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28 Mar 19. The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $71,345,504 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering and integrated logistics support to maintain the T/AV-8B Harrier during the aircraft’s Post-Production Support Phase. Work will be performed at St. Louis, Missouri (75 percent); Warton, Lancashire, United Kingdom (11 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (10 percent); Yuma, Arizona (3 percent); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2023. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001919D0004).
27 Mar 19. Netherlands begins Chinook upgrade. On 21 March, two Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) CH-47F Chinook transport helicopters were shipped from the Belgian North Sea port of Antwerp to the United States to be upgraded, the Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on its website on 22 March. The helicopters were dismantled at Woensdrecht Airbase in the Netherlands so they could be transported. Along with four other RNLAF CH-47Fs already in the United States for training purposes, the helicopters will receive Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) cockpits with integrated digital automatic flight control systems. The Netherlands is retiring its 11 CH-47Ds after procuring another 14 CH-47Fs with CAAS cockpits through the US Foreign Military Sales programme in 2015. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
27 Mar 19. Lockheed Martin Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme Success Underpinned by Robust Supply Chain. Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill brings together its supply chain partners to celebrate milestones and demonstrate how strong collaboration with suppliers is continuing to support programme success. Around 30 suppliers came together at the Tank Museum in Dorset for Lockheed Martin’s exclusive Warrior CSP event – a real celebratory moment which demonstrated the collaboration and partnership which is taking the programme from strength-to-strength.
Lockheed Martin UK Ampthill recently demonstrated the ongoing success of the WCSP development programme with their supply chain partners. This month the programme team has performed a successful Manned Fire-on-the-Move, the next stage in this important British Army programme. The platform is now certified for live firing and the MOD crews will soon start to add to the hundreds of CT40 and thousands of chain gun rounds already fired by the Lockheed Martin team. Lockheed Martin UK has now commenced Reliability Growth Trials and is pushing on to its next major programme milestone of 20 Battlefield Missions.
Mark Farrell, Warrior CSP Supply Chain Lead at Lockheed Martin said: “This is a really exciting and critical time for Lockheed Martin. We have just entered Reliability Growth Trials (RGT) with our MOD customer, this is when we’ll really be able to demonstrate that we have a product and capability which is reliable and absolutely performs.”
“Our programme continues to go from strength-to-strength and together we continue to achieve all programme milestones. Our success is underpinned by our robust and capable supply chain. We have invested in fostering relationships with our suppliers; moving from a typical customer / supplier relationship to a more collaborative partnership – this has paid dividends. We have every confidence in our supply chain and their commitment to the programme”.
Axis Electronics MD Paul Chaplin said: “We are a proud supplier to the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme. We have partnered with Lockheed Martin for the past 5 years, and our relationship has now matured to a point where we can consult Lockheed Martin for advice and guidance on a range of business challenges – their advice and support is invaluable to our organisation. Working alongside the world’s largest Defence Prime has enabled Axis to develop in areas such as cyber security; with Lockheed Martin’s support we have now achieved our Cyber Essentials Plus accreditation.”
“I think it’s a very exciting time for Warrior CSP, and for supply chain partners such as ourselves. It’s a critical milestone as we enter RGT and a real opportunity for us to prove that our product works.”
“The Lockheed Martin Warrior CSP supply chain is critical to the success of the programme and we take that responsibility extremely seriously.” (Source: Lockheed Martin)
26 Mar 19. Pentagon hopes to have new cybersecurity standards for contractors in 2020. The Pentagon’s top acquisition official said the department is working with government agencies to develop cybersecurity standards that industry partners would need to follow before they can win a contract.
Ellen Lord, the Pentagon’s undersecretary for acquisition and logistics, said in a March 25 event that the department is working with officials from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and hopes to have new metrics on minimum cybersecurity practices later this year. NIST helps provide IT standards for federal government agencies.
Ideally, she said, the Defense Department would begin to use those standards within the next 18 months to help determine whether to award a business a contract.
“We are deriving cybersecurity standards form the NIST standards,” she said. “We will have metrics associated with those. We’ll stand up third-party auditors.”
Lord expects to work with officials from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory on the project as well.
“We’re probably 18 months out from making those a clear discriminator in terms of acquisition downselects,” she said.
In the past two years, Pentagon officials have become increasingly concerned that one of their greatest cybersecurity risks lies in the second- and third-tier contractors who work with the Defense Department and the largest defense companies.
In September, Patrick Shanahan, then the department’s deputy secretary and now the acting secretary, said cybersecurity would become a key measurement for how industry is judged by the department. He called it the “fourth critical measurement” behind quality, cost and schedule.
“Security is one of those measures that we need to hold people accountable for,” he said.
But the issue becomes complicated for smaller contractors with fewer resources. In written testimony dated March 26 to the Senate Armed Services Committees cybersecurity subpanel, John Luddy, the vice president for national security at the Aerospace Industries Association, said while he applauded the idea of reporting breaches and applying standards, “the dynamic nature of cyber security today makes it extremely difficult for small to mid-size suppliers to create self-sustaining cyber security programs capable of managing the risk posed by advanced adversaries.” AIA has suggested its own standards for cybersecurity, one that it argues is not a one-size-fits-all checklist for compliance. (Source: Fifth Domain)
26 Mar 19. Sierra Nevada Corp., Circle, Sparks, Nevada, has been awarded a $317,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Precision Strike Package program. This contract provides contractor logistics support for the Precision Strike Package in support of the AC-130W and AC-130J. Work will be performed at Cannon Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Hurlburt Field, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2026. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $26,784,295 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8509‐19‐D‐0001).
26 Mar 19. Leonardo DRS Announces U.S. Army Contracts for Ruggedized Next-Gen Maintenance and Testing systems. Leonardo DRS, Inc. announced today that it has been awarded a contract by the U.S. Army to provide ruggedized next-generation maintenance and testing systems to assess and verify the functions of vehicles, communications equipment and complex weapons systems. The contract, a five-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity award for the Maintenance Support Device (MSD), Version 4 Rugged & Semi-Rugged systems, is worth up to $292m. The systems deliver at-platform automatic test equipment for harsh environments, such as tactical motor pools, where hardened equipment offers consistent performance. The contract was announced by the U.S. Army Product Director Test, Measurement and Diagnostic Equipment; Leonardo DRS teamed with Dell to provide a family of ruggedized commercial, off-the-shelf systems to provide the Army with the latest portable, lightweight computers for the program. This new MSD is based on a technology roadmap that enables the Army to seamlessly integrate new processing technologies as they become available, while allowing users to integrate new capabilities without disrupting the program or fielding strategies.
The system is the Army’s next generation of standard general purpose, at-platform automatic test equipment for a wide variety of mission critical systems, including wheeled and tracked vehicles, communications systems, aviation, missiles, artillery and other complex weapons systems. Additionally, the system can be used to host Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals and Electronic Technical Manuals to enable operators to troubleshoot and diagnose performance faults in real-time while conducting scheduled maintenance.
Under the contract, Leonardo DRS will provide the complete MSD V4 kits, including computing hardware, cables, connector accessories, software and Interactive Electronic Technical Manuals to Army-wide level 1 maintainers.
“By closely working with Dell, we are pleased to provide the Army with these new soldier-friendly advanced maintenance systems, while addressing Army requirements for next-generation equipment testing,” said Bill Guyan, vice president and general manager of the Leonardo DRS Land Electronics business unit. “By combining best-of-breed commercial off-the-shelf technologies with our expertise in cyber and rugged computing, we can provide the Army a cost-effective solution with new capabilities to meet the full range of Level 1 maintenance for deployed soldiers and maintainers,” Guyan said.
Army ground and aviation maintainers will use the new capabilities with interactive electronic technical manuals to run application software and upload and download mission data or software. These systems are unique to prior maintenance support devices because they were developed with close input from soldiers. Assembly of the systems will be done at the Leonardo DRS Land Electronics facility in Huntsville, Alabama.
25 Mar 19. Leonardo establishes helicopter JV with Algeria. The Algerian Ministry of National Defence and Leonardo have formed a joint venture (JV) for the domestic assembly, sale, and support of Leonardo’s helicopters. The Algerian government will own 51% of the JV and the company the remaining 49%. The JV will be based at a new facility in Aïn Arnat, Sétif Province, which will be operational as of 2021, according to Leonardo. The JV follows the signing of an industrial and trade partnership agreement between the two organisations in August 2016 and will facilitate Algeria’s fleet of helicopters, as well as provide maintenance and training services, although it will also target export opportunities. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
25 Mar 19. Airbus releases Eurofighter mission support system to German Air Force. Airbus has released a new mission support system (MSS) into service for Eurofighter to the German Air Force. The MSS contains new air-to-surface planning features and can fully exploit the multirole capabilities of Eurofighter Typhoon. According to Airbus, the MSS can meet the increased operational requirements of the German Air Force. The system is designed to support the full mission cycle covering tasking, data management, planning, rehearsal, briefing and debriefing. The presence of solid data management will allow a mission planner to maximise airborne effectiveness by simultaneously preparing mission data for multi-ship Eurofighter missions in mixed configurations. Furthermore, MSS offers faster planning cycles. The system enables the printing of flight documents and the uploading of the mission data onto the aircrew data store in less than 15 minutes. The improved timing is made possible by computer assistance in the attack planning segment and other features such as multifunctional information distribution system (MIDS) planning, ATO/ACO-import and information parsing.
“Airbus noted that it will soon introduce machine learning algorithms to enhance the prototype.”
In addition, the system’s modular design enables easy adjustment to support other platforms. The new German FCAS Prototyping Laboratory is currently using an Airbus MSS derived prototype to perform mission planning. Airbus noted that it will soon introduce machine learning algorithms to enhance the prototype. This is aimed at providing optimised routings and supporting complex missions and environments in a data-driven battlespace. In a statement, Airbus said: “Airbus Eurofighter MSS is thus the baseline for future combat mission support and mission management systems and ready for dominance in the data-driven battlefield of FCAS operations.” Germany is looking to phase out its ageing Tornado combat aircraft from 2025. In January, Reuters reported that the German Defence Ministry dropped Lockheed Martin’s F-35 stealth fighter out of the tender. The Eurofighter will now compete with Boeing’s F/A-18 fighter jet for the lucrative deal. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
22 Mar 19. Bolivian Air Force to upgrade UH-1H helicopters. The Bolivian government has authorised a budgetary increase of BOB47.7m (USD6.8m) to upgrade the air force’s Bell UH-1H ‘Huey’ helicopters for counter-narcotics operations. The funding, which was approved on 19 March, is in addition to an initial BOB82.7m that was granted in late 2018. Under the upgrade, 11 of the air force’s 15 helicopters are to be modernised to the Huey II standard that includes a more powerful engine, new dynamic parts (such as rotors, transmissions, and gearboxes), new wiring, and an optional ‘glass’ cockpit. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
21 Mar 19. Serco wins four-year US Navy technical support contract. Serco has received a four-year contract from the US Navy to deliver technical and programmatic support at naval bases around the world. The new task order was awarded under the SeaPort-e contract vehicle. The contract includes a base period of one year and three option years. If all the options are exercised, the overall value of the order is expected to increase to $53m. Serco will be required to provide support for information technology (IT), anti-terrorism force protection (ATFP) systems, enterprise land mobile radio (ELMR), dispatch and alarms. The scope also includes network engineering, network roll-out support, and information assurance for all navy regions globally.
Serco chairman and CEO Dave Dacquino said: “We are excited to grow our shore modernisation services under this new task order. Our team put together a solution that tapped into our extensive past performance in helping our nation secure our military bases and detect and respond to cybersecurity threats.”
Since 2001, the company has delivered life cycle sustainment, acquisition, and integration services to the US Navy in support of ATFP and naval electronic surveillance systems (NESS).
The company’s services are focussed on supporting the integration of communications between federal and state and local government agencies to facilitate collective response to terrorist threats.
Serco was awarded two production task orders to support the US Navy in December. The task orders were part of the navy’s Consolidated Afloat Networks Enterprise Services (CANES) indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity multiple-award contract for CVN, DDG, LHD ship classes, and submarines. The work involves sourcing and assembling the required IT network systems in hardened shipboard racks. Last year, the company secured a total of 11 task orders from the eight-year CANES IDIQ contract. (Source: naval-technology.com)
24 Mar 19. Safran bags five-year Royal Australian Navy support contract. Safran Electronics & Defense Australasia (SEDA) has received a contract for in-service support on the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN’s) infrared search and track systems.
The contract will run for an initial period of five years, with options to extend the service for up to 15 years. Among RAN equipment that will be supported in the contract include submarine optronic masts on service with the Collins-class diesel-electric boats.
“SEDA’s investment in its Botany facility and technical team will see the transfer of expertise to Australia to enable repairs to be conducted locally in the future,” said Australia’s Minister for Defence, Christopher Pyne, in a statement on the contract. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
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About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and life cycle sustainment services. For decades Oshkosh has been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition, Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4® independent suspension systems, TerraMax™ unmanned ground vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and performance. Oshkosh Defense, LLC is an Oshkosh Corporation company [NYSE: OSK].
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
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