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06 Nov 19. Israeli Navy to get floating dock for maintenance. The Israeli Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced on 6 November that it will purchase a large floating dock from Israel Shipyards as part of a NIS90m (USD25.8m) agreement. The MoD said the floating dock will be completed in two years and be used to install Israeli systems on the new Saar-6 corvettes being built in Germany, as well as carry out regular maintenance on the Israeli Navy’s ships and submarines.
Israel Shipyards will also lead the design and construction of future naval vessels that will “replace older models built in the 1980s and 1990s”, the MoD said. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
06 Nov 19. Uptake to improve operational availability of M88 recovery vehicles. Uptake has received a contract from the US Marine Corps (USMC) to provide artificial intelligence (AI) software for the M88 armoured recovery vehicles. The company will provide its Asset IO application to help the USMC enhance the operational readiness of the M88 recovery vehicles through predictive analytics. The contract with the USMC is supported by the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).
Uptake founder and CEO Brad Keywell said: “We’re proud to work with the Marine Corps in support of their progressive commitment to embracing predictive analytics and industrial AI technology to advance operational readiness and solve long-standing challenges.
“Through predictive maintenance, we intend to increase the operational readiness of the M88. Our software products, which are tailored to heavy equipment and component-level activity, will help ensure the safety of marines so they can accomplish their missions and return home safely.”
The company used its software to increase the operational readiness of the US Army’s Bradley Fighting Vehicle last year.
It monitored component subsystems on the Bradley to deliver actionable insights. The insights identified warning signs before the occurrence of a failure event to ensure operational availability and lower costs.
Asset IO is an asset performance management (APM) solution that will be deployed to improve the condition-based monitoring of the M88s.
The contract includes providing preventive maintenance strategies and insights to improve the decision-making of marine tactical commanders.
The preventive maintenance capability will also increase the operational availability of the M88s and reduce costs associated with maintenance.
The M88 is used to recover damaged or stranded heavily armoured vehicles from the battlefield. (Source: naval-technology.com)
05 Nov 19. Exostar and Ivis Technologies to Partner on DoD Supply Chain Security and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
Relationship Extends Exostar’s Risk Management Solution Suite, Supports Industry’s Adoption of CMMC. Exostar, the leader in trusted, secure business collaboration in aerospace and defense (A&D), life sciences, and healthcare, today announced it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ivis Technologies to deliver secure, cloud-based assessment, self-help, and risk management solutions to the global commercial and Government A&D industry. These solutions will enable all organizations, from small-to-medium sized businesses to large enterprises, to better understand and mitigate risk, improve their cybersecurity postures, and comply with current and forthcoming Department of Defense (DoD) and other Government standards, such as Special Publication 800-171 from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST SP 800-171) and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
“Recent DoD audits show that contractors subject to NIST SP 800-171 are struggling to comply. CMMC changes the paradigm from compliance to maturity by adding a process component, and from self-attestation to third-party verification and certification. Additionally, CMMC will apply to a broader, deeper community of organizations that directly or indirectly participate in the DoD supply chain,” said Stuart Itkin, Exostar’s Vice President of Marketing and Product Management. “Our new solutions will help companies understand what they need to do to prepare for and to achieve CMMC certification so they can continue to participate on Government contracts.”
Exostar’s latest additions to its pioneering risk management suite support members of the DoD supply chain in meeting the provisions identified in Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations Supplement (DFARS) clause 252.204-7012. These include the establishment of plans, such as a System Security Plan and a Plan of Actions & Milestones, as well as addressing the NIST SP 800-171 security controls and the upcoming CMMC practices and processes. The Exostar suite also provides tools for organizations to assess and manage other forms of supply chain and organizational risk.
Suppliers receive a web-based, step-by-step, wizard-like experience – complete with straightforward explanations and relevant reference materials – to implement the controls and practices mandated by NIST SP 800-171 and CMMC. Easy-to-understand reports illustrate status and gaps, and identify what activities suppliers must complete to improve security posture and achieve their required level of CMMC certification. Third-party CMMC assessors can potentially use the solutions to prepare for and conduct audits. Suppliers, primes, and assessors can all work and communicate within Exostar’s secure, cloud-based platform.
“The Exostar/Ivis relationship immediately puts compelling solutions in the market that enable companies throughout the Defense Industrial Base to manage risk and prepare for CMMC. CMMC’s adoption timeline is aggressive, so now is the time to get started,” said Christopher Lank, Ivis CEO and Founder. “Organizations across the DoD supply chain already rely on Exostar for secure collaboration and risk management; they know they can count on Exostar for trusted, innovative solutions that meet the objective and deliver competitive advantage.” (Source: BUSINESS WIRE)
06 Nov 19. Exide To Showcase New GNB Lithium Technology At Logistica. Battery manufacturer Exide Technologies, a global provider of stored electrical energy solutions, is unveiling its new lithium technology at international logistics trade fair Logistica in the Netherlands from 5-7 November. Logistica features more than 150 sessions and around 200 exhibitors in the areas of material handling, intralogistics, robotics, automation, and more.
Exide is showcasing its next-generation Sonnenschein Lithium Material Handling Battery at the exhibition. This innovative product will be officially released in Q1 2020 and will be unveiled for the first time at Logistica. It offers unparalleled efficiency and runtime, advanced safety features, and exceptionally low total cost of ownership in material handling applications. An optional universal retrofitting communicator can be securely installed, presenting all relevant information through the standard forklift display.
Exide is also presenting GNB Fleet, the latest generation of its proven fleet management software, which will enter the market in Q1 2020. GNB Fleet, a pioneering cloud-based system, measures battery, charger and site data, offering easy-to-understand information on energy consumption, item availability, and uptime. It detects damaged batteries and chargers before they fail, allowing businesses to act preventatively and minimize downtime. The customer can access the cloud-based system on their device of choice.
Exide is also displaying its popular chargers at Logistica, including its 2100 HP Lithium Charger and 2100 HP Charger, which support multiple charging profiles, and enable both fast and opportunity charging of even the largest batteries. Exide’s climate-controlled 2100 Weatherproof Charger and 2100 Dustproof Charger, ideal for challenging outdoor environments, are also on show. Its lithium chargers are designed for Sonnenschein Lithium batteries and are GNB Fleet ready. Sonnenschein Lithium LTB, TENSOR, TENSOR xGEL, and Sonnenschein GF Y and GF V blocs are also being presented.
05 Nov 19. Boeing expects KC-46A delivery pace to begin slowing in mid-2020. Key Points:
- Boeing expects its KC-46A delivery pace to gradually slow to where it is delivering about 1-2 aircraft per month by late 2020/early 2021
- The company has had a backlog of aircraft after they were grounded in early 2019 because of FOD concerns
Boeing expects to begin reducing its KC-46A Pegasus aerial refueling tanker delivery pace in mid-2020 as it finishes clearing out an aircraft backlog, according to a company executive.
Jamie Burgess, Boeing KC-46A᾿s vice-president and programme manager, told Jane’s on 4 November that the company’s current delivery pace of 3-4 aircraft per month will continue until mid-2020, after which Boeing will begin reducing its delivery rate to 1-2 aircraft per month in late 2020 and into 2021.
Burgess attributed the aircraft backlog to Boeing working through the final phases of testing and certification and initial deliveries. He called this upcoming reduced delivery rate to stabilise state production where the company is delivering aircraft at the same rate they are being built.
The US Air Force (USAF), which halted deliveries in early 2019 over foreign object debris (FOD) concerns, received its 23rd KC-46A on 1 November, Boeing said on Twitter. Burgess said Boeing will soon be delivering the USAF᾿s 24th aircraft.
On 22 October Boeing transitioned into initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) for the KC-46A: an important milestone that will help the USAF inform a potential full-rate production (FRP) decision. The service will lead IOT&E out of McConnell Air Force Base (AFB) in Oklahoma, Burgess said, with support from Boeing. (Source: IHS Jane’s)
05 Nov 19. Cutting-edge command post solutions Via Electrade GmbH, its Bronze distribution partner for Germany, MPE has supplied a range of EMC filters to Drehtainer GmbH for integration into its portfolio of highly sophisticated command posts, containers and shelters. Founded in Hamburg in 1974, Drehtainer is a privately-owned, medium-sized enterprise located between the states of Schleswig-Holstein and MecklenburgWestern Pomerania and boasting a 12,000 m2 production area with a crane lifting capacity up to 100t. Concentrating its efforts on the development and manufacture of special containers and vehicles for defence, nuclear technology and industrial applications, Drehtainer has since 2005 delivered some 2,500 protected, modular, camp containers to support the operations of the German, Australian, Canadian and Dutch armed forces as well as the Swiss Army. The unique modular system design of protected Drehtainer solutions allows the containers to be docked to each other to create small to very large buildings. Working closely with Electrade, John Parsons and John Jephcott of MPE conducted visits to Drehtainer’s facility to make a thorough assessment of requirements. Following this, the filter selection and development phases were also completed at MPE, prior to providing a number of high-performance filter variants to Drehtainer for installation and test. These filters included threephase and neutral AC models covering 16A through to 100A power requirements, along with various multi-line control and telephone filters. To date, MPE has supplied eleven different filter models, in numerous batches, for integration into Drehtainer’s command post and electronic warfare (EW) container solutions. The selection of MPE filters for these shelter applications is further testament to the breadth of quality product offering at MPE and Electrade’s commitment to outstanding customer service. Electrade and MPE now look forward to continuing their working relationship with the highly motivated and experienced team at Drehtainer.
05 Nov 19. US navy secretary warns of ‘fragile’ supply chain. Richard Spencer says America is at risk of relying on China and Russia for warship parts. A review by the navy found many contractors were reliant on a single source for high-tech and high-tolerance parts, which made it more likely that the US would have to procure components from Russia or China in the event of disruption. The US navy secretary has warned that the “fragile” American supply chain for military warships means the Pentagon is at risk of having to rely on adversaries such as Russia and China for critical components. Richard Spencer, the US navy’s top civilian, told the Financial Times he had ordered a review this year that found many contractors were reliant on single suppliers for certain high-tech and high-precision parts, increasing the likelihood they would have to be procured from geostrategic rivals. Mr Spencer said the US was engaged in “great power competition” with other global rivals and that several of them — “primarily Russia and China” — were “all of a sudden in your supply chain, [which is] not to the best interests of what you’re doing” through military procurement. He said he was particularly concerned about China, saying he believed Beijing was trying to “weaponise capital” through its Belt and Road Initiative.
He accused Beijing of offering developing countries “loan to own” debt that they could not pay back in order to gain leverage over critical assets. “You go to a country in need, you fill that need which they are grateful for, but at some point do they turn around and go: ‘You know what, everybody out, we’re going to use this now . . . the keys are mine’?” Mr Spencer said. “There’s nothing that prevents that.” Mr Spencer became so concerned about China’s efforts to secure control of sensitive maritime assets that he confronted Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri, a finalist to build the US navy’s new frigate, after Rome decided to sign up to Belt and Road this year. “We did have a very open conversation with the executive management of Fincantieri saying: ‘Show me the firewalls’,” he said. “Fincantieri is not a government-controlled entity . . . but if it’s sitting in a country that has just signed up to Belt and Road, we had to go out and ask and we had to go out and see.”
Mr Spencer said he was ultimately satisfied by the controls Fincantieri had in place, and the Italian shipbuilder remained a candidate to build the frigate. Richard Spencer’s efforts to boost the domestic supply chain have been hampered by government shutdowns and haphazard federal budgeting © Getty Mr Spencer’s efforts to improve the domestic supply chain have been hampered by repeated government shutdowns and haphazard federal budgeting in recent years. This has undermined his ability to convince domestic suppliers that there will be a steady stream of business for them if they invest in building out their manufacturing capabilities. “Right now, we’re sliding back into a [temporary budget extension], which is a bloody shame. A lot of the progress we made we’ll try to hold but it will not be without really concentrated effort,” he said. In an effort to convince the private sector to invest in the US industrial base, Mr Spencer recently launched a “trusted capital” programme where he invited large private equity firms to bid on failing or non-existent supply needs in areas from ship maintenance to weapons manufacturing. “I can’t guarantee business, and I can’t funnel business, but I can sit here and say: ‘Here’s my portfolio, folks,” he said. “You know: ‘Carlyle Group, would you like to come in and take a look at this and put together a team and possibly purchase an existing [supplier] or greenfield something?’” (Source: FT.com)
01 Nov 19. KAMS certified as F-16 Falcon MRO depot. Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services (KAMS) has been certified by Lockheed Martin as the first global F-16 Falcon maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) depot.
The certification authorises KAMS to perform F-16 MRO sustainment work as a Lockheed Martin franchise in the global market. There are approximately 3,000 operational F-16s in service today within twenty-five countries.
Susan Ouzts, vice president of F-16 of Lockheed Martin, said: ‘KAMS has decades of F-16 sustainment experience that can be leveraged globally to support our F-16 customers. ‘KAMS has a unique opportunity to perform Lockheed Martin F-16 quality work, through deployable global field teams, with approved LM engineering and Lockheed Martin licensed parts at a value to the customer.’ (Source: Shephard)
01 Nov 19. Sikorsky and Rheinmetall outline plans for logistics centre in Germany. Sikorsky and Rheinmetall have jointly announced that they are planning to establish a logistics and fleet management centre at Leipzig Halle Airport. The construction of the proposed facility is conditional on Germany’s Bundeswehr selecting the CH-53K as its next heavy-lift transport helicopter.
Sikorsky, a unit of Lockheed Martin, proposed the CH-53K for the ‘Schwerer Transporthubschrauber’ (STH) heavy-lift helicopter programme.
The company partnered with Rheinmetall to compete in the STH programme.
The competition is intended to find a replacement for the German Air Force’s ageing CH-53G helicopter fleet. In the joint release, Rheinmetall and Sikorsky stated that they are in advanced discussions with the airport operator in Leipzig. The planned facility will support the operation of the CH-53K helicopter fleet.
Rheinmetall Aviation Services managing director Mike Schmidt said: “We are in advanced talks on a logistics and maintenance hub at Leipzig Airport.
“We are delighted with the very positive response so far. If the application is successful, the maintenance and supply of the new Bundeswehr transport helicopter could be carried out centrally and efficiently in Leipzig. For the region, the project would mean the settlement of important industry and associated jobs.”
Sikorsky assembled an industry team comprising MTU Aero Engines, Collins Aerospace, ZF Luftfahrttechnik, Autoflug, Hensoldt, Rohde & Schwarz, HYDRO Systems, and Vincorion. The fleet management centre will allow for the evaluation of technical helicopter data.
Sikorsky business development manager Christian Albrecht said: “We have built up a strong industrial team in Germany that will ensure the availability of the CH-53K fleet for the German Air Force.
“With our plans for a hub at Leipzig / Halle Airport, we are laying the foundation to provide the Bundeswehr with a helicopter that will be reliable for several decades to come.”
Boeing is another contender hoping to secure the contract. The company is offering its C-47 Chinook for the programme. (Source: airforce-technology.com)
01 Nov 19. LMI boosts its predictive maintenance abilities with acquisition. Not-for-profit consulting firm LMI announced Nov. 1 it has acquired Clockwork Solutions, a firm based in Austin Texas, as a way to bolster its predictive maintenance capabilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. LMI said in a Nov. 1 release it acquired “substantially all assets” of the Texas company.
Clockwork Solutions offers a predictive analytics software platform. Predictive maintenance has been an attractive concept for the Department of Defense as it looks to reduce billions of dollars in maintenance and readiness.
The idea requires identifying system failure before it happens and then repair parts before they break. Analysts at Global Market Insights guess the predictive maintenance and machine inspection segment in AI in the manufacturing market is projected to grow by 44 percent annually between today and 2025.
“This the perfect next chapter for our employees and our customers,” said Will King, CEO of Clockwork Solutions. “In joining the LMI team, our employees will benefit from expanded professional growth opportunities, and our clients will have access to an array of expertise, tools, and technologies to help them meet their predictive analytics business requirements.” (Source: Defense News Early Bird/Defense News)
23 Oct 19. Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded Technical Support Contract by the USAF. Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that it is one of eight companies included on a contract to provide broad analytical and technical services to the U.S. Air Force in areas such as network architecture and cybersecurity. The multiple-award contract, recently awarded by the Secretary of the Air Force, Administrative Assistant’s Concepts, Development and Management Office (SAF/CDM), has a base period of five years and a potential value of $950m.
“The assimilation of intelligence tools is essential to military readiness,” said Garry Schwartz, president of Technical Solutions’ Mission Driven Innovative Solutions group. “Over the last several years, HII has continued to expand its support to the U.S. Air Force and the Department of Defense (DoD). We are looking forward to helping advance the creation and implementation of innovative solutions across the DoD.”
The contract will allow for the development of new concepts and management of high-priority projects and programs providing innovative solutions to Air Force and defense-wide challenges. SAF/CDM’s mission is to be the partner choice for innovation, discovery and opportunity development within the Department of Defense.
The contract was directly awarded to Fulcrum IT Services, a company acquired by HII in February and is now a part of HII’s Technical Solutions division.
Technical Solutions has nearly 6,000 employees in 45 states and 16 countries, providing professional services and business solutions to a variety of government and commercial customers worldwide. (Source: ASD Network)
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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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