNET: Is that a new approach from years past? TAYLOR: Absolutely. Institutionally, we do a terrible job deciding to end things. We have a tendency to perpetuate indefinitely until there's some kind of compelling decision point that forces us to that. We're not really designed now to think about it that deliberately, that early. So, we're working with Army Futures Command, who can help lead that decision-making. And then — if the Army decides to sustain it, keep it past its warranty period ... five years in most cases — we have to decide, okay, then who's going to sustain it? Most of that will be sustained by CECOM. Then we have to work out a plan to transition it over to sustainment. C4ISRNET: Does that change how the network will look? TAYLOR: The network writ large, for as long as this discussion is relevant, will consist of new parts and old parts. Modernized network cross-functional team parts and legacy? That's already in the field that will be out there in some form. The biggest thing on an enterprise level that's keeping the rates from being higher is the fact that a large amount of what is fielded in the network has never gone back to the depot for reset, repair, overall, anything like that. When you pick that apart, the reason it hasn't gone back is we've made it, in the past, too hard to get it back to the depot. It's taken too long. All of the legacy radios. All of the WIN-T components to include Point-of-Presence and Soldier Network Extension, radars, generators, night-vision devices ... Back under the [Army Force Generation] model when we had about six months to reset, this was alright. But still, people didn't turn their stuff in. Nobody wanted to be without their equipment for six months because we were taking all of six months and then some at the depot to turn this thing and send it back to them. We've since completely changed that. C4ISRNET: How so? TAYLOR: Now, the C5ISR units can bring in basically all their major C5ISR platforms, turn them all in and then almost immediately drive away with something that's been totally refurbished. We've started already to do that in partnership with Forces Command, which gives us the priorities. We've seen a big spike in turning this stuff around, which really helps improve operational readiness. At the same time, we're doing all that. We made great strides in something we call “repair cycle time.” Take something like a Satellite Transportable Terminal. We used to take over six months to turn an STT to overhaul it, send it back. We do that now in less than two months. But units don't even have to wait that long because they have a repair cycle flow. Everything is accelerated now so that we can better modernize the old, introduce the new and keep this capable as we go forward. C4ISRNET: What kinds of challenges are ahead in software? TAYLOR: A big challenge with software is intellectual property. It used to be the way we looked at intellectual property rights is we kind of saw it as a binary decision. The government either bought it or we didn't. Most times we didn't because it was very expensive to buy it ... They developed it, they give us capabilities we contracted for, but they own the inner workings of it. Same thing on the hardware side. We have someone build a platform, they give us a platform, but they don't give all the engineering diagrams and all the specs on how to build the subcomponents. But we found we were at these very vulnerable points where something became obsolete, meaning we had a part on a platform and then, for example, the manufacturer stopped making it because there was no business case or maybe a sub vendor went out of business, and now we had to manufacture it organically or hire someone else, but we didn't have the intellectual property. So, it took forever to re-engineer it. C4ISRNET: And the same with software? TAYLOR: Same thing on the software side. We didn't have the code and it would just be too expensive then to try to figure it out on our own. What we do now is we have an agreement saying if any of these trigger events occur in the future, I'm going to have rights to this intellectual property you developed. I, the government, will have rights, and it's going to be at a pre-negotiated price. And what we're going to do to protect each one of us here is we're going to hold your intellectual property with a third, neutral party that will hold your software. You'll be required to update it, keep it current, they will protect it from the government or any competitor seeing it until these trigger events occur and then I will pay you for what I need when I need it. That is a brand-new way of doing business. It's been in practice a little bit in industry but not in the Department of Defense. C4ISRNET: That's important if a new radar signature comes up and you need to make a quick change. TAYLOR: Absolutely. Anything. The threat environment changes, you've got to get in there. C4ISRNET: What about software licenses? TAYLOR: If you look at the trend of how software sustainment was going, before we did a big course correction, we were approaching the point theoretically where all our sustainment dollars would go to software and [we would] have nothing left for the hardware. We got that under control now. A big part of that rebalancing is reducing the licensing cost. It first started with getting to fewer baselines because it kind of got away from us in the surge and in the war years. We had so many different versions of different software and different platforms. So, we worked with the [program executive offices] and consolidated that down to the minimum feasible number of baselines. We've also negotiated some better enterprise licenses and there have been some efficiencies there. Right now, on the sustainment side, the folks that go in and make these modifications for the government, we're going from what was 43 contracts now being reduced to 34 sustainment contracts. That's still a lot but that's a huge inefficiency there. https://www.c4isrnet.com/opinion/2019/09/12/how-the-army-is-modernizing-the-old-introducing-the-new

NAVY Black Construction-Tutor Perini JV, Harmon, Guam (N62742-19-D-1328); Caddell-Nan JV, Montgomery, Alabama (N62742-19-D-1329); Core Tech-HDCC-Kajima LLC, Tamuning, Guam (N62742-19-D-1330); Gilbane SMCC ECC LLC, Concord, California (N62742-19-D-1331); and Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Honolulu, Hawaii (N62742-19-D-1332), are awarded a combined $990,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award, design build construction contract for projects located primarily for sites in Guam and other areas within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Pacific area of responsibility (AOR). Gilbane SMCC ECC LLC is being awarded the initial $22,997,004 task order for the design and construction of a low rise combined dining and high-intensity tactical training facility for the aviation combat element at Andersen Air Force Base, Joint Region Marianas, Guam. The work to be performed provides new construction, renovation and minor construction, and may include but is not limited to: barracks/dormitories; administrative facilities; communication facilities; educational facilities; medical/dental/hospital facilities; dining facilities; industrial facilities; warehouse facilities; ranges; operational/training facilities; roads, streets and bridges; site utilities/infrastructure; dredging, and aviation facilities (including hangars and aprons), and other base development facilities. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by April 2022. All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Pacific AOR, which includes Guam (80%); Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (10%); Hawaii (5%); and other areas in the Pacific and Indian Oceans (5%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion September 2024. Fiscal 2015 and 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds for $22,997,004 are obligated on this award, of which $13,615,340 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with eight proposals received. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. Walsh Federal LLC, Chicago, Illinois, is awarded a $49,845,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of P426 Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Logistics Facility at Naval Station Mayport. The work to be performed provides for construction of a new four story, Phase II building, and renovations to the existing Phase I building. The two buildings will house the ashore component of administrative functions for deployed and in-port LCSs, as well as a portion of the training component. The project also includes improvements to Bailey Avenue that will connect P426 to a new parking deck to be designed and constructed under a separate contract. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida, and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction (Navy) contract funds for $49,845,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-C-0913). The Johnson-McAdams Firm P.A.,* Greenwood, Mississippi, is awarded a $30,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for professional architectural and engineering services in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). A $33,339 initial task order is awarded to prepare an engineering study of Building 361, detailing required repairs to the interior non-load bearing concrete masonry unit walls at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. Work for this task order is expected to be completed January 2020. All work on this contract will be performed at various Navy and Marine Corps installations in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR. The work to be performed provides for professional architectural and engineering services for preparation of design-bid-build documents (100% plans and specifications) and design-build request for proposals. Services may also include field investigation and facility damage assessments after hurricanes or other storm events. Specific duties include architectural programming, geotechnical investigation, surveying, cost estimating, DD Form 1391 preparation and other preliminary project documentation. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion August 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds for $33,339 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. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-D-0123). Sroka Inc.,* Strongsville, Ohio, is awarded a $22,944,161 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the manufacture of 4,500 counterbalance stand-up rider forklift trucks in support of the Material Handling Equipment (MHE) Program. Work will be performed in Strongsville, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2019 MHE procurement funds (Navy) will be obligated as each delivery order is issued, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract resulted from a full and open competitive solicitation, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-19-D-UN01). Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon, is awarded a $17,635,905 firm-fixed-price contract for a 63-calendar day shipyard availability for the regular overhaul dry-docking of USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 202). The $17,635,905 contract consists of the amounts listed in the following areas: category "A" work item cost, additional government requirement, other direct costs and general and administrative costs. Work will include general services, ballast tank recoating, ballast tank preservation, ship service diesel generator maintenance, deck covering replacement, docking and undocking, underwater hull and freeboard cleaning and preservation, stern shaft and propeller repair and sliding block chain replacement. The contract includes options, which if exercised, would bring the total contract value to $19,206,905. Funds will be obligated Sept. 12, 2019, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 23, 2019. Contract funds for $17,635,240 excluding options, are obligated for fiscal 2020 using Navy working capital funds. Work will be performed in Portland, Oregon, and is expected to begin Oct. 22, 2019. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, and one offer was received. The Navy's Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-19-C-4016). The Boeing Co., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is awarded a $15,111,310 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00019-19-F-0301) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order is for non-recurring engineering for integration of the AN/AAQ-24 Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures System onto one C-40A aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (40%); Seattle, Washington (35%); and San Antonio, Texas (25%), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds for $15,111,310 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $12,920,955 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N64267-18-C-0132 for Aegis design agent field engineering services. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (34%); San Diego, California (31%); Yokosuka, Japan (19%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (4%); Washington, District of Columbia (4%); Port Hueneme, California (4%); and Rota, Spain (4%), and is expected to be completed by September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,042,000; and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding for $40,000 will be obligated at time of award, and funds for $1,042,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was non-competitively procured (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The services include test and evaluation, engineering change development, ordnance/ship alterations, modernization engineering, logistics and technical support, ordnance alterations kit development, integration and test support, AN/SPY-1 series radar antenna refurbishment and Coast Guard deep-water program design agent field engineering support. These services are in support of Aegis-equipped CGs and DDGs, allied Aegis-equipped ships and Coast Guard Aegis-configured ships. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $63,992,064. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Granite Construction Co., Watsonville, California, is awarded a $12,901,901 firm-fixed-price task order N62473-19-F-5250 under a multiple award construction contract to repair failing taxiway India at Naval Base Coronado. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $14,268,901. The work to be performed provides for the construction to replace the existing deteriorated concrete with new compliant airfield pavement. The options, if exercised, provides for reconstruction of taxiway, demolition, earthwork, and construction of base, pavement, shoulders, striping, associated electrical along with incidental related work, cement stabilization and replacement of waterline. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds for $12,901,901 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2437). Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $10,948,268 cost-plus fixed-fee/award-fee order, N62786-19-F-0068, against the previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-15-G-2303, to provide advance planning, accomplishment and emergent availabilities for LCS-17 post shakedown availability. Lockheed Martin will provide advance planning and accomplishment of work for emergent availabilities and post-delivery test and trial support. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida (44%); Hampton, Virginia (24%); District of Columbia (18%); and Moorestown, New Jersey (14%), and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $9,866,326 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity. BAE Systems Land and Armaments, Louisville, Kentucky, is awarded a $7,480,485 firm-fixed-price delivery order for MK38 Machine Gun System coaxial kits. Work will be performed in Louisville, Kentucky (83%); and Mesa, Arizona (17%), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2019 Coast Guard weapons funding in the amount of $7,480,485 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract action will provide all of the necessary materials and services required to manufacture, assemble, inspect, preserve, package and ship Coaxial Kits to support operations and maintenance for the MK38 Machine Gun Systems used by the Navy and Coast Guard. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this delivery order was not competitively procured (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00174-19-F-0031) KIRA Aviation Services LLC, doing business as KIRA Operations Support,* Blytheville, Arkansas, is awarded a $7,107,857 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services at Naval Air Station Jacksonville and outlying areas. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $33,972,756. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Florida (97%); and outlying areas (3%), and is expected to be completed by January 2021. The work to be performed provides for base operations support services to include custodial, pest control, integrated solid waste management, grounds maintenance and landscaping, and other related services. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N); fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds; fiscal 2020 Defense Health Program; and fiscal 2020 family housing O&M, N contract funds in the amount of $6,459,206 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-19-D-1919). ARMY BFBC LLC, Bozeman, Montana, was awarded a $440,000,000 modification (P00005) to contract W912PL-19-C-0014 for replacement of El Centro and Yuma vehicle and pedestrian barrier. Work will be performed in El Centro, California; and Yuma, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 5, 2021. Fiscal 2010 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $440,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity. Kiewit Infrastructure Co., Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, was awarded a $264,422,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of physical security and safety improvements on and around long span bridges. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in New York, New York, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2025. Fiscal 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $264,422,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0015). Raytheon Lockheed Martin Javelin JV, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded an $185,601,502 firm-fixed-price contract for the Javelin Weapon System full rate production, All Up Rounds, Command Launch Unit retrofits, battery coolant units, Javelin outdoor trainers, outdoor trainer instruction station, tripods, Javelin vehicle launcher and electronics. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 research, development, test and evaluation; Navy procurement; Marine Corps procurement; and missile procurement, Army funds in the combined amount of $185,601,502 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-19-C-0076). Dobco Inc., Wayne, New Jersey, was awarded an $111,600,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation of barracks. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in West Point, New York, with an estimated completion date of Aug.30, 2021. Fiscal 2019 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $111,600,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0020). Stoa Architects,* Pensacola, Florida (W912DY-19-D-0023); Raymond Pond Full Service Solutions JV LLC,* Conyers, Georgia (W912DY-19-D-0024); PSC-Schenkel Shultz,* Lubbock, Texas (W912DY-19-D-0025); Rogers Lovelock & Fritz, Orlando, Florida (W912DY-19-D-0026); Michael Baker-Stanley JV, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (W912DY-19-D-0027); and the Mason & Hanger Group Inc., Lexington, Kentucky (W912DY-19-D-0028), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for support for general military facility design studies and facility commissioning. Bids were solicited via the internet with 36 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 15, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. Ashford Leebcor Enterprises LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, was awarded a $28,605,776 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs to exterior walls, windows, fire protection, interior walls, doors, insulation, interior finish, finish floors, ceilings, plumbing, HVAC, HVAC controls, electrical, building information systems, site utilities, structural improvements and asbestos abatement. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Fort Benning, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $28,605,776 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-3011). L.J. Clark Construction Inc.,* Moore Haven, Florida, was awarded an $11,373,817 firm-fixed-price contract for Picayune Strand Restoration Project, Miller Tram and road removal. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Naples, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 10, 2022. Fiscal 2010 civil construction funds in the amount of $11,373,817 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-19-C-0026). R.E. Goodson Construction Co. Inc.,* Darlington, South Carolina, was awarded an $8,622,487 firm-fixed-price contract for raising the crest elevation of the perimeter dike, clearing the interior, adding a sand cap to the existing bird island in the western portion, repairs and modifications to the five existing weir and water control structures along the western dike, clearing and grubbing and replacing the main entrance gate. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Hardeeville, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 25, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction, and civil rivers and harbors contributed funds in the combined amount of $8,622,487 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-5010). Matrix Providers,* Denver, Colorado, was awarded a $7,586,573 firm-fixed-price contract for per diem nursing services to support. Bids were solicited via the internet with 12 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. U.S. Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K02-16-D-0001). Senspex Inc.,* Albuquerque, New Mexico, was awarded a $7,500,000 modification (P00003) to contract W56HZV-16-D-0129 for procurement of the highly specialized long-range thermal imaging camera system spare parts, and service support. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 27, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity. Raytheon Co. Missile Systems, Tucson, Arizona, was awarded a $7,493,164 modification (P00001) to contract W15QKN-19-C-0017 for foreign military sales buyback. Work will be performed in Tucson, Arizona; Healdsburg, California; Karlskoga, Sweden; East Camden, Arkansas; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Southway, Plymouth, United Kingdom; Glenrothes, Scotland, United Kingdom; Cincinnati, Ohio; Farmington, New Mexico; McAlester, Oklahoma; Joplin, Missouri; Salt Lake City, Utah; Gilbert, Arizona; Lansdale, Pennsylvania; and Santa Ana, California, with an estimated completion date of April 29, 2022. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $7,493,164 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC (JHU/APL), Laurel, Maryland, was awarded a non-competitive, single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for essential engineering, research, and/or development capabilities, in line with the core competencies established by the assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, which designated JHU/APL as a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). The place of performance will be at JHU/APL, Laurel, Maryland; and at the Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland. The contract ceiling value is $245,000,000, funded by multiple appropriation types. The minimum guarantee of $5,793,933 is satisfied through the issuance of the first task order in conjunction with the contract, which is funded by fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. This is a sole source award, and as such, only one proposal was received. The ordering period is Sept. 30, 2019, through Sept. 29, 2024. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-0001). AIR FORCE LGS Innovations LLC, Applied Research & Technology, Florham Park, New Jersey, has been awarded a $12,752,488 cost-plus-fixed-fee type contract for the SALIENT GHOST software/hardware testbed. This contract provides for the development and demonstration of a function to address the security and resilience of field programmable gate arrays. Work will be performed at Florham Park, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 12, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $350,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-19-C-1515). X Technologies Inc., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a $9,515,986 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the TTU-595 test sets. This contract provides for the production of TTU-595 Laser-Guided Bomb test sets to functionally check the guidance head of Paveway II and III weapons. Work will be performed at San Antonio, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 11, 2023. This contract involves foreign military sales (FMS) to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Finland, France, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2017 ammunition procurement funds in the amount of $5,052,774; and FMS funding in the amount of $912,640 are being obligated at time of award. The Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8213-19-D-0016). DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY Bell Helicopter, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $8,982,860 firm-fixed-price delivery order (SPRPA1-19-F-M21Q) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPRPA1-16-G-001W) for H-1 aircraft tail rotor blades. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulations 6.302-1. This is a five-year, two-month contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Texas, with a January 2023, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2023 Navy working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1959192/source/GovDelivery/

NAVY The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $45,803,988 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N61340-19-F-0135) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-19-G-0002) to procure P-8A aircrew training system production concurrency upgrades for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (45%); Jacksonville, Florida (40%); Adelaide, Australia (12%); Whidbey Island, Washington (2%); and Orlando, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $37,000,969; and cooperative engagement agreement funds in the amount of $8,803,019 are being obligated on this award, $37,000,969 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity. CM Construction Services Inc.,* Visalia, California, is awarded a $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for other specialty trade contractors construction alterations, renovations and repair projects at Naval Support Activity Monterey. Projects will be primarily design-bid-build (fully designed) task orders or task orders with minimal design effort (e.g. shop drawings). Projects may include, but are not limited to, alterations, repairs, and construction of electrical; mechanical; painting; engineering/design; paving (asphaltic and concrete); flooring (tile work/carpeting); roofing; structural repair; fencing; heating, ventilation and air conditioning; and fire suppression/protection system installation projects. Work will be performed in Monterey, California. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, and is expected to be completed September 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance, (Navy) (O&M, N) contract funds in the amount of $5,000 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 Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 18 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-19-D-2608). Veterans Northwest Construction LLC,* Seattle, Washington, is awarded a $12,277,000 firm-fixed-price task order N44255-19-F-4417 under a multiple award construction contract (N44255-17-D-4015) for a special project (repair railroad tracks), Naval Base Kitsap, Bremerton, Washington. The work to be performed includes repair to three railroad bridges and track modifications. Work will be performed in Shelton and Bremerton, Washington, and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds for $12,277,000 are obligated on this award and expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity (N44255-17-D-4015). ARMY Eastman Aggregate Enterprises LLC,* Lake Worth, Florida, was awarded a $15,949,855 firm-fixed-price contract for nourish critically eroded shoreline along Miami-Dade Beach. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Miami, Florida, with an estimated completion date of July 17, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $15,949,855 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-19-C-0025). Golden Wolf Ewing Cole JV, Huntington, Maryland (W912DY-19-D-0020); HKS WSP JV, Dallas, Texas (W912DY-19-D-0021); and Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz Inc., Orlando, Florida (W912DY-19-D-0022), will compete for each order of the $9,900,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of specialized medical facilities architect-engineering services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 17 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 10, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity. *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1957779/source/GovDelivery/

NAVY Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $310,509,144 modification (P00009) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00421-18-D-0004). This modification exercises an option for the procurement of AN/ARC-210(v) radios for installation in over 400 strategic and tactical airborne, seaborne and land based (mobile and fixed) platforms for the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, other government agencies and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, with deliveries expected to be completed in September 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity. ViaSat Inc., of Carlsbad, California, is awarded a $100,465,034 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0008) to increase the ceiling of the existing production contract line item number (CLIN), and the systems engineering and integration CLIN of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Raptor, Tactical Targeting Network Technology terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits, and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The modification will increase the contract value to $889,465,034. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Carlsbad, California, and is expected to be completed May 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow on, sole source, multiple award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. Siemens Government Technologies Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price modification of $46,677,053 to increase the maximum dollar value of a task order (N39430-18-F-9924) for energy improvements at Naval Air Station Sigonella, Naval Station Rota and Naval Support Activity Naples. The total cumulative value of the contract is $218,220,667. Work will be performed in Naples, Italy (50%); Sigonella, Italy (30%); and Rota, Spain (20%), and is expected to be completed October 2041. The work provides for design and installation of the following energy conservation measures: boiler plants, chiller systems, motors, water and lighting improvements. The work also provides for performance period services consisting of measurement and verification, operations and maintenance, and repair and replacement services. No funds will be obligated with this award, as private financing obtained by the contractor will be used for the construction phase. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity. Data Link Solutions LLC, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $30,000,000 modification to its current indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00039-15-D-0007) to increase the ceiling of the existing systems engineering and integration contract line item number (CLIN) of the referenced contract. This ceiling increase will implement the capabilities identified in the Joint Requirements Oversight Council (JROC) memorandum dated Aug. 20, 2018, wherein the JROC endorsed the advanced capabilities of Concurrent Mutli-Netting-4 (CMN-4), Concurrent Contention Receive and Enhanced Throughput as the Department of Defense baseline for all future upgrades to any platform requiring Link-16 tactical data links. In response to the JROC memorandum, current Link-16 platform users identified the need for the procurement and/or retrofit of 3,370 additional Multifunctional Information Distribution System Joint Tactical Radio System (MIDS JTRS) CMN-4, F-22 Falcon, Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) terminals. This increase in scope will be in addition to the current scope in the original Class Justification and Approval (CJ&A) No. 17,226 approved April 25, 2014, for the MIDS JTRS, the amended CJ&A No. 18,012 approved Jan. 18, 2017, for the addition of the MIDS JTRS TTNT development effort, CJ&A No. 18,415 approved Sept. 11, 2018, for the addition of MIDS Modernization Increment 2, retrofits and additional MIDS JTRS terminals, not including F-22s, and the initial CJ&A 19,415 approved July 2, 2019, to implement the JROC memorandum as described above. The contract covers the production, development and sustainment of the MIDS JTRS terminals. The modification will increase the contract value to $1,254,529,670. This contract combines purchases for the Navy, Air Force and MIDS Program Office, as well as to the governments of Austria, Chile, Finland, Israel, Jordan, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. This contract also includes purchases to NATO and all NATO nations under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa (50%); and Wayne, New Jersey (50%), and is expected to be completed June 2020. No additional funding will be placed on contract or obligated at the time of modification award. Existing contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future contract actions will be issued, and funds obligated as individual delivery orders. This contract modification was not competitively procured because it is a follow-on sole-source, multiple-award procurement pursuant to the authority of Title 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1): only one or a limited number of responsible sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1(a)(2)). Non-competitive procedures were approved for this modification under CJ&A 19,415. Naval Information Warfare System Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. ' Simmonds Precision Products, Vergennes, Vermont, is awarded a $12,986,404 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the "Low Cost Air-Drop Munition Weapon System Development Program." Work will be performed in Simmonds Precision Products, Vergennes, Vermont (58%); Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc., Rancho Cordova, California (19%); Developmental & Demonstration Testing Facilities (to be determined) (11%); Systima Technologies Inc., Kirkland, Washington (6%); Moog Inc., Elma, New York (5%); and National Technical Systems Boxborough, Boxborough, Massachusetts (1%), and is expected to be completed February 2021. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds for $8,208,343 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-19-S-B001, long range broad agency announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology. Since proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-1062). Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded an $11,765,526 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z362. The work provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Programs and Resources, to address OMB A-123 governance, audit response coordination and audit coaching. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0032. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); and Quantico, Virginia (25%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $1,527,843 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. VSE Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $10,082,812 firm-fixed-price contract for the delivery of counterterrorism and intelligence equipment, and in-country training in support of the Azerbaijan Maritime Security Program for the Caspian Sea under the Foreign Military Sales Building Partner Capacity program. This contract is for the government of Azerbaijan under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia (88%); and Azerbaijan (12%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 FMS funding for $10,082,812 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-C-4155). KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded an $8,577,162 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z425. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for audit remediation activities for property, plant and equipment and inventory related property and process reform within Marine Corps Installation and Logistics and its supporting establishments associated with the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0045. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); Oceanside, California (20%); Lejeune, North Carolina (2%); Okinawa, Japan (2%); and Oxford, Tennessee (1%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $3,004,275 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,971,673 time and material modification to exercise option period one under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z424. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for audit deficiencies within Marine Corps Installation Command and Marine Corps Systems Command in the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0044. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (75%); and Quantico, Virginia (25%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,903,948 time and material modification to exercise option period one under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z426. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for remediation of current audit deficiencies and establishment of corrective action plans within Marine Corps Logistics Command for property, plant and equipment and wall-to-wall inventory. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0046. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia (100%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. Austal USA LLC, Mobile, Alabama, is awarded a $7,466,598 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N69316-19-F-4001) against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-15-G-2304) to accomplish the post shakedown availability (PSA) for the Littoral Combat Ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20). This effort encompasses all of the manpower, support services, material, non-standard equipment and associated technical data and documentation required to prepare for and accomplish the USS Cincinnati PSA. The work to be performed will include correction of government responsible trial card deficiencies, new work identified between custody transfer and the time of PSA, and incorporation of approved engineering changes that were not incorporated during the construction period which are not otherwise the building yard's responsibility under the ship construction contract. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed November 2020. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $7,466,598 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Gulf Coast, Pascagoula, Mississippi, is the contracting activity. KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $7,265,347 time and material modification to exercise Option Period One under a previously awarded contract N00189-18-F-Z428. The work to be performed provides financial improvement and audit readiness support services to the Deputy Commandant, Installation and Logistics, for remediation of audit deficiencies within Marine Corps Logistics Command in the Acquire to Retire, Plan to Stock, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash business mission areas. After award, this contract was transferred to the Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, and was assigned a new contract number M95494-19-F-0048. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia (100%), and is expected to be completed September 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds for $5,256 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Marine Corps Installations Command Headquarters, Contracting Office, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. ARMY American Ordnance LLC, Middletown, Iowa (W15QKN-19-D-0109); and General Dynamics-OTS (Niceville), Niceville, Florida (W15QKN-19-D-0110), will compete for each order of the $133,212,119 firm-fixed-price contract for the Modular Artillery Charge System Load, Assemble and Pack M231/M232 type for the 155mm propelling charges. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity. DonJon Marine Co. Inc., Hillside, New Jersey, was awarded a $43,409,975 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of Newark Bay. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Newark, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2020. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $43,409,975 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New York, New York, is the contracting activity (W912DS-19-C-0021). Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando Florida, was awarded a $40,614,330 modification (P00001) to contract W52P1J-17-D-0043 for Modernized Turret kits for the Apache attack helicopter. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity. Tetra Tech Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $39,774,838 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to provide operational readiness; closure and transition support; real property support; Department of Army Base Realignment and Closure support; environmental planning; operational readiness support and technical support, igloo closure compliance support; environmental support and real property support. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911SR-19-D-0010). The Robins & Morton Group, Birmingham, Alabama, was awarded a $32,994,842 firm-fixed-price contract for a single phase design bid-build training support facility at Fort Rucker, Alabama. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Fort Rucker, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 29, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $32,994,842 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W91278-19-C-0024). M.C. Dean Inc., Tysons, Virginia, was awarded a $15,334,437 modification (P00004) to contract W912DR-18-C-0006 for additional load centers, uninterruptible power source systems and computer room air conditioner units, at Buckley Air Force Base, Colorado. Work will be performed in Aurora, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 8, 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $15,334,437 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Ology Bioservices Inc.,* Alachua, Florida, was awarded a $10,870,944 modification (P00054) to contract W911QY-13-C-0010 to establish, commission and support an agile and flexible advanced development and manufacturing capability. Work will be performed in Alachua, Florida, with an estimated completion date of March 19, 2023. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,845,964 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $7,561,500 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Cape May, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 civil construction funds in the amount of $7,561,500 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-19-C-0041). AIR FORCE GE Aviation, doing business as Dowty Propellers Inc., Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,889,724 firm-fixed-price delivery order. This delivery order provides for Option I quantities of R391 propellers and spares to support the C-130J aircraft, in conjunction with the commercial Rolls Royce AE2100D3 engine managed by Warner Robins, Air Logistics Center, Tactical Airlift Division. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2023. The delivery order is the result of a sole-source commercial acquisition. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft funds in the amount of $20,889,724 are being obligated at the time of delivery order award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8504-19-F-0028). A&P Technology Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for $8,904,957 for the Design for Manufacture of Attritable Aircraft Primary Structure program. This contract provides for an alternative design and manufacture of an aircraft structure relative to a baseline aircraft structure that is more unitized and uses fabrication processes that may be automated leading to greatly reduced costs associated with manufacturing. Work will be performed at Cincinnati, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2021. This work is the result of a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III Acquisition. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $8,904,957 are being obligated at the time of Award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-2200). *Small Business https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Contracts/Contract/Article/1956513/source/GovDelivery/

By: David B. Larter LONDON — The U.S. Navy has achieved a major milestone in its efforts to autonomously combat one of the most persistent threats it faces, the service's deputy head of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations' mine warfare office said Monday. The Navy successfully demonstrated what's known as single-sortie mine hunting, which sends out an autonomous boat to sweep for mines with a sonar system, detect a mine-like object, classify it and then deploy another system that destroys the mine, according to Stephen Olson. It's a significant achievement in the yearslong effort to “get the man out of the minefield” by deploying robots to perform a job traditionally performed by manned minesweepers and highly trained divers. Beyond the safety benefits, it also quickens the process. The successful test opens up the possibility of having a small cadre of human operators who can oversee whole packs of robots as they sweep minefields on their own. “That single-sortied, detect-to-engage was a great example of something that would represent supervisory [control of unmanned systems],” Olson said. “It was a small group [of people] who oversaw the entire effort: Multiple systems were in operation together, working together and cueing each other.” When reached for comment on the successful test, the Navy would not divulge further details. “Currently the Navy cannot disclose any further details of the test beyond what Mr. Olson described,” Navy spokeswoman Lt. Brittany Stephens said. The systems under development in the pursuit of single-sortie mine hunting are Textron's Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle, or CUSV, about the size of a bass boat, which deploys Raytheon's AQS-20 sonar system to detect the mines. After an operator authorizes an engagement, the Barracuda Expendable Mine Neutralizer is deployed to autonomously reacquire and destroy the mine. “If you are familiar with mine warfare, it's painfully slow,” Olson said to an audience at the DSEI conference in London. “When leadership says, ‘We need to clear a minefield,' and you say, ‘How long do I have?,' they look at their watch when they should pull out a calendar. I'm going to tell them it is going to take weeks, and they're going to say: ‘I need it done now.' " In May, a Raytheon executive told Defense News that the company was closing in on demonstrating the capability. “All three of these pieces are maturing right around the same time,” Randy Brandenburg, a Raytheon business development executive with its Seapower Capability Systems division, said at the time. “We're working hard to put this together and we'll be demonstrating some of this ... this summer.” ‘Huge vulnerability' The Navy is also moving in on the ability to deliver an effective counter-mine mission package to the littoral combat ship, albeit more than a decade late. The mine-hunting mission package for LCS was supposed to achieve its initial operational capability declaration in 2008. But perhaps more importantly, the service may finally have an effective solution to combating a threat that has bedeviled it for years: cheap mines. “In the past it has been mostly divers — we'd sent [explosive ordnance disposal teams] out to go neutralize mines by putting some kind of charge on it,” said Bryan Clark, a retired submarine officer and analyst with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments. “It's a hugely complicated, multistage operation with a lot of people involved. So going to single-sortie mine hunting, you are really saving a lot of time, certainly by at least a third the time it takes to clear an area that has mines in it. “You can now transition to a purely unmanned mine-clearance operation where I have a ship that has the AQS-20 getting towed behind the CUSV, searches for [a] mine and the CUSV can send out a mine-neutralization torpedo.” The breakthrough with single-sortie will mean the Navy is only limited by how many robots it can buy to do the job. “It's big not just because it gets people out of the minefield but because it's scalable now,” Clark said. “Once you take the people out the minefield, now you can search as big a minefield as I have unmanned vehicles, whereas in the past you were limited by how many minesweepers I have and how many humans I have to operate them. Scalability was constrained.” Ultimately, getting this mission right will prove that autonomous systems can have an impact on war fighting, Clark added. “This is the mission that the Navy absolutely had to get autonomous systems to go do,” he said. “It's crazy to have humans go out and remove mines. It's dangerous, it's not scalable, it takes forever — it's just a huge vulnerability that the Navy [has] that could be exploited by even the most primitive opponents. https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dsei/2019/09/10/the-us-navy-just-had-a-major-breakthrough-with-autonomous-weapons/

By: Heiko Borchert und Christian Brandlhuber As the United States, China and Russia are accelerating their use of artificial intelligence in military settings, Europe risks falling behind unless leaders on the continent take steps to bundle their efforts. Estonia, Finland, France, Germany and the Netherlands presented a food-for-thought paper in May 2019, posing a series of questions aimed at boosting defense-relevant AI research in Europe. Our suggestion: Create a data mobility framework that would guide future concepts, models, algorithms, data sharing, access to elastic computing power, and sophisticated testing and training. Key challenges have yet to be addressed. Among them is a solid conceptual framework to help underline the benefits for armed forces. Second, AI solutions need to be integrated into a complex web of legacy systems, which puts a premium on interoperability. Third, defense AI solutions must comply with legal requirements. Finally, Europe lacks a common, trusted defense data pool. European leaders should take a lesson from the military mobility project, which simplifies and standardizes cross-border military transport procedures to ease the movement of personnel and equipment. Europe needs to match physical mobility with digital mobility. Data needs to travel, too. To stimulate defense AI solutions, the continent needs a platform economy that emerges around a portfolio of relevant infrastructure elements and services that a new “Center for Defense AI” could build. For the platform to become attractive, the data acquisition strategy must focus on the need to share. Readiness to share must be incentivized by a data pool that offers true, added value. Therefore, the center would offer access to data on anything from missile defense to combat aircraft maintenance under strict, government-controlled regulation, enabling users to build novel use cases for military scenarios. Mission-critical systems cannot rely on a single machine-learning technology but require a combined approach to data fusion that increases reliability and reflects the specific requirements of the different domains like land, sea, air, space and cyberspace. In addition, data must be validated to avoid manipulation. This data pool would become enormously attractive if the center managed to establish arrangements with the European Union and NATO to share data collected in international operations. This would provide an unprecedented opportunity to develop future concepts, models and algorithms based on real-life data reflecting mission requirements, environmental conditions in different theaters of operation and adversarial behavior. In addition, the European Defence Agency and NATO's Science and Technology Organization should make use of the joint data pool for their defense AI projects, thus expanding the data pool as well as the concepts and models used for data curation and solutions development. With the help of the European Defence Fund, the center could establish the first European defense data pool spanning across military services, missions and domains. This will drastically reduce data-handling costs, as data curation activities required for every single defense AI project can be pooled. While hugely important, data is only a means to develop capabilities-based AI solutions. That's why the center would offer complementary services addressing two current shortfalls: First, commonly available computing capacity required for large-scale learning is somewhat novel to the defense industry. A new defense AI cloud would significantly enhance data mobility by offering elastic computing capacity up to supercomputer levels, and dedicated data fusion capabilities currently unavailable to train very large-scale, AI-based data fusion models. Second, the center could provide a sophisticated simulation environment to run AI operations in a realistic battlefield environment. Based on its trusted data sources, the center and defense AI developers could join forces to build a defense AI app store. Apps could capture different sensor and effector characteristics or emulate particular patterns of adversarial behavior. Defense contractors and defense procurement agencies could use these apps to verify and validate new AI systems as if they had access to the respective algorithms, but without exposing the original vendor to the risk of being reverse engineered. In addition, the simulation environment would be instrumental to assess the ethical, legal and societal impact of AI solutions, thus providing a sound basis to decide on the use of AI systems and to enhance live, virtual, constructive training solutions. Europe should take bold steps toward channeling its collaborative defense AI activities, building on the strengths of each partner: The center would offer joint services; defense AI developers could concentrate on designing and producing intelligent sensors, effectors and decision-making solutions, while military end-users would contribute capabilities-based thinking and operational experience. Heiko Borchert runs Borchert Consulting & Research, a strategic affairs consultancy based in Lucerne, Switzerland. Christian Brandlhuber is senior adviser at Reply, a European IT systems integrator, and coordinates the company's AI strategy and activities. https://www.defensenews.com/opinion/2019/09/09/jump-starting-europes-work-on-military-artificial-intelligence/

By: Aaron Mehta WASHINGTON — U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper intends to implement changes from his review of Defense Department organizations on a rolling basis, rather than waiting until the review process is completely finished, according to the department's top spokesman. Jonathan Rath Hoffman, assistant to the secretary of defense for public affairs, said Monday that there's “no interest” from Esper to wait until the review is fully done or the start of the next fiscal year to start implementing program changes, including potential cuts. “It's going to be an ongoing process. If he makes a decision, it's not going to be ‘I have to look through everything and then make some decisions.' If he sees a program that needs to end or be moved, he'll make that decision as quickly as he can,” Hoffman told reporters. “He's going to make changes as we move forward. If he identifies changes that would save money, there's no interest in waiting until next year to start saving money.” An Aug. 2 memo kicked off a departmentwide review of programs ahead of the development for the fiscal 2021 budget request. The goal is to find savings and drive a “longer-term focus on structural reform, ensuring all [defensewide] activities are aligned to the National Defense Strategy while evaluating the division of functions between defense-wide organizations and the military departments," per the document. The so-called fourth estate of the department includes 27 agencies, such as the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Missile Defense Agency. A September 2018 report from the Government Accountability Office estimated those agencies collectively have an annual budget of at least $106 billion. Esper has acknowledged the review sounds a lot like the “night court” process the Army used to find roughly $25 billion in savings that could then be reinvested into new capabilities. But he has so far declined to offer a target dollar figure for savings. "It's a long road. I'm spending two hours a week, 90 minutes to two hours a week on this in formal session, so we're just going to work our way through it week after week after week,” the secretary said Aug 27. “I'm looking for programs that don't have as much value relative to another critical war-fighting capability, absolutely.” Hoffman described the process as starting with internal reviews inside the various offices, looking at what projects are ongoing. Those are cross-checked with assessments from others in the department that are looking to find cost-sharing or cost-saving options. Those are collectively provided up to the deputy secretary of defense before being presented at regular meetings with Esper. Esper then “holds a review with all the parties that may have equities and go through it. I sat through one of these last week. He really digs into what are the appropriate roles, what are the appropriate missions, is there someone better or capable to hold this than the equity that has it now, is there better cost savings,” Hoffman said. Some have questioned whether Esper's plans will run into roadblocks in Congress. On Monday, Hoffman stressed that the department has been keeping Congress in the loop. “The secretary has been very adamant he wants to make sure Congress is fully informed,” he said. https://www.defensenews.com/pentagon/2019/09/09/program-cuts-from-espers-pentagon-wide-review-could-come-sooner-than-expected/