Dear Readers,
THEY DON’T MAKE ‘EM LIKE THEY USED TO…
One can’t help but being amazed that the venerable Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bomber will have its service life further extended with the news (24 September – see below) that Rolls-Royce has won a potential $2.6 billion contract (if options are taken) to supply the force with 608 commercial engines (with 42 spares). The selected engine is the BR725 (known as the F130 in the military) with each engine producing 17,000 pounds of thrust (with a total of eight engines per aircraft). The contract will stretch through to September 2038.
The B-52 has been kept relevant over the years through the insertion of new systems including Combat Network Communications Technology (CONECT), which upgraded flight deck electronics, communications technology, computing, and avionics, an Offensive Avionics System together with Litening targeting pods in 2007, and a payload upgrade that will enable it to carry up to 50 percent more smart bombs. Current plans will see it carrying the Lockheed Martin AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response (ARRW) hypersonic missile and the future Raytheon Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile
The B-52 first took to the air on 15 April 1952, nearly 70 years ago, and looks like it will continue to fly at least for another 20 years. it has been flying since the Cold War (its fame increased through its part in director Stanley Kubrick’s movie Dr. Strangelove), and has been deployed in anger from the Vietnam War through to operations against Daesh in Syria and Iraq.
The B-52H is the only version now active with the US Air Force, with around 58 aircraft deployed between two squadrons, the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota, and the 2nd Bomb Wing at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.
Thanks for reading,
Andrew Drwiega
SAAB/DAMEN PARTNERSHIP HUNTS COLLINS SUBMARINE MID-LIFE UPGRADE
The Saab Kockums/Damen Naval submarine offer to the Royal Netherlands Navy for its Walrus submarine replacement programme will be a submarine of 3,000 tonnes, 70 metres in length and will be capable of long range deployment, stated Lars Tossman, head of Saab Kockums, during a virtual submarine seminar earlier today (28 September).
Hein van Ameijden, managing director of Damen Naval, said that the partnership with Saab Kockums was aimed at restarting submarine building in the Netherlands via the Walrus Replacement Programme. Currently there are four Walrus-class submarines being operated by the Royal Netherlands Navy, all of which were commissioned between 1990 and 1994.
There are three contenders to build the new submarine. The Saab/Damen partnership is offering a design based around Saab’s experience developing the new A26 submarines for the Swedish Navy, and on the back of the mid-life upgrade of two Gotland-class submarines, HSwMS Gotland and HSwMS Uppland. France’s Naval Group is offering its diesel-electric Barracuda-class submarine design which, until recent events, was destined for the Royal Australian Navy as the Shortfin Barracuda. The third option comes from German shipbuilder ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems in the form of its Type 212CD design, already ordered by the German and Royal Norwegian navies.
Since the recent announcement of the AUKUS partnership to provide the Royal Australian Navy with nuclear powered attack submarines, the urgency to provide the existing diesel-electric Collins-class submarines with a mid-life upgrade has increased.
Ex-submariner with 22 years service and now general manager of Saab Australia, Andy Keogh, said that the Australian Government’s decision on the Collins upgrade could lead to a tremendous opportunity for it to leverage the Swedish experience of the A26 development and as well as the experience gained in upgrading the Gotland-class. He said that it was likely the mid-life upgrade would focus on major propulsion systems, including diesels, generators, main motors and the power distribution system. He expected “a huge amount of technology and capability would be inserted” to see the boats through to end of service.
Tossman stated that although Saab had been providing information for the Australian Government to assess, it had still not issued a Request for Information (RfI) or Request for Proposal (RfP). He said that the expectation was for a contract to be awarded in 2022 and that the mid-life upgraded Collins boats would be expected to continue in service until around 2048.
DARPA/US AIR FORCE TESTS SCRAMJET HAWC PAST MACH 5
Last week’s free flight test of the DARPA/US Air Force Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) is a step forward in the validation process in the development of this high performance missile. It builds on past scramjet (supersonic combustion ramjet) projects including the National Aero-Space plane X-30, NASA’s X-43 and the US Air Force’s X-51 Waverider.
The aircraft-launched HAWC scramjet, which is powered by a compressed air mix fired by hydrocarbon fuel, achieved a cruising speed of over Mach 5 (five times the speed of sound). According to a DARPA statement: “The HAWC vehicle operates best in oxygen-rich atmosphere, where speed and manoeuvrability make it difficult to detect …[allowing it to] strike targets much more quickly than subsonic missiles and has significant kinetic energy even without high explosives.”
The goals of the test were: vehicle integration and release sequence, safe separation from the launch aircraft, booster ignition and boost, booster separation and engine ignition, and cruise, all of which were achieved.
The HAWC missile is built by Raytheon and powered by a Northrop Grumman scramjet engine.
US MAJOR ARMS SALES (Defence Security Cooperation Agency – DSCA).
No new postings.
US GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS
Highlighting a selection of $100 million+ government awarded contracts awarded between 20-24 September.
24 September
US NAVY
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is awarded a $1 billion modification contract that exercises options for the production and delivery of 16, Lot 15 F-35 Lightning II aircraft: 10 for the Air Force and six for the Marine Corps. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Technologies, Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, is awarded a $258 million contract that procures non-recurring sustainment support, material and support equipment for depot maintenance facilities as well as supplies, services, and planning for depot activations in support of F-35 aircraft sustainment efforts for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.
Lockheed Martin is awarded a $106 million modification contract that adds scope to procure non-recurring sustainment and maturation engineering support for the F-35 program. Specifically, this modification provides joint technical data, prognostic health management, software sustainment depot and aircraft structural integrity support for Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) participants and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems is awarded a $23.7 million modification contract to exercise options for engineering support services, other direct costs, and depot services for Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) Increment One Block One (I1B1) systems. This option exercise combines purchases for the Air Force (79 percent); Navy (18 percent); and government of Australia (3 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. The Naval Sea Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Chemring Australia is awarded a $21.9 million contract to procure 10,089 MJU-68/B flare infrared countermeasures; 4,628 for the Navy, 1,440 for the Air Force, 685 for the government of Israel, 312 for the government of Netherlands, 504 for the government of Norway, and 2,520 for the government of Great Britain in support of the F-35 Lightning II program. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
US AIR FORCE
Rolls-Royce has been awarded an estimated $500 million IDIQ contract with a six-year base period for B-52 Replacement Engines, with a potential total of $2.6 billion if all options are exercised. This contract provides for 608 commercial engines plus spare engines, associated support equipment and commercial engineering data, to include sustainment activities, to be used on the B-52H bomber fleet. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center is the contracting activity.
PAR Government Systems has been awarded a $490 million IDIQ contract for Counter-small Unmanned Aircraft System (C-sUAS) software, hardware, and technical documentation. This contract provides for research, designing, prototyping, testing, evaluation, operational evaluation, experimentation, integration, technical installation, transition and support through initial operations of C-sUAS technologies. Air Force Research Laboratory is the contracting activity.
RAND Corp has been awarded a $347 million contract for the people, tools, facilities, supplies, materials, studies, analysis research to address mission needs of the Department of the Air Force. Air Force District of Washington is the contracting activity. (Awarded 23 Sept. 2021)
Boeing has been awarded a $158 million contract modification for VC-25B Spares Phase 1 – Long Lead Parts. The contracting activity is Air Force Life Cycle Management Center.
Lockheed Martin has been awarded a $25.1 million contract for the Malaysia Ground Based Radar System. This contract provides a standalone radar system, ancillary equipment, spares, training, and an interim contract support option. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Malaysia. Air Force Life Cycle Management is the contracting activity.
US ARMY
Dynetics was awarded a $237 million contract for the development of an Indirect Fire Protection Capability Increment 2 launcher/interceptor solution and delivery of 16 launcher prototypes, 60 fieldable interceptor prototypes and associated all-up-round magazines. US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.
Advanced Technology Systems was awarded a $191 million contract for the production and sustainment of the Security Surveillance System. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground is the contracting activity.
International Business Machines was awarded a $138 million contract to provide information technology services on behalf of the Product Director Acquisition, Logistics and Technology Enterprise System and Services. US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.
US SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND
Sierra Nevada was awarded an $183 million IDIQ contract for Integrated Tactical Mission Systems engineering and integration support. This requirement aims to bring Special Forces a system-of-system aircraft computer interface allowing multiple, contrasting systems to better communicate for more synchronised system feedback. US Special Operations Command is the contracting activity.
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
Service Source has been awarded an IDIQ contract up to $131 million. The purpose of this contract is to provide base operations support services for facilities operations, maintenance and sustainment to the entire Mark Center Campus in support of the mission of the Department of Defense personnel located at this site. The Mark Center Campus is defined as all grounds, structures, improvements and appurtenances located on or within the metes and bounds on a 15.9-acre site. Washington Headquarters Services is the contracting activity.
23 September
US NAVY
Blue Rock Structures; Civil Works Contracting; ENCON DESBUILD JV2; Futron; Joyce and Associates Construction; Military and Federal Construction; Muter Construction; Rand Enterprises; Reasor-Asturian JV; and WB Brawley, are awarded a combined $249 million IDIQ multiple award construction contract for design-bid-build (DBB) general construction projects located primarily at Marine Corps facilities at Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point. Work to be performed will include general construction of DBB projects, but is not limited to new construction, renovations, alterations, and repairs. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Chitra Productions; SV Synergies; OSCTech, AttainX; and Stellar Innovations and Solutions, are awarded a combined $151 million IDIQ contract to provide full information technology (IT) lifecycle support to Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command’s (NAVFAC) core facilities management, construction management and installation management systems. The work to be performed includes but is not limited to, systems development lifecycle and cybersecurity support, business systems operations and support, IT operations management and enterprise, cloud operations/migration/system development, secure infrastructure and analysis and management services. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems and Expeditionary Warfare Center is the contracting activity.
General Electric Power Conversion (GE) is awarded an IDIQ contract with a ceiling of $125 million, for services and supplies in support of Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) GE brand equipment aboard the command’s fleet of ships. This award will provide original equipment manufacturer authorised parts and service technicians in order to maintain the systems aboard multiple classes of ships including MSC’s dry cargo/ammunition class (T-AKE); expeditionary sea base class (ESB); expeditionary transfer dock class (ESD); fleet auxiliary oiler class (T-AO); the command ship USS Mount Whitney (LLC 20); oceanographic survey ship class (T-AGS); and roll-on/roll-off class (T-AKR) vessels. The Navy’s Military Sealift Command is the contracting activity.
Stratus Systems is awarded a $9 million IDIQ contract for the manufacture of FW98 and BY81 automatic inflation devices used in aircrew personnel life preservers upon egress from ejection seat equipped aircraft. This effort combines purchases under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Fiscal 2020 procurement (Navy) funds (73 percent); FMS Spain funds (13 percent); FMS Kuwait funds (8 percent); and FMS Switzerland funds (6 percent) will be used for the FW98 procurement. FMS Korea funds (59 percent); FMS Turkey funds (12 percent); fiscal 2019 procurement (Air Force) funds (11 percent); FMS Taiwan funds (7 percent); FMS Pakistan funds (5 percent); FMS Thailand funds (3 percent); FMS Bahrain funds (1 percent); FMS Morocco funds (1 percent); FMS Singapore funds (0.5 percent); and FMS Serbia funds (0.5 percent), will be used for the BY81 procurement. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support is the contracting activity.
ERAPSCO, Joint Venture of Sparton and USSI, is awarded an $8.3 million modification to a previously awarded IDIQ contract that adds scope for the production and delivery of 5,000 AN/SSQ-62 production sonobuoys in support of annual training, peacetime operations and testing expenditures, and maintaining sufficient inventory to support the execution of major combat operations determined by the Naval Munitions Requirements Process for the Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
US Foods has been awarded a maximum $245 million IDIQ contract for full-line food distribution. Using military services are Air Force and Army. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.
MISSILE DEFENSE AGENCY
Georgia Tech Applied Research is being awarded an IDIQ contract with a maximum amount of $121 million. The contractor will provide research, development, and engineering work related to sensors, weapons, and communication systems for ground and airborne-based missile defense platforms, investigation of new missile defense systems, and participation in future Department of Defense technology initiatives. The Missile Defense Agency is the contracting activity.
22 September
US AIR FORCE
The Aerospace Corp. has been awarded a $1.1 billion modification contract for systems engineering and integration support for the National Space Community. Space Systems Command is the contracting activity.
US ARMY
Walga Ross Group JV; AMG Contractors; Bristol Design Build Services; The Clement Group; and J&J Contractors, will compete for each order of the $620 million contract for construction services. US Army Corps of Engineers is the contracting activity.
Oshkosh Defense was awarded a $16.7 million contract for M1120A4 Heavy Expanded Mobility Tactical Trucks (HEMTTs), M977A4 HEMTTs, M978A4 HEMTTs, and M1070A1 Heavy Equipment Transporters. Fiscal 2019 Foreign Military Sales (Iraq, Lebanon and Malaysia) funds in the amount of $16.7 million were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Land Systems was awarded a $13.7 million modification contract for Abrams systems and technical support. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 other procurement, Army funds; fiscal 2021 Foreign Military Sales (Australia) funds; and fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13.7 million were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.
21 September
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Celltrion USA; and Abbott Corp, have each been awarded an IDIQ contract for Point of Care rapid antigen COVID-19 test kits. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support. (Awarded 17 Sept, 2021)
US ARMY
The RAND Corp. was awarded an $184 million contract for research and analysis support. US Army Contracting Command is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Range Generation Next has been awarded a $125 million modification contract in support of operations, maintenance and sustainment on the Launch and Test Range System. Space Systems Command, is the contracting activity. (Awarded 16 Sept, 2021).
20 September
US AIR FORCE
ATAP; BONEAL; Custom Manufacturing & Engineering; Hurricane Aerospace Solutions; KOUG; Science and Engineering Services; Green Machine & Manufacturing; and S&K Aerospace, have been awarded a $700 million multiple award contract for the sourcing of common support equipment (CSE). This contract provides for the sourcing, acquiring, and delivery of a broad range of ground and aircraft CSE end items, as well as for incidental services. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to be determined as needed on individual delivery orders. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center is the contracting activity.
US NAVY
Sechan Electronics; and Systems Engineering Support are awarded a combined $452 million IDIQ multiple award contract (MAC) for Global Positioning System-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Service (GPNTS) follow-on hardware production units. GPNTS is used to receive, process and distribute three-dimensional position, velocity, acceleration, attitude, time and frequency in the formats required by shipboard user systems. The contracts include a base ordering period of five years and a three-year option ordering period. No contract funds will be obligated on the basic MAC awards. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command is the contracting activity.
TFS-APTIM JV; Bethel-Tech Pacific JV; North Wind-CDM JV; OCH JV; EA-Wood-1 MP JV, are awarded a combined $240 million IDIQ multiple award contract for environmental remediation projects located at predominately Navy and Marine Corps installations primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of operations and other locations nationwide. The work to be performed provides for environmental remediation actions at environmentally contaminated sites to include, but are not limited to removal actions, pilot and treatability studies, facility operation, maintenance, and instruction, other related activities associated with returning sites to safe and acceptable levels, environmental program assessment, site characterisations, groundwater characterization studies, remediation on sediment sites, emergency or expedited response, contamination assessment, and subsequent decontamination. Additional actions include remediation prior to returning to normal operations, closure reports for removal and remedial actions, geophysical surveys, hydrogeological and geotechnical testing and data analyses, multimedia sampling and analysis for physical, chemical, and geotechnical characteristics, hydrographic surveys, optimisation reviews of remediation facilities and remediation strategies, and munitions response quality assurance. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Raytheon is awarded a $140 million modification to a previously awarded contract that adds scope to procure 36 AN/APG-79(V)4 radar systems in support of radar integration into the C/F-18A aircraft for the government of Canada. Additionally, this modification provides supplies and support to include software, obsolescence management, engineering support and associated technical, financial, and administrative data in support of AN/APG-79(V)4 radar integration effort. The Naval Air Systems Command is the contracting activity.
Boeing was awarded a $28.1 million contract for production and engineering support services to include obsolescence redesign, integration and qualification testing, and production and deployment support as well as consumables, travel and the production of the data co-processor circuit card assemblies. Total obligated funding for this contract combines purchases for the U.S. government in the amount of $10,3 million(36.92 percent); and Foreign Military Sales (63.08 percent) for the governments of Canada ($8.3 million; 29.80 percent); Taiwan ($4.6 million; 16.38 percent); the Netherlands ($2.8 million; 10.15 percent); South Korea ($503,785; 1.79 percent); Spain ($416,435; 1.48 percent); Belgium ($360,160; 1.28 percent); Denmark ($258,865; 0.92 percent); Norway ($157,570; 0.56 percent); New Zealand ($146,315; 0.52 percent); and India ($56,275; 0.20 percent). The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division is the contracting activity. (Awarded 17 Sept, 2021)
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Sterling BV, doing business as Sterling Foods, has been awarded a maximum $168 million IDIQ contract for the production and delivery of Meal, Ready-to-Eat bakery components. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support.
US ARMY
Reams Enterprises; Native American Services; PM Jenkins Group-Professional Management DBA W4 Construction Group; Boyer Commercial Construction; and New Dominion Construction, will compete for each order of the $140 million contract for real property repair and construction at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. US Army 419th Contracting Support Brigade is the contracting activity.
EVENT CONFIRMATION
AUSA ANNUAL MEETING AND EXPOSITION
11-13 October, Washington DC Convention Centre, USA
Keep safe and healthy everyone.
Andrew Drwiega
Editor-in-Chief
Armada International / Asian Military Review
