Dear Readers,
The world is becoming increasingly out of step in terms of how each country is being affected by COVID-19 virus. While people are circulating again around the Chinese city of Wuhan, countries in Europe and seeing a trickle of measures trying to ease populations out of lockdown, although the medical community continue to sternly warn about the dangers of exiting too soon, with the danger of repeating the mistakes made during the 1918 Influenza pandemic. (Recommendation: if you can watch the excellent PBS hour long documentary on the subject – and you will understand why the medics are being so cautious (www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/influenza/).
With governments around the world having to request extraordinary amounts of financial borrowing, defence acquisition is certain to be hit, especially in Europe which has been the epicentre of the virus for several months. The UK government’s budget deficit is set to see “an absolutely colossal increase to a level not seen in peacetime”, said Paul Johnson, the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Just as the message of European nations needing to spend more on their own defence, a message brought home by US President Donald Trump, the effect of the pandemic will be to energise spending into Europe’s health services to build a much better buffer against any resurgence in the short term. Defence budgets are likely to be hit and indeed the UK has already put on hold its expected Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy. This is not now expected until the back half of 2021 – at the earliest.
Other countries around the world have already started to cut back. On Thursday 23 April the Bangkok Post reported that the Royal Thai Army was set to delay its $138 million (4.5 billion baht) procurement of a second round of 50 US Stryker armoured infantry carriers.
As reported by the Bangkok Post, Thai Army spokesperson Col Winthai Suvaree stated: ‘The Defence Ministry has slashed its budget for fiscal year 2020 by $554 million (18 billion baht), more than half from the army’s budget, and returned the funds to the government.” to help ensure enough money was available to continue the medical fight against the effects of the virus.
DEFENCE AND COVID-19
POLISH DOCTORS FLY TO CHICAGO TO SHARE LESSONS LEARNED WHILE IN ITALY
On Thursday 23 April, Warsaw’s Military Institute of Medicine sent a nine-member team to Chicago to assist staff at various hospitals as they try to help those effected by the coronavirus.
The Polish doctors from the Military Institute, together with their colleagues from The Polish Centre for International Aid, had previously helped doctors in Italy’s Lombardy region and are also working with Slovenian doctors in Ljubljana.
The doctors will share their lessons learned through a series of seminars and webinars with medical institutions including John H. Stroger Hospital, Cermak Health – Cook County, and the Rush University Medical Centre.
The previous day in another operation in the Netherlands saw the transfer of 7,000 kilos of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical supplies from Beijing to Podgorica (Montenegro), following a request by that country for medical assistance via NATO’s Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Centre.
DOD COVID OPERATIONS UPDATE
On 24 April, Assistant to the Secretary of Defense Jonathon Rath Hoffman provided media with on update on DOD operations in relation to the fight against COVID-19. Here is an abridged summary:
- USNS Comfort will leave New York City after nearly three weeks of operations. It is likely the vessel will return to Norfolk, Virginia to supply.
- while some cities seem past the peak of infections, others have not reached that stage. NORTHCOM is seeking to deploy DOD personnel and resources to the locations that most need them. Currently 60,000 personnel are deployed nationwide, including 4,400 medical professionals.
- There is still focus to continue military training and deployments. The ‘stop movement’ order has been extended until 30 June 30 although it is being reevaluated every two weeks. There is a backlog of individuals that need to move throughout the world.
- Expanding testing capabilities within the DOD will continue, as will the pursuit of clinical vaccines. This will continue.
- The industrial base in being studied in terms of how suppliers are operating and to ensure that contractors are still able to provide equipment to the military. There is also a focus on assisting defence vendors to turn into manufacturers and delivers of crucial pandemic products.
- There is also the ongoing investigation of the serious outbreak of Covid-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt and the dismissal of its Captain for raising his concern outside of standard channels.
DONATIONS
INDRA DONATES WORK TABLETS TO HELP VULNERABLE KIDS WITH SCHOOLWORK
Spanish global technology and consulting company Indra has donated 1,000 tablets through the Red Cross to minors who are vulnerable or at risk, to help with schoolwork while schools and colleges are closed.
Some Indra and Minsait (an Indra company) staff have also organised themselves to produce healthcare supplies using 3D printers.
EDITOR’S NOTE: (If your company is donating equipment or services to the military or government to help in the fight against COVID-19, let us know and we will publicise it here in the weekly briefing).
GENERAL NEWS AND ITEMS OF INTEREST
COVID-19 ZAPPED BY MICRO-UAV EMITTING ULTRAVIOLET (UVC) LIGHT
Spanish companies Aeronautica SDLE and Grupo Rías are promoting a micro UAS that they say can disinfect surface areas indoors and outside using a micro UAS emitting ultraviolet light (UVC).
Of the three types of ultraviolent light – UVA, UVB and UVC – UVC is the strongest but is dangerous to people.
Based on the premise that the COVID-19 virus can remain active on certain materials for up to 72 hours, the companies state that the “C-band ultraviolet light system (UVC) is highly effective” and can be applied from a micro drone working inside buildings. They state that this would be useful in areas such as hospitals, public spaces, offices, and industrial buildings and more effective that manual cleaning.
The UAS is stated as having a 15 minute endurance.
{Further information regarding the effect of ultraviolet light on the coronavirus is available online through a BBC story: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200327-can-you-kill-coronavirus-with-uv-light).
US GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Highlighting a selection of $100 million+ government awarded contracts awarded between 13-17 April 2020:
24 April
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Sysco Raleigh was awarded a maximum $120 million contract for full-line food distribution over two years with two 18-month option periods. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps contracted through Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.
US AIR FORCE
Raytheon received a $117 million modification contract for a global aircrew strategic network terminal (total contract value up to $660 million. Contract via Air Force Material Command.
23 April
US AIR FORCE
Dataminr has received a contract for $258 million for a commercially available license subscription that can leverage a variety of publicly available information sources, evaluate content to detect emerging events as they are developing and push alerts to users based on user-defined areas and topics of interest. The solution must be capable of distributing alerts in near real-time via email, web-based application and mobile platforms. Contract through the Air Force District Washington.
US NAVY
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems was awarded a $147 billion contract modification for the procurement of MK41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) vertical launcher module electronic components. This modification provides the electronic components for MK41 VLS, which is installed onboard Navy surface combatants (CG-47 and DDG-51 class ships) and multiple allied Navy platforms. MK 41 VLS stores, selects, prepares and launches standard missiles, Tomahawk, Vertical Launch Anti-Submarine Rocket and Evolved Sea Sparrow missiles. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (65 percent); and the governments of South Korea, Finland and Germany (35 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.
22 April
US NAVY
Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems received a $519 million contract for the procurement of international Aegis fire control loop development, Solid State S-Band Radar Processing Group, tools and test equipment and spares for five new multi-mission frigates supporting the Aegis combat system (Baseline 9C.2). This contract involves Foreign Military Sales (FMS) to Spain. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contractor.
US ARMY
Ahtna Engineering; Brice Engineering; Bristol Environmental Remediation Services; Cape-Weston JV2; Paragon-Jacobs JV; North Wind-EA JV; FPM Remediations; and Bethel Environmental Solutions will compete for each order of the $140 million contract for environmental remediation services at various locations in Alaska, U.S. Pacific Command and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alaska Pacific Ocean Division areas of responsibility. Contractor is the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Leidos has been awarded a $100 million modification contract to provide enterprise-wide information management/information technology services in support of US Army Corps of Engineers’ customers. Contractor is the US Army Corps of Engineers.
US SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Sierra Nevada was awarded an $88 million modification contract for the Degraded Visual Environment Pilotage System. This modification raises the contract ceiling to $110 million. USSOCOM Headquarters is the contractor.
21 April
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foods was awarded a maximum $478 million contract for full-line food distribution. Using customers are Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and federal civilian agencies. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.
US NAVY
Pratt and Whitney Engines has received a $111 million contract modification for the production and delivery of four Prat & Whitney (PW) F135-PW-600 propulsion systems for the Marine Corps to be installed in F-35B short take-off and vertical landing aircraft. Contract through Naval Air Systems Command.
20 April
US ARMY
Shimmick Construction received a $116 million contract modification for rehabilitation of the LaGrange Lock and Dam. US Army Corps of Engineers is the contractor.
US AIR FORCE
Honeywell was awarded $99 million contract for engineering, manufacturing and development of the Embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System Modernisation (EGI-M). Contract through the Air Force Life Cycle Management Centre.
EVENT CANCELLATIONS/RESCHEDULING
DEFENCE IQ EVENTS
28-30 April – IT²EC, ExCeL, London.
IT²EC was originally scheduled to take place 28-30 April, will now be held at ExCeL London on 1-3 September 2020. (Note: Currently ExCeL has been transformed into the Nightingale Hospital London – the date for returning to its role as an event centre is not known).
A webinar entitled A NEW REALITY: The role of training and simulation in a post Covid-19 world will held at 15:00 BST (GMT+1) on Tuesday 28 April. To register visit: https://www.itec.co.uk/webinar.
Keep safe and healthy everyone.
Andrew Drwiega
Editor-in-Chief
Armada International / Asian Military Review
